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Scanned  from  the  collections  of 
The  Library  of  Congress 


AUDIO-VISUAL  CONSERVATION 
at  The  LIBRARY  .1/  CONGRESS 


Packard  Campus 
for  Audio  Visual  Conservation 
www.loc.gov/avconservation 

Motion  Picture  and  Television  Reading  Room 

www.loc.gov/rr/mopic 

Recorded  Sound  Reference  Center 
www.  loc.gov/rr/record 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.   NO.  1 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  2,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Film  Shares 
Irregular  In 
1952  Trading 

But  'Proven'  Stock  Was 
In  Continued  Demand 

Film  company  securities  with 
proven  or  potential  earning-  power 
continued  in  good  demand  on  the 
New  York  Stock  Exchange  during 
1952.  On  the  whole,  however,  motion 
picture  shares  gave  a  highly  irregular 
performance  during  the  year. 

The  net  result  was  that  gains 
and  losses  were  about  evenly 
divided  in  the  film  stock  at  the 
year's  end.  This  was  in  line 
with  the  action  of  the  stock 
market  as  a  whole.  Although 
a  rise  in  some  groups  brought 
the  general  stock  average  to 
new  highs  in  more  than  21 
years,  many  shares  lost  10  to  40 
per  cent,  compared  with  their 
1951  closings. 

Most  observers  believed  the  business 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Anti-tax  Picture 
Is  in  Preparation 

Hollywood,  Jan.  1. — Col.  H.  A. 
Cole,  co-chairman  of  the  National  Tax 
Repeal  Committee,  accompanied  by 
Paul  Short,  National  Screen  execu- 
tive, arrived  here  last  night  from  Dal- 
las to  complete  arrangements  for  the 
production  of  a  short  subject  which 
will  be  presented  to  the  Committee 
on  Ways  and  Means  in  Congress.  The 
film  is  intended  to  elucidate  all  of  the 
facets  in  connection  with  the  plea  of 
the  industry  for  the  elimination  of 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


U A  Plans  Worldwide 
16mm.  Distribution 


While  Brazil  and  Australia  will  be 
the  initial  countries  in  which  United 
Artists  expects  to  launch  its  16mm. 
film  distribution,  the  company  plans 
to  expand  its  narrow-gauge  film  ac- 
tivities to  England,  France,  Malay 
and  other  countries  during  1953,  Arn- 
old Picker,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
foreign  distribution,  discloses. 

At  present,  UA  has  no  product  on 
16mm.  but  preparations  will  begin 
early  in  the  year  for  making  the  nar- 
row versions   for   the  new  market. 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


House  Small  Business  Unit  Attacks 
'Localized'  Z>.  of  J.  Trust  Suits 

Washington,  Jan.  1. — The  House  Small  Business  Committee  has 
criticized  the  Justice  Department's  anti-trust  division  .or  wasting 
its  time  in  bringing  cases  against  groups  of  local. zed  theatre 
owners. 

In  a  revew  report  for  the  past  two  years  covering  various  phases 
of  government  activities  affecting  small  business,  the  Committee 
suggested  that  "a  well-conceived  pattern  of  anti-trust  law  enforce- 
ment must  rest  upon  careful  selection  of  cases  and  a  concentra- 
tion of  effort  on  consequential  actions." 

Said  the  Committee:  "With  the  admitted  reduction  in  staff  and 
the  increase  in  non-case  work  activities,  it  is  difficult  to  under- 
stand an  anti-trust  policy  which  will  allow  the  dissipation  of  its 
efforts  through  cases  brought  against  price-fixing  by  a  group 
of  local  drive-in  theatres  or  in  the  sale  of  dentures  from  a  certain 
product." 

In  1951,  the  Department  brought  a  suit  against  a  group  of 
Chicago  drive-in  operators.  Early  in  1952,  it  instituted  an  anti- 
trust action  against  several  indoor  theatre  owners  in  Terre  Haute, 
Ind. 


A.  T.  &  T.  Snubs  Industry 
Bid  for  TV  Cost  Data 

Theatre  television  cost  figures  requested  by  the  industry  from  the 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co.  will  not  be  available  until 
Jan.  12,  if  at  all,  an  A.  T.  &  T.  spokesman  stated  here. 

He  explained  that  on  Jan.  12  participants  in  the  Federal  Communica- 
 tions  Commission  hearings  are  slated 


Exhibitors  Showing 
Greater  Caution  in 
Making  Film  Bids 


Competitive  bidding  has  leveled  off 
to  the  point  where  exhibitors  are  using 
greater  caution  in  offering  bids  than 
they  did  18  months  ago,  according  to 
sales  executives  here.  When  the  auc- 
tion type  of  buying  came  into  practice, 
following  the  entry  of  the  govern- 
ment's consent  decree,  many  theatre 
owners  went  overboard  in  their  efforts 
to  take  product  away  from  competi- 
tors, with  the  result  that  the  bids 
sometimes  were  in  excess  of  the  ex- 
( Continued  on  page  2) 


126  TV  Stations  on 
Air;  175  Approved 

Washington,  Jan.  1. — The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission 
said  126  television  stations  were  ac- 
tually on  the  air  at  the  end  of  1952,  an 
increase  of  18  since  the  TV  freeze 
was  lifted  in  July.  Only  108  stations 
were  broadcasting  when  the  freeze  was 
instituted  in  April,  1948. 

The  Commission  said  that  between 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


to  submit  exhibits,  among  other  things, 
in  preparation  for  the  resumption  of 
theatre  TV  hearings  on  Jan.  26.  The 
spokesman  would  not  express  any  as- 
surance that  the  A.  T.  &  T.  exhibits 
would  contain  the  theatre  TV  cost  in- 
formation sought  by  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  and  the 
National  Exhibitors  Theatre  Televi- 
sion Committee. 

The    long-sought    information  was 
tentatively  promised  by  A.  T.  &  T. 
"before   the  end  of  the  year"  at  a 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


150  Entertainers 
At  4Ike'  Inaugural 


Washington,  Jan.  1. — One  hun- 
dred and  fifty  top  entertainers  from 
the  film  industry,  the  theatre,  radio 
and  television  will  take  part  in  the 
two-hour  inaugural  festival  here  on 
Jan.  19,  the  Eisenhower  Inaugural 
Committee  announced. 

Offers  to  appear  in  the  festival  have 
come  from  over  2,000  performers,  ac- 
cording to  festival  committee  chair- 
man Mrs.  A.  Burks  Summers.  Film- 
actor  George  Murphy  is  director  of  en- 
tertainment for  the  production.  So 
far,  the  cast  includes  Walter  Pidgeon, 
Helen  Hayes,  Jeanette  MacDonald, 
Allan  Jones,  Edgar  Bergen,  Hoagy 
Carmichael,  Ethel  Merman  and  Wil- 
liam Gaxton. 


At  Least  Six 
Films  in  NV 
Set  for  1953 


Schaefer  Reports  Heavy 
(Bwana  Devil'  Grosses 

At  least  six  pictures  will  be  made 
in  the  Natural  Vision  three-dimen- 
sional process  in  1953,  George 
Schaefer,  sales  head,  discloses.  Sam 
Katzman,  Columbia  producer,  who  an- 
nounced plans  to  produce  one  in 
Natural  Vision,  has  increased  his 
commitment  to  three  for  this  year. 
Warner  Brothers  is  preparing  one 
and  negotiations  are  under  way  with 
other  producers  for  the  filming  of 
more  pictures  in  Natural  Vision. 

Meanwhile,  "Bwana  Devil,"  first 
picture  using  the  process,  is  rolling  up 
heavy  grosses,  Schaefer  said.  The  film 
drew  $36,000  at  the  Madison  Theatre, 
Detroit,  during  the  week  which  ended 
Monday  and  $31,000  in  its  initial  week 
in  San  Francisco.  While  figures  were 
not  available,  Schaefer  said  the  cur- 
rent engagement  at  the  Aldine  in 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Allied  Committee  to 
Oppose  16mm.  Suit 

National  Allied  has  named  a  special 
committee  to  work  witn  general  coun- 
sel Abram  F.  Myers  on  any  action 
the  association  will  take  in  opposing 
the  government's  16mm.  anti-trust 
suit.  Appointed  to  the  committee, 
which  was  authorized  by  the  board  of 
directors  at  Allied's  annual  conven- 
tion in  Chicago,  were  Ben  Berger, 
Leon  Back,  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  True- 
man  Rembusch,  Irving  Dollinger  and 
Nathan  Yamins. 

Meanwhile,  Allied  has  scheduled  a 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


$128,000  Columbia 
Profit  in  13  Weeks 


Columbia  Pictures  reports  an  esti- 
mated net  profit  of  $128,000  for  the  13 
weeks  ended  last  Sept.  27,  compared 
with  $165,000  in  the  same  period  in 
1951.  Estimated  operating  profit  for 
the  quarter  was  $208,000  this  year, 
compared  with  $215,000  in  the  quarter 
last  year.  Estimated  Federal  taxes  for 
the  1952  period  are  $80,000,  against 
$50,000  a  year  ago. 

Earnings  per  share  of  common 
stock  were  estimated  at  nine  cents 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  2,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

ARTHUR  KRIM,  United  Artists 
president,  will  return  to  New 
York  tomorrow  from  an  extensive  Eu- 
ropean tour. 

• 

Mike  Simon,  former  Paramount 
exchange  head  in  Buffalo,  and  Mrs. 
Simon  announce  the  wedding  of  Mrs. 
Simon's  daughter,  Merle  Janeen 
Jacobson,  to  Tracy  Harrington 
Tingley  on  Jan.  17  at  Grosse  Point 
Farms,  Mich. 

• 

B.  C.  Salamis  of  Montreal  was 
decorated  at  the  Greek  Embassy  in 
Ottawa  by  His  Excellency,  Raoul 
Bibica-Rs etti ,  in  recognition  of  his 
services  in  relief  work  for  his  native 
country. 

• 

William  F.  Osborne,  Monogram 
International  Corp.  assistant  export 
manager,  has  returned  to  his  desk  from 
the  Far  East  for  the  first  time  in  a 
year. 

• 

Mrs.  Elsa  Soltz,  widow  of  the  late 
exhibitor  Sam  Soltz,  was  married 
Wednesday  in  Baltimore  to  Seymour 
Berliner. 

e 

Miss  Inge  Carro  has  been  pro- 
moted to  booking  manager  of  the  Ca- 
sino Film  Exchange  here. 

• 

Mark  Robson,  partner  in  Aspen 
Films,  will  arrive  here  from  Holly- 
wood tomorrow. 

• 

Ted  Toddy,  president  of  Toddy 
Pictures,  Atlanta,  is  visiting  in  New 
York  from  that  city. 

• 

Ollie  Williamson,  district  mana- 
ger of  Warner's  in  Atlanta,  has  re- 
turned there  from  Texas. 

• 

James  Duncan,  owner  of  the  23rd 
Drive-in,  Chattanooga,  announced  the 
birth  of  a  girl  to  Mrs.  Duncan. 


Charles  Rosenzweig 
Rites  Here  Today 

Services  for  Charles  Rosenzweig, 
who  retired  as  a  vice-president  of 
RKO  Radio  Pictures  in  1937,  will  be 
held  here  this  morning  at  the  Park 
West  Memorial  Chapel.  Rosenzweig, 
who  died  Tuesday  after  a  fortnight's 
illness  at  the  age  of  62,  had  also  been 
associated  with  Universal  and  Co- 
lumbia before  his  retirement. 

He  is  survived  by  the  widow,  a 
daughter,  two  sons  and  three  sisters 


George  Heads  Foreign 
Press  Film  Critics 

The  Foreign  Language  Press  Film 
Critics'  Circle  has  elected  the  follow- 
ing officers :  President,  Dr.  Manfred 
George,  editor  of  the  German  Aufbau; 
vice-president,  Victor  Shimkin,  pub- 
lisher of  the  Russian  daily  Slovo ; 
treasurer,  Rebecca  Issachar,  film  edi- 
tor of  the  Greek  daily,  National  Her- 
ald. Sigmund  Gottlober  was  re-elected 
executive  secretary  for  the  11th  con- 
secutive year. 


Snow  Tapers  Off 
Holiday  Grosses 

Motion  picture  theatre 
grosses  in  the  Times  Square 
area,  which  maintained 
record-breaking  strength  dur- 
ing the  Christmas-New  Year's 
week,  tapered  off  with  the 
beginning  of  New  York's 
snow  storm  Wednesday  noon. 

The  storm  eliminated  the 
long  lines  formed  outside 
such  houses  as  the  Radio  City 
Music  Hall,  the  Roxy  and  Cri- 
terion and  dampened  some- 
what the  business  of  New 
Year's  Eve. 


Hughes  Owns  2,200 
RKO  Radio  Shares 

Washington,  Jan.  1.  —  Despite 
Howard  Hughes's  sale  of  1,013,420 
shares  of  RKO  Pictures  common  to 
the  Ralph  Stolkin  group  last  Septem- 
ber, Hughes  as  of  Dec.  12,  directly 
owned  2,200  shares,  the  Securities  and 
Exchange  Commission  was  informed 
here. 

The  SEC  was  also  advised  that 
Noah  Dietrich  as  of  Dec.  12,  the  day 
Hughes  became  board  chairman  of 
the  company  and  Dietrich  a  director, 
owned  1,000  shares.  The  RKO  report 
covered  stock  ownership  of  newly — 
elected  officers  and  directors  of  the 
company  for  December. 


Scenes  from  'Above' 
On  Sullivan  Show 

Scenes  from  M-G-M's  "Above  and 
Beyond"  will  be  featured  on  Ed  Sulli- 
van's television  show,  "Toast  of  the 
Town,"  on  Sunday  evening,  Jan.  11, 
following  an  introduction  of  Robert 
Taylor,  who  stars  in  the  film.  The  pic- 
ture will  open  on  Jan.  29  at  the  May- 
fair,  New  York,  and  will  have  many 
out-of-town  openings  in  January. 

The  tie-up,  according  to  an  M-G-M 
executive,  was  made  for  direct  TV 
promotion  of  a  picture  at  the  time  of 
its  national  release,  and  while  it  is 
Taylor's  first  TV  appearance,  he  is 
being  put  on  the  air  in  keeping  with 
a  policy  of  trying  all  media  for  the 
greatest  promotional  value. 


Paramount  Aiding 

Brotherhood  Week' 

As  part  of  Paramount  Pictures' 
plans  to  support  "Brotherhood  W eek," 
(Feb.  15-22),  the  company  has  made 
arrangements  to  include  mention  of 
the  event  in  its  trade  paper  advertise- 
ments and  is  alerting  exhibitors, 
through  its  field  force,  to  include  simi- 
lar mention  of  the  event  in  their  pro- 
gram advertisements  during  the  week. 


Steinberg  to  Premiere 

Herb  Steinberg,  Paramount  publici- 
ty manager,  and  Seymour  Morris,  ad- 
vertising-publicity head  of  Schine 
Theatres,  will  leave  New  York  today 
for  Maysville,  Ky.,  where  they  will 
arrange  for  a  home-town  world  pre- 
miere for  Rosemary  Clooney's  first 
motion  picture,  "The  Stars  are  Sing- 
ing," at  the  Russell  Theatre. 


Film  Bids 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

hibitors'  ability  to  come  out  with  a 
profit. 

While  such  "wild"  bidding 
still  prevails  to  some  extent, 
the  sales  chiefs  say,  the  number 
is  dwindling  steadily.  The  tend- 
ency now  is  for  an  exhibitor  to 
offer  a  bid  in  accordance  with 
what  he  thinks  the  box-office 
will  produce.  There  have  been 
instances,  it  was  said,  where  a 
distributor  has  advised  an  ex- 
hibitor against  making  a  cer- 
tain high  bid  on  the  grounds 
that  a  profitable  return  would 
be  almost  impossible.  However, 
a  bid  cannot  be  legally  ignored. 

There  appears  still  to  be  evidence 
that  competing  exhibitors  in  certain 
areas  are  "getting  together"  in  de- 
ciding product  splits  and  deciding  what 
each  will  bid  for  specific  pictures, 
some  distributors  assert.  One  execu- 
tive said  he  could  not  state  positively 
that  this  arrangement  existed,  but  that 
there  was  a  pattern  of  bidding  in  some 
areas  that  indicated  a  possible  agree- 
ment among  the  theatres  involved. 

While  bidding  is  not  encouraged  by 
distributors,  it  has  been  found  that  in 
many  cases  it  is  the  only  method  of 
determining  sales  under  today's  sell- 
ing methods,  most  sales  executives 
insist. 


White  Slated  for 
NBC  Presidency 

Action  on  the  projected  resignation 
of  Joseph  H.  McConnell  from  the 
presidency  of  National  Broadcasting- 
is  scheduled  for  today's  meeting  of 
the  board  of  directors.  The  formal 
resignation  is  due  to  be  handed  to  the 
board  today. 

Slated  to  succeed  McConnell  is 
Frank  H.  White,  executive  vice-presi- 
dent, with  Sylvester  L.  Weaver,  now 
vice-president  in  charge  of  radio  and 
television,  becoming  vice-chairman  of 
the  board. 

McConnell,  it  was  disclosed,  will  be- 
come president  of  Colgate-Palmolive- 
Peet. 


UA  16  mm.  Plans 

(Continued  from  page  1  ) 


Picker  said  present  personnel  in  the 
company's  branches  would  handle 
16mm.  sales  until  such  time  as  the 
volume  of  business  requires  exclusive 
representation. 

Potential  markets  in  the  foreign 
field,  Picker  said,  are  remote  mining- 
towns,  rubber  plantations  and  indus- 
trial factories  "off  the  beaten  path." 


Neal  Signs  Reynolds 

Stanley  Neal,  president  of  Stanley 
Neal  Productions,  has  signed  Quentin 
Reynolds  to  do  the  commentary  on 
the  documentary  feature,  "The  Life 
of  Ghandi."  They  will  fly  to  the 
Coast  on  Sunday  to  complete  work 
on  the  production.  The  footage  was 
gathered  from  Ghandi's  early  days  in 
South  Africa  to  the  time  of  his  death. 


'La  Ronde'  Argument 
Set  for  Wednesday 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  1.— The 
filing  of  a  brief  by  Dr.  Charles 
A.  Brind,  Jr.,  counsel  for  the 
Regents,  and  the  fixing  of  an 
hour  for  screening  of  "La 
Ronde"  in  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals were  accompanied  by  an 
announcement  from  chief 
clerk  Raymond  J.  Cannon  that 
the  tribunal  will  hear  argu- 
ment Wednesday  on  the  ap- 
peal by  Commercial  Pictures 
Corp.,  American  distributor 
of  the  French-made  film,  from 
the  3-2  decision  of  the  Appel- 
late Division  last  spring  up- 
holding the  Regent's  refusal 
to  issue  a  license  on  the 
ground  the  picture  is  "im- 
moral and  would  tend  to  cor- 
rupt morals." 


300,000  in  6  Weeks 
For  'Limelight' 

Charles  Chaplin's  "Limelight" 
grossed  138,000,000  francs  (about  $300,- 
C00)  in  the  first  six  weeks  of  its  Paris 
engagement,  sparking  a  general  re- 
lease of  the  picture  in  25  French  cities 
on  Christmas  Day,  according  to  Ar- 
thur W.  Kelly,  Chaplin's  sales  rep- 
resentative in  the  United  States.  Kelly 
said  that  the  picture  opened  during 
the  holiday  season  in  35  cities  in  Italy, 
a  score  of  spots  in  the  Far  East  and 
a  dozen  cities  in  South  America. 
"Limelight"  also  goes  into  general 
release  in  England. 

The  picture  had  holiday  openings 
domestically  in  Boston,  Philadelphia, 
Washington,  Miami,  Chicago  and 
Baltimore. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

  Rockefeller  Center  — 


"MILLION  DOLLAR  MERMAID" 

Esther  WILLIAMS  •  Victor  MATURE 
Wai:er  PiDGEON  •  David  BRIAN 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR  .  An  M-G-M  Picture 

&  The  Music  Hall's  Great  Christmas  Stage  Show 


Midnight  ftatvft 


■ 

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SPEED! 
QUALITY! 
SHOWMANSHIP! 

SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 

CANT  BE  BEAT! 

630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  36,  N.Y.  - 

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CHICAGO  5,  III. 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  I'ublishing  Company,  inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Eecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building, 
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Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  1.3  times  a  year  as  a  section 
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Friday,  January  2,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Sees  150-200  New 
TV  Stations  in  '53 

Between  150  and  200  new 
television  stations  are  ex- 
pected to  go  on  the  air  in 
1953,  bringing  approximately 
5,000,000  additional  families 
within  the  TV  program  serv- 
ice range,  according  to  Frank 
M.  Folsom,  president  of  the 
Radio  Corporation  of  Amer- 
ica. Folsom  said  that  on  the 
basis  of  this  expectation,  plus 
the  replacement  market,  it  is 
believed  that  the  industry 
will  distribute  approximately 
6,250,000  new  television  sets 
this  year. 


126  TV  Stations 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  time  the  freeze  was  lifted  and  the 
end  of  the  year,  it  authorized  165  new 
commercial  television  stations  and  10 
new  educational  stations.  Six  of  these 
were  approved  yesterday,  including  the 
first  station  to  be  authorized  in 
Maine. 

The  six  grants  yesterday  went  to 
companies  in  Bangor,  Me.,  Festus, 
Mo.,  Altoona,  Pa.,  Lakeland,  Fla., 
New  London,  Conn.,  and  Har- 
risburg,  Pa. 

Stations  now  have  been  authorized, 
FCC  officials  said,  for  every  state  but 
five  —  Montana,  New  Hampshire, 
North  Dakota,  Vermont  and  Wyo- 
ming. At  the  close  of  business  yester- 
day, there  were  pending  760  applica- 
tions for  new  TV  stations.  Of  these, 
54  were  in  various  stages  of  hearing. 


6  in  Natural  Vision 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Philadelphia  would  break  house  rec- 
ords and  top  the  grosses  of  strong 
product  in  competing"  theatres. 
"Bwana"  also  is  playing  in  Houston, 
Dallas  and  San  Antonio. 

During  January  and  February  the 
picture  will  play  RKO  theatres  in 
Cincinnati,  Columbus,  Cleveland, 
Pittsburgh,  Buffalo,  Chicago,  Roches- 
ter and  Syracuse.  United  Paramount 
Theatres  has  booked  the  film  during 
the  same  months  in  Miami,  Palm 
Beach  and  Chicago. 


Columbia  Profit 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


and  14  cents  for,  the  respective  1952 
and  1951  periods. 

The  comparative  earnings  per  share 
of  common  stock  after  preferred  stock 
dividends  are  calculated  on  the  in- 
creased amount  of  common  stock 
which  was  outstanding  on  Sept.  27, 
1952  when  the  number  outstanding 
was  670,669 ;  the  number  of  shares 
outstanding  on  Sept.  29,  1951  was 
654,311. 

The  income  figures  were  prepared 
by  the  company  and  are  subject  to 
final  check  by  its  certified  public  ac- 
countants. 


Anti-tax  Picture 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  20  per  cent  Federal  admission  tax. 

During  his  stay  Cole  will  be  in  con- 
ference with  R.  J.  O'Donnell  and 
other  industry  leaders  in  connection 
with  the  tax  campaign. 


Film  Shares  Irregular 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


outlook  for  1953  was  favorable,  a  fac- 
tor that  ordinarily  would  augur  well 
for  the  film  stocks.  But  the  box-of- 
fice picture  was  spotty.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  year  end  for  the  first 
six  months  of  1952  there  was  a  de- 
cline in  film  theatre  attendance.  Hot 
weather  and  the  release  of  some 
strong  attractions  brought  a  noticeable 
boost  in  the  summer  and  early  fall. 
Then  there  was  a  letdown,  ascribed  in 
part  to  the  return  to  the  air  after  the 
summer  vacation  of  some  of  the  more 
popular  TV  shows  and  to  a  surge  in 
public  interest  to  national  politics  dur- 
ing" the  Presidential  campaign,  while, 
at  the  same  time,  fewer  outstanding 
films  were  in  release. 

While  a  part  of  the  investing  pub- 
lic felt  increasing  TV  competition 
threatened  lower  revenues  for  theatre 
companies,  another  part  saw  a  pos- 
sibility of  long-range  benefit  to  motion 
picture  producers. 

The  government  "freeze"  on  new 
TV  stations  was  lifted  in  May.  From 
then  until  the  end  of  1952  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  is- 
sued licenses  for  165  new  TV  com- 
mercial stations,  raising  the  number 
of  authorized  stations  to  273  or  more 
than  10  per  cent  of  the  approximately 
2,000  stations  planned  eventually. 

ft  was  argued  that  while  the  addi- 
tion of  new  stations  undoubtedly  would 
affect  some  box-office  receipts  of  the- 
atres within  their  transmission  range, 
the  development  opened  new  possibili- 
ties for  increased  earnings  for  com- 
panies producing  films  for  TV. 

Wall  Street,  consequently,  came 
around  to  the  opinion  that  the  motion 
picture  industry  was  in  a  period  of 
transition  which  made  the  eventual 
outcome  unpredictable  at  present. 
Traders  gauged  film  stocks  more  or 
less  on  individual  company  situations. 

Among  the  major  producing 
companies,  Paramount  Pictures 
was  a  strong  spot,  fluctuating 
from  a  high  of  30%  to  a  low  of 
21 Y4  and  snapping  back  to  fin- 
ish the  year  at  around  $29  a 
share,  up  more  than  $3  a  share 
from  the  end  of  1951.  The  com- 
pany reported  for  the  nine 
months  ended  Sept.  30,  1952,  a 
net  income  of  $5,003,000,  com- 
pared with  $4,384,000  in  the  cor- 
responding period  of  1951.  Per 
share  earnings  amounted  to 
$2.14,  against  $1.90.  The  net 
included  Paramount's  interest 
in  the  combined,  undistributed 
earnings  of  partially  owned  sub- 
sidiaries. 


Stock  of  United  Paramount  The- 
atres, a  company  which  formerly  was 
the  exhibiting  division  of  Paramount 
Pictures,  sold  off  more  than  six  points 
below  the  1951  close  as  a  result  of  a 
drop  in  net  income.  But  traders  with- 
held an  opinion  of  a  future  trend  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  the  company 
was  undergoing  a  basic  change  in  view 
of  the  projected  merger  with  Ameri- 
can Broadcasting  Co.,  which  would 
combine  two  firmly  established  units 
in  their  respective  fields. 

RKO  Pictures  and  RKO  Theatres 
stocks  were  adversely  affected  by  a 
sharp  _  setback  in  earnings  and  the 
sensational  shakeup  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  management  of  the  pictures 
unit.  For  the  nine  months  ended  Sept. 
27,  1952,  RKO  Pictures  chalked  up  a 
deficit  of  $4,777,766,  compared  with  a 
deficit  of  $145,904  for  the  nine  months 
ended  Sept.  29,  1951.  RKO  Theatres 
reported  for  the  39  weeks  ended  Sept. 
27,  1952,  a  net  income  of  $623,412,  but 
that  compared  with  a  net  income  of 
$1,053,844  in  the  nine  months  ended 
Sept.  29,  1951. 

Universal  Pictures  common 
and  preferred  were  well  sup- 
ported, each  closing  the  year 
about  $2  a  share  higher,  the 
former  rising  to  around  $15  and 
the  latter  to  above  $60  a  share. 
In  the  nine  months  ended  Aug. 
2,  1952 ,  the  company  earned 
$1.63  a  share  on  the  common, 
compared  with  98  cents  a  share 
in  the  corresponding  1951  period. 

Loew's  was  depressed  by  somewhat 
lower  earnings  in  the  first  half  of  the 
year,  closing  more  than  four  points 
lower  at  about  $13  a  share,  compared 
with  a  high  for  the  year  of  more  than 
$18  a  share,  but  it  met  a  steadying  de- 
mand on  the  company's  proven  ability 
to  gauge  public  preference  for  high 
grade  productions. 

Despite  favorable  earnings  and  pros- 
pects of  more  of  the  same  in  early 
1953,  20th  Century-Fox  sold  off  for 
the  year.  The  company  reported  for 
the  39  weeks  ended  Sept.  27,  1952,  a 
net  income  of  $3,845,946,  or  $1.39  a 
share,  compared  with  $2,147,628,  or 
69  cents  a  share,  in  the  corresponding 
period  of  1951. 

Columbia  Pictures,  Eastman  Kodak, 
Republic  Pictures  and  Warner  Broth- 
ers shares  were  steady  and  showed  no 
significant  change  for  the  year. 

Technicolor  was  a  strong  feature  on 
the  Curb  Exchange,  rising  more  than 
$4  a  share  during  the  year  to  a  close 
of  around  $26. 


AT  &  T  Cost  Data 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


September  meeting  in  Washington  be- 
tween officials  of  the  long-lines  com- 
pany and  MPAA  and  NETTC  repre- 
sentatives. Now  the  A.  T.  &  T. 
spokesman  rules  out  the  possibility 
that  any  information  would  be  sub- 
mitted before  the  Jan.  12  date,  al- 
though he  claimed  that  A.  T.  &  T. 
representative  were  at  work  gather- 
ing the  data!^ 

The  cost  information  sought  by  the 
industry  concerns  the  setting  up  and 
maintenance  of  a  theatre  television 
transmission  system  serving  cities 
throughout  the  country.  The  desire 
by  the  industry  to  obtain  such  infor- 
mation as  early  as  possible  stems  from 
the  need -for  -study  ond  comparison  of 
the  data  gathered  by  the  industry's 


Allied  Committee 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


special  meeting  of  its  national  film 
committee  to  be  held  in  conjunction 
with  the  winter  board  meeting  in  New 
Orleans  on  Jan.  12-13.  This  commit- 
tee was  set  up  to  activate  Allied's 
statement  of  policy  in  regard  to  film 
rentals  and  methods  of  combatting 
terms  considered  to  be  excessive.  The 
group  consists  of  Yamins,  chairman  ; 
Wilbur  Snaper,  co-ordinator ;  Cole, 
Berger,  Rembusch,  Dolinger  and 
Myers. 


own  engineers.  Previously,  the  in- 
dustry rejected  as  "unsatisfactory" 
cost  data  submitted  by  A.  T.  &  T., 
which  was  not  based  on  the  10  mega- 
cycle transmission  requirements  of  the 
industry. 


National 


Pre-Selling 


"THE  MOVIES  Zoom  Ahead  for 
A  1953"  is  the  title  which  the 
New  York  Mirror  gave  to  its  20- 
page  isue  of  the  Sunday  Mirror  Maga- 
zine of  Dec.  20.  The  entire  full-color 
issue  is  devoted  to  motion  pictures. 
Full-color  and  black-and-white  ads 
appear  in  the  issue  for  "Hans  Chris- 
tian Andersen,"  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba,"  "Blackbeard  the  Pirate," 
"April  in  Paris,"  "The  Bad  and  the 
Beautiful"  and  a  number  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  Republic  productions. 


Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  re- 
ceives an  accolade  from  Ruth  Har- 
bert  in  the  current  issue  of  Good 
Housekeeping.  Among  other  things, 
she  says:  "In  the  cartoon  medium 
no  fantasy  is  too  difficult  to  por- 
tray. Peter  and  all  of  the  char- 
acters are  freed  from  earthbound 
restraint  and  fly  in  a  very  natural 
manner." 

A  full-color  ad  for  "Road  to  Bali," 
starring  Bing  Crosby,  Bob  Hope  and 
Dorothy  Lamour,  appears  up  front  in 
the  current  issue  of  Life. 

• 

The  editorial  page  of  the  Dec.  20 
issue  of  Collier's  magazine,  which  fea- 
tures a  unique  plug  for  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn's  "Hans  Christian  Andersen," 
along  with  a  tribute  to  the  motion 
picture  industry,  has  been  mailed  to 
exhibitors  throughout  the  country  by 
RKO  Radio  which  is  distributing  the 
color  in  Technicolor  picture.  In  an 
accompanying  letter,  James  A.  Mul- 
vey,  president  of  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions,  wrote :  "I  am  sure  the 
attached  editorial  will  be  of  interest 
to  you  and  your  associates.  Aside  from 
its  reference  to  'Hans  Christian  An- 
dersen,' I  consider  it  an  important 
expression  of  interest  and  faith  in  the 
industry  at  large  by  one  of  the  na- 
tion's leading  magazines." 

• 

A  four-color  portrait  of  Jane 
Powell,  currently  co  -  starring  in 
M-G-M's  "Small  Town  Girl,"  ap- 
pears on  the  second  cover  of 
Woman's  Home  Companion  for  Jan- 
uary. The  portrait  is  part  of  an 
advertisement  placed  by  Lustre- 
Creme  Shampoo.  On  the  index  page 
of  the  same  issue  is  a  one-quarter 
page  ad  for  "The  Bad  and  the 
Beautiful,"  starring  Lana  Turner, 
Kirk  Douglas  and  Walter  Pidgeon. 
• 

In  the  January  issue  of  Cosmopoli- 
tan five  pictures  receive  "movie  cita- 
tions." They  are  Goldwyn's  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen,"  M-G-M's  "Lili," 
Universal-International's  "Mississippi 
Gambler,"  Paramount's  "The  Stooge" 
and  20th  Century-Fox's  "Stars  and 
Stripes  Forever."  Also  in  this  issue 
is  a  full-page  ad  on  "April  in  Paris" 
and  a  one-half  page  in  full  color  on 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen." 

• 

"Six  Slips  That  Spoil  the  Picture" 
is  the  title  of  a  story  told  in  photos 
appearing  in  the  January  issue  of 
McCall's.  Rosalind  Russell  is  the 
star  of  the  story  in  which  she 
shows  how  a  hostess  can  drive  her 
company  frantic  in  six  easy  lessons. 
Miss  Russell's  latest  picture  is 
RKO  Radio's  "Never  Wave  at  A 
WAC." 

Walter  Haas 


AMERICA  IS 
BEING 


PRE-SOLD 


Powerful 
FULL-COLOR 
ads  in  national 
publications  will 
read,  the  reading 
eyes  of 

77,000,000! 


A  CHARLES  J.  FELDMAN 


UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL  presents 


Tyrone  Power 


PIPER  LAURIE  JULIA  ADAMS 


XSSISSIPPX 


COLOR  BY 


if  wi  JOHN  MclNTIRE-  WILLIAM  REYNOLDS 

directed  bs  RUDOLPH  MATE  •  sidbs  bno  scREENPLfla  bs  SE1 1  MILLER  •  produced  bb  1  RICHMOND 


riternationa 


iz .  - 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  2,  1953 


Reviews 


"The  Star" 

(20th  Century-Fox)  Hollywood,  Jan.  1 

EXPERT  blending  of  star  and  story  has  resulted  in  a  production  that 
presents  Hollywood  in  a  more  accurate  and  honest  light  than  most  other 
pictures  dealing  with  the  film  capital.  Bette  Davis  was  the  perfect  choice  for 
the  title  role.  The  ingredients  should  add  up  to  big  box-office  business. 

"The  Star"  is  a  Hollywood  story.  As  such,  producer  Bert  E.  Friedlob's 
representation  of  the  so-called  "land  of  make-believe"  is  happily  free  of  the 
phony  overtones  which  most  producers  of  pictures  about  Hollywood  have 
felt  compelled  to  include.  An  original  screenplay  by  Katherine  Albert  and 
Dale  Eunson,  the  story  of  "The  Star"  is  brought  out  to  its  full  value  by 
Stuart  Heisler's  expert  direction. 

Miss  Davis  plays  an  Academy  Award-winning  star  whose  last  three  pic- 
tures, produced  with  her  own  money,  have  failed  financially,  leaving  her 
broke  and  jobless.  In  a  rebellion  against  the  advice  of  her  agent  and  the  bad 
treatment  of  her  sister,  Miss  Davis  goes  on  a  drunken  spree  with  her  Oscar 
statuette  and  winds  up  in  jail.  She  is  bailed  out  by  a  former  actor,  Sterling 
Hayden,  who  tries  to  persuade  her  to  give  up  her  career,  a  career  that  long- 
since  had  deserted  her.  She  refuses  to  concede,  but  after  a  series  of  ill-fated 
incidents,  she  reconciles  herself  to  the  truth.  Hayden's  performance  is  played 
with  appropriate  restraint. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Natalie  Wood,  Warner  Anderson,  Minor  Watson, 
June  Travis,  Katherine  Warren,  Kay  Riehl,  Barbara  Lawrence,  Fay  Baker, 
Barbara  Woodel,  David  Alpert  and  Paul  Frees. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set. 


"Rogue's  March" 

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) 

AN  excellent  vein  of  humor  runs  through  this  adventure  drama,  setting  it 
apart  from  the  conventional  film.  The  story  framework  finds  Peter 
Lawford  as  a  captain  in  the  Royal  Midland  Fusileers  who  is  innocently  caught 
in  the  web  of  an  alien  espionage  plot  and  finds  himself  thrown  into  jail  on 
the  eve  of  his  regiment's  departure  from  India. 

Lawford  is  a  gay,  easy-going  sort  of  chap,  but  the  impending  court  martial 
ruffies  him  somewhat.  For  one  thing  it  upsets  his  plans  to  marry  pretty 
Janice  Rule.  Another  consideration  is  the  fact  that  Lawford's  friendly  rival 
for  Miss  Rule's  affection,  Richard  Greene,  is  now  in  a  better  romantic 
position.  The  story  wavers  between  seriousness  and  comedy  and  does  it  with 
enjoyable  success,  thanks  to  the  delicate,  adroit  direction  of  Allan  Davis. 

Discharged  from  the  service,  Lawford  becomes  a  disgrace  to  the  military 
tradition  of  his  family.  He  decides  to  clear  his  name  and  begins  by  anony- 
mously enlisting-  in  the  service  as  a  private  again.  A  series  of  adventures  ensue, 
culminating  in  his  being  sent  to  India.  Here  a  string  of  heroic  feats  clears 
his  name  and  results  in  his  being  welcomed  back  into  the  military  status  he 
deserves. 

Battle  sequences,  photographed  at  Khyber  Pass,  India,  are  briskly  and 
excitingly  executed  and  pictorially  refreshing.  Several  clever  little  cinematic 
touches  throughout  add  further  charm  to  Leon  Gordon's  production.  Gordon 
also  did  the  screenplay. 

Others  in  the  cast  include  Leo  G.  Carroll,  John  Abbott,  Patrick  Aherne, 
John  Dodsworth  and  Herbert  Deans. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


'Coming  of  Age'  of 
16mm.  Films  Cited 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  1. — 
The  "coming  of  age"  of  16mm. 
sound  films  in  the  United 
States  was  cited  by  W.  B. 
Potter,  director  of  advertising 
for  Eastman  Kodak. 

Potter  said  there  were  only 
about  25,000  16mm.  projectors 
before  the  war,  compared  to 
nearly  400,000  now  in  use. 


Pittsburgh  Grosses 
Aided  by  Weather 


Pittsburg,  Jan.  1. — With  excellent 
holiday  weather  conditions  prevailing, 
four  of  Pittsburgh's  downtown  thea- 
tres got  back  into  the  big  money  for 
the  first  time  in  many  months. 

The  Stanley  Theatre,  recently  taken 
over  by  Si  Fabian,  had  "The  Hour  of 
13"  on  its  screen  with  Billy  Eckstine 
returning-  to  his  home  town  for  a 
holiday  engagement.  The  lines  were 
blocks  long  and  it  is  expected  that 
$35,000  will  be  bettered  since  Eck- 
stine did  a  New  Year's  Eve  midnight 
show. 

"April  in  Paris"  also  had  the  stand- 
ing-room sign  out  in  the  2,000-seat 
Warner  Theatre  and  it  expects  to 
gross  $17,000,  which  is  excellent  for  a 
house  with  a  $7,000  average. 

Loew's  Penn  bettered  its  average 
of  $15,000  with  "The  Clown"  and  it 
should  gross  an  approximate  $16,500. 

Ine  Pulton  Theatre  with  "The  Lure 
of  the  Wilderness"  on  its  screen  did 
not  fare  well  nor  did  "The  I  Don't 
Care  Girl"  at  the  J.  P.  Harris.  It 
seems  that  they  got  the  overflow  from 
the  other  houses  that  were  doing  well. 


New  Orleans  Bright 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  1. — Theatre 
business  in  the  New  Orleans  area  was 
exceptionally  good  starting  with 
Christmas  Day.  Manager  Ross  Mc- 
Causland  of  the  RKO  Orpheum  re- 
ported an  increase  over  last  year's 
Yuletide  season.  Ernest  MacKenna, 
of  the  Joy  Theatre,  and  Loew's  State 
manager  Rodney  Toups  say  that  rev- 
enue since  Christmas  Day  far  sur- 
passed that  of  last  year's  holiday 
grosses.  E.  G.  Perry,  managing  direc- 
tor of  Pittman  Theatres,  reports  that 
the  increase  is  very  noticeable  not 
only  in  its  New  Orleans  neighborhood 
theatres,  but  also  in  its  theatres  in 
the  territory. 

Isadore  Lazarus,  Lazarus  Theatres, 
said  that  business  is  good  not  only  at 
its  in-town  Center,  but  at  its  neigh- 
borhood theatres  as  well.  John  and 
Julian  Richards  of  Slidell  Theatres, 
said  that  they  are  very  well  pleased 
with  business  at  their  New  Orleans' 
Tudor  and  Globe. 


Upturn  in  Charlotte 

Charlotte,  Jan.  1. — Theatre  busi- 
ness showed  a  sharp  upturn  here  to 
push  box  office  figures  sharply  for- 
ward for  the  holiday  week.  Circuits 
maintaining  headquarters  here  said  re- 
ports were  still  coming  in  and  com- 
plete ones  had  not  been  obtained.  But 
they   emphasized  busines   was  good. 

Executives  declined  to  list  figures, 
but  one  manager  said  his  business  was 
up  20  per  cent. 


St.  Louis  Tops  Average 

St.  Louis,  Jan.  1. — In  the  opinion 
of  theatre  men  here,  motion  picture 


business  is  definitely  up  over  the 
normal  holiday  week  average.  Russ 
Bovim,  manager  of  Loew's  State,  said 
that  Red  Skelton's  "The  Clown"  has 
been  the  big  reason  for  the  "terrific" 
business  at  that  downtown  house  since 
the  MGM  picture  opened.  Bovim  looks 
for  more  of  the  same  with  the  New 
Year's  opening  of  "Million  Dollar 
Mermaid." 

Edward  B.  Arthur,  president  of  the 
St.  Louis  Amusement  Co.  and  general 
manager  for  Fanchon  and  Marco,  says 
grosses  at  four  first-run  houses  is 
"better  than  average."  "Stars  and 
Stripes  Forever"  "The  I  Don't  Care 
Girl"  and  "Flat  Top"  are  drawing 
well.  "Limelight"  is  also  doing  good 
business. 

Legion  of  Decency 
Puts  4  in  Class  B 

This  week's  Legion  of  Decency  re- 
port places  four  films  in  Class  B,  five 
films  in  Class  A-I  and  eight  in  Class 
A-II. 

The  Class  B  films  are :  "The 
Clown,"  M-G-M;  "The  I  Don't  Care 
Girl,"  20th  Century-Fox ;  "Mississippi 
Gambler,"  Universal,  and  "Never 
Wave  at  a  WAC,"  RKO  Radio. 


Crosby  Firm  Shows 
New  TV  Process 


Hollywood,  Jan.  1.  —  The  video 
tape  recording-  system  developed  by 
Bing  Crosby  Enterprises'  engineers, 
and  first  demonstrated  a  year  ago, 
was  again  demonstrated  to  the  press 
in  what  was  called  an  "interim  re- 
rort,"  with  witnesses  pronouncing-  the 
improvement  substantial.  Engineers  in 
charge  predicted  that  the  mechanism 
for  use  in  the  home-television  field 
will  be  ready  for  commercial  produc- 
tion early  in  1954,  but  did  not  go  into 
the  system's  potentialities  for  use  in 
the  motion  picture  theatre  field. 

The  process,  which  presently  util- 
izes an  inch-wide  magnetic  tape  trav- 
elling 100  inches  per  second  to  elec- 
tronically record  both  audio  and  video 
directly  from  a  standard  receiving 
set,  and  later  on  will  use  a  half-inch 
tape,  still  has  what  engineers  called 
"bugs"  in  it  but  they  said  the  means 
for  overcoming  these  obstacles  are 
known  and  require  only  time.  So  far 
BCE  has  discussed  the  system  only  in 
its  relation  to  television  use. 


Name  Mayers 
NTFC  Head 


Arche  Mayers,  president  of  Unity 
Television,  was  elected  president  of 
the  National  Television  Film  Council 
at  the  annual  luncheon-meeting  held 
here  at  the  Warwick  Hotel.  Mayers, 
who  formerly  was  chairman  of  the 
board,  was  elected  along  with  a  new 
slate  of  officers  and  a  new  board  of 
directors. 

Sally  Perle  of  the  Mesal  Organiza- 
tion, who  last  year  was  secretary, 
was  elected  vice-president,  with  Wil- 
liam Van  Praag,  president  of  Van 
Praag  Productions,  moving  into  the 
secretarial  post.  Waldo  Mayo,  presi- 
dent of  Mayo  Productions,  was  elected 
treasurer. 

New  Board 

The  new  board  consists  of  Mel 
Gold,  founder  of  the  NTFC  and  presi- 
dent for  three  -terms ;  William  Hol- 
land, president  of  Hyperion  Films ; 
Henry  Brown,  president  of  Atlas 
Television  Corp. ;  Sidney  Mayers,  at- 
torney ;  David  Savage,  film  buyer  for 
Station  WCBS;  Lou  Feldman,  sales 
manager  of  Tri-Art  Color  Corp. ; 
Frank  Bibas,  director  of  the  motion 
picture  department  of  McCann-Erick- 
son ;  Dr.  Alfred  Goldsmith,  chief  con- 
sultant for  RCA ;  Andrew  Jaeger 
vice-president  of  P-S-I  Productions; 
William  Reddick,  technical  represen- 
tative for  William  German,  and  David 
Bader,  of  TV  Film  World. 

A  speaker  at  the  meeting  was  Her- 
bert Golden  of  Bankers  Trust  Co. 
who  explained  the  financing  of  pro- 
duction and  distribution  of  films  for 
television. 

Stage  Show  at  Six 
Skouras  Theatres 

George  Bernard  Shaw's  "Pygma- 
lion," as  staged  by  Eddie  Dowling 
with  the  Dublin  Players,  will  be  pre- 
sented on  the  stages  of  six  Skouras 
theatres  around  the  New  York  Met- 
ropolitan area. 

Starting  Monday,  Jan.  12,  there  will 
be  a  one-night  performance  at  the 
Cove  Theatre,  Glen  Cove,  L.I. ;  Tues- 
day, Jan.  13,  at  the  Boulevard  Thea- 
tre, Jackson  Heights,  L.I. ;  Wednes- 
day, Jan  14,  at  the  Plaza  Theatre, 
Englewood,  N.  J. ;  Thursday,  Jan.  15, 
at  the  Park  Plaza,  Bronx ;  Friday, 
Jan.  16,  at  the  Lafayette,  Suffern, 
N.Y. ;  and  Thursday,  Jan.  22,  at  the 
Capitol,  Port  Chester,  N.Y.  The  pre- 
sentations will  all  be  at  popular  prices. 

RKO  Circuit  in  New 
Spot  Deal  with  NBC 

A  new  contract  for  television  and 
radio  spots  has  been  signed  with 
WNBT-WNBC  for  RKO  Theatres 
in  Metropolitan  New  York,  according 
to  Harry  Mandel,  national  director  of 
advertising-publicity  for  the  circuit. 

This  will  mark  the  beginning  of  the 
third  year  in  which  RKO  Theatres  in 
New  York  and  NBC's  flagship  station 
have  had  a  joint  agreement.  The  deal 
will  run  for  13  weeks.  One  minute 
spots  are  scheduled  for  radio,  while 
television  has  10  and  20  second  and 
one  minute  spots. 


Team  Has  London  Date 

Dean  Martin  and  Jerry  Lewis  will 
play  a  two-week  engagement  at  the 
Palladium  Theatre  in  London,  be- 
ginning June  15. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  2 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  5,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

LAST  week's  development  in  Los 
Angeles  Federal  court  gives 
assurance  to  the  industry  that  the 
new  Republican  Administration's 
Attorney  General  will  have  an  op- 
portunity to  give  the  U.  S.  suit  to 
force  the  sale  of  16mm.  films  to 
television  and  other  non-theatrical 
users  careful  scrutiny  before  it  goes 
to  trial. 

The  petitions  of  the  defendant- 
film  companies  for  clarification  of 
the  government's  complaint  in  the 
16mm.  suit  were  granted  in  large 
measure  by  the  Los  Angeles  Fed- 
eral court.  The  Justice  Department 
was  given  30  days  in  which  to  file 
an  amended  complaint  and  the  de- 
fendant companies  were  given  30 
days  thereafter  in  which  to  answer. 

Thus,  a  new  delay  of  two  months 
in  the  pre-trial  maneuvering  re- 
sults, continuing  the  16mm.  action 
in  its  preliminary  status  until  at 
least  March  2.  With  the  new  Ad- 
ministration taking  over  in  Wash- 
ington in  a  fortnight,  there  is  am- 
ple opportunity  for  the  industry  to 
see  to  it  that  the  16mm.  action  is 
among  those  which  the  new  At- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 

WB  Gets  6 -Month 
Extension  of 
Divestiture  Date 


Washington,  Jan.  4. — The  Justice 
Department  has  agreed  to  a  six- 
months  extension,  until  July  4,  of  the 
deadline  for  Warner  Brothers  to  di- 
vest some  20  theatres  required  to  be 
disposed  under  the  consent  decree 
and  are  still  unsold. 

The  decree  required  the  divestiture 
of  54  theatres,  half  by  Jan.  4,  1952, 
and  the  other  half  by  Jan.  4,  1953. 
Warner  got  a  six  months  extension 
on  the  deadline  for  disposing  of  the 
first  half  and  met  that  deadline  in 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


WTO  Would  Meet  on 
Arbitration  Again 

San  Francisco,  Jan.  4. — Western 
Theatre  Owners,  which  has  rejected 
the  distributors'  proposed  arbitration 
draft,  approves  the  principle  of  both 
arbitration  and  conciliation  and,  there- 
fore, "is  willing  to  attend  further  con- 
ferences in  an  effort  to  iron  out  dif- 
ferences" over  the  distributors'  draft, 
H.  V.  Harvey,  former  WTO  presi- 

( Continued  on  page  2) 


FOR 


Motion  Picture  Daily  Presents 
The  Box  Office  Hits  of  1952 

AFRICAN  QUEEN  (UNITED  ARTISTS) 

BEND  OF  THE  RIVER  (UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL) 

GREATEST  SHOW  ON  EARTH  (PARAMOUNT) 

HIGH  NOON  (UNITED  ARTISTS) 

IVANHOE  (METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER) 

QUIET  MAN  (REPUBLIC) 

QUO  VADIS  (METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER) 

SAILOR  BEWARE  (PARAMOUNT) 

SINGIN'  IN  THE  RAIN  (METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER) 

SNOWS  OF  KILIMANJARO  (20th-FOX) 

STREETCAR  NAMED  DESIRE  (WARNER  BROTHERS) 

WITH  A  SONG  IN  MY  HEART  (20th-FOX) 

[The  pictures  above  are  listed  alphabetically  by  title] 


The  Jazz  Singer 


99 


[Warner  Brothers]  Hollywood,  Jan.  4 

A GOOD  MANY  CIRCUMSTANCES  apart  from  the  picture  it- 
self foretell  a  busy  box-office  for  this  second  Warner  Brothers 
production  of  Samson  Raphaelson's  stage  play  of  like  title.  Most 
important  of  these  is  the  fact  that  a  great  new  generation  has  risen  up 
and  largely  taken  over  the  buying  of  admission  tickets  since  the  first 
Warner  production  of  the  property  in  1927.  Most  of  the  millions  of 
members  of  this  great  new  generation  know  about  "The  Jazz  Singer" 
as  one  of  the  great  landmarks  in  motion  picture  history,  and  in  the 
career  of  the  late,  great  Al  Jolson  who  starred  in  it,  due  to  the  frequent 
recent  references  in  many  connections  to  the  picture's  influence  upon 
the  course  of  the  art  and  industry.  This  big  new  generation  stacks  up 
as  a  ready-made  public  for  the  picture,  unspoiled  by  familiarity  with  its 
story  and  favorably  disposed  toward  the  title  by  reason  of  its  many- 
sided  associations.  Few  features  come  to  market  so  thoroughly  pre-sold 
to  the  most  responsive  segment  of  the  buying  public. 

As  if  with  this  new  generation  foremost  in  mind,  the  Warners  have 
given  the  Jolson  job  to  Danny  Thomas,  a  rising  young  entertainer  who 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


Holiday  Pace  Keeps 
Up  at  the  Weekend 

Broadway  theatre  business  kept  up 
its  pace  over  the  weekend  as  the 
Christmas-New  Year's  holiday  period 
came  to  a  close.  With  children  return- 
ing to  school  today  after  a  vacation, 
parents  and  offsprings  had  a  final  fling 
at  the  midtown  theatres,  packing  most 
of  the  houses  and  substantially  filling 
the  others.  The  only  off  day  at  some 
spots  during  the  holiday  week  was 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


Webster  Is  Named 
Midwest  Sales  Head 

Paul  Webster  has  been  named  sales 
manager  of  Republic  Pictures'  Mid- 
western district,  by  James  R.  Grain- 
ger, executive  vice-president  and  di- 
rector of  sales.  The  past  is  a  new  one. 

Webster,  formerly  Des  Moines 
branch  manager,  will  handle  the  fol- 
lowing branches :  Chicago,  Milwaukee, 
Minneapolis,  Kansas  City,  Omaha, 
Des  Moines  and  St.  Louis.  He  will 
headquarter  at  the  home  office. 


Congress  Gets 
Bill  to  Kill 
Admission  Tax 

Rep.  Dingell  Hoppers 
Measure  for  Full  Repeal 

Washington,  Jan.  4.  —  Repre- 
sentative Dingell  (D.,  Mich.)  told 
the  opening  session  of  Congress 
that  film  exhibitors  "desperately 
need  relief  from  this  progressive,  op- 
pressive and  discriminatory"  20'  per 
cent  admission  tax. 

Dingell,  a  member  of  the  tax- 
writing  House  Ways  and  Means 
Committee,  yesterday  intro- 
duced a  bill  to  repeal  com- 
pletely the  Federal  ticket  tax, 
and  said  he  would  try  to  get 
the  Committee  to  hold  early 
hearings  on  the  measure  "in 
order  to  bring  about  total  re- 
lief to  a  long  suffering  indus- 
try." 

Previously  the  Michigan  Democrat 
had  indicated  he  would  seek  to  cut 

(Continued  on  page  llj 

Tohey  Favors  Film 
Probe  Continuance 
By  Senate  Group 

Washington,  Jan.  4.— Senator  To- 
bey  (R.,N.H.)  said  he  "rather 
thought"  he  would  exercise  his  seni- 
ority rights  to  be  the  new  chairman 
of_  the  Senate  Small  Business  Com- 
mittee, and  that  if  he  does  become 
chairman,  he  will  "very  definitely" 
favor  continuing  the  Committee's  in- 
vestigation of  the  film  industry. 

Tobey  has  been  the  top-ranking 
Republican  on  the  Committee  for  the 
last  four  years.  However,  he  is  also 
in  line  to  be  chairman  of  the  Senate 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


More  Than  100  At 
Dinner  for  Skouras 


More  than  100  executives  represent- 
ing all  branches  of  the  motion  picture 
industry  will  give  a  "welcome  home" 
dinner  tomorrow  night  in  honor  of 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  at  the  Metropolitan  Club 
here. 

It  is  expected  that  Skouras  will  dis- 
cuss various  aspects  of  his  recent  10- 
week  trip  covering  75,000  miles  dur- 

(Continucd  on  page  2) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  5,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


CLAY  V.  HAKE,  Paramount^ 
manager  in  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,  who  has  been  in  New  York 
for  the  last  two  months,  left  here  by 
train  over  the  weekend  for  the  Coast 
and  will  fly  from  there  to  Sydney. 
• 

William    E.    Flanneuy,  RKO 
Radio  art  director,  has  announced  his 
marriage  on  Nov.  25  to  Lt.  Colonel 
Ruby  E.  Herman  of  the  WAC. 
• 

Martin  Davis,  assistant  to  David 
Golding,   advertising-publicity  direc- 
tor of  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions, 
will  leave  here  for  Philadelphia  today. 
• 

David  Lewis,  Loew's  International 
Corp.  regional  director  for  Contin- 
ental Europe,  will  leave  here  tomor- 
row for  the  Coast. 

e 

Herb  Steinberg,  Paramount  publi- 
city manager,  returned  to  New  York 
over  the  weekend  from  Kentucky. 

More  Than  100 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  which  he  visited  more  than  22 
countries. 

Among  those  due  to  attend  are : 
Edwin  Aaron,  Jack  Alicoate,  Richard 
Altschuler,  Robert  Benjamin,  Joseph 
Bernard,  Harry  Brandt,  William 
Brandt,  Leo  Brecher,  Ben  W.  Cohen, 
Max  Cohen,  Tom  Connors,  Robert 
Coyne,  Frank  Damis,  Ned  Depinet, 
George  Dembow,  Richard  Dickson, 
Abe  Dickstein,  Irving  Dollinger, 
Oscar  Doob,  Russell  V.  Downing,  W. 
J.  Eadie,  Charles  Einfeld,  Edward 
Fabian,  Simon  Fabian,  Charles  Feld- 
man,  C.  Russell  Feldmann,  Roger 
F  e  r  r  i,  Alan  Freedman,  Emanuel 
Frisch,  Leopold  Friedman,  William  C. 
Gehring,  Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  Abe 
Gqodman,  E.  C.  Grainger,  Donald 
Henderson,  Ralph  Hetzel,  Walter 
Higgins,  William  W.  Howard. 

Also,  Lem  Jones,  Harry  Kalmine, 
Dave  Katz,  Arthur  Knorr,  Otto  Koe- 
gel,  Arthur  Krim,  Abe  Lastfogel, 
Martin  Levine,  Al  Lichtman,  E.  M. 
Loew,  Joseph  McConville,  E.  H.  Mc- 
Farland,  Arthur  Mayer,  W.  C. 
Michel,  Maurice  Miller,  Robert  Moch- 
rie,  Abe  Montague,  Charles  Mosko- 
witz,  Joseph  Moskowitz,  Martin  Mos- 
kowitz,  James  A.  Mulvey,  John  Mur- 
phy, Tony  Muto,  Arnold  Picker, 
Eugene  Picker,  Hermann  G.  Place, 
Martin  Quigley,  Charles  Reagan,  Ed- 
mund Reek,  Harold  Rinzler,  Sam 
Rinzler,  Herman  Robbins,  Oren  Root, 
Samuel  Rosen. 

Also,  Montague  Salmon,  George 
Schaefer,  Nicholas  M.  S  c  h  e  n  c  k, 
Charles  Schlaifer,  Abe  Schneider, 
Fred  Schwartz,  Sol  Schwartz,  Vic 
Sedlow,  Gerald  Shea,  Arthur  Silver- 
stone,  Emanuel  Silverstone,  Murray 
Silverstone,  George  P.  Skouras,  Plato 
Skouras,  Spyros  S.  Skouras,  Wilbur 
Snaper,  Eddie  Solomon,  Earl  Spon- 
able,  Edward  Sullivan,  R.  B.  Tomp- 
kins, Joseph  Vogel,  Richard  Walsh, 
Mo  Wax,  Milton  Weisman,  William 
Weiss,  Robert  Weitman,  William 
White,  Douglas  T.  Yates,  Max 
Youngstein. 


Top  Stars,  Old  and  New,  to 
Entertain  at  Zukor  Banquet 


Hollywood,  Jan.  4. — The  "Famous 
Players"  slogan  which  for  many  years 
graced  the  Adolph  Zukor  trade  mark 
has  been  brought  to  life  again  in  the 
person  of  the  all-star  names  which 
have  been  assembled  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Rouben  Mamoulian  to  appear 
and  entertain  at  the  Adolph  Zukor 
80th  birthday  celebration  at  the  Holly- 
wood Palladium  Wednesday  night,  on 
the  film  pioneer's  birthday. 

Bob  Hope  will  preside  as  master-of- 
ceremonies,  Mamoulian  revealed,  and 
will  have  with  him,  Dean  Martin  and 
Jerry  Lewis,  Marge  and  Gower  Cham- 
pion, Jane  Powell,  Howard  Keel, 
Rosemary  Clooney,  Nelson  Eddy, 
Donald  Duck  in  the  person  of  Clar- 
ence Nash,  Mary  Pickford,  William 
(Hopalong  Cassidy)  Boyd  and  his 
horse.  In  addition,  there  will  also  be 
a  group  of  "film  greats"  such  as  Ja- 
net Gaynor,  Charles  Farrell,  Theda 
Bara,  William  Farnum,  Mae  Murray 
and  others  who  will  participate  in  the 
entertainment  program  of  the  pro- 
gram. 

The  celebration,  which  is  sponsored 
by  the  Variety  Clubs  International, 
will  be  presided  over  by  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell,  as  toastmaster,  and  trib- 
utes to  Zukor's  career  and  achieve- 
ments will  be  extended  by  Governor 
Earl  Warren,  Mayor  Fletcher  Bow- 
ron,  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  Jesse  Lasky, 
and  others. 


"ara.  Executives  Leave 
^or  Zukor  Celebration 

The  Adolph  Zukor  birthday  ban- 
quet in  Hollywood  Wednesday  night 
will  be  represented  by  a  large  home 
office  contingent,  headed  by  Para- 
mount president  Barney  Balaban,  who 
will  leave  from  Washington  today  for 
the  Coast.  Among  those  who  left  New 
York  for  Hollywood  over  the  week- 
end were  A.  W.  Schwalberg,  presi- 
dent of  Paramount  Distributing  Corp. ; 
E.  K.  (Ted)  O'Shea,  vice-president ; 
George  Weltner,  president  of  Para- 
mount International,  and  Russell  Hol- 
raan,  head  of  Eastern  production. 

Scheduled  to  leave  by  plane  tomor- 
row are  Paul  Raibourn,  president  of 
Paramount  Television  Productions, 
and  Austin  C.  Keough,  vice-president 
and  general  counsel  of  Paramount 
Pictures.  Louis  Novins,  assistant  to 
Balaban,  will  fly  out  Wednesday. 


Golding  to  Chicago 

David  Golding,  advertising-publicity 
director  of  Samuel  Goldwyn  Produc- 
tions, and  Leon  Brandt,  exploitation 
manager  for  RKO  Radio,  left  New 
York  over  the  weekend  for  Chicago 
where  they  will  set  plans  for  the 
opening  of  "Hans  Christian  Andersen" 
at  the  Oriental  Theatre  on  Feb.  11. 


WB  Divestiture 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

July,  1952.  The  deadline  for  the  re- 
maining half  was  today.  Warner  asked 
for  an  extension  of  this  one,  too,  and 
the  Department  has  agreed.  Justice 
officials  said  they  understood  the  com- 
pany still  had  not  sold  more  than  20 
of  the  27  theatres  in  the  second  half. 


American  Pictures 
To  Make  6  in  1953 


Hollywood,  Jan.  4. — American  Pic- 
tures Corp.  plans  to  triple  its  produc- 
ing schedule  for  1953  by  making  a 
total  of  six  films  at  a  total  cost  of 
$3,500,000,  according  to  an  announce- 
ment by  Albert  Zugsmith,  president 
of  the  company. 

Four  of  the  pictures  will  be  made  in 
color  and  at  least  one  of  the  four 
in  the  new  Pathecolor  process.  First 
of  the  sextet  will  be  "Female  of  the 
Species,"  starring  Ann  Sheridan  and 
directed  by  Alfred  E.  Green.  Produc- 
tion will  start  as  soon  as  Green  fin- 
ishes directing  "The  Eddie  Cantor 
Story"  at  Warner  Brothers. 

Second  picture  planned  is  "Space 
Girls,"  starring  Charles  Chaplin,  Jr. 
Third  is  "Conquest  and  Desire"  to  be 
filmed  in  Spain  with  color  in  Techni- 
color. The  remaining  pictures  are 
"Girls  of  the  South  Pacific,"  "Occu- 
pied America"  and  Robert  Smith's 
"Salt  River"  in  color. 


Crouse  Suit  Is  Settled 
Out  of  Court 

Minneapolis,  Jan.  4. — Suit  of  Wil- 
liam (Bill)  Crouse  of  Eveleth,  Minn., 
charging  eight  major  film  companies 
and  the  Minnesota  Amusement  Co. 
and  its  predecessor,  Publix  Northwest 
Theatres,  with  conspiracy  in  granting 
clearance  benefits  to  circuit  theatres 
at  Virginia,  Minn.,  over  Crouse- 
cperated  theatres  at  Eveleth,  has  been 
settled  out  of  court. 


A  A  Nov.  Billings 
Were  Up  $200,000 

Allied  Artists'  billings  for  Novem- 
ber approximate  $200,000:  more  than 
those  for  the  corresponding  period  in 
1951,  M.  R.  Goldstein,  vice-president 
and  general  sales  manager,  discloses. 

November  was  the  "Goldstein 
Month"  in  a  13-week  sales  campaign 
which  will  be  concluded  at  the  end 
of  January. 


WTO  Would  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

dent,  states  in  the  organization's 
monthly  bulletin. 

"If  distribution  still  wants  arbitra- 
tion," Harvey  writes  in  the  bulletin, 
"then  let  them  go  back  to  the  April 
ormat,  keep  their  word  and  approve 
it.  It  is  no  wonder  exhibitor  associa- 
tions get  sick  at  the  mere  mention  of 
the  word  'cooperation,'  for  here  is 
another  example  of  distribution  double" 
talk — eight  months  of  wasted  effort." 

Harvey  said  that  a  study  of  the 
distributors'  draft  left  him  with  the 
impression  that  distribution  does  not 
want  an  arbitration  system  now.  "I 
feel  that  merely  to  save  face  they 
submitted  a  plan  which  is  all  in  their 
favor  and  they  want  it  legalized — an- 
other take  it  or  leave  it  deal." 


Hint  New  Delay  in 
RKO  Hearing 

There  was  some  indication 
at  the  weekend  that  there 
may  be  another  postponement 
of  the  hearing,  scheduled  for 
today  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court,  on  a  minority  stock- 
holders' suit  for  a  court-ap- 
pointed receiver  for  RKO  Pic- 
tures. At  the  weekend  the 
hearing  was  still  slated  to 
start  at  10  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing, but  it  was  learned  that 
a  petition  may  be  submitted 
asking  for  another  delay. 

Previous  postponements 
have  been  granted  because  of 
more  time  needed  by  plaintiff 
and  company  lawyers  to  study 
affidavits. 


Tradewise  • . . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


torney  General  is  sure  to  examine 
with  a  view  to  deciding  whether 
they  are  realistically  conceived,  or 
whether  they  should  be  abandoned 
because  they  serve  no  meritorious 
or  urgently  needed  purpose. 

Most  neutral  observers,  including 
some  of  the  nation's  leading  news- 
paper and  magazine  editorial  writ- 
ers, are  convinced  the  Federal 
16mm.  suit  is  one  of  those  futile 
harassments  of  industry  which  have 
characterized  the  outgoing  Admin- 
istration's Justice  Department  ac- 
tivities for  so  long. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  hope  that 
the  new  Attorney  General  will  feel 
the  same  about  that  suit  once  he 
realizes  its  implications. 

The  increasing  opportunities  for 
advertising  and  publicizing  motion 
pictures  which  are  afforded  by  tele- 
vision are  being  demonstrated  with 
increasing  frequency.  The  recent 
use  of  the  rival  medium  by  Charles 
Einfeld  to  carry  pictures  of  the  gala 
Roxy  Theatre  premiere  here  of 
"The  Stars  and  Stripes  Forever" 
throughout  the  land,  revealed  still 
another  facet  of  television's  value 
as  another  arm  for  the  promotion 
and  exploitation  of  motion  pictures. 

The  showmanly  premiere  activi- 
ties were  telecast  nationally  by  the 
American  Broadcasting  Co.  TV 
network,  including  the  largest  key 
cities  where  the  picture  was  opened 
during  the  holidays.  Repeat  tele- 
casts were  arranged  for  other  keys. 

The  coverage  and  the  results 
demonstrate  that  television  is  an 
effective  new  salesman  of  films 
when  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
experienced  exploiteer. 


Arthur  Forde,  Veteran 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  4.  —  Arthur 
Forde,  casting  director  and  business 
manager  at  early  film  studios,  died 
here  on  Tuesday  at  the  age  of  81. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


20th  Century-Fox 
has  invested 
$100,000,000 
in  your 
immediate 
future! 


Sensation  Of  The  Industry! 
Ernest  Hemingway's 

THE  SNOWS  OF 
KILIMANJARO" 

Technicolor 

itorring 

Gregory  Peck 
Susan  Hayward-Ava  Gardner 

Produced  by  Darryl  F.  Zanuck 
Directed  by  Henry  King 


The  Big  Musical  About 
The  Bad  Girl  Of  Show  Business! 

THE  I  DON'T 
CARE  GIRL" 

Technico/or 

uomn,  Mitzi  Gaynor 
David  Wayne 
Oscar  Levant 

Produced  by  George  Jessel 
Directed  by  Lloyd  Bacon 


SUSAN  HAYWARD 
CHARLTON  HESTON 

in  IRVING  STONE'S  Best-Seller 

HE  PRESIDENT'S 
LADY" 

with  FAY  BAINTER 
Produced  by  SOL  C.  SIEGEL 
Directed  by  HENRY  LEVIN 

am  ihe  Novel  by  Uving  Stone 


Super-Tension! 

"THE  STEEL  TRAP" 

ilorring 

Joseph  Cotten  and  Teresa  Wright 

Written  &  Directed  by  Andrew  Stone 

A  Bert  E.  Fricdlob  Production 
cleoicd  by  20lh  Century-Fox 


3  Years  In  The  Making! 
Tens  Of  Thousands  In  The  Cast! 

"THE 
THIEF  OF  VENICE 


J   Maria  Montez 
Paul  Christian 

A  Robert  Haggiag  Production 
Released  by  20th  Century-Fox 


The  Celebrated 
Collier  Magazine  Story! 

"DESTINATION  GOBI' 

Techn/co/or 

richard"  widmark 
don  taylor 

Produced  by  Stanley  Rubin 
Directed  by  Robert  Wise 


Tlie  Fabulous  Guys  And  Their  Gals! 

Damon  Runyon's 

"BLOODHOUNDS 
OF  BROADWAY" 


Technicolor 


Mitzi  Gaynor  .  Scott  Brady 

Produced  by  George  Jessel 
Directed  by  Harmon  Jones 


The  Box-Office 
Lift  Of  Your  Life! 

TAXI 

starring 

Dan  Dailey 
Constance  Smith 

Produced  by  Samuel  G.  Engel 
Directed  by  Gregory  Ratoff 


RICHARD  BURTON  ,„ 

"THE  DESERT  RATS" 

coding  JAMES   MASON  As  Rommel 

ROBERT  NEWTON 

Produced  by  Robert  Jacks  ■  Directed  by  Robert  Wise 


The  High -Water 
Marl,-  In  Suspense! 

NIAGARA 

Technico/or 

ilorring 

Marilyn  Monroe  •  Joseph  Cotten 
Jean  Peters 

Produced  by  Charles  Bracket* 
Directed  by  Henry  Hathaway 


The  Last  Flaming  Days  Of 
The  Cree  Rebellion! 

PONY  SOLDIER 

Techn/co/or 


Tyrone  Power 

Cameron  Mitchell  and  Thomoj  Gomez 
'roduced  by  Samuel  G.  Engel 
rected  by  Joseph  M.  Newman 


You'll  Be  Delighted  To  meet.** 

THE 

GIRL  NEXT  DOOff 

Technico/or 

„g  Dan  Dailey -June  Haver 
Dennis  Day 


f>  fcJSI  Produced  by  Robert  Bassler 
A  _JwTi    Directed  by  Richard  Sale 


The  Greatest  Musical  Slwiv  On  Earth! 

John  Philip  Sousa's 

"STARS  AND 
STRIPES  FOREVER 

Technicolor 


CLIFTON  WEBB-DEBRA  PAGET -ROBERT  WAGNER 
Ruth  Hussey 

Produced  by  Lamar  Trottl 
Directed  by  Henry  Koster 

f 


The  Musical  That's 
Bustin'  Out  All  Over! 

"THE  FARMER 
TAKES  A  WIFE 

Technicolor 

Darting 

BETTY  GRABLE  ■  DALE  ROBERTSON 
Thelma  Ritter  *  John  Carroll 

Produced  by  Frank  P.  Rosenberg 
Directed  by  Henry  Levin 


From  iKe  Sloge  Ploy  by  Frank  B.  Elier  ond  Mart  Connelly 
Boied  on  Ihe  No»el"Rome  Houi"  by  Waller  D.  Edmondi 


4 


BETTE  DAVIS 

A  Woman's  Heart  And  Soul  To 

THE  STAR 


STERLING  HAYDEN 

Produced  by  Bert  E.  Friedlob 
Directed  by  Stuart  Heisler 
A  Bert  E.  Friedlob  Production 

d  through  ?Olh  Century-Fox 


The  All-Tin 


Ill-Star  Musical  Smash! 


Irving  Berlin's 

CALL  ME  MADAM 

Technicolor 

sia„in9  Ethel  Me r ma n  •  Do na I d  O'Connor 
Vera-Ellen- George  Sanders 
Music  and  Lyrics  by  Irving  Berlin 

Produced  by  Sol  C.  Siegel 
Directed  by  Waller  Lang 


The  Strangest  Adventure 
The  Screen  Has  Ever  Seen! 

TREASURE  OF  THE 
GOLDEN  CONDOR 

Technicolor 

.i.,,™.  Cornel  Wilde 
Constance  Smith 

Produced  by  Jules  Buck 
Directed  by  Delmer  Daves 


Timely... Taut... 
And  Packed  With  TNT! 

"MAN  ON 
A  TIGHTROPE 

starring 

Fredric  March  Gloria  Grahame 
Terry  Moore  •  Cameron  Mitchell 
Jf^        Adolphe  Menjou 


Produced  by  Robert  Jacks 
Directed  by  Elia  Kazan 


Over  31,000,000  Rentiers 
Are  Waiting  To  See 

OLIVIA  de  HAVILLAND 

in  Daphne  du  Maurier's 

"MY 

COUSIN  RACHEL 

with 

RICHARD  BURTON 

Produced  by  Nunnally  Johnson 
Directed  by  Henry  Koster 


The  Glory  And  The  Fury 
Of  The  West! 

THE  SILVER  WHIP 


Dale  Robertson 
Rory  Calhoun 
Robert  Wagner 

Produced  by 
Robert  Bassler  and  Michael  Abel 
Directed  by  Harmon  Jones 


/(  Will  Steal  Your  Heart! 

MY  PAL  GUS 

t  tarring 

Richard  Widmark 
Joanne  Dru 
Audrey  Totter 
y  George  (Foghorn]  Winslow 

Produced  by  Stanley  Rubin 
Directed  by  Robert  Parrish 


World  Premiere  Soon.. . 
Radio  City  Music  Hall 

"TONIGHT 
WE  SING" 

Technicolor 
■torrirg  EZIO  PINZA  •  ROBERTA  PETERS 
TAMARA  TOUMANOVA 
ANNE  BANCROFT- ISAAC  STERN 
BYRON  PALMER  •  ,J,l.\,  JAN  PEERCE 
DAVID  WAYNE 
Produced  by  George  Jessel 
Directed  by  Mitchell  Leisen 


Her  Greatest  Smash  Since 
"Duel  In  The  Sun"! 

JENNIFER  JONES 
CHARLTON  HESTON 

KARL  MALDEN 

RUBY 
GENTRY 

Directed  by  King  Vidor 
A  Bernhard-Vidor  Presentation 
Released  by  20th  Century-Fox 


The  Screen's  Big  Tropical  Musical! 

"DOWN  AMONC 
THE  SHELTERING 
PALMS" 

Technicolor 

■la.ring  William  Lundigan  -  Jane  Greer-  Mitzi 
Gaynor-David  Wayne-Gloria  De  Haven 

Produced  by  Fred  Kohlmar 
Directed  by  Edmund  Goulding 


...and  watch  for... 


Produced  by 

FRANK  ROSS 

Directed  by 

HENRY  KOSTER 

Screenplay  by 

PHILIP  DUNNE 


now  in  production 
color  by  Technicolor 

IT  WILL  BE 
THE  GREATEST 
BOXOFFICE 
ATTRACTION 
OF  ALL  TIME! 


There's  No  Business  Like  %Qth  Century-Fox  Business ! 


r*>NT«] 


Monday,  January  5,  1953 


Motion  Picture  daily 


11 


Rotus  Harvey  Hits 
Current  Film  Ads 

San  Francisco,  Jan.  4. — Cur- 
rent film  advertising,  includ- 
ing press  books,  accessories, 
trailers  and  other  material  is 
scored  sharply  by  H.  V.  Har- 
vey, former  president  of 
Western  Theatre  Owners,  in 
the  organization's  bulletin 
now  in  circulation. 

"What  has  happened  to  the 
producers'  advertising  and 
publicity  departments?"  Har- 
vey asks.  "In  all  my  years  in 
■  show  business  I  have  never 
seen  such  poor  material  as  is 
currently  coming  out  of 
Hollywood."  Some  of  the  ma- 
terial, he  contends,  is  ad- 
versely affecting  the  box- 
office. 


The  Jazz  Singer' 


'Jazz  Singer'  Hits 
Records  in  Miami 

Miami,  Jan.  4— The  dual  engage- 
ment of  Warner  Brothers'  "The  Jazz 
Singer"  at  the  Paramount  Theatre 
here  and  the  Beach  Theatre  at  Miami 
Beach,  is  breaking  house  records,  the 
managements  reported.  The  picture 
began  indefinite  runs  after  midnight 
premieres  New  Year's  Eve. 

The  first  day  of  the  engagement  at 
the  Beach  set  a  new  mark  for  an 
opening  day,  grossing  $5,080,  follow- 
ing the  two  after-midnight  shows 
which  took  in  $2,785.  A  five-year  rec- 
ord was  set  for  the  opening  day  at 
the  Paramount  where  the  gross  was 
$4,165.  The  New  Year's  Eve  gross 
was  $2,043. 


Bond  Stores  Selling 
"Jazz"  Tickets  Here 

Tickets  for  the  formal  premiere  of 
"The  Jazz  Singer"  here  on  Jan.  13 
are  being  sold  by  the  Bond  Clothing 
stores  in  the  Metropolitan  area.  Seats 
for  the  premiere,  which  will  be  held 
at  the  Paramount  Theatre  for  the 
benefit  of  the  National  Foundation  for 
Infantile  Paralysis,  are  being  sold  at 
a  scale  ranging  up  to  $100  each. 

Tobey  Favors  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Commerce  Committee,  and  there  had 
been  talk  that  he  would  waive  his 
right  to  the  Small  Business  post,  per 
mitting  it  to  go  to  Senator  Thye 
(R.,Minn.).  On  returning  to  Wash- 
ington Friday,  Tobey  indicated  his 
present  feeling  is  to  take  both  Com- 
mittee chairmanships. 

The  Small  Business  Committee 
must  be  authorized  again  by  the  new 
Congress.  It  is  not  a  standing  Senate 
committee,  but  rather  a  special  one, 
and  as  such  must  be  recreated  in  each 
Congress.  There  is  always  a  fight  to 
block  such  a  move,  but  the  Small 
Business  Committee  usually  wins  a 
new  lease  on  life.  During  the  last 
Congress,  it  started  an  inquiry  on  the 
effect  of  distributor  trade  practices  on 
small  exhibitors. 

Tobey  said  he  did  not  know  yet 
whether,  as  chairman  of  the  Com- 
merce Committee,  he  would  order  an 
investigation  of  the  Federal  Communi- 
cations Commission.  While  abroad  re- 
cently, he  sent  the  FCC  a  letter  sharp- 
ly criticizing  a  hearing  examiner's 
recommendation  that  the  proposed 
merger  between  American  Broadcast- 
ing Co.  and  United  Paramount  Thea- 
tres be  approved. 


made  the  "Top  Ten"  in  Quigley  Publications'  1952  "Stars-of-Tomorrow" 
poll,  and  the  opposite  spot  to  Peggy  Lee,  whose  career  in  records  and  radio 
have  won  her  quite  a  following ;  and  who  looks  well  in  Technicolor.  These 
names  on  a  marquee  may  mean  much  more  to  the  junior  generation  of  ticket- 
buyers  than  to  the  senior  generation  of  exhibitors  who  were  on  deck  for  the 
Jolson  version,  but  that's  show  business. 

The  story  is  not  substantially  different  from  the  original.  In  it  Thomas  is 
the  son  of  a  cantor  who  has  groomed  him  to  take  his  place  in  the  synagogue 
when  he  retires,  as  he  and  six  cantors'  sons  before  him  have  done.  But 
Thomas  aspires  to  a  career  in  show  business  instead,  and  is  encouraged  in  that 
direction  by  Miss  Lee,  a  singing  star,  and  by  his  mother.  The  father-son 
relationship  is  alternately  strained  and  eased  during  the  course  of  the  story, 
several  emotional  scenes  of  dramatic  intensity  accompanying  the  plot  develop- 
ment, which  ends  with  the  father  agreeing  with  the  son  on  the  point  that  a 
parent  shouldn't  choose  a  child's  profession  for  him. 

Others  in  the  balanced  cast  are  Mildred  Dunnock,  Eduard  Franz,  Tom 
Tully,  Alex  Gerry,  Allyn  Joslyn,  Harold  Gordon,  Hal  Ross,  Justin  Smith, 
Anitra  Stevens. 

Three  new  songs  by  Sammy  Fein  and  Jerry  Seelen,  one  by  Miss  Lee,  and 
several  standards  by  Cole  Porter  and  others  are  used  in  the  picture,  sung 
variously  by  Thomas  and  Miss  Lee,  and  to  these  the  great  sacred  music  of 
the  temple  furnishes  impressive  contrast. 

Michael  Curtiz  directed  with  his  usual  fine  touch  the  production  by  Louis 
F.  Edelman.  The  screen  play  is  by  Frank  Davis,  Leonard  Stern  and  Lewis 
Meltzer. 

Running  time,  106  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
not  set. 


Holiday  Pace 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Year's  Eve. 

Lines  at  Radio  City  Music  Hall 
continued  to  stretch  several  blocks  at 
the  weekend.  The  Hall  gave  five  com- 
plete shows  Friday  and  Saturday,  but 
returned  to  the  four-a-day  policy  yes- 
terday. 

Comparisons  of  this  year's  holiday 
grosses  with  those  of  last  year  were 
being  tabulated  last  night,  with  pre- 
dictions that  in  a  majority  of  cases 
the  intake  would  be  equal  to,  and 
probably  in  excess  of  the  previous 
holiday  span. 


"Bwana  Devil"  Sets  Pace 
For  Detroit  First  Runs 

Detroit,  Jan.  4. — Holiday  business 
was  good  judging  by  results  showing 
up  in  the  box-offices  of  first-runs  here. 

Setting  the  pace  for  the  holidays 
was  "Bwana  Devil"  at  the  Madison 
which  brought  in  an  estimated  $36,000 
since  it  opened  at  the  1,800-seat  house 
a  week  ago.  The  Fox  was  doing  fine 
with  "Ruby  Gentry,"  which  brought 
in  an  estimated  $28,000.  "Road  to 
Bali"  led  to  a  take  of  $26,000  at  the 
Michigan,  while  "Million  Dollar  Mer- 
maid" didn't  bring  in  a  million,  but 
fished  in  a  cool  $16,000  at  the  Adams. 
The  Palms  did  a  fair  $14,000  with 
"Eight  Iron  Men,"  while  the  United 
Artists  did  fine  with  "Stars  and 
Stripes  Forever,"  which  flagged  in 
$17,000. 

While  night  clubs  overflowed  with 
New  Year's  Eve  celebrators,  less 
exuberant  and  much  wiser  merry- 
makers took  advantage  of  the  thea- 
tres. Not  only  teen-agers  but  adults, 
as  well,  filled  practically  all  the  seats 
in  downtown  first-runs. 


Tax  Repeal  Bill 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  tax  in  half.  However,  this  aroused 
protests  from  exhibitors  who  wanted 
full  relief,  and  Dingell 1's  bill  finally 
included  repeal  of  the  entire  tax.  His 
bill  was  one  of  several  seeking  reduc- 
tion or  removal  of  the  tax  introduced 
at  the  opening  session  yesterday. 

Ding-ell's  statement  stressed  the 
"urgency  for  relief"  for  motion  pic- 
ture theatres,  and  charged  that  the 
20  per  cent  tax  "has  severely  impaired 
the  solvency  of  so  many  theatres." 
He  added  that  many  theatres  have 
closed,  "marring-  countless  neighbor- 
hoods and  prominent  uptown  districts 
into  inactivity." 

The  motion  picture  theatre,  more 
than  any  other  form  of  amusement, 
requires  a  large  volume  of  regular 
attendance,  Dingell  said.  He  stressed 
the  competiton  which  theatres  now 
get  from  television,  and  pointed  out 
that  Congress  has  given  tax  relief  to 
operas  and  symphony  orchestras.  "But 
the  movie,  which  is  the  working  man's 
opera  and  symphony  combined  and 
which  constitutes  the  greatest  field  of 
entertainment  for  the  poor  man  and 
his  family,  goes  on  faltering  midst 
competition  which  is  impossible  to 
match,"  the  Congressman  declared. 

Dingell  said  he  had  long  been  op- 
posed to  all  excise  taxes  as  being 
"fundamentally  wrong  in  principle." 
He  declared  that  the  admission  tax 
repeal  bill  was  intended  to  focus  the 
attention  of  the  American  public  and 
of  Congress  "upon  the  withering 
effect  of  excise  taxes  generally  and 
upon  the  devastation  brought  upon  the 
motion  picture  industry  particularly." 


Memphis  Continues  Strong 

Memphis,  Jan.  4. — Christmas  holi- 
day first  run  business  in  Memphis,  al- 
ways a  little  better  than  other  seasons 
of  the  year,  continued  on  into  the 
new  year,  managers  reported  today. 


Milwaukee  Runs  Ahead 

Milwaukee,  Jan.  4. — With  "Stars 
and  Stripes  Forever"  at  the  Fox  Wis- 
consin, "Road  to  Bali"  at  the  River- 
side and  "April  in,  Paris"  at  the 
Towne,  business  was  well  over  last 
year  for  the  holidays. 


Equipment 
World  .  .  . 


with  RAY  GALLO 


Cincinnati  City  Council 
Considering  Tax  Repeal 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  4. — Frank  W. 
Huss,  Jr.,  president  of  the  Greater 
Cincinnati  Independent  Exhibitors' 
Association,  together  with  other  exhi- 
bitor members,  appeared  before  the 
City  Council  to  personnally  present  a 
plea  for  the  elimination  of  the  local 
three  per  cent  admission  tax,  because 
of  declining  business,  which,  it  was 
pointed  out,  has  caused  the  closing  of 
three  additional  theatres  within  the 
past  few  months.  The  1951  admission 
tax  yield  was  $104,000.  The  Council 
has  taken  the  matter  under  advise- 
ment. 


ANEW  TYPE  of  tapered  slotting 
for  changeable  attraction  panel 
letters,  designed  to  cause  the  letter  to 
"lock"  on  the  bar  and  thus  prevent 
its  dislodgment  by  high  winds  or  other 
disturbances,  has  been  developed  by 
Wagner  Sign  Service,  Chicago.  The 
new  device,  on  which  patents  are 
pending,  is  for  application  to  the 
Wagner  line  of  colored  plastic  letters. 
• 

The  appointment  of  John  W.  Ha- 
milton, New  York  City,  as  its  archi- 
tectural representative  with  head- 
quarters at  92  Liberty  Street,  has 
been  announced  by  Day-Brite 
Lighting,  Inc.,  St.  Louis.  He  will 
assist  clients  with  lighting  prob- 
lems. 

• 

A  new  decorative  material  designed 
to  give  a  lustrous  "mirror"  appear- 
ance on  such  surfaces  as  walls,  pil- 
lars and  display  stands  has  been  mar- 
keted by  Miroflex  Products  Co.,  Inc., 
New  York  City.  Called  "Miroflex," 
material  consists  of  small  exact  mul- 
tiples of  cut  mirror  affixed  to  a  cloth 
backing.  Its  flexibility  permits  ad- 
hering to  both  flat  and  curved  sur- 
faces, according  to  the  company. 
• 

Horst  W.  Roder  has  been  named 
assistant  sales  manager  of  the  bottling 
division  of  Dad's  Root  Beer  Co.,  Chi- 
cago. Roder  was  associated  with 
Canada  Dry  Ginger  Ale,  Inc.,  New 
York  City,  for  the  past  16  years, 
starting  as  a  specialty  salesman  and 
rising  to  the  position  of  division  man- 
ager of  the  Maywood  division. 


Showing  below  one  of  the  next. 
"Acmiola"  film  "previezv,"  projection 
and  sound  reproducing  machines  pro- 
duced by  the  Acmiola  Distributing 
Co.,  a  division  of  S.  O.  S.  Cinema 
Supply  Corp.,  Nezv  York  City.  Look- 
ing it  over  at  the  premiere  trade  shozv- 
ing  are  (left  to  right)  J.  A.  Tanney, 
president  of  S.  O.  S. ;  his  daughter, 
Margery,  and  Ray  Gallo.  The  Acmi- 
ola film  editing,  viezmng  and  sound 
reproducing  machines  are  available 
for  pictures  only,  sound  only,  com- 
posite sound  and  picture,  or  any  de- 
sired combination.  The  model  belozv 
has  a  separate  sound  and  projection 
picture  head  zuhich  throws  a  6-by-8y2 
inch  image  on  a  detachable  shadozv- 
box  screen  which  drops  down  so  a 
3-foot  or  larger  picture  can  be  pro- 
jected in  a  darkened  room.  Reel 
spindles,  automatic  take-ups,  frame 
and  footage  counter,  and  amplifier 
speaker  are  all  mounted  on  the  rolling 
stand. 


12 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  5,  1953 


'Polarama'  Screens 
In  6  FWC  Theatres 


Hollywood,  Jan.  4.- — Installation  of 
"Polarama"  screens  in  six  Fox  West 
Coast  theatres,  with  more  to  follow 
as  materials  become  available,  was  an- 
nounced today  by  President  Charles 
P.  Skouras.  He  said  in  view  of  the 
"vast  improvement  already  undertaken 
by  Hollywood  film  producers  in  mak- 
ing pictures,  our  engineers  and  tech- 
nicians are  now  working  on  methods 
that  will  insure  bringing  superb  enter- 
tainment to  movie-goers.  This  can  be 
achieved  mainly  through  bigness  of 
the  theatre  screen." 

FWC  engineer  R.  H.  McCullough 
said  the  screen  gives  greater  depth  to 
the  picture,  eases  eye  strain,  eliminates 
distortion  and  has  other  advantages. 
FWC  is  emphasizing  the  "big  screen" 
theme  in  typed  inserts  in  current 
newspaper  advertisements. 


TV  Promotion  for 
MGM's  'Jeopardy' 

As  a  further  test  of  the  use  of  tele- 
vision in  the  promotion  of  a  motion 
picture,  M-G-M  has  set  a  series  of  the- 
atre openings  for  "Jeopardy"  in  the 
Boston  area  beginning  Jan.  29.  Ar- 
rangements have  been  completed  by 
Howard  Dietz,  vice-president  and  di- 
rector of  advertising-publicity,  through 
Donahue  and  Coe,  which  will  enlist 
the  full  cooperation  of  WNAC-TV, 
Mutual  Broadcasting  System  station 
in  Boston. 

Terry  Turner,  representing  MBS, 
was  in  Boston  for  several  days  co- 
ordinating the  campaign. 


Allied  Unit  Jibes 
At  Rep.  TV  Deal 

Des  Moines,  Jan.  4. — C  h  a  r  1  e  s 
Jones,  secretary  of  Iowa,  Nebraska 
and  Mid-Central  Allied  comments 
wryly  that  Republic  must  be  in  the 
same  desperate  boat  as  many  exhibi- 
tors for,  he  says,  while  some  exhibi- 
tors have  to  take  spare  time,  odd  jobs, 
like  door-to-door  selling  to  eke  out 
a  livelihood  these  days,  Republic,  too, 
has  to  go  in  for  sidelines. 

Republic  sold  104  features  to  CBS- 
TV  for  $200,000  recently. 

Writing  in  a  current  organizational 
bulletin,  Jones  cites  a  brokerage  house 
report  that  Paramount  is  asking 
$3,000,000  for  a  package  of  2,000  old 
short  subjects,  and  that  CBS-TV  dis- 
cussed the  deal. 

"Somebody  ought  to  put  CBS's  film 
buyer  wise,"  Jones  comments.  "He's 
paying  more  for  shorts  than  for  fea- 
tures. 


Piatt  RCA  Theatre 
Supply  Sales  Head 

Camden,  N.  J.,  Jan.  4. — -Appoint- 
ment of  A.  John  Piatt  as  manager  of 
theatre  equipment  sales  in  the  engi- 
neering products  department  of  RCA 
Victor  was  announced  here  by  A.  R. 
Hopkins,  general  sales  manager.  Piatt 
succeeds  M.  F.  (Marty)  Bennett,  who 
has  been  advanced  to  RCA  Victor's 
regional  management  staff. 


Leewood  to  Cagney  Post 

Hollywood,  Jan.  4. — Jack  Leewood, 
former  executive  assistant  to  Robert 
L.  Lippert,  has  joined  the  Cagney 
Productions  unit  of  "A  Lion  Is  in  the 
Streets,"  as  publicity  co-ordinator. 


Television--  Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman 


AN  estimated  forty  million  football  fans  were  'Bowl'ed  over  New 
Year's  Day  by  the  thrilling  inter-sectional  gridiron  classics  with 
the  between-halves  spectacles  staged  by  local  chambers  of  commerce. 
Thus  with  this  grand  flourish  King  Football  exits  the  TV  arena  to 
make  way  for  another  round  of  basketball,  track,  baseball,  fights, 
tennis  and — FOOTBALL,  of  course.  .  .  .  WABD  has  bought  the 
rights  to  the  third  and  fourth  runs  of  the  filmed  TV  series,  "Front 
Page  Detective,"  starring  Edmund  Lowe.  Delivery  will  take  place 
early  in  February  and  will  be  a  New  York  exclusive  for  DuMont 
until  April  1955.  Consolidated  TV  Sales  distributes  the  Jerry  Fair- 
banks package.  ...  A  new  Hillbilly  series,  "The  Sunshine  Gang," 
produced  and  emceed  by  John  McKnight  will  bow  in  Wednesday, 
(5:45  to  6:00  P.M.)  via  WOR-TV.  .  .  .  Tunester  J.  Fred  Coots, 
among  whose  hits  are  "Santa  Claus  Is  Comin'  To  Town,"  "For  All 
We  Know"  and  "You  Go  to  My  Head,"  has  penned  "The  Lucky- 
Horse  Shoe"  and  "The  Greatest  Man  On  Earth,"  which  are  themed 
in  Walt  Framer's  new  TV  programs  of  the  same  name.  Charles 
Hansen  Music  Co.  is  the  publisher.  .  .  . 


ft  ft 


ft 


Imogene  Coca,  almost  completely  recovered  from  a  recent  appen- 
dectomy, will  return  to  the  "Your  Show  of  Shows,"  NBC's  most 
T  Valuable  series  next  Saturday.  .  .  .  New  Year's  Eve  the  CBS-TV 
Late  Show  offered  and  repeated  "Forever  &  A  Day."  This  great 
pix  may  well  be  repeated  and  yet  repeated.  .  .  . 
CORRECTION :  The  NBCast  of  the  "March 
of  Time"  film  series,  sponsored  in  60'  cities  by 
the  Miller  Brewing  Co.  occupies  the  7 :00  to 
7:30  P.M.  slot  Wednesdays.  We  itemed  it  as 
7:15  to  7:30  last  week.  .  .  .  Just  to  keep  the 
record  straight  we  want  to  remind  all  and  sun- 
dry that  in  its  rave  review  last  Sunday  of  the 
"Plainclothesman,"  series  seen  Sundays  via 
WABD,  The  Herald-Tribune  didn't  mention 
Gil  Braun,  who  has  been  scripting  the  program 
for  the  past  Huo  years.  .  .  .Dean  Martin  and 
Jerry  Lewis  will  make  a  two-week  stint  at  the 
Palladium  in  London,  starting  June  15,  their 
first  appearance  outside  the  U.S....  Bill  Ben- 
d.ix,  whose  southern  {Brooklyn)  accent  helped 
him  no  little  to  scale  filmdom  and  TV  heights,  was  a  batboy  for 
the  N.  Y.  Giants.  .  .  .  Shakespeare's  "Hamlet,"  will  be  performed 
for  the  first  time  on  TV  Monday  at  11 :45  to  12  noon,  via  WABD 
when  the  first  installment  of  the  classic,  starring  Jack  Manning 
and  produced  by  Lawrence  Menkin,  will  be  ethered.  .  .  .  Lawny 
Ross  will  give  his  second  Town  Hall  concert  in  15  years  tonight. 
Since  his  first  one,  Lanny  starred  in  radio,  motion  pictures,  con- 
cert halls,  vaudeville  and  was  the  first  to  appear  on  a  sponsored 
TV  series.  .  .  .  Last  March,  in  N.  Y.  on  an  assignment  by  his 
newspaper,  the  Toronto  Globe-Mail,  Carey  Wilbur  bought  a  book, 
"How  to  Write  For  Television."  Wednesday  nite  his  14th  TV 
original,  "The  Fire  Below  and  The  Devil  Above"  will  be  NBCoast- 
to-coasted  on  the  "Kraft  Television  Theatre."  .  .  . 


Imogene  Coca 


ft  ft 


ft 


Praise  agent  Spencer  Hare,  in  a  two-hour  lecture  in  private, 
convinced  us  that  'in  spite  of  our  retentive  memory'  we  should 
take  Dr.  Bruno  Furst's  Memory  &  Concentration  Course  or 
at  least  tune  in  on  the  Doctor's  WPIX  program  Sunday  at 
3:00  P.M.  We  finally  agreed  to  TView  the  Memory  Expert's 
program,  our  'retentive  memory'  notwithstanding.  So  whahop- 
pen???  we  forgot  to  tune  in.  .  .  .  Mickey  Schwarz,  who  directed 
most  of  the  Parsonnet  TV  films  including  Melvin  Douglas' 
"Steve  Randall"  and  Faye  Emerson's  "Pepsi-Cola"  series,  has 
resigned.  .  .  .  Robert  Taylor  will  make  his  TV  debut,  CBSun- 
day,  on  Ed  Sullivan's  "Toast  of  the  Town."  Scenes  from 
Taylor's  forthcoming  MGM  flicker,  "Above  &  Beyond"  will 
be  seen  during  the  program.  .  .  .  Robert  Q.  Lewis  points  out 
that  "in  the  new  Lever  Bros.  Building  you  can  wash  the 
windows  and  walls  at  the  same  time."  (Does  this  remark  pane 
you  as  it  did  us?).  .  .  .  Producer  Nat  Wolfe  of  the  "Halls  of 
Ivy"  series,  is  trying  to  sell  Irene  Dunne  the  idea  of  gracing 
the  TV  scene.  .  .  .  Victor  Young  has  been  signed  to  compose 
and  conduct  the  music  for  Bing  Crosby's  "Little  Boy  Lost," 
flicker  for  Paramount.  .  .  . 


Sharp  Drop  Reported 
In  Recreational  Bldg. 

Washington,  Jan.  4. — Only 
$125,000,000  of  social  and  rec- 
reational construction  was 
undertaken  by  private  indus- 
try in  the  U.S.  in  1952,  com- 
pared with  $164,000,000  in 
1951,  the  Commerce  Depart- 
ment reported. 

This  was  a  drop  of  24  per 
cent.  Commerce  officials  said 
theatre  building  was  "an  im- 
portant segment"  of  social 
and  recreational  construction, 
although  they  could  not  say 
exactly  how  much  of  the 
total  it  accounted  for. 


Elect  Frank  White 
President  of  NBC 


The  election  of  Frank  White  as 
president  and  a  director  of  National 
Broadcasting  Co.,  as  had  been  ex- 
pected, was  announced  at  the  week- 
end by  David  Sarnoff,  chairman  of 
the  board  of  NBC  and  Radio  Cor- 
poration of  America,  following  a 
meeting  of  the  board.  At  the  same 
time,  Sarnoff  announced  the  election 
of  Sylvester  L.  Weaver,  Jr.,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  the  radio  and 
television  networks  of  NBC,  to  the 
post  of  vice-chairman  of  the  board, 
and  the  appointment  of  John  K.  Her- 
bert to  Weaver's  former  position  in 
the  radio-television  department. 

White,  who  had  been  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  the  radio 
and  television  networks,  succeeds 
Joseph  H.  McConnell  who  resigned 
to  become  president  of  Colgate-Pal- 
molive-Peet. 

Entering  the  broadcast  field  in  1937 
with  Columbia  Broadcasting  System, 
White  subsequently  became  a  vice- 
president  and  treasurer  of  CBS,  pres- 
ident of  Columbia  Records,  president 
of  Mutual  Broadcasting  System  and, 
early  last  year,  vice-president  and  net- 
work manager  of  NBC.  He  is  a 
native  of  Washington,  D.C. 

Weaver  joined  NBC  in  1949  after 
a  career  with  Young  and  Rubicam, 
advertising  agency,  and  the  Mutual- 
Don  Lee  network  on  the  Coast.  Her- 
bert went  to  NBC  in  1950  after  12 
years  with  Hearst  Magazines. 


Levathes  Named 
Ad  Agency  'V-P' 

Peter  Levathes,  20th  Century-Fox 
short  subject  sales  manager  and  direc- 
tor of  television  since  1947,  has  joined 
Young  and  Rubicam,  Inc.,  as  a  vice- 
president,  on  special  asignments,  re- 
porting to  Anthony  V.  B.  Geoghegan, 
media  vice-president,  according  to 
Sigurd  S.  Larmon,  president. 

He  joined  20th  in  1936  as  executive 
assistant  to  Spyros  Skouras,  and  in 
1942  left  for  four  years  of  war  service. 
He  returned  in  1946  as  assistant  to 
the  general  sales  manager. 


Coronation  on  TV 

Detroit,  Jan.  4. — General  Motors 
will  sponsor  National  Broadcasting's 
radio  and  television  airings  in  this 
country  of  the  coronation  of  Queen 
Elizabeth  II  in  London  on  June  2, 
Harlow  H.  Curtice,  acting  president 
of  General  Motors  announced. 


Monday,  January  5,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


13 


Review 


"The  Man  Behind  the  Gun 

{Warner  Brothers) 

TN  some  respects,  "The  Man  Behind  the  Gun"  is  a  semi-documentary  of  life 
1  in  post-Civil  War  California,  but  it  can  be  billed  as  a  top-flight  Western, 
action-packed  and  gripping  throughout.  John  Twist's  screenplay  and  Felix 
Feist's  direction,  enhanced  by  color  in  Technicolor,  add  up  to  first-rate 
entertainment. 

Randolph  Scott  is  cast  as  a  secret  agent  who  has  a  hard  time  routing  the 
secessionists  who  seek  to  control  the  land  in  and  around  old  Los  Angeles 
by  capturing  the  water  supply.  There  are  intrigues  and  counter-intrigues,  sus- 
picions and  jealousies,  gun  brawls  and  romance.  Patrice  Wymore  supplies 
the  romantic  angle,  while  singer  Lina  Romay,  a  plotter  in  the  over-all 
scheme,  delays  Scott  in  his  pursuit  of  duty. 

Rounding  out  the  cast  are  Dick  Wesson,  Philip  Carey,  Roy  Roberts 
Morris  Ankrum,  Katharine  Warren,  Alan  Hale,  Jr.,  Douglas  Fowley  Tony 
Caruso,  Clancy  Cooper  and  Robert  Cabal. 

Running  time,  82  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   Release  date, 

J  3.11.  o  x . 


$250,000Promotion 
Budget  for  4Taxi' 


U-I  Will  Hold  Sales 
Meetings  This  Week 

Universal-International's  three  divi- 
sion sales  managers,  F.  J.  A.  Mc- 
Carthy, Foster  M.  Blake  and  P.  T. 
Dana,  will  hold  a  second  and  final 
series  of  sales  meetings  with  district 
and  branch  managers  and  salesmen  in 
their  territories  starting  today  in  con- 
nection with  the  company's  current 
"Charles  J.  Feldman  Silver  Anniver- 
sary Drive." 

McCarthy,  Southern  and  Canadian 
sales  manager,  will  hold  his  meeting 
in  New  Orleans  with  branch  man- 
agers and  salesmen  from  H.  H.  Mar- 
tin's district  which  includes  New 
Orleans,  Dallas,  St.  Louis  and  Okla- 
homa City. 

Blake,  Western  sales  manager,  will 
hold  two  meetings.  He  will  meet  with 
branch  managers  and  salesmen  of 
Lester  Zucker's  district  in  Denver 
today  which  will  also  include  Kansas 
City,  Omaha  and  Salt  Lake  City  per- 
sonnel, while  on  Friday  and  Saturday 
he  will  hold  meetings  in  San  Fran- 
cisco for  Barney  Rose's  district  which 
includes  the  San  Francisco,  Los  An- 
geles, Portland  and  Seattle  managers 
and  salesmen. 

Dana,  Eastern  sales  manager,  will 
meet  in  Boston  for  John  J.  Scully's 
district  which  includes  branch  man- 
agers and  salesmen  of  the  Boston, 
Albany,  Buffalo,  Philadelphia  and 
New  Haven  branches. 


Date  'Girls  in  the  Night' 

"Girls  in  the  Night,"  Universal-In- 
ternational's production  dealing  with 
juvenile  delinquency  which  was  filmed 
on  the  lower  East  Side  of  New  York 


435  Films  Eligible 
For  Academy  Awards 

Hollywood,  Jan.  4.— A  total  of  435 
pictures  will  be  eligible  for  Academy 
Award  consideration  this  year,  it  was 
announced  by  Charles  Brackett,  pres- 
ident of  the  Academy  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Arts  and  Sciences. 

The  list  includes  all  pictures  which 
were  released  for  commercial  show- 
ing in  the  Los  Angeles  area  during 
the  past  year.  Each  film  also  must 
have  been  shown  for  a  period  of  seven 
consecutive  days  following  its  release. 


as  a  successor  to  "Naked  City"  and 
"City  Across  the  River,"  will  have  its 
world  premiere  at  Loew's  State  Thea- 
tre here  following  the  current  run  of 
"Blackbeard  the  Pirate." 


N.E.  Unit  on  the  Air 

Boston,  Jan.  4.  —  New  England 
Theatres  Corp.  of  Boston  is  now  using 
radio  to  plug  motion  pictures  at  three 
downtown  theatres,  the  Metropolitan, 
Paramount  and  Fenway.  The  pro- 
grams will  be  broadcast  over  radio 
station  WHDH  every  Tuesday, 
Thursday  and  Saturday  mornings 
from  11:45  to  noon  on  the  Fred  B. 
Cole  radio  program,  "Carnival  of 
Music." 


Bolgers  Register  Firm 

Albany,  N.  Y.— Jan.  4—  B.  &  R. 
Enterprises,  Inc.,  has  registered  a 
certficate  to  conduct  an  entertainment 
business  in  New  York.  Incorporators 
are  Raymond  W.  Bolger  and  Gwen 
R.  Bolger  of  Hollywood. 


A  $250,000  advertising  and  exploita- 
tion budget,  designed  to  penetrate 
every  avenue  of  contact  with  the  mo- 
tion picture  audience  at  the  theatre 
level  has  been  set  by  20th  Century- 
Fox  for  "Taxi,"  it  was  announced  at 
the  weekend. 

The  campaign  will  see  a  greater 
employment  of  point-of-sale  merchan- 
dising techniques,  in  line  with  the 
company's  announced  plans  for  1953, 
with  exhibitor's  gaining  a  multiplicity 
of  credits  to  their  playdates  of  the 
picture. 

To  be  released  nationally  in  March 
following  a  February  opening  in  New 
York,  site  of  its  entire  filming,  "Taxi" 
will  be  paced  by  a  five-point  pre-open- 
ing  campaign. 

Plans  call  for  heavy  utilization  of 
billboard  advertising,  special  newspa- 
per teaser  ads,  saturation  television 
and  radio  spot  buys  and  affiliated  pro- 
motions, widespread  spotting  of 
"Taxi"  snipes,  and  an  expanded  ""co- 
op" advertising  campaign,  all  geared 
to  individual  openings.  Special  in- 
structions have  gone  forward  to  the 
20th  Century-Fox  field  staff  to  aid 
exhibitors  in  planning  local  campaigns. 


Two  New  Ore.  Theatres 

Portland,  Ore.,  Jan.  4.  —  The 
early  construction  of  a  downtown 
North  Bend,  Ore.,  theatre  has  been 
disclosed  by  Jones  Enterprises,  Inc., 
a  Southern  Oregon  circuit.  The  house 
will  have  1,000  seats  on  one  floor. 
Also,  J.  J.  Parker  Theatres  here  will 
soon  start  work  on  a  500-car  drive-in 
costing  $50,000,  near  Astoria,  Ore. 


CITY  PLACE  OF  SCREENING  TIME 

ALBANY  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1052  Broadway  2:30  P.M. 

ATLANTA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  154  Walton  St.,  N.  W  2  P.M. 

BOSTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  58-62  Berkeley  Street  2  30  P.M. 

BUFFALO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  464  Franklin  Street  2  P.M. 

CHARLOTTE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  305-7  South  Church  Street  10  A.M. 

CHICAGO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1306  South  Michigan  Avenue  1.30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1638  Central  Parkway  2:30  P.M. 

CLEVELAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1735  East  23rd  Street  8.15  P.M. 

DALLAS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  401  N.  Pearl  Expressway..  2  P.M. 

DENVER  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2100  Stout  Street  3  30  P.M. 

DES  MOINES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1 1 25  High  Street  I  P.M. 

DETROIT  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  479  Ledyard  Avenue  2  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  116  West  Michigan  Street  10  30  A.M. 

JACKSONVILLE  FLORIDA  THEATRES  SCREENING  ROOM,  Florida  Thea.  Bldg  2  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1 800  Wyandotte  Street   2  P.M 

LOS  ANGELES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1613  West  20th  Street  1.30  P.M. 

MEMPHIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  362  South  Second  Street  12:15  NOON 

MILWAUKEE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1121  North  Eighth  Street  2  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1201  Currie  Avenue  8  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  82  State  Street  2  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  215  South  Liberty  Street   2  30  P.M. 

NEW  YORK  CITY.  .  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1501  Broadway  (9th  FL)  11  A.M. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY.  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  701  West  Grand  Avenue  10.30  A  M 

OMAHA  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1502  Davenport  Street  130  P.M. 

PHILADELPHIA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  248  North  12th  Street  2.30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1727  Boulevard  of  Allies  2  P.M 

PORTLAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  909  N.  W.  19th  Avenue  2  P.M. 

ST.  LOUIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2949-2953  Olive  Street  1.30  P.M 

SALT  LAKE  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  270  East  1st  South  Street  1:30  P.M. 

SAN  FRANCISCO.  .  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  205  Golden  Gate  Ave  2  P.M 

SEATTLE  MODERN  THEATRE  SUPPLY  PROJ.  ROOM,  2400  Third  Ave  1:30  P.M. 

WASHINGTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  306  H  Street,  N.W  8  P.M 


PARAMOUNT 
TRADE  SHOWS 

Monday,  January  5, 1953 
•      •     •  *. 

ROSEMARY  ANNA  MARIA 

CLOONEY  •  ALBERGHETTI 

LAURITZ 

MELCHIOR 


in 

%VI 


THE  STARS 
ARE  SINGING 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

with  BOB  WILLIAMS  •  TOM  MORTON  •  FRED  CLARK 
JOHN  ARCHER  and  RED  DUST 

Produced  by  IRVING  ASHER  •  Directed  by 
NORMAN  TAUR0G  •  Screenplay  by  LI  AM  O'BRIEN 
Based  on  a  story  by  Paul  Hervey  Fox 


■ 


14 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  5,  1953 


20TH-FOX  TO  SET  TOP  PRODUCTIONS,  MANY  BIG 
MUSICALS,  FOR  HOLIDAY  RELEASE  THIS  YEAR 


SPECIAL  preparations  are  being  made 
by  20th  Century-Fox  to  prepare  the 
release  of  a  variety  of  major  attractions 
for  the  top  holidays  of  1953.  Al  Lichtman, 
director  of  distribution,  discloses. 

The  planned  holiday  line-up  of  pictures 
is  designed  to  enable  showmen  to  offer 
patrons  a  wide  choice  of  outstanding  films 
during  days  and  seasons  when  theatre- 
going  caps  a  family  holiday,  he  said. 

Using  the  results  of  the  recent  holiday 
season  as  a  yardstick  (five  major  produc- 
tions were  put  in  release  for  the  occasion) , 
20th  Century-Fox  will  follow-up  with 
films  of  equal  calibre,  he  said. 

"Tonight  We  Sing,"  which  will  have  its 
world  premiere  at  Radio  City  Music  Hall 
in  February,  will  open  nationally  for 
Easter.  The  Technicolor  musical  biog- 
raphy of  impresario  Sol  Hurok,  which 
stars  Ezio  Pinza,  Roberta  Peters,  David 
Wayne,  Anne  Bancroft,  Tamara  Touma- 
nova,  Isaac  Stern,  Byron  Palmer,  and  the 
voice  of  Jan  Peerce,  represents  one  of  a 
trio  of  Easter  offerings. 

'Madam'  an  Easter  Release 

Ethel  Merman's  Broadway  stage  suc- 
cess, "Call  Me  Madam,"  a  lavish  Techni- 
color production,  with  Donald  O'Connor, 
Vera-Ellen,  and  George  Sanders  also 
starred,  will  be  released  during  Easter 
also,  preceded  by  a  heavy  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation  campaign. 

Viewed  by  vice-president  Charles  Ein- 
feld  during  a  recent  trip  to  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox West  Coast  studios,  "Call  Me 
Madam"  was  described  by  him  as  sure  to 
"rank  as  one  of  the  all-time  top  grossers 
in  the  history  of  the  industry." 

Irving  Stone's  best-selling  novel,  "The 
President's  Lady,"  will  also  be  a  holiday 
release.  Starring  Susan  Hayward  and 
Charlton  Heston,  "The  President's  Lady" 
is  the  story  of  Rachel  and  Andrew  Jack- 
son, one  of  America's  noted  couples. 

Holiday's  including  Washington's  and 
Lincoln's  Birthday,  Fourth  of  July,  Deco- 
ration Day,  and  Labor  Day  will  see 
equally  important  films  readied  for  special 
showings,  Lichtman  said. 

Another  lavish  musical  production  on 
the  company's  schedule  is  "Gentlemen 


Prefer  Blondes,"  with  a  cast  topped  by 
two  of  the  world's  most  publicized  beau- 
ties— Marilyn  Monroe  and  Jane  Russell, 
with  abundant  helpings  of  cast  and  pro- 
duction values  to  lend  support  to  the  two 
screen  charmers. 

Among  other  musical  presentations 
there  will  be  "The  Farmer  Takes  A 
Wife,"  the  first  Betty  Grable  picture  in 
two  years,  in  which  Betty  teams  with  new 
romantic  lead,  Dale  Robertson.  While 
"The  I  Don't  Care  Girl,"  the  story  of  the 
"bad  girl  of  show  business,"  Eva  Tan- 
guay,  starring  Mitzi  Gaynor,  David 
Wayne,  and  Oscar  Levant;  "The  Girl 
Next  Door,"  top-casting  June  Haver,  Dan 
Dailey,  and  Dennis  Day;  and  "Down 
Among  The  Sheltering  Palms,"  starring 
Mitzi  Gaynor,  William  Lundigan,  Jane 
Greer,  David  Wayne,  and  Gloria  De- 
Haven,  completes  the  musical  lineup. 

Selected  by  20th  Century-Fox  produc- 
tion chief  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  as  his  only 
personal  production  for  1953  will  be  "The 
Egyptian,"  in  which  Marlon  Brando  will 
be  starred. 

The  best-selling  novel  by  the  Finnish 
author  Mika  Waltari,  set  during  the  reign 
of  Pharoah  Tut-ankh-amen,  will  see  the 
rugged  star  of  "Viva  Zapata !"  portraying 
the  role  of  Senuhe,  physician  to  the 
Egyptian  ruler. 

Assigned  to  'Egyptian' 

Casey  Robinson,  who  wrote  the  screen- 
play for  Zanuck's  "The  Shows  of  Kili- 
manjaro," has  been  tabbed  to  fashion  the 
script  for  "The  Egyptian." 

Greater  participation  by  the  nation's 
exhibitors  in  the  merchandising  of  attrac- 
tions being  offered  by  20th  Century-Fox 
in  the  new  year  is  the  pre-selling  blue- 
print drawn  up  by  Einfeld  and  members 
of  his  advertising-publicity  staffs. 

With  80  per  cent  of  the  1953  budget 
apportioned  to  regional  and  point  of  sale 
advertising,  showmen  will  be  able  to  join 
with  20th  Century-Fox  in  fully  develop- 
ing campaigns  custom-tailored  to  fit  every 
type  of  box  office  situation,  Einfeld  states. 

A  quartet  of  films  in  release  this  month 
-"My  Cousin  Rachel,"  "The  I  Don't 
Care  Girl,"  "Ruby  Gentry,"  and  "The 


Thief  of  Venice" —  have  already  been 
recipients  of  the  new  merchandising  for- 
mula, with  local  newspapers'  Sunday  sup- 
plements being  used  to  greater  advantage 
in  conjunction  with  national  advertising. 

The  fact  that  a  majority  of  the  1953 
product  line-up  is  already  completed, 
makes  it  even  more  feasible  to  concent- 
trate  on  specialized  campaign  techniques 
months  in  advance  of  openings,  Einfeld 
points  out.  A  greatly  expanded  budget 
has  been  allotted  to  capitalize  on  the  box 
office  potentialities  of  "Taxi,"  a  comedy- 
drama  in  the  tradition  of  such  hits  as 
"Come  To  The  Stable"  and  "The  Miracle 
On  34th  Street,"  Einfeld  said.  Also  set 
for  extensive  ballyhoo  are  "Niagara," 
starring  Marilyn  Monroe,  which  has  one 
+'  the  most  provocative  ad  treatments  of 
any  film  in  many  years,  and  "Tonight  We 
Sing,"  which  is  being  supported  by  a 
growing  campaign  built  around  world 
famous  music  and  the  famous  personali- 
ties featured  in  the  Technicolor  musical. 

Advertising  Plans 

Treatments  given  upcoming  releases 
such  as  "Treasure  of  the  Golden  Condor," 
for  which  a  series  of  regional  openings  is 
being  finalized;  "The  President's  Lady," 
"Call  Me  Madam,"  and  "Man  On  a 
Tightrope"  will  be  fully  coordinated  with 
the  industry  press,  the  country's  consumer 
and  fan  magazines,  the  leading  Sunday 
supplements,  and  the  television  and  radio 
stations  of  the  nation. 

Also,  he  added,  for  such  major  produc- 
tions as  "The  Robe,"  "Gentlemen  Prefer 
Blondes,"  "The  Desert  Rats,"  "Nearer 
My  God  To  Thee,"  the  home  office  per- 
sonnel of  the  company  will  coordinate 
with  field  representatives  to  generate  ac- 
tivities in  all  parts  of  the  country  and 
Canada  to  win  maximum  public  interest. 

Thirteen  of  the  24  films  which  have 
been  announced  by  20th  Century-Fox  for 
release  in  the  first  nine  months  of  1953 
will  be  in  color  by  Technicolor,  Lichtman 
pointed  out. 

The  increased  use  of  color  demonstrates 
the  company's  attempt  to  supply  to  the 
public  the  highest  quality  of  production 
and  enjoyment,  he  said. 


SPYROS  SKOURAS 
20th  Century-Fox 
President 


DARRYL  F.  ZANUCK 
Production 
Vice-President 


AL  LICHTMAN 
Director  of 
Distribution 


CHARLES  EINFELD 
Vice-President 


W.  C.  GEHRING 

Exec.  Ass't. 
Gen'l.  Sales  Mgr. 


A.  SILVERSTONE 
Eastern  &  Canadian 
Sales  Manager 


E.  W.  AARON 
Western  Sales 
Manager 


Monday,  January  5,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


15 


NEW  201 H  CENTURY- FOX  RELEASES 


NEARER  MY  SOD  TO  THEE.  Clifton  Webb,  Audrey 
Totter  and  Barbara  Stanwyck  (left  to  right,  above)  in  a 
scene  from  the  dramatic  story  of  the  sinking  of  the 
trans-Atlantic  luxury  liner  Titanic. 


mi— fir 


CALL  ME  MADAM.  One  of 
20th  Century-Fox's  big  ones 
for  1953.  Left  to  right  in 
scene  above:  Donald  O'Con- 
nor, Ethel  Merman,  George 
Sanders  and  Vera-Ellen.  In 
color  by  Technicolor. 


TAXI.  The  grape-vine  touts  this 
in  advance  as  delightful  enter- 
tainment. Scene  at  left  shows 
Constance  Smith  and  Dan 
Dailey,  who  are  starred  in  the 
Sam  Engel  production,  directed 
by  Gregory  R  a  toff. 


MAN  ON  A  TIGHTROPE.  Cam- 
eron Mitchell  and  Frederic  March, 
above,  in  a  scene  from  a  drama 
of  intrigue  and  action.  Adolphe 
Menjou  also  is  in  the  cast. 


TONIGHT  WE  SING.  A  lavish  George  Jessel 
production  in  color  by  Technicolor,  starring 
David  Wayne,  Ezio  Pinza,  Roberta  Peters,  Tamara 
Toumanova,  Anne  Bancroft,  Isaac  Stern  and  Byron 
Palmer.  Directed  by  Mitchell  Leisen.  Harry 
Kurnitz  and  George  Oppenheimer  wrote  the 
screenplay. 


THE  PRESIDENT'S  LADY.  Charl- 
ton Heston  and  Susan  Hayward, 
at  right,  in  a  scene  from  the  Sol 
Siegel  production  based  on  Irving 
Stone's  novel.  Henry  Levin  di- 
rected. Among  those  featured  are 
John  Mclntire,  Fay  Bainter,  Charles 
Dingle  and  Whitfield  Connor. 


IN  PM»S 
-MOOU 

\H  THE 
BAHK 


VOL, 


From  Warner 

BORIS 


Bros.Now 


RAY 


Techi 
more 


1953, 


here  t 


of  pic! 
Zanud 
out  111 
than  a 
coupa: 
The 
for  19 
prodm 
bv  He 


Gro 


THIS  IS  THE  PARAMOUNT,  N.Y\ 

-Butjt's  the  same  sensations/ 
picture  coast-fo-coast f/f 


m 


^  H  .COLOR 

ClAUDEDApPHIN 


Numbers  Staged 


WRITTEN  8* 


0„8,nal  Songs.  fMoUcto  bt 
„,  Ra»  He.ndo'' 


URoy  P"n! 


OlBtCTtu  »■ 

DMID  BUttH 


Ci 


tiieeti 
of  sa 
Plans 
Gat 


VOL.  73.    NO.  3 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  JANUARY  6,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Zanuck  Slates 
36  Films  for 
20th  in  1953 


7  Technicolor  Pictures 
To  Cost  $20,000,000 


Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — Thirty-six 
productions  of  "major  magnitude," 
including  seven  films  with  color  in 
Technicolor  that  alone  will  cost 
more  than  $20,000,000,  will  be  pro- 
duced by  20th  Century-Fox  during 
1953,  Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  the  studio,  disclosed 
here  today.  Previously,  the  company 
announced  plans  for  the  filming  of  24 
productions  in  a  nine-month  period. 

Reflecting  an  unexpected  upsurge 
of  picture  attendance  for  the  new  year, 
Zanuck  said  that  20th-Fox  will  turn 
out  more  high-cost  pictures  in  1953 
than  at  any  time  in  the  history  of  the 
company. 

The  seven  Technicolor  films  slated 
for  1953  include :  "The  Robe,"  to  be 
produced  by  Frank  Ross  and  directed 
by  Henry  Koster ;  "Prince  Valiant," 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


New  Year's  Week 
Grosses  Lush  at 
Most  BVay  Houses 

Robust  business  along  Broadway 
ushered  in  1953,  making  the  Christ- 
mas-New Year's  gross  for  many  first- 
runs  the  best  in  years.  The  advent  of 
the  city's  bus  strike  New  Year's  Day 
had  no  affect  on  the  box-office,  accord- 
ing to  Times  Square  theatre  managers. 

At  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  a  big 
$155,000  was  racked  up  for  the  fifth 
week  of  "Million  Dollar  Mermaid" 
and  the  traditional  Christmas  stage 
show.  A  big  New  Year's  week  was 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Col.  Sales  Meet 
Set  for  'Salome' 


A  two-day  Columbia  Pictures  inter- 
national sales  meeting  devoted  exclu- 
sively to  "Salome"  has  been  called  for 
Jan.  16-17  at  the  Drake  Hotel,  Chi- 
cago, A.  Montague,  general  sales  man- 
ager, disclosed  here  yesterday.  The 
meeting  will  be  devoted  to  a  discussion 
of  sales,  distribution  and  advertising 
plans  for  the  film. 

Gathering  for  the  discussions  will  be 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Court  to  Oppose  CITES  U.S.  STAKE 

[ZeitsiTpZlm  OPEN  THEATRES 


Justice  Henry  Clay  Greenberg,  in 
granting  a  postponement  until  Jan.  26 
for  hearings  on  the  receivership  appli- 
cation of  three  RKO  Pictures  minor- 
ity stockholders,  served  notice  here 
yesterday  that  he  would  be  very  re- 
luctant to  grant  any  further  delays. 

Justice  Greenberg  told  the  assem- 
bled lawyers  at  a  hearing  in  New 
York  Supreme  Court  that  the  case 
must  be  argued  on  Jan.  26.  The  lat- 
est postponement  was  requested  by 
Louis  Kipnis,  attorney  for  the  three 
minority  stockholders,  and  was 
granted  when  attorneys  representing 
RKO  Pictures,  Samuel  Goldwyn  Pro- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Leaders  on  Coast 
For  Zukor  Dinner 


Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — Exhibitors  and 
distribution  heads  were  converging  on 
the  film  capital  today  for  the  all-in- 
dustry tribute  to  Adolph  Zukor  on  his 
80th  birthday  at  the  Palladium  on 
Wednesday  night.  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  chairman  of  the  Zukor  celebration 
and  toastmaster,  has  been  here  for  the 
last  week  conferring  with  Charles  P. 
Skouras,  chairman  of  the  Hollywood 
observation  of  the  tribute. 

Among  exhibitor  travellers  to  the 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Studios  'Secretly' 
Working  on  '3-D' 

Practically  every  studio  in 
Hollywood  is  "secretly"  ex- 
perimenting in  various  de- 
velopments of  pictures  in  new 
dimensions  and  illusions,  it 
was  reported  here  yesterday. 
Each  studio  appears  to  be 
under  the  impression  that  its 
research  experts  are  the  only 
ones  conducting  the  experi- 
ments and  making  new  ad- 
vancements in  the  fields  of 
three  dimension  and  proc- 
esses along  the  lines  of  Cine- 
rama. The  research  is  being 
done  behind  locked  doors,  it 
was  said,  and  the  findings 
are  being  kept  secret  until 
perfection  has  been  reached. 


N.Y.C.  Drops  Plan 
For  3%  'Lab'  Tax 


New  York 
three  per  cen 
processed  in 
to  have  been 
ing,  at  least. 
Josephs  has 
to  disregard 
(Cont 


City's  move  to  extend  its 
t  sales  tax  to  film  footage 
local  laboratories  appears 
stopped  for  the  time  be- 
City  controller  Lazarus 
ordered  his  field  auditors 
previous  instructions  to 
mued  on  page  7) 


'Research'  to  Supersede 
Trade  Topics  at  TOA  Meet 


By  AL  STEEN 

The  discussion  of  trade  practices  will  take 


"back  seat"  at  the  forth- 


Theatre  Owners  of  America's  board  of  directors  and  executive 


committee  meeting  in  New  York, 
here  yesterday  that  the  subject  of 
ments"  would 
be  stressed 
rather  than  ex- 
hibitor-distribu- 
tor problems  at 
the  sessions 
which  will  be 
held  at  the 
Hotel  Pierre  on 
Jan.  25  -  27. 
This  is  believed 
to  be  the  first 
time  that  a 
major  exhibitor 
association  has 
given  preference 
to  technical 
problems  over  trade  practices. 

Starr,  who  arrived  here  yesterday 
(.Continued  on  page  10) 


Alfred  Starr,  TOA  president,  said 
"research"  and  "technical  develop- 


Jersey  Solon,  Formerly 
Lukewarm  on  Tax  Cut, 
Concerned  About  Drop 

By  J.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Jan.  5. — Rep.  Kean 
(R.,  N.  J.),  fourth-ranking  mem- 
ber of  the  House  Ways  and  Means 
Committee,  said  that  the  Federal 
government  "has  a  real  stake  in  keep- 
ing theatres  open,  for  the  attendance 
drop  represents  a  substantial  loss  in 
revenue." 

Kean  made  the  statement  in  com- 
menting on  figures  given  him  by  a 
group  of  exhibitors  from  Essex 
County,  New  Jersey,  indicating  the 
closing  of  86  Jersey  theatres  and  se- 
rious drops  in  attendance  in  others. 
"The  figures  I  have  seen  indicate 
clearly  that  we  must  examine  care- 
fully this  feature  of  taxation  along 
with  other  taxes  in  the  excise  field," 
he  declared. 

The  Congressman  emphasized 
that  he  had  made  no  commit- 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Alfred  Stair 


Report  Tomorrow  on 
Polio  Drive  Results 

Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  president  of 
United  Paramount  Theatres,  and  Spy- 
ros  P.  Skouras,  president  of  20th 
Century-Fox,  co-chairmen  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Industry  Committee  for 
Infantile  Paralysis,  will  entertain  at 
lunch  tomorrow  leading  executives  of 
distribution  companies  and  the  trade 
press. 

The  luncheon,  to  be  held  at  the 
United  Paramount  Theatres'  dining 
room,  is  expected  to  be  attended  by 
Charles  Reagan  of  M-G-M,  Al  Licht- 
man  of  20th  Century-Fox,  Charles 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


UPT-ABC  Merger 
Issue  Taken  Under 
Advisement  by  FCC 

Washington,  Jan.  5. — The  Federal 
Communications  Commission  took 
under  advisement  today  the  question 
of  the  United  Paramount  Theatres- 
American  Broadcasting  Co.  merger, 
the  control  of  Allen  B.  DuMont 
Laboratories,  Inc.,  and  other  issues 
relating  to  the  merger  question. 

The  Commission  spent  the  day  lis- 
tening to  oral  argument  on  an  FCC 
hearing  examiner's  initial  decision  in 
the  case  issued  early  in  November 
which  was  favorable  to  the  merger 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Must  Show  Books  in 
Percentage  Actions 

Minneapolis,  Jan.  5. — Federal 
Judge  Charles  J.  Yogel  of  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  for  North  Dakota  has 
ordered  a  complete  inspection  of  all 
theatre  books  and  records  in  nine 
pending  percentage  actions.  The  or- 
der was  entered  in  two  groups  of 
cases,  one  affecting  Paramount,  20th 
Century-Fox,  Warner,  RKO  Radio 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  6,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


GEORGE  MURPHY,  who  is  di- 
rector of  entertainment  for  the 
Presidential  inaugural  entertainment 
Tan.  18-20  in  Washington,  is  in  New 
York  for  a  conference  with  Gen. 
Eisenhower's  staff  here,  before  leav- 
ing for  the  Capital  to  finalize  arrange- 
ments. 

• 

Robert  Wile,  executive  secretary 
of  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
of  Ohio,  has  prepared  an  industry  pub- 
lic relations  article  for  International 
News  Service. 

• 

Ben  Goetz,  head  of  M-G-M  pro- 
duction in  Great  Britain,  will  leave 
Hollywood  today  by  plane  for  Lon- 
don. 

Gabriel  Pascal  will  arrive  here  to- 
day from  Hollywood. 

• 

S.  Barret  McCormick  has  returned 
to  New  York  from  a  Coast  vacation. 


California  Owners 
Renew  in  COMPO 

Word  that  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  California 
Theatres  Association  had 
voted  to  renew  the  associa- 
tion's membership  in  the 
Council  of  Motion  Picture 
Organizations  was  received 
here  yesterday  at  COMPO 
headquarters,  it  was  an- 
nounced by  Robert  W.  Coyne, 
COMPO  special  counsel. 

The  action  was  taken  at  a 
meeting  of  the  board  in  San 
Francisco.  Ben  Hamm  was 
elected  to  serve  as  the  as- 
sociation's representative  on 
the  COMPO  board. 


Deadlock  Holds  on 
Films  for  BBC-TV 


Krim  Returns  from 
6  Weeks  in  Europe 

Arthur  Krim,  president  of  United 
Artists,  has  returned  to  New  York 
from  a  six-week  tour  of  European 
capitals  where  he  conferred  with  in- 
dependent producers  on  films  currently 
being  produced  for  UA  release. 

Among  the  producers  with  whom  he 
met  were  S.  P.  Eagle,  producer  of 
"Melba"  in  London ;  Anatole  Litvak, 
who  is  making  "The  Girl  on  the  Via 
Flaminia"  in  France,  and  J.  Barret 
Mahon  and  Milton  Krims,  producer 
and  director,  respectively,  of  "The 
Master  of  Don  Juan,"  next  Errol 
Flynn  picture,  being  made  in  Italy. 

Record  $27,000  for 
'Rouge'  on  the  Coast 

An  all-time  first-week  box-office 
record  at  the  Fox  Wilshire  Theatre 
in  Los  Angeles  has  been  set  by  John 
Huston's  "Moulin  Rouge,"  United 
Artists'  release,  in  the  initial  period 
of  its  pre-release  Academy  Award 
premiere  engagement,  it  was  disclosed 
by  William  J.  Heineman,  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  distribution,  on 
receipt  of  a  telegram  from  Charles  P. 
Skouras  of  Fox  West  Coast.  It  is 
understood  the  gross  reached  $27,000. 


Col.  Sales  Meet 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


home  office  executives  and  domestic 
branch  and  division  managers,  as  well 
as  a  large  number  of  executives  and 
managers  from  foreign  countries. 

Montague  will  open  the  meeting  Fri- 
day with  a  reception  and  dinner,  fol- 
lowing which  the  delegates  will  attend 
a  screening  of  "Salome."  Saturday 
morning's  meeting  will  be  devoted  to 
a  discussion  of  the  advertising  and  pro- 
motional campaign  by  Columbia  execu- 
tive Paul  N.  Lazarus,  Jr.  The  cam- 
paign will  make  extensive  use  of  all 
media  in  advertising  and  publicity.  On 
Saturday  afternoon,  Montague  will 
outline  to  the  delegates  the  policy  plans. 


London,  Jan.  5.  — Following  the 
meeting  between  British  Film  Pro- 
ducers Association  representatives  and 
the  heads  of  BBC's  Television  Service 
here  the  deadlock  between  the  two  on 
the  availability  of  films  for  British 
TV  appeared  as  far  as  ever  from 
being  resolved.       ,     ,     ,  . 

George  Barnes,  head  of  the  1 V 
service,  told  the  producers  he  wanted 
one  feature  film  a  week  for  afternoon 
programs,  one  so-called  "classic"  type 
film  a  month  for  evening  programs, 
and  documentaries  and  shorts  for  use 
on  children's  programs.  The  question 
of  how  long  after  theatrical  release  a 
feature  should  be  leased  to  BBC  was 
not  discussed. 

It  was  learned  that  the  terms 
Barnes  mentioned  for  the  approxi- 
mately 64  films  a  year  that  TV  Serv- 
ice wants  came  nothing  near  what  the 
producers  looked  for. 

Representatives  of  the  Cinemato- 
graph Exhibitors  Association,  who 
were  present  at  the  meeting  as  observ- 
ers, took  no  part  in  the  discussion  and 
hold  to  their  original  attitude  that 
any  producer  is  entitled  to  make  pic- 
tures for  TV  but  if  he  does  exhibitors 
won't  trade  with  him.  In  other 
words,  CEA  says,  a  producer  can't 
have  it  both  ways. 


McCarthy  to  Nassau; 
Guest  at  Luncheon 

John  J.  McCarthy,  former  head  of 
the  international  division  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
and  Mrs.  McCarthy  leave  here  Fri- 
day for  a  vacation  in  Nassau  and  will 
not  announce  future  plans  until  they 
return,  about  Feb.  1. 

Foreign  managers  and  their  asso- 
ciates of  member  companies  of  the 
MPAA  yesterday  were  hosts  to  Mc- 
Carthy at  a  luncheon  in  the  Harvard 
Club  where  he  was  presented  with  an 
inscribed  silver  tray.  Present  were 
Al  Crown,  RKO  Radio ;  Richard  Alt- 
schuler,  Republic ;  William  Piper, 
Paramount;  Wolf  Cohen,  Warner 
Brothers ;  Bernard  Zeeman,  Colum- 
bia ;  Murray  Silverstone,  20th-Fox ; 
Americo  Aboaf,  Universal ;  Norton 
Ritchey,  Monogram :  Arnold  Picker, 
U.  A.,  and  Morton  Spring,  M-G-M. 


Poor  Return  on  U.K. 
Theatre  Investment 
Cited  in  Tax  Fight 

London,  Jan.  5. — A  bleak  picture  of 
the  earnings  prospects  of  British  the- 
atres is  painted  in  the  latest  proposals 
for  a  reduction  of  the  entertainment 
tax  made  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer by  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association. 

The  proposals,  accompanied  by  a  re- 
port on  the  current  position  of  the 
trade  prepared  by  CEA  accountants, 
rules  out  increased  admission  prices  as 
a  means  by  which  theatres  might  break 
even,  and  points  out  that  not  much  can 
be  done  in  the  way  of  reducing  oper- 
ating costs. 

The  area  of  relief,  CEA  says,  must 
be  found  either  in  reducing  film  ren- 
tals, payments  to  the  Eady  Fund  and 
the  entertainment  tax.  Altogether, 
these  take  just  short  of  60  per  cent 
of  the  theatres'  gross. 

The  report  estimates  that  the  origi- 
nal cost  of  all  theatres  amounted  to 
£95  millions  and  that  current  replace- 
ment costs  would  be  not  less  than 
£232  millions.  After  providing  for  rent 
at  a  reasonable  percentage  of  the  origi- 
nal costs,  the  trade  is  about  £12  mil- 
lions a  year  short  of  a  reasonable  re- 
turn on  the  original  investments. 
Showing  A  Loss 

It  states  that  the  average  theatre  of 
1,500  seats  or  less  is  showing  a  loss 
on  film  exhibition  alone  and  that  thea- 
tres are  subsidized  out  of  profits  made 
on  sales  of  refreshments.  Without 
these  profits  many  theatres  would  be 
bankrupt,  it  was  stated.  Admissions 
have  been  dropping  at  the  rate  of  four 
to  five,  per  cent  a  year  and  if  this 
trend  continues,  the  report  asserts, 
many  larger  theatres  at  present  in  the 
black  also  will  find  themselves  in  dif- 
ficulties. 

Film  rentals,  the  report  notes,  are 
a  matter  for  negotiation  between  in- 
dividual exhibitors  and  distributors. 
It  urges  that  there  is  a  strong  case 
for  revision  of  the  existing  payments 
to  the  Eady  Fund  and  argues,  finally, 
that  "there  can  be  little  doubt  that  ex- 
hibition cannot  obtain  a  reasonable 
level  of  profit  for  as  long  as  the  gov- 
ernment expects  from  it  the  amount  of 
entertainment  tax  which  it  now  re- 
ceives." 

The  report  puts  forward  a  new- 
method  of  assessing  the  tax  whereby 
each  theatre  is  given  a  tax-free  allow- 
ance according  to  the  number  of  seats 
it  contains.  The  amount  to  be  paid  in 
tax  would  then  be  calculated  on  a 
percentage  of  the  difference  between 
this  tax-free  allowance  and  the  thea- 
tre's gross  takings. 


N.  Y.  Variety  Club 
Luncheon  Jan.  27 

The.  Variety  Club  of  New  York. 
Tent  No.  35,  will  hold  a  luncheon  on 
Jan.  27  opening  its  new  permanent 
headquarters  in  the  penthouse  of  the 
Hotel  Piccadilly,  chief  barker  Edward 
Lachman  has  informed  club  members. 

The.  luncheon,  which  will  be  held  in 
the  Georgian  Room  of  the  Piccadilly, 
will  be  gratis.  The  headquarters  will 
be  ready  on  Jan.  15. 


Chicago  Box  -  office 
Seen  Levelling-off 

Chicago,  Jan.  5. — With  De- 
cember city  3  per  cent  amuse- 
ment tax  collections  (on  Nov- 
ember receipts)  from  thea- 
tres up  roughly  one  per  cent 
from  December,  1951  and  sev- 
en per  cent  from  last  month 
at  $95,987,  the  box-office  here 
is  showing  signs  of  levelling 
off  in  contrast  to  the  steady 
downward  trend  of  the  past 
few  years. 

Although  business  was  off 
considerably  in  the  first  few 
months  of  1952  compared  to 
the  corresponding  period  of 
1951,  the  past  few  months  have 
shown  a  slight  bulge  over  last 
year — not  enough  to  overcome 
the  yearly  drop,  but  sufficient 
to  reduce  the  decline  to 
roughly  7'/2  per  cent  for  the 
year  at  $1,044,414.84  against 
$1,130,137.16  last  year. 


5  More  Field  Men 
To  Promote  'Hans' 

Five  additional  field  men  have  been 
added  to  RKO  Radio's  exploitation 
staff  to  handle  pre-release  openings 
of  "Hans  Christian  Andersen"  in  Chi- 
cago, Philadelphia  and  Atlanta. 

The  five  are  John  Thompson,  Her- 
bert Carlin  and  Norman  Rosemont, 
who  have  been  assigned  to  Chicago 
where  "Hans"  opens  on  Feb.  11  at  the 
Oriental  Theatre ;  Irving  Shiff  rin, 
who  will  work  on  the  campaign  in 
Philadelphia  where  the  pictures  bows 
on  Feb.  4  at  the  Midtown,  and  Mel 
Strauss,  who  will  set  preliminary 
plans  for  the  as  yet  undated  opening 
in  Atlanta. 


Sanford  Abrahams'  Son 

Hollywood,  Jan.  5. — Funeral  ser- 
vices were  held  this  morning  at  the 
Church  of  the  Recessional,  Forest 
Lawn,  for  Alan  Abrahams,  15-year- 
old  son  of  Sanford  Abrahams,  adver- 
tising manager  of  Allied  Artists.  The 
boy  failed  to  recover  consciousness 
after  being  struck  by  an  automobile 
last  Wednesday  while  riding  a  bicycle 
near  his  home. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

  Rockefeller  Center  — — — — 


"MILLION  DOLLAR  MERMAID" 

Esther  WILLIAMS  •  Victor  MATURE 
Walter  PIDGEON  •  David  BRIAN 


Color  by  TECHNICOLOR  .  An  M-G-M  Pichire  '.; 
&.  The  Music  Hall's  Great  Christmas  Stage  Shew  ' 


Midnight  Ftotvrf 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY  Martin  Ouigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Ways  and  holidays  by  Ouigley ^  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Qu.gpubco, 
NeV  York"   Martin  Outele^ Presided-  ^  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan.   Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy.  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 

£e Jame  P  &ham  £  Efc;  H  rbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood .  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Bu.ldin* 
Wmf^R/Weavef;  Editor  Chkago  Zreau  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  r^presentat.ve  11  North 
Clark  Street  FR  2-2843  Washington  T.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager,  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor-  caWe  addres i  "QuteP^bS London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of Potior*  Rcfa« ^  HeraldrMot'on  ptcture  and  TdevbiSn  Almanac ;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter.  Sept,  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y..  under  the  act 
pf  March  3.  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


NOVEMBER  28,  1952 

TOE 


DAILY 


Editorial 


MM 


Andersen.-.  .  by  Goldwyn 

By  CHESTER  B.  BAHN  = 


THE  PRODUCTION  brilliance  of  Samuel 
Goldwyn,  which  if  anything  has  grown 
the  brighter  with  the  passing  of  the  years, 
was  never  more  magnificently  in  evidence, 
never  more  admirably  employed  than  in 
his  latest  art  work,  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen." 

This  fairy  tale  in  rich-hued  Technicolor, 
which  has  Danny  Kaye  in  the  title  role  giving 
a  warmly  human  performance  sans  the  clown- 
ing that  has  been  his  cinematic  forte  and 
which  has  one  of  France's  most  talented 
ballerinas,  Jeanmaire,  not  only  dancing 
divinely  but  surprising  you  as  a  talented 
actress  and  singer,  is  as  festive  as  the  holi- 
day season  which  it  enhances. 

And  don't  let  the  first  paragraph  refer- 
ence to  art  work — and  the  term  is  used 
advisedly — mislead  you.  "Hans  Christian  An- 
dersen" is  simon-pure  box  office,  and  if 
Goldwyn  does  not  only  recoup  his  investment 
of  millions,  (representing  his  own  money, 
incidentally),  but  a  very  tidy  profit  as  well, 
this  pulse-taker  among  many,  many  others 
will  be  very  surprised,  indeed. 


IT'S  TRITE  admittedly  to  say  that  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen,"  with  its  melodious 
Frank  Loesser  score,  its  quartet  of  finally 


done  imaginative  ballets,  its  opulent,  vis- 
ually intoxicating  settings,  its  tender  story, 
honestly  fanciful;  its  commendable  perform- 
ances by  the  hand-picked  cast,  and  its  ex- 
cellent direction  by  Charles  Vidor,  is  a  pic- 
ture for  all  ages,  all  audiences. 

But  how  else  do  you  say  just  that,  anyway? 

Obviously,  "Hans  Christian  Andersen"  had 
that  fullest  measure  of  loving  care  which 
Goldwyn  ever  gives  to  his  productions. 
Don't  confuse  that  with  the  millions  ex- 
pended in  the  picture's  making.  There  have 
been  other  productions  as  costly  in  the  past 
with  less  happy  screen  results.  Money  helps, 
certainly,  but  with  a  picture  as  with  a  child 
— and  a  picture  is  a  producer's  brainchild — 
it's  the  loving  care  which  really  counts. 


ASA  reporter's  footnote,  it  might  be  in 
**  order  to  advise  that  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  is  by  way  of  giving  Broadway 
a  needed  "shot  in  the  arm,"  with  business 
at  the  Criterion  and  the  Paris  at  peak.  The 
public  and  the  New  York  critics  patently 
think  alike  about  the  picture.  And  when  you 
find  the  mass-audience  New  York  Daily 
News  (four  stars,  if  you  please)  and  the 
class-audience  New  York  Times  in  agree- 
ment on  a  picture's  merit,  you're  in,  gentle- 
men, you're  in. 


Titanic  SPECTACLE! 


GABRIEL  PASCAL  presents 

BERNARD  SHAW'S 


V  ir11!  \  I  MM 


m 

■A 


S- 


Lsa  'Si 


«  IS  I*,/'. 
■ 

"yJHL-  adi  »  I  Ti  '  1  1  li^ 


JEAN  SIMMONS  -  VICTOR  MATURE 
ROBERT  NEWTON  •  MAURICE  EVANS 


MM 


Distributed  by 

R  K  O 
RADIO 

pTtuRtl 


Produced  by 


Directed  by 


GABRIEL  PASCAL  •  CHESTER  ERSKINE  •  Screen  Adaptation  by  CHESTER  ERSKINE  and  KEN  ENGLU 


ALAN  YOUNG 

as 

'ANDROCLES' 


ROMANCE! 


LAUGHS! 


A  great  play- 
ten  times  greater 
on  the  screen- 
»    with  its  sweeping 
conflict,  tender 
love  story,  glor- 
ious comedy- 
all  captured  on 
a  canvas  aflame 
with  the 
excitement  of 
pagan  Rome's 
proudest  era! 


JEAN  SIMMONS 

as  Lavinia,  a  Christian 
too  lovely  for  martyrdom 


VICTOR  MATURE 

a  stern  Roman  captain 
susceptible  to  beauty 


Back  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK,  Feb.  15-22 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  6,  1953 


Levine  and  Schwartz 
To  Aid  Federation 


Martin  Levine  of  Brandt  Theatres, 
and  Leslie  Schwartz  of  Century  The- 
atres, have  been  named  co-chairmen 
of  the  exhibitors  committee  of  the 
amusement  division  of  the  Federation 
of  Jewish  Philanthropies,  by  Barney 
Balaban,  Simon  H.  Fabian  and  Manny 
Frisch,  joint  heads  of  the  industry's 
current  drive  on  behalf  of  Federation's 
116  hospitals  and  social  service  agen- 
cies. 

Serving  on  the  exhibitors  commit- 
tee are:  Max  M.  Cohen,  Cinema  Cir- 
cuit ;  Leo  Brecher,  Brecher  Theatre 
Enterprises ;  J.  Joshua  Goldberg,  Ray- 
bond  Theatres;  Walter  Reade,  Jr., 
Reade  Theatres ;  Harold  Rinzler, 
Randforce  Amusement  Corp. ;  Julius 
Sanders,  Sanders  Theatres ;  Spyros 
Skouras,  Jr.,  Skouras  Theatres ;  Solo- 
mon Strausberg,  Interboro  Circuit; 
Morton  Sunshine,  ITOA. 


Asides  &  Interludes 


— by  James  Cunningham 


Weigh  Next  Move  to 
Get  TV  Cost  Data 


Odeon-Fingold  Split 
Is  Effective  Today 

Toronto,  Jan.  5. — The  termination, 
effective  today,  by  mutual  agreement 
of  the  arrangement  whereby  Odeon 
Theatres  (Canada)  Ltd.  and  Sam 
Fingold  held  a  joint  interest  in  the 
operation  of  a  number  of  Ontario  the- 
atres results  in  the  addition  of  eight 
theatres  to  Odeon's  Canada-wide  cir- 
cuit, officials  of  the  latter  state. 

As  of  today,  Odeon  takes  over  the 
Royal  Theatre,  Aurora;  Odeon  and 
Roxy,  Brampton  ;  Roxy,  Newmarket ; 
Century  and  Gregory,  Oakville,  and 
the  Odeon,  Sturgeon  Falls.  In  addi- 
tion, Odeon  has  acquired  the  Bramp- 
ton Drive-in  from  Fingold.  The  latter 
takes  over  the  following :  Roxy,  Carle- 
ton  Place ;  Roxy,  Cornwall ;  Biltmore, 
Oshawa,  Elmdale  and  Century,  Ot- 
tawa ;  Centre  and  Roxy,  Owen  Sound, 
and  Odeon,  St.  Thomas. 

Odeon  has  disposed  of  its  interest 
in  National  Theatre  Services  and  Na- 
tional Booking  Co.  to  Fingold. 


NEW  YORKERS  will  remember  the  long  lines  that  entwined  the  blocks 
of  the  East  Twenties  from  the  old  Municipal  Lodging  House  where  a 
turkey  dinner,  with  all  of  the  trimmings,  was  served  on  the  yearend 
holidays  to  the  unfortunates  of  the  Bowery  and  Broadway.  A  hearty  meal  to 
men  without  the  price  of  a  meal. 

Our  character  had  been  gone  from  these  parts  for  years,  riding  the  rails  and 
the  rods  away  from  the  Bowery  to  the  jungle  haunts  of  hoboes  in  cities  and 
towns  throughout  the  land — never  missing  the  line  that  led  to  a  turkey  dinner, 
with  all  of  the  trimmings,  served  to  unfortunates  on  the  holidays  at  the  yearend. 

And  so  he  returned  to  New  York  at  the  last  yearend,  still  a  derelict,  still 
looking  for  a  line  that  would  lead  to  a  turkey  dinner,  on  New  Year's.  Our 
nonchalant  nondescript  found  one,  at  midtown,  and,  in  great  anticipation, 
moved  with  it,  at  snail  pace,  for  all  of  four  hours,  along  the  Northside  of 
51st  Street,  across  Sixth  Avenue,  back  up  the  Street  to  Rockefeller  Plaza, 
South  on  50th,  around  and  around,  waiting  and  waiting,  hungrier  and  hungrier, 
a  victim  of  victuals.  He  finally  reached  the  end  of  the  line — a  line  that  led 
to  the  Music  Hall  box-office. 


Canada  in  TV  Pact 
With  NBC  and  CBS 

Toronto,  Jan.  5. — The  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Corp.  is  understood  to 
have  reached  an  agrement  with  the 
National  Broadcasting  Co.  and  Co- 
lumbia Broadcasting  System  to  bring 
American  television  programs  into 
Canada. 

CBC  said  it  would  announce  soon 
which  programs  would  be  presented. 

The  agreement  covers  the  CBC-TV 
stations  at  Toronto  and  Montreal.  The 
Toronto  station  will  receive  programs 
via  a  Bell  Telephone  microwave  re- 
lay from  Buffalo ;  Montreal  will  re- 
ceive them  via  kinescope  until  micro- 
wave relay  facilities  are  available 
there,  probably  next  spring. 


it  it 


it 


Leonard  Goldenson,  a  pretty  active  guy,  first,  as  Big  Chief  of  United 
Paramount  Theatres,  tells  us,  as  president  of  LTnited  Cerebral  Palsy,  that 
the  appeal  made  two  years  ago  for  discarded  greeting  cards  to  help  in 
the  therapeutic  treatment  of  children  to  learn  muscular  control  has 
brought  forth  100,000,000  used  holiday  cards.  A  fabulous  response  from 
the  kind-hearted.  Thanks,  says  Leonard,  "but  100,000,000  cards  are  more 
than  enough." 


it  it 


We  are  happy  to  report  that  our  new  Congress  has  already  received  a  pro- 
posal to  knock  off,  kill,  repeal  and  forever  abolish  that  oh,  so  economically 
bothersome,  Federal  admission  tax.  Representative  Dingell's  bill  slid  into  the 
hopper  on  Saturday,  as  Congress  opened,  at  the  very  instant  when  the  Agri- 
culture Department,  not  far  removed  in  Washington,  formally,  and  very  sternly 
ordered  smaller  holes  in  Swiss  cheese.  Siciss-chcese  eating  exhibitors  have 
something  to  look  forzvard  to. 


•fr  it 


it 


Washington,  Jan.  5; — Attorneys 
for  theatre  television  interests  are  de- 
liberating what  their  next  move  should 
be  to  get  American  Telephone  and 
Telegraph  Co.  to  supply  needed  infor- 
mation for  the  coming  theatre  hearings 
before  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission. 

One  course  under  consideration  is 
a  formal  protest  to  the  Commission 
and  a  request  that  the  Commission 
order  the  phone  company  to  supply 
the  information  promptly. 

Lack  of  such  information  well  in 
advance  of  the  hearings,  slated  to  start 
Jan.  26,  will  seriously  hamper  the  in- 
dustry's ability  to  present  its  case,  in- 
dustry attorneys  said. 

A.  T.  and  T.,  at  a  conference  here 
last  fall,  promised  to  supply  detailed 
cost  data  by  the  end  of  1952.  Now 
the  phone  company  has  notified  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica and  the  National  Exhibitors  The- 
atre Television  Committee  that  the 
information  may  not  be  available  even 
by  Jan.  26,  when  the  hearings  start. 

The  FCC  has  also  requested  A.  T. 
and  T.  to  have  detailed  cost  data  ready 
for  the  hearings,  and  has  gotten  a 
similar  brush-off,  it  is  understood. 
Preumably,  therefore,  the  Commission 
would  be  receptive  to  an  industry  re- 
quest for  a  further  FCC  directive  to 
the  phone  company  to  have  the  infor- 
mation ready  at  least  a  few  days  be- 
fore the  hearings.  Obviously,  the 
industry  decision  will  have  to  be  made 
soon  in  order  to  be  effective. 


Rose  in  New  Tilt 
With  Md.  Censors 

Baltimore,  Jan.  5. — The  case  of  the 
Maryland  Board  of  Censors'  refusal 
of  a  license  for  "Love  Moods"  is 
scheduled  to  be  heard  in  City  Court 
here  .on  Jan.  12.  John  Rose,  Wash- 
ington distributor,  appealed  the  board's 
ban  on  the  film.  It  features  Lili  St. 
Cyr; 

Rose  won  a  previous  bout  with 
chairman  Sydney  Traub  of  the  board 
when  the  same  court'  ordered  six  of 
seven  deletions  sought  by  the  censors 
restored  to  "Damaged  Lives." 


Some  Oddities  from  Our  News  Desk:  George  Lewis's  announcement  of 
"National  Laugh  Week" — "Bigger  Laughs  for  Better  Living" — in  March. 
.  .  .  Uncle  Sam's  announcement  of  Income  Tax  Payment — same  month.  .  .  . 
Announcement  from  Abbeon  Supply  Co.  of  Jamaica,  New  York,  of  a  new 
pair  of  scissors  with  a  built-in  stereoscope  view  of  Grant's  Tomb,  a  nail 
file,  a  glass  cutter,  a  glass  breaker,  a  ruler,  screw  driver,  pen  knife,  pipe 
tongs,  wire  cutter,  measure,  box  lid  opener,  cartridge  extractor,  marking 
wheel,  rasping  knife  and  a  button-hole  cutter  and  cigar  cutter  for  Dear 
Old  Grandma. 

it      it  it 

To  all  of  our  Dear  Children  who  are  motion  picture  theatre  cashiers,  who 
seek  a  better  life  in  the  hereafter,  may  zve  advise  a  study  of  some  of  the  rules 
and  regulations  propounded  by  two  of  the  nicest  and  greatest  propounders  of 
rules  and  regulations  for  cashiers,  none  other  than  the  Messrs.  Sidney  Meyer 
and  Mitchell  Wolf  son  of  Wometco  Theatres,  in  that  always  looked-for  land 
of  Miami,  Florida:  {The  italics  are  the  columnist's) 

To  the  Cashier: 

"Your  honesty  and  integrity  will  be  unquestioned 
at  all  times."  (Something  nezv  has  been  added.) 

"You  can  help !  Don't  be  a  'Gloomy  Gus' !" 
(Should  be  Gussie). 

"Don't  read  for  your  own  amusement  while  on 
duty"  (but  for  whose?),  "nor  manicure,  chew  gum" 
(oiy),  "fix  hair,  apply  cosmetics,  or  eat  anything" 
(after  the  last  race,  that  is  not  a  problem). 

"Don't  make  refunds  on  your  own."  (Not  even 
at  the  point  of  a  gun;  this  is  a  strict  ride.) 

"Do  call  the  manager  or  assistant  when  a  refund 
is  requested."  (Except  in  cases  where  more  than 
eight  persons  are  standing  in  front  of  the  box-office 
vuith  Tommy-guns) . 

"Don't  count  your  money  near  the  box-office  win- 
be  fnencflY—  dow."    (Management  has  furnished  well-kept  sub- 
but  not  %S§@  terranean  passages,  ivith  light  housekeeping  privi- 
17  leges  below  to  look  at  the  dough). 
"Don't  sell  loose  tickets."   (The  checkers  are  watching) . 
"Don't  allow  large  amounts  of  money  to  accumulate  in  the  box-office  .  .  . 
give  extra  money  to  the  manager  or  assistant  as  soon  as  it  accumulates." 
(Wishful  thinking.) 

"Don't  be  glum.  Do  have  a  smile  on  your  face  and  in  your  voice  when  you 
say,  'Thank  you,'  and  "How  many,  please?'" 

To  you,  our  Dear  Children  (All  Sweeties),  our  Best. 


NETTC  Meets  Here  Today 
On  FCC's  TV  Hearings 

Preparations  for  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission's  hearings  on 
theatre  television  will  get  under  way 
here  today  at  a  meeting  of  the  Na- 
tional Exhibitors  Theatre  Television 
Committee.  The  FCC  hearings  are 
scheduled  for  Jan.  26  in  Washington. 

Si  Fabian,  chairman  of  the.  NETTC, 
called  today's  meeting  which  will  be 
attended  by  representatives  of  all  ex- 
hibitor associations.  The  purpose  of 
the  session  is  to  reach  an  understand- 
ing on  all  points  regarding  allocations 
and  other  factors  that  are  expected  to 
come  up  at  the  Washington  hearings. 


Reissues  Declined 
Further  in  1952 


Hollywood's  well-publicized  "bold 
new  production  programs"  were  re- 
sponsible, it  appears,  for  the  further 
ebbing  in  1952  of  the  reissue  tide 
which  threatened  to  reach  flood  pro- 
portions in  the  years  between  1947 
and  1950.  There  were  as  many  re- 
issues available  last  year  as  in  previ- 
ous years,  but,  as  one  distributor  de- 
scribed the  situation,  "1952  was  one 
of  the  worst  years  yet  for  old  prod- 
uct." 

As  the  year  ended,  eight  major  dis- 
tributors had  approximately  30  re- 
issues available  in  1951  as  in  previ- 
the  period  from  Jan.,  1952,  to  March, 
1953.  Realart  Pictures,  which  acquired 
600  old  Universal  films  several  years 
ago,  listed  only  five  "new"  reissues 
out  of  a  total  of  10  productions  set 
for  release  between  Aug.  and  Dec, 
1952.  Astor  Pictures,  a  pioneer  com- 
pany in  the  reissue  field,  scheduled 
only  eight  for  release  in  the  last  six 
months  and  has  none  coming"  up  in 
1953. 


Tuesday,  January  6,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


N.Y.  Grosses 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


recorded  at  the  Roxy,  where  $148,000 
was  taken  in  for  the  second  week  of 
"Stars  and  Stripes  Forever"  and  the 
Ice-Colorama  show. 

"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba"  con- 
tinued its  record-breaking  pace  at  the 
Victoria,  with  $55,000  forecast  for  its 
second  week.  At  the  Capitol,  a  terrific 
$100,000  was  seen  for  the  second  week 
of  Johnnie  Ray  on  stage  and  "Against 
All  Flags"  on  the  screen. 

Heavy  'Andersen'  Grosses 

The  sixth  week  of  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  at  the  Criterion  and  off- 
Broadway  Paris  theatres  drew  tre- 
mendous grosses,  with  $58,000  indi- 
cated for  the  Criterion  and  $24,800  for 
the  latter  house.  A  pretty  good  $22,000 
was  seen  for  the  second  week  of 
"Ruby  Gentry"  at  the  Mayfair,  while 
a  nice  $27,000  was  expected  for  the 
11th  week  of  "Limelight"  at  the  Astor. 

The  initial  week  of  "Eight  Iron 
Men"  at  the  Globe  brought  a  fairly 
good  $18,500,  while  "Hiawatha"  bowed 
out  of  the  Bijou  with  a  moderate 
$4,000  realized  for  the  last  four  days 
of  the  second  week. 

A  house  record  was  broken  at  the 
Baronet  by  the  second  week  of  "The 
Importance  of  Being  Earnest,"  which 
grossed  $13,100.  "The  Promoter"  con- 
tinued its  strong  steady  pace  at  the 
Fine  Arts,  with  $11,300  indicated  for 
its  10th  week. 


UPT-ABC  Merger  Issue 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Capital  Grosses  Fair,  Despite 
Adverse  Weather  Conditions 

Washington,  Jan.  5. — Capital  ex- 
hibitors had  mixed  reactions  to  busi- 
ness over  the  New  Year's  holiday 
weekend.  One  operator  of  a  neighbor- 
hood circuit  said  that  business  had 
picked  up  markedly  over  December, 
despite  adverse  weather  conditions. 
He  said  receipts  had  been  just  about 
the  same  as  the  comparable  period 
last  year.  Spokesman  for  three  key 
downtown  theatres  said  business  had 
been  "as  good  or  better  than  last  last 
year,"  despite  the  unfavorable  weather 
factors. 

However,  a  manager  of  another  cir- 
cuit with  both  neighborhood  and  first- 
run  theatres,  said  that  business  "was 
very  disappointing,  not  at  all  up  to 
what  we  expected."  He  placed  pri- 
mary blame  on  the  weather  conditions. 


and  found  no  Paramount  control  of 
DuMont. 

There  is  no  way  of  telling  how  soon 
the  Commission  will  issue  its  final 
decision  in  the  case.  Questioning 
showed  that  several  commissioners 
were  troubled  about  some  key  points 
on  which  there  has  been  a  great  deal 
of  testimony  in  record,  such  as  the 
effect  of  the  merger  on  the  competi- 
tion between  home  television  and  the- 
atres, the  DuMont  control  issue,  and 
the  transfer  of  licenses  of  radio  and 
television  properties  formerly  held  by 
the  parent  Paramount  company  and 
now  held  by  Paramount  Pictures 
Corp.  and  UPT. 

Many  observers  feel,  however,  that 
if  the  Commission's  decision  upholds 
the  hearing  examiner's  it  will  be  out 
with  despatch.  Should  the  FCC  decide 
to  change  or  overrule  the  examiner, 
however,  the  final  decision  will  be 
delayed  depending  on  the  extent  to 
which  the  Commission  departs  from 
the  initial  decision  in  making  its  final 
ruling. 

The  importance  of  the  ulti- 
mate decision  both  to  the  pub- 
lic and  to  the  Commission  was 
underlined  today  by  the  pres- 
ence among  the  spectators  of 
Senator  Tobey,  chairman  of 
the  Senate  Interstate  Com- 
merce Committee,  who  had 
criticized  the  decision  and 
asked  the  Commission  to  study 
the  case  very  carefully  before 
putting  out  its  final  ruling. 

Commissioner  Webster  made  a  par- 
ticular point  of  questioning  UPT  at- 
torney Duke  Patrick  on  the  method 
by  which  the  radio  and  television 
properties  held  by  the  parent  Para- 
mount company  were  transferred  to 
UPT  and  Paramount  Pictures.  The 
FCC  broadcast  bureau  contended  in 
its  argument  today  that  the  transfer 
was  made  improperly  without  con- 
sulting the  Commission  and  in  a  man 


Chicago  First-run  Business 
Continues  at  Excellent  Pace 

Chicago,  Jan.  5. — Business  was  ex- 
cellent again  over  the  weekend  at  the 
first  runs,  although  disappointing  New 
Year's  Eve  except  at  the  Chicago, 
where  the  ice  show  and  "April  in 
Paris"  are  expected  to  gross  $55-60, 
000  for  the  second  week  after  hitting 
$87,000  in  its  opening  session ;  Tele- 
news,  where  the  Tri-Opticon  program 
held  to  a  good  $20,000  after  break- 
ing the  house  record  with  an  open- 
ing week  of  $31,000;  and  the  Oriental, 
where  "Million  Dollar  Mermaid" 
should  do  a  robust  $28,000  in  its  sec- 
ond week  after  clicking  for  $40,000 
the  first  stanza.  The  outlook  for  the 
coming  week  is  a  bit  less  favorable 
as  the  temperature  is  dropping  toward 
zero  with  a  cold  spell  predicted  for 
the  next  few  days. 


Phila.  House  Records 
Broken  by  'Bwana9 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  5.  —  "Bwana 
Devil"  broke  all  records  at  the  Aldine 
Theatre  here  in  the  first  week  of  its 
engagement,  drawing  $36,961,  it  was 
disclosed,  this  despite  a  severe  snow 
storm.  The  third-dimensional  film  is 
expected  to  break  the  gross  engage 
ment  record  at  the  theatre. 


Zukor 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Kansas  City  New  Year  Business 
Is  Up  Five  to  25%  Over  1952 

Kansas  City,  Jan.  5. — New  Year's 
Eve  grosses  were  five  to  25  per  cent — 
mostly  10  to  20  per  cent — better  in 
area  theatres  than  for  that  eve  of 


'Bwana'  to  Open  at  Warner's  Allen 
In  Cleveland  on  Jan.  22 

Cleveland,  Jan.  5. — "Bwana  Devil" 
will  open  on  Jan.  22  at  Warner's 
Allen,  the  only  house  in  this  territory 
to  book  the  three-dimensional  film. 
Admission  for  the  run  will  be  boosted, 
it  was  reported. 

1952,  and  New  Year's  Day  business 
showed  the  same  range  of  gains.  The 
weekend  was  even  to  15  per  cent 
ahead.  The  only  variations  in  these 
reports  is  that  in  some  situations  New 
Year's  Day  showed  greater  gains  than 
the  eve.  Good  weather  is  credited 
with  much  of  the  fine  showing,  but  a 
major  factor  is  called  the  quality  of 
feature.  The  big  gain  starting  New 
Year's  Eve  followed  a  Christmas  week 
volume  not  on  the  whole  much  if  any 
greater  than  that  for  1951,  but  called 
encouraging  because  there  was  not  a 
decline. 


ner  which  flouted  the  Communications 
Act.  He  insisted  that  Patrick  put  on' 
the  stand  UPT  vice-president  Robert 
O'Brien,  who  testified  on  the  transfer 
in  detail  during  the  hearing.  Patrick 
preferred  to  answer  Webster's  ques- 
tions himself,  explaining  that  the  tax 
problem  was  an  extremely  important 
part  of  the  transfer  and  that  the 
method  used  in  transferring  control 
of  the  radio  and  television  properties 
was  the  only  tax  free  method  available 
at  the  time  of  transfer.  Webster  in- 
sisted that  the  Communications  Act 
should  have  been  given  consideration 
during  the  transfer.  He  wanted  it  on 
the  record,  he  said,  that  he  was  in- 
ferring from  Patrick's  responses  that 
the  demands  of  the  Communications 
Act  could  have  been  met  in  the  trans- 
fer but  that  the  Paramount  compa- 
nies "made  a  business  choice"  and  did 
not  meet  the  Communications  Act 
rules. 

The  burden  of  the  attack  against 
the  examiner's  decision  was  carried 
today  by  the  FCC's  broadcast  bureau 
which  called  approval  of  the  merger 
"a  step  which  will  remake  the  film  and 
television  industries."  Frederick  Ford, 
head  of  the  broadcast  bureau,  told 
the  Commission  that  granting  the 
merger  would  let  loose  in  the  field  of 
television  the  same  powerful  forces  and 
the  same  fertile  field  which  gave  rise 
to  all  the  anti-trust  cases  in  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry.  Ford  declared 
that  the  Commission  would  have  to 
look  far  into  the  future  to  see  the 
effects  of  the  merger  but  he  didn't 
see  how  the  Commission  could  do  this 
now.  Perhaps  in  five  years,  he  said 
the  Commission  could  tell  if  the  mer- 
ger were  in  the  public  interest. 

Another  opponent  of  granting 
the  merger,  DuMont  attorney 
William  A.  Roberts,  declared  in 
response  to  questioning  from 
Commissioner  Hennock  that  the 
examiner  had  not  been  com- 
pletely free  in  writing  his  deci- 
sion and  was  trying  awfully 
hard  to  find  a  way  to  approve 
the  merger.  Roberts  referred  to 
the  Commission's  action  of  last 
August  when  it  barred  as  evi- 
dence in  the  merger  hearing 
any  anti-trust  activity  on  the 
part  of  the  Paramount  company 
occurring  before  August  1948. 

Both  Roberts  and  Paramount  Pic- 
tures attorney  Paul  Porter  were  ques- 
tioned at  length  by  Hennock  on  the 
Paramount  -  DuMont  control  issue 
Both  attorneys  declared  that  Para- 
mount had  no  control  of  DuMont  and 
that  Dr.  DuMont  alone  directed  the 
policy  and  actions  of  the  company. 
This  statement  was  opposed  in  the  ar- 
gument of  James  Juntilla,  broadcast 
bureau  attorney,  who  told  the  Com- 
mission that  control  of  DuMont  was 
divided  equally  between  the  two  fac- 
tions— the  Paramount  directors  on  the 
DuMont  board  and  the  DuMont  di- 
rectors— and  that  neither  group  could 
gain  ascendency. 

All  seven  members  of  the  Com- 
mission sat  through  the  argument  to- 
day. Many  officers  of  companies  in- 
volved in  the  proceeding  were  among 
the  spectators,  including  Barney  Bala- 
ban.  Paramount  president  and  Paul 
Raibourn,  Paramount  vice-president ; 
Leonard  Goldenson,  president  of  UPT 
and  O'Brien ;  Dr.  Allen  B.  DuMont 
and  Edward  Noble,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  ABC,  and  Robert  Kintner, 
ABC  president. 


dinner  are  George  Aurelius  and  Harry 
Nace,  Philadelphia;  E.  V.  Richards, 
New  Orleans ;  John  Harris,  Pitts- 
burgh;  John  Balaban  and  David  Wal- 
lenstein,  Chicago ;  John  Blumenfeld, 
George  Mann  and  H.  Neal  East,  San 
Francisco;  William  Elsen,  Minne- 
apolis ;  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  Dallas ;  Frank 
Newman,  Seattle ;  Frank  Ricketson, 
Denver. 

List  Distribution  Chiefs 

Distribution  chiefs  here  for  the  event 
include  James  R.  Grainger,  Republic ; 
Henry  Herbel,  Warner  Brothers ; 
Francis  Bateman,  Republic ;  Herbert 
Mclntyre,  RKO  Radio ;  George  Smith, 
Paramount;  Herman  Wobber,  20th- 
Fox. 

In  addition  to  the  dinner,  Paramount 
is  giving  Zukor  a  luncheon  in  the 
studio  commissary  Wednesday.  Spe- 
cial guests  will  include  the  80  oldest 
Paramount  employes  in  the  point  of 
service. 


City  Drops  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


examine  the  books  of  the  laboratories. 

Josephs'  action  followed  a  meeting 
between  the  controller  and  representa- 
tives of  the  laboratories  at  which  the 
latter  told  Josephs  that  if  such  a  tax 
were  imposed  on  the  footage  that  the 
labs  would  have  to  close  up  or  transfer 
all  their  processing  to  branches  in 
other  cities.  Josephs,  it  was  said,  ap- 
parently agreed  with  the  laboratory 
men's  arguments  against  the  tax  and 
called  off  the  audit. 

However,  the  city's  action  in  at- 
tempting to  collect  an  assessment  from 
the  distributors  on  negatives  shipped 
East  is  still  alive.  A  hearing  on  the 
assessment  as  it  affects  Fox  Movietone 
News  is  scheduled  to  be  held  next 
Monday.  The  20th  Century-Fox  sub- 
sidiary faces  a  $100,000  assessment. 


No  Lifting  of  TV 
Football  Curb  Seen 

Washington,  Jan.  5.  —  Restrictions 
on  the  telecasting  of  college  football 
games  are  not  likely  to  be  relaxed  by 
this  week's  meeting  of  the  National 
Collegiate  Athletic  Association,  execu- 
tive director  Walter  Byers  predicted. 

The  NCAA  started  a  week-long 
convention  here  today.  One  of  the  top 
items  on  the  agenda  is  the  question 
of  television  of  college  games.  NCAA 
has  placed  sharp  curbs  on  these  tele- 
casts, over  the  objections  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Notre  Dame,  and  has  in- 
curred a  Justice  Department  anti-trust 
investigation. 

However,  Byers  pointed  out  that  last 
year's  curbs  were  adopted  by  a  163 
to  8  vote,  and  indicated  he  doubted 
there  would  be  any  change  this  year. 
The  NCAA  television  committee  meets 
tomorrow  and  Wednesday  and  its  re- 
port goes  to  the  full  membership  at 
a  meeting  Friday. 


Pilgrim  in  Boston 
Books  Tri-Opticon 

Boston,  Jan.  5. — Sol  Lesser's  Tri- 
Opticon  three-dimensional  show  will 
open  at  the  Pilgrim  Theatre  here  on 
Jan.  15,  according  to  American  Thea- 
tres' president  Samuel  Pinanski.  It 
will  be  the  first  three-dimensional  pre- 
sentation in  the  New  England  area. 


Our  First  Bft  3  for  '53  Are  Super-  Hitting  At  The 


Paraniounts 


Boom 
Is  Off 


to  a 


r  the  S1D06E 

■ 


BURT 

ANCASTE 

SHIRLEY 

BOOTH 

Hal  Wallis' 


PRODUCTION 


Come  Back, 
Little  Sheba 


Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22,  1953 


Boxoffice  As  These  Nationwide  Reports  Show: 


REPORT:  Full  print  capacity  of  holiday  dates 
all  Super-Hitting  grosses  paralleling  1947's 
never-to-be-forgotten  "Road  To  Rio"  highs! 

REPORT:  Four  hundred  New  Year's  Eve 
previews  turn  in  absolutely  sensational  evidence 
that  this  is  the  Super-Hit  of  'em  all  from  today's 
Top  Money-Making  Stars  (M.  p.  herald  poll) 

REPORT:  A  Super-Hit  at  first  two  engagements, 
New  York  and  L.  A. !  Records  smashed  as  it's 
heaped  with  honors  including  New  York  Critics' 
Circle  Award  to  Shirley  Booth! 

Date"BAU"  Now!   Get"THE  STOOGE"  in  February!   And"SHEBA"  Soon  After! 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  6,  1953 


RKO  Case 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Zanuck  Slates  36 


ductions  and  David  J.  Greene,  who 
claims  to  own  and  control  more  than 
78,000  shares,  voiced  no  opposition  to 
the  delay. 

Kipnis,  who  represents  plaintiffs 
Eli  B.  Castleman  and  his  wife, 
Marion  V.,  of  Detroit,  and  Louis 
Feuerman  of  this  city,  told  the  court 
that  he  needed  the  delay  to  study 
new  affidavits  by  RKO  Pictures  of- 
ficials, submitted  on  Friday.  Affi- 
davits, it  was  learned,  were  submitted 
by  William  Zimmerman,  RKO  Pic- 
tures general  counsel,  on  the  election 
of  the  new  RKO  Pictures  board,  and 
by  C.  J.  Tevlin,  studio  production 
head,  on  production  plans  for  1953. 
Tevlin,  in  his  affidavit,  stated  that  the 
company  is  now  in  a  position  to  pro- 
duce a  normal  schedule  of  pictures 
for  1953. 

Besides  Kipnis  and  Zimmerman, 
those  present  included  Albert  R. 
Connelly,  of  Cravath,  Swains  and 
Moore,  who  represented  RKO  Pic- 
tures ;  Isadore  J.  Kresel,  counsel  for 
David  J.  Greene,  and  Judge  Samuel 
J.  Rosenman,  representing  Goldwyn 
Productions. 


Manos  Closes  2  Houses 

Columbus,  O.,  Jan.  5. — Manos  En- 
terprises has  closed  the  only  two  film 
houses  in  the  7,500-population  Jeffer- 
son County  town  of  Toronto,  O., 
claiming  that  the  city  admission  tax 
has  made  operation  unprofitable. 
Voters  at  the  November  election  re- 
fused to  kill  the  tax.  The  levy  amount- 
ed to  two  cents  per  adult  ticket  and 
one  cent  for  a  children's  admission. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


with  Robert  L.  Jacks  producing; 
"The  Story  of  Demetrius,"  produced 
by  Ross ;  "King  of  the  Khyber 
Rifles,"  Frank  P.  Rosenberg  produc- 
ing ;  Irving  Berlin's  "There's  No 
Business  Like  Show  Business,"  Wal- 
ter Lang  directing  ;  "The  Egyptian," 
Zanuck's  personal  production  for  the 
year  which  will  star  Marlon  Brando, 
and  "Sir  Walter  Raleigh." 

Notes  Finished  Films 

Zanuck  also  pointed  to  the  already- 
completed  pictures  scheduled  for  re- 
lease in  coming  months. 

In  addition  to  the  current  "Stars  and 
Stripes  Forever,"  with  Clifton  Webb  and 
Debra  Paget  and  "My  Cousin  Rachel," 
which  stars  Olivia  de  Havilland,  the  im- 
pending releases  include: 

"Niagara,"  Technicolor,  starring  Marilyn 
Monroe,  Joseph  Cotten  and  Jean  Peters, 
produced  by  Charles  Brackett,  directed  by 
Henry  Hathaway;  "Call  Me  Madam," 
Technicolor,  produced  by  Sol  C.  Siegel, 
directed  by  Walter  Lang  and  starring  Ethel 
Merman,  Donald  O'Connor  and  George 
Sanders;  "Destination  Gobi,"  Technicolor, 
produced  by  Stanley  Rubin,  directed  by 
Robert  Wise  and  starring  Richard  Widmark. 

Also,  "The  President's  Lady,"  produced 
by  Siegel,  directed  by  Henry  Levin  and 
starring  Susan  Hayward  and  Charlton 
Heston;  "Fight  Town,"  Technicolor,  pro- 
duced by  Leonard  Goldstein,  directed  by 
Harmon  Jones  and  starring  Jeanne  Crain 
and  Dale  Robertson;  "Tonight  We  Sing," 
Technicolor,  produced  by  George  Jessel, 
directed  by  Mitchell  Leisen  and  starring 
David  Wayne,  Ezio  Pinza  and  Roberta 
Peters;  "Man  On  A  Tightrope,"  produced 
by  Robert  L.  Jacks,  directed  by  Elia  Kazan 
and  starring  Frederic  March,  Terry  Moore, 
and  Gloria  Graham;  "Taxi,"  produced  by 
Samuel  G.  Engel,  directed  by  Gregory  Rat- 
eff  and  starring  Dan  Dailey  and  Constance 
Smith;  "Baptism  of  Fire,"  produced  by 
William  Bloom,  directed  by  Robert  Webb 
and  starring  Victor  Mature. 

"Titanic,"      Technicolor,      produced  by 


Charles  Brackett,  directed  by  Jean  Negulesco 
and  starring  Clifton  Webb,  Barbara  Stan- 
wyck, Robert  Wagner  and  Thelma  Ritter; 
"Sailor  of  the  King,"  produced  by  Frank 
McCarthy,  directed  by  Roy  Boultmg  and 
starring  Jeffrey  Hunter  and  Michael  Ren- 
nie;  "The  Desert  Rats,"  produced  by 
Robert  L.  Jacks,  directed  by  Robert  Wise 
and  starring  James  Mason,  Richard  Burton 
and  Robert  Newton;  "Powder  River," 
Technicolor,  produced  by  Andre  Hakim, 
directed  by  Louis  King  and  starring  Rory 
Calhoun  and  Corinne  Calvet. 

"The  Farmer  Takes  A  Wife,"  Techni- 
color, with  Frank  P.  Rosenberg  producing, 
Henry  Levin  directing  and  starring  Betty 
Grable  and  Dale  Robertson;  "Gentlemen 
Prefer  Blondes,"  Technicolor,  produced  by 
Siegel,  directed  by  Howard  Hawks  and 
starring  Jane  Russell  and  Marilyn  Monroe; 
'White  Witch  Doctor,"  produced  by  Otto 
Lang,  directed  by  Henry  Hathaway  and 
starring  Susan  Hayward  and  Robert  Mit- 
chum. 

Other  20th  Century-Fox  pictures  sched- 
uled to  go  before  the  cameras  during  1953 
include  "A  Man  Named  Peter,"  which 
Samuel  G.  Engel  will  produce;  "How  To 
Marry  A  Millionaire,"  with  Nunnally  John- 
son producing;  "The  Reno  Brothers,"  pro- 
duced by  Robert  L.  Jacks;  "All  of  Me," 
starring"  Johnnie  Ray,  to  be  produced  by 
Leonard  Goldstein;  "Gatling  Gun,"  with 
Richard  Widmark;  "Happy  Scoundrel," 
with  Clifton  Webb  and  "The  Kid  From  Left 
Field,"  all  produced  by  Goldstein;  "Twelve- 
Mile  Reef,"  produced  by  Robert  Bassler  and 
directed  by  Robert  Webb,  and  "The  Proud 
Ones,"  produced  by  Frank  P.  Rosenberg. 


U.S.  Stake 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Percentage  Actions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


GREAT    MOTION    PICTURES    ARE    PROCESSED    BY  PATHE 

PAUL,  WHITE,  President  of  P SI -TV,  Inc., 

Producers  and  Distributors  of  TV-Films,  says : 

takes  a  highly  skilled  laboratory  to 
perform  our  many  varied  and  exacting 
technical  requirements  plus  a  depend- 
able organization  to  meet  daily  program 
deadlines.  We  use  Pathe  Labs." 


If  your  films,  too,  are  different 
and  need  the  most  versatile 
laboratory  treatment— plus 
creative  ability,  high  quality  and 
speed— we  invite  your  inquiry. 


PS  I -TV's  Pathe-processed  pro- 
grams include:  "China  Smith" 
"Playhouse  of  Stars"  and  other 
outstanding  television  series  in 
addition  to  68  current  full- 
length  features. 


and  Universal  against  Guy  A.  Troyer 
and  Otis  K.  Engen,  operating  the 
Lyric  Theatre  in  Rugby,  N.  D1.,  and 
the  other  actions  by  RKO  Radio 
Paramount,  Warner  and  20th-Fox 
against  Carter  S.  Troyer  operating  the 
State  Theatre  in  Bottineau,  N.  D. 
The  order  in  each  instance  requires 
the  production  of  theatre  records  for 
each  day  of  operation  from  Jan.  1, 
1941  to  Feb..  26,  1952  when  the  suits 
were  filed. 

The  court  had  previously  denied  all 
motions  by  the  exhibitor-defendants  to 
dismiss  the  actions  on  the  ground  that 
there  was  less  than  $3,000  involved 
in  each  action  and  on  the  ground  that 
a  proper  claim  for  recovery  was  not 
asserted.  Another  motion  of  the  ex- 
hibitor-defendants denied  sought  vari- 
ous additional  details  with  respect  to 
the  complaint  of  each  distributor. 

David  H.  Shearer  of  Shearer,  By- 
ard,  Trogner  &  Peters  of  Minneapolis, 
represents  the  distributors  with  Sar- 
goy  &  Stein,  New  York,  of  counsel. 


TOA  Meeting 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Both  New  York  and  Hollywood  Have  Complete  Pathe  Laboratory  Facilities: 
35MM      •      l6MM      •      COLOR      •      BLACK    AND  WHITE 
Pathe  Laboratories,  Inc.  is  a  subsidiary  of  Chesapeake  Industries,  Inc. 


from  his  home  in  Nashville  to  attend 
today's  meeting  of  the  National  Ex- 
hibitors Theatre  Television  Commit- 
tee, said  that  the  wave  of  interest  in 
third  dimension  pictures,  as  evidenced 
by  the  business  being  done  by  pic- 
tures in  "3-D,"  warrants  a  thorough 
study  of  the  new  medium.  He  further 
predicted  that  the  future  of  the  motion 
picture  theatre  could  lie  in  theatre 
television.  The  various  developments 
in  tri-dimensional  pictures,  Cinerama 
and  theatre  television  might  well  mean 
the  end  of  one  era  in  the  history  of 
the  industry  and  the  beginning  of  a 
new  one,  he  added. 

The  directors  and  members  of  the 
executive  committee  will  attend  a 
showing  of  "This  Is  Cinerama"  at  the 
Broadway  Theatre  on  the  night  of 
Jan.  26  and  may  witness  a  screening 
of  "Bwana  Devil,"  made  in  Natural 
Vision,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day  if  a  print  can  be  obtained. 


ment  to  support  reduction  or 
repeal  of  the  admission  tax,  and 
that  he  doubted  the  matter 
would  be  up  for  consideration 
by  the  committee  any  time  very 
soon.  Nonetheless,  Kean  has 
always  been  counted  among  the 
Ways  and  Means  committeemen 
most  lukewarm  on  admission 
tax  relief,  and  his  interest  to- 
day, demonstrated  by  a  special 
two-page  press  release  outlin- 
ing the  figures  presented  him, 
indicates  a  marked  change  in 
his  attitude. 

Two  members  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee — Rep.  Dingell  (D., 
Mich.)  and  Rep.  Mason  (R.,  111.)— 
introduced  bills  in  the  opening  ses- 
sion of  Congress  Saturday  to  elimi- 
nate the  admission  tax.  A  third  law- 
maker, Rep.  Wickersham  (D.,  Okla.), 
introduced  a  bill  to  reduce  the  tax  to 
10  per  cent. 

The  figures  on  the  New  Jersey  sit- 
uation were  presented  to  Kean  by 
George  Gould,  chairman  of  the  Fed- 
eration of  New  Jersey  Theatres,  to 
show  the  plight  of  New  Jersey  ex- 
hibitors due  to  competition  from  tele- 
vision and  other  factors.  Examples 
given  the  Congressman  were  the  Haw- 
'thorne  Theatre  in  Newark,  which 
has  suffered  an  attendance  drop  of 
about  80  per  cent  since  1948,  and  the 
Cameo  Theatre  in  South  Orange, 
where  business  fell  about  60  per  cent. 

Kean  said  Federal  admission  taxes 
paid  by  the  Cameo  had  dropped  from 
about  $18,108  in  1948  to  about  $9,000 
in  1952,  a  substantial  loss  to  the  Fed- 
eral government.  The  Hawthorne's 
tax  payment,  he  said,  fell  from  $20,- 
450  in  1948  to  about  $6,000  last  year. 

Although  total  national  admissions 
tax  receipts  have  also  fallen  off  since 
1948,  the  drop  was  not  nearly  as  sharp 
as  for  these  two  theatres,  Kean 
pointed  out.  "It  should  be  interesting 
to  see  how  other  theatres  throughout 
the  nation  have  fared,"  he  said.  "Cer- 
tain areas  do  not  have  television  cov- 
erage now.  But  with  the  unfreezing 
of  new  television  frequencies,  nearly 
every  area  with  substantial  population 
will  be  included  in  television  cover- 
age." 


Polio  Drive  Results 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Boasberg  of  RKO  Radio  Pictures, 
Charles  Feldman  of  Universal-Inter- 
national, Robert  Benjamin  of  United 
Artists,  Ben  Kalmenson  of  Warner 
Brothers,  Abe  Montague  of  Columbia 
Pictures,  James  Grainger  of  Republic, 
a  representative  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, and  Chick  Lewis  representing 
the  trade  press. 

The  executives  will  report  on  and 
deliver  the  drive  donations  for  their 
companies  and  company  employes.  Do- 
nations from  vendors,  associates  and 
others  with  whom  each  firm  does  busi- 
ness, will  also  be  tallied  at  the 
meeting. 


SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 


630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  36,  N.Y. 


SPEED! 
QUALITY! 
SHOWMANSHIP! 


CAN'T  BE  BEAT! 


1327  S.  WABASH 
CHICAGO  5,  ILL. 


in  day... 


The  best  moonlight  is  the  light  of  the  noonday  sun . . . 

Obvious,  of  course,  to  an  industry  trained  in  modern 
cinematographic  technics.  Equally  obvious  is  the  need  for 
infinite  care  in  the  choice  of  film  and  filters — in  keying 
film  and  situation ...  in  co-ordinating  method  and  result 
desired  in  processing. 

To  help  solve  problems  such  as  these,  representatives 
of  the  Eastman  Technical  Service  for  Motion  Picture  Film 
are  trained  to  advise — are  ready  and  able  to  roll  up 
their  sleeves  and  lend  a  hand  wherever  necessary. 

In  maintaining  this  service,  the  Eastman  Kodak  Company 
has  branches  at  strategic  centers  . . .  invites  inquiry  on  all 
phases  of  film  use  from  all  members  of  the  industry. 
Address:  Motion  Picture  Film  Department,  Eastman  Kodak 
Company,  Rochester  4,  N.  Y.  East  Coast  Division,  342 
Madison  Avenue,  New  York  17,  N.  Y.  Midwest  Division, 
137  North  Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago  2,  Illinois.  West 
Coast  Division,  6706  Santa  Monica  Blvd.,  Hollywood  38, 
California. 


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FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  4 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  7,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


' Last  Minute' 
Meet  Slated 
On  Arbitration 


Lawyers  to  Confer  As 
Allied  Session  Nears 


A  last-minute  meeting  of  com- 
pany lawyers,  prior  to  national 
AJ'lied's  board  meeting  in  New 
Orleans,  on  the  status  of  arbitration 
may  be  held  in  New  York  before  the 
end  of  the  week,  it  was  reported  yes- 
terday. While  a  meeting  has  not  been 
called  officially  as  yet,  it  was  indicated 
that  a  session  would  be  held  in  order 
to  clarify  certain  facets  within  the  dis- 
tributors' conception  of  an  arbitration 
system  for  the  industry. 

While  it  has  been  believed 
generally  that  arbitration  would 
be  a  major  topic  for  discussion 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


U.S.,  Rank's  Film 
Ads  Are  Withdrawn 
From  British  Papers 

By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,  Jan.  6. — Led  by  M-G-M's 
Sam  Eckmail,  Jr.,  a  group  of  Amer- 
ican managers  here  have  withdrawn 
all  display  advertising  from  Lord 
Beaverbrook's  Evening  Standard  and 
Sunday  Express,  Lord  Kemsley's 
Sunday  Graphic  and  the  Odham's  The 
People. 

At  the  same  time,  though  in  what 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Sees  'Ike'  Bringing 
Improved  Conditions 

Albany,  N.  Y.  Jan.  6.— The 
feeling  of  "general  content- 
ment" among  the  American 
people  since  the  election  of 
General  Dwight  D.  Eisen- 
hower as  President  and  the 
air  of  confidence  in  the  busi- 
ness world  which  the  incom- 
ing Administration  has  cre- 
ated should  stimulate  motion 
picture  grosses  this  year, 
Warner  zone  manager  Charles 
A.  Smakwitz  believes.  He 
thinks  that  the  public  will 
spend  money  more  freely  than 
it  has  for  several  years  past, 
and  that  the  film  industry  will 
share  in  this. 


Outlook  Is  Rosy  for  Canadian  Film 
Industry,  the  Same  Hue  As  in  '52 

Ottawa,  Jan.  6. — While  official  returns  may  not  be  available  for 
a  considerable  period,  it  is  learned  that  operating  results  of  Can- 
adian motion  picture  theatres  during  1952  were  at  least  as  good, 
if  not  slightly  better  in  many  regions  than  in  1951. 

In  addition,  with  top  officials  of  the  Canadian  government  fore- 
casting another  good  economic  year  for  1953,  including  higher  em- 
ployment, the  outlook  for  theatre  attendance  is  even  better  for 
coming  months.  Television  is  not  expected  to  produce  any  marked 
effects  on  theatre  attendance  in  Canada  in  1953,  judging  from  ex- 
perience in  areas  where  television  is  already  in  existence. 

"So  far  there  has  been  no  marked  effect  in  our  operations  be- 
cause of  television  in  the  Toronto  area,"  stated  J.  J.  Fitzgibbons, 
president  of  Famous  Players  Canadian  Corp.  In  Montreal,  there 
has  been  a  similar  experience. 

Under  the  circumstances,  Canada's  theatre  attendance  in  1953 
is  generally  expected  to  at  least  equal  1952. 


E.  Penn.  Allied  Rejoins 
National  Association 


After  several  years  as  an  independent  unit,  Allied  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  has  resumed  full  membership  activity 
in  national  Allied.  This  was  announced  here  yesterday  in  a  joint  state- 
ment by  Wilbur  Snaper,  national  Allied  president,  and  Sidney  Samuel- 
son,  president  of  the  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania organization. 

The  Pennsylvania  group  severed  its 
connections  with  the  national  organ- 
ization reportedly  over  differences  re- 
garding the  payment  of  dues.  Rein- 
statement of  the  unit  came  up  at  the 
national  Allied  convention  in  1951  in 
New  York,  but  no  decision  was 
reached.  The  issue  again  was  placed 
before  the  national  board  at  the  Chi- 
cago convention  last  November,  when 
Irving  Bollinger  of  New  Jersey  was 
delegated  to  confer  with  Samuelson  on 
the  settlement  of  the  dispute. 

It  is  expected  that  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania will  send  delegates  to  the  na- 
tional board  meeting  in  New  Orleans 
next  week. 


Films  Aid  Freedom, 
Skouras  Says  Here 
At  Industry  Tribute 

Motion  pictures  as  a  weapon  in  aid- 
ing this  country's  global  program  in 
behalf  of  freedom  was  underscored 
here  last  night  by  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
president  of  20th  Century-Fox,  in  an 
address  to  115  industry  executives  at 
a  dinner  in  his  honor  at  the  Metro- 
politan Club. 

Skouras,  who  recently  returned 
from  a  69-day  tour  of  the  Far  East 
and  Europe,  declared  that  if  there 
were  more  theatres  in  those  lands, 
the  mission  to  bring  peace  and  en- 
(Continned  on  page  6) 


Lees  Head  Cites 
Theatre  TV  Use 


Commercial  "off-hour"  theatre  tele- 
vision was  commended  here  yesterday 
as  "a  dynamic  new  form  of  nation- 
wide communication,"  by  J.  L.  East- 
wick,  president  of  James  Lees  &  Sons, 
the  carpet  manufacturing  firm  which 
on  Dec.  8  theatre  telecast  its  national 
sales  convention  from  Coast-to- 
Coast. 

Eastwick,  basing  his  conclusion  on 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Rembusch  Reelected 
Indiana  Allied  Head 


Indianapolis,  Jan;  6.  —  Trueman 
Rembusch,  despite  protests  that  he 
wasn't  a  candidate,  was  reelected  pres- 
ident of  the  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
Indiana  for  the  eighth  consecutive  year 
by  the  board  of  directors  meeting 
here  today.  The  election  had  been  post- 
poned from  the  state  convention  last 
month  in  an  effort  to  get  Rembusch 
to  serve. 

Marc  J.  Wolf  was  elected  vice- 
president;  Ted  Mendelssohn,  treas- 
urer ;  William  A.  Carroll,  executive 
secretary. 

The  board  voted  to  hold  a  series  of 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


3  -  Dimensional 
Strides  in  '53 
Seen  by  Zukor 


Pioneer  Also  Predicts 
Plan  for  Arbitration 


Hollywood,  Jan.  6.  —  Greater 
strides  in  the  development  of  three- 
dimensional  films  and  an  effective 
system  for  settling  intra-industry 
problems  were 
predicted  for 
1953  by  Adolph 
Zukor.  He  is 
here  from  New 
York  to  be 
feted  in  observ- 
ance of  his  80th 
birthday  tomor- 
row and  his 
50th  year  in  the 
film  industry. 
The  industry 
w  ill  pay  homage 
to  the  pioneer 
showman  and 
chairman  of  the 
board  of  Paramount  Pictures  at  a 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Adolph  Zukor 


1,000  on  Coast  to 
Attend  Tonight's 
Tribute  to  Zukor 


Hollywood,  Jan.  6. — One  thousand 
persons  will  attend  tomorrow  night's 
dinner  at  the  Hollywood  Palladium  in 
honor  of  Adolph  Zukor,  Paramount 
board  chairman,  marking  his  80th 
birthday  and  his  forthcoming  50th  an- 
niversary as  a  showman. 

First  of  the  day's  events  will  take 
place  in  the  forecourt  of  Grauman's 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Dec.  Theatre  Closing 
Proposed  in  Ia.-Neb. 

Des  Moines,  Jan.  6. — Serious 
consideration  of  a  proposal  to 
close  Iowa-Nebraska  theatres 
from  Dec.  15  to  25  is  asked  of 
members  of  Allied  of  Iowa  and. 
Nebraska  by  Charles  Jones, 
secretary,  in  the  current  or- 
ganizational bulletin. 

Jones  contends  money  could 
be  saved  by  the  closing,  that 
it  would  attract  publicity  and 
that  the  public's  appetite  for 
films  would  be  whetted. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  7,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


ALFRED  STARR,  president  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  left 
here  yesterday  for  Nashville,  Term. 
• 

Ernie  Warren,  20th  Century  Thea- 
tres' Ottawa  district  manager  and 
manager  of  the  Elgin  Theatre  there, 
has  returned  to  his  home  in  that  city, 
via  his  own  plane,  from  Daytona 
Beach,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Warren. 
• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  leave  here  at  the 
end  of  the  week  for  New  Orleans  to 
speak  before  the  Gulf  States  Allied 
convention  to  be  held  on  Jan.  13-14. 
• 

N.  J.  Blumberg,  Universal  board 
chairman,  announces  the  birth  of  a 
son  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Stanley 
Meyer,  at  St.  John's  Hospital  in 
Santa  Monica,  Cal. 

• 

Sam  Yellen  of  Midland  Proper- 
ties, Inc.  of  Buffalo  is  recovering 
from  a  heart  attack  in  Millard  Fill- 
more Hospital  there. 

David  E.  Rose,  producer,  will  ar- 
rive here  from  Hollywood  tomorrow 
and  will  leave  for  England  on  Satur- 
day. 

• 

Charles  King  of  Exhibitors  Serv- 
ice, Jacksonville,  has  returned  to  his 
desk  after  recuperating  from  illness. 
• 

John  McGrail  of  the  Universal 
exploitation  department  will  be  in 
Hartford  today  from  New  York. 

William  H.  Wright,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, will  leave  here  for  Hollywood 
today. 

Lewis  L.  Strauss  has  been  named 
a  director  of  RCA  and  of  NBC. 


Record  $50,000 
For  'Jazz  Singer' 

Miami,  Jan.  6. — Warner  Brothers' 
"The  Jazz  Singer"  continues  its 
record-breaking  pace  in  its  dual  special 
engagement  at  the  Beach  Theatre, 
Miami  Beach,  and  the  Paramount, 
Miami,  with  a  record  gross  of  $50,000 
anticipated  for  the  first  week,  ending 
tomorrow  night  at  both  houses.  This 
indefinite  run  is  the  first  engagement 
of  the  film  following  its  world  pre- 
miere at  the  Fox  Beverly  Theatre  in 
Beverly  Hills. 


David  Beznor  Appointed 

Milwaukee,  Jan.  6. — David  Bez- 
nor, general  counsel  of  the  Colosseum 
of  Motion  Picture  Salesmen  of  Amer- 
ica has  been  appointed  a  vice-chairman 
of  the  film  industry  committee's  par- 
ticipation in  "National  Brotherhood 
Week." 


Variety  Clubs  Elect,  Induct 
New  Officers  for  1953 


MGM  Sales  Meet 
In  Chi.  Tomorrow 


Bill  Trambukis'  Father 

Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Jan.  6. — Manuel 
Trambukis,  59,  father  of  Bill  Tram- 
bukis, manager  of  Loew's  Theatre 
here,  died  on  Dec.  28  in  Providence. 


Charles  M.  Reagan,  general  sales 
manager,  will  hold  a  three-day  meet- 
ing of  M-G-M  sales  managers  in  Chi- 
cago starting  tomorrow.  The  meeting 
is  in  the  nature  of  a  periodic  get- 
together  of  field  and  home-office  sales 
executives. 

In  addition  to  Reagan,  the  home- 
office  sales  executive  staff  will  be  rep- 
resented by  Edward  M.  Saunders,  as- 
sistant sales  manager,  and  John  P. 
Byrne,  Eastern  sales  manager. 

From  the  field  will  be  Rudolph  Ber- 
ger,  Southern  sales  manager,  from 
Washington;  John  S.  Allen,  South- 
western sales  manager,  Dallas ;  John 
J.  Maloney,  Central  sales  manager, 
Pittsburgh ;  Burtus  Bishop,  Jr.,  Mid- 
western sales  manager,  Chicago,  and 
George  A.  Hickey,  Western  sales 
manager,  Los  Angeles. 


Montague  Presides 
At  Columbia  Meet 


A.  Montague,  Columbia  Pictures' 
general  sales  manager,  and  his  home 
office  sales  cabinet,  met  here  yester- 
day with  all  of  the  company's  domes- 
tic division  managers  to  complete  the 
ground  work  in  preparation  for  Co- 
lumbia's sales  meeting  on  "Salome," 
scheduled  for  the  Hotel  Drake,  Chi- 
cago, on  Friday  and  Saturday  of  next 
week. 

In  addition  to  Montague  at  yester- 
day's meeting  were  Rube  Jackter,  as- 
sistant general  sales  manager,  home 
office  sales  executives  Louis  Astor, 
George  Josephs,  Louis  Weinberg  and 
Irving  Wormser  and  the  following  di- 
vision managers :  N.  J.  Cohn,  New 
York;  H.  E.  Weiner,  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania and  Southern  New  Jersey ; 
I.  H.  Rogovin,  New  England;  S.  A. 
Galanty,  Mideast ;  Carl  Shalit,  Cen- 
tral;  B.  C.  Marcus,  Midwest;  R.  J. 
Ingram,  Southeastern ;  Jack  Under- 
wood, Northeastern;  L.  E.  Tillman, 
Northwestern. 


Coin  Boxes  Collect 
$10,000  for  Hospital 

More  than  $10,000  was  collected  for 
the  Will  Rogers  Memorial  Hospital 
through  the  coin  boxes  displayed  in 
approximately  2,500  cooperating  thea- 
tres during  the  initial  two-month  span 
of  the  project.  The  plan  was  intro- 
duced by  Joseph  Vogel  and  executed 
by  Loew's  Theatres. 

The  second  distribution  of  the  col- 
lection boxes  has  been  completed  by 
National  Screen  Service,  with  ap- 
proximately 4,000  houses  now  coop- 
erating. Estimates  indicate  that  the 
initial  amount  collected  will  be 
doubled  when  the  added  theatres  are 
reported  at  the  next  "change-over" 
time,  about  Feb.  15. 


New  officers  are  being  elected  and 
inducted  in  additional  tents  of  Variety 
Clubs.  Formal  ceremonies  are  mark- 
ing the  installations  of  the  new  heads 
in  several  of  the  tents,  the  events 
being  observed  with  banquets  and 
luncheons. 

Marc  J.  Wolf,  former  chief  barker 
of  the  international  organization,  has 
been  elected  chief  barker  of  Indian- 
apolis Tent  No.  10.  Other  officers  are 
Trueman  Rembusch,  first  assistant 
chief  barker ;  William  A.  Carroll,  sec- 
ond assistant ;  Burdette  Peterson, 
dough  guy,  and  Barney  Brager,  prop- 
erty master.  Elected  to  the  board 
were  Ted  Nicholas,  Al  Blocher,  Joe 
Cantor,  Dale  McFarland,  Sam  Kap- 
lan, Dr.  M.  Sandorf,  Abe  Gelman, 
Claude  McKean,  Russ  Brentlinger, 
Wolf,  Peterson,  Carroll,  Brager  and 
Rembusch. 

Robert  G.  Gump  has  been  elected 
chief  barker  of  Dayton  Tent  No.  13, 
succeeding  William  E.  Clagg.  Others 
elected  were  Harry  H.  Nolen,  first 
assistant,  and  Dr.  A.  J.  Denlinger, 
second  assistant  chief  barkers;  Wil- 
liam O'Donnell,  property  master,  and 
Paul  E.  Swinger,  dough  guy. 

Dewey  Michaels  will  be  installed  as 
chief  barker  of  the  Buffalo  Tent  at 
a  dinner  in  the  Hotel  Statler  on  Sun- 
day. International  chief  barker  Jack 
Beresin  of  Philadelphia,  and  Marc 
Wolf  will  attend  the  ceremonies.  Billy 
Keaton  and  Marvin  Jacobs  will  be  in- 
stalled as  first  and  second  assistants, 
respectively ;  Robert  Hayman,  dough 
guy,  and  W.  E.  J.  Martin,  property 
master. 

In  St.  Louis,  Edward  B.  Arthur 
was  installed  as  chief  barker  of  Tent 
No.  4  at  a  luncheon  meeting  in  the 
Sheraton  Hotel.  Al  Poos  and  Herb 
Bennin  were  installed  as  first  and  sec- 
ond assistants,  respectively ;  Paul 
Krueger  was  named  dough  guy,  and 
Dick  Fitzmaurice,  property  master. 

Ben  Berger  has  been  reelected  chief 
barker  of  Minneapolis  Tent  No.  12. 
Others  reelected  were  LeRoy  Miller 
and  George  Granstrom,  first  and  sec- 
and  assistants,  respectively ;  Sim 
Heller,  dough  guy,  and  Tom  Burke, 
property  master. 

An  induction  dinner  will  be  held 
this  month  in  Las  Vegas  by  Tent 
No.  33  for  its  new  slate  of  officers, 
headed  by  Jake  Kozloff,  chief  barker, 
who  succeeds  Benny  Goff stein.  Ernie 
Cragin  and  Robert  Cannon  are  the 
new  first  and  second  assistant  chief 
barkers ;  Arch  Loveland,  dough  guy ; 
Eddie  Fox,  property  master,  and  Eu- 
gene Murphy,  press  guy. 

In  Toronto,  R.  W.  Bolstad  has  been 
reelected  chief  barker  of  Tent  No.  28. 


Wife  of  George  Brown 

Hollywood,  Jan.  6.  —  Kathryn  B. 
Brown,  wife  of  George  Brown,  well 
known  industry  advertising-publicity 
executive,  died  suddenly  last  night  at 
her  home  in  Palm  Springs,  Cal.,  where 
her  husband  owns  and  operates  the  La 
Serena  Hotel.  Brown  formerly  was 
advertising-publicity  director  of  Co- 
lumbia, and  held  executive  posts  with 
other  major  companies  here  and  in 
the  East.  Services  will  be  held  in 
Palm  Springs  on  Thursday. 


Lem  Jones  Named 
Head  of  20th-Fox's 
Short  Subject  Sales 

Lem  Jones  has  been  appointed  short 
subjects  sales  manager  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, it  was  announced  by  Al 
Lichtman,  director  of  distribution  for 
the  company. 
Jones,  who  has 
been  a  sales 
executive  of  the 
company,  will 
be  assisted  by 
Phil  Williams. 

Jones  joined 
20th  Century- 
Fox  in  March, 
1945,  after  be- 
ing press  secre- 
tary to  the  late 
Wendeh  Will- 
kie  during  his 
Lem  Jones  Presidential 
campaign,  and 
also  to  Governor  Thomas  E.  Dewey, 
when  Dewey  was  New  York's  district 
attorney.  Previous  to  these  posts, 
Jones  was  a  member  of  the  staff  of 
the  New  York  Herald  Tribune.  Since 
affiliating  with  20th  Century-Fox, 
Jones  has  served  as  assistant  to  com- 
pany president  Spyros  P.  Skouras 
and  in  several  executive  sales  posts. 

Jones  replaces  Peter  J.  Levathes, 
who  resigned  as  short  subjects  sales 
manager  last  week  to  become  a  vice- 
president  of  Young  and  Rubicam. 


Hall  to  Introduce 
Water  Spectacle 

A  giant  new  European  fountain 
spectacle,  the  construction  for  which, 
cost  an  estimated  $250,000,  will  be  in- 
troduced on  the  stage  of  the  Radio 
City  Music  Hall  beginning  Jan.  15. 

The  spectacle,  called  "Dancing 
Waters,"  will  feature  more  than  38 
tons  of  water  erupting  in  4,000  jets 
to  the  height  of  30  feet  above  stage 
level.  Among  the  water  designs 
which  will  be  obtained  by  the  display 
will  be  a  "Pipe  Organ  Ballet,"  a  "Fire 
Cascade,"  a  "Magic  Flower  Vase" 
effect,  and  a  "Dance  of  the  Water 
Curtains." 


Inaugural  Show  at 
Loew's  D.C.  Capitol 

Washington,  Jan.  6. — Loew's  Capi- 
tol Theatre  has  been  pressed  into  use 
for  part  of  the  Eisenhower  inaugural 
festivities.  The  Inaugural  Committee 
has  planned  a  huge  festival  with  top 
bands  and  other  entertainment,  for 
Monday  evening,  at  the  Uline  Arena. 
However,  demands  for  tickets  are  so 
great  that  the  committee  has  arranged 
for  a  repeat  performance  of  the  show 
later  in  the  evening  at  the  Capitol. 


Overman  to  RKO  Radio 

Milton  Overman,  veteran  industry 
publicist,  has  joined  the '  exploitation 
staff  of  RKO  Radio,  it  was  announced 
by  Leon  Brandt,  exploitation  manager. 
He  will  leave  immediately  for  Wash- 
ington, where  he  will  assist  Allen 
Hodshire  and  Hank  Howard  in  com- 
pleting arrangements  for  the  world 
premiere  of  Frederick  Brisson's 
"Never  Wave  At  A  Wac." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y..  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c 


Wednesday,  January  7,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Says  Film  Ridicule 
Can  Combat  'Reds' 

Spokane,  Jan.  (i.  —  Eric  A. 
Johnston,  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  speaking  before  the 
Spokane  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, stated  "It  is  inherent  in 
the  world  of  Communism  that 
there  must  be  world  domin- 
ance. We  must  look  at  it  as 
a  long-term  period  of  diffi- 
culty for  which  there  are  no 
magic  formulae."  He  said  pic- 
tures can  effectively  combat 
Communism  through  ridicule, 
but  can  accomplish  little 
through  propaganda. 

Touching  on  problems  of 
the  industry,  Johnston  pre- 
dicted a  "marriage"  between 
television  and  motion  pictures 
in  the  near  future. 


Mexico's  Minimum 
Screen  Time  Illegal 


Mexico  City,  Jan.  6. — The  trade 
scored  what  it  hails  as  a  singular  vic- 
tory against  a  prime  clause  of  the  new 
Cinematographic  Law  when  Federal 
Judge  Ignacio  Burgoa  here  granted 
groups  of  exhibitors  an  injunction 
against  enforcement  of  the  clause 
which  demands  a  minimum  of  50  per 
cent  playing  time  for  Mexican  pic- 
tures throughout  Mexico. 

Agreeing  with  the  exhibitors  that 
this  clause  is  unconstitutional  in  that 
it  prevents  free  trade,  Judge  Burgoa 
remarked  that  the  enforced  exhibition 
of  Mexican  pictures  would  oblige  the 
public  to  pay  its  money  to  see  inferior 
quality  films.  He  declared  that  there 
is  nothing  in  Mexican  law  that  in 
any  way  obliges  exhibitors  to  screen 
pictures  they  do  not  consider  to  be 
good,  any  more  than  there  is  any  de- 
mand that  any  merchant  or  business- 
man buy  goods  that  he  does  not  want. 

Judge  Burgoa  also  said  that  this 
enforced  SO  per  cent  playing  time  de- 
mand violates  the  very  spirit  of  the 
Cinematographic  Law  which  is  to  "aid 
the  cinematographic  industry  and  ele- 
vate its  moral  and  artistic  standards." 

The  judge,  too,  granted  an  injunc- 
tion against  the  clause  that  places  all 
production  in  charge  of  the  govern- 
ment, through  the  Ministry  of  the 
Interior,  top  administration  depart- 
ment. He  considered  that  clause  un- 
constitutional because  it  establishes  a 
monopoly  which  the  Constitution  for- 
bids. 


AA  Gets  $l-Million 
Revolving  Loan 

Hollywood,  Jan.  6. — The  comple- 
tion of  a  new  credit  agreement  with 
Bankers  Trust  Co.,  New  York,  and 
Security-First  National,  Los  Angeles, 
providing  for  a  one-year  revolving 
loan  up  to  $1,000,000,  and  also  per- 
mitting guarantees  up  to  $500,000  cov- 
ering bank  loans  to  producers  re- 
leasing through  Allied  Artists,  was 
announced  today  by  Steve  Broidy, 
president,  and  George  D.  Burrows, 
executive  vice  president  and  treasurer. 

The  signing  of  the  new  loan  agree- 
ment followed  the  complete  liquida- 
tion of  previous  loans  participated  in 
by  the  above  banks  together  with  the 
Bank  of  Manhattan,  New  York,  and 
California  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


Majors  Upheld 
In  Crest  Case 


Baltimore,  Jan.  6.- — The  U.  S. 
fourth  circuit  court  of  appeals  at  Char- 
lotte has  affirmed  a  lower  court  deci- 
sion against  the  Crest  Theatre,  Balti- 
more, which  had  sued  eight  distribu- 
tors in  a  case  involving  first-run 
product. 

The  appeal  was  filed  by  Crest  after 
a  Federal  Court  jury  last  May  de- 
cided the  eight  defendants  were  not 
violating  anti-trust  laws  in  granting 
first-run  rights  only  to  seven  down- 
town theatres.  Today's  decision  was 
handed  down  by  Judges  Morris  Soper 
and  Armistead  Dobie. 

The  case  was  appealed  in  the  name 
of  Theatre  Enterprises,  Inc.,  opera- 
tor the  Crest.  The  Baltimore  group 
claimed  $205,000  damages,  trebled 
under  the  Sherman  and  Clayton  acts 
and  another  $52,000  trebled  on  an 
alternative  claim  that  it  was  damaged 
by  alleged  discrimination  in  prices 
and  clearance  for  second-run  pictures 
which  it  had  been  able  to  obtain  after 
being  denied  first-run  rights. 

WSB  Okays  Contract 
Of  SEG,  Producers 

Hollywood,  Jan.  6. — The  Screen 
Extras  Guild's  new  contract  with  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers,  the  Independent  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers  Association, 
and  other  unaffiliated  independent 
producers  has  finally  been  approved 
by  the  Wage  Stabilization  Board  in 
Washington,  and  as  a  consequence 
the  Guild  will  get  a  second  windfall 
in  retroactive  wage  increases. 

Union  officials  said  they  could  give 
"no  accurate"  estimate  of  the  total 
amount  of  retroactive  pay,  which  will 
date  from  last  April  14.  However,  it 
was  noted  that  the  collective-bargain- 
ing contract  made  with  the  major 
studios  and  approved  by  the  WSB 
had  brought  the  extras  "between 
$750,000  and  $1,000,000  in  retroactive 
pay." 


NETTC  Prepares  for 
FCC  TV  Hearings 

Plans  for  the  industry's  presentation 
at  the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission theatre  television  hearings, 
which  resume  on  Jan.  26  in  Washing- 
ton, were  discussed  here  yesterday  at 
a  meeting  of  the  National  Exhibitors 
Theatre  Television  Committee. 

The  meeting,  under  the  chairman- 
ship of  Si  Fabian,  also  briefed  those 
attending  on  the  technical  phase  of  the 
hearings,  which  were  held  last  Octo- 
ber. Among  those  on  hand  were  Alfred 
Starr,  president  of  Theatre  Owners  of 
America ;  Mitchell  Wolfson,  former 
TO  A  president ;  Jay  Ravinowitz,  of 
United  Paramount  Theatres,  and  Wil- 
bur Snaper,  national  Allied  president. 


Arnall  to  Preside  at 
SIMPP  Coast  Meet 

Hollywood,  Jan.  6. — Society  of  In- 
dependent Motion  Picture  Producers 
president  Ellis  Arnall,  who  arrived 
here  today,  will  preside  at  a  special 
luncheon  of  the  executive  committee 
on  Thursday.  Although  the  agenda  is 
described  as  routine,  the  possible  ac- 
quisition of  the  services  of  John  P. 
McCarthy  in  a  capacity  similar  to:  the 
one  he  formerly  occupied  with  MPAA 
is  expected  to  come  up  for  discussion. 


TV  Cited  by  Jolliffe 
As  a  New  Industry 

The  emergence  of  theatre 
television  into  a  new  industry 
and  service,  providing  large- 
screen  viewing  in  nearly  100 
locations  from  Coast-to-Coast, 
was  listed  here  by  Dr.  C.  B. 
Jolliffe,  vice  -  president  and 
technical  director  of  RCA  in 
a  selection  of  the  10  oustand- 
ing  achievements  in  radio- 
electronics  and  television  dur- 
ing 1952. 

SAG,  N.Y.  Producers 
Resuming  Pact  Talks 

The  Film  Producers  Association  of 
New  York  and .  the  Screen  Actors 
Guild  will  resume  collective  bargain- 
ing negotiations  here  on  Monday  cov- 
ering actors  and  announcers  used  in 
television  film  commercials.  In  a  joint 
announcement,  it  was  stated  that  the 
SAG  and  the  New  York  producers 
would  "engage  in  continuous  open- 
minded  bargaining  on  all  points  in 
dispute  in  the  hope  of  reaching  an 
agreement  on  a  collective  bargaining- 
contract." 

In  answer  to  inquiries  on  the  Coast, 
John  Dales,  Jr.,  SAG  executive  sec- 
retary, said  that  the  guild's  strike 
against  all  producers  of  TV  film  com- 
mercials would  continue  until  the  dis- 
pute had  been  settled. 

Kenneth  Thomson,  William  Berger 
and  Dales  will  come  here  from  Holly- 
wood for  the  conferences,  representing 
the  SAG.  John  Wheeler,  attorney  for 
the  New  York  producers,  will  repre- 
sent that  group.  Also  sitting  in  on  the 
parleys  will  be  Paul  Giles,  chairman 
of  the  New  York  Council  of  the  SAG ; 
Florence  Marston,  Eastern  representa- 
tive, and  Herman  Gray. 


Rembusch  Reelected 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

regional  meetings  and  film  clinics,  to 
open  Jan.  27  in  Fort  Wayne  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Al  Borkenstein. 
Members  of  Kentucky  Allied  will  be 
invited  to  attend  a  similar  event  March 
24  at  New  Albany,  with  Sam  Switow 
as  chairman.  Other  regional  meetings 
will  be  held  at  Evansville  and  Terre 
Haute,  on  dates  to  be  set  later. 

A  resolution  carried  over  from  the 
convention  that  would  provide  a  sys- 
tem for  exchanging  information  on 
film  allocations,  rental  terms,  etc.,  was 
tabled  again  for  further  consideration. 


Kodak  Registers  2  Firms 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6. — Kodak 
Processing  Laboratory,  Inc.,  has  reg- 
istered a  certificate  to  conduct  a  pho- 
tography business  in  Rochester.  In- 
corporators are  Edward  S.  Farrow, 
Cornelius  J.  Vanniel  and  Milton  K. 
Robinson,  of  Rochester. 

Eastman  Chemical  Products,  Inc. 
also  registered  a  certificate,  to  con- 
duct a  chemical  business  in  Rochester. 
Incorporators  are  Robinson,  Robert 
L.  Churchill  and  Farrow. 


'U'  Short  Preview 

Universal  held  a  special  press  pre- 
view of  "Out  of  the  Earth,"  a  short 
subject  concerning  oil  and  Saudi  Ara- 
bia, yesterday  at  the  Delmonico  Hotel 
here. 


National 


Pre-Selling 


"HTHE  JANE  WYMAN  STORY" 
*■  is  told  in  the  Jan.  10  issue  of 
Collier's,  highlighted  by  a  full-page, 
four-color  picture  of  Jane  dancing  an 
African  ritual  dance  called  the  Zam- 
besi. The  picture  was  taken  on  the  set 
of  Columbia's  "Let's  Do  It  Again," 
which  will  be  released  this  summer. 
Color  pictures  are  also  used  showing 
Jane  running  the  gamut  of  emotions  in 
movies  released  during  the  past  few 
years.  She  is  pictured  as  a  deaf-mute, 
as  a  shy  cripple  and  as  the  wife  of 
the  great  humorist  in  "The  Story  of 
Will  Rogers."  Also  in  this  issue  is  a 
quarter-page  ad  on  Barbara  Stan- 
wyck's new  M-G-M  picture,  "Jeo- 
pardy." 

e 

Motion  picture  editors  at  the  turn 
of  the  year  often  pick  10  rising 
stars  who  they  think  show  the 
greatest  promise.  In  the  Jan.  4  is- 
sue of  Pictorial  Review  Louella  Par- 
sons lists  her  choices.  They  are 
Elaine  Stewart,  Rosemary  Clooney, 
Jeffrey  Hunter,  Danny  Thomas, 
Peggy  Lee,  Aldo  Ray,  Audrey  Hep- 
burn, Robert  Wagner,  Anna  Maria 
Alberghetti  and  Dewey  Martin. 
• 

In  the  Jan.  12  issue  of  Life  there  is 
a  review  of  "Forbidden  Games,"  the 
French  production  now  playing  at  the 
Little  Carnegie  Theatre  here  and  re- 
leased by  Times  Film  Corp.  The  pic- 
ture was  recently  picked  by  the  New 
York  Film  Critics  as  the  best  foreign 
picture  of  the  year. 

a 

"Movies-of-the-Month,"  chosen  by 
the  motion  picture  editor  of  American 
Magazine,  are  represented  in  full  color 
and  black  and  white  pictures  in  the 
January  issue.  The  eight  picked  are : 
"Lili,"  with  Leslie  Caron ;  "My  Cousin 
Rachel,"  with  Olivia  De  Havilland ; 
"April  in  Paris,"  with  Doris  Day ; 
"Never  Wave  at  A  WAC,"  starring 
Rosalind  Russell ;  "Thunder  in  the 
East,"  with  Charles  Bover ;  "Return 
to  Paradise,"  starring  Gary  Cooper ; 
"Meet  Me  at  the  Fair,"  with  Dan 
Dailey,  and  "Last  of  the  Comanches." 
Also  in  this  issue  is  a  one-half  page 
full-color  ad  on  "Hans  Christian  An- 
dersen" and  a  one-quarter  page  ad  for 
"The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful"  on  the 
index  page. 

• 

The  Jan.  18  issue  of  American 
Weekly  has  two  full-color  pictures 
of  Rita  Hayworth  as  she  appears  in 
Columbia's  top  picture,  "Salome." 
Rita  considers  the  dance  of  the 
seven  veils  a  dramatic  highlight  of 
the  picture,  "the  finest  and  most 
artistic  dance"  of  her  entire  career. 
• 

"Moulin  Rouge,"  Jolm  Huston's  nezv 
color  film  starring  Jose  Ferrer,  has 
been  selected  as  one  of  the  dozen  best 
films  of  the  year,  along  zvith  three 
other  United  Artists  pictures — "High 
Noon,"  "The  African  Queen"  and 
"Breaking  the  Sound  Barrier" —  by 
Time  Magazine  in  its  current  issue. 
Reviewed  in  the  same  issue,  "Moulin 
Rouge"  is  acclaimed  as  "a  Lautrec 
painting  come  to  life :  it  has  the  ner- 
vous, whip-cracking  line,  the  absinthe 
bite,  the  very  color  of  corruption  of 
Lautrec's  Paris."  "Moulin  Rouge"  is 
in  its  pre-release  premiere  at  the  Fox 
Wilshire  Theatre  in  Los  Angeles  and 
will  Jwve  its  New  York  premiere  at 
the  Capitol  Theatre. 

Walter  Haas 


To 

Bring 
You 

Up-to-date 
On  the 
Fabulous  < 

SUCCESS  STORY  OF 
M-G  M's  IVANHOE 

The  pre-release  first-run  engagements  of  colossal 
"IV/VNHOE"  have  written  a  bright  new  page  in  box-office 
history. 

At  a  time  when  this  industry  needed  the  stimulation  of 
a  truly  gigantic  attraction,  M-G-M  brought  to  packed 
houses  the  Technicolor  wonders  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's 
famed  novel.  Here  on  the  big  theatre  screen  the  fans 
gasped  at  the  cavalcade  of  Knights,  the  spine-tingling 


(continued) 


(continued) 


duels-on-horseback,  the  storming  of  besieged  castles,  the 
romances  of  heroes  and  fair  ladies,  the  beauty  and  terror 
of  the  Glory  Age,  all  of  it  filmed  in  magnificent  Techni- 
color in  the  actual  locations  of  the  story. 

M-G-M's  barrage  of  advertising  and  exploitation  rever- 
berated throughout  America,  in  national  magazines,  in 
tremendous  newspaper  campaigns,  on  the  air,  everywhere. 

The  amazing  extended  run  record  of  "IVANHOE"  is 
evidence  of  its  mass  appeal  and  its  penetration  from  coast 
to  coast  Here  are  some  of  the  long  runs: 

At  Press  Time:  11  weeks  in  Cleveland,  Philadelphia,  Detroit;  8  weeks  in  Chicago, 
New  York  City;  7  weeks  in  Pittsburgh,  Miami,  Miami  Beach,  San  Francisco,  Los 
Angeles  (2  theatres);  6  weeks  in  Washington,  D.  C,  Minneapolis,  Oakland;  5  weeks 
in  Boston,  Mass.  (2  theatres),  Buffalo,  Baltimore,  St.  Louis,  Seattle;  4  weeks  in 
Atlanta,  New  Orleans,  Houston,  Kansas  City,  Oklahoma  City,  Tulsa,  Toledo, 
Omaha,  Salt  Lake  City;  there  were  more  than  35  cities  where  it  played  3  weeks 
and  75  cities  where  it  played  2  weeks,  with  one  week  stands  in  many  others. 

Millions  of  Americans  await  the  opportunity  to  see  this 
greatest  attraction  of  our  time,  millions  who  have  seen  it 
are  eager  to  enjoy  its  spectacular  thrills  again. 

In  response  to  exhibitor  requests  that  "IVANHOE"  be 
placed  in  regular  release,  we  are  happy  to  make  it  availabe 
for  general  showing  on  February  20th. 


(A  date  to  remember.  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22) 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  7,  1953 


1,000  at  Zukor  Tribute 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Ads  Withdrawn 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

.spokesman  lor  J.  Arthur  Rank  in- 
sisted was  an  unrelated  move,  the 
Rank  Organization  gave  notice  to  the 
Beaverbrook  Group  that  its  display 
advertising  also  would  be  withdrawn 
from  the  Evening  Standard  and  Sun- 
day Express. 

The  action  by  Eckman  traces 
to  the  treatment  accorded  this 
year's  Royal  Film  Performance 
picture,  M-G-M's  "Because 
You're  Mine,"  by  reviewers  and 
columnists  of  the  papers  in 
question.  The  action  by  other 
American  managers  comes  as  a 
long  contemplated  retort  to 
consistent  sniping  and  sneering 
at  American  films  and  the  in- 
dustry by  writers  for  the  papers. 

Rank's  spokesman  said  the  step 
was  being  taken  by  the  Organization 
"on  the  advice  of  our  market  re- 
search people  who  decide  which  is  the 
most  suitable  medium  through  which 
to  appeal  to  the  film-going  people." 

The  newspapers  involved  have  an 
aggregate  circulation  of  about  12,- 
500,000.  Value  of  the  display  adver- 
tising concerned  runs  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  i250,000  ($700,000)  a  year. 

Beaverbrook's  morning  newspaper, 
the  widely-circulated  Daily  Express, 
which  was  not  involved  in  the  Rank- 
Eckman  action,  promptly  announced 
that  it  would  be  ''embarrassed"  if  it 
were  the  only  newspaper  in  the  group 
to  carry  film  advertising,  and  dropped 
the  ads  forthwith. 

Another  reaction  was  a  sav- 
age, vitriolic  attack  by  Beaver- 
brook's critic-writer  Leonard 
Mosley  on  what  he  called  the 
"bashings,  brutality  and  lubric- 
ity" of  Hollywood  "poison  films." 

Observers  here  believe  that  more  of 
the  same  is  to  be  expected  but  signs 
already  are  to  be  discerned  that  in  the 
very  near  future  there  will  be  a  get- 
together  between  publishers  and  in- 
dustry leaders.  The  latter  ask  only 
that  there  be  less  spleen  and  spite 
from  the  irresponsible  sections  of  the 
pampered  critical  faculty. 


Skouras  Tribute 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lightenment  to  the  world  would  be 
more  easily  accomplished. 

Other  speakers  were  Harry  Brandt, 
who  was  toastmaster,  and  Si  Fabian, 
president  of  Fabian  Enterprises.  Both 
paid  tribute  to  Skouras  on  behalf  of 
the  assembled  guests.  Skouras  was 
also  commended  for  his  devotion  to 
and  activity  in  behalf  of  philanthropic 
causes  and  his  vision  and  foresight  in 
pioneering  in  such  improvements  as 
Eidophor. 

Basing  his  comments  on  the  tour 
which  took  him  to  22  countries, 
Skouras  said  the  industry  should  be 
organized  with  as  much  care  for  the 
great  mission  it  has  to  fulfill  as  any 
other  American  industry  or  govern- 
ment agency.  Industry  and  govern- 
ment representatives  abroad  must  be 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  history 
and  backgrounds  of  the  countries  in 
which  they  serve,  and  they  must 
familiarize  themselves  with  the 
language,  he  added. 

Organization  and  business  states- 
manship must  be  utilized,  he  con- 
tinued, along  with  the  distribution  of 
a  well-rounded  program  of  films 
which  portray  the  American  life  as 


Chinese  Theatre  where  Zukor,  who 
founded  the  star  system,  will  join  Hol- 
lywood's Hall  of  Fame  when  he  im- 
plants his  foot  and  hand  prints  along- 
side many  screen  immortals  to  whom 
he  gave  their  first  opportunity  and 
brought  lasting  fame.  Zukor  will  place 
his  prints  alongside  those  of  Mary 
Pickford,  his  first  important  star  dis- 
covery. 

The  first  company  executive  to  be 
so  honored,  he  will  be  assisted  in  the 
ceremony  by  Charles  P.  Skouras,  pres- 
ident of  Fox-West  Coast,  and  Rose- 
mary Clooney,  Paramount  star. 

Veteran  Paramount  employes,  most 
of  whom  began  their  careers  under 
Zukor's  leadership,  and  studio  officials 
and  stars  will  honor  Zukor  at  a  lunch- 
eon in  the  studio  restaurant  tomorrow. 
Eighty  of  the  oldest  studio  employes 
in  point  of  service  will  attend  the 
event. 

An  all-star  entertainment  group  has 
been  assembled  under  the  direction  of 
Rouben  Mamoulian  for  the  80th  birth- 
day celebration  dinner.  At  the  speak- 
ers' table  will  be  Mary  Pickford, 
Mayor  Fletcher  Bowron  of  Los  An- 
geles, Cecil  B.  DeMille,  Jesse  Lasky 
and  others.  Bob  Hope  will  preside  as 
master  of  ceremonies,  and  will  have 
with  him  top-name  entertainers  Dean 
Martin  and  Jerry  Lewis,  Marge  and 
Gower  Champion,  Jane  Powell,  How- 
ard Keel,  Rosemary  Clooney,  Nelson 
Eddy,  Mary  Pickford,  Donald  Duck 
in  the  person  of  Clarence  Nash  and 
William  (Hopalong  Cassidy)  Boyd. 

Other  outstanding  personalities  in 
the  film  industry  who  are  expected  to 
attend  are  Roy  Brewer,  Dorothy  La- 
mour,  Brod  Crawford,  Glenn  Ford, 
Laura  Elliot,  Janet  Gaynor,  Rex  Al- 
len,   Edward    Arnold,    Theda  Bara, 


Arbitration 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

at  the  Allied  board  parleys, 
which  will  be  held  Sunday 
through  Tuesday,  the  subject 
has  not  been  placed  on  the  in- 
formal agenda.  In  fact,  as  of 
yesterday,  there  was  no  indica- 
tion that  arbitration  would  be 
debated. 

A  formal  agenda  is  not  expected  to 
be  prepared  until  the  directors  arrive 
in  New  Orleans.  The  entire  issue  of 
arbitration,  insofar  as  Allied' s  partici- 
pation is  concerned,  may  be  side- 
tracked unless  president  Wilbur  Sna- 
per  brings  it  up. 

A  spokesman  for  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  said  yes- 
terday that  it  was  "quite  probable" 
that  a  meeting  on  arbitration  would  be 
held  among  major  company  represen- 
tatives this  week. 


Hope  May  Headline  Fair 

Toronto,  Jan.  6. — Bob  Hope  may 
headline  the  1953  grandstand  show  at 
Toronto's  annual  Canadian  National 
Exhibition,  according  to  Jack  Arthur, 
newly-appointed  producer  of  the  show. 
The  stint  includes  14  performances, 
Aug.  28  to  Sept.  12.  Hope  is  reported 
to  have,  asked  for  $85,000. 


it  is.  Skouras  also  mentioned  his  trip 
to  Switzerland,  where  he  consulted 
with  Swiss  engineers  on  late  refine- 
ments in  20th's  Eidophor  CBS  color 
theatre  television  system,  which  is  ex- 
pected to  be  in  operation  in  U.  S. 
theatres  before  1954. 


William  Bendix,  Tony  Curtis  and 
Janet  Leigh,  Donald  Crisp,  Judy  Ca- 
nova,  Bill  Demarest,  Helen  Ferguson, 
William  Farnum,  William  Holden, 
Audrey  Totter,  Henry  Wilcoxon, 
Louise  Fazenda  (Mrs.  Hal  Wallis), 
Carmel  Myers  (Mrs.  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg),  Vera  Ralston  (Mrs.  Herbert 
Yates),  Don  Taylor,  Rhonda  Fleming, 
Lizabeth  Scott,  Stan  Laurel,  Carme- 
lita  Geraghty  (Mrs.  Cary  Wilson), 
Will  Rogers,  Jr.,  Virginia  Mayo, 
Mitzi  Gaynor  and  Monte  Blue. 

The  celebration,  which  is  sponsored 
by  Variety  Clubs  International,  will 
be  presided  over  by  national  chairman 
R.  J.  O'Donnell  as  toastmaster.  The 
invocation  will  be  given  by  Rabbi 
Maxwell  H.  Dubin  of  Wilshire  Tem- 
ple. Tributes  to  Zukor's  many  achieve- 
ments will  be  extended  by  industry 
and  civic  notables. 

Charles  Skouras  is  chairman  of  the 
Variety  Clubs  dinner  committee  in 
charge  of  the  Hollywood  event  which 
will  be  the  first  of  year-long  tributes 
to  Zukor.  Similar  dinners  are  plan- 
ned for  Dallas  in  February,  New  York 
City  in  March,  Chicago  in  April, 
Mexico  City  in  May,  and  Canada  will 
join  the  celebration  with  a  dinner  in 
Toronto  in  June.  Similar  tributes  to 
Zukor  are  planned  in  Europe  later, 
when  he  will  make  a  tour  of  European 
capitals.  Zukor  will  personally  attend 
each  of  the  events. 

More  than  twenty  members  of  the 
Zukor  family  will  join  in  the  Holly- 
wood celebration.  Paramount  home 
office  executives  who  have  come  from 
New  York  to  attend  the  dinner  in- 
clude :  Barney  Balaban,  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg,  E.  K.  O'Shea,  Jerry  Pickman, 
Russell  Holman,  George  Weltner, 
Austin  C.  Keough  and  Paul  Raibourn. 


Cites  Theatre  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

a  compilation  of  field  reports,  called 
the  firm's  sales  convention  an  out- 
standing success.  He  added  that  Lees 
would  certainly  consider  the  use  of 
theatre  television  again. 

Praise  for  the  program,  which  was 
booked  and  produced  by  Theatre  Tele- 
Sessions,  a  subsidiary  of  Theatre  Net- 
work Television,  was  also  voiced  by 
Joseph  McFarland,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  Lees  sales,  and  Homer 
Evans,  director  of  advertising  and 
sales  promotion. 


Some  of  West  Lags 
In  Tax  Campaign 


San  Francisco,  Jan.  6. — Some  of 
the  Western  states  are  behind  sched- 
ule in  lining  up  legislators'  support 
of  repeal  of  the  Federal  admission  tax, 
a  "score  board"  published  in  the  cur- 
rent organizational  bulletin  of  West- 
ern Theatre  Owners  discloses. 

As  of  December,  the  report  shows, 
the  state  of  Washington  had  less  than 
half  its  Congressmen  pledged ;  Oregon 
results  were  described  as  "bad  to 
date" ;  Southern  California  and  Ari- 
zona were  similarly  described ;  Idaho, 
Nevada  and  Montana  had  more  than 
half  their  Congressmen  pledged;  while 
Northern  California,  Wyoming  and 
Colorado  had  all  Congressmen 
pledged,  according  to  the  WTO  bulle- 
tin. 


Zukor  Sees 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

banquet  tomorrow  night. 

Zukor  is  completing  his  half-cen- 
tury of  motion  picture  activity  with 
the  same  enthusiasm  and  optimism 
that  influenced  his  entrance  into  the 
amusement  industry  in  1903  when, 
with  Marcus  Loew,  he  opened  a  penny 
arcade  in  New  York. 

Zukor,  in  a  birthday  interview  given 
to  Motion  Picture  Daily  this  year 
as  he  has  annually  for  more  than  10 
years  past,  foresaw  a  new  era  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  business  with  the  advance- 
ments made  in  the  three-dimensional 
field.  Although  Cinerama  is  not  a 
tri-dimensional  project  in  fact,  Zukor 
said,  it  was  that  innovation  that  re- 
vived the  interest  in  "depth"  in  pic- 
tures. He  pointed  out  that  40  years 
ago  Edwin  S.  Porter,  an  associate, 
did  considerable  research  in  three-di- 
mension and  that  it  would  be  possible 
to  again  make  available  those  old 
films.  With  the  improved  polaroid 
glasses,  the  pictures  still  would  be 
good,  he  said. 

"I  believe,"  Zukor  continued,  "that 
greater  efforts  will  be  made  in  the 
three-dimensional  field  this  year  than 
ever  before  and  that  within  three  years 
the  process  will  be  perfected  so  that 
glasses  will  not  be  necessary.  The 
new  medium  will  be  as  much  of  a 
stimulant  to  the  industry  as  talking 
pictures  were  in  the  beginning.  As 
public  interest  continues,  all  compa- 
nies will  plunge  into  the  production 
of  the  three-dimension  films." 

Zukor  expressed  hope  and  confi- 
dence that  an  effective  arbitration  sys- 
tem would  be  evolved  during  the  new 
year.  Many  of  the  problems  within 
the  industry  are  due  to  "selfish  inter- 
ests," he  said,  and  nothing  can  be 
accomplished  by  exhibition  and  dis- 
tribution "lambasting"  each  other.  An 
arbitration  system  is  necessary  for  the 
"preservation  of  all  of  us,"  Zukor 
asserted. 

While  it  is  a  bromide  to  repeat  that 
"good  pictures  do  good  business," 
Zukor  said  that  despite  some  business 
recession  last  year,  it  was  encouraging 
to  note  that  strong  pictures  grossed 
as  much  as  they  did  at  any  time  in 
the  past.  He  said  that  Hollywood 
producers  were  awake  to  the  situa- 
tion and  that  greater  attention  to  pub- 
lic tastes  would  be  given  this  year 
than  ever  before.  Hollywood  must 
spend  money  "judiciously,"  he  pointed 
out,  but  not  at  the  sacrifice  of  quality. 
The  public  will  continue  to  patronize 
good  pictures  and  the  result  will  war- 
rant expenditures,  he  added. 

"The  industry  has  overcome  past 
problems  and  obstacles,"  Zukor  stated. 
"We  have  gone  through  all  the  tests 
and  television  will  not  be  a  competitive 
factor  as  long  as  good  pictures  are 
made.  And  great  pictures  are  coming 
from  Paramount  and  other  studios  this 
year." 

Oklahoma  Units  Set 
Tax  Talk  with  Kerr 

Oklahoma  City,  Jan.  6.  — ■  A  tax 
meeting  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organiza- 
tions and  approved  by  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  Oklahoma  and  the  local 
Allied  unit  will  be  held  here  Friday 
at  the  Oklahoma  Club  to  present  argu- 
ments to  Senator  Kerr  on  the  unfair- 
ness of  the  20  per  cent  admission  tax. 

Oklahoma  TO  directors  held  a 
meeting  here  yesterday  at  which  the 
tax  situation  was  discussed,  with  pres- 
ident Morris  Lowenstein  reporting. 


TWAs 


Nightly  between  Los  Angeles  and  New  York  via  Chicago. 
Full-length  sleeping  berths  available  at  additional  cost. 

Now  TWA  offers  transcontinental  "Ambassador"  service  .  .  .  provid- 
ing all  of  the  luxurious  features  that  have  distinguished  TWA 
"Ambassador"  flights  to  Europe,  and  more! 

You're  in  important,  exciting  company  from  the  moment  you 
set  foot  on  the  rich  red  carpet  that  leads  to  your  flight.  Your  plane 
is  a  giant  new  Super  Constellation,  expressly  built  by  Lockheed  for 
TWA,  and  one  of  the  most  powerful  airliners  in  the  skies  today. 
Your  accommodations  are  the  finest:  restful  lean-back  club  chairs 
or  luxurious  full-length  sleeping  berths.  And  you  can  enjoy  delicious 
between -meal  refreshments  and  friendly  conversation  with  your 
fellow  passengers  in  the  gaily  decorated  lounge. 

On  your  next  cross-country  trip  plan  to  go  on  the  "Ambassador" 
.  .  .  truly  the  most  luxurious  transcontinental  flights  ever  offered. 
For  reservations,  see  your  travel  agent  or  call  Trans  World  Airlines, 
LExington  2-7100. 


ACROSS    THE    U.S.   AND    OVERSEAS  . 


FLY—S 

TRANS  WORLD  AIRLINES 

U.S.A.  •  fUROPf  •  AFRICA  •  ASIA 


133.2% 
INCREASE 


105% 

INCREASE 


102.3% 
INCREASE 


47.6% 
INCREASE 


42.4% 
INCREASE 


£<0?M/?&00  all  your  costs  with 
the  LOW  COST,  Service- 
With-A-Smile  Policy  of  The 
Prize  Baby 


See  who's  sitting  at  the  bottom . , . 
it's  the  Prize  Baby... low,  LOW  man  on 
your  totem  pole  of  towering  costs  in 
your  living  expenses  and  in  the  opera- 
tion of  your  theatre  (living  costs  alone 
have  risen  an  average  of  90.8%  since 
1939).  *  His  negligible  increase  in  costs 
to  you,  IF  ANY,  stands  out  in  striking 
contrast  to  the  tremendous  increase  in 
prices  on  all  your  basic  purchases  dur- 
ing this  period. 

^  *  Price  Increase  of  Basic  Commodities  according  to 
Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics 


\Qcbeen 


imiiomi,  \  cum  SERVICE 

p/tizf  BttBY  of  memousmr 


VOL.  73.    NO.  5 


TEN  CENTS 


'Memory  Lane'  Keynotes 
Zukor  Jubilee  Banquet 

Hollywood,  Jan.  7. — Adolph  Zukor's  50  years  of  service  to  the  motion 
picture  industry  and  his  80th  birthday  were  climaxed  here  last  night 
with  a  "golden  jubilee"  celebration  at  the  Hollywood  Palladium,  an 
event  that  drew  a  star-studded  and  celebrity-packed  audience  from  the 

amusement    and   civic    orbits.  More 


Schary  Earn ings  o f 
$200,000  Tops  All 
Loew's  Executives 


Washington,  Jan.  7. — Dore  Schary, 
vice-president  of  Loew's,  Inc.  in  charge 
of  production,  earned  $200,000  for  the 
fiscal  year  ended  Aug.  31,  1952,  top- 
ping the  earnings  of  all  other  Loew's 
executives,  the  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Commission  was  informed. 

Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  president,  re- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


than  1,000  persons  attended  the  ban- 
quet, sponsored  by  Variety  Clubs  In- 
ternational and  planned  as  an  all-in- 
dustry tribute  to  the  pioneer  who,  it 
was  stated,  "more  than  anyone  else 
elevated  the  lowly  film  business  to  the 
status  of  a  world  industry." 

The  evening  was  marked  by  many 
features  and  highlights,  sparked  by 
Bob  Hope  as  master  of  ceremonies 
who  shared  the  entertainment  menu 
with  approximately  100  performers.  A 
parade  of  stars  of  yesterday  and  of  to- 
day was  led  by  Mary  Pickford,  Zu- 
kor's first  important  star,  who  pre- 
sented him  with  a  rose  and  a  hug,  a 
dramatic  moment  in  an  evening  that 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Cinerama  Ends 
20-City  Survey 
Of  Theatres 


Plans  Three  Openings 
A  Month  by  Early  Fall 


Cinerama,  Inc.,  has  completed  a 
20-city  survey  of  theatres  that 
might  be  suitable  for  the  installa- 
tion of  the  necessary  equipment, 
but  the  next  engagement  of  the  new 
medium  has  not  been  set.  Indications 
are  that  Chicago's  Palace  Theatre 
will  be  the  first  house  outside  of  New 
York  to  present  "This  Is  Cinerama," 
but  no  deal  has  been  concluded. 

Tentative  plans  call  for  one 
opening  a  month  between  March 
and  early  summer,  two  open- 
ings monthly  until  early  fall 
and  three  openings  per  month 
thereafter. 

The  current  engagement  at  the 
Broadway  Theatre  here  is  expected 
to  run  for  at  least  a  year  with  no 
change  in  the  subject  matter.  How- 
ever, plans  are  under  way  for  a  new 
program  to  be  photographed  late  this 
year. 


Eight  Majors  Sue 
On  Percentages 


Tampa,  Fla.,  Jan.  7. — Eight  major 
film  companies  have  brought  suits 
against  Charles  C.  Sutton,  Drive-in 
theatre  operator,  charging  him  with 
misrepresenting  admission  receipts. 
Sutton  owns  the  Skyvue  Drive-in  at 
St.  Petersburg  and  the  Bonnet-Lake 
Drive-in  at  Sebring. 

The  plaintiffs  charge  that  he  re- 
ported collections  "substantially  less" 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Reade  to  Address 
AMP  A  Graduates 

Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  presi- 
dent of  Walter  Reade  Thea- 
tres, will  be  the  principal 
speaker  at  the  graduation  ex- 
ercises of  the  Associated  Mo- 
tion Picture  Advertisers' 
Showmanship  School  to  be 
held  in  the  Hotel  Piccadilly 
next  Thursday,  reports  Harry 
K.  McWilliams,  AMPA  presi- 
dent. Diplomas  will  be  award- 
ed to  students  who  attended 
nine  or  more  of  the  12  ses- 
sions. 


Exhibitors  Meeting 
On  Polio  Tomorrow 


Representatives  of  circuits  and  asso- 
ciated organizations  will  attend  a 
luncheon-meeting  here  on  behalf  of 
the  infantile  paralysis  fund  drive  to- 
morrow in  the  dining  room  of  United 
Paramount  Theatres.  The  hosts  will 
be  Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  president 
of  UPT,  and  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  pres- 
ident of  20th  Century-Fox,  co-chair- 
men of  the  Motion  Picture  Committee 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Hearing  on  Building 
Code  Tomorrow 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  7. — The  hear- 
ing in  New  York  City  Friday  before 
the  State  Board  of  Standards  and  Ap- 
peals on  proposed  revisions  to  Rule 
No.  36  for  theatres  and  other  places 
of  public  assembly  will  be  followed  by 
further  sessions  here  and  in  New  York 
but  probably  not  in  the  Western  part 
of  the  state.  The  first  hearing  was 
held  here  in  Dec.  1951.    Since  then 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Start  Talks 
On  Exchange 
Pacts  Today 


Philadelphia  1st  Stop 
For  Key  City  Confabs 

The  distributors'  branch  opera- 
tions committee,  representing  all  of 
the  majors,  today  will  go  to  Phila- 
delphia for  the  leadoff  negotiations 
that  will  eventually  result  in  new  con- 
tracts for  exchange  employes  in  every 
key  city  in  the  country. 

Under  a  new  setup,  pacts  with 
exchange  unions  will  be  nego- 
tiated on  a  local  level  instead 
of  on  a  national  basis  conducted 
by  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  Stage  Employes. 

Tom  Murray  of  Universal  Pic- 
tures, new  chairman  of  the  branch 
operations  committee,  will  head  the 
delegation  to  Philadelphia  today.  Mur- 
ray has  succeeded  Arthur  Israel  of 
Paramount,  as  chairman. 

Also  scheduled  to  attend  the  Phila- 
delphia sessions  are  Joseph  McMahon, 
Republic  ;  Bernard  Goodman,  Warner 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


New  Republic  TV 
Film  Deals  Pend 


Active  negotiations  for  the  sale  of 
104  Republic  feature  films  to  tele- 
vision stations  throughout  the  country 
are  progressing,  a  spokesman  for  Hol- 
lywood Television  Services,  Inc.,  a 
completely  owned  subsidiary  of  Re- 
public Pictures,  disclosed  here  yester- 
day. 

Despite  some  exhibitor  opposition, 
the  spokesman  claimed  that  since  the 
initial  sale  of  the  104-film  package  to 
WCBS-TV  here  last  month,  the  pro- 

(Continucd  on  page  7) 


Contends  'Immorality'  Ban 
Still  Holds  in  New  York 


Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  7. — The  Board  of  Regents  of  New  York  contend- 
ed today  that  although  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  in  its  "Miracle"  decision 
had  invalidated  "sacrilegious"  as  a  ground  for  refusing  to  license  pic- 
tures, films  could  still  be  refused  a  license  on  grounds  of  immorality. 

The  Regents'  argument  was  pro- 
pounded by  Dr.  Charles  A.  Brind,  Jr., 
counsel  for  the  state  licensing  agency, 
in  the  "La  Ronde"  case  before  the 
Court  of  Appeals.  Dr.  Brind  stated 
that  the  Supreme  Court  thought  that 
the  term  "sacrilegious"  had  different 
meanings  for  various  religions  and 
sects  and  therefore  made  its  ruling. 
He  contended,  however,  that  "im- 
moral" had  a  definite,  broadly  ac- 
cepted meaning,  and  it  applied  to  "La 
Ronde,"  the  French-made  picture 
which  is  being  distributed  by  Com- 
mercial Pictures  Corp. 

Mrs.  Florence  Perlow  Shientag,  at- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Details  Belgium's 
Decree  for  Subsidy 


Washington,  Jan.  7. — Commerce 
Department  film  chief  Nathan  D. 
Golden  has  outlined  the  provisions 
of  a  new  Belgian  government  decree 
subsidizing  domestic  film  producers. 

The  subsidy  to  be  paid,  he  said,  is 
to  be  based  on  a  percentage  of  the 
exhibition  tax  collected  by  the  gov- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Fourth  Tax  Repeal 
Bill  in  the  House 

Washington,  Jan.  7. — Rep. 
Fisher  (D.,  Tex.)  today  intro- 
duced legislation  to  end  the 
20  per  cent  Federal  tax  on 
theatre  admissions.  He  was 
the  fourth  member  of  Con- 
gress to  sponsor  such  a  bill; 
previously,  Rep.  Dingell  (D., 
Mich.);  Mason  (R.,  111.)  and 
Wickersham  (D.,  Okla.)  had 
dropped  similar  bills  into  the 
House  hopper. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  8,  1955 


Zukor  Jubilee  Banquet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Personal 
Mention 

SEYMOUR  MAYER,  Loew's  In- 
ternational Far  Eastern  super- 
visor, will  leave  here  Saturday  by 
plane  via  London  and  Paris  for  his 
territory. 

• 

Max  E.  YOUNGSTEIN,  vice-presi- 
dent of  United  Artists,  has  arrived  in 
Hollywood  from  New  York  and  on 
Monday  he  will  fly  to  New  Orleans 
to  address  the  convention  there  of 
Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  the  Gulf 
States. 

• 

James  M.  Connolly,  Boston 
branch  manager  for  20th  Century- 
Fox,  was  elected  president  of  that 
city's  unit  of  Serra  International,  an 
organization  dedicated  to  the  foster- 
ing of  religious  vocations. 

• 

Roy  Locksley  of  Famous  Players 
Canadian  Corp.  has  been  elected  sec- 
retary for  five  years  of  Toronto  Local 
No.  149  of  the  Federation  of  Musi- 
cians. 

• 

W.  Gillespie  Milwain,  National 
Theatre  Supply  branch  manager  in 
New  Haven,  has  resigned  to  become 
associated  with  the  Milwain  Theatre, 
Bardwell,  Ky. 

• 

Irving  Lesser  and  Seymour  Poe 
of  Producers  Representatives  will  re- 
turn here  from  the  Coast  on  Mon- 
day. 

• 

Terry  Turner  of  Mutual  Broad- 
casting will  be  released  from  Roose- 
velt Hospital  here  today  after  a  short 
illness. 

• 

Jerome  M.  Evans,  Universal  home 
office  exploitation  representative,  left 
here  yesterday  for  Florida. 

• 

Abe  Schwartz  and  Abe  Kramer 
of  Associated  Theatres  in  Cleveland 
are  vacationing  in  Florida. 

• 

Marshall  Sling,  Universal  office 
manager  in  Jacksonville,  has  returned 
there  from  a  Georgia  vacation. 


Name  Manson  to 
MGM  Press  Post 

Arthur  Manson,  who  has  been  an 
advance  agent  for  several  shows  and 
an  independent  press  agent  for  sev- 
eral years,  has  been  appointed  field 
press  representative  for  M-G-M  in 
Canada,  it  was  announced  by  Dan  S. 
Terrell,  publicity  and  promotion  man- 
ager. Manson  succeeds  the  late  Dewey 
Bloom  and  will  have  headquarters  at 
the  M-G-M  office  in  Toronto. 


Rites  for  Mrs.  Howson 

Funeral  services  for  Mrs.  Loretta 
Healy  Howson,  69,  retired  Shakes- 
pearean actress  and  wife  of  Albert  S. 
Howson,  director  of  censorship  for 
Warner  Brothers,  will  be  held  tomor- 
row at  Our  Lady  Queen  of  Martyrs 
Church  in  Forest  Hills,  Long  Island. 
Mrs.  Howson  died  Tuesday  at  Horace 
Harding  Hospital,  Elmhurst,  Queens. 
Surviving,  besides  the  widower,  are  a 
sister  and  a  brother. 


was    full    of    drama    and  nostalgia. 

At  the  principal  table  with  the  guest 
of  honor  and  Mrs.  Zukor  were  Mayor 
and  Mrs.  Fletcher  Bowron,  Barney 
Balaban,  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jesse  L.  Lasky,  Mary  Pickford 
and  her  husband,  Charles  (Buddy) 
Rogers,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  J. 
O'Dounell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Y.  Frank 
Freeman  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  W. 
Schwalberg.  The  invocation  was  given 
by  Rabbi  Maxwell  Ii.  Dubin  of  the 
W'ilshire  Boulevard  Temple. 

Rueben  Mamoulian  presented  a  ca- 
valcade of  picture  clips  from  early 
films  to  the  present,  the  presentation 
being  narrated  by  Lionel  Barrymore. 
Rosemary  Clooney  sang  "Happy 
Birthday"  as  a  festive  cake  was  placed 
in  front  of  Zukor.  Tribute  on  behalf 
of  the  Hollywood  crafts  and  guilds 
was  given  by  Carey  Wilson  for  the 
producers ;  Artie  Camp,  a  property 
man ;  F.  Hugh  Herbert,  for  the  screen 
writers ;  William  Holden,  for  the  ac- 
tors ;  George  Sidney,  for  the  direc- 
tors,, and  Stella  Gray,  the  oldest  office 
employe  in  the  point  of  service  at 
Paramount. 

The  formal  speechmaking  was  short 
but  impressive.  The  speakers,  in  addi- 
tion to  Zukor,  were  R.  J.  O'Donnell, 
international  chairman  of  the  Zukor 
jubilee;  Mayor  Bowron,  representing 
civic  interests;  Laskyr  and  DeMille, 
early  associates  of  Zukor,  and  Roy  M. 
Brewer,  president  of  the  Hollywood 
AFL  Film  Council. 

In  his  introductory  remarks, 
O'Donnell  said  "it  may  well  be 
said  that  Thomas  Edison  in- 
vented the  motion  picture,  and 
Adolph  Zukor  took  it  from 
there."  Asserting  that  "none  of 
us  would  be  in  the  positions  we 
are  today  had  it  not  been  for 
his  pioneering  vision  and  cour- 
age," O'Donnell  described  Zu- 
kor as  "Mr.  Motion  Pictures." 

Zukor's  address  reflected  the  keen- 
ness of  his  mind  and  his  confidence 


13  'Wac'  Openings  in 
Washington  Area 

RKO  Radio  has  set  13  openings  of 
Frederick  Brisson's  "Never  Wave  at 
a  Wac"  in  the  Washington  territory 
to  coincide  with  or  follow  shortly 
after  the  Capital  world  premiere  on 
Jan.  28  at  the  Keith  Theatre,  it  was 
announced. 

The  13  openings  are:  Washington, 
the  Booker  T  Theatre  on  Jan.  29 ; 
Richmond,  Byrd  and  State,  Jan.  28 ; 
Petersburg,  Century,  Feb.  1  ;  Nor- 
folk, Newport  and  Colley,  Jan.  28 ; 
Roanoke,  Grandin  and  Lee,  Feb.  1, 
and  the  Jefferson  on  Feb.  5 ;  Char- 
lottesville, Jefferson  and  University, 
Feb.  1  ;  Newport  News,  James  on 
Feb.  1,  and  in  Bristol,  the  Cameo  on 
Feb.  8'. 


To  Entertain  'Ike' 

Washington,  Jan.  7.  —  John 
Wayne,  Irene  Dunne,  Esther  Williams 
and  Dorothy  Lamour  have  been  added 
to  the  list  of  film  stars  who  will  en- 
tertain at  the  Eisenhower  Inaugural 
Festival  here  on  Monday. 


in  the  future  of  the  industry,  a  con- 
fidence as  strong  today  as  it  was  SO 
years  ago.  He  said  that  "we  are  just 
on  the  threshold  of  the  greatest  era 
the  screen  has  seen,  an  era  which  will 
bring  fabulous  new  stars,  startling  new 
technical  developments  and  the  best 
stories  in  years." 

Except  for  a  brief  account  of  how, 
in  1936,  he  urged  Balaban  to  accept 
the  presidency  of  Paramount,  Zukor 
was  not  reminiscent  in  his  speech.  He 
painted  a  glowing  picture  of  the  fu- 
ture, predicted  greater  developments  in 
tri-dimensional  photography  and  the 
"limitless  possibilities  offered  by  the 
fusion  of  the  motion  nicture  and  pro- 
jection by  television."  He  concluded 
by  saying  he  was  keenly  aware  "that 
the  life  I  have  lived  could  have  been 
lived  only  in  the  United  States." 

DeMille's  contribution  was  a  series 
of  anecdotes  concerning  Zukor,  stories 
of  how  the  guest  of  honor  once  wrote 
Chinese  mottos  for  a  restaurant  and 
fought  as  a  bantamweight  to  help  sup- 
port his  family.  He  described  Zukor 
as  a  great  general  and  told  the  audi- 
ence :  "Remember  this  man — you  who 
are  today's  heirs  to  what  he  built.  He 
has  handed  down  to  you  an  industry, 
an  art  form,  that  is  the  greatest  med- 
ium of  expression  ever  known." 

Lasky  recalled  the  early  struggles 
when  Zukor's  Famous  Players  Film 
Co.  merged  with  the  Jesse  L.  Lasky 
Feature  Play  Co.  in  1916  to  become 
Famous  Players-Lasky  Corp.  He  gave 
a  montage  of  memories  that  singled 
out  Zukor  as  a  man  of  vision  in  devel- 
oping both  the  domestic  and  foreign 
markets  of  the  industry. 

Mayor  Bowron  summarized  his  re- 
marks with  the  statement  that  "we 
here  in  California  can  be  grateful  to 
this  man  who  brought  this  industry 
here  and  let  its  roots  grow  deep  in 
our  soil  and  made  us  a  part  of  it." 

Lasky  presented  Zukor  with  a  large 
plaque  with  the-  pioneer's  portrait  in 
relief.  A  plaque  also  was  presented  by 
Brewer  on  behalf  of  all  studio  unions. 


Cleveland  Owners 
To  Elect  Jan.  20 

Cleveland,  Jan.  7. — The  Cleveland 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  Association 
will  hold  its  annual,  meeting  to  elect 
officers  on  Jan.  20.  Ernest  Schwartz 
has  been  president  for  the  past  19 
years  and  Miss  Ricki  Labowitch  has 
been  association  secretary  for  21  years. 

Dave  Left  Leaves 
United  Artists  Post 

Cleveland,  Jan.  7.  —  Dave  Leff, 
United  Artists  local  branch  manager, 
has  resigned.  He  came  here  from  Buf- 
falo about  a  month  ago  to  succeed 
Manny  Brown.  Until  a  successor  is 
named  district  manager  Moe  Dudelson 
will  manage  the  branch. 


To  Honor  Sam  Harris 

London,  Jan.  7. — The  industry  here 
is  organizing  a  dinner  and  dance  to  be 
held  at  the  Savoy  Hotel  on  Feb.  10 
in  recognition  of  the  80th  birthday  of 
Sam  Harris,  and  his  42nd  year  as 
publisher  of  The  Cinema. 


'Ike'  Sends  Zukor 
Congratulatory  Wire 

Hollywood,  Jan.  7. — Presi- 
dent-elect Eisenhower  wired 
Adolph  Zukor  at  the  jubilee 
banquet  here  in  his  honor, 
"Heartiest  congratulations  on 
your  80th  birthday  and  your 
50th  anniversary  in  the  mo- 
tion) picture  business.  As 
one  of  founding  fathers  of 
motion  pictures,  you  have 
helped  build  a  great  industry 
and  can  look  back  with  satis- 
faction upon  a  lifetime  of 
public  service.  Many  happy 
returns  of  the  day  to  you." 


Lapidus  to  Conduct 
2  Warner  Meetings 


Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Brothers' 
Eastern  and  Canadian  division  sales 
manager,  will  preside  over  meetings  of 
the  company's  Mid-Atlantic  and  Cen- 
tral district  sales  forces  to  be  held 
Friday  in  Philadelphia  and  Saturday 
in  Pittsburgh. 

Attending  the  Philadelphia  meeting 
will  be  Robert  Smeltzer,  Mid-Atlantic 
district  manager,  and  branch  managers 
William  G.  Mansell,  Philadelphia,  and 
Peter  R.  DeFazio,  Washington.  The 
meeting  in  Pittsburgh  will  be  attended 
by  James  S.  Abrose,  Central  district 
manager,  and  branch  managers  Robert 
H.  Dunbar,  Cincinnati ;  James  M. 
Wechsler,  Cleveland;  Claude  W.  Mc- 
Kean,  Indianapolis  ;  Jack  Kalmenson, 
Pittsburgh. 

Robert  H.  McGuire,  home  office 
auditor  of  exchanges,  will  accompany 
Lapidus  to  both  meetings. 


Building  Code 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

four  others  have  taken  place. 

New  requirements  for  sprinklers  and 
fire  detectors  —  "inexpensive  devices 
which  give  warnings" — are  among  the 
subjects  which  may  be  considered  at 
future  meetings. 

Elimination,  in  drafts  four  and  five 
of  the  proposed  mandate  for  the  filing 
of  casualty  reports  by  theatres  "rep- 
resents the  present  thinking  on  the 
subject,"  a  board  spokesman  explained. 

The  Metropolitan  Motion  Picture 
Theatres  Association,  the  Albany 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  and  the 
Schine  Circuit  were  among  those 
which  opposed  the  casualty  report  re- 
quirements. 


MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  Yorlt 
3720  W.  6th  St.,  Los  Angeles 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwm  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Kamsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivai..  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy.  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertisms  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FT  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  Nortti 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
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In  "Peter  Pan"  Walt  Disney,  master  story-teller  of  our  time,  lias  created  a  new 
achievement  in  motion  picture  entertainment.Even  unf  or^ettable"Snow White" 
and  matchless  "Cinderella"  were  hut  preparation  for  this,  his  greatest  triumph. 
For  "Peter  Pan"  is  a  picture  that  will  live  in  the  hearts  of  the  world  forever. 

Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  will  establish  unprecedented  grosses  and  around- 
the-cloch  attendance  for  theatres  everywhere! 

R  KO  is  now  ready  to  consider  negotiations  for  pre-release  engagements. 


PRE-RELEASE  WORLD  PREMIERE 

rearuary  5,  1953 
ROXY  THEATRE,  New  York 

STATE-LAKE  THEATRE,  Chicago 


"  -;  M 


and  A  NEW  ACHIEVEMENT  in 
MOTION  PICTURE  PROMOTION! 

Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  will  be  launched  on 
the  crest  o  f  tlie  greatest  advertising,  publicity  and 
exploitation  campaign  in  tli e  lii story  of  slio w 
business. 

To  mention  only  one  pbase  of  tbis  vast  promo- 
tional effort,  four  nationally  -  known  companies  — 
eacb  a  leader  in  its  field  — will  spend  more  an 
$4,000,000  in  "Peter  Pan"  tie-in  advertising. 

Every  facet  of  sbowmansbip  will  be  utilized  — 
national  magazines,  newspapers,  television,  radio, 
point-of-sale,  tie-in  displays,  direct  mail. 

All  tbis  will  be  reflected  at  your  boxoffice,  wben 
you  play . . . 


Distributed  by  RK0  Radio  Pictures,  Inc. 


*  1 


Thursday,  January  8,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Expand  BeWs 
TV  Network 


Three  additional  links  have  been 
added  to  the  Bell  Telephone  System's 
nationwide  radio-relay  network,  pro- 
viding expanded  facilities  for  telephone 
and  television  service. 

The  long  lines  department  of  the 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.  announced  that  an  additional 
Westbound  channel  had  been  placed  in 
service  between  Chicago  and  the  West 
Coast  on  the  transcontinental  route. 
This  channel  parallels  existing  radio- 
relay  facilities  which  are  routed  to  the 
Coast  via  Omaha  and  Salt  Lake  City. 

2  Additional  Channels 

The  Pacific  Telephone  and  Tele- 
graph Co.  announced,  meanwhile,  that 
it  had  opened  two  additional  channels, 
one  Northbound  and  one  Southbound 
between  Los  Angeles  and  the  San 
Francisco  area. 

The  Northbound  channel  originates 
at  Los  Angeles  and  is  routed  to  San 
Francisco  via  Oakland.  The  South- 
bound channel  connects  Oakland  with 
Los  Angeles.  Both  of  these  channels 
are  joined  to  the  transcontinental 
route  opened  by  the  Bell  System  Aug. 
17,  1951. 

Open  Orlando-Tampa  Coaxial  Cable 

A  coaxial  cable  between  Orlando 
and  Tampa,  Fla.  which  will  provide 
initially  some  90  long  distance  tele- 
phone circuits,  has  been  placed  in 
service,  according  to  an  announcement 
by  the  long  lines  department  of  A.T. 
and  T.  When  fully  developed,  it  was 
said,  the  system  will  be  capable  of 
carrying  network  radio  and  television 
programs  as  well  as  telephone  con- 
versations. 


Exchange  Pacts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Brothers;  Clarence  Hill,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox ;  Michael  Rosen,  M-G-M ; 
A.  A.  Schubart,  RKO  Pictures; 
Henry  Kaufman,  Columbia ;  William 
Brenner,  National  Screen  Service ; 
Jules  Chapman,  United  Artists,  and 
Israel. 

It  is  not  likely  that  the  entire  com- 
mittee will  make  a  tour  of  the  na- 
tional network  of  exchanges,  although 
the  exact  procedure  has  not  yet  been 
determined.  It  is  possible  that  local 
representatives  of  the  national  dis- 
tributors will  negotiate  the  pacts  with 
local  unions  in  each  exchange  city. 


Eight  Majors 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


than  the  true  receipts  in  "gross  disre- 
gard of  right  and  interest  of  the  plain- 
tiffs." Suits  were  filed  by  Columbia, 
Paramount,  Loew's,  20th-Fox,  War- 
ner, RKO  Radio,  United  Artists  and 
Universal. 

Representing  the  distributors  was 
the  law  firm  of  McFarlane,  Ferguson, 
Allison  and  Kelly,  with  Sargoy  and 
Stein,  New  York,  of  counsel. 


'Bali/  'Hans'  Top  Boston 

Boston,  Jan.  7. — "Road  to  Bali"  at 
the  Metropolitan  and  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  at  the  Astor,  both  in  their 
second  week,  are  setting  the  pace  for 
first-run  grosses  here,  with  the  former 
hitting  $27,000  and  the  latter  $30,000. 
Each  grossed  $40,000  in  their  first 
week. 


Schary  Earnings  Tops 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ceived  $130,714  for  the  fiscal  year  as 
salary  and  $45,185  in  bonuses  and  a 
share  in  profits,  giving  him  gross 
earnings  of  $175,899.  Edgar  J.  Man- 
nix,  vice-president,  earned  $159,471  as 
salary  and  $25,304  in  bonuses  and 
profit-sharing,  giving  him  total  earn- 
ings of  $184,775. 

Other  salaries  listed  include :  J.  Ro- 
bert Rubin,  vice-president  and  counsel, 
$104,571,  plus  bonuses  and  a  share  in 
profit  of  $22,426 ;  William  F.  Rodgers, 
vice-president,  $110,271  ;  Charles  C. 
Moskowitz,  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer, $156,  857;  Joseph  R.  Vogel,  vice- 
president,  $156,857;  Leopold  Friedman, 
vice-president,  secretary  and  counsel, 
$130,714 ;  Eugene  W.  Leake,  director 
and  chairman  of  the  company's  audit 


Meeting  on  Polio 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 


for  Infantile  Paralysis. 

Corporate  gifts  and  collections  from 
employes  and  vendors  with  whom  the- 
atres do  business  will  be  announced 
by  Harry  Kalmine  of  Warner  Brothers 
Theatres ;  Sam  Rinzler,  Randforce ; 
Herman  Robbins,  National  Screen ; 
Fred  Schwartz,  Century  Circuit ;  Dick 
Dickson,  Roxy  Theatre ;  Joseph  Vo- 
gel, Loew's  Theatres ;  Sol  Schwartz, 
RKO  Theatres  ;  Maurice  Maurer,  City 
Investing  Co. ;  Russell  Downing,  Ra- 
dio City  Music  Hall ;  Dave  Wein- 
stock,  Raybond  Theatres. 

Also,  Harry  Brandt,  Brandt  Thea- 
tres Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Reade  Thea- 
tres; Walter  Brecher,  Leo  Brecher 
Theatres ;  Solomon  Strausberg,  Inter- 
boro  Circuit ;  Ben  Sherman,  ABC 
V ending  Co. ;  Herman  Becker,  Rug- 
off  and  Becker  Theatres,  and  Si  Fa- 
bian of  Fabian  Theatres. 


Republic  TV 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


tests  have  not  been  too  numerous. 

He  said  that  deals  were  pending 
with  a  number  of  TV  stations,  declin- 
ing to  state  the  localities  prior  to  the 
signing  of  contracts.  The  spokesman 
described  the  current  TV  market  for 
feature  films  as  "good"  and  predicted 
that  it  would  grow  better  by  the  end 
of  this  year,  with  the  addition  of  from 
20  to  30  TV  stations.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  Hollywood  Television 
Services  received  $200,000  from 
WCBS-TV  for  the  exclusive  TV 
showing  of  the  104  films  in  the  New 
York  market,  considered  the  lushest 
in  the  country.  Other  deals  have  been 
consummated  on  the  Coast  with  sta- 
tions KTTV  and  KLAC  in  Los  An- 
geles for  the  film  package. 

Most  of  the  features  in  the  pack- 
age were  produced  between  1945  and 
1948  and  consist  of  musicals,  comedies, 
adventure  stories  and  "mysteries. 


Belgium's  Decree 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ernment  on  the  film  programs  of 
which  domestic  films  form  a  part.  The 
subsidy  to  be  paid  to  producers  of 
full-length  entertainment  films  is  70 
per  cent  of  the  tax  collected.  The 
percentage  for  documentary  and  short 
films  is  25  per  cent,  and  for  newsreels 
five  per  cent.  The  definition  for  a  pro- 
ducer of  domestic  newsreels  specifi- 
cally excludes  any  firms  which  depend 
in  any  way  on  a  foreign  newsreel 
company. 


and  finance  committee,  $25,600. 

All  officers  and  directors  as  a  group 
earned  $1,852,607  for  the  year,  it  was 
stated. 

The  report  also  noted  that  pursuant 
to  Rodgers'  previous  employment  con- 
tract, Loew's  also  deposited  $70,500  in 
an  escrow  fund  during-  the  year  end- 
ing Aug.  31,  1952.  Under  the  terms 
of  the  contract,  Rodgers  has  been  re- 
ceiving out  of  the  fund  $1,738  monthly 
during  the  fiscal  year  and  commencing 
July  27,  1952,  he  has  been  receiving 
an  additional  sum  of  $2,175  monthly. 
No  further  payments,  it  was  added, 
will  be  made  to  the  escrow  fund. 

The  report  listed  the  following  com- 
mon stock  options,  some  of  which  were 
granted  during  the  year,  with  the  price 
per  share  fixed  at  16  7/16 :  Schary, 
100,000  shares;  Arthur  M.  Loew, 
president  of  Loew's  International 
Corp.,  40,000;  Benjamin  Thau,  vice- 
president,  27,500 ;  Vogel,  director  and 
vice-president,  27,500  ;  Moskowitz,  27,- 
500;  Louis  K.  Sidney,  vice-president, 
27,500. 

Loew's  informed  the  SEC  that  the 
following  amounts  were  paid  for  the 
benefit  of  executives  pursuant  to  the 
retirement  plan  :  Schenck,  $52,996,  Ru- 
bin, $40,015;  Mannix,  $49,961;  Rod- 
gers, $39,061;  Moskowitz,  $32,752; 
Vogel,  $22,017;  Friedman,  $38,981. 

The  annual  benefits  estimated  to  be 
payable  under  the  retirement  plan  for 
the  executives  were  listed  as  follows : 
Schenck,  $49,700;  Rubin,  $45,246; 
Mannix,  $49,700;  Rodgers,  $28,483; 
Moskowitz,  $31,780;  Vogel.  $30,406; 
Friedman,  $27,687. 


'Immorality 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

torney  for  Commercial  Pictures,  used 
the  following  arguments  in  seeking  a 
reversal  of  the  3-2  decision  of  the 
lower  court  upholding  the  ban :  that 
the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  in  "The 
Miracle"  case  had  ruled  prior  restraint 
on  motion  pictures  unconstitutional ; 
"La  Ronde"  had  been  shown  to  critical 
acclaim  in  90  American  cities  with- 
out any  breach  of  the  peace  or  harm  ; 
and  that  the  Regents'  standards  were 
vague  and  undefinable. 

The  seven  judges  of  the  state's  high- 
est tribunal  had  viewed  a  morning  ex- 
hibition of  the  film  in  the  court  room 
before  the  hour-long  session  devoted 
to  the  hearing.  The  Regents  had  ruled 
the  picture  "immoral  and  tends  to  cor- 
rupt morals." 

Pressed  for  a  definition  of  "im- 
moral," Dr.  Brind  replied  that  there 
was  a  "consensus  of  the  people"  on 
the  meaning  of  "immoral"  and  ex- 
pressed his  certainty  that  the  Regents 
had  properly  interpreted  this  consensus 
in  its  ruling.  "The  Regents  react"  to 
a  film,  he  declared,  and  "if  they  react 
incorrectly,  the  courts  can  correct 
them." 


Max  Thorpe  Coming 

London,  Jan.  7. — Max  Thorpe,  vice- 
president  of  Columbia  Pictures  Inter- 
national, and  managing  director  of 
Columbia  here,  will  leave  for  New 
York  by  plane  on  Sunday  for  two 
weeks  of  conferences  at  the  home 
office  on  the  company's  1953  release 
plans.  He  will  be  accompanied  by 
Alan  Tucker,  publicity  manager  for 
the  company  here. 


THE  THIRD  ANNUAL 
COMMUNION  BREAKFAST 

for  Catholic  people  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  in  the  New  York  area  will 
be  held  Sunday,  February  1.  Mass  at 
nine  o'clock  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral, 
with  breakfast  immediately  following 
in  the  Grand  Ballroom  of  the  Hotel 
Waldorf-Astoria. 


For  information  and  tickets,  com- 
municate with  the  member  of  the  Spon- 
soring Committee  in  your  office,  or 
Miss  Marguerite  Bourdette,  Room 
1107,  1501  Broadway.  Tel.:  BRyant 
9-8700. 

^  Tickets  $3.75  each. 


A  Red-Hot 
RECORD  BOXOFFICE  Story ! 

...from  Charles  Skouras 


4 

/ 


/ 


ROMULUS  presents  JOSE  FERRER  m  John  Huston's  "MOULIN 

SUZANNE  FLON  •  And  Introducing  •  |  COLETTE  MARCHAND  |  • , 

Screenplay  by  Anthony  Veiller  and  John  Huston  •  From  the  Novel  "I 

( Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniyer 


....  ROUGE"' Color  by  Technicolor •  with  ZSA  ZSA  GABOR 

ND    •  A  ROMULUS  Production  •  Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 
Novel  "MOULIN  ROUGE"  by  PIERRE  LA  MURE 

.nniversary  Feb.  15-22)   


'ANOTHER 
TOP  GROSSER 
FROM  THE 
COMPANY 
THAT  GAVE  YOU 
"THE  AFRICAN 
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MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  6 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  9,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Urges  NCAA  to 
Keep  Tight 
TV  Controls 

But  Committee  Proposes 
Two  Games  Per  TV  Area 


Washington,  Jan.  8. — A  recom- 
mendation for  the  maintenance  of 
tight  controls  on  college  football 
home  telecasts,  considered  a  source 
of  competition  with  motion  picture 
theatres  in  many  sections  of  the  coun- 
try, was  made  here  today  by  the  Na- 
tional Collegiate  Athletic  Association's 
television  committee. 

The  committee  added,  however,  that 
some  consideration  be  given  to  a  plan 
to  permit  two  games  to  be  shown  at  a 
time  in  any  one  area,  compared  to  the 
present  one-game  limit. 

For  the  past  two  years,  football  TV 
has  been  limited  to  one  game  a  week, 
distributed  on  a  nationwide  basis. 
"Supervision  of  college  football  tele- 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


2,800  Weekly  to 
Jack  Cohn  of  Col. 


A  new  four-year  contract  for  Jack 
Cohn,  executive  vice-president  of  Co- 
lumbia Pictures,  calling  for  a  weekly 
salary  of  $2,500  and  a  $300  weekly 
expense  allowance,  was  disclosed  here 
yesterday  in  a  proxy  statement  to 
stockholders. 

The  new  contract,  which  supersedes 
the  one  which  expired  on  Dec.  31  and 
which  called  for  salary  and  expense 
payments  equal  to  the  new  agreement, 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


3  'Brotherhood  Week' 
Campaign  Judges 

Three  trade  press  represen- 
tatives will  judge  campaigns 
submitted  by  exhibitors  for 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  Feb.  15- 
22,  which  will  mark  the  silver 
anniversary  of  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and 
Jews. 

Walter  Brooks  of  Motion 
Picture  Herald :  Chester 
Friedman  of  Boxoffice,  and 
Morton  Sunshine  of  the  In- 
dependent Film  Journal  will 
judge  the  campaigns,  it  was 
announced  by  Si  Seadler,  na- 
tional publicity  and  advertis- 
ing chairman  for  the  indus- 
try's participation. 


7,000  Playdates  in 
'Show's'  1st  Year 

Cecil  B.  DeMille's  "The 
Greatest  Show  on  Earth"  had 
its  world  pre-release  premiere 
at  Radio  City  Music  Hall  here 
one  year  ago  today  and  since 
then  the  picture  has  played 
7,000  dates  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  The  do- 
mestic gross  to  date  is  $11,- 
800,000  and  it  is  estimated 
that  the  film  will  play  in  at 
least  8,000  additional  theatres. 


Week-Long  Sales 
Meeting  Called  by 
Para.  's  Schwalberg 

A.  W.  Schwalberg,  president  of 
Paramount  Film  Distributing  Corp., 
has  called  a  sales  meeting  for  the  week 
of  Jan.  26  at  the  Hotel  Plaza,  New 
York. 

The  meeting,  at  which  Schwalberg 
will  preside,  will  discuss  new  product 
as  well  as  ideas  and  suggestions  gath- 
ered by  Schwalberg,  E.  K.  (Ted) 
O'Shea,  distribution  vice-president, 
and  Jerry  Pickman,  vice-president  in 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


David  Rose  to  Make 
Three  Films  in  '53 


David  E.  Rose  plans  a  program  of 
three  pictures,  all  of  which  will  be 
made  abroad,  in  1953,  the  producer 
said  here  yesterday  upon  his  arrival 
from  the  Coast.  He  will  leave  tomor- 
row for  England  and  will  return  to 
New  York  in  about  three  weeks. 

Negotiations  for  Rose's  acquisition 
of  the  rights  to  "Lawrence  of  Arabia" 
are  nearing  completion,  he  said.  Only 
one  more  signature  is  needed  to  close 
the  deal  and  it  is  in  that  connection 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Aaron  to  Preside  at 
Milwaukee  Meeting 

Edwin  W.  Aaron,  Western  sales 
manager  for  20th  Century-Fox,  will 
leave  New  York  over  the  weekend 
for  Milwaukee  where  he  will  hold 
meetings  on  Monday  with  Midwest 
division  personnel,  headed  by  M.  A. 
Levy. 

Attending  the  discussions,  to  set 
plans  for  first  quarter  releases,  will 
be  branch  managers  R.  L.  Conn,  Des 
Moines ;  J.  R.  Neger,  Kansas  City ; 
J.  H.  Lorentz,  Milwaukee ;  S.  Mali- 
sow,  Minneapolis ;  J.  E.  Scott, 
Omaha,  and  Gordon  F.  Halloran,  St. 
Louis. 


Walker,  in  Absence 
Of  President,  at 
TV.  Y.  Helm  of  RKO 


J.  Miller  Walker,  since  his  reelec- 
tion as  vice-president,  general  coun- 
sel, secretary  and  a  director  of  RKO 
Pictures,  is  the  ranking  company  ex- 
ecutive in  the  East  while  the  post  of 
president  remains  unfilled. 

Following  his  appointment  to  the 
board  and  the  posts  designated  to  him 
last  month,  Walker  has  been  operat- 
ing the  company  in  the  East.  His 
calendar,  it  is  learned,  is  crowded 
with  conferences  on  such  company 
problems  as  sales  campaigns,  release 
schedules,  and  linking  studio  opera- 
tions with  distribution  headquarters 
here. 

He  also  has  conferred  with  Ned  E. 
Depinet,  former  president  and  cur- 
rently company  "consultant." 

Walker  declined  comment  on  when 
the  new  five-man  board  would  meet 
or  where,  whether  in  New  York  or 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


Set  Chi.  TV  Show 
To  Build  Attendance 


Chicago,  Jan.  8. — A  new  television 
program  designed  to  build  motion  pic- 
ture theatre  attendance  here  will  make 
its  debut  on  WBKB,  the  Balaban  and 
Katz  television  station,  on  Monday. 

The  program,  called  "Family  Movie 
Quiz,"  will  feature  an  audience  par- 
ticipation idea,  with  film  fans  who 
have  registered  at  their  favorite  the- 
atres eligible  to  be  called  on  the  tele- 
phone to  be  asked  what  is  playing  at 
a  specific  theatre  that  night — the  idea 
being  to  encourage  reading  of  the 
motion  picture  pages  of  the  news- 
papers. The  prize  each  evening  on 
the  telephone  quiz  will  be  a  night  out, 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


UA  Italian  Partners 
Study  Story  Market 

United  Artists'  joint  Italian  produc- 
tion deal  with  Angelo  Rizzoli  and 
Robert  Haggiag,  which  was  an- 
nounced last  Dec.  3,  will  not  get 
under  way  for  several  months,  al- 
though UA's  partners  in  the  setup  are 
now  combing  the  story  market  for 
suitable  material,  Arthur  Krim,  UA 
president,  said  here  yesterday.  Krim 
concluded  the  deal  in  Naples  late  last 
year.  The  contemplated  pictures  will 
be  made  on  location  throughout  Italy, 
Krim  said. 

UA's  new  Italian  distribution  com- 
pany, resulting  from  the  merger  of 
Dearfilm,  a  distributing  organization, 
{Continued  on  page  2) 


Snaper,  Majors 
Meeting  Today 
On  Arbitration 

Seek  Agreement  on  Eve 
Of  Allied  Sessions 


The  possibility  that  national  Al- 
lied and  the  distributors  may  reach 
an  understanding  on  disputed  points 
in  the  drafts  of  a  proposed  arbitra- 
tion system  may  be  realized  today 
when  Wilbur  Snaper,  Allied  president, 
and  possibly  other  Allied  leaders, 
meet  here  with  company  executives 
on  the  arbitration  issue. 

It  was  reported  that  the  session 
was  initiated  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  in  an  effort 
to  clarify  the  situation  prior  to  the 
meeting  of  Allied's  board  of  direc- 
tors in  New  Orleans.  Whether  Eric 
Johnston,  MPAA  president,  will  at- 
tend today's  meeting  could  not  be  con- 
firmed late  yesterday,  but  it  is  known 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


Balaban  in  Tribute 
To  Adolph  Zukor 


Hollywood,  Jan.  8.— Paying  tribute 
to  Adolph  Zukor  as  "Mr.  Para- 
mount," Paramount  president  Barney 
Balaban  yesterday  unveiled  a  bronze 
bust  of  the  pioneer  and  sparked  a 
luncheon  honoring  the  chairman  of 
Paramount's  board  of  directors,  upon 
the  twin  occasions  of  his  80th  birth- 
day and  his  50th  year  in  the  industry. 

Attending  the  event  at  Paramount 
studio's  commissary  were  the  80  oldest 
company  employes  in  point  of  service, 
as  well  as  industry  leaders  and  several 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


$32,000  Already  in 
For  Polio  Benefit 

The  special  New  York 
premiere  of  Warner  Brothers' 
"The  Jazz  Singer"  at  the 
Paramount  Theatre,  Tuesday 
evening,  is  on  the  way  to  the 
sellout  mark  with  all  proceeds 
going  to  the  National  Founda- 
tion for  Infantile  Paralysis, 
Warners  reported  here  yes- 
terday. More  than  $32,000  is 
already  in,  with  a  minimum 
goal  of  $50,000  set  by  the 
group  of  newspaper,  radio  and 
business  personalities  who 
are  pooling  efforts  to  promote 
the  affair. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  9,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


RICHARD  CONDON,  RKO 
Radio  advertising-publicity  direc- 
tor, will  leave  here  on  Monday  for  the 
Coast. 

• 

Ed  Berkson,  treasurer  of  Screen- 
craft  Pictures,  announces  the  birth  of 
his  second  child,  a  girl  named  Laurie 
Ann,  to  his  wife  in  Jewish  Memorial 
Hospital.  His  father  is  Jack  Berk- 
son,  Screencraft  president. 

• 

Joseph  Walsh,  Paramount's 
branch  operations  manager,  will 
arrive  in  Seattle  Sunday  from  Los 
Angeles,  and  will  visit  several  cities 
in  the  West  and  Midwest  before  re- 
turning here  on  Jan.  26. 

• 

Nick  Tronolone,  former  vice- 
president  of  Pathe  Laboratories  and 
now  a  film  and  television  consultant, 
will  leave  here  by  plane  tomorrow 
for  a  two-week  trip  to  Europe. 
• 

Sidney  Kramer,  RKO  Radio  short 
subjects  sales  manager,  will  leave  here 
for  Toronto  over  the  weekend. 


12  Tents  Respond  to 
'Goodwill'  Train  Idea 

Boston,  Jan.  8. — Twelve  of  the  36 
Variety  Tents  in  the  United  States 
have  already  been  heard  from  with 
regard  to  the  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national's projected  plan  to  send  a 
"goodwill"  milk  train  to  Mexico  City, 
according  to  William  S.  Koster, 
chairman  of  the  activity.  All  of  the  12 
Tents  are  awaiting  meetings  of  their 
new  crews  to  discuss  the  plan. 

International  chief  Barker  Jack 
Beresin  will  meet  with  Koster  in  New- 
York  soon  to  discuss  further  details. 

More  Variety  Plans 
On  'Goodwill'  Train 

Boston,  Jan.  8.  —  Variety  Clubs 
International's  tentative  plans  for  the 
projected  "goodwill"  train  containing 
powdered  milk  for  the  children  of 
Mexico  City,  where  the  1953  conven- 
tion will  be  held,  were  disclosed  here 
to  the  New  England  Tent  by  the 
general  chairman  of  the  plan,  William 
S.  Koster. 

The  train,  starting  in  New  Eng- 
land, will  visit  all  cities  in  the  U.  S. 
where  there  are  Tents  to  pick  up  the 
powdered  milk  obtained  by  the  local 
Tent,  as  well  as  "goodwill"  messages 
to  Mexican  government  officials.  The 
train,  which  will  get  under  way  one 
month  prior  to  the  convention,  will  be 
decorated  for  showmanship  values. 
All  of  the  foregoing  depends  on 
whether  there  are  enough  Tents  par- 
ticipating in  the  program,  said 
Koster. 


Hoch  Joins  Cinerama 

Hollywood,  Jan.  8. — Winton  Hoch, 
Academy  Award-winning  cinematog- 
rapher,  has  been  signed  by  Cinerama 
to  a  three-way  contract  as  producer, 
director  and  cameraman,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  Louis  B.  Mayer, 
chairman  of  the  board,  and  Merian  C. 
Cooper,  vice-president  and  general 
manager  in  charge  of  production. 


Meeting  Today  on  Arbitration 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  Johnston  is  keenly  interested  in 
having  a  plan  established. 

The  Allied  directors  will  open  their 
winter  meeting  on  Sunday  at  the 
Jung  Hotel  in  conjunction  with  Gulf 
States  Allied's  annual  convention.  As 
of  late  yesterday,  the  subject  of  ar- 
bitration was  said  to  have  been 
omitted  from  the  tentative  agenda, 
with  the  responsibility  of  bringing  the 
matter  before  the  board  resting  with 
Snaper.  However,  in  view  of  today's 
meeting  it  appears  that  the  issue  may 
hold  an  important  spot  in  the  over- 
all proceedings.  Allied's  strategy  on 
trade  problems  also  is  expected  to  be 
discussed  at  the  sessions. 

To  Deliver  Report 

Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied  general 
counsel  and  board  chairman,  is  sched- 
uled to  deliver  his  annual  report  to 
the  directors  on  Sunday.  This  re- 
port, it  is  understood,  will  embrace 
a  review  of  last  year's  activities  and 
the  results  of  Myers'  request,  at  the 
Chicago  convention,  for  information 
from  the  various  units  on  the  alleged 
irregularities  in  the  distributors'  ad- 


herence to  the  provisions  of  the  con- 
sent decree. 

The  board,  it  is  reported,  will  de- 
cide whether  to  take  action  on  the 
question  of  initiating  litigation  in 
cases  where  malpractice  has  been  au- 
thenticated or  take  other  steps  to  cor- 
rect the  alleged  abuses,  or  to  hold 
action  in  abeyance  pending  the  gath- 
ering of  additional  information. 
Nomination  Certain 

It  is  certain  that  Wilbur  Snaper 
will  be  nominated  for  reelection  to 
the  presidency  of  the  association.  It 
has  been  Allied's  practice  for  many 
years  to  elect  a  president  for  two 
terms.  Snaper  is  concluding  his  first 
year. 

Despite  the  importance  of  other  is- 
sues to  come  before  the  board,  it  is 
the  arbitration  factor  that  holds  the 
industry's  attention.  Allied's  accept- 
ance of  the  existing  drafts  for  an  ar- 
bitration system  is  expected  to  pave 
the  way  for  the  establishment  of  a 
plan.  Allied  rejected  the  distributors' 
arbitration  proposals  at  the  annual 
convention  in  Chicago  last  November. 


Walker  at  Helm 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


on  the  Coast.  It  was  learned,  how- 
ever that  Howard  Hughes,  chairman 
of  the  board,  has  been  conferring  on 
the  Coast  on  the  problem  of  selecting 
a  president  for  the  company.  Noah 
Dietrich,  currently  a  board  member,  is 
the  man  still  reported  in  line  for  the 
presidency  if  an  agreement  regarding 
the  autonomy  of  Dietrich  can  be 
worked  out. 

One  motivation  for  a  decision  re- 
garding the  presidency  in  the  not  too 
distant  future  is  the  upcoming  court 
hearing  on  the  application  for  a  re- 
ceivership filed  by  three  minority 
stockholders.  The  hearing  has  been 
set  for  Jan.  26  and  Justice  Henry 
Clay  Greenberg  of  the  New  York  Su- 
preme Court  in  setting  the  date,  has 
served  notice  that  he  would  be  very 
reluctant  to  grant  any  further  delays 
in  the  case. 


Set  Chi.  TV  Show 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

including  a  dinner  for  the  winner's 
family  at  a  top  restaurant,  admission 
to  a  theatre  of  their  choice,  and  a 
chance  to  win  jackpot  prizes. 

The  program,  sponsored  by  Triad 
Storm  Windows,  will  be  aired  every 
night,  Monday  through  Friday,  from 
11:15  to  11:30.  Barney  Grant  will 
be  master  of  ceremonies. 


N.  Y.  Tent  to  See  Kaye 

As  its  first  big  activity  of  the  sea- 
son, Variety  Club  No.  35  of  New 
York  will  take  over  the  Palace  Thea- 
tre on  Feb.  25  to  see  the  Danny  Kaye 
show.  The  event  will  have  the  co- 
operation of  RKO  Theatres. 


Set  Ia.-Neh.  Convention 

Des  Moines,  Jan.  8. — The  annual 
convention  of  Allied  of  Iowa-Nebraska 
will  be  held  at  the  Ft.  Des  Moines 
Hotel  here,  May  12  and  13. 


Balaban  in  Tribute 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


stars.  At  the  head  table  with  Zukor 
and  Balaban  were  Y.  Frank  Freeman, 
Cecil  B.  DeMille,  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  Paul  Raibourn,  George  Weltner, 
Al  Schwalberg,  Jerry  Pickman,  Ted 
O'Shea,  Jacob  Karp,  Don  Hartman, 
Russell  Holman  and  Austin  Keough. 

Balaban  paid  tribute  to  Zukor  as  "a 
trusted  advisor"  and  "devoted  friend," 
and  said  that  "during  the  many  years 
in  which  we  have  been  closely  asso- 
ciated, I  have  had  abundant  cause  to 
be  grateful  for  his  wise  counsel, 
staunch  loyalty  and  unfailing  courage. 

"As  president  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, I  have  been  credited  with  much 
of  the  progress  made  by  our  company 
during  the  years  that  followed  Para- 
mount's emergence  from  its  difficulties 
in  the  middle  1930's.  What  I  did  was 
merely  to  build  upon  the  solid  founda- 
tion that  Adolph  Zukor's  vision  had 
created  before  me,"  added  Balaban. 


Study  Story  Market 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


and  DAI,  UA's  franchised  distribu- 
tor in  Italy,  has  started  operations  for 
the  exclusive  distribution  of  UA  prod- 
uct in  Italy. 

Meanwhile,  UA  has  started  to  re- 
lease "Don  Camillo,"  produced  by  Riz- 
zoli,  in  the  Latin  American  market. 
Krim  also  yesterday  formally  an- 
nounced the  acquisition  of  "Genghis 
Khan,"  produced  in  the  Philippines  by 
Manuel  Conde,  for  worldwide  dis- 
tribution. 


$1.06  (V  Dividend 

The  board  of  directors  of  Universal 
Pictures  has  declared  a  quarterly  divi- 
dend of  $1.06  per  share  on  the  4]4  per 
cent  cumulative  preferred  stock  of  the 
company,  payable  on  March  2  to 
stockholders  of  record  on  Feb.  16. 


Lip  pert  Takes' Texan' 
To  Chicago  Meeting 

Hollywood,  Jan.  8. — Lippert 
franchise  holders  in  their 
first  annual  meeting  Saturday 
and  Sunday  at  the  Blackstone 
Hotel,  Chicago,  will  be  shown 
'The  Tall  Texan,"  a  forthcom- 
ing release,  which  Lippert  is 
taking  with  him  from  the 
Coast  studio. 

It  is  understood  the  first 
steps  toward  joint-financing 
by  Lippert  and  the  franchise 
holders  of  feature  product  by 
independent  producers  will  be 
taken  at  the  meeting.  Gen- 
eral sales  manager  Arthur 
Greenblatt  will  preside. 


Skouras  Presents  a 
Plaque  to  Hurok 

Sol  Hurok,  the  concert  manager 
who  has  been  made  the  subject  of  a 
new  20th  Century-Fox  musical,  "To- 
night We  Sing,"  opening  next  month 
at  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  was  hon- 
ored last  night  at  a  dinner-concert 
sponsored  by  the  American  Fund  for 
Israel  Institutions,  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel  here. 

Ceremonies,  which  included  a  show- 
ing of  scenes  from  the  film,  saw 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  20th-Fox  presi- 
dent and  honorary  chairman  of  the 
event,  present  to  Hurok  a  silver  Bible 
and  a  plaque  mounted  with  the  shields 
of  the  12  tribes  of  Israel. 


Hold  Osa  Johnson 
Rites  Here  Today 

Services  will  be  held  here  today  at 
the  Columbus  Circle  Chapel  for  Osa 
Johnson,  widow  of  the  big-game 
hunter  Martin  Johnson,  with  whom, 
primarily  on  African  trips,  she  did 
filming  for  Hollywood  studios.  Mrs. 
Johnson,  who  is  survived  by  her  mother 
and  an  uncle,  died  here  Tuesday. 

She  went  on  motion  picture  expe- 
ditions not  only  to  Africa  but  to  Aus- 
tralia, Borneo  and  the  South  Seas. 
"Stanley  and  Livingstone,"  released  by 
20th  Century-Fox  in  1939,  was  one  of 
the  films  made  from  footage  from  her 
journeys. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center  — — ^— 


"MILLION  DOLLAR  MERMAID" 

Esther  WILLIAMS  •  Victor  MATURE 
Walter  PIDGEON  •  David  BRIAN 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR  .  An  M-G-M  Picture 

Plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


!»uitl»  HAY 


fLAUDt  DAUI1MN 


Color  or 


Midnight  foalvr* 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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 •' Tames  P  Cunningham  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R  Weaver '  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  Nortfc 
Clark  Street  FR  2-2S43  Washington  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  £>.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor-  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  =econd-class  matter.  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c 


Friday,  January  9,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Urges  NCAA 


(Coiitinucd  from  page  1) 


casts  must  be  maintained,"  the  NCAA 
TV  committee  said  in  a  report  to 
the  full  convention.  But  it  said  that 
some  attention  should  be  paid  to  tele- 
vising regional  games. 

Chairman  Robert  A.  Hall  of  Yale 
University  said  it  might  be  possible 
next  fall  to  have  each  area  show;  the 
national  game  and  one  other  regional 
game.  All  details  must  be  worked 
out  later,  he  said. 

The  convention  will  take  up  the  re- 
port tomorrow,  and  is  expected  to  go 
along  with  its  committee.  Notre 
Dame  and  Pennsylvania  have  been 
fighting  to  permit  each  college  to 
make  its  own  decision  on  televising  its 
games. 

"Television  continues  to  be  a  seri- 
ous threat  to  the  welfare  of  college 
football,"  the  NCAA  TV  committee 
said.  It  added  that  its  program  was 
"in  the  middle  course  of  moderation 
and  reasonableness." 


Rose  to  Make  Three 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Review 


that  he  is  going  to  England.  He  also 
will  see  the  color  print  of  "Sea 
Devils,"  which  he  produced  in  Eng- 
land with  Raoul  Walsh  directing. 
RKO  Radio  will  release  that  produc- 
tion. 

In  addition  to  "Lawrence  of  Ara- 
bia," Rose  will  produce  two  pictures 
with  African  locales.  The  first,  an 
untitled  original,  will  go  before  the 
cameras  in  the  spring-.  The  second 
will  be  "African  Rifles,"  for  which  he 
is  seeking  Gregory  Peck  to  star.  Rose 
said  he  had  obtained  the  services  of 
Walsh  to  direct  at  least  one  of  his  trio 
of  pictures  for  this  year. 

No  distribution  deal  has  been  set 
for  the  year's  program,  but  he  said 
he  would  discuss  releasing  deals  when 
he  returns  from  England. 


-FLY  TO 


LOS  ANGELES 

on  United's  Luxurious 

"OVERNIGHT 
HOLLYWOOD" 

Only  1  iVi  hrs.  one -stop! 

The  fine  service  of  United's  "Hollywood" 
flights  is  you:-i  on  the  "Overnight  Holly- 
wood" to  Los  Angeles.  You  leave  New 
York  after  midnight,  stop  only  at  Denver, 
enjoy  a  delicious  breakfast  aloft,  and 
arrive  in  Los  Angeles  at  8:20  a.  m.,  giv- 
ing you  a  full  day  for  business. 

United  air  lines 

COMPARE  THE  FARE  AND 
YOU'LL  GO  BY  AIR 


SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 


630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  36,  N.Y. 


"The  Mississippi  Gambler" 

(Universal-International)  Hollywood,  Jan.  8 

TP  HAT  FREE-HANDED  blending  of  movement  with  menace  and  romance 
*•  under  a  bright  coating  of  shiniest  color  by  Technicolor,  that  has  been 
paying  off  so  consistently  for  U-I  customers  during  the  past  couple  of  years, 
figures  to  serve  the  ends  of  showmanship  as  well  or  better  as  applied  to  this 
sumptuous  attraction.  The  principal  performer  in  this  one  is  the  highly  re- 
garded Tyrone  Power,  gifted  wearer  of  a  name  long  famed  in  his  profession, 
and  he  has  alongside  him,  in  addition  to  the  able  John  Mclntire  and  Paul 
Cavanagh  on  the  stern  side,  a  couple  of  rising  young  box-office  personalities 
named  Piper  Laurie  and  Julia  Adams.  The  story  is  about  high  life  aboard 
the  old  side-wheelers  that  plied  the  Mississippi  in  the  1850's,  and  ashore  in 
the  New  Orleans  of  aristocrats  and  rascals  in  satin  and  silk.  It  may  or  may 
not  be  history,  but  it's  certainly  money. 

Power  comes  into  the  picture  as  a  young  man  from  New  York  whose  am- 
bition is  to  become  a  successful  river-boat  gambler,  which  ambition  he 
achieves  in  astounding  measure,  as  the  picture  goes  on,  by  the  unique  method 
of  playing  fair  instead  of  cheating.  He  joins  forces  with  Cavanagh,  a  veteran 
of  the  river-boat  tables,  and  they  roll  up  huge  earnings  which  they  finally 
pool  to  finance  the  building  of  a  swanky  gambling  hall  in  New  Orleans. 
Meanwhile,  he's  fallen  in  love  with  Miss  Laurie,  a  haughty  belle  who  will 
have  none  of  him  because  he  once  bested  her  brother  in  a  poker  game,  and 
there  have  been  numrous  misunderstandings  and  two  duels,  not  to  mention 
fistic  encounters,  all  this  bringing  matters  to  a  state  where  the  hitherto 
estimable  young  banker  who  has  married  Miss  Laurie  steals  his  depositors' 
money  and  disappears.  Broke,  Power  heads  back  to  the  river-boats  to  gamble 
himself  a  new  fortune,  but  Miss  Laurie,  whose  marriage  has  been  dissolved 
in  a  most  convenient  manner,  catches  up  with  him  before  the  boat  sails  and 
they  clinch.  It's  a  more  orderly  narrative  than  this  synopsis  suggests,  and 
holds  up  very  well  down  to  near  the  end,  where  convenience  takes  over  for 
the  final  sprint  to  closing. 

The  production,  lavish  in  the  extreme,  is  by  Ted  Richmond,  and  the  direc- 
tion is  by  Rudolph  Mate,  from  a  story  and  screenplay  by  Seton  I.  Miller.  It's 
a  rich,  swift,  colorful  and  exploitable  picture,  sure  to  prosper. 

Running  time  98  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  William  R.  Weaver 


SPEED! 
QUALITY! 
SHOWMANSHIP! 


(ANT  BE  BEAT! 


1327  S.  WABASH 
CHICAGO  5,  ILL. 


Jack  Cohn  Contract   I  Para.  Sales  Meet 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


is  subject  to  ratification  by  stock- 
holders who  will  meet  in  New  York 
on  Feb.  9. 

Other  issues  posed  for  stockholders' 
action  include  the  election  of  nine 
directors,  the  approval  of  the  contract 
of  A.  Montague,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  domestic  sales,  the  issuance 
to  Montague  of  an  option  initially  for 
10,000  shares  of  common  stock  and 
the  issuance  to  Gerald  Rackett,  in 
charge  of  the  company's  laboratory  on 
the  Coast,  of  an  option  for  1,000 
shares  of  common  stock. 

Salaries  Listed 

The  salaries  of  top  officers,  as  listed 
in  the  proxy,  for  the  fiscal  year  ended 
June  30,  1952,  were  as  follows  :  Harry 
Cohn,  president,  $197,600;  Jack  Cohn, 
$145,600;  A.  Schneider,  vice-president 
and  treasurer,  $130,000;  N.  B.  Spin- 
gold,  vice-president  in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising— publicity,  $94,600;  Mon- 
tague, $130,000;  Donald  S.  Stralem, 
director  and  financial  advisor,  $6,000  ; 
Leo  M.  Blancke,  director  and  financial 
advisor,  $6,000. 

Directors  and  officers  as  a  group 
earned  $1,148,002  for  the  year.  It  was 
noted  that  Harry  and  Jack  Cohn  re- 
ceived $15,600  each  for  expense  allow- 
ances and  Spingold,  $8,600,  figures 
which  are  included  in  the  salary  tabu- 
lation. 

The  reelection  of  the  following 
nominees  for  the  board  was  called  for 
in  the  proxy :  Harry  and  Jack  Cohn, 
Schneider,  Blancke,  Spingold,  Mon- 
tague, Stralem,  Alfred  Hart  and 
Abraham  M.  Sonnabend. 

Of  the  670,669  shares  outstanding  as 
of  Nov.  5,  1952,  the  proxy  noted, 
Harrv  Cohn  has  the  right  to  vote 
19.14  per  cent,  and  Jack  Cohn,  12.24 
per  cent. 

Under  Montague's  new  employment 
contract,  which  runs  for  five  years 
and  is  dated  Oct.  30,  1952,  he  will 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


charge  of  advertising-publicity,  on 
their  recent  series  of  nationwide  tours. 
The  sessions  will  be  attended  by  di- 
vision managers,  their  assistants, 
branch  managers  and  home  office  ex- 
ecutives. 

On  hand,  in  addition  to  45  key  field 
executives  and  Schwalberg,  O'Shea  and 
Pickman,  will  be  Oscar  Morgan,  short 
subjects  sales  manager ;  Monroe 
Goodman,  executive  assistant  to 
Schwalberg;  Joseph  Walsh,  head  of 
branch  operations ;  Martin  Friedman, 
head  of  the  playdate  department;  Ar- 
thur Dunne,  head  of  the  contract  de- 
partment ;  Harold  Beecroft,  head  of 
the  bidding  department ;  Fred  Leroy, 
statistical  department  head,  and  Rob- 
ert J.  Rubin,  assistant  to  Barney  Bala- 
ban,  Paramount  president  (as  well  as 
Schwalberg) . 

Division  managers  who  will  attend 
are:  J.  J.  Donohue,  Central;  Howard 
Minsky,  Mid-Eastern ;  Al  Kane, 
South  Central;  Hugh  Owen,  East- 
South,  and  George  A.  Smith,  West- 
ern. 

Division  managers'  assistants  who 
will  be  at  the  meeting  are:  H.  D. 
Cohen,  Central ;  Robert  Weber,  Mid 
Eastern;  Lloyd  Henrich,  South  Cen 
tral;  E.  A.  Fitter,  Eastern-Southern, 
and  Lester  Coleman,  Western.  Henri 
Randel,  New  York  Metropolitan  dis 
trict  manager,  also  will  be  present. 


receive  $130,000  yearly,  the  same 
amount  as  in  his  expired  contract. 

The  Feb.  9  meeting  is  in  lieu  of  the 
Oct.  8,  1952  annual  stockholders  meet 


ing. 


Columbia  Dividend 

Columbia  Pictures  Corp.  yesterday- 
reported  that  its  board  had  declared  a 
quarterly  dividend  of  $1.06*4  per 
share  on  the  $4.25  cumulative  pre 
f erred  stock,  payable  on  Feb.  16  to 
stockholders  of  record  on  Feb.  2. 


RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINGS  of 

The  Filmakers  presentation  of 

"THE  HITCH-HIKER" 

ALBANY 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.        Mon.  1/19    2:00  P.M. 
1052  B/way 

ATLANTA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.      Mon.  1/19  10:30  A.M. 
195  Luckie  St.,  N.W. 
BOSTON 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.      Mon.  1/19  10 :30  A.M. 
122-28  Arlington  St. 
BUFFALO 
Mo.  Pic.  Oper. 

Scr.  Rm.  Mon.  1/19    3:30  P.M. 

498  Pearl  St. 

CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.       Mon.  1/19    2:00  P.M. 

308  S.  Church  St. 
CHICAGO 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.      Mon.  1/19  11 :00  A.M. 

1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 

CINCINNATI 
RKO  Scr.  Rm.      Mon.  1/19    8:00  P.M. 
12  E.  6th  St. 

CLEVELAND 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.        Mon.  1/19  10 :30  A.M. 
2219  Payne  Ave. 

DALLAS 

Rep.  Scr.  Rm.       Mon.  1/19  10:30  A.M. 
412  S.  Harwood  St. 
DENVER 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.  Mon.  1/19  2:00  P.M. 
2100  Stout  St. 

DES  MOINES 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.        Mon.  1/19    1:30  P.M. 
1300  High  St. 

DETROIT 
Blumenthals 

Scr.  Rm.  Mon.  1/19  10:30  A.M. 

2310  Cass  Ave. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Univ.  Scr.  Rm.     Mon.  1/19  1 :00  P.M. 

517  N.  Illinois  St. 
KANSAS  CITY 

Para  Scr.  Rm.       Mon.  1/19  2:30  P.M. 

1800  Wyandotte  St. 

LOS  ANGELES 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.      Mon.  1/19    2:00  P.M. 

1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 
MEMPHIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.       Mon.  1/19  12:15  P.M. 

151  Vance  Ave. 

MILWAUKEE 
Warner  Scr.  Rm.  Mon.  1/19  10:30  A.M. 
212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.        Mon.  1/19  10:30  A.M. 

1015  Currie  Ave. 
NEW  HAVEN 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.        Mon.  1/19  2 :00  P.M 

40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

200  S.  Liberty 
NEW  YORK 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

630  Ninth  Ave. 

OKLAHOMA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

10  North  Lee  St. 
OMAHA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

1502  Davenport  St. 

PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

250  N.  13th  St. 
PITSBURGH 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 
PORTLAND 

Star  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

925  N.W.  19th  Ave. 
ST.  LOUIS 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

3143  Olive  St. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

216  E.  1st  St.  South 
SAN  FRANCISCO 


Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
245  Hyde  St. 
SEATTLE 
Jewel  Box  Scr. 

Room  Mon. 
2318  2nd  Ave. 

SIOUX  FALLS 
Hollyw'd  Thea.  Mon. 
212  N.  Philips  Ave. 

WASHINGTON 
Film  Center 

Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
932  New  Jersey  Ave. 


1/19  10:30  A.M 
1/19  2:30  P.M. 
1/19  10:30  A.M. 
1/19  10:30  A.M. 
1/19  10:30  A.M. 
1/19  1:30  P.M, 
1/19  10:30  A.M. 
1/20  11.00  A.M 
1/19  1:00  P.M 
1/19    2:00  P.M 

1/19  2:30  P.M 
1/19    9:15  A.M 

1/19  10:30  A.M 


r 


"Smash  Hit!  This  picture  has  four  of  tl 
in  life.  It  has  warmth.  It  has  laughter! 


faith.  Plus  Danny  Thomas.  And  what  |i 

personality  is!  He  is  an  actor,  bless  hin  a 


Peggy  Lee  is  a  distinctive  doll -her  \i\ 


grows  on  you!  'The  Jazz  Singer'  is  a  fie 


to  start  off  a  Joyous 


Yearn 


RUTH  WATERBURY 
in  the 

Los  Angeles 
Examiner. 


i  greatest  things  there  are 
t  has  song.  And  it  has 


+ 


jlus  this  fantastic 


and  a  great  one 


m  ■ 


WITH 

SINCERE 
APPRECIATION 
TO  ALL  WHO 
CONTRIBUTED 
SO  MAGNIFICENTLY 
TO  ITS  MAKING 

WARNER  BROS 

"NOWfffi 
PRESENT 


7h 


9 


eway 


Mr 


COLOR  BY 


TECHNICOLOR 


PEGGY  IE 


M (LDRED  DUNNOCK  EDM  FRANZ 

row  TULLY-ALEK  GERRY- ALLYN  JOSLYN -HAROLD  GORDON 

SCREEN  PLAY  BY 

FRANK  DAVIS « LEONARD  STERN  —  LEWIS  MEUZER 

BASED  ON  THE  PLAY  BY  PRODUCED  BY 

SAMSON  RAPHAELSON  •  EOUIS  E  EDELMAN 

MUSICAL  NUMBERS  STAGED  AND  DIRECTED  BY  LE  ROY  PR  I N  Z 
MUSICAL  DIRECTION  BY  RAY  HEINDORF 

jjjjj       DIRECTED  BY 

wMOAELCllRTIZ 


★  ***★*★ ****★★**★★**  *  *  *  *  *  J 


To  Film  Men 


Who  Are  Looking 


FUST  one  month  ago,  a  new  dis- 
tribution  company,  INTERNA- 
TIONAL-United  Film  Corporation, 
was  formed.  Today  INTERNA- 
TIONAL is  ready  with  a  full  year's 
supply  of  completed  pictures — of  the 
size,  scope  and  magnitude  most 
needed  by  exhibitors  during  19  5  3. 

INTERNATIONAL'S  releases  are 
BIG  in  action!  They  are  BIG  in 
glamour!  They  are  BIG  in  romance! 
They  are  BIG  in  adventure!  They  are 
BIG  in  entertainment!  And  each  has 
been  made  with  the  BIGGEST  of 
production  values! 

If  there  ever  was  a  time  for  some- 
thing BIG  in  the  exhibition  of  motion 
pictures,  this  is  the  time! 

If  there  ever  was  a  program  of  BIG 
pictures  that  fill  the  bill,  INTER- 
NATIONAL has  them  for  YOU! 


For  BIG  Product- 


****THE  MISTRESS  OF  TREVES 
****"KILL  HIM  FOR  ME!" 
****BLACK  EAGLE 

****SWORDS  OF  THE  MUSKETEERS 

****CITY  OF  VIOLENCE 

****THE  PIRATE  PRINCE 

****The  Strange  Case  of 
MAN  AND  BEAST 

****THE  WICKED  LADY  ANNE 

****SON  OF  THE  HUNCHBACK 

****PRISONER  OF  VENICE 

****HIGH  TENSION 

****THE  MAN  IN  THE  RED  MASK 

****Starting  with  THE  MISTRESS  OF 
TREVES  which  will  be  nationally  released 
on  February  15  th,  this  entire  INTER- 
NATIONAL program  will  be  released  dur- 
ing 1953  at  the  rate  of  one  production  every 
three  and  a  half  weeks. 

****The  following  pictures  are  NOW  available 
for  screening  in  New  York:  THE  MIS- 
TRESS OF  TREVES,  "KILL  HIM  FOR 
ME!",  BLACK  EAGLE,  SWORDS  OF 
THE  MUSKETEERS,  CITY  OF  VIO- 
LENCE. 


UNITED  FILM  CORPORATION 
ONE  EAST  57TH  STREET       •       NEW  YORK  22.  N.  Y. 

Plaza  5-4190 

DAVID  COPLAN,  President  Executive  Vice-President,  WALTER  GOULD 

*>    *    *  *    *    *    +    +    ^   +    +    ^    +    ^    ^  ^  ^  ^    ^   +    +  + 


4 
* 


VOL.  73.    NO.  7 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  12,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

UNDER  the  urgencies — for  dis- 
tribution as  well  as  exhibition 
— of  current  business  conditions 
there  would  seem  to  be  some  room 
for  a  number  of  serious  tests  of 
what  is  being  termed  "incentive" 
selling. 

Various  formulas  have  been  sug- 
gested by  exhibitor  organizations 
and  individuals  but,  basically,  the 
term  has  come  to  mean  any  sales 
policy  which  increases  the  exhibi- 
tor's share  of  earnings  when  the 
gross  exceeds  specified  levels. 

Production  and  distribution  voices 
repeatedly  urge  exhibitors  to  better 
showmanship  efforts,  more  and  bet- 
ter advertising  and  merchandising 
of  product,  for  better  results  at  the 
box  office.  Many  exhibitors  reply: 
"There  is  nothing  in  it  for  me.  The 
more  I  take  in,  the  more  I  have  to 
pay  to  the  distributor.  What's  left 
for  me  doesn't  pay  me  for  the 
additional  work  and  expenditure." 

In  times  of  top  business  there 
was  no  urgent  necessity  for  the  dis- 
tributor to  extend  himself  greatly 
to  overcome  such  an  impasse,  advis- 
able as  that  may  have  been. 

Today  it  is  absolutely  essential 
that  any  procedure  which  promises 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Bergman  Will  Study 
Speakers  Unit  Idea 

Maurice  Bergman  of  Universal  Pic- 
tures has  been  appointed  by  the  three 
co-chairmen  of  the  Council  of  Motion 
Picture    Organizations   to    serve  as 
chairman   of  a 
committee      t  o 
study  the  feasi- 
bility of  organ- 
izing an  indus- 
t  r  y  speakers 
bureau. 

Anno  u  n  c  e  - 
ment  of  the  ap- 
pointment was 
made  at  the 
weekend  by 
Robert  W . 
Coyne,  COM- 
PO  special 
counsel,  who 
said  the  organ- 
ization's executive  triumvirate,  True- 


Maurice  Bergman 


(Continued  on  page  2) 


Would  Take  Allied's  Trade 
Grievances  to  Congress 


Services  Tomorrow 
In  Washington  For 
Joyce  O'Hara,  59 

Washington,  Jan.  11. — A  Requi- 
em Mass  will  be  sung  here  at  10 :30 
A.M.  Tuesday  for  Joyce  O'Hara, 
59,  executive  vice-president  of  the 
Motion  Picture 
Association  of 
America,  who 
died  suddenly 
in  the  Hotel 
Waldorf  A  s  - 
toria  in  New 
Y  o  r  k  Friday 
morning.  The 
rites  will  be 
held  at  St. 
Ann's  Catholic 
Church,  with 
burial  in  Arl- 
ington National 
Cemetery. 

O'Hara  had 
arrived  in  New  York  from  Washing- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Joyce  O'Hara 


Myers'  Report  Asks  Authorization  for  Step 
If  Sales  Practices  Are  Not  Changed;  Asks 
Incentive  Selling,  Drive  to  Re-Win  Patrons 


Ok  Fabian,  Rosen  for 
WB  Theatre  Posts 


Truman  Sees  $310,000,000 
From  Ticket  Tax  in  1953 


New  Orleans,  Jan.  11. — Allied  States  Association  general  coun- 
sel Abram  F.  Myers  urged  the  Allied  board  specifically  to  authorize 
its  officers  to  go  to  Congress  with  the  Association's  complaints 
against  distributor  selling  practices  if  these  practices  aren't  reformed 
in  the  near  future. 

This  was  a  highlight  of  a  27-page  annual  report  which  Myers 

prepared  for  submission  to  Allied's 
mid-winter  board  meeting  at  the 
Jung  Hotel  here  tomorrow  and 
Tuesday.  The  report  was  another 
blistering  attack  on  distribution  poli- 
cies, along  with  a  call  to  the  film  com- 
panies to  abandon  their  past  policies 
and  join  exhibitors  in  a  "united  assault 
on  the  existing  box-office  depression." 

Such  an  assault,  Myers  said,  must 
take  a  different  tack  from  previous 
plans.  It  must  be  based  on  selling  the 
public  the  idea  that  it's  "smart  to  go 
to  the  movies,"  plus  a  new  sales  policy 
which  gives  theatre  owners  more  in- 
centive for  local  exploitation  and  pro- 
motion. 

Myers  released  no  formal  agenda 
for  the  mid-winter  meeting,  saying  it 
was  to  be  more  on  "organizational" 
problems  than  on  board  policy  ques- 
tions.   One  of  the  top  items  on  the 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


The  way  was  cleared  by  the  New 
York  Statutory  Court  on  Friday  to 
allow  Si  H.  Fabian,  president,  and 
Samuel  Rosen,  vice-president  of  Fa- 
bian Enterprises,  Inc.,  respectively, 
to  become  officers  and  directors  of  the 
new  Warner  Brothers  theatre  com- 
pany, to  be  formed  on  Feb.  28. 

At  the  same  time,  Warners  dis- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Jan.  11. — The  budget  submitted  by  President  Truman 
to  Congress  at  the  weekend  estimates  that  the  20  per  cent  tax  on  tickets 
to  motion  picture  theatres,  sports  events  and  other  general-admission 
entertainment  will  bring  in  $310,000,000  in  the  1953-54  fiscal  year,  com- 
pared to  an  estimated  $320,000,000  in 


the  current  fiscal  year  and  $330,- 
782,072  in  the  12  months  ending  last 
June  30. 

In  contrast,  the  budget  estimated 
that  receipts  from  the  Federal  excise 
tax  on  radio  and  television  sets, 
phonographs  and  records  would  con- 
tinue to  rise — from  $134,536,706  in  the 
1951-52  fiscal  year,  to  an  estimated 
$162,000,000  in  the  current  12  months 
and  to  an  estimated  $173,000,000  in  the 
year  starting  July  1,  1953. 

While  the  prediction  of  a  drop  in 


admission  tax  receipts  might_  prove 
useful  in  the  industry's  campaign  for 
tax  relief,  in  that  it  indicates  a  marked 
decline  in  attendance,  the  general  tone 
of  the  budget  message  was  certainly 
against  tax  relief.  The  President 
painted  a  picture  of  large  deficits  for 
several  years  unless  tax  revenues 
were  raised  substantially.  He  urged 
Congress  to  keep  the  nation  as  closely 
as  possible  to  a  pay-as-you-go  basis, 
and  while  he  made  no  specific  recom- 

( Continued  on  page  2) 


Snaper  and  Hetzel 
In  Arbitration  Talk 


Wilbur  Snaper,  president  of  na- 
tional Allied,  is  expected  to  make  a 
report  to  the  board  of  directors  in 
New  Orleans  on  his  meeting  Friday 
with  Ralph  Hetzel,  in  charge  of  the 
New  York  office  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  in  re- 
gard to  the  arbitration  status.  Snaper 
had  been  scheduled  to  meet  with  both 
Hetzel  and  the  late  Joyce  O'Hara, 
MPAA  vice-president,  on  the  disputed 
points  in  the  existing  arbitration  plan 
drafts. 

Because  of  the  vital  importance  of 
the  arbitration  issue  in  view  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


CANDIDATE  FOR  ACADEMY 


ARD"— At  P.  Daily 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 
Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production, 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  12,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


BARNEY  BALABAN,  Paramount 
president ;  A.  W.  Schwalbeuc, 
president  of  Paramount  Film  Distrib- 
uting Corp.,  and  E.  K.  (Ted)  O'Shea, 
vice-president,  will  return  here  today 
from  Hollywood.  George  Weltner, 
president  of  Paramount  International, 
returned  to  New  York  at  the  week- 
end. 

• 

Robert  Taylor  last  night  received 
a  citation  of  honor  from  Major  Gen- 
eral George  C.  Kenny  on  the  Ed 
Sullivan  "Toast  of  the  Town"  TV 
show.  The  award,  given  on  behalf  of 
the  Air  Force  Association,  honors 
M-G-M  for  the  production  of  "Above 
and  Beyond." 

• 

Lacy  Kastner  and  Roger  Saudou, 
Columbia  executives  in  Paris:  Leroy 
Brauer,  in  Sydney,  and  Joseph  E. 
McConville,  in  Mexico  City,  are  en 
route  here  for  the  company's  meeting 
in  Chicago  Friday. 

• 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  will  depart 
for  New  Orleans  from  here  today  to 
address  the  Gulf  States  Allied  conven- 
tion to  be  held  tomorrow  and  Wed- 
nesday. 

• 

Murray  Silverstone,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox  International,  has 
left  here  for  England  and  will  be  gone 
three  weeks. 

• 

Ted  Loeff,  Aspen  Pictures'  adver- 
tising-publicity representative,  returned 
to  Hollywood  over  the  weekend  from 
New  York. 

• 

Samuel  Goldwyn  will  be  the  guest 
on    CBS    Radio's    "Edgar  Bergen- 
Charlie  McCarthy  Show"  Sunday. 
• 

Leon  Brandt,  RKO  Radio  exploita- 
tion manager,  returned  to  New  York 
over  the  weekend  from  Chicago. 


Ease  Trusteeship  of 
UPT  Provisions 


Washington,  Jan.  11. — The  Justice 
Department  has  agreed  to  amend  the 
Paramount  Pictures  consent  decree  to 
make  it  easier  for  owners  of  trusteed 
United  Paramount  Theatres  stock  to 
get  their  stock  out  of  trust. 

At  present,  an  owner  of  trusteed 
UPT  stock  can  get  his  stock  out  if 
he  submits  an  affidavit  that  he  owns 
no  Paramount  Pictures  stock  or  that 
he  owns  less  than  500  shares  of  UPT 
stock,  regardless  of  his  holdings  of 
pictures  stock. 

The  proposed  amendment  would 
raise  this  500  limit  to  2,000.  It  would 
also  permit  anyone  with  more  than 
2,000  shares  of  UPT  stock  to  come 
to  the.  Justice  Department,  on  an  in- 
dividual basis,  and  make  a  showing 
that  his  holdings  of  picture  stock  do 
not  give  him  any  control  over  the  pic- 
ture company's  management.  If  he 
makes  such  a  showing,  he  would  be 
allowed  to  take  his  UPT  stock  out 
of  trust. 


Sharp  Drop  in  US 
Ticket  Tax  Income 

Washington,  Jan.  11. — Gen- 
eral admission  tax  collections 
dropped  in  November,  reflect- 
ing October  box-office  busi- 
ness, the  Internal  Revenue 
Bureau  reports. 

It  said  collections  fell  to 
$24,835,819,  the  lowest  figure 
since  June  and  sharply  below 
the  $31,294,629  collected  in 
October.  The  November  col- 
lections compare  with  the 
$31,084,965  collected  in  Nov. 
1951. 


Tradewise . . . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


increased  theatre  attendance  be  ex- 
plored, seriously  and  to  a  definite 
conclusion.  A  recent  test  of  one 
method  of  incentive  selling  in  Texas 
was  heralded  as  a  success  for  both 
the  participating  distributors  and 
the  exhibitors.  Perhaps  the  same 
method  would  not  work  in  every 
situation,  but  variations  of  it  de- 
signed to  meet  differing  conditions 
elsewhere  might  readily  be  devised. 

Surely,  if  incentive  selling  is  all 
that  is  required  to  induce  hundreds 
of  exhibitors  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  to  do  their  utmost  to  get 
more  patrons  into  their  theatres, 
then  an  attempt  to  devise  an  incen- 
tive   selling    method    that  works 

would  be  well  worth  the  effort. 
•  • 

The  industry  began  paying  a  de- 
served tribute  to  the  Grand  Old 
Man  of  Films,  Adolph  Zukor,  in 
Hollywood  last  week.  The  celebra- 
tions are  scheduled  to  continue 
throughout  the  next  several  months. 

At  80,  and  with  a  half-century  in 
the  industry  behind  him,  Adolph 
Zukor  stands  as  one  of  the  greatest 
living  motion  picture  pioneers.  His 
career  spans  every  great  phase  in 
the  development  of  this  great  indus- 
try, and  much  in  its  development  is 
traceable  directly  to  his  unique  vi- 
sion, capabilities  and  belief  in  the 
film  as  the  greatest  medium  of  mass 
entertainment. 

Zukor  is  as  confident  today  as 
ever  in  the  vitality  of  the  industry 
and  its  future.  May  he  be  spared 
to  see  his  present  visions  of  indus- 
try prosperity  realized,  as  he  did 
his  early  ones. 


Notables  to  Attend 
'Jazz'  Premiere 

Mrs.  Eleanor  Roosevelt,  Mrs. 
Walter  Chrysler,  Jr.,  and  Basil 
O'Connor  have  joined  the  list  of  ce- 
lebrities who  will  attend  tomorrow 
night's  premiere,  of  "The  Jazz  Singer" 
at  the  Paramount  Theatre  here.  Total 
proceeds  of  the  premiere  will  go  to 
the  National  Foundation  for  Infantile 
Paralysis. 


$310,000,000 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

mendations,  he  implied  strongly  that 
tax  increases  due  to  expire  should  be 
renewed  and  that  Congress  should 
think  long  before  instituting  any  new 
tax  cuts. 

Other  items  of  interest  to  the 
industry  and  related  fields  in 
the  1953-54  budg3t  message 
were  these: 

A  request  for  the  start  of  a  new 
program  for  the  preservation  of  valu- 
able motion  pictures  owned  by  the 
National  Archives ; 

Proposed  increases  in  the  budgets 
of  the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission, Federal  Trade  Commission, 
and  the  anti-trust  division  of  the  Jus- 
tice Department ;  and, 

Proposed  expansion  of  the  State 
Department's  overseas  information 
program,  including  the  film  division. 

Whether  any  of  these  new  or  ex- 
panded programs  will  be  approved  by 
Congress  is  problematical.  In  the 
first  place,  the  new  Eisenhower  Ad- 
ministration will  submit  suggestions 
for  revising  some  of  the  Truman  re- 
quests, starting  in  April.  Secondly, 
Congress  is  in  an  economy-minded 
mood,  and  will  view  every  item  in  the 
President's  budget  verv  critically. 

The  budget  asked  for  $200,000  to 
start  the  National  Archives  film 
preservation  program  in  the  new  fiscal 
year.  It  said  that  much  of  the  highly- 
valuable  collection  of  private  and  gov- 
ernment-produced films  is  rapidly  de- 
terioriating,  and  should  be  converted 
from  the  present  nitrate  base  to  a 
safety  acetate  base.  The  $200,000 
would  cover  the  cost  of  converting 
about  3.000,000  feet  or  about  one-third 
of  the  total  requiring  conversion,  it 
was  estimated. 

$114,515,800  for  'Voice' 

The  President  asked  for  $114,- 
515,800  for  the  Voice  of  America  pro- 
gram in  the  12  months  starting  July  1. 
This  would  compare  to  appropriations 
of  $96,184,463  in  the  1951-52  year  and 
$95,690,722  in  the  current  year.  The 
film  branch  would  get  $10,319,000  of 
the  total.  This  vear  it  is  operating  on 
onlv  $7,205,800.'  Last  year  it  had 
$10,520,264. 

A  25  per  cent  increase  in  the  FCC 
budget  was  asked,  from  $6,408,460  in 
the  current  12  months  to  $8,000,000 
for  the  year  starting  July  1.  The 
President  said  this  increase  was 
needed  mostly  to  process  applications 
for  new  television  stations. 

The  budget  said  more  money  was 
being  asked  for  the  FCC  largely  to 
permit  the  agency  to  devote  more 
time  to  investigating  recent  and  pro- 
posed corporate  mergers.  The  Presi- 
dent asked  $5,500,000  for  this  agency, 
compared  with  the  $4,178,800  it  has 
this  year. 


Snaper  and  Hetzel 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Allied  board  meeting,  Snaper  and 
Hetzel  met  briefly  despite  the  sudden 
death  of  O'Hara  Friday  morning. 
Details  of  the  Snaper-Hetzel  session 
will  be  announced  later  this  week  by 
MPAA  president  Eric  Johnson,  ac- 
cording to  the  New  York  office  of  the 
MPAA. 


'Gehring  Week'  Fete 
Here  Thursday  Night 

The  20th-Century-Fox   sales  or- 
ganization yesterday  launched  its 
activities   in   observance   of  "Bill 
Gehring  Week,"  which  will  continue 
through  Jan. 
m£m      17  as  a  tribute 
to  the  35th  an- 
niversary with 
the  company 
of   its  execu- 
tive assistant 
general  sales 
manager. 

The  obser- 
vance week 
here  will  be 
climaxed  by  a 
t  e  s  t  imonial 
dinner  to 
William  Gehring  Gehring,  spon- 
sored by  Al 
Lichtman,  head  of  distribution, 
which  will  be  given  Thursday  night 
at  Toots  Shor's  restaurant.  Com- 
pany executives,  members  of  the 
New  York  distribution  staff  and  in- 
vited guests  will  attend. 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  company  pres- 
ident, will  be  the  principal  speaker 
at  the  dinner,  and  Monsignor  Pat- 
rick J.  Masterson,  executive  sec- 
retary of  the  Legion  of  Decency, 
will  give  the  invocation. 


'Quiet  Man'  1st  in 
Federation  Poll 


Republic's  "The  Quiet  Man"  was 
voted  the  No.  1  picture  of  1952  in  the 
list  of  "10  best"  pictures  of  the  year 
selected  by  the  General  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs'  motion  picture 
division.    The  nine  runners-up  were : 

"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba,"  Para- 
mount;  "Breaking  Through  the 
Sound  Barriers,"  United  Artists ; 
"High  Noon,"  United  Artists;  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen,"  RKO  Radio ; 
"The  Thief,"  United  Artists ;  "Singin' 
in  the  Rain,"  M-G-M  ;  "Five  Fingers," 
20th  Century-Fox ;  "The  Story  of 
Will  Rogers,"  Warner  Brothers,  and 
"The  Promoter,"  Universal. 


Bergman 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


man  T.  Rembusch,  Sam  Pinanski  and 
Al  Lichtman,  wanted  authentic  infor- 
mation placed  before  business  and 
civic  groups  as  part  of  the  industry's 
fight  against  oppressive  taxation. 

Bergman,  who  is  in  charge  of  public 
relations  for  Universal,  made  a  two- 
week  speaking  tour  of  Ohio  last  spring 
under  COMPO's  sponsorship.  The 
tour  proved  so  effective,  Coyne  said, 
that  the  COMPO  leaders  decided 
to  ask  Bergman  to  see  what  could  be 
done  to  establish  a  bureau  that  would 
utilize  the  industry's  speaking  talent 
on  a  national  scale. 

Bergman  declared  that  all  that  is 
needed  to  make  such  a  project  a  valu- 
able asset  to  the  industry  is  coopera- 
tion by  those  possessing  talent  for 
public  speaking.  If  his  committee's 
study  indicates  that  such  cooperation 
will  be  forthcoming,  he  said,  steps 
will  be  taken  immediately. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting:  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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:  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
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Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter.  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
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Monday,  January  12,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


NEWS 

in  Brief  .  .  . 


Allied  s  Trade  Grievances 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Herbert  Golden,  of  the  Bankers 
Trust  Co.'s  amusement  industries  divi- 
sion, will  leave  New  York  tomorrow 
for  Hollywood  to  study  the  TV-film 
field,  in  line  with  the  bank's  policy  to 
expand  into  the  financing  of  television 
productions.  Golden  will  confer  with 
potential  clients  and  tour  various  stu- 
dios now  making  films  for  TV. 
• 

Hollywood,  Jan.  11.  —  The  first 
Vistascope  units  for  television  will  be 
delivered  in  New  York  tomorrow  and 
will  be  available,  to  all  video  stations 
and  networks,  Barney  Balaban,  presi- 
dent of  Paramount  Pictures,  disclosed 
at  the  weekend.  The  Vistascope  proc- 
ess is  owned  jointly  by  Paramount  and 
Sol  Lesser. 

The  first  prospective  customers  are 
NBC,  CBS  and  DuMont,  all  of  which 
plan  to  use  the  process  for  live-action 
television,  it  was  revealed. 

• 

Hollywood,  Jan.  11.  —  Robert  L. 
Bendick,  vice-president  of  Cinerama 
Productions,  who  with  Merian  C. 
Cooper  co-produced  "This  Is  Cine- 
rama," has  signed  a  new  contract 
which  permits  the  use  of  his  services 
in  any  production  capacity  but  princi- 
pally as  a  producer  and  director. 


Warner  Brothers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

closed  in  its  annual  statement  to  stock- 
holders that  a  number  of  changes  has 
been  incorporated  in  its  reorganiza- 
tion plan,  many  of  which  stem  from 
the  recent  agreement  between  War- 
ners and  Fabian  under  which  Harry 
M.,  Albert  and  Jack  L.  Warner  will 
sell  their  controlling  stock  interest  in 
the  new  Warner  theatre  company  to 
Fabian. 

To  New  Picture  Company 

Under  the  changes,  the  company's 
entire  term  bank  loan  of  $4,773,000 
will  be  allocated  to  the  new  picture 
company,  instead  of  three-fourths  of 
it,  as  proposed  under  the  original  re- 
organization plan,  adopted  to  effect 
the  divorcement  of  the  company  into 
production-distribution  and  exhibition 
entities  as  required  by  the  consent 
decree. 

The  three-man  New  York  Statu- 
tory court  approved  the  order  allow- 
ing Fabian  and  Rosen  to  become  offi- 
cers and  directors  of  the  new  theatre 
company  following  an  agreement  with 
the  Department  of  Justice,  which  re- 
quires the  divestiture  of  three  ad- 
ditional theatres  in  cities  where  War- 
ner and  Fabian  theatres  together 
might  dominate  the  market.  The 
cities  affected  are  Johnstown,  Pa., 
Troy  and  Albany,  N.  Y. 

The  approval  of  the  court  was  made 
contingent  upon  the  consummation  of 
the  Warner-Fabian  sale  and  the 
assent  of  the  stockholders,  whose  an- 
nual meeting  has  been  set  for  Feb.  17 
in  Wilmington,  Del. 


WB  Notes  Revenue 
Drop  for  Quarter 


Box-office  receipts  of  Warner  thea- 
tres for  the  quarter  ended  Nov.  29, 
1952,  show  a  decline  compared  with 
the  box-office  receipts  for  the  same 
period  in  the  previous  year,  WB 
stated  here  Friday  in  its  annual  report 


agenda,  though,  has  to  be  election  of 
officers  for  the  coming  year.  Wilbur 
Snaper  is  considered  a  sure  bet  for  an- 
other term  as  Allied  president. 

So  far  no  one  has  proposed  any  dis- 
cussion of  arbitration  at  the  board 
meeting,  Myers  said.  He  added,  how- 
ever, that  this  could  be  brought  up 
from  the  floor.  Snaper  met  with 
Ralph  Hetzel  of  the  MPAA  in  New 
York  Friday  on  the  arbitration  issue 
and  he  may  introduce  the  subject. 

Key  comments  in  the  Myers'  report 
were  these : 

There's  "good  reason  to  ex- 
pect" repeal  of  the  20  per  cent 
admission  tax  at  the  current 
session  of  Congress; 

The  industry  must  abandon 
the  idea  that  there's  nothing 
wrong  with  the  business  that 
good  pictures  won't  solve; 

There  is  no  indication  that 
distribution  leaders  are  willing 
to  arbitrate  film  rentals,  and 
Allied  continues  to  insist  on 
the  inclusion  of  this  matter  in 
any  arbitration  plan; 

Incentive  selling  might  be 
based  on  a  plan  which  would 
determine  a  "let  live"  film 
rental  for  normal  grosses  and 
would  decrease  the  distributor's 
share  as  the  gross  increases; 

The  board  should  reaffirm  the 
convention  resolution  to  peti- 
tion the  new  Attorney  General 
to  drop  the  16  mm.  case; 

Exhibitors  will  probably  de- 
cide it's  "unwise  to  continue 
business  relations"  with  com- 
panies like  Republic  which  sell 
large  amounts  of  their  pictures 
to  television; 

Unless  the  distributors  re- 
form promptly,  "there  will  be 
no  future  for  the  Council  of 
Motion  Picture  Organizations." 

Myers  said  the  industry  must  devote 
the  coming  year  to  ascertaining  the 
causes  of  box-office  decline  and  stag- 
ing an  all-industry  campaign  to  put 
that  information  to  use  to  overcome 
the  decline.  He  declared  that  theatres 
were,  the  foundation  of  the  industry, 
and  all  the  industry  should  join  to 
strengthen  business  at  the  theatre 
level. 

Disproved  Two  Explanations 

The  past  year,  he  stated,  has  dis- 
proven  two  explanations  of  the  box- 
office  drop — that  people  don't  have  the 


to  stockholders. 

For  the  same  quarter  in  1952,  the 
report  added,  the  film  company's  gross 
film  rentals  were  lower  than  in  1951. 
Operating  results  of  the  company  for 
the  quarter  ended,  Nov.  29,  1952,  are 
not  yet  available,  it  was  noted,  but  it 
is  expected  that  the  profit  before 
capital  gains  and  before  provision  for 
Federal  income  taxes  and  contingen- 
cies will  be  considerably  lower  than 
the  corresponding  profit  of  $4,170,000 
earned  for  the  same  quarter  last  year. 

The  report,  which  covered  opera- 
tions beyond  the  fiscal  year  ended 
Aug.  31,  1952,  took  note  of  the  agree- 
ment with  the  Department  of  Justice 
providing  for  an  extension  until  July  4 
for  the  divestiture  of  WB's  remaining 
24  theatres.  Since  the  consent  judg- 
ment, it  was  explained,  a  total  of  30 
theatres  subject  to  divestiture  Jiave 
been  disposed  of  by  sale,  sub-lease  or 
by  the  cancellation  or  expiration  of 
leases. 


money  and  that  good  pictures  will 
bring  them  in.  The  people  had  money 
to  spend  on  what  they  wanted,  he  de- 
clared, and  business  in  the  fall  was 
bad,  despite  good  pictures. 

Must  Decentralize  Advertising 

The  industry  must  decentralize  its 
advertising  and  cooperate  in  carefully 
designed  institutional  advertising,  the 
report  stated.  The  American  people — ■ 
and  especially  young  people — must  be 
convinced  that  it's  smart  to  go  to  the 
movies,  rather  than  smart  to  say  "1 
never  go  to  the  movies  any  more"  or 
"there  aren't  any  good  movies,"  the 
board  was  told. 

But  above  everything,  Myers 
said,  there  must  be  a  "big 
shake-up  in  distribution  with 
radical  reforms  in  pricing  pol- 
icies and  practices."  He  re- 
peated arguments  he's  made 
many  times  before  against  the 
present  system  where  the  dis- 
tributor's percentage  increases 
as  the  gross  rises,  "thereby  des- 
troying all  incentive  on  the  part 
of  the  exhibitor  to  exploit  the 
picture  and  promote  atten- 
dance." Distribution  has  always 
regarded  the  theatre  owner  as 
a  mere  agent,  wholly  depen- 
dent on  the  distributor  and  en- 
titled to  only  the  narrowest 
possible  margin,  Myers  claimed. 
He  said  such  "archaic  attitudes 
and  oppressive  methods"  must 
be  indicated  as  a  chief  cause  of 
the  low  state  of  the  industry. 

In  order  for  the  industry  to  recover, 
the  board  was  told,  distributors  must 
give  exhibitors  an  incentive.  Myers 
then  suggested  his  formula  based  on 
normal  grosses  for  a  test  period  for 
different  classes  of  pictures  or  differ- 
ent types  of  operation,  with  the  dis- 
tributors' share  falling  as  the  gross 
rose  beyond  the  normal. 

Equitable  Formula 

"Nothing  could  give  the  business  a 
bigger  lift  than  the  development  of  an 
equitable  formula  for  pricing  films," 
Myers  stated. 


$20-Million  Gross 
For  5  'Road'  Films 

Paramount's  "Road  to  Bali," 
starring  Bing  Crosby,  Bob 
Hope  and  Dorothy  Lamour, 
in  its  first  1,000  dates  has 
grossed  so  heavily  that  "it  is 
virtually  certain  to  exceed 
the  box-office  achievement  of 
any  of  the  five  previous 
'Road'  pictures,  each  of  which 
topped  $4,000,000  in  film  ren- 
tals for  a  total  take  in  ex- 
cess of  $20,000,000,"  the  com- 
pany stated  at  the  weekend. 


O'Hara  Services 

 (Continued  from  page  1 ) 

ton  about  1:00  A.M.  Friday  and 
checked  in  at  the  Waldorf  Astoria. 
He  was  found  dead  in  his  suite  short- 
ly after  10  o'clock  by  a  hotel  maid. 
He  died  presumably  from  a  heart  at- 
tack. O'Hara  had  gone  to  New  York 
for  a  business  conference. 

Many  Years  with  Johnston 

An  associate  of  MPAA  president 
Eric  Johnston  for  many  years,  O'Hara 
served  as  Johnston's  special  assistant 
when  the  latter  was  president  of  the 
United  States  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
He  continued  in  the  same  capacity 
when  Johnston  was  named  president 
of  the  MPAA.  Subsequently  he  was 
appointed  vice-president  of  the  asso- 
ciation and  served  as  its  head  when 
Johnston  took  a  leave  of  absence  to 
serve  as  economic  stabilizer  in  the 
government  in  1951.  O'Hara  accom- 
panied Johnston  on  most  of  his  do- 
mestic and  overseas  trips,  participat- 
ing in  conferences  on  several  import- 
ant film  agreements  with  foreign  gov- 
ernments. He  was  chief  American 
negotiator  in  working  out  the  Anglo- 
American  film  pact  with  the  British 
government. 

O'Hara  was  born  in  Pittston,  Pa., 
and  after  finishing  high  school  was  in 
the  newspaper  business  for  10  years. 
While  working  as  a  newspaper  man 
in  Washington  he  attended  George- 
town University  where  he  received 
his  law  degree. 

Survivors    are    his    widow,  Mrs. 


Myers  said  that  when  the 
Justice  Department  is  reorgan- 
ized under  a  new  Attorney  Gen- 
eral, "it  may  be  that  the  cases 
against  the  film  companies  will 
be  reviewed  and  action  taken 
toward  making  them  effective." 
But  just  to  play  safe,  he  added, 
it  might  be  a  good  idea  for  the 
board  to  specifically  authorize 
Allied  officers  to  take  their 
complaints  to  the  House  or 
Senate  Small  Business  Commit- 
tees. 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Camille  O'Hara ;  two  daughters,  Mrs. 
John  Cosgrove  and  Miss  Angela 
O'Hara,  and  a  son,  John,  of  Salem, 
Mass. 

Johnston  was  flying  here  from 
Honolulu  over  the  weekend  to  attend 
the  services. 


Another  Goldwyn  Award 

Hollywood,  Jan.  11. — The  Southern 
California  Motion  Picture  Council  has 
presented  Samuel  Goldwyn  with  its 
"Gold  Star  Award,"  top  honor  con- 
ferred by  the  group,  for  his  production 
of  "Hans  Christian  Andersen." 


from 


Earl  Wilson's  "Bests  of  1952" 


...The  best  exploited  film, '  The  Thief 
(thanks  to  publicist  Bernie  Kamber)..." 


BERNARD  M.  KAMBER 

Consultant  to  independent  producers  and  distributors 


200  WEST  57th  STREET,  N.  Y.  19,  N.  Y. 
JUDSON  6-1890-1-2 


PUBLIC  RELATIONS 
NATIONAL  EXPLOITATION 


6 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  January  12,  1953 


RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINCS  of 

"SWORD  OF  VENUS" 


M  on. 


Mon. 
N.W. 

Man. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


ALBANY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

1052  B'way 
ATLANTA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm. 

195  Luckie  St., 
BOSTON 

RKO  Scr.  Rm. 

122-28  Arlington  St 
BUFFALO 

Mo.  Pic.  Oper. 
Scr.  Rm. 

498  Pearl  St. 
CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

308  S.  Church  St 

CHICAGO 

RKO  Scr.  Rm. 

1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 
CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace 
Scr.  Rm. 

12  E.  6th  St. 
CLEVELAND 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

2219  Payne  Ave. 

DALLAS 

Rep.  Scr.  Rm. 

412  S.  Harwood  St 
DENVER 

Para.  Scr.  Rm. 

2100  Stout  St. 

DES  MOINES 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

1300  High  St. 
DETROIT 

Blumenthals 
Scr.  Rm. 

2310  Cass  Ave. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Univ.  Scr.  Rm. 

517  N.  Illinois  St. 
KANSAS  CITY 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

1800  Wyandotte  St. 

LOS  ANGELES 
RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 

MEMPHIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

151  Vance  Ave. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 

MINNEAPOLIS 
Fox  Scr.  Rm. 
1015  Currie  Ave. 

NEW  HAVEN 
Fox  Scr.  Rm. 
40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS 
Fox  Scr.  Rm. 
200  S.  Liberty  St. 

NEW  YORK 
RKO  Scr.  Rm. 
630  Ninth  Ave. 

OKLAHOMA 
Fox  Scr.  Rm. 
10  North  Lee  St 

OMAHA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

1502  Davenport  St. 
PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

250  N.  13th  St. 

PITTSBURGH 
RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 

PORTLAND 

Star  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
925  N.W.  19th  Ave. 

ST.  LOUIS 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

3143  Olive  St. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 

216  E.  1st  St.  South 

SAN  FRANCISCO 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
245  Hyde  St. 

SEATTLE 
Jewel  Box  Scr. 

Room 
2318  2nd  Ave. 

SIOUX  FALLS 
Hollyw'd  Thea. 
212  N.  Philips  Ave. 

WASHINGTON 
Film  Center 

Scr.  Rm.  Mon. 
932  New  Jersey  Ave. 


1/19  3:30  P.M. 

1/19  2:30  P.M. 

1/19  2:30  P.M. 

1/19  2:00  P.M. 

1/19  3:30  P.M. 

1/19  2:00  P.M. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon, 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


Mon. 


1/19 
1/19 
1/19 
1/19 
1/19 

1/19 
1/19 
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1/19 
1/19 


9:30  P.M. 
2:30  P.M. 
2:30  P.M. 
3:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

3:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
11:00  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

3:00  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:00  P.M. 

3:00  P.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 

1:00  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 


1/19    2:00  P.M. 


Television  -  -  Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


WHEN  columnist  Harriet  Van  Home  missed  a  recent  appearance  as  a 
regular  panelist  on  the  WABDavid  Lowe  TV  production,  "What's 
the  Story  ?"  her  substitute  on  the  program  was  Henry  B.  Sell,  editor  of 
Toivn  &  Country.  Mr.  Sell  not  only  sent  the  entire  check  he  received  to 
CARE  but  also  included  a  note  which  read,  "Donated  by  Harriet  Van 
Home."  (A  LOWE  bow  to  Mr.  SELL  for  so  generous  and  gracious 
an  act  without  blowing  his  HORNE.)  .  .  .  Comedienne  Vera  Vague  is 
en  route  East  to  confer  with  producer  Walt  Framer  on  the  TV  "ABChance 
of  a  Lifetime"  series  which  she'll  femcee  starting  Thursday  (8:00  to  8:30 
P.M.).  .  .  .  Technicians  and  behind  the  scenes  personnel  are  cordially 
invited  by  chairman  Wm.  Offenhauser,  Jr.,  and  Emerson  Yorke,  chairman 
and  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Society  of  M.P.  &  TV  Engineers  (Atlantic 
Coast  Section)  to  attend  the  Org's  meeting  tomorrow  night  at  8  at  the 
20th  Cent. -Fox  home  office  theatre  to  listen  to  a  lecture  by  Karl  Freund, 
A.S.C.,  and  prexy  of  Photo  Research  Corp.  of  Hollywood.  .  .  .  Gil 
Stratton,  Jr.,  featured  in  "My  Little  Margie,"  has  been  a  Big  League 
baseball  umpire  for  the  past  six  years. 


it 


With  a  record  of  more  than  150  motion  pictures  and  Broadway  stage 
plays  to  his  credit,  Roscoe  Karns  jumped  into  TV  with  both  feet  back 
in  1949,  assuming  the  lead  role  in  the  WABDetec- 
,   -  tive   series,    "Rocky   King,   Detective."  R.K.'s 

down    to    earth    sleuthing    has   resulted   in  the 
program  being  carried  by  35  stations  tvith  an  in- 
JHJplliMMp)    crease  from  a  mediocre  in  a  healthy  Nielsen  oj 
Bp      21. A'.  .  .  .  Show  is  a  Wilbur  Stark-Jerry  Layton 
package.   .   .   .  Rex  Marshall  rejoined  the  Max- 
well House  coffee  "family"  (he  used  to  announce 
the  "Claudia"  series)  when  he  took  over  as  an- 
nouncer of  the  "Red  Buttons  Show"  over  CBS-TV 
last  Monday.  .  .  .  A  jeweler  will  sponsor  a  new 
MBSeries  of  "Lanny  Ross  Sings"  musicals.  .  .  . 
Because  of  the  great  job  she  turned  in  as  femcee 
at  the  premiere  of  20th  Century-Fox's  "Stars  & 
Stripes  Forever,"  Maggi  McNellis  will  do  a  simi- 
lar TV  ABChore  tomorrow  nite  at  8:30  when 
Warner  Bros.  "The  Jazz  Singer"  opens  at  the  Paramount.  Dennis 
James  will  also  be  on  hand  for  the  festivities. 


Roscoe  Karns 


Allied 


(Continued  from  page  5) 

"In  order  to  succeed  in  our  cam- 
paign for  reforms  which  will  pave  the 
way  for  an  all-industry  recovery  pro- 
gram, we  must  convince  all  concerned 
that  our  campaign  is  going  to  be  pro- 
secuted until  our  ends  are  achieved," 
the  report  said,  it  expressed  the  hope 
the  film  company  heads  would  see  the 
wisdom  of  yielding  some  of  their 
power,  but  added  that  "we  cannot  de- 
pend on  this  and  we  must  be  prepared 
to  fight  it  out  along  the  lines  laid 
down  in  Chicago." 

Turning  to  other  subjects,  Myers 
recalled  that  Republic  had  recently 
sold  104  of  its  old  pictures  to  tele- 
vision. He  said  this  would  not  in  it- 
self put  any  theatres  out  of  business, 
but  "it  won't  make  the  exhibitors'  lot 
any  easier,  and  if  a  few  more  com- 
panies should  follow  that  company's 
bad  example,  it  might  spell  the  end." 
He  cautioned  exhibitors  of  the  ille- 
gality of  any  concerted  boycott  of  Re- 


Ullman  an  Opportunist 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  11. — A  week- 
end letter  by  Saul  J.  Ullman,  Upstate 
general  manager  for  Fabian  Theatres, 
accompanying  the  annual  pass  sent 
to  selected  area  residents,  included  a 
plea  for  contributions  to  the  Will 
Rogers  Memorial  Hospital  at  Saranac 
Lake.  Ullman  is  exhibitor  chairman 
in  this  exchange  district  for  the  Rog- 
ers drive. 


public,  but  added  that  "it  is  inevitable 
that  many  exhibitors,  acting  individ- 
ually, will  figure  out  that  it  is  unwise 
to  continue  business  relations  with  a 
company  that  has  shown  such  wilful 
disregard  for  their  interests  and  for 
the  industry  of  which  it  is  a  part." 

Praises  Tax  Progress 

Myers  praised  the  progress  of  the 
tax  repeal  campaign,  saying  an  unex- 
pectedly large  number  of  Congressmen 
and  Senators  had  committed  them- 
selves to  repeal.  "Unless  engulfed  in 
some  overriding  Congressional  or  Ad- 
ministration policy,"  he  said,  "There 
is  good  reason  to  expect  that  this 
abominable  tax  will  be  repealed  at  the 
present  session  of  Congress." 

The  report  warned  against 
the  possibility  that  the  distri- 
butors might  try  to  "appropri- 
ate to  themselves"  all  the  bene- 
fits of  a  tax  cut.  He  said  this 
made  it  more  necessary  than 
ever  that  Allied  continue  its 
activities  to  "force  the  distri- 
butors to  their  senses." 

Allied  renewed  its  COMPO  mem- 
bership only  until  the  next  convention 
board  meeting,  Myers  recalled.  A  de- 
cision on  renewing  it  then,  he  said, 
"will  undoubtedly  hinge  upon  whether 
the  tax  campaign  is  successful  and 
whether  in  the  meantime  the  distribu- 
tors have  sufficiently  modified  their 
selling  policies.  If  the  exhibitors  then 
are  in  the  same  position  they  are  in 
now,  there  will  be  no  future  for 
COMPO  or  for  the  exhibitors." 


Report  Tobey  Again 
Questions  ABC  Deal 

Washington,  Jan.  11.  —  Se- 
nator Tobey  (R.,  N.  H.),  who 
will  head  the  Senate  Com- 
merce Committee  in  Con- 
gress, has  sent  another  wire 
to  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  in  opposi- 
tion to  early  approval  of  the 
proposed  merger  between 
United  Paramount  Theatres 
and  American  Broadcasting 
Co.,  it  is  understood. 

It  was  believed  that  Tobey 
indicated  his  Committee 
wanted  to  investigate  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  merger, 
and  possibly  ask  the  FCC  to 
hold  off  a  decision  until  after 
this  investigation.  Neither 
Tobey's  office  nor  the  FCC 
would  comment. 


Simonelli  West  on 
'Gambler'  Premieres 

Charles  Simonelli,  Universal's  East- 
ern advertising-publicity  department 
manager,  left  New  York  over  the 
weekend  for  Chicago  for  meetings 
with  Ben  Katz,  Universal's  Midwest 
promotional  representative,  on  plans 
for  the,  launching  of  "The  Mississippi 
Gambler"  in  the  Midwest  following 
world  premiere  and  pre-release  terri- 
torial openings  in  the  Mississippi 
River  V alley  starting  tomorrow. 

While  in  Chicago,  Simonelli  will 
hold  meetings  with  Manie  M.  Gott- 
lieb, Universal  district  sales  manager, 
on  the  promotional  support  being  de- 
veloped for  product  being  released 
during  the  company's  current  "Charles 
J.  Feldman  Silver  Anniversary 
Drive."  From  Chicago,  Simonelli 
will  go  to  St.  Louis,  Memphis  and 
New  Orleans  to  participate  in  the 
premiere  of  "The  Mississippi  Gambler." 


NCAA  Okays  Strict 
Controls  on  Video 

Washington,  Jan.  11. — By  an 
overwhelming  172  to  13  vote,  the  Na- 
tional Collegiate  Athletic  Association 
convention  on  Friday  approved  its 
TV  committee's  report  recommending 
that  strict  controls  be  kept  on  next 
fall's  college  football  games. 


Condon  on  Coast  for 
Publicity,  Ad  Meets 

Hollywood,  Jan.  11. — Richard  Con- 
don, director  of  advertising-publicity 
for  RKO  Radio,  has  arrived  here 
from  New  York  to  survey  studio  pub- 
licity operations  with  Perry  Lieber, 
studio  publicity  director. 


Delta  Sues  Majors 
For  $1,450,000 


New  Orleans,  Jan.  11.  —  Delta 
Theatres,  Inc.,  operating  the  Joy  first- 
run  theatre  here  has  filed  suit  for 
$1,450,000  charging  monopolistic  prac- 
tices against  Paramount  Pictures, 
Paramount  Film  Distributing  Corp-, 
Paramount  Gulf  Theatres,  I  n  c.| 
Loews,  Inc.,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
Distributing  Corp.  of  Texas,  Radio- 
Keith-Orpheum,  RKO  Theatres, 
Warner  Brothers,  20th  Century-Fox, 
United  Artists  Columbia  Pictures  and 
Columbia  Pictures  of  Louisiana. 


IMPROVED 


BRIGHTER 
LIGHT 


1  hroughout  the  country,  there's  no 
trick  to  the  greatly  improved  screen 
light  in  theatres  using  "Suprex"  car- 
bons. It's  simply  that  they  have 
switched  to  National  Carbon's 
NEW  9  mm  "SUPREX"  positive  car- 
bon .  .  .  either  as  a  replacement  for  pre- 
vious 9  mm  carbons  or  as  a  conversion 
trim  from  former  8  mm  carbons  in 
the  same  lamp. 

Yes,  projectionists  know  what  they 
want  and  they're  quick  to  see  that  the 
new  9  mm  "Suprex"  carbon  has  it. 
For  example,  look  at  these  recent  com- 
ments following  comparative  tests  in 
theatres  of  every  size,  both  indoor  and 
drive-in: 


HAVE  YOU  TRIED  THEM? 

if  not,  ask  your  dealer  for  the 
new  9  mm  "Suprex"  carbon. 


DISTRIBUTION 


WHITER 
LIGHT 


I 


UNEQUALED 


ARC  STABILITY 


«K  "MORE  LIGHT. ..BETTER 
PICTURE..." 

-ft  "NOTICEABLY  MORE  STABLE, 
BETTER  COLOR..." 

•+C  "EXCELLENT  RESULTS..." 

-jf  "CONVERTING  FROM  8-7  TRIM 
IN  SIX  HOUSES...  VERY 
PLEASED..." 

"BETTER  SIDE-TO-CENTER 
DISTRIBUTION. ..OUR  NEXT 
ORDER  IN  FOR  THE  NEW 
'SUPREX'  CARBON..." 


i 


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HANS  CHRISTIAN  ANDERSEN 


coior  by  TECHNICOLOR 


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IS  SMASHING  EVERY  RECORD  IN  EACH 


I'Ol 


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OF  ITS  PRE-RELEASE  ENGAGEMENTS 


AT  THE 

I  III 

CRITERION  and  PARIS,  NEW  YORK  <>,  m 


COLONY.  MIAMI  BEACH  (by  20%) 

■I  H 

ASTOR, BOSTON  (by  50%) 


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Trei 
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3gp 


VOL.  73.    NO.  8 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  JANUARY  13,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Overlapping  of 
Taxes  to  Get 
Ike's  Attention 


To  Name  Committee  to 
Work  with  Treasury 

President-elect  Eisenhower  will 
shortly  appoint  a  committee  of  state 
governors  to  work  with  the  U.  S. 
Treasury  Department  to  eliminate 
some  overlapping  state,  local  and 
Federal  taxes,  it  was  reported  here 
yesterday. 

Periodically,  there  have  been 
studies  by  the  Treasury  and  by 
the  Council  of  State  Governors 
in  this  field,  but  nothing  has 
come  of  them.  The  Eisenhower 
committee  will  represent  a  new 
attempt  to  get  something  done. 

The  admission  tax  has  always  been 
one  of  the  first  taxes  cited  as  a  prob- 
lem of  Federal-state-local  overlapping. 
It  has  been  so  lucrative  a  revenue 
source,  however,  that  no  government 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


16- Week  Sales  Drive 
For  RKO  Pictures 


RKO  Radio  Pictures  will  launch 
a  sales  drive  on  March  6  which  will 
continue  to  June  25,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday  by  Charles  Boasberg, 
general  sales  manager. 

Titled  "RKO's  25th  Anniversary 
Drive,"  it  will  be  aimed  at  booking 
RKO  product,  in  every  theatre  in 
every  territory  during  each  of  its  16 
weeks  duration. 

Branch  and  district  managers  have 
been  advised  to  plan  intensified  selling 
campaigns  immediately  in  preparation 
for  division  meetings  which  will  be 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Goldman  Wins 
Tax  Case  Vs. 
Revenue  Dept. 

Philadelphia,  Jan.  12. — In  a 
decision  that  is  precedental  not 
only  for  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try but  all  others  that  have  been 
subjected  to  anti-trust  suits,  the  U.  S. 
tax  court  here  upheld  William  Gold- 
man's suit  against  the  Department 
of  Internal  Revenue.  The  circuit 
head  had  contested  the  right  of  the 
government  to  collect  taxes  on  two- 
thirds  of  the  treble  damages  of  $375,- 
000  awarded  him  in  his  anti-trust  suit 
against  the  majors  and  Warner  Thea- 
tres. 

The  decision  was  handed  down  by 
Judge  Johnson.   The  court's  decision 
(Continued  on  page  5) 

Report  UA  in  Deal 
To  Purchase  4Bwana' 


Negotiations  on  a  deal  whereby 
United  Artists  will  purchase  the 
Natural  Vision  production  "Bwana 
Devil"  was  reported  here  yesterday  to 
be  near  consummation.  The  deal  is 
said  to  be  an  outright  buy  rather  than 
a  distribution  arrangement  and  while 
details  had  not  been  completed,  it  is 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


D.  of  J.  Abolishes 
Small  Business  Unit 

Washington,  Jan.  12.  —  The 
Justice  Department  has 
abolished  the  anti-trust  divi- 
sion's special  small  business 
unit,  the  Senate  Small  Busi- 
ness Committee  said. 

It  described  the  unit  as  a 
"focal  point"  for  complaints 
from  small  businessmen,  in- 
cluding independent  theatre 
operators,  and  indicated  the 
Committee  viewed  the  move 
unfavorably.  The  unit's  per- 
sonnel have  all  been  trans- 
ferred to  other  sections  of  the 
anti-trust  division,  according 
to  the  report. 


UPT-ABC  Merger 
Hearing  in  2  Weeks; 
Opposition  Hinted 


Washington,  Jan.  12. — Senate  In- 
terstate Commerce  Committee  Chair- 
man Tobey  (R.,  N.  H.)  has  notified 
the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission that  his  committee  will  hold 
hearings  within  the  next  two  weeks 
on  the  proposed  merger  between 
United  Paramount  Theatres  and 
American  Broadcasting  Co. 

In  another  major  development  on 
the  merger,  Attorney  General  James 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


20TH  SLATES  3RD 
DIMENSIONAL  FILM 

Skouras  Points  to  Large  Sums  of  Money  Being 
Spent  on  Stepped  Up  Technological  Program 


'52  Disney  Profit 
Totaled  $451,809 


Hollywood,  Jan.  12. — Walt  Disney 
Productions'  consolidated  net  profit 
for  the  year  ended  Sept,  27,  1952  was 
$451,809,  equal  to  69  cents  a  share  on 
652,840  common  shares  outstanding, 
president  Roy  O.  Disney  reported 
here  today  in  his  annual  report  to 
stockholders. 

This  compared  with  a  profit  of 
$429,840,  equal  after  preferred  divi- 
dends to  65  cents  a  common  share  in 
the   preceding  year.     The  preferred 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  plans  to  release  a  third-dimensional  picture 
utilizing  its  own  process  in  1953,  in  addition  to  developing  "Anamor- 
phisis,"  the  large-screen  French  process  which  offers  a  third-dimensional 
effect,  it  was  learned  here  yesterday. 

Commenting  on  the  stepped  up  tech- 
nological program,  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
20th-Fox  president,  stated  that  the 
company  currently  is  spending  large 
sums  of  money  to  develop  new  tech- 
niques to  stimulate  the  box-office.  He 
said  these  sums,  while  large,  are  be- 
ing allocated  carefully.  Skouras  added 
that  the  attention  of  top  20th-Fox 
executives  is  being  more  and  more  de- 
voted to  the  consideration  of  new  tech- 
nical development. 

"The  Robe,"  slated  for  production 
this  year,  may  be  the  first  picture  to 
be  made  in  the  "Anamorphisis"  pro- 


cess. Tests  with  the  process  are  now 
underway  in  the  studio's  laboratories 
on  the  Coast,  it  was  learned,  and  the 
process  will  be  discussed  further  when 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  the  studio,  arrives  here  for 
conferences  with  Skouras  around 
Jan.  20. 

The  process,  according  to  a  com- 
pany spokesman,  features  a  screen 
two  or  three  times  the  size  of  the 
ordinary  screen,  requires  only  one 
projector,  and  utilizes  regular  35mm. 
film.  The  only  change  necessary,  it  was 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Practices,  Film 
Rentals  Top 
Allied  Board 

Main  Issues  Confronting 
Midwinter  Meeting 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  12.  —  The 
National  Allied  board,  in  its  annual 
midwinter  meeting  here  at  the  Jung- 
Hotel,  concentrated  on  films  rentals 
and  trade  practices.  Among  the  points 
up  for  discussion  were : 

The  scope  of  the  survey  to  be  made 
pursuant  to  the  board's  declaration  of 
policy  and  the  resolution  of  John 
Vlachos,  Michigan  Allied  president ; 
the  formal  authority  of  convention 
resolutions ;  the  formal  authority  to 
present  problems  to  Senate  and  House 
Small  Business  Committees ;  pricing 
policies  and  trade  practices  and  sug- 
gestions for  amending  or  strengthen- 
ing the  programs  adopted  at  the  re- 
cent Chicago  convention  ;  and  the  dan- 
ger of  extended  clearance  of  top  films. 

After  national  Allied  president  Wil- 

(Continned  on  page  2) 


Say  Bell  System  to 
Advance  Theatre  TV 


Washington,  Jan.  12. — The  Amer- 
ican Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co. 
told  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  today  that  it  will  argue 
at  the  coming  theatre  television  hear- 
ings that  the  use  of  Bell  system  thea- 
tre television  transmission  will  permit 
the  development  of  theatre  television 
networks  earlier  than  otherwise  pos- 
sible. The  hearings  will  resume  on 
Jan.  26. 

A.  T.  and  T.,  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  the  National 
Exhibitors  Theatre  Television  Com- 

(Continucd  on  page  4) 


Joyce  O'Hara  Rites 
InWashingtonToday 

Washington,  Jan.  12. — The  indus- 
try will  pay  its  respects  to  Joyce 
O'Hara,  vice-president  of  the  Motion 
Pictures  Association  of  America  here 
tomorrow  when  a  requiem  mass  will 
be  celebrated  at  St.  Ann's  Catholic 
Church.  O'Hara  died  in  the  Hotel 
Waldorf-Astoria,  New  York,  last 
Friday  morning  of  a  heart  attack. 

Representatives  of  major  film  com- 
panies and  the  MPAA  offices  in  New- 
York  will  be  present  at  the  services, 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  13,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


JERRY  PICKMAN,  Paramount  ad- 
vertising-publicity vice-president, 
will  return  here  today  from  Holly- 
wood. 

0 

Dudley  Roberts,  Jr.,  president  of 
Cinerama  Corp.,  will  be  one  of  three 
executives  to  be  interviewed  by  news- 
man Marshall  McNeil  today  over 
the  WABD-TV  show,  "Meet  the 
Boss." 

• 

Walter  Branson,  RKO  Radio  as- 
sistant general  sales  manager,  left 
New  York  for  Hollywood  yesterday, 
the  first  stop  on  a  tour  of  Western 
branches. 

• 

B.  Bernard  Kreisler,  president  of 
International  Film  Associates  Corp., 
returned  here  yesterday  from  a  Carib- 
bean business-vacation  trip. 


'Jazz'  Opening  Here 
LaunchesNewSeason 


"The  Jazz  Singer"  premiere  tonight 
at  the  Paramount  Theatre  before  a 
host  of  celebrities  will  mark  the  first 
big  film  event  on  Broadway  this  year. 
Stars  Danny  Thomas  and  Peggy  Lee 
will  make  a  stage  appearance  for  the 
occasion. 

Among  the  celebrities  who  pur- 
chased tickets  are  Mrs.  Eleanor 
Roosevelt,  Mrs.  Walter  Chrysler,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Albert  D.  Lasker,  Mayor  Im- 
pellitteri,  and  Basil  O'Connor.  Per- 
sonalities from  the  entertainment 
world  who  are  scheduled  to  attend  are 
Robert  Taylor,  Marlene  Dietrich, 
Harry  Hershfield,  Robert  Q.  Lewis, 
Lily,  Pons,  Andre  Kostelanetz,  Jackie 
Gleason,  Johnnie  Ray,  Salvador  Dali, 
Joey  Adams,  Milton  Berle,  Jane  Pick- 
ens, Dennis  James,  Maggi  McNellis, 
the  Gilbert  Millers,  Dagmar,  Ted 
Lewis,  Gypsy  Rose  Lee,  Candy  Jones, 
Zsa  Zsa  Gabor,  the  Meyer  Davises, 
Ted  Mack,  Sid  Caesar,  Faye  Emer- 
son, Skitch  Henderson,  Jan  Peerce, 
Joe  E.  Brown,  Rosalind  Russell. 


EiteVs  Palace  in 
Chicago  Is  Closing 

Chicago,  Jan.  12. — Eitel's  Palace 
Theatre,  Loop  first  run  house,  will 
close  Wednesday  after  extended  but 
fruitless  efforts  to  arrive  at  a  scale 
for  projectionists  for  a  proposed  run 
of  "This  Is  Cinerama."  Decision  to 
close  resulted  from  a  combination  of 
inability  to  settle  the  wage  scale  and 
the  fact  that  the  house  has  no  book- 
ings after  the  present  "Stars  and 
Stripes  Forever." 


$500,000  to  Promote 
UA's  'Moulin  Rouge' 

A  starting  budget  for  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation  of  $500,000 
— the  largest  ever  in  the  history  of  a 
film  released  through  United  Artists 
—has  been  set  for  John  Huston's 
"Moulin  Rouge,"  according  to  Max 
E.  Young-stein,  vice-president. 


Gulf   Allied  Meet 
To  Hear  Cole,  Myers 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  12.  —  A 
report  on  the  Federal  admis- 
sion tax  by  Col.  H.  A.  Cole 
and  an  arbitration  report  by 
national  Allied  general  coun- 
sel Abram  F.  Myers  will  high- 
light the  business  sessions  of 
the  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
the  Gulf  States  annual  meet- 
ing here  tomorrow  and  Wed- 
nesday, according  to  president 
Abe  Berenson. 


Allied  Board 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


bur  Snaper  called  the  meeting  to 
order,  Abe  Berenson,  president  of  the 
Gulf  States  Allied,  gave  the  welcom- 
ing address,  calling  for  greater  unity 
of  all  independent  exhibitors  to  com- 
bat whatever  trade  practices  and  ex- 
orbitant trade  rentals  that  are  being 
forced  upon  small  exhibitors. 

Abram  F.  Myers,  chairman  and 
general  counsel,  read  his  annual  re- 
port and  Jack  Kirsch,  Illinois  Allied 
head,  reported  on  the  1952  convention. 

Television  developments  since  the 
Chicago  meeting  will  be  discussed  at 
tomorrow's  session. 


3  Premieres  Climax 
'Gambler'  Campaign 

St.  Louis,  Jan.  12. — Universal-In- 
ternational will  climax  one  of  its  most 
extensive  territorial  promotional  cam- 
paigns tomorrow  when  "The  Missis- 
sippi Gambler"  has  its  world  premiere 
at  the  Fox  Theatre  here,  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  openings  at  the  Malco  Thea- 
tre, Memphis,  on  Wednesday  and  at 
the  Joy  Theatre,  New  Orleans,  on 
Thursday.  The  trio  of  premieres  will 
launch  350  pre-release  dates  in  the 
Mississippi  River  Valley. 


Pix's  D.C.  Plymouth 
Files  Trust  Suit 


An  anti-trust  suit  seeking  $1,248,000 
from  the  majors  and  District  Theatres 
Corp.  was  filed  here  in  Federal  Dis- 
trict Court  by  Pix  Theatres,  Inc., 
owner  of  the  Plymouth  Theatre,  a 
Negro  house  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  plaintiff  alleged  that  the  Ply- 
mouth was  discriminated  against  in 
first  and  subsequent  runs  in  favor  of 
District's  Langston  Theatre.  Pix 
Theatres  is  owned  by  Samuel,  Max 
and  Faith  Cummins,  Seymour  B. 
Cohen  and  Rose  Chatkin. 


Services  for  Jennings 
On  Coast  Tomorrow 

Hollywood,  Jan.  12. — Services  will 
be  held  here  Wednesday  morning  at 
the  Church  of  the  Recessional,  Forest 
Lawn,  for  H.  Gordon  Jennings,  56, 
distinguished  cameraman  and  special 
effects  director,  who  succumbed  to  a 
heart  attack  yesterday. 


NEWS 

in  Brief  .  .  . 


Chicago,  Jan.  12. — Robert  L.  Lip- 
pert  will  supply  his  franchise  holders 
with  12  features  for  release  during  the 
first  five  months  of  this  year,  he  told 
the  franchise  holders  at  their  first  an- 
nual meeting  here. 

Lippert  left  for  New  York  to  spend 
the  week  with  general  sales  manager 
Arthur  Greenblatt  before  returning  to 
Hollywood.  Lippert  said  all  product, 
headed  by  "The  Tall  Texan"  and  "I'll 
Get  You,"  is  completed  or  in  the  final 
editing  stage. 

• 

The  Atlantic  Coast  section  of  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  and  Tele- 
vision Engineers  will  meet  at  the  20th 
Century-Fox  home  office  this  evening. 
Karl  Freund,  photography  director 
and  president  of  Photo  Research 
Corp.,  Hollywood,  will  speak  on 
three  subjects:  "Shooting  the  Live 
TV  Show  on  Film  in  Hollywood," 
"The  Spectra  Brightness  Spot  Meter" 
and  "The  Spectra  Color  Tempera- 
ture Meter." 

• 

Morey  Getz,  treasurer  of  G-B 
(Getz-Buck)  Productions,  flew  to 
Paris  and  Hamburg  to  confer  with 
his  associates,  Jules  Buck  and  David 
Getz,  about  final  shooting  prepara- 
tions for  "The  Sea  Devil,"  a  screen- 
play by  Joe  Eisinger  about  Count 
Felix  Von  Luckner,  the  German  sea 
raider  of  World  War  I.  His  stay 
here  was  extended  due  to  complica- 
tions in  negotiations  with  Columbia 
Pictures.  Coast  attorney  Harold  Ber- 
kowitz  and  local  attorney  Lester  Gut- 
terman  are  negotiating  final  distribu- 
tion details  for  the  producers. 

Also,  G-B  has  concluded  a  deal 
with  the  Selznick  Releasing  Organ- 
ization to  distribute  a  dozen  of  David 
O.  Selznick's  films  in  Western  Europe. 
• 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  12.— Industry 
enthusiasm  in  regard  to  the  "Movie- 
time"  22-car  train,  planned  by  the 
Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organiza- 
tions of  Texas,  is  hitting  a  peak  pace, 
Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  Texas  Allied  leader, 
told  the  Allied  board  of  directors 
meeting  here  today. 

• 

Chicago,  Jan.  12. — An  appeal  for 
review  of  the  recent  ruling  on  the 
Towne  case  and  a  stay  of  mandate 
on  the  latest  Jackson  Park  ruling 
pending  a  review  by  the  Supreme 
Court  were  filed  here  by  attorney 
Thomas  C.  McConnell. 

e 

A.  Montague,  president  of  the  Will 
Rogers  Memorial  Hospital,  reported 
yesterday  the  receipt  of  a  check  for 
$27,500  representing  over  400  indi- 
vidual donations'  for  the  "Harold 
Rodner  Research  Section"  to  be  estab- 
lished at  the  Will  Rogers  Memorial 
Hospital  at  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y. 
• 

Mrs.  Dorothy  Seidlitz,  wife  of  Mau- 
rice Seidlitz,  Loew's  Theatres  district 
manager  here,  died  yesterday  after  a 
long  illness.  In  addition  to  her  hus- 
band, Mrs.  Seidlitz  is  survived  by  a 
son,  Richard,  and  one  sister.  The 
funeral  will  take  place  tomorrow 
morning  from  the  Riverside  Chapel, 
Amsterdam  Ave.  and  76th  St. 


Film  Men  to  Assist 
Murphy  at  Inaugural 

Washington,  Jan.  12.  — 
George  Murphy,  director  of 
entertainment  for  the  Eisen- 
hower-Nixon Inaugural  Fes- 
tival, has  named  a  group  of 
Washington  film  company 
representatives  as  a  commit- 
tee to  assist  him. 

On  the  committee  are:  Or- 
ville  Crouch,  Loew's;  George 
Dorsey,  Warner;  Robert  Den- 
ton, Paramount;  Tony  Muto, 
20th  Century-Fox;  J.  B.  Bre- 
cheen,  RKO,  and  J.  Raymond 
Bell,  Columbia.  Allan  Zee  of 
Loew's  and  George  Crouch 
and  Frank  Lafalce  of  War- 
ner, will  also  work  on  the 
program. 


Continent  Now  Tops 
ForMGM,  Says  Loew 

_  Hollywood,  Jan.  12. — For  the  first 
time  Continental  Europe  has  sur- 
passed any  other  area  abroad  as  a 
market  for  M-G-M  films  at  a  period 
when  the  worldwide  outlook  is  more 
optimistic  than  in  many  years.  This 
was  revealed  here  by  Arthur  Loew, 
president  of  Loew's  International,  at 
a  luncheon  attended  by  studio  execu- 
tives and  producers. 


Movietone  Queries 
N.Y.C.  Negative  Tax 


The  question  of  whether  an  Amer- 
ican film  company  operating  on  an  in- 
ternational scope  is  subject  to  the 
New  York  gross  receipts  tax  was  the 
basis  of  testimony  solicited  from  20th- 
Fox  Movietone  News  here  yesterday 
by  the  Bureau  of  Excise  Taxes.  The 
testimony  was  given  on  behalf  of 
Movietone  by  William  Owens,  attor- 
ney, and  was  in  connection  with  the 
city's  efforts  to  levy  a  sales  tax  on 
film  negatives.  The  firm  was  among 
the  first  to  be  assessed. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

— — -   Rockefeller  Center   


"MILLION  DOLLAR  MERMAID" 

Esther  WILLIAMS  •  Victor  MATURE 
Walter  PIDGEON  •  David  BRIAN 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR  .  An  M-G-M  Picture 

Plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


INlHIEf    tt.1V 


fLVUDE  axliPIIIN  T«1I.>I€XMX>B 


MOTTOW  PICTURE  DAILY  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Ouigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100,  Cable  address :  ''Quigpubco, 
New  York ''  Martin  6uigle"y  President;  Martin  Ouigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J  Brady, 
Secretary  Tames  P  Cunningham,  News  Editor ;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Budding, 
William  R  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Tr.nz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Hark  Street  FR  2-2843  Washington  T-  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor  cable  address,  "Quigpubcof  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


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Motion  Picture  Daily 

Record  For 
* 'Jazz  Singer9 

Miamt,  Jan.  6. — Warner  Brothers' 
"The    Jazz    Singer"    continues  its 
record-breaking  pace  in  its  dual  special 
engagement    at   the    Beach  Theatre, 
Miami    Beach,    and   the  Paramount, 
Miami,  with  a  record  gross  anticipated 
for  the  first  week,  ending  tomorrow 
night  at  both  houses.  This  indefinite 
run  is  the  first  engagement  of  the  film 
following  its  world  premiere  at  the 
Fox  Beverly  Theatre  in  Beverly  Hills. 


and  you'll 
find  more 
record  news 
in  tomorrow's 
papers  because 

tonight 


will  have  the 
most  spectacular 
opening  in  the 
history  of  the 
N.  Y.  Paramount! 


from  WARNER  BROS,  in  color  by  TECHNICO 


STARRING 


MUSICAL  NUMBERS  STAGED  AND 
DIRECTED  BY  L  E  ROY  PRINZ. 


Michael  Curtiz 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  13,  1953 


Theatre  TV 


(C  on  tin  ued  from  page  1) 


niittee  and  other  parties  today  filed 
their  proposed  witness  lists  and  sum- 
maries of  the  testimony  which  will  be 
given  at  the  hearing. 

A.  T.  and  T.  said  that  its  lead  wit- 
ness, F.  A.  Cowan,  engineering  staff 
manager  of  the  long  lines  department, 
would  tell  the  Commission  that  the 
Bell  system  has  transmission  facilities 
which  can  meet  the  10  mc  band  width 
deemed  necessary  by  the  industry  to 
give  the  theatre  television  image  the 
same  clarity  as  the  35  mm.  image. 

At  the  same  time  A.  T.  and  T.  re- 
vealed its  estimated  cost  data  for  a 
New  York  to  Washington  theatre 
television  transmission  service  oper- 
ating on  a  10  mc  band  and  covering 
nine  cities.  The  company  pointed  out 
that  all  other  cost  data  was  "in 
preparation"  and  could  not  be  sup- 
plied now. 

The  A.  T.  and  T.  figures  cover 
three  theatre  television  networks 
simultaneously  servicing  the  nine 
cities.  As  its  total  cost  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  A.  T.  and  T.  esti- 
mated $4,400,000,  and  its  total  annual 
operating  cost  for  the  service  the 
:pany  estimated  $1,050,000. 

Nine  Cities 

The  nine  cities  which  would  be 
serviced  by  the  system  are  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  Trenton,  Atlantic  City, 
Wilmington,  Baltimore,  Reading,  Al- 
lentown  and  Washington. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  phase  of  the 
theatre  television  hearing  last  fall  an 
industry  source  gave  the  MPAA- 
NETTC  estimate  of  the  cost  of  _  a 
similar  service  which  would  be  built 
and  operated  if  special  frequencies  are 
allocated  by  the  FCC  for  theatre  tele- 
vision. Although  the  industry  figures 
were  based  on  a  different  kind  of  cost 
breakdown,  the  total  industry  figure 
for  the  construction  cost  of  three  net- 
works simultaneously  operating  be- 
tween New  York  and  Washington  was 
$5,450,000.  The  industry  figure  for 
total  annual  operating  costs  of  the 
service,  based  on  a  three-year  amor- 
tization period,  was  $2,420,000.  No 
amortization  term  was  given  in  the 
A.  T.  and  T.  figure. 

The  industry  figures  covered  only 
eight  cities  being  serviced  by  the 
set-up.  These  were  the  same  as  the 
A.  T.  and  T.  cities  with  the  omission 
of  Allentown. 

A.  T.  and  T.  said  Cowan  would 
testify  that  the  Bell  system  will 
be  able  to  integrate  its  theatre 
television  transmission  service 
with  its  other  services  in  a 
manner  which  will  make  pos- 
sible important  economies  in 
operations  and  engineering. 

He  will  explain  to  the  Commission 


Review 


"Taxi" 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

THE  word  "sleeper"'  is  a  greatly  over-worked  term  in  this  business,  but  it 
can  be  applied  safely  to  "Taxi,"  if  the  word  means  a  good  picture  pro- 
duced on  a  moderate  budget  and  without  headline  names.  From  the  standpoint 
of  names,  co-star  Dan  Dailey  and  director  Gregory  Ratoff  are,  perhaps,  the 
only  ones  that  the  public  will  recognize  from  the  billing,  but  the  fans  will  find 
new  star  material  in  Constance  Smith,  who  has  had  some  supporting  roles  in 
American  pictures  subsequent  to  her  appearance  in  a  number  of  British  pro- 
ductions. 

"Taxi"  is  unusual  in  that  it  was  shot  almost  entirely  on  the  streets  of  New 
York  City  and  Brooklyn.  Interiors  are  held  to  a  minimum.  New  Yorkers 
and  those  who  have  visited  the  city  should  get  a  "kick"  from  the  familiar 
scenes,  while  those  who  have  never  been  to  New  York  are  given  a  sightseeing 
tour.  The  picture  runs  the  gamut  from  hilarious  comedy  to  deep,  emotional 
drama,  with  all  ingredients  expertly  blended.  It's  a  picture  that  is  pretty  sure 
to  please  the  most  critical. 

The  story  spans  a  single  day  in  the  life  of  a  taxi  driver-owner,  Dailey,  who, 
incidentally,  proves  himself  to  be  a  top  performer  as  a  dramatic  actor  as  well 
as  a  good  comedian.  Desperately  in  need  of  enough  money  to  make  a  payment 
on  his  cab,  Dailey  is  out  to  raise  the  cash  by  taking  his  passengers  on  round- 
about routes  to  their  destinations.  One  of  his  fares  is  Miss  Smith,  just  arrived 
from  Ireland,  who  is  seeking  her  husband,  an  American  writer,  whom  she 
hasn't  seen  for  a  year.  Not  knowing  that  the  colleen  has  only  $5,  Dailey 
takes  her  from  Brooklyn  to  New  York  by  way  of  New  Jersey.  Although 
disgusted  with  his  misfortune  in  having  a  fare  who  cannot  pay  her  way,  Dailey 
stands  by  her  in  her  quest  for  her  no-good  husband,  whom  she  does  not  meet, 
and,  of  course,  it  all  leads  to  a  romance  between  the  taxi  driver  and  the  Irish 
girl.  A  fine  supporting  cast  helps  to  make  the  picture  an  exciting  experience. 
Outstanding  is  Blanche  Yurka,  as  Dailey's  mother. 

Produced  by  Samuel  C.  Engel,  the  screenplay  is  by  D.  M.  Marshman,  Jr., 
and  Daniel  Fuchs,  from  a  story  by  Hans  Jacoby  and  Fred  Brady.  Others  in 
the  cast  are  Neva  Patterson,  Kyle  MacDonnell,  Walter  Woolf  King,  Anthony 
Ross  and  Mark  Roberts. 

Running  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Al  Steen 


that  the  Bell  system  can  meet  the 
technical  transmission  requirements 
"specificated  by  the  theatre  interests," 
including  band  width,  definition  and 
linearity,  and  that  the  company  has 
planned  to  build  up  its  existing  inter- 
and  intra-city  transmission  facilities 
until  they  are  "nationwide  in  scope." 

In  addition,  A.  T.  and  T.  will  also 
tell  the  Commission  that  the  spectrum 
location  which  the  industry  has  ear- 
marked as  the  most  suited  to  theatre 
television  transmission  should  not  be 
taken  away  from  the  common  carriers, 
to  whom  that  portion  of  the  spectrum 
is  now  allocated.  To  do  so,  A.  T. 
and  T.  will  say,  would  "reduce  the 
ultimate    capacity"    of   those  widths. 

There  will  be  four  A.  T.  and  T. 
witnesses  in  addition  to  Cowan.  They 
are :  F.  M.  Ryan,  radio  engineer,  de- 
partment of  operations  and  engineer- 
ing ;  M.  G.  Wallace,  commercial 
operating  engineer ;  W.  H.  Doherty, 
director  of  research,  electronics  ;  and 
A.  F.  Jacobson,  director  of  operations, 
long  lines  department. 

The  list  of  29  witnesses  who 
will  testify  for  the  industry  and 
the  subjects  they'll  cover  was 
submitted  to  the  Commission  by 
Marcus  Cohn  for  NETTC  and 


by  Vincent  Welch  and  James  L. 
Fly  for  MPAA. 

The  listing  was  in  alphabetical 
order,  and  not  in  order  of  appearance. 
The  Commission  was  also  told  that 
because  of  business  and  other  commit- 
ments of  some  of  the  listed  persons 
occasional  substitution  might  be  neces- 
sary, and  also  that  additional  wit- 
nesses might  be  added  later. 

Here  is  the  MPAA-NETTC  wit- 
ness list,  along  with  the  subjects  to 
be  covered  by  each  : 

Roger  Albright,  MPAA  educational 
director,  who  will  outline  the  indus- 
try's activities  in  the  educational  field 
and  the  potentials  of  theatre  television 
in  education ;  Harold  Azine.  former 
theatre  television  expert  for  the  Fed- 
eral Civil  Defense  Administration, 
who  will  describe  the  agency's  three 
intra-city  experiments  with  closed 
circuit  theatre  TV  for  civil  defense 
training ;  Metropolitan  Opera  manag- 
ing director  Rudolph  Bing.  who'll  de- 
scribe the  theatre  telecast  of  "Car- 
men" and  discuss  the  inadequacy  of 
the  video  signal  on  the  leased  wires ; 
Harry  Brandt,  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  president,  who  will  argue  that 
theatre  television  will  permit  the  small 
independent  exhibitor  to  compete 
with  first  run  theatres; 

Also,  Gibert  and  Sullivan  impres- 
sario  S.  M.  Chartok,  who'll  claim  that 
theatre  TV  can  be  used  to  stimulate 
interest  in  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  and 
similar  works ;  Robert  W.  Coyne, 
special  counsel  of  the  Council  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Organizations,  who'll  dis- 
cuss COMPO's  interest  in  theatre 
TV;  theatre  architect  John  Eberson, 
who'll  treat  theatre  TV  as  a  logical 
development  in  the  evolution  of  the 
theatre ;  NETTC  chairman  Si  Fabian, 
who'll  discuss  the  quality  of  the  image 
needed  to  make  theatre  TV  compare 
with  35  mm.  films ;  Benjamin  Fine, 
education  editor  of  the  New  York 
Times,  who'll  discuss  how  education 
can  utilize  theatre  TV;  Emanuel 
Frisch,  head  of  the  Metropolitan  Mo- 


Walsh  to  Confer  on 
Overseas  Filming 

Hollywood,  Jan.  12.— IATSE 
president  Richard  Walsh  will 
state  Hollywood  Labor's  stand 
against  overseas  production, 
save  when  demonstrably  nec- 
essary, in  a  meeting  with  the 
major  companies'  labor  com- 
mittee this  week,  probably 
Thursday. 


tion  Picture  Theatre  Association,  dis- 
cussing public  service  aspects  of  the 
new  medium ; 

Also,  Richard  Hodgson,  director  of 
television  development  for  Paramount 
Pictures,  and  Andrew  Inglis,  MPAA 
technical  consultant,  outlining  techni- 
cal phases  of  theatre  TV;  Lester  B. 
Isaac,  Loew's  director  of  projection, 
analyzing  theatre  screen  sizes ;  Grif- 
fith Johnson,  MPAA's  economics  di- 
rector, who'll  cover  financial  and  eco- 
nomic aspects  of  the  motion  picture 
industry;  MPAA  president  Eric  A. 
Johnston,  who'll  show  the  industry's 
interest  in  theatre  TV  and  what  is 
possible  in  informational  and  enter- 
tainment programming  for  large  audi- 
ences ;  Raymond  Klune,  executive 
producer  of  20th  Century-Fox,  who'll 
cover  the  facilities  available  in  Holly- 
wood for  production  and  distribution; 

Also,  Abe  Lastfogel,  of  the  William 
Morris  Agency,  on  the  artistic  need 
for  theatre  television ;  Arthur  L. 
Mayer,  former  executive  vice-presi- 
dent of  COMPO,  on  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry's  past  civic  and  humani- 
tarian services  to  government  and  to 
the  public ;  Tom  Meany,  sports  edi- 
tor of  Collier's,  who'll  argue  that 
theatre  TV  will  make  available  sports 
events  not  otherwise  available ;  stage 
producer  Gilbert  Miller,  who'll  claim 
that  theatre  TV  can  revive  the  legiti- 
mate theatre ;  census  bureau  director 
Roy  Peel,  who  will  outline  theatre 
TV's  potentialities  for  staff  training 
and  for  executive  appearances ;  Terry 
Ramsaye,  editor  emeritus  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  who'll  trace 
the  historical  and  sociological  develop- 
ment of  the  industry  and  argue  that 
no  other  form  of  art  is  so  attuned  to 
the  needs  of  its  patrons  ; 

Also,  either  Allied  president  Wilbur 
Snaper  or  former  president  Trueman 
Rembusch,  on  the  advantages  theatre 
TV  affords  the  small  town  exhibitor ; 
a  representative  of  the  American 
Medical  Association,  discussing  the 
Association's  plans  for  using  theatre 
TV  for  training  and  post-graduate 
work;  MPAA  general  counsel  Sidney 
Schreiber,  tracing  the  history  and 
composition  of  MPAA ;  20th-Fox 
president  Spyros  Skouras,  who'll 
cover  the  history  of  a  typical  produc- 
ing-distributing  company  and  its  in- 
terest in  and  plans  for  theatre  tele- 
vision ;  Mitchell  Wolfson,  former 
president  of  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  who'll  argue  that  theatre 
TV  is  not  a  competitor  of  home  TV 
but  rather  is  designed  to  do  things 
home  TV  cannot  do ;  and  Manfred 
Toeppen,  MPAA-NETTC  expert. 


SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 


630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  36,  N.Y. 


SPEED! 
QUALITY! 
SHOWMANSHIP! 


CANT  BE  BEAT! 


1327  S.  WABASH 
CHICAGO  5,  ILL. 


Tuesday,  January  13,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


UPT-ABC  Merger 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Disney  Profit 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

stock  was  redeemed  on  Jan.  1,  1951. 

Gross  income  for  the  year  amounted 
to  $7,722,819,  compared  with  $6,287,539 
the  year  before.  Disney  stated  that 
the  1952  gross  only  slightly  reflects 
returns  from  "Robin  Hood"  which 
was  released  in  June,  since  returns 
were  initially  received  in  the  last 
month  of  the  fiscal  year.  Principal 
sources  of  feature  picture  income  were 
"Alice  in  Wonderland"  and  the  re- 
issue of  "Snow  White  and  the  Seven 
Dwarfs." 

45%  in  Foreign  Income 

Approximately  45  per  cent  of  the 
company's  motion  picture  revenue,  it 
was  stated,  is  earned  abroad  and  much 
of  the  character  merchandising  is  also 
from  foreign  sources.  Currency  re- 
strictions were  cited  in  the  report, 
which  noted  that  at  the  end  of  the 
fiscal  year,  there  was  approximately 
$1,100,000  of  the  company's  revenue 
blocked  in  18  foreign  countries,  com- 
pared with  $825,000  a  year  ago. 

As  to  home  television,  the  report 
stated  that  "there  has  been  no  change 
in  the  company's  position.  We  have 
no  commitments  but  we  are  continu- 
ing to  watch  and  study  closely  devel- 
opments in  the  field." 

In  a  tabulation  comparing  the 
financial  operations  of  the  company 
from  1948  to  1952,  gross  income 
soared  from  $4,939,744  in  1948  to 
$7,722,819  in  1952,  reflected  in  the 
profit  of  $451,809  for  1952,  compared 
to  the  loss  of  $39,038  in  1948. 


20th  Slates 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

explained,  is  the  attachment  of  a  spe- 
cial lens  to  the  regular  projector.  In 
addition,  the  process,  which  is  said  to 
give  the  illusion  of  a  three-dimension- 
al effect,  features  stereophonic  sound. 

Tests  Encouraging 

The  company  spokesman  said  the 
initial  tests  are  encouraging.  He  de- 
clined to  detail  the  financial  arrange- 
ment which  the  company  has  made 
with  the  inventors,  but  stated  that 
20th-Fox  has  contracted  for  the 
rights  to  develop  the  process. 

The  title  of  20th-Fox's  third-dimen- 
sional film  is  yet  to  be  selected,  a 
spokesman  stated,  but  the  company 
definitely  expects  to  release  the  film 
this  year.  The  20th-Fox  third-dimen- 
sional process,  it  was  explained,  re- 
quires the  use  of  special  glasses. 


'Bwana'  to  UA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

understood  that  an  announcement  will 
be  made  before  the  end  of  the  week. 

Arch  Oboler,  producer  of  "Bwana 
Devil,"  is  in  New  York  for  confer- 
ences on  the  transaction  in  which 
Chemical  Bank  and  Trust  Co.  is  inter- 
ested from  a  financing  angle.  Inde- 
pendent producer  Edward  -,L.  Alper- 
son  also  is  a  participant  in  the  deal. 


Overlapping  of  Taxes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ever  has  been  willing  to  relinquish  it. 

Meanwhile  in  Washington,  two 
more  Congressmen  introduced  admis- 
sion tax  relief  bills.  Rep.  Marchro- 
wicz  (D.,  Mich.)  sponsored  one  to 
cut  the  tax  from  20  per  cent  to  10  per 
cent,  while  Rep.  Patten  (D.,  Ariz.) 
proposed  elimination  of  the  entire  tax. 


P.  McGranery  has  sent  the  FCC  a 
letter  which,  while  claiming  to  avoid 
any  actual  stand  on  the  merger,  ac- 
tually amounts  to  a  statement  in  op- 
position. 

The  Tobey  announcement  of  Sen- 
ate Committee  hearings  represents  the 
latest  move  by  the  New  Hampshire 
lawmaker  to  block  FCC  approval  of 
the  merger.  He  had  previously  writ- 
ten the  Commission  criticizing  hearing 
examiner  Leo  Resnick's  recommenda- 
tion that  the  merger  be  okayed.  Tobey 
merely  told  FCC  chairman  Paul  A. 
Walker  in  his  latest,  curt  wire  that 
the  Committee  would  hold  hearings 
in  the  next  two  weeks  to  determine 
whether  the  merger  is  legal,  whether 
it  is  in  the  public  interest  and  whether 
"it  would  be  helpful  to  prepare  and 
pass  legislation  to  prevent  mergers  of 
this  kind  in  the  future." 

Tobey  said  he  especially  wanted 
Walker  to  attend  the  hearing".  Walker's 
reply  to  Tobey  is  expected  to-  be 
more  courteous  than  was  his  reply  to 
McGranery.  In  effect,  the  FCC  chair- 
man told  the  Attorney  General  that 
his  views  were  very  interesting  but 
that  they  were  filed  just  a  little  too 
late  in  the  proceedings  to  be  consid- 
ered fully  by  the  Commission. 

McGranery's  letter,  dated  Jan.  7, 
declared  the  Justice  Department  was 
not  expressing  any  opinion  on  the 
merger,  but  did  desire  to  direct  the 
FCC's  attention  to  "certain  factors" 
of  anti-trust  significance. 

For  one  thing,  McGranery 
said,  the  merger  might  encoura- 
age  a  "general  integration"  of 
motion  picture  exhibition  with 
radio  and  telecasting.  "If  the 
merger  is  consummated,"  he  de- 
clared, "other  companies  in 
these  industries  may  well  deter- 
mine to  secure  for  themselves, by 
merger,  the  competitive  advan- 
tages that  would  accrue  to 
United  Paramount  and  Ameri- 
can Broadcasting."  If  this  hap- 
pens, he  added,  the  visual  enter- 
tainment  field   would   be  con- 


RKO  Sales  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

held  in  mid-February.  Cash  prizes 
will  be  awarded-  to  members  of  win- 
ning branches. 

Among  the  top  product  to  be  in- 
cluded in  the  drive  period  are  :  "Mon- 
tana Belle;"  "Face  to  Face;"  "Cap- 
tive Women;"  "The  Bachelor  and  the 
Bobby  Soxer"  and  "Bachelor  Moth- 
er," both  re-releases  ;  "Blackbeard  the 
Pirate,"  "Hans  Christian  Andersen," 
"Androcles  and  the  Lion,"  "Never 
Wave  at  A  Wac ;"  "No  Time  For 
Flowers,"  "Peter  Pan,"  "Angel  Face," 
"Sword  of  Venus,"  "The  Hitch- 
Hiker,"  "Night  Without  Stars,"  "Fort 
Apache"  and  "Blood  on  the  Moon," 
both  re-releases  ;  "Beautiful  but  Dan- 
gerous," "The  Sea  Around  Us,"  "Port 
Sinister,"  "Sea  Devils,"  "Mickey 
Mouse  Birthday  Party,"  "Below  the 
Sahara,"  "Break-Up"  and  "Split  Sec- 
ond." 


Williams  Here  for  'Pan' 

Roy  Williams,  veteran  Walt  Disney 
studio  animator,  has  arrived  in  New 
York  to  participate  in  a  series 
of  radio,  television,  newspaper  and 
magazine  interviews  as  part  of  RKO 
Radio's  promotion  campaign  for  the 
Roxy  premiere  of  "Peter  Pan." 


1  trolled  by  "a  few  dominant  com- 
panies," and  this  would  present 
serious  competitive  problems. 

McGranery  also  claimed  that  such 
integration  would  "impede  the  entry 
of  new  business  enterprises"  into 
either  field.  He  also  asserted  that 
such  integrated  companies  would  have 
bidding  and  buying  advantages  over 
non-integrated  firms. 

Finally,  the  Attorney  General  said, 
as  a  result  of  this  merger  and  those 
that  might  follow,  "the  development  of 
the  television  industry  might  be  sub- 
ordinated to  the  interests  of  the  mo- 
tion picture  exhibition  industry.  Mo- 
tion picture  exhibition  interests  placed 
in  a  position  to  do  so  might  well 
resort  to  various  trade-restraining  de- 
vices to  insulate  their  interest  against 
the  adverse  effects  of  competition  from 
television.  In  any  event,  the  incen- 
tive to  improvement  that  comes  from 
active  competition  will  inevitably  be 
lost  under  common  control." 

McGranery  stated  he  realized  the 
Commission  would  have  to  consider 
a  number  of  factors,  but  that  he  was 
confident  it  would  give  "appropriate 
consideration"  to  those  he  mentioned. 


O'Hara  Rites 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

which  will  be  followed  by  interment 
in  Arlington  National  Cemetery. 
Among  the  executives  will  be  Nich- 
olas M.  Schenck,  M-G-M ;  Spyros 
Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox;  John  J. 
O'Connor,  Universal  -  International ; 
Theodore  Black,  Republic;  J.  W. 
Piper,  Paramount,  Ned  Depinet,  and 
others.  From  the  New  York  MPAA 
headquarters  will  be  Fred  Duval  1, 
Ralph  Hetzel,  Jr.,  Sidney  Schreiber, 
Irving  Maas,  Manning  (Tim)  Cla- 
gett,  Dorothea  Lutjens  and  Harold 
Burt. 

A  committee  representing  the  Na- 
tional Press  Club  Post  of  the  Amer- 
ican Legion,  of  which  O'Hara  was 
former  commander,  has  been  appoint- 
ed to  attend  the  services.  The  group 
consists  of  Joseph  Davidson,  Richard 
S.  Jones,  Earl  Godwin  and  H.  R. 
Baukhage. 

Father  Max  Jordan  of  the  St. 
Thomas  Moore  Church,  New  York, 
a  life-long  friend  of  O'Hara,  will  cele- 
brate the  mass. 


Goldman  Wins 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


GREAT    MOTION    PICTURES    ARE    PROCESSED    BY  PATHE 

PAUL  WHITE,  President  of  PSI-TF,  Inc., 
Producers  and  Distributors  of  TV-Fi/?ns,  says : 

"It  takes  a  highly  skilled  laboratory  to 
perform  our  many  varied  and  exacting 
technical  requirements  plus  a  depend- 
able organization  to  meet  daily  program 
deadlines.  We  use  Pathe  Labs." 


If  your  films,  too,  are  different 
and  need  the  most  versatile 
laboratory  treatment— plus 
creative  ability,  high  quality  and 
speed— we  invite  your  inquiry. 


PSI-TV's  Pathe-processed  pro- 
grams include:  "China  Smith" 
"Playhouse  of  Stars"  and  other 
outstanding  television  series  in 
addition  to  68  current  full- 
length  features. 


Both  New  York  and  Hollywood  Have  Complete  Pathe  Laboratory  Facilities: 
3  {MM       •       l6MM       •       COLOR       •      BLACK    AND  WHITE 
Pathe  Laboratories,  Inc.  is  a  subsidiary  of  Chesapeake  Industries,  Inc. 


In  reply,  Walker  said  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  had  been 
kept  informed  from  the  start  of 
the  merger  proceedings,  but  on 
Dec.  29,  1951,  had  notified  the 
Commission  that  the  Depart- 
ment was  not  in  a  position  to 
participate  formally.  No  re- 
quest has  been  made  since  then 
asking  permission  to  intervene 
or  participate,  Walker  added. 


was  based  on  Goldman's  contention 
that  the  Clayton  Act  held  that  puni- 
tive damages  or  fines  are  not  to  be 
regarded  as  taxable  income  by  the 
receiver,  but  must  be  charged  to  the 
defendant  in  the  case.  Since  the  film 
companies  and  Warner  are  now  obli- 
gated for  the  $250,000  difference  in  the 
award,  they  are  liable  for  the  tax  and 
not  Goldman,  according  to  the  court's 
finding. 


T 


First  3  engagements...^***/ 

SHREVEPORT-Strand 
PENSACOLA-Saenger 
BATON  ROUGE  -  Hart 

Watch  San  Francisco  and  Denver 
dates  coming  up,., and  it's 
only  the  beginning! 


PAULETTE  G0DMD  •  GffSTHOSE  LEE 


in 


^RICHARD  » JOHN  BOLES  „ 

Screenplay  by  FELIX  FEIST  and  JOE  ANSEN  •  Directed  by  EDGAR  G.  ULMER 
Produced  by  THE  DANZIGERS,  EDWARD  J.  DANZIGER  and  HARRY  LEE  DANZIGER 


^  x 


Date  the 


FIRST 

IN 


NEWS 


VOL.  73.    NO.  9 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  14,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Name  Grainger 
President  of 
RKO  Pictures 


Republic  'V-P'  to  Take 
Over  in  About  4  Weeks 


By  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 

Hollywood,  Jan.  13. — James  R. 
Grainger  will  take  over  the  presi- 
dency of  RKO  Pictures  in  about 
four  weeks.  Motion  Picture  Daily 
learned  today 


/ 


from  an  unoffi 
cial  but  incon- 
trovertible au- 
thority. Grain- 
g  e  r,  executive 
vice  -  president 
in  charge  of 
sales  and  distri- 
bution for  Re- 
public Pictures 
for  the  past  15 
years,  will 
spend  the  next 
three  or  four 
weeks  arrang- 
ing his  affairs 
with  that  com- 
pany, to  which 

he  was  under  contract  for  three  more 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


James  Grainger 


UA  Will  Make  6 
Films  in  Mexico 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  13. — United 
Artists  has  arranged  with  Mexican 
producers  to  make  a  minimum  of  six 
pictures  in  Mexico  this  year.  The  pic- 
tures will  have  English  as  well  as 
Spanish  versions.  The  agreement  was 
made  by  Edward  Nassour,  with  Pablo 
Bush  and  Eddy  Fernandez  acting  for 
the  Mexicans.  Under  the  pact,  United 
Artists  will  supply  financing,  world 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Record  $50,000  from 
Para.  'Jazz'  Benefit 

With  tickets  scaled  up  to  a  $100 
"Golden  Circle"  section,  a  record 
New  York  Paramount  Theatre  "take" 
and  crowd  marked  the  premiere  of 
Warner  Brothers'  "The  Jazz  Singer" 
last  night,  company  officials  reported, 
with  all  proceeds  going  to  the  Na- 
tional Foundation  for  Infantile  Paraly- 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


Allied  Board  Reaffirms 
Rejection  of  Arbitration 


Lesser  Firm 
To  Produce 
' 3-D'  Pictures 


Hollywood,  Jan.  13.  —  In  a 
three  -  pronged  advance  into  the 
three-dimension  field,  Sol  Lesser 
today  announced  the  formation  of 
Stereocinema  Corp.,  to  produce  and 
distribute  three-dimension  pictures  and 
also  to  lease  equipment  to  other  pro- 
ducing companies. 

Lesser,  already  in  the  three-dimen- 
sion field  as  the  owner  of  the  Amer- 
ican rights  to  the  British-made  three- 
dimension  shorts  known  here  as  Tri- 
Optkon,  said  his  organization  will 
furnish  12  three-dimension  programs 
per  year  (each  consisting  of  a  feature 
and  shorts)  to  approximately  600 
theatres  throughout  the  world,  under 
a  franchise  arrangement.  He  said 
about  400  of  these  will  be  in  the 
United  States,  chosen  on  the  basis  of 
their  ability  to  run  each  program  four 
weeks  or  longer.  The  first  such  pro- 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Holds  Pre-Release  Engagements  Violate 
Court  Orders;  Hits  Advanced  Admission 
Policies;  Approves  Recourse  to  U-  S.  Bodies 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  13. — Allied  States'  board  of  directors  at  its 
closing  session  here  today  reaffirmed  the  action  of  its  Chicago  con- 
vention last  November,  rejecting  the  distributors'  draft  of  a  pro- 
posed industry  arbitration  plan  and 
withdrawing  Allied  officers  from 
further  negotiations.  The  action 
was  taken  after  a  report  to  the 
board  by  Wilbur  Snaper,  president,  on 
recent  conversations  with  distributor 
representatives  in  New  York  on  the 
proposed  arbitration  plan,  and  after 
consideration  of  a  letter  on  the  sub- 
ject from  Eric  Johnston,  president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America. 

The  Allied  board  also  adopted  the 
Vlachos  resolution  which  was  ap- 
proved at  the  Chicago  convention, 
calling  upon  Allied  to  make  an  inten- 
sive survey  to  gather  evidence  of  law 
violation  in  connection  with  film  pric- 
ing policies  and  practices  for  presen- 
tation to  appropriate  government 
agencies  and  the  courts  "to  the  end 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


TNT  Seeking  to 
Theatre  Televise 
4 Oscar'  Ceremonies 


A  proposal  that  the  March  19  Acad- 
emy Award  ceremonies  in  Hollywood 
be  theatre  televised  nationally  has 
been  submitted  to  major  film  compa- 
nies by  Theatre  Network  Television, 
it  was  disclosed  here  yesterday. 

The  TNT  request,  submitted 
through  Eric  Johnston,  president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  is  for  general  approval  of 
the  project  by  the  film'  studios  insofar 
as  their  contract  performers  are  in- 
volved. If  the  MPAA  and  member 
companies  should  approve,  the  pro- 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


44 


Peter  Pan 


[Walt  Disney-RKO  Pictures'] 

SHEER  DELIGHT  are  the  most  descriptive  words  for  Walt  Dis- 
ney's new  feature  length  animated  picture,  "Peter  Pan."  Everyone 
who  has  had  a  day  dream,  every  man,  woman  and  child  with  a 
spirit  of  adventure  and  a  delight  in  fantasy  should  find  this  film  thor- 
oughly enjoyable.  The  appeal,  being  that  broad,  spells  smash  box-office 
business. 

All  the  cherished  fantasies  of  a  child's  world,  pirates,  Indians,  mer- 
maids and  a  flying  pixie  are  encompassed  in  this  film,  which  rolls  on 
its  merry  way  for  76y2  minutes.  The  talented  voices,  the  clever  anima- 
tions, the  incisive  characterizations  and  the  color  by  Technicolor,  all 
combine  to  make  this  one  of  Disney's  best  full-length  films.  It  will  be 
talked  about  for  some  time. 

Added  to  the  skillful  adaptation  of  J.  M.  Barrie's  venerable  classic 
about  a  boy  who  just  wouldn't  grow  up  are  a  number  of  catchy  songs, 
including-  "The  Elegant  Captain  Hook,"  "What  Makes  the  Red  Men 
Red,"  "Your  Mother  and  Mine,"  and  "Follow  the  Leader." 

The  story,  which  is  loved  by  millions  of  people  throughout  the  world, 

{Continued  on  page  5) 


Allied  Reelects  All 
Officers  at  N.O.  Meet 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  13.— The  Allied 
board  at  it  s 
closing  session 
here  today  re- 
elected all  offi- 
cers for  an- 
other year. 

The  incum- 
bents reelected 
are :  Wilbur 
Snaper,  presi- 
dent; Abram  F. 
Myers,  chair- 
man   of  the 
board  and  gen- 
eral counsel; 
Ben  Marcus, 
treas  urer; 
John  M.  Wolfberg,  secretary,  and 
Stanley  D.  Kane,  recording  secre- 
tary. 


Wilbur  Snaper 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 

Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  14,  1953 


Extensive  Census  Check 
On  Film  Business  by  U.S. 

Washington,  Jan.  13. — The  U.  S.  Census  Bureau  is  well  along  on 
a  new  census  of  the  motion  picture  industry,  one  which  it  hopes  will  get 
far  more  comprehensive  information  than  ever  before  obtained. 

The  census,  part  of  a  general  census  of  manufacturing  and  business, 
will  cover  all  branches  of  the  indus- 


try. Forms  will  go-  out  late  this 
year  or  early  next  year,  with  the  in- 
formation sought  based  on  1953  busi- 
ness. 

The  Bureau  has  already  completed 
tentative  forms  and  has  submitted 
them  for  comment  to  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  Allied 
States  Association  and  other  leading 
industry  groups. 

There  will  be  two  different  ques- 
tionnaires. One  will  cover  production, 
distribution  and  service  companies. 
For  the  first  time,  the  companies  will 
be  asked  for  information  on  produc- 
tion for  television,  production  abroad 
and  other  items.  The  other  question- 
naire will  be  for  theatre  owners,  and  it 
will  try  to  develop  for  the  first  time 
data  on  the  number  of  showings  dur- 
ing the  year,  the  number  of  double 
features,  the  age  of  theatres,  receipts 
and  costs  of  theatre  TV  programs. 

Some  basic  information  from  the 
returns  may  be  made  public  by  late 
1954,  but  most  will  not  be  published 
until  well  into  1955.  The  last  census 
of  production  was  taken  in  1948, 
based  on  1947  business.  The  last  cen- 
sus of  distribution  and  exhibition  was 
taken  in  1949,  based  on  1948  business. 
From  now  on  the  two  censuses  will 
be  taken  jointly  every  five  years. 


'U'  Gives  Lipton  A 
New  3-Year  Contract 


To  Meet  Tomorrow 
On  'Brotherhood' 


Plans  for  the  industry's  participa- 
tion in  the  celebration  of  the  25th  an- 
niversary of  the  National  Conference 
of  Christians  and  Jews  will  be  dis- 
cussed at  a  luncheon-meeting  tomor- 
row at  the  Hotel  Warwick.  Attend- 
ing will  be  Sol  A.  Schwartz,  national 
chairman  for  the  amusement  indus- 
try's participation  in  "Brotherhood 
Week,"  Feb.  15-22,  and  general  com- 
mitteemen and  honorary  vice-chair- 
men. 

Among  those  slated  to  attend  are: 
Brooks  Atkinson,  Chester  Bahn,  Bar- 
ney Balaban,  Harry  Brandt,  Everett 
Clinchy,  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Russell 
Downing,  Si  Fabian,  William  J.  Ger- 
man, Leonard  N.  Goldenson,  Sol  Gold- 
smith, Bernard  Goodman,  Abel  Green, 
Jack  Harrison,  William  W.  Howard, 
James  Jerauld,  Ben  Kalmenson,  Du- 
mont  Kensey,  Mel  Konecoff,  John  Le 
Vien,  Chick  Lewis,  Harry  Mandel, 
Ira  Moralis,  Al  Picoult,  Martin  Quig- 
ley,  Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Charles  Rea- 
gan, Sam  Rinzler,  Burton  Robbins, 
Herman  Robbins,  Sam  Rosen,  J.  Rob- 
ert Rubin,  Si  Seadler,  George  Skour- 
as,  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  Spyros 
Skouras,  Jr.,  Mort  Sunshine,  Joseph 
Vogel,  Richard  Walsh,  Mo  Wax  and 
Max  E.  Youngstein. 


Personal 
Mention 

CHARLES  M.  REAGAN,  M-G-M 
general  sales  manager,  is  on  the 
Coast  from  New  York. 

• 

Leonard  L.  Rosenthal,  counsel 
and  adviser  on  film  buying  for  Up- 
state Theatres,  Inc.,  announces  the 
birth  of  a  daughter  to  Mrs.  Rosen- 
thal at  Memorial  Hospital  in  Albany 
on  Sunday. 

• 

John  Scully,  Universal  district 
manager  in  Boston ;  Leo  Greenfield, 
Albany  branch  manager,  and  Dave 
Miller,  Buffalo  manager,  were  at 
Schine  Circuit  offices  in  Gloversville, 
N.  Y.,  yesterday  and  Monday. 
• 

Martin  Davis,  assistant  to  David 
Golding,  Samuel  Goldvvyn  Produc- 
tions advertising-publicity  head,  has 
left  here  for  Pittsburgh,  accompanied 
by  RKO  Radio  field  man  Paul 
Daniels. 

• 

Samuel  Goldwyn  was  the  sub- 
ject of  an  article  by  Jolin  Dos  Pas- 
sos  in  last  Sunday's  This  W eek  maga- 
zine. Danny  Kaye  will  be  featured 
in  a  colorphoto  feature  in  Collier's 
for  January  24. 

• 

Edward  M.  Saunders,  M-G-M  as- 
sistant general  sales  manager,  and 
John  P.  Byrne,  Eastern  sales  mana- 
ger, have  returned  here  from  the  Chi- 
cago sales  meeting. 

• 

John  Houseman,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, will  arrive  here  today  from 
the  Coast  to  be  guest  speaker  at  the 
Museum  of  Modern  Art's  Robert  J. 
Flaherty  Memorial  Program. 
• 

Bette  Davis  received  an  award 
from  the  women's  division  of  the  Fed- 
eration of  Jewish  Philanthropies  here 
for  giving  the  outstanding  stage  per- 
formance of  1952  in  "Two's  Company." 
• 

Herman  King,  of  King-  Brothers 
Productions,  and  his  mother,  Mrs. 
Sarah  King,  has  left  here  for  Lon- 
don where  he  will  handle  the  opening 
of  "The  Ring"  on  Feb.  20. 

• 

William     Snyder,     president  of 
Rembrandt  Films,  and  Mrs).  Snyder, 
are  the  parents  of  a  boy,  Adam,  born 
Saturday  at  Park  West  Hospital  here. 
• 

Sam  Zimbalist,  M-G-M  producer, 
will  arrive  here  from  the  Coast  on 
Monday  and  two  days  later  will  sail 
for  London  on  the  S.S.  He  de  France. 
• 

Arthur  Morse  has  been  named 
manager  of  the  Uptown  Theatre, 
Lynn,  Mass.,  succeeding  John  Demp- 

SEY. 

Norman  Moray,  Warner  Brothers 
short  subjects  sales  head,  has  arrived 
on  the  Coast  from  New  York. 

Joseph  R.  Vogel,  Loew's  vice-pres- 
ident, has  returned  to  New  York  from 
a  brief  stay  on  the  Coast. 

• 

Thomas  Walker,  special  motion 
picture  representative  of  the  Bank  of 
America,  is  here  from  the  Coast. 


A  new  three-year  employment  con- 
tract for  David  Lipton,  national  di- 
rector of  advertising  and  publicity  of 
Universal-International,  was  disclosed 
by  the  company  yesterday.  The  pact 
runs  from  Jan.  1,  1953  to  Dec.  31, 1955. 

Lipton's  new  contract  calls  for  a 
salary  of  $1,000  a  week  for  one  year 
and  $1,100  a  week  for  the  balance 
of  the  agreement.  His  previous  salary 
was  $900  a  week.  A  clause  in  the 
contract  requires  Universal  to  con- 
tinue Lipton's  salary  for  six  months 
in  the  event  he  should  be  unable  to 
work  because  of  illness  or  otherwise 
incapacitated.  In  such  a  case  the  com- 
pany may  cancel  the  contract  after  six 
months. 

Hold  Capitol  Bow 
Of  'Lion'  Tonight 

The  New  York  premiere  of  Gabriel 
Pascal's  RKO  Radio  production  of 
George  Bernard  Shaw's  "Androcles 
and  the  Lion"  will  be  held  tonight  at 
the  Capitol  Theatre  before  a  celebrity- 
packed  audience. 

Among  those  invited  are :  William 
Randolph  Hearst,  Jr.,  Claire  Booth 
Luce,  Ludwig  Bemelmans,  Mont- 
gomery Gift,  Howard  Dietz,  Miss 
Sharman  Douglas,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  Steinbeck,  Morris  Ernst,  Ger- 
aldine  Fitzgerald,  Si  Fabian,  Mat- 
thew Fox,  Leland  Hayward,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Huntington  Hartford,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rex  Harrison,  Joseph  Kennedy, 


Bogeaus  Production 
Acquired  by  RKO 

RKO  Radio  has  acquired  the  dis- 
tribution rights  to  "Dark  of  Night," 
produced  by  Benedict  Bogeaus. 

Bogeaus,  former  owner  of  General 
Service  Studios  in  Hollywood,  previ- 
ously released  his  product  through 
United  Artists,  having  made  12  pic- 
tures for  that  company. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leonard  Lyons,  Irving 
Lesser,  Uona  Massey,  and  others. 


"Moulin"  Capitol  Premiere 
To  Aid  Cancer  Fund 

"Moulin  Rouge,"  the  John  Huston 
production  released  through  United 
Artists,  will  have  its  New  York  pre- 
miere at  the  Capitol  Theatre  on  the 
evening  of  Feb.  10,  under  the  sponsor- 
ship of  the  Damon  Runyan  Memorial 
for  Cancer  Research,  it  was  disclosed 
here  yesterday  by  Dan  Parker,  presi- 
dent of  the  fund,  and  Max  E.  Young- 
stein, UA  vice-president. 


Frank  Wyckoff,  Buffalo 

Buffalo,  Jan.  13. — Frank  W. 
Wyckoff,  55,  film  exchange  operator 
and  founder  of  Economy  Poster  Serv- 
ice, died  here  following  a  heart  at- 
tack. Besides  his  widow  he  is  survived 
by  two  daughters,  a  sister  and  two 
brothers. 


Bolstad  Says  FP-C 
Is  Doing  Nicely 

Toronto,  Jan.  13. — In  an  in- 
terim review  of  the  past  year 
on  the  financial  position  of 
Famous  Players  -  Canadian 
Corp.,  R.  W.  Bolstad,  vice- 
president  and  treasurer, 
noted  the  firm  business  trend 
which  was  experienced  at  the 
close  of  1952.  Bolstad  pointed 
out  that  Famous  Players  had 
enjoyed  record  revenues  for 
the  whole  year  and  box-office 
returns  continued  at  a  high 
level  at  the  year-end.  Busi- 
ness last  month  was  much 
better  than  the  total  reg- 
istered in  December  of  1951, 
he  revealed. 


Pre -hearing  Confab 
On  TV  Set  by  FCC 

Washington,  Jan.  13.— The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  has 
called  lawyers  involved  in  the  theatre 
television  proceedings  to  a  pre-hear- 
ing  conference  Thursday  to  discuss 
"procedures  and  orders  of  testimony" 
to  be  used  in  the  hearings. 

The  Commission  also  announced 
that  the  hearings,  which  will  resume 
on  Jan.  26,  would  be  held  in  the  audi- 
torium of  the  Commerce  Department 
Building.  The  auditorium  has  a  much 
larger  capacity  than  any  FCC  hearing 
room,  and  the  announcement  there- 
fore indicates  the  Commission  expects 
a  large  turnout  for  the  hearings. 

Hundreds  at  OfHara 
Services  in  Capital 

Washington,  Jan.  13. — About  350 
industry  leaders,  Washington  news- 
papermen and  other  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances turned  out  today  at  funer- 
al services  for  Joyce  O'Hara,  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  execu- 
tive vice-president  who  died  in  New 
York  on  Friday.  The  services  were 
held  in  St.  Ann's  Church.  Burial  fol- 
lowed at  Arlington  National  Ceme- 
tery. % 

Among  those  on  hand  was  MPAA 
president  Eric  A.  Johnston,  who  flew 
in  from  Honolulu. 


Shea,  I A  Executive, 
Dies  at  Saranac  Lake 

Thomas  J.  Shea,  53,  assistant  presi- 
dent of  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  Stage  Employes,  died  yes- 
terday at  the  Will  Rogers  Memorial 
Hospital,  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y.  He 
had  been  ill  for  several  months. 

Prior  to  his  appointment  as  assis- 
tant president  in  1943,  Shea  had  been 
a  member  of  the  Connecticut  legisla- 
ture and  an  appeals  commissioner  in 
the  Connecticut  Department  of  Labor. 
Joining  the  IATSE  in  Middletown, 
Conn.,  in  1918,  Shea  became  business 
agent  of  the  local  in  1926.  He  was 
vice-president  of  the  Connecticut  State 
Federation  of  Labor  from  1933  to 
1935  and  president  from  1935  to  1938. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.    Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


SEEING  IS  BELIEVING! 


YOU  MUST  SEE  THESE  2  M-G-M  TRADE  SHOWS! 


Humphrey  Bogart  and  June  Allyson  win 
new  fame  in  screen  history  ! 

JAN.  23rd 

BATTLE  CIRCUS 


It's  in  the  cards!  Yes,  the  audience-response 
cards  from  advance  Previews  are  sen- 
sational. It  is  not  too  soon  to  predict  a 
sock  entertainment  with  "Battleground" 
thrills  and  with  even  more  humor  and 
romance  than  that  famed  production. 
Humphrey  Bogart  and  June  Allyson  are 
simply  terrific.  The  producer  who  gave 
his  showmanship  talents  to  the  Bigness  of 
"Ivanhoe"  has  come  through  with  another 
winner  in  "BATTLE  CIRCUS." 


Donald  O'Connor,  Debbie  Reynolds,  those 
"Singin'  in  the  Rain"  Kids  are  great! 

FEB.  2nd 

I  LOVE  MELVIN 

(Technicolor) 

Everybody  loves  those  big  M-G-M  Tech- 
nicolor musicals  and  it's  great  news  for 
box -offices  that  the  gayest  tune-film  of 
them  all  comes  to  greet  America  at 
Springtime.  Donald  O'Connor  and  Debbie 
Reynolds  fulfill  the  rich  promise  of  their 
"Singin'  in  the  Rain"  popularity  in  a 
wonderful  story  of  how  an  amateur 
photographer  gets  his  girl's  picture  on 
the  cover  of  Look  Magazine.  (We've  made 
a  big  publicity  tie-up  for  you,  too.)  You'll 
love  "I  LOVE  MELVIN." 


rr 


M-G-M  presents  Humphrey  Bogart  •  June 
Allyson  in  "BATTLE  CIRCUS"  •  with  Keenan 
Wynn  •  Robert  Keith  •  Screen  Play  by  Richard 
Brooks  •  Based  on  a  Story  by  Allen  Rivkin 
and  Laura  Kerr  •  Directed  by  Richard  Brooks 
Produced  by  Pandro  S.  Berman 


M-G-M  presents  "I  LOVE  MELVIN"  starring 
Donald  O'Connor  •  Debbie  Reynolds  •  with 
Una  Merkel  •  Richard  Anderson  •  Allyn  Joslyn 
Color  by  Technicolor  •  Screen  Play  by  George 
Wells  •  Additional  Dialogue  by  Ruth  Brooks 
Flippen  •  Story  by  Laslo  Vadnay  •  Directed  by 
Don  Weis  •  Produced  by  George  Wells 


{A  date  to  remember,  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  14,  1953 


Equipment 

In  the  THEATRE 

World  .  .  . 

.   .  with  RAY  GALLO 


INSTEAD  of  special  motors,  thea- 
tres showing  third  dimension  pic- 
tures can  lock  the  two  projectors  to- 
gether with  a  simpler  device  recently 
developed  by  David  Corbett  and  Wal- 
ter Wall  of  Projection  Products,  640 
Cauldwell  Avenue,  New  York.  It  is 
called  the  "Dacor  Synchronizer,"  after 
Corbett.  The  device  consists  of  a 
flexible  cable  revolving  in  a  housing 
containing  a  permanent  oil  bath,  and 
a  set  of  two  small  gears  at  each  end, 
which  are  attached  to  the  shaft  of  a 
projector  motor. 

• 

A  sales  office  has  been  opened  at 
30  Church  Street,  New  York  City, 
by  the  Kollmorgen  Optical  Corp.  of 
Northampton,  Mass.,  manufacturers 
of  projection  lenses.  At  the  same 
time  the  company  announced  the 
closing  of  its  Brooklyn  plant.  J.  A. 
Fetherston,  sales  manager,  is  in 
charge  of  the  new  office. 

• 

Prefabricated  refreshment  stands, 
which  can  be  installed  in  theatres 
overnight,  are  available  from  the  Mas- 
ter-Kraft Fixture  Co.  of  Baltimore. 
Although  designed  to  be  placed  against 
the  standee  rail  or  set  into  it,  they 
can  be  adapted  to  other  locations.  A 
typical  stand  consists  of  a  decorative 
background,  a  canopy,  side  wings,  a 
candy  case,  a  popcorn  machine  coun- 
ter, and  space  for  an  ice  cream  cabinet. 
The  back  section  includes  two  "third- 
dimensional"  illuminated  display  signs 
and  a  panel  display  in  the  center.  All 
equipment  comes  completely  wired, 
requiring  only  connection  to  the  house 
current. 


A  new  sanitary  garbage  disposal 
and  dishwashing  unit,  especially  de- 
signed for  use  at  drive-in  fountain- 
luncheonettes  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  20  or  less  has  been  developed  by  the 
Bastian-Blessing  Co.  of  Chicago.  The 
unit,  known  as  Model  No.  1566,  is  six 
feet  long  and  is  constructed  of  stain- 
less steel.  It  comes  complete  with  an 
electric  automatic  dishwasher,  tray 
shelves,  a  divided  corrugated  drain- 
board  and  clean-up  section.  The  gar- 
bage disposal  includes  a  sink  with 
Moen  faucet,  below  in  which  a  garbage 
pulverator  is  installed  with  a  water 
supply  that  turns  on  automatically 
and  washes  pulverated  food  into  the 
sewer. 

• 

The  appointment  of  R.  H.  Crowe 
of  the  Transco  Co.  of  Houston,  as 
a  new  refrigeration  products  sales 
representative  in  the  Texas  terri- 
tory, has  been  announced  by  H. 
Blake  Thomas,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  sales  for  McQuay,  Inc., 
Minneapolis,  manufacturers  of  heat- 
ing, air  conditioning  and  commer- 
cial refrigeration  equipment. 


'Bwana'  Columbus  Date 

Columbus,  O.,  Jan.  13. — "Bwana 
Devil,"  three-dimensional  feature,  will 
be  shown  at  the  RKO  Palace  here 
starting  Feb.  20. 


1st  Industry  Health, 
Welfare  Payment 

Hollywood,  Jan.  13.  — The 
first  payment  under  the  in- 
dustry's health-welfare  sys- 
tem established  last  Novem- 
ber was  made  here  when 
a  check  for  $2,000  was  pre- 
sented to  Mrs.  Robert  H.  Nor- 
ris,  widow,  whose  husband,  a 
member  of  the  IATSE  Labor- 
atory Workers  Local  No.  683, 
drowned. 

The  system,  embracing 
members  of  26  unions  in  the 
motion  picture,  television  and 
allied  industries,  is  financed 
totally  by  management. 


Col.  Registers  Stock 
Dividend,  Options 

Washington,  Jan.  13. — Columbia 
Pictures  has  registered  an  additional 
23,143  shares  of  common  stock  on  the 
New  York  Stock  Exchange,  the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission 
was  informed  here. 

Columbia  reported  that  16,805 
shares  were  being  registered  in  pay- 
ment of  a  2J4  per  cent  stock  dividend 
mi  the  common  stock,  payable  on 
Monday  to  stockholders  of  record  on 
Dec.  5,  1952.  The  remaining-  6,338 
shares,  it  was  explained,  will  be  issued 
upon  the  exercise  of  outstanding  war- 
rants and  options. 

Name  Del  Amo  Head 
Of  UA  Cuban  Branch 

Jose  Del  Amo  has  been  named  man- 
ager of  the  United  Artists  branch  in 
Cuba  by  Arnold  M.  Picker,  foreign 
distribution  vice-president.  Del  Amo, 
who  joined  UA  in  1928,  has  been  serv- 
ing as  acting  manager  since  last  May, 
following  the  retirement  of  Henry 
Weiner. 

Picker  also  announced  the  appoint- 
ment of  Ernesto  Santana,  formerly 
branch  manager  in  Cali,  Colombia,  as 
assistant  manager  in  the  territory, 
with  headquarters  in  Bogota.  Arman- 
do Bernal  is  manager. 

Rhoden  Gets  8,000 
Nat'l  Theatres  Shares 

Washington,  Jan.  13. — Elmer  C. 
Rhoden,  vice-president  of  National 
Theatres  and  head  of  Fox  Midwest 
Theatres,  increased  his  direct  hold- 
ings in  NT  to  16,900  shares  in  De- 
cember when  he  purchased  8,000 
shares  of  common  stock.  Rhoden 
also  has  indirect  holdings  in  2,025 
shares,  according  to  a  report  filed 
with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission. 


Emery  Austin  Heads 
MGM  Exploitation 

Emery  Austin,  who  has  been  with 
M-G-M  since  1941,  for  the  past  10 
years  in  Atlanta,  has  been  appointed 
assistant  to  Dan  S.  Terrell,  publicity 
manager,  by  Howard  Dietz,  vice- 
president  and  director  of  advertising- 
publicity.  He  will  be  in  charge  of 
exploitation.  Terrell  formerly  headed 
exploitation. 

Austin  started  as  an  exploiteer  for 
the  company  in  New  Orleans  and  was 
later  transferred  to  Atlanta  in  a  simi- 
lar capacity.  A  year  ago  he  was 
named  divisional  press  representative 
for  the  South. 


TNT  Seeks 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

posal  would  then  be  considered  by  the 
board  of  governors  of  the  Academy  of 
Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences. 

TNT  disclosed  that  Nathan  L.  Hal- 
pern,  the  theatre  TV  agency's  presi- 
dent, and  Charles  R.  Brackett,  Acad- 
emy president,  have  already  met  on 
the  Coast  on  the  project.  TNT  said 
it  was  informed  that  the  Academy 
could  not  act  on  the  proposal  until  and 
unless  the  film  companies  clear  in  ad- 
vance the  nominees  and  personalities 
on  the  Awards  program,  as  the  film 
companies  have  done  for  many  years 
in  connection  with  radio  broadcasts 
of  the  Awards  ceremonies. 

Halpern,  pointing  to  the  public  in- 
terest in  the  annual  event,  stated  that 
the  proposal  had  been  submitted  last 
year  and  renewed  this  year,  after  con- 
sultation with  and  the  pledged  sup- 
port of  film  exhibitors,  including  lead- 
ers of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
and  Allied  States  Association. 

The  TNT  proposal  would  provide 
that  the  Academy  participate  in  the 
revenues  resulting  from  theatre  tele- 
vising of  the  attraction,  which  would 
be  featured  with  the  regular  film  fare 
of  participating  theatres  on  that  night. 
The  Awards,  it  was  pointed  out,  have 
never  been  televised,  although  they 
have  been  on  radio  for  many  years. 

The  TNT  bid  to  the  MPAA  states 
that  all-industry  cooperation  in  thea- 
tre televising  the  event  would  consti- 
tute further  evidence  of  industry  in- 
tent to  develop  theatre  TV  as  an  addi- 
tional source  of  entertainment  and  in- 
formation for  the  public,  at  a  time 
when  the  MPAA  and  its  member 
companies,  and  the  National  Exhibi- 
tors Theatre  Television  ComuFittee, 
are  seeking  from  the  government  an 
allocation  of  channels  for  theatre  TV. 


6  Mexican  Films 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

distribution,  equipment,  scripts  and 
directors  and  the  Mexicans  will  pro- 
vide players,  technicians  and  scenery. 

The  English  title  of  the  first  picture 
is  "Ring  Around  Saturn."  It  will  have 
color  by  Technicolor.  Nassour  will 
be  co-producer  and  director.  The  ex- 
teriors are  to  be  filmed  in  and  about 
Tepoztlan,  an  old  town  in  Morelos 
State  near  here.  Shooting  is  scheduled 
to  begin  in  February.  Interiors  will 
be  done  at  the  local  Churubusco  stu- 
dios. Miroslave  Stern  and  Tony  Car- 
bajal  have  been  signed  as  the  stars  and 
Julio  Villarreal  and  Carlos  Ramirez 
as  featured  players. 

No  Progress  in  First 
Exchange  Pact  Talks 

Discussions  by  the  distributors'  ex- 
change operations  committee  with 
representatives  of  the  Philadelphia 
locals  representing  the  exchanges' 
front  and  back  office  employes  re- 
sulted in  no  definite  progress  in  pre- 
liminary sessions.  The  committee  went 
to  Philadelphia  last  Thursday. 

Another  meeting  with  the  union 
representatives  by  the  committee  will 
be  held  later  this  month. 


Asch  Joins  Van  Praag 

Marc  S.  Asch  has  been  named  a 
vice-president  and  producer  of  Van 
Praag  Productions,  according  to  pres- 
ident William  Van  Praag.  Asch's  last 
post  was  an  associate  producer  and 
chief  film  editor  of  United  World 
Films,  Universal  subsidiary. 


National 


Pre-Selling 


PLLIOT  ELISOFON,  Life's  pho- 
'  tographer,  traveled  to  Europe  to 
make  full-color  pictures  of  John  Hu- 
ston's "Moulin  Rouge"  while  it  was 
in  production.  Five  pages  of  these 
photographs  appear  in  the  Jan.  19 
issue  of  Life. 

• 

Tie-in  ads  placed  by  Revere 
Camera  Co.,  publicizing  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "Taxi,"  will  appear  in 
March  issues  of  Life,  Redbook  and 
the  Saturday  Evening  Post.  Dan 
Dailey,  star  of  "Taxi,"  is  the  central 
figure  in  the  art  layout,  and  a 
prominent  position  has  been  given 
to  this  20th-Fox  picture  and  its 
stars. 

• 

Seven  brilliantly-colored  pictures  of 
Rita  Hayworth  doing  the  dance  of 
"the  seven  veils,"  photographed  on 
the  set  of  Columbia's  "Salome,"  ap- 
pear in  the  current  issue  of  Look. 
Also  in  the  issue  are  a  four-color  ad 
for  Paramo.unfs  "Road  to  Bali,"  star- 
ring Bing  Crosby,  Bob  Hope  and 
Dorothy  Lamour,  and  a  full-color 
page  ad  on  Uniz'ersal-International's 
"Mississippi  Gambler." 

• 

The  results  of  the  1952  popularity 
poll  taken  by  Modern  Screen  among 
its  readers  are  announced  in  the  Feb- 
ruary issue.  George  T.  Delacorte, 
publisher  of  Modern  Screen,  presented 
awards  to  the  winners  at  the  publica- 
tion's "Party-of-the-Year"  in  Holly- 
wood. Jane  Powell  was  voted  the 
"Most  Popular  Female  Star"  and 
John  Wayne  the  "Most  Popular  Male 
Star."  Nine  other  awards  were 
made  for  runners-up  in  both  classifica- 
tions. Anne  Francis  and  Bob  Wag- 
ner were  elected  the  "most  promising 
stars"  of  1952.  Lana  Turner,  Dean 
Martin,  Jerry  Lewis,  Alan  Ladd  and 
Marge  and  Gower  Champion  were 
given  special  awards. 

• 

Louella  Parsons  interviewed  Deb- 
bie Reynolds  for  the  Jan.  11  issue 
of  Pictorial  Review.  Debbie  said, 
"I  like  to  laugh;  I  love  comedy,  it's 
my  life.  My  family  told  me  when  I 
first  opened  my  eyes  I  did  my  best 
to  imitate  Bea  Lillie's  facial  contor- 
tions." Debbie  Reynolds'  latest 
film  is  M-G-M's  "Singing  in  the 
Rain." 

• 

The  Walt  Disney  organization  has 
effected  a  tie-up  with  the  Colgate 
to  manufacture  and  merchandise  a 
chlorophyll  soap  called  "Peter  Pan." 
Display  material  kits  featuring  "Peter 
Pan"  soap  zvill  be  sent  to  more  than 
50,000  drug  and  cosmetic  stores,  so 
that  campaigns  will  be  launched  co- 
incident zvith  local  playdatcs  of  the 
film.  The  world  premiere  of  the  Dis- 
ney picture  zvill  take  place  at  the 
Ro.vy  Theatre  in  Nezv  York  on 
Feb.  4. 

• 

The  managing  editors  and  women's 
editors  of  Associated  Press  member 
and  subscriber  newspapers  have 
named  Rosemary  Clooney  "Woman  of 
the  Year  in  Music."  The  A. P.  cita- 
tion says  :  "In  music  Rosemary  Cloo- 
ney, whose  wildfire  success  as  a  disc 
singer  of  popular  songs  has  made  her 
the  teen-agers'  ideal."  Rosemary  is 
currently  before  Paramount's  cameras 
in  "Here  Come  the  Girls." 

Walter  Haas 


Wednesday,  January  14,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


'Jazz'  Benefit 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


sis.  ^  Robert  Weitman,  vice-president 
|[  of  United  Paramount  Theatres,  hand- 
ed over  a  check  in  excess  of  $50,000 
1  to  Earl  Wilson,  chairman  of  the  en- 
tertainment committee  for  the  affair, 
i  on  the  stage  of  the  Paramount. 
I  Klieg  lights  lit  up  the  entire  Times 
I  Square  area  as  screen  stars,  show 
I  business  personalities,  civic  dignitaries, 
socialites  and  business  notables  turned 
out  for  the  formal  event.  Fully  two 
hours  before  the  8:30  P.M.  opening- 
time,  crowds  gathered  seeking  van- 
tage points  from  which  to  glimpse  the 
arriving  celebrities.  Among  the  nota- 
bles invited  were  Mrs.  Eleanor  Roose- 
velt, the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Wind- 
sor, Mrs.  Albert  D.  Lasker,  Robert 
Taylor,  Marleue  Dietrich,  Harry 
Hershfield,  Milton  Berle,  Robert  Q. 
Lewis,  Salvador  Dali,  Lili  Pons, 
Johnnie  Ray,  Jackie  Gleason,  Joey 
Adams,  Andre  Kostelanetz,  Basil 
0*Connor,  Jane  Pickens,  Dagmar,  Ted 
Lewis,  Gypsy  Rose  Lee,  Candy  Jones, 
the  Gilbert  Millers,  Mrs.  Walter 
Chrysler,  Zsa  Zsa  Gabor,  Dorothy 
Schiff,  the  Meyer  Davises,  Ted  Mad*, 
Sid  Caesar,  Henry  Rosenfeld,  Mickey 
Alpert,  Faye  Emerson,  Skitch  Hen- 
derson, Jan  Peerce,  Joe  E.  Brown  and 
Rosalind  Russell. 

Dennis  James  and  Maggi  McNellis 
interview  guests  in  the  Paramount 
lobby  for  WJX-TV.  Five  violinists  in 
the  lobby  greeted  the  guests.  As  they 
entered  the  auditorium,  a  huge  cur- 
tain displayed  a  replica  of  the  polio 
poster  carrying  a  "thank  you"  mes- 
sage. Organ  music  preceded  the  stage 
presentation  which  opened  with  Jane 
Pickens  singing  the  National  Anthem. 


6  • 


Peter  Pan' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


finds  the  children  of  the  Darling  family,  Wendy,  the  adolescent  girl,  and  her 
brothers,  John  and  Michael,  transported  to  enchanted  Never  Land  by  Peter 
Pan  and  Tinker  Bell,  his  little  pixie  friend.  With  the  aid  of  pixie  dust  and 
good  thoughts,  they  learn  to  fly  and  the  adventures  which  unravel  include  a 
running  encounter  with  the  elegant  Captain  Hook,  their  capture  by  Indians, 
their  meeting  with  the  Lost  Children  and  other  events  too  numerous  to 
mention. 

In  order  to  highlight  the  strength  of  the  story  line  for  older  people,  the 
sharp  characterizations  should  be  noted.  Peter  Pan  comes  alive  as  most 
any  boy.  Wendy  has  her  doubts  about  growing  up.  Tinker  Bell  is  jealous 
of  Peter  Pan's  favor.  Captain  Hook  for  all  his  villainy  is  deathly  afraid  of 
his  nemesis,  the  crocodile.  And  then  there  is  that  gloriously  meek  pirate 
Smee,  who  quakes  while  the  world  around  him  roars.  All  this  is  adult  in- 
sight, offering  entertainment  to  all  age  levels. 

The  reported  more  than  $4,000,000  spent  on  the  picture  shows  up  in  many 
production  values,  from  scenes  to  animations. 

The  following  are  the  voices  of  characters :  Bobby  Driscoll,  as  Peter  Pan ; 
Kathryn  Beaumont,  as  Wendy;  Hans  Conreid,  as  Captain  Hook;  Bill  Thomp- 
son, as  Smee;  Heather  Angel,  as  Mrs.  Darling;  Paul  Collins,  as  Mrs.  Darling  ; 
Tommy  Luske,  as  John ;  Candy  Candido,  as  the  Indian  chief,  and  Tom 
Conway,  as  the  narrator. 

Directors  were  Hamilton  Luske,  Clyde  Geronimi  and  Wilfred  Jackson. 
Directing  animators  were  Milt  Kahl,  Frank  Thomas,  Wolfgang  Reitherman, 
Ward  Kimball,  Eric  Larson,  Ollie  Johnston,  Marc  Davis,  John  Lunsbery,  Les 
Clark  and  Norm  Ferguson.  The  story  adaptation  was  by  the  following :  Ted 
Sears,  Bill  Peel,  Joe  Rinaldi,  Erdman  Penner,  Winston  Hibler,  Milt  Banta 
and  Ralph  W right. 

Running  time,  76Yi  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  Murray  Horowitz 


Following  the  playing  of  special  mu- 
sic arrangements,  Carmen  Cavallaro 
introduced  Danny  Thomas  and  Peggy 
Lee,  co-stars  of  the  film. 

An  auction  was  held  at  Leon  and 
Eddie's  restaurant  on  Sunday  of  mer- 
chandise donated  by  New  York  busi- 
ness men  valued  at  $25,000,  with  the 
medium  of  exchange  being  tickets  to 
the  premiere. 

A  group  of  newspaper,  radio  and 


business  men  pooled  their  efforts  to 
promote  the  affair.  Among  them  were 
Weitman,  Frank  Behrens,  National 
Foundation  for  Infantile  Paralysis 
Ted  Mack  (NBC),  Walt  Framer 
(CBS),  Bert  Parks  (CBS),  Ted  Cott 
(NBC),  Nick  Kennv  (WNBT),  Phil 
Dean  (NBC),  Wendy  Barrie  (WN- 
BT), Max  Kase  (Nczv  York  Journal- 
American),  Hy  Gardner  (Nezv  York 
Herald-Tribune)  and  Earl  Wilson. 


Lesser  Firm 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


gram  is  to  be  ready  March  15. 

Although  Stereocinema  may  produce 
some  programs  itself,  the  corporation 
is  prepared  to  finance  independent  pro- 
ducers interested  in  making  three-di- 
mension films  with  the  Stereo-Cine 
process,  in  which  Lesser  recently  ac- 
quired a  50  per  cent  interest.  The 
Stereo-Cine  process  was  developed  by 
Raphael  Wolf,  Hollywood  advertising- 
film  executive,  for  use  in  making  ad 
films  for  Ford,  General  Electric,  and 
others,  and  utilizes  two  cameras,  two 
negatives,  two  inter-locked  projectors 
and  polaroid  viewers,  in  much  the 
same  way  as  the  British  Stereo-Tech- 
niques (Tri-Opticon)"  and  Natural 
Vision  processes  do.  Lesser  said  both 
prints  used  in  the  three-dimensional 
runs  can  be  distributed  separately  for 
flat  runs  if  developments  prompt  such 
handling,  but  this  is  not  expected. 
Although  Stereocinema  will 
require  only  12  programs  an- 
nually, it  will  lease  Stereo- 
Cine  equipment  to  other  pro- 
ducers or  studios  on  a  fee  basis. 

Stereocinema  will  handle  its  own 
distribution,  charging  10  per  cent  of 
rental  income  to  cover  all  charges, 
with  three  distributing  offices.  The 
New  York  office  will  be  in  charge  of 
Irving  Lesser  and  Seymour  Poe ;  Max 
Roth  will  handle  the  Chicago  branch  ; 
the  Los  Angeles  office  will  be  under 
Jack  Thomas. 

Associated  with  Lesser  in  Stereo- 
cinema are  Mike  Rosenberg,  president 
of  Principal  Theatres,  and  William 
Forman,  President  of  Pacific  Drive- 
ins  Corp. 


PARAMOUNT 
TRADE  SHOWS 

Friday,  Jan.  16, 1953 


BURT  LANCASTER 
SHIRLEY  BOOTH 


CITY  PLACE  OF  SCREENING  TIME 

ALBANY  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1052  Broadway  4  P.M 

ATLANTA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  154  Walton  St.,  N.  W  2  P.M. 

BOSTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  58-62  Berkeley  Street  2  30   P  M 

BUFFALO  PARAMOUNT   PROJ.  ROOM,  464  Fronklin  Street  2  P.M. 

CHARLOTTE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  305-7  South  Church  Street  10  AM 

CHICAGO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1306  South  Michigan  Avenue  130  P.M. 

CINCINNATI  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1638  Central  Parkway  2.30  P.M 

CLEVELAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1735  East  23rd  Street  8  15  P.M. 

DALLAS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  401  N.  Pearl  Expressway  2  P.M. 

DENVER  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2100  Stout  Street  3:30  P.M 

DES  MOINES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1125  High  Street  1   P  M 

DETROIT  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  479  Ledyard  Avenue  2  P.M 

INDIANAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  116  West  Michigan  Street  10  30  A.M. 

JACKSONVILLE  FLORIDA  THEATRES  SCREENING  ROOM,  Florida  Theo.  Bldg  8  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1  800  Wyandotte  Street   2  P.M 

LOS  ANGELES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1613  West  20th  Street  J.-30  P.M. 

MEMPHIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  362  South  Second  Street  12.15  NOON 

MILWAUKEE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1121  North  Eighth  Street  2  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1201  Currie  Avenue  2  P  M 

NEW  HAVEN  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  82  State  Street  2  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  215  South  Liberty  Street   2  30  P.M 

NEW  YORK  CITY.  .  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1501  Broadwoy(9th  Fl.)  2.30  P.M. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY.  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  701  West  Grand  Avenue  1.30  P.M 

*OMAHA  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1502  Davenport  Street  (Tues   1/13/53)  1  30  P.M. 

PHILADELPHIA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  248  North  12th  Street  2  30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1727  Boulevard  of  Allies  11  A.M. 

PORTLAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  909  N.  W.  19th  Avenue  2  P.M. 

ST.  LOUIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2949-2953  Olive  Street  II  A.M 

SALT  LAKE  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  270  East  1st  South  Street  1.30  P.M. 

SAN  FRANCISCO.  .  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  205  Golden  Gate  Ave  2  P.M. 

SEATTLE  MODERN  THEATRE  SUPPLY  PROJ.  ROOM,  2400  Third  Ave  1:30  P.M. 

WASHINGTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  306  H  Street,  N.W  8  P.M. 

*  Was  shown  in  Omaha  Tuesday,  January  13,  1953 


HalWallis 

PRODUCTION 

Come  Back, 
Little  Sheba 


Co-starring  TERRY  MOORE  •  with  RICHARD  JAECKEL 

Directed  by  DANIEL  MANN  •  Screenplay  by  KETTI  FRINGS 
Based  on  the  original  play  by  William  Inge 
Produced  on  the  stage  by  the  Theatre  Guild 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  14,  1953 


Closing  of  EiteVs 
Palace  Postponed 

Chicago,  Jan.  13.  —  Closing 
of  Eitel's  Palace  Theatre, 
originally  scheduled  for  to- 
morrow, has  been  postponed 
indefinitely,  with  talks  be- 
tween the  management  and 
the  operators  union  being  re- 
sumed here  today  in  an  effort 
to  reach  an  agreement  on  the 
scale  for  projectionists  for 
the  proposed  Chicago  showing 
of  "This  Is  Cinerama." 

Should  an  agreement  be 
reached  with  the  operators, 
who  are  asking  $2  per  hour 
per  man,  the  Palace  will  close 
to  install  the  necessary  Cin- 
erama equipment.  Installation 
would  cut  the  houses  seating 
capacity  roughly  700  seats, 
with  three  booths  being  in- 
stalled on  the  mezzanine.  The 
present  picture  playing  the 
Palace,  "Stars  and  Stripes 
Forever,"  will  continue  until 
a  decision  is  reached  on  future 
policy. 


Allied  Board 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  exhibitor  rights  now  flouted  by 
the  distributors  may  be  adequately 
protected." 

The  board's  statement  an- 
nouncing its  action  scored  pre- 
release selling  and  terms  which 
require  advanced  admission 
prices  at  the  box  office.  It  con- 
tends that  the  practices  are 
illegal  and  in  violation  of  the 
consent  decree  in  the  Para- 
mount, et  al,  case  in  that  they 
establish  improper  clearance, 
use  the  court-prohibited  yard- 
stick of  distribution  revenue 
and  "almost  invariably"  con- 
stitutes the  "fixing  of  admission 
prices." 

The  statement  said : 

"The  Allied  board  is  amazed  that 
at  this  critical  juncture  in  the  indus- 
try's affairs  the  film  companies  should 
insist  upon  retaining  and  increasing  a 
practice  which  in  its  practical  effect 
violates  two  of  the  injunctions  en- 
tered against  eight  of  them  in  the 
anti-trust  suit  brought  against  them 
by  the  United  States  and  has  the  fur- 
ther effect  to  withhold  choice  films 
from  exhibition  in  thousands  of  thea- 
tres at  a  time  when  mass  attendance 
is  so  badly  needed,  not  only  as  an  im- 
mediate source  of  revenue  but  in  order 
that  the  people  may  see  and  enjoy 
those  films  and  recreate  and  reestab- 
lish the  movie-going  habit. 

"In  order  that  there  may  be  no  mis- 
taking of  our  meaning  when  we  say 
thta  the  pre-release  or  roadshow 
method  now  being  used  by  the  dis- 
tributors violates  court  orders,  we 
point  out  it  has  the  effect  to  super- 
impose on  the  regular  clearance  to 
which  subsequent-run  theatres  are 
subjected  an  additional  and  much 
longer  clearance  in  favor  of  the  prior- 
run  theatres,  which  play  the  pictures 
first  as  a  roadshow  and  then  on  regu- 
lar release,  and  has  the  further  effect 
to  create  clearances  over  theatres  and 
town  which  have  not  heretofore  been 
subjected  to  any  clearance.  This  ex- 
tended clearance  is  not  designed  rea- 


Review 


"The  Naked  Spur" 

(M  etro-Goldzvyn-Mayer) 

THE  GREED  OF  MEN,  against  the  romantic,  wild  background  of  the 
West,  is  examined  in  this  M-G-M  production.  The  prize  is  a  hunted  crim- 
inal whose  capture  and  reward  are  fought  for  by  three  men,  an  embittered 
rancher,  James  Stewart,  an  old  prospector,  Millard  Mitchell,  and  an  ex-Civil 
War  Army  officer,  Ralph  Meeker. 

Enough  entertainment  ingredients,  such  as  action,  suspense  and  color  by 
Technicolor,  are  contained  in  this  film  to  please  most  audiences.  At  times, 
however,  the  accent  on  the  psychological  motivations  of  the  characters  slows 
up  the  pace.  The  cast  consists  of  only  five  characters,  which  serves  to  throw 
the  full  spotlight  of  attention  on  their  development. 

The  hunted  criminal  is  Robert  Ryan,  who  attempts  to  manipulate  the  greed 
of  his  three  would-be  captors  to  his  advantage.  For  awhile,  he  is  aided  by 
Janet  Leigh,  who  joins  forces  with  him  out  of  loneliness  and  desperation. 
Ryan  kills  old  prospector  Mitchell  after  luring  him  to  a  fictitious  gold  stake. 
The  ex-soldier  Meeker  is  drowned  in  an  attempt  to  retrieve  the  prize,  the 
dead  body  of  the  hunted  criminal.  Left  are  the  two  principals,  Jimmy  Stewart 
and  Miss  Leigh,  who  team  up  to  begin  life  anew.  Interspersed  between  the 
main  story  lines  is  a  hair-raising  Indian  fight  and  a  number  of  moving  love 
scenes. 

William  H.  Wright  produced,  while  Anthony  Mann  directed  from  a  screen- 
play by  Sam  Rolfe  and  Harold  Jack  Bloom. 

Running  time,  91  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb.  6.  Murray  Horowitz 


sonably  to  protect  the  licensed  theatre 
on  the  run  granted  it,  but  is  designed 
solely  to  increase  the  distributors'  rev- 
enues, a  yardstick  which  the  courts 
have  said  they  may  not  use. 

"In  addition,  this  method  of 
marketing  pictures  contem- 
plates that  the  exhibitor  shall 
increase  his  admission  prices  to 
an  amount  designated  by  the 
distributor  and  this  usually  al- 
most invariably  follows  and 
constitutes  the  fixing  of  ad- 
mission prices  by  agreement  be- 
tween the  distributor  and  the 
exhibitor." 

Amplifying  on  the  affirmation  of 
Allied's  rejection  of  the  proposed 
arbitration  draft,  the  board's  state- 
ment said  that  nothing  reported  by 
Snaper  or  contained  in  Johnston's  let- 
ter to  Allied  "would  afford  the  ex- 
hibitors any  relief  from  the  distribu- 
tors' pricing  policies  and  practices 
which  constitute  the  exhibitors'  prin- 
cipal grievance  and  stand  as  a  bar  to 
the  economic  recovery  and  future  wel- 
fare of  the  motion  picture  business." 

"The  condition  is  aggravated  by  the 
fact  that  during  the  negotiations  look- 
ing to  the  establishment  of  an  arbi- 
tration system,  the  participating  dis- 
tributors not  only  continued  to  exact 
higher  film  rentals  from  the  exhibitors 
on  all  classes  of  product  but  desig- 
nated for  special  treatment  as  road- 
shows   or    pre-releases    during  that 
period  more  pictures  than  had  been 
marketed  by  that  method  in  five  pre- 
ceding years,  and  this  in  spite  of  the 
fact    that    in    the    beginning  and 
throughout  the  negotiations  the  ex- 
hibitor   representatives   of   their  or- 
ganization    affiliations     cited  that 
method  as  a  chief  source  of  complaint 
and  strove  for  effective  measures  for 
!  curbing  it,"  the  statement  asserted. 
Also,  the  board  noted  with  deep  re- 
sentment the  action  of  Republic  Pic- 
I  tures  in  making  available  to  WCBS- 
I  TV  for  free  exhibition  on  television 
j  in  opposition  to  the  theatres,  104  of 
j  its  feature  films  released  between  1937 
i  and  1948. 

This  action,  it  was  said,  was  taken 
by  Republic  in  disregard  of  the  known 
attitude  of  its  exhibitor  customers, 
and  if  that  policy  is  continued  by  it  in 
the  future,  and  is  adopted  by  other 
film  companies,  it  will  be  disastrous 
for  the  theatres  and  probably  for  the 


entire  motion  picture  industry. 

It  further  stated  that  regardless  of 
the  future  policies  of  the  film  com- 
panies the  deal  just  consummated  by 
Republic  will  be  mischievous  in  ways 
which  that  company  itself  may  not 
have  considered.  The  trade  name  Re- 
public, constantly  appearing  on  tele- 
vision will  become  associated  in  the 
public  mind  with  free  entertainment 
and  the  patrons  will  be  reluctant  to 
pay  to  see  Republic  pictures.  The 
constant  recurrence  of  that  name  in 
connection  with  old  and  in  many  cases 
inferior  pictures  will  impair,  if  it  does 
not  destroy,  whatever  good  will  Re- 
public may  have  built  up  by  reason  of 
such  pictures  as  "The  Quiet  Man,"  it 
was  declared. 

These  considerations  and  others  led 
the  directors  to  fear,  it  was  said,  that 
Republic  by  its  sale  of  pictures  for 
free  exhibition  on  television  has  be- 
come a  controversial  company  whose 
product  hereafter  may  or  may  not 
meet  with  public  favor. 

The  next  board  meeting  will  be 
held  in  Milwaukee  March  27-28. 


Snyder  Cites  Bond 
Drive  Job  by  Pinanski 

Sam  Pinanski  of  Boston,  co-chair- 
man of  the  Council  of  Motion  Picture 
Organizations,  has  made  public  here 
a  letter  from  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury John  W.  Snyder  commending 
Pinanski's  work  in  behalf  of  the 
U.  S.  Savings  Bonds  program. 
Pinanski  has  been  chairman  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Advisory  Committee 
of  the  bond  campaign. 

"Before  leaving  the  Treasury," 
Snyder  wrote,  "I  want  to  express  my 
warm  thanks  for  the  splendid  support 
you  have  given  to  the  Savings  Bonds 
program.  My  personal  association 
with  you  during  your  service  as  a 
national  advisory  committee  chairman 
has  been  more  than  pleasant ;  it  has 
been  stimulating  and  confidence-in- 
spiring. 


Name  Grainger 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

years,  so  that  his  departure,  to  which 
president  Herbert  J.  Yates  assented 
regretfully,  will  not  inconvenience 
Republic. 

Official  announcement  of  the  event 
is  expected  some  time  this  week. 


H.  A.  Cole 


Box-Office  Decline 
Blamed  on  Loss  Of 
'Glamor'by  H.A.Cole 


New  Orleans,  Jan.  13. — Neither 
television  nor  the  allegations  that  "pic- 
tures are  lousy"  is  responsible  for  the 
decline  in  box-office  receipts,  in  the 
opinion  of  Col. 
H.  A.  Cole, 
Texas  Allied 
leader.  Ad- 
dressing  the 
national  Allied 
board  of  direc- 
tors' meeting 
here  today,  Cole 
attributed  the 
slump  largely  to 
the  20  per  cent 
Federal  admis- 
sion tax,  but 
contended  that 
there  were  other 
factors  in  the 
recession. 
"In  the  first  place,"  he  said,  "the 
picture  show,  with  running  expenses 
skyrocketing  and  with  the  artificial 
price  ceiling  set  upon  it  by  the  amuse- 
ment tax,  found  itself  unable  to  in- 
crease prices  without  decreasing  at- 
tendance in  even  greater  proportion. 
In  the  second  place,  for  a  period  of 
six  or  seven  years,  the  financial  life- 
blood  of  the  theatres  has  been  drained 
away  steadily.  Our  industry  is  pecu- 
liarly dependent  on  glamor  and  our 
theatres  with  the  20  per  cent  drain 
have  not  had  the  funds  necessary  to 
maintain  that  glamor." 

Cole  said  that  on  a  recent  trip  to 
Los  Angeles  he  found  that  even 
the  small  mercantile  establishments 
"amazed  him."  Theatres,  he  said,  were 
overshadowed  by  the  glamor  of  de- 
partment stores,  haberdasheries,  furni- 
ture and  liquor  stores. 

"We  have  lost  our  glamor — one  of 
the  biggets  assets  that  the  theatres  had 
— because  we  have  not  had  the  capital 
to  maintain  ourselves  in  competition 
with  others  who  have  stolen  our  thun- 
der," Cole  asserted.  "Motion  pictures 
definitely  must  sell  excitement,  emo- 
tions and  adventure.  How  can  that 
be  done  unless  the  setting,  the  theatre 
itself,  is  glamorous?" 

As  to  the  blame  on  television,  Cole 
pointed  to  the  "serious  declines"  that 
have  occurred  in  non-television  areas 
for  several  years.  Product  cannot  be 
blamed,  he  said,  because  "we  can  point 
only  to  the  pictures  themselves,  which, 
in  my  belief  and  the  belief  of  many 
others  familiar  with  'these  pictures, 
rank  far  above  anything  that  the  in- 
dustry has  seen  before."  Cole  said  he 
could  not  accept  either  of  these  ex- 
planations as  sound  because  of  other 
contributing"  reasons. 


Gulf  Allied  Opens 
Annual  Convention 


New  Orleans,  Jan.  13. — ATO  of 
the  Gulf  States  opened  their  conven- 
tion here  with  a  luncheon  at  the  Jung 
Hotel.  A.  Berenson,  president,  wel- 
comed the  guests,  members  of  the  na- 
tional Allied  board,  and  introduced 
personalities.  A  film  clinic  was  held 
in  the  afternoon,  with  guest  speaker 
Leon  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio. 

A  general  discussion  was  held,  in- 
cluding guest  speakers  Jack  Kirsch, 
Irving  Dollinger,  and  Sidney  Samuel- 
son. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  10 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  THURSDAY,  JANUARY  15,  1953 


Impartial 


TEN  CENTS 


New  Setup  oi\lTOA  Ready  to  Start  Own  Adelman  Suit 

Arbitration;  TO  A  to  Study  |  Dismissed  By 

Dallas  Court 


Tax-writing 
Congressmen 

Complete  Formation  of 
House,  Senate  Groups 


OTTEN 

Jan.    14. — House 


By  J.  A 

Washington, 
Republicans  today  named  five  mem 
bers  to  fill  GOP  vacancies  on  the 
tax-writing  House  Ways  and  Means 
Committee. 

The  new  members  of  this 
important  group,  which  would 
have  to  initiate  any  admission 
tax  relief,  will  be  Representa- 
tives Sadlak  of  Connecticut, 
Baker  of  Tennessee,  Curtis  of 
Missouri,  Knox  of  Michigan  and 
Utt  of  California. 

There  were  no  Democratic  vacan- 
cies on  the  Committee.  In  fact,  two 
Democrats — Representatives  Harrison 
of  Virginia  and  Keogh  of  New  York 
— were  "bumped"  off  the  Committee. 

Rep.  Reed  of  New  York  will  be 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Berenson  Reelected 
Head  of  Gulf  Allied 


New  Orleans,  Jan.  14. — At  the 
final  meeting  of  ATO  of  the  Gulf 
States  convention  today  at  Jung- 
Hotel  here  Abe  Berenson  was  re- 
elected president  and  national  direc- 
tor and  F.  G.  Prat,  Jr.,  was  reelected 
vice-president. 

Others  reelected  were  Harold 
Bailey,  secretary ;  Teddy  Solomon, 
treasurer ;  and  L.  C.  Montgomery, 
chairman  of  the  board  and  alternate 
national  director. 

Newly  elected  members  of  the  board 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


KMTA  Sets  Drive-in 
Meet  for  March  3-4 


Kansas  City,  Jan.  14. — The  Kan- 
sas-Missouri Theatre  Association  an- 
nounces a  2-day  meeting  for  drive-in 
operators  to  be  held  here  March  3-4. 

The  first  day  will  be  devoted  en- 
tirely to  display  and  viewing  of  equip- 
ment. The  second  day  will  be  devoted 
to  a  school,  starting  at  8:30  A.M.  and 
continuing  until  evening.  Plans  were 
made  at  the  session  of  the  board  of 
directors  today. 

The    board    also    named  Elmer 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


The  Independent  Theatre  Owners  Association  of  New  York  is  pre- 
pared to  go  ahead  with  the  establishment  of  an  industry  arbitration  sys- 
tem, either  on  a  local  or  national  basis,  ITO  president  Harry  Brandt 
said  yesterday.  At  the  same  time  it  was  learned  that  the  Theatre  Owners 

of  America,  at  its  board  meetings  here 


Johnston  Made  Final 
Plea  to  Allied  For 
OK  of  Arbitration 


Eric  Johnston,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
made  an  llth-hour  pitch  to  Allied, 
prior  to  its  New  Orleans  board  meet- 
ing, for  further  arbitration  discus- 
sions, in  a  letter  dated  Jan.  9  sent  to 
Allied  president  Wilbur  Snaper.  The 
MPAA  office  here  released  the  letter 
yesterday  for  publication.  However, 
Allied' s  rejection  of  the  existing  arbi- 

iContinued  on  page  4) 


Start  Today  for 
Col.  *  Salome'  Meet 


Columbia's  ranking  home  office  and 
foreign  department  executives  will 
leave  here  today  by  train  for  Chicago 
to  attend  the  two-day  meeting  on 
"Salome"  which  starts  at  the  Drake 
Hotel  there  tomorrow.  It  is  the  first 
international  meeting  devoted  to  one 
film  in  the  company's  history- 
Heading  the  delegation  will  be  A. 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Jan.  25-27,  may  consider  a  plan  for 
arbitration  without  national  Allied's 
participation.  The  projected  moves 
stem  from  the  Allied  board's  reaffir- 
mation in  New  Orleans  Tuesday  of 
its  rejection  at  the  Chicago  conven- 
tion of  the  distributors'  arbitration 
draft. 

Brandt  said  he  believed  a  system 
could  be  initiated  without  the  help  of 
Allied.  The  ITOA  several  weeks 
ago  announced  that  it  planned  to  de- 
vise an  arbitration  system,  independ- 
ent of  Allied's  participation,  but  ac- 
tion was  deferred  pending  Allied's 
decision,  one  way  or  the  other,  at  the 
New  Orleans  board  sessions.  Before 
launching  its  arbitration  project, 
Brandt   said  that  the   ITOA  would 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Expect  Fabian's  WB 
Houses  to  Join  TOA 


Si  Fabian  is  expected  to  bring  the 
Warner  theatres,  of  which  he  is  ac- 
quiring control,  into  the  fold  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  when  the 
transfer  of  the  properties  becomes  of- 
ficial, it  was  reported  here  yesterday. 
More  than  300  theatres  would  be 
added  to  the  TOA  roster. 

Warner    theatres    have    not  been 

(Continued  on  page  41 


Ex-GovH  Video  Director 
Enters  Theatre  TV  Field 


The  entry  of  a  new  theatre  TV  packaging  firm,  Closed-Circuit  Tele- 
vision Co.,  which  will  specialize  in  "off-hour"  commercial  telecasts,  was 
disclosed  here  yesterday  by  Harold 
Azine,  president  of  the  new  agency. 

Azine,  who  resigned  recently  as 
television  director  of  the  Federal  Civil 
Defense  Administration,  said  he  has 
been  discussing  programs  with  pros- 
pective clients.  As  FCDA  television 
director,  Azine  was  instrumental  in 
putting  on  the  three  theatre  television 
Civil  Defense  shows. 

Meanwhile,  it  was  learned  that  The- 
atre Tele- Sessions,  a  subsidiary  of 
Theatre  Network  Television,  is  close 
to  an  "off-hour"  commercial  program 
deal  and  is  currently  negotiating  for 
what.. is  described  as  a  "big"  contract, 
involving  a  large  business  firm. 

Teleconferences,  Inc.,  the  other  the- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


'Nate'  Golden  Heads 
New  Gov't  Division 

Washington,  Jan.  14.  —  The 
National  Production  Author- 
ity's Motion  Picture  and  Pho- 
tographic Products  Division 
has  absorbed  the  agency's 
scientific  and  technical  equip- 
ment division.  Film  chief 
Nathan  D.  (Nate)  Golden  will 
head  the  new  group,  which 
will  be  known  as  the  Motion 
Picture,  Scientific  and  Pho- 
tographic Products  Division. 


Directed  Verdict  Ends 
2l/2-Day  Trial  of  Case 

Dallas,  Jan.  14. — U.  S.  District 
Court  Judge  William  Howley  At- 
well  today  gave  a  directed  verdict 
for  dismissal  of  the  anti-trust  suit 
brought  against  the  eight  maj  or  dis- 
tributors and  Interstate  Circuit  by 
I.  B.  Adelman,  Texas  exhibitor. 

Trial  of  the  case  opened  in 
district  court  here  on  Monday. 
At  noon  today  the  court  said  it 
had  listened  carefully  to  the 
plaintiff's  arguments  but  that  it 
was  the  court's  understanding 
that  the  law  permitted  a  seller 
to  choose  his  customers. 

Adelman  had  sought  Dallas  first 
runs  for  his  1,145-seat  Delman  Thea- 
tre, alleging  a  conspiracy  on  the  part 
of  defendants  prevented  him  from  ob- 
taining the  product.  Subsequently  he 
petitioned  for  first  subsequent  run 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


7,050,000  Trust 
Suit  Filed  in  N.Y. 


Damages  totalling  $7,050,000  are 
sought  in  an  anti-trust  suit  filed  in 
New  York  Federal  Court  yesterday 
by  the  Tribune  Theatre  Corp.,  operat- 
ing the  Tribune  Theatre  in  lower 
Manhattan,  against  Warner  Brothers, 
20th  Century-Fox,  Universal-Inter- 
national and  Skouras  Theatres  Corp. 

The  plaintiff  charges  conspiracy 
among  the  defendants  in  forcing  un- 
reasonable clearance  against  the 
Tribune  in  favor  of  Skouras'  Acad- 
emy of  Music,  although,  it  is  charged, 
the  theatres  are  not  in  competition. 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


N.V.  Forms  Own 
Equipment  Firm 

Hollywood,  Jan.  14. — To  meet  the 
cascading  demand  for  theatre-installa- 
tions, and  to  maintain  the  high  quality 
of  projection  throughout  the  country, 
Natural  Vision  Corp.,  originator  of 
the  three-dimension  process  used  in- 
filming  "Bwana  Devil"  and  contracted, 
for  use  by  Warners,  Columbia  and 
other  studios,  has  established  Natural,-. 
Vision  Theatre  Equipment  Corp.  for 
the    purpose    of    supplying  uniform 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  15,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


LLOYD  LIND,  Allied  Artists'  su- 
pervisor of  exchanges,  arrived  in 
Hollywood  yesterday  from  New  York. 
• 

Joseph  A.  Adorno,  Connecticut 
State  treasurer  and  son  of  Sal 
Adorno,  Sr.,  of  M.  and  D.  Theatres, 
Middletown,  Conn.,  has  been  named 
Middlesex  County  campaign  chairman 
for  the  March  of  Dimes. 

• 

Gael  Sullivan,  former  executive 
director  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  addressed  the  New  Haven 
Advertising  Club  annual  dinner  last 
night. 

• 

Henry  R.  Arias,  foreign  film  ex- 
porter and  importer,  and  Mrs.  Arias 
announce  the  engagement  of  their  son, 
Dr.  Irwin  M.,  to  Miss  Betty 
Sylvia  Berger. 

0 

Harold  Wirthwein,  Allied  Artists 
Western  sales  manager,  has  left  Los 
Angeles  for  Denver  and  Salt  Lake 
City. 

Austin  Keough,  Paramount  vice- 
president  and  general  counsel,  will  re- 
turn here  from  the  Coast  on  Mon- 
day. 

Bob  Dortman,  assistant  to  Charles 
Levy,  Eastern  publicity  director  for 
Walt  Disney  Productions,  is  in  Chi- 
cago from  New  York. 

Frank  H.  Durkee,  head  of  Dur- 
kee  Enterprises,  is  en  route  to  Ha- 
waii from  Baltimore,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Durkee. 

Clayton  Pantages,  20th  Century- 
Fox  salesman  in  Albany,  has  become 
engaged  to  Barbara  Nelson  of  Mil- 
ford,  Conn. 

William  Howard,  manager  of  the 
Plaza  Theatre,  Windsor,  Conn.,  and 
Mrs.   Howard  have   returned  there 
from  a  vacation  trip  through  Ohio. 
• 

Leo  Greenfield,  Universal  Albany 
branch  manager,  has  become  engaged 
to  Murial  Lanahan  of  Ted  Baldwin 
Associates  here. 

Margaret  Ettinger,  head  of  the 
publicity  firm  bearing  her  name,  will 
arrive  here  from  the  Coast  tomorrow, 
e 

Joseph    Walsh,    head    of  Para- 
mount's  branch  operations,  has  arrived 
in  Portland,  Ore.,  from  Seattle. 
• 

Tom  Wood,  publicity  director  for 
Huntington  Hartford  Enterprises,  has 
arrived  here  from  Hollywood. 

Alexander  Paal,  independent  pro- 
ducer, is  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast. 

John   Ash,   M-G-M   home  office 
representative,  will  leave  San  Fran- 
cisco on  Saturday  for  Chicago. 
• 

Jay  Eisenberg  of  M-G-M's  legal 
department  is  in  Dallas  from  here. 


Christopher  Awards  Go  to 
'Stars  and  Stripes, 9  'Hans ? 


In  accepting  a  trio  of  awards  to 
"Stars  and  Stripes  Forever"  from  the 
Christophers,  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
20th  Century-Fox  president,  yesterday 
expressed  gratitude  for  the  encourage- 
ment the  organization  is  giving  to  the 
motion  picture  industry  in  recognizing 
pictures  of  special  merit. 

Skouras  spoke  at  a  Christopher 
Awards  luncheon  at  the  Waldorf  As- 
toria Hotel  here,  where  a  trio  of 
awards  also  was  announced  for 
Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen,"  an  RKO  Radio  Pictures 
release.  Skouras  accepted  the  quar- 
terly awards  for  the  late  Lamar 
Trotti,  producer ;  Henry  Koster,  di- 
rector, and  Ernest  Vajda,  who  wrote 
the  screen  play. 

Father  James  Keller,  founder  and 
director  of  The  Christophers,  also 
presented  bronze  medallions  to  Robert 
Mochrie,  vice-president  of  Samuel 
Goldwyn  Productions,  on  behalf  of 
Charles  Vidor,  director;  Moss  Hart, 
screenplay  writer,  and  Myles  Con- 
nolly, who  wrote  the  original  story  of 
"Hans."  Clifton  Webb,  who  stars  in 
"Stars  and  Stripes  Forever,"  was  also 
present  at  the  luncheon. 

Other  citations  went  to  John  Dris- 
coll,  John  Zoller  and  Warner  Law, 
for  the  Cavalcade  of  America's  radio 
presentation  of  "Barbed  Wire  Christ- 
mas," presented  over  NBC  on  Dec. 
18.  An  award  also  went  to  Henry 
Denker,  writer,  producer  and  director 
of  "The  Greatest  Story  Ever  Told," 
which  is  aired  on  ABC.  In  television, 
awards  went  to  Fred  Waring's  special 
Christmas  presentation.  Bob  Banner, 
director,  and  Hugh  Brannum,  writer, 
also  received  awards  for  the  Dec.  14 
CBS  presentation. 

The  Christophers,  in  addition, 
singled  out  newspaper  columns,  maga- 
zine articles  and  books  for  citations. 


Middletown  Services 
For  Shea  Tomorrow 

Services  for  Thomas  J.  Shea,  S3, 
assistant  president  of  the  IATSE, 
who  died  on  Tuesday  at  the  Will 
Rogers  Memorial  Hospital  in  Sara- 
nac,  N.  Y.,  will  be  held  tomorrow  in 
St.  John's  Church,  Middletown,  Conn. 

Survivors  include  Shea's  widow, 
Mrs.  Alice  Kane  Shea,  and  his  mother, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Shea ;  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  Laverne  Reilly,  and  Miss  Irene 
Shea ;  one  son,  Ronald  T.  Shea ;  three 
grandchildren ;  a  sister,  Miss  Gene- 
vieve M.  Shea,  and  a  brother,  John  W. 


$4,080  Record  for 
'Gambler"  Premiere 

St.  Louis,  Jan.  14. — A  total  gross 
of  $4,080  is  reported  for  Universal- 
International's  "The  Mississippi  Gam- 
bler" world  premiere  at  the  5,037-seat 
Fox  Theatre  in  St.  Louis  Tuesday 
night.  The  first  of  a  three-city  pre- 
miere which  also  included  Memphis 
and  New  Orleans,  launching  more 
than  350  pre-release  dates  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  Valley,  it  was  said  to 
have  set  a  new  record  at  the  house 
for  an  evening  opening. 


Einfeld  Toastmaster 
For  Gehring  Dinner 

Charles  Einfeld,  20th  Century-Fox 
vice-president,  will  serve  as  toast- 
master  at  the  company's  testimonial 
dinner  tonight  to  William  Gehring, 
executive  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager, whose  35th  anniversary  with 
the  company  is  being  marked  by  a 
sales  drive  this  week.  Einfeld  will 
substitute  for  Al  Lichtman,  20th-Fox 
director  of  distribution,  who  is  ill  and 
will  be  unable  to  attend. 

Approximately  200  industry  repre- 
sentatives will  attend  the  Gehring 
dinner  at  Toots  Shor's  restaurant. 
Spyros  Skouras,  20th-Fox  president, 
will  make  the  principal  address  and 
Monsignor  Patrick  J.  Masterson  of 
the  National  Legion  of  Decency  will 
give  the  invocation. 


Daugherty  Manager 
Of  Floyd  Circuit 

Atlanta,  Jan.  14. — R.  M.  (Bob) 
Daugherty,  has  been  appointed  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Floyd  circuit  of 
13  indoor  and  outdoor  theatres.  Daugh- 
erty will  make  his  headquarters  at 
the  Florida,  in  Haines  City. 

The  new  general  manager,  who  has 
been  in  the  show  business  for  the 
past  25  years,  has  managed  theatres 
in  Orlando,  Daytona  Beach,  Jackson- 
ville, Tampa  and  Miami.  From  1946 
to  1950  he  was  general  manager  of 
the  Tampa  circuit,  and  more  recently 
was  in  charge  of  the  Olympia  in 
Miami. 


EiteVs  Palace  Plans 
Are  Switched  Again 

Chicago,  Jan.  14. — In  another 
switch  of  plans,  Eitel's  Palace  Theatre 
is  going  dark  for  an  indefinite  period 
after  the  termination  of  today's  show. 
Negotiations  still  are  continuing  in  an 
effort  to  reach  an  agreement  on  an 
operators  pay  scale  for  "This  Is  Cine- 
rama;"  disagreement  on  projection- 
ists' pay  is  purported  to  be  the  lone 
stumbling  block  in  the  path  of  the 
Palace  being  converted  for  showing  of 
the  program. 


'Jazz'  at  Paramount 
Opens  to  $11,300  . 

Warner  Brothers'  "The  Jazz  Sing- 
er" opened  to  a  very  good  $11,300 
gross  yesterday  at  the  New  York 
Paramount  Theatre,  which  is  cur- 
rently featuring  on  its  stage  Carmen 
Cavallaro  and  his  orchestra. 


Dinner  for  Legislators 

Lincoln,  Neb.,  Jan.  14. — Members 
of  the  State  Legislature,  Gov.  Robert 
Crosby  and  other  state  officials  will  be 
guests  of  the  film  industry  in  Ne- 
braska at  a  dinner  here  tomorrow 
night.  Robert  Livingston  of  the 
Cooper  Foundation,  state  Theatre 
Owners  Association  official,  is  in 
charge. 


Quarterly  QP  Award 
Selected  Tomorrow 

The  Quigley  Showmanship 
Awards  for  the  fourth  quar- 
ter of  1952  will  be  selected 
here  tomorrow  in  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Managers' 
Round  Table  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Herald.  The  judges  will 
be  Samuel  Cohen,  foreign 
publicity  director  of  United 
Artists;  Charles  Hacker,  ad- 
ministrative assistant  at  Ra- 
dio City  Music  Hall,  and 
Edgar  Goth,  advertising-pub- 
licity director  of  Fabian  The- 
atres. 


'Girls  in  the  Night' 
Opens  Here  Today 

With  five  of  the  personalities  of  the 
picture  continuing  an  around-the-clock 
promotional  effort  through  television 
and  radio  appearances,  newspaper  in- 
terviews and  participation  in  local 
events,  Universal  -  International's 
"Girls  in  the  Night"  will  have  its 
world  premiere  at  Loew's  State  Thea- 
tre here  today. 

Following  the  premiere,  the  five 
personalities — Patricia  Hardy,  Harvey 
i^embeck,  Glen  Roberts,  Jaclynne 
Greene  and  Don  Gordon — will  tour 
Connecticut  and  New  Jersey  in  con- 
nection with  openings  of  the  picture 
in  those  situations,  in  behalf  of  the 
"Charles  J.  Feldman  Silver  Anniver- 
sary Drive." 


'Listening  Parties' 
For  Awards  Airing 

A  Coast-to-Coast  network  of  radio 
and  television  "listening  parties"  for 
industryites  across  the  nation  is  being 
set  up  by  United  Artists  branches,  in 
cooperation  with  local  Variety  Clubs, 
to  hear  and  see  the  NBC  broadcast  of 
the  New  York  Film  Critics  "Best-of- 
the-Year"  Awards  ceremonies  Satur- 
day evening,  it  was  announced  by 
Francis  M.  Winikus,  national  direc- 
tor of  U  A  advertising  publicity. 

United  Artists  swept  the  Film  Cri- 
tics' annual  balloting,  taking  seven 
out  of  eight  places  in  the  voting. 


Geraghty,  Zimbalist 
Form  New  Company 

Hollywood,  Jan.  14.  —  Maurice 
Geraghty  and  Al  Zimbalist  have 
formed  a  partnership  here  to  produce 
under  the  name  of  Shamrock  Produc- 
tions. 

The  first  picture  to  be  made  will 
be  "Miss  Robinhood,"  which  will  be 
produced  by  Zimbalist  and  written 
and  directed  by  Geraghty,  from  his 
published  story.  The  picture  is  ex- 
pected to  be  filmed  in  Pathecolor. 


$$  Record  for  'Earnest 

The  Baronet  Theatre  here  reports 
a  third-week  gross  of  $9,000, — said  to 
be  a  record  for  the  house — for  "The 
Importance  of  Being  Earnest."  The 
picture  will  continue  there  indefinitely. 


c^Xv-   Tame^P    Cunningham    News  Fecke,   Advertising    Manager;   Gus  H.    Fausel,   Product.on   Manager;   Hollywood   Bureau,   Yucca-Vine  Building 

W  IS  Weaver '  EdZ  Saw  Bureau  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative  FT  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative  1 1  North 
William  K.  Weaver, ^diton    umcago  cureau,  ^u  00"l"  j  *  ,  p        a^b    Washington,   D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 

of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Thursday,  January,  15,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Confirmation  of 
Grainger  Imminent 

Hollywood,  Jan.  14. — Official 
announcement  of  James  R. 
Grainger's  appointment  to  the 
RKO  Radio  presidency  ap- 
peared imminent  tonight  as 
discussions  relevant  to  the 
agreement  on  his  release 
from  his  Republic  contract 
continued  between  RKO  and 
Republic  executives. 

It  is  understood  points 
under  discussion  do  not 
threaten  the  consummation  of 
the  Grainger  appointment. 


Reviews 


May  Drop  Bid  For 
RKO  Receivership 


A  decision  on  whether  to  continue 
court  action  seeking  the  appointment 
of  a  receiver  for  RKQ  Pictures  will 
be  made  within  a  week  by  Louis  Kip- 
nis,  attorney  representing  the  three 
minority  stockholders  in  the  receiver- 
ship application,  Kipnis  said  here  yes- 
terday. 

Kipnis  acknowledged  that  he  was 
weighing  the  possibility  of  withdraw- 
ing the  receivership  application  in 
light  of  the  changes  which  have  oc- 
curred in  the  executive  set-up  of  the 
company  since  the  filing  of  the  action. 
He  apparantly  referred  to  the  filling 
of  all  vacancies  on  RKO  Pictures 
board  of  directors,  the  return  of 
Howard  Hughes  as  chairman  of  the 
board,  and  the  resumption  of  produc- 
tion. 

Doesn't  Affect  Other  Suit 

He  said  that  if  a  decision  is  made 
to  withdraw  the  receivership  bid,  it 
would  be  on  the  grounds  of  the 
changes  which  have  mitigated  against 
his  action.  He  stressed,  however,  that 
withdrawal  of  the  receivership  action 
would  in  no  way  affect  his  suit  in 
New  York  Supreme  Court  against 
Hughes,  seeking  damages  on  the 
grounds  of  mismanagement. 

A  hearing  in  New  York  Supreme 
Court  on  the  receivership  application 
has  been  set  for  Jan.  26,  allowing 
Kipnis  another  12  days  to  make  a 
decision.  The  minority  stockholders 
attorney  also  said  he  would  seek  to 
amend  his  original  complaint  against 
Hughes  in  order  to  bring  it  up  to  date 
as  to  the  changes  in  the  company. 


"The  Hitch-Hiker 

(Filmakers-RKO  Radio) 

COMPETENTLY  produced,  directed  and  acted,  "The  Hitch-Hiker"  meas. 
^  ures  up  well  as  an  exciting  picture,  repetitious  in  spots -but  never  lacking 
in  suspense.  Ida  Lupino  has  done  a  capable  directorial  job  with  her  screen- 
play on  which  she  collaborated  with  producer  Collier  Young.  There  are  no 
women  in  the  cast,  other  than  bit  players. 

The  film  tells  of  an  escaped  convict  who  is  trying  to  beat  his  way  from  the 
United  States  to  Central  America.  He  is  picked  up  by  two  men  on  a  fishing 
trip  and,  at  gun  point,  the  pair  become  the  convict's  stooges,  chauffeurs, 
handymen  and  clay  pigeons.  When  their  usefulness  is  over,  so  are  their 
lives.  Most  of  the  footage  tells  of  the  weird  journey,  first  by  car 'and  then  on 
foot,  with  American  and  Mexican  police  slowly  but  surely  closing  in  on  their 
prey. 

The  two  captives  are  played  by  Edmund  O'Brien  and  Frank  Lovejoy,  while 
William  Talman  portrays  the  gangster,  all  turning  in  competent  jobs.  One 
of  the  most  helpful  factors  in  generating  suspense  is  the  complete  naturalness 
of  the  two  helpless  vacationers.  The  fourth  principal  character  in  the  picture 
is  Jose  Torvay. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  13. 


Adelman  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

here.  The  court  concluded  insufficient 
evidence  had  been  presented  to  war- 
rant giving  the  case  to  the  jury  and 
directed  the  verdict  for  dismissal. 

Robert  L.  Wright,  former  key  Jus 
tice  Department  figure  in  the  govern 
ment's    anti-trust    suit    against  the 
major  companies,   represented  Adel 
man.     Distributors  were  represented 
by  Roy  W.  McDonald  of  the  New- 
York  law  firm  of  Donovan,  Newton 
Leisure  &  Lumbard. 

The  case  is  the  first  of  two  which 
were  filed  by  Adelman  in  1947.  It 
was  originally  brought  in  Federal 
court  in  Delaware  but  subsequently 
was  transferred  to  this  jurisdiction. 
The  second  suit,  still  pending,  involves 
Adelman's  1,239-seat  theatre  in  Hous- 
ton, also  named  the  Delman.  It  makes 
similar  allegations  and  seeks  similar 
relief. 


'Oscar*  Nominating 
Ballots  Sent  Out 

Hollywood,  Jan.  14. — Ballots 
for  nominating  candidates  for 
the  25th  annual  Academy 
Awards  were  mailed  by  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences  today  to 
11,665  industry  members  qual- 
ified for  participation  in  the 
nominating  procedure.  The 
polls  close  midnight,  Jan.  24, 
with  nominations  to  be  an- 
nounced Feb.  10. 


Berenson  Reelected 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"Sword  of  Venus'* 

(RKO  Radio) 

THE  ALMOST  LEGENDARY  house  of  Monte  Cristo  is  again  brought 
to  the  screen  in  this  adaptation,  although  no  credit  is  given  to  the  Dumas 
stories.  Figuring  prominently  in  this  story,  however,  are  the  elder  Dantes  (the 
original  count  and  his  son.) 

The  film,  which  was  obviously  produced  on  an  inexpensive  budget,  has 
enough  entertainment  ingredients  to  get  by  in  most  situations.  Noteworthy 
in  an  otherwise  undistinguished  cast  is  Catherine  McLeod,  the  female  member 
of  the  terrible  trio  who  finally  succumbs  to  the  young,  romantic  scion  of  Monte 
Cristo. 

In  this  version,  three  enemies  of  the  Dantes  family  form  a  coalition  and 
plot  the  ruination  of  father  and  son,  both  financially  and  physically.  At  first 
they  scheme  to  have  the  boy  believe  he  killed  a  man  over  a  woman.  He  is  sen- 
tenced to  life  imprisonment  and  after  they  try  unsuccessfully  to  have  him  killed 
there,  he  escapes.  Meanwhile,  the  father  has  died  and  the  threesome  devise 
another  complex  plan  to  appropriate  the  family  fortune.  They  are  foiled  in 
the  attempt,  however,  as  Dantes  arrives  in  the  nick  of  time  and  duels  his  way 
to  victory. 

Aubrey  Wisberg  and  Jack  Pollexfen  produced,  while  Harold  Daniels  di- 
rected. Others  in  the  cast  include  Robert  Clarke,  Dan  O'Herlihy, .  William 
Schallert,  Marjorie  Stapp  and  Merritt  Stone. 

Running  time,  73  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb.  20.  Murray  Horowitz 


Set  Drive-In  Meet 

(Continued  jrom  page  1) 


Rhoden,  Sr.,  Senn  Lawler  and  C.  E. 
(Doc)  Cook,  president  of  the  associa- 
tion, as  representatives  to  the  meeting 
of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
board  later  this  month.  The  delega- 
tion was  instructed  specifically  to  se- 
cure all  possible  information  regarding 
the  arbitration  program,  so  that  the 
Kansas-Missouri  Association  may  re- 
late its  work  in  conciliation  and  ad- 
justment with  the  ideas  and  activities 
of  any  national  program. 

Meanwhile,  plans  under  discussion 
for  several  months  between  the  area 
theatre  associations  of  St.  Louis  and 
Kansas  City  for  a  joint  meeting  are 
taking  form.  The  St.  Louis  associa- 
tion recently  appointed  a  committee 
to  work  with  a  similar  committee  of 
the  Kansas-Missouri  Association  that 
is  now  being  set  up.  The  purpose  is 
to  bring  exhibitors  of  Western  Illi- 
nois and  Eastern  Missouri,  composing 
the  St.  Louis  area  association,  into 
Western  Missouri  and  the  entire  state 
of  Kansas,  who  compose  the  Kansas- 
Missouri  Association. 


Col.  Sales  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  Betty  Hutton  Firm 

Hollywood,  Jan.  14.  —  Announce- 
ment of  the  formation  of  Lindsay  En- 
terprises, Inc.,  a  corporation  to  handle 
all  of  Betty  Hutton's  film,  radio,  TV, 
record  and  personal  appearance  com- 
mitments was  made  here  by  Maurice 
Stoller,  Music  Corp.  of  America  rep 
resentative  who  handles  the  legal  as 
pects  of  that  organization. 


Montague,  who  will  preside  at  all  ses 
sions.  Others  from  the  domestic  staff 
will  be  Rube  Jackter,  Louis  Astor, 
Louis  Weinberg,  Irving  Wormser, 
George  Josephs,  Maurice  Grad,  Paul 
N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  H.  C.  Kaufman, 
Howard  LeSieur,  Joseph  Freiberg 
and  George  Berman. 

Representing  the  international  cor- 
poration will  be  Joseph  A.  McCon- 
ville,  Bernard  Zeeman,  Sigwart  Kusiel, 
Harry  Kosiner  and  Lawrence  Lip- 
skin,  all  from  the  home  office,  as  well 
as  Max  Thorpe,  Lacy  Kastner, 
Michael  Bergher,  Leroy  Brauer, 
Joseph  E.  McConville,  Roger  Sardou 
and  Alan  Tucker,  key  executives  from 
the  foreign  organization,  who  arrived 
here  earlier  this  week. 

Also  converging  on  Chicago  will  be 
the  company's  nine  division  managers 
and  32  branch  managers. 


of  directors  are  J.  V.  O'Quinn  of 
Kaplin,  La.;  W.  M.  Butterfield, 
Pascagoula,  :  Miss.,  and  Frank  De- 
graw,  Abbeville,  La. 

Speakers  at  the  general  meeting  in- 
cluded Max  Youngstein  of  United 
Artists,  speaking  on  arbitration  and 
general  problems  of  the  industry,  and 
Burton  Robbins  of  National  Screen 
Service  discussing  the  better  relation- 
ship between  exhibitors  and  NSS. 

The  convention  closed  tonight  with 
a  cocktail  party,  courtesy  of  Motion 
Picture  Advertising  Service  Co.  of 
New  Orleans,  and  the  convention's 
annual  banquet. 


Future  Is  Bright, 
Richey  Tells  Allied 

New  Orleans,  Jan.  14. — Using 
trade  press  headlines  '  to  illustrate, 
H.  M.  Richey,  director  of  exhibitor 
relations  for  M-G-M,  painted  an  op- 
timistic future  for  the  industry  in  an 
address  here  today'  before  the  conven- 
tion of  Allied  Theatres  of  the  Gulf 
States.  Based  on  the  headlines  and 
the  stories  to  which  they  referred, 
Richey  said  that  the  outlook  for  the 
general  business  base  was  good,  that 
it  was  apparent  Hollywood  expected 
to'  continue  to  roll  out  good  pictures 
and  plenty  of  them,  that  there  was  no 
lack  of  confidence  in  the  business  and 
that  the  possibility  for  fine  public  re- 
lations was  good. 

Richey  expressed  hope  for  the  ulti- 
mate adoption  of  an  industry  arbitra- 
tion system,  asserting  that  the  "quick- 
er differences  can  be  adjusted,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  all  of  us." 

"The  need  to  devote  every  hour  to 
more  concentration  on  creating  more 
movie-paying  customers  is  vital," 
Richey  said.  "We  need  more  Texas 
COMPO  campaigns.  We  need  more 
state  fair  exhibits  those  in  Ohio  and 
Indiana.  We  need  showmanship,  good 
housekeeping  and  good  pictures  more 
than  we  have  ever  needed  them  in  the 
history  of  this  business." 


Gene  Autry  Starts 
A  49-City  Tour 

Columbia  star,  Gene  Autry,  has 
launched  a  49-city  tour.  With  a  cast 
of  30  performers  he  opened  in  Wich- 
ita, Kan.,  will  swing  East  through 
Omaha,  Des  Moines,  Detroit,  then 
North  to  a  number  of  Canadian  stops, 
then  back  to  play,  among  other  cities, 
Rochester,  Albany,  and  Philadelphia. 
He  will  wind  up  the  tour  in  Wash- 
ington on  March  1. 

The  Gene  Autry  Show  will  be  a 
complete  Western  variety  revue. 


N.Y.  Trust  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


The  suit  charges  that  the  Tribune  has 
been  refused  first  neighborhood  run 
by  the  defendants  and  that  the  plain- 
tiff has  been  forced  to  bid  against 
Skouras  for  product  when  it  is  ap- 
parent that  the  plaintiff's  theatre  can- 
not meet  the  rentals  that  the  Academy 
can  afford.  The  various  practices  by 
the  defendants,  it  is  also  charged,  vio- 
late the  terms  of  the  government's 
consent  decree. 

Two  suits  are  involved  in  the  ac- 
tion, one  for  $1,050,000  against  all 
four  of  the  defendants  and  another 
for  $6,000,000  against  the  three  film 
companies. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  15,  1953 


Filling  the  Hopper 
With  Anti-tax  Bills 

Washington,  Jan.  14. — Three 
more  Congressmen  have  in- 
troduced bills  to  exempt  mo- 
tion picture  theatre  tickets 
from  the  Federal  Admission 
tax.  Thev  were  Representa- 
tives Doyle  (D.,  Calif.),  Mc- 
Donough  (R.,  Calif.)  and  Van 
Zandt  (R.,  Pa.) 


Johnston  Plea 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tration  drafts  followed  the  board's 
consideration  of  Johnston's  letter  and 
Snaper's  report  on  his  conversations 
with  distributor  representatives. 

Johnston,  in  his  letter,  reviewed  the 
events  leading  up  to  the  October  draft, 
pointing  out  that  the  distributors  in- 
sisted that  they  would  not  assent  to 
the  arbitration  of  film  rentals  in  any 
manner. 

Was  Made  Clear 

"In  transmitting  this  draft,"  John- 
ston wrote  to  Snaper,  "it  was  made 
perfectly  clear  that  suggestions  would 
be  welcome  and  that  discussions  for 
any  changes  of  language  or  substance 
were  invited.  No  formal  reply  was 
received  from  any  exhibitor  member 
of  the  arbitration  conference.  Favor- 
able informal  response  came  from  sev- 
eral exhibitor  conferees." 

Johnston  then  pointed  out  that  Al- 
lied's  rejection  was  reported  in  the 
trade  press,  with  no  authorization  to 
participate  in  further  discussions.  He 
said  sales  managers  had  asked  him  to 
express  their  confidence  in  the  posi- 
tive value  of  arbitration  to  the  indus- 
try and  their  willingness  to  resume 
discussions  to  achieve  it.  He  added 
that  he  had  been  strongly  urged  by 
many  in  the  industry,  including  ex- 
hibitor leaders,  to  arrange  another 
meeting  on  the  premise  that  progress 
would  be  advanced  by  consideration  of 
the  October  draft,  along  with  any 
suggestions  that  the  participants  may 
have  relative  to  the  draft. 

"We  hope,"  Johnston  concluded, 
"that  your  organization  will  be  in  a 
position  to  arrange  for  its  representa- 
tives to  participate  in  such  a  further 
meeting.  I  sincerely  believe  that  the 
well-being  of  our  industry  will  be  sub- 
stantially advanced  by  a  system  of 
arbitration  and  I  am  certain  your  or- 
ganization can  make  a  major  con- 
tribution to  it." 


ITOA  Ready 

(Continued  front  page  1) 

await  further  action  by  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  on 
the  arbitration  issue. 

There  was  a  difference  of  opinion 
here  yesterday  over  the  interpretation 
of  Allied's  rejection  of  the  arbitration 
plan.  Some  looked  upon  arbitration  as 
being  "dead"  insofar  as  Allied  was 
concerned,  while  others  believed  that 
the  door  was  still  open  for  further 
negotiations.  Clarification  from  Allied 
on  the  issue  is  expected  shortly. 


To  Join  TOA 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

TOA  members.  It  is  understood  that 
the  houses  will  be  affiliated  with  TOA 
shortly  after  Warner  Brothers  stock- 
holders approve  the  reorganization  of 
the  theatre  company  at  a  meeting 
scheduled  for  Feb.  17  in  New  York. 


Asides  &  Interludes 


— by  James  Cunningham 


COLUMBIA  Pictures'  Harry  Kenneth  McWill  iams  has  been,  in  recent 
days,  mantled  with  honors  for  his  highly  commendable  professorial  per- 
formance as  dean  of  the  Associated  Motion  Picture  Advertisers'  Showman- 
ship School  which  he  founded  one  year  ago  to  try  to  enlighten  some  of  our 
younger  boys  and  girls  to  be  promotional  whizzes  like  "Bergie"  of  "U",  Dietz, 
Paula  Gould,  "Ernie"  at  Loew's,  Cholly  Einfeld,  Cherry-face  Mort  at  Warners, 
Handy- Jerry  Pickman,  Curvacious  Kay  at  RKO,  Herb  Yates'  Steve  Edwards, 
Milt  Livingston  (can  he  talk),  RKO's  Segal,  and  the  always-late,  but  always- 
there  Charles  Franke,  and  others. 

The  graduates  of  Professor  McWilliams'  School  will  receive  their  Diplomas 
at  noon  today  at  the  Hotel  Piccadilly. 

Meanwhile,  we  continue  our  course  of  teaching  theatre  staff  members.  You 
will  remember  last  week's  lesson  for  cashiers  (don't  steal,  hide  the  money, 
etc.). 

This  week's  lesson,  authored  by  the  faculty  of  Wometco  Theatres  of  Miami, 
owned  and  operated  strictly  for  a  profit  (Federal  tax  willing),  by  Sidney 
Meyer  and  Mitchell  Wolfson  will  consider  the  positions  of  the  doorman,  and 
the  usher. 

"It  is,"  says  our  Wometco  manual,  "part  of  the  doorman's  job  to  smile, 
whether  he  likes  it  or  not." 

"Doormen  should  give  a  cheerful,  courteous  answer  to  the  meanest  grouch." 

Wishful  Thinking  Department:  "The  usher  should  be  able  to  talk  intelli- 
gently about  every  department  of  the  theatre  and  he  should  know  something 
of  the  history  of  the  industry  and  of  the  company.  He  should  be  able  to 
correct  any  false  statements  about  the  industry  and  the  people  in  it.  Bearing 
in  mind  that  he  is  a  representative  of  the  company,  he  should  maintain  conduct 
above  reproach,  anywhere,  anytime." 

■fr      ft  ft 

Mack-Aroons:  There  is  not  an  oldtimer  in  the  industry  who  does  not 
know  Irving  Mack,  who  has  something  or  other  to  do  at  Filmack  Trailers, 
in  Chicago.  "Irv"  is  a  philosophizer.  Sez  Irv:  "No  one  ever  climbed  a 
hill  by  looking  at  it."  ...  "A  man  does  not  necessarily  grow  wise  as  he 
grows  old,  but  he  grows  old  as  he  grows  wise."  .  .  .  "To  convince  her  she's 
adored,  buy  her  something  you  can't  afford."  .  .  .  "Poise — The  art  of 
raising  the  eyebrows  instead  of  the  roof."  .  .  .  "The  person  who  is  love- 
sick is  the  man  sitting  behind  a  couple  making  love  in  the  movie  theatre." 
. . .  "America  is  just  about  the  only  country  in  the  world  where  men  dress 
for  dinner,  and  the  women  do  the  opposite."  .  .  .  "Ain't  it  hell  to  be  old, 
brother,  when  the  night's  young?"  .  .  .  "Speak  well  of  your  enemies, 
remember,  you  made  them." 

ft    .  ft  ft 

United  Artists  has  a  picture  coming  up,  called  "Monsoon,"  which  the  com- 
pany describes  as  "the  exotic  Technicolor  drama  filmed  entirely  in  India  and 
introducing  the  beautiful  Ursula  Thiess  in  a  role  reminiscent  of  Hedy  Lamarr's 
in  'Ecstacy.'" 

Wanna  bet  Ursula  doesn't  reminisce ;  hey,  Joe? 

ft      ft  ft 

We  are  forever  hearing  from  Hollywood  press  agents  about  the  difficulties 
encountered  in  restraining  the  throngs  (courtesy  of  Hollywood  press  agents) 
from  besieging  thisa  and  thata  star  who  or  which  and  how  are  about  to  enter 
thisa  and  thata  theatre  for  the  opening  of  Walt  Goldwyn's  "Peter  and  Hans." 

Did  any  of  those  paid  way-above-the-scales  guys  ever  come  up  with  the 
solution  for  crowd-controlling  that  has  just  been  pounced  on  the  great  British 
Empire  by  Sir  Hugh  Casson,  planner  of  street  decorations  for  the  Coronation 
of  Queen  Elizabeth  II? 

Hughie  just  ordered  all  lamposts  along  the  Coronation  march  greased,  to 
prevent  climbing. 

ft      ft  ft 

Enlightenment  Department:  Jackie  III,  that  sweet-dispositioned  lion, 
five  year  older  and  five-hundred  pound  king  of  the  jungle  in  RKO's 
"Androcles  and  the  Lion,"  drew  down  75(1  buckos  per  week — and  all  he 
could  eat.  Androcles  would  not  chin  about  his  take.  .  .  .  RKO  Radio  has 
concluded  a  nationwide  promotion  for  Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  with  the  Jo-Do  Specialty  Company,  makers  of  crumb  catchers; 
a  rather  pessimistic  outlook,  gross-wise.  .  .  .  The  grandiose  idea  nurtured 
by  exhibitor  organization  leaders  in  these  parts  to  stage  a  gigantic  film 
fair,  festival  and  super-duper  trade  show  in  Grand  Central  Palace  defi- 
nitely will  not  go  beyond  the  original  wishful-thinking  stage;  the  Bureau 
of  Internal  Revenue  has  signed  a  five-year  lease  of  the  show-palace,  for 
a  reported  rental  of  "more  than"  $500,000  a  year. 

ft        ft  ft 

The  "brilliant  and  lazy"  manager  is  the  most  valuable  executive  in  the 
present  day  economy.  Sez  Morris  Pickus  of  New  York's  Personnel  Institute. 
Sez  Charles  Skouras,  Sol  Schwartz,  Young  Walter  Reade,  M.  A.  Lightman, 
et  al:  Nutz.  .  .  .  An  actor  zuho  had  not  been  employed  for  many,  many  months 
finally  got  up  the  courage  to  approach  a  tvealthy  friend  for  a  loan  to  tide  him 
over.  "But  you  can't  be  hungry,"  said  the  friend.  "After  all,  you've  got  a 
toothpick  in  your  mouth."  "Well,"  replied  the  unemployed  actor,  "you  knozv 
hoiv  it  is  here  in  Hollywood.  A  guy  has  to  put  up  a  front."  (We  are  most 
graciously  grateful  for  that  kernel  of  corn  to  the  Wall  Street  Journal.) 

ft.       ft  ft 

When  Universal  Pictures'  Phil  Gerard  called  the  Moskoiuitz  &  Lnpozvits 
Restaurant  in  New  York's  way  down  Eastsidc  sector,  the  other  day,  to  make 
a  t eservation  for  a  trade  press  dinner  prior  to  a  screening,  Phil  said,  after 
specifying  the  requirements,  and  identifying  the  company,  "We  prefer  to  be 
billed."  "We,"  said  the  management  of  M.  &  L..  "prefer  to  be  paid." 


Pensacola  Amusem't 
Tax  Is  Ruled  Valid 

Pensacola,  Fla.,  Jan.  14.— 
The  Florida  Supreme  Court 
has  ruled  that  the  amusement 
tax,  as  collected  by  the  city 
of  Pensacola,  is  valid.  The  de- 
cision was  made  in  connection 
with  the  case  between  Para- 
mount-Gulf Theatres  and  the 
city  of  Pensacola  in  which  the 
theatre  company  protested 
the  use  of  amusement  taxes 
as  security  for  payment  of 
revenue  certificates,  funds 
from  which  were  to  be  used  for 
the  construction  of  an  audi- 
torium on  the  Palafox  Wharf. 


Congressmen 

 (Continued  from  page  1 ) 


chairman  of  the  Committee  for  the 
corning  two  years.  Other  Republican 
holdovers  on  the  Committee  are  Rep- 
resentatives Jenkins  of  Ohio,  Simpson 
of  Pennsylvania,  Kean  of  New  Jersey 
Curtis  of  Nebraska,  Mason  of  Illinois,' 
Martin  of  Iowa,  Holmes  of  Washing- 
ton, Byrnes  of  New  York  and  Good- 
win of  Massachusetts.  Democratic 
members  will  be  Representatives 
Cooper  of  Tennessee,  Dingell  of  Mich- 
igan, Mills  of  Arkansas,  Gregory  of 
Kentucky,  Camp  of  Georgia,  Forand 
of  Rhode  Island,  Eberharter  of  Penn- 
sylvania, King  of  California,  O'Brien 
of  New  York  and  Boggs  of  Louisi- 
ana. 

Formation  of  the  Senate  Finance 
Committee,  which  handles  tax  bills  in 
the  upper  chamber,  was  also  com- 
pleted. Senator  Millikin  of  Colorado 
will  head  the  Committee.  Republican 
members  will  be  Butler  of  Nebraska, 
Martin  of  Pennsylvania,  Williams  of 
Delaware,  Flanders  of  Vermont,  Ma- 
lone  of  Nevada,  Carlson  of  Kansas 
and  Bennett  of  Utah.  Democratic 
members  will  be  George  of  Georgia, 
Byrd  of  Virginia,  Johnson  of  Color- 
ado, Hoey  of  North  Carolina,  Kerr 
of  Oklahoma,  Frear  of  Delaware  and 
Long  of  Louisiana.  Malone,  Carlson, 
Bennett  and  Long  are  new  members 
of  the  Committee ;  all  the  other  Sena- 
tors are  hold-overs. 


Western  Exhibitors 
Set  Jan.  26  Tax  Meet 

Omaha,  Jan.  14. — Nebraska,  Iowa 
and  Southern  South  Dakota  exhibi- 
tors will  meet  in  the  afternoon  pre- 
ceding the  Variety  Club's  inaugural 
ball  on  Jan.  26  to  discuss  the  20  per 
cent  Federal  admission  tax,  arbitra- 
tion, litigation,  rentals  and  Allied- 
sponsored  buying  and  booking.  The 
special  meeting  was  called  by  Iowa- 
Nebraska  Allied. 


Natural  Vision 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


equipment  and  operational  directors. 

Operated  on  virtually  a  non-profit 
basis,  and  with  established  equipment 
houses  expected  to  take  over  this 
function  eventually,  NVTEC  offers 
complete  equipment  kits  suitable  for 
all  types  of  theatres.  Kits  come  in 
three  layouts,  each  completely  prac- 
tical for  all  types  of  theatres,  but  with 
special  extra  elaborations  available 
for  exhibitors  who  wish  the  utmost  in 
mechanical  refinement.  Kits  are  ac- 
companied by  installation  directions 
which  enable  the  projectionist  to  per- 
form all  the  necessary  work. 


Thursday,  January  15,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


N.Y.  Exhibitors  to 
Oppose  Wage  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  14.— A  bill 
introduced  by  Assemblyman  Louis 
Peck,  Bronx  Democrat,  providing  for 
a  minimum  wage  of  $1.25  an  hour  and 
a  maximum  work  week  of  40  hours, 
with  time-and-a-half  for  periods  in  ex- 
cess of  that,  for  workers  in  New  York 
State  will  be  opposed  by  exhibitor  or- 
ganizations, it  is  understood  Peck 
sponsored  a  similar  measure  last  year. 

At  hearings  in  Albany,  Syracuse, 
New  York  and  Buffalo  last  summer 
and  fall  before  a  sub-committee  of  the 
Mailler  Joint  Legislative  Committee 
on  Industrial  and  Labor  Conditions, 
studying  the  desirability  of  recom- 
mending a  75-cent  hourly  minimum 
for  all  labor  in  the  state,  except  the 
physically  handicapped,  exhibitor 
spokesmen  voiced  strong  opposition  to 
such  a  proposal. 

Recent  increases  have  been  made  in 
several  industries  covered  by  minimum 
wage  orders,  after  public  hearings. 
None,  however,  has  been  authorized 
for  the  amusement  and  recreation  in- 
dustry, since  the  original  floor  on 
wages  was  placed. 


Beverly  Program  to 
11  Franchisers 


Herbert  Bregstein  and  Oliver  A. 
Unger,  heads  of  Beverly  Pictures, 
Inc.,  have  consummated  deals  with  11 
territorial  franchise  holders  who  will 
represent  them  in  the  distribution  of 
16  re-release  features  formerly  held 
by  Film  Classics.    They  are : 

New  England,  Regal  Pictures ;  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  Union  Films ; 
Pennsylvania,  Leonard  Mintz ;  Pitts- 
burgh and  Ohio,  Crown  Pictures ; 
Cleveland,  Imperial  Pictures ;  Wash- 
ington, Samuel  Wheeler;  Atlanta, 
Charlotte,  Memphis  and  New  Orleans, 
Kay  Exchanges ;  Dallas  and  Okla- 
homa City,  Tower  Pictures  ;  Detroit, 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  Indianapolis, 
Albert  Dezel,  Inc. ;  Cincinnati,  Ed- 
ward Salzberg;  and  the  far  West, 
Western  Releasing  Corp. 

Milton  Gettinger,  of  the  law  firm  of 
Gettinger  and  Gettinger  is  associated 
with  Bregstein  and  Unger. 

The  16  films  involved  are :  "Daugh- 
ter of  the  West,"  "The  Crooked 
Way,"  "Guilty  Bystander,"  "Miracu- 
lous Journey,"  "Devil's  Cargo," 
"Money  Madness,"  "Captain  Sirocco," 
"For  You  I  Die,"  "Blonde  Ice," 
"Inner  Sanctum,"  "The  Loveable 
Cheat,"  "State  Department  File  649," 
"Good  Time  Girl,"  "Sofia,"  "Four 
Days'  Leave"  and  "C-Men." 


Hammer  in  New  RCA 
Southwest  Position 

Camden,  N.  J.,  Jan.  14. — Arthur  J. 
Hammer,  has  been  appointed  manager 
of  the  company's  Southwestern  region, 
with  headquarters  in  Dallas,  it  was 
announced  by  C.  M.  Odorizzi,  operat- 
ing vice-president  of  the  division.  He 
succeeds  James  W.  Cooke,  veteran 
RCA  executive,  who  is  retiring. 

In  his  new  post,  Hammer  will  rep- 
resent the  company  in  field  operations, 
with  responsibility  for  administration, 
distribution,  and  sales  of  all  RCA  and 
RCA  Victor  products,  including  thea- 
tre _  equipment,  in  the  Southwestern 
region,  which  covers  Texas,  Arizona, 
New  Mexico,  Oklahoma  and  portions 
of  Mississippi,  Arkansas  and  Louisi- 
ana. 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


nV T  |3  m  cooperation  with  current  food  sponsors  on  the 

[jl  ■  program?  and  food  retailers  in  60  cities  will  unite 
their  efforts  in  one  of  TV's  most  comprehensive 
merchandising  campaigns  via  a  "Kate  Smith  Week,"  from  Feb.  26 
through  March  5.  The  two-way  national  salute  to  the  "First  Lady 
of  Song"  will  include  on-the-spot  air  promotion,  newspaper  and  trade 
paper  advertising  and  special  features  and  special  programming, 
national  and  local,  prior  to  and  all  during  that  week.  .  .  .  Barbara 
(TV's  "Mrs.  North")  Britton  will  be  profiled  in  Feb.  8  issue  of 
This  Week. 

ft       i*  ft 

Continental  International  Pictures,  with  studios  located  at 
Greenville,  Ohio,  has  entered  the  TV  film  field  and  will  start 
production  on  a  series  of  quarter  and  half-hour  length  dramas 
some  time  in  April  under  the  supervision  of  Walter  D.  McFar- 
land.  .  .  .  The  Four  Vagabonds,  whom  Arthur  Godfrey 
brought  back  with  him  from  their  own  Vagabond  Club  in 
Miami  Beach  for  a  guestint  on  his  Wednesnite  CBShow, 
proved  slightly  sensational.  .  .  .  Dolly  Martin,  whose  "Gun 
Moll"  characterizations  on  TV  have  won  the  lead  on  Bob 
Monroe's  "High  Adventure,"  teaches  a  Sunday  school  class 
in  real  life.  .  .  .  Filling  Bill  Slater's  shoes  is  a  man-sized  job 
but  Jay  Jackson,  as  new  moderator  on  the  "20  Questions" 
series,  made  an  excellent  debut  last  week,  the  panel  matching 
with  a  perfect  score  for  the  evening.  .  .  .  Gabriel  Records 
has  set  a  nation-wide  deejay  campaign  on  Matt  Furin's  ballad 
"Could  It  Be?"  .  .  .  Tempus  does  Fugit!  Back  in  1927  ork  pilot 
George  Olsen  was  featured  in  the  Laurence  Schwab  Broadway 
production  "Good  News."  Last  Sunday,  26  years  later,  on  NBC 
TV,  George  Olsen  was  guest-producer  of  "American  Inven- 
tory," the  program  directed  by  Laurence  Schwab,  Jr.,  who  is 
following  in  his  father's  theatrical  footsteps  as  producer- 
director. 


$250,000  Gross  for 
"Stooge"  in  1  Night 

New  Year's  Eve  openings  of 
Paramount's  "The  Stooge," 
starring  Dean  Martin  and 
Jerry  Lewis,  grossed  approxi- 
mately $250,000  in  the  one 
night,  it  is  understood.  The 
picture  played  in  397  theatres 
on  the  holiday  eve,  using  all 
but  three  of  the  400  prints  or- 
dered for  the  picture. 


Name  Ivan  Goff  SWG 
Credit  Union  Head 

Hollywood,  Jan.  14. — The  Federal 
Credit  Union  of  the  Screen  Writers' 
Guild  has  elected  Ivan  Goff  to  succeed 
Warren  Duff  as  president.  Valentine 
Davies  was  named  vice-president ; 
Joseph  Hoffman,  secretary,  and  Mor- 
gan Cox,  treasurer. 

Frank  Nugent,  Hoffman,  Cox, 
Irving  Wallace  and  Leonard  Spigel- 
gass  were  named  to  the  board  of 
directors ;  David  Dortort  and  Wells 
Root  were  chosen  for  two-year  terms 
on  the  credit  committee,  and  Jack 
Natteford  and  F.  Hugh  HerberC  were 
elected  to  the  supervisory  committee. 


FP-C  Luncheon  to  Arthur 

Toronto,  Jan.  14. — Executives  of 
Famous  Players-Canadian  Corp.,  gave 
a  luncheon  at  the  King  Edward  Hotel 
here  to  Jack  Arthur,  who  has  re- 
signed as  district  manager  after  serv- 
ing the  circuit  since  its  inception,  as 
orchestra  supervisor,  producer  and 
theatre  manager. 


SAG  to  Open  Branch 
Office  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Jan.  14.  —  The  Screen 
Actors  Guild  is  opening  a  Chicago 
office  in  a  cooperative,  arrangement 
with  the  local  branch  of  the  Ameri- 
can Federation  of  Television  and 
Radio  Artists,  it  was  annouhced  here 
by  John  Dales,  Jr.,  SAG's  national 
executive  secretary.  Raymond  A. 
Jones,  executive  secretary  of  the  Chi- 
cago branch  of  the  AFTRA,  will 
serve  as  the  guild's  local  representa- 
tive while  continuing  his  AFTRA  du- 
ties. 

.  Under  SAG  direction,  Jones  will 
be  responsible  for  the  organization  of 
actors,  singers,  announcers  and  other 
performers  employed  in  the  production 
of  motion  pictures,  including  television 
films,  in  the  Chicago  area.  He  will 
negotiate  and  administer  SAG  collec- 
tive bargaining  contracts. 


Theatre  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


atre  TV  packaging  firm,  disclosed  that 
it  is  receiving  two  or  three  inquiries 
a  week  from  prospective  clients.  How- 
ever, Thomas  W.  Casey,  president, 
said  that  at  this  stage  of  business 
acceptance  of  theatre  TV,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  clinch  a  deal.  Casey  ex- 
pressed hope  again  that  the  Bendix 
show,  which  was  called  off  last  de- 
cember,  may  be  put  on  in  the  spring. 
He  said  Bendix  executives  were  will- 
ing to  spend  about  $70,000  for  the 
December  telecast  which  would  have 
encompassed  40  cities,  but  failed  to 
win  Bendix  dealer  cooperation  in 
financing  the  program. 


TODAY 

Associated  Motion  Picture  Advertisers,  Inc. 


Class  in  Showmanship 
Graduation  Luncheon 

WALTER  READE,  JR. 

Gordon  White,  MPAA 
Dr.  Karl  Egmont  Ettinger 

Speakers 
Harry  K.  McWilliams 

AMPA  President,  presiding 

GEORGIAN  ROOM 
HOTEL  PICCADILLY— 12:30  P.M. 

Luncheon  tickets  $2.50  each,  including  tips, 
from  Blanche  Livingston,  RKO  Theatres, 
JUdson  6-1900 


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VOL.  73.    NO.  11 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  16,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Allied  Insists 
Trade  Abuses 
Be  Eliminated 


Snaper  Says  Arbitration 
Depends  on  Corrections 

If  distributors  would  be  willing 
to  sit  down  and  discuss  the  various 
abuses  alleged  by  Allied  in  present 
trade  practices,  it  is  possible  that 
the  Allied  board  would  empower  a 
negotiating  committee  to  resume  talks 
leading  to  a  mutually  satisfactory  ar- 
bitration system,  Allied  president  Wil- 
bur Snaper  said  here  yesterday.  Snaper 
returned  Wednesday  night  from  the 
board  sessions  in  New  Orleans. 

Snaper  indicated  that  Allied's  par- 
ticipation in  an  arbitration  plan  de- 
pendent on  the  distributors'  willingness 
to  clear  away  the  trade  practices 
which  the  association  believes  are  ob- 
jectionable. When  the  distributors 
agree  to  the  elimination  of  unreason- 
able practices,  he  said,  the  way  will  be 
paved  for  the  resumption  of  arbitra- 
tion discussions.  Thus,  in  effect, 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


New  Actors  Theatre 
TV  Scale  Proposed 


A  proposed  Actors  Equity  pay  scale 
for  the  theatre  televising  of  a  Broad- 
way show  has  been  submitted  to  Fa- 
bian Theatres  executives  for  their 
consideration. 

An  Equity  spokesman  said  that  the 
proposed  scale  was  along  the  lines  set 
by  the  American  Federation  of  Radio 
Artists,  which  requires  payments  to 
talent  on  the  basis  of  the  length  of 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Set  Cinerama  for 
Detroit's  Music  Hall 

Detroit's  Music  Hall  Theatre  has 
set  a  deal  with  Cinerama,  making  it 
the  first  of  the  25  theatres  in  which 
Cinerama  is  expected  to  open  in  1953, 
Joseph  Kaufman,  Cinerama  director 
of  exhibition,  disclosed  here  yesterday. 

Work  will  begin  at  once  to  convert 
the  1,800-seater  into  a  Cinerama  show- 
case, Kaufman  added,  with  the  precise 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Columbia  'Salome' 
Sales  Meet  Opens 
In  Chicago  Today 

Chicago,  Jan.  15. — Columbia  Pic- 
tures' international  sales  and  adver- 
tising policy  meeting  on  "Salome" 
will  convene  here  tomorrow  at  the 
Drake  Hotel, 
with  A.  Mon- 
tague, general 
sales  manager, 
presiding. 

The  two-day 
sessions  on  the 
film,  co  -  star- 
ring Rita  Hay- 
worth,  Stewart 
Granger  and 
Charles  Laugh- 
ton,  will  be 
attended  by  top 
home  office  ex- 
ecutives from 
both  the  do- 
mestic and  international  divisions,  as 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Abe  Montague 


Providence  Faces 
A  Censorship  Law 


Providence,  Jan.  15. — A  new  law 
for  licensing,  regulating,  and  censoring 
motion  pictures  and  stage  shows  will 
be  proposed  to  the  City  Council  here 
tonight.  It  will  provide  for  four 
specific  grounds  for  action :  immoral- 
ity, indecency,  profanity  and  obscenity. 

The  city's  bureau  of  Licenses,  which 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Remove  Last  Blocks 
To  Naming  Grainger 

Hollywood,  Jan.  15.  —  The 
RKO  Pictures  board  of  direc- 
tors were  expected  to  vote 
approval  of  the  appointment 
of  James  R.  Grainger  to  the 
presidency  some  time  tonight. 
Minor  last-minute  obstacles 
to  consummation  of  the  deal, 
which  had  been  raised  yester- 
day by  Republic,  to  whom 
Grainger  was  under  contract 
for  three  more  years,  ap- 
peared to  have  been  cleared 
away. 

Whether  the  Grainger  ap- 
pointment would  necessitate 
the  retirement  of  one  member 
of  the  RKO  board,  now  chair  - 
maned  by  Hughes,  could  not 
be  determined  in  advance  of 
the  meeting.  J.  Miller  Walker, 
vice  -  president  and  director, 
was  called  here  from  N.  Y.  by 
Hughes  today  for  consulta- 
tions, and  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
former  president  and  now 
company  consultant,  was  re- 
portedly accompanying  him. 


Gehring  Honored  on 
His  Anniversary 

Co-workers  and  friends — more  than 
200  of  them — turned  out  last  night  to 
pay  tribute  to  W.  C.  (Bill)  Gehring, 
executive  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager of  20th  Century-Fox,  upon  the 
occasion  of  his  35th  anniversary  with 
the  company.  The  testimonial,  held 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Youngstein 's  Allied  Speech 
Scored  Allied's  Policies 


Allied  State's  reaffirmed  policy  of 
alleged  illegal  trade  practices  on  the 
either  of  bringing  litigation  or  obtain- 
ing the  intervention  of  government 
agencies  was  roundly  and  frankly 
scored  by  Max  E.  Youngstein,  United 
Artists  vice-president,  at  the  annual 
convention  of  Gulf  States  Allied  in 
New  Orleans  on  Tuesday,  it  was 
learned  here  yesterday. 

Allied's  national  officers  and  mem- 
bers of  its  national  board  of  directors 
were  present  at  the  time  and,  stung  by 
the  tongue-lashing  their  policy  was 


endeavoring  to  collect  evidence  of 
part  of  distributors  for  the  purpose 


given  by  Youngstein,  several  of  them 
replied  in  equally  outspoken  language. 

The  U.  A.  executive,  invited  to 
speak  by  the  Gulf  States  organization, 
appeared  without  a  prepared  talk.  He 
informed  the  gathering  he  could  speak 
about  "Mother's  Day"  if  that  was 
their  wish,  or  he  could  speak  what  was 
on  his  mind.  Assured  that  his  audience 
would    hear    him    out,  Youngstein 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


UA  '52  Gross 
Up  50%  Over 
Prior  Year 


Krim  Reports  Profits 
Also  Show  an  Increase 


By  AL  STEEN 

United  Artists'  gross  volume  of 
business  in  1952  increased  50  per 
cent  over  the  preceding  year,  rising 
from  $20,000,000  in  1951  to  $30,- 
000,000  last 
year,  UA  presi- 
dent Arthur 
Krim  disclosed 
here  yesterday. 
However,  he 
said  that  the 
year's  ratio  of 
profit  would  be 
less  than  was 
indicated  by  the 
increased  gross, 
but  that  the  net 
would  be  larger 
than  1951's  net 
earnings.  He 
pointed  out  that 
expensive  man- 


Arthur  Krim 


rising    costs,  more 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Reade  Sounds  Call 
For  Higher  Pay 

An  appeal  to  executives  of  all 
branches  of  the  industry  to  lift  the 
level  of  salaries,  security  and  incen- 
tive for  industry  employes  was 
sounded  here  yesterday  by  Walter 
Reade,  Jr.,  president  of  Walter  Reade 
Theatres. 

Reade,  in  an  address  at  the  gradua- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


"A  VERY  GREAT  PICTURE  Y'-Louella  Parsons 


Academy  Meets  on  4 
Majors  Non-support 

Hollywood,  Jan.  15. — Academy  ex- 
ecutives were  in  a  meeting  tonight  con- 
sidering the  course  to  be  taken  in  face 
of  the  decision  by  four  major  com- 
panies to  withhold  financial  support 
from  the  Academy's  annual  awards 
activity  this  year. 

In  past  years  the  majors  have  borne 
about    $100,000    of    the  Academy's 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 
Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  16,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

CHARLES  SKOURAS,  president 
of  National  Theatres,  in  New 
York  from  the  Coast,  will  remain  here 
until  after  the  TOA  board  meeting, 
Jan.  25-26. 

• 

H.  B.  Allinsmith,  formerly  man- 
aging director  of  Western  Electric 
Co.,  Ltd.,  London,  has  been  elected 
a  director  and  vice-president  of  West- 
rex  Corp.  here,  effective  March  1, 
assuming  the  duties  of  vice-president 
D.  C.  Collins,  who  will  retire  on 
Feb.  28.  R.  E.  Warn,  manager  of  the 
firm's  Hollywood  division,  also  has 
been  named  a  vice-president. 

• 

Martin  Moskovitz,  20th  Century- 
Fox  New  York  State  division  man- 
ager, and  Alex  Harrison,  home  of- 
fice representative,  have  returned  to 
New  York  from  Buffalo  and  Albany. 


To  Set  New  Meet  of 
IATSE  and  AMPP 


The  postponed  meeting  between  stu- 
dio union  officials  and  the  Association 
of  Motion  Picture  Producers  in 
Hollywood  to  discuss  the  volume  of 
American  film  production  abroad  has 
been  tentatively  scheduled  for  next 
Thursday,  Roy  M.  Brewer,  IATSE 
international  representative,  who  is 
here  from  Hollywood,  said  yesterday. 

The  studio  unions  say  they  are  ap- 
prehensive about  the  increasing  amount 
of  American  film  production  being 
done  abroad  and  while  they  have  no 
objections  to  the  making  of  films  in 
their  natural  locales,  increased  produc- 
tion outside  the  U.  S.  for  purely  eco- 
nomic reasons  could  result  in  wide- 
spread union  unemployment  in  Holly- 
wood. 


Board  Recommends 
SEG  Strike  vs.  ATFP 

Hollywood,  Jan.  15. — The  board  of 
directors  of  the  Screen  Extras  Guild 
voted  to  recommend  to  membership 
that  strike  action  be  taken  against  the 
Alliance  of  Television  Film  Pro- 
ducers, with  which  negotiations  for 
contract  have  broken  down. 


Para.  Promotion  Men 
To  Jan.  26  Meet  Here 

Paramount's  field  promotion  repre- 
sentatives have  been  called  here  to 
attend  the  company's  one-week  meet- 
ing of  division  and  branch  managers, 
which  will  open  Jan.  26  at  the  Hotel 
Plaza. 


'I A'  Office  Closed  Today 

Because  of  the  funeral  today  of 
Thomas  J.  Shea,  assistant  inter- 
national president  of  the  International 
Alliance  of  Stage  Employes,  the 
IATSE  New  York  offices  will  be 
closed  all  day.  Shea  died  Tuesday  at 
the  Will  Rogers  Memorial  Hospital 
in  Saranac,  N.  Y.  Rites  will  be  held 
in  Middletown,  Conn. 


Harris  Named  Head 
Of  Griffith  Circuit 

Dallas,  Jan.  15.  —  Harold 
Harris,  vice-president  of  H.  J. 
Griffith's  Theatre  Enterprises, 
and  associated  with  Griffith 
for  some  30  years,  has  taken 
over  the  presidency  of  the 
circuit.  Griffith  steps  down 
as  president,  but  will  con- 
tinue actively  as  board  chair- 
man. Griffith  also  will  devote 
more  time  to  personal  affairs 
in  other  fields. 

R.  J.  Payne  continues  as 
vice-president  and  general 
manager. 


Fearing  Legion,  FWC 
Cancels  'Limelight9 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  15. — The  Fox 
West  Coast  circuit  has  cancelled  the 
Jan.  21  opening  of  Charles  Chaplin's 
"Limelight"  at  three  of  its  Hollywood 
theatres  and  reportedly  has  decided 
not  to  play  the  picture  anywhere  on 
the  circuit  unless  and  until  it  is  ap- 
proved by  the  American  Legion.  The 
booking  is  being  replaced  by  20th- 
Fox's  "Niagara." 

Lewis  Gough,  national  commander 
of  the  American  Legion,  issued  a 
statement  lauding  FWC  president 
Charles  P.  Skouras,  and  also  Loew's, 
Inc.,  for  postponing  possible  showings 
of  "Limelight"  until  after  the  Justice 
Department's  final  decision  on  Chap- 
lin's re-entry  into  the  country. 


Charles  Skouras,  head  of  National 
Theatres,  of  which  Fox  West  Coast 
is  a  subsidiary,  could  not  be  reached 
here  yesterday  for  comment  on  the 
"Limelight"  cancellation.  United 
Artists,  distributor  of  the  Chaplin 
picture,  said  it  had  no  comment  to 
make  at  this  time. 


Exhibitors  Ready  to 
Aid  'Brotherhood' 

Exhibitors  throughout  the  country 
are  ready  to  back  "Brotherhood 
Week,"  Feb.  15-20,  it  was  stated  here 
yesterday  at  a  special  luncheon-meet- 
ing in  the  Hotel  Warwick,  called  by 
Sol  A.  Schwartz,  national  chairman 
for  the  amusement  industry's  partici- 
pation on  behalf  of  the  25th  anniver- 
sary of  the  National  Conference  of 
Christians  and  Jews. 

Speaking  before  the  general  com- 
mittee and  honorary  vice-chairmen  for 
the  industry,  Schwartz  said  that  the- 
atres will  be  the  places  where  patrons 
will  be  able  to  sign  up  as  members. 
He  showed  a  campaign  book  which 
he  said  will  soon  be  in  the  hands  of 
every  exhibitor.  It  will  be  distributed 
by  National  Screen  Service. 


Reserve  Judgment 
On  Columbia  Suit 

New  York  State  Supreme  Court 
Judge  Benedict  Botein  yesterday  re- 
served decision  on  whether  Columbia 
Pictures'  minority  stockholder  Wil- 
liam B.  Weinberger  of  New  York 
should  be  called  upon  to  post  bond  in 
connection  with  his  anti-trust  suit 
against  the  company. 


UA  Gross 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


power  and  write-offs  were  responsible 
for  the  difference  in  the  profit  ratio. 
The  actual  net  profit,  Krim  explained, 
will  not  be  announced ;  such  informa- 
tion is  confidential  to  the  UA  owner- 
stockholders. 

Krim  recalled  that  in  late  1951  he 
had  said  that  UA's  target  was  the 
acquisition  of  the  best  talent  in  the 
independent  field  so  that  important 
pictures  could  be  delivered.  Proof  that 
such  a  goal  had  been  reached  was  evi- 
denced by  the  fact  that  in  the  various 
polls  of  "best  pictures,"  including  the 
New  York  Critics'  Circle,  UA  had 
at  least  four  pictures  on  the  lists,  with 
some  rosters  including  as  many  as 
six.  The  winners  included  "African 
Queen,"  "Limelight,"  "The  Thief," 
"High  Noon,"  and  others. 

"We  gave  the  independent  producers 
the  right  kind  of  soil  in  which  to  de- 
velop and  they  have  come  through," 
Krim  said.  "The  best  talents  are 
gravitating  toward  the  independent 
field  and  it  is  a  healthy  sign." 

Further  proof  of  UA's  prog- 
ress was  evidenced  at  the  box- 
office  during  the  last  year,  Krim 
said.  Among  the  eight  largest 
grossing  pictures  of  the  year, 
UA  had  two  "block-busters,"  he 
added;    these    were  "African 
Queen"  and  "High  Noon."  The 
quality  of  the  product  already 
lined  up  for  1953  is  such  that 
the  company  should  have  more 
than  two  top-grossers  when  the 
next  money-making  list  is  com- 
piled. Candidates,  he  said,  are 
"Moulin  Rouge,"  "Melba,"  "Re- 
turn to  Paradise,"  "Gilbert  and 
Sullivan,"  "Raider  of  the  Seven 
Seas,"  "The  Moon  is  Blue"  and 
"Crossed  Swords." 
Sales  manager  William  Heineman, 
who  attended  the  press  parley,  said 
that    "High    Noon"    had    been  the 
fastest  liquidating  picture  in  UA  his- 
tory, having  grossed  $2,200,000  in  its 
first  18  weeks  of  release.  Commenting 
on  "Moulin  Rouge,"  Heineman  said 
the  picture  had  out-grossed  "African 
Queen"  at  the  Fox  Wilshire  Theatre, 
Los    Angeles,    by   $18,660    in  three 
weeks  and  that  "Queen"  had  held  the 
theatre's  house  record.  He  added  that 
"Rouge"  would  have  a  seven-city  pre- 
release   engagement,    opening  either 
Feb.  11  or  19  in  New  York,  Los  An- 
geles, Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago, 
Miami  and  San  Francisco. 

Krim  pointed  out  that  UA  delivered 
all  product  that  was  promised  last 
year.  He  said  the  company  would  dis- 
tribute 36  pictures  this  year  and  that 
50  per  cent  of  the  1954  schedule  had 
been  mapped. 

Referring  to  the  recently  announced 
deal  whereby  UA  had  arranged  a 
partnership  agreement  with  Italian 
producers,  Krim  said  that  the  com- 
pany would  supply  the  American 
talent,  with  the  Italians  furnishing  the 
financing  in  liras.  Two  or  three  pic- 
tures yearly  will  result  from  the  deal, 
he  said.  A  report  that  UA  had  entered 
into  an  agreement  for  the  production  of 
six  pictures  in  Mexico  to  be  made  by 
Edward  Nassour  was  denied.  How- 
ever, he  said  that  UA  had  more  par- 
ticipating and  partnership  deals  cur- 


Pledge  Support  to 
The  New  President 

Dallas,  Jan.  15. — On  Tues- 
day, the  Presidential  Inaugu- 
ration Day,  the  11  members  of 
the  executive  board  of  the 
Texas  Council  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Organizations  will  send 
a  telegram  addressed  to 
President  Eisenhower  at  the 
White  House  pledging  their 
"resolute  efforts  in  any  as- 
signment for  which  you  may 
find  need  of  us,  no  matter 
how  large  or  small." 


rently  than  ever  before. 

Final  details  in  the  acquisi- 
tion of  Natural  Vision's  "Bwana 
Devil"  will  be  completed  this 
weekend,  Krim  said.  The  com- 
pany will  have  worldwide  dis- 
tribution of  the  three-dimen- 
sional feature. 

Other  executives  who  attended  yes- 
day's  meeting  were  Robert  Benjamin, 
board  chairman ;  Max  Youngstein, 
advertising-publicity  vice  -  president ; 
Arnold  Picker,  head  of  the  foreign 
department,  and  Charles  Smadja,  UA 
manager  for  Continental  Europe,  who 
is  here  for  conferences. 


Dietz,  Seadler  on 
Coast  for  Confabs 

Hollywood,  Jan.  15.  —  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  vice-president  and  di- 
rector of  advertising-publicity,  and 
Si  Seadler,  advertising  manager, 
arrived  here  yesterday  for  several 
days  of  studio  conferences  and  screen- 
ings. They  are  due  back  in  New 
York  on  Monday. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


Lana  TURNER  •  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON   •   Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Warner  Bros: 

THE  JAZZ 
SINGER 

Color  b<  TECHNICOLOR 
»•<■!•»     DANNY  PE66V 

THOMAS  •  LEE 


SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 


630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  36,  N.Y. 


SPEED! 
QUALITY! 
SHOWMANSHIP! 


CAN'T  BE  BEAT! 


1327  S.  WABASH 
CHICAGO  5,  ILL, 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsay e,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  T.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Again  a  record  opening  barrage  for 
THE  JAZZ  SINGER'!... Telecast!  Broadcast! 
Pages  of  newspaper  coverage  and  Broadway 
traffic  tied  in  a  knot  at  Paramount  N.  Y.! 


Next . . .  Mastbaum,  Philly,  Jan.  28! 


HNICOLOR 


■  Peggy  Lee 


SCREEN  PLAY  BY 


TOM  IULLY-  ALEX  GERRY-  ALLYN  JOSLYN - HAROID  GORDON  •  FRANK  DAVIS  t  LEONARD  STERN*— LEWIS  MELTZER 


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Shown  here,  in  about  half  size,  are  examples  of 
reports  to  the  public  by  leading  newspapers  and 
multi-million  circulation  magazines  of  the  nation 
during  the  past  few  days. 

It  would  take  all  the  pages  of  many  issues  of 
the  Herald  to  reproduce  in  full  size  the  clippings 
from  all  the  hundreds  of  newspapers  and  magazines 
of  the  world  which  base  reports  and  various  kinds 
of  articles  on  FAME's  data  during  the  course  of 
a  year. 

Each  year,  the  effective  circulation  coverage  to 
the  public  of  the  findings  of  FAME  become  greater 


— a  service  of  incalculable  value  to  the  entire  in- 
dustry. And  this  year,  when  the  forthcoming  21st 
annual  issue  of  FAME  reaches  a  record  number  of 
key  people  and  public  "opinion-makers",  a  new 
feature  in  FAME  will  play  an  important  part  in 
stimulating  a  trade  AND  public  "upbeat"  attitude 
toward  the  motion  picture  industry. 

Quigley  Publishing  Company  is  gratified  by  the 
industry's  pride  in  its  de  luxe  annual  publication. 
The  coming  edition  of  FAME  will  reach  a  new  peak 

of  constructive  service  in  the  interests  of  all 

concerned. 


At  left,  two  of  the 
pages  in  January 
13th,  1953  issue  of 
LOOK  magazine 
(reaching  over  twenty 
million  readers). 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  16,  1953 


WB  Makes  Extended 
Run  Bid  on  'Jazz' 

Chicago,  Jan.  15. — Warner 
Brothers  have  gone  into  Fed- 
eral District  Court  here,  ask- 
ing for  an  extended  running 
time  on  "The  Jazz  Singer." 

Provisions  of  the  Jackson 
Park  decree  limit  first  Chi- 
cago runs  in  RKO  and  Bala- 
ban  and  Katz  theatres  to  two 
weeks,  unless  specific  permis- 
sion is  granted  by  the  court 
for  additional  running  time  in 
the  case  of  an  exceptional 
picture. 


Allied  Insists 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Snaper  laid  the  future  of  arbitration  in 
the  laps  of  the  major  companies. 

While  the  distributors  have  refused 
to  agree  to  the  arbitration  of  film 
rentals,  actually  they  have  conceded 
a  willingness  to  do  so  by  their  agree- 
ment to  arbitrate  such  issues  as  clear- 
ance, runs,  pre-releases,  etc.,  as  those 
factors  involve  the  establishment  of 
rentals,  Snaper  said.  Money  is  in- 
volved in  all  such  practices,  he  added. 

Snaper  made  it  clear  yesterday  that 
arbitration  was  dead  as  far  as  Allied 
was  concerned  unless  the  distributors 
corrected  existing  abuses  alleged  by 
the  association. 


Academy  Meets 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


awards  function  costs,  sharing  ex- 
penses among  them.  Last  Monday, 
it  became  known  today,  Warner 
Brothers,  Universal  -  International, 
Columbia  and  Republic  representa- 
tives attending  the  regular  monthly 
meeting  of  the  Association  of  Motion 
Picture  Producers,  voted  against  mak- 
ing such  a  contribution  this  year. 
M-G-M,  20th  Century-Fox  and  Para- 
mount voiced  their  intention  to  con- 
tinue as  in  the  past.  RKO  Radio  was 
not  represented,  but  is  expected  go 
along. 


Reade  Sounds  Call 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  exercises  of  the  Associated  Mo- 
tion Picture  Advertisers'  Showman- 
ship Classes  at  the  Hotel  Piccadilly, 
said  the  industry  must  make  it  attrac- 
tive for  y?ung  men  to  enter  the  mo- 
tion picture  field. 

Dr.  Carl  Ettinger,  who  was  the  co- 
ordinator for  the  12-week  course,  ex- 
pressed hope  that  the  school  would 
continue  and  expand.  AMPA  presi- 
dent Harry  K.  McWilliams  received 
a  scroll  in  appreciation  of  his  work  in 
organizing  the  12-session  course. 


Gehring  Honored 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


at  Toots  Shor's  here,  also  launched 
"Bill  Gehring  Week"  throughout  the 
20th-Fox  sales  organization. 

Charles  Einfeld,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising-publicity,  was 
toastmaster,  pinch-hitting  for  distribu- 
tion director  Al  Lichtman,  who  was 
unable  to  attend  because  of  illness. 
Company  president,  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
and  others,  lauded  the  honored  guest. 

The  committee  handling  the  event 
was  composed  of  Edwin  W.  Aaron, 
Arthur  Silverstone,  Alex  Harrison, 
Herman  Wobber,  Harry  Ballance, 
Moe  Levy,  Martin  Moskowitz,  Glen 


Reviews 


The  Sea  Around  Us 


(RKO  Radio)  Hollyivood,  Jan.  15 

THIS  MAY  WELL  BE  the  best  documentary  ever  produced.  Certainly  it 
is  one  of  the  most  directly  exploitable  documentaries,  equipped  as  it  is  with 
both  a  title  currently  high  in  public  interest  and  with  readily  quotable  statistics 
which  the  film  supports.  All  of  which  is  not  meant  to  imply  that  "The  Sea 
Around  Us"  can  stand  alone  on  a  single-feature  program  in  a  standard  theatre, 
or  that  it  is  intended  to,  but  does  mean  that  it  figures  to  carry  more  mediocre 
top-features  to  financial  success  than  any  secondary  feature  in  recent  memory. 
No  matter  how  bad  the  main  feature,  the  customers  are  going  to  be  talking 
about  "The  Sea  Around  Us,"  and  they'll  be  telling  the  people  they  talk  to 
they  had  better  go  see  it. 

"The  Sea  Around  Us"  is  based  on  the  book  of  the  same  name  by  Rachel  I. 
Carson  which  headed  the  non-fiction  division  of  the  best-seller  lists  for  over  a 
year,  was  condensed  by  Reader's  Digest  and,  by  and  large,_  made  book  history 
without  precedent.  The  book  was  a  supremely  well  written  description  of 
marine  life — 75  categories  of  it — which  science  knows  only  fairly  well  and 
plain  people  hardly  at  all.  The  film,  by  producer  Irwin  Allen,  who  also  wrote 
the  continuity  and  commentary,  is  a  supremely  well  organized  presentation 
of  64  of  the  book's  75  categories  in  motion  pictures  (the  print  is  by  Techni- 
color), assembled  from  many  sources  and  edited  with  discernment  and  skill. 
Statistics  of  the  undertaking,  useful  in  the  promotion  of  the  attraction,  include : 
6,000  pieces  of  correspondence  with  2,341  colleges,  biologists,  oceangraphers, 
etc.,  leading  to  the  screening  of  1,622,362  feet  of  film  to  be  edited  down  to 
5,552  feet  in  the  final  print. 

The  fame  of  the  Carson  book  is  a  sounder  base  on  which  to  build  a  pro- 
motion campaign  than  most  documentaries  come  to  market  with.  The  picture 
lives  up  to  it  in  full  measure.  Under  proper  merchandising  it  can  run  up  a 
proportionate  success. 

Running  time,  61  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  9?  William  R.  Weavek 


Col.  Meet 


V*9 


Girls  in  the  Night 

(Universal-International) 

FROM  THE  STANDPOINT  of  straight  entertainment,  "Girls  in  the 
Night"  meets  the  requirements,  but  there  may  be  some  question  as  to 
whether  the  object-lesson  which  the  picture  apparently  strives  to  put  over  has 
been  achieved.  It  may  be  the  opinion  of  some  observers  that  the  picture 
accepts  juvenile  delinquency  rather  than  indicts  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
picture  could  be  interpreted  as  one  that  attempts  to  show  that  environment 
is  one  of  the  strongest  factors  in  the  delinquency  problem.  Because  of 
these  controversial  issues,  the  avenue  is  open  for  some  smart  showmanship 
in  attracting  public  interest.  . 

The  locale  is  the  lower  East  Side  of  New  York.  It  is  the  story  of  a  family 
which  seeks  to  move  from  the  squalor  of  the  neighborhood  to  the  greener 
fields  of  Long  Island.  The  ambition  is  almost  realized  when  the  head  of  the 
family  played  by  Anthony  Ross,  gets  a  promotion  in  his  job  at  a  warehouse, 
but  an  accident  prevents  the  move.  Meanwhile,  his  children  get  embroiled  m 
neighborhood  feuds,  romances  and,  eventually,  crime.  An  attempt  to  rob  the 
hut  of  a  fake  blind  man  results  in  murder  of  the  beggar  before  the  robbery  can 
be  accomplished,  but  Ross'  son,  played  by  Harvey  Lembeck,  and  his  girl 
friend  Joyce  Holden,  successfully  find  the  hidden  money  m  the  hut  without 
knowing  that  there  has  been  a  murder.  The  murderer  eventually  pays  for  his 
crime  in  an  exciting  chase  and  Lembeck  returns  the  stolen  money.  Lembeck 
is  given  a  suspended  sentence,  but  the  others  involved  in  the  crime  apparently 
are°not  punished  for  their  participation. 

The  picture  has  suspense,  a  sprinkling  of  comedy  and  some  heavy  doses  of 
dramatic  action.  Standouts  in  the  cast  are  Glenda  Farrell  as  the  mother  of  the 
brood  and  Jaclynne  Greene  as  "Ugly,"  a  hanger-on  among  the  neighborhood 
kids.  Produced  by  Albert  J.  Cohen  and  directed  by  Jack  Arnold,  the  story 
and  screenplay  were  written  by  Ray  Buff  urn. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Glen  Roberts,  Don  Gordon,  Susan  Odin  and  Patricia 
Hardy. 

Running  time,  83  minutes 
release. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

well  as  all  domestic  branch  and  di- 
vision managers  and  key  supervisors 
of  Columbia  Pictures  International 
Corp. 

A  cocktail  party  will  be  given  to- 
morrow for  International  delegates, 
which  will  be  followed  by  dinner  and 
a  special  screening  of  "Salome." 

Paul  N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  will  outline 
advertising  and  promotion  plans  on 
Saturday  morning,  while  Montague  in 
the  afternoon  will  detail  sales  plans. 

Heading  the  delegation  from  the 
home  office  is  executive  vice-president 
Jack  Cohn.  Other  executives  attend- 
ing, in  addition  to  Montague  and 
Lazarus,  are  :  Rube  Jackter,  assistant 
general  soles  manager ;  Louis  Astor, 
Louis  Weinberg,  Irving  Wormser  and 
George  Josephs,  sales  executives ; 
Maurice  Grad,  short  subjects  sales 
manager ;  H.  C.  Kaufman,  manager 
of  exchange  operations ;  Howard  Le- 
Sieur,  director  of  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation,  and  George 
Berman,  assistant  manager  of  ex- 
change operations.  Harvey  Harnick, 
sales  manager  of  Columbia  Pictures 
of  Canada,  will  represent  that  terri- 
tory. 

Attending  from  Columbia  Pictures 
International  Corporation  is  Joseph 
A.  McConville,  president,  among 
others. 


Youngstein 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

launched  at  once  into  Allied's  policy, 
asserting  that  if  it  is  intended  to 
frighten  distributors  it  will  not  suc- 
ceed, and  if  its  purpose  is  to  put  dis- 
tributors out  of  business,  then  it  is 
time  for  Allied  members  to  pause  and 
think.  If  you  are  succesful,  Youngstein 
asked,  where  will  your  product  for 
your  theaters  come  from?  Where  will 
the  exhibitor  be? 


Theatre  TV  Scale 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


General  audience  classification. 


For  February 
Al  Steen 


Set  Cinerama 

(Continued  from  page  \) 


opening  date  to  be  early  in  April,  de- 
pending upon  the  completion  of  engi- 
neering and  architectural  work. 

Zeb  Epstein,  formerly  managing 
director  of  Warner  Brothers  Broad- 
way Theatre  here,  will  go  to  Detroit 
to  manage  the  engagement  of  "This 
Is  Cinerama"  in  that  city. 


'Gambler'  Benefit 

Memphis,  Jan.  15. — The  benefit 
premiere  of  Universal-International's 
"The  Mississippi  Gambler"  at  the 
Malco  Theatre  here  last  night  raised 
a  record  $20,000  for  the  local  Variety 
Club  Tent  No.  20's  proposed  home  for 
convalescent  children. 


Norris,  Peter  Myers,  Tom  Mc- 
Cleaster  and  Roger  Ferri. 


Hold  Services  for 
Jesse  Bridgham,  76 

Boston,  Jan.  15.— Funeral  services 
here  held  for  Jesse  W.  Bridgham,  76, 
prominent  theatre  owner.  Bridgham 
operated  theatres  in  Maine,  New 
Hampshire  and  Vermont  since  1925. 
He  was  also  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness with  extensive  holdings  in  Maine, 
New  Hampshire  and  Florida. 

Services  for  Mrs.  Charnas 

Cleveland,  Jan.  15. — Funeral  serv- 
ices were  held  here  yesterday  for 
Mrs.  Sarah  Charnas,  widow  of 
Morris  Charnas,  former  head  of 
Standard  Film  Co.  who  died  here  on 
Monday.  She  is  survived  by  a  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Jean  Rosenschein,  and  three 
sons,  Harry  L.  of  Los  Angeles,  and 
Philip  and  Nat  of  Toledo,  all  in  the 
film  industry. 


the  show.  The  spokesman  declined  to 
give  any  details,  explaining  that  bar- 
gaining would  most  likely  continue. 
However,  the  basis  of  the  proposed 
pay  scale  represents  a  departure  from 
Equity's  previous  position,  which 
called  for  a  week's  salary  as  a  mini- 
mum to*  every  member  of  the  cast  for 
an  hour's  rehearsal  or  an  hour's  the- 
atre telecast.  It  was  this  position,  a 
policy  pursued  by  Equity  for  the  home 
telecasts  of  Broadway  shows,  which 
bogged  down  plans  by  Fabian  last 
summer  to  theatre  telecast  "A  Night  in 
Venice"  from  Jones  Beach,  L.  I.,  into 
the  Warner  Theatre  here  as  an  ex- 
periment. 

Leo  Rosen,  theatre  television  direc- 
tor for  Fabian,  who  conducted  the 
preliminary  negotiations  with  Equity, 
could  not  be  reached  for  comment. 
From  other  sources,  it  was  learned 
that  Fabian  has  a  number  of  Broad- 
way plays  in  mind  for  possible  theatre 
TV  programs. 


Censorship  Law 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


last  week  refused  to  license  a  produc- 
tion of  "Tobacco  Road,"  operates  un- 
der the  broad  provisions  of  a  state 
law.  The  show  played  for  a  week 
without  a  license  under  protection  of 
a  Superior  Court  restraining  order. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  12 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  19,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Loew's  Income 
For  '52  Put 
At  $4,692,806 

Represents  $3,111,564 
Drop  Compared  to  '51 

Loew's,  Inc.,  reported  a  net  in- 
come for  the  fiscal  year  ended  Aug. 
31,  1952,  of  $4,692,806  equivalent  to 
91  cents  per  share  compared  to 
$7,804,370,  equivalent  to  $1.52  per 
share  in  the  previous  year.  The  net 
income,  it  was  explained  in  the  an- 
nual report  to  stockholders,  disclosed 
at  the  weekend,  represents  income 
after  depreciation,  taxes,  adjustments 
of  prior  years'  tax  reserves  and  all 
other  deductions.  Net  income  drop- 
ped $3,111,564  in  1952  compared  to 
the  previous  year. 

In  a  corresponding  report  for  the 
12  weeks  ended  Nov.  20,  1952,  net 
operating  profit  after  Federal  taxes 
was  listed  at  $332,206,  compared  to 
$1,574,063  for  the  same  period  in  1951. 
In  the  12-week  1951  period,  additional 
realized  income  from  foreign  countries 

(Continued  on  page  7) 

Admission  Tax 
Income  Trend  Is 
Downward:  U.  S. 


Washington,  Jan.  18. — The  Treas- 
ury Department  today  reported  the 
steady  growth  of  Federal  general  ad- 
mission tax  collections  through  the 
1946-47  fiscal  year,  and  the  steady 
slump  ever  since.  If  the  Treasury's 
estimate  for  the  current  year,  ending 
June  30,  turns  out  correct,  1952-53 
collections  will  be  the  lowest  for  any 
year  since  1944-45. 

The  treasury  lists  general  admis- 
sion tax  collections  for  every  fiscal 
year  since  1929-30.  In  that  year,  the 
tax  totaled  $5,419,000.  Collections  fell 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Rep.  Clardy  Favors 
'Red'  Investigation 

Washington,  Jan.  18. — Rep.  Kit 
Clardy  (R.  Mich),  who  will  be  one 
of  the  two  new  members  of  the  House 
Un-American  Activities  Committee, 
said  he  was  not  at  all  satisfied  with 
the  job  the  film  industry  has  done  to 
clean  house  of  Communists  and  that 
he  favored  reopening  the  Committee's 
Hollywood  investigation. 

Clardy  said  he  had  gone  to  Cali- 
fornia some  time  ago  to  get  material 

(Continued  on   page  7) 


Legion's  Praise  for 
Dodging  'Limel't' 
Is  Dodged  As  Well 


Coast  newspaper  reports  last  Fri- 
day quoted  Lewis  Cough,  national 
commander  of  the  American  Legion, 
as  lauding  Charles  Skouras  and 
Loew's  circuit  officials  for  cancelling" 
bookings  of  Charles  Chaplin's  "Lime- 
light." In  New  York  the  same  day 
both  Skouras  and  Loew's  disavowed 
any  claim  to  the  Legion's  plaudits. 

Skouras  declined  comment,  saying 
he  was  wholly  unfamiliar  with  the  in- 
cident. 

Said  Oscar  Doob  of  Loew's :  'We 
didn't  cancel  'Limelight'  because  we 
hadn't  booked  it." 

United  Artists  officials  confirmed 
Doob's  statement.  They  said  after  con- 
ducting extended  but  unsuccessful  ne- 
gotiations with  Loew's  a  deal  was 
made  with  RKO  Theatres  for  "Lime- 
light" here.  Bookings  of  U.A.  prod- 
uct by  the  latter  are  rare  in  New 
York,  the  U.A.  releases  ordinarily  go- 
ing to  the  Loew's  circuit. 

RKO  Theatres'  officials  dodged  any 
credit  that  might  be  directed  at  them 
for  defying  the  Legion's  pressure  cam- 
paign   against    the    Chaplin  picture. 

(Continued  on   page  7) 


Isaac  Leaving  Loew's 
For  Cinerama  Post 


Lester  B.  Isaac  on  March  9  will  be- 
come assistant  general  manager  of 
theatre  operations  in  charge  of  tech- 
nical services  for  Cinerama  Produc- 
tion Corp.,  working  with  general  man- 
ager Joseph  Kaufman  on  plans  to  ex- 
tend the  new  medium  to  at  least  25 
key  cities  during  the  year.  He  will 
continue  at  Loew's  until  March  6. 

Isaac  has  been  director  of  visual 
and  sound  projection  for  Loew's, 
which  he  joined  in  1926.  During 
World  War  II,  he  was  consultant  to 
the  Office  of  Strategic  Services.  For 
many  years,  he  was  an  official  of 
Local  224,  IATSE  and  played  a  prom- 
inent part  in  the  development  of  sound 
and  projection  equipment. 


Loew's  Divested  11, 
Stockholders  Told 

Loew's  current  report  to 
stockholders  discloses  the 
divorcement  of  11  theatres  as 
required  under  the  consent 
decree  which  provided  for  the 
divestiture  of  24  theatres,  12 
to  be  divested  by  Feb.  6,  1953, 
and  the  remainder  by  Feb.  6, 
1954. 


A  T  &  T'S 
TV  MORE 


Pre -Release  Policy, 
Starting  at  Easter, 
Is  Set  for  'Salome' 


Chicago,  Jan.  18. — Columbia's  sales 
policy  for  "Salome,"  the  Rita  Hay- 
worth-Stewart  Granger  starrer  in 
color  by  Technicolor,  calls  for  com- 
petitive bidding  for  pre-release  en- 
gagements at  "qualified"  theatres  in 
cities  of  75,000  or  more  population 
beginning  around  Easter,  the  com- 
pany announced  following  its  two-day 
international  sales  meeting  on  the  pic- 
ture, which  was  concluded  at  the 
Drake  Hotel  here  yesterda)'. 

Screenings  of  the  picture,  described 
as  the  most  costly  ever  made  or  dis- 
tributed by  Columbia,  will  start  about 
Feb.  1  in  all  Columbia  exchanges  and 
bids  will  be  received  thereafter.  The 
bids,  the  company  said,  should  in- 
clude :  the  minimum  dollar  guarantee 
to  Columbia;  the  terms  offered — Col- 
umbia states  that  it  desires  a  first 
week  participation  of  50  per  cent  min- 
imum ;    percentages    for  subsequent 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Prince  RKO  Sales 
Manager  in  South 


David  Prince,  Southeastern  district 
manager  for  RKO  Radio,  has  been 
appointed  field  divisional  sales  man- 
ager for  the  entire  South  in  a  reor- 
ganization of  the  company's  field  dis- 
tribution setup,  it  was  announced  at 
the  weekend  by  Charles  Boasberg, 
general  sales  manager. 

The  new  post  was  created  by  the 
abolition  of  RKO's  North-South  divi- 
sion which  Boasberg  formerly  headed. 
He  will  continue  to  supervise  per- 
sonally the  Metropolitan  district  of 
that  now  defunct  division,  with  the 
Southern  portion  going  to  Prince  and 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Hovell  Rites  Today; 
Was  Century's  Head 

Funeral  services  will  be  held  this 
morning  in  St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
Church  in  Brooklyn  for  Albert  A. 
Hovell,  president  of  the  Century  Cir- 
cuit here,  who  died  Thursday  in  Uni- 
versity Hospital. 

Hovell,  who  was  75,  was  a  senior 
partner  in  ,  the  law  firm  of  Hovell, 
Clarkson  and  Klupt  and  president  and 
director  of  several  real  estate  firms. 


THEATRE 
COSTLY 

Film  Industry  Can  Form 
Facilities  More  Cheaply, 
Television  Experts  Say 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Jan.  18.— Film  in- 
dustry theatre  television  experts  say 
that  a  careful  study  of  cost  data  re- 
cently furnished  by  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co.  indi- 
cates that  the  industry  can  set  up  and 
operate  its  own  facilities  far  more 
cheaply  than  it  can  rent  service  from 
the  phone  company. 

At  first  glance,  the  A.  T.  and 
T.  figures  showed  the  phone 
company  service  much  cheaper. 
Industry  experts  say  closer 
scrutiny  shows  this  to  be  far 
from  the  case. 

The  issue  is  of  crucial  importance, 
because  much  of  the  industry's  case 
for  exclusive  theatre  TV  channels 
rests  on  the  argument  that  A.  T.  and 
T.    service   is   too   expensive.  The 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Film  Councils  Open 
Three-Day  Meeting 
In  N.Y.  Tomorrow 


A  three-day  conference  of  repre- 
sentatives of  motion  picture  councils 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  will  get 
under  way  here  tomorrow  at  the 
Museum  of  Modern  Art,  with  some 
of  the  discussions  to  be  held  at  the 
Hotel  Gotham.  A  full  program  of 
activities,  including  screenings  of  im- 
portant pictures  and  the  viewing  of 
"This  is  Cinerama,"  has  been  arranged 
for  the  more  than  70  film  council 
delegates  whose  groups  have  been 
supporters  of  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry for  many  years.  The  conference 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Awards  Undimmed  by 
Funds  Cut:  Academy 

Hollywood,  Jan.  18. — The  Academy 
of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences' 
board  of  governors  has  issued  a  state- 
ment asserting  that  the  withdrawal  of 
financial  support  from  the  annual 
awards  function  by  three  major  com- 
panies will  not  be  allowed  to  prevent 
carrying  out  the  annual  awards  cus- 
tom, although  possibly  on  a  lesser 
scale. 

In  the  last  few  years,  eight  majors 
have  jointly  contributed  about  $100,000 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


•a 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  19,  1953 


AT&T,  Theatre  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Personal 
Mention 

JAMES  A.  MULVEY,  president  of 
Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions,  is 
expected  back  in  New  York  today 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Roy  Brewer,  IATSE  international 
representative  in  Hollywood,  left  here 
for  the  Coast  on  Saturday.  Richard 
Walsh,  I A  president,  is  scheduled  to 
leave,  for  Hollywood  today  or  tomor- 
row. 

• 

Martin  Davis,  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions  assistant  director  of  ad- 
vertising-publicity, returned  to  New 
York  over  the  weekend  from  Phila- 
delphia and  Pittsburgh. 

• 

Herb  Steinberg,  Paramount  pub- 
licity director  here,  formally  received 
his  honorable  discharge  from  the  U.S. 
Army  at  the  weekend.  He  was  a 
captain. 

• 

David  Golding,  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector, returned  to  New  York  from 
Chicago  at  the  weekend. 

• 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  vice-president 
of  United  Paramount  Theatres,  and 
his  assistant,  Bernard  Levy,  are  in 
Chicago  today,  en  route  to  the  Coast. 
• 

George  Toe-in,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  production  for  Huntington 
Hartford  Enterprises,  is  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Norman  Z.  McLeod',  director,  will 
arrive  here  from  Hollywood  by  plane 
this  week. 


D.  of  C.  Owners  to 
Attend  Virginia  Meet 


Richmond,  Va.,  Jan.  18. — The  Vir- 
ginia Motion  Picture  Theatre  Asso- 
ciation will  take  over  all  facilities  of 
the  Chamberlain  Hotel  here  for  its 
annual  convention  and  trade  show,  to 
be  held  May  5-7. 

Convention  co-chairmen  Syd  Gates 
and  Leonard  Gordon,  association 
president  Sidney  L.  Bowden,  and  ex- 
ecutive secretary  Carlton  Duffus  met 
at  the  hotel  last  week  to  map  plans. 

It  was  decided  that  the  scope  of  the 
convention  be  enlarged  to  cover  the 
entire  Washington,  D.  C.  area,  and 
invitations  are  extended  to  all  ex- 
hibitors in  the  District  and  Maryland. 
In  addition  to  general  meeting  rooms 
for  all  exhibitors,  there  will  be  sepa- 
rate rooms  provided  for  Maryland  and 
District  private  meetings. 


Bryam  Leaving  Para. 

The  resignation  of  John  Byram  as 
play  editor  of  Paramount  Pictures 
was  announced  here  by  Russell  Hol- 
man,  Eastern  production  manager, 
effective  Feb.  1.  Byram,  who  has  been 
with  Paramount  for  20  years,  plans  to 
enter  theatrical  production.  Prior  to 
joining  Paramount,  he  was  dramatic 
editor  and  assistant  dramatic  critic  of 
the  Nezv  York  Times. 


theatre  TV  hearings  get  under  way 
before  the  full  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  Monday,  Jan.  26. 

On  Monday,  A.  T.  and  T.  told  the 
Commission  it  would  argue  that  it 
could  integrate  its  theatre  TV  trans- 
mission service  with  its  other  serv- 
ices in  a  manner  which  will  make 
possible  important  economies  in  op- 
eration and  engineering.  It  said  it 
could  set  up  three  theatre  TV  net- 
works covering  nine  Eastern  cities  at 
a  construction  cost  of  $4,400,000 
and  with  an  annual  operating  cost  of 
$1,050,000. 

The  industry  had  estimated  $5,- 
450,000  as  the  construction  cost  and 
$2,420,000  as  the  annual  operating 
cost  for  the  first  three  years  for  a 
system  of  three  networks  covering 
eight  Eastern  cities. 

Those  figures  would  seem  to  give 
the  nod  to  A.  T.  and  T.  but  film  in- 
dustry officials  say  three  factors  make 
the  comparison  erroneous. 

In  the  first  place,  they  say,  the  A. 
T.  and  T.  figures  on  construction 
costs  cover  only  the  inter-city  service, 
not  the  intra-city  service.  The  indus- 
try figures  cover  both.  If  intra-city 
costs  were  added  to  the  A.  T.  and  T. 
figures  or  if  they  were  excluded  from 
the  industry  figures,  it  was  declared, 
the  industry  costs  would  be  just  as 
cheap  if  not  cheaper  than  the  phone 
company's. 

Secondly,  the  industry  officials  say, 
the  A.  T.  and  T.  figures  cover  only 
the  cost  of  constructing  whatever 
facilities  are  needed,  over  and  above 
existing  facilities.  They  do  not  in- 
clude the  cost  of  existing  facilities 
which  will  be  used  in  the  theatre  tele- 
vision networking. 

It  is  argued  that  in  the  New  York 
to  Washington  area,  covered  by  the 
cost  figures,  A.  T.  and  T.  has  extra 
facilities  and  so  may  make  some  sav- 
ings over  what  the  industry  would 
have  to  lay  out.  But,  the  industry 
officials  continue,  in  most  sections  of 
the  country  A.  T.  and  T.  would  not 
have  any  excess  facilities  and  would 
have  to  build  from  scratch,  just  as 
the  industry  would.  Taking  this  into 
account  puts  the  industry  costs  in  a 
in  a  much  better  light,  it  is  asserted. 

Finally,  the  film  industry 
spokesmen  declare,  the  A.  T. 
and  T.  operating  cost  figures 
are  based  on  long  15  or  20  year 

Universal  Heads  to 
Meet  on  the  Coast 

Milton  R.  Rackmil,  president  of 
Universal  Pictures,  will  leave  New 
York  today  for  Hollywood  for  pro- 
duction meetings  with  studio  execu- 
tives. 

Among  those  with  whom  he  is 
scheduled  to  confer  are  N.  J.  Blum- 
berg,  chairman  of  the  board;  William 
Goetz,  in  charge  of  production ;  Al- 
fred E.  Daff,  executive  vice-president 
who  has  just  reached  Hollywood  after 
a  four-week  global  trip ;  Edward 
Muhl,  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  the  studio,  and  David  A. 
Lipton,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
advertising  and  publicity. 

Robert  Palmer,  studio  talent  head, 


amortization  periods,  which 
mean  the  costs  will  continue  at 
that  level  for  a  long  time.  The 
industry  figures  have  a  three- 
year  amortization,  which  means 
operating  costs  will  be  high  for 
those  three  years  but  will  drop 
sharply  for  later  years. 

'We're  still  studying  their  figures, 
and  may  have  some  more  criticisms 
by  the  time  the  hearings  start,"  says 
one  official.  "But  even  this  quick 
study  confirms  our  argument  that  we 
can  put  in  the  facilities  more  cheaply, 
can  operate  them  a  little  cheaper  to 
start  with,  and  then,  after  the  amor- 
tization period,  our  costs  will  drop  to 
only  a  fraction  of  theirs." 

Working  Data 

A.  T.  and  T.  told  the  Commission 
it  was  working  on  additional  cost 
data  to  present  at  the  hearings.  The 
industry  officials  said  that  after  they 
complete  their  study  of  the  phone 
company's  initial  data,  they  might 
ask  the  Commission  to  require  A.  T. 
and  T.  to  file  complete  information 
shortly,  or  might  wait  and  bring  out 
the  information  by  cross-examining 
phone  company  witnesses. 


Theatre  TV  Hearings 
To  Last  Until  March 

Washington,  Jan.  18. — The  The- 
atre television  hearings  which  resume 
before  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  on  Jan.  26  will  run  well 
into  March,  according  to  industry 
lawyers. 

They  made,  this  prediction  on  the 
basis  of  discussions  at  a  pre-hearing 
conference  Friday,  among  attorneys 
for  the  various  parties.  The  hearings 
are  not  expected  to  run  consecutively ; 
the  Commission  will  want  to  take 
breaks  from  time  to  time. 

In  other  theatre  TV  developments 
over  the  week-end : 

American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.  told  the  Commission  it  would  not 
have  any  additional  cost  data  ready 
by  the  26th  but  definitely  would  have 
it  ready  by  the  time  A.  T.  and  T. 
witnesses  take  the  stand  late  in  that 
week. 

Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  asked 
the  Commission  to  enlarge  the  scope 
of  the  hearings  to  include  the  much- 
debated  issue  of  inter-connection  with 
A.  T.  and  T.  facilities. 

Tri-Opticon  Breaks 
Boston  House  Record 

Boston,  Jan.  18. — The  first  week  of 
Tri-Opticon  three-dimensional  sub- 
jects af~  he  Pilgrim  Theatre  here  is 
expected  to  gross  between  $28,000  and 
$30,000,  according  to  the  management. 
The  opening  day,  Thursday,  broke  all 
house  records,  rolling  up  a  gross  of 
$3,000. 


Tri-Opticon  in  Denver 

Next  Tri-Opticon  tri-dimensional 
opening  is  scheduled  for  Wednesday  at 
the  Tabor  Theatre  in  Denver. 


who  has  been  in  New  York  during 
the  past  two  weeks,  will  accompany 
Rackmil  to  California. 


New  Suit  vs. 
RKO  Pictures 

Washington,  Jan.  18. — A  second 
minority  stockholders  suit  in  the  name 
of  Sidney  Schwartz  has  been  filed 
against  RKO  Pictures  and  Howard 
Hughes  in  New  York  Supreme  Court, 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commis- 
sion was  informed  here  at  the  week- 
end. 

The  suit,  filed  Nov.  19,  1952,  ac- 
cuses Hughes  and  RKO  Pictures  of- 
ficers and  directors  of  "mismanage- 
ment" and  seeks  an  accounting  of 
possible  damages  from  Hughes.  The 
action  is  similar  to  the  suit  filed  in 
behalf  of  three  minority  stockholders 
in  the  same  court  by  attorney  Louis 
Kipnis. 

The  number  of  shares  owned  by 
Schwartz  and  his  residence  was  not 
given. 

Williams  Leaving 
20th  to  Join  Ziv 

Phil  Williams  has  resigned  as  as- 
sistant to  the  director  of  television 
for  20th  Century-Fox  here  to  join  Ziv 
Television  Productions  in  Texas.  The 
resignation  becomes  effective  Jan  31 
and  he  will  assume  his  position  as 
Ziv  account  executive  on  Feb.  16. 

Williams,  who  for  15  years  was 
with  Time,  Inc.,  in  various  advertising 
and  sales  positions  for  Fortune  and 
March  of  Time,  resigned  last  May 
as  MOT  theatrical  sales  manager  to 
accept  a  home  office  sales  executive 
post  with  20th-Fox.  He  was  named 
assistant  to  the  television  director  on 
Jan.  7. 

Williams  has  been  active  on  com- 
mittees of  advertising  associations  and 
was  a  vice-president  of  Associated 
Motion  Picture  Advertisers. 


Prince  Manager 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Northern  part,  Canada,  to  Walter 
Branson,  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager, who  also  heads  the  Western 
division. 

Prince,  who  joined  the  company  in 
1940,  will  continue  to  have  headquar- 
ters in  Atlanta.  His  new  territory 
will  include  the  branch  in  that  city 
and  in  Charlotte,  New  Orleans,  Dal- 
las, Memphis,  Oklahoma  City  and 
Jacksonville,  the  latter  to  be  opened 
shortly. 

Nat  Levy  continues  as  Eastern  divi- 
sion sales  manager. 

Charles  Levy  Leaves 
On  'Pan'  Promotions 

Charles  Levy,  Eastern  publicity  di- 
rector for  Walt  Disney  Productions, 
left  New  York  over  the  weekend  on  a 
tour  of  key  cities  where  pre-release 
openings  of  "Peter  Pan"  have  been 
set  by  RKO  Radio  to  follow  the 
world  premiere  on  Feb.  5  at  the  State 
Lake  Theatre  in  Chicago. 

Levy,  with  the  assistance  of  RKO 
field  exploitation  representatives,  will 
set  up  a  preliminary  promotion  cam- 
paign in  each  city. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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:  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building, 
Willi  am  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  T.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington.  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


A  STATEMENT 
FROM  COLUMBIA  PICTURES 
ON  ITS  SALES  POLICY 

FOR  THE 
SCREEN  ACHIEVEMENT 

OF  1953 

RITA  STEWART 

HAY  WORTH  GRANGER 

IN 

CO  STAR  Rl  N  C 

CHARLES  LAUGHTON 

WITH 

Judith  ANDERSON  •  Sir  Cedric  HARDWICKE  •  Arnold  MOSS 
Alan  BADEL  •  Basil  SYDNEY  •  Maurice  SCHWARTZ 
AND  A  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 

COLOR  BY 

Screen  Play  by  HARRY  KLEINER  •   Produced  by  BUDDY  ADLER   •  Directed  by  WILLIAM  DIETERLE 

A  BECKWORTH  CORPORATION  PRODUCTION 


'  SALOME"  is,  by  any  measure,  the  most  costly  motion  picture 
Columbia  has  ever  produced  or  distributed.  In  its  multi-million 
dollar  negative,  however,  is  beauty  and  spectacle  and  drama 
enough  to  justify  an  even  more  fabulous  expense.  And  now, 
with  plans  finalized  for  an  advertising  and  promotional  cam- 
paign representing  an  additional  $1,000,000  expenditure 
"SALOME"  looms  large  as  the  most  significant  event  on  the 
motion  picture  horizon. 

With  its  glittering  cast,  it  tells  the  dramatic  story  of  the  begin- 
ning of  Christianity.  No  better  time  could  be  chosen  for  its 
first  launchings,  therefore,  than  the  Easter  season.  It  is  for  that 


reason  that,  in  certain  selected  key  city  first  runs,  the  pre- 
release of  "SALOME"  will  begin  at  Easter. 
We  are  fully  aware  that  it  is,  by  law,  neither  our  right  nor  our 
function  to  fix  admission  prices.  That  prerogative  belongs  solely 
to  the  exhibitor.  Our  sales  organization  has  received  firm  and 
explicit  instructions  to  that  effect. 

However,  we  also  recognize  the  fact  that,  in  the  recent  past, 
pictures  of  similar  scope  and  stature  have  done  extremely  well 
in  situations  where  the  exhibitor  has  voluntarily  presented 
these  super-attractions  at  increased  prices.  We  believe  that 
"SALOME"  offers  the  exhibitor  the  same  opportunity. 


In  order  to  prove  the  power  of  "SALOME"  to  the  great  mass 
of  exhibitors  prior  to  the  general  release  of  the  picture,  we 
shall  limit  the  pre-release  engagements  to  qualified  theatres  in 
cities  of  75,000  population  or  more,  which  shall  be  selected 
competitively  based  on  their  offers.  "SALOME"  will  be  available 
for  screening  at  all  Columbia  Exchanges  on  or  about  February  1. 
Immediately  thereafter,  we  shall  welcome,  from  qualified 
situations,  offers  which,  for  proper  evaluation,  should  include: 

1.  Theatre's  name  and  Exhibitor's  name 

2.  Minimum  dollar  guarantee  to  Columbia 

3.  Terms  (We  desire  a  first  week  participation  of  50% 
minimum.  Percentages  for  subsequent  weeks  should 
also  be  specified) 

4.  Minimum  length  of  run  guarantee 

5.  Control  figures  to  determine  holdovers  beyond  the 
guaranteed  minimum  run 

6.  Amount  exhibitor  proposes  to  contribute  to 
advertising  campaign  for  advance  and  first  week 
and  for  subsequent  weeks  of  guaranteed  run 

7.  Such  other  information  as  the  exhibitor  may  con- 
sider important  in  helping  us  to  evaluate  his  offer 
more  carefully 

Offers  are  to  be  made  subject  to  the  following  conditions: 

1.  Our  right  to  reject  all  offers  is  reserved. 

2.  The  run  granted  will  be  definitely  established;  no  spe- 
cific clearance  will  be  granted. 

Tremendous  public  interest  will  undoubtedly  be  created  by 
both  the  national  advertising  campaign  on  "SALOME"  and  the 
large-scale  local  campaigns  which  will  launch  the  picture  in 
each  pre-release  situation.  It  is  our  hope  and  intention  that  the 
maximum  number  of  exhibitors  will  have  the  opportunity  to 
play  "SALOME"  while  this  public  interest  is  at  its  greatest.  To 
facilitate  this,  a  sales  policy  for  the  further  release  of  the  picture 
will  be  announced  shortly  after  the  first  pre-release  openings. 


Monday,  January  19,  1953 


Motion  Picture  daily 


7 


'Salome' 


Review 


Jeopardy 

(M etro-Goldmyn-Mayer) 

A PARALLEL  TENSE  SITUATION,  which  should  hold  the  attention  of 
most  audiences,  is  built  up  in  this  film,  which  stars  Barbara  Stanwyck. 
While  the  film  is  engrossing  throughout  most  of  its  69  minutes,  the  mechanics 
of  the  story  line  bogs  down  at  times,  and  so  does  the  narration. 

The  twin  perils  highlighted  in  "Jeopardy"  are  the  threat  of  the  sea  engulfing 
a  man  and  the  plight  of  a  woman  trapped  by  a  psychopathic  killer.  Barbara 
Stanwyck  and  her  husband,  Barry  Sullivan,  accompanied  by  their  child,  Lee 
Asker,  are  on  a  camping  trip  in  Mexico,  leisurely  enjoying  themselves  on  a 
bay  site,  when  fate  intervenes  viciously.  Miss  Stanwyck's  husband  gets  pinned 
by  a  boulder  along  the  beach.  As  the  tide  menacingly  rises,  Miss  Stanwyck 
frantically  rides  for  help  only  to  pick  up  Ralph  Meeker,  an  escaped  convict. 

It  is  Miss  Stanwyck's  duel  with  Meeker  and  Sullivan's  fight  for  courage 
which  should  captivate  theatre  audiences.  Miss  Stanwyck  and  her  husband 
are  saved,  following  many  hair-raising  events. 

Sol  Baer  Fielding  produced,  while  John  Sturges  directed,  from  a  screenplay 
by  Mel  Dinelli. 

Running  time,  69  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Murray  Horowitz 


(Continued  from  pag_e  1) 

weeks  also  should  be  specified  in  the 
bids ;  the  minimum  length  of  the  run 
guarantee ;  control  figures  to  deter- 
mine holdovers  beyond  the  guaranteed 
minimum  run. 

Also,  bids  should  state  the  amount 
the  exhibitor  proposes  to  contribute  to 
the  advertising  campaign  for  the  ad- 
vance, first  week  and  subsequent 
weeks  of  the  guaranteed  run.  Colum- 
bia reserves  the  right  to  reject  all 
offers  and  states  that  the  run  offered 
will  be  definitely  established ;  no  spe- 
cific clearance  will  be  granted. 

On  the  subject  of  admission  prices, 
Columbia  states :  "We  are  fully  aware 
that  it  is,  by  law,  neither  our  right 
nor  our  function  to  fix  admission 
prices.  That  prerogative  belongs  solely 
to  the  exhibitor.  Our  sales  organiza- 
tion has  received  firm  and  explicit 
instructions  to  that  effect. 

Same  Opportunity 

"However,  we  also  recognize  the 
fact  that  in  the  recent  past  pictures 
of  similar  scope  and  status  have  done 
extremely  well  in  situations  where  the 
exhibitor  has  voluntarily  presented 
these  super-attractions  at  increased 
prices.  We  believe  that  'Salome'  of- 
fers the  exhibitor  the  same  opportun- 
ity." 

The  company  said  its  policy  for  the 
further  release  of  the  picture  will  be 
announced  shortly  after  the  first  pre- 
release openings. 

A  budget  of  $1,000,000  has  been  set 
for  the  advertising  campaign  for  the 
picture,  Paul  Lazarus,  Jr.,  home  of- 
fice executive,  told  the  meeting  here. 
Full-page,  full  color  ads  will  be  used 
in  five  national  magazines,  15  fan 
magazines  and  three  magazine  supple- 
ments distributed  with  57  Sunday 
newspapers.  The  first  ad  is  scheduled 
to  appear  Feb.  6. 

Publicity  and  promotion  campaigns 
are  planned  on  a  similarly  elaborate 
scale,  Lazarus  said. 


Legion  Praises 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"We  didn't  even  know  the  Legion  was 
Opposing  exhibition  of  'Limelight,' " 
a  spokesman  said.  "We  booked  it  on 
the  basis  of  the  business  it  did  at  the 
Astor  here.  The  Legion  didn't  picket 
the  Astor." 

The  Legion  picketed  "Limelight"  in 
Seattle  and  is  said  to  have  threatened 
to  do  the  same  if  it  opened,  as  orig- 
inally planned,  in  three  Fox  West 
Coast  Hollywood  theatres  on  Jan.  21. 
FWC  cancelled  the  date. 

No  National  Policy 

James  F.  O'Neil,  director  of  Legion 
publications  in  New  York,  stated  that 
there  is  no  national  policy  regarding 
picketing.  He  explained  that  local 
Legion  posts  and  departments  have 
the  autonomy  to  picket  a  picture.  Na- 
tional policy  on  "Limelight,"  he  stated, 
was  formulated  and  well-publicized 
some  time  ago,  when  the  Legion  called 
upon  the  distributor  to  hold  back  the 
film  pending  the  Department  of  Jus- 
tice's action  to  bar  Chaplin  from  re- 
turning to  this  country. 

UN  Names  Odeon  Head 

Toronto,  Jan.  18. — L.  W.  Brock- 
ington,  who  has  been  named  chairman 
of  a  three-man  loyalty  panel  for  the 
United  Nations  organization  at  New 
York,  is  president  of  Canadian  Odeon 
and  other  J.  Arthur  Rank  enterprises 
in  the  Dominion. 


Councils  to  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

also  will  be  attended  by  the  motion 
picture  and  preview  chairmen  of  the 
national  organizations  which  partici- 
pate in  the  "joint  estimates  of  current 
motion  pictures." 

Pictures  to  be  screened  for  the  dele- 
gates are  Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan," 
M-G-M's  "The  Hoaxters"  and  "Lilli," 
20th  Century  Fox's  "Light  in  the 
Window"  and  "Tonight  We  Sing,"  a 
three-dimensional  subject  by  the 
Stereo  Corp.  of  America  and  "The 
Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  the  latter  at 
Radio  City  Music  Hall. 

Through  symposiums,  round-table 
discussions  and  a  series  of  talks,  the 
delegates  will  be  oriented  and  brought 
up  to  date  on  all  aspects  of  the  film 
industry  which  relate  to  their  own 
activities  locally. 

It  is  expected  that  from  open  dis- 
cussion of  the  problems  facing  the 
motion  picture  councils  plans  will  be 
formulated  to  improve  and  expand  the 
area  of  film  industry  service  to  these 
groups — and  through  them  to  com- 
munities throughout  the  nation. 

Speakers  who  will  address  the  dele- 
gates include  Eric  Johnston,  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America;  Elmer  C.  Rhoden,  president 
of  Fox  Midwest  Amusement  Corp.; 
Hulda  McGinn,  director  of  legislation 
and  public  relations  of  the  California 
Theatres  Association ;  Daniel  Mann, 
Paramount  director;  Richard  Griffith, 
director  of  the  Museum  of  Modern 
Art  Film  Library;  Arthur  DeBra, 
director  of  MPAA's  community  and 
exhibitor  relations  department;  Gor- 
don S.  White,  Advertising  Code  ad- 
ministrator, and  Marjorie  G.  Dawson, 
associate  director  of  the  community 
relations  department. 

Among  the  topics  slated  for  discus- 
sion are  exhibitor  cooperation  with 
the  councils,  the  industry's  fight 
against  censorship,  the  production  and 
advertising  codes  and  industry  public 
relations. 


R.  L  Exhibitors  in 
'Dimes'  Meet  Today 

Boston,  Jan.  18.— Gov.  Dennis  J. 
Roberts  of  Rhode  Island  has  called  a 
special  luncheon  meeting  of  all  Rhode 
Island  exhibitors  in  behalf  of  the  1953 
March  of  Dimes  drive  to  be  held  at 
the  Sheraton  Biltmore  Hotel  in 
Providence  tomorrow.  Robert  Coyne 
of  the  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Or- 
ganizations will  attend  the  luncheon 
meeting. 


Tax  Income 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

for  the  next  few  depression  years  to 
a  low  of  $1,460,000  in  the  year  end- 
ing June  30,  1932.  The  take  then  shot 
up  and  for  the  next  three  years  it 
hovered  between  $14,000,000  and  $15,- 
000,000. 

Climbed  Steadily 

Collections  climbed  steadily  but 
slowly  and  by  1939-40  they  were  a 
little  over  $20,000,000.  Then  the  really 
sharp  rise  took  place,  partly  because 
of  a  business  upswing,  partly  because 
of  World  War  II  and  an  increase  in 
the  tax  rate.  In  the  1941  fiscal  year, 
collections  were  over  $68,000,000.  In 
the  next  12  months  they  rose  to  $107,- 
633,000.  In  fiscal  1943,  collections 
were  $138,054,000,  and  in  fiscal  1944 
they  were  $178,563,000. 

In  fiscal  1945,  thev  zoomed  to 
$300,589,000,  and  continued  to 
rise  for  the  next  two  years — to 
$343,191,000  in  fiscal  1946  and  to 
a  record  $393,873,000  in  fiscal 
1947. 

Then  the  downturn  started.  In 
fiscal  1948,  the  drop  was  slight- — to 
$385,101,000.  But  in  fiscal  1950,  they 
fell  to  $371,244,000,  and  the  next  year, 
they  dropped  even  more  sharply,  to 
$346,492,000.  In  the  12  months  end- 
ing last  June  30,  they  were  down  to 
$330,782,000. 

For  the  current  year,  the  treasury 
is  predicting  collections  of  $320,000,- 
000,  and  for  the  year  starting  July  1, 
the  official  prediction  is  for  a  further 
drop  to  $310,000,000. 


Academy 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  the  cost.  Last  week  three  majors 
— Columbia,  Universal  and  Warner 
Brothers  —  voted  against  continuing 
that  practice  this  year. 

The  Academy  statement  said,  "Due 
to  the  withdrawal  of  anticipated  finan- 
cial support,  it  may  be  found  neces- 
sary to  present  the  award  statuettes 
in  the  library  of  the  Academy.  No 
matter  how  simple  the  ceremony,  the 
significance  of  the  awards  will  not 
be  diminished." 

Meanwhile,  Yates  announced  late 
Friday  that  Republic  will  make  the 
same  contribution  as  formerly  to  the 
Academy  Awards  function  costs.  An- 
nouncement said  this  should  correct 
reports  to  the  contrary  and  that  Yates 
feels  awards  add  to  film  prestige. 
Previous  report  had  four  firms  refus- 
ing to  continue  the  old  policy. 


Loew's  Income 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  approximately  $2,000,000  (before 
taxes)  and  an  adjustment  for  prior 
years'  Federal  taxes  of  $515,276 
brought  net  profits  after  taxes  to 
$2,089,339,  equivalent  to  41  cents  per 
share,  compared  to  the  six  cents  per 
share  earned  in  the  1952  period. 

Similar  additional  earned  income 
from  foreign  sources  in  the  12-week 
1952  period,  it  was  explained,  had  not 
been  included  because  the  income  had 
not  yet  been  realized. 

Current  and  working  assets  on  Aug. 
31,   1952,  totaled  $112,611,380,  com- 
pared with  $113,948,402  a  year  earlier, 
while  current  liabilities  totaled  $28,- 
744,233,  against  $26,685,286  in  1951. 
The   consolidated   profit  and 
loss   statement   disclosed  that 
despite  the  drop  in  net  income, 
gross  income  for  the  1952  fiscal 
year  was  higher  than  the  previ- 
ous year.    Operating  revenues 
from  theatre  receipts,  rentals 
and  the  sale  of  films,  acces- 
sories and  M-G-M  records  was 
$168,568,389  in  1952,  compared  to 
$165,858,514  in  1951.  Revenues 
from  M-G-M  radio  attractions, 
broadcasting  and  miscellaneous 
declined  to  $5,659,432  in  1952, 
against  $6,121,035  in  the  previ- 
ous year.  Total  operating  reve- 
nues for  1952  were  $178,525,615, 
against  the  1951  figure  of  $176,- 
199,895. 

Total  operating  and  general  expen- 
ses for  1952  climbed  to  $156,179,521, 
compared  to  $147,812,121  in  the  pre- 
vious year. 

Income  before  taxes  for  1952 
was  $6,786,464  compared  to  $14,- 
831,893  in  previous  year.  Fed- 
eral income  taxes  were  $1,716,- 
123  in  1952  against  $6,189,570  in 
1951. 

The  consolidated  balance  sheet  re- 
vealed cash  holdings  of  $18,716,324  in 
1952,  compared  to  the  previous  year's 
$21,790,491.  Total  assets  for  1952  were 
put  at  $215,803,583,  against  $217,962,- 
808. 


Favors  'Red'  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

for  a  radio  program  he  did  in  Michi- 
gan before  his  election  to  Congress 
and  that  he  was  "shocked"  at  what 
he  found. 

The  other  new  member  of  the 
Committee  will  be  Rep.  Gordon  H. 
Scherer  (R.,  Ohio).  All  seven  other 
members  have  seen  service  on  the 
group  in  previous  years.  The  chair- 
man will  be  Rep.  Harold  H.  Velde  of 
Illinois  and  other  Republican  members 
will  be  Representatives  Bernard  W. 
Kearney  of  New  York  and  Donald 
L.  Jackson  of  Michigan.  The  rank- 
ing Democrat  on  the  Committee  will 
be  Rep.  Francis  Walter  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, while  other  Democrats  will  be 
Representatives  Morgan  M.  Moulder 
of  Missouri,  Clyde  Doyle  of  California 
and  James  B.  Frazier,  J.,  of  Ten- 
nessee. 


Broun  'U'  India  Head 

William  Broun  has  been  appointed 
Universal-International  managing  di- 
rector for  India  by  Americo  Aboaf, 
vice-president  and  general  sales  man- 
ager, replacing  James  MacFarlane, 
who  resigned.  Broun,  who  joined 
Universal  in  Sydney,  Australia,  in 
1946  has  been  assistant  manager  in 
Bombay  since  March,  1952. 


WET!fH 

¥  ¥  THE 


Check  the  figures  . . .  look  at  the  tremendous 
increase  in  the  cost  of  your  daily  living  needs. 
According  to  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics, 
food  has  soared  upward  133.2%  . . .  house  fur- 
nishings, up  105%  . . .  clothing,  up  102.3%  . . . 
fuel,  up  47.6%  . . .  rent,  up  42.4%  during  the 
1939-1952  period. 

You'll  find  the  same  increases  in  your 
theatre's  operating  costs  .  .  .  with  carpet,  up 
120%  ...  projection  equipment  and  supplies, 
up  115%  ...  printing,  up  90%  .. .  and  all  costs 
ranging  almost  twice  what  they  were  a  dozen 
years  ago. 

Compare  this  with  the  negligible  increase, 
IF  ANY,  you've  given  NSS,  for  your  trailers 
and  accessories,  during  this  very  same  period 
of  skyrocketing  expenses. 

Yes,  weigh  the  facts  and  compare . . . 
compare  all  your  costs  with  the  LOW  COST, 
Service-with-a-smile  Policy  of  the  Prize  Baby. 


nflTIOIML 


\J  p/nzf  sffer  t 


SERVICE 

of  meinousmY 


VOL.  73.    NO.  13 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  TUESDAY,  JANUARY  20,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Accept  Draft 
Of  Arbitration 

Now,LevyAsks 

TOA  Counsel  Would  OK 
Plan  and  Make  Changes 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  latest 
draft  of  an  industry  plan  does  not 
contain  all  the  sources  of  relief  that 
all  segments  of  the  arbitration  con- 
ference want 
included,  the 
plan  should  be 
accepted,  with 
such  changes  as 
can  be  agreed 
upon.  That  is 
the  opinion  of 
Herman  Levy, 
general  counsel 
of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of 
America,  who 
yesterday  gave 
his  reactions 
here  to  national 
Allied's  latest 
rejection  of  the  proposed  arbitration 
system.      Levy  said  that  the  TOA 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Herman  Levy 


Myers  Renews  Bid 
To  Include  Rentals 

Washington,  Jan.  19. — Abram  F. 
Myers,  general  counsel  of  Allied 
States  Association,  renewed  today 
Allied's  demand  for  inclusion  of  film 
rentals  in  any  arbitration  system. 

That  was  Myers'  comment  on  the 
statement  by  Herman  Levy,  general 
counsel  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  to  the  effect  that  the  indus- 
try should  no  longer  wait  for  Allied 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


U.K.  Film  Ad  Tilt 
Favors  Companies 

London,  Jan.  19. — American  com- 
panies and  J.  Arthur  Rank,  who  with- 
drew their  advertising  from  the  Lord 
Beaverbrook  and  Lord  Kemsley  news- 
papers recently,  are  pursuing  a  policy 
of  silence  with  respect  to  published 
editorial  counterattacks,  which  most 
here  believe  ultimately  will  pay  divi- 
dends to  the  industry. 

Lord  Kemsley  has  written  to  film 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Paramount  Exploring  Ways  to  Revise 
Its  System  of  Clearance  and  Runs 

Paramount  is  exploring  methods  of  revising  the  system  of  runs 
and  clearances  in  several  situations  with  the  view  of  ending  the 
tendency  for  demands  for  move-ups  to  earlier  subsequent  runs. 
The  company  is  seeking  an  improvement  in  the  entire  piayoff  situa- 
tion so  that  a  plan  can  be  established  that  will  be  beneficial  for 
both  Paramount  and  its  customers. 

Exploratory  work  on  revised  clearances  has  been  started  in  Min- 
neapolis, Philadelphia  and  Detroit.  Some  tests  also  have  been  made 
in  Memphis,  Kansas  City  and  Milwaukee,  but  so  far  no  solution 
has  been  reached. 


[New  Strategy 
To  Eliminate 
Admission  Tax 


To  Rush  Inaugural 

Newsreels  by  Air 


Newsreels  devoted  to  today's  inau- 
gural ceremonies  in  Washington  will 
be  air-expressed  to  all  sections  of  the 
country  tomorrow  and  should  be  ready 
for  theatrical  showing  on  the  same 
day,  according  to  the  plans  of  all 
newsreel  companies. 

Pre-release  reels,  slated  to  contain 
a  comprehensive,  dramatic  account  of 
the  swearing  in  of  President-elect 
Eisenhower,  will  be  devoted  entirely 
to  inaugural  ceremonies,  including  the 
parade,  the  White  House  events,  and 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


See  'U'  Profits  for 
'52  Over  $2  a  Share 

Universal's  annual  report 
for  the  fiscal  year  ended  last 
Nov.  1,  scheduled  to  be  re- 
leased in  the  near  future,  will 
show  a  net  profit  only  slightly 
less  than  the  $2,267,784  re- 
ported for  the  1951  fiscal  year. 
The  net  will  be  slightly  over 
$2  per  share. 

Universal's  annual  meeting 
of  stockholders  in  March  will 
be  held  at  the  home  office 
this  year,  instead  of  in  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  as  in  previous 
years.  Stockholders  have  re- 
quested the  shift  to  enable 
more  to  attend  the  annual 
meetings.  The  three  J.  Arthur 
Rank  representatives  on  the 
Universal  board  who  resigned 
recently  in  consequence  of 
Rank's  sale  of  his  Universal 
stock  holdings,  will  not  be  re- 
placed, reducing  the  board's 
membership  by  that  number. 


Amended  Complaint 
Filed  in  16mm.  Suit 

Los  Angeles,  Jan.  19. — Government 
attorney  James  McGrath  today  filed 
an  amended  complaint  against  de- 
fendants in  the  16mm.  case  in  Fed- 
eral Judge  William  Brynes'  court  as 
directed  by  Byrnes  on  Dec.  29.  The  de- 
fendants now  have  30  days  from  to- 
morrow, when  they  are  to  receive 
copies  of  the  amended  complaint,  to 
make  answer. 

The  court  had  ordered  the  govern- 
ment to  clarify  the  meaning  of  the 
phrases  "among  other  things"  and 
"limiting  the  conditions"  of  leasing 
16mm.  prints. 

The  amended  complaint  virtually 
eliminates  the  first  by  substituting  a 
phrase  referring  back  to  an  earlier 
paragraph  in  the  bill.  Substituted  for 
the  second  was  language  reading  in 
part  "by  limitation  upon  admission 
prices,  advertising,  categories  of  per- 
sons to  be  admitted,  or  hours  of  show- 
ing." 


Brown  ell  Straddles 
Trust  Suit  Issue 


Washington,  Jan.  19.  —  Herbert 
Brownell,  the  new  Attorney-General, 
today  put  himself  on  both  sides  of  the 
question  of  whether  he  would  drop 
any  pending  anti-trust  cases. 

During  questioning  on  his  con- 
firmation by  the  Senate  Judiciary 
Committee,  Brownell  promised  that  he 
would  "press  all  major  anti-trust 
cases  now  in  the  courts."  Later, 
however,  he  declared  that  as  Attor- 
ney-General he  would  make  a  "thor- 
ough, impartial  study  of  all  cases,  in- 
cluding those  now  under  investigation," 
with  re-evaluation  "where  necessary." 

There  has  been  widespread  specu- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Would  Have  Only  Films 
Exempt  from  the  Levy 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Jan.  19. — A  new 
strategy  may  be  shaping  up  to  get 
admission  tax  relief.  The  idea 
would  be  to  seek  to  have  motion 
picture  theatres  exempted  from  the  20 
per  cent  Federal  tax,  rather  than 
have  the  tax  reduced  or  repealed. 

This  scheme  would  have  two 
advantages  for  the  industry:  It 
would  give  the  industry  some 
sort  of  competitive  advantage 
over  sports  and  other  events  on 
which  the  tax  is  kept;  and  it 
would  reduce  the  Federal  reve- 
nue loss  attendant  on  general 

(Continued  on  page  21 


U.A.  and  Alperson 
Bidding  for  'Bwana' 

Both  United  Artists  and  indepen- 
dent producer  Edward  L.  Alperson 
are  "fighting  it  out"  for  the  purchase 
of  Natural  Vision's  "Bwana  Devil," 
three-dimensional  feature  produced  by 
Arch  Oboler.  While  U.A.  appears  to 
have  the  inside  track  on  the  deal, 
Alperson  is  reported  to  be  confident 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Film  Councils  Begin 
3-Day  Parley  Today 

The  national  film  councils 
launch  their  three-day  meet- 
ing here  today  at  the  Museum 
of  Modern  Art  and  the  Hotel 
Gotham.  Today's  program 
consists  of  screenings  of  two 
M-G-M  pictures,  a  demonstra- 
tion of  appraising  pictures  for 
the  "Green  Sheet,"  open 
forum  discussions  and  a  the- 
atre party  in  the  evening  at 
Radio  City  Music  Hall.  Speak- 
ers include  Mrs.  Hulda  Mc- 
Ginn, of  the  California  The- 
atres Association,  and  Elmer 
Rhoden,  president  of  Fox 
Midwest  Amusement  Corp. 


N  WINNER 


'SHOULD  PROVE  A  BONANZA!"-8oxoflp/ce 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 

Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  20,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


HOWARD  DIETZ,  M-G-M  vice- 
president  and  director  of  adver- 
tising-publicity, returned  here  yester- 
day from  the  Coast.  Advertising 
manager  Si  Seadler  is  due  back  to- 
day. 

• 

Dr.  Hugh  M.  Flick,  head  of  the 
New  York  State  film  censor  board, 
will  speak  on  "The  Sense  of  Censor- 
ship" at  a  meeting  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture chapter  of  the  American  Veterans 
Committee  at  the  Grand  Street  Boys 
Club  here  tomorrow  night. 

• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Brothers 
Eastern  and  Canadian  division  sales 
manager,  left  here  for  Chicago  last 
night  and  will  stop  off  in  Pittsburgh 
before  returning  to  New  York  at  the 
end  of  the  week. 

• 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  will  address 
the  National  Conference  of  United 
Church  Women  at  a  luncheon  at  the 
Grosvenor  Hotel  here  on  Friday. 
• 

Richard  de  Rochemont  left  here 
yesterday  for  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois to  participate  in  a  seminar  on  the 
use  of  film  in  educational  television. 
• 

Samuel  Briskin  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  Screen 
Producers  Guild  executive  board  in 
Hollywood. 

• 

John  P.  Byrne,  M-G-M  Eastern 
sales  manager,  is  in  Buffalo  on  the 

first  lap  of  a  tour  of  exchanges. 
• 

Charles  Boasberg,  RKO  Radio 
general  sales  manager,  will  return  to 
New  York  todav  from  Toronto. 

H.  M.  Richey,  head  of  M-G-M  ex- 
hibitor relations,  is  vacationing  in 
Florida  from  New  York. 

Piper  Laurie  will  be  honored  by 
Universal  Thursday  with  a  birthday 
party  at  the  21  Club  here. 


/.  E,  Lumbar d  May  Be 
U*  S*  Attorney  Here 

Washington,  Jan.  19. — J.  Edward 
Lumbard,  Jr.,  of  the  New  York  law 
film  of  Leisure,  Newton,  Lumbard 
and  Irvine,  counsel  for  RKO  Pic 
tures,  is  reported  to  be  in  line  for 
President-elect  Eisenhower's  appoint- 
ment as  U.  S.  Attorney  for  the  South 
ern  District  of  New  York. 

While  James  C.  Hagerty,  General 
Eisenhower's  press  chief,  would  make 
no  comment  on  Lumbard's  prospective 
appointment,  it  was  pointed  out  that 
Lumbard  is  being  sponsored  by  Her 
bert  Brownell,  Attorney-General- 
designate,  and  Gov.  Dewey. 


Exchange  Committee  to  Hit 
32  Keys  in  New  Pact  Talks 

The  distributors'  exchange  operations  committee  will  split  up  into 
three  groups  next  week  and  start  to  cover  the  32  exchange  cities  for  the 
purpose  of  negotiating  new  contracts  with  the  unions  representing  the 
front  and  back  offices  of  company  branches.  Itineraries  of  the  groups 
have  not  been  mapped  out  as  yet  but 


routes  may  be  defined  at  a  meeting  of 
the  committee  late  this  week. 

The  committee  has  held  two  meet- 
ings with  union  representatives  to 
date.  The  sessions  were  held  in  Phila- 
delphia and  Boston  but  an  impasse  was 
reached  in  both  cities.  It  is  reported 
that  the  union  demands  are  "out  of 
line"  with  current  conditions,  although 
the  percentage  of  salary  increases 
asked  by  the  unions  has  not  been  dis- 
closed. 

Headed  by  Tom  Murray  of  Univer- 
sal-International, the  committee  con- 
sists of  Joseph  McMahon,  Republic ; 
Bernard  Goodman,  Warner  Brothers  ; 
Clarence  Hill,  20th  Century-Fox;  Mi- 
chael Rosen,  M-G-M;  A.  A.  Schu- 
bart,  RKO  Radio;  Henry  Kaufman, 
Columbia ;  William  Brenner,  National 
Screen  Service ;  Jules  Chapman, 
United  Artists,  and  Arthur  Israel, 
Paramount. 


Treasurer  Has  Dim 
View  on  Tax  Cuts 


43-D'  Causes  Labor 
Halt  in  Pittsburgh 


Pittsburgh,  Jan.  19.  —  "Bwana 
Devil,"  the  three-dimensional  film 
which  has  jammed  60,000  fans  in 
seven  days  into  the  2,000-seat  Warner 
Theatre,  developed  a  labor  situation 
over  the  last  weekend.  Members  of 
local  union  No.  171  of  the  AFL  are 
back  on  the  job  after  closing  up  the 
theatre  Friday  and  Saturday  morning. 
Union  business  agent  James  Sipe  said 
"the  contract  signed  in  1951  did  not 
cover  conditions  that  now  exist,  be- 
cause three-dimensional  films  mean 
much  more  work  and  take  more  skill 
to  operate."  He  added,  "This  is  a 
new  medium  that  has  been  a  terrific 
financial  success  and  we  insist  upon 
negotiating  a  new  contract." 

M.  A.  Silver,  zone  manager,  and 
business  manager  Benjamin  Steerman 
for  Warners  sat  down  with  Sipe  to- 
day to  discuss  negotiations.  Steer- 
man  said  "refusal  to  work  is  a  viola- 
tion of  the  contract  and,  as  far  as  the 
operators  are  concerned,  the  work  on 
the  new  films  is  just  the  same  as  the 
work  on  standard  films.  It  doesn't 
take  any  additional  skill  or  labor  to 
operate  them." 


g  tor  Jtswana 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Brownell  Straddles 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lation  in  the  film  industry  whether 
the  new  Administration  would  con- 
tinue the  16mm  anti-trust  case  on  the 
Coast. 


of  ultimate  success  in  buying  the 
picture. 

Oboler  is  said  to  have  approxi- 
mately 20  partners  in  the  tri-dimen- 
sional  feature  and  approval  of  the  en- 
tire slate  must  be  obtained  before  the 
deal  can  be  closed.  It  is  reported  that 
Alperson  has  some  of  the  partners  on 
his  side,  while  U.A.  has  lined  up  a 
substantial  group  on  its  side.  Both 
Alperson  and  U.A.  have  applied  to 


Washington,  Jan.  19. — The  incom- 
ing Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  George 
M.  Humphrey,  told  Senators  today 
that  he  did  not  see  any  general  tax 
reduction  "in  the  immediate  future." 

All  indications  have  been  that  the 
new  Eisenhower  Administration  would 
put  budget  balancing  before  tax  cuts, 
and  Humphrey's  statement  today, 
made  during  questioning  by  the  Sen- 
ate Finance  Committee,  confirmed 
these  indications.  However,  the  signs 
have  been  equally  strong  that  House 
tax  policy-makers  are  determined  to 
effect  major  tax  cuts  this  year  in  ex- 
cess profits  and  individual  income 
taxes,  if  in  no  other  categories. 

Humphrey  told  the  Senators  he  felt 
the  tax  burden  was  too  high,  and 
eventually  would  have  to  be  reduced, 
but  he  said  he  felt  balancing  the  bud- 
get should  have  priority. 

One  of  his  first  acts  as  Secretary, 
he  promised,  would  be  to  order  a  com- 
plete study  of  the  tax  strcture  aimed 
at  reducing  taxes  as  soon  as  possible 
— "Which,  frankly,  I  fear  is  not  in 
the  immediate  future,"  he  added. 


Ticket  Tax 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


U.K.  Ad  Film  Tilt 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

advertising  chiefs  proposing  a  friendly 
get-together.  Also,  the  Critics  Circle 
declined  at  an  emergency  meeting  to 
support  a  resolution  proposed  by  Mil- 
ton Shulman  of  Beaverbrook's  Stand- 
ard denouncing  the  allegedly  "star- 
chamber"  methods  of  the  film  trade. 
The  Circle  contended  itself  with  a 
proposal  that  it  have  a  talk  with  the 
Newspaper  Proprietors'  Association, 
clearly  designed  to  lead  to  talks  in 
turn  with  film  people. 

Beaverbrook,  vacationing  in  the 
West  Indies,  has  been  told  that  he  is 
in  danger  of  finding  himself  with  no 
allies  in  his  tilting  at  the  film  busi- 
ness. The  companies'  action  was 
taken  following  prolonged  sniping  at 
films  and  the-  industry  in  the  Beaver- 
brook and  Kemsley  newspapers. 
There  has  been  no  discernible  decline 
in  theatre  attendance  either  as  a  re- 
sult of  the  discontinuance  of  the  ad- 
vertising or  the  editorial  counter- 
attacks which  followed. 


tax  relief,  making  it  therefore 
theoretically  more  palatable  to 
Congressmen  worried  about 
Budget-balancing. 

Significantly,  at  least  half  of  the 
bills  introduced  so  far  in  this  Con- 
gress have  proposed  exempting  the- 
atres from  the  tax.  This  idea  was  not 
included  in  any  of  the  bills  in  previ- 
ous Congresses.  In  previous  years, 
the  bills  have  always  proposed  re- 
ducing or  repealing  the  tax  on  all 
events  covered  by  it. 

Exemption  for  theatres  was  pro- 
posed in  the  first  Senate  bill  dealing 
with  the  admission  tax,  introduced 
over  the  weekend  by  Senator  Dirk- 
sen  (R.,  111.)  The  latest  House  bill 
on  the  subject,  proposed  by  Rep. 
Zablocki  (D.  Wis.)  also  proposed  ex- 
emption for  film  tickets  rather  than 
across-the-board  reduction  or  repeal. 

One  top  film  industry  leader,  while 
refusing  to  say  that  the  tax  relief 
drive  of  the  Council  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Organizations  would  definitely 
support  this  strategy,  admitted  that  "it 
looks  to  me  like  an  ideal  solution  for 
the  industry." 


CEA,  BFPA  Agree  on 
Eady  and  Ticket  Tax 

London,  Jan.  19.  —  The  Cinemato- 
graph Exhibitors  Association  won  the 
support  of  the  British  Film  Producers 
Association  for  its  proposed  revisions 
in  the  entertainment  tax  by  giving  its 
qualified  approval  to  extension  of  the 
Eady  tax. 

CEA  had  announced  it  would  con- 
tinue to  support  the  Eady  scheme  be- 
yond its  July,  1954,  expiration  date 
providing  cognizance  is  taken  of  the 
recent  decrease  in  box-office  receipts 
and  the  reduced  benefits  which  exhibi- 
tors are  obtaining  from  the  increase 
of  prices  in  1951,  as  compared  with 
the  agreed  estimates  upon  which  the 
Eady  scheme  was  based. 

The  annual  report  of  the  Customs 
and  Excise  Department  for  1952 
shows  that  entertainment  tax  receipts 
were  £45,805,340,  of  which  £38,290,000 
was  paid  by  motion  pictures  theatres. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Chemical  Bank  and  Trust  Co.  for  a 
loan  to  swing  the  sale  and  the  bank 
is  now  waiting  for  the  two  prospec- 
tive buyers  to  break  the  deadlock. 

The  purchase  price  is  said  to  be 
$1,875,000,  with  a  down  pavment  of 
$500,000.  The  question  of  which 
bidder  will  get  the  property  is  ex- 
pected to  be  settled  this  week. 


— —  Rockefeller  Center  ^— — — 
1. ana  TURNER  »  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIOGEON   •   Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Warner  Bros: 

THE  JAZZ 

Sanger  \  0v 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

Sterna     DANhT  PEGSY 

JHOMAS  •  LEE 


Cxln 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing:  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz.  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI:  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  January  20,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Arbitration 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

board  of  directors,  at  its  meeting  in 
New  York  next  week,  would  discuss 
fully  the  deadlock  that  now  exists. 

Levy's  statement  follows : 

"According  to  the  trade  press,  Al- 
lied's  board  of  directors  has  rejected 
the  pending  plan  for  an  industry  sys- 
tem of  arbitration.  It  would  appear, 
too,  as  of  today,  that  Allied  will  re- 
ject any  plan  for  industry  arbitration 
unless  and  until  certain  matters  con- 
cerning the  licensing  of  motion  pic- 
tures, primarily  that  of  film  rental, 
are  made  arbitrable. 

"It  has  been  hoped  that  on 
the  basis  of  what  Abram  Myers, 
at  Allied's  annual  convention, 
called  the  'plus  points'  of  the 
pending  plan,  Allied  would  see 
fit  to  subscribe  to  it,  with  cer- 
tain modifications,  if,  as  time 
went  on,  it  became  obvious  that 
distribution  would  be  willing  to 
concede  to  the  request  of 
widening  the  scope  of  arbitra- 
tion by  including  film  rental, 
and,  further,  the  defining  of 
pre-release  pictures. 

"TOA  also  has  looked  with  favor 
on  the  subject  of  arbitrating  film  ren- 
tal, but  on  a  one-way  basis  only — 
that  is,  where  only  the  exhibitor  may 
institute  the  proceeding.  And  it  has 
looked  with  favor  on  the  careful  de- 
fining of  pre-release  pictures.  TOA 
is  willing  now,  as  it  has  been  in  the 
past,  to  sit  around  a  conference  table 
to  discuss  these  matters  fully. 

"But  whether  an  entire  plan,  with 
so  many  'plus  points'  and  representing 
the  result  of  the  unanimous  acceptance 
of  the  principles  of  arbitration,  should 
be  completely  discarded  because  it  can- 
not be  all  things  to  all  men  is  a  ques- 
tion which  must  have  the  most  serious 
consideration.    Why  should  exhibitors 
be  deprived  of  avenues  of  relief,  recog- 
nized by  all  segments  of  the  arbitra- 
tion conference  to  be  new  and  good, 
because  the  plan  does  not  contain  all 
the  sources  of  relief  that  all  segments 
of  the  conference  want  included  ? 
"The  distributors  have  spoken. 
They  have  stated  that  they  will 
not  agree  to  the  arbitration  of 
film  rental.  If  that  is  their  final 
word,  then  I  say  that  the  plan 
should  be  accepted — with  such 
changes  as  can  be  agreed  upon, 
and  that  an  attempt  thereafter 
be  made  to  place  the  system  in 
operation  as  quickly  as  possible. 
That,  it  seems  to  me,  is  owed 
to  the  industry  by  all  of  its 
leaders. 

"Under  the  proposed  system  there 


Review 


SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 


630  NINTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  36,  N.Y. 


SPEED! 
QUALITY! 
SHOWMANSHIP! 


CANT  BE  BEAT! 


1327  S.  WABASH 
CHICAGO  5,  111. 


Niagara 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

THERE  ARE  STRONG  box-office  potentials  in  "Niagara,"  despite  its 
somewhat  morbid  theme  of  infidelity.  The  camera  makes  the  most  of 
Marilyn  Monroe's  shapely  body  which  is  draped  provocatively  in  a  blazing- 
red  dress,  enhanced  more  vividly  by  color  in  Technicolor.  Joseph  Cotten 
turns  in  a  good  performance  as  a  confused  husband,  while  the  Niagara  Falls 
locale  makes  for  some  interesting  backgrounds.  Well  paced  excitement  and 
suspense  have  been  written  into  the  script  by  Walter  Reisch,  Richard  Breen 
and  Charles  Brackett,  the  latter  having  produced  the  picture  as  well  as 
collaborating  on  the  screenplay. 

On  the  Canadian  side  of  Niagara  Falls,  Miss  Monroe  and  her  husband, 
Cotten,  are  vacationing  in  a  tourist  cabin.  The  mistrust  of  his  wife  causes 
him  to  be  a  brooding  sort  of  a  person  and  the  mistrust  is  well  founded,  for 
she  is  plotting  with  a  lover  to  kill  her  husband.  Instead  of  being  killed, 
Cotten  slays  his  would-be  murderer  at  the  base  of  the  Falls  and,  learning  of 
this  unexpected  turn  of  events,  Miss  Monroe  goes  into  terror-stricken  flight, 
with  Cotten  giving  relentless  chase.  This  leads  to  a  series  of  melodramatic 
sequences.  Weaving  in  and  out  of  the  story  are  incidents  concerning  Jean 
Peters  and  Casey  Adams,  a  young  married  couple  also  vacationing  at  Niagara, 
who  become  involved  in  Cotten's  troubles. 

Cotten  finally  catches  up  with  his  wife  and  strangles  her.  What  follows 
is  a  desperate  attempt  to  escape  the  police  who  are  closing  in.  He  appropri- 
ates a  motor  boat  in  which  Miss  Peters  is  an  unwilling  passenger  and  heads 
toward  the  opposite  shore.  The  craft  runs  out  of  gasoline  and  is  being  pulled 
toward  the  rapids  when  a  helicopter  makes  a  dramatic  rescue  of  Miss  Peters 
as  Cotten  is  swept  to  his  doom. 

Directed  by  Henry  Hathaway,  the  picture  also  features  Denis  O'Dea,  Rich- 
ard Allen,  Don  Wilson,  Lurene  Tuttle,  Russell  Collins,  Will  Wright,  Lester 
Matthews,  Carelton  Young,  Sean  McClory,  Minerva  Urecal,  Nina  Varela, 
Tom  Reynolds  and  Winfield  Hoeny. 

Running  time,  89  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  For  February 
release. 


Renews  Demand 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


in  going  ahead  with  arbitration. 

"It's  amazing  to  me,"  Myers  said, 
"that  an  exhibitor  leader  should 
ignore  the  challenge  of  the  distrib- 
utors' policies  and  seek  to  weaken  any 
effort  to  obtain  relief  from  them. 
While  Mr.  Levy  was  writing  his 
statement,  Columbia  Pictures  was 
writing  its  advertising  copy  for 
"Salome,"  which  brings  the  number 
of  roadshow  pictures  in  the  past  12 
months  above  anything  ever  dreamed 
of  in  the  industry. 

"Maybe  Mr.  Levy  can  explain  how 
theatres  who  are  dependent  for 
product  on  regular  availability  can 
keep  their  doors  open  under  this 
method  of  release." 

Myers  said  he  did  not  know  how 
often  Allied's  stand  had  to  be  re- 
stated before  it  would  stick.  He  pre- 
dicted that  an  arbitration  plan  with- 
out Allied  support  would  have  diffi- 
culty in  getting  exhibitor  members  for 
local  boards  in  many  areas. 


Inaugural  Reels 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  inaugural  address,  according  to 
present  plans.  For  the  events,  at  least 
50  newsreel  cameras  and  sound  men 
will  be  present  from  Movietone  News, 
News  of  the  Day,  Universal,  Para- 
mount and  Warner  Pathe. 

Laboratories  in  New  York  will  rush 
the  processing  of  prints  so  that  they 
may  be  available  to  New  York  the- 
atres tomorrow  morning  or  early 
afternoon.  Prints  destined  for  other 
sections  of  the  country  will  be  air- 
expressed  beginning  tomorrow  morn- 
ing. Most  of  the  newsreel  companies 
put  the  inaugural  reels  in  the  pre-re- 
lease category,  that  is,  shipped  in  lieu 
of  Thursday's  regular  reels. 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

.    „  with  RAY  GALLO 


is  no  compulsion  to  use  it.  Exhib- 
itors may  or  may  not  do  so  as  they 
choose.  But,  again,  I  say,  it  seems 
unfair  and  illogical  that  those  exhib- 
tors  who  want  to  use  it  should  be 
deprived  of  what  appears  to  be  a 
speedy,  effective  and  inexpensive 
tribunal  for  so  many  of  their  griev- 
ances. The  conditioning  of  the  ac- 
ceptance of  a  'plus  point'  system  of  ar- 
bitration on  the  inclusion  of  certain 
other  matters  not  now  in  the  system 
is,  in  my  opinion,  a  luxury  that  no 
segment  of  the  industry  can  afford. 

"One  way  lies  a  'plus  point'  sys- 
tem ;  the  other  way  lies  strangulating, 
debilitating  and  chaotic  litigation. 
What  privilege  of  choice  can  there 
validly  be  under  the  circumstances? 

"At  our  board  meeting  next  week, 
the  directors  will  discuss  fully  the 
stymie  which  now  exists.  I  feel  cer- 
tain that  the  board  will  undertake  to 
accomplish  whatever  it  feels  it  can  to 
assist  in  the  breaking  of  the  impasse." 


Indianapolis  House  to  Theatre 
TV  Inauguration  Ceremonies 

Indianapolis,  Jan.  19. — The  public 
will  be  admitted  free  to  the  Indiana 
Theatre  tomorrow  morning  to  see  the 
inauguration  ceremonies  in  Washing- 
ton on  the  theatre's  big-screen  tele- 
vision, manager  Al  Hendricks  an- 
nounced. The  house  will  be  cleared 
at  12:30  to  reopen  with  the  regular 
show  at  1  :00  P.M. 

Hendricks  also  filled  the  house  to 
near-capacity  with  2,900  customers  at 
$1  each  to  see  a  telecast  of  the  basket- 
ball game  between  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois for  the  "Big  10"  leadership  Sat- 
urday night.  It  was  picked  up  by 
antenna  from  a  Bloomington,  Ind., 
telecast  and  shown  with  the  week's 
feature. 


Inauguration  Pictures  on 
Screen  of  Cleveland  Palace 

Cleveland,  Jan.  19. — Motion  pic- 
tures of  the  inauguration  will  be 
shown  free  exclusively  from  10 :30 
A.M.  to  2:30  P.M.  tomorrow.  On 
the  RKO  Palace  TV  screen,  under 
the  sponsorship  of  the  Cleveland 
Press  on  a  come  and  go  basis,  with 
no  tickets  required.  The  theatre  will 
sell  coffee  and  doughnuts  for  two 
cents  from  a  special  stand  in  the 
foyer. 


BLAIR  FOULDS  has  been  elected 
a  vice-president  of  General  Pre- 
cision Laboratory,  Inc.,  Pleasantville, 
N.  Y.,  according  to  an  announcement 
by  Hermann  G.  Place,  president  of 
the  company.  Foulds  has  served  for 
several  years  as  commercial  engineer- 
ing director  of  the  company  with  re- 
sponsibility for  government  liaison  and 
contract  administration  as  well  as 
marketing  of  commercial  products,  in- 
cluding broadcast  studio  and  theatre 
television  equipment. 

• 

To  provide  both  a  visual  and  re- 
corded car  and  patron  count  for 
drive-in  theatres,  the  Electronic 
Signal  Co.,  Inc.,  of  Williston  Park, 
N.  Y.,  has  developed  a  new  elec- 
tronic admissions  control  system. 
The  checker  consists  of  a  detector 
installed  in  the  vehicle  lane  and  a 
recorder  in  the  box-office.  As  the 
patron  drives  up  to  the  booth,  his 
car  is  automatically  counted  and 
the  count  recorded  on  a  tape.  Pro- 
vision has  also  been  made  for  the 
box-office  employee  to  enter  the 
number  of  passengers  in  the  car 
and  to  enter  the  "pass"  vehicles. 
Visual  signals  show  these  transac- 
tions for  both  patron  and  manager 
to  check,  and  all  transaction  details 
are  printed  on  a  tape  that  is  "locked 
in"  the  equipment. 

• 

Theodore  R.  Combs  has  been  pro- 
moted to  sales 
service  manager 
by   the  Ameri- 

jr  jKk  can  Seatm9  Co., 

\  Grand  Rapids, 

Mich.,  according 
to  J.  M.  Ver- 
Meulcn,  vice- 
president  and 
general  sales 
manager  of  the 
c  o  m  p  a  n  y  . 
Combs  succeeds 
Earl  Vande- 
Poel,  mho  has 
been  transferred 
to  the  firm's 
church  products  division.  Combs  will 
supervise  the  nationwide  installation 
of  seating  for  theatres,  stadiums, 
churches  and  other  structures. 
e 

A  new  design  for  Dixie  cups,  de- 
veloped especially  for  serving  "Snow 
Cones"  (flavored,  crushed  ice),  has 
been  marketed  by  the  Dixie  Cup  Co., 
Easton,  Pa.  The  new  design  is  called 
"Ice  Crystal"  and  is  listed  as  a  stock 
item  for  the  company's  5^4,  7  and 
8^  ounce  cone-shaped  cups  at  no  in- 
crease in  price. 

• 

Velour-covered  guide  ropes  with 
a  special  "break-away"  feature  are 
now  available  from  Lawrence  Metal 
Products  of  New  York  City.  Used 
across  restricted  areas  where  unex- 
pected pressure  might  be  applied, 
the  ropes  are  designed  to  open  at 
a  weight  of  five  pounds,  it  is  ex- 
plained, thus  meeting  the  pressure 
with  safe  "give."  Guide  ropes  are 
offered  in  one  and  one  and  one  half- 
inch  diameters. 


Theodore  R.  Combs 


7, 


■v    mmm    immm  mmmm      wmmm    ^^■i^^'       -^vwb      -^^^^      wmm   WUHV      M  'HHP  ^™"^™» 

A  Dfll  IfiY 
h  ruuui 

■    .  - 

THAT  SPELLS 
CONFIDENCE 


Editorial,  CHESTER  B.  BAHN, 
Film  Daily,  January  13, 1953 


...and  here's  how  we  start! 


THE  SNOWS  OF  KILIMANJARO 
STARS  AND  STRIPES  FOREVER  , , 
MY  COUSIN  RACHEL  -  RUBY  GENTRY 
THE  I  DON'T  CARE  GIRL         THE  STAR 
TAXI -TREASURE  OF  THE  GOLDEN  CONDOR  r.***, 
NIAGARA  r.o-.-cco,  •  THE  THIEF  OF  VENICE  •  TITANIC 
DESTINATION  GOBI         THE  PRESIDENT'S  LADY 
TONIGHT  WE  SINGr^<^-fflm!r)-THE  SILVER  WHIP 
MAN  ON  A  TIGHTROPE  •  CALL  ME  MADAM 
INVADERS  FROM  MARS     •  POWDER  RIVER  ^ 
PICKUP  ON  SOUTH  STREET-SAILOR  OF  THE  KING 
THE  DESERT  RATS  WHITE  WITCH  DOCTOR  -. 
THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  n^,^  •  BAPTISM  OF  FIRE 
DOWN  AMONG  THE  SHELTERING  PALMS  .  , 
GENTLEMEN  PREFER  BLONDES 

ana  watch  for  THE  ROBE  Technicolor 


There's  No  Business  Like  2Qth  Century-Fox  Business! 


(BACK  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK'S  SILVER  ANNIVERSARY,  FEBRUARY  15-22,  1953) 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  20,  1953 


Television  Radio 

 With  Pinky  Herman  — 

A  N  interesting,  behind-the-scenes  sidelight  of  the  TV  coverage 
■f*-  (NBC's  version)  of  the  Inauguration  today  of  Dwight  D.  Eisen- 
hower in  Washington,  D.  C,  is  the  fact  that  Win.  R.  McAndrew, 
director  of  the  NBC-TV  festivities  coverage,  is  a  local  boy  who  also 
made  good.  Before  being  promoted  and  transferred  to  Radio  City  in 
New  York,  McAndrew  was  manager  for  NBC's  Washington  station. 
.  .  .  Joseph  Curtin  and  Alice  Frost,  the  loveable  CBSleuths  of  "Mr.  & 
Mrs.  North,"  are  now  on  their  eleventh  consecutive  year  on  that 
radio  show  which  started  in  Jan.,  1942.  .  .  .  Gabriel  Pascal  plans  to 
produce  several  films  especially  for  TV  among  which  are  two  George 
Bernard  Shaw  classics,  namely  "Androcles"  and  "The  Devil's  Dis- 
ciple," a  feature  film  based  on  the  life  of  Mahatma  Ghandi  and  Gene 
Fowler's  "Rip  Van  Winkle."  .  .  .  Helen  Schuck  of  NBC  Press  Dep't. 
(N.  Y.)  will  sing  an  "I  Do-et"  next  Saturday  with  Richard  Jannsen. 
.  .  .  Sig  Michelson,  CBS  Director  of  News  and  Public  Affairs  esti- 
mates that  more  than  70,000,000  people  will  TView  today's  Inaugura- 
tion. George  Washington's  Inauguration  was  witnessed  by  three 
thousand  Patriots.  .  .  .  Jack  Benny's  next  TVideo  stint  for  Lucky 
CBStrike  Ciggies  Sunday,  may  well  be  titled,  "Jack  Benny,  Concert 
Violinist,  Extraordinaire."  Rochester's  employer  will  try  to  drown 
out  a  50  piece  orchestra  when  he  renders  "Love  In  Bloom."  .  .  . 

-fr  "ft 
Following  his  second  appearance  Sunday  on  Ed  Sullivan's  "Toast 
of  the  Town,"  Ed  Wynn  returns  to  Hollyzuood  where  he  will 
resume  filming  a  new  half-hour  TV  series,  "The  Ed  Wynn  Show," 
which  the  zany  comic  is  writing,  producing  and  packaging.  .  .  . 
Seymour  H.  Malamed,  formerly  U.  S.  Internal  Revenue  agent  has 
joined  the  Charles  Wick  Co.  as  specialist  in  business  management. 
.  .  .  Pfaff  Serving  Machine  will  again  sponsor  Lucille  Rivers 
(home  sewing  authority)  in  a  new  half  hour  TV  series  via  WPIX 
starting  Jan,  28.  Emanuel  Dcinby  will  produce.  .  .  .  When  and  if 
Mitzi  Green  takes  over  the  Fanny  Bricc  role  as  "Baby  Snooks," 
in  a  radio  repeat,  Jack  Arthur,  NBCurrent  deejay  will  again  be 
"Daddy  Snooks,"  a  role  he  created  when  he  placed  opposite  the 
late  comedienne  in  the  "Ziegfeld  Follies  of  the  Air"  CBSeries 
back  in  1935.  .  .  .  Lakeside  Television  Co.,  Inc.  lias  signed  to  dis- 
tribute 100  TV  films,  including  animal  shorts,  documentary  and 
adventure  subjects  all  produced  by  Library  Films,  Inc.  .  .  .  Bobby 
Sanford,  radio  and  TV  exec,  has  resigned  from  MCA  and  zvill 
open  his  ozvn  agency.  .  .  . 

-fr  ik 

Loew  Theatres  presented  Walt  Framer,  producer  of  "Strike 
It  Rich."  an  award  citing  the  program  for  "outstanding  public 
service  in  the  field  of  human  relations."  .  .  .  Charles  Sanford's 
original  composition,  "Vacation  Suite,"  which  he  wrote  last 
summer  while  on  a  brief  hiatus  from  "Your  Show  Of  Shows," 
has  been  purchased  by  20th  Century-Fox  for  a  new  musical. 
.  .  .  George  Jessel's  first  appearance  on  "All  Star  Revue" 
Saturday,  since  his  hospitalization,  will  have  as  guests,  Sophie 
Tucker,  Dorothy  Kirsten  and  Nat  King  Cole.  .  .  .  Gary  Stevens 
and  Walt  Framer  are  preparing  to  co-produce  a  new  TVehicle 
based  on  outstanding  performances  in  the  past  and  present, 
utilizing  wherever  possible  theatre  "greats"  re-living  memor- 
able scenes.  ...  A  six-state  radio-TV  coverage  has  been 
effected  by  Paramount  to  carry  the  world  premiere  at  Mays- 
ville,  Ky.,  Jan.  28,  "of  "The  Stars  Are  Singing,"  starring  local 
gal  who  made  good,  Rosemary  Clooney.  States  include  Ken- 
tucky, West  Virginia,  Ohio.  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Michigan. 
In  a  special  ceremony  the  Governor  of  Kentucky  will  crown 
the  song  star  "Queen  of  Song."  .  .  .  TV  execs  are  showing 
keen  interest  in  the  Ken  Parker  series  "Matinee  for  Moppets," 
held  every  Saturday  at  the  Jan  Hus  House  on  East  74th  St. 
.  .  .  Collier's  Weekly  has  undertaken  an  analysis  of  the  8,000 
letters  received  weekly  by  Bishop  Fulton  J.  Sheen,  whose 
Tuesday  night  at  8:00  series  is  Tviewed  by  an  audience  esti- 
mated to  total  about  seven  million.  Program  is  carried  via 
DuMont.  .  .  . 


Para.  Foreign  Prints 
To  Be  Made  Abroad 

Paramount  Pictures  has 
adopted  magnetic  film  record- 
ing for  master  prints  of 
dubbed  foreign  versions.  First 
features  employing  this 
method  have  been  shipped 
from  here.  In  making  the 
foreign  release  prints  abroad, 
the  magnetic  record  will  be 
converted  to  an  optical  track 
for  standard  reproduction. 


Sees  Withdrawal  of 
RKO  Minority  Suit 

All  signs  point  to  the  withdrawal  of 
the  RKO  Pictures  minority  applica- 
tion seeking  to  put  the  company  into 
receivership,  it  was  learned  here  yes- 
terday from  Louis  Kipnis,  attorney 
representing  the  three  minority  stock- 
holders in  the  application. 

Kipnis  said  he  intended  to  fully 
explain  his  position  at  Monday's  hear- 
ing in  New  York  Supreme  Court. 
Weighing  in  favor  of  withdrawal  of 
the  suit  is  the  filling  of  all  vacancies 
on  the  RKO  Pictures  board  of  direc- 
tors, it  was  explained.  Kipnis  stated, 
however,  that  the  suit  for  damages  in 
the  same  court  against  Howard 
Hughes,  chairman  of  RKO  Pictures 
board,  would  be  continued. 

Life   Magazine  Is 
Promoting  'Peter' 

Life  Magazine  has  sent  a  special 
mailing  piece  to  exhibitors  throughout 
the  country  "plugging"  Walt  Disney's 
"Peter  Pan"  and  calling  attention  to 
a  four-color  ad  on  the  Technicolor 
picture  that  will  sell  it  to  their  23,- 
950,000  readers. 

"Peter  Pan,"  an  all-cartoon  feature, 
distributed  by  RKO  Radio,  will  have 
its  world  premiere  at  the  State  Lake 
Theatre  in  Chicago  on  Feb.  5.  Pre- 
release openings  in  other  key  cities 
throughout  the  country  will  begin  on 
Feb.  11. 

'Herald  American'  in 
Tribute  to  Columbia 

Chicago,  Jan.  19.  —  The  Herald 
American  replated  its  front  page  on 
Saturday  to  run  news  of  the  Columbia 
Pictures  convention,  held  at  the  Drake 
Hotel.  The  entire  front  page  carried 
Columbia  company  news.  A  four- 
column  picture  of  Rita  Hayworth 
taken  on  the  set  of  "Salome"  ap- 
peared close  to  two  streamer  head- 
lines. Pictures  of  Harry  and  Jack 
Cohn,  Abe  Montague  and  Joseph 
McConville  were  used.  Copies  of  the 
edition  were  distributed  at  the  con- 
vention. Motion  picture  department 
heads  of  Pictorial  Review  and  Amer- 
ican Weekly  were  responsible  for  the 
special  edition. 

"Gambler"  Scoring 
Opening  Week  Marks 

In  the  wake  of  the  three-city  pre- 
miere of  Universal  -  International's 
"The  Mississippi  Gambler,"  which  is 
said  to  have  set  new  house  records, 
the  picture  reportedly  toppled  marks 
in  more  than  50  situations.  In  the  trio 
of  premieres,  the  film,  in  its  first  week, 
grossed  $13,000  at  the  Joy  Theatre  in 
New  Orleans,  $17,000  at  the  Malco 
in  Memphis  and  $27,000  a_t  the  Fox  in 
St.  Louis. 


Award  to  Montgomery 

The  1952  gold  medal  of  the  Inter- 
national Benjamin  Franklin  Society 
has  been  awarded  to  Robert  Mont- 
gomery, motion  picture  and  television 
actor,  director  and  producer  for  his 
fight  "against  Communist  infiltration 
of  the  motion  picture  and  radio 
fields." 


Old  Theatre  to  Close 

Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Jan.  19. — After  48 
years  of  operation,  the  Pastime  Thea- 
tre, Lewistown,  Pa.,  will  be  closed 
April  1,  Irvin  Berney,  son  of  the 
owner,  announced.  Edward  D.  Smith, 
Lewistown  realtor,  purchased  the 
property  to  convert  it  into  a  store- 
room. 


Propose  Study  of 
Overlapping  Taxes 

Washington,  Jan.  19. — Sena- 
tor Hendrickson  (R.,  N.  J.) 
and  10  other  Republican 
Senators  have  introduced  a 
resolution  to  set  up  a  govern- 
ment commission  to  study 
overlapping  state,  Federal  and 
local  taxes. 

The  measure  would  set  up  a 
temporary  national  commis- 
sion on  inter-governmental 
relations.  A  similar  bill  passed 
the  Senate  in  the  last  Con- 
gress, but  did  not  pass  the 
House. 

It  was  reported  that  Presi- 
dent-elect Eisenhower  was 
planning  to  set  up  a  commit- 
tee of  state  governors  to  work 
with  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment on  the  same  subject. 


Hometown  Premiere 
For  Para.'s  'Stars' 

The  hometown  world  premiere  of 
Rosemary  Clooney's  first  motion  pic- 
ture, "The  Stars  Are.  Singing,"  a 
Paramount  production,  will  be  held  in 
Maysville,  Ky.,  on  Jan.  28,  and  news- 
men and  drama  editors  from  Dayton, 
Columbus,  Cincinnati,  Zanesville,  In- 
dianapolis, and  Louisville,  will  cover 
the  premiere.  The  event  will  be  cli- 
maxed with  the  crowning  of  Miss 
Clooney  as  "Queen  of  Song."  Other 
facets  to  the  promotional  activities  in- 
clude parades  and  extensive  radio  and 
television  coverage. 

Senator  Eulogizes 
Late  Joyce  O'Hara 

Washington,  Jan.  19.  —  Senator 
Edwin  C.  Johnson,  Colorado  Demo- 
crat, declared  that  the  late  Joyce 
O'Hara,  vice-president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  was 
"the  kind  of  strong  man  which  Amer- 
ican industry  can  ill  afford  to  lose." 

Johnson  included  in  the  Congres- 
sional Record  a  statement  eulogizing 
O'Hara. 

Legion  Places  Two 
Films  in  Class  B 

The  current  Legion  of  Decency  re- 
port places  two  films  in  Class  B,  three 
in  Class  A-I  and  two  in  Class  A-II. 
Those  put  in  Class  B  are  "Anna," 
(Italian)  Lux  Distributing  Co.,  and 
"Monsoon,"  United  Artists. 

In  Class  A-I  are  "Battlezone"  and 
"Torpedo  Alley,"  Allied  Artists,  and 
"Taxi,"  20th  Century-Fox.  "Jack  Mc- 
Call,  Desperado,"  Columbia,  and  "No 
Holds  Barred,"  Monogram,  were 
placed  in  section  II. 


Silverstone  to  Paris 

London,  Jan.  19. — Murray  Silver- 
stone,  president  of  2'0th  Century-Fox 
International,  has  left  here  for  Paris 
following  a  three-day  sales  confer- 
ence. He  is  expected  back  in  London 
at  the  end  of  the  month  before  return- 
ing to  New  York. 


Report  Death  of  Hancock 

John  Hancock,  26,  assistant  director 
on  the  filming  of  M-G-M's  "Mo- 
gambo"  in  Tankanyika.  was  killed  in 
an  accident  there,  according  to  reports 
reaching  here  from  Nairobi,  Kenya. 


NEW 


.  ... 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Concise 


VOL.  73.    NO.  14 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  21,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Unions  Seek 
To  Regulate 
O'seas  Filming 

AFL  Film  Council 
Passes  A  Resolution 


Hollywood,  Jan.  20. — American 
producers  intending  to  produce  a 
picture  or  pictures  outside  this 
country  will  be  expected  hereafter 
to  make  arrangements  with  studio 
unions  concerning  the  number  of  men 
to  be  taken  along  and  other  conditions, 
according  to  a  resolution  adopted  un- 
animously today  by  26  unions  com- 
prising membership  in  the  Hollywood 
AFL  Film  Council. 

The  resolution  is  the  first  official 
step  by  unions  in  a  long  planned  ef- 
fort to  prevent  American  production 
abroad  from  cutting  into  local  employ- 
ment. 

The  resolution  reads  in  part,  "No 
members  of  unions  affiliated  with  the 
Film  Council  should  accept  assign- 
ments for  a  picture  to  be  made  out- 
side the  United  States  unless  and  until 
an  understanding  has  been  reached  be- 
tween representatives  of  the  unions 
and  the  producer  as  to  the  conditions 
under  which  such  work  is  to  be  per- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Wolff  Is  Reelected 
Head  of  NY  Bookers 


Louis  Wolff  of  Brandt  Theatres 
has  been  reelected  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Bookers  Club  of  New 
York. 

Others  elected  were :  Sam  Ein- 
horn,  Rosenblatt  &  Walt  Theatres, 
first  vice-president ;  Louis  Solkoff, 
Bell  Pictures,  second  vice-president ; 
Myron  Starr,  United  Artists,  treas- 
urer; Harvey  Reinstein,  Universal, 
financial  secretary ;  Shirley  Levy, 
Warner,  recording  secretary;  Ben 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Mrs.  McGinn  Urges 
Better  Films  Support 

Hulda  McGinn,  director  of  legisla- 
tion and  public  relations  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Theatres  Association,  yesterday 
urged  film  council  representatives  to 
step  up  their  support  of  better  motion 
pictures  in  theatres  throughout  the 
nation. 

Speaking  at  the  opening  session  of 
a  three-day  national  conference  of  film 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Rhoden  Tells  MPAA  Meet 
Industry  Starting  New  Era 

The  dark  clouds  of  adverse  publicity  that  beset  the  film  industry  18 
months  ago  have  been  disspelled  by  a  series  of  events  that  have  placed 
the  films'  public  relations  in  a  healthy  state,  Elmer  C.  Rhoden,  president 
of  Fox  Midwest  Theatres,  told  the  community  relations  conference  of 

the  Motion  Pic- 


Republic  Concludes 
Chicago  Meeting 

Chicago,  Jan.  20. — A  reception  in 
honor  of  Paul  Webster,  recently  ap- 
pointed Republic  Midwestern  sales 
manager,  was  held  here  today  at  the 
Blackstone  Hotel,  following  the  con- 
clusion of  a  regional  sales  meeting. 

Among  the  exhibitors  attending  the 
reception  were  Dave  Wallerstein  and 
Duncan  Kennedy  of  Balaban  and 
Katz ;  Alex  Halperin  of  Warner 
Brothers,  and  John  Dromey  of  the 
Great  States  Circuit.   President  Her- 

(Continncd  on  page  6) 


John  Joseph  Joins 
Cinerama  Prod. 


John  Joseph  will  become  field  ex- 
ploitation and  publicity  director  for 
Cinerama  Productions  Corp.,  an- 
nounced Joseph  Kaufman,  director  of 
exhibition  for  the  corporation.  Joseph's 
initial  assignment  will  be  on  playdates 
in  the  Midwest,  the  first  of  which  was 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


ture  Association 
of  America  at 
the  Museum  of 
Modern  Art 
here  last  night. 
Rhoden  pointed 
to  the  "Red" 
probes,  the  in- 
vasion of  tele- 
vision, anti-trust 
cases  and-the 
slump  of  picture 
securities  on  the 
stock  market  as 
some  of  the 
troubles  that 
once  faced  the  industry. 

Today,  Rhoden  said,  the  situation 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Elmer  Rhoden 


Coast  Heads  to  Run 
RKO  Ad-Publicity 

Hollywood,  Jan.  20. — RKO  'Radio 
announced  here  today  the  transfer  of 
responsibility  for  the  company's  pub- 
licity, exploitation  and  advertising  to 
the  Coast,  with  Perry  Lieber  in 
charge  of  publicity  and  exploitation 
nationally,  and  with  Elliston  Vincent, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Sales  Managers  to  Attend 
TO  A  Board  Session  Jan.  27 

Nashville,  Jan.  20. — Invitations  to  attend  the  morning  session  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America's  mid-winter  board  of  directors  meeting-  in 
New  York  on  Tuesday  have  been  accepted  by  almost  all  sales  managers 
of  the  distributing  companies,  TOA  president  Alfred  Starr  reported  here. 
The  sessions  will  be  held  at  the  Pierre 


Hotel. 

Starr  recalled  that  at  the  board 
meeting  in  Los  Angeles  last  year, 
major  production  heads  were  present 
to  discuss  the  problems  of  production. 
It  was  agreed  by  all  that  that  confer- 
ence was  a  fruitful  one,  and  it  appears 
that  the  meeting  this  year  with  sales 
managers  will  be  equally  beneficial,  he 
said. 

"We  of  TOA  are  very  happy," 
Starr  said,  "that  we  shall  have  the 
sales  managers  as  our  guests.  We 
feel  that  conferences  of  this  kind, 
approached  sincerely  by  men  of  good 
will,  cannot  help  but  accomplish 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Annual  TV  and  Radio 
Poll  Results  Ready 

All  ballots  submitted  in  the 
Motion  Picture  Daily-Fame 
annual  television  and  radio 
polls  have  been  tallied  and 
the  results  will  appear  in  this 
publication — tomorrow  for 
television  and  Friday  for 
radio.  American  newspaper 
and  magazine  radio  editors, 
critics  and  columnists  voted. 


Snaper  Thinks 
Gov't  Will  Act 
On  Practices 


Sees  Decree  Violations 
Leading  to  Litigation 

Distributors'  sales  policies  in  re- 
gard to  pre-releases,  demands  for 
advanced  admission  prices  and  per- 
centage terms  are  contributing  to 
the  ultimate  entrance  of  the  govern- 
ment into  a  move  to  correct  the  al- 
leged abuses,  according  to  Wilbur 
Snaper,  national  Allied  president.  And 
Allied  already  is  preparing  a  formal 
protest  to  the  Department  of  Justice, 
he  added. 

Snaper,  at  a  trade  press  con- 
ference yesterday,  called  for  the 
purpose  of  clarifying  Allied's 
position  on  various  issues,  de- 
clared, among  other  things,  that 
(1)  Allied  did  not  reject  arbitra- 
tion, per  se;  (2)  the  consent  de- 
cree is  being  violated  repeatedly 
by  distributors,  and  (3),  arbitra- 
tion is  not  possible  as  far  as 
Allied  is  concerned  until  the 
abuses  have  been  corrected. 

Using   Columbia's   sales  policy  on 

(Continued _  on  page  4) 


German  Guarantees 
Of  $4,900,000  Set 


Washington,  Jan.  20. — Under  the 
information  media  guarantee  program 
that  was  operated  first  by  the  Eco- 
nomic Cooperation  Administration 
and  now  by  the  State  Department, 
American  film  companies  have  man- 
aged to  convert  to  dollars  close  to 
$4,900,000  of  what  otherwise  would 
have  been  blocked  earnings  in  Ger- 
many, it  was  learned  here  today. 

Another  $1,200,000  of  earnings 
on  films  distributed  in  Germany 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Early  N.Y.  Booking 
For  Tri-Opticon 

Both  Tri-Opticon  and  Natural 
Vision  will  open  their  respective 
three-dimensional  subjects  on  Broad- 
way shortly  at  the  Warner  and 
Loew's  State  theatres,  but  it  was  in- 
definite yesterday  which  house  would 
get  which  process.  If  Natural 
Vision's  "Bwana  Devil"  goes  into  the 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  21,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


CHARLES  M.  REAGAN,  M-G-M 
general   sales   manager,   has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Ted  O'Shea,  Jr.,  son  of  the  vice- 
president  of  Paramount  Distributing 
Corp.,  E.  K.  O'Shea,  has  passed  his 
bar  examination  in  Rochester  and  has 
been  admitted  to  active  practice. 
• 

Mac  Greenberg,  Warner  Brothers 
International  attorney,  announces  the 
birth  of  a  daughter  to  Mrs.  Green- 
berg  last  Saturday  at  Jewish  Memo- 
rial Hospital  here. 

• 

Samuel  Rosen  of  Fabian  Theatres 
and  Mrs.  Rosen  have  become  grand- 
parents, their  daughter,  Mrs.  Jacob 
Yexlin,  having  given  birth  to  a  girl, 
Rachel. 

• 

Arthur  Manson,  M-G-M  Cana- 
dian press  representative,  will  arrive 
here  from  Toronto  at  the  weekend  to 
get  married. 

• 

Norman  Panama  and  Melvin 
Frank,  producers,  directors  and  writ- 
ers, will  arrive  here  from  the  Coast 
tomorrow. 

• 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  vice-president,  and  his 
assistant  Bernard  Levy  are  in  Salt 
Lake  City. 

• 

W.  Parkman  Rankin,  manager  of 
motion  picture  advertising  for  This 
Week    magazine,    is    spending  two 
weeks  in  Hollywood  from  New  York. 
• 

Nat  Levy,  RKO  Radio  Eastern  di- 
vision sales  manager,  left  New  York 
last  night  for  Chicago  and  Detroit. 

Arthur  Canton,  M-G-M  Eastern 
division  press  representative,  left  here 
yesterday  for  Boston. 

• 

Joseph  Ehrlich,  RKO  Radio  short 
subjects  publicity  manager,  will  leave 
here  today  for  Philadelphia. 

• 

Jay  Eisenberg  of  M-G-M's  legal 
department  is  due  back  here  Monday 
from  a  tour  of  Southern  exchanges. 


Cleve.  Theatre  Group 
Reelects  Schwartz 

Cleveland,  Jan.  20.  —  Ernest 
Schwartz  today  was  reelected  presi- 
dent, secretary  and  general  manager 
of  the  Cleveland  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
hibitors Association,  for  his  30th 
term.  Also  reelected  were  Albert  E. 
Ptak,  vice-president,  and  Ted  Vermes, 
treasurer. 


Saville  -  Spillane 
Films  for  I] A  Release 

United  Artists  will  release  the  films 
which  Victor  Saville  will  produce 
from  the  novels  of  Mickey  Spillane, 
it  was  announced  here  yesterday  by 
UA  president  Arthur  B.  Krim. 

The  first  two  Spillane  stories  Sa- 
ville will  make  are  "I,  the  Jury"  and 
"Kiss  Me  Deadly." 


MPAA-NETTC  to  Kick- Off 
Resumed  FCC  Hearings 

Washington,  Jan.  20. — The  Motion  Picture  Association  of  America 
and  the  National  Exhibitors  Theatre  Television  Committee  will  start 
off  Monday's  resumption  of  hearings  before  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  with  further  witnesses  to  complete  technical  and  cost  ac- 
counting testimony  which  was  started 
last  October. 

The  hearings  on  the  allocation  of 
frequencies  for  theatre  television  is 
expected  to  last  until  March,  with  in- 
termittent breaks.  In  the  opening 
stage,  MPAA-NETTC  witnesses  will 
include  engineering  expert  Andrew 
Inglis,  cost  expert  Manfred  Toeppen, 
technical  expert  Richard  Hodgson  of 
Paramount,  and  Lester  Isaac,  director 
of  projection  and  sound  for  Loew's. 

This  stage  is  expected  to  last  two 
to  three  days,  Following  that  there 
will  be  direct  testimony  on  technical 
and  cost  accounting  phases  by  A.  T. 
and  T.,  RCA,  and  other  parties,  then 
there  will  be  cross-examination  of  all 
witnesses  and  then  rebuttal  testimony 
by  all  parties  on  the  technical-cost 
phases.  All  this  will  consume  at  least 
another  seven  or  eight  days. 

Following  completion  of  all  phases 
of  the  technical  and  cost  testimony, 
the  MPAA  and  NETTC  will  start 
their  non-technical  testimony  about  the 
development  of  the  industry,  the  need 
for  theatre  TV  and  its  advantages, 
and  similar  matters.  Then  all  parties 
will  give  their  non-technical  testimony, 
and  the  need  for  theatre  TV  and  its 
advantages,  and  similar  matters. 

In  all,  at  least  10  more  days  will   Industry  Cited  for  Efforts 
be  consumed  on  non-technical  testi-  in  Promoting  'Brotherhood' 
mony. 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  20.— Tribute 
to  the  industry  for  demonstrating  "the 
practical  things  that  can  be  done  to 
promote  the  ideas  of  brotherhood," 
was  voiced  by  Dr.  Carlyle  Adams,  re- 
ligious editor  of  the  Albany  Times 
Union,  in  an  address  before  the  Vari- 
ety Club  last  night.  A  dinner  marked 
the  launching  of  the  campaign  in  this 
exchange  district  for  observance  of 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  Feb.  15-22. 


NV  Orders  Second 
10,000,000  Viewers 

Hollywood,  Jan.  20. — Natural  Vi- 
sion Corp.  president  Milton  Gunz- 
burg  has  ordered  a  second  10,000,000 
of  three-dimension  viewers  from  Pola- 
roid Corp.  to  meet  demands  from 
theatres  that  will  play  Warner  Broth- 
ers "Wax  Works,"  now  in  production 
in  the  Natural  Vision  process. 

First  10,000,000  were  ordered  when 
"Bwana  Devil"  was  placed  in  circula- 
tion, and  from  this  supply  1,000,000 
are  committed  to  Sol  Lesser  for  his 
use  in  American  exhibitions  of  his 
English-made  short  subjects  program. 

Set  'Bwana'  for 
Baltimore,  Buffalo 

The  three  -  dimensional  Natural 
Vision  "Bwana  Devil"  will  next  open 
in  Baltimore  and  Buffalo. 

In  Baltimore,  the  film  will  be  shown 
at  Warner  Brothers'  Stanley  start- 
ing Jan.  29,  with  prices  boosted  from 
90  cents  for  matinees  to  $1.25,  in- 
cluding tax. 

In  Buffalo,  the  film  will  open  at  the 
Center  Theatre  tomorrow,  following 
an  advance  build-up  by  press,  radio, 
screen  and  lobby. 


KATO  Meet  March  25-26 

Louisville,  Jan.  20. — The  annual 
convention  of  the  Kentucky  Associa- 
tion of  Theatre  Owners  has  been  set 
for  March  25-26  at  the  Brown  Hotel 
here.  It  will  again  feature  display 
space  by  theatre  supply  manufacturers. 


'Brotherhood'Group 
To  Meet  Here  Today 


Phil  Hodes,  New  York  City  dis- 
tributor chairman  for  "Brotherhood 
Week"  (Feb.  15-22),  has  called  a 
meeting  of  co-chairmen  and  branch 
managers  of  this  area  for  tomorrow 
at  2 :30  P.M.  in  the  office  of  Spyros 
Skouras,  Jr.  Among  those  scheduled 
to  attend  are  Sam  Rinzler,  Michael 
Edelstein,  John  A.  Cassidy,  Skouras, 
Jr.,  and  Hodes. 

The  industry's  campaign  kits  for 
"Brotherhood  Week"  are  enroute  to 
all  offices  of  National  Screen  Service 
from  which  they  will  be  distributed 
to  exhibitors.  Each  kit  contains  a 
campaign  book,  one-sheet  honor  roll, 
35  membership  cards,  a  display  card 
and  a  letter  from  Sol  A.  Schwartz, 
national  chairman  for  the  committee. 

Si  Seadler,  advertising  -  publicity 
chairman  for  the  industry's  participa- 
tion, said  that  most  exhibitors  should 
have  the  campaign  kits  by  the  end  of 
this  week. 


Para,  to  Distribute 
Danny  Kaye  Starrer 

A  deal  to  finance  and  distribute 
Danny  Kaye's  independent  production, 
"Knock  on  Wood,"  on  a  participation 
basis,  has  been  closed  by  Paramount. 
Norman  Panama  and  Melvin  Frank 
are  associated  with  Kaye  in  the  pro- 
duction, which  will  be  filmed  in  Eng- 
land this  spring  in  color  by  Techni- 
color. 

Kaye  will  star  with  Panama  and 
Frank  producing  and  directing  from 
their  original  screenplay.  Sylvia  Fine 
(Mrs.  Kaye)  will  do  the  original 
musical  numbers  for  the  picture. 


Mass  'Condor'  Openings 

A  series  of  mass,  regional  openings 
has  been  set  by  20th  Century-Fox  for 
"Treasure  of  the  Golden  Condor"  be- 
ginning early  next  month.  Pacific 
and  New  England  states  will  be  first, 
followed  by  the  Central  and  Midwest 
territories  and  then  the  South. 

Heavy  advertising  and  exploitation 
campaigns  have  been  set  for  each  of 
the  regional  openings. 


Inauguration  Hits 
Baltimore  Business 

Baltimore,  Jan.  20. — Motion 
picture  theatres  here  today 
severely  felt  the  competition 
of  President  Eisenhower's 
inauguration.  Theatres  as 
well  as  downtown  streets 
were  practically  deserted. 

Baltimoreans  who  did  not 
journey  to  neighboring  Wash- 
ington to  witness  the  cere- 
monies evidently  looked  in  on 
television. 


ELC  Suit  Pre -Trial 
To  Be  Set  Feb.  25 


A  pre-trial  conference  will  be  set 
on  Feb.  25  when  Chesapeake  Indus- 
tries' $15,000,000  anti-trust  suit 
against  Loew's  and  RKO  theatres 
will  be  called  on  the  calendar  in  Fed- 
eral Court  here. 

The  conference,  according  to  a 
Chesapeake  Industries  attorney,  will 
follow  the  Feb.  25  call  in  court.  No 
trial  date  has  been  set  as  yet,  it  was 
added.  Chesapeake  Industries,  as  the 
owner  of  the  now-dissolved  Eagle 
Lion  Classics,  is  pressing  the  suit, 
which  charges  that  ELC  had  been 
denied  access  to  the  New  York  mar- 
ket because  of  an  alleged  split  by 
Loew's  and  RKO  theatres  of  film 
product.  It  was  charged  that  this 
arrangement  prevented  any  opening  of 
the  market  to  ELC. 

Although  no  damage  award  against 
the  major  film  companies  is  sought, 
the  distributors  are  named  in  the  com- 
plaint. 


11  A  A  Films  to  Go 
Into  Production 


Hollywood,  Jan.  20. — Eleven  films, 
five  in  color,  will  be  placed  in  pro- 
duction by  Allied  Artists  between  the 
resumption  of  production,  on  the  com- 
pletion of  physical  plant  alterations 
now  in  progress,  and  June,  executive 
producer  Walter  Mirisch  told  the 
company's  producers  at  a  blue-printing 
session  today. 

Mirisch  also  announced  the  promo- 
tion of  associate  producer  Edward 
Morey,  Jr.,  to  full  producership,  and 
assigned  him  "Green  Hills  of  Idaho," 
newly  acquired  property,  to  produce 
in  color. 

Two  among  the  11  named — "Black 
Knight,"  which  Mirisch  will  produce 
personally,  and  "Wichita,"  Wyatt 
Earp  biography  —  are  to  go  in  color 
in  Technicolor. 


'Top  Brass"  at  Premiere 

An  audience  of  distinguished  per- 
sonalities from  the  entertainment, 
military  and  social  fields,  including 
200  top-ranking  Army  and  Air  Force 
officers  and  officials  of  the  Air  Force 
Association  will  be  invited  guests  at 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's  Metropolitan 
premiere  of  "Above  and  Beyond"  at 
Brandt's  Mayfair  Theatre  here  on 
Thursday  evening,  Jan.  29. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Kamsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Ouigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  yuigpuDco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy.  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Uraay, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  tfuiiomffi 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FT  6-3074;  Bruce  Trmz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  JNortn 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  T.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl;  Hope  Buraup.  Manager ;  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  ames  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  JN.  Y.,  under  tne  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


LANA  AND  KIRK  HAVE  GONE  TO  WORK! 

Beautiful  Business  Everywhere  For  M-G-M's  Sensational  Hit! 

(Press  Time  Flash!)  Music  Hall  topping  terrific  engagement  of  "Million  Dollar  Mermaid" ! 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL' 

★ 

M-G-M  presents  Lana  Turner  •  Kirk  Douglas  •  Walter  Pidgeon  .  Dick  Powell  in  "THE 
BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL"  .  co-starring  Barry  Sullivan  .  Gloria  Grahame  .  Gilbert 
Roland  •  with  Leo  G.  Carroll  •  Vanessa  Brown  .  Screen  Play  by  Charles  Schnee  •  Based  on 
a  story  by  George  Bradshaw  •  Directed  by  Vincente  Minnelli  •  Produced  by  John  Houseman 


(A  date  to  remember,  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22) 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  21,  1953 


Snaper  Thinks 

(Continued  from  page  1)  


"Salome"  as  an  example  of  what  he 
described  as  abusive  trade  practices 
in  general  by  "distribution  as  a 
whole,"  Snaper  analyzed  Columbia's 
current  trade  press  advertising  which 
set  forth  the  company's  selling  plans 
for  the  picture.  Snaper  was  especially 
critical  of  Columbia's  decision  to 
"limit  the  pre-release  engagements  to 
qualified  theatres  in  cities  of  75,000 
population  or  more."  ,  Such  a  policy, 
he  said,  was  a  "rank  discrimination" 
against  most  of  the  exhibitors  of  the 
country. 

First  Time,  Says  Snaper 
In  addition,  Snaper  continued,  ^  Col- 
umbia, via  the  trade  press  ads,  is  "sug- 
gesting" that  the  exhibitors  raise  their 
admission  prices  for  "Salome"  and, 
in  effect,  if  the  exhibitors  don't  raise 
them,  the  company  can  reject  the  of- 
fers. So  far,  this  is  the  first  time  that 
"price-setting"  has  been  recognized 
as  a  practice,  Snaper  said. 

Such  a  policy,  Snaper  assert- 
ed, will  pave  the  way  for  similar 
sales  plans  on  20|or  more  pic- 
tures by  other  companies.  Ex- 
hibitors cannot  stay  in  business 
if  the  distributors  tell  them 
how  to  play  their  product,  he 
stated.  The  effect  on  theatres 
is  that  important  pictures  come 
along  but  the  exhibitors  can't 
play  them  because  of  the  terms 
and  the  necessity  for  raising 
the  admission  prices;  and  by 
pre-releasing  them  in  larger  sit- 
uations, the  films  lose  their 
value  by  the  delay  in  their 
availability  to  the  balance  of 
exhibitors,  Snaper  pointed  out. 

Protesting  the  current  trade  prac- 
tices to  the  distributors  will  do  no 
good,  Snaper  said,  adding  that  "there 
must  be  a  bigger  power."  Columbia's 
policy  on  "Salome"  has  laid  the  basis 
for  Allied's  determination  to  "take 
direct  action,"  which  conceivably 
could  "bring  on  more  litigation,"  he 
said.  Allied  will  participate  in  no 
more  talks  on  arbitration  until  the 
distributors  agree  to  the  reforms  de- 
manded by  the  association,  the  Allied 
president  contended. 

Arbitration  should  be  designed  to 
help  the  80  per  cent  of  exhibitors  who 
do  not  have  first-run  privileges, 
Snaper  said,  pointing  out  that  Allied 
was  not  opposed  to  the  establishment 
of  an  arbitration  system  but  to  the 
abuses  that  were  not  covered  by  the 
distributors'  draft.  Asked  whether  an 
arbitration  system  could  be  set  up 
without  Allied's  participation,  Snaper 
said  that  any  plan  would  have  to  get 
the  approval  of  the  court  and  that  the 
court  would  expect  full  exhibitor  co- 
operation. 

If  the  distributors  want  arbitration, 
Snaper  said,  the;-  should  express  them- 
selves on  the  abuses  alleged  by  Allied. 
He  indicated  that  the  issue  would 
remain  in  status  quo  until  distributors 
showed  a  willingness  to  initiate  re- 
forms. 


$4,900,000  in  Guarantees 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Coast  RKO  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Foote,  Cone  and  Belding  advertising- 
agency  account  executive,  handling 
the  company's  advertising. 

Richard  Condon  will  have  charge 
of  New  York  publicity  and  advertis- 
ing under  Coast  supervision,  and 
Lieber  will  meet  with  Condon  later 
this  week  to  outline  operations. 


and  Yugoslavia  may  still  be 
converted  later  under  outstand- 
ing contracts. 

So  far,  ECA  and  State  have  made 
contracts  with  the  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association  and  with  individual 
film  companies  guaranteeing  con- 
vertibility on  $6,120,260  of  earnings, 
almost  entirely  in  Germany  and  Yugo- 
slavia. 

The  Yugoslav  contracts,  never 
before  announced,  were  negotiated 
during  the  last  one  to  four  months  by 
the  State  Department.  They  were 
the  first  contracts  written  for  that 
country,  with  the  MPEA  getting  one 
contract  for  all  major  distributors  and 
two  smaller  contracts  written  by  in- 
dependents. So  far,  no  payments  have 
been  made  under  the  Yugoslav  con- 
tracts, which  involve  about  $265,500 
in  guarantees. 

All  other  contracts  were  written 
by  ECA  before  it  turned  the  program 
over  to  the  State  Department  last 
summer.  With  the  exception  of  one 
small  contract  for  Encyclopedia  Brit- 
tannica  Films  in  Norway,  all  the 
earlier  contracts  were  for  distribution 
in  German}'. 

State  Department  officials  said  they 
had  received  no  requests  for  new  Ger- 
man contracts. 

The  information  media  guarantee 
program  was  set  up  by  Congress  as 
part  of  the  foreign  aid  program,  and 
was  designed  to  keep  U.  S.  films, 
magazines,  books  and  other  informa- 
tion media  circulating  in  Europe.  The 
program  guaranteed  distributors  the 
convertibility  into  dollars  of  so  much 
of  their  earnings  as  needed  to  cover 
all  of  their  out-of-pocket  expenses  in 
connection  with  distributing  the  films 
covered  by  the  contract  in  the  particu- 
lar country  involved,  plus  a  portion  of 
the  original  film  cost. 

Here  is  a  summary  of  the  film  con- 
tracts written  so  far : 

Columbia  Pictures  :  Guaranteed 
convertibility  of  $384,549  earned  on 
distributing  11  features  and  four  docu- 
mentaries in  Germany.  So  far,  $277,- 
772  has  been  paid. 

Eagle-Lion  :  Guaranteed  and  paid 
$52,485  of  earnings  on  two  features 
distributed  in  Germany. 

Encyclopedia  Britannica  :  Guar- 
anteed convertibility  of  $27,428  earned 
on  showing  film  strips  and  educational 
pictures  in  Norway,  and  so  far  ac- 
tually paid  $19,374. 

H.  and  C.  Enterprises  :  Guaran- 
teed convertibility  of  $35,464  earned  on 


"Cyrano"  in  Germany.  So  far,  noth- 
ing paid. 

Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions  : 
Guaranteed  $121,320  and  actually  paid 
$120,920  on  earnings  of  five  features  in 
Germany. 

Guaranteed  Pictures:  Guaranteed 
$1,200  for  distributing  "The  Charlie 
Chaplin  Film  Festival"  in  Yugoslavia. 
So  far,  nothing  paid. 

Keystone  Pictures  :  Guaranteed 
and  paid  $13,013  for  distributing  edu- 
cational news  and  feature  films  in  Ger- 
many. 

Loew's  International  :  Guaran- 
teed _  $734,800  and  paid  $733,955  for 
distributing  19  features,  10  shorts  and 
one  documentary  in  Germany. 

Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion: Guaranteed  $1,067,394  and  so 
far  paid  $827,394  on  earnings  of  120 
features  and  nine  shorts  in  Germany 
and  Yugoslavia.  Of  the  total  guaran- 
teed, $240,000  represents  a  guarantee 
on  the  earnings  of  40  features  in  Yu- 
goslavia, the  rest  covers  German  dis- 
tribution. 

Paramount  Pictures  :  Guarantee 
of  $617,845  on  earnings  of  17  features 
and  seven  shorts  in  Germany,  with 
payments  so  far  amounting  to  $475,124. 

RKO  Pictures:  A  total  of  $848,- 
82'0  guaranteed  and  $797,172  paid  so 
far  on  earnings  of  20  features  and  11 
shorts  distributed  in  Germany. 

Republic  Pictures  :  For  distribu- 
tion in  Germany  of  nine  features  and 
one  short,  a  guarantee  of  $314,000 
and  payment  so  far  of  $167,639. 

Selznick  Releasing  Organiza- 
tion: Guarantee  of  $124,055  and  pay- 
ment so  far  of  $95,541  on  release  of 
five  features  in  Germany  and  Yugo- 
slavia. Of  the  total  guarantee,  $13,500 
is  alloted  to  Yugoslavia. 

Steelman-Kramer  :  Guarantee  of 
$34,417  for  distributing-  "The  Champ" 
in  Germany.     So  far,  nothing  paid. 

Edward  Small  Productions: 
Guaranteed  and  paid  $25,370  for  dis- 
tributing one  feature  in  Germany. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  Inter- 
national: Guaranteed  $698,640  and 
so  far  paid  $589,319  on  release  in 
Germany  of  18  features  and  four 
shorts. 

Universal:  Guaranteed  $517,000 
and  so  far  paid  $373,381  on  earnings 
of  16  features  and  seven  shorts  dis- 
tributed in  Germany. 

Warner  Brothers  :  Guaranteed 
$502,459  and  so  far  paid  $346,260  on 
distributing-  15  features  and  one  short 
in  Germany. 


New  Era 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


John  Joseph 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


recently  announced  for  Detroit. 

Most  recently,  Joseph  had  been 
Eastern  publicity  manager  for  M-G- 
M.  Before  that,  he  was  advertising 
and  publicity  director  for  Universal. 
Joseph  has  also  had  theatre  experi- 
ence in  the  Central  States,  with  Bala- 
ban  and  Katz  and  RKO  Midwest 
Theatres. 

Joseph  arrives  here  this  morning  for 
meetings  with  Lynn  Farnol,  Cinerama 
public  relations  consultant,  before  go- 
ing to  Detroit. 


$9,000  for  'Meet  Me9 

Columbus,  Jan.  20.  —  Universal's 
"Meet  Me  at  the  Fair,"  which  had  its 
premiere  at  Loew's  Ohio  Theatre  here 
on  Saturday,  is  due  to  roll  up  a  gross 
of  $9,000  for  the  week,  it  is  reported. 


Cinerama  Gets  2 
Year  Detroit  Lease 

Detroit,  Jan.  20. — Cinerama  has 
been  given  a  two-year  lease  on  the 
Music  Hall  here,  with  a  seven-year 
option,  M.  G.  Gaskin,  president  of 
Music  Hall,  Inc.,  disclosed. 

Changes  in  wiring  and  construction 
of  projection  booths  on  the  main  floor 
will  start  in  mid-February.  The  final 
seating  capacity  of  the  house  is  slated 
to  be  1,500,  with  the  performance  of 
"This  Is  Cinerama"  scheduled  to  open 
on  Easter  Sunday. 


Critics  Honor  Pascal 

Gabriel  Pascal,  producer  of  George 
Bernard  Shaw's  "Androcles  and  the 
Lion,"  RKO  Radio  release,  will  be 
honored,  by  members  of  the  Foreign 
Language  Film  Critics  Circle  here 
today  at  the  Hotel  Plaza. 


has  changed.  Through  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Industry  Council,  headed  by  Art 
Arthur,  the  "Red"  infiltration  of  the 
industry  was  wiped  out.  Television 
has  developed  to  a  point  where  it  not 
only  will  be  the  industry's  main  ad- 
vertising medium,  but  "can  very  well 
be  our  distribution  medium."  Rhoden 
said  that  the  challenge  of  television 
had  been  answered  through  a  great 
improvement  in  picture  quality  which 
has  been  reflected  in  box-office  grosses. 
With  this  improvement,  Wall  Street 
investment  services  now  are  recom- 
mending the  purchase  of  entertain- 
ment stocks,  Rhoden  said,  declaring 
that  "we  have  re-established  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  the  investing 
public." 

Rhoden  praised  industry  personali- 
ties who  are  giving  their  services  to 
public  relations,  singling  out  John 
Wayne,  Ronald  Reagan,  Bob  Hope, 
Irene  Dunne,  Loretta  Young,  Audrey 
Totter,  Frances  Langford,  George 
Murphy,  Walter  Pidgeon  and  others. 

"So  with  the  improved  quality  of 
entertainment,  and  with  public  con- 
fidence again  restored,  with  the  ad- 
vance of  technological  developments 
in  depth  pictures,  it  looks  as  if  the 
motion  picture  industry  stands  on  the 
threshold  of  a  new  era,"  Rhoden  said. 

With  the  growth  of  the  country  and 
the  increase  of  the  birth  rate,  pro- 
ducers realize  that  every  10  years  they 
have  a  potential  of  millions  of  new 
customers,  Rhoden  asserted,  adding 
that  pictures  made  six  or  seven  years 
ago  have  a  potential  additional  earn- 
ing of  from  30  to  40  per  cent  of  their 
original  value.  That  is  the  reason,  he 
said,  why  "smart  producers  today  are 
not  selling  their  old  negatives  to  be 
dissipated  in  a  single  shot  over  tele- 
vision." 

Rhoden  stressed  his  "pet"  subject, 
the  "children's  vacation  matinees"  in 
his  territory,  a  project  that  has  built 
new  customers  and  at  the  same  time 
given  exhibitors  a  satisfaction  of  serv- 
ice to  their  communities.  He  said  he 
would  submit  the  plan,  as  chairman  of 
the  public  relations  committee  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  to  the 
TOA  board  for  adoption  at  its  meet- 
ing- here  next  week. 


Better  Films  Support 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


council  delegates  at  the  Gotham 
Hotel,  Mrs.  McGinn  stated  that  a 
continuing  flow  of  worthwhile  screen 
fare  from  the  studios  can  be  encour- 
aged only  by  getting  behind  the  meri- 
torious films  and  cooperating  with  ex- 
hibitors who  play  them. 

Mrs.  McGinn,  a  pioneer  in  the 
establishment  of  film  councils 
throughout  California,  said  that  mo- 
tion pictures  are  playing  a  vital  role 
in  the  nation  not  only  through  their 
morale-building  qualities  but  as  a 
valuable  medium  of  information  and 
education. 

Mrs.  McGinn  lauded  the  industry 
for  welcoming  constructive  criticism 
from  the  film  councils  and  for  provid- 
ing preview  facilities  for  the  national 
previewing  organizations. 

"Other  major  industries  in  this 
country,"  she  said,  "would  do  well  to 
follow  the  film  industry's  example  of 
inviting  public  appraisal  of  its 
product." 

Mrs.  McGinn's  talk  followed  a 
screening  of  M-G-M's  "Lili"  and  the 
documentary  featurette,  "The  Hoax- 
ters." 


TCSt/l 'CAM/ LU    THE    MOST  LUXURIOUS 
TRANSCONTINENTAL    AIR  SERVICE 

EVER  OFFERED 

TWAs  VeW  SUPER  CONSTELLATIONS 


Nightly  between  Los  Angeles  and  New  York  via  Chicago. 
Full-length  sleeping  berths  available  at  additional  cost. 

Now  TWA  offers  transcontinental  "Ambassador"  service  .  .  .  provid- 
ing all  of  the  luxurious  features  that  have  distinguished  TWA 
"Ambassador"  nights  to  Europe,  and  more! 

You're  in  important,  exciting  company  from  the  moment  you 
set  foot  on  the  rich  red  carpet  that  leads  to  your  flight.  Your  plane 
is  a  giant  new  Super  Constellation,  expressly  built  by  Lockheed  for 
TWA,  and  one  of  the  most  powerful  airliners  in  the  skies  today. 
Your  accommodations  are  the  finest:  restful  lean-back  club  chairs 
or  luxurious  full-length  sleeping  berths.  And  you  can  enjoy  delicious 
between -meal  refreshments  and  friendly  conversation  with  your 
fellow  passengers  in  the  gaily  decorated  lounge. 

On  your  next  cross-country  trip  plan  to  go  on  the  "Ambassador" 
.  .  .  truly  the  most  luxurious  transcontinental  flights  ever  offered. 
For  reservations,  see  your  travel  agent  or  call  Trans  World  Airlines, 
LExington  2-7100. 


ACROSS    THE    U.S.   AND  OVERSEAS 


FLY  mm 


TRANS  WORLD  AIRLINES 

U.S.A.  ■  EUROPE  ■  AfRICA  ■  ASIA 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  21,  1953 


Starr  to  Meet  With 
Trade  Press  Daily 

Industry  trade  press  repre- 
sentatives will  meet  with 
Alfred  Starr,  president  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
at  the  conclusion  of  each 
day's  sessions  of  the  board  of 
directors  next  week  at  the 
Hotel  Pierre  here.  The  board 
meets  Monday  and  Tuesday, 
with  an  executive  committee 
parley  scheduled  for  Sunday. 


TOA  Board 

(Continued  from  page.  1) 


good.  "In  an  industry  so  beset  with 
strife,  with  litigation,  and  with  ill-will, 
I  know  of  no  better  way  to  improve 
know  of  no  better  way  to  improve 
relations  than  through  the  frank  dis- 
cussion of  mutual  problems.  There 
are  those  who  wish  to  run  to  the  po- 
lice to  seek  governmental  interfer- 
ence. If  that  approach  can  lead  any- 
where, it  will  be  only  to  greater  stric- 
turing  of  our  industry.  It  is  difficult 
to  comprehend  how  men  who  are  so 
close  to  the  chaos  created  by  the  de- 
cisions and  by  decrees  in  U.  S.  vs. 
Paramount,  et  al.,  can  now  go  back 
to  the  same  source  for  more  purported 
help.  Where  and  when  in  industry 
history  has  government  been  of  any 
assistance  to  exhibitors  in  the  opera- 
tion of  their  business  ?" 


Review 


Tri-Opticon  in  N.  Y. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Warner,  Tri-Opticon  will  play  the 
State,  or  vice  versa. 

Meanwhile,  the  Tri-Opticon  pro- 
gram is  continuing  to  smash  records 
at  the  Pilgrim  Theatre  in  Boston, 
according  to  Seymour  Poe,  repre- 
sentative of  the  Sol  Lesser  project. 
The  tri-dimensional  subjects  grossed 
$22,000  at  the  house  in  the  first  four 
days  of  its  engagement  which  opened 
last  Thursday  at  the  Pilgrim.  It  is 
estimated  that  the  show  will  hit 
$30,000  for  the  week. 

Max  Roth,  Midwest  sales  manager 
for  Tri-Opticon,  who  is  in  New  York 
from  Chicago,  said  here  that  the  new 
medium  drew  75,000  patrons  in  two- 
and-a-half  weeks  at  the  600-seat  Tele- 
news  Theatre  in  Chicago.  The  pro- 
gram is  now  in  its  fourth  week  and 
will  stay  for  at  least  two  more. 

Following  a  Denver  opening  yester- 
day, Tri-Opticon  will  make  its  next 
debut  in  Salt  Lake  City. 


Republic 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


bert  Yates,  addressing  the  meet,  high- 
lighted the  company's  forthcoming 
product.  In  commenting  on  Webster's 
promotion  from  within  the  ranks  of 
the  organization,  he  stated  his  belief 
that  opportunities  in  the  industry  are 
as  great  as  ever  for  qualified  and  en- 
thusiastic manpower. 

James  R.  Grainger,  executive  vice- 
president  and  director  of  sales,  pre- 
sided over  the  business  sessions,  which 
were  attended  by  branch  managers 
Abe  Fischer,  Chicago  ;  Jack  G.  Frack- 
man,  Milwaukee;  J.  E.  Loeffler,  Min- 
neapolis ;  R.  F.  Withers,  Kansas  City ; 
Harry  Lefholtz,  Omaha;  Nat  E. 
Steinberg,  St.  Louis ;  as  well  as 
Richard  G.  Yates,  executive  assistant 
to  Grainger,  and  Jack  Alexander, 
contract  department  manager. 


tt 


»> 


Treasure  of  the  Golden  Condor 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

HIGH  ADVENTURE,  plus  color  by  Technicolor,  is  offered  in  "Treasure 
of  the  Golden  Condor"  and  film  audiences  who  wish  to  escape  from  the 
cares  of  every  day  life  should  find  it  very  enpoyable.  Wrapped  up  in  this 
Jules  Buck  production  is  a  tcmpestous  romance,  a  son  seeking  to  regain  his 
rightful  title,  fisticuffs,  a  treasure  hunt  into  Guatemala,  a  picturesque,  philo- 
sophical Scotsman  and  added  ingredients  which  lift  this  film  above  others  of 
its  type. 

Featured  are  Cornel  Wilde,  as  the  son  seeking  to  redeem  his  name  and  title ; 
Constance  Smith,  the  beautiful  woman  he  finally  teams  up  with,  and  Finlay 
Currie,  adventurous  Scotsman  who  turns  in  an  excellent  characterization. 

The  story  really  gets  rolling  when  Wilde  rebels  against  his  bondage  to  his 
uncle,  the  Marquis  de  St.  Malo,  played  by  George  Macready,  by  seeking  a 
hidden  treasure  in  the  far-off  Mayan  hills  of  Guatemala.  The  background  for 
his  rebellion  is  that  Wilde  is  the  rightful  heir  to  his  uncle's  title  and  lands,  and 
he  goes  on  this  adventure  to  win  his  fortune  and  claim.  Although  there  are  a 
number  of  incredible  incidents  in  time  and  place,  the  events  are  so  engrossing 
on  the  whole  that  the  picture  wins  acceptance.  The  fortune  is  found  and  Wilde 
returns  and  wins  his  claim,  only  to  return  to  the  Mayan  hills  to  join  Constance 
Smith  and  her  father,  the  philosophical  Scotsman  who  has  found  peace  away 
from  civilization. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Walter  Hampden,  Anne  Bancroft,  Fay  Wray,  Leo  G. 
Carroll,  Konstantin  Shayne,  and  Louis  Heminger.  Delmer  Daves  directed 
and  wrote  the  screenplay,  which  was  based  on  a  novel  by  Edison  Marshall. 

Running  time,  93  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  February 
release.  Murray  Horowitz 


National 


Remove  French  Film 
On  Cleric's  Protest 


Toronto,  Jan.  20.  —  The  Ontario 
Board  of  Moving  Picture  Censors 
ordered  withdrawal  of  the  French 
feature  "Clochemerle"  on  the  com- 
plaint of  Most  Rev.  Alexandre 
Vachon,  Archbishop  of  Ottawa,  that 
the  film  is  vulgar  and  discredits  the 
Church  and  clergy. 

The  prelate  demanded  that  the  Can- 
adian Senate  committee  investigating 
obscene  literature  broaden  its  scope  to 
study  such  imported  films  as  "Cloche- 
merle." 

The  French  picture  was  showing 
at  the  Elgin  Theatre,  Ottawa,  when 
the  protest  came  from  the  Archbishop 
and  the  engagement  was  terminated 
so  that  the  Ontario  censors  could  re- 
view the  film  which  had  previously 
been  approved  in  the  classification  of 
adult  entertainment. 


'Stars'  Parties  Set 
For  Exhibitors 

Luncheons  and  cocktail  parties  for 
exhibitors  in  six  Eastern  seaboard 
cities  will  accompany  screenings  of 
"The  Stars  Are  Singing,"  whose  star, 
Rosemary  Clooney,  will  attend,  fol- 
lowing the  Jan.  28  world  premiere  of 
the  picture  in  her  home  town,  Mays- 
ville,  Ky. 

Paramount  has  scheduled  the  affairs 
for  Boston,  Feb.  2 ;  New  York,  Feb. 
3  ;  Philadelphia,  Feb.  4  ;  Washington, 
Feb.  S;  Atlanta,  Feb.  6,  and  Nash- 
ville, Feb.  7  and  8,  where  a  reception 
for  Miss  Clooney  will  be  given  by 
Gov.  Frank  Clement  of  Tennessee. 


SPG  to  Hold  Series 
Of  Press  Luncheons 


Hollywood,  Jan.  20. — The  Screen 
Producers  Guild  announces  the  first  of 
a  series  of  round  table  luncheons  on 
Jan.  28  at  which  members  of  the  Guild 
will  meet  informally  with  members  of 
the  press  for  a  general  discussion  of 
industry  problems.  The  luncheon  will 
take  place  at  the  Brown  Derby,  with  a 
dozen  producers  and  an  equal  num- 
ber of  press  representatives  present. 
Idea  for  the  luncheon-meetings  ema- 
nated in  the  Guild's  public  relations 
committee,  chairmanned  by  Samuel  G. 
Engel. 


To  Release  'Dimes' 
Trailer  on  Friday 

The  1953  March  of  Dimes  film 
trailer,  "Through  the  Years,"  starring 
Howard  Keel,  will  be  shown  nation- 
ally, Friday,  through  Jan.  31,  in 
theatres  from  Coast-to-Coast  and  in 
the  U.  S.  territories. 

The  film,  running  five  minutes,  was 
made  at  Rancho  Los  Amigos  Hos- 
pital in  Los  Angeles  with  almost  100 
iron  lung  and  rocking  bed  polio 
patients.  The  picture  was  made  by 
M-G-M  under  the  direction  of  Harry 
Loud.  Distribution  is  handled  by 
National  Screen. 


Wolf  Is  Reelected 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Levine,  Realart,  sergeant-at-arms ; 
Fred  Mayer,  Universal,  and  Kitty 
Flynn,  Paramount,  trustees;  and  the 
following  directors :  Archie  Berish, 
RKO  Theatres ;  Alex  Arnswalder, 
20th  Century-Fox ;  George  Trelling, 
Fabian  ;  Harold  Klein,  J.  J.  Theatres  ; 
Harry  Margolis,  M-G-M ;  Lillian 
Seidman  of  Harris  Theatres. 

Formal  installation  will  be  held  on 
Feb.  2  at  New  York's  Hotel  Taft. 


Unions  Seek 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


formed,  number  of  men  to  be  taken 
with  company,  and  any  other  matters 
pertinent  to  the  employment  of  union 
members." 

Although  implementation  was  not 
fully  outlined  today,  it  is  believed  the 
council  will  establish  a  committee  or 
other  body  for  producers  to  consult 
with  more  conveniently  than  union  by 
union. 


Edelman  Joins  Elgar 

Julius  Edelman  has  been  appointed 
vice-president  and  Jeanne  Osen  Re- 
musat  corporate  secretary  of  Peter 
Elgar  Productions,  according  to  pres- 
ident Peter  Elgar.  Both  have  received 
stock  in  the  firm. 


Pre-Selling 


MRS.  WALT  DISNEY  has 
written  a  six-page  story  called 
"I  Live  with  a  Genius"  for  the  Feb- 
ruary issue  of  McCall's  Magazine. 
The  story  is  illustrated  with  pictures 
of  Walt  Disney  photographed  at  home 
and  at  play  and  with  six  full-color 
stills  from  Disney's  "Peter  Pan." 
Also  in  this  issue  is  a  full-page  ad 
on  "Come  Back,  Little  Sheba,"  Para- 
mount picture  starring  Shirley  Booth 
and  Burt  Lancaster. 

• 

Scenes  filmed  of  Ava  Gardner  and 
Clark  Gable  on  the  set  of  M-G-M's 
"Mogambo"  in  East  Africa  will  ap- 
pear in  the  Jan.  24  issue  of  Life. 
Miss  Gardner  is  shown  taking  a 
shower  in  an  outside  stockade  while 
Gable  looks  on.  A  still  of  Jean 
Harlow  and  Clark  Gable  in  "Red 
Dust"  in  a  similar  setting  is  shown 
as  a  contrast  to  the  new  M-G-M 
picture  now  being  produced.  A  full- 
color  ad  on  "Peter  Pan"  appeared 
in  the  Jan.  17  issue  of  Life. 
• 

A  full-page  ad  on  Paramount's 
"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba"  appears  in 
the  February  issue  of  Woman's  Home 
Companion.  Also  appearing  in  this 
issue  is  a  Lux  Soap  ad  featuring 
Mona  Freeman  with  copy  for  her 
RKO  picture  "Angel  Face."  In  an- 
other ad,  placed  by  Woodbury  Cold 
Cream,  a  portrait  and  letter  of 
Rhonda  Fleming's  dominate  a  full 
page.  In  her  letter  Rhonda  recom- 
mends to  readers  that  they  see  her 
new  Paramount  picture,  "Pony  Ex- 
press." 

• 

A  Kapralik  full-color  caricature  of 
the  stars  in  M-G-M's  "The  Bad  and 
the  Beautiful"  will  appear  on  the  front 
cover  of  the  Jan.  25  Pictorial  Review. 
The  stars  portrayed  in  the  Kapralik 
drawing  are  Lana  Turner,  Kirk 
Douglas,  Walter  Pidgeon,  Gloria 
Grahame,  Dick  Powell,  Gilbert  Ro- 
land and  Barry  Sullivan. 

• 

Twelve  pictures  are  reviewed  in 
the  February  issue  of  Seventeen, 
among  them  Paramount's  "Road  to 
Bali,"  Universal  -  International's 
"The  Lawless  Breed,"  Time  Film's 
"Forbidden  Games,"  M-G-M's  "The 
Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "My  Cousin  Rachel," 
Mayer-Kingsley's  "Life  Begins  To- 
morrow," Warner's  "April  in  Paris" 
and  Picture's  "Leonardo  Da  Vinci." 
Also  in  this  issue  is  a  full-page  ad 
on  "Come  Back,  Little  Sheba." 


Ruth  Herbert  tells  what  happens 
when  the  lunch  bell  rings  on  the  ice 
pond  set  of  Warner  Brothers'  "By 
the  Light  of  the  Silvery  Moon,"  in 
the  February  issue  of  Good  House- 
keeping. Doris  Day  and  Gordon 
MacRae,  starring  in  the  picture,  spent 
many  hours  skating  before  the 
camera.  However,  they  enjoyed 
themselves  at  noontime,  when  they 
were  joined  by  Ray  Bolger,  who  did 
some  of  his  comic  dance  routines  on 
skates,  and  Virginia  Mayo,  Gene  Nel- 
son and  Patrice  Wymore,  who  per- 
formed like  the  skaters  on  the  rink  in 
Rockefeller  Plaza,  New  York.  Also 
in  this  issue  is  a  four-color  ad  on 
Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan." 

— Walter  Haas 


$00 f  WoVeJ Mi*  r&tfaf 


Currently  advertised 
in  the  COMPANION 

Come  Back,  Little  Sheba 

Paramount  Pictures 

Jeopardy  MGM 

Hans  Christian  Andersen 

Goldwyn— RKO 
The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful  MGM 


Talk  about  volume  and  the  mind  of  many 

a  movie  maker  turns  lovingly  to  thoughts 

of  Companion  Approval.  Why?  For  one  simple, 
sound-as-a-dollar  reason:  more  than  4,300,000  women 

count  on  the  Companion  for  movie  news  and  guidance. 
By  a  delightful  coincidence,  they  form  the  most  intensely 
loyal  movie  audience  in  America  today. 

Not  for  nothing  has  Hollywood  invested  more  money 
in  the  Companion  during  the  past  seven  years  than 
in  any  other  monthly  magazine.* 

'■'Except,  of  course,  the  fan  magazines. 


CURRENT  CIRCULATION  OVER  4,300,000 


THE  CROWELL-COLLIER  PUBLISHING  COMPANY  -  PUBLISHERS  OF  COLLIER'S,  THE  AMERICAN  MAGAZINE,  WOMAN'S  HOME  COMPANION 


i 


AGAINST 
^  ALL 


J7LAGS 


EARLIEST  OPENINGS: 

Topped  "Bend",  "World",  "Because  of  You"  at  Spreckles 
Theatre,  San  Diego . . .  Bigger  than  "Bend"  and  "World", 
Astor  Theatre,  Reading,  Pa.;  DeAnza  Theatre,  Riverside, 
Calif.;  Paramount  Theatre,  Waterloo,  Iowa.  Out- 
grossed  "World"  and  "Because  of  You",  Esquire,  Tower, 
Del  Paso  Theatres,  Sacramento  . . .  Playing  to  abso- 
lutely top  grosses,  Crawford  Theatre,  Wichita; 
Florida  Theatre,  Pensacola;  Broadway  Theatre,  Port- 
land; Palace  Theatre,  Akron;  Esquire  Theatre,  Stockton. 

BLOCK  OUT  PLENTY  OF  PLAYING  TIME! 


Against  all  flags 

ANTHONY  QUINN  •  ALICE  KELLEY- MILDRED  NATWICK 


BACK  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK 
FEB.  15-22. 


Directed  by  GEORGE  SHERMAN  •  Screenplay  by  AENEAS  MacKENZIE 
and  JOSEPH  HOFFMAN  •  Produced  by  HOWARD  CHRISTIE 
A  UNIVERSAL-  INTERNATIONAL  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  15 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  JANUARY  22,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Vote  'Show  of 
Shows'  Best  in 
1952  TV  Poll 

'Love  Lucy'  Also  Strong 
In  Fame  Poll  of  Critics 


For  the  third  consecutive  year 
"Your  Show  of  Shows''  was  voted 
the  Best  Network  Television  Pro- 
gram by  television  editors,  critics 
and  columnists 
of  American 
Hhk  newspapers  and 

JflP^^^B^  magazines,  vot- 

1H  ing  in  the  fourth 

annual  Motion 
Picture  Daily- 
Fanne  poll  to 
pick  the  best  on 
TV  in  1952. 

The  NBC- 
T  V  Saturday 
night  champion, 
produced  by 
Max  Liebman 
Max  Iaebman  and  starring 
Sid  Caesar  and 
Imogene  Coca,  also  was  voted  the 
Best  Variety  Program  of  1952  on 
TV,  and  was  third  in  the  Best  Com- 
edy Show  class. 

Additional  Honors 

Further  adding  to  the  critical  ac- 
claim, Caesar  was  voted  TV's  Best 
Comedian  of  1952,  and  took  second 
place  in  the  voting  for  Best  Television 
Performer  ( Champion  of  Cham- 
pions). Miss  Coca  was  tied  with 
NBC-TV's  Jimmy  Durante  for  third 
place  in  the  Best  Television  Perfor- 
mer category,  and  took  second  place 
in  the  Best  Comedienne  division. 

The  top  CBS-TV  contender,  in  the 
critics'  opinion,  was  "I  Love  Lucy," 
starring  Lucille  Ball  and  her  husband, 
Desi  Arnaz.  It  finished  second  in  the 
Best  Network  Program  class,  and 
first  in  the  Best  Comedy  division.  In 

(.Continued  on  pane  4) 


Complete  Results  of 
TV  Poll  on  Page  5 

Complete  results  of  the  vot- 
ing in  the  Motion  Picture 
Daily-Fame  fourth  annual 
television  poll  will  be  found 
on  Page  5  of  this  issue. 


Coronation  to  Be 
Britain's  First  on 
Theatre  TV  Screens 


By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,  Jan.  21. — British  Broad- 
casting Company's  televised  program 
of  the  Coronation  ceremony  in  June 
will  give  Britain  its  first  public 
demonstration  of  large  screen  theatre 
television,  and  the  first  to  a  paying- 
audience. 

The  government  announced  in  the 
House  of  Commons  today  that  special 
licensing  arrangements  have  been 
made  to  enable  the  screening  of 
BBC's  Coronation  coverage  in  thea- 
tres and  other  public  places,  whether 
to  paying  or  non-paying  audiences. 
The  government  will  make  no  charges 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Bloch  Says  Pictures 
Now  in  2  Categories 

Emphasis  on  film  spectacles  in  the 
"super-production"  class  and  the  selec- 
tion of  stories  of  broad  appeal  which 
lend  themselves  to  production  on  mod- 
est budgets  is  the  Hollywood  trend, 
Bertram  Bloch,  head  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  Eastern  story  department,  said 
here  yesterday  at  the  community  re- 
lations conference  of  national  film 
council    delegates    at    the  Gotham 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


5-Man  Board 

For  New  WB 
Theatre  Firm 


A  five-man  board  of  directors  for 
the  new  Warner  theatre  company, 
headed  by  Simon  H.  Fabian,  presi- 
dent of  Fabian  Enterprises,  will  be 
designated  by  the  directors  of  the 
parent  company,  Warner  Brothers 
Pictures,  Inc.,  it  was  revealed  here 
yesterday  in  the  company's  annual 
proxy  statement  to  stockholders. 

Other  board  members  of  the  new 
theatre  company,  slated  to  be  called 
the  Stanley  Warner  Corp.,  to  be 
designated  are :  Samuel  Rosen,  vice- 
president  and  treasurer  of  Fabian  En- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Subscription  TV 
Cited  As  Necessity 


Boston,  Jan.  21. — Unless  "pay-as- 
you-see"  television  is  established  to 
help  finance  small  town  TV  stations, 
more  than  20,000,000  Americans  will 
have  virtually  no  TV  service  or  will 
be  without  a  nearby  television  station, 
according  to  H.  C.  Bonfig,  vice-presi- 
dent and  director  of  sales  of  Zenith 
Radio  Corp. 

Speaking  before  the  Advertising 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Fabian  to  Pay  $7,498,994 
For  WB  Theatres  Stock 

Fabian  Enterprises,  Inc.,  will  pay  the  Brothers  Warners  and  members 
of  their  family  $7,498,994  for  an  approximate  27  per  cent  interest  in  the 
new  Warner  theatre  company,  slated  to  be  formed  Feb.  28,  it  was 

revealed  here  yesterday  in  a  proxy 


Levy  Is  Tabulating 
Poll  on  16mm.  Suit 


Results  of  a  poll  of  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  units  on  the  stand  that 
the  TOA  should  take  on  the  govern- 
ment's 16mm.  anti-trust  suit  are  being 
tabulated  by  TOA  general  counsel 
Herman  Levy  and  will  be  announced 
at  the  executive  committee  and  board 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


statement  sent  to  Warner  Brothers 
stockholders 

The  price  per  share,  according  to 
the  proxy,  is  $11.12  for  674,370  shares 
of  the  projected  new  theatre  company 
stock,  which  will  be  capitalized  at 
2,475,300  ^shares.  The  majority  of 
the  674,370  shares,  it  was  disclosed, 
is  owned  either  directly  or  beneficially 
by  Harry  M.,  Albert,  and  Jack  L. 
Warner,  with  the  remainder  owned 
by  their  immediate  families. 

On  the  consummation  of  the  trans- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Grainger  to 
Presidency  of 
RKO  on  Feb.  9 

Will  Wind  Up  Duties  at 
Republic,  Meanwhile 

While  no  official  announcement 
has   been   made   yet,  confirmation 
was  obtained  yesterday  that  James 
R.  Grainger  will  assume  the  presi- 
dency of  RKO 
^  s  Radio  on  Feb. 9. 

^■J^^P^  Grainger  will 

i;  f       J    spend    the  re- 

mainder of  this 
month  and  the 
first  week  of 
February  wind- 
i  n  g  up  his 
duties  as  execu- 
tive vice-presi- 
dent of  Repub- 
lic Pictures  be- 
fore officially 
taking  over  his 
new  post. 

Among 
Grainger's  u  n  - 
completed  assignments  for  Republic  is 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


James  Grainger 


Yates  to  Address 
Republic  Meeting 

The  third  meeting  of  Republic's 
current  series  of  sales  sessions  will 
open  here  today  at  the  home  office, 
and  will  continue  tomorrow,  when 
Herbert  J.  Yates,  company  president, 
will  address  the  session. 

James  R.  Grainger,  executive  vice- 
president  and  director  of  sales,  will 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


MGM  to  Produce 
Film  in  NV  '3-D' 

Hollywood,  Jan.  21.— M-G-M 
will  enter  the  three-dimen- 
sion field  with  "Arena,"  in  the 
Natural  Vision  process  and 
using  Ansco  color,  with  shoot- 
ing starting  in  approximately 
a  month. 

The  film  is  a  rodeo  story  by 
Arthur  Loew,  Jr.,  and  will  b? 
shot  principally  in  Arizona. 
Richard  Fleischer  will  direct. 


^  fox  Wlstore,  L.  a. 


"HIGH  SPOT  OF  THE  YEAR! 


—Film  Daily 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 
Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  22,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

DAVID  COPLAN,  president  of 
International-United  Film  Corp., 
will  return  to  New  York  after  a  four- 
week  European  visit  on  Monday. 

Dorothy  Jeanne  Soule,  daughter 
of  Frank  A.  Soule,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Pictorial  Films,  Inc.,  here, 
has  become  engaged  to  John  Rus- 
sell Ward. 

• 

Alfred  Starr,  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  president,  has  been  appointed 
a  member  of  the  advisory  board  of 
medical  education,  research  and  health 
services  of  Vanderbilt  University. 
• 

David  Sarnoff,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  RCA,  last  night  received  a 
citation  from  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El  Men's  Club  here. 

• 

Loren  L.  Ryder,  head  of  Para- 
mount's  studio  sound  department,  re- 
turned to  Hollywood  from  New  York 
by  plane  yesterday. 

• 

Harold  Wirthwein,  Allied  Artists 
Western  sales  manager,  has  returned 
to  his  Los  Angeles  office  from  Denver 
and  Salt  Lake  City. 

Tom  Wood,  publicity  director  for 
Huntington  Hartford  Enterprises,  has 
returned  to  Hollywood  from  New 
York. 

• 

Bette  Davis  will  receive  a  special 
citation  from  Hollywood's  Foreign 
Press  Association  in  conjunction  with 
the  organization's  annual  awards  to  be 
given  on  Feb.  14. 

• 

Ed  Gallner,  M-G-M  press  repre- 
sentative in  Philadelphia,  is  here  on 
vacation. 

Peterson  Heads 
Canadian  Group 

Ottawa,  Jan.  21.  —  The  annual 
meeting  here  of  the  Association  of 
Motion  Picture  Producers  and  Lab- 
oratories of  Canada  elected  the  fol- 
lowing officers : 

Dean  Peterson,  Toronto,  president ; 
W.  J.  Singleton,  Montreal,  vice- 
president;  Pierre  Harwood,  Montreal, 
secretary-treasurer.  It  also  named 
the  following  directors  :  James  Camp- 
bell, Montreal ;  David  Wansbrough, 
Toronto ;  Lew  Parry,  Vancouver,  and 
Graeme  Fraser,  Ottawa. 

The  association  reported  27  film 
producing  companies  as  new  mem- 
bers, the  largest  in  its  history. 

Variety  Banquet  to 
Honor  C.  Carpentier 

Chicago,  Jan.  21.  —  The  local 
Variety  Club's  installation  of  officers 
will  be  held  Feb.  18  at  the  Congress 
Hotel,  at  a  banquet  honoring  Charles 
F.  Carpentier,  Illinois  exhibitor  who 
was  recently  appointed  Secretary  of 
State  in  the  new  state .  government 
headed  by  Gov.  Stratton. 

George  Murphy  will  be  master  of 
ceremonies  of  the  event. 


Producers,  Brewer, 
Walsh  Meet  Today 

Hollywood,  Jan.  21.  —  AFL 
Film  Council  chairman  Roy 
Brewer,  I  A  T  S  E  president 
Richard  Walsh,  and  repre- 
sentatives of  several  other 
member-unions  in  the  council, 
will  meet  late  tomorrow  af- 
ternoon with  representatives 
of  the  major  studios  at  Asso- 
ciation of  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers headquarters  for  a 
conference  on  problems  raised 
by  the  resolution  the  council 
passed  yesterday  which  seeks 
to  dissuade  American  produc- 
ers from  making  films  outside 
the  country. 


Condon  to  Coast  on 
New  RKO  Set-up 

Richard  Condon,  currently  oper- 
ating as  Eastern  director  of  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  for  RKO  Pic- 
tures, will  leave  here  tomorrow  for 
the  Coast  for  conferences  with  Perry 
Lieber,  newly  designated  national 
publicity  and  exploitation  director. 

Condon,  it  was  learned,  will  be 
accompanied  by  Louis  Gaudreau,  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  departments. 

The  appointment  of  Lieber  as  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  director  and 
the  designation  of  Ellison  Vinson  as 
national  advertising  director,  will 
move  the  headquarters  of  those  de- 
partments to  the  Coast.  Ben  Grimm 
will  serve  as  Eastern  advertising 
manager  under  Vinson,  it  was  learned. 


Brandt  and  Golding 
Touring  for  'Hans' 


Leon  Brandt,  exploitation  manager 
for  RKO  Radio,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  Dallas  where  he  will  join 
David  Golding,  director  of  advertis- 
ing and  publicity  for  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions,  in  a  tour  of  Texas  cities 
to  set  campaigns  for  openings  of 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen." 

The  two  will  meet  in  Dallas  with 
Robert  J.  O'Donnell  and  Frank  Starz, 
executives  of  the  Interstate  circuit. 
Brandt  also  will  confer  with  Hap 
Eaton,  RKO  Radio  field  exploitation 
representative,  and  other  field  men 
who  will  be  assigned  to  handle  open- 
ings in  Dallas,  Fort  Worth,  San  An- 
tonio and  Houston. 

Field  Meetings  on 
RKO  Anniversary 

RKO  Radio  branch  managers 
throughout  the  country  are  currently 
holding  preliminary  meetings  with 
salesmen  and  bookers  in  preparation 
for  the  company's  "25th  Anniversary 
Drive"  which  gets  under  way  March 
6  for  16  weeks. 

Division  meetings  will  be  held  in 
mid-February  at  which  final  plans  for 
the  drive  will  be  set. 


Italian  Films  Export 
Distribution  Setup 
In  Full  Operation 


Tlie  Italian  Films  Export  Releas- 
ing Corp.  distribution  facilities  are 
now  in  full  operation  with  the  ap- 
pointment of  five  division  managers, 
it  was  reported  here  yesterday  by 
Bernard  Jacon,  sales  vice-president. 

Seymour  Schussel,  for  14  years 
with  Columbia  Pictures,  and  most  re- 
cently sales  manager  for  Joseph  Bur- 
styn,  Inc.,  has  been  named  IFE  East- 
ern division  manager  and  assistant  to 
Jacon.  Schussel  will  be  at  New  York 
headquarters.  Working  as  sales-ex- 
ploitation men  in  his  division  will  be 
Phil  Levine,  covering  Metropolitan 
New  York,  and  Ellis  L.  Gordon,  in 
Boston,  New  Haven  and  Albany. 

Heading  the  Central  office  in  Cleve- 
land is  Mark  Goldman,  who  has  cov- 
ered that  area  for  the  past  20  years 
in  sales  executive  positions  for  vari- 
ous distributors.  His  territory  will 
include  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis,  Buf- 
falo, Detroit  and  Pittsburgh. 

Hubert  M.  Lyons,  whose  26-year 
industry  background  includes  positions 
with  RKO  Radio,  United  Artists  and 
FBO,  is  division  manager  for  the 
South. 

The  Midwest  division  is  headed  by 
Harry  H.  Walders,  an  RKO  Radio 
and  United  Artists  executive  for  16 
years.  He  will  cover  Milwaukee, 
Minneapolis,  Omaha,  Des  Moines,  St. 
Louis,  Kansas  City  and  Chicago. 

Alex  Cooperman,  former  booker, 
office  manager  and  salesman  for 
M-G-M,  Universal  and  Eagle  Lion 
and  branch  manager  for  Lux  Films 
until  its  recent  acquisition  by  IFE, 
has  been  appointed  Western  division 
manager.  He  will  be  assisted  by  Ed 
Penn,  sales-exploitation  man  for  the 
Pacific  Northwest. 

O'Connor  Home  Office 
NCCJ  Chairman 

Thomas  O'Connor,  treasurer  of 
RKO  Theatres,  has  been  appointed 
home  office  chairman  of  the  amuse- 
ment industry's  campaign  in  behalf  of 
the  National  Conference  of  Christians 
and  Jews'  "Brotherhood  Week,"  Feb. 
15-22,  according  to  the  amusement 
division's  national  chairman,  Sol  A. 
Schwartz,  head  of  RKO  Theatres. 

Name  'Brotherhood' 
Group  for  Albany 

Albany,  Jan.  21.  —  Exhibitors  of 
the  Albany  exchange  area  will  attend 
a  meeting  in  the  Delaware  Theatre 
Monday  to  arrange  for  industry  ob- 
servance of  "Brotherhood  Week,"  ac- 
cording to  an  announcement  by  exhi- 
bitor co-chairman  Charles  A.  Smako- 
witz,  who  also  disclosed  that  he  had 
appointed  an  exhibitor  committee. 

It  comprised :  Saul  J.  Ullman,  Fa- 
bian division  manager ;  Leonard  L. 
Rosenthal,  Council  for  Upstate  Thea- 
tres, Inc. ;  Guy  A.  Graves,  Fabian 
Schenectady  city  manager ;  Charles 
Gordon,  owner  of  the  Olympic,  Utica ; 
Frank  Williams,  head  booker  for 
Benton  Theatres  of  Saratoga  and 
Gus  Lampe,  general  manager  of  the 
Schine  Circuit,  Gloversville. 


Business  Too  Slow, 
Oregon  Censors  Quit 

Portland,  Ore.,  Jan.  21.— The 
Portland  Motion  Picture  Cen- 
sor Board  will  be  abolished, 
reports  its  members,  who 
state  that  in  the  past  two 
years  they  found  objection- 
able scenes  in  only  12  of  1,853 
features  and  short  subjects 
reviewed.  The  cost  in  time 
and  money  is  too  great  for 
the  results  obtained,  board 
members  have  concluded. 


FCC  Is  Asked  to 
Grant  W  U  Petition 

Washington,  Jan.  21. — The  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
and  the  National  Exhibitors  Theatre 
Television  Committee  today  urged  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
to  grant  Western  Union's  petition  to 
include  the  question  of  inter-connec- 
tion in  the  coming  theatre  television 
hearings. 

Western  Union  last  week  asked  the 
Commission  to  add  to  the  hearing- 
agenda  the  desirability  of  requiring 
common  carriers  like  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co.  to  per- 
mit other  carriers  to  tie  into  their 
systems  for  TV  relaying. 

MPAA  and  the  NETTC  told  the 
Commission  today  they  were  pri- 
marily interested  in  obtaining  exclu- 
sive frequencies  for  theatre  television. 
But,  they  said,  the  Commission  has 
already  decided  to  consider  whether 
theatre  TV  should  be  carried  by  com- 
mon carriers  rather  than  on  exclusive 
frequencies  and  therefore  it  might  as 
well  consider  all  related  issues,  in- 
cluding interconnection. 

A.  T.  and  T.  is  expected  to  file  a 
statement  strongly  objecting  to  the 
Western  Union  proposal. 

Skouras  Report  on 
Global  Trip  Today 

Spyros  P.  Skouras'  report  on  his 
recent  global  tour  is  expected  to 
occupy  the  principal  portion  of  the 
meeting  here  today  of  company  presi- 
dents and  their  foreign  department 
managers.  It  is  expected  that  aspects 
of  the  international  film  situation  will 
be  delved  into  more  thoroughly  at  an- 
other session  of  foreign  heads  next 
Wednesday. 

The  meeting  today,  to  be  held  at 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  headquarters,  will  be  pre- 
sided over  by  Eric  Johnston. 


Services  Here  Today 
For  CBS'  Nila  Mack 

Funeral  services  for  Nila  Mack,  62, 
producer  of  the  children's  radio  pro- 
gram, "Let's  Pretend,"  on  CBS  for 
the  past  23  years,  will  be  held  today 
at  Campbell's  Funeral  Church  here, 
with  interment  in  Arkansas  City,  Kan. 
Miss  Mack  died  on  Tuesday. 

The  program  won  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily-Fame  award  as  the  "Best 
Children's  Program"  on  radio  in 
1941,  1943  to  1947  and  1952. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quig-ley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quig-ley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  l?.7(1  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President:  Martin  Quigley.  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  T.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy.  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Eecke,  Advertising-  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  O'tten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D1.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


SOON  THE  RELENTLESS  SUSPENSE  OF  ALFRED  HITCHCOCK'S1 


TRADE  SHOW 
FEBRUARY  4 


ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 
HON.  Pearl  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 
ATLANTA 

201h  Century-Fox  Streenlng  Room 
197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:00  P.M. 
BOSTON 
RKO  Screening  Room 
122  Arlington  SI.  •  2:30  P.M. 
BUFFALO 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
464  Franklin  St.  •  8:00  P.M. 
CHARLOTTE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
308  S.  Church  St.  •  2.00  PJT. 
CHICAGO 
Warner  Screening  Room 
1307  So.  WahashAve.  •  1:30  PJH 
CINCINNATI 
RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 
Palace  Th.  8ldg.  E.  6th  •  8.00  Pit 
CLEVELAND 
Warner  Screening  Room 
2300  Payne  Ave.  •  8:30  P.M. 
DALLAS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
2100  Stout  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
DES  MOINES 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
H2S  High  St.  •  12:45P.M. 
DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 
2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 
INDIANAPOLIS; 
Universal  Screening  Room 
517  No.  Illinois  St.  -8:00  P.M. 
JACKSONVILLE 
Florida  Theatre  Dldg.  Sc.  Rm. 
128  E.  Forsyth  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
KANSAS  CITY 
20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
LOS  ANGELES 
Warner  Screening  Room 
2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 
MEMPHIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
151  Vance  Ave.  '  12:15  P.M. 
MILWAUKEE 
Worner  Theatre  Screening  Reorn 
212  W.Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 
MINNEAPOLIS 
Warner  Screening  Room 
lOOOCurrieAve.  •  2:00  P.M. 
NEW  HAVEN 
Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room 
70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M 
NEW  ORLEANS 
20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
200  S.  liberty  St.  •  1:30  P.M. 
NEW  YORK 
Home  Office 

321W.44lhSt.  •  215  P.M. 
OKLAHOMA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M 
OMAHA 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
1 502  Dovenport  St.  •  1.30  P.M. 
PHILADELPHIA 
Warner  Screening  Room 
230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
171 5  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  130  P.M. 
PORTLAND 
Jewel  Box  Screening  Room 
1947  N.W.  Kearney  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 
SALT  LAKE 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 
316  East  1st  South  •  I  00  P.M. 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
Paromount  Screening  Room 
205  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M. 
SEATTLE 
Modern  Theatre 
2400  Third  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 
ST.  LOUIS 
S'renco  Screening  Room 
3143  Olive  St.  •  1:00  P.M. 
WASHINGTON  " 
Warner  Theatre  Building 
13thSE.Sts.H  W.  •  7:30  P.M. 


ROGER  DANN  DOLLY  HAAS  M 
CHARLES  ANDRE 


SCREEN   PLAY  BY 


L  GEORGE  TABOR  I  and  WILLIAM  ARCHIBALD! 

MUSIC   COMPOSED   AND  CONDUCTED   BY  DIMITRI  TIOMKIN 

Enroll  25  members  for  the  25th  Anniversary  of  Brotherhood  Week,  Feb.  1 5  to  22 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  22,  1953 


1952  TV  Poll 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Television's  Best  of  1952 


Sid  Caesar 


Imogene  Coca 


Lucille  Ball 


Dinah  Shore 


Groucho  Marx 


Raymond  Scott 


Perry  Como 


Kate  Smith 


Jack  Webb 

Star  of  Dragnet 


John  Daly 


Worthington  Miner 

Producer 
Studio  One 


Burr  Tillstrom 

Producer 
Kukla,  Fran  &■  Ollic 


Martha  Bountree 

Producer 
Meet  the  Press 


Howard  Barlow 

Conductor 
Voice  of  Firestone 


J.  C.  Swayze 


Dennis  James 


Wally  Cox 


Maria  Biva 


Mel  AUen 


Dr.  Roy  K.  Marshall 

Ford  Theatre 


addition,  Miss  Ball  was  voted  Best 
Television  Performer  (Champion  of 
Champions)  and  TV's  Best  Comedi- 
enne of  1952.  The  single  program  thus 
accounted  for  three  first  places  in  the 
poll  for  CBS-TV,  equalling  the  first 
place  results  rung  up  for  NBC-TV 
by  "Your  Show  of  Shows"  and  its 
stars.  Miss  Ball  obviously  fulfilled  in 
1952  the  expectations  of  the  critics, 
who  had  voted  her  Television's  Most 
Promising  Female  Star  in  the  1951 
poll. 

While  other  programs  and  perform- 
ers also  maintained  their  popularity 
with  the  critics  for  another  year,  there 
were  some  notable  TV  names  miss- 
ing from  the  voters'  list  of  favorites. 
For  instance,  Herb  Shriner,  who  was 
voted  Television's  Most  Promising 
Male  Star  of  1951,  did  not  finish 
among  the  leaders  of  1952,  as  the 
voting  critics  named  them.  Other  top- 
pers of  earlier  polls  who  dropped  in 
the  critics'  favor  included  Milton 
Berle,  Jimmy  Powers  and  his  Sports 
Show,  and  Red  Skelton. 

'Studio  One'  Repeats 

Among  those  continuing  in  voters' 
tavor  are  CBS-TV's  "Studio  One," 
which  was  voted  Best  Dramatic  Pro- 
gram on  TV  for  the  third  consecu- 
tive year ;  Groucho  Marx's  NBC-TV 
Show,  "You  Bet  Your  Life ;"  again 
voted  Best  Audience  Participation 
Program ;  the  NBC-TV  Kate  Smith 
Show,  Best  Daytime  Program;  NBC- 
TV's  Kukla,  Fran  &  Ollie,  Best  Chil- 
dren's Program;  NBC-TV's  "Voice 
of  Firestone,"  Best  Classical  Musical 
Program ;  NBC-TV's  John  Cameron 
Swayze,  Best  News  Commentator ; 
CBS-TV's  John  Daly,  Best  Master 
of  Ceremonies,  and  NBC-TV's  "Meet 
the  Press,"  Best  Panel  Discussion 
Program. 

Hit  Parade  Picked 

Among  newcomers  to  critical  favor 
in  the  1952  poll  are  NBC-TV's  "Your 
Hit  Parade,"  presided  over  by  Ray- 
mond Scott,  which  supplanted  the  Fred 
Waring  Show  as  Best  Popular  Mu- 
sical Show ;  NBC-TV's  Dinah  Shore, 
voted  Best  Female  Vocalist;  CBS- 
TV's  Perry  Como,  Best  Male  Vocal- 
ist ;  NBC-TV's  "Dragnet,"  with  Jack 
Webb,  Best  Mystery  Program,  replac- 
ing 1951's  "Man  Against  Crime ;" 
CBS-TV's  Mel  Allen  (also  freelance) , 
Best  Sportscaster,  and  Dennis  James 
(NBC-TV,  ABC-TV),  Best  An- 
nouncer. 

In  classifications  newly  added  to 
the  poll,  CBS-TV's  "What's  My 
Line?",  with  John  Daly,  was  voted 
Best  Panel  Show,  and  "Midwestern 
Hayride"  was  voted  Best  Rural  Musi- 
cal Show. 

Wally  Cox  Liked 

NBC-TV's  Wally  Cox  ("Mr.  Peep- 
ers") won  out  over  CBS-TV's  Red 
Buttons  in  the  critics'  balloting  for 
Most  Promising  Male  Star  in  TV 
in  1952.  CBS-TV's  Maria  Riva 
copped  the  vote  in  the  Female  cate- 
gory of  that  division,  with  Joan  Davis 
and  Rosemary  Clooney  finishing  in  ; 
that  order  in  a  closely  contested  race 
for  the  runner-up  positions. 

Dr.  Roy  Marshall's  announcements  > 
for  Ford  Motors  were  designated  : 
TV's  Best  Commercial  Presentations  ] 
of  1952.  i 

Voting  in  the  1952  poll  continued  to 
increase,  as  it  has  in  each  of  the  four  ; 
years  that  the  poll  has  been  conducted.  • 


The  trend  reflects  the  steadily  expand- 
ing national  TV  coverage  and  the  at- 
tention given  to  it  by  newspapers  and 
magazines. 

However,  even  as  those  periodic 
audience  survey  reports  reveal  that  the 
average  TV  viewer  after  shutting 
himself  up  in  his  home  with  his  new 
television  set  for  six  months  to  a  year, 
eventually  becomes  sated  and  occa- 
sionally ventures  outdoors  again  for 
his  entertainment,  even  so  is  it  with 
the  critics. 

Those  who  have  been  at  their  jobs 
for  several  years  in  the  older,  well 
saturated-with-TV  areas,  display  an 


impatience  with  what  some  describe 
as  the  sameness  of  TV  programming 
that  is  absent  from  comments  made 
by  professional  viewers  who  have  been 
at  their  jobs  for  briefer  periods.  The 
latter  are  tolerant  and  hopeful ;  the 
former,  sometimes  sharply  critical  and, 
when  they  encounter  a  rare  program 
tidbit,  more  surprised  than  encouraged. 
Commercials  Irk 
Television's  commercials  irk  the 
critics  even  more,  if  that  is  possible, 
than  radio's.  There  are  too  many  of 
them,  they  say,  they  run  too  long,  are 
too  blatant  and  obvious,  for  the  most 
part. 


Other  criticisms  are  of  shoddy  and 
inadequate  productions ;  too  many 
filmed  programs  and  too  many  of  in- 
ferior quality  and  entertainment  value, 
and  too  little  new  talent  and  program 
ideas. 

On  the  plus  side,  the  critics,  or  some 
of  them,  feel  that  television  does  a 
good  job,  when  it  has  the  opportunity 
to  do  so,  on  special  events  and  local 
spot  news.  Many  commended  the 
thorough  job  done  in  covering  the 
national  political  conventions  in  Chi- 
cago last  summer  and  lauded  much  of 
TV's  sports  coverage. 


Thursday,  January  22,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Complete  Results  of  1952  Television  Poll 


NBC-TV  Captures  15  of  25  Firsts,  Sweeps 
Three  Complete  Groups,  in  1952  TV  Poll 

National  Broadcasting  Company's  television  programs  and  per- 
formers had  an  edge  over  the  competition  in  top  places  (first, 
second  and  third)  won  in  the  Motion  Picture  Daily — Fame  fourth 
annual  television  poll  of  American  newspaper  and  magazine  TV 
editors  and  columnists. 

NBC-TV  captured  15  of  the  25  first  places  in  the  poll.  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System's  TV  programs  and  performers  accounted  for 
eight  first  places.  American  Broadcasting  Co.-TV  captured  one 
first.  Maria  Riva,  who  was  voted  TV's  Most  Promising  Female  Star 
of  1952,  was  seen  and  heard  during  the  year  on  guest  spots  of  sev- 
eral networks,  hence  her  first  is  not  credited  exclusively  to  any  of 
them. 

NBC-TV  led  in  second  place  winners  with  11,  to  CBS-TV's  eight, 
and  ABC-TV's  one.  NBC-TV  also  led  with  third  place  winners,  hav- 
ing 12,  one  a  tie,  to  CBS-TV's  seven,  one  a  tie,  and  the  Dumont 
Network's  two.  Some  of  the  second  and  third  place  winners  were 
in  guest  spots  on  several  networks,  and  regional  programs  not 
exclusive  with  any  network,  won  in  others  and  thus  were  not 
credited  to  a  particular  network. 

Clean  sweeps  of  the  top  positions  in  three  classifications — Best 
Comedian,  Best  Classical  Musical  Show  and  Best  Children's  Pro- 
gram— were  scored  by  NBC-TV.  The  Best  Master  of  Ceremonies 
class  was  swept  by  CBS-TV. 


COMPLETE  results  of  the 
voting  by  American  news- 
paper and  magazine  television 
editors,  critics  and  columnists  in 
Motion  Picture  Daily's  fourth 
annual  television  poll  for  Fame 
appear  below.  Sponsors,  agencies 
networks  and  telecast  time  (E. 
S.T.)  are  given  with  first  place 
winners  ;  network  only  for  others. 


BEST  NETWORK  PROGRAM 

1.  Your  Show  of  Shows  (Multiple 
sponsors ;  NBC-TV,  Saturdays, 
9:00-10:30  P.M.). 

2.  I  Love  Lucy  (CBS-TV). 

3.  See  It  Now  (CBS-TV). 

BEST  TELEVISION  PERFORMER 

1.  Lucille  Ball  (I  Love  Lucy, 
Philip  Morris  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Inc. — 
The  Biow  Co.— CBS-TV,  Mondays, 
9:00-9:30  P.M.). 

2.  Sid  Caesar  (NBC-TV). 

3.  Imogene  Coca  (NBC-TV). 
Jimmy     Durante     (NBC  -  TV) 
(Tied). 


MOST  PROMISING  FEMALE 
STAR 

1.  Maria  Riva  (Guest) 

2.  Joan  Davis  (NBC-TV). 

3.  Rosemary  Clooney  (Guest). 

MOST  PROMISING  MALE  STAR 

1.  Wally  Cox  (Reynolds  Metals  Co. 
—Russell  M.  Seeds  Co.— NBC-TV, 
Sundays,  7:30-8:00  P.M.). 

2.  Red  Buttons  (CBS-7V). 

BEST  DRAMATIC  PROGRAM 

1.  Studio  One  (Westinghouse  Elec- 
tric— McCann-Erickson,  Inc. ;  CBS- 
TV,  Mondays,  10:00-11:00  P.M.). 

2.  Robert  Montgomery  Presents 
(NBC-TV). 

3.  Television  Playhouse  (NBC- 
TV). 

BEST  MYSTERY  PROGRAM 

1.  Dragnet  (Liggett  &  Myers  To- 
bacco Co. — Cunningham  &  Walsh, 
Inc.,  NBC-TV,  Thursdays,  9:00- 
9:30  P.M.). 

2.  Foreign  Intrigue  (Regional) 

3.  Racket  Squad  (CBS-TV). 

BEST  VARIETY  PROGRAM 

1.  Your  Show  of  Shows  (NBC-TV. 
See  Best  Network  Program). 

2.  Toast  of  the  Town  (CBS-TV). 

3.  All  Star  Revue  (NBC-TV). 
Comedy  Hour  (NBC-TV)  (Tied). 

BEST  COMEDY  SHOW 

1.  I  Love  Lucy  (CBS-TV.  See  Best 
Television  Performer). 

2.  Colgate  Comedy  Hour  (NBC- 
TV). 

3.  Your  Show  of  Shows  (NBC- 
TV). 

BEST  COMEDIENNE 

1.  Lucille  Ball  (I  Love  Lucy — 
CBS-TV.  See  Best  Television 
Performer.). 

2.  Imogene  Coca  (NBC-TV). 

3.  Martha  Raye  (NBC-TV). 


BEST  COMEDIAN 

1.  Sid  Caesar  (Your  Show  of  Shows 
—NBC-TV.  See  Best  Network 
Program). 

2.  Jimmy  Durante  (NBC-TV). 

3.  Red  Skelton  (NBC-TV). 

BEST  FEMALE  VOCALIST 

1.  Dinah  Shore  (Chevrolet  Motor 
Div.,  General  Motors  Corp.,  and 
Chevrolet  Dealers — Campbell- 
Ewald  Co.— NBC-TV,  Tuesdays 
and  Thursdays,  7:30-7:45  P.M.). 

2.  Patti  Page  (NBC-TV). 

3.  Rosemary  Clooney  (Guest). 

BEST  MALE  VOCALIST 

1.  Perry  Como  (Liggett  &  Myers  To- 
bacco Co. — Cunningham  &  Walsh, 
Inc.— CBS-TV,  Mondays,  Wednes- 
days and  Fridays,  7:45-8:00  P.M., 
repeat  9:45-10:00  P.M.). 

2.  Tony  Martin  (Guest) 

3.  Bill  Hayes  (NBC-TV). 

BEST  CLASSICAL  MUSICAL 
SHOW 

1.  Voice  of  Firestone  (Firestone 
Tire  &  Rubber  Co. — Sweeney  & 
James  Co.— NBC-TV,  Mondays, 
8:30-9:00  P.M.). 

2.  NBC  Symphony  Orchestra  (NBC- 
TV). 

BEST  POPULAR  MUSICAL 
SHOW 

1.  Your  Hit  Parade  (The  American 
Tobacco  Co. — Batten,  Barton,  Dur- 
stine  &  Osborne,  Inc.— NBC-TV, 
Saturdays,  10:30-11:00  P.M.). 

2.  The  Fred  Waring  Show  (CBS- 
TV). 

3.  The  Perry  Como  Show  (CBS- 
TV). 

Dinah  Shore  Show  (NBC-TV) 
(Tied). 

BEST  AUDIENCE  PARTICIPA- 
TION QUIZ  SHOW 

1.  Groucho  Marx  Show  (DeSoto 
Motor  Corp.- — Batten,  Barton,  Dur- 
stine  &  Osborne,  Inc.— NBC-TV, 
Thursdays,  8:00-8:30  P.M.). 

2.  Break  the  Bank  (CBS-TV). 

3.  Strike  It  Rich  (CBS-TV) 


BEST  PANEL  QUIZ  SHOW 

I  1.  What's  My  Line?  (Jules  Monte- 
nier,  Inc. — Earle  Ludgin  &  Co., 
Inc.— CBS-TV,  Sundays,  10:30- 
11 :00  P.M.). 

2.  The  Name's  the  Same  (ABC- 
TV). 

3.  Twenty  Questions  (DuMont). 


BEST  MASTER  OF  CEREMONIES 

1.  John  Daly  (What's  My  Line? — 
Jules  Montenier,  Inc. — Earle  Lud- 
gin &  Co.,  Inc. — CBS-TV,  Sundays, 
10:30-11:00  P.M.,  and  It's  News  to 
Me — Simmons  Co. — Young  &  Rubi- 
cam  Co.,  Inc.;  CBS-TV,  Saturdays, 
6:30-7  :00  P.M.,  alternating  weeks). 

2.  Ed  Sullivan  (CBS-TV). 

3.  Bert  Parks  (CBS-TV) 


BEST  ANNOUNCER 

1.  Dennis  James  (Chance  of  a  Life- 
time— P.  Lorillard  Co. — Lennen  & 
Newell,  Inc. ;  ABC-TV,  Thursdays, 
8:00-8:30  P.M.). 

2.  Dick  Star  (Guest). 

3.  George  Fenneman  (NBC-TV) 


BEST  NEWS  COMMENTATOR 

1.  John  Cameron  Swayze  (Camel 
News  Caravan — R.  J.  Reynolds  To- 
bacco Co. — William  Esty  Agency  ; 
NBC-TV,  Mondays  through  Fri- 
days, 7:45:-8:00). 

2.  Edward  R.  Murrow  (CBS-TV). 

3.  Douglas  Edwards  (CBS-TV). 


BEST  SPORTSCASTER 

1.  Mel  Allen  (Sports  Spot — General 
Cigar  Company — Young  &  Rubi- 
cam,  Inc.;  CBS-TV,  Wednesdays, 
10:45-11:00  P.M.). 

2.  Red  Barber  (CBS-TV). 

3.  Bill  Stern  (NBC-TV) 


BEST  DAYTIME  PROGRAM 

1.  Kate  Smith  Hour  (Multiple  spon- 
sors ;  NBC-TV,  weekdays,  4:00- 
5:00  P.M.). 

2.  Today  with  Dave  Garroway 
(NBC-TV). 

3.  The  Garry  Moore  Show  (CBS- 
TV). 


'Fame*  Radio  Poll 
Results  Tomorrow 

Complete  results  of  the  17th 
annual  Motion  Picture  Daily- 
Fame  radio  poll  will  be  pub- 
lished tomorrow. 

The  winning  performers  and 
programs  represent  the  best  in 
radio  during  1952  in  the  estima- 
tion of  a  majority  of  the  radio 
editors  and  columnists  of  Amer- 
ican newspapers  and  magazines 
who  participated  in  the  poll. 


Cites  Screen  Gems' 
Expansion  Program 


An  expansion  program,  highlighting 
the  search  for  new  television  story 
properties  and  program  presentations, 
was  outlined  here  by  Ralph  Cohn, 
vice-president  and  general  manager  of 
Screen  Gems,  Columbia  Pictures' 
wholly-owned  TV  subsidiary. 

Screen  Gems'  Ford  Theatre  com- 
mercial won  first  prize  in  Motion 
Picture  Daily-Fame's  fourth  annual 
poll  as  the  best  commercial  presenta- 
tion on  television.  Screen  Gems  also 
produces  the  Ford  Theatre  program. 

Cohn  said,  "We  are  keenly  inter- 
ested in  suitable  material  which  we 
can  transfer  to  film  for  the  television 
screen." 


UCP  Telethon  Funds 
Go  Over  the  Top 

United  Cerebral  Palsy  has  disclosed 
that  the  Dec.  7  18-hour  telethon  con- 
ducted in  its  behalf  by  station  WJZ- 
TV  has  gone  far  over  the  top  of  the 
previously  announced  total  and  re- 
sulted in  $631,826  to  date  in  pledges 
and  cash. 


BEST  CHILDREN'S  PROGRAM 

1.  Kukla,  Fran  &  Ollie  (Radio 
Corp.  of  America — J.  Walter 
Thompson;  NBC-TV,  alternating- 
Sundays,  4:00-4:30  P.M.). 

2.  Zoo  Parade  (NBC-TV). 

3.  Howdy  Doody  (NBC-TV). 

BEST  RURAL  MUSICAL  SHOW 

1.  Midwestern  Hayride  (NBC-TV; 
now  regional ) . 

2.  American  Barn  Dance  (Re- 
gional ) . 

BEST  PANEL  DISCUSSION 
PROGRAM 

1.  Meet  the  Press  (Revere  Copper 
&  Brass,  Inc. — St.  Georges  & 
Keyes,  Inc. ;  NBC-TV,  Sundays, 
6:00-6:30  P.  M.). 

2.  American  Forum  of  the  Air 
(NBC-TV) 

3.  The  Author  Meets  the  Critics 
(Dumont  TV). 

BEST  COMMERCIAL 
PRESENTATION 

1.  Ford  (Dr.  Roy  Marshall — Ford 
Theatre — J.  Walter  Thompson  ; 
NBC-TV). 

2.  Lucky  Strike  (all  networks). 

3.  Gillette  (all  networks). 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  22,  1953 


West  Virginia  OK's 
Allied 's  Policies 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  21. — A  mail 
poll  of  the  Allied  of  West  Vir- 
ginia membership  resulted  in 
a  unanimous  vote  approving 
the  entire  policy  program  of 
national  Allied,  especially  the 
portion  rejecting  the  initial 
plan  for  a  system  of  national 
arbitration,  it  is  reported  by 
Reuben  Shor,  local  circuit 
operator,  who  is  a  director  of 
the  West  Virginia  unit. 


5 -Man  Warner  Board 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


TOA  Poll 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


of  directors  meeting  here  next  week. 
While  Levy  has  not  indicated  the 
official  attitudes  of  the  various  units, 
it  is  reported  that  the  poll  shows  a 
variety  of  opinions,  with  some  favor- 
ing intervention  and  others  advocat- 
ing a  "hands  off"  policy. 

While  the  new  U.  S.  Attorney  Gen- 
eral Brownell  has  not  had  time  to 
examine  the  merits  of  the  anti-trust 
action,  there  appears  to  be  a  feeling 
among  TOA  leaders  that  the  suit  will 
be  dropped  before  it  comes  to  trial. 

Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  chairman  of  the 
TOA  executive  committee,  said  here 
yesterday  that  he  had  requested  the 
opinions  of  the  few  TOA  units  that 
had  not  yet  expressed  themselves  on 
the  subject  of  intervention.  It  is  ex- 
pected that  all  units  will  have  reported 
by  the  time  the  executive  committee 
goes  into  session  at  New  York's 
Pierre  Hotel  Sunday. 

Previously  Revealed 

As  previously  revealed,  research, 
including  the  latest  developments  in 
1hree  dimensional  films,  will  occupy 
a  top  spot  on  the  agenda  of  the  board 
meeting,  which  will  be  attended  by 
approximately  60  TOA  leaders.  The 
sessions  will  end  Tuesday  evening. 

Myron  N.  Blank,  chairman  of  the 
TOA  research  committee,  reported 
that  Jack  O'Brien,  manager  of  the 
theatre  equipment  section  of  RCA, 
and  seven  other  RCA  engineers  and 
production  managers  will  join  board 
members  at  a  session  devoted  exclu- 
sively to  research  Tuesday  afternoon. 

Other  RCA  leaders  who  will  attend 
are  :  Barton  Kreuzer,  manager,  thea- 
tre and  industrial  marketing  division  ; 
M.  C.  Batsel,  chief  engineer  of  the 
engineering  products  department ; 
G.  L.  Dimmick,  manager  of  the  optics, 
sound  and  special  engineering  section ; 
J.  E.  Volkman,  manager  of  theatre 
equipment  engineering  section ;  R.  V. 
Little,  Jr.,  design  engineer  of  theatre 
television  equipment ;  A.  J.  Piatt, 
sales  manager  of  the  theatre  equip- 
ment section,  and  R.  H.  Heacock, 
product  manager  of  the  theatre  equip- 
ment section. 

Board  members  will  attend  a  show- 
ing of  Cinerama  Monday  night.  They 
will  be  joined  by  RCA  leaders  at 
luncheon  Tuesday.  Representatives 
of  Cinerama  and  Natural  Vision  also 
are  expected  to  take  part  in  the  re- 
search discussions. 


Clooney  Benefit 
Will  Aid  'Dimes' 

The  world  premiere  of  Rosemary 
Clooney's  first  motion  picture,  "The 
Stars  Are  Singing,"  will  be  kicked 
off  Jan.  28  in  Maysville,  Ky.,  with 
the  Maysville  Junior  Chamber  of 
Commerce's  annual  tobacco  auction 
for  the  benefit  of  the  March  of  Dimes. 


terprises,  Inc.;  David  G.  Baird,  part- 
ner in  the  New  York  brokerage  firm 
of  Baird  &  Co. ;  Harry  M.  Kalmine, 
president  of  Warner  Brothers  The- 
atres, Inc.,  and  Maurice  A.  Silver, 
zone  manager  of  Warner  theatres  in 
the  Pittsburgh  and  Cleveland  areas. 
Kalmine  and  Silver  will  serve  for  a 
cne-year  term  and  the  other  designees 
for  a  two-year  period,  it  was  stated. 

The  ascendancy  of  Fabian,  Rosen 
and  Baird  to  the  board  of  the  new 
theatre  company,  it  was  explained,  is 
contingent  upon  the  consummation  of 
the  deal  under  which  Fabian  Enter- 
prises will  purchase  the  controlling 
stock  interest  of  the  Brothers  Warner 
and  their  families  in  the  theatre  com- 
pany. The  effective  date  of  reorgani- 
zation is  expected  to  be  on  Feb.  28, 
it  was  stated,  when  the  company  will 
he  split  into  production-distribution 
and  exhibition  firms,  according  to  the 
terms  of  the  consent  decree. 

The  directors  of  the  parent 
company  also  will  designate 
the  board  of  the  new  picture 
company,  slated  to  be  called 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  Inc. 
According  to  the  proxy,  the 
designees  for  a  two-year  term 
will  be  Harry  M.,  Albert  and 
Jack  L.  Warner,  Waddill  Catch- 
ings  and  Robert  W.  Perkins, 
while  the  designees  for  one- 
year  terms  will  be  Samuel  Car- 
lisle, Stanleigh  P.  Friedman, 
Charles  S.  Guggenheimer  and 
Samuel  Schneider.  All  nine 
designees  are  present  members 
of  the  board.  Vacating  their 
board  posts  with  the  new  pic- 
ture company  will  be  Morris 
Wolf  and  John  E.  Bierwirth. 

The  Feb.  17  annual  meeting  of 
stockholders,  to  be  held  in  Wilming- 
ton, Del.,  will  not  elect  directors  since 
the  corporation  will  be  dissolved 
shortly  after  the  meeting,  it  was 
stated.  However,  stockholders  will 
be  called  upon  to  approve  the  amend- 


ed, plan  of  reorganization  and  to 
authorize  the  reduction  of  the  capital 
of  the  corporation  by  cancelling  669- 
185  shares  of  common  stock  previ- 
ously acquired  by  the  corporation. 
The  recent  New  York  Statutory 
Court  order  providing  for  the  divesti- 
ture of  a  number  of  additional  the- 
atres will  also  be  up  for  stockholders 
ratification. 

The  assets  of  the  new  theatre  com- 
pany would  be  $85,720,851,  according 
to  the  pro  forma  consolidated  balance 
sheet  as  of  Aug.  31,  1952.  Current 
assets  were  listed  at  $11,790,576,  com- 
pared to  current  liabilities  of  $9,561,- 
955.  The  total  number  of  theatres  to 
be  operated  will  be  306,  following 
divestiture,  it  was  stated. 

According  to  the  pro  forma 
statement,  the  total  assets  of 
the  new  picture  company  as  of 
the  same  date  would  be  $70,112,- 
858.  Current  and  working  as- 
sets were  listed  at  $50,198,651, 
compared  to  total  current  lia- 
bilities of  $23,515,747. 

In  a  comparison  of  yearly 
earnings  of  the  new  theatre 
company  on  a  pro  forma  basis, 
the  net  profit  for  the  year  ended 
Aug.  31,  1952,  was  put  at  $145,- 
112,  compared  to  the  previous 
year's  earnings  of  $2,169,016. 
Film  rentals  paid  by  WB  the- 
atres to  the  parent  company  for 
its  pictures  in  1952  was  36.4 
per  cent  of  the  total  film  rentals 
paid  by  WB  theatres  to  all  dis- 
tributing companies. 

The  pro  forma  summary  of  earn- 
ings for  the  new  picture  company 
stated  that  the  net  profit  for  1952 
was  $7,084,570,  compared  to  $7,258,- 
328  for  1951. 

It  is  expected  that  the  two  new 
companies,  which  will  be  organized 
in  Delaware,  will  each  have  an  au- 
thorized capital  stock  consisting  of 
5,000,000  shares  of  common  stock  of 
a  par  value  of  $5  per  share. 


Fabian  to  Pay 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

action,  the  proxy  stated,  the  entire 
consideration  will  be  paid  in  cash 
against  delivery  of  the  stock.  It  was 
also  revealed  that  Fabian  Enterprises, 
Inc.,  will  obtain  a  portion  of  the 
funds  from  David  G.  Baird,  a  partner 
'n  the  New  York  brokerage  firm  of 
Baird  &  Co.,  from  its  own  resources 
and  from  a  big  bank  loan.  The  bank 
was  not  identified  but  it  is  under- 
stood to  be  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Boston. 

It  was  stated  that  Fabian  Enter- 
prises has  no  present  intention  to 
merge  or  consolidate  presently  or  in 
the  future  with  the  new  theatre  com- 
any.  The  proxy  added  that  the 
Warner  brothers  and  members  of 
their  families  are  in  no  way  involved 
in  the  financing  of  the  deal. 


Subscription  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Club  of  Boston,  Bonfig  said  that 
although  television  channels  have  been 
allocated  to  887  American  cities  with 
populations  below  25,000,  there  have 
been  applications  for  television  grants 
in  only  83  of  these  cities. 

Bonfig  asserted  that  because  of  the 
high  costs  of  television,  national  ad- 
vertisers will  not  be  able  to  use  more 


U.K.  Theatre  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


for  these  special  collective  licenses. 

The  British  Performing  Rights 
Society  also  has  agreed  to  forego  any 
copyright  claims  in  connection  with 
the  telecast. 

As  of  now,  only  about  six  theatre:, 
here  are  equipped  with  large  screen 
television,  but  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Cin- 
tel  company  stated  following  today's 
announcement  that  it  has  been  "inun- 
dated" with  inquiries  from  exhibitors. 


than  the  top  100  to  125  markets  for 
their  network  programs.  This,  he 
said,  would  force  the  small  market 
broadcasters  to  depend  entirely  upon 
local  funds  and  "there  just  isn't 
enough  advertiser  money  in  the  small 
markets  to  enable  advertisers  to  oper- 
ate on  this  basis." 

The  only  answer  to  this  problem  of 
making  TV  possible  in  small  markets 
is  the  establishment  of  subscription 
television,  Bonfig  said. 

"The  income  from  Phonevision,"  he 
said,  "added  to  the  income  from  spon- 
sored programs  sold  to  local  adver- 
tisers could  finance  the  profitable 
operation  of  television  stations  in 
hundreds  of  small  markets  that  must 
otherwise  depend  upon  the  vagaries 
of  fringe  area  reception  or  do  with- 
out entirely." 


2  Categories 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Hotel.    Block  was  the  moderator  of  a  ■ 
symposium  on  "Motion  Pictures  for 
Tomorrow." 

"After  several  years  of  rather  un- 
certain trends,"  Bloch  said,  "there  is 
now  a  marked  tendency  to  buy  stories 
that  fall  in  two  categories:  those 
which  can  be  fashioned  into  highly- 
exploitable,  spectacular  pictures,  and 
those  with  generally  intriguing  quali- 
ties which  can  be  given  A-qualit_v 
treatment  at  low  production  cost." 

Bloch  added  that  this  would  mean 
cutting  down,  for  the  time  being,  on 
the  purchase  of  stories  which  might 
make  good  pictures  but  whose  appeal  ; 
is  narrow  and  limited.  He  also 
pointed  out  that  the  studios  are  giv- 
ing greater  consideration  to  stories  of 
wider  appeal  to  overseas  audiences — 
particularly  in  the  area  of  musicals 
whose  locale  heretofore  has  been 
almost  exclusively  confined  to  Broad-1 
way  or  Hollywood. 

Bloch  referred  to  "The  Robe," 
"Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba," 
"The  King  of  the  Kyber  Rifles"  and 
"Desiree"  as  examples  of  top-budget 
film  spectacles  in  production  or  being 
readied  by  20th  Century-Fox. 

Bloch  used  "The  President's  Lady" 
as  a  case-history  in  describing  for  the 
group  the  steps  and  considerations  in- 
volved in  the  study  and  analysis  of  a 
literary  property  before  it  is  recom- 
mended and  finally  purchased. 

Assisting  Bloch  in  the  symposium 
were  Henry  Klinger,  associate  editor, 
and  Beth  O'Shea,  reader,  of  20th- 
Fox's  story  department. 

Also  speaking  on  yesterday's  pro- 
gram was  Richard  Griffith,  director  of 
the  Museum  of  Modern  Art  film 
library. 

The  council's  program  for  today 
includes  a  screening  of  Paramount's 
"Come  Back,  Little  Shebt,"  an  ad- 
dress by  Daniel  Mann,  director  of  the 
stage  version  of  the  picture ;  discus- 
sions of  the  production  and  advertis- 
ing codes  by  Arthur  DeBra  and  Gor- 
don White,  of  the  MPAA,  and  a  din- 
ner at  which  Ned  Depinet  will  be 
chairman  and  MPAA  president  Eric 
Johnston  the  principal  speaker. 

Skouras  Urges  World 
Leadership  Via  Films 

It  is  the  direct  responsibility  of 
everyone  associated  with  the  motion 
picture  industry  to  play  an  active  part 
in  carrying  on  the  task  of  providing 
world  leadership  through  the  medium 
of  films,  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president 
of  20th  Century-Fox,  told  the  com- 
munity relations  conference  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, here  last  night.  In  welcoming  the 
delegates  at  a  special  screening  of 
20th-Fox's  "Tonight  We  Sing"  at 
20th's  home  office,  Skouras  discussed 
the  direct  relationship  between  motion 
picture  exhibition  and  the  raising  of 
global  cultural  and  educational  stand- 
ards. 

Greatly  impressed  by  what  he  saw 
during  his  recent  tour  of  the  Far  East, 
Skouras  said  there  must  be  an  imme- 
diate expansion  of  film  outlets  so  that 
peoples  everywhere  can  learn  the 
meaning  of  democracy  and  see  for 
themselves  the  many  aspects  of  the 
American  way  of  life. 

Prior  to  the  showing  of  "Tonight 
We  Sing,"  the  delegates  saw  "Light 
in  the  Window,"  20th-Fox  -  -  Art 
Films  production  dealing  with  the 
work  of  Vermeer,  which  won  a  prize 
as  the  best  picture  in  its  category  at 
the  Venice  Film  Festival. 


Thursday,  January  22,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Grainger 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  conduct  of  a  two-day  sales  meet- 
ing at  the  home  office  starting  today, 
and  a  two-day  sales  meeting  in  Miami 
next  week.  It  is  also  reported  that 
Herbert  J.  Yates,  Republic  president, 
who  has  agreed  to  the  release  of 
Grainger  from  a  Republic  contract 
which  has  three  years  to  run,  has 
asked  the  latter  to  remain  for  the  in- 
terval to  Feb.  9  to  permit  the  selection 
of  a  successor  as  head  of  Republic's 
sales  and  distribution  and  to  facilitate 
the  transition  to  the  new  executive's 
regime. 

Yates  and  Grainger  arrived  here 
yesterday  from  Chicago,  where  the 
company  concluded  a  two-day  sales 
meeting  Tueseday  night. 

According  to  unconfirmed  reports, 
Grainger  has  been  given  a  long  term 
employment  contract  by  Howard 
Hughes,  RKO  Pictures  board  chair- 
man, which  is  said  to  have  been  guar- 
anteed either  personally  by  Hughes 
or  by  the  Hughes  Tool  Co. 


Yates  to  Address 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


preside  at  the  meeting,  which  will  be 
attended  by  sales  managers  James  V. 
O'Gaia  and  John  Curtin,  and  branch 
managers  William  Murphy,  New 
York ;  Norman  Silverman,  Phila- 
delphia ;  Jake  Flax,  Washington ; 
George  H.  Kirby,  Cincinnati ;  Ber- 
nard Brager,  Indianapolis;  I.  T. 
Sweeney,  Pittsburgh ;  Arthur  New- 
man, Albany ;  Leon  A.  Herman, 
Buffalo;  Frank  Dervin,  Boston;  Jules 
Livingston,  New  Haven;  I.  H.  Pol- 
lard, Cleveland ;  Sam  Seplowin, 
Detroit. 

Titus,  Webster  Present 

Sales  managers  Walter  L.  Titus, 
Jr.  and  Paul  Webster  will  also  be 
present,  as  will  other  company  execu- 
tives, including  Richard  G.  Yates, 
executive  assistant  to  Grainger ;  Jack 
Alexander,  contract  department  man- 
ager ;  A.  E.  Schiller,  branch  opera- 
tions manager,  and  Steve  Edwards, 
director  of  advertising  and  publicity. 

The  fourth  and  final  sales  meeting 
will  be  held  at  the  Columbus  Hotel 
in  Miami  next  Wednesday  and 
Thursday  wdien  Yates,  Grainger,  and 
the  Southern  district  group  in  session 
will  be  joined  -by  all  Republic  sales 
managers  and  other  company  execu- 
tives lor  the  world  premiere  of  "Fair 
Wind  to  Java,"  in  Trucolor,  starring 
Fred  MacMurray  and  Vera  Ralston, 
on  Jan.  29  at  Miami's  Paramount 
Theatre.  It  will  also  open  at  the 
Beach  in  Miami  Beach. 


To  Air  cast  Premiere 
Of  MGM's  'Beyond' 

World  premiere  activities  for 
M-G-M's  "Above  and  Beyond,"  star- 
ring Robert  Taylor  and  Eleanor 
Parker,  next  Thursday  evening  at 
Brandt's  Mayfair  Theatre  here,  will 
be  carried  over  WJZ-TV  and  ABC's 
radio  outlet,  WJZ.  Highlights  and 
festivities  will  be  described  and  "em- 
ceed"  by  Tex  and  Jinx  McCrary  dur- 
ing the  telecast  portion  of  the  event 
from  8 :00  to  8 :30  P.M.  M-G-M  has 
also  purchased  38  radio  and  TV  spot 
announcements  to  be  heard  on  WJZ- 
TV  and  WJZ  starting  tomorrow  and 
running  through  Thursday's  opening. 
The  deal  was  negotiated  through 
Donahue  &  Coe. 


Allied  Milwaukee 
Board  Meet  Mar.  27 


Milwaukee,  Jan.  21. — The  Allied 
national  board  will  meet  here  directly 
following  the  National  Drive-in  con- 
vention at  the  Schroder  Hotel,  March 
24-26.  The  board  will  meet  March 
27-28. 

An  "education"  on  how  to  promote 
better  relations  and  increase  box-office 
receipts  will  feature  the  drive-in  con- 
vention, according  to  R.  C.  Peck,  pub- 
licity chairman  of  the  event.  He  also 
notes  that  several  promotional  stunts 
new  to  the  drive-in  field  will  be  intro- 
duced. Suggestions  and  ideas  on  what 
and  how  to  buy,  build,  save  and  pro- 
duce will  be  part  of  the  program. 

AJlied  of  Indiana  Switches 
Plans  for  Two  Unit  Meetings 

Indianapolis,  Jan.  21. — Allied  of 
Indiana  has  changed  the  date  of  the 
regional  film  clinic  and  workshop  at 
Fort  Wayne  from  Jan.  27  to  Jan.  28, 
to  avoid  a  conflict  with  other  meetings, 
William  A.  Carroll,  ATOI  secretary, 
announced  here.  The  session  will  be 
held  in  the  Van  Orman  Hotel,  with 
Al  Bokkenstein  as  chairman. 

Plans  for  the  New  Albany  regional 
get-together  March  24  also  have  been 
changed,  Carroll  said.  This  event 
will  be  moved  to  Louisville  on  the 
s?me  date,  to  meet  with  the  Kentucky 
Allied  Theatre  Owners'  convention 
there. 


Deny  Towne  Review; 
To  Go  to  High  Court 

Chicago,  Jan.  21. — Attorney  Tho- 
mas C.  McConnell's  appeal  for  a  re- 
view of  the  recent  decision  by  the 
Appeals  Court  which  gave  distribu- 
tors the  right  to  ask  the  Towne  Thea- 
tre, Milwaukee,  to  bid  for  pictures  or 
to  sell  pictures  to  the  Towne  under 
any  other  system  that  would  enable 
the  Towne  to  buy  films  at  a  "fair  and 
reasonable  rental,"  has  been  turned 
down. 

McConnell,  who  is  leaving  for  Ari- 
zona at  the  end  of  the  week,  will  file 
for  a  writ  of  certiorari  in  the  Su- 
preme Court  as  the  next  move  in  his 
efforts  to  get  a  clear-cut  ruling  on 
how  distributors  must  sell  film  to  the 
Towne. 


'V  Asks  Dismissal 
Of  Helling er  Suit 

Universal  Pictures  Co.  yesterday 
called  for  the  dismissal  of  an  action 
for  $650,000  damages  filed  in  Federal 
Court  here  bv  Gladys  Glad  Hellinger 
widow  of  Mark  Hellinger,  over  re- 
turns on  three  Mark  Hellinger  pro- 
ductions, "The  Killers,"  "Naked  City," 
and  "Brute  Force." 

Universal  claimed  that  Hellinger 
authorized  the  distribution  charges 
contested  bv  the  plaintiff. 

The  suit  calls  for  an  accounting  o' 
funds  on  the  distribution  of  the  films. 


Permit  Sunday  Films 

Atlantic-.  Jan  21.— The  City  Com- 
mission of  Cedartown,  Ga.,  has  issued 
a  permit  to  the  Lam  Amusement  Co. 
to  show  motion  pictures  in  its  theatres 
in  that  town  on  Sundays.  Last  sum- 
mer the  commission  rejected  the  com- 
pany's bid,  but  granting  a  permit  be- 
came  mandatory  when  the  company 
fulfilled  t'ie  terms  of  a  law  allowing 
Sunday  films  if  the  company  secures 
the  names  of  25  per  cent  of  the  regis- 
tered voters  in  favor  of  it. 


HEY! 
LOOK  AT 
ALL 

THOSE  GIRLS... 


and  how  they  love  us! 
Watch  'em  come  flocking 
(with  family  and 
friends)  to  see  US. 


DEAN 
MARTIN 


JERRY 
LEWIS 


in  Hal  Wallis'  Production 


THE  STOOGE 


Co-starring 
EDDIE  MAYEHOFF 
MARION  MARSHALL 
POLLY  BERGEN 

Directed  by  Norman  Taurog 
A  Paramount  Picture 

February  Picture-  of-the-Month  in 

seventeen 


in  day. 


The  best  moonlight  is  the  light  of  the  noonday  sun  . . . 

Obvious,  of  course,  to  an  industry  trained  in  modern 
cinematographic  technics.  Equally  obvious  is  the  need  for 
infinite  care  in  the  choice  of  film  and  filters — in  keying 
film  and  situation ...  in  co-ordinating  method  and  result 
desired  in  processing. 

To  help  solve  problems  such  as  these,  representatives 
of  the  Eastman  Technical  Service  for  Motion  Picture  Film 
are  trained  to  advise — are  ready  and  able  to  roll  up 
their  sleeves  and  lend  a  hand  wherever  necessary. 

In  maintaining  this  service,  the  Eastman  Kodak  Company 
has  branches  at  strategic  centers  . . .  invites  inquiry  on  all 
phases  of  film  use  from  all  members  of  the  industry. 
Address:  Motion  Picture  Film  Department,  Eastman  Kodak 
Company,  Rochester  4,  N.  Y.  East  Coast  Division,  342 
Madison  Avenue,  New  York  17,  N.  Y.  Midwest  Division, 
137  North  Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago  2,  Illinois.  West 
Coast  Division,  6706  Santa  Monica  Blvd.,  Hollywood  38, 
California. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  16 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  23,  1953 


Impartial 


TEN  CENTS 


Critics  Vote 
Benny  Radio's 
Best  of  1952 


Crosby  Takes  3  Firsts 
In  17th  Poll  for  Fame 


Jack  Benny 


Jack  Benny,  who  lost  out  as  ra- 
dio's Champion  of  Champions  in 
the  16th  annual  Motion  Picture 
Daily-Fame  poll  a  year  ago  after 
capturing  the 
honor  for  four 
successive  years 
previously,  was 
returned  to  the 
champio  n  s  h  i  p 
spot  by  Amer- 
ican newspaper 
and  magazine 
radio  editors, 
critics  and  col- 
umnists who 
voted  in  t  h  e 
17th  annual  poll, 
to  pick  radio's 
bests  of  1952. 
In  addition  to 
being  voted  Champion  of  Champions, 
Benny  was  voted  radio's  Best  Come- 
dian of  1952,  making  the  fifth  consecu- 
tive year  he  has  held  that  title. 

Vote  for  Crosby 

The  perennially  popular  Bing  Cros- 
by proved  himself  as  strong  as  ever 
in  critical  favor  by  finishing  second 
to  Benny  in  the  Champion  of  Cham- 
pions class  and  winning  first  in  three 
other  divisions — Best  Popular  Male 
Vocalist,  Best  Master  of  Ceremonies 
and  Best  Variety  Program  for  his 
show.  Between  Benny  and  Crosby, 
Columbia  Broadcasting  System  picked 
up  five  firsts  in  popular  classifications 
in  the  1952  poll. 

National  Broadcasting  Co.  bulked 
strong  in  other  divisions  of  the  1952 
poll.  With  Dean  Martin  and  Jerry 
Lewis,  Fibber  McGee  and  Molly,  and 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Complete  Radio  Poll 
Results  on  Page  7 

The  complete  results  of  the 
17th  annual  Motion  Picture 
Daily-Fame  Radio  Poll  are 
published  on  Page  7  of  this 
issue. 

In  addition,  photos  of  win- 
ners of  the  1952  poll,  as  voted 
by  the  radio  editors,  critics 
and  columnists  of  American 
newspapers  and  magazines, 
are  published  on  Page  6  of 
this  issue. 


TO  A  BoardMeeting 
Starts  Sunday;  75 
Expected  to  Attend 


Sixty  key  men  of  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  have  notified  TOA 
headquarters  here  that  they  will  at- 
tend the  mid-winter  board  of  directors 
meetings  which  open  Sunday  at  the 
Hotel  Pierre.  It  is  expected  that  at 
least  75  TOA  leaders  will  be  on  hand 
for  the  three-day  sessions  by  the 
time  they  get  under  way. 

Those  who  have  already  made 
reservations  are :  Alfred  Starr, 
Nashville;  Mitchell  Wolf  son,  Miami; 
Charles  P.  Skouras,  Los  Angeles ; 
S.  H.  Fabian  and  Walter  Reade,  Jr., 
New  York ;  Elmer  C.  Rhoden,  Kan- 
sas City ;  Myron  Blank,  Des  Moines. 

Also,  Tom  Bloomer,  St.  Louis ; 
A.  Tulian  Brylawski,  Washington ; 
C.  E.  Cook,  Maryville,  Mo. ;  Wood- 
row  G.  Fussell,  Bladenboro,  N.  C. ; 
L.  S.  Hamm,  San  Francisco ;  Herman 


(Continued 


on  page  '6 } 


TOA  Board  to  Hear 
Research  Advances 


Leaders  in  the  theatre  equipment 
and  supply  fields  have  been  invited  to 
bring  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
directors  up  to  date  on  the  latest 
developments  when  the  TOA  board 
meets  here  next  week.  TOA  presi- 
dent Alfred  Starr  said  that  all  phases 
of  the  mechanical  side  of  theatre  opera- 
tion would  be  discussed  by  the  equip- 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Johnston  Says 
Industry  Faces 
Greatest  Era 


The  motion  picture  industry  is  on 
the  threshold  ''of  a  greater  tomor- 
row" and  "if  anyone  thinks  the 
movie  industry  is  standing  still,  he 
ought  to  take  a  look  around,"  Eric 
Johnston  said  here  last  night  at  the 
wind-up  session  of  the  community  re- 
lations conference  at  the  Hotel 
Gotham.  The  president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America 
warned,  however,  that  there  were 
"Gloomy  Guses"  who  specialize  in 
forebodings  only  and  wind  up  con- 
vinced that  "our  industry  is  on  its 
last  legs." 

These  people,  Johnston  said, 
dredge  up  all  sorts  of  reasons 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


To  Consult  Unions 
On  Foreign  Filming 

Hollywood,  Jan.  22. — Organized 
labor  won  its  first  concession  from 
major  companies  today  in  connection 
with  its  attempt  to  control  foreign 
production,  when  the  labor  commit- 
tee of  the  majors  agreed  to  keep 
unions  informed  "in  detail"  regarding 
their  intentions  to  produce  films  out- 
side the  U.  S.  The  American  Legion 
is  backing  the  unions  in  their  fight. 


Hold  Equity's  Theatre  TV 
Scale  Is  'Unfeasible' 


The  new  Actors  Equity  pay  scale 
economically  unfeasible  at  this  stag 
learned  here  yesterday. 

The  pay  proposals  were  submitted 
to  Leo  Rosen,  TV  director  for  Fabian 
Theatres.  Although  Equity  and  Rosen 
refused  to  divulge  the  terms  of  the 
proposal,  it  was  learned  that  the  scale 
was  based  on  a  percentage  of  the 
actor's  salary  multiplied  by  the  num- 
ber of  theatres  in  the  TV  net.  That 
is,  if  an  actor  in  the  cast  receives  $100 
per  week  and  the  hypothetical  per- 
centage was  eight  per  cent  and  50 
theatres  were  in  the  TV  net,  that 
actor  would  get  $400  for  his  per- 
formance. 

Theatre  TV  interests  contended 
that  a  percentage  basis  would  be  ruin- 
ous to  the  medium,  opening  the  flood- 
gates to  other  talent  and  craft  unions 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


for  theatre  television  is  considered 
e  bv  theatre  TV  interests,  it  was 


Hurok  May  Produce 
Theatre  TV  Shows 

Sol  Hurok,  veteran  impre- 
sario, disclosed  here  that  he 
has  discussed  theatre  televi- 
sion production  with  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 
president. 

Hurok  said  he  saw  great 
possibilities  in  the  20th-Fox 
Eidophor  theatre  TV  system, 
commending  its  color  values, 
which  he  said  are  vital  for 
theatre  TV  entertainment 
shows. 


'Red'  Probe  to 

De-Emphasize 

Hollywood 

General  Coast  Hearings 
Set  by  House  Committee 

Washington,  Jan.  22.  —  The 
House  Un-American  Activities 
Committee  decided  today  to  de- 
emphasize — for  the  time  being,  at 
least — its  perennial  investigation  of 
the  motion  picture  industry. 

The  committee  had  its  first  meeting 
of  the  new  Congress  and  laid  plans  for 
the  months  ahead.  It  voted  unani- 
mously to  reissue  76  subpoenas  left 
over  from  the  previous  Congress, 
among  which  there  are  several  film 
industry  witnesses.  The  committee 
members  also  agreed  to  hold  hearings 
on  the  West  Coast  late  in  February 
or  early  in  March,  but  according  to 
present  plans  the  film  aspects  will  be 
only  minor.  The  hearings  will  also 
cover  radio  and  television  labor  in 
defense  plants,  education  and  other 
subjects. 

Rep.    Donald    Jackson,  California 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Trust  Past  Would 
Bar  TV  Licenses 
To  Film  Companies 

Washington,  Jan.  22.  —  Motion 
picture  companies  convicted  of  anti- 
trust violations  would  be  barred  from 
receiving  television  station  licenses 
under  a  bill  introduced  by  Senate  In- 
terstate Commerce  Committee  chair- 
man Tobey. 

Although  Tobey's  bill  stems  from 
his  opposition  to  the  United  Para- 
mount Theatres-American  Broadcast- 
ing Co.  merger,  industry  attorneys 
feel  that  if  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  approves  the  mer- 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Legion  Sponsorship 
Of  'Hoaxters'  Urged 


The  M-G-M  home  office  has  re- 
ceived a  resolution  passed  by  the 
American  Legion  of  the  State  of 
Texas  commending  M-G-M  for  pro- 
ducing "The  Hoaxters,"  the  docu- 
mentary exposing  Communism,  and 
also  recommending  "that  the  national 
Commander  of  the  American  Legion 
investigate  the  possibilities  of  the 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  23,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

HAL  WALLIS  will  arrive  in  New 
York   over   the   weekend  from 
Hollywood  for  a  one-week  visit. 


Mori  Krushen,  United  Artists  ex- 
ploitation manager,  will  leave  here 
this  weekend  on  a  cross-country  tour 
to  set  preliminary  promotion  plans  for 
"Moulin  Rouge." 

• 

Irving  Asher,  Paramount  pro- 
ducer ;  Dana  Andrews,  and  dancer 
Mylee  Haulani  left  here  by  plane 
for  London  yesterday  en  route  to 
Colombo,  Ceylon,  to  make  "Elephant 
Walk." 

• 

Joseph  Walsh,  head  of  Paramount 
branch  operations,  has  arrived  in 
Sioux  Falls  from  Omaha,  and  will 
head  for  Minneapolis  over  the  week- 
end. 

• 

Dan  S.  Terrell,  M-G-M  publicity 
and  exploitation  manager,  flew  to 
Washington  yesterday  from  New 
York. 

• 

Ralph  Banghart,  Walt  Disney 
Productions  exploitation  representa- 
tive, is  in  Boston  from  here. 

• 

John  P.  Byrne,  Eastern  M-G-M 
sales  manager,  will  leave  Albany 
Sunday  for  Boston. 

• 

Emery  Austin,  M-G-M  exploita- 
tion head,  is  in  Atlanta  and  will  return 
here  Monday. 

Kurt  Neumann,  director,  will 
leave  here  today  for  Munich. 


Industry  to  Join 
Cannes  Film  Festival 


Presidents  of  member  companies  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  voted  yesterday  to  participate 
as  a  unit  in  the  Cannes  Film  Festival 
this  year.  Previously,  there  had  been 
some  consideration  of  a  plan  whereby 
each  company  would  participate  in- 
dividually. 

The  vote  was  made  here  following 
a  report  by  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  20th  Century-Fox,  on  his 
recent  global  trip.  He  stressed  the 
need  for  more  theatres  in  the  Far 
East,  especially  India,  and  outlined  the 
demand  for  American  pictures  abroad. 

It  is  expected  that  a  committee  will 
be  named  to  explore  recommenda- 
tions on  how  more  theatres  may  be 
built  in  such  countries  as  India,  where, 
in  a  country  of  500.000,000  people, 
there  are  only  3.000  theatres.  It  was 
suggested  that  international  financing- 
organizations  may  be  approached  to 
make  loans  to  foreign  governments  to 
build  new  theatres. 

MPAA  president  Eric  Johnston 
will  meet  today  with  the  foreign  de- 
partment managers  to  discuss  various 
film  problems  in  Argentina,  Brazil, 
France,  Norway  and  Japan. 


Cites  4,026  New 
Theatres  in  3  Years 

Knoxville,  Tenn.,  Jan.  22. — 
Willis  J.  Davis,  Atlanta,  pub- 
lic relations  counsel  for  Wil- 
by-Kincey  Theatres,  told  the 
Kiwanis  Club  here  that  "tele- 
vision isn't  hurting  the  movie 
business,"  claiming  that  4,026 
new  theatres  went  into  opera- 
tion in  the  past  three  years, 
2,580  of  them  drive-ins.  Davis 
estimated  attendance  last 
year  at  America's  film  thea- 
tres at  50,000,000  persons, 
with  the  new  theatres  repre- 
senting 2,000,000  additional 
seats. 


Nowe  and  Stanisch 
QP  Award  Winners 

Vic  Nowe,  manager  of  the  Odeon 
Hyland  Theatre  in  Toronto,  was  the 
winner  in  the  large  situations,  and 
Art  Stanisch,  manager  of  Sam  Swi- 
tow's  Kentucky  Theatre  in  Louisville, 
was  the  winner  in  small  situations,  in 
the  fourth  quarter  balloting  for 
awards  in  the  Motion  Picture  Herald 
"Managers'  Round  Table"  showman- 
ship contest. 

Winners  of  Honor  Scrolls,  in  alpha- 
betical order,  were :  Ivan  Ackery, 
Orpheum  Theatre,  Vancouver,  B.  C. ; 
G.  C.  Dilley,  Ritz  Theatre,  Edgware, 
England ;  Al  Jenkins,  Vogue  Theatre, 
Vancouver ;  George  Peters,  Loew's, 
Richmond,  Va. ;  Boyd  Sparrow,  War- 
field,  San  Francisco ;  Rodney  Toups, 
State,  New  Orleans;  W.  G.  Wells, 
Metro  Theatre,  Bondi  Junction,  Aus- 
tralia. 

Overseas,  top  honors  for  the  fourth 
quarter  went  to  Harry  Gent,  of  the 
Royal  Hippodrome,  Liverpool,  for 
his  50th  anniversary  campaign. 

The  judges  included  Samuel  Cohen, 
overseas  publicity  manager  for  United 
Artists,  in  New  York ;  Edgar  Goth, 
advertising  and  publicity  director  for 
Fabian  Theatres,  New  York,  and 
Charles  Hacker,  manager  of  opera- 
tions of  Radio  City  Music  Hall. 


Name  McWilliams  to 
Screen  Gems  Post 

The  appointment  of  Harry  K.  Mc- 
Williams, exploitation  manager  for 
Columia  Pictures,  as  director  of  ad- 
vertising and  public  relations  for 
Screen  Gems,  was  disclosed  here  yes- 
terday by  Ralph  Cohn,  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  Screen  Gems, 
which  is  a  completely  owned  sub- 
sidiary of  Columbia  devoted  to  the 
production  and  distribution  of  home 
TV  shows. 

Cohn  said  the  appointment  of  Mc- 
Williams was  another  step  in  Screen 
Gems'  expansion  program,  McWil- 
liams had  been  with  Columbia  as  ex- 
ploitation manager  since  1944. 


Tri-Opticon  Feb.  Date 

The  Globe  Theatre  on  Broadway 
has  booked  the  Tri-Opticon  third- 
dimensional  short  subjects  program 
for  February. 


TOA  Board 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Hunt,  Cincinnati ;  Tom  James,  St. 
Louis ;  R.  M.  Kennedy,  Birmingham ; 
H.  F.  Kincey,  Charlotte ;  Arthur 
Lockwood,  Boston ;  Morris  Lowen- 
stein,  Oklahoma  City ;  E.  D.  Martin 
and  Roy  Martin,  Jr.,  Columbus,  Ga. ; 
Pat  McGee,  Denver;  Walter  L. 
Morris,  Knoxville ;  Martin  J.  Mullin, 
Boston;  J.  J.  O'Leary,  Scranton ; 
John  Rowley,  Dallas;  A.  Fuller 
Sams,  Jr.,  Statesville,  N.  C. ;  George 
P.  Skouras,  New  York ;  Jay  Solomon, 
Chattanooga ;  Worth  Stewart,  Char- 
lotte. 

Also,  Morton  Thalhimer,  Rich- 
mond ;  Nat  Williams,  Thomasville, 
Ga. ;  Joseph  Zaro,  Nashville ;  Paul 
Krueger,  St.  Louis ;  Sidney  Lust, 
Washington  ;  Earl  Hudson,  Detroit ; 
Ed  Fabian,  Henry  Anderson,  Fred 
Schwartz,  Spyros  Skouras,  Jr., 
Joseph  Vogel,  Oscar  Doob,  Dick 
Pitts,  Howard  L.  Bryant,  Leslie 
Schwartz  and  Harold  Eskin,  all  of 
New  York;  Albert  Pickus,  Stratford. 
Conn. ;  George  Kerasotes,  Springfield, 
111.;  Sam  Pinanski,  Boston;  Joseph 
Rosenfield,  Spokane ;  M.  A.  Light- 
man,  Sr.,  Memphis ;  Herman  M. 
Levy,  New  Haven ;  F.  H.  Ricketson, 
Denver  ;  David  Wallerstein,  Chicago  ; 
Lewen  Pizor,  Philadelphia ;  Robert 
Lebovitz,  Chattanooga ;  R.  R.  Living- 
ston, Lincoln ;  Tom  Ribble,  Albu- 
querque ;  Carlton  Duff  us,  Richmond ; 
Henry  Griffing  and  C.  R.  Guthrie, 
Oklahoma  City ;  Mack  Johnson,  Al- 
exander, Ala. ;  Ed  Fay,  Providence, 
and  Dick  Dickson,  Los  Angeles. 


Research  Advances 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ment  men  who  will  outline  current 
and  future  research  activities  at  the 
Tuesday  sessions. 

Expected  to  attend  are  W.  J.  Turn- 
bull  and  Herbert  Burnett,  National 
Theatre  Supply ;  Larry  Daves,  Cen- 
tury Projector;  Leonard  Satz,  Ray- 
tone  Screen ;  C.  S.  Perkins,  Altec ; 
and  representatives  from  Motiograph, 
Trad  Television  and  RCA. 

"Never  before  has  the  dire  need 
for  research  in  the  motion  picture 
industry  been  so  highlighted,"  Starr 
declared.  "Events  of  the  past  few 
months,  particularly  in  the  fields  of 
theatre  television  and  of  third  dimen- 
sional film,  are  proof  conclusive  that 
the  public  still  has  a  keen  interest 
in  going  to  motion  picture  theatres, 
and  also  that  it  is  hungry  for  new 
ideas  and  for  new  methods  of  enter- 
tainment in  those  theatres. 

"I  am  certain  that  I  speak  for  the 
entire  board  and  for  TOA  when  I 
say  that  we  are  prepared  to  go  for- 
ward and  to  sponsor  all  proper  re- 
search with  all  of  our  energy,  time, 
and  funds  at  our  command,"  he  said. 


200  at  Laurie  Party 

More  than  200  representatives  of 
the  New  York  press,  TV,  radio,  na- 
tional and  fan  magazines  and  the  trade 
press  participated  in  a  special  tribute 
to  Piper  Laurie  at  21  Club  yesterday 
afternoon  to  mark  her  21st  birthday. 
Miss  Laurie  is  in  New  York  from  the 
Coast  to  help  promote  "Mississippi 
Gambler,"  which  opens  here  Thurs- 
day at  Loew's  State. 


Florida  Drive  -  in 
Theatres  Organize 

St.  Petersburg,  Jan.  22.— 
C.  C.  Sutton,  owner  of  the 
Skyvue-Drive-in,  St.  Peters- 
burg, has  been  elected  tempo- 
rary president  of  the  new  In- 
dependent Drive-in  Theatre 
Association  of  Florida.  Mrs. 
Sara  L.  Higginbotham  of  the 
Indian  Rock  Drive-in  has 
been  named  temporary  secre- 
tary-treasurer. 


Name  A  Board  to 
Guide  Coast  Group 


San  Francisco,  Jan.  22.  —  The 
Northern  California  Theatre  Owners, 
at  a  meeting  here  (vice-president 
Homer  Tegmeier  presided),  voted  to 
abolish  the  office  of  president  and 
change  the  format  of  future  meetings 
whereby  the  association  will  be 
guided  by  a  board  of  directors,  headed 
by  a  board  chairman. 

Rotus  Harvey,  who  resigned  as 
president  of  the  NCTO  last  August, 
was  elected  a  director  of  the  board 
along  with  David  Bolton,  Lee  Dibble, 
Gerald  Hardy,  Al  Laurice,  Ben  Levin, 
August  Panero,  Ed  Rowden,  Ray 
Syufy,  Tegtmeier  and  Harry  J. 
Weaverling.  First  chairman  under 
the  new  setup  will  be  appointed  by  a 
special  committee  sometime  late  this 
month. 

Other  discussion  centered  around 
theatre  owners  becoming  more  mili- 
tant in  their  attitude  towards  the 
many  problems  facing  them  and 
standing  firmly  with  the  association 
in  bringing  this  about. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


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Lana  TURNER  a  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON    •    Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Warner  Bros: 

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MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FX  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  January  23,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Reviews 


"She's  Back  on  Broadway" 

{Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  Jan.  22 

VIRGINIA  MAYO,  Gene  Nelson,  Frank  Lovejoy,  Steve  Cochran  and 
Patrice  Wymore  are  the  top  names  and  the  principal  players  in  this 
Hollywood-to-Broadway  musical  in  WarnerColor  which  perpetuates  the 
tradition  of  Warner's  unforgettable  "Gold-Diggers"  musicals  without  getting 
nostalgic  about  it.  In  this  picture,  as  in  all  those  others  back  there  when  the 
Warner  musical  was  the  surest  box-office  bet  in  show  business,  the  produc- 
tion of  a  show  is  the  central  activity  against  which  a  story  about  some  of  the 
people  engaged  in  that  production  is  told.  Now  as  then,  this  arrangement 
requires  that  the  actors  in  the  cast  portray  actors,  a  circumstance  that  makes 
for  good  performances,  and  that  the  plot  be  one  that  can  stand  interruptions 
for  songs,  dances  and  so  on.  The  arrangement  also  calls  for  extensive  and 
frequent  display  of  feminine  figures,  faces,  skills  and  graces,  and  for  produc- 
tion numbers,  songs,  dances,  specialties  of  all  kinds,  all  of  these  being  prime 
subjects  for  WarnerColor  and  the  theatre-size  screen.  As  produced  by 
Henry  Blanke  and  directed  by  Gordon  Douglas,  which  is  to  say  superbly, 
the  picture  figures  to  gross  up  to  its  billing  and  beyond. 

In  the  story  by  Orin  Tannings,  Miss  Mayo  is  a  Hollywood  star,  out  of 
studio  demand  due  to  three  flop  pictures,  who  accepts  the  lead  in  an  upcoming 
Broadway  musical  whose  director,  Cochran,  was  responsible  for  her  first  stage 
success  and  with  whom  she  has  been  in  love  since  then  although  he  has 
ignored  her.  This  is  the  broken  romance  that  gets  repaired  in  the  course 
of  the  picture,  and  it  is  given  a  more  emotional  and  meaningful  treatment 
than  is  common  practice  in  film  musicals.  Miss  Wymore  plays  the  second 
girl  in  the  triangle  and  Lovejoy  is  seen  as  the  producer,  both  doing  well  with 
little.  Nelson  turns  in  two  splendid  dance  numbers  but  has  nothing  whatever 
to  do  with  the  story  proper. 

Musical  direction  is  by  dependable  Ray  Heindorf,  with  musical  numbers 
staged  and  directed  by  LeRoy  Prinz.  Vocal  arrangements  are  by  Charles 
Henderson,  and  the  half  dozen  or  so  original  songs  (many  oldies  are  used 
in  part)  are  by  Bob  Hilliard  and  Carl  Sigman. 

Running  time  98  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  14.  William  R.  Weaver 


"Confidentially  Connie" 

(M  etro-Goldwyn-Mayer) 

THE  PLIGHT  of  a  small  college  professor  attempting  to  support  his 
family  in  middle  class  decency  without  the  proper  salary  is  the  theme 
of  this  amiable  comedy  which  was  produced  by  Stephen  Ames  and  directed 
by  Edward  Buzzell.  Van  Johnson  is  the  instructor  who  makes  noble  efforts 
to  resist  the  blandishments  of  his  father,  Louis  Calhern,  a  wealthy  Texas 
cattle  breeder,  who  wants  his  son  to  quit  his  college  post  and  return  to  Texas 
as  head  of  the  cattle  barony. 

There  are  some  amusing  touches,  such  as  Janet  Leigh's  need  for  good,  red 
meat  because  of  her  pregnancy  and  her  inability  to  get  it  on  Johnson's  salary. 
Then  there  is  Calhern's  arrival  from  Texas,  intent  on  getting  his  son  to  go 
back  there  and  seeing  to  it  that  Janet  gets  plenty  of  meat.  His  scheme  with 
butcher  Walter  Slezak  causes  a  price  war  and  not  only  almost  ruins  Slezak's 
chance  to  become  president  of  the  butchers  association  but  also  Johnson's 
opportunity  to  receive  a  promotion  by  college  president  Gene  Lockhart. 
Some  amusing  bits  concern  the  juggling  of  dinner  invitations  by  Lockhart 
and  his  wife,  Kathleen,  because  they're  always  hungry. 

Director  Buzzell  has  kept  the  production  simple,  like  the  people  involved. 
The  comedy  moments  are  properly  spaced  and  the  picture  measures  up  to 
good  entertainment.  Johnson  is  pleasing  in  his  role  and  so  is  Miss  Leigh. 
Calhern's  role  is  a  slightly  mean  portrait  of  the  expansive  and  insulated 
wealthy  type  from  Texas.  The  story  is  by  Max  Shulman  who  collaborated 
with  Herman  Wouk  on  the  screenplay. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Hayden  Rorke,  Robert  Burton,  Marilyn  Erskine, 
Arthur  Space,  Barbara  Ruick,  June  Whitley  and  Dick  Sands. 

Running  time,  71  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


Johnston 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

for  forecasting  the  end  for  mo- 
tion pictures,  pointing  to  tele- 
vision, night  baseball,  inflation 
and  a  change  in  habit  patterns, 
and  they  can  cite  pages  of  sta- 
tistics to  prove  it. 

"The  statisticians  have  measured 
almost  everything  about  us  except  the 
heart,  the  ingenuity  and  the  spirit  that 
have  always  made  the  motion  picture 
industry  the  great  explorer  of  new 
fields,"  Johnston  said.  "Perhaps  the 
prophets  of  disaster  need  a  little  bon- 
ing up  on  the  history  of  the  motion 
picture  industry.  Maybe  they  might 
stumble  over  the  fact  that  the  film 
industry  has  never  been  afraid  of 
change  and  development.  From  the 
very  first  it  has  been  dynamic  and  ex- 
panding— flexible  and  adaptable  to  the 
entertainment  needs  of  all  of  the 
people." 

This  industry  moves  fast  and  its 
most  exciting  days  of  technological 
developments  are  ahead  of  it,  Johnston 
said,  adding  that  new  developments 
"are  coming  in  so  fast  it  sometimes 
seems  hard  to  keep  pace  with  the 
latest  of  them." 

In  thanking  the  film  council  dele- 
gates for  their  support  of  the  in- 
dustry's self-regulation  program — the 
production  and  advertising  codes- 
Johnston  traced  the  "milestones  in 
the  march  toward  freedom  of  the 
screen."  He  said  complete  victory 
over  political  censorship  was  not  yet 
clearly  in  sight  and  "we'll  have  to 
fight  and  scrap  every  inch  of  the 
way  from  now  on  before  censorship 
is  really  routed  from  our  land  and 
full  freedom  of  the  screen  is  firmly 
protected  under  our  Constitution." 

"Isn't  it  a  mockery  that  in  six 
states  a  motion  picture  must 
be  censored  before  it  can  be 
shown  in  theatres,  but  the  very 
same  picture  may  be  shown  on 
television  without  censorship?" 
Johnston  asked.  "In  the  name 
of  democracy — in  the  name  of 
common  sense — I  hope  that  all 
of  us  will  devote  our  energies 
to  obtain  the  repeal  of  censor- 
ship in  those  states  and  local- 
ities where  it  is  still  permit- 
ted." 

Johnston  concluded  his  remarks 
with  a  review  of  the  role  played  by 
American  films  abroad  and  their  serv- 
ices as  ambassadors  of  democracy. 

The  film  council  sessions  were  con- 
cluded last  night  with  a  visit  to  "This 
is  Cinerama."  In  the  morning,  the 
delegates  saw  Paramount's  "Come 
Back,  Little  Sheba,"  and  later  were 
addressed  by  Daniel  Mann  who  di- 
rected both  the  stage  and  film  ver- 
sions of  the  story.  Arthur  DeBra, 
director  of  the  community  and  ex- 
hibitor relations  departments  of  the 
MPAA,  and  Gordon  White,  adver- 
tising code  administrator,  discussed 
the  codes  at  the  late  afternoon  session. 

Ned  Depinet  was  chairman  of  the 
dinner  last  night  at  which  Johnston 
was  the  principal  speaker. 

Dr.  Gould  in  New 
Kodak  Film  Post 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  22. — Dr. 
Austin  J.  Gould  has  been  named  as- 
sistant manager  of  the  film  manufac- 
turing organization  of  ~E  a  s  t  m  a  n 
Kodak's  Kodak  Park  Works  by  Ivar 
N.  Huffman,  Kodak  vice-president 
and  general  manager  of  Kodak  Park. 


Film  Dividends  Off; 
U.  S.  Ticket  Tax  On 

Washington,  Jan.  22. — Film  in- 
dustry dividend  payments  in  1952 
slumped  to  the  lowest  total  since 
1945,  the  Commerce  Department  re- 
ported today. 

The  Department  made  a  preliminary 
estimate  that  publicly  reported  cash 
dividend  payments  by  motion  picture 
companies  amounted  to  $27,257,000 
last  year, .  compared  with  $35,122,000 
in  1951.  In  1945,  payments  amounted 
to  $23,665,000.  They  rose  sharply  the 
following  year,  to  $46,714,000,  and  in 
1947  hit  a  record  $54,641,000.  In 
1948,  they  dropped  very  slightly  to 
$54,205,000,  but  in  1949  fell  to  $45,- 
684,000  and  in  1950  to  $36,941,000. 

Cash  payments  in  December  were 
put  at  $4,440,000,  compared  with  $6,- 
751,000  for  December,  1951. 


Great  States  Circuit 
Honors  John  Dromey 

Chicago,  Jan.  22. — John  Dromey, 
head  buyer  and  booker  for  Great 
States  Theatres,  was  honored  at  a 
luncheon  in  the  Blackstone  Hotel 
attended  by  over  100  members  of  the 
industry  here  today.  Dromey,  who 
has  been  with  the  organization  for  30 
years,  was  introduced  by  Dave  Wal- 
lerstein,  general  manager  of  Balaban 
and  Katz  and  of  Great  States. 

Other  speakers  were  Duncan  Ken- 
nedy of  Great  States,  "Doc"  Banford, 
Western  division  manager  of  M-G-M. 

The  luncheon  climaxed  the  "John 
Dromey  Drive,"  which  saw  all  Great 
States  Theatres  in  special  promotions 
to  increase  December  business,  nor- 
mally way  below  the  rest  of  the  year. 

Dromey,  who  was  Mayor  of  North 
Chicago  for  14  years,  Illinois  Ameri- 
can Legion  commander,  and  chairman 


Legion 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

American  Legion  working  out  an 
arrangement  whereby  it  can  sponsor 
the  film.  'The  Hoaxters,'  nationally 
as  a  deterrent  to  Communism." 

W.  E.  Heliums,  Interstate  Theatres 
manager  in  Austin,  who  showed  the 
film  there,  was  also  commended,  and 
the  resolution  asked  that  the  film  "be 
given  the  widest  possible  distribution 
as  a  most  effective  means  of  educat- 
ing the  American  people." 

The  resolution  was  signed  by  Al- 
bert D.  Brown,  department  com- 
mander for  the  region,  and  G.  Ward 
Moody,  department  adjutant. 


Texas  Compo  Sponsors  'Hoaxters' 
As  No.  1  'P.R.'  Activity  of  1953 

Dallas,  Jan.  22. — The  Texas  Coun- 
cil of  Motion  Picture  Organizations 
has  elected  to  sponsor  as  its  number 
one  public  relations  project  for  1953 
M-G-M's  36-minute  documentary  on 
Communism,  "The  Hoaxters,"  ac- 
cording to  Kyle  Rorex,  executive 
director  of  the  organization. 

The  COMPO  unit  has  made  a 
special  transcription  for  pre-selling 
the  film  in  the  form  of  a  15-minute 
radio  public  service  program,  to  which 
exhibitors  can  add  a  short  spot  an- 
nouncement. It  has  also  prepared  a 
special  trailer.  Exhibitors  of  the 
state  have  been  urged  to  play  the  film 
"to  better  relations  in  your  commun- 
ity" ;  "to  better  your  box-office"  ;  and 
"to  better  relations  for  your  industry." 

Among  several  public  relations 
ideas  broached  by  Texas  Compo,  there 
is  the  suggested  placing  in  the  press 
of  a  feature  story  by  Dore  Schary, 
who  personally  produced  the  film, 
describing  its  origin  and  purpose. 


'Red'  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Republican,  said  that  the  one-time 
film  investigation  was  now  changed 
into  a  general  study  of  the  entertain- 
ment field.  He  said  that  any  of  the 
people  whom  the  committee  had  been 
attacking  in  Hollywood  had  now  left 
the  film  industry  for  radio  and  televi- 
sion jobs. 

"I  don't  anticipate  any  more  bip' 
formal  Hollywood  hearings,"  Jackson 
said.  He  added,  however,  that  should 
any  new  leads  develop  the  committee 
might  have  to  change  its  mind. 

Committee  chairman  Harold  Velde 
and  other  members  have  indicated  pre- 
viously their  belief  that  the  commit- 
tee last  year  put  too  much  emphasis 
on  the  Hollywood  investigation  and 
that  it  was  time  to  go  into  richer 
fields. 

No  staff  changes  were  discussed  af 
today's  meetings,  and  none  are  planned 
in  the  near  future,  Velde  declared. 

"Tonight  We  Sing" 
Next  at  the  Hall 

"Tonight  We  Sing,"  20th  Century- 
Fox's  color  in  Technicolor  musical 
based  on  the  career  of  impresario  Sol 
Hurok,  will  have  its  world  premiere 
at  Radio  City  Music  Hall  next  month, 
following  the  run  of  "The  Bad  and 
the  Beautiful." 

First  all-classical  musical  to  be  pro- 
duced-by  20th-Fox,  the  cast  includes 
George  Jessel,  Ezio  Pinza,  Roberta 
Peters  and  Tamara  Toumanova. 


of  the  Lake  County  "March  of 
Dimes,"  also  was  presented  with  a  gift 
from  Great  States  Theatres. 


u 


"Chockful  of  laughs !  Rollick 
ing  fun  for  any  type  of  audi 


ence 


!" 

HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 


"Looks  like  one  of  the  com- 
pany's top  grossers!  Sure-fire 
entertainment!  Rosalind  Rus- 
sell back  in  top  form!" 

M.  P.  DAILY 


Bool 


lgfl 


1 


*tlnS  eXploitWs*"h  sth 
tionsr    Plolt*tion  SUgg 


>H!...PlayIt!...Can'tMiss!" 


—FILM  DAILY 


FREDERICK  BRISSON  presents 


Rosalind  Russell 

Paul  Douglas 


Marie  Wlson 


|»h  WILLIAM  CHING  •  ARLEEN  WHELAN  •  LEIF  ERICKSON  •  HILLARY  BROOKE 

Produced  by  FREDERICK  BRISSON  •  Directed  by  NORMAN  Z.  McLEOD  •  Screenplay  by  KEN  ENGLUND 


Back 

BROTHERHOOD  WEEK, 
Feb.  15-22 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  23,  1953 


17thRadioPoll 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Radio  Champions  for  1952 


Bins  Crosby 


Eve  Arden 


Doris  Day 


Mario  Lanza 


Guy  Lombardo 


Kise  Stevens 


Dean  Martin 


Don  Wilson 


Edward  K.  Murrow 


Mel  Allen 


Armina  Marshall 

Producer 
Theatre  Guild 
on  the  Air 


Arturo  Toscanini 

Conductor, 
NBC  Symphony 
Orchestra 


Nila  Mack 

Producer, 
Let's  Pretend 


Jack  Zoller 

Director 
Cavalcade  of  America 


Grouoho  Marx 


Jack  Webb 


Arthur  Godfrey 


William  Traum 

Producer, 
America's  Town 
Meeting 


Donald  Voorhees 

Conductor, 
The   Telephone  Hour 


Bob  (Elliott)  and  Ray  (Goulding) 
finishing  in  that  order,  NBC  swept 
the  Best  Comedy  Team  classification. 
It  also  swept  the  Best  Classical  Mu- 
sical Show  division  with  The  Tele- 
phone Hour,  first ;  The  Voice  of  Fire- 
stone, second,  and  the  NBC  Sym- 
phony Orchestra  in  third  place.  By 
virtue  of  their  frequent  guest  appear- 
ances on  NBC's  Monday  night  mu- 
sical programs,  Rise  Stevens,  Dorothy 
Kirsten,  Marian  Anderson  and  Elean- 
or Steber  also  provided  a  sweep  of 
the  Best  Classical  Female  Vocalist 
division  to  NBC.  Miss  Stevens  was 
voted  first  place ;  Miss  Kirsten,  sec- 
ond, and  Miss  Anderson  and  Miss 
Steber  tied  for  third. 

Lanza  Leads 

Guest  stars  Mario  Lanza  (after  his 
own  NBC  show  was  terminated  in 
consequence  of  his  rebellion  against 
MGM),  Ezio  Pinza  and  Jerome 
Hines,  gave  the  network  a  sweep  of 
the  Best  Classical  Male  Vocalist  divi- 
sion, while  its  Grand  Ole  Opry  and 
Duke  of  Paducah  were  the  only  top 
contenders  in  the  Best  Rural  Musical 
Show  class. 

CBS,  on  the  other  hand,  had  a 
clean  sweep  of  the  Best  Variety  Pro- 
gram and  Best  Master  of  Ceremonies 
divisions.  In  the  former,  the  Bing 
Crosby  Show,  Arthur  Godfrey's  Tal- 
ent Scouts  and  Edgar  Bergen-Charlie 
McCarthy  finished  in  that  order.  In 
the  latter,  Crosby  took  first  with  Don 
Wilson  and  Godfrey  second  and  third, 
respectively. 

CBS  also  had  a  clean  sweep  in  the 
Best  Announcer  division,  with  Don 
Wilson  first  and  Del  Sharbutt  and 
Tony  Marvin  following. 

Eve  Arden  Again 

With  19Sl's  Champion  of  Cham- 
pions, Tallulah  Bankhead's  "B  i  g 
Show,"  going  off  the  air  in  1952,  the 
critics  appeared  satisfied  with  the  older 
radio  favorites.  Many  of  the  perennial 
winners  showed  up  again  in  first 
places.  Eve  Arden  of  CBS's  "Our  Miss 
Brooks,"  was  voted  radio's  Best 
Comedienne.  Edward  R.  Murrow, 
popular  CBS  news  commentator,  re- 
mained the  favorite  in  that  classifica- 
tion. Theatre  Guild  on  the  (NBC) 
Air  held  its  place  as  Best  Dramatic 
Program  in  a  typically  closely  con- 
tested race  with  CBS's  Lux  Radio 
Theatre. 

Guy  Lombardo,  maestro  of  the 
NBC  Lucky  Strike  Hit  Parade,  with 
dance  music  interludes  also  on  Mutual 
and  CBS  stations,  kept  his  standing  as 
Best  Popular  Orchestra,  while  the 
Hit  Parade  program  itself  was  voted 
Best  Popular  Musical  Show.  The 
Groucho  Marx  Show,  "You  Bet  Your 
Life,"  was  returned  as  Best  Quiz 
Show ;  Jack  Webb's  Dragnet  as  Best 
Mystery  Show  and  Arthur  Godfrey 
as  Best  Daytime  Program. 

Few  Upsets 

Upsets  in  the  polling  were  few. 
Cavalcade  of  America,  directed  by 
Jack  Zoller,  was  voted  Best  Edu- 
cational Program  over  last  year's 
winner,  America's  Town  Meeting, 
which  finished  third  in  the  1952  bal- 
loting. However,  Town  Meeting  was 
voted  Best  Public  Service  Program, 
replacing  1951's  "This  I  Believe." 
Doris  Day  upset  Dinah  Shore  and 
Jo  Stafford  as  Best  Popular  Female 
Vocalist. 

In  a  newly  added  division  of  the 
poll,  Best  Rural  Musical  Show,  Grand 


Ole  Opry  finished  ahead  of  the  con- 
tender, Duke  of  Paducah. 

The  NBC  Symphony  took  Best 
Classical  Orchestra  honors  over  the 
New  York  Philharmonic,  Arturo 
Toscanini  probably  representing  the 
difference  with  the  critics.  The  late 
Nila  Mack's  "Let's  Pretend,"  a  fre- 
quent winner  in  earlier  polls,  was  re- 
turned to  top  place  in  the  Best  Chil- 
dren's Program  division.  Mel  Allen 
won  out  again  as  Best  Sportscaster. 

The  critics'   interest   in  the  radio 


poll,  as  evidenced  by  heavy  balloting, 
showed  no  diminution  from  last  year 
despite  their  unmistakable  attention  to 
the  newer  medium,  TV. 

Most  of  the  comments  of  the  critics 
indicated  that  they  feel  radio  is  as 
good  as  it  ever  was,  still  subject  to 
the  same  failings  and  still  offering  the 
same  advantages. 

Lacks  Innovations 

Many  pointed  out  that  while  tele- 
vision has  borrowed  freely  of  radio's 


programs  and  performers,  there  have 
been  few,  if  any,  instances  of  tele- 
vision returning  the  favor  in  any  sub- 
stantial or  beneficial  way. 

Others  expressed  regret  that  radio 
has  attempted  nothing  new  in  the  past 
year  to  overcome  the  defections  to 
television  or  to  earn  itself  a  unique 
place  apart  from  and  independent  of 
the  new  medium.  It  had  better  get  to 
stirring,  they  say,  if  it  hopes  to  be 
anything  more  than  an  accompaniment 
to  reading  or  housework. 


Friday,  January  23,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Complete  Results  of  1952  Fame  Radio  Poll 


CBS,  Y  &  R  Publicity  Services  Again 
Voted  Best  By  Radio  Editors  in  '52  Poll 

Columbia  Broadcasting  System's  radio  publicity  service,  under 
George  Crandall,  director,  again  was  voted  the  Best  Network 
Publicity  Service  for  1952  by  newspaper  and  magazine  radio  editors, 
critics  and  columnists  participating  in  the  17th  annual  MOTION 
PICTURE  DAILY  —  Fame  Ra- 
dio Poll. 

The  editors  and  columnists 
also  voted  Young  &  Rubicam's 
Bureau  of  Industrial  Service 
the  Best  Individual  Publicity 
Service  for  the  year.  Harry 
Rauch  heads  the  Y  &  R  de- 
partment. 

The  vote  marked  the  fourth 
successive  year  the  CBS  press  § 
department  has  won  in  this 
special  category  of  the  annual 
radio  poll,  and  the  third  con- 
secutive year  for  the  Y  &  R 
department. 
National  Broadcasting  Com- 
pany's press  department  was  in  second  place  for  1952  and  Mutual 
Broadcasting  System's  department  in  third,  in  the  Network  Pub- 
licity Service  classification.  In  the  Individual  Publicity  Service 
classification,  David  O.  Alber  Associates  placed  second,  and  J. 
Walter  Thompson's  publicists  were  third. 

The  voting  in  both  classifications  for  1952,  as  in  earlier  polls, 
was  closely  contested,  only  a  few  votes  separating  the  leaders. 


George  Crandall 


Harry  Rauch 


HE  complete  list  of  winners 
in  Motion  Picture  Daily's 


17th  annual  radio  poll  for  Fame, 
as  voted  by  radio  editors,  critics 
and  columnists  for  American 
newspapers  and  magazines,  are 
published  herewith.  Sponsors,  ad- 
vertising agencies,  networks  and 
broadcast  time  (E.S.T.)  are 
given  for  first  place  winners ;  net- 
works only  for  second  and  third 
place  winners. 


CHAMPION  OF  CHAMPIONS 

1.  Jack  Benny  Show  (American  To- 
bacco Co. — Batten,  Barton,  Dur- 
stine  &  Osborne,  Inc. ;  CBS,  Sun- 
days, 7:00-7:30  P.M.). 

2.  Bing  Crosby  Show  (CBS). 

3.  The  Railroad  Hour  (NBC). 


BEST  COMEDIENNE 

1.  Eve  Arden  (Our  Miss  Brooks — 
Colgate-Palmolive-Peet  Co.  —  Ted 
Bates;  CBS,  Sundays,  6:30-7:00 
P.M.). 

2.  Marie  Wilson  (CBS). 

3.  Marion  Jordan  (Fibber  McGee  & 
Molly,  NBC). 


BEST  COMEDIAN 

1.  Jack  Benny  (Jack  Benny  Show; 
see  Champion  of  Champions ; 
CBS). 

2.  Bob  Hope  (NBC) 

3.  Red  Skelton  (NBC). 


BEST  COMEDY  TEAM 

1.  Martin  &  Lewis  (Liggett  &  Myers 
Tobacco  Co.  —  Cunningham  & 
Walsh;  NBC,  Tuesdays,  9:00-9:30 
P.M.). 

2.  Fibber  McGee  and  Molly  (NBC). 

3.  Bob  (Elliott)  and  Ray  (Goulding) 
(NBC). 

BEST  MASTER  OF  CEREMONIES 

1.  Bing  Crosby  (Bing  Crosby  Show 
— General  Electric  Co. — Young  & 
Rubicam,  Inc. ;  CBS,  Thursdays, 
9:30-10:00  P.M.). 

2.  Don  Wilson  (CBS). 

3.  Arthur  Godfrey  (CBS). 


BEST  POPULAR  FEMALE 
VOCALIST 

1.  Doris  Day  (Doris  Day  Show — 
CBS  Columbia,  Inc.;  CBS,  Tues- 
days, 10:05-10:30  P.M.). 

2.  Dinah  Shore  (CBS). 

3.  Jo  Stafford  (CBS). 


BEST  POPULAR  MALE 
VOCALIST 

1.  Bing  Crosby  (Bing  Crosby  Show ; 
see  Best  Master  of  Ceremonies, 
CBS). 

2.  Gordon  MacRae  (NBC). 

3.  Vaughn  Monroe  (CBS). 

BEST  CLASSICAL  FEMALE 
VOCALIST 

1.  Rise  Stevens  (Guest  NBC  and 
ABC). 

2.  Dorothy  Kirsten  (Guest  NBC). 

3.  Marian  Anderson  (Guest  NBC). 
Eleanor  Steber  (Guest  NBC) 
(Tie). 


BEST  CLASSICAL  MALE 
VOCALIST 

1.  Mario  Lanza  (Guest  NBC). 

2.  Ezio  Pinza  (Guest  NBC). 

3.  Jerome  Hines  (Guest  NBC). 

BEST  ANNOUNCER 

1.  Don  Wilson  (Jack  Benny  Show ; 
see  Champion  of  Champions  and 
Doris  Day  Show ;  see  Best  Popular 
Female  Vocalist,  CBS). 

2.  Del  Sharbutt  (CBS). 

3.  Tony  Marvin  (CBS). 

BEST  NEWS  COMMENTATOR 
OR  ANALYST 

1.  Edward  R.  Murrow  (American 
Oil— Joseph  Katz  &  Co.;  CBS 
weekdays  7:45-8:00  P.M.). 

2.  Lowell  Thomas  (CBS). 

3.  H.  V.  Kaltenborn  (NBC). 

BEST  SPORTSCASTER 

1.  Mel  Allen  (special  sport  events 
all  networks). 

2.  Bill  Stern  (NBC). 

3.  Red  Barber  (CBS). 

BEST  CHILDREN'S  PROGRAM 

1.  Let's  Pretend  (Cream  of  Wheat 
Corp. — Batten  Barton  Durstine  & 
Osborne,  Inc.;  CBS  Saturdays 
11 :05-ll:3O  A.M.). 

2.  Big  Jon  and  Sparky  (ABC). 

3.  Lone  Ranger  (ABC). 

BEST  CLASSICAL  ORCHESTRA 

1.  NBC  Symphony  (sustaining NBC) . 

2.  New  York  Philharmonic 
(CBS). 

3.  Firestone  (NBC). 

BEST  POPULAR  ORCHESTRA 

1.  Guy  Lombard©  (Lombardo  Land — 
sustaining,  MBC  Saturdays  9j30- 
10:00  P.M.)  also  (Your  Hit 
Parade  —  American  Tobacco  Co. 
Batteja,  Barton,  Durstine  &  Osborne, 
Inc.  NBC,  Friday  8:00-8:30  P.M.). 


2.  Vaughn  Monroe  (CBS). 

3.  Ralph  Flanagan  (all  networks). 

BEST  VARIETY  PROGRAM 

1.  Bing    Crosby    Show    (see  Best 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  CBS). 

2.  Arthur  Godfrey's  Talent  Scouts 
(CBS). 

3.  Edgar    Bergen-Charlie  McCar- 
thy Show  (CBS). 


BEST  DRAMATIC  PROGRAM 

1.  Theatre  Guild  on  the  Air  (U.S. 
Steel  Corp.  Batten,  Barton,  Dur- 
stine &  Osborne,  Inc. ;  NBC  Sun- 
days 8:30-9:30  P.M.). 

2.  Lux  Theatre  (CBS). 


BEST  EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAM 

1.  Cavalcade  of  America  (E.  I.  Du- 
Pont  de  Nemours  &  Co. ;  Batten, 
Barton,  Durstine  &  Osborne,  Inc. ; 
NBC  Tuesdays  8:00-8:30  P.M.). 

2.  Invitation  to  Learning  (CBS). 

3.  America's  Town  Meeting 
(ABC). 

BEST  CLASSICAL  MUSICAL 
PROGRAM 

1.  Telephone  Hour  (The  Bell  Tele- 
phone System — N.  W.  Ayer  &  Son, 
Inc.;  NBC  Monday  9:00-9:30 
P.M.). 

2.  Voice  of  Firestone  (NBC). 

3.  NBC  Symphony  (NBC). 

BEST  POPULAR  MUSICAL 
PROGRAM 

1.  Your  Hit  Parade  (see  Best  Popu- 
lar Orchestra,  NBC). 

2.  The  Railroad  Hour  (NBC). 

3.  Vaughn  Monroe  Show  (CBS). 

BEST  MYSTERY  PROGRAM 

1.  Dragnet  (Liggett  &  Myers  To- 
bacco Co. — Cunningham  &  Walsh  ; 
NBC  Sundays  9:30-10:00  P.M.). 

2.  Suspense  (CBS). 

3.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  North  (CBS). 


CBS,  NBC  Contest 
Top  Honors  in  Poll 

Top  honors  in  the  17th  annual 
Motion  Picture  ~DAiLY-Fame  radio 
poll  for  1952  were  about  as  evenly 
divided  between  National  Broadcast- 
ing Co.  and  Columbia  Broadcasting- 
System  as  they  have  been  in  any  year 
since  the  poll  was  started. 

NBC  accounted  for  12,  CBS  11 
first  places.  American  Broadcasting 
Co.  won  one  first  and  Mutual  Broad- 
casting System  by  virtue  of  sharing 
Guy  Lombardo  and  his  orchestra  with 
NBC,  is  also  credited  with  the  first 
place  won  by  Lombardo  in  the  Best 
Popular  Orchestra  division.  The 
radio  editors  and  columnists  voting  in 
the  poll  did  not  specify  which  of  Lom- 
bardo's  network  programs  they  had  in 
mind  when  voting  for  the  most  popu- 
lar orchestra,  so  both  are  permitted  to 
share  his  first  in  that  division. 

However,  the  Lucky  Strike  Hit 
Parade  on  NBC,  on  which  Lombardo 
and  his  orchestra  officiate,  was  specifi- 
cally voted  Best  Popular  Musical  Pro- 
gram. 

The  voting  for  Best  Publicity  Ser- 
vice, a  special,  non-program  award,  is 
not  counted  in  tabulating  the  winning 
network  places. 

In  the  second  place  standing,  CBS 
led  with  12;  NBC  had  10;  ABC,  two, 
and  MBS,  one.  NBC  captured  11 
third  places,  to  CBS's  nine,  while 
ABC  had  two  and  MBS  none. 


BEST  QUIZ  SHOW 

1.  Groucho  Marx  Show  (DeSoto 
Motor  Corp.,  Batten,  Barton,  Dur- 
stine &  Osborne,  Inc. ;  NBC  Tues- 
days 8:00-8:30  P.M.). 

2.  20  Questions  (MBS). 

3.  What's  My  Line?  (CBS). 

BEST  DAYTIME  SHOW 

1.  Arthur  Godfrey  Show  (Multiple 
Sponsors,  CBS,  Weekdays  10:00- 
11  :30  A.M.). 

2.  The  Breakfast  Club  (ABC). 

3.  Welcome  Traveler  (NBC). 

BEST  RURAL  MUSICAL  SHOW 

1.  Grand  Ole  Opry  (R.  J.  Reynolds 
Tobacco  Co. — William  Esty  Co., 
Inc.;  NBC  Saturdays  9:30-10:00 
P.M.). 

2.  The  Duke  of  Paducah  (NBC). 

BEST  PUBLIC  SERVICE 
PROGRAM 

1.  America's  Town  Meeting 
ABC  Cooperative  sponsors ;  ABC 
Tuesday  9:00-9:45  P.M.). 

2.  American  Forum  (NBC). 

3.  Meet  the  Press  (NBC). 

BEST  NETWORK  PUBLICITY 
SERVICE 

(Special  Award) 

1.  Columbia  Broadcasting  System 

2.  National  Broadcasting  Company 

3.  American  Broadcasting  Company 

BEST    INDIVIDUAL  PUBLICITY 
SERVICE 

(Special  Award) 

1.  Bureau  of  Industrial  Service 
Young  &  Rubicam,  Inc.). 

2.  David  O.  Alber  Associates. 

3.  J.  Walter  Thompson. 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  23,  1953 


Trust  Past 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


T  AST  Monday  nite's  telecast  could  have  aptly  been  "WE  love 
'  Lucy,"  for  the  news  of  the  birth  of  Desiderio  Alberto  Arnaz, 
prompted  approximately  44,000,000  TViewers  of  the  filmed  version 
of  the  event.  The  Trendex  rating  was  an  atmospheric  68.8.  .  .  . 
Fred  Waring's  Pennsylvanians  will  embark  on  an  8-week,  59  cities 
tour  Monday.  A  series  of  dramatic  films  will  replace  until  Fred 
Waring  and  the  entire  aggregation  resume  their  G.E.  telecasts  on 
Palm  Sunday.  .  .  .  The  basic  concepts  of  the  American  Way  of 
life,  freedom,  courage,  initiative  of  individual  enterprise,  is  the  under- 
lying theme  of  "Front-Row,  U.S.A.,"  a  series  of  26  half-hour  TV 
films  which  will  soon  go  into  production  at  KTTV  studios  in  Holly- 
wood. The  series  will  be  co-produced  by  Paul  F.  Heard  and  Louis 
Forbes  and  will  be  released  thru  P.  F.  Heard  TV  Productions.  .  .  . 
Hal  Block  will  again  appear  on  the  "What's  My  Line?"  panel 
CBSunday  subbing  for  vacationing  Bennett  Cerf.  Ad  libs  and  gags 
between  two  comics,  Hal  and  Steve  Allen,  should  prove  interesting 
and  entertaining.  .  .  .  Emil  Velazco  cut  short  his  trip  to  Florida 
to  return  to  N.Y.  to  supervise  the  recording  that  the  Boy  Scouts 
Choral  Group  are  making  at  the  Velazco  Studios.  The  numerous 
rallying  songs  will  be  a  feature  of  the  B.S.A.  International  Jamboree 
which  will  be  held  in  California  this  summer.  .  .  .  NBC's  Film 
Division,  directed  by  Robert  W.  Sarnoff  and  formed  but  last  June 
has  already  indexed  and  made  available  to  outside  producers  more 
than  15',000,000  feet  of  film,  covering  220  main  subjects  and  14,750 
individual  topics. 

ik 

Back  about  1928  B.C.  (Before  Crosby)  when  your  reporter 
first  hit  the  main  stem  with  a  brief  case  full  of  lyrics  and  a 
scrap  book  of  our  high  school's  paper,  The  Aegis,  with  poems 
and  verse  which  we'd  composed  when  we  were  wont  to 
schmoos  with  the  muse,  the  country  was 
enthralled  by  the  dulcet  tones  of  a  young 
man  with  a  megaphone,  the  Vagabond 
Lover,  as  Rudy  Vallee  was  then  called. 
Bing  at  the  time  was  still  a  member  of 
Pops  Whiteman's  Rhythm  Boys.  At  that 
time  Ted  Collins,  an  exec  with  Columbia 
Records,  presented  a  new  girl  singer  named 
Kate  Smith  who  forthwith  zoomed  to  the 
heights  and  STAYED  THERE.  For  the 
steenth  time  La  Smith  won  another  Award, 
this  time  her  program  "The  Kate  Smith 
Show"  (NBC)  being  named  by  the  TV  edi- 
tors of  America  "The  Best  Daytime  Pro- 
gram in  Television."  Another  member  of 
the  troupe  who  rates  an  accolade  is  Jack 
Miller,  who  has  been  musical  conductor  for  Miss  Smith  from 
the  beginnng.  .  .  .  The  11th  annual  conference  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Art  Education,  sponsored  by  the  Museum  of  Modern 
Art,  will  hear  a  talk  on  puppetry  and  TV,  delivered  by  Burr 
Tillstrom  in  N.Y.  March  19.  The  creator  of  TV's  NBClassic 
"Kukla,  Fran  &  Ollie"  is  a  strong  believer  in  the  role  TV  will 
play  in  the  field  of  education.  .  .  .  Effective  Feb.  2,  all  CBS 
dep'ts.  will  have  a  new  phone  number — PLaza  1-2345. 


Kate  Smith 


ger  it  would  do  so  before  the  Tobey 
bill  could  possibly  become  law. 
They  also  point  out  that  UPT 
has  never  been  convicted  of 
anti-trust  violation  and  ques- 
tion whether  the  company 
would  fall  under  the  anti-trust 
ban  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Republican's  bill  in  any  event. 

At  present  the  Commission  has  the 
discretion  to  deny  radio  and  television 
licenses  where  the  applicant  has  vio- 
lated the  anti-trust  laws.  Under  the 
Tobey  bill  such  denial  would  be  man- 
datory for  industry  companies  who 
have  been  convicted  of  violations  in  s 
government  suit. 

Directs  Commission 

The  Tobey  bill  directs  the  Commis- 
sion to  refuse  a  license  to  any  persor 
engaged  in  the  business  of  producing 
distributing  or  exhibiting  entertain- 
ment for  the  public  other  than  as  a 
broadcast  station  licensee  (or  to  any 
person  directly  or  indirectly  controlled 
by  such  person)  if  such  person  shall 
have  been  found  to  be  in  violation  of 
any  of  the  anti-trust  laws  of  the 
United  States." 

Tobey  said  today  that  he 
would  hold  hearings  on  the  bill. 
He  has  previously  announced 
that  he  would  hold  hearings  on 
the  UPT- ABC  merger.  He  would 
not  say,  however,  when  he 
would  open  either  of  the  hear- 
ings. 

In  defining  the  antitrust  violations 
which  should  be  grounds  for  the 
FCC's  denying  a  television  license,  the 
Tobey  bill  outlined  them  as  "mon- 
opolizing or  attempting  to  monopolize 
the  production,  distribution,  or  exhi- 
bition of  any  form  of  entertainment  or 
unlawful  agreements  restricting  the 
free  and  open  competition  in  the  pro- 
duction, distribution  or  exhibition  of 
any  form  of  entertainment. 

The  bill  lists  three  conditions  under 
which  the  Commission  may  by  special 
permit  grant  a  license  to  an  anti-trust 
violator.  It  may  do  so  if  the  appli- 
cant has  not  engaged  in  anti-trust 
violation  within  five  years  prior  to 
the  application  ;  if  "there  is  no  proba- 
bility that  the  unlawful  practices"  can 
or  will  be  practiced"  in  connection 
with  radio  communications;"  and  if 
the  applicant  "does  not  possess  the 
power  to  substantially  restrict  the 
availability  of  such  entertainment  for 
broadcast." 

Found  Violations 

The  bill  declares  that  some  of  the 
"major  organizations  engaged  in  the 
business  of  producing,  distributing  and 
exhibiting  forms  of  entertainment 
have  "recently  been  found  to  have 
violated  the  anti-trust  laws  through 
"monopolizing  and  attempting  to  mon- 
opolize and  entering  into  restric- 
tive and  oppressive  agreements,  and 
conspiracies  to  eliminate  competition."  j 

It  goes  on  to  say  that  it  is  contrary  : 
to  the  public  interest  "to  permit  such 
practices  in  radio  and  television 
broadcasting  or  to  permit  entertain- 
ment by  radio  and  television  broad- 
casting to  be  dominated  by  any  per- 
sons who  have  violated  the  anti-trust 
laws  in  connection  with  any  other 
form  of  entertainment,  unless  it  is 
clearly  established  that  granting  a 
broadcast  license  to  any  such  person 
will  not  have  any  adverse  effect  or 
the  widest  use  of  radio  and  television 
broadcasting." 


Set  British  'Oscars' 
Awards  for  Mar.  5 


London,  Jan.  22. — Great  Britain 
will  on  March  5  initiate  its  own  ver- 
sion of  the  Hollywood  "Oscar"  when 
its  British  Film  Academy  awards 
Wedgwood  china  plaques  to  the  best 
British  actress,  best  foreign  actor  and 
actress,  and  the  most  promising  new- 
comer. 

A  special  "jury"  of  the  Academy 
has  already  selected  24  British  and 
foreign  actors  and  actresses  as  candi- 
dates. Those  up  for  the  foreign 
awards  have  not  been  revealed,  but 
British  stars  being  considered  for  hon- 
ors include  Sir  Laurence  Olivier  and 
his  wife,  Vivien  Leigh,  Sir  Ralph 
Richardson,  Phyllis  Calvert,  Celia 
Johnson  and  Ann  Todd. 


Producer  Brisson  to 
Host  Gen.  Bradley 


Washington,  Jan.  22.  —  General 
and  Mrs.  Omar  N.  Bradley  will  be 
guests  of  honor  at  a  reception  to  be 
given  by  motion  picture  producer 
Frederick  Brisson  Wednesday  at  the 
Statler  Hotel,  following  the  world 
premiere  that  night  of  RKO  Radio's 
"Never  Wave  At  A  Wac"  at  the 
Keith  Theatre. 

The  picture  was  filmed  with  the  co- 
operation of  the  Department  of  De- 
fense and  includes  a  sequence  in  which 
General  Bradley  plays  himself. 

Eight  women  representatives  of  the 
armed  services  of  seven  countries  be- 
longing to  the  North  Atlantic  Treaty 
Organization  will  be  honor  guests  at 
the  premiere. 


Record  $15,650,000 
Mexico  City  Take 

Mexico  City,  Jan.  22.— The- 
atres here  grossed  a  new  high 
record  of  $15,650,000  in  1952. 
That  gross— more  than  $2,- 
310,000  over  1951— is  regarded 
by  exhibitors  as  particularly 
good  in  view  of  the  sharp 
slump  in  business  during  De- 
cember which  they  attributed 
to  stronger  competition  from 
the  long  Mexican  Christmas- 
tide  celebration  and  the  en- 
forced reduction  in  admission 
prices  of  20  to  35  per  cent. 
Exhibitors  say  that  the  46- 
cent  top  which  the  city  en- 
forced for  frontline  first-run 
theatres  cost  the  city  $28,000 
in  lost  taxes  in  December. 

Set  2  Days  Weekly 
For  FCC  Hearings 

Washington,  Jan.  22.— A  final  de- 
cision on  the  allocation  of  special 
theatre  television  channels  was  pushed 
farther  off  today  by  a  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  announce- 
ment that  the  hearings  on  theatre 
television — scheduled  to  reopen  Mon- 
day— would  be  held  only  on  Mondays 
and  Tuesdays  of  each  week. 

Industry  attorneys  have  estimated 
that  there  will  be  about  20  days  of 
hearings  once  the  sessions  get  under- 
way, which  would  run  the  hearings 
for  a  minimum  of  10  weeks.  Many 
observers  feel,  however,  that  20  days 
is  a  conservative  estimate  and  that 
cross-questioning  and  rebuttal  will  ex- 
tend the  hearing  days  considerably 
beyond  that  number.  All  agree, 
though,  that  it  will  be  well  into  mid- 
summer before  the  Commission  comes 
out  with  a  final  decision  in  the  case. 


Equity  Scale 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  seek  a  percentage  scale  for  a  thea- 
tre TV  performance  of  a  show.  Thea- 
tre TV  quarters  claimed  that  the  me- 
dium could  only  grow  on  a  flat  rate 
payment  to  cast  members  and  other 
stage  personnel  for  a  theatre  TV 
event. 

Tentative  proposals  submitted  by 
Actors  Equity  were  considered  a  basis 
for  bargaining.  Further  discussions 
are  due  between  the  Equity  Council 
and  Rosen.  Fabian  Theatres,  it  was 
learned,  has  a  number  of  Broadway 
shows  under  consideration  for  a  pos- 
sible theatre  telecasts,  exclusive  of 
"Gigi,"  which  is  no  longer  being  seri- 
ously discussed. 

Dallas  Telethon  for 
'Dimes'  Hits  $50,000 

Dallas,  Jan.  22. — The  22-hour  tele- 
thon held  here  Saturday  night  for  the 
Dallas  "March  of  Dimes"  campaign 
raised  $50,000,  it  was  disclosed,  with 
praise  going  to  Chill  Wills,  who  was 
master-of-ceremonies  of  the  event. 
Wills  apeared  at  the  request  of  the 
Texas  COMPO. 


SMPTE  Board  Meets 

A  meeting  of  the  board  of  governors 
of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  and 
Television  Society  was  held  here 
yesterday  to  prepare  an  expansion 
program  for  the  society. 


FIRST 
IN 


m 


NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  73.    NO.  17 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  MONDAY,  JANUARY  2.6,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

CAMPAIGN  kits  for  the  25th  an- 
niversary observation  of  Brother- 
hood Week,  Feb.  15-22,  have  been 
sent  to  every  exhibitor  in  the 
United  States.  As  Sol  Schwartz, 
national  chairman  of  the  Amuse- 
ments Division,  states  in  an  accom- 
panying- letter :  "This  kit  tells  you 
in  general  terms  what  we  want  you 
to  do.  How  you  do  it  depends  upon 
your  own  enthusiasm  and  your  own 
ingenuity." 

The  kits  contain  all  the  basic  in- 
formation and  materials  needed  to 
conduct  a  successful  campaign  in 
any  theatre.  The  degree  of  success 
which  the  theatre  attains  will  be  in 
direct  proportion  to  the  effort  ex- 
panded by  the  owner  or  manager. 
A  lackadaisical  campaign  will  pro- 
duce equally  indifferent  results.  A 
determined,  enthusiastic  campaign 
will  achieve  its  full  share  in  helping 
the  industry  to  realize  its  goal  of 
250,000  new  members  of  the  spon- 
soring organization,  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and  Jews. 

Correctly,  the  emphasis  of  the 
campaign  and  the  accessories  be- 
ing provided  exhibitors  is  upon 
Americanism.       Brotherhood  is 

unity,  and  unity  is  America. 
"•  • 

President  Dwight  Eisenhower, 
honorary  chairman  of  Brother- 
hood Week,  in  a  quotation  for  use 
in  the  theatre's  campaign,  declared 
that  ".  .  .  without  understanding  of 
each  other  or  without  a  spirit  of 

(Continued  on  page  2) 

Home  TV  Seen  for 
Marciano  Bout 


The  upcoming  Rock)'  Marciano 
heavyweight  title  match,  set  for  Chi- 
cago's indoor  Chicago  Stadium,  on 
April  10,  is  expected  to  go  to  home 
television  rather  than  theatre  TV. 

Boxing  officials  point  out  that  thea- 
tre TV  at  its  present  stage  of  devel- 
opment cannot  meet  the  price  offered 
by  home  TV  for  an  indoor  bout.  It 
was  also  explained  that  the  Interna- 
tional Boxing  Club,  promoter  of  the 
bout,  is  not  worried  about  filling  an 
indoor  arena  with  a  limited  seating 
capacity,  but  would  be  prone  to  bar 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


RKO  Receivership 
Suit  Withdrawn 

A  stipulation  calling  for  the 
withdrawal  of  the  application 
for  receivership  filed  by  three 
RKO  Pictures  minority  stock- 
holders has  been  signed,  Louis 
Kipnis,  attorney  for  the  plain- 
tiffs, reported  here  at  the 
weekend. 

The  disclosure  came  on  the 
eve  of  today's  scheduled  hear- 
ing in  the  New  York  Supreme 
Court.  Kipnis  said  he  would 
inform  the  court  of  the  stip- 
ulation, which  withdraws  the 
receivership  bid  without  prej- 
udice. Kipnis  added  that  the 
complaint  for  damages  against 
Howard  Hughes,  chairman  of 
RKO  Pictures  board  of  direc- 
tors, would  be  continued. 


Report  Newbery  in 
High  Republic  Spot 

Republic  president  Herbert  J.  Yates 
could  not  be  reached  at  the  weekend 
for  comment  on  reports  that  Bruce 
Newbery,  the  company's  managing  di- 
rector in  England,  was  in  line  for  a 
top  domestic  post,  possibly  as  general 
sales  manager.  Newbery  was  called 
to  New  York  Thursday  from  London 
on  what  was  described  as  "urgent" 
business.  Newbery,  an  Australian  by 
birth,  began  his  industry  career  with 
the  Hoyt  circuit  in  Australia,  later 
serving  20th  Century-Fox  in  the  Far 
East  for  several  years.  He  joined 
(Continued  on  page  5) 

Brandt  Chairman  of 
N.Y.  Fete  for  Zukor 


Harry  Brandt,  president  of  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association 
of  New  York,  has  been  appointed 
chairman  for  the  testimonial  dinner  to 
be  held  here  March  4  in  observance 
of  Adolph  Zukor's  golden  jubilee  cele- 
brations. The  appointment  was  made 
by  Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  international 
chairman  of  the  Zukor  50th  anniver- 
sary celebrations  which  are  being- 
sponsored  by  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national. 

In  accepting  the  appointment  Brandt 
said :    "I  feel  that  this  dinner  offers 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Schwalberg  Opens 
Week  of  Paramount 
N.  Y,  Sales  Meetings 


A.  W.  Schwalberg,  president  of 
Paramount  Film  Distributing  Corp., 
will  open  a  week-long  meeting  of  the 
company's  division  and  branch  man- 
agers at  the  Hotel  Plaza,  New  York, 
today. 

Barney  Balaban,  president,  will  ad- 
dress the  opening  morning  session. 

On  the  agenda  are  talks  by  home 
office  executives,  discussions  of  new 
product,  a  screening  of  "Shane,"  dis- 
cussions of  sales  and  promotion  prob- 
lems, and  other  matters'.  The  dele- 
gates also  will  attend  a  preview  to- 
morrow evening  of  "Off  Limits." 

Speakers,  in  addition  to  Schwalberg. 
will  include:  E.  K.   (Ted)  O'Shea, 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Reiner  in  Foreign 
Post  for  Goldwyn 


Manny  Reiner  has  been  named  for- 
eign manager  for  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions,  it 
was  announced 
here  at  the 
weekend  by 
James  A.  Mul- 
vey,  Goldwyn 
president.  Rei- 
ner will  assume 
his  new  duties 
on  Feb.  2  when 
his  resignation 
as  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge 
of  sales  of  PSI- 
TV,  Inc.,  tele- 
vision produc- 
ing -distributing 
company,  becomes  effective. 

Reiner  has  had  experience  in  mo- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


.Manny  Reiner 


Williamson  Named 
WB  District  Head 

Ed  Williamson,  Warner  Brothers 
branch  manager  in  Dallas,  has  been 
promoted  to  Southwestern  district 
manager  by  Ben  Kalmenson,  distribu- 
tion vice-president.  The  district  em- 
braces Dallas,  Memphis  and  Okla- 
homa City.  Williamson  will  have 
headquarters  in  Dallas. 

Other  promotions  announced  by 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


TOA  Believes 
Allied  Will  Join 
In  Arbitration 


Starr  Thinks  Workable 
Plan  Will  Be  Realized 


Confidence  that  Allied  States  As- 
sociation ultimately  will  join  in  a 
plan  for  industry  arbitration  was 
expressed  here  at  the  weekend  by 
leaders  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  on  the  eve  of  TOA's  mid- 
winter board  of  directors  meeting  at 
the  Pierre  Hotel,  today  and  tomorrow. 

"We  have  no  feud  with  Al- 
lied," TOA  president  Alfred 
Starr  said  at  a  trade  press  con- 
ference with  seven  TOA  execu- 
tives. "Allied  leaders  are  our 
friends  and  we  all  have  com- 
mon problems.    Allied  is  com- 

(Cor.tinued  on  page  4) 


UA  Gets  'Bwana'; 
No  Bank  Financing 


United  Artists'  acquisition  of  Nat- 
ural Vision's  "Bwana  Devil"  required 
no  bank  financing,  indicating  UA's 
good  financial  position  under  the  com- 
paratively new  management  regime. 
The  purchase  price  is  reported  to  be 
in  excess  of  $1,500,000,  with  a 
$500,000    down    payment    to  Arch 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Si  Fabian  Confirms 
WB  Houses  in  TOA 

Si  Fabian,  president  of  Fa- 
bian Enterprises,  confirmed  at 
the  weekend  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily  report  that  he 
would  bring  the  Warner  the- 
atres which  he  is  acquiring 
into  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  fold.  When  he  was 
asked  about  it  at  a  press  con- 
ference and  said  he  "defi- 
nitely" would  line  up  the 
houses  with  TOA,  Alfred 
Starr,  TOA  president  jumped 
to  his  feet  and  pumped  Fa- 
bian's hand. 


\  UA's 


'ONE  OF  THE  BEST!"-  Time  Magazine 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 
Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  26,  1653 


Personal 
Mention 

NED   E.   DEPINET,   RKO  Pic- 
tures  consultant,   returned  here 
from  the  Coast  at  the  weekend. 
• 

Dr.  Eitel  Monaco,  president  of  the 
National  Association  of  the  Motion 
Picture  and  Allied  Industries  of  Italy 
and  of  Italian  Films  Export,  was 
awarded  the  degree  of  Great  Officer 
of  the  Italian  Order  of  Merit  by  presi- 
dent Luigi  Einaudi. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  head  of 
M-G-M's  short  subject  and  newsreel 
sales,  will  arrive  in  Los  Angeles  to- 
morrow on  the  first  lap  of  a  Western 
tour.  He  is  due  back  here  Feb.  12. 
• 

Sam  Rosen,  partner  in  Lockwood- 
Gordon-Rosen  Theatres  in  Connecti- 
cut, is  vacationing  in  Florida  from 
Hartford. 

• 

I.  S.  Duncan,  a  member  of  the 
board  of  Odeon  Theatres  (Canada) 
Ltd.,  has  gone  to  South  America  on  a 
government  trade  mission. 

• 

J  Miller  Walker,  RKO  Pictures 
vice-president,  is  due  here  early  this 
week  from  conferences  with  Howard 
Hughes  in  Las  Vegas,  Nev. 
• 

Jesse  L.  Lasky  arrived  in  New 
York  from  the  Coast  over  the  week- 
end and  will  leave  for  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
shortly. 

Harry  H.  Goldstein,  Allied  Ar- 
tists Eastern  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector, has  returned  here  from  a 
three-week  New  England  tour. 


Joseph  Walsh,  head  of  Para- 
mount's  branch  operations,  will  return 
to  New  York  today  following  a  two- 
month  tour  of  exchanges. 

• 

Elmer  C.  Winegar,  treasurer  of 
the  projectionists  union  in  Buffalo, 
will  be  director  general  of  the  1953 
Shrine  Circus  in  the  spring. 

Sid  Rechetnik,  Warner  Brothers 
home  office  trade  press  contact,  cele- 
brated a  birthday  on  Friday. 

Arthur  Canton,  Eastern  M-G-M 
division  press  representative,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  Boston. 

Kay  Norton,  publicity  manager  for 
RKO  Radio,  will  leave  here  today  for 
W  ashington. 

Arthur  Israel,  Paramount  assis- 
tant secretary,  will  leave  here  today 
for  Omaha  and  Des  Moines. 

Ivan   Fuldauer,   M-G-M  division 
field  press  representative  in  the  Mid- 
west, is  here  from  Des  Moines. 
• 

Sam  Thompson,  manager  of  the 
Lyric  Theatre,  Guthrie,  Ky.,  an- 
nounces the  birth  of  a  daughter. 

Lloyd  Lind,  Allied  Artists  super- 
visor of  exchanges,  will  return  here 
today  from  the  Coast. 


Another  Ike  Eisenhower  Precedent: 
Newsreelers  at  D.C.  Press  Confabs 

James  C.  Hagerty,  President  Eisenhower's  press  officer,  appears 
in  current  newsreels  and  announces  that  newsreel  and  television 
cameras,  and  radio  commentators  will,  once  a  month,  cover  a 
regular  Presidential  press  conference.  This  will  establish  a  prece- 
dent for  both  the  newsreels  and  TV. 

Said  Hagerty: 

"We  want  to  bring  the  President  and  his  words  and  deeds  as 
closely  as  we  can  to  the  people  in  the  home  and  the  people  in  the- 
atres, so  what  we  are  planning  at  the  present  time — and  we  will 
work  out  the  details  later — is  to  have  a  press  conference  and  an 
informal  talk  at  least  once  a  month  for  the  newsreels,  television 
and  radio.  In  that  way,  the  President  is  going  to  give  the  news  of 
his  administration  directly  to  the  people  in  theatres  and  homes 
throughout  the  country." 


Circus  Premiere 
Proceeds  to  Palsy 


Prominent  personalities  and  repre- 
sentatives from  newspaper  and  amuse- 
ment fields  heard  Leonard  H.  Golden- 
son,  president  of  United  Paramount 
Theatres  and  United  Cerebral  Palsy 
Associations,  reveal  that  the  proceeds 
of  the  1953  premier  performance  of 
the  Ringling  Brothers — Barnum  and 
Bailey  Circus,  set  for  Wednesday, 
April  1,  at  Madison  Square  Garden, 
will  go  to  United  Cerebral  Palsy  of 
New  York  Citv,  at  a  meeting  held 
here  at  the  "21"  Club. 

The  meeting,  co-hosted  by  Robert 
M.  Weitman,  vice-president  of  United 
Paramount  Theatres,  and  Louis  Sobol, 
columnist,  formulated  the  establish- 
ment of  special  circus  committees  to 
assist  in  the  sale  of  the  premium 
priced  tickets  and  those  which  will  be 
sold  at  general  admission. 


Cinema  Lodge  to  See 
Israel  Film  Tuesday 

New  York's  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai 
B'rith  has  set  a  "triple  feature  eve- 
ning" for  the  Hotel  Astor  tomorrow 
night,  billing  Dr.  Frank  Kingdon, 
columnist,  author,  lecturer  and  world 
traveller ;  Elias  Kagan,  consultant  of 
B'nai  B'rith's  vocational  guidance  pro- 
gram in  New  York,  and  the  showing 
of  the  film,  "The  Magnetic  Tide," 
produced  in  Israel. 

According  to  Martin  Levine,  presi- 
dent of  Cinema  Lodge,  the  meeting  is 
open  not  only  to  Lodge  members  and 
their  guests,  but  to  all  iri  the  industry. 


Stage  Shows  for  Drive-in 

Miami,  Jan.  25. — Stage  shows  are 
set  for  the  Boulevard  Drive-in  Thea- 
tre here,  beginning  today,  with  six 
circus  acts  booked  by  Wometco  Thea- 
tres, owners.  Shows  go  on  at  2 :30 
P.M.  and  include  aerialists,  trapeze 
artists  and  trampolinists. 


L.  W.  McClintock,  49 

Memphis,  Jan.  25.— L.  W.  McClin- 
tock, who  was  with  Paramount  for 
26  years  until  his  retirement  in  1951 
to  manage  a  tourist  court  in  Memphis, 
died  suddenly  on  Friday  at  his  home. 
He  was  49.  Death  came  from  a  heart 
attack.  McClintock  had  been  branch 
manager  for  Paramount  in  Memphis 
and  Dallas. 


Whitney  an  Aide  to 
Cinerama's  Roberts 


C.  V.  Whitney  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  directors  of  Cine- 
rama Productions  Corp.  at  a  meeting 
held  here  on  Friday. 

Dudley  Roberts,  Jr.,  president,  said 
that  Whitney  will  also  become  special 
assistant  to  the  president,  and  in  that 
capacity  he  will  make  his  headquar- 
ters temporarily  in  Hollywood  where 
there  he  will  work  with  chairman  of 
the  board  Louis  B.  Mayer,  and  with 
Merian  C.  Cooper,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  production,  in  developing 
the  corporation's  program  of  new 
films. 

Whitney  is  chairman  of  the  board 
of  Hudson  Bay  Mining  and  Smelting 
Co.  He  has  been  identified  with  many 
American  industrial  enterprises,  in- 
cluding Pan-American  Airways,  which 
he  helped  to  found  and  of  which  he 
was  chairman  of  the  board  from  1928 
to  1941.  With  John  Hay  Whitney,  his 
cousin,  Whitney  was  a  founder  and 
director  of  Selznick  International  Pic- 
tures, which  sponsored  "Gone  with 
the  Wind"  and  many  other  pictures. 


11-Man  Loew's  Board 
Up  for  Reelection 

The  11 -man  board  of  Loew's,  Inc., 
has  been  nominated  for  reelection  by 
management,  according  to  a  Loew's 
proxy  statement  issued  at  the  week- 
end. 

The  nominees  are  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  Joseph  R.  Vogel,  J.  Robert 
Rubin,  William  F.  Rodgers,  Leopold 
Friedman,  George  A.  Brownell,  F. 
Joseph  Holleran,  Eugene  W.  Leake, 
Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  William  A. 
Parker  and  Henry  Rogers  Winthrop. 

The  annual  stockholders'  meeting 
will  be  held  in  New  York  at  the  home 
office  on  Feb.  26. 


Gardner  MGM  Branch 
Manager  in  'Frisco 

S.  J.  Gardner,  assistant  to  George 
A.  Hickey,  M-G-M's  West  Coast 
sales  manager,  has  been  named  mana- 
ger of  M-G-M's  San  Francisco  office 
by  Charles  M.  Reagan,  general  sales 
manager.  Gardner  started  with 
M-G-M  in  1931  as  a  salesman  in 
Philadelphia,  subsequently  becoming 
branch  manager  in  Salt  Lake  City 
and  in  Los  Angeles. 


Tradewise . . . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Brotherhood,  we  would  soon  cease 
to  exist  as  a  great  nation." 

His  words  fully  justify  the  dec- 
laration of  the  industry  committee 
that  participation  in  the  Brother- 
hood Week  campaign  is  "...  an 
opportunity  for  every  exhibitor  to 
serve  his  country." 

It  is  indeed,  as  the  campaign 
material  asserts,  "of  the  utmost  im- 
portance this  year  that  the  purpose 
of  this  organization — to  promote 
justice,  friendship,  understanding 
and  cooperation  among  Protestants, 
Catholics  and  Jews — be  supported 
by  all  loyal  American  showmen  in 
the  nation." 

And  as  Schwartz  adds :  "No  high 
pressure  methods  are  needed  to 
impress  you  to  support  Brother- 
hood Week.  The  work  of  the 
NCCJ  is  important  to  all  of  us. 
It  is  in  the  theatres  where  the 
people  of  every  race,  creed  and 
color  gather  in  peace  and  friend- 
liness. 

"I  hope  you  will  make  your 
theatre  a  vital  part  of  Brotherhood 
Week." 

The  materials  with  which  to  do 
it  are  in  your  hands.  It's  up  to  you. 


Drawing  Disposes 
Of  6  Jap  Permits 

Six  Japanese  import  permits  that 
had  not  been  allocated  to  member 
companies  of  the  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association  were  disposed  of  by 
drawing  lots  at  a  meeting  of  the 
MPEA  here  Friday.  The  winning 
companies  were  Columbia,  M-G-M, 
Paramount,  RKO,  20th  Century-Fox 
and  Warner  Brothers.  As  the  dead- 
line for  the  allocations  was  March  1, 
it  was  decided  to  settle  the  issue  by 
lot. 

Under  the  plan,  the  four  "losing" 
companies — United  Artists,  Universal, 
Republic  and  Allied  Artists — will  get 
the  first  four  allocations  from  next 
year's  permits  and  the  balance  will  be 
split  among  all  10  member  companies. 

Robert  Corkery,  head  of  the  Latin 
America  desk  of  the  MPAA,  gave  a 
report  on  film  conditions  in  Brazil 
and  Argentina,  most  of  which  had 
been  covered  by  president  Eric  John- 
ston's report  on  the  latter's  recent 
South  American  tour. 

Carl  York  started  on  a  report  on 
the  film  situation  in  Norway,  but  he 
was  unable  to  finish  because  of  time 
limitations  and  he  will  complete  his 
remarks  at  a  meeting  of  the  MPEA 
here  tomorrow. 


Elect  Halph  Hetzel 
MPEA  Vice-president 

Ralph  Hetzel,  Jr.,  vice-president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  was  elected  vice-president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion at  a  meeting  of  the  MPEA  here 
on  Friday.  Hetzel  is  in  charge  of 
the  New  York  office  of  the  MPAA. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Ouigley  Publishing-  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle-  7-3100  Cable  address:  Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President:  Martin  Ouigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy  Vice-President;  Leo  J  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vme  Building 
William' R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington.  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq„  London  WI:  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac:  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter.  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


Monday,  January  26,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


David  S chine  Heads 
Probe  Consultants 

Washington,  Jan.  25.— David 
Schine  of  Miami  Beach,  Flor- 
ida and  Gloversville,  New 
York,  has  been  named  head 
consultant  to  the  Senate  In- 
vestigating sub-committee  on 
its  proposed  investigation  of 
Communist  activities.  Schine 
is  the  son  of  Schine  circuit 
head  Meyer  Schine. 

The  Senate  Investigating 
group  is  a  sub-committee 
of  the  Senate  Committee 
on  Government  Operations, 
headed  by  Senator  McCarthy. 


'Brotherhood  Week' 
Aided  by  Circuits 

Heads  of  top  circuits  are  pledging 
support  for  the  amusement  industry's 
participation  in  "Brotherhood  Week," 
Feb.  15-22,  on  behalf  of  the  silver  an- 
niversary of  the  National  Conference 
of  Christians  and  Jews,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  Harry  Mandel,  co- 
ordinator for  the  amusement  division. 

Sol  A.  Schwartz,  national  chairman 
for  the  committee,  and  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.,  national  exhibitor  chairman,  have 
received  from  circuit  heads,  many 
promises  of  cooperation,  among  them. 
F.  H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  Fox  Inter- 
Mountain  ;  Leonard  H.  Goldenson, 
United  Paramount ;  Myron  N.  Blank, 
Central  States;  Robert  J.  O'Donnell, 
Interstate ;  John  Balaban,  Balaban 
and  Katz ;  Gerald  Shea,  Jamestown 
Amusement;  Joseph  Vogel,  Loew's ; 


Review 


"Tonight  We  Sing" 


(20th  Century-Fox) 

A LAVISH,  richly  colored  production,  filled  with  many  beautiful  popular 
classical  scores  and  arias,  is  offered  in  this  20th  Century-Fox  release. 
It  should  find  a  wide  audience  with  the  growing  acceptance  by  the  Ameri- 
can public  of  what  is  called  "good  music."  Heightening  entertainment  values 
are  a  number  of  excellently  performed  ballets. 

The  musical  and  ballet  sequences  are  built  around  the  life  of  that  well- 
known  impresario,  Sol  Hurok,  played  by  David  Wayne.  Although  there  is 
much  that  is  gratifying"  in  the  story  line,  the  running  time  of  109  minutes 
appears  overlong.  In  consequence,  many  of  the  operatic  and  dance  scenes 
interwoven  in  the  story  become  static.  However,  these  faults  are  minor  in 
comparison  with  the  over-all  production  values,  the  merit  of  Ezio  Pinza  as 
a  marquee  attraction,  and  the  exciting  music.  This  George  Jessel  production, 
in  color  by  Technicolor,  is  a  good  film  and  should  win  the  mass  audience. 

Pinza,  as  the  great  Russian  opera  star,  Feodor  Chaliapin,  turns  in  a  top 
performance  and  his  singing  is  one  of  the  high  points  of  the  film.  The  voice 
of  Jan  Peerce  is  also  featured  in  the  romantic  role  played  by  Byron  Palmer. 
With  these  two  talented  voices,  the  operatic  arias  from  "Madam  Butterfly," 
"Boris  Goudenov,"  "La  Traviata"  and  "Faust"  are  a  delight. 

The  story  finds  David  Wayne  as  Hurok  emigrating  to  America  to  make 
his  fortune  as  an  impresario.  Intent  upon  winning  a  wide  audience  for  tal- 
ented artists,  he  pursues  his  attempt  to  sign  up  Pinza,  sending  letter  after 
letter  imploring  him  to  come  to  this  country.  In  order  to  win  a  bet,  Pinza 
asks  Wayne  to  come  to  Paris  only  to  disappoint  the  frustrated  impresario. 
Meanwhile,  Wayne  has  left  his  newly-married  wife,  Anne  Bancroft,  in  the 
U.  S.  uncertain  over  his  future.  On  the  trip  back,  picking  up  Palmer  and 
a  famous,  gifted  violinist  on  the  boat,  he  hits  pay  dirt  by  signing  them  up. 
From  there  on  in  it's  one  top  artist  after  another,  including-  Pinza  and  the 
talented  ballerina,  Anna  Pavlova,  played  by  Tamara  Toumanova.  As  a  result 
of  a  busy  life,  his  marriage  has  its  ups  and  downs,  adding  human  interest 
to  the  story. 

Others  in  the  cast  include  Roberta  Peters,  Isaac  Stern,  Byron  Palmer, 
Oscar  Karlweis,  Mikhail  Rasumny  and  Steven  Geray.  Mitchell  Leisen  di- 
rected, from  a  screenplay  by  Harry  Kurnitz  and  George  Oppenheimer,  based 
on  a  book  by  Hurok  and  Ruth  Goode. 

Running  time,  109  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release.  Murray  Horowitz 


Theatres;  Spyros  Skouras,  Jr.,  Skou-  I  Theatres  ;  Fred  Schwartz,  Century, 
ras  Theatres ;  Harry  Brandt,  Brandt  I  and  Sam  Rinzler,  Randforce. 


Award  Citations  to 
Jimmy  Fund  Leaders 


Boston,  Jan.  25. — Citations  were 
awarded  to  state  chairmen  and  co- 
chairmen  of  the  1952  Jimmy  Fund 
Drive  at  a  luncheon  of  the  Children's 
Cancer  Research  Foundation. 

Among  the  recipients  were :  Walter 
A.  Brown,  president  of  the  Boston 
Garden  and  chief  barker  of  the 
V ariety  Club  of  New  England ;  James 
Mahoney,  general  manager  of  Inter- 
state Theatres ;  Michael  Redstone, 
Redstone  Drive-in  Theatres;  Ben 
Rosenwald,  Boston  M-G-M  branch 
manager ;  Hatton  Taylor,  Boston 
RKO  Pictures  branch  manager ; 
Theodore  Fleisher,  president  of  Inter- 
states  Theatres;  Hy  Fine,  Boston 
manager  for  New  England  Theatres 
Corp. ;  Michael  Kavanagh,  general 
manager  for  Shubert  Theatres. 

Also,  Cornelius  Russell,  Sr.,  Ban- 
gor, Me. ;  Ralph  Tully,  Portland, 
Me. ;  Lloyd  Bridgham,  John  Fagan, 
Dover,  N.  H. ;  Frank  Bennett,  Rut- 
land, and  Ernest  Fitzgerald,  St.  Johns- 
bury,  V t. ;  Harry  Feinstein,  general 
manager  for  Warner  Theatres  in  New 
England ;  Edward  Fay  and  Meyer 
Stanzler. 


Set  Chakeres  Drive-in 

Hollywood,  Jan.  25. — The  Federal 
Theatre  Co.,  operating  a  string  of 
houses  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  will 
build  a  500-car  drive-in  near  More- 
head,  Ky.  Ellis  Johnson,  Morehead 
State  College  football  coach,  said  to 
be  financially  interested  in  the  project, 
will  manage  the  house,  which  is  sched- 
uled for  opening  in  the  spring. 


On  behalf  of  our  sponsors— 

Swanson 

and 

Johnson's  Wax 


and  the  whole  gang  on 

"The  Name's  the  Same" 


U  ■ 


—  Robert  Q.  Lewis 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  26,  1653 


All  Should  Book  'The 
Hoaxters' :  Starr 

Every  theatre  in  the  free 
countries  of  the  world  should 
show  "The  Hoaxters,"  anti- 
Communist  documentary,  in 
the  opinion  of  Alfred  Starr, 
president  of  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America.  Starr  voiced 
his  sentiments  in  a  letter  to 
M-G-M  after  witnessing  the 
36-minute  subject  produced 
by  Dore  Schary  and  written 
by  associate  producer  Herman 
Hoffman. 


TO  A  Believes 


UA  Gets  'Bwana' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Oboler  and  his  associates,  paid  out 
from  company  funds.  The  balance  is 
to  be  paid  from  revenue  accruing  from 
the  play-offs. 

All  exhibition  contracts  made  to 
date  for  "Bwana  Devil"  have  been 
taken  over  by  UA,  which  will  handle 
the  picture  on  a  worldwide  basis.  In 
announcing  the  conclusion  of  the  deal, 
UA  said  the  picture  has  "racked  up 
the  biggest  grosses  in  theatrical  his- 
tory" in  its  initial  engagements  in  Los 
Angeles,  Hollywood,  San  Francisco, 
Detroit,  Philadelphia,  Dallas,  Hous- 
ton, San  Antonio  and  Pittsburgh. 

Arrangements  have  been  made  for 
Altec  and  RCA  Sound  Service  to 
offer  their  services  for  surveys,  new 
equipment  recommendations  and  su- 
pervision of  equipment  installation  to 
theatres  which  have  contracted  or 
which  will  contract  to  exhibit  the  new 
tri-dimensional  film.  In  addition  to 
the  present  5,000-foot-reel  form  in 
which  "Bwana  Devil"  has  been  re- 
leased— a  form  requiring  23-inch 
magazines  on  motion  picture  projec- 
tors— prints  will  be  made  available  on 
special  173^-inch  reels,  holding  ap- 
proximately 2,600  feet  of  film,  adapt- 
able to  the  standard  20-inch  projector 
magazine. 

"Bwana  Devil,"  which  was  written, 
produced  and  directed  by  Oboler,  is 
an  African  adventure  drama  starring 
Robert  Stack,  Barbara  Britton  and 
Nigel  Bruce.  Joseph  Biroc  directed 
the  photography  and  Gordon  Jenkins 
composed  and  conducted  the  music. 

Milton  Gunzburg,  who  has  the 
Natural  Vision  patent,  supervised  the 
use  of  the  process  for  "Bwana  Devil." 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Brandt  Chairman 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  industry  the  opportunity  for  the 
most  important  event  of  our  lifetime, 
to  salute  our  greatest  pioneer  whose 
unblemished  record  will  be  a  target 
and  goal  for  everyone  for  many  years 
to  come.  Certainly  no  one  approaches 
him  either  in  the  period  of  years  or 
of  great  service." 

Brandt  revealed  that  the  anniver- 
sary dinner  to  Zukor,  which  will  be 
held  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel, 
will  be  a  golden  affair  from  all  stand- 
points, with  distinguished  guests  from 
other  industries  and  from  public  life 
in  attendance. 

Meanwhile,  the  anniversary  dinner 
which  had  been  planned  for  Zukor  in 
Dallas  on  Feb.  6  has  been  postponed 
until  a  later  date,  some  time  after  the 
New  York  celebration.  Zukor  will  be 
honored  at  a  Canadian  dinner  in  April 
and  in  Mexico  City  in  May.  He  is 
scheduled  to  visit  Europe  in  the  fall 
and  will  be  honored  in  Chicago  on 
his  return. 


posed  of  intelligent  men  and  we 
see  eye-to-eye  with  them  on 
many  objectionable  trade  prac- 
tices. We  believe  that  a  work- 
able plan  will  be  worked  out, 
even  though  the  plan  will  not  be 
perfect  at  the  beginning,  and 
that  Allied  will  come  in." 

Starr  said  that  the  subject  of  arbi- 
tration would  be  an  important  item  on 
the  agenda  of  the  TOA  board  meet- 
ings. He  said  it  would  be  up  to  the 
board  to  decide  whether  to  attempt  to 
initiate  an  arbitration  plan  without 
Allied's  participation,  but  Walter 
Reade,  Jr.,  chairman  of  the  executive 
committee,  pointed  out  that  two  years 
ago  the  distributors  declined  to  enter 
into  any  arbitration  plan  without 
Allied. 

Agreed  With  Allied 

Herman  Levy,  TOA  general  coun- 
sel, who  attended  the  press  parley, 
said  that  he  agreed  with  Allied  in  its 
position  on  pre-releases,  but  that  "it 
was  unfortunate"  that  Allied  had 
taken  the  position  it  had  on  rejecting 
the  latest  draft  until  certain  alleged 
abuses  had  been  corrected.  He  said 
that  Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied  general 
counsel,  had  done  a  good  job  in  mak- 
ing his  report  on  the  distributors' 
draft  at  the  Chicago  Allied  conven- 
tion ,but  that  the  "plus  points"  ex- 
ceeded the  "minus  points"  and  that 
the  minus  points  could  be  solved. 

The  TOA  leaders  said  they  agreed 
with  Allied  on  many  of  the  latter's 
objections,  particularly  on  the  issue 
of  pre-releases.  They  said  they 
would  like  to  have  a  definition  of  what 
constitutes  pre-release.  They  pointed 
out  that  they  didn't  object  to  a  pre- 
release if  a  picture  deserved  such 
handling  but  that  there  were  too  many 
of  them  now.  In  fact,  one  TOA 
leader  asserted  that  there  hadn't  been 
a  picture  in  the  true  pre-release  cate- 
gory since  "Gone  With  the  Wind." 
The  public,  he  said,  just  cannot 
"gobble  up"  three  pre-release,  ad- 
vanced admission  price  pictures  on  the 
market  at  the  same  time.  The  TOA 
executive  questioned  the  legality  of 
withdrawing  a  picture  from  the  gen- 
eral market  after  a  first-run  engage- 
ment. 

Doesn't  Share  Pessimism 

Starr  said  he  did  not  share  the 
pessimism  expressed  in  some  quarters 
over  the  future  of  the  industry.  Show 
business,  he  said,  was  as  "old  as  man" 
and  the  public  will  always  look  for 
entertainment.  The  film  industry  has 
been  able  to  adapt  itself  to  changing 
times  and  both  the  exhibitors  and  the 
public  were  "enormously  interested" 
in  the  development  of  three-dimen- 
sional pictures,  he  stated.  Starr's 
views  were  shared  by  Elmer  Rhoden, 
head  of  Fox  Midwest  Theatres,  and 
Frank  (Rick)  Ricketson,  head  of  Fox 
Rocky  Mountain  Theatres,  who  were 
present.  Ricketson  said  the  public 
was  eager  to  buy  "something  new" 
and  "all  we  have  to  do  is  to  give  it 
to  them."  Rhoden  pointed  to  in- 
creased activity  of  film  industry  stocks 
on  Wall  Street  and  the  fact  that  good 
pictures  are  grossing  more  than  they 
ever  did  as  an  indication  of  a  new 
public  confidence  in  motion  pictures. 
Charles  Skouras,  National  Theatres 
president,  also  attended  the  press 
meeting. 

The  TOA  executive  committee  met 
yesterday.  The  board  is  scheduled  to 
go  into  its  initial  session  this  morning. 


Rhoden  Sees  More 
Top  Films  in  '53 

A  recent  survey  by  Fox 
Midwest  Theatres  disclosed 
that  there  were  47  pictures 
that  can  be  classed  as  top 
quality  product  on  this  year's 
release  schedule  compared 
with  31  films  in  that  category 
a  year  ago.  This  was  revealed 
here  at  the  weekend  by  Elmer 
Rhoden,  head  of  Fox  Midwest, 
in  pointing  up  the  improved 
quality  of  product. 


Albany  TOA  Meet 
On  Legislation 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  25. — A  discus- 
sion of  legislation  pending  at  the 
Capitol  here  and  the  establishment  of 
a  drive-in  section  within  the  Albany 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  are 
among  the  subjects  on  the  agenda  for 
an  Albany  TOA  meeting  tomorrow. 

Among  the  bills  slated  for  consid- 
eration, and  certain  to  be  opposed,  are 
two  for  hourly  minimum  wages  of  $1 
and  $1.25  in  the  state,  and  another 
requiring  workmen's  compensation 
coverage  for  a  single  employee. 

Objectives  of  the  drive-in  group 
would  include  collective  advertising 
and  the  setting  up  of  a  separate  news- 
paper directory  for  outdoor  theatres. 

Reiner  in  Post 

 (Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  pictures,  television,  radio  and  pub- 
lic relations  over  a  20-year  period. 
He  joined  PSI-TV  last  summer  after 
two  years  as  sales  manager  for  Louis 
G.  Cowan,  Inc. 

Reiner  entered  motion  pictures  in 
1933  with  Warner  Brothers  and  sub- 
sequently was  associated  with  M-G-M, 
Monogram  and  Paramount.  From 
1942  to  1946  he  was  film  officer  in 
Europe  for  the  Office  of  War  Infor- 
mation and,  from  1946  to  1950,  was 
general  manager  in  Latin  America  and 
Australasia  for  the  David  O.  Zelznick 
Organization. 

Reiner's  first  assignment  for  Gold- 
wyn  will  be  to  launch  foreign  sales 
of  "Hans  Christian  Andersen."  After 
a  series  of  conferences  with  Mulvey  on 
the  world  situation  as  it  affects  dis- 
tribution, Reiner  will  go  abroad  on  a 
sales  inspection  trip.  He  will  make  his 
headquarters  in  New  York  upon  his 
return. 


Uphold  Silverman 
On  Woods  Purchase 

Chicago,  Jan.  25. — The  Illinois  Su- 
preme Court  has  unanimously  upheld 
the  legality  of  the  purchase  of  the 
Woods  Theatre  Building  here  from 
the  Franciscan  Fathers  by  Edwin  Sil- 
verman. 

Turned  down  was  the  appeal  by 
plaintiffs  Emil  Stern,  Minnie  Stern, 
and  James  Both,  and  others,  asking- 
reversal  of  the  decision  of  the  Appel- 
late Court,  which  had  ruled  in  favor 
of  Silverman.  The  plaintiffs  alleged 
that  Silverman,  head  of  Essaness 
Theatres,  who  had  a  management 
contract  to  operate  the  Woods  for  the 
plaintiffs,  had  bought  the  building 
and  invoked  a  clause  terminating  the 
lease  without  giving  the  plaintiffs  an 
opportunity  to  participate  in  the  pur- 
chase. 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

with  RAY  GALLO 


AN  agreement  providing  for  an  ex- 
panded program  of  joint  re- 
search and  development  in  the  field  of 
industrial  and  broadcast  television 
cameras  and  studio  equipment  has 
been  signed  by  General  Precision  Lab- 
oratory, Inc.,  Pleasantville,  N.  Y.,  and 
Pye  Limited,  of  Cambridge,  England. 
In  addition  to  work  on  cameras  the 
companies  will  combine  efforts  on 
theatre  television.  GPL  is  the  devel- 
oper of  the  Simplex  theatre  television 
system  of  direct  projection  now  used 
in  many  theatres  in  this  country. 
• 

An  improved  version  of  its  "De- 
luxe" series  of  in-car  speakers  is 
announced  by  Motiograph  of  Chi- 
cago in  a  new  brochure  just  issued. 
Among  the  features  described  is  the 
use  of  a  full  magnet  five-inch  dia- 
meter speaker  unit,  which  is  pointed 
out  as  being  20  per  cent  larger  than 
that  used  in  many  in-car  speakers. 
Other  features  include  multi-tapped 
transformers  designed  to  permit 
exact  matching  of  speakers  and  am- 
plifier circuits  of  any  sound  system 
desired. 

• 

Canadian  patents  for  "Permascreen," 
which  consists  of  steel  plates  with  a 
surface  of  vitreous  enamel  fused  on 
for  mounting  on  existing  or  new  drive-  ' 
in  totvers,  have  been  applied  for  by 
Poblocki  and  Sons,  Milwaukee.  In 
making  the  announcement  Ben  Pob- 
locki, president,  listed  the  current 
Canadian  distributors  of  his  company's 
products.  They  include  the  following 
branches  of  General  Theatre  Supply 
Co.  Ltd.:  271  Edmonton  St.,  Winni- 
peg, Man.;  86  Charlotte  St..  St.  John, 
N.  B.;  916  Davie  St.,  Vancouver,  B. 
C;  861  Bay  St..  Toronto.  Also,  D. 
McDonald,  c/o  Mrs.  R.  B.  Masterton, 
142  Duffrin  St.,  Moncton,  N.  B. 
• 

S.  Ernest  Kulp,  a  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  and  of  the  execu- 
tive committee  of  the  Masland  Dura- 
leather  Co.,  Philadelphia,  was  re- 
elected president  of  the  Plastic  Coat- 
ings and  Film  Association  during  its 
annual  meeting  in  New  York  recently. 
Reelected  vice-president  was  G.  H. 
Callum,  of  the  U.  S.  Rubber  Co., 
Mishawaka,  Ind. 


Extra  assurance  of  carbon  stub 
alignment  when  coming  into  burn- 
ing position  is  provided  in  a  new 
development  of  the  Hanover  per- 
manent clamp  type  carbon  saver 
distributed  by  Norpat  Sales,  New 
York.  This  is  a  device,  the  principle 
component  of  which  is  a  spring 
about  two  inches  wide  and  half  an 
inch  high,  that  is  attached  to  the 
pivotal  screw,  with  the  spring  so 
contoured  as  to  exert  tension  on 
both  the  retiring  carbon  jaws  and 
those  holding  the  incoming  stub, 
allowing  pivotal  action  without  side 
play.  The  positive  alignment  device 
may  be  attached,  according  to  the 
distributor,  to  carbon  savers  for  all 
Suprex  trims,  including  one-kilo- 
watt. 


Monday,  January  26,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Players  to  Promote 
Industry  Abroad 

Loew's  International,  on  Feb.  _  5, 
will  sponsor  a  precedental  promotion 
of  the  industry  when  it  dispatches  a 
troupe  of  M-G-M  players  by  North- 
east Airlines  to  the  Far  East  for  a 
six  weeks  tour  to  stimulate  box-office 
activity  and  expand  foreign  markets. 

In  the  troupe  will  be  Marge  and 
Gower  Champion  and  Richard  Mon- 
talban.  Their  aim  is  to  meet  and  be 
seen  by  the  film-going  public.  They 
will  make  radio  and  stage  appearances 
and  give  performances.  In  many  in- 
stances holidays  will  be  declared  to 
coincide  with  their  arrival. 

The  U.  S.  State  Department,  recog- 
nizing the  value  of  films,  has,  it  is  un- 
derstood, endorsed  the  tour. 

Cities  to  be  visited  will  include 
Manila,  Calcutta,  Bombay,  Singapore, 
Bangkok,  Hong  Kong  and  Tokyo. 
Tours  will  be  keyed  to  openings  of 
"Everything  I  Have  Is  Yours,"  "My 
Man  and  I"  and  "Sombrero." 

Arthur  Pincus,  assistant  director  of 
publicity  and  advertising  of  Loew's 
International,  arranged  the  tour. 


Celebrities  Set  for 
'Above'  Premiere 

Approximately  100  personalities 
from  the  entertainment  field,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  number  of  prominent  news- 
paper writers,  will  be  on  hand  for 
M-G-M's  invitational  preview  of 
"Above  and  Beyond,"  to  be  held 
Thursday  night  at  Brandt's  Mayfair 
Theatre  here.  The  event  will  be 
broadcast  over  TV  and  radio  via 
WJZ-TV  and  ABC's  radio  outlet, 
WJZ,  with  Tex  and  Jinx  McCrary 
handling  the  video  part  of  the  broad- 
cast. 

Among  those  who  have  accepted  in- 
vitations are :  Wendy  Barrie,  Richard 
Barthelmess,  Gertrude  Berg,  Milton 
Berle,  Sherman  Billingsley,  Joe  E. 
Brown,  Red  Buttons,  Igor  Cassini, 
Constance  Collier,  Frank  Conniff, 
John  Conte,  Jackie  Cooper,  Glenda 
Farrell,  Jose  Ferrer,  Dorothy  Fields, 
Vinton  Freedley,  Eva  Gabor,  Magda 
Gabor,  Zsa  Zsa  Gabor,  Dave  Garro- 
way,  Gabby  Hayes,  Harry  Hersch- 
field,  Roy  W.  Howard,  Alice  Hughes, 
Ted  Lewis,  Claire  Booth  Luce,  Jeff- 
rey Lynn,  Leonard  Lyons,  Jeanette 
MacDonald,  Gene  McHugh,  Millard 
Mitchell,  Arthur  Murray,  Russell 
Nype,  Cole  Porter,  John  Raitt,  Gene 
Raymond,  Lanny  Ross,  David  Sar- 
noff,  Jimmie  Savo,  Herb  Shriner, 
Jules  Stein,  Ed  Sullivan,  Herbert  B. 
Swope,  Jr.,  Mel  Torme,  Earl  Wilson 
and  high  ranking  Air  Force  officers. 


N.  Y.  Variety  Tent 
Enrolls  Twenty-Two 

Twenty-two  have  been  enrolled  in 
the  first  few  days  of  the  membership 
drive  of  the  Variety  Club  of  New 
York,  Tent  No.  35,  membership  chair- 
men William  J.  German  and  Martin 
Kornbluth,  disclosed  here  at  the  week- 
end. 

Among  the  22  are :  Edwin  A. 
Aaron,  Anthony  Agoglia,  John  J. 
Bergen,  Jr.,  Daniel  A.  Bizzoco,  Louis 
A.  Bonn,  Wilford  Bower,  George 
Brandt,  Robert  E.  Burns,  David  D. 
Dash,  Si  Lipson,  Aaron  Katz,  Harold 
Kaye,  Benjamin  Perse,  William  J. 
Reddick,  Allan  Robbins,  Milton  Salz- 
burg, Ira  Simmons,  Joseph  M.  Sugar, 
Paul  H.  Terry,  William  M.  Weiss, 
William  H.  Westphal  and  Max 
Youngstein. 


Reviews 


Winning  of  the  West" 


(Co lumbia  Pic tures ) 

THE  LATEST  GENE  AUTRY  FILM  follows  standard  Western  lines, 
highlighting  enough  shooting  and  fighting  to  please  action  fans. 
Autry,  a  Ranger,  pits  himself  against  an  outlaw  group  who  use  Indian  raids 
as  a  smoke  screen  for  their  bandit  activities.    Unfortunately  for  Gene,  his 
brother  is  a  member  of  the  gang.    During  a  holdup  Gene  deliberately  avoids 
shooting  his  wayward  brother  and  as  a  result  Gene  is  fired  from  the  Rangers. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Smiley  Burnette,  who  provides  the  laughs,  as  usual ; 
Gail  Davis,  who  runs  the  local  newspaper  after  the  murder  of  her  publisher 
father,  and  Richard  Crane,  Robert  Livingston,  House  Peters,  Jr.,  and  Gregg 
Barton. 

There  is  a  lot  of  shooting  and  fighting  before  Gene  unmasks  the  outlaws  and 
has  himself  reinstated  in  the  Rangers.  His  brother  meets  his  death  at  the 
hands  of  one  of  the  gunmen. 

Armand  Schaefer  produced  and  George  Archainbaud  directed,  from  the 
screenplay  by  Norman  S.  Hall. 

Running  time,  57  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   January  release. 


"Star  of  Texas" 

(Allied  Artists)  Hollywood,  Jan..  25 

THIS  STORY  of  Texas  Ranger  operations  in  1879  is  a  Grade  "A"  West- 
ern, deftly  directed  and  produced  with  a  solid  story  that  holds  the  interest 
throughout.  It  concerns  a  method  by  which  the  Rangers  detected  and  finally 
coped  with  a  robber  band  which  specialized  in  effecting  the  escape  of  prisoners 
from  Texas  jails,  building  up  the  prices  on  their  heads  and  then  turning  them 
in  for  reward  money.  In  addition  to  such  activity,  the  band  had  a  sideline  of 
bank  robbing  and  stagecoach  raiding.  There  is  nothing  commonplace  about 
what  happens,  and  yet  logic  is  never  ignored  nor  plausibility  stretched. 

Wayne  Morris  is  the  star  of  the  picture,  receiving  excellent  support  from 
Paul  Fix,  Jack  Larson,  Frank  Ferguson  and  Rick  Vallin.  There  are  no 
women  in  the  cast,  but  this  is  not  a  point  of  importance,  since  there  is  nothing 
for  a  woman  to  do  in  the  story.  The  film  could  have  failed  dismally  with  a 
formula  plot,  but  this  one  is  as  fresh  as  its  handling. 

"Star  of  Texas"  is  a  Westwood  production,  produced  by  Vincent  M.  Fennelly 
and  directed  by  Thomas  Carr,  from  a  story  by  Dan  Ullman.  Others  in  the 
cast  are  James  Flavin,  William  Fawcett,  Robert  Bice,  Mickey  Simpson,  George 
Wallace,  John  Crawford,  Stanley  Price  and  Lyle  Talbot. 

Running  time,  68  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   January  release. 


"Savage  Mutiny" 


(Columbia) 

THE  task  of  clearing  an  island  of  its  natives  so  that  an  atom  bomb  can 
be  tested  is  Johnny  Weissmuller's  chore  in  this  latest  of  the  "Jungle  Jim" 
series.  Agents  of  an  enemy  power  are  bent  on  sabotaging  the  plan  by  con- 
spiring to  mislead  the  natives  into  remaining  on  the  island  so  that  when  the 
bomb  goes  off,  the  consequent  human  slaughter  can  be  exploited  as  pro- 
paganda. 

There  is  a  good  amount  of  action,  including  fights  between  animals,  be- 
tween Weissmuller  and  wild  beasts,  and  between  men.  By  way  of  feminine 
appeal,  Angela  Stevens  portrays  a  medical  officer  who  shares  the  adventures 
with  Weissmuller  in  the  heart  of  Africa.  Various  struggles  and  close  calls 
beset  the  star  before  he  blots  out  the  subversive  group.  Comedy  touches  are 
supplied  by  Tamba,  the  chimp. 

Sam  Katzman  produced  and  Spencer  Bennet  directed,  from  a  screenplay 
by  Sol  Shor.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Lester  Matthews,  Nelson  Leigh,  George 
Robotham,  Paul  Marion,  Gregory  Gay,  Leonard  Penn,  Ted  Thorpe,  Charles 
Stevens. 

Running  time,  73  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


Report  Newbery 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Republic  in  1945  as  supervisor  for 
Australia  and  the  Far  East. 

Meanwhile,  Yates  formally  an- 
nounced that  "Republic  has  released 
Jimmy  Grainger  from  his  contract 
with  Republic  so  that  he  can  accept 
the  presidency  of  RKO  Pictures 
offered  to  him  by  Mr.  Howard 
Hughes."  Grainger  takes  over  his 
new  post  on  Feb.  9. 


24  More  Openings 
Set  for  'Andersen' 

Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  has  been  set  for  24  addi- 
tional openings  around  the  country  in 
the  next  month.  Among  the  large  city 
ooenings  scheduled  are  the  Oriental, 
Chicago,  Feb.  10;  Philadelphia,  the 
Midtown,    Feb.   3 ;    Atlanta,  Loew's 


Williamson 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 


Kalmenson  include  H.  C.  (Cotton) 
Vogelpohl  from  sales  manager  in  Dal- 
las to  branch  manager,  replacing  Wil- 
liamson. James  C.  McCrary  moves 
up  from  salesman  to  local  sales  man- 
ager. Doak  Roberts  continues  with 
the  company  in  an  advisory  capacity 
for  the  Southwest. 

All  changes  take  effect  on  Feb.  1. 


Grand ;  Pittsburgh,  Fulton ;  Seattle, 
Music  Box;  San  Francisco,  Stage 
Door ;  Washington,  Metropolitan ; 
Dallas,  Tower ;  Houston,  Metropoli- 
tan, and  San  Antonio,  the  Texas,  all 
on  Feb.  19. 

Also,  Fort  Worth,  Palace;  Balti- 
more, Hippodrome,  both  on  Feb.  20  ; 
Oklahoma  City,  the  State,  Feb.  26; 
Denver,  the  Denham,  Feb.  27;  De- 
troit, the  Adams,  and  in  all  principal 
Florida  cities  throughout  the  month. 


Stage  Shows  Help 
Portland  Business 


Portland,  Ore.,  Jan.  25.  —  Stage 
productions  did  extra  well  in  Port- 
land during  1952,  with  the  high- 
money  taken  by  Sammy  Kaye,  gross- 
ing $50,000  at  Portland's  Paramount. 
Also  a  half  dozen  shows  at  Ever- 
green's Mayfair  took  a  corresponding- 
amount.  With  Betty  Hutton  billed 
for  February  at  both  Paramount 
theatres  in  Portland  and  Seattle,  on 
advance  reservations,  managers  pre- 
dict that  she  will  do  equally  as  well 
as  Kaye.  Other  stage  shows  enroute 
may  also  cut  a  large  deficit  from 
screen  productions  at  first-run  houses. 

Big-screen  television  and  third- 
dimension  films  will  be  among  the 
big  surprises  here  during  1953,  advise 
theatre  executives.  Wiring  for  big 
screen  TV  programs  is  now  being  in- 
stalled at  John  Hamrick's  Liberty 
Theatre,  reports  city  manager  Marvin 
Fox. 

Evergreen  theatres,  including  the 
Paramount,  Orpheum,  Mayfair,  Ori- 
ental and  Hollywood  expect  to  have 
Natural  Vision  and  possibly  a  new 
Ediphor  in  at  least  one  of  the  houses 
during  1953. 


Schwalberg 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

distribution  vice-president ;  Jerry  Pick- 
man,  vice-president  in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising-publicity ;  Oscar  Morgan, 
short  subjects  sales  manager,  and 
others.  Division  managers'  assistants 
will  be  among  the  contingent  of  45 
key  field  executives  at  the  meeting. 

Other  Executives 

Among  other  home  office  executives 
who  will  attend  are :  Monroe  Good- 
man, executive  assistant  to  Schwal- 
berg ;  Joseph  Walsh,  head  of  branch 
operations ;  Martin  Friedman,  head  of 
the  playdate  department ;  Arthur 
Dunne,  bead  of  the  contract  depart- 
ment ;  Harold  Beecroft,  head  of  the 
bidding  department ;  Fred  Leroy, 
statistical  department  head,  and  Ro- 
bert J.  Rubin,  assistant  to  Barney 
Balaban,  Paramount  president. 

Division  managers  who  will  be  present 
include:  J.  J.  Donahue,  Central;  Howard 
Minsky,  Mid -Eastern;  Al  Kane.  South 
Central;  Hugh  Owen,  East-Southern,  and 
George  A.  Smith,  Western.  Also,  division 
managers'  assistants  H.  D.  Cohen,  Robert 
Weber,  Lloyd  Henrich,  E.  A.  Fitter  and 
Lester  Coleman,  Western.  Also,  Henry 
Randel,  New  York  Metropolitan  District 
Manager. 

Branch  Managers  present  will  be:  Mike 
Simon,  Detroit;  Harry  Hamburg,  Kansas 
City;  J.  H.  Stevens,  Chicago;  Buck 
Weaver,  Oklahoma  City;  Bill  Holliday,  New 
Orleans;  Phil  Isaacs,  Washington;  Jess  Mc- 
Bride,  Minneapolis;  Irving  Werthamer. 
Milwaukee;  Bill  Meier,  Cincinnati;  Andy 
Anderson.  Omaha;  Dan  Houlihan,  Albany; 
Harry  Buxbaum,  Cleveland;  Dave  Kimel- 
man,  Pittsburgh;  Frank  Smith,  Salt  Lake 
City;  Dick  Frank.  Indianapolis. 

Also,  D'on  Hicks,  D'es  Moines;  Wayne 
Tiriot,  Portland;  John  Moore,  Boston; 
Ulrik  Smith.  Philadelohia ;  Jim  Ricketts, 
Denver;  Ed  DeBerry,  Buffalo;  Ed  Chumley, 
Tacksonville ;  Al  D'uren,  Charlotte;  Neal 
East,  San  Francisco;  Gordon  Bradley, 
Atlanta;  Tom  Bridge,  Dallas;  Howard 
Nicholson.  Memphis;  Henry  Germaine,  New 
Haven;  Henry  Haas.  St.  Louis;  Henry 
Haustein,  Seattle;  Al  Taylor,  Los  Angeles, 
and  Myron  Sattler,  New  York. 


Censor  Cuban  'Reels 

Havana,  Jan.  25. — Local  newsreels 
will  not  be  exhibited  in  Cuba  without 
the  approval  of  authorities,  according 
to  Ramon  Hermida,  Minister  of  the 
Interior.  Several  days  ago,  he  pro- 
hibited the  exhibition  in  island  thea- 
tres of  newsreels  showing  rioting  uni- 
versity students. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  January  26,  1653 


TOA  Confident  Of 
TV  Allocations 

Despite  some  opinions  to 
the  contrary,  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America  believes 
that  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  can  be  con- 
vinced of  the  "righteousness" 
of  granting  exclusive  channels 
for  theatre  television,  Si  Fa- 
bian, chairman  of  the  Nation- 
al Exhibitors  Theatre  Televi- 
sion Committee  and  head  of 
Fabian  Enterprises,  said  here 
at  the  weekend.  Commenting 
on  the  FCC  hearings  which 
will  get  under  way  in  Wash- 
ington today,  Fabian  said  at 
a  trade  press  conference  that 
the  industry  "feels  it  is  en- 
titled to  the  allocations"  and 
that  all  segments  of  the  in- 
dustry were  behind  the  appli- 
cation 100  per  cent. 


Takes  'Jazz'  Chi.  Bid 
Under  Advisement 

Chicago,  Jan.  25. — The  Warner 
Brothers'  petition  for  an  extended 
first  run  on  "The  Jazz  Singer"  has 
been  taken  "under  advisement"  by 
Federal  Judge  Igoe  "because  too 
many  films  have  been  getting"  ex- 
tended runs"  and  he  wants  to  follow 
the  progress  of  "Peter  Pan"  and 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen,"  both  of 
which  have  been  granted  extended 
playing  time  (over  the  two-weeks 
limitation  set  forth  in  the  Jackson 
Park  decree  for  "affiliated"  theatres). 
Also  coming  up  for  consideration  by 
Judge  Igoe  is  a  request  for  an  ex- 
tended run  on  "Moulin  Rouge,"  a 
United  Artists'  release. 


New  Maneuvers  in 
'Love  Moods'  Case 

Baltimore,  Jan.  25.  —  An  appeal 
seeking  reversal  of  the  Maryland 
Board  of  Censors'  refusal  to  license 
"Love  Moods"  was  withdrawn  by  the 
petitioner,  John  Rose  a  Washington 
distributor. 

A  City  Court  judge  granted  the  re- 
quest, filed  by  Rose's  lawyer  after  the 
Attorney  General's  office  had  sought 
dismissal  of  the  appeal  on  grounds 
that  the  film  in  its  present  form  differs 
from  that  acted  upon  by  the  censor 
board. 


NBC-TV  Is  Utilizing 
Vistascope  Units 

The  National  Broadcasting  Com- 
pany's television  network  is  currently 
experimenting  with  Vistascope,  the 
new  camera  process  for  live-action 
filming  owned  jointly  by  Paramount 
Pictures  and  Sol  Lesser. 

For  the  next  four  or  five  weeks, 
the  .Vistascope  units  will  be  made 
available  exclusively  to  NBC-TV  and 
then  the  process  will  be  offered  to 
other  television  networks. 


NTFC  Hosts  TV  Editors 

The  first  National  Television  Film 
Council  luncheon-meeting  of  the  year, 
on  Thursday,  will  have  as  guests  TV 
editors  from  trade  papers  and  maga- 
zines, Arche  A.  Mayers,  new  NTFC 
president  announced.  Included  in  the 
program  will  be  the  inauguration  of 
new  officers  and  board  of  directors. 
The  luncheon-meeting  will  be  held  at 
New  York's  Hotel  Warwick. 


Television  -  Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


WE  NEED  MORE  OF  people  like  William  Rainy,  a  private  in 
the  Canadian  Army,  who  last  week,  on  the  "Take  A  Number" 
program  over  Mutual,  asked  emcee  Red  Benson  to  turn  over  to  the 
Traveler's  Aid  Society  more  than  $1,000  worth  of  gifts  which  he 
had.  won  on  the  program.  Rainy  hails  from  Vancouver,  B.  C,  is  a 
Korean  War  vet  and  is  currently  stationed  at  Camp  Borden,  Ont.  .  .  . 
Next  Friday  marks  the  "Lone  Ranger's"  20th  anniversary  on  the 
air.  Hi-yo,  Silver!  .  .  .  With  the  premiere  Thursday,  Feb.  5,  of 
"Ding  Dong  School,"  a  TV  series  featuring  school  marm  Frances 
Horwich  originating  from  NBChicago  (10:00  A.  M.,  E.S.T.)  Scott 
Paper  Co.  which  first  ventured  into  TV  but  a  scant  four  months  ago, 
will  become  one  of  this  medium's  biggest  sponsors.  It  currently 
sponsors  "Scott  Music  Hall,"  starring  Patti  Page,  Frank  Fontaine 
and  Mary  Ellen  Terry  on  NBC-TV,  and  also  started  a  participating 
sponsorship  of  "Omnibus,"  telecast  CBSundays.  .  .  .  Richard 
de  Rochemont,  producer  of  the  "Mr.  Lincoln"  segs  of  "Omnibus," 
returned  over  the  week  end  from  Champion,  111.,  where  he  took  part 
in  a  Seminar  at  the  U.  of  111.  dealing  with  the  role  films  will  play  in 
education  via  TV. 

ft      ft  ft 

Five  years  ago,  Barbara  Jo  Allen  placed  her  alter  ego,  Vera 
Vague,  in  the  family  trunk  and  retired  to  her  home  and  avocation 
as  Mayor  of  Woodland  Hills,  Cal.  However,  when  she  was  called 
to  the  phone  one  evening  bv  Walt  Framer,  producer  of  "Strike  It 
Rich,"  "The  Big  Payoff*  and  "Double  or 
Nothing,"  and  offered  the  juicy  role  of  femcee- 
ing  the  nezv  "Greatest  Man  on  Earth,"  ABC- 
TVehicle,  she  revived  the  Vera  Vague  charac- 
ter, came  East  and  is  rapidly  acquiring  a  rep. 
as  the  female  "Groucho  Marx.''  Program  is 
telecast  Thursdays,  8:00-8:30  P.M.  .  .  .  The 
only  disk  jockey  in.  the  east  with  an  M.A. 
degree,  Brad  Phillips,  whose  daily  WIN  Spiel- 
ing about  recorded  music  and  philosophy  is 
easy  on  the  ears,  did,  a  four-hour  stint  yester- 
day to  help  raise  funds  for  the  March  of  Dimes. 
Visitors  to  the  show,  including  Perry  Como, 
Peggy  Lee,  Guy  Mitchell  and  other  top  notch 
recording  stars,  aided  no  little  in  the  successful 
results  of  the  pitch.  .  .  .  Mutual  Broadcasting 
System  will  again  feature  baseball  games  on  radio  and  TV  this 
season.  The  daily  "Game  of  the  Day,"  radioratory  will  have 
Al  Heifer  and  Dizzy  Dean  at  the  mike.  Falstaff  Brewing  Co. 
will  sponsor  the  first  Al/2  innings  while  2,700  local  and  regional 
sponsors  will  participate  in  the  second  half  of  each  game.  .  .  . 
Bill  Cullcu,  panelist  on  Robert  Q.  Lewis'  interesting  "The  Name's 
the  Same"  program,  sazv  Mamie  Eisenhower  to  her  hotel  in  Nezv 
York,  Tuesday  night,  after  the  show  and  also  after  the  Inaugural 
of  the  nezv  President  last  Tuesday.  However,  this  Mamie  Eisen- 
hower is  Ike's  cousin  from  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  zvho  was  a  guest  on 
Robert  Q.'s  program  that  evening. 

ft  _  ft  ft 
CBS  is  busily  experimenting  with  and  testing  Hollywood's 
latest  optical  matting  device  for  possible  use  in  the  near 
future.  Trade  name  of  this  new  development  is  Vistascope. 
.  .  .  March  of  Time  execs  are  elated  over  the  fact  that  last 
week  its  documentary  TV  series  hit  a  new  high,  more  stations 
showing  them  than  any  other  documentary  flickers,  and  are 
tossing  a  cocktail  party  tomorrow  and  preview  of  the  latest 
M.  of  T.  subject.  .  .  .  Bur-Mil  Cameo  Hosiery,  MBStarting 
Feb.  23,  will  sponsor  an  across  the  board  series  of  five-minute 
fashion  and  news  of  interest  to  milady  by  Helen  Hall.  .  .  . 
Gregory  Ratoff  may  sign  Jack  Lescoulie  for  his  next  flicker, 
the  lad  currently  doing  a  swell  announcing  job  on  Dave  Gar- 
roway's  NBC-TVehicle,  "Today."  .  .  .  NBC  Film  Syndica- 
tion has  sold  "'The  Douglas  Fairbanks  Presents"  TV  series 
to  outlets  in  35  major  markets  since  mid-September  of  last 
year.  The  films,  produced  in  England,  have  that  quality 
which  only  an  experienced  motion  picture  personality  like 
Doug  can  guarantee.  .  .  .  Fred  Waring  and  his  Pennsyl- 
vanians,  preparing  to  leave  today  on  an  8-week  tour  of  59 
cities,  will  have  to  rent  bull  fiddles  and  harps  in  those  cities 
for  the  concerts  as  those  instruments  are  too  bulky  for  the 
chartered  plane.  Hugh  Fleming,  a  slightly  ???  more  than 
chubby  member  of  the  Glee  Club,  spent  an  anxious  few 
moments  at  the  airfield  till  the  maestro  assured  him  that  he 
could  accompany  the  troupe  on  the  tour. 


Walt 


Says  Stars  Demand 
Overseas  Filming 


Hollywood,  Jan.  25. — The  asser- 
tion that  32  picture  personalities  now 
refuse  to  accept  picture  assignments 
unless  the  pictures  are  to  be  produced 
outside  the  United  States,  so  that  they 
can  avail  themselves  of  the  18-month 
loophole  in  the  income  tax  law,  was 
made  by  AFL  Film  Council  chairman 
Roy  M.  Brewer  in  a  letter  to  Gun- 
ther  Lessing,  chairman  of  the  board 
of  the  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Picture  Producers  over  the  weekend. 

The  Brewer  letter,  which  did  not 
name  the  persons  referred  to,  nor 
criticize  the  tax  laws,  was  in  the  na- 
ture of  a  reply  to  statements  by  Less- 
ing to  the  effect  he  would  not  be  dis- 
posed to  agree  for  SIMPP  to  any 
arrangement  made  by  the  AFL  Film 
Council  with  the  Association  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers  at  the  Thurs- 
day night  meeting  on  foreign  pro- 
duction. 

Lessing  today  told  Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily  he  believes  the  decision 
on.  where  a  picture  shall  be  made  is 
strictly  management's  prerogative. 


Marcf  ano  Bout 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


home  television  for  an  outdoor  title 
bout,  with  so  many  more  seats  to  fill. 

The  IBC,  it  was  learned,  expects  to 
get  from  $250,000  to  $300,000  for 
home  television  rights  for  the  April 
10  event,  which  will  pit  Marciano 
against  ex-heavyweight  champion  Jer- 
sey Joe  W alcott,  if  present  plans  ma- 
terialize. For  the  last  Marciano-Wal- 
cott  bout,  which  was  a  theatre  TV 
sell-out,  Theatre  Network  Television 
guaranteed  $105,000  to  the  IBC.  It 
was  staged  in  Philadelphia's  outdoor 
Municipal  stadium. 

An  IBC  spokesman,  commenting  on 
Walcott's  reluctance  to  sign,  said  that 
another  contender  would  be  selected  if 
the  ex-champion  is  not  available.  The 
other  contenders,  he  added,  could  be 
Ezzard  Charles,  Rex  Layne,  or  Ro- 
land La  Starza. 


SMPTE  Adopts  Plan 
For  New  Expansion 

A  program  of  expanded  motion  pic- 
ture and  television  technical  services, 
adopted  by  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture and  Television  Engineers'  board 
of  governors,  was  disclosed  here  at 
the  weekend  by  Herbert  Barnett, 
president. 

The  program  encompasses  the  for- 
mation of  new  SMPTE  units  in  other 
cities,  counseling  assistance  to  col- 
leges and  universities,  aid  to  technical 
publishing  firms,  encouragement  of 
theatre  TV  for  education  and  increas- 
ing the  Society's  public  relations  ac- 
tivities. 


'Journal'  Winners  at 
Party  Here  Thursday 

Winners  of  the  New  York  Journal- 
American  film  contest  will  be  the 
guests  of  the  Organization  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Industry  at  a  reception 
to  be  held  here  at  the  Stork  Club  on 
Thursday,  according  to  an  announce- 
ment by  Fred  J.  Schwartz,  OMPI 
chairman. 

The  contest  awards,  based  on  the 
results  of  the  Associated  Press  "best 
players"  poll,  will  be  presented  to  the 
18  winners  by  film  stars  in  the  pres- 
ence of  industry  executives. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  18 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  TUESDAY,  JANUARY  27,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


TO  A  Will  Seek 
Allied  Meeting 
On  Arbitration 


Board  Thinks  Rentals 
Should  Be  Conciliated 


A  committee  of  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  members  will  be  ap- 
pointed shortly  by  president  Alfred 
Starr  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  a 
meeting  with  important  Allied  leaders 
to  discuss  the  entire  matter  of  arbi- 
tration from  the  point  of  view  of  ex- 
hibition.   This    was    announced  here 
yesterday  by  Starr  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  first  day's  sessions  of  the  TOA 
board  of  directors  at  the  Pierre  Hotel. 
Starr  said  that  TOA  believes 
the  problems  of  film  rentals  in 
distress  cases  cannot  be  handled 
or  solved  through  arbitration, 
but  that  they  can  be  handled 
effectively  through  a  policy  of 
conciliation,  the  principle  of 
which  already  has  been  agreed 
upon  by  the  various  segments 
of  the  arbitration  conference. 
Mitchell    W  olf  son,    former  TOA 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Muhl  Advanced  in 
'U'  Shuffle;  Silent 
On  Spitz9 Status 

Hollywood,  Jan.  26.  —  Edward 
Muhl,  Universal  vice-president  and 
former  studio  general  manager,  has 
been  advanced  to  the  post  of  gen- 
eral production 
executive  in  a 
realignment  of 
the  company's 
studio  execu- 
tives function- 
ing under  Wil- 
liam Goetz,  in 
charge  of  pro- 
duction, it  was 
announced  here 
today  by  Mil- 
ton R. "  Rack- 
in  i  1,  Universal 
president. 

The  changes 
were  inter- 
preted  here  as  an  indication  that  Leo 
Spitz,  who  has  been  production  exec- 
utive at  the  studio  since  he  and  Goetz 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Edward  Muhl 


TOA  Tables  Action 
On  16mm.  Suit 


Theatre  Owners  of  America  will 
take  no  formal  action  in  defining  an 
official  stand  on  the  government's 
16mm.  anti-trust  suit  until  there  is  an 
expression  of  attitude  by  the  new  At- 
torney General,  it  was  decided  yester- 
day at  the  TOA  board  meeting  here. 

A  poll  of  units  to  determine  what 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Seek  Wide  Public 
For  'The  Hoaxters' 

Merrill,  Wis.,  Jan.  26.— Spe- 
cial efforts  were  put  into  ef- 
fect in  this  area  to  bring  the 
message  contained  in  M-G- 
M's  "The  Hoaxters,"  an  anti- 
Communist  film,  to  the  public. 

It  was  shown  free  at  special 
showings  at  the  Badger  Thea- 
tre here,  in  addition  to  being 
featured  along  with  the  main 
program.  In  four  other  near- 
by cities,  M-G-M's  Lou  Orlove 
interested  all  patriotic  and 
civic  organizations  to  advise 
their  members  to  see  it. 


Balaban,  Schwalberg 
Optimistic  on  '53 

High  optimism  was  expressed  yes 
terday  by  Barney  Balaban,  president 
of  Paramount  Pictures,  and  A.  W. 
Schwalberg,  president  of  Paramount 
Film  Distributing,  concerning  the 
company's  business  prospects  for 
1953.  The  Paramount  executives  ad- 
dressed the  first  session  of  a  week- 
long  meeting  of  division  and  branch 
managers  at  the  Hotel  Plaza  here. 

"More  than  ever,"  Schwalberg  said, 
"knowledge,  experience  and  intelli- 
gent analysis  form  the  most  important 
part  of  our  business."  He  pointed  out 
that  today,  selling  has  been  compli- 
cated by  decrees,  law  suits  and  many 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


SEE  y  A  SEAT  COST 
FOR  THEATRE  TV 


M-G-M  to  Begin  '3-D' 
'Arena'  Next  Month 

Production  of  the  first  M- 
G-M  three-dimensional  film, 
"Arena"  will  start  in  Feb- 
ruary, the  company  disclosed 
here  yesterday.  The  new  An- 
sco  color  will  be  used  in  the 
film  and  Arthur  Loew,  Jr., 
will  produce. 

According  to  a  Coast  report 
last  week,  the  Natural  Vision 
process  was  slated  for  "Ar- 
ena," but  yesterday's  home 
office  statement  declared  that 
M-G-M  would  use  its  own 
process. 


Pine-Thomas  Set 
'3-D'  Film  in  Color 


100  Attend  Special 
Ia.-Neb.  Allied  Meet 


Omaha,  Jan.  26. — Subjects  ranging 
from  a  possible  Allied  buying  and 
booking  organization  to  three  dimen- 
sional films  got  a  thorough  going  over 
at  a  meeting  of  Iowa,  Nebraska  and 
Southern  South  Dakota  exhibitors  at 
the  Paxton  Hotel  here  today. 

Al  Myrick,  president  of  Iowa-Ne- 
braska Allied,  presided  over  a  special 
meeting  called  in  conjunction  with 
Variety  Club's  inaugral  ball  tonight. 
More  than  100  exhibitors  attended. 

Leo  Wolcott,  of  Eldora,  la.,  chair- 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


Hollywood,  Jan.  26. — Pine-Thomas' 
"Sangaree"  will  be  the  first  three- 
dimension  feature  in  color  by  Techni- 
color, co-producer  William  C.  Thomas 
disclosed  today,  and  will  be  the  first 
to  utilize  the  new  Paramount-designed 
camera  mount,  which  accommodates 
the  two  cameras  necessary  for  obtain- 
ing the  required  three-dimension 
prints. 

The  cast  is  headed  by  Arlene  Dahl, 
Fernando  Lamas  and  Patricia  Medina, 
with  Tom  Drake  and  Charles  Korvin 
in  support. 

Thomas  said  present  plans  provide 
for  the  picture  to  be  offered  exhibitors 
either  in  three-dimension  or  flat,  ac- 
cording to  theatre  location  and/or 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


4,000  at  Communion 
Breakfasts  Sunday 

Over  4,000  Catholic  members  of  the 
motion  picture  industry  in  the 'United 
States  and  Canada  will  give  a  prac- 
tical demonstration  of  their  faith  next 
Sunday,  Feb.  1,  when  they  attend 
Mass  and  Communion  breakfasts  in 
New  York,  Los  Angeles,  New  Or- 
leans and  Toronto. 

In  New  York  Most  Reverend  Jos- 
eph F.  Flannelly,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of 
New  York,  will  celebrate  Mass  at 
nine  o'clock  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral. At  the  breakfast  which  will  fol- 
low immediately  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel,  the  principal  speaker 
{Continued  on  page  3)' 


Toeppen,  Industry  Cost 
Expert,  Key  Witness 
At  Re-opened  Hearings 

Washington,  Jan.  26. — A  the- 
atre television  transmission  service 
can  be  operated  at  a  cost  of  less 
than  three  cents  a  seat,  cost  expert 
Manfred  K.  Toeppen  told  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission 
today. 

Major  witness  on  the  first  day  of 
the  re-opening  of  the  theatre  television 
hearings,  Toeppen  spent  the  greater 
part  of  the  day  outlining  the  capital 
costs  and  annual  operating  costs  of  a 
theatre  television  transmission  service 
that  could  offer  up  to  six  simultane- 
ous competing  programs  to  a  maxi- 
mum of  almost  1,400  theatres  in  nine 
cities  on  a  New  York  to  Washington 
hook-up. 

Toeppen's  three  cent  figure  is  for  a 
per  seat  breakdown  for  233  theatres — 
or  one-third  of  the  total  of  1,398 
theatres — using  one  program  out  of 
three  competing  programs  offered. 
The  figure  covers  three  hours  of  daily 
operation  and  represents  a  five-year 
amortization  period.  He  gave  as  the 
most  expensive  per  seat  operating  fig- 

{Coiitiiuied  on  page  3) 


Lober  Named  Mgr.  of 
UA  Foreign  Dep't 


Louis  Lober,  formerly  Continental 
European  manager  for  United  Artists 
with  headquarters  in  Paris,  was  ap- 
pointed general  manager  of  UA's 
foreign  department  by  Arnold  Picker, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  foreign 
distribution.  Lober  will  make  his 
headquarters  here. 

Before  joining  UA  in  1951,  Lober 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Loew's  State  Books 
'Bwana  Devil'  Here 

"Bwana  Devil,"  the  Natural 
Vision  third-dimensional  film, 
will  have  its  New  York  pre- 
miere on  Feb.  18  at  Loew's 
State,  William  J.  Heineman, 
United  Artists  vice-president 
in  charge  of  distribution,  dis- 
closed here  yesterday.  UA 
has  acquired  world-wide  dis- 
tribution rights  to  the  pic- 
ture. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  27,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


MITCHELL  LEISEN,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox director,  has  arrived 
in  New  York  from  Hollywood. 
• 

H.  Shiotsugu,  president  of  the 
Eiga  Haikyu  Co.,  distributor  of  Allied 
Artists  films  in  japan,  arrived  in 
Hollywood  by  plane  yesterday  from 
Tokyo.  He  will  leave  shortly  for  a 
two-week  visit  here. 

• 

Len  Spinrad,  who  recently  resigned 
as  news  and  feature  editor  of  the 
Warner  Brothers  home  office  publicity 
department,  is  issuing  a  weekly  motion 
picture  newsletter  and  offers  con- 
sultant services  on  industry  matters. 
• 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  vice-president 
of  United  Paramount  Theatres,  and 
his  assistant,  Bernard  Levy,  are  in 
Los  Angeles.  They  will  leave  for 
Phoenix  at  the  end  of  the  week. 
• 

J.  Miller  Walker,  vice-president 
of  RKO  Pictures,  returned  here  yes- 
terday from  a  conference  with  How- 
ard Hughes,  board  chairman,  at  Las 
Vegas,  Nev. 

• 

Hilda  Lesser,  secretary  to  E.  M. 
Saunders,  M-G-M  assistant  general 
sales  manager,  has  returned  here  from 
a  vacation  in  Dallas,  Mexico  and 
Acapulco. 

• 

Norman  McLaren,  National  Film 
Board  of  Canada  producer,  has  won 
a  top  prize  for  the  "best  creative 
films"  in  the  Festival  of  Experimental 
and  Art  Films  at  Caracas,  Venezuela. 
• 

Dan  S.  Terrell,  M-G-M  exploita- 
tion-publicity manager,  plans  to  leave 
for  the  Coast  at  the  weekend  for  a 
10-day  visit. 

• 

Jimmy  Gaylord,  owner  of  the  Star- 
lite  Drive-in  at  Troy,  Ala.,  has  been 
named  chairman  of  the  annual  Red 
Cross  campaign  for  Pike  County. 
• 

Capt.  Robert  Anderson  has  left 
the  Air  Force  and  rejoined  the  John 
Hamrick  theatre  organization  in 
Portland,  Ore. 

• 

Jeff  Livingston,  Universal  Eastern 
advertising  manager,  left  New  York 
last  night  for  Detroit  and  Toledo. 
• 

Al  Vaughan,  head  of  advertising- 
publicity  for  Sol  Lesser,  is  here  from 
the  Coast. 

• 

Roy  Williams,  Walt  Disney  ani- 
mator, has  left  New  York  for 
Chicago. 

e 

Harry  Arthur,  theatre  operator,  is 
in  New  York  from  St.  Louis. 


To  Publish  Elkoff  Story 

Marvin  Elkoff  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Daily  editorial  staff  will  have  a 
story  published  in  a  forthcoming  issue 
of  Commentary  magazine.  He  is  also 
midway  through  a  novel  with  an  anti- 
Communist  background  which  will  be 
handled  on  completion  by  the  literary 
agent  Mavis  Mcintosh. 


Branch  Cities  Hold  Rallies 
For  'Brotherhood  Week' 


Philadelphia,  Jan.  26. — A  mass 
meeting  at  the  Erlanger  Theatre  here 
today,  attended  by  more  than  1,000 
persons,  marked  the  opening  of  the 
local  film  and  theatre  industry 
Brotherhood  Week  effort. 

Speakers  included  Dr.  Andrew  W. 
Gottschall,  Philadelphia  area  director 
for  the  National  Conference  of  Chris- 
tians and  Jews,  and  Dr.  Martin  P. 
Chworowsky,  director  of  the  Albert  N. 
Greenfield  Center  of  Human  Relations 
from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
William  Goldman  is  local  exhibitor 
chairman ;  Joseph  G.  Leon,  Universal 
branch  manager  here,  distributor 
chairman,  and  Everett  C.  Callow  of 
Warners  is  publicity  chairman. 


Reintroduce  Bill  on 
Trust  Limitations 


Pledges  Fabian  Circuit 
To  'Brotherhood'  Drive 

Albany,  Jan.  26. — An  expression  of 
confidence  that  Fabian  Theatres  will 
"surpass"  last  year's  record  for  mem- 
berships in  the  National  Conference 
of  Christians  and  Jews,  during  'Broth- 
erhood Week,'  Feb.  15-22,  was  sounded 
by  Saul  J.  Ullman,  Fabian  division 
manager. 

In  a  brief  address  at  an  industry 
meeting  in  the  Delaware  Theatre,  he 
explained  that  "the  increase  in  chari- 
ties collections  for  1952  over  1951" 
augured  well  for  the  success  of  the 
campaign. 

Dr.  Carlyle  Adams,  lecturer  in  phil- 
osophy and  religion  at  Russell  Sage 
College,  stated  that  the  film  industry 
had  "a  very  great  deal  to  do  with  the 
success  of  last  year's  Brotherhood 
Week  observance."  Rev.  Richard  N. 
Hughes,  secretary  of  the  Albany  Fed- 
eration of  Churches,  pictured  the 
ideals  and  practice  of  Brotherhood  as 
a  "necessary"  counterforce  to  "the 
new  idolatries''  of  movements  like 
Communism.  Jack  Goldberg,  M-G-M 
branch  manager  and  distributor  chair- 
man, presided.  About  100  theatremen 
attended. 


Cleveland  Industry  in 
'Brotherhood*  Meet 

Cleveland,  Jan.  26. — A  general  in- 
dustry 'Brotherhood'  meeting  was  held 
here  today  in  the  WHK  auditorium 
with  distributor  chairman  Paramount 
branch  manager  Harry  Buxbaum  and 
exhibitor  chairman  Frank  Murphy  of 
Loew's  and  Max  Bink  of  RKO  pre- 
siding. 


Buffalo  'Brotherhood' 
Meet  Set  for  Monday 

Buffalo,  Jan.  26.  —  The  first  big 
"Brotherhood  Week"  meeting  in  the 
Buffalo  area  will  be  held  Monday  in 
the  headquarters  of  Tent  7,  Variety 
Club  of  Buffalo,  at  which  time  em- 
ployes of  theatres  and  exchanges  will 
gather  to  hear  about  the  purposes  of 
the  campaign. 

Arthur  Krolick,  exhibitor  chairman 
and  Mannie  A.  Brown,  distributor 
chairman,  will  preside.  Guest  speak- 
ers will  be  Elmer  F.  Lux.  common 
council  president ;  Rabbi  Joseph  L. 
Fink,  the  Very  Rev.  Phillip  F.  Mc- 
Nairy,  George  Wanamaker  and  Ed- 
ward H.  Letchwork.  Edward  F. 
Meade  of  the  Shea  theatres  is  pub- 
licity chairman. 


Washington,  Jan.  26. — Rep.  Keat- 
ing (R.,  N.  Y.)  said  he  expected  the 
House  Judiciary  Committee  to  take 
some  action  this  year  on  a  bill  to  set 
up  a  uniform  Federal  statute  of  limi- 
tations in  private  anti-trust  suits. 

The  legislation  was  introduced  in 
the  last  Congress  and  became  highly 
controversial  when  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  urged  a  short  two  or 
three-year  statute,  while  Allied  States 
Association  urged  one  of  six  years  or 
more. 

Rep.  Keating  has  reintroduced  the 
legislation  this  session,  it  was  learned, 
and  may  head  the  subcommittee  which 
will  handle  the  bill.  He  said  he 
favored  the  idea  of  a  uniform  Federal 
statute,  in  place  of  the  present  system 
where  different  state  laws  govern. 
However,  he  added,  he  has  not  yet 
decided  just  how  long  the  statute 
should  be. 


Film  Firms  Mull 
4Oscar'  Theatre  TV 


The  proposal  to  theatre  televise  the 
annual  awards  ceremonies  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences  has  been  submitted  to  all 
member  companies  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America,  includ- 
ing Columbia,  Universal  and  Warner 
Brothers,  the  three  companies  which 
have  withdrawn  financial  support  of 
the  Academy. 

The  Theatre  Network  Television 
proposal  was  submitted  by  Eric  John- 
ston, MPAA  president,  at  a  recent 
board  meeting  attended  .  by  represen- 
tatives of  the  three  non-participating 
companies.  The  official  reaction  of 
MPAA  member  firms  is  expected 
shortly  due  to  the  closeness  of  the 
March  19  Academy  awards  date. 

Nathan  Halpern,  TNT  president,  for- 
warded his  suggestion  to  the  MPAA 
following  conferences  with  Academy 
officials  who,  he  said,  informed  him 
that  clearance  would  first  have  to  be 
obtained  in  New  York  before  the 
Academy  could  consider  the  proposal. 
Film  companies,  it  was  explained, 
would,  have  to  lift  contract  provisions 
barring  the  appearance  of  stars  on 
television. 


Equips  for  Three-D 

Louisville,  Jan.  26. — Three  dimen- 
sional films,  employing  two  inter- 
changeable processes,  will  be  initi- 
ated at  the  Mary  Anderson  Theatre 
here,  April  23.  C.  R.  Buechel,  man- 
ager, said  equipment  will  be  installed 
for  both  Natural-Vision  and  Tri-Op- 
ticon  films.  Both  processes  require 
the  use  of  polaroid  glasses  and  use 
two  projectors  locked  together  and 
synchronized.  "Wax  Museums"  is 
scheduled  as  the  first  three-dimen- 
sional film  at  the  Marv  Anderson. 


'Encounter'  Dropped 
From  UA  Schedule 

United  Artists  has  dropped 
"Encounter"  from  its  release 
schedule.  The  picture,  pro- 
duced abroad  by  a  Hollywood 
group  that  had  been  accused 
of  Communistic  activities,  had 
been  slated  tentatively  for  re- 
lease through  UA.  The  film 
has  been  the  object  of  attack 
by  the  A.F.  of  L.  Film  Council 
and  other  organizations. 


Pulls  'Limelight'  on 
Protest  by  Legion 

Buffalo,  Jan.  26. — The  Mancuso 
Theatre,  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  has  pulled 
Charles  Chaplin's  "Limelight"  because 
of  protests  from  American  Legion 
officials. 

Thaddeus  Cerefin,  commander  of 
the  Glenn  S.  Loomis  Post,  visited  the 
theatre  Sunday  afternoon  and  filed  a 
protest  with  Calvin  Gaeta,  the  man- 
ager. Gaeta  said  that  the  protest  was 
being  put  into  writing  and  that  the 
letter  would  be  turned  over  to  Buffalo 
U.  A.  exchange.  The  film  had  been 
booked  into  the  Mancuso  for  four 
days. 


Testimonial  Lunch 
For  Sugar  Tomorrow 

Joe  Sugar,  newly-appointed  branch 
manager  of  United  Artists'  New  York 
exchange,  will  be  the  guest  of  honor 
at  a  luncheon  tomorrow  at  Toots 
Shor's,  tendered  by  the  New  York 
Film  Buyers  to  welcome  Sugar  to 
the  metropolitan  area. 

Harry  Brandt  will  serve  as  toast- 
master  at  the  luncheon,  which  was 
arranged  by  Larry  Morris  of  the 
B.  S.  Moss  circuit  and  Joe  Ingber  of 
the  Brandt  circuit. 


'Gambler*  Opens  Strong 

Chicago,  Jan.  26.  —  "Mississippi 
Gambler"  grossed  an  estimated  $3,300 
for  its  opening  day  last  Thursday  at 
the  State-Lake  Theatre  here,  its  first 
date  outside  the  pre-release,  territorial 
world  premiere  area. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


Lana  TURNER  •  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON  •   Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Warner  Bros! 

THE  JAZZ 
SINGER 

Coin  b)  TECHNICOLOR 
Starring      DANNY  PIGGT 

THOMAS  •  LEE 


Midnight  f  aotfer* 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley.  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  January  27,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Muhl 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


joined  the  company  in  1946  when  their 
International  Pictures  was  acquired 
by  Universal,  would  not  return  to  the 
studio.  Spitz  has  been  ill  for  the  past 
eight  or  nine  months  and  is  residing 
now  in  Palm  Springs.  His  contract 
with  Universal  expires  this  year. 

The  studio,  however,  made  no  ref- 
erence to  Spitz  in  its  announcement, 
Rackmil  stating  merely  that  the 
changes  are  designed  to  meet  expand- 
ing studio  activities  and  to  give  it 
"greater  flexibility  in  facing  the  rap- 
idly changing  conditions  within  the 
industry." 

Muhl,  it  was  stated,  will  retain  re- 
sponsibility for  over-all  studio  opera- 
tion, while  assuming  additional  pro- 
duction authority  under  Goetz. 

James  Pratt,  former  production 
manager,  becomes  executive  manager 
and  will  assume  some  of  the  functions 
hitherto  handled  by  Muhl,  including 
the  chairmanship  of  the  plant  opera- 
tions committee.  Gilbert  Kuiiand  re- 
places Pratt  as  production  manager, 
with  George  Golitzen  as  his  assistant. 

Ernest  Nims,  former  head  of  the 
editorial  department,  continues  as  edi- 
torial executive.  Richard  Cahoon  be- 
comes manager  of  the  editorial  de- 
partment. 

Muhl,  Pratt  and  Nims  will  make  up 
the  executive  production  committee, 
headed  by  Goetz.  David  A.  Lipton, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  advertis- 
ing-publicity, will  serve  as  consultant 
to  the  executive  committee  on  selling 
and  marketing. 

M.  R.  Davis,  business  manager ; 
Morris  Weiner,  studio  manager ;  Rob- 
ert Palmer,  casting  director ;  Ray- 
mond Crossett,  head  of  the  story  and 
writing  department ;  Percy  Guth,  head 
of  budgeting  and  cost  control,  and 
George  Douglas,  studio  treasurer, 
complete  the  executive  production 
roster. 


Cost  for  Theatre  TV 


Lober  Named 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


was  assistant  to  the  vice-president  of 
Warner  Bros.  International  in  Paris, 
and  prior  to  that  he  was  with  MGM 
as  regional  director  for  Europe  and 
the  Middle  East.  During  World  War 
II  he  served  with  the  Office  of  War 
Information,  Overseas  branch,  even- 
tual ly  becoming  chief  of  the  motion 
picture  bureau. 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


ure  a  little  more  than  eight  cents — 
which  would  incur  if  only  10  theatres 
were  using  the  same  service  on  the 
same  terms. 

Marcus  Cohn,  attorney  for  the  Na- 
tional Exhibitors  Theatre  Television 
Committee,  and  Vincent  Welch,  attor- 
ney for  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America — attorneys  who  are 
presenting  the  industry's  theatre  tele- 
vision case  to  the  FCC — pointed  out 
that  no  matter  how  many  times  a  day 
the  seat  was  used,  the  operating  cost 
per  seat  still  remained  the  same. 

Toeppen  gave  as  the  total  capital 
investment  required  to  set  up  a  six- 
program  system  which  would  trans- 
mit to  the  1,398  theatres  $58,272,500. 
The  average  capital  investment  per 
theatre,  he  said,  would  be  $41,683, 
and  the  average  investment  per  seat 
$36.56.  He  pointed  out  that  an  aver- 
age of  about  85  per  cent  of  the  total 
cost  of  setting  up  the  theatre  tele- 
vision transmission  system  went  into 
supplying  individual  theatre  receivers 
and  antennae.  He  gave  the  Commis- 
sion similar  theatres  figures  for  one, 
two  and  three  programs  simultane- 
ously servicing  from  233  to  1,398 
theatres,  showing  that  as  the  number 
of  theatres  and  the  number  of  pro- 
grams increased,  the  capital  costs  de- 


creased. The  same  ratio  was  true,  he 
told  the  Commission,  for  annual  op- 
erating costs. 

Questioned  by  FCC  general 
counsel  Benedict  Cottone  as  to 
the  relevancy  of  Toeppen's  testi- 
mony, Welch  declared  that  Toep- 
pen's figures — which  were  based 
on  specifications  drawnup  by  in- 
dustry engineers — were  meant 
to  prove  that  a  theatre  televi- 
sion transmission  system  is 
"economically  possible."  Cost 
figures  for  such  a  service  which 
had  been  previously  given  to 
the  industry  by  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co., 
Welch  said,  indicated  that  the 
cost  of  such  a  system  was  "too 
high  to  make  it  economically 
feasible." 

Welch  estimated  that  testimony  on 
costs  will  occupy  the  hearing  until 
March,  when  industry  witnesses  on 
programming  testimony  will  come. 

Earlier  today  FCC  chairman  Paul 
A.  Walker  announced  that  the  Com- 
mission would  hold  night  sessions 
in  an  attempt  to  speed  up  the  proceed- 
ings, since  it  has  limited  the  hearing 
days  to  Monday  and  Tuesday  of  each 
week. 


Allied  Meet 


Breakfasts 

{Continued  from-  page  1) 


Rio  Hearing  April  6 

Chicago,  Jan.  26. — Federal  Judge 
Barnes  has  set  the  hearing  of  the  Rio 
Theatre  (Chicago)  anti-trust  suit  for 
April  6. 


will  be  the  Most  Reverend  James  H. 
Griffith,  Auxiliary  of  the  Military 
Vicar.  Clare  Boothe  Luce,  playwright, 
actress  and  former  Congresswoman, 
will  be  the  principal  lay  speaker. 

Guests  on  the  dais  will  include  Joe 
E.  Brown,  Guy  Kibbee,  Roddy 
McDowell,  Frederick  Brissou,  Eddie 
Dowling,  Louella  Parsons,  Jane 
Wyatt.  Kate  Cameron  and  Una 
O'Connor.  Over  1,200  members  of  the 
industry  expect  to  attend. 

The  industry  Communion  breakfast 
movement  started  in  New  York  three 
years  ago.  Last  year  additional  func- 
tions were  held  in  Los  Angeles  and 
Toronto  and  this  year  New  Orleans 
and  Detroit  were  added.  Plans  are 
now  under  way  for  similar  Com- 
munion breakfasts  to  be  held  in  Bos- 
ton, Chicago  and  Vancouver. 


100  at  Allied  Meet 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Pine-Thomas 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


man  of  the  board;  Charles  Jones, 
Elma,  la.,  secretary,  and  Elmer 
Huhnke,  Omaha,  treasurer,  were 
nresent.  A  full  report  of  the  national 
board  meeting  was  presented. 

Lengthy  Discussion 

Coming  in  lor  lengthy  discussion 
was  the  print  situation,  "another  sys- 
tem of  unfair  clearances  between 
towns  not  in  substantial  competition 
with  one  another  and  in  violation  of 
Supreme  Court  ruling." 

Special  attention  also  was  given  to 
the  subject  of  compiling  all  infringe- 
ments on  the  forced  pricing  of  pic- 
tures, which  litigation  will  be  for- 
warded to  the  Allied  legal  depart- 
ment. 

Exhibitors  devoted  a  long  period  to 
discussion  of  all  three-dimensional 
film  processes  coming  up  and  the  cost 
of  conversion. 


other  conditions  and  considerations. 
The  process  in  use  requires  Polaroid 
glasses  for  viewing.  Decision  to  go 
three-dimensional  followed  test  shots 
made  during  the  early  shooting,  flat, 
which  will  be  re-shot  in  the  new 
medium. 


Tables  Suit  Action 

{Continued  from  page  1  ) 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


president,  who  attended  the  trade 
press  parley  yesterday  along  with 
Starr  and  general  counsel  Herman 
Levy,  said  that  the  distributors  were 
just  as  anxious  for  a  conciliation  plan 
as  TOA  was.     />  w-.  a 

In  re-asserting  TOA's  faith  in  the 
principle  of  arbitration,  Starr  said  it 
was  not  contemplated  that  any  ex- 
hibitor rights  would  be  waived,  point- 
ing out  that  the  system  would  be 
available  to  exhibitors  only.  Distri- 
butors will  not  be  able  to  use  it  for 
rehef  of  any  of  their  problems,  he 
added,  and  that  exhibitors  will  not 
have  to  use  the  system  unless  they 
want  to.  They  still  will  be  able  to  re- 
sort to  litigation. 

u  "Because  of  all  this,"  Starr  said, 
"and  because  the  proposed  plan  is  for 
the  limited  time  of  18  months,  we  are 
prepared  to  sit  down  with  Allied  and 
otlier  exhibitor  groups  for  private  dis- 
cussion of  the  problems  standing  in 
the  way  of  acceptance  of  the  proposed 
plan." 

Starr  said  that  it  was  not  TOA's 
policy  "to  run  for  the  cops"  to  settle 
intra-industry  problems,  preferring  to 
work  them  out  in  roundtable  discus- 
sions. 

In  addition  to  the  exploration  of  the 
arbitration  situation,  the  board  yester- 
day heard  a  report  on  the  progress 
being  made  in  the  fight  to  eliminate 
the  admission  tax.  It  was  pointed  out 
that  all  but  approximately  60  members 
of  Congress  have  committed  them- 
selves on  the  tax  repeal  and  that  a 
"substantial  number  of  Congressmen" 
had  signified  they  favor  tax  elimina- 
tion or  reduction. 

Elmer  Rhoden  discussed  a  public 
relations  program,  centering  on  the 
children's  matinee  project  that  has 
worked  successfully  in  the  Kansas 
City  area.  Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  re- 
viewed the  recent  re-scaling  of  the 
ASCAP  rates  and  Charles  (Chick) 
Lewis  gave  a  preliminary  report  on 
the  1953  convention  plans. 

The  directors  attended  a  showing  of 
"This  Is  Cinerama"  last  night.  The 
highlight  of  today's  sessions  will  be 
panel  discussions  with  company  sales 
managers,  as  well  as  reports  on  tech- 
nical developments  by  equipment  rep- 
resentatives. 


Waive  Trusteeship 
ForABC-UPT  Holder 

Washington,  Jan.  26.  —  In  the 
event  the  United  Paramount  Theatres- 
American  Broadcasting  Co.  merger  is 
approved,  a  recent  amendment  to  the 
Paramount-U.  S.  consent  decree  pro- 
vides that  stock  in  the  merged  com- 
pany issued  to  ABC  stockholders  need 
not  be  placed  in  a  voting  trust  in 
the  event  such  holders  also  own 
Paramount  Pictures  stock. 

The  trust  procedure  was  required 
of  Paramount  and  UPT  stockholders 
who  were  owners  of  more  than  a 
minimum  permissible  percentage,  fol- 
lowing the  theatre  divorcement  and 


action  TOA  should  take  resulted  in  a 
diversity  of  opinion,  it  was  said. 
Some  members  advocated  an  out-and- 
out  fight  against  the  suit,  while  others 
favored  sitting  on  the  sidelines  for  the 
time  being. 

In  a  formal  statement,  TOA  said : 
"TOA  has  always  felt  that  the  so- 
called  16mm.  suit  was  an  unwarranted 
invasion  by  government  into  a  field 
of  private  enterprise.  We  shall  await 
the  expression  of  attitude  of  the  new 
Department  of  Justice  before  making 
our  decision  as  to  whether  we  shall 
move  to  intervene  as  a  party  de- 
fendant." 


organization  of  the  two  new  com- 
panies. The  amendment  was  approved 
by  the  Justice  Department  following 
a  study  which  showed  that  ABC 
stockholders  are  not  heavy  owners  of 
Paramount  Pictures  stock. 


Balaban 

{Continued  from,  page  1) 

other  complexities.  "It  is  vital,"  he 
added,  "that  we  be  equipped  with 
knowledge  and  the  capacity  for  hard 
work  to  meet  the  challenges.  Once 
upon  a  time  this  business  of  selling 
motion  pictures  was  simple.  It  is  now 
certainly  no  longer  that." 

Balaban's  address  included  a  mes- 
sage on  the  state  of  the  industry  and 
the  state  of  the  company. 

"The  motion  picture  business," 
Schwalberg  said,  "is  at  present  vastly 
more  complex,  rugged  and  difficult 
than  it  was  10  years  ago,  or  even  five 
years  ago,  and  as  a  result  demands 
harder  work  and  keener  insights  in 
the  merchandising  of  product." 

Oscar  Morgan,  short  subjects  and 
newsreel  sales  manager,  also  ad- 
dressed the  opening  session.  At  the 
speakers'  table  in  addition  to  Bala- 
ban, Schwalberg  and  Morgan,  were 
Jerry  Pickman,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising-publicity,  and 
E.  K.  O'Shea,  both  of  whom  will 
address  subsequent  sessions  of  the 
week-long  meeting. 


osemaryi  Clooney, 


PARAMOUNT  S  SENSATIONAL 
NEW  BOXOFFICE  PERSONALITY, 

Breaks  thru 
Stardom! 


YOU  DON'T  HAVE  TO  BUILD 
-SHE'S  TOPS  RIGHT  NOW 


COVER  GIRL  OF  THE  YEAR 

on  Collier's  —  on  Look  —  on  other 
important  national  magazines  soon! 

WOMAN  OF  THE  YEAR  IN  MUSIC 

in  Associated  Press  Poll  because  she's 
today's  biggest  selling  recording  star! 

HOME-TOWN  GIRL  OF  THE  YEAR 

as  the  news  wires  headline  her  return 
home  to  attend  her  first  picture's 


.WORLD  PREMIERE  TOMORROW  AT 
RUSSELL  THEATRE,  MAYSVILLE,  KY. 


Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22,  1953 


...and  all  this  too: 


**** 


"Haven't  Got  A  Worry" 
•'My  Kind  O'  Day".  "Because" 
"Lovely  Weather  For  Ducks" 
"My  Heart  Is  Home" 
"I  Dol  I  Do!  I  Do!" 
"Come  On-A  My  House" 
"Vesti  La  Giubba" 
v  and  many  others! 


ANr*sLf  Utr*  COLOR  BY  V 


ForTk-  JP°unt  ft 


TECHNICOXOJt 

with 

BOB  WILLIAMS  •  TOM  MORTON  •  FRED  CLARK 
JOHN  ARCHER  and  RED  DUST 

Produced  by  Directed  by         Screenplay  by 

IRVING  ASHER  •  NORMAN  TAUROG  •  LIAM  O'BRIEN 

Based  on  a  story  by  Paul  Hervey  Fox 


HUNDREDS  OF  SHOWMEN  ARE 
PLAYING  IT  WASHINGTON'S  BIRTHDAY 


motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  January  27,  1953 


Reviews 


'The  Stars  Are  Singing" 


(Paramount) 

PARAMOUNT  PICTURES  proclaims  "The  Stars  Are  Singing"  to  be 
"an  important  event,"  by  virtue  of  its  introduction  of  the  pretty  blonde 
airwave  singer,  Rosemary  Clooney,  to  the  motion  picture  screen.  Rosemary 
does  all  right  for  herself,  for  Paramount  and  for  the  paying  customers,  aided 
and  abetted,  most  enjoyably,  by  the  awesome  coloratura  teenager,  Anna  Maria 
Alberghetti,  and  that  loveable  hunk  of  man,  Lauritz  Melchior.  They  sing  and 
they  sing  some  more ;  always  delightfully. 

Ninety-nine  minutes  were  spent  in  unreeling  this  production  of  Irving 
Asher's,  and  every  one  of  them  was  enjoyed  by  this  reviewer  and  the  audi- 
ence around  him  at  a  "sneak"  preview  at  Loew's  Lexington  Theatre  in  mid- 
town  New  York,  thanks,  largely,  to  the  fast-moving  direction  of  Norman 
Taurog,  who  took  full  advantage  of  Liam  O'Brien's  screenplay,  O'Brien 
having  based  his  yarn  on  a  story  by  Paul  Hervey  Fox. 

There  has  been  a  lot  of  chatter  of  late  about  the  need  of  stressed  show 
manship.  Sometimes,  a  production  really  needs  showmanship  stressed  ;  some 
times  the  stressing  is  distressing.  It  will  not  be  so  with  "The  Stars  Are 
Singing." 

All  too  frequently  singers  in  a  screenplay  are  just  singers;  here,  they  are 
fine  performers.  Rosemary  is  just  plain  swell;  Anna  Maria  must  have  on 
that  Pacific  Coast  a  terrifically  capable  coach,  'cause  the  histrionics  of  the 
youngster  are  superb.  Melchior  is  Melchior ;  nuff  said.  They  are  given 
splendid  support  by  Bob  Williams,  Tom  Morton,  Fred  Clark,  John  Archer 
Mikhail  Rasumny,  Lloyd  Corrigan,  Don  Wilson  and  Red  Dust.  The  latter 
is  a  cocker  spaniel ;  his  performance  alone  is  worth  the  price  of  admission 
The  package  is  prettily  packed  in  color  by  Technicolor. 

The  story  starts  with  the  arrival  in  the  U.  S.  of  Anna  Maria,  15-year-old 
Polish  refugee,  without  parents — they  were  "purged" — and  continues  on 
through  many  delightful  experiences.  Anna  is  the  ward  of  Melchior,  an  old 
opera  associate  of  Anna  Maria's  parents  in  Poland,  who  was  requested  to 
care  for  the  child,  in  a  note  she  carried  to  him.  Melchior's  New  York  Green 
wich  Village  boarding  house  tenanted  many  other  singers,  one  of  whom 
Rosemary  Clooney,  overheard  Anna  Maria  singing,  and  the  upclimb  from 
there  on  in,  the  while  Immigration  Department  officers  seek  the  little,  illega 
immigrant,  through  unbelieving  concert  bookers,  stage  managers  and  operatic 
impresarios,  provides  the  funniest,  fastest,  although  at  times  heartbreaking 
series  of  events.  Finally,  Anna  Maria  achieves  a  star  spot  in  a  star  telecast 
for  herself  and  her  boarding  house  protectors,  and  a  Presidential  okay  to 
remain  in  the  country. 

Running  time,  99  minutes.    General  audience  classification.    For  March 
release.  James  Cunningham 


Columbia  Pictures 
Sets  30  Films  in 
Technicolor  in  1953 


Hollywood,  Jan.  26. — Columbia  has 
scheduled  30  features  in  color  by 
Technicolor  for  1953,  the  greatest 
number  in  its  history,  company  presi- 
dent Harry  Cohn  reports. 

Fifteen  of  the  30  will  be  top  films 
made  under  the  aegis  of  executive 
producer  Jerry  Wald.  They  are : 
'Cruisin'  Down  the  River,"  "Miss 
Sadie  Thompson,"  "The  Wood 
Hawk,"  "Renegade  Canyon,"  "The 
Broadway  Story,"  "High  Command," 
"Debut,"  "Ten  Against  Caesar,"  "The 
Long  Gray  Line,"  "Liszt,"  "Pal 
Joey,"  "Lola  Montez,"  "Tombstone," 
"River  of  the  Sun"  and  "Casanova." 

In  addition,  Sam  Katzman  will  have 
10  Technicolor  films  on  his  1953 
schedule :  "Prisoners  of  the  Casbah," 
"Charge  of  the  Lancers,"  "Jesse 
James  Meets  Bill  Dalton,"  "The  Kiss 
and  the  Sword,"  "Tripoli  to  the  Sea," 
"Battle  of  Rogue  River,"  "Fort  Ti- 
conderoga,"  "Chief  of  the  Senecas," 
"Drums  of  Tahiti"  and  "Meet  Me  at 
the  Fair."  The  Robert  Cohn  unit  will 
have  two,  "The  Nebraskan"  and 
"Tarawa,"  and  Scott-Brown  Produc- 
tions will  have  "Sunset  Rim."  War- 
wick Productions  currently  has  Tech- 
nicolor camera  crews  in  the  Antarctic 
for  "The  White  South." 


ft 


Battle  Circus 

(M-G-M)  Hollyivood,  Jan.  26 

PRODUCER  Pandro  S.  Berman  herein  sets  before  the  world  an  orderly, 
candid,  manifestly  authenticated  representation  of  the  nature  and  activi- 
ties of  the  Mobile  Ambulance  Surgical  Hospital  units  now  operating  so 
perilously  and  with  such  astonishingly  successful  results  a  virtual  stone's- 
throw  behind  United  Nations  lines  in  Korea.  The  Berman  representation  is 
set  down  without  ostentation,  heroics,  special  pleading  or  protesting,  and 
would  have  outranked  most  of  the  great  documentaries  if  documentation  had 
been  the  principal  objective.  But  it  wasn't.  "Battle  Circus"  is  primarily  an 
entertainment  picture,  and  it  has  Humphrey  Bogart,  June  Allyson,  Keenan 
Wynn  and  Robert  Keith  in  leading  roles,  all  of  these  and  a  great  many  others 
turning  in  pat  performances  in  the  personal  story  that  foregrounds  the  greater 
story  of  the  MASH  service.  It  is  a  picture  with  many  exploitable  features 
and  a  big  money's-worth  for  the  public  it  will  draw. 

The  background  story  concerns  the  function  and  operation  of  a  field  hos- 
pital in  today's  war.  Most  striking  of  the  activities  shown  is  the  picking 
up  and  transporting  of  the  wounded  from  firing  line  to  tent  hospital  by 
helicopter.  Attack  by  a  jet  plane,  with  a  L'N  jet  in  hot  pursuit,  is  another.  On 
the  broader  scale  the  swift  lowering  and  packing-  of  the  tents,  with  their 
speedy  removal  and  setting  up  at  a  new  location,  is  immensely  interesting  (the 
resemblance  between  this  and  the  similar  operation  performed  by  commercial 
circuses  furnishing  the  title  of  the  picture).  These  and  the  whole  of  the  back- 
ground story  are  of  universal  interest  and  import. 

Against  that  background  Bogart,  as  an  army  surgeon,  and  Miss  Allyson, 
as  an  army  nurse,  act  out  a  personal  love  story  not  essentially  unlike  the 
basic  boy-meets-girl  story,  and  not  especially  related  to  the  background  story, 
but  fitted  out  with  some  dialogue  lines  that  are  hotter,  directly  and  obliquely, 
than  common.  Wynn's  warm  portrayal  of  a  versatile  sergeant  is  a  solid 
counter-weight. 

Richard  Brooks,  who  directed  Bogart  in  "Deadline  U.S.A."  for  another 
company,  directed  the  1951  Academy  Award  winner  again  in  this  instance, 
using  a  script  by  himself  based  on  a  story  by  Allen  Rivkin  and  Laura  Kerr. 
The  U.  S.  Army  cooperated  fully. 

Running  time  89  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  3.  William  R.  Weaver 


Tells  Court  of  RKO 
Withdrawal  Action 


The  New  York  Supreme  Court  was 
officially  notified  yesterday  of  the 
signed  stipulation  calling  for  the  with- 
drawal of  the  receivership  application 
of  three  minority  RKO  Pictures 
stockholders. 

Informed  of  the  stipulation,  Justice 
Henry  Clay  Greenberg  asked  Louis 
Kipnis,  attorney  representing  the  min- 
ority stockholders,  whether  he  had 
been  paid  or  received  a  promise  to  be 
paid  by  the  company  for  the  with- 
drawal of  his  action.  This  brought  a 
denial  from  Kipnis,  who  told  the  court 
that  there  had  never  been  any  ques- 
tion of  the  solvency  of  the  company. 
Kipnis  went  on  to  state  that  the  RKO 
Pictures  board  has  been  reconstituted 
and  that  he  is  withdrawing  the  re- 
ceivership application  to  press  his 
damage  complaint  in  the  same  court 
against  Howard  Huges,  board  chair- 
man, for  "mismanagement"  and  an 
accounting.  A  similar  suit  has  been 
filed  in  Los  Angeles. 

Under  the  stipulation,  the  applica- 
tion was  withdrawn  without  prejudice 
to  either  side. 


2-House  'Stars'  Premiere 

Two  theatres  instead  of  one  will  be 
required  to  handle  the  demand  for 
tickets  for  the  world  premiere  of  the 
"The  Stars  Are  Singing"  in  Mays- 
ville,  Ky.,  tomorrow,  according  to 
Sch  ine  Theatres'  Maysville  manager 
Ben  Tureman.  The  two  houses,  both 
of  which  are  already  sold  out,  are  the 
Russell  and  the  Washington. 


6 


Interest  in  '3-D'  Film 
Not  Just  'Novelty' 

Chicago,  Jan.  26. — Solid  in- 
dication that  public  appetite 
for  three-dimension  pictures 
is  deeper  than  "novelty  inter- 
est" is  seen  in  the  fact  that 
"Bwana  Devil"  at  the  Chicago 
Theatre  here  grossed  a  smash 
$44,000  in  the  first  three  days, 
although  the  Tri-Opticon 
three-dimension  program  has 
been  playing  virtually  across 
the  street  for  weeks. 

Chicago  is  the  first  city  in 
which  both  "Bwana  Devil,"  in 
Natural  Vision  process,  and 
Tri-Opticon,  in  Stereo-tech- 
niques process,  have  played. 
Chicago  Theatre's  record  for  a 
week  is  around  $80,000,  set  by 
Martin  and  Lewis  in  a  per- 
sonal appearance. 


'Bwana'  Sets  Cleve. 
First  Day  Record 

Cleveland,  Jan.  26.  —  "Bwana 
Devil"  broke  all  opening  day  attend- 
ance and  gross  records  last  Thursday 
at  Warners'  Allen  Theatre  here,  ac- 
cording to  theatre  district  manager 
Dick  Wright.  The  3000-seat  house 
had  an  estimated  7,000  attendance  for 
the  day. 

Scale  is  set  at  85c  to  1  p.m. ;  $1.00 
to  5  p.m.  and  $1.25  after  that.  Pro- 
gram is  made  up  of  news,  cartoon  and 
the  3D  feature  including  the  introduc- 
tion by  Lloyd  Nolan.  Program  lasts 
one  hour  and  45  minutes.  An  extra 
concession  stand  was  erected  in  the 
foyer  for  the  engagement  and  conces- 
sion sales  were  excellent. 

Schaefer  Consulted 
On  'Bwana'  Release 

George  Schaefer,  who  has  been  the 
national  sales  representative  for  Nat- 
ural Vision's  "Bwana  Devil,"  will 
serve  as  a  consultant  on  the  picture's 
distribution.  "Bwana  Devil"  last 
week  was  purchased  by  United  Artists 
for  world-wide  release. 

AF  Band  to  Herald 
'Above*  Premiere 

Units  of  the  U.  S.  Air  Force  will 
join  in  the  parade  in  the  Times  Square 
area  to  herald  the  premiere  of  M-G- 
M's  "Above  and  Beyond"  at  the  May- 
fair  Theatre  on  Thursday.  The  Air 
Force  Drum  and  Bugle  Corps,  a  62- 
piece  band  from  Washington,  has  been 
invited  to  join  forces  with  the  First 
Army  Band  in  activities  preceding  the 
premiere. 


Louis  F.  Jelinek,  57 

Chicago,  Jan.  26. — Louis  F.  Jeli- 
nek, 57,  owner  and  operator  of  the 
Sky-Hi  Drive-in,  Elmhurst,  111.,  died 
here  last  night.  He  is  survived  by 
his  widow,  a  son  who  has  been  active 
in  the  management  of  the  Sky-Hi, 
and  a  daughter. 


Louis  Tunick  Dead 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  26.  —  Funeral 
services  were  held  here  today  for 
Louis  Tunick.  70.  who  died  Saturday 
in  Jewish  Hospital.  He  was  the 
father  of  Eugene  Tunick,  head  of  the 
Tunick  Releasing  Co.  The  widow  and 
three  other  sons  also  survive. 


Pinanski  on  Board 

Boston,  Jan.  26. — Boston  Univer- 
sity announced  here  that  Samuel 
Pinanski,  president  of  the  American 
Theatre  Corp.  of  Boston,  has  been 
appointed  to  the  board  of  governors 
of  the  newly  established  Human  Re- 
lations Center  of  the  university. 


500  Prints  of  'The  Sea' 

Advance  interest  reported  bv  RKO 
Radio  in  "The  Sea  Around  Us"  has 
prompted  the  company  to  order  500 
Technicolor  prints  of  the  Academy 
Award  contending  documentary.  This 
is  an  increase  of  20  per  cent  over  the 
usual  order. 


Sells  Ohio  Theatre 

Hudson,  O.,  Jan.  26.— Loren  Sole- 
ther  sold  the  Hudson  Theatre  in  Hud- 
son, including  the  building  and  prop- 
erty, to  G.  W.  Huss  and  Mrs.  Huss. 
Huss  was  the  theatre  projectionist. 
Solether  retains  his  Falls  Theatre, 
Chagrin  Falls. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  19 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  28,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Criteria  For  Foreign  Market  Excited 
Pre-Releases    j  About  '3-D':  Daff  Reports 
SoughtbyTOA 


Distributors  Willing  to 
Discuss  Definitions 


Sales  heads  of  the  various  film 
companies  listened  to  the  "gripes" 
of  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
board  members  here  }resterday  on 
such  subjects  as  prereleases  and 
national  sales  policies  and,  while  no 
decisions  were  reached,  the  sales 
chiefs  expressed  a  willingness  to  get 
together  with  the  exhibitors  to  estab- 
lish criteria  as  to  what  constitutes  a 
pre-release  picture. 

There  appeared  to  be  some 
divergence  of  opinion  as  to 
what  constituted  a  pre-release, 
the  question  being  whether  it 
could  be  determined  by  a  test 
run.  Then,  if  it  were  found  that 
the  sales  department  had  set  a 
standard  too  high,  the  question 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


'3-D'  Holds  Spotlight 
At  TOA's  Meeting 

Theatre  Owners  of  America  board 
of  directors  was  given  a  summary  of 
what  to  expect  in  technical  develop- 
ments yesterday  at  the  concluding  ses- 
sions of  the  board's  mid-winter  meet- 
ing here  at  the  Pierre  Hotel.  And  the 
developments,  described  by  technical 
experts,  convinced  the  TOA  leaders 
that  the  industry  was  on  the  thresh- 
old of  a  new  era. 

The  inrush  of  the  three-dimensional 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


'Interceding  Runs' 
New  Allied  Gripe 

"Interceding  runs,"  an  offshoot  of 
the  pre-release  problem,  are  becoming 
a  new  source  of  complaint  by  subse- 
quent run  theatre  operators.  An  "in- 
terceding run"  is  described  as  one  in 
which  a  first  run  house  plays  a  pic- 
ture and  then,  before  it  is  put  into 
general  release,  is  brought  back  to 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Exhibitors  throughout  the  world  are  excited  at  the  progress  being 
made  in  the  third-dimensional  field  in  this  country  and  look  forward  to 
the  day  when  they  will  be  able  to  show  third-dimensional  films,  Alfred 
E.  Daff,  executive  vice-president  of  Universal  Pictures,  disclosed  here 
yesterday  upon  his  return  from  a  five- 
week  trip  around  the  world. 

Daff  cited  the  reaction  to  third- 
dimensional  developments  as  a  posi- 
tive one,  in  contrast  to  the  negative 
attitude  he  met  abroad  about  the 
health  of  the  American  film  industry. 
A  major  portion  of  his  efforts  while 
abroad,  he  emphasized,  was  spent  at- 
tempting to  dispel  fear  among  ex- 
hibitors that  the  U.  S.  film  industry 
was  on  the  decline.  He  said  it  was 
unfortunate  that  American  newspapers 
circulated  reports  of  widespread  clos- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Industry  Problems 
Temporary:  Dietz 

Boston,  Jan.  27. — Howard  Dietz, 
M-G-M  vice-president  in  charge  of 
advertising-publicity,  told  the  Boston 
Advertising  Club  today  that  he  was 
a  "firm  believer  that  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  will  survive  the  inroads 
of  television." 

Addressing  a  luncheon  meeting  at 
the    Hotel    Bradford,    Dietz  said, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


'U'toMake'Z-D'Film 
With  Secret  System 

Hollywood,  Jan.  27.— Uni- 
versal-International will  join 
the  three-dimension  parade, 
using  a  secret  system,  when 
the  studio  begins  shooting 
"It  Came  From  Outer  Space" 
next  Monday.  A  science-fic- 
tion subject,  it  will  be  pro- 
duced behind  locked  doors 
from  start  to  finish  with 
workers  bound  to  secrecy  re- 
garding operations  and  proce- 
dures. Although  no  informa- 
tion of  any  kind  is  being 
vouchsafed,  it  is  believed 
some  variant  of  the  two-cam- 
era method,  requiring  Pola- 
roid glasses  for  viewing,  will 
be  utilized. 


20   3-D'  Features 
Planned  to  Date 
For  1953  Release 


Twenty  pictures  have  been  sched- 
uled to  date  for  production  in  three 
dimension  in  1953  and  the  list  is  ex- 
pected to  increase  during  the  next  few 
months.  Only  three  companies,  RKO 
Pictures,  Republic  and  Allied  Ar- 
tists, have  not  announced  definite 
plans  for  "3-D"  product,  but  it  is  un- 
derstood they  are  studying  the  possi- 
bilities of  joining  the  parade  in  the 
new  medium. 

Columbia,  via  independent  producer 
Sam  Katzman,  will  release  three  in 
the  tri-dimensional  process  this  year, 
under  present  plans.  The  first  is 
"Fort  Ticonderoga."  M-G-M  is  com- 
mitted for  one,  "Arena,"  using  its 
own  "3-D"  formula.  Warner  Brothers 
is  making  "The  House  of  Wax"  in 
three  dimensions  and,  like  M-G-M,  is 
considering  additional  product. 

Pine-Thomas  will  make  "Sanga- 
ree"  in  three  dimensions  for  Para- 
mount release.    This  picture  also  is 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Trust  Limitations 
Bill  Report  Asked 

Washington,  Jan.  27. — The  House 
judiciary  committee  ordered  a  special 
monopoly  subcommittee  to  report  by 
March  1  on  all  bills  pending  before 
it,  including  one  to  set  up  a  uniform 
Federal  statute  of  limitations. 

This  latter  bill  has  been  highly  con- 
troversial in  the  film  industry,  with 
producers  urging  a  short  statute,  and 
exhibitors  urging  a  rather  long  one. 

A  special  House  judiciary  subcom- 
mittee headed  by  Rep.  Celler  (D., 
N.  Y.)  held  hearings  on  the  bill  dur- 
ing the  last  Congress.  The  judiciary 
group  today  decided  to  do  away  with 
the  special  subcommittee  but  to  give  it 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Theatre  TV 
Hearing  Off 
Till  Monday 

Cost  Testimony  in;  Next 
Witnesses  Not  Ready 

Washington,  Jan.  27.  —  The 
theatre  television  hearing  before 
the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission recessed  unexpectedly  this 
morning  until  next  Monday. 

At  that  time  American  Tele- 
phone and  Telegraph  Co.  wit- 
nesses will  begin  their  testmony 
on  A.  T.  and  T.  cost  figures  for 
a  New  York  to  Washington 
theatre  television  transmission 
system.  Testimony  on  such  a 
system,  based  on  specifications 
drawn  up  by  industry  engineers, 
was  completed  this  morning  by 
industry  cost  expert  Manfred  K. 
Toeppen. 

Toeppen's  testimony  took  less  than 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Cancel  'Limelight,' 
Hughes  Asks  RKO 


Hollywood,  Jan.  27.  —  Howard 
Hughes,  RKO  Pictures  board  chair- 
man, said  he  has  been  making  "a  most 
concerted  effort"  since  last  Friday  to 
persuade  the  management  of  RKO 
Theatres  "to  take  the  necessary  legal 
measures  to  cancel  all  bookings  of 
"The  Limelight." 

Hughes'  statement  was  made  in  a 
letter  to  John  D.  Home,  chairman  of 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Sees  Variety  Heart 
Fund  Topping  Mark 

A  prediction  that  the  $3,000,000 
mark  set  last  year  for  Variety  Inter- 
national's heart  fund  will  be  exceeded 
this  year  was  made  yesterday  by  In- 
ternational chief  barker  Jack  Beresin, 
whose  recorded  address  was  one  of 
the  highlights  of  the  induction  cere- 
monies of  Variety  Club  Tent  No.  35 
of  New  York. 

Over  200  members  attended  the  in- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


^  A  WINNER1- 


— ^ 


DOUT  ALL  THE  WAY  I" -Variety 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 

D.rected  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production' 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  28,  1953 


New  Jersey  Allied  Calls  Pre-releases 
'Criminal'  Contempt  of  U.S.  Decree 

The  practice  of  pre-releasing  pictures  in  key  run  theatres  and 
then  withdrawing  them  for  several  months  before  making  them 
available  to  subsequent  houses  has  been  condemned  in  a  resolution 
passed  by  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey.  The  resolution, 
which  was  approved  at  a  membership  meeting  in  Trenton,  "calls 
upon  the  Department  of  Justice  to  make  a  thorough  investigation 
and  to  take  appropriate  action  to  obtain  an  injunction  against  this 
discriminatory  and  destructive  sales  policy  which,  in  our  opinion, 
is  a  deliberate  violation  of  the  decree  of  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court  and  constitutes  criminal  contempt  thereof." 

The  resolution,  in  effect,  reiterates  the  stand  taken  by  the  Allied 
board  at  its  recent  meeting  in  New  Orleans.  While  condemning 
the  practice  in  general,  New  Jersey  Allied  singled  out  M-G-M's 
"Ivanhoe"  and  Columbia's  "Salome"  as  examples,  asserting  that  in 
the  members'  opinion  the  handling  of  so-called  specials  "would 
lead  only  to  the  gradual  decline  of  business  and  extinction  of  many 
theatres  not  favored  by  distribution  and  what  is  believed  to  be  an 
illegal  system  of  release."  It  was  reported  at  the  meeting  that  in 
one  territory  Warner  Brothers  was  advising  exhibitors  that  in  bid- 
ding situations,  not  less  than  a  50  per  cent  bid  would  be  considered 
for  "The  Jazz  Singer." 


Personal 
Mention 

NICHOLAS      M.  SCHENCK, 
Loew's  president,  and  Charles 
C.    Moskowitz,    vice-president  and 
treasurer,  have  left  here  for  the  Coast. 
• 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Brothers 
Eastern  and  Canadian  division  sales 
manager,  is  in  Philadelphia  today  and 
will  be  in  Washington  tomorrow,  re- 
turning to  New  York  on  Friday. 
• 

Harry  Rogovin,  Columbia  division 
manager  at  Boston,  and  Norman 
Jackter,  Albany  branch  manager, 
visited  Kallet  Theatres'  offices  in 
Oneida,  N.  Y.,  yesterday. 

• 

Mrs.  Edward  J.  Wall,  wife  of  the 
Paramount  director  of  publicity  and 
advertising  in  the  Albany  and  Buffalo 
districts,  is  recovering  at  Albany  Hos- 
pital from  pneumonia. 

• 

Sid  Blumenstock,  Paramount 
assistant  director  of  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation,  will  leave  here 
tonight  for  Miami. 

• 

Charles  Skouras  is  in  St.  Luke's 
Hospital  here,  reportedly  suffering 
from  influenza. 

• 

F.  J.  A.  McCarthy,  Universal 
Southern  and  Canadian  sales  manager, 
will  leave  here  today  for  Washington. 

Marion  Gering  of  G-L  Enter- 
prises yesterday  left  Rome  for  Paris 
after  a  four-month  visit. 

e 

William  F.  Rodgers  has  returned 
to  New  York  from  a  Florida  vacation. 

Department  Store 
Ads  Boost  'The  Star' 

One  of  the  largest  advertising  and 
merchandising  splashes  accorded  a 
motion  picture  by  a  leading  New 
York  department  store  was  given 
"The  Star"  by  Gimbel's  yesterday  in 
advance  of  the  production's  opening 
today  at  the  Rivoli  here. 

Double-page  advertisements  in  the 
Journal- Ainerica)i  and  the  Post  yes- 
terday afternoon  called  attention  to 
the  performance  of  Bette  Davis  in  the 
20th  Century-Fox  release.  The  ad 
will  be  repeated  this  morning  in  the 
Daily  Mirror,  Times,  and  Herald 
Tribune. 

Al  Rylander  Heads 
Col.  Exploitation 

Al  Rylander  who  for  the  past  seven 
years  has  been  director  of  special 
events  for  Columbia  Pictures,  yester- 
day was  named  exploitation  manager, 
succeeding  Harry  K.  McWilliams, 
who  last  week  was  made  director  of 
advertising  and  public  relations  for 
Screen  Gems,  Colombia  subsidiary. 


Galanty  Holds  Meet 

Pittsburgh,,  Jan.  27.  —  Sam  Gal- 
anty, Columbia  Mid-Eastern  division 
manager,  is  holding  a  two-day  meet- 
ing here  with  the  four  branch  man- 
agers in  his  division. 


Predicts  Fast  Move 
On  Lower  Tax  Bill 

Washington,  Jan.  27.  ■ —  House 
Ways  and  Means  Committee  chairman 
Reed  (R.,  N.Y.)  predicted  his  group 
would  meet  Feb.  16  and  report  out 
his  tax  reduction  bill  immediately. 

Some  committee  members  said  Reed 
was  probably  right  and  that  the  com- 
mittee would  probably  do  this,  even 
without  hearing  from  Treasury  De- 
partment officials.  Other  committee 
members  thought  the  committee  would 
insist  on  hearings  before  any  vote. 

Studio  Unions'  T-H 
Law  Changes  Not  In 

Washington,  Jan.  27.  ■ —  Senator 
Taft  (R.,  O.),  in  sponsoring  some  15 
changes  to  the  Taft-Hartley  law,  did 
not  include  a  change  sought  by  studio 
unions,  but  a  spokesman  said  he  felt 
the  Senator  would  be  "agreeable"  to 
such  a  change  when  the  Senate  labor 
committee  actually  takes  up  Taft- 
Hartley  revision. 

The  actors  and  other  studio  unions 
want  to  change  the  law's  provision 
which  would  give  new  workers  up  to 
30  days  to  join  unions  in  studios  cov- 
ered by  union  shop  contracts.  They'd 
like  the  period  cut  to  seven  or  as  few 
as  two  days. 

DeMille  Would  Do  It 
All  Over  Again 

Salt  Lake  City,  Jan.  27. — In  an 
interview  here,  Cecil  B.  DeMille  said 
if  he  had  it  to  do  over  again,  he  would 
give  up  his  radio  program  as  he  did 
seven  years  ago,  should  the  same 
problem  come  up  today. 

DeMille  referred  to  his  refusal  to 
pay  a  $1  AFRA  assessment  for  a 
political  campaign  fund,  which  cost 
him  his  membership  in  the  radio  union 
and  forced  his  program  off  the  air. 


Mother  of  Ed  Finney 

Funeral  services  for  Mrs.  Clarita 
N.  Finney,  mother  of  Edward  Finney, 
producer,  will  be  held  today  at  Ma- 
donna's Church,  Fort  Lee,  N.  J.  Mrs. 
Finney  died  in  Los  Angeles,  Jan.  20. 
Burial  will  he  at  Madonna's  Church 
Cemetery. 


New  SWG  Formula 
On  Sales  to  TV 

Hollywood,  Jan.  27. — New  contract 
terms  sought  by  the  Screen  Writers 
Guild  and  reported  to  that  organiza- 
tion at  a  meeting  tonight  include  a 
unique  formula  for  writer  participa- 
tion in  the  revenue  from  the  sale  of 
theatrical  films  to  television. 

The  formula  is  based  on  a  survey 
to  be  made  by  producers  revealing 
what  percentage  of  picture  costs  dur- 
ing the  past  10  years  has  represented 
writing  costs.  When  that  percentage 
figure  has  been  determined,  SWG 
would  demand  writers  be  paid  60  per 
cent  of  that  percentage  of  whatever 
revenue  producers  receive  from  tele- 
vision. New  contract  terms  also  in- 
clude increased  minimums. 

Funeral  Rites  for 
A.  P.  Blumenthal 

Hollywood,  Jan.  '  27.  ■ —  Funeral 
services  for  Alexander  Pam  Blumen- 
thal, 48,  who  died  unexpectedly  yes- 
terday after  a  brief  illness,  will  be 
held  in  New  York. 

Blumenthal,  former  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Cinecolor  and  Film  Classics, 
was  elected  in  1951  chairman  of  the 
board  and  treasurer  of  Fidelity  Pic- 
tures Inc.  Following  his  start  in 
the  industry,  he  specialized  in  film 
financing  as  liaison  between  banking 
and  producing,  handling  over  75  pro- 
ductions in  20  years. 


The  funeral  of  Alexander  Pam  Blu- 
menthal, who  died  in  Hollywood,  will 
be  held  here  on  Friday  at  the  Uni- 
versal Funeral  Chapel.  He  will  be 
interred  at  Salem  Fields  Cemetery- 
The  widow,  mother  and  son  survive. 

UA  Appoints  Brien 
'Bwana'  Coordinator 

The  appointment  of  Lige  Brien, 
special  events  director  of  United 
Artists,  as  coordinator  of  exploita- 
tion for  the  three-dimensional  "Bwana 
Devil"  was  disclosed  here  yesterday 
by  Francis  M.  Winikus,  U.A.  national 
director  of  advertising,  publicity  and 
exploitation. 


Bigger  Para. 
Ad  Drives  Set 


An  expanded  advertising,  publicity 
and  exploitation  campaign  for  forth- 
coming Paramount  product  on  na- 
tional and  local  levels  was  explained 
in  detail  by  Jerry  Pickman,  vice-pres- 
ident in  charge  of  the  three  promo- 
tional fields,  at  yesterday's  second  day 
session  of  the  company's  week-long 
division  and  branch  managers  meeting 
at  the  Hotel  Plaza  here. 

Pictures  which  are  slated  for  all- 
out,  big-scale  promotion,  Pickman 
said,  are :  "The  Stars  Are  Singing," 
"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba,"  Para- 
mount's  Academy  Award  contender, 
"Off  Limits,"  "The  Girls  of  Pleasure 
Island,"  "Pony  Express,"  and  George 
Stevens'  "Shane." 


Hughes  Asks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Hollywood  Post  American  Legion 
un-American  activities  committee. 

While  pointing  out  that  since  the 
divorcement  of  RKO  Pictures  and 
RKO  Theatres,  even  though  Hughes 
retains  ownership  of  his  controlling 
stock  interest  in  the  new  theatre  com- 
pany, he  is  "prevented  from  having 
even  the  slightest  connection  or  voice 
in  the  management  of  the  theatre  .cor- 
poration," Hughes  nevertheless  states 
in  the  letter  that  "it  is  my  strongest 
hope  and  sincere  belief"  that  RKO 
Theatres  will  cancel  the  Charles 
Chaplin  picture. 


RKO  Theatres  officials  here  de- 
clined to  comment  yesterday  on  the 
Hughes'  letter  to  Home.  RKO  Thea- 
tres booked  "Limelight"  after  United 
Artists,  the  distributor,  had  been  un- 
able to  agree  on  terms  with  Loew's, 
which  ordinarily  plays  U.A.  product 
locally. 


Allied  Gripes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  same  theatre,  or  one  operated  by 
the  same  exhibitor  and  circuit,  before 
it  is  made  available  to  a  subsequent 
run  house  in  the  same  area. 

While  this  is  not  a  new  situation  in 
picture  play-offs,  the  practice  is  said 
to  be  more  prevalent  now  than  it  was 
a  year  ago. 

Allied  is  reported  to  have  received 
numerous  complaints  from  members 
on  the  policy  and  it  is  expected  that 
the  protests  will  be  embodied  in  the 
list  of  alleged  abuses  that  the  associa- 
tion plans  to  submit  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Justice. 

Giesseman  Joins 
Cinerama  Prods. 

Cliff  Giesseman  will  join  Cinerama 
Productions  in  an  executive  manage- 
rial capacity,  handling  regional  exhibi- 
tion plans,  the  company  announced 
yesterday.  He  will  work  under  Joseph 
Kaufman,  director  of  exhibition,  be- 
ginning at  the  Broadway  Theatre  here 
and  in  Detroit  before  handling  his 
own  engagements.  Giesseman  will 
have  the  same  general  regional  re- 
sponsibilities as  Zeb  Epstein,  whose 
engagement  was  disclosed  last  week. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President:  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vfice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  ,  Manager;  (Jus  \  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William"  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley;  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,'  National  Press;  Club,  Washington;  D..  C.  /London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Mtition  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres'  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


"TitfTw©  55'C"Y 

PR6NUWS  fOR 

tigSicoioR1 


"/ 


II 


Launching  a  B.g  Jjf    bUdty  -here 

"he  Pict^  w>s  ^  6th.  Stars  of 
temiere  ^  of  ^       wic  events 

Lnroduetiont"PerS  omlng, 
*  P    s„te  (Colorado, 
in  Tri-State  v  motion.  =>" 

New   Mexico)    P£ffleinoWMe  cele- 
ffirials  cooperate  in  ™  and 

°ft        as  bands,  p«ad"'  P 
bration  as  o  hlt! 

public  acclaim 


A 


YOU'LL  AGREE  WITH  TRADE  PRESS! 

"The  exhibitor  who  can't  make  money  with  this  picture  should  seek  other  means  of  a  livelihood. 
Chills,  thrills  and  suspense.  High  octane  acting."  —SHOW  MEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 


-MOTION  PICTURE  HERALD 
-MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


"It's  a  money  picture  for  just  about  anywhere.  Excellent." 

"Entertainment  ingredients,  action,  suspense,  Technicolor." 

"A  taut,  rough,  tough  outdoor  melodrama  made  to  order  for  the  western  action  addict. . .Techni- 
color and  a  group  of  stars  headed  by  James  Stewart  insure  ticket  sale."  —VARIETY 

"Absorbing  tale.  Performances  outstanding.  Should  attract  lusty  grosses. " —HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 

"Drama  topped  with  action,  intrigue,  and  suspense."  —EXHIBITOR 

"Actionful,  suspense  laden  on  every  count.  Super  western.  Substantial  grosses  wherever  booked." 

-  BOKO FF ICE 

"Absorbing  manhunt  in  the  wilds  of  Colorado.  Outdoor  scenery  spectacular."  —FILM  DAILY 

"Hefty  money-getter  in  all  spots.  A  lulu  for  action  houses.  All-star  picture  in  every  sense  of  the  word." 

-FILM  BULLETIN 

me  to  remember,  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22) 


"The  last  man 
alive  gets  the 
blonde  wildcat" 

(James  Stewart 
and  Janet  Leigh  ) 


M-G-M  presents 

JAMES  STEWART 
JANET  LEIGH 
ROBERT  RYAN 
RALPH  MEEKER 

"THE  NAKED 
SPUR" 

with 

MILLARD  MITCHELL 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

Written  by  SAM  ROLFE 
and  HAROLD  JACK  BLOOM 

Directed  by  ANTHONY  MANN 

Produced  by  WILLIAM  H.  WRIGHT 


Republic  Pictures  takes  great  pride 
in  presenting  the  World  Premiere 
Engagement  at  the  Paramount 
and  Beach  Theatres  . . .  Miami  and 
Miami  Beach,  Florida,  January  29 


HERBERT  J.  YATES 
presents 


ROBERT  DOUGLAS  •  VICTOR  McLAGLEN 
JOHN  RUSSELL*  BUDDY  BAER 

CLAUDE  JARMAN,  JR.  •  GRANT  WITHERS 

Screen  Play  By  RICHARD  TREGASKIS 
Based  on  the  Novel  By  GARLAND  ROARK 

Author  of  "Wake  of  the  Red  Witch" 

Associate  Producer-Director  JOSEPH  KANE 

Republic  Pictures  Corporation 


FRED  MacMURRAY,  rugged 
American,  Capt.  Boll 


TON  as  Kim  Kim, 
Javanese  slave  girl 


RT  DOUGLAS  as  pirate 
Pulo  Besar 


cLAGLEN 
as  fighting  O'Brien 


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ning  1st  mate 


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Wednesday.  January  28,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Theatre  TV 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


a  day  and  a  half,  under  half  the  time 
originally  allotted  for  it  by  Vincent 
Welch  and  Marcus  Cohn,  attorneys 
for  the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  and  the  National  Exhibitors 
Theatre  Television  Committee,  re- 
spectively, w  ho  are  presenting  the  in- 
dustry's case  to  the  Commission. 
This  morning  FCC  general  counsel 
Benedict  Cottone  and  several  commis- 
sioners consistently  interrupted  Toep- 
pen's  testimony  with  a  request  that  he 
speed  up  his  delivery.  Toeppen  com- 
plied, completing  the  industry's  pre- 
sentation of  the  engineering  and  ac- 
counting phases  of  its  case  and  sav- 
ing considerable  time.  It  then  de- 
veloped that  none  of  the  succeeding 
witnesses  was  ready  to  take  the  stand. 

Earlier  in  the  morning  Welch  and 
Cottone  wrangled  over  the  relevancy 
of  the  transmission  cost  information. 
Cottone  maintained  that  introducing 
it  now  as  evidence  was  "premature" 
and  that  it  should  come  later  in  the 
hearing,  after  the  A.  T.  and  T.  figures 
had  been  given.  Welch  answered  that 
he  thought  the  commission  had  asked 
for  extensive  cost  data.  He  went  on 
to  say  that  A.  T.  and  T.  had  been 
asked  for  its  figures  some  time  ago 
but  had  not  produced  them,  and  that 
therefore  the  industry  had  to  put  its 
figures  in  first. 

A.  T.  and  T.  attorney  Ernest  D. 
North  argued  that  the  transmission 
cost  figures  made  only  "a  relatively 
small  part  of  the  expenses  of  theatre 
television  for  theatre  people."  Welch 
replied  that  the  industry  was  not  pro- 
posing "an  overall  theatre  television 
service,"  including  programming,  to 
the  Commission  but  was  only  propos- 
ing a  transmission  service. 


Industry  Problems 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"There  is  only  a  temporary  disloca- 
tion of  the  motion  picture  industry  at 
the  present  time  and  that  dislocation 
will  very  shortly  be  overcome." 

"The  Hoaxters,"  the  _  M-G-M 
documentary  on  Communism,  was 
screened  at  the  luncheon. 

Among  those  from  the  industry  at- 
tending were :  Frank  Lydon  of  Al- 
lied Theatres  of  New  England ;  Ralph 
Ianuzzi,  Warner  Brothers  Boston 
branch  manager ;  Herman  Rifkin  of 
Allied  Artists ;  Walter  Brown,  presi- 
dent of  the  Boston  Garden  and  chief 
barker  of  the  Variety  Club  of  New 
England ;  James  Connolly,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox Boston  branch  manager ; 
Charles  Kurtzman,  Loew's  Theatres 
Northeastern  division  manager ; 
Elaine  Stewart,  M-G-M  star;  Ben 
Rosewald,  M-G-M  Boston  manager ; 
Hatton  Taylor,  RKO  Pictures  Boston 
manager ;  Harry  Segal,  United  Ar- 
tists Boston  manager ;  Thomas 
O'Brien,  Columbia  Pictures  Boston 
manager;  Meyer  Feltman,  Universal- 
International  Boston  manager ;  Frank 
Dervin,  Republic  Pictures  Boston 
manager;  John  Kane,  representing 
Paramount ;  and  Ray  Feeley  of  Inde- 
pendent Exhibitors  of  New  England. 


$33,000  for  'Miss.' 

Chicago,  Jan.  27. — A  robust  $33,- 
000  for  the  first  week  of  "The  Missis- 
sippi Gambler"  at  the  State  Lake 
Theatre  here  is  forecast,  topping  the 
sturdy  business  done  by  "Bend  of  the 
River."  This  is  the  first  date  of  the 
picture  outside  the  pre-release  terri- 
torial world  premiere  area. 


Criteria  for  Pre-releases 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


was,  how  quickly  could  a  sales 
manager  correct  the  mistake? 

In  an  open  forum  session  between 
the  TOA  board  members  and  the 
sales  chiefs,  the  exhibitors  declared 
that  it  would  be  helpful  if  branch 
managers  had  more  latitude  in  deter- 
mining terms  and  license  fees.  This, 
they  said,  would  get  away  from  so- 
called  "national  policies,"  a  current 
abuse  which  the  theatre  men  said  was 
detrimental.  If  all  exhibitors  pay  35 
per  cent  for  a  picture,  the  directors 
asked,  why  shouldn't  they  all  be  able 
to  play  day-and-date  ?  Some  mem- 
bers said  they  believed  many  exhib- 
itors would  be  willing  to  set  back 
their  clearance  30  days  or  more  if 
they  could  get  better  terms  and,  at 
the  same  time,  spread  the  pictures 
over  a  greater  length  of  playing 
time. 

There  was  no  conclusion  on  this 
issue,  but  Alfred  Starr,  TOA  presi- 
dent, said  that  the  sales  managers 
listened  attentively  and  he  "hoped 
something  would  come  of  it." 

Attending  the  meeting  with  the 
TOA  board  from  the  companies  were 


Charles  Reagan  and  W.  F.  Rodgers, 
M-G-M ;  Robert  Mochrie,  Samuel 
Goldwyn  Productions ;  A.  Montague, 
Columbia ;  Al  Schwalberg,  Para- 
mount ;  Charles  Boasberg,  RKO 
Radio ;  William  Gehring,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox ;  Maurice  Goldstein,  Allied 
Artists  ;  Charles  Feldman,  Universal ; 
Bernard  Goodman,  Warners  ;  Bernard 
Kranze,  United  Artists. 

Extensive  use  of  television  in  ad- 
vertising motion  pictures  at  a  national 
and  local  level  was  stressed  at  the 
meeting.  It  was  agreed  that  the  TV 
advertising  of  pictures  was  in  a  "trial 
and  error"  stage  but  that  the  medium 
could  be  used  to  good  advantage. 

Elmer  Rhoden,  president  of  Fox 
Midwest  Theatres  and  chairman  of 
the  TOA  public  relations  committee, 
asked  the  distributors  not  to  dispose 
of  product  that  would  be  suitable  for 
the  children's  matinees,  which  has 
been  an  effective  medium  of  com- 
munity relations  in  Kansas. 

The  TOA  board  adjourned  its 
three-day  mid-winter  session  yester- 
day afternoon  after  a  discussion  of 
technical  developments  within  the 
industry. 


20  in  '3-D' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


being  made  in  two  dimensions,  having 
been  in  work  about  10  days.  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox  is  planning  three 
dimension  treatment  of  "The  Robe." 

Tri-Opticon,  in  franchising  theatres 
for  its  process,  is  guaranteeing  a  pro- 
gram of  12  features. 


Sponable  Due  Back 
From  "3-D"  Confabs 

Earl  I.  Sponable,  20th  Century-Fox 
research  director,  is  due  to  return 
here  at  the  weekend  from  the  Coast 
where  he  is  currently  conferring  with 
20th-Fox  studio  technicians  on  the 
company's  third-dimensional  process 
and  other  new  developments. 

It  is  understood  that  tests  are  being 
completed  for  a  third-dimensional  film 
on  the  Coast,  in  addition  to  work 
underway  on  "Anamorphoscope,"  the 
wide-screen  technique  based  on  a 
French  process  which  is  supposed  to 
give  an  effect  similar  to  Cinerama. 


Variety  Fund 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


auguration  luncheon  of  1953  officers 
and  committee  chairmen,  held  at  the 
Hotel  Piccadilly. 

In  his  recorded  address,  Beresin  ex- 
pressed assurance  that  the  new  Heart 
Fund  mark  would  be  disclosed  at  the 
International's  convention  in  May  in 
Mexico  City.  Beresin  also  cited  the 
growth  of  Variety  tents  throughout 
the  world,  stating  that  the  Interna- 
tional has  received  an  application  for 
a  tent  from  Hamburg,  Germany,  and 
inquiries  from  Cairo,  Egypt. 

Ira  Meinhardt,  property  master, 
acted  as  chairman  at  the  luncheon 
and  introduced  the  officers.  They 
are  :  Edward  Lachman,  chief  barker  ; 
Edward  L.  Fabian,  first  assistant  chief 
barker ;  Martin  Levine,  second  assis- 
tant chief  barker ;  Harold  J.  Klein, 
dough  guy,  and  William  J.  German, 
International  canvassman. 

In  his  brief  address,  Lachman  re- 
viewed the  activities  of  the  tent  and 
called  upon  members  to  use  the  tent's 
new  facilities  at  the  Hotel  Piccadilly. 


'3-D'  Spotlight 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


picture  tide  held  the  spotlight  at  the 
meeting.  The  fact  that  the  "3-D"  pic- 
tures are  not  a  passing  fancy  was  em- 
phasized when  the  sales  managers  re- 
ported that  the  major  companies  would 
make  at  least  15  tri-dimensional  fea- 
tures this  year. 

(A  survey  by  Motion  Picture 
Daily  yesterday  disclosed  that  20 
pictures  were  definitely  scheduled,  the 
survey  covering  those  pictures  actually 
announced.  The  film  companies  have 
other  "3-D"  projects  not  yet  dis- 
closed) . 

There  was  a  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  whether  the  time  would  come 
when  three  dimension  films  could  be 
seen  without  glasses.  It  was  stated  by 
some  that  the  time  was  not  far  off, 
based  on  current  experiments.  How- 
ever, Larry  Davee,  sales  manager  of 
Century  Projectors,  which  makes  the 
equipment  for  Cinerama,  said  "there 
was  nobody  in  the  room  that  would 
live  to  see  tri-dimension  without  the 
polaroid  lenses." 

It  was  stressed  that  the  major  tech- 
nical changes  would  be  in  the  screens 
rather  than  in  projection  equipment. 
Flowever,  it  was  pointed  out  that  ex- 
periments were  under  way  whereby 
three  dimension  processes  might  be 
coupled  with  Cinerama,  which  would 
give  a  tri-dimensional  effect  without 
glasses. 


Trust  Limitations 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


until  March  1  to  make  recommenda- 
tions on  all  bills  on  which  it  held 
hearings  but  never  acted. 

For  the  rest  of  its  short  life,  the 
special  subcommittee  will  be  headed 
by  Rep.  Reed  (R.,  111.).  Members 
said  they  thought  the  group  would  act 
on  pending  bills  without  any  further 
hearings. 

After  March  1,  anti-trust  bills  will 
be  handled  by  a  regular  subcommittee 
which  also  handles  other  legislation. 
This  subcommittee  will  be  headed  by 
Rep.  Keating  (R.,  N.  Y.),  who  is 
sponsoring  the  bill  calling  for  the  uni- 
form statute  of  limitations. 


Daff  Reports 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

ing  of  theatres  in  this  country  since 
the  advent  of  television. 

The  Universal  executive  vice-presi- 
dent challenged  such  reports,  claiming 
that  there  are  more  theatres  in  the 
U.  S.  today  than  anytime  heretofore. 
New  theatres,  both  conventional  and 
drive-ins,  have  replaced  theatres 
which  have  closed  due  to  shifting- 
population,  obsolescence  and  com- 
petition. 

Expressing  optimism  about  the  in- 
dustry, Daff  predicted  that  Universal 
would  consolidate  its  foreign  income 
and  possibly  raise  it  in  the  current 
fiscal  year.  Universal  foreign  rev- 
enues, he  added,  account  for  a  little 
less  than  40  per  cent  of  all  revenues. 

Agreement,  with  reservations,  was 
voiced  by  Daff  on  the  need  of  new 
theatre  construction  in  the  Far  East 
as  cited  by  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  20th 
Century-Fox  president,  in  his  recent 
report  to  the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America.  He  said  in  such 
countries  as  India  the  need  for  new 
theatres  is  an  economic  question  which 
should  be  governed  by  the  ability  of 
the  people  to  pay  for  entertainment. 
Daff  also  contended  that  the  develop- 
ment of  new  theatres  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  local  people  rather  than 
those  of  U.  S.  interests,  in  order  to 
avoid  antagonisms. 

The  foreign  market,  he  stressed, 
needs  reassurance  that  the  quality  of 
American  pictures  will  not  be  dimin- 
ished, despite  any  drop  in  the  number 
of  pictures  produced.  Foreign  ex- 
hibitors, he  added,  should  also  be  told 
that  the  appearance  of  TV  in  their 
countries  would  not  be  the  strong 
competitive  factor  it  is  in  the  U.  S., 
pointing  out  that  contemplated  foreign 
TV  programming  is  much  less  enter- 
taining than  U.  S.  TV  fare. 

Fear  of  TV,  he  said,  was  most  pro- 
nounced in  Australia,  India  and  the 
Philippines.  Daff  declined  comment 
on  Universal's  plans  for  third-dimen- 
sional films.  While  abroad,  he  held 
regional  Universal  meetings  in  Lon- 
don, Paris,  Singapore  and  Sydney, 
Australia. 


Davis  at  Rivoli 

Bette  Davis  and  the  entire  cast  of 
the  revue,  "Two's  Company,"  will  be 
the  guests  of  the  Rivoli  Theatre,  when 
"The  Star,"  the  20th  Century-Fox 
production  starring  Miss  Davis,  has 
its  world  premiere  there  tonight. 


0  only  $644.45*  for  a 

10-DAY  ^ 
HAWAIIAN 
VACATION! 


Includes  Mainliner  transportation,  hotel 
accommodations  and  sightseeing. 

That's  just  one  of  United  Air  Lines' 
low-expense  Hawaiian  Air  Vacations. 
There  are  six  others  from  which  to 
choose,  lasting  up  to  23  days.  Call  or 
write  for  a  free  descriptive  folder. 

UNITED  AIR  LINES 

(*  From  New  York,  plus  tax) 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  January  28,  1953 


Theatre  Owner  Mum 
On  'Free'  Policy 

Memphis,  Jan.  27.— The  "do- 
nate as  you  leave"  policy  at 
the  Ritz  Theatre  here,  which 
started  Christmas  Day,  ended 
today. 

Owner  Dave  Flexer  posted 
the  former  admission  prices: 
60  cents  for  adults  and  12 
cents  for  children  at  the  box- 
office.  Since  Christmas,  pa- 
trons have  attended  the  Ritz 
free  and  made  a  donation  in  a 
fishbowl  in  the  lobby  as  they 
left — whatever  amount  they 
felt  the  show  was  worth. 

Owner  Flexer  declined  com- 
ment on  the  policy  change. 


Rep.  Sales  Meeting 
Opening  in  Miami 


The  fourth  and  final  session  in  Re- 
public's current  series  of  sales  meet- 
ings opens  today  at  the  Columbus 
Hotel  in  Miami,  and  it  is  expected 
that  president  Herbert  J.  Yates  will 
make  an  announcement  on  Republic's 
sales  policy  and  program  after  the 
two-day  meeting,  at  which  the  com- 
pany's five  sales  managers  will  be 
present. 

James  R.  Grainger,  executive  vice- 
president  and  director  of  sales,  is  pre- 
siding ;  and  sales  manager  Walter  L. 
Titus,  Jr.,  heads  a  contingent  which 
includes  branch  managers  E.  H. 
Brauer,  Atlanta ;  J.  H.  Dillon,  Char- 
lotte ;  L.  V.  Seicshnaydre,  New  Or- 
leans ;  Harold  Laird,  Tampa ;  Nat 
Wise,  Memphis ;  John  J.  Houlihan, 
Dallas;  and  David  Hunt,  Oklahoma 
City.  Sales  managers  Francis  A. 
Bateman,  Paul  Webster,  James  V. 
O'Gara,  and  John  P.  Curtin,  whose 
districts  were  covered  in  recent  sales 
meetings,  are  attending ;  and  other 
Republic  executives  there  include 
Richard  W.  Altschuler,  president  of 
Republic  Pictures  International ; 
Douglas  T.  Yates,  vice-president  of 
Republic  Pictures  International ; 
William  Saal,  executive  assistant  to 
Yates ;  and  Steve  Edwards,  director 
of  advertising  and  publicity. 


Name  Fabian  Treasurer 

S.  H.  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian  Thea- 
tres, has  accepted  the  post  of  treas- 
urer of  the  "Adolph  Zukor  Golden 
Jubilee  Dinner"  which  will  be  held  at 
the  Waldorf-Astoria  here  March  4, 
it  was  announced  yesterday  by  Harry 
Brandt,  chairman  of  the  dinner  which 
is  part  of  the  year-long  series  of  cele- 
brations being  sponsored  by  Variety 
Clubs  International  in  Zukor's  honor. 


Hayes  At  'Dimes'  Fete 

Boston,  Jan.  27.  —  Helen  Hayes, 
chairman  of  the  woman's  division  of 
the  National  Foundation  for  Infantile 
Paralysis,  headed  the  stage  and  screen 
notables  in  personal  appearances  at 
tonight's  "March  of  Dimes"  $100-a- 
plate  dinner  at  the  Hotel  Somerset 
here. 


'Redbook'  Award  Feb.  24 

The  Redbook  annual  motion  picture 
award  will  be  announced  on  Feb.  24 
at  a  formal  dinner  dance  at  the  Bel 
Air  Hotel,  Los  Angeles.  About  300 
stars  and  celebrities,  including  past 
and  present  winners  of  the  Red  Book 
award,  will  attend. 


NEWS 

in  Brief  .  .  . 


Denver,  Jan.  27. — An  M-G-M  con- 
tingent, headed  by  actors  James  Stew- 
art and  Robert  Ryan  as  well  as  pro- 
ducer William  H.  Wright  and  others, 
will  be  on  hand  for  the  Feb.  6  open- 
ing of  "The  Naked  Spur"  at  the 
Paramount  here. 

The  two-day  premiere  ceremonies 
will  be  highlighted  by  the  state  pro- 
clamation of  "Hollywood  in  the  Rock- 
ies Day"  on  Feb.  6,  the  presentation 
of  an  award  to  Stewart  by  Governor 
Dan  Thornton,  and  a  tie-in  with  a 
Girl  Scout  Jamboree. 

Cincinnati,  Jan.  27.  —  Rosemary 
Clooney,  who  makes  her  film  debut 
in  Paramount's  "The  Stars  Are  Sing- 
ing," is  due  to  arrive  here  today 
en  route  to  Maysville,  Ky.,  where  the 
film  will  open  tomorrow  at  Schine's 
Russel  and  Washington  theatres. 
Maysville,  just  50  miles  from  here,  is 
Miss  Clooney's  home  town. 

Accompanying  her  on  the  trip  will 
be  a  motorcade  of  press,  radio  and 
television  representatives  who  will 
cover  the  premiere  ceremonies. 

Universal,  for  the  first  time  it  has 
done  so,  will  use  television,  radio  and 
newspapers  for  the  territorial  satura- 
tion advertising  campaign  featuring 
theatre  playdates  for  its  "City  Be- 
neath the  Sea." 

The  campaign  will  start  in  the 
Cleveland  area  Feb.  8 ;  Detroit,  Feb. 
12;  Boston,  Feb.  19,  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, Feb.  27. 

Among  the  first  to  accept  invita- 
tions to  attend  the  premiere  of  United 
Artists'  "Moulin  Rouge"  at  the  Capi- 
tol Theatre  here  on  Feb.  10  are  David 
Sarnoff,  comptroller  Lazarus  Joseph, 
Henry  R.  Luce,  Herbert  Bayard 
Swope,  Helen  Hayes,  Rudolph  Bing 
and  Sid  Caesar,  UA  announced  yes- 
terday. 

Tickets  will  be  on  sale  to  the  gen- 
eral public  at  no  advance  in  prices. 
• 

Washington,  Jan.  27. — The  Com- 
missioners of  the  District  of  Columbia 
have  issued  a  proclamation  naming 
tomorrow,  "Salute  To  The  WAC's 
Day,"  in  honor  of  the  world  premiere 
of  "Never  Wave  At  A  WAC,"  at  the 
RKO  Keith  Theatre  here. 

Mrs.  Dwight  D.  Eisenhower,  Gen- 
eral Omar  N.  Bradley  and  eight 
women  representatives  of  seven  coun- 
tries belonging  to  the  North  Atlantic 
Treaty  Alliance  who  were  flown  here 
for  the  event,  and  other  top  military, 
government  and  society  figures  will 
attend. 

Negotiations  for  new  exchange  em- 
ployes contracts  are  under  way  this 
week  in  Charlotte  and  Omaha,  with 
members  of  the  exchange  operations 
committee  from  New  York  meeting 
with  the  local  unions'  representa- 
tives. The  committee,  split  into  three 
groups,  plans  to  cover  all  32  ex- 
change cities  during  the  next  30  days. 

Arthur  Israel,  of  Paramount,  and 
A.  A.  Schubart,  of  RKO  Pictures', 
are  in  Omaha  for  the  negotiations 
and  will  go  to  Des  Moines  following 
the  Omaha  meetings.  Clarence  Hill, 
of  20th  Century-Fox ;  Tom  Murray, 
of  Universal ;  Joseph  McMahon,  of 
Republic,  and  Michael  Rosen,  of 
M-G-M,  are  in  Charlotte.  They  will 
go  to  Atlanta  and  Jacksonville  from 
Charlotte. 


Coronation  Color 
Film  to  W.B.  Here 

London,  Jan.  27.  —  Associ- 
ated British-Pathe  will  pro- 
duce a  Coronation  film,  "Eliz- 
abeth Is  Queen,"  in  Warner- 
color. 

It  will  be  released  through- 
out Britain  on  June  8  and,  de- 
pending upon  the  success  of 
experiments  to  print  from  a 
dupe  negative,  Warner  Bros, 
will  distribute  it  in  America 
the  following  week. 

Sees  Trust  Angles 
To  ABC-UPT  Merger 

Washington,  Jan.  27.  —  Senator 
Kilgore  (D.,  W.  Va.)  asserted  yester- 
day there  are  "some  serious  anti-trust 
considerations"  involved  in  the  pro- 
posed merger  of  United  Paramount 
Theatres  and  American  Broadcasting- 
Co. 

Kilgore  made  the  statement  during 
Senate  judiciary  committee  hearings 
on  the  nomination  of  William  P. 
Rogers  to  be  deputy  attorney  general. 
Kilgore  asked  Rogers  whether  he  had 
anything  to  do  with  the  merger  appli- 
cation, and  on  being  assured  that 
Rogers  had  not,  the  Senator  said  he 
had  raised  the  point  because  of  the 
anti-trust  aspects  of  the  proposal. 

Rogers  said  he  had  severed  all  con- 
nections with  his  private  law  practice. 
He  was  in  the  New  York  firm  of 
Dwight,  Royall,  Harris,  Koegel  and 
Caskey.  Twentieth  Century-Fox  is 
one  of  the  firm's  clients. 

The  Senate  today  approved  the 
nomination  of  Rogers. 

8-Man  Unit  to  Survey 
Information  Program 

Washington,  Jan.  27. — President 
Eisenhower  has  appointed  an  eight- 
man  committee  to  "survey  and  evalu- 
ate" the  government's  overseas  in- 
formation policies.  Investment  firm 
executive  William  H.  Jackson  of  New 
York  will  head  the  group. 


Seek  New  Life  for 
Information  Program 

Washington,  Jan.  27. — A  Senate 
Foreign  Relations  sub-committee 
which  has  been  studying  the  operations 
of  the  State  Department's  overseas 
information  program  will  soon  ask 
the  Senate  to  extend  its  life. 

The  sub-committe  is  presently  re- 
quired to  have  its  work  wound  up  by 
the  end  of  the  week.  However,  it 
was  learned,  members  of  the  group 
feel  they  are  not  yet  in  any  position 
to  make  major  recommendations  for 
overhauling  the  program,  and  will 
ask  that  they  be  given  at  least  another 
four  or  five  months. 

Name  Loew  Member 
Of  Hafner  Board 

E.  M.  Loew,  New  England  theatre 
operator,  has  been  elected  to  the  board 
of  directors  of  Les  Hafner  and  Co., 
Inc.,  and  will  function  actively  as 
vice-president,  it  was  announced  here 
by  company  treasurer  Stanley  P. 
Cohn. 

Loew  recently  became  an  important 
stockholder  in  the  firm  when  Les 
Hafner  acquired  the  motion  picture, 
television  and  radio  rights  _  to  the 
Mark  Hellinger  story  properties. 


National 


Pre-Selling 


A TWO-PAGE  story  of  how  "The 
Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  starring 
Lana  Turner  and  Kirk  Douglas,  was 
previewed  "to  the  man  in  the  street" 
is  told  in  Life's  Feb.  2  issue.  The 
sneak  preview  was  run  in  a  theatre 
located  near  Hollywood.  Sample  pre- 
view cards  filled  out  by  patrons  at  the 
preview  are  reproduced.  The  author 
of  the  story  said  a  majority  of  the 
preview  cards  suggested  that  some 
scenes  be  reduced  in  running  time. 
Therefore,  12  minutes  were  cut  out 
of  the  picture  after  it  was  previewed. 
• 

Hal  Wallis'  "The  Stooge,"  star- 
ring Dean  Martin  and  Jerry  Lewis, 
was  selected  by  Edwin  Miller  as  the 
picture  he  liked  best  for  the  Feb- 
ruary issue  of  Seventeen.  Also  in 
this  issue  is  a  full-color  ad  on 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen"  and  one 
on  "Jeopardy,"  starring  Barbara 
Stanwyck,  on  the  table  of  contents 
page. 

• 

A  jour-color  front  cover  photo  of 
starlet  Joan  Taylor  appears  on  the 
Feb.  1  issue  of  This  Week  magazine. 
Also  in  this  issue  is  a  story  of  Miss 
Taylor's  grooming  by  Paramount  for 
stardom.  Her  first  pictures  for  Para- 
mount are  "The  Savage"  and  "Off 
Limits." 

• 

Ava  Gardner  was  interviewed  for 
the  current  issue  of  Look  by  William 
Attwood  while  she  was  hospitalized 
in  London.  In  addition  to  the  inter- 
view, a  full-color  picture  of  Ava  is 
used  as  a  contrast  to  pictures  of  early 
movie  stars  Theda  Bara,  Barbara  La 
Marr,  Gloria  Swanson,  Clara  Bow, 
Jean  Harlow  and  Carole  Lombard. 
Also  in  this  issue  is  a  two-page  ad 
of  20th  Century-Fox's  "The  Thief  of 
Venice."  This  ad  lists  some  of  the 
leading  theatres  in  the  United  States 
which  will  play  "The  Thief"  starting 
Tan.  31. 

• 

"The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful," 
"April  in  Paris,"  "Meet  Me  at  the 
Fair,"  "Million  Dollar  Mermaid," 
"The  Stooge"  and  "Androcles  and 
the  Lion"  are  the  Companion-ap- 
proved movies  reviewed  in  the  Feb- 
ruary issue  of  Woman's  Home  Com- 
panion. 

• 

Florence  Somers  picked  Stanley 
Kramer's  "Member  of  the  Wedding," 
ivith  Julie  Harris  and  Ethel  W aters, 
in  the  February  issue  of  Redbook  as 
her  selection  for  the  best  picture  of 
the  month.  Also  in  this  issue  of  Red- 
book  arc  a  full-color  ad  on  "Peter 
Pan"  and  a  full-page  ad  on  "Come 
Back,  Little  Sheba." 

• 

Gabriel  Pascal,  producer  of  RKO's 
"Androcles  and  the  Lion,"  reviewed 
the  two  recent  releases  he  likes  best 
for  the  February  issue  of  Coronet. 
Pascal  selected  "The  Jazz  Singer," 
with  Danny  Thomas,  and  John  Hus- 
ton's "Moulin  Rouge,"  starring  Jose 
Ferrer. 

Walter  Haas 


Senate  Confirms  Folsom 

Washington,  Jan.  27. — The  Senate 
today  confirmed  the  nomination  of 
Marion  B.  Folsom,  former  treasurer 
of  Eastman  Kodak  Co.,  to  be  Under- 
secretary of  the  Treasury. 


J 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY.  JANUARY  29,  1953 


FCC  Approval  of  ABC-UPT  Merger  Is 
Expected  Within  Week;  1  Dissent  Seen 

Washington,  Jan.  28. — The  Federal  Communications  Commission 
has  decided  to  approve  the  proposed  merger  of  American  Broad- 
casting Co.  and  United  Paramount  Theatres,  according  to  persis- 
tent reports  leaking  from  the  Commission. 

It  is  understood  that  only  Commissioner  Hennock  will  dissent, 
and  that  the  delay  in  announcing  the  Commission's  decision  is  to 
give  her  time  to  prepare  her  dissent.  The  present  plan  is  for  the 
Commission  to  announce  its  action  sometime  next  week,  probably 
Wednesday  or  Thursday. 

According  to  the  reports,  the  Commission  has  also  voted — with 
one  or  two  dissents — to  find  that  Paramount  Pictures  does  not 
control  Allen  B.  Dumont  Laboratories,  and  that  each  company  is 
therefore  free  to  apply  for  the  five  television  station  maximum 
allowed  by  FCC  rules. 

Meanwhile,  there  was  no  further  word  from  Senate  commerce 
committee  chairman  Tobey  (R.,  N.  H.)  as  to  when  he  would  hold 
committee  hearings  on  the  merger  proposal  or  on  his  bill  to  bar 
television  licenses  to  film  companies  convicted  in  government  anti- 
trust suits. 


Hollywood  Doing  Better 
Job  Abroad,  Congress  Told 

Washington,  Jan.  28. — A  top  State  Department  official  has  told 
Congress  that  Hollywood  is  doing-  a  better  and  better  job  of  "telling  the 
proper  story  about  America"  in  foreign  countries. 

The  statement  came  from  Reed  Harris,  assistant  administrator  of  the 
State  Department's  International  In- 


formation Administration,  in  active 
charge  of  the  government's  Overseas 
Information  Program.  He  testified 
last  November  before  a  Senate  for- 
eign relations  subcommittee  studying 
the  information  program,  and  his  tes- 
timony was  made  public  only  today. 

Senator  Fulbright  (D.,  Ark.) 
asked  whether  Hollywood  films  "have 
been  a  good  thing  in  improving  our 
relations  with  the  rest  of  the  world?" 

Said  Harris :  "That  is  always  a 
question  we  are  unhappy  to  answer 
because,  of  course,  in  some  parts  of 
the  world  they  have  done  us  a  great 
deal  of  harm.  But  I  think  in  recent 
years,  and  particularly  in  recent 
months,  the  motion  picture  industry 
has  shown  a  thorough  realization  of 
the  importance  of  telling  the  proper 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Initial  Heavy  WB 
Proxies  Favor  New 
Organization  Plan 

Initial  heavy  returns  of  Warner 
Brothers'  proxies  indicate  a  very  fav- 
orable response  to  management's  pro- 
posed reorganization  plan  changes, 
which  paves  the  way  for  Si  H.  Fa- 
bian, president  of  Fabian  Enterprises, 
to  assume  control  of  the  new  Warner 
theatre  company. 

Proxy  returns  came  rolling-  into  the 
home  office  beginning  Monday,  it  was 
learned,  and  the  response  was  heart- 
ening to  management.    The  reorgan- 

(Continned  on  page  7) 


VOL.  73.    NO.  20 


Industry  Sees 
Arbitration  In 
' State  of  Flux' 

Enthusiasm  of  Sales 
Heads  Has  Diminished 

The  arbitration  situation  was  de- 
scribed here  yesterday  by  a  major 
company  executive  as  being  in  a 
"state  of  flux,"  despite  the  efforts 
of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America  to 
stimulate  action  in  the  launching  of  a 
workable  plan.  The  enthusiasm  which 
the  sales  managers  expressed  for  an 
arbitration  formula  last  fall  has 
dwindled  to  a  point  where  they  see 
little  hope  of  establishing  it  in  the 
near  future,  if  at  all,  he  said. 

The  slump  in  interest,  it  was 
stated,  stems  from  Allied's  refusal 
to  go  along  on  a  plan  until  certain 
alleged  abuses  have  been  eliminated 
from  the  trade  practices.  And  TOA's 
projected  bid  to  Allied  for  a  meeting 
to  discuss  differences  is  not  expected 
to  get  any  immediate  action.  Alfred 
Starr,   TOA  president,   said  at  the 

(Continued  on  page  7) 

Exhibitor  Group  to 
Finance  TV  Plays 

A  new  company  which  will  finance 
the  production  of  plays  to  be  telecast 
to  motion  picture  theatres  is  being- 
formed  by  a  group  of  exhibitors  and 
financial  interests,  it  was  revealed 
here  by  Sam  Pinanski,  one  of  the 
principals  in  the  syndicate  and  presi- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


'Lab'  Strike  Holds 
Up  UK  Pathe  News 

London,  Jan.  28.  —  A  strike 
today  by  100  members  of  the 
Cine  Technicians  Association 
union  at  Pathe  Laboratories 
here  prevented  the  issue  of 
Pathe  Newsreel  scheduled  for 
tomorrow,  and  will  likely  af- 
fect next  week's  issue  also. 

The  strike  followed  the 
union's  refusal  to  recognize 
the  promotion  of  a  joint  as- 
sistant manager  at  Pathe  be- 
cause he  does  not  hold  a 
union  card.  Attempts  at  a  set- 
tlement between  the  union 
and  the  Film  Laboratories 
Association  have  been  abor- 
tive thus  far. 


Cites  Quality  Need 
For  '3-D'  Shortly 

A  stronger  demand  by  the  public 
for  entertainment  qualities  in  three- 
dimensional  films  was  foreseen  by  a 
major  company  executive,  who 
pointed  out  that  in  the  near  future 
there  will  have  to  be  added  factors 
besides  novelty  to  draw  the  public. 

The  film  executive  pointed  to  the 
growing  number  of  third-dimensional 
productions  slated  for  1953  and 
although  he  saw  a  receptive  market 
for    such   product,   he   ajso  foresaw 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Skouras  on  Coast  to 
View  '3-D'  Process 

Three-dimensional  developments  and 
"Anamorphoscope,"  the  20th  Century- 
Fox  wide-screen  process,  are  among 
topics  under  discussion  on  the  Coast 
among  20th-Fox  executives,  headed  by 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president. 

Skouras,  who  left  here  for  the  Coast 
with  Al  Lichtman,  distribution  direc- 
tor, on  Tuesday,  will  join  research 
director  Earl  I.  Sponable,  who  has 
been  in  Hollywood  the  past  eight  days. 
Sponable  left  to  view  tests  of  20th- 
(Continited  on  page  7) 


TEN  CENTS 

86%  Ask  for 
Newsreels  in 
Phila.  Survey 

Para.  Meet  Told  Free  TV 
News  Doesn't  Satisfy 

Eighty-six  per  cent  of  theatre 
patrons  interviewed  by  the  Sindlin- 
ger  Co.,  national  research  analysts, 
in  a  1,000,0(10  population  section  of 
the  Philadelphia  exchange  area  de- 
mand newsreels  in  theatres,  notwith- 
standing television  news  presentations 
on  home  receivers. 

This  facet  of  the  survey, 
being  made  by  the  Sindlinger 
company  for  four  newsreel  com- 
panies, was  revealed  by  Oscar 
Morgan,  Paramount  short  sub- 
jects and  newsreel  sales  man- 
ager, at  the  company's  division 
and  branch  managers  meeting 
at  the  Hotel  Plaza  here  yester- 
day. Results  of  the  survey  are 
expected    to    be    published  in 

(.Continued  on  page  7) 


RKO  Theatres  Plan 
To  Play  4Limelight\ 


The  RKO  Theatres  circuit  in  New 
York  is  going  ahead  as  scheduled  to 
open  "Limelight"  on  Wednesday  in 
neighborhood  houses,  it  was  learned 
yesterday,  despite  the  public  disap- 
proval of  Howard  Hughes,  whose 
RKO  Theatres  controlling  stock  in- 
(Continucd  on  page  7) 


Towne  Takes  Interest 
Plea  to  High  Court 

Washington,  Jan.  28.  — Mil- 
waukee Towne  Corp.  today 
asked  the  Supreme  Court  to 
award  it  five  per  cent  interest 
on  the  $1,000,000  -  anti  -  trust 
claim  it  collected  from  major 
distributors  two  years  ago. 

The  Milwaukee  theatre  firm 
was  awarded  $941,574  in  treble 
damages  plus  $75,000  in  attor- 
ney fees  and  $4,871  in  costs. 
But  the  distributors  refused 
to  pay  interest  and  a  District 
court  and  the  Seven  Circuit 
court  upheld  this  decision. 

There  was  no  indication  in 
the  Milwaukee  Towne  brief  as 
to  exactly  how  long  was  the 
period  for  which  it  is  claim- 
ing interest. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  29,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


ARCH  OBOLER,  writer-producer- 
director  of  "Bwana  Devil,"  will 
arrive  in  New  York  from  Hollywood 
over  the  weekend. 

• 

Max  Blackman,  Warner  Brothers 
home  office  executive,  became  a 
grandfather  Saturday  when  his  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Herbert  R.  Pogoda,  gave 
birth  to  a  girl,  Linda  Joan,  at  Flower 
Fifth  Avenue  Hospital  here. 

• 

Burt  Reinhardt,  news  editor  of 
Movietom  News  and  Movietone- 
United  Press  TV,  announces  the  birth 
of  a  daughter,  Cheryl  Suzanne,  to 
Mrs.  Reinhardt. 

• 

Joseph  Borenstein,  manager  of  the 
Warner  Strand,  New  Britain,  Conn., 
is  recuperating  at  home  following  sur- 
gery at  Hartford  Hospital. 

• 

John  P.  Byrne,  M-G-M  Eastern 
sales  manager,  is  in  New  Haven  for 
two  days  following  an  earlier  visit 
this  week  to  Boston. 

James  B.  McClellan  has  been 
named  to  the  presidency  of  Local  439, 
IATSE,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  for  his 
eighth  term. 

• 

Steve  Justus,  Columbia  sales  rep- 
resentative   in    Atlanta,    has  been 
transferred  to  the  New  York  branch. 
• 

Roy  Williams,  Walt  Disney  ani- 
mator, will  be  a  guest  on  the  NBC- 
TV  "Zoo  Parade"  show  on  Sunday. 
• 

A.  B.  McCoy,  manager  of  the  East 
Drive-in  Theatre,  Louisville,  is  vaca- 
tioning at  Fort  Lauderdale,  Fla. 
• 

Norman  Panama  and  Melvin 
Frank,  production  team,  will  leave 
here  Sunday  for  the  Coast. 

• 

Kay  Norton,  RKO  Radio  publicity 
manager,  will  return  to  New  York 
today  from  Washington. 

• 

Al  Schuman,  general  manager  of 
the  Hartford  Theatre  Circuit,  is  in 
Florida  on  a  vacation. 

• 

Robert  Benjamin,  United  Artists 
board  chairman,  will  return  here  on 
Sunday  from  Mexico. 

• 

Leonard  Allen  has  resigned  as 
Southern  publicity  head  for  Para- 
mount in  Atlanta. 

• 

Joseph  L.  Roberts,  vice-president 
of  Sports  Films,  is  in  Havana  from 
New  York. 

• 

Bernard  Goffin  has  been  named 
manager  of  the  Crown  Theatre,  New 
Haven. 


Drops  Ticket  Tax 

Defiance,  O.,  Jan.  28.— Repeal  of 
this  city's  admission  tax  will  become 
effective  Saturday,  following  action 
by  the  City  Council.  Elmer  De  Witt, 
city  manager  of  Mailers  Brothers' 
circuit,  was  a  leader  in  the  fight  to 
have  the  tax  repealed. 


3-D '  or  No  '3-D  Story  Is 
Still  Central,  SPG  Hears 

Hollywood,  Jan.  28. — No  matter  how  many  physical  dimensions  the 
motion  picture  takes  on,  the  story  still  will  be  the  final  determinant  of 
film    success,    financial    or  artistic, 


members  of  the  Screen  Producers 
Guild  and  representatives  of  the  lay 
and  trade  press  agreed  unanimously 
at  SPG's  first  producer-press  round- 
table  at  the  Brown  Derby  today. 
That  was  approximately  the  only 
unanimity  displayed  during  the  unre- 
stricted discussion  of  three-dimension 
pictures  and  the  press-writer  attitude 
toward  the  producer's  contribution  to 
the  finished  product. 

Sol  Lesser,  referred  to  in  an  intro- 
duction as  a  "man  who  owns  one," 
led  the  discussion  on  the  three-dimen- 
sion process,  stating  his  belief  was 
that  experience  throughout  the  coun- 
try already  shows  public  interest  in 
3-D  is  deeper  than  novelty  appeal, 
and  that  the  public  is  not  antagonistic 
toward  wearing  viewers. 

Louis  F.  Edelman,  now  preparing 
unnamed  second  Warner  picture  in 
3-D,  told  the  group  the  trend  in  3-D 
production  will  be  away  from  stunt 
or  trick  subjects  and  toward  solid 
subjects  equally  suitable  for  exhibition 
flat.  Lesser  also  said  the  new  media 
has  no  limitations  as  to  subject  mat- 
ter. Producers  and  press  people  were 
divided,  separately  and  collectively,  on 
whether  3-D  will  prove  a  flash  in  the 
pan  or  bring  about  a  complete  revolu- 
tion as  sound  did. 


OMPI  Tenders  Party 
For  Hearst  Winners 

The  14  winners  of  the  New  York 
Journal- American  motion  picture  con- 
test will  be  honored  today  at  a  recep- 
tion at  the  Stork  Club,  to  be  attended 
by  more  than  100  industry  and  Hearst 
newspaper  executives.  The  reception 
is  being  tendered  by  the  Organization 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry  of  the 
City  of  New  York. 

Presentation  of  the  awards  totaling 
$1,040  will  be  made  in  behalf  of  the 
Hearst  newspaper  by  leading  star  per- 
sonalities including  Shirley  Booth, 
Danny  Kaye,  Gypsy  Rose  Lee,  Elea- 
nor Parker,  Piper  Laurie  and  Elaine 
Stewart,  Fred  J.  Schwartz,  OMPI 
chairman,  announced. 


Producer-press  discussions  of  the 
producer's  importance  and  press  atti- 
tude toward  same  became  highly  col- 
loquial, although  cordial  in  whole. 

Samuel  G.  Engel  presided  in  the 
absence  of  SPG  president  Sol  C. 
Siegel.  Other  producers  present  were 
Julian  Blaustein,  Albert  J.  Cohen, 
Mel  Epstein,  Lewis  J.  Rachmil,  Frank- 
Rosenberg  and  William  H.  Wright. 


The  editors  of 

Motion  Picture  Herald  and 

Better  Theatres  will  present — 

The    l«icf%  About 


3 


— an  up-to-date,  comprehensive  sum- 
mary of  information  on  the  most  signi- 
ficant development  in  the  business  of 
motion  pictures  since  the  advent  of 
sound.  You  will  find  a  practical  per- 
spective of  the  Three-Dimension  situa- 
tion— 

in  this  week's  issue  of  • 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


MGM  Makes  Trailer 
For  'Brotherhood' 

A  short  trailer  to  help  ex- 
ploit Brotherhood  Week  Feb- 
ruary 15-22,  is  being  made  by 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  under 
the  supervision  of  Dore 
Schary.  The  trailer  will  be  in- 
cluded in  the  newsreel  re- 
leases for  Feb.  6  and  13. 

A  20-foot  clip  trailer,  urg- 
ing patrons  to  sign  the  honor 
roll  in  the  participating  thea- 
tre's lobby,  is  also  in  work,  it 
was  reported.  The  clip  trailer 
will  be  gratis,  through  Na- 
tional Screen  Service. 


Set  'Brotherhood* 
New  Orleans  Plans 

_  New  Orleans,  Jan.  28. — Distribu- 
tion and  exhibition  will  coordinate 
their  activities  to  publicize  National 
Brotherhood  Week,  Feb.  12-22,  in  the 
New  Orleans  area  under  plans  out- 
lined at  the  recent  kick-off  "Brother- 
hood" meeting  held  at  the  Orpheum 
Theatre  here. 

The  outline  was  presented  by  Henry 
Plitt,  regional  exhibitor  chairman,  and 
Lucas  Connor,  regional  distributor 
chairman. 


Prime  Minister  Heads 
Brotherhood  in  Can. 

Ottawa,  Jan.  28.— Rt.  Hon.  Louis 
St.  Laurent,  Prime  Minister  of  Can- 
ada, accepted  the  honorary  chairman- 
ship^  of  the  Canadian  Council  of 
Christians  and  Jews  for  the  observ- 
ance of  Brotherhood  Week  at  a  cere- 
mony which  was  conducted  in  the 
Parliament  Buildings  by  Gerald  God- 
soe  of  Toronto,  national  chairman. 
The  celebration  will  be  held  the 
week  of  Feb.  IS. 


'Stars'  in  Sell-out 
On  Premiere  Night 

Maysville,  Ky.,  Jan.  28.— A  sell- 
out was  scored  at  the  world  premiere 
of  Paramount's  "The  Stars  Are  Sing- 
ing" here  at  Schine's  Russell  Theatre, 
which  featured  the  personal  appear- 
ance of  Rosemary  Clooney,  who  stars 
in  the  film. 

The  star  attended  the  premiere 
showings  following  a  day  of  festivities 
marking  "Rosemary  Clooney  Day," 
highlighted  by  her  coronation  as 
"Queen  of  Song." 


Aids  M-G-M's  'Bad' 

Hartford,  Jan.  28. — Actress  Elaine 
Stewart,  who  co-stars  in  M-G-M's 
"The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  met  the 
Connecticut  press  today  at  a  luncheon 
in  New  Haven.  The  host  was  Harry 
F.  Shaw,  division  manager  for  Loew's 
Poli-New  England  Theatres. 


Salesmen  Elect 

Buffalo,  Jan.  28. — Herbert  Gaines, 
John  McMahon,  and  Michael  Jusko 
have  been  elected  president,  vice-pres- 
ident, and  treasurer,  respectively  of 
the  Buffalo  Loge  of  the  Colosseum 
of  Motion  Picture  Salesmen  of  Amer- 
ica. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  dailv,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Tririz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
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A 

story 
of  love 
and 

man-woman 
danger 
that 
climbs 
from  a 
shadowed 
corner 
of  Quebec 
to  a 

stunning 
new 

summit  in 
Hitchcock 


Back 

BROTHERHOOD  WEEK, 
Feb.  15-22 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  January  29,  1953 


Reviews 


"Prince  of  Pirates" 

(Columbia  Pictures) 

PACKED  with  exciting  swordplay  and  varied  combat,  this  Sam  Katzman 
color  by  Technicolor  production  for  Columbia  is  fashioned  along  solid 
formula  lines.  With  John  Derek  setting  the  pace  with  a  swashbuckling  per- 
formance as  the  leader  of  a  band  of  volunteers  who  are  out  to  free  their 
native  country  from  Spanish  conquest  during  the  16th  Century,  "Prince  of 
Pirates"  will  satisfy  all  lovers  of  escape  entertainment. 

After  much  devious  manipulation,  during  which  Derek's  own  brother,  Whit- 
field Connor,  ascends  to  the  throne  and  schemes  ambitiously  with  the  Spanish, 
the  John  O'Dea-Samuel  Newman  screenplay,  from  a  story  by  William  Cope- 
land  and  Herbert  Kline,  ultimately  has  right  triumph  over  wrong.  But  en 
route  there  are  some  pictorial  striking  battles  on  land  and  sea  and  a  number 
of  romantic  detours.  One  romantic  angle  with  Derek  is  provided  by  Barbara 
Rush,  who  joins  his  band  of  volunteers  when  her  father  is  killed.  This 
romance  is  interrupted  at  a  later  point  when  Derek  woos  Carla  Balenda, 
a  princess. 

Others  in  supporting  roles  in  this  Sidney  Salkow-directed  film  are  Edgar 
Barrier,  Robert  Shayne  and  Harry  Lauter. 

Running  time,  80  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March. 


"Monsoon" 

(United  Artists) 

THIS  is  a  picture  which  introduces  in  color  by  Technicolor  the  exotic 
Ursula  Thiess  and  the  fascinating  ugliness  of  the  Indian  jungle  beset  by 
monsoons,  but  has  little  else  to  offer  except  excessive  talk.  The  characters 
are  bogged  down  by  a  script  which  makes  them  spout  philosophy  which  is 
too  deep  even  for  themselves  and  leaves  the  audience  as  sodden  as  the  rain- 
drenched  jungles. 

The  story  has  George  Nader  engaged  to  marry  a  young  European  girl, 
Diane  Douglas,  he  has  met  in  Bombay.  Before  they  return  to  his  native 
America,  Nader,  his  mother,  and  his  bethrothed  decide  to  visit  the  girl's 
family  in  their  jungle  village  home.  Members  of  the  family  are  a  happy-go- 
lucky,  slovenly  father ;  a  brother,  a  cynical  drunk  who  tries  to  hide  his  despair 
in  an  equally  slovenly  existence ;  and  Miss  Thiess,  the  younger  sister. 

Nader  is  hypnotized  by  the  beauty  of  the  sister  and  she  is  attracted  to  him. 
Although  Miss  Thiess  is  the  epitome  of  all  Nader  does  not  want  in  a  wife, 
he  finally  decides  to  give  up  Miss  Douglas  and  run  away  with  her  untamed 
sister.  Miss  Douglas  attempts  suicide  and  Nader  returns  to  save  her. 

At  times  the  rambling  narrative  is  saved  by  some  fine  shots  of  the  sur- 
rounding jungle.  The  alternately  ugly  and  lovely  tropics,  the  effect  of  the 
constant  rain,  and  some  weird  native  music  are  attractive  highlights.  The 
performances  and  production  are  adequate.  Rodney  Amateau  directed  and 
Forest  Judd  produced  from  a  screenplay  by  Judd,  David  Robinson  and  Leo- 
nardo Bercovici. 

Running  time,  79  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Dec,  1952. 


20th-Fox  Has  18  Set 
For  Next  6  Months 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  cur- 
rently has  eighteen  top  pro- 
ductions completed  and  await- 
ing release  during  the  next 
six  months.  Eight  of  the  pic- 
tures are  in  color  by  Techni- 
color and  one  in  Cinecolor. 

The  figure  represents  one  of 
the  strongest  backlogs  in  the 
company's  history. 


Ike  Misses  Premiere; 
To  See  'Wac'  Sat. 

Washington,  Jan.  28.  —  President 
and  Mrs.  Eisenhower,  who  were 
scheduled  to  attend  the  world  premiere 
here  tonight  of  Frederick  Brisson's 
"Never  Wave  at  a  WAC,"  were  pre- 
vented by  colds  from  doing  so.  How- 
ever, they  expressed  a  desire  to  see 
the  picture  and  it  will  be  screened  for 
them  in  the  White  House  on  Satur- 
day. 

A  celebrity-packed  audience  headed 
by  top-ranking  government  and  mili- 
tary officials,  foreign  diplomats,  and 
stage,  screen,  radio  and  television  per- 
sonalities jammed  the  RKO  Keith 
Theatre  here  for  the  premiere. 

Premiere  ceremonies,  both  inside 
and  outside  the  theatre  were  covered 
by  a  45-minute  television  broadcast. 
In  addition,  interviews  with  prominent 
personalities  were  taped  for  broadcast 
tomorrow.  Stage  ceremonies  in  the 
theatre  were  presided  over  by  Mrs. 
William  Randolph  Hearst,  Jr.,  and  in- 
cluded appearances  by  General  Omar 
N.  Bradley  and  eight  representative^ 
of  the  armed  services  of  seven  NATO 
countries  who  were  flown  here  from 
Paris  for  the  premiere. 

Albany  TOA  Takes 
Up  Proposed  Bills 

Albany,  Jan.  28.— Proposed  mini- 
mum wage  legislation  floors  of  $1  and 
$1.25  and  a  contemplated  requirement 
that  employers  of  less  than  four  per- 
sons be  obligated  to  participate  in  the 
state  disability  benefits  program  were 
discussed  at  an  Albany  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America  meeting  here. 

Executive-director  Lewis  A.  Sum- 
berg  reported  on  these  bills  and  led 
an  exchange  of  views  on  them.  They 
are  the  only  important  ones  directly 
affecting  exhibitors  yet  to  be  intro- 
duced. 

Action  on  a  plan  for  setting  up  a 
drive-in  section  within  the  local  TOA 
unit  was  delayed  until  a  later  meeting. 
At  that  time  an  Altec  representa- 
tive will  probably  speak  on  third  di- 
mensional projection. 

RTMA  to  Take  Up 
Subscription  TV 

The  committee  to  survey  subscrip- 
tion television,  newly  appointed  by  the 
Radio-Television  Manufacturers  As- 
sociation, will  hold  its  first  meeting 
here  Feb.  3  in  conjunction  with  the 
RTMA  mid- winter  conference  at  the 
Roosevelt  Hotel,  which  will  be  held 
Feb.  3-5.  Paul  Galvin,  of  Motorola, 
is  chairman  of  the  committee.  The 
television  committee  of  the  RTMA 
will  meet  on  the  afternoon  of  Feb.  4, 
under  chairman  W.R.G.  Baker,  of 
General  Electric. 

Various  aspects  of  commercial  tele- 
vision, as  well  as  defense  production, 
will  highlight  the  three  days  of  ses- 
sions. 


Festivities  Mark 
'Java9  Premieres 

Miami,  Jan.  28. — Republic's  "Fair 
Wind  to  Java"  will  be  ushered  into  its 
pre-release  world  premiere  tomorrow 
night  by  a  series  of  events,  featuring 
civic  ceremonies,  a  lawn  buffet  and  a 
mammoth  parade.  The  film  opens  to- 
morrow night  at  the  Paramount  Thea- 
tre, Miami,  and  the  Beach,  Miami 
Beach. 

Company  president  Herbert  J.  Yates 
and  Vera  Ralston,  who  stars  in  the 
film,  are  here  to  participate  in  the 
activities. 


6 Art'  in  Louisville 

Louisville,  Jan.  28.  —  The  down- 
town Brown  Theatre  here,  managed 
by  John  C.  Phelps,  has  inaugurated 
an  experimental  semi-art  picture  pol- 
icy. Leading  off  is  Charles  Chaplin's 
'Limelight."  Scheduled  to  follow  are 
•Thief  of  Venice,"  "Breaking  the 
Sound  Barrier,"  "Androcles  and  the 
Lion"  and  "Cleopatra." 

Heretofore,  art  film  policies  were 
used  at  the  Scoop  or  Crescent.  Both 
are  closed. 

ABPC  ^Votes  Dividend 

London,  Jan.  28. — Associated  Brit- 
ish Pictures  Corp.  today  declared  an 
interim  ordinary  dividend  of  7*/2  per 
cent,  thereby  maintaining  last  year's 
level. 


A  A  to  Have  at  Least 
21  at  High  Budgets 

Allied  Artists  will  have  at  least  21 
high  calibre  features  for  release  dur- 
ing the  current  year,  it  was  announced 
here  yesterday.  Three  pictures,  "Flat 
Top,"  "Battle  Zone"  and  "Hiawatha" 
lead  off  the  higher  budgeted  program. 

In  addition,  AA  will  produce  20 
"bread-and-butter"  pictures.  These  in- 
clude four  in  the  "Bowery  Boys"  se- 
ries, four  historical  westerns  starring 
Wild  Bill  Elliot,  four  Wayne  Morris 
action  films,  and  two  each  in  the 
"Bomba,"  James  Oliver  Curwood, 
Stanley  Clements  and  suspense  series. 


Lepinsky  to  Filmack 

Chicago,  Jan.  28. — Phillip  Lepin- 
sky, animator,  formerly  associated 
with  Van  Buren,  Fleischer  Studios 
and  Jam  Handy,  has  been  appointed 
director  of  Filmack's  animation  de- 
partment here  by  Irving  Mack.  The 
appointment  coincides  with  Filmack's 
current  expansion  in  both  the  theatre 
trailer  business  and  production  of  tele- 
vision commercials. 


Protest  French  Film 

Ottawa,  Jan.  28. — Twelve  major 
Roman  Catholic  organizations  filed 
official  protest  with  the  Ontario 
Motion  Picture  Censor  board  against 
showing  of  the  French  film,  "Cloche- 
merle,"  on  grounds  of  immorality. 


Md.  Censors  Request 
"Modern'  Statute 


Baltimore,  Jan.  28. — The  Maryland 
Board  of  Motion  Picture  Censors  has 
formally  requested  the  Attorney  Gen- 
eral's office  to  submit  and  promote  a 
more  modern  and  definite  consorship 
statute  during  the  current  session  of 
the  Maryland  General  Assembly. 
Attorney  General  Rollins  has  taken 
the  proposal  under  consideration  but 
has  not,  as  yet,  acted. 

The  present  censorship  law  is  re- 
garded as  somewhat  withered  in  its 
definite  provisions  through  last  year's 
Supreme  Court  ruling  disqualifying 
censors  to  put  the  brand  of  "sacri- 
legious" on  a  film.  At  that  time,  Hall 
Hammond  was  Maryland's  attorney 
general  and  a  ruling  by  him  pro- 
hibited the  Maryland  censors  from  re- 
jecting or  deleting  a  film  on  "sacri- 
legious" grounds.  The  implication  of 
the  ruling  amounted  to  an  all-around 
challenge  of  the  censors'  powers. 

Pressure  groups  since  have  joined 
forces  and  there  is  a  plan  among 
leaders  of  the  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers' Association  of  America,  sev- 
eral groups  of  exhibitors  and  some 
theatre  owners  to  drive  for  repeal  of 
the  statute  altogether  at  the  current 
session  of  the  General  Assembly. 

Wins  Severance  in 
$6  Millions  Suit 

San  Francisco,  Jan.  28. — Blumen- 
feld  Theatres,  named  a  defendant  in 
the  anti-trust  suit  filed  in  late  1950 
against  major  distributors  and  circuits 
here  by  Daniel  O.  McLean  and  Le- 
land  C.  Dibble,  owners  of  the  Em- 
bassy Theatre,  have  won  a  severance 
from  the  action,  which  seeks  $6,- 
000,000  in  treble  damages. 

Federal  Judge  George  B.  Harris 
granted  the  order  for  severance  and  a 
separate  trial  for  Blumenfeld  Theatres 
sought  by  the  latter's  attorneys,  Gavin 
McNab,  Schmulowitz,  Sommer  and 
Wyman.  The  Embassy's  complaint 
charges  that  over  a  period  of  years 
defendants  monopolized  first  run  ex- 
hibition in  San  Francisco. 

Seek  to  Form  New 
Foreign  Film  Unit 

Another  round  of  exploratory  talks 
among  independent  distributors  of  for- 
eign films  looking  to  formation  of  a 
new  organization  to  replace  the  de- 
funct International  Motion  Picture 
Organization  is  slated  for  the  near 
future. 

The  projected  new  organization,  it 
was  explained,  would  consist  exclu- 
sively of  foreign  film  distributors  un- 
like the  old  organization  which  also 
had  exhibitor  members.  Among  the 
groups  interested  in  the  formation  of 
the  new  group  are  the  Edward  Kings- 
ley-Arthur  Mayer  film,  Italian  Film 
Export  and  Joseph  Burstyn. 

'Niagara'  Openings 
Set  in  38  Theatres 

Openings  in  38  domestic  and  Can- 
adian situations  this  week  and  in 
February  are  slated  for  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "Niagara,"  the  company  dis- 
closed here  yesterday. 

The  next  premieres  of  the  color  in 
Technicolor  film  are  slated  for  Thurs- 
day at  the  Cataract  Theatre,  Niagara 
Falls,  N.  Y. ;  the  Seneca  Theatre, 
Niagara  Falls,  Ont. ;  and  the  Century, 
Buffalo. 


Thursday,  January  29,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

dent  of  American  Theatres  Corp.  of 
New  England. 

Pinanski  said  the  new  company 
was  in  the  process  of  formation  and 
that  definite  plans  had  not  been  com- 
pleted. However,  it  is  understood 
that  the  exhibitor  group  includes  sev- 
eral of  those  who  were  associated 
with  him  in  the  financing  of  "Main 
Street  to  Broadway,"  which  was  pro- 
duced by  Lester  Cowan  in  collabora- 
tion with  the  Council  for  the  Living 
Theatre.  In  the  latter  project  are 
Si  Fabian,  M.  A.  Lightman  and  Fred 
Schwartz. 

Arthur  Schwartz,  president  of  the 
Council,  recently  announced  that  the 
same  backers  would  finance  additional 
pictures  under  Council  sponsorship 
along  the  lines  of  "Main  Street  to 
Broadway." 


WB  Proxies 

(Continued  from  Page  1) 

ization  plan  changes,  according  to  the 
by-laws,  must  receive  the  approval  of 
two-thirds  of  the  4,950,000  shares  out- 
standing. The  27  per  cent  of  the 
company  stock  owned  by  the  Brothers 
Warner  presumably  will  be  voted  in 
favor  of  the  plan,  the  chief  issue  be- 
fore the  Feb.  17  annual  meeting  to  be 
held  in  Wilmington,  Del. 

It  was  also  learned  that  no  definite 
date  has  been  set  for  consummation 
of  the  Fabian  deal  under  which  Fa- 
bian will  buy  the  Brothers  Warner 
family  stock  in  the  new  theatre  com- 
pany, to  be  formed  March  1.  Conclu- 
sion of  the  deal,  however,  is  expected 
within  two  weeks  of  the  March  1 
date. 


'Limelight' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

terest  is  currently  held  in  trust. 

Hughes  made  his  sentiments  known 
on  the  Coast  in  a  letter  to  John  D. 
Home,  chairman  of  the  Hollywood 
Post  American  Legion  un-American 
activities  committee.  Hughes,  board 
chairman  of  RKO  Pictures,  informed 
the  Legion  that  he  has  been  making 
a  concerted  effort  to  have  RKO  Thea- 
tres cancel  its  booking  of  the  Charles 
Chaplin  film,  released  through  United 
Artists 

Although  RKO  Theatres  officials 
declined  comment  on  the  Hughes 
statement,  no  steps  have  been  taken 
to  cancel  the  booking.  The  film  has 
also  been  booked  to  play  in  local 
theatres  of  the  Skouras,  Randforce 
and  Century  circuits. 


'3-D'  Quality 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

competition  setting  in,  with  the  public 
more  prone  to  shop  around  for  enter- 
tainment qualities  in  third-dimen- 
sional films.  At  least  20  pictures  in 
1953  are  slated  already  to  be  shot  in 
three-dimensional  processes,  according 
to  a  survey  of  announced  studio 
plans. 


Add  Omaha  First  Runs 

Omaha,  Jan.  28. — Since  there  are 
only  four  major  first-run  downtown 
theatres  operating  here,  and  holdovers 
have  been  growing  frequent,  several 
neighborhood  runs  have  adopted  first- 
run  policies.  Two  of  them,  the  Ad- 
miral and  Chief,  had  turn-away  crowds 
with  "Hiawatha." 


Name  Tri-Opticon 

'Stereo-Techniques' 


Tri-Opticon  as  a  trade  name  for  the 
tri-dimensional  photographic  process 
controlled  by  Sol  Lesser  and  Raphael 
Wolff  has  been  dropped  and  the  me- 
dium hereafter  will  be  known  as 
Stereo-Techniques.  Wolff,  who  has 
been  shooting  material  along  the 
Eastern  seaboard  for  future  "3-D" 
subjects,  returned  to  Hollywood  yes- 
terday. 

Meanwhile,  the  Stereo-Techniques 
program  has  been  set  to  play  47  key 
situations  during  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary, with  a  Broadway  tee-off  on 
Feb.  3  at  the  Globe  Theatre  here. 
The  program  currently  is  in  its  fifth 
week  at  the  Telenews  Theatre  in 
Chicago. 


ITollywood,  Jan.  28. — Counsel  for 
Stereo-Techniques,  Ltd.,  British  com- 
pany that  made  shorts  being  shown 
in  this  country  under  the  "Tri-Opti- 
con" label,  announced  that  Raymond 
Spottiswoode,  who  produced  and  di- 
rected them,  will  establish  an  office 
here  and  offer  that  process  for  lease 
to  American  producers. 


Job  Abroad 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

story  about  America  overseas.  We 
are  making  great  gains  there." 

The  Senators  were  told  that  in 
many  areas,  such  as  the  Philippines, 
State  Department  documentary  and 
propaganda  films  were  the  most  effec- 
tive of  all  media  for  telling  the  U.  S. 
story. 

State  Department  film  chief  Her- 
bert T.  Edwards  testified  that  many 
of  the  State  Department  films  are 
being  used  on  foreign  television  pro- 
grams. He  said  the  Department  has 
cleared  almost  200  of  its  films  for  TV 
use,  and  that  in  many  areas  the  De- 
partment's film  library  had  been  used 
over  and  over  by  local  TV  stations. 
However,  Edwards  added,  the  De- 
partment has  not  yet  made  any  films 
specifically  for  television. 


'State  of  Flux' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

close  of  the  TOA  board  meetings 
here  Tuesday  that  he  had  not  pre- 
pared a  formal  invitation  to  Allied  as 
yet,  but  that  he  expected  to  do  so 
when  he  returned  to  his  home  in 
Nashville.  Starr  left  here  for  the 
South  yesterday. 

Pessimism  over  the  possibilities  of 
a  roundtable  parley  is  based  on  Al- 
lied's  positive  stand  that  it  would  not 
confer  on  arbitration  again  until  the 
trade  practice  abuses  had  been  cor- 
rected. Whether  Allied  will  change 
its  mind  after  the  bid  is  extended  to 
Allied's  general  counsel  Abram  F. 
Myers  and  president  Wilbur  Snaper 
is  anybody's  guess.  However,  it  has 
been  indicated  that  any  move  toward 
establishing  a  plan  without  Allied  par- 
ticipation would  await  Allied's  reply 
to  Starr's  letter. 


Tors  Names  Kamber 

The  Bernard  M.  Kamber  office  to- 
day was  appointed  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  representative 
for  Ivan  Tors  Productions,  whose  first 
film,  "The  Magnetic  Monster,"  will  be 
release  by  U.A.  next  month.  Kamber 
will  leave  here  shortly  for  Hollywood 
to  confer  with  Tors. 


Ask  for  Reels 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

book  form  by  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  in 
the  near  future. 

The  Sindlinger  survey  excluded 
Philadelphia  proper  but  included  all 
types  of  theatres — first,  second,  subse- 
quent and  sub-subsequent  runs.  The 
area  is  heavily  saturated  with  home 
television  sets  and  is  regarded  by 
Sindlinger  as  a  representative  cross- 
section  of  the  nation. 

Disguised  Fact 

The  survey,  Morgan  said,  was  con- 
ducted in  a  manner  which  disguised 
the  fact  that  information  concerning 
specifically  the  popularity  of  newsreels 
was  sought.  The  questions  concern- 
ing newsreels  were  "sandwiched" 
among  many  other  questions  relating 
to  amusement  habits  in  general.  The 
researchers,  upon  completion  of  their 
querying,  "weeded  out"  the  newsreel 
answers  and  devoted  their  analysis 
exclusively  to  them. 

Morgan  said  another  aspect  of  the 
survey  relating  to  exhibitor  attitudes 
toward  newsreels  in  the  light  of  TV 
newscasts  has  proved  heartening.  It 
showed,  he  said,  that  exhibitor  "hys- 
teria," directed  toward  eliminating 
newsreels  from  programs  because  of 
TV  had  vanished. 


Skouras  to  Coast 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Fox's  own  three-dimensional  process. 
The  Coast  agenda  also  calls  for  prod- 
uct conferences,  it  was  stated. 


Expect  to  Drop  SWG 
Suit  vs.  MFA  Soon 


Hollywood,  Jan.  28. — Although  the 
Screen  Writers  Guild  meeting  last 
night  lacked  the  quorum  necessary  to 
finalize  action  on  the  proposed  drop- 
ping of  the  Thurman  Arnold  "black- 
list" case  against  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  the  executive 
committee  expects  a  mail  referendum 
to  support  its  position  that  the  suit 
should  be  dropped  in  view  of  Eric 
lohnston's  assurance  that  major  com- 
panies never  intended  to  act  in  concert 
with  respect  to  denying  employment 
to  any  individual  and  do  not  so  intend 
now. 

The  MPAA  head's  letter  to  SWG 
executives  was  written  following  a 
meeting  with  SWG  president  Richard 
Breen  and  Leonard  Spigelgass  on 
Sunday  and  clarified  the  meaning  of 
the  Johnston  speech  made  in  1947 
which  later  became  known  as  the 
"Waldorf  policy  statement." 


Invitation  Premiere 
Of  'Above'  Tonight 

M-G-M's  "Above  and  Beyond"  will 
have  an  invitational  premiere  tonight 
at  Brandt's  Mayfair  Theatre  here, 
highlighted  by  a  parade  featuring  Air 
Force  personnel  and  with  ceremonies 
covered  by  TV,  radio  and  newsreel. 

Preceding  the  showing  of  the  film, 
Eleanor  Parker,  who  co-stars  with 
Robert  Taylor  in  the  picture,  will  re- 
ceive a  citation  commending  her  per- 
formance from  the  National  Ladies 
Auxiliary  of  the  Air  Force  Associa- 
tion. 


SERVICE  CAN'T  BE  JUDGED  ON  COST  ALONE.  Cheap  service  can  be 
expensive  through  unnecessary  replacements  and  failures  caused 
by  lack  of  knowledge.  Every  Altec  Service  Man  is  kept  up-to-date 
on  the  best  method  for  servicing  every  piece  of  booth  and  sound 
equipment.  His  know-how  and  the  technical  assistance  at  his  finger- 
tips are  your  most  economical  operating  insurance.  For  troubie-free 
operation  have  Altec  install,  service  and  repair  your  booth  and 
sound  equipment. 


161  Sixth  Ave..  New  York  13,  N.  Y.  •  The  finest  technical  service  for  theatres 


When  a  star  like 


takes  you  behind  the  scenes  to 
show  what  happens  when  a  top 
glamour  gal  falls,  you've  got 
a  novelty  that  can't  miss! 
That's  why  Bette,  in 

THE  STAR 

is  a  smash  at  the  RIVOLI,  N.  Y.  and 
in  its  6th  week  in  Los  Angeles! 

Bert  E.  Friedlob  presents  BETTE  DAVIS  in  "THE  STAR"  co-starring 
STERLING  HAYDEN  •  Produced  by  BERT  E.  FRIEDLOB •  Directed  by  STUART 
HEISLER- Original  Story  and  Screenplay  by  KATHERINE  ALBERT  and  DALE 
EUNSON  •  A  Bert  E.  Friedlob  Production  •  Released  by  20th  Century-Fox 


BACK  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK'S  SILVER  ANNIVERSARY  Feb.  15-22  1953 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 
Concise 


Impartial 


VOL.  73.    NO.  21 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  JANUARY  30,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Utah  House 
Defeats  Sun. 
Closing  Law 

Bill  in  Senate  Would 
Hit  Every  Theatre  There 

Salt  Lake  City,  Jan.  29.— Utah 
legislators  have  refused  to  go  along 
with  a  Sunday  closing  law  which 
would  have  forced  all  theatres  and 
other  places  of  recreation  in  the  state 
to  close  on  Sundays. 

A  law  which  would  ban  the  sale 
of  groceries,  beer  and  all  excepting 
fresh  milk  and  medicines  on  Sundays 
has  been  introduced  in  both  Houses 
of  the  Legislature.  One  lawmaker 
proposed  that  rather  than  discriminate 
against  one  type  of  business  all  busi- 
nesses, including  all  recreation,  be 
closed  on  Sundays.  He  proposed  an 
amendment  to  the  original  bill  to  that 
effect,  but  the  amendment  was  de- 
feated in  the  House. 

The  Sunday  closing  bill,  specific- 
ally exfcepting^  recreation  from  its 
provisions,  then  passed  the  House.  A 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


N.  Y.  Communion 
Breakfast  Sunday 

Rev.  Edwin  B.  Broderick,  Clare 
Booth  Luce,  Irene  Dunne  and  Joe  E. 
Brown  will  be  the  speakers  at  the 
third  annual  film  industry  Communion 
Breakfast  Sunday  at  the  Waldorf 
Astoria  here.  The  breakfast  will 
follow  9  o'clock  Mass  at  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral,  to  be  celebrated  by  Bishop 
Joseph  F.  Flannelly. 

Guests  on  the  dais  in  addition  to 
the  speakers  will  include  MacDonald 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Embargo  Film  in 
Canadian  Ry.  Strike 

Ottawa,  Jan.  29.  — Threat- 
ened by  a  possible  strike,  Ca- 
nadian railways  have  placed 
an  embargo  on  acceptance  of 
express  shipments  of  motion 
picture  films  which  may  be 
unable  to  reach  their  destina- 
tion before  the  strike  dead- 
line, now  set  for  noon  Sunday. 


Estimate  300  Houses 
To  Be  Equipped  for 
'3-D*  by  Spring 

It  is  estimated  that  300  U.  S. 
theatres  will  be  equipped  for  the 
showing  of  three  dimensional  pictures 
by  early  spring,  but  some  trade  ob- 
servers believe  that  a  "bottleneck"  in 
the  production  of  Polaroid  glasses 
may  retard  the  openings  in  some 
areas.  The  demand  is  said  to  be  ex- 
ceeding the  supply. 

Some  confusion  appears  to  exist 
over  the  glasses  that  are  necessary 
for  the  viewing  of  the  "3-D"  pic- 
tures. Natural  Vision,  under  whose 
process  "Bwana  Devil"  was  made,  has 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


'3-D'  Bandwagon  on 
Coast  Rolling  Along 

Hollywood,  Jan.  29.  —  Convincing 
evidence  that  Hollywood  figures  three- 
dimension  is  here  to  stay  rolled  up 
today  as  three  major  studios  already 
on  the  "3-D"  bandwagon  began  pre- 
paring second  pictures  in  the  new 
medium. 

Paramount,  already  represented  by 
Pine-Thomas'   "Sangaree"   in  three- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


State  Gets  $400,000 
From  1952  Film  Tax 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  29.— Gov. 
Thomas  E.  Dewey,  in  his  an- 
nual budget  message  to  the 
Legislature  today,  estimated 
that  revenue  from  the  motion 
picture  tax  would  reach  $400,- 
000  for  the  current  fiscal  year, 
based  on  collections  of  $347,- 
000  in  the  first  10  months. 
"For  1953-54,  the  same  amount 
is  forecast,"  the  Governor 
wrote. 

He  pointed  out  that  the 
yield  from  the  licensing  tax 
"on  films  registered  for  ex- 
hibition in  the  state"  has 
ranged  between  $350,000  and 
$475,000  in  recent  years. 


Seek  3-Year  Delav 

J 

On  Met.  Playhouses 


A  three-year  extension  for  the  dis- 
position of  RKO  Theatres'  stock  in- 
terest in  Metropolitan  Playhouses, 
Inc.,  was  requested  here  yesterday  by 
George  Alger,  trustee  of  the  stock, 
in  his  report  to  the  New  York  Statu- 
tory Court. 

The  report  cited  the  difficulties  in 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


First  '53  Censor  Repeal  Bill 
Is  Introduced  in  Kansas 


Topeka,  Jan.  29. — First  of  a  number  of  bills  calling  for  the  repeal  of 
state  censorship  statutes  which  the  motion  picture  industry  indicated 
would  be  filed  during  the  1953  sessions  of  state  legislatures,  has  been 

introduced  here. 

The  measure,  sponsored  by  Rep. 
Milo  Sutton  of  Emporia,  would  abol- 
ish the  Kansas  state  censor  board  by 
May  1  by  transferring  its  funds  to  the 
state  general  fund,  and  its  equipment 
to  the  state  reformatory. 

The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  indicated  last  year  that  it 
would  carry  its  effort  to  eliminate 
film  censorship  into  the  state  legisla- 
tures this  year  with  the  introduction 
of  bills  to  repeal  existing  statutes  or 
otherwise  invalidate  the  state  bodies. 

Such  measures,  it  was  said,  would 
be  introduced  in  this  state,  Ohio, 
Maryland,  Massachusetts,  Virginia, 
Pennsylvania  and  perhaps  elsewhere. 


NPA  Docket  Clear 
Of  Building  Bids 

Washington,  Jan.  29.  —  National 
Production  Authority  officials  said 
that  apparently  all  would-be  theatre 
builders  are  being  taken  care  of  under 
the  new  self-authorization  procedure 
and  that  there  are  no  cases  pending 
asking  for  larger  amounts  of  ma- 
terials. 

On  Jan.  1,  NPA's  theatre  building 
ban  ended,  and  builders  were  given 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


'IT  Net  Profit 
In  1952  Up  to 
$  2,307,701 

Earnings  $40,000  Over 
'51;  Equal  to  $2.15 

Consolidated  net  earnings  of 
Universal  Pictures  for  the  fiscal 
year  ended  Nov.  1,  1952,  amounted 
to  $2,307,701  after  provision  of 
$4,290,000  for  federal  income  and  ex- 
cess profits  taxes  and  $500,000  for 
contingent  liabilities.  This  compares 
with  a  net  of  $2,267,784  for  the  pre- 
ceding fiscal  year  of  53  weeks,  after 
tax  provisions  of  $3,125,000  and  $500,- 
000  for  contingent  liabilities,  repre- 
senting an  increase  in  net  earnings  of 
$39,917  in  1952  over  1951. 

After  deducting  dividends  on  the 
preferred  stock,  the  1952  net  was 
equivalent  to  $2.15  per  share  on  961,- 
698  shares  of  common  stock,  com- 
pared with  $2.10  per  share  on  the 
960,498  common  shares  outstanding  in 
the  1951  fiscal  year. 

The  company's  annual  report, 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Four  'U'  Officers 
Get  Income  Advances 

Four  top  executives  of  Universal 
Pictures  received  remuneration  in- 
creases ranging  from  $5,750  to  $11,- 
750  in  1952,  according  to  the  proxy 
statement  which  accompanied  the 
company's  financial  report  to  stock- 
holders yesterday. 

Vice-president  Edward  Muhl's  an- 

(Continucd  on  page  3) 


Would  Put  25%  Tax 
On  Pa.  Video  Wires 

Harrisburg,  Jan.  29. — Intro- 
duction of  a  bill  proposing  a 
25  per  cent  tax  on  leased 
wires,  including  television 
(such  as  those  operated  by 
television  cable  firms),  was 
offered  in  the  Pennsylvania 
legislature  this  week  follow- 
ing Gov.  John  S.  Fine's  bud- 
get message  indicating  a  need 
of  $157-million  in  new  rev- 
enues for  the  1953-55  bien- 
nium. 


^s^sh  ^  ^  da's 

^    V     "NABS  ACADEMY  SPOTLIGHT! 


—  L  A.  Herald  Express, 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 
Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  January  30,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


LEO  SAMUELS,  Walt  Disney 
Productions  sales  manager,  and 
Card  Walker,  advertising-exploita- 
tion manager,  are  expected  here  from 
the  Coast  today. 

• 

N.  Peter  Rathvon,  president  of 
Rathvon  Overseas,  Ltd.,  and  former 
head  of  RKO  Pictures,  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Rathvon,  and  Kay  Harri- 
son, Technicolor  managing  director 
abroad,  will  sail  from  here  today  for 
Europe  on  the  Liberie. 

o 

Charles  Levy,  Walt  Disney  Pro- 
ductions Eastern  publicity  director,  is 
scheduled,  to  return  to  New  York  to- 
day from  a  two-week  business  trip  in 
the  field. 

• 

George  Weltner,  president  of 
Paramount-International,  will  leave 
here  Monday  for  a  tour  of  South 
America. 

• 

Murray  Silverstone,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox  International,  will 
return  here  over  the  weekend  from 
Europe. 

• 

Walter  Branson,  assistant  general 
sales  manager  for  RKO  Radio,  has 
returned  to  New  York  from  Chicago 
and  the  Coast. 

• 

Louis  Jannetty  has  been  elected 
president    of    Local    304,  IATSE, 
Waterbury,  Conn.,  for  his  sixth  term. 
• 

P.    T.    Dana,    Universal  Eastern 
sales  manager,  will  be  in  New  Haven 
and  Boston  today  from  New  York. 
• 

Sam  Burger,  Loew's  International 
sales  manager,  has  returned  here  from 
a  visit  to  company  foreign  offices. 

David  Lewis,  in  charge  of  M-G-M's 
activities  in  France,  is  back  here  from 
a  visit  to  the  Coast. 

George  Schaefer  is  on  the  Coast 
from  New  York. 

David  E.  Rose,  producer,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  London. 


Hearst  Newspapers 
Win  OMPI  Tribute 

A  tribute  to  the  Hearst  newspapers 
for  stimulating  motion  picture  theatre 
attendance  was  paid,  here  yesterday 
by  Fred  J.  Schwartz,  chairman  of 
the  Organization  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Industry  of  the  City  of  New 
York. 

The  occasion  was  the  reception 
tendered  by  OMPI  to  the  14  winners 
of  the  New  York  Journal-American 
motion  picture  contest,  held  at  the 
Stork  Club.  Schwartz,  voicing  the 
appreciation  of  the  metropolitan  mo- 
tion picture  industry,  singled  out  the 
paper's  contest  as  an  example  of  co- 
operation by  a  newspaper  with  the 
motion  picture  industry.  Jim  O'Con- 
nor, Journal- American  drama  editor, 
thanked  the  industry  for  its  coopera- 
tion in  making  the  contest  a  success. 


Sees  Shifts  Shortly  in  RKO 
Radio  Ad-Publicity  DepH 


Boasberg  to  Aid 
Boy  Scout  Campaign 


Charles  Boasberg,  RKO  Radio  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  has  accepted  the 
chairmanship  of  the  distribution  and 
producers  committee  for  the  1953 
finance  campaign  of  the  Greater  New 
York  Councils,  Boy  Scouts  of 
America. 

Leon  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio  sales 
promotion  manager,  will  serve  as 
associate  chairman.  Additional  ap- 
pointments of  chairmen  for  each 
major  company,  for  independent  pro- 
ducers-distributors and  for  foreign 
film  importers  and  exporters  will  be 
named  shortly.  A  meeting  of  the 
committee  has  been  scheduled  for 
Feb.  3  at  the  Council  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Organizations  offices  here.  Spy- 
ros  Skouras,  Jr.,  general  chairman  of 
the  amusement  division  for  the  cam- 
paign, is  scheduled  to  address  the 
meeting. 

Governor  Thomas  E.  Dewey  is 
scheduled  to  address  a  campaign 
luncheon  at  the  Hotel  Commodore 
here  Feb.  5,  the  43d  anniversary  of 
the  Boy  Scout  movement  in  America. 
The  campaign  goal  this  year  is 
$2,000,000. 


A  number  of  changes  and  shifts  in 
personnel  in  the  advertising  and  pub- 
licity department  of  RKO  Pictures 
due  to  the  establishment  of  the  new 
ad-publicity  headquarters  on  the  Coast 
are  contemplated  shortly,  Richard 
Condon,  Eastern  director  of  publicity 
and  exploitation,  disclosed  here  yes- 
terday upon  his  arrival  from  the 
Coast. 

Condon,  accompanied  by  Louis 
Gaudrea,  business  manager  of  the  ad- 
vertising, publicity  and  exploitation 
departments,  spent  four  days  on  the 
Coast  conferring  with  Perry  Lieber, 
newly-designated  national  publicity 
and  exploitation  director.  Condon 
said  that  RKO  Pictures'  ad-publicity 
set-up  would  parallel  that  of  Univer- 
sal-International, which  also  head- 
quarters its  top  advertising  and  pub- 
licity executives  in  Hollywood. 


Rosenblatt  Heads 
N.E.  Drive-In  Unit 

Boston,  Jan.  29.  —  The  Drive-In 
Theatre  Ass'n.  of  New  England  has 
elected  the  following  officers  for  1953  : 
Theodore  Rosenblatt,  president ;  Ed- 
ward Lider,  secretary,  and  Julian  Rif- 
kin,  treasurer.  Directors  elected  are : 
James  Mahoney,  Ned  Eisner,  James 
Spear,  Henry  Gaudet,  Donald  Sweenie 
and  Ray  Canavan. 


GEORGE  SCHUTZ, 
TERRY  RAMSAYE, 
WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER, 
and  the  Herald's  editorial  staff 

take  a  searching  look  at — 

I  lie  I  acts  Abo 


111 


J- 


The  result  is  an  up-to-date,  compre- 
hensive summary  of  information  on 
the  most  significant  development  in 
the  business  of  motion  pictures  since 
the  advent  of  sound.  You  will  find  a 
practical  perspective  of  the  Three- 
Dimension  situation — 

in  this  week's  issue  of 


MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


House  Unit  to  Vote 
On  Limitations  Bill 

Washington,  Jan.  29.  —  Rep. 
Reed  (R.,  111.),  chairman  of  a 
House  judiciary  subcommittee 
which  will  consider  a  pending 
bill  to  enact  a  uniform  Fed- 
eral statute  of  limitations  on 
private  anti-trust  suits,  said 
the  subcommittee  would  vote 
on  the  measure  without  any 
further  hearings. 

Reed  pointed  out  there  had 
been  extensive  hearings  on 
the  bill  in  the  last  Congress, 
including  detailed  opposing 
testimony  from  film  distribu- 
tors and  exhibitors.  He  said 
the  subcommittee  is  the  same 
now,  and  therefore  he  sees  no 
reason  for  further  delaying  a 
vote  by  additional  hearings. 
The  subcommittee  must  make 
up  its  mind  on  the  bill  by  the 
end  of  February. 


'Silvery  Moon'  to 
Open  at  Music  Hall 

"By  the  Light  of  the  Silvery 
M  oon,"  Warner  production  in  color 
by  Technicolor,  starring  Doris  Day 
and  Gordon  MacRae,  has  been  booked 
by  the  Radio  City  Music  Hall.  The 
opening  here  will  be  the  premiere 
engagement  for  the  musical. 


Canadian  Exports  Drop 

Ottawa,  Jan.  29. — The  Canadian 
government  reports  exports  of  films 
in  the  first  11  months  of  1952  dropped 
to  $521,000,  from  $585,000  in  the  same 
period  of  1951. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

Rockefeller  Center  — 


Lana  TURNER  •  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON  •  Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Warner  Bros: 

THE  JAZZ 
SINGER 

Color  bt  TECHNICOLOR 
>»">•>     DANNY  PESST 

THOMAS ;  LEE 


SPEED! 

41 

a 

QUALITY! 

SHOWMANSHIP! 

SPECIAL 
TRAILERS 

(ANT  BE  BEAT! 

"630  NINTH  AVENUE  - 
NEW  YORK  36/N.Y; 

1327  S.  WABASH 
CHICAGO  5,  lit. 

MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI:  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y..  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  January  30,  1953 


Motion  Pic  ture  Daily 


3 


Breakfast 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Carey,  Frederick  Brisson,  Guy  Kibbee, 
Eddie  Dowling,  Jane  Wyatt,  Louella 
Parsons,  Kate  Cameron  and  Una 
O'Connor.  Delia  Rigal  and  Andy 
Raffa  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
Company  will  sing. 

Similar  Communion  Breakfasts  will 
be  held  the  same  day  for  members  of 
the  industry  in  Los  Angeles,  Toronto, 
Montreal,  and  Detroit. 

Hollywood  Breakfast  Sold  Out 

Hollywood,  Jan.  29. — The  second 
annual  community  Communion  break- 
fast, at  which  the  principal  address 
will  be  made  by  His  Eminence  James 
Francis  Cardinal  Mclntyre,  has  been 
sold  out  for  days,  with  not  even  stand- 
ing room  now  available,  according  to 
George  A.  Smith,  general  chairman. 
The  breakfast,  in  the  Pacific  Room  of 
the  New  Statler  Hotel,  will  follow  a 
9  o'clock  Mass,  celebrated  by  Car- 
dinal Mclntyre,  at  St.  Vibian's  Ca- 
thedral, with  His  Excellency,  Bishop 
Timothy  Manning,  delivering-  the  ser- 
mon. 

Irene  Dunne  and  Loretta  Young 
will  speak  at  the  breakfast,  with  Ann 
Blyth  and  Tito  Guizar  as  vocalists, 
and  Jack  Haley  as  master  of  cere- 
monies. 


'U'  Net  Profit  Rises 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


mailed  to  stockholders  yesterday,  dis- 
closed that  film  rentals  and  sales  for 
the  1952  fiscal  year  totalled  $64,128,- 
719,  as  compared  with  $65,172,580  for 
the  previous  fiscal  year.  The  report 
notes  that  in  this  connection  opera- 
tions in  the  1952  period  covered  52 
weeks  whereas  the  fiscal  1951  included 
53  weeks.  It  is  further  noted  that  the 
company  is  continuing  its  practice  of 
reflecting  in  its  accounts  the  operat- 
ing results  of  subsidiaries  in  foreign 
countries  having  exchange  restrictions 
only  to  the  extent  that  net  earnings 
resulting  therefrom  have  been  or  can 
be  realized  in  United  States  dollars, 
regardless  of  the  period  in  which  such 
revenue  may  have  accrued. 

It  is  pointed  out  by  president  Mil- 
ton R.  Rackmil  and  board  chairman 
N.  J.  Blumberg  that  during  the  last 
year  the  company  negotiated  a  new 
bank  credit  agreement  providing  for 
periodic  principal  payments  with  a 
fiscal  maturity  of  Sept.  15,  1956.  It 


'Brotherhood'  Meet 
Held  in  Milwaukee 

Milwaukee,  Jan.  29. — All  of  Film 
Row  here  plus  local  exhibitors  at- 
tended the  "Brotherhood"  meeting 
this  week  at  the  Fox  Varsity  Theatre. 
Lew  Elman  of  RKO  Radio,  distrib- 
utor chairman,  presided. 

Harold  Fitzgerald  of  Wisconsin 
Amusement  Corp.  and  Al  Kvool  of 
Warner  Theatres  are  exhibitor  co- 
chairmen  of  the  effort.  Miss  Hor- 
tense  Brunner  of  Fox  Wisconsin  is 
publicity  chairman. 

K.  C.  Ready  for  Drive 

Kansas  City,  Jan.  29. — More  than 
300  members  of  the  film  industry  at- 
tended the  mass-meeting-  at  the  Up- 
town Theatre  here  preliminary  to  the 
"Brotherhood  Week"  campaign  in  this 
area.  Senn  Lawler,  chairman  of  the 
campaign  promotion  committee,  pre- 
sided. 

The  Rev.  J.  Allan  Watson,  one  of 
the  speakers,  announced  that  the 
Council  of  Churches  will  provide 
young  people  to  distribute  Brother- 
hood materials  in  Kansas  City  the- 
atres during  the  week  of  the  cam- 
paign. Thomas  Baldwin,  general 
chairman  for  the  film  industry's  cam- 
paign here,  said  that  kits  for  theatres 
of  the  area  have  been  sent  out  and 
that  200  trailers  are  being  sent  to  that 
many  theatres. 


provided  for  maximum  borrowings  in 
the  amount  of  $6,300,000  of  which 
$5,000,000  is  in  the  form  of  a  revolv- 
ing credit.  As  of  Jan.  22,  1953,  the 
company  had  borrowed  $3,625,000 
under  this  agreement  of  which  $2',- 
500,000  represents  borrowings  under 
the  revolving  credit. 

The  report  notes  that  the  company, 
during  the  past  fiscal  year,  acquired 
$560,000  principal  amount  of  its  3J4 
per  cent  sinking  fund  debentures,  re- 
ducing the  amount  in  the  hands  of  the 
public  on  Nov.  1,  1952,  to  $2,645,000. 
The  company  also  acquired  660  shares 
of  its  preferred  stock  during  the  past 
fiscal  year  at  an  average  cost  of 
$59.61,  reducing  the  amount  outstand- 
ing with  the  public  to  56,380  shares 
at  the  fiscal  year-end. 

During  the  calendar  year  of  1952, 
two  semi-annual  dividends  of  50  cents 
each  were  paid  on  the  common  stock 
outstanding,  making  the  annual  rate 
$1  per  share. 


NPA  Docket 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


authority  to  write  their  own  priorities 
for  up  to  five  tons  of  steel  and  500 
pounds  of  copper. 

NPA  officials  said  that  on  Jan.  1, 
they  had  about  "six  or  seven"  appli- 
cations pending  for  permission  to 
build  theatres,  and  that  all  of  these 
involved  small  enough  amounts  of 
materials  that  they  could  be  handled 
under  the  new  rules  by  the  builders 
themselves.  The  builders  were  so 
notified,  and  NPA  files  cleared. 
Since  then,  no  new  applications  have 
been  received,  it  was  added,  indicating 
that  builders  are  finding  the  self- 
authorization  limits  high  enough  to 
fill  their  needs.  Builders  now  would 
have  to  come  to  NPA  only  if  they 
needed  more  steel,  copper  or  alumi- 
num than  allowed  under  the  self- 
authorization  procedure. 


NTFC  Luncheon 

The  new  officers  of  the  National 
Television  Film  Council,  headed  by 
Arche  A.  Mayers,  president,  were  in- 
troduced to  the  group's  members  yes- 
terday at  a  luncheon  meeting  at  the 
Warwick  Hotel.  In  addition,  there 
was  a  panel  discussion  by  TV  trade 
paper  editors  on  "The  Future  of  TV 
Films." 


Use  TV  for  'Bali' 

A  heavy  two-day  television  spot 
campaign  over  New  York's  WCBS- 
TV,  purchased  by  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, began  yesterday  on  the  opening 
of  "Road  to  Bali"  at  the  Astor. 


Prolong  Para.  Meet 
Through  Sunday 

The  meeting  in  New  York  this 
week  of  Paramount's  division  and 
branch  managers  has  been  lengthened 
to  include  another  day,  Sunday. 
A.  W.  Schwalberg,  president  of  Para- 
mount Film  Distributing  Corp.,  re- 
ported following  the  fourth  day's  ses- 
sion yesterday. 

The  additional  day,  as  well  as  to- 
morrow, will  be  devoted  to  individual 
meetings  of  division  managers  and 
their  respective  branch  managers 
with  Schwalberg  and  E.  K.  (Ted) 
O'Shea,  distribution  vice-president. 

A  principal  speaker  at  today's  ses- 
sion will  be  Russell  Holman,  Eastern 
head  of  production.  Schwalberg, 
O'Shea  and  Jerry  Pickman,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation,  also  will 
address  the  meeting  today,  as  they 
have  done  in  past  days. 


Four  'IP  Officers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

nual  income  was  increased  from  $51,- 
650  to  $63,400.  Alfred  Daff,  vice- 
president  and  director,  received  a 
yearly  increase  of  $11,500,  going  from 
$51,500  to  $63,000.  John  J.  O'Con- 
nor, also  a  vice-president  and  direc- 
tor, rose  from  $45,050  to  $50,800, 
while  Leon  Goldberg,  treasurer,  vice- 
president  and  director,  was  increased 
from  $39,750  to  $50,000. 

The  annual  stockholders  meeting- 
will  be  held  in  New  York  on  March 
11  to  elect  10  directors,  and  approve 
the  modification  of  board  chairman 
N.  J.  Blumberg's  contract,  details  of 
which  were  published  earlier. 


Met.  Playhouses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


500  Luminaries  to 
See  'Rouge*  Premiere 

Five  hundred  notables  from  the 
fields  of  politics,  entertainment,  the 
press,  industry  and  the  arts  already 
have  accepted  invitations  to  the  ^pre- 
miere of  "Moulin  Rouge"  at  the  Capi- 
tol Theatre  here  Feb.  10,  it  was  an- 
nounced yesterday  by  United  Artists, 
which  is  releasing-  the  Romulus  film. 


disposing  of  the  Metropolitan  Play- 
houses stock  as  required  by  the  pro- 
visions of  the  RKO  Theatres  consent 
decree.  It  said  the  best  interests  of 
the  parties  involved  would  be  served 
by  granting  a  three-year  extension, 
pointing  out  the  lack  of  acceptable 
bids  for  the  56,488^  shares  of  Class 
A  Metropolitan  stock  owned  by  RKO 
Theatres. 


Utah  House 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


similar  bill  is  in  the  Senate  awaiting 
a  public  hearing.  It  also  would  ex- 
empt places  of  recreation,  including 
theatres. 


'Bwana'  to  Have  2 
New  York  Premieres 

"Bwana  Devil"  will  have  its  Brook- 
lyn premiere  at  Fabian's  Fox  Theatre 
on  Feb.  18,  coincident  with  its  open- 
ing at  Loew's  State  Theatre  on 
Broadway,  William  J.  Heineman, 
vice-president  of  United  Artists  in 
charge  of  distribution,  disclosed  here 
yesterday. 


'3-D'  Opens  at  Telenews 

San  Francisco,  Jan.  29. — Sol  Les- 
ser's  Stereo-Techniques  three-dimen- 
sion process  had  its  Northern  Cali- 
fornia premiere  today  at  the  Telenews 
Theatre  in  Oakland. 


'3-D'  Field  Weighed 
By  RKO  Pictures 

RKO  Pictures  executives 
here  are  viewing  tests  and 
the  equipment  of  a  third  di- 
mensional process,  it  was 
learned  here  yesterday,  look- 
ing toward  the  possible  en- 
trance of  RKO  Pictures  in 
the  third-dimensional  field. 

Currently,  RKO  Pictures, 
Republic  and  Allied  Artists 
are  the  only  companies  which 
have  not  announced  plans  to 
produce  third-dimensional 
films  in  1953.  Meanwhile,  20th 
Century  -  Fox  reportedly  is 
contemplating  the  filming  of 
two  pictures  in  1953  in  its 
new  wide  -  screen  technique, 
"Anamorphoscope." 


'3-D'  Bandwagon 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


dimension,  which  is  shooting,  an- 
nounced it  will  produce  "Red  Garters" 
as  a  big-scale  musical  in  color  with 
Rosemary  Clooney,  Anna  Maria  Al- 
berghetti  and  Joanne  Gilbert  tri- 
starred.  Pat  Duggan  will  produce, 
from  a  script  by  Michael  Fessier, 
using  Paramount's  newly  developed 
Paravision  process.  Shooting  will 
start  at  the  earliest  possible  date. 

Warner  Brothers,  now  shooting 
"House  of  Wax"  in  Natural  Vision, 
confirmed  yesterday's  report  that  the 
studio's  second  three-dimension  pro- 
duction has  been  reduced  to  script 
form  and  that  an  early  start  is 
planned,  but  declined  to  state  a  title. 

M-G-M,  which  recently  announced 
"Arena,"  a  rodeo  story,  as  its  first 
three-dimension  picture,  to  start 
within  a  month,  selected  an  untitled 
Western  for  its  next  film  in  the  new 
medium.  Nicholas  Nayfack  will  pro- 
duce. 

All  pictures  mentioned  in  the  fore- 
going will  require  that  audiences 
wear  viewers. 

Robert  L.  Lippert  announced  the 
completion  of  a  distribution  deal  with 
Jack  Rieger,  New  York,  for  a  three- 
dimensional  featurette,  "Day  in  the 
Country"  produced  by  Rieger,  with 
narration  by  Joe  Besser.  Subject 
runs  about  15  minutes,  can  be  pro- 
jected on  standard  theatre  equipment, 
and  requires  the  audience  to  use  Ana- 
glyph viewers.  Distribution  starts  in 
three  weeks. 


'3-D'  Houses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  exclusive  rights  to  the  glasses 
made  by  the  Polaroid  Corp.  of  Amer- 
ica. Polaroid  is  a  brand  name.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Sol  Lesser- 
Raphael  W olff  Stereo  -  Techniques 
subjects  are  seen  through  "polarized" 
glasses  which  come  from  a  different 
source  and  are  not  made  by  the  Po- 
laroid Corp. 

The  glasses  used  in  the  showing  of 
Stereo  -  Technique  are  permanent 
pieces  and  can  be  used  over  and  over 
again,  with  sterilization  after  each 
use.  The  Natural  Vision  glasses  are 
disposable,  having  cardboard  frames. 

One  observer  said  the  reason  for 
the  impending  shortage  is  that  ex- 
hibitors under-estimate  their  needs, 
believing  that  100,000  pairs  will  be  a 
sufficient  order.  However,  in  some 
instances  100,000  of  the  disposable 
glasses  are  not  enough  for  a  two- 


the  MISSISSIPPI 


Brotherhood  Week's 
itver  Anniversary  February  15-22 


"'"«>  JOHN  MCINTIRE  •  PAUL  CAYANAGH  •  Directed  by  RUDOLPH  MATE  .  Story  an 


MBlflt 


is  outgrossing 
every  U-l  picture  in  the  41  year 
history  of  this  company  in  more 

than  half  of  its  first  40  engage- 
ments; topping  THE  EGG  AND  I  in 
23  out  of  these  40  situations; 

topping  BEND  OF  THE  RIVER  in  33 


ut  of  the  40  situations! 


tcreenplay  by  SETON  I.  MILLER  •  Produced  by  TED  RICHMOND  .  A  UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL  PICTURE 


An  Edward  L  Alperson  production  •  Released  by  20th  Century-Fox 


(Back  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  —  Feb.  15-22,  1953) 


VOL.  73.    NO.  22 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  2,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


All  20th-Fox 
Production  in 
'3-D'  Process 


■  New  Cinemascope  Device 
Simple  and  Inexpensive 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  will  con- 
vert its  entire   production  output 
beginning  Feb.  16  to  a  new  photo- 
graphic and  sound  system  known 
as    Cinemascope,    it   was  announced 
jointly    yesterday     by     Spyros  P. 
1  Skouras,    president,    and    Darryl  F. 
Zanuck,   vice-president  in   charge  of 
I  production.    Zanuck  said  that  it  was 
J  Skouras'    and    his    conviction  that 
"next  Oct.  1  the  motion  picture  in- 
[  dustry  will  enter  a  new  era  as  far- 
reaching  as  the  transfer  from  silent 
t  pictures  to  sound  in  1927." 

The  Cinemascope  is  a  device 
which  employs  a  distortion  and 
rectification  principle  to  permit 
filming  in  color  and  projection 
on    a    screen  two-and-a-half 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Maco  Files  Counter 
Suit  in  Minn.  Case 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  1.  —  The  Min- 
neapolis Amusement  Co.  has  filed 
counter  -  claims  totaling  $2,790,000 
against  the  plaintiffs  in  two  conspiracy 
damage  suits  pending  before  Federal 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Economy  Program 
For  MGM  Studio 

Hollywood,  Feb.  1.— Definite 
economies,  including  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  reduction  in  the 
number  of  pictures  originally 
planned  for  production  by 
MGM  this  year,  will  be  ef- 
fected at  the  studio,  it  was 
decided  during  the  visit  here 
of  Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  presi- 
dent. Nevertheless,  a  steady 
production  schedule  will  be 
maintained,  Dore  Schary,  stu- 
dio head,  said.  Within  the 
next  three  months  13  impor- 
tant productions  will  start. 
Schenck  left  here  for  Florida 
over  the  weekend. 

The  studio  also  announced 
the  signing  of  Lucille  Ball 
and  Desi  Arnaz,  TV's  top  at- 
tractions, for  "The  Long, 
Long  Trailer,"  a  domestic 
comedy  with  an  automobile 
trailer  background. 


FCC  Hits  Industry's  Bid 
For  Theatre  TV  Channels 


Report  Stolkin's 
Stock  Deal  Hinges 
On  Feb.  Payment 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

A  forthcoming  payment  of  $150,000 
by  the-  Ralph  Stolkin  syndicate  due 
to  Howard  Hughes  on  Feb.  12  under 
the  amended  agreement  between  the 
two  parties  will  determine  the  status 
of  the  Hughes-Stolkin  RKO  Pictures 
stock  deal,  it  is  reported. 

A  source  close  to  the  picture  ex- 
plained that  under  the  amended  agree- 
ment which  allowed  Hughes  to  reas- 
sume  management  control  of  RKO, 
the  Stolkin  group  is  required  to  meet 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


1,400  at  Communion 
Breakfast  Here 


More  than  1,400  Catholics  of  the 
motion  picture  industry  received  Com- 
munion in  a  body  yesterday  morning 
at  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral.  Breakfast 
in  the  Grand  Ballroom  of  the  Waldorf 
Astoria  followed  immediately  after 
the  9  o'clock  Mass  at  the  Cathedral. 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Charges  'Apparent  Inconsistencies'  in 
Application;  Questions  Usefulness  of 
Continuing  Hearings  As  Now  Constituted 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  1. — The  Federal  Communications  Commis- 
sion has  accused  the  motion  picture  industry  of  "apparent  inconsis- 
tencies" in  its  application  for  exclusive  theatre  television  frequencies 
and  expressed  doubts  whether  "any  useful  purpose"  would  be  served 
by  continuing  the  theatre  television  hearings"  as  presently  consti- 
tuted. 

The  Commission,  in  an  unusual 
statement  issued  Friday,  listed  what 
it  felt  were  "inconsistencies"  in  the 
application  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  and  National  Exhibitors 
Theatre  Television  Committee,  and 
outlined  eight  questions  which  it  wants 
MPAA  and  NETTC  attorneys  to  an- 
swer. On  the  basis  of  the  answers, 
the  Commission  will  presumably  de- 
cide whether  to  go  ahead  with  the 
hearings  as  now  set  up,  whether  to 
change  their  scope  or  whether  to  aban- 
don them  entirely. 

Most    of    the  Commission's 
questions    dealt    with  exactly 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Exchange  Unions  in 
15-45%  Pay  Hike  Bid 


Local  unions  representing  front  and 
back  office  employes  of  the  film  ex- 
changes in  32  key  cities  are  asking- 
salary  increases  ranging  from  15  to 
45  per  cent,  it  was  learned  here  at 
the  weekend.  Negotiations  got  under 
way  last  week  between  union  agents 
and  home  office  representatives  in 
Charlotte,  Atlanta,  Jacksonville, 
Omaha  and  Des  Moines. 

The  meetings  were  preliminary  and 
no  agreements  were  reached.  Arthur 
Israel  of  Paramount,  who  attended  the 
contract  parleys  in  Omaha  and  Des 
Moines,  said  the  negotiations  were 
"cordial"  but  that  nothing  was  re- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


THEATRES'  PLIGHT 
UNDER  TAX  TOLD 

Rep.  Boggs  of  Louisiana  Tells  Congress  Survival  of 
Many  Exhibitors  Depends  Upon  Removal  of  Levy 


Washington,  Feb.  1.  —  Rep. 
Hale  Boggs  of  Louisiana,  a  Demo- 
cratic member  of  the  House  Ways 
and  Means  committee,  warned  Con- 
gress that  removal  of  the  20  per  cent 
Federal  admission  tax  "may_  well  be 
the  difference  between  survival  and 
collapse  for  many  motion  picture  ex- 
hibitors." 

Boggs,  who  has  sponsored  a  bill  to 
exempt  motion  picture  theatres  _  froru 
the  tax,  said  that  while  many  indus- 
tries are  operating  under  burdensome 
taxes,  "few  have  suffered  to  the  extent 
of  the  motion  picture  exhibitor."  He 
said  that  more  than  3,200  out  of  less 
than  17,000  theatres  had  been  forced 


to  close  during  the  past  five  years. 
While  bad  management,  popu- 
lation shifts,  television  competi- 
tion and  other  factors  are 
responsible  in  some  cases,  he 
declared,  "one  of  the  principal 
reasons  for  the  plight  of  the- 
atres is  the  Federal  admission 
tax." 

The  New  Orleans  Congressman  put 
in  the  Congressional  Record  a  long 
statement  outlining  "the  extent  of  the 
hardship"  the  tax  works  on  theatres. 
He-  said  the  tax  leaves  the  theatre 
owner  only  four-fifths  of  his  income 
with  which  to  meet  increased  operat- 
(Continued on  page  5) 


Cite  $25-Million 
Tie-in  'Pan'  Drive 

A  $25,000,000  merchandising  and 
advertising  tie-in  campaign  for  Walt 
Disney's  "Peter  Pan,"  released  through 
RKO  Pictures,  was  outlined  here  at 
the  weekend. 

Charles    Boasberg,    general  sales 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Republic  Planning 
Grainger  Testimonial 

A  testimonial  dinner  to 
James  R.  Grainger  is  being 
planned  by  his  associates  at 
Republic  Pictures,  to  be  held 
just  prior  to  his  departure 
from  the  company  to  become 
president  of  RKO  Pictures. 
Grainger  is  scheduled  to  take 
over  his  new  post  next  Mon- 
day and  to  meet  with  Howard 
Hughes  in  Hollywood  a  week 
later. 

Grainger  completed  the  last 
of  a  series  of  Republic  re- 
gional sales  meetings  in 
Miami  last  week  and  is  due 
back  in  New  York  today. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  2,  1953 


FCC  Hits  Theatre  TV  Bid 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


20th-Fox  '3-D' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Personal 
Mention 

BEN  KALMENSON,  Warner 
Brothers  vice-president  in  charge 
of  distribution,  and  Mort  Blumen- 
stock,  advertising  -  publicity  vice- 
president,  arrived  in  New  York  from 
the  Coast  over  the  weekend. 

• 

Herman  Finkelstein,  general  at- 
torney of  ASCAP ;  Edward  A.  Sar- 
GOY,  former  chairman  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bar  Association's  copyright  com- 
mittee, and  Morris  Ebenstein  of 
Warner  Brothers  will  be  among  the 
12  copyright  specialists  who  will  take 
part  in  a  new  graduate  seminar  on 
copyright  law  during  the  spring  sem- 
ester at  New  York  University's  Law 
Center. 

• 

Barney  Balaban,  Paramount  pres- 
ident, and  Mrs.  Balaban,  announce 
the  engagement  of  their  daughter, 
Judith  Rose,  to  Jay  Ira  Kanter.  An 
April  wedding  is  planned. 

G.  S.  Eyssell,  president  of  Rocke- 
feller Center,  Inc.,  accompanied  by 
Maxwell  Abramowitz,  New  York 
architect,  are  in  Hollywood  from  New 
York  for  a  week's  stay. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M 
vice-president  and  sales  consultant, 
has  returned  to  Florida  from  home 
office  conferences. 

• 

Arthur  Krim,  United  Artists  pres- 
ident, has  arrived  in  Hollywood  from 
New  York. 

• 

Martin  Quigley  will  leave  here 
by  plane  today  for  Hollywood  for  a 
visit  of  several  weeks. 

• 

Hazard  Reeves,  president  of  Cine- 
rama, Inc.,  left  here  over  the  week- 
end for  Hollywood. 


Breakfast 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Similar  functions  were  attended  by 
motion  picture  people  in  Los  Angeles, 
Detroit,  Toronto,  St.  John,  Halifax 
and  London,  Ont. 

Rev.  Edwin  B.  Broderick,  New 
York  archdiocesan  director  of  radio 
and  television,  principal  speaker  at  the 
New  York  breakfast,  pointed  out  how 
Catholics  in  the  amusement  industries 
by  being  loyal  both  to  their  faith  and 
to  their  employment  can  be  the  leav- 
ening- influence  which  will  improve  the 
whole  tenor  of  modern  life.  Other 
speakers  were  Clare  Booth  Luce, 
Irene  Dunne,  and  Joe  E.  Brown. 
Martin  Quigley  was  toastmaster. 
Singers  were  Delia  Rigal,  lyric  so- 
prano, and  Andy  Raffa,  baritone,  both 
of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Company. 

Dais  guests  included  Robert  Alda, 
Kate  Cameron,  Macdonald  Carey, 
Eddie  Dowling,  Guy  Kibbee,  Una 
O'Connor,  Louella  Parsons,  Jane 
Wyatt,  Msgr.  John  S.  Middleton,  who 
represented  Cardinal  Spellman,  and 
Msgr.  Patrick  F.  Masterson,  spiritual 
director  of  the  Communion  Breakfast 
committee. 


how  the  industry  was  proposing 
to  set  up  the  new  service,  what 
frequencies  they  wanted,  and 
what  guarantees  the  industry 
had  that  the  frequencies  would 
be  used.  The  MPAA  and  NTTC 
attorneys  were  directed  to  be 
ready  to  give  their  answer  to 
the  Commission's  questions 
when  other  witnesses  finish 
their  direct  testimony  on  tech- 
nical and  cost  accounting 
points. 

This  will  probably  be  either  next 
Monday  or  Tuesday,  Feb.  9  or  10. 
The  hearings  will  resume  tomorrow 
on  schedule,  with  witnesses  from 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.  slated  to  testify  on  technical  and 
cost  matters.  Witnesses  from  RCA 
and  other  parties  will  probably  con- 
sume tomorrow,  and  then  the  hear- 
ings are  slated  to  recess  until  the 
following  Monday. 

Vincent  Welch,  attorney  for 
MPAA,  said  he  was  confident 
the  industry  "can  satisfactorily 
answer  the  Commission's  inqui- 
ries." He  said  he  felt  there  was 
no  danger  of  the  hearings  be- 
ing abandoned  or  even  changed 
in  scope. 

"This  is  a  complicated  case,"  Welch 
said,  "and  the  Commission  is  trying 
to  be  absolutely  sure  what  we're  pro- 
posing. There  have  been  no  incon- 
sistent positions  taken  yet  by  the  in- 
dustry. Even  if  there  had  been — sup- 
posing the  producers  wanted  one  thing 
and  the  exhibitors  another — it's  never 
been  contended  that  all  parties  in  an 
allocation  proceeding  have  to  say  the 
same  thing.  It's  up  to  the  Commission 
to  decide  any  conflicts." 

The  Commission's  order  Friday,  to 
illustrate  the  charge  of  "apparent  in- 
consistency," quoted  from  various 
documents  filed  by  MPAA  and 
NETTC.  It  said  it  appeared  that  the 
two  organizations  at  one  time  sug- 
gested that  theatre  television  be  on  a 
"special  common  carrier"  basis  and 
at  other  times  on  a  "private  non-com- 
mon carrier  basis."  It  also  appeared, 
the  FCC  said,  that  the  industry  was 
asking  at  some  points  that  theatre 
TV  get  exclusive  use  of  frequencies 
now  allocated  to  common  carriers,  at 
other  points  that  it  get  primary  use 
of  these  frequencies,  and  at  still  other 
points  that  it  share  frequencies  allo- 
cated to  industrial  services. 

The  Commission  said  these 
different  approaches  gave  rise 
to  many  questions  which  the  in- 
dustry had  not  yet  answered 
and  did  not  seem  about  to  an- 
swer. "In  view  of  the  foregoing 
questions,"  the  statement  said, 
"the  Commission  is  unable  to 
determine  at  this  time  whether 
the  continuation  of  this  pro- 
ceeding as  presently  constituted 
would  serve  any  useful  pur- 
pose." 

Before  deciding  whether  to  go  ahead 
with  the  hearings,  the  FCC  said,  it 
wanted  to  hear  more  definitely  from 
the  industry  on  its  plans.  Counsel  for 
MPAA  and  NETTC  were  asked  "to 
address  themselves  to  the  apparent  in- 


consistencies in  the  record,  to  date  as 
above  reflected  and  to  deal  particu- 
larly with  the  following  questions : 

1.  Assuming  a  common  carrier,  of- 
fering only  a  theatre  television  serv- 
ice, is  eligible  to  use  existing  common 
carrier  allocations  for  such  a  purpose, 
why  is  it  not  feasible  for  theatre  tele- 
vision to  operate  on  the  frequencies 
already  allocated  to  common  carrier 
services  ? 

2.  Why  should  common  carrier  fre- 
quencies be  allocated  to  a  theatre  tele- 
vision service  on  an  exclusive  or  pri- 
mary use  basis,  and  what  justification 
is  there  for  displacing  other  present 
users  of  those  frequencies?  What 
would  be  the  nature  of  the  "special 
common  carrier"  to  which  reference 
has  been  made? 

3.  Why  is  it  deemed  feasible  to 
share  frequencies  in  the  industrial 
services  but  not  in  the  common  car- 
rier services? 

4.  Under  what  concept  would  a 
theatre  television  service  be  estab- 
lished as  an  industrial  service?  What 
standards  of  licensee  eligibility  (not 
qualifications  of  particular  applicants) 
would  apply  to  applicants  for  licenses 
in  such  a  service?  What  limitations, 
if  any,  would  apply  with  respect  to 
the  persons  or  customers  to  whom 
such  a  service  would  be  supplied? 

5.  What  evidence  will  be  intro- 
duced showing  the  extent,  if  any,  to 
which  frequencies  allocated  for  a  thea- 
tre television  service  will  be  applied 
for,  by  whom  such  applications  would 
be  filed,  and  when? 

6.  In  addition  to  the  cost  evidence 
so  far  presented,  which  relates  to  the 
cost  of  transmission  facilities  only, 
what  evidence  will  you  introduce  to 
show  all  the  other  costs  of  service, 
etc.,  which  will  make  it  possible  to 
determine  the  magnitude  of  ultimate 
cost  of  admission  to  a  theatre  patron? 

7.  What  percentage  of  the  time  do 
you  estimate  programs  would  be 
shown  by  theatre  television  on  a  day- 
by-day  basis? 

8.  Is  it  proposed  that  a  theatre  tele- 
vision service  will  provide  programs 
of  only  live  events,  i.e.,  of  programs 
that  cannot  reasonably  be  placed  on 
film? 


Exchange  Unions 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


solved  at  the  initial  sessions.  Israel 
was  accompanied  by  Ely  Drexler  of 
National  Screen  Service,  Larry  Le- 
shansky  of  Warner  Brothers  and  A. 
A.  Schubart  of  RKO  Radio. 

Tom  Murray  of  Universal,  chair- 
man of  the  distributors'  exchange 
operations  committee,  headed  a  group 
to  the  Southern  conferences.  He  was 
accompanied  by  Joseph  McMahon  of 
Republic  and  Michael  Rosen  of  M-G- 
M.  They  are  due  back  in  New  York 
tomorrow  or  Wednesday  when  the 
next  step  in  the  nation-wide  negotia- 
tions will  be  decided. 

It  is  expected  that  the  distributors' 
committee  will  visit  every  exchange 
center  for  the  contract  talks.  Previ- 
ously, the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  and  Stage  Employes  nego- 
tiated the  pacts  on  a  national  basis. 


times  the  ordinary  size  so  as  to 
give  almost  life-like  animation 
to  the  players,  creating  the 
same  feeting  of  audience  par- 
ticipation as  attendance  at  a 
performance  by  living  players 
on  the  speaking  stage,  the 
statement  asserted. 

The  device,  the  company  said,  is 
simple  and  inexpensive,  simulating 
third  dimension  and  imparting  stero- 
phonic  sound  while  requiring  only  one 
standard  35mm.  camera  in  production 
and  one  standard  projection  machine 
in  the  booth.  No  extra  manpower  is 
required  for  projection.  In  addition, 
the  company  claims  there  is  no  dis- 
tortion on  the  screen  from  any  part  of 
the  theatre,  making  every  seat  equally 
favorable  to  the  viewer. 

Basis  of  the  system,  it  was  said,  is 
a  special  camera  lens  which  condenses 
a  distorted,  wide-view  image  on  film, 
and  a  companion  compensating  lens 
on  the  projector.  Installation  of 
curved,  wide  screens  and  some  pos- 
sible re-wiring  of  sound  systems  to 
obtain  the  best  stereophonic  effects  of 
the  device  are  the  only  expenditures 
involved  for  theatres,  apart  from  the 
compensating  projector  lens,  the  20th- 
Fox  statement  said. 

Inventor  Is  Prof.  Chretien 

Rights  to  Cinemascope  were  ac- 
quired by  Skouras  from  its  inventor, 
Prof.  Henri  Chretien,  honorary  pro- 
fessor at  the  Sorbonne  and  the  Paris 
Optical  Institute.  It  was  technically 
perfected,  the  company  said,  by  Earl 
I.  Sponable  and  Sol  Halprin,  the 
company's  technical  director  and  ex- 
ecutive director  of  photography,  re- 
spectively. 

"The  Robe"  will  be  the  first  20th- 
Fox  picture  to  be  produced  with  the 
device  and  it  will  be  followed  by  10 
other  top  productions  in  color  at  rapid 
intervals.  First  release  will  be  Oct.  1. 
Between  now  and  that  date,  20th- 
Fox's  backlog  of  already  completed 
pictures  will  be  released  in  regular 
form,  so  that  there  will  be  no  inter- 
ruption of  film  service  during  the 
transition.  Equipment  will  be  ready 
for  demonstration  to  exhibitors  in 
about  eight  weeks,  it  was  stated. 

Will  Be  Made  Available 

The  device  will  be  made  available 
to  all  studios,  producers  and  theatres 
in  the  U.  S.  and  elsewhere  around 
the  world  as  rapidly  as  equipment  can 
be  manufactured,  it  was  stated. 

Decision  to  switch  20th-Fox  produc- 
tion to  Cinemascope  was  made  at 
executive  meetings  at  the  studio  at- 
tended by  Skouras,  Zanuck,  W.  C. 
Michel,  executive  vice-president;  Al 
Lichtman,  distribution  head,  and  other 
home  office  eexcutives  who  witnessed 
demonstrations  there. 

Name  Barnett  (V-P' 
Of  Cinerama,  Inc. 

Herbert  Barnett,  projection  and 
equipment  engineer,  was  named  exec- 
utive vice-president  of  Cinerama,  Inc., 
the  company  which  holds  the  license 
to  manufacture  equipment  for  Cine- 
rama Productions  Corp.,  the  produc- 
tion-exhibition company. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martm  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  dailv,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  a'ddress:  "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, 
f^?,r?tary=  -l?™es  P-  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollvwood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington.  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  Quigpubco,  London.*  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


"FINE  ENTERTAINMENT!... 
UNUSUAL  AND  FASCINATING." 


—  N.  Y.  HERALD-TRIBUNE 


„ei  Conflict'. 
P^etl  F°tSy  could  only 
^te\:S^nSnby 

rn^PHCONBADand 


"Recommended  as  unusual  and 
fascinating  screen  fare,  it  is  encouraging 
to  see  such  fine  screen  entertainment . . . 

simple  yet  so  well  done." 

—  N.  Y.  HERALD-TRIBUNE 


("The  Bride  Comes  to  Yellow  Sky") 
"A  gem  of  its  kind  . . .  Barbed 
pungency ...  suggesting  a  Rabelaisian 

'High  Noon'!" 

—  N.  Y.  TIMES 


"A  highly  entertaining  picture  that  boasts 
excellent  handling  on  every  count!" 

-  N.  Y.  JOURNAL-AMERICAN 


"THE  BR  ffiRY-- 

TO  ^SwBlE  STEELE 
in»odwi«8^R  WATSON 


'A  thoroughly  satisfactory  picture! 

Unusual  venture!" 

—  N.  Y.  WORiD-7ELEGR/\A^  &  SUN 


'Engrossing  film.  Unusual 
and  fascinating!" 

—  N.  Y.  MIRROR  MAGAZINE 


("The  Secret  Sharer") 
"James  Mason  gives  an 
impressive  performance . .  .The 
brooding  mood  of  the  film 
is  well  sustained." 
-  N.  Y.  DAILY  NEWS 


ONE  OF  THE  NEWSPAPER  ADS 
FROM  THE  CURRENT,  SUCCESSFUL 
NEW  YORK  ENGAGEMENT. 


Distributed  by 

R  K  O 
RADIO 


Back  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK,  Feb.  15-22 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  2,  1953 


Television- Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


WALT  FRAMER  PRODUCTIONS  are  setting  up  plans  to  pro- 
duce several  Filmed  TV  series,  including  "The  Best  of  Mor- 
gan," starring  Henry  Morgan  in  a  series  of  15  minute  programs  and 
another  series  starring  the  zaniest  novelty  band  in  the  country,  The 
Korn  Kobblers,  currently  in  their  fifth  repeat  booking  at  Jack 
Dempsey's  on  Broadway.  .  .  .  Two  DuMont  programs  were  named 
in  the  recent  M.  P.  Daily-Fcw  TV  Editors'  Poll,  "Twenty  Ques- 
tions" and  "Author  Meets  The  Critic,"  both  of  which  are  directed 
by  Harry  Coyle.  Sotto  voce  to  H.  C. :  this  reporter's  personal  H.  C. 
(heartiest  congratulations).  .  .  .  Some  lucky  music  pub.  is  going 
to  grab  himself  a  Hit  Parade  contender  in  "My  Love  and  I,"  penned 
by  Clay  Warnick  and  Mel  Pahl  on  Max  Liebman's  "Your  Show  of 
Shows"  staff.  .  .  .  Ralph  Paul,  whose  smooth  announcing  is 
featured  on  "Strike  It  Rich"  and  "The  Aldrich  Family,"  flying  to 
Haiti  for  some  swimming  and  fishing.  .  .  .  BMI  has  made  a  deal 
with  United  Artists  and  will  give  a  Number  One  plug  to  "Where  Is 
Your  Heart,"  featured  in  U.  A.'s  great  flicker,  "Moulin  Rouge," 
based  on  the  life  of  the  French  Artist,  Toulouse-Lautrec,  portrayed 
by  Jose  Ferrer. 

&  ik 

The  Hollywood  influence,  a  proven  success  in  the  presenta- 
tion to  John  Q.  Public,  of  new  stars,  pictures,  theatres  and 
special  events,  via  the  glamorous,  colorful  and  well-attended 
"world  premieres,"  had  been  adopted  and  utilized  with  equal 
success   by  the   television  industry.  For 
examples  we  cite  the  opening  of  Mutual's 
TV  Centre  last  year  and  also  the  recent 
festivities  during  the  opening  of  the  new 
TV  City  CBStudios  in  Hollywood.  The 
first  large  industrial  firm  to  emulate  this 
"world  premiere  technique"  is  the  R.  J. 
Reynolds  Tobacco  Co.  which  next  Thursday 
will  televise  the  opening  of  its  new  research 
center  at  Winston-Salem,  N.  C.    The  event 
will  be  described  by  John  Cameron  Swayze 
at  7:45  P.M.  on  TV  for  NBCamel  Cigarets. 
A  full  camera  and  sound  crew  will  accom- 
pany   producer    Francis    McCall    of  the 
"Camel  News  Caravan,"  and  films  of  the 
proceedings  will  be  flown  to  Washington 
and  shown  the  same  night  on  the  NBC  news  telecast.  .  .  . 
Last  week  M.  P.  DAILY  carried  lots  of  info  on  the  results 
of  the  FAME  Radio  Poll  and  there  seemed  to  be  some  con- 
fusion as  to  standings  of  the  nets'  publicity  services.   This  is 
to  confirm  that  M.B.S.  was  voted  in  third  place  with  A. B.C. 
in  fourth  position. 

"ft 

Larry  Storch,  who  is  currently  convulsing  the  audiences  at  the 
New  York  Paramount,  is  ready  for  his  own  TV  show.  And 
insiders  are  whispering  that  two  nets  feel  the  same  way  and_  are 
bidding  for  the  new  comic's  talents.  .  .  .  The  Kevin  Kennedys 
(he's  WPIX's  ace  news  reporter  and  announcer)  have  welcomed 
Sir  Stork's  (printer,  careful  now,  NOT  Storch)  fifth  visit.  Wee 
Colleen's  name  is  Maureen  Rita.  .  .  .  The  Jean  Hersholts  in 
town  en  route  to  Washington  where  he'll  present  his  valued  at 
$100,000  Hans  Christian  Andersen  collection  to  the  Library  of 
Congress.  They'll  return  to  Hollywood  and  "Doctor  Christian" 
series  Feb.  17.  .  .  .  MBSportscaster  Harry  Wismer  nozv  doing 
20  radio  and  TV  shows  a  week.  .  .  .  Producer  Marion  Gering 
of  G.  L.  Enterprises  will  co-produce  a  series  of  filmed  TV  thrillers, 
"Theatre  of  the  Doomed,"  with  Dr.  Sandro  Pallavicini  of  INCOM, 
Rome.  Films  will  be  made  in  Italy  and  France  with  scripts  by 
Audrey  Wisberg  and  versions  will  be  in  English,  French  and 
Italian.  .  .  .  C omposer-organist  Elmo  Russ  reports  from  Canada 
that  Pyramid  Recording  star  Buddy  Costa  is  headed  for  early 
stardom,  if  his  current  show-stopping  theatre  tour  in  Toronto, 
Quebec  and  Montreal  is  a  barometer.  .  .  .  Leave  'em  with,  a 
smile  Dep't. :  Scripter  Alan  Sands  ses:  "No  matter  how  flat  your 
conversation  is,  a  woman  likes  to  have  it  flatter."  .  .  .  "Accord- 
ing to  the  latest  magazines  in  my  dentist's  waiting  room,  we  are 
about  to  win  the  war- — -that  is,  World  War  2." 


Extended  Run  for 
'Rouge'  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  1.  —  Federal 
Judge  Michael  L.  Igoe  at  the 
weekend  granted  an  extended 
first  run  to  United  Artists' 
"Moulin  Rouge,"  but  made  the 
proviso  that  it  would  have  to 
be  withheld  from  release  un- 
til "Peter  Pan"  has  finished 
its  first  Chicago  showing,  in- 
asmuch as  he  feels  that 
"there  are  too  many  pictures 
getting  extended  runs." 

Judge  Igoe  also  said  today 
that  he  will  not  permit  any 
more  than  two  pictures  to 
play  extended  first  runs  in 
Chicago  at  any  one  time.  He 
offered  the  same  terms  to 
Warner  Brothers  on  "The 
Jazz  Singer,"  but  they  have 
not  indicated  whether  they 
will  be  satisfied  with  such  an 
arrangement. 


Seeks  25%  Hike  for 
Railway  Express 

Washington,  Feb.  1.  —  The 
Railway  Express  Agency  has 
asked  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Commission  to  approve 
another  boost  in  express 
rates,  averaging  about  25  per- 
cent. 


Heavy  Star-building 
Plans  Set  by  Para. 


Paramount  has  launched  a  star- 
building  program  "that  exceeds  any 
undertaking  of  its  kind  in  the  com- 
pany's history,"  Russell  Holman, 
Eastern  production  manager,  disclosed 
at  the  Paramount  division  and  branch 
managers  sales  meeting  which  ended 
here  yesterday  after  a  full  week  of 
sessions. 

Paramount  president  Barney  Bala- 
ban  and  distribution  head  A.  W. 
Schwalberg  expressed  their  approval 
of  the  program. 

New  film  personalities  "on  whose 
development  as  big  boxoffice^  names 
Paramount  will  concentrate"  were 
named  by  Holman  as  :  Rosemary  Cloo- 
ney,  Audrey  Hepburn,  Pat  Crowley, 
Joanne  Gilbert,  Joan  Taylor,  Brian 
Keith,  Yul  Brynner,  Gene  Barry,  Au- 
drey Dalton,  Joan  Elan,  Dorothy 
Bromiley,  Tom  Morton,  Mylee  Hau- 
lani,  and  others. 

Rose  Tees  Off  First 
Of  Program  in  April 

David  E.  Rose  will  start  the  first 
picture  of  his  1953  program  in  April, 
the  independent  producer  said  here 
upon  his  arrival  from  London  at  the 
weekend.  Titled  "African  Rifles,"  the 
feature  will  be  shot  on  location  in 
Kenya. 

Rose,  whose  "Sea  Devils"  will  be 
released  by  RKO  Radio,  will  discuss 
distribution  of  the  three  pictures  on 
this  year's  slate  during  his  current 
visit.  He  expects  to  get  under  way 
with  "Lawrence  of  Arabia"  in  the  fall, 
when  he  will  send  a  company  to  the 
Middle  East.  The  third  picture,  as 
yet  untitled,  will  be  produced  in  Eng- 
land and  France  by  Raoul  Walsh. 
Rose  leaves  tomorrow  for  confer- 
ences with  Walsh  in  Hollywood. 

Lubin,  Roxy  Builder f 
Dies  on  the  Coast 

Hollywood,  Feb.  1.  —  Herbert 
Lubin,  a  pioneer  in  the  film  industry 
who,  as  president  of  the  Associated 
Pictures  Corp.,  built  the  Roxy  The- 
atre in  New  York  in  1926,  died  here 
on  Thursday  at  Cedars  of  Lebanon 
Hospital  at  the  age  of  66. 

Associated  with  the  Metro  organi- 
zation in  1916  and  later  with  First 
National  Pictures,  he  retired  from  the 
industry  in  1927  after  selling  the  Roxy 
to  Fox  Theatres  Corp.  He  is  survived 
by  the  widow  and  four  sons. 


Robert  Ellsworth,  58 

Robert  J.  Ellsworth,  58,  M-G-M 
salesman  in  the  New  York  exchange, 
died  Friday  at  Physicians  Hospital 
in  Jackson  Heights,  L.  I.  He  con- 
tracted pneumonia  after  undergoing  a 
reducing  diet.  Ellsworth  had  been 
with  M-G-M  since  1919  when  he  be- 
came a  booker.  He  is  survived  by 
his  widow,  a  son  and  two  daughters. 


20th  Names  Bond 

The  appointment  of  Clayton  Bond, 
Jr.,  as  national  TV  sales  representa- 
tive for  20th  Century-Fox  was  dis- 


closed at  the  weekend  by  Lem  Jones, 
short  subjects  sales  manager.  He  re- 
places Phil  Williams,  who  resigned  to 
join  Ziv  Television  Productions  in 
Texas. 


Tan'  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

manager,  in  commenting  on  the  scope 
of  the  campaign,  pointed  to  the  pic- 
ture's box-office  potential  to  exhibitors. 
H.  T.  Heiser,  manager  of  the  char- 
acter merchandising  phase  of  the  cam- 
paign, noted  that  52  manufacturers 
comprising  58  per  cent  of  all  Disney 
licencees  were  making  "Peter  Pan" 
merchandise,  while  an  additional  12  to 
14  manufacturers  were  expected  to  be 
added  before  the  end  of  1953. 

Vincent  Jefferds,  film  merchandis- 
ing manager  for  Disney,  estimated  that 
advertising  tie-ins  represented  a  total 
expenditure  of  more  than  $5,000,000 
by  12  organizations. 

Boasberg,  at  the  trade  press 
luncheon  at  Toots  Shors,  said  that 
the  picture  would  be  pre-released, 
opening  simultaneously  on  Feb.  11  at 
the  Roxy  here  and  the  State  Lake, 
Chicago.  Later  in  February,  the  pic- 
ture would  open  in  Boston,  other  New 
England  cities,  Washington,  Cincin- 
nati and  Cleveland,  he  said.  Other 
releases  will  be  held  up  until  March 
on  the  East  and  West  Coasts  and  in 
Canada,  to  catch  the  Easter  trade. 

A  A  Negotiating  for 
' 3-D'  Commitment 

Hollywood,,  Feb.  1.  —  The  three- 
dimension  bandwagon  rolled  along 
steadily  at" the  weekend  with  the  Pjne- 
Thomas  production  team  disclosing 
that  a  second  film  for  Paravision  will 
be  "Three  Sisters  from  Seattle,"  with 
John  Payne  and  Rhonda  Fleming 
starred. 

Allied  Artists  executives  are  nego- 
tiating for  a  three-dimension  equip- 
ment commitment,  but  no  subject  has 
been  chosen  "for  "3-D"  production  so 
far. 

$78,000  for  'Bwana'  in 
1st  Week  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  1. — "Bwana  Devil" 
hit  a  gross  of  $78,000  at  the  B  and  K 
Chicago  in  its  first  week,  the  best 
session  since  the  week  between 
Christmas  and  New  Year  when  the 
ice  show  on  stage  did  $87,000.  The 
figure,  in  the  face  of  unfavorable 
weather  opening  day,  is  very  good  and 
B  and  K  execs  are  looking  forward 
to  doing  close  to  $60,000  (considered 
very  good,  ordinarily,  for  a  first 
week)  during  the  coming  week. 


Monday,  February  2,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


J.J.  Theatres  Trust 
Suit  to  Trial  Today 

The  $3,075,000  triple  damage  anti- 
trust suit  brought  by  J.  T.  Theatres, 
Inc.  and  Luxor  Group,  Inc.,  against 
20th  Century-Fox  and  Skouras  Thea- 
tres will  go  to  trial  here  today  in 
Federal  District  Court. 

The  trial  date  was  set  Friday  bv 
Federal  Judge  Edward  Weinfeld. 
Damages  are  claimed  from  20th-Fox 
and  Skouras  Theatres  since  March  15, 
1941.  The  complaint  alleges  failure  to 
get  the  entire  first-run  split  at  the 
plaintiff's  Luxor  Theatre  in  the  Bronx. 
RKO  Pictures,  Warner  Brothers  and 
Universal  are  named  co-conspirators 
only  because  they  have  offered  first- 
run  neighborhood  bookings  to  the 
plaintiff's  theatres  since  February, 
1949. 

Meanwhile,  a  counter-claim  by 
Skouras  Theatres  against  the  plaintiff, 
naming  Warner  Brothers,  RKO  Pic- 
tures, RKO  Theatres  and  Universal 
also  as  defendants  has  been  discon- 
tinued. 


Maco  Files 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Judge  Gunnar  Nordbve  here.  Maco 
is  asking  $2,250,000  from  the  St.  Louis 
Park  Theatre  and  its  owners,  Harold 
Field  and  Harold  Kaplan,  and  $540,- 
000  from  the  suburban  Hollywood 
Theatre,  owned  by  Charles  Rubenstein 
and  Abe  Kaplan. 

The  counter-claims  were  contained 
in  the  answers  to  the  original  con- 
spiracy cases  filed  last  November. 
General  denials  were  filed  by  the 
eight   major  companies   which  were 


Theatres'  Tax  Plight 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  costs,  increased  maintenance  costs, 
increased  payrolls  and  other  increased 
taxes.  With  a  diminishing  attendance, 
he  said,  it  has  become  more  and  more 
difficult  for  the  exhibitor  to  meet  these 
rising  costs  out  of  the  money  left  after 
the  tax  is  paid. 

Unlike  Grocers 

Moreover,  Boggs  said,  unlike  gro- 
cers or  clothing  stores  or  other  mer- 
chants, exhibitors  cannot  pass  in- 
creased costs  on  to  their  customers 
beyond  a  reasonable  limit,  largely  be- 
cause the  tax  increases  as  the  price 
increases.  He  cited  figures  of  the 
Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  that  the- 
atre admissions  increased  only  13.6 
per  cent  from  1947  to  1952,  while  the 
consumer  price  index  generally  rose 
48.4  per  cent  and  food  prices  went  up 
67.7  per  cent. 

Boggs  presented  specific  profit  and 
loss  figures  for  theatres  in  Arkansas, 
Indiana,  Ohio,  Alabama,  Georgia, 
New  York,  and  Pennsylvania  showing 
post-war  losses  due  largely  to  high 
admission  tax  collections.    He  pointed 


New  ProductionCompany 

The  organization  of  a  new  motion 
picture  production  company,  C-I  Pro- 
ductions Corp.,  was  announced  here 
at  the  weekend  by  duMaresq  Clavell, 
president. 


also  named  in  the  suit.  Maco  charged 
that  the  defendants  in  the  counter- 
claims had  monopolized  product  to  the 
detriment  of  Minneapolis  Amusement. 


out  that  Treasury  Department  figures 
showed  a  14  per  cent  decline  in  ad- 
mission tax  receipts  from  1947 
through  1951  and  declared  that  fig- 
ures for  the  first  10  months  of  1952 
showed  a  further  drop  of  nine  per 
cent.  And,  he  added,  motion  picture 
theatre  admission  taxes  are  usually 
taken  as  representing  65  per  cent  to 
75  per  cent  of  total  general  admission 
tax  collections. 

The  statement  pointed  out 
that  television  competes  with 
theatres  but  is  not  taxed.  More- 
over, Boggs  said,  the  admission 
tax  threatens  other  small  busi- 
nesses, because  "experience  has 
shown  that  when  a  theatre 
closes,  other  business  values  in 
the  neighborhood  decline."  The 
Congressman  also  cited  unem- 
ployment resulting  from  the- 
atre closing  and  the  effect  on 
firms  supplying  theatre  equip- 
ment and  other  items  used  in 
theatres. 

"Even-prosperous  theatres  are  men- 
aced by  this  tax,"  Boggs  concluded. 
"Studios  cannot  maintain  the  quality 
and  number  of  their  productions  if 
their  customers,  the  theatres,  continue 
to  close.  A  drop  in  quality  or  the 
number  of  new  films  will  inevitably 
be  reflected  in  the  business  of  existing 
theatres." 

Meanwhile,  another  Democratic 
member  of  the  committee.  Rep.  King 
of  California,  also  introduced  a  bill  to 
exempt  theatres  from  the  admissions 
tax. 


Stolkin  Deal 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  $150,000  payment  on  Feb.  12  as 
an  indication  of  its  good  faith  to  ful- 
fill its  other  multi-million  dollar  finan- 
cial obligations  to  Hughes.  It  was 
stated  that  if  the  Stolkin  group  meets 
the  $150,000  payment  then  the  original 
agreement,  under  which  the  Stolkin 
group  purchased  Hughes'  26  per  cent 
interest  in  the  company  for  $7,093,040, 
will  remain  in  force.  If  the  payment 
is  not  made,  it  was  reported,  the 
$1,250,000  down-payment  made  to 
Hughes  last  September  will  be  for- 
feited and  the  stock,  now  held  in 
escrow,  will  be  returned  to  Hughes. 

The  $150,000  requirement  is  not  an 
interest  payment,  but  will  be  applied 
to  interest  in  the  future,  it  was  ex- 
plained. If  the  original  agreement  is 
continued  in  force  by  the  payment,  a 
$1,250,000  installment  will  become  due 
next  September,  with  the  balance  due 
the  following  year,  according  to  this 
source. 

Meanwhile,  it  was  reported  here 
that  members  of  the  Stolkin  group 
and  Hughes,  currently  RKO  board 
chairman,  are  slated  to  meet  on  the 
Coast  Feb.  9.  Indications  are  that 
Stolkin  so  far  has  failed  to  find  a 
buyer  for  his  syndicate's  RKO  Pic- 
tures stock,  purchased  by  them  at  $7 
per  share  last  September. 


$6,500  for  'Gambler' 

A  robust  $6,500  was  registered  for 
the  opening  day  of  "The  Mississippi 
Gambler"  at  Loew's  State  Theatre 
here,  it  was  reported  at  the  weekend. 
The  film  opened  Thursday. 


CITY  PLACE  OF  SCREENING  TIME 

ALBANY  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1052  Broadway  2:30  P.M. 

ATLANTA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  154  Walton  St.,  N.  W  2.30  P.M. 

BOSTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  58-62  Berkeley  Street  2  P.M. 

BUFFALO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  464  Franklin  Street  2  P.M. 

CHARLOTTE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  305-7  South  Church  Street  10  A.M. 

CHICAGO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1306  South  Michigan  Avenue  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1638  Central  Parkway  2.30  P.M. 

CLEVELAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1735  East  23rd  Street  8.15  P.M. 

DALLAS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  401  N.  Pearl  Expressway  2  P.M. 

DENVER  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2100  Stout  Street  2  P.M. 

DES  MOINES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1125  High  Street  I  P.M. 

DETROIT  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  479  Ledyard  Avenue  2.30  P.M. 

.INDIANAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  116  West  Michigan  Street  10.30  A.M. 

JACKSONVILLE  FLORIDA  THEATRES  SCREENING  ROOM,  Florida  Thea.  Bldg  2  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1800  Wyandotte  Street   2  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1613  West  20th  Street  J.30  P.M. 

MEMPHIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  362  South  Second  Street  12.75  NOON 

MILWAUKEE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1121  North  Eighth  Street  2  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1201  Currie  Avenue  2  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  82  State  Street  2  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  215  South  Liberty  Street  2.30  P.M. 

NEW  YORK  CITY.  .  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1501  Broadway  (9th  Fl.)  2:30  P.M. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY.  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  701  West  Grand  Avenue  10:30  A.M. 

OMAHA  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1502  Davenport  Street  1:30  P.M. 

PHILADELPHIA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  248  North  12th  Street  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1727  Boulevard  of  Allies  2  P.M. 

PORTLAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  909  N.  W.  19th  Avenue  2  P.M. 

ST.  LOUIS.  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2949-2953  Olive  Street  ?  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE  GJTY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  270  East  1st  South  Street  7.30  P.M. 

SAN  FRANCISCO. .  .PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  205  Golden  Gate  Ave  2  P.M. 

SEATTLE  MODERN  THEATRE  SUPPLY  PROJ.  ROOM,  2400  Third  Ave  1:30  P.M. 

WASHINGTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  306  H  Street,  N.W  8  P.M. 


PARAMOUNT 
TRADE  SHOWS 

Friday,  February  6, 1953 
•      •  • 

BOB  HOPE  •  MICKEY  ROONEY 
MARILYN  MAXWELL 

''''''  in  ' 

"OFF  LIMITS' 

co-starring 

EDDIE  MAYEHOFF 

with  STANLEY  CLEMENTS  •  JACK  DEMPSEY 
MARVIN  MILLER 
Produced  by  HARRY  TUGEND 
Directed  by  GEORGE  MARSHALL 
Story  and  Screenplay  by 
HAL  KANTER  and  JACK  SHER 


it 


Light  housekeeping  .  •  •  a  necessity 


Obvious  to  everyone  may  be  the  fact 
that  not  enough  light  is  getting  to 
the  screen;  or  that  the  sound  system 
is  not  functioning  properly. 
The  reasons,  however,  may  be  varied — 
equipment  failure,  inadequate  house- 
keeping, or  a  drop  in  power  output. 
Aid  in  this  type  of  trouble-shooting  may 
be  obtained  from  the  Eastman  Technical 
Service  for  Motion  Picture  Film  which 
Kodak  maintains  at  strategic  centers 
to  cooperate  with  producers,  processors, 
and  exchanges  and  exhibitors. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  23 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  3,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


A  T  &  T  Cost 
Figures  Are 
Useless:  FCC 


Transmission  System 
Cost  Over  $7,000,000 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — Federal 
Communications  Commission  attor- 
neys today  called  "useless"  cost 
figures  on  theatre  television  trans- 
mission given  in  the  theatre  television 
hearings  by  the  American  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  Co. 

F.  A.  Cowan,  engineering  staff 
manager  of  A  T  and  T's  long 
lines  division,  told  the  Commis- 
sion that  the  company  estimated 
the  cost  of  setting  up  a  Wash- 
ington to  New  York  theatre 
television  transmission  system 
to  be  over  $7,000,000.  The  system 
would  supply  three  simultane- 
ously transmitted  programs  in 
(.Continued  on  page  5) 


High  Court  Upholds 
FTC  on  Ad  Films 


Washington,  Feb.  2.  —  The  Su- 
preme Court  today  upheld  a  Federal 
Commission  order  that  barred  adver- 
tising film  producers  from  making 
long-term,  exclusive  screening  con- 
tracts with  theatre  owners. 

By  a  seven  to  two  vote,  the  high 
court  reversed  a  decision  of  the  Fifth 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  that  the 
FTC  was  wrong  when  it  found  that 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Legion  in  D.  C.  to 
Picket  'Limelight' 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — The  Dis- 
trict Department  of  the  American  Le- 
gion and  other  Washington  veterans' 
groups  have  announced  a  decision  to 
picket  Charles  Chaplins'  "Limelight" 
if  it  opens  here  as  scheduled.  The 
film  is  to  be  shown  by  Roth  The- 
atres. The  veterans  said  they  would 
not  picket  the  film  if  Chaplin  "cleared 
himself." 

Meanwhile,    the    Washington  Post 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


FCC  Decision  Gives  j  £  I R  C  U I T  TOPPERS 

Contested  Denver  j 

Channel  to  Aladdin  HAIL  20TH  S  3-D' 


Washington,  Feb.  2.  —  Federal 
Communications  Commission  hearing 
examiner  James  D.  Cunningham  today 
recommended  that  Aladdin  Radio  and 
Television,  Inc.,  rather  than  Denver 
Television  Co.,  get  FCC  authority  to 
build  and  operate  a  Denver  television 
station  on  Channel  7. 

Leading  stockholders  in  Aladdin 
are  Frank  H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  head  of 
Fox  Intermountain  Theatres ;  Harry 
Huffman,  former  Fox  Intermountain 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


McCarthy  in  SIMPP 
Unlikely:  Arnall 

Members  of  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers 
look  "with  favor"  on  John  McCarthy 
as  an  executive  to  handle  foreign  dis- 
tribution problems,  but  the  big  ques- 
tion is  whether  the  society  can  afford 
to  engage  the  former  head  of  the  in- 
ternational division  of  the  Motion  Pic- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Grainger  Reports 
To  RKO  Radio  Here 

James  R.  Grainger  termi- 
nated his  15-year  tenure  at 
Republic  yesterday  and  re- 
ported to  the  RKO  Pictures 
home  office.  An  RKO  Radio 
announcement  stated  that 
Grainger  would  spend  this 
week  in  getting  acquainted 
with  management  and  opera- 
tions in  New  York  and  then 
would  go  to  the  Coast  for 
executive  conferences  on  pro- 
duction plans. 

Although  it  is  widely  an- 
ticipated in  the  industry 
that  Grainger  will  be  named 
RKO  Radio  president,  the 
company's  announcement  yes- 
terday made  no  mention  of 
his  election  to  that  post  or  to 
the  company's  board  of  direc- 
tors. Under  company  bylaws, 
the  president  must  be  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board. 


Tax  Structure  Changes 
Necessary:  Eisenhower 

Washington,  Feb.  2. — President  Eisenhower  told  Congress  today  the 
Treasury  Department  was  studying  the  tax  structure  to  find  changes 
which  would  aid  industrial  expansion,  and  especially  aid  small  businesses. 

"Many  readjustments  in  existing  taxes  will  be  necessary  to  serve  these 
- —  objectives  and  also  to  remove  existing 


Fly  Resigns  as  MP  A 
Theatre  TV  Counsel 

James  T.  Fly  has  resigned  as  at- 
torney for  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America  in  the  current 
theatre  TV  hearings  before  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  in 
Washington,  it  was  learned  here  yes- 
terday. 

Fly,  who  said  his  resignation  was 
prompted  by  the  pressure  of  other 
business,  stated  that  he  had  notified 
Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president,  of 
his  intentions  last  week.  The  attor- 
ney added,  however,  that  he  would 
be  available  to  the  MPAA  as  a  con- 
sultant. 


inequities,"  he  said.  "Clarification 
and  simplification  in  the  tax  laws  as 
well  as  the  regulations  will  be  under- 
taken." 

The  President,  in  his  state-of-the 
Union  message,  said  reduction  of 
taxes  would  be  justified  "only  as  we 
show  we  can  succeed  in  bringing  the 
budget  under  control."  While  the  mes- 
sage thus  gave  budget-balancing  prior- 
ity over  tax  cuts,  it  did  not  do  so  in 
such  hard  and  fast  terms  that  tax  cuts 
could  not  be  voted  as  soon  as  a  start 
was  made  toward  budget-balancing. 
There  was  no  indication  that  the 
President  meant  that  the  budget  must 
actually  be  in  balance  before  taxes 
could  be  reduced.   The  message  said  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Describe  It  as  Stimulant 
To  Industry;  Cohn  Issues 
Call  for  '3-D'  Uniformity 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

Top  exhibition  leaders  here  yes- 
terday called  20th  Century-Fox's 
Cinemascope  plans  "stimulating" 
and  "exciting,"  as  fresh  third-di- 
mensional news  broke  on  various 
fronts. 

Leonard  Goldenson,  president  of 
United  Paramount  Theatres,  Sol 
Schwartz,  president  of  RKO  Thea- 
tres, and  Richard  Dickson,  personal 
representatives  of  National  Theatres' 
president  Charles  P.  Skouras,  wel- 
comed 20th-Fox's  announcement  that 
it  will  convert  its  entire  production 
output  beginning  Feb.  16  to  the  new 
photographic  and  sound  system.  They 
noted  that  the  process  has  not  as  yet 
been   publicly    shown,    but  endorsed 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


MGM'sSchenck  Calls 
For  '3-D'  Uniformity 

M-G-M  technicians  have  been  work- 
ing on  a  system  similar  to  Cinema- 
scope, the  three-dimension  system  an- 
nounced yesterday  by  20th  Century- 
Fox,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  president 
of  Loew's,  Inc.,  disclosed  here  upon 
his  return  from  conferences  on  the 
Coast. 

To  make  uniform  the  future  presen- 
tation of  pictures  in  theatres  through- 
out the  world,  it  is  Loew's  intention 
to  join  with  20th-Fox  in  making 
available  one  system  for  production 
and  exhibition,  Schenck  said. 


Condon  Resigns  RKO 
Ad-Publicity  Post 

Richard  Condon  resigned  yesterday 
as  RKO  Pictures  Eastern  director  of 
advertising,  publicity  and  exploita- 
tion. His  resignation  came  as  Perry 
Lieber,  newly-designatediHational  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  director, 
arrived  here  for  conferences  from  the 
Coast. 

Condon  joined  the  company  last 
October   as   director   of  advertising, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


TRONG  CONTENDER  FOR  AN  ACADEMY  AWARD!"— Showmen  s  T.  R.  j 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 

Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


HI 


■ 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  3,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

CHARLES     C.  MOSKOWITZ, 
Loew's  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer, returned  here  yesterday  from  the 
Coast. 

• 

Paul  Raibourn,  Paramount  vice- 
president,  is  in  Tampa,  Fla.,  attend- 
ing a  meeting  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Radio  and  Television  Broad- 
casters. He  is  due  back  here  on 
Monday. 

• 

Arthur  Canton,  Eastern  press 
representative  for  M-G-M,  leaves 
New  York  tomorrow  for  Philadelphia 
and  Harrisburg. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  M-G-M 
short  subjects  and  news  sales  mana- 
ger, leaves  Portland,  Ore.,  today  en 
route  to  New  York. 

• 

Herb  Steinberg,  Paramount  home 
office  publicity  manager,  returns  here 
today  from  Boston. 

• 

Sid  Blumenstock,  Paramount  as- 
sistant advertising-publicity  manager, 
returns  here  today  from  Dallas. 

Jeff  Livingston,  Universal  East- 
ern advertising  manager,  is  in  Boston 
from  New  York  today. 


Pillot  Promoted  at 
20th  Century-Fox 

Announcement  of  the  promotion  of 
Leo  Pillot  to  the  post  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox special  events  director  was 
announced  here  yesterday  by  Edward 
E.  Sullivan,  publicity  manager. 

Pillot,  who  joined  the  company  Zl 
months  ago,  following  his  nationwide 
tour  handling  of  the  "David  and 
Bathsheba"  Goliath,  Walter  Talun, 
served  initially  as  wire  syndicate  rep- 
resentative. Last  year  he  was  named 
assistant  exploitation  manager. 


Legion  Puts  Italian 
Film  in  Class  C 

This  week's  National  Legion  of  De- 
cency report  places  one  film,  Italian 
Films  Export's  "Of  Love  and  Ban- 
dits," in  Class  C  (condemned),  five 
films  in  Class  B  and  four  in  Class  A. 

The  Class  B  films  are:  "Bomba  and 
the  Jungle  Girl,"  Allied  Artists ; 
"Jeopardy,"  M-G-M;  "Prince  of  Pi- 
rates," Columbia;  "The  Star,"  20th 
Century-Fox,  and  "Wide  Boy,"  Real- 
art  Pictures. 


January  Tax  Take 
Down  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  2. — City  of  Chicago 
three  per  cent  amusement  tax  collec- 
tions on  theatre  receipts  for  January 
(on  December  receipts)  were  down 
roughly  one  per  cent  from  January 
of  1952,  at  $86,448.76  against  $87,- 
744.90  last  year.  Total  receipts  for 
1952,  as  reflected  by  tax  collections, 
were  $1,043,118.34  against  $1,125,- 
119.69  for  1951,  a  drop  of  slightly  over 
seven  per  cent. 


All  AMPP  Officers 
Are  Reelected 

Hollywood,  Feb.  2.  — The 
Association  of  Motion  Picture 
Producers  today  re-elected  all 
officers  for  another  year  and 
seated  C.  J.  Tevlin  on  the 
directorate  as  the  RKO  Radio 
representative  replacing  Er- 
nest Scanlon. 

Following  the  AMPP  meet- 
ing Central  Casting  Corp.  re- 
elected all  officers. 


Senate  Group  Eyes 
Films  Sent  Abroad 


Washington,  Feb.  2. — A  Senate 
subcommittee  studying  the  govern- 
ment's Overseas  Information  program 
suggested  that  the  subcommittee's 
future  program  should  include  finding 
out  whether  the  U.  S.  film  industry 
is  reducing  the  number  of  films  sent 
abroad  which  might  harm  U.  S. 
national  interests. 

The  suggestion  was  contained  in  an 
interim  report  from  a  Senate  foreign 
relations  subcommittee  headed  by  Sen. 
Fulbright  (D.,  Ark.).  The  subcom- 
mittee is  asking  the  Senate  to  extend 
its  life  from  Jan.  31  to  June  30  and 
to  give  it  another  $25,000  to  finish  its 
work  and  submit  a  final  report. 

The  interim  report  listed  three  ques- 
tions which  the  subcommittee  felt  it 
should  study  in  the  future  in  connec- 
tion with  motion  pictures : 

"1 — Would  the  official  American 
film  program  be  strengthened  by  in- 
creasing the  number  of  (State  De- 
partment) films  produced  abroad? 

"2 — Is  the  technical  quality  of 
American  films  as  good  as  should  be 
the  case? 

"3 — Is  the  motion  picture  industry 
in  the  U.  S.  doing  all  it  can  to  reduce 
to  a  minimum  the  number  of  films 
shown  abroad  which  might  harm  the 
national  interests  of  the  U.  S.  ?  What 
means  can  be  devised  for  improved 
liaison  between  government  agencies 
and  motion  picture  companies  in 
order  to  assure  better  understanding 
of  the  problems  of  each?" 

Only  last  week  the  subcommittee 
released  secret  hearings  which  con- 
tained testimony  from  a  top  State  De- 
partment official  that  the  U.  S.  film 
industry  is  doing  a  better  and  better 
job  in  screening  the  films  it  sends 
abroad  for  material  that  might  harm 
the  national  interest. 


Talks  Recessed  on 
SAG-TV  Negotiation 

A  temporary  recess  in  negotiations 
for  a  new  Screen  Actors  Guild  pact 
covering  the  production  of  television 
film  commercials  has  been  called  fol- 
lowing material  progress  by  both  sides 
toward  reaching  an  agreement. 

During  the  recess  SAG  representa- 
tives and  Eastern  and  Western  TV 
producers  taking  part  in  the  talks  will 
report  to  their  respective  member- 
ships. Meanwhile,  the  SAG  strike 
against  TV  film  commercial  produc- 
ers will  continue. 


Industrial  Leaders 
Aid  Variety  Clubs 
Zukor  Jubilee  Plans 


Leaders  in  all  phases  of  American 
life  are  joining  with  Variety  Clubs  In- 
ternational in  plans  for  the  celebration 
of  Adolph  Zukor's  "Golden  Jubilee" 
dinner  at  the  Hotel  Waldorf  Astoria 
here  on  March  4,  according  to  R.  J. 
O'Donnell,  international  chairman  of 
the  national  tributes,  and  Harry 
Brandt,  chairman  of  the  New  York 
dinner  committee. 

Member  of  the  sponsoring  commit- 
tee named  yesterday  were : 

Hon.  Herbert  H.  Lehman,  U.  S.  Senator 
from  New  York;  Henry  Ford  n,  president 
of  Ford  Motor  Company;  Gus  S.  Eyssell, 
president  of  Rockefeller  Center;  John  M. 
Schiff,  president  of  Kuhn  Loeb  &  Co.;  Os- 
car Hammerstein  II;  William  S.  Paley, 
president  of  CBS;  Jules  Stein,  president  of 
MCA;  Walter  Hoving,  president  of  Bon- 
wit  Teller;  Gardner  Cbwles,  publisher  of 
Look;  John  Hay  Whitney,  industrialist  and 
financier. 

Also,  Jack  Frye,  president  of  General 
Aniline  &  Film;  Peter  Grimm,  president  of 
William  A.  White  &  Sons;  Saul  Schiff. 
president  of  A.  S.  Beck;  Capt.  Edward 
Rickenbacker,  president  of  Eastern  Air- 
lines; Otto  Harbach,  president  of  ASCAP; 
W.  P.  Marshall,  president  of  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.;  Frank  D.  Schroth, 
publisher  of  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle;  Wil- 
liam Randolph  Hearst,  Jr.,  president  of 
Hearst  publications. 

Alfred  Steele,  president  of  Pepsi- Cola 
Co.;  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  Jr.,  financier  and 
author;  A.  S.  Johnson,  president  of  Na- 
tional Carbon  Co.;  General  Ted  Curtis,  vice 
president  of  Eastman  Kodak  Co. ;  Horace 
C.  Flanigan,  president  of  Manufacturers 
Trust  Co. ;  Conrad  Hilton,  president  of 
Hilton  Hotels ;  John  A  Coleman,  attorney ; 
Abe  Lastvogel,  president  of  William  Mor- 
ris Agency;  Herbert  Bayard  Swope,  indus- 
trialist; Joseph  F.  Cullman,  Jr.,  president 
of  Benson  &  Hedges;  Albert  Winger,  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  Collier- Crowell  Pub- 
lishing Co. ;  L.  Jan  Mitchell,  chairman  of 
the  Fourteenth  Street  Association;  Carol 
Shanks,  president  of  Prudential  Insurance 
Co.  of  America 


MP  A  A  Studying 
Industry  TV  Show 

Plans  for  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America's  projected  in- 
dustry institutional  television  show 
are  being  formulated  and  a  draft  of  a 
format  may  be  ready  for  submission  to 
member  companies  in  about  two 
weeks.  The  MPAA,  it  was  reported 
here,  is  seeking  to  assemble  the  proper 
elements  of  a  show  that  will  meet  with 
the  approval  of  MPAA  member  com- 
panies. 

Exhibitor  reaction  to  the  TV  show 
idea  also  will  be  polled.  They  will  be 
informed  that  the  telecasts  will  be 
designed  as  a  business-builder  for  the- 
atres and  not  as  a  form  of  competi- 
tion. 


Screen  Directors' 
Award  to  John  Ford 

Hollywood,  Feb.  2.— John  Ford 
was  given  the  Screen  Directors'  Guild 
annual  award  for  directorial  excel- 
lence for  his  "Quiet  Man"  at  the 
second  annual  awards  banquet  at  the 
Biltmore  Bowl,  with  1,000  industry 
leaders  and  press  members  attending. 
Merian  Cooper  accepted  for  Ford, 
now  in  Africa,  from  the  preceding 
winner,  George  Stevens.  The  Guild 
gave  a  D.  W.  Griffith  award,  newly 
established  in  memory  of  that  pioneer, 
to  C.  B.  DeMille. 


HSTtoSlMPPPost? 
It's  News  to  Arnall 

Ellis  Arnall,  president  of 
the  Society  of  Independent 
Motion  Picture  Producers, 
said  here  yesterday  that  he 
had  received  a  phone  call 
from  International  News 
Service  asking  for  comment 
on  a  report  that  Ex-President 
Harry  S.  Truman  may  take  an 
executive  post  with  SIMPP. 

"It  was  news  to  me,"  Arnall 
said. 


Transport  Tieup 
Averted  in  Canada 


Toronto,  Feb.  2.  —  The  Canadian 
film  industry  was  all  set  for  the 
second  country-wide  railway  strike  in 
nearly  three  years  today  when  the  dis- 
pute was  settled  through  intervention 
of  the  Dominion  government.  Devel- 
opments brought  considerable  extra 
work,  however,  in  making  arrange- 
ments for  emergency  distribution  of 
films. 

When  the  Canadian  Railway  Asso- 
ciation and  the  two  express  companies 
announced  an  early  embargo  on  a 
number  of  shipments,  including  films, 
the  Motion  Picture  Theatres  Associa- 
tion of  Ontario  set  up  16  regional 
depots  throughout  Ontario  for  the  co- 
operative handling  of  prints  which 
were  to  be  rushed  by  road  transports 
of  the  Mavety  Film  Delivery  Service. 

This  plan  was  organized  for  all 
theatres  whether  or  not  they  were 
regular  customers  of  the  Mavety  com- 
pany. Details  were  worked  out  by 
Arch  H.  Jolley,  executive  secretary 
of  the  association,  with  George  Alt- 
man  of  Mavety's. 


'I A'  Board  to  Meet 

A  meeting  of  the  general  executive 
board  of  the  IATSE  will  be  held 
March  2  in  Las  Vegas,  Nevada,  at 
the  Last  Frontier  Hotel.  Richard  F. 
Walsh,  IA  president,  has  returned 
here  from  the  Coast. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


Lana  TURNER  •  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON  •  Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


Warned  Bros? 

THE  JAZZ 
SINGER 


Coloi  bj 


THOMAS  :  LEE 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Eureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  *Sq.,  London.WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


A  CHARLES  J.  FELDMAN  25^ ^W^^^^J^^..f 


db4$  THE  GLORY  AND 
5     THE  FURY  OF 

41  GREAT 

EVERGLADES 
NDIAN 


BARBARA  HALE 
ANTHONY  QUINN  RICHARD  CARLSON 


HUGH  O'BRIAN  •  RUSSELL  JGHNSGN 


A  UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL  PICTURE 


BACK  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK'S  SILVER  ANNIVERSARY,  FEB.  15-22,  1953 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  3,  1953 


Hail  20th-Fox's  '3-D' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  20th-Fox  process  employs  a  special 
camera  and  projection  lens.  The  proc- 
ess is  the  same  as  "Anamorphoscope," 
which  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president, 
described  before  leaving  for  the  Coast. 
Skouras  is  due  back  here  today. 
Columbia  president  Cohn,  in 
his  plea  for  uniformity,  said,  in 
part:  "The  problem  of  third  di- 
mensional depth  and  width  of 
special  screen  concerns  all  pro- 
ducers and   exhibitors.  There 
would  be  havoc  in  the  industry, 
particularly  in  the  exhibition 
field,  if  the  several  companies 
came  out  with  varied  processes 
requiring   different  equipment 
and  theatre  screens  of  different 
kinds  and  sizes. 

"It  seems  to  me  an  effort  should  be 
made  to  develop  a  uniform  process  and 
screen  so  that  all  productions  can  be 
available  to  all  theatres,  and  I  hope 
that  the  industry  will  coordinate  its 
efforts  and  cooperate  to  this  end,"  he 
continued. 

Cohn  added  that  Columbia  is  cur- 
rently experimenting  in  the  third- 
dimensional  field  and  at  present  is  pro- 
ducing "Fort  Ticonderoga"  in  third 
dimension,  in  addition  to  planning 
others.  Paramount  and  M-G-M  offi- 
cials, whose  companies  have  stepped 
into  the  third-dimensional  field  with 
planned  pictures,  could  not  be  reached 
for  comment  on  reported  plans  to  in- 
crease the  scope  of  their  third-dimen- 
sional program. 

Allied  president  Snaper  expressed 
"hearty  agreement"  with  Cohn's  plea 
for  third-dimensional  uniformity.  He 
declined  comment  on  the  20th-Fo>£* 
development,  explaining  that  he  has 
not  seen  the  process.  The  need  for 
uniformity  was  also  underscored  by 
RKO  Theatres  president  Schwartz. 
Snaper  said  that  the  third-dimensional 
problem  was  an  industry-wide  one  and 
must  be  met  on  the  levels  of  produc- 
tion, distribution  and  exhibition. 


Triorama  to  Make  Bow 
At  Rialto  on  Broadway 

Triorama,  a  three-dimensional  film 
process  developed  by  the  Bolex  Co. 
under  the  name  of  Bolex  Stereo,  is 
scheduled  to  be  introduced  at  the 
Rialto  Theatre  on  Broadway  here  in 
mid-February,  it  was  announced  yes- 
terday. The  process  requires  pola- 
roid glasses.  Four  color  subjects  are 
being  provided  for  the  initial  program. 


McCarthy 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Legion  in  D.C. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ture  Association  of  America.  This 
was  stated  yesterday  by  Ellis  Arnall, 
president  of  the  SIMPP,  who  is  in 
New  York  for  conferences  with  repre- 
sentatives of  the  society. 

Arnall  expressed  some  doubt  as  to 
whether  the  SIMPP  could  come  up 
with  a  proposition  that  would  interest 
McCarthy.  He  said  the  matter  had 
been  discussed  with  SIMPP  members 
on  the  Coast  recently  and  that  it 
would  be  further  explored  at  a  meet- 
ing scheduled  for  tomorrow  with  the 
SIMPP's  distribution  committee  in 
New  York.  This  committee  consists 
of  James  Mulvey,  president  of  Samuel 
Goldwyn  Productions ;  George  J. 
Schaefer,  sales  manager  of  Stanley 
Kramer  Productions;  Leo  Samuels, 
sales  manager  of  Walt  Disney ;  Irving 
Lesser  and  Seymour  Poe,  of  Pro- 
ducers Representatives ;  Ed  Peskay, 
of  Popkin  Productions,  and  Frank 
Davis,  vice-president  of  Selznick  Re- 
leasing Organization. 

McCarthy  resigned  late  last  year 
from  the  MPAA  and  is  now  on  vaca- 
tion in  Nassau.  Arnall  said  that 
other  possibilities  for  the  post  would 
be  discussed  at  the  meeting  tomorrow. 

While  Arnall  indicated  that  the  ex- 
pense of  engaging  McCarthy  at  this 
time  might  be  prohibitive,  he  was 
optimistic  over  the  future  financial 
status  of  the  organization.  Members 
pay  dues  amounting  to  Y%  of  one  per 
cent  of  their  gross  revenue  and  he 
pointed  to  the  business  being  done  by 
its  independent  producers  as  a  healthy 
sign.  He  singled  out  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn's  "Hans  Christian  Andersen," 
Walt  Disney's  "Robin  Hood,"  Stanley 
Kramer's  "High  Noon"  and  Harry 
Popkin's  "The  Thief"  as  being  out- 
standing product  in  the  money-making 
class.  The  members,  he  said,  not  only 
pay  dues  to  SIMPP  but  to  the 
MPAA  as  well. 

"It  was  very  encouraging  to  me 
during  my  recent  trip  to  California  to 
see  the  banner  of  independent  produc- 
tion flying  high  despite  the  numerous 
problems  which  the  last  few  years 
have  brought  to  the  industry,"  Arnall 
said.  "As  long  as  independent  pro- 
ducers continue  to  turn  out  pictures 
which  the  entire  industry  and  the  gen- 
eral public  applaud  and  support,  I 
have  great  confidence  in  the  future 
of  our  business  and  particularly  in  the 
opportunities  for  successful  indepen- 
dent motion  picture  production." 

The  society  now  has  36  members, 
the  largest  roster  in  its  history.  Ar- 
nall said  he  expected  more  members 
to  join  during  the  current  year.  It  is 
also  probable  that  the  SIMPP  will 
re-open  its  New  York  office  in  1953. 


Ad  Pacts 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

such  contracts  constituted  an  "unfair 
method  of  competition"  and  so  were 
in  violation  of  the  anti-trust  provisions 
of  the  Federal  Trade  Commission 
Act.  Justice  Douglas  delivered  the 
official  court  opinion.  Justices  Frank- 
further  and  Burton  dissented,  holding 
that  the  FTC  had  not  done  a  good 
enough  job  of  proving  its  case  against 
the  ad  film  companies  and  that  the 
Circuit  court  should  have  sent  the 
case  back  to  the  Commission  for  fur- 
ther proceedings. 

The  i  Federal  Trade  Commission 
originally  brought  proceedings  against 
four  ad  film  companies — Motion  Pic- 
ture Advertising  Service  Co.,  Inc., 
Reid  H.  Ray  Film  Industries,  Alex- 
ander Film  Co.,  and  United  Film  Ad 
Service,  Inc.  With  Commissioner 
Mason  dissenting,  the  Commission 
then  found  that  these  companies  had 
used  exclusive  screening  contracts  to 
limit  the  outlets  for  films  of  compet- 
ing producers,  and  so  to  restrain  com- 
petition and  promote  monopoly.  It 
said  all  exclusive  screening  contracts 
of  more  than  one  year  were  to  be 
considered  illegal.  Contracts  of  less 
than  a  year  were  legitimate,  the  Com- 
mission said. 

The  four  companies  went  to  court, 
and  the  Fifth  Circuit  court,  acting  in 
the  case  of  the  Motion  Picture  Ad- 
vertising Service  Co.,  ruled  against 
the  FTC.  The  Commission  then  ap- 
pealed to  the  Supreme  Court.  While 
the  case  the  court  decided  today  in- 
volved only  the  one  company,  the  de- 
cision will  undoubtedly  be  used  as  a 
pattern  for  other  advertising  film 
companies.  For  example,  the  Com- 
mission has  been  holding  off  action 
on  another  more  recent  complaint 
against  A.  V.  Cauger  Service,  Inc., 
of  Independence,  Mo. 


Tax  Structure 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

President  would  not  ask  to  continue 
wage,  price  and  salary  controls  be- 
yond April  30.  Congress  was  told 
that  material  and  product  controls 
should  be  ended  on  schedule,  on  June 
30,  "except  with  respect  to  defense 
priorities  and  scarce  and  critical 
items  essential  for  our  defense."  The 
National  Production  Authority's  the- 
atre controls  are  based  on  this  prior- 
ity-allocation power.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  tell  from  the  message  just 
how  the  theatre  controls  might  fit  in 
the  Eisenhower  plan,  and  this  will 
have  to  wait  on  subsequent  messages. 

Congress  should  extend  the  recipro- 
cal trade  agreements  and  should  also 
revise  and  simplify  U.  S.  Customs 
regulations,  the  President  said. 


MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane,  New  York 
3720  W.  6th  St.,  Los  Angeles 


20th-Fox's  third-dimensional  move  as 
a  stimulant  to  the  industry. 

In  the  meantime,  Harry  Cohn,  presi- 
dent and  head  of  production  of  Colum- 
bia Pictures  Corp.,  issued  a  call  for  a 
uniform  third  -  dimensional  process, 
warning  of  the  "havoc,"  particularly 
in  the  exhibition  field,  if  standardiza- 
tion is  not  forthcoming.  Loew's  presi- 
dent Nicholas  Schenck  said  Loew|s 
would  join  20th-Fox  in  making  a  uni- 
form system  available. 

In  line  with  Cohn's  plea,  exhibi- 
tion leaders  have  set  a  meeting 
for  Thursday  here  with  officials 
of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
and  Television  Engineers  on 
third-dimensional  problems.  An 
SMPTE  official  disclosed  that 
among  those  who  will  attend 
are  Allied  officials,  headed  by 
president  Wilbur  Snaper,  and 
representatives  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America. 

The  fast-breaking  developments  in 
the  third-dimensional  field  had  reper- 
cussions on  the  New  York  Stock  Ex- 
change yesterday,  with  trading  of 
many  industry  shares  brisk  in  a  rising 
market.  Twentieth  Century-Fox  shares 
rose  a  point  in  heavy  trading  of  over 
41,900  shares. 

Dickson  of  National  Theatres  ex- 
pressed hope  that  the  Roxy  here 
would  be  the  first  theatre  in  the  coun- 
try to  feature  20th-Fox's  Cinemascope, 
the  wide-screen  device  which  is  said 
to  offer  a  third-dimensional  effect  sim- 
ilar to  Cinerama.  Dickson  said  that 
NT  president  Skouras  has  always 
welcomed  innovations  and  would  not 
hesitate  to  make  the  proper  investment 
for  all  NT  houses  if  the  proper  equip- 
ment is  available  and  if  the  circuit  is 
insured  of  a  constant  flow  of  product. 

RKO  Theatres  president  Schwartz 
greeted  20th-Fox's  announcement  as 
"very  exciting,"  but  said  he  would 
have  to  know  more  about  it  before 
commenting  further.  Both  Schwartz 
and  UPT  president  Goldenson  said 
they  were  anxious  to  see  a  demonstra- 
tion of  the  process,  claimed  to  be 
simple  and  inexpensive,  requiring  only 
one  standard  35  mm.  camera  in  pro- 
duction and  one  standard  projection 
machine  in  the  booth.  It  employs  a 
concave  screen  two-an-a-half  times 
the  ordinary  size. 

As  explained  in  Motion  Picture 
Daily  in  mid-January  and  Monday, 


Condon  Resigns 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

publicity  and  exploitation,  when  the 
Ralph  Stolkin  group  held  the  man- 
agement reins.  In  January,  after 
Howard  Hughes,  board  chairman,  re- 
assumed  management  control,  national 
advertising,  publicity,  and  exploita- 
tion headquarters  were  transferred  to 
the  Coast  and  Condon's  post  was 
taken  over  by  Lieber  and  Ellison 
Vinson,  national  advertising  director. 
Condon  remained  for  a  short  while  as 
Eastern  director  before  his  resigna- 
tion. Kay  Norton,  at  present,  is 
functioning  as  Eastern  publicity  head. 

Condon  formerly  was  with  20  th 
Century-Fox  and  Walt  Disney. 


Alan  Curtis  Dies 

Alan  Curtis,  43,  motion  picture 
actor,  died  here  Sunday  at  St.  Clare's 
Hospital. 


editorially  attacked  the  Legion  and 
RKO  Pictures  head  Howard  Hughes 
for  their  opposition  to  showings  of 
the  film.  The  Post  said  such  a  stand 
would  lead  to  the  type  of  thought 
control  which  now  dominates  Com- 
munist countries,  and  that  the  Legion 
and_  others  should  leave  it  up  to  in- 
dividuals to  decide  whether  or  not 
they  wanted  to  see  Charlie  Chaplin's 
films. 


'3-D*  in  Columbus 

Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  2.  —  Loew's 
Broad  will  be  the  first  local  theatre 
to  show  third  dimensional  films.  The 
Broad  starting  Thursday  will  show  the 
Tri-Opticon  third  dimension  subjects. 
RKO  Palace  is  slated  to  show  Na- 
tural Vision's  "Bwana  Devil"  start- 
I  ing  Feb.  20. 


Clooney  Para.  Guest 

Rosemary  Clooney  will  be  guest  of 
honor  today  at  a  luncheon  given  by 
Paramount  and  attended  by  exhibi- 
tors and  trade  press  representatives 
at  the  Hotel  Astor.  The  luncheon 
will  follow  a  screening  of  Miss 
Clooney's  first  starring  picture,  "The 
Stars  Are  Singing,"  at  the  Bijou 
Theatre. 


FINANCING 

Large  Industrial 
Enterprises 

L.  N.  ROSENBAUM  &  SON 
565  Fifth  Ave.,  N.  Y.  17 


Tuesday,  February  3,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Cost  Figures 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

10  cities.  Cowan  estimated  the 
annual  operating  costs  of  the 
operation  at  somewhat  less  than 
$82,000,000. 

FCC  attorneys  said  the  cost  figures 
were  "useless"  unless  they  were  com- 
pared with  "other  methods  of  opera- 
tion" and  unless  they  were  broken 
down  to  the  "ultimate  charge  to  the 
user." 

Cost  figures  given  to  the  Commis- 
sion last  week  by  the  industry  were 
broken  down  to  a  point  that  showed 
that  in  some  cases  the  entire  trans- 
mission set-up  would  cost  as  little  as 
three  cents  a  seat.  FCC  attorneys  said 
today  they  would  like  to  see  a  similar 
breakdown  for  the  A  T  and  T  figures. 

Both  A  T  and  T  and  industry 
spokesmen,  however,  point  out  that  the 
two  sets  of  figures — the  industry's  and 
A  T  and  T's — are  not  comparable. 
Factors  which  have  been  included  in 
A  T  and  T's  which  are  not  in  the 
industry  figures — such  as  a  "protec- 
tive service"  which  would  take  care 
of  anything  going  wrong  along  the 
transmission  line.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  A  T  and  T  figures  do  not  include 
some  items  which  are  presumably  ac- 
counted for  in  the  industry  figure. 

Cowan  told  the  FCC  that  A  T  and 
T  can  meet  the  technical  requirements 
for  theatre  television  transmission  as 
specified  by  the  industry,  including 
10  mc  bandwidth  transmission.  He 
pointed  out  A  T  and  T's  "consider- 
able experience"  in  the  transmission 
of  theatre  television  programs  with 
"successful  results." 

Cowan  declared  that  A  T  and 
T's  TD-2  type  radio  relay  sys- 
tem, which  is  now  used  to  pro- 
vide four  mc  bandwidth  televi- 
sion is  capable  of  transmitting 
a  10  mc  bandwidth  up  to  dis- 
tances of  several  hundred  miles. 

The  TD-2  system  will  be  able  to 
transmit  over  long  distances,  Cowan 
went  on,  possibly  a  distance  as  long 
as  a  cross-country  haul. 

Cowan  contended  that  the  use  of  A 
T  and  T  facilities  to  transmit  theatre 
television  programs  would  permit  the 
development  of  theatre  television  net- 
works "earlier  than  would  be  other- 
wise possible."  It  would  also  permit 
"important  economies  in  operations, 
engineering  and  the  use  of  frequen- 
cies," he  said. 

Earlier  in  the  day  long  lines 
general  attorney  Ernest  D. 
North  told  the  Commission  that 
A  T  and  T  was  not  opposed  to 
theatre  television  but  has  on 
the  contrary,  cooperated  with 
the  theatre  industry  to  develop 
facilities  and  systems  "which 
will  meet  their  needs." 

He  said  that  the  company  did  op- 
pose, however,  the  industry's  taking 
over  for  theatre  television  transmis- 
sion exclusively  a  portion  of  the  spec- 
trum which  is  now  allocated  to  com- 
mon carriers. 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 


WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING  . . . 


F1LMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

r 


FILMACK   

TRAILERS  £ 


630  NINTH  AVENUE.  NEW  YORK 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

with  RAY  GALLO 


Denver  TV 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


A FREE  popcorn  sample  campaign 
currently  being  conducted  by  Fox 
Midwest  Theatres  and  Commonwealth 
Theatres,  both  of  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
is  being  studied  by  the  Popcorn  Insti- 
tute, Chicago,  as  part  of  its  plan  for 
promoting  popcorn  sales  in  theatres. 
Suggestions  from  theatre  owners  as  to 
other  ways  the  Institute  can  help  them 
sell  more  popcorn  are  welcome,  ac- 
cording to  the  Institute's  acting  chair- 
man, Clark  Rhoden.  He  urges  that 
operators  send  such  ideas  to  the  Pop- 
corn Institute,  332  South  Michigan 
Ave.,  Chicago  4. 

• 

"The  Caldwell  Halo  Screen,"  a 
maskless  motion  picture  screen 
with  which  the  edges  of  the  pro- 
jected image  are  "spilled"  off  the 
screen  into  an  illuminated  area,  is 
now  being  distributed  by  National 
Theatre  Supply.  It  was  developed 
by  the  National  Theatre  Screen  Re- 
finishing  Company  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
The  screen  is  placed  two  feet  in 
front  of  a  cyclorama  illuminated  by 
filament  lamps  in  troughs  attached 
to  the  rear  of  the  screen  frame. 
The  cyclorama  has  a  large  central 
opening  of  netted  material  for 
sound  transmission.  Screens  are 
available  for  picture  sizes  from  12 
to  28  feet  in  width  and  are  de- 
livered unassembled. 

e 

A  new  electrically  operated  hydrau- 
lic door  control  designed  to  open 
standard  glass,  wood  or  metal  doors 
instantaneously,  has  been  announced 
by  the  Dor-O-Matic  Diznsion  of 
Republic  Industries,  Inc.,  Chicago. 
Trade-named  the  "Invisible  Dor- 
Man,"  the  system  opens  a  door  as  a 
person  steps  on  a  specially  carpeted 
area  leading  through  the  doonvay. 
The  system  consists  mainly  of  the 
door  control  mechanism,  zvhich  is  con- 
cealed, in  the  floor  and  the  hydraulic 
power  unit  equipped  with  a  General 
Electric  J/2-h.p.  motor. 

• 

For  indoor  theatre  and  drive-in  re- 
freshment service  the  Freez-King 
Corporation,  Chicago,  has  added  to 
its  line  a  new  soft  ice  cream  freezer 
consisting  of  two  complete  freezers 
within  one  stand.  Called  "Model  950," 
the  self-contained  unit  has  two  com- 
pressors, each  operating  independently 
of  the  other.  If  desired,  a  different 
flavor  may  be  prepared  in  each  freezer. 
A  capacity  of  seven  gallons  of  refri- 
gerated mix  may  be  stored  in  the 
stand.  Its  dimensions  are  36  inches 
wide,  24  inches  deep  and  65  inches 
high. 

• 

Also  for  refreshment  service  is 
a  new  fountain  drink  mixer  equip- 
ped to  prepare  five  drinks  at  the 
same  time,  marketed  by  the  Prince 
Castle  Sales  Division,  Inc.,  Chicago. 
Called  the  "Multimixer,"  the  unit 
has  five  spindles  which  operate  in- 
dividually and  only  when  a  drink  is 
in  place.  The  spindles  and  exterior 
are  of  satin-finish  stainless  steel. 
A  drip  tray  beneath  is  also  of  stain- 
less steel,  and  the  base  is  a  hexagon. 


city  manager ;  and  Theodore  R. 
Gamble,  former  exhibition  leader. 
Leading  stockholders  in  Denver  Tele- 
vision are  Denver  exhibitor  John 
Wolfberg  and  actor  James  Stewart. 

The  two  companies  staged  a  bitter 
hearing  battle  for  the  Channel  7 
license.  Cunningham's  decision, 
which  will  become  effective  in  40  days 
unless  Denver  Television  appeals  to 
the  full  commission,  was  the  first 
since  the  lifting  of  the  TV  freeze  on 
any  competitive  hearing.  So  far,  all 
TV  grants  have  been  on  uncontested 
applications. 

Well  Qualified 

Cunningham  said  that  the  directors 
and  officers  of  both  firms  were  well 
qualified,  and  that  the  programs  laid 
out  by  both  firms  were  commendable. 
However,  he  noted,  commission  policy 
emphasizes  three  qualifications  for  T  V 
licenses — local  residence,  participation 
in  community  affairs,  and  integration 
of  ownership  with  management.  In 
all  these  three  areas,  he  found,  Alad- 
din was  superior  to  Denver  Tele- 
vision. 

He  also  cited  Aladdin's  experience 
in  operating  AM  and  FM  stations  in 
Denver. 

Cunningham  dismissed  arguments 
that  Denver  Television  should  be 
ruled  out  because  of  Wolfberg's 
theatre  ownership.  He  said  the 
"meager  evidence"  that  was  intro- 
duced on  the  issue  of  substantial  com- 
petition between  motion  picture  ex- 
hibition and  TV  broadcasting  was 
"wholly  insufficient  to  support  a  find- 
ing or  the  adoption  of  a  policy  at  this 
time  that  persons  engaged  in  exhibit- 
ing motion  picture  filiru  .  .  .  are 
unqualified  as  television  licensees." 

The  decision  also  refused  to  take 
note  of  Denver  Television's  claim  that 
Aladdin  was  barred  by  reason  of  the 
anti-trust  record  of  Ricketson  and 
others.  Cunningham  recalled  the  com- 
mission's policy,  enunciated  in  the 
preliminary  Paramount  decision,  to 
ignore  anti-trust  violations  which 
took  place  in  the  "relatively  distant 
past"  and  which  were  not  continued, 
and  declared  that  "on  this  basis, 
Ricketson's  character  qualifications 
are  not  now  found  adversely  affected 
by  reason  of  his  anti-trust  violations 
as  shown  on  the  record."  Cunning- 
ham also  found  no  evidence  of  anti- 
trust violations  by  Huffman  or 
Gamble. 


30  Feb.  Openings 
For  UA's  'Bwana' 

United  Artists'  tri  -  dimensional 
"Bwana  Devil"  has  been  set  for  Feb- 
ruary openings  in  30  key  cities,  Wil- 
liam Heineman,  UA  vice-president  in 
charge  of  distribution,  announced  at 
the  weekend.  Fouf  -other  openings 
have  been  slated  for  March. 

"Bwana"  opened  "Friday  at  the 
4,367-seat  Metropolitan  Theatre  in 
Boston  where  the  first  day's  gross 
was  approximately  $6,200,  it  was  re- 
ported. 


WoolnerSuesMajors 
On  Trust  Charges 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  2. — Drive-in- 
Movies,  Inc.  and  Bernard  Woolner 
Theatres,  Inc.  have  filed  suit  in  Fed- 
eral District  Court  claiming  $150,000 
damages  against  major  distributing 
companies  charging  that  they  are  in 
violation  of  Federal  anti-trust  laws. 
The  suit  further  alleges  that  despite 
demands  the  defendants  have  refused 
to  permit  the  plaintiffs  to  exhibit  pic- 
tures on  a  second-run  basis  without 
imposing  clearance  restrictions  in 
favor  of  second-run  downtown  thea- 
tres. Defendants  are  Warner  Brothers, 
Universal,  RKO  Pictures,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox, Paramount  Pictures  and 
Columbia  Pictures  of  Louisiana. 

The  suit  is  brought  under  the  Clay- 
ton and  the  Sherman  act.  It  states 
that  the  plaintiffs  are  both  Louisiana 
corporations  and  that  the  majority  of 
stock  in  both  is  owned  by  Bernard 
Woolner  of  New  Orleans. 


327-Theatre  Opening 
For  'Golden  Condor' 

A  total  of  327  theatres  will  par- 
ticipate in  the  mass  openings  of 
"Treasure  of  the  Golden  Condor." 
The  campaign  will  be  launched  start- 
ing tomorrow  in  both  the  New  Eng- 
land and  Pacific  division  areas. 


Detroit  Opening  for 
Cinerama  March  23 

Cinerama's  first  engagement  outside 
of  New  York  will  open  at  Detroit's 
Music  Hall  on  March  23,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  yesterday.  Conversion  of 
the  house  for  the  showing  of  Cine- 
rama began  yesterday  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Joseph  Kaufman,  head  of  the 
company's  theatre  operations. 

The  Detroit  engagement  is  expected 
to  be  followed  by  others  in  St.  Louis 
and  San  Francisco.  Under  Cinerama's 
policy,  the  company  takes  over  a  the- 
atre on  a  flat  rental  arrangement,  leas- 
ing the  four  walls  and  installing  its 
own  staff.  Rentals  are  reported  to  be 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $1,000  a  week. 


IFE  Studio  Opening 

There  will  be  a  special  cocktail 
party-press  opening  of  the  new  Italian 
Films  Export  dubbing  studios  here 
Thursday  afternoon.  Dr.  Mauro  Zam- 
buto,  sound  expert,  will  give  a  brief 
demonstration  of  dubbing  procedures 
to  be  used. 


See  more. ..do  more- 
enjoy  the  best  for  less! 

FLY  TWA 
to  EUROPE  in 
THRIFT  SEASON 

and  SAVE! 

You  can  save  more  than  $100 
on  a  TWA  ticket  to  Europe 
and   return  (through 
March  31).  See  your  travel 
agent  or  call  Trans  World 
Airlines. 

ACROSS    THE    US    AND    OVERSEAS  ... 


FLY 


your 


That's  where  your  "JACK"  is  going L.Up- 
Up-UP...on  the  beanstalk  of  rising  living 
costs.. .and  Up-Up-UP...in  the  cost  of  oper- 
ating your  theatre.  The  Bureau  of  Labor 
Statistics  records  an  increase  of  90.8% 
in  basic  living  costs  since  1939 .  . .  and 
Exhibitors  Digest  shows  an  average 
increase  of  98.9%  in  the  cost  of  theatre 
equipment  and  supplies  since  1940. 

We've  been  hit  the  same  way,  so  we  know 
how  you  feel  about  it . . .  BUT. . .  just  for  the 
record  .  . .  Compare  these  costs  with  the 
negligible  increase,  IF  ANY,  you've  given 
NSS  during  these  years  of  soaring  prices 
.  .  .  and  observe  the  real  "break"  your 
"JACK"  has  received  from  the  Prize  Baby! 


mwmif\  c/em  service 

K_S  p/ttzeenar  of  me  wo  us  my 


VOL.  73.    NO.  24 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  4,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


First  Phase  of 
Theatre  TV 
Hearings  Ends 

Conclude  Testimony  on 
Engineering,  Accounting 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  3. — The  first 
phase  of  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission's  theatre  televi- 
sion hearings  ended  today  with  the 
completion  of  direct  testimony  on  en- 
gineering and  accounting  phases. 
They  are  expected  to  resume 
next  Monday,  when  Motion  Pic- 
ture   Association    of  America 
attorney  Vincent  Welch  and  Na- 
tional Exhibitors  Theatre  Tele- 
vision Committee  attorney  Mar- 
cus Cohn  will  probably  answer 
questions  asked  last  week  by 
the  Commission  in  an  effort  to 
clear  up  what  the  FCC  has  cal- 
led "apparent  inconsistencies" 
in  the  record. 

When  Cohn  and  Welch  have  sup- 
plied the  answers  to  the  eight  detailed 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


SIMPP  to  Press 
Detroit  Trust  Suit 


Standardization  of 
3-D 9  Systems  Is 
Urged  By  Oboler 

By  AL  STEEN 

Hopes  that  the  film  industry  would 
not  kill  the  "golden  goose"  of  tri-di- 
mensional  motion  pictures  by  ignoring 
the  necessity  of  standardization  were 
expressed  here  yesterday  by  Arch 
Oboler,  producer  of  Natural  Vision's 
"Bwana  Devil."  At  the  same  time, 
Oboler  warned  the  industry  against 
processes  that  are  not  "true  three  di- 
mension," stressing  the  danger  of  de- 
veloping depth-less  media  in  order  to 
"make  a  fast  dollar." 

"The  public  is  smarter  than  Holly- 
wood," Oboler  said  at  a  trade  press 
conference  in  the  United  Artists  home 
office.  "There  is  no  way  to  get  three 
dimensional  pictures  with  large  curved 
screens,  special  lenses  or  even  clever 
advertising.   After  the  public  has  seen 

(.Continued  on  page  4) 


Alperson  Reported 
In  Claim  on  4Bwana' 


Attorneys  for  the  Society  of  Inde- 
pendent Motion  Picture  Producers 
have  filed  a  motion  for  a  pre-trial 
conference  in  connection  with 
SIMPP's  anti-trust  suit  against 
United  Detroit  Theatres  and  Co-op- 
erative Theatres  of  Michigan  and  the 
society  is  confident  that  the  litigation 
will  come  to  trial  this  year,  Ellis  Ar- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


New  Bill  to  Exempt 
Theatres  from  Tax 

Washington,  Feb.  3.  —  Se- 
nator Butler  (R.,  Neb.),  a 
member  of  the  Senate  Fi- 
nance Committee,  has  intro- 
duced legislation  to  exempt 
motion  picture  theatres  from 
the  20  per  cent  Federal  ad- 
missions tax. 

This  was  the  second  Senate 
bill  to  propose  such  an  ex- 
emption. Another  similar  bill 
was  introduced  in  the  house 
by  Rep.  Davis  (D.,  Ga.).  Alto- 
gether, 17  bills  have  now  been 
introduced  in  the  House  to 
repeal  or  reduce  the  tax  or 
exempt  theatres. 


A  possible  legal  controversy  involv- 
ing Edward  Alperson,  Arch  Oboler 
and  United  Artists  over  the  sale  of 
Oboler's  "Bwana  Devil"  to  UA  was 
indicated  here  yesterday.  It  was  re- 
ported that  Alperson  claims  that  the 
three-dimensional  picture  had  been 
committed  to  him  and  that  he  for- 
mally had  agreed  to  perform  certain 
duties  in  connection  with  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  film.    Oboler,  on  the  other 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


'3-D'  UNIFORMITY 
MEET  TOMORROW 


Loew's  Gets  4  More 
Months  to  Divest 

Washington,  Feb.  3.  —  The 
Justice  Department  has 
agreed  to  extend  for  four 
months,  until  June  6,  the 
deadline  for  Loew's  to  dis- 
pose of  one-half  the  theatres 
required  to  be  sold  under  its 
consent  decree.  Justice  offi- 
cials said  there  were  25  thea- 
tres in  all  to  be  sold,  and  that 
so  far  Loew's  has  sold  11. 


Representatives  of  All 
Levels  of  Industry  to 
Confer  at  SMPTE  Offices 


See  Grainger's  RKO 
Election  Next  Week 


Formal  election  of  James  R.  Grain- 
ger to  the  presidency  and  the  board  of 
directors  of  RKO  Pictures  is  ex- 
pected early  next  week  by  the  board 
on  the  Coast.  As  the  board  now  has 
its  full  complement  of  five  members, 
as  prescribed  by  the  by-laws,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  either  increase  the 
directorate  to  six  members  or  elimi- 
nate one  director. 

Grainger  leaves  for  Hollywood  at 
the  weekend  for  conferences  with 
Howard  Hughes  and,  presumably,  to 
meet  with  the  board.  This  week  he 
is  dividing  his  time  between  the  RKO 
Radio  home  office  and  winding  up  his 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Ci  nerama  Calls  New  '3-D' 
Methods  'Hasty  Imitations 9 

Cinerama,  which  would  be  vitally  affected  if  the  claims  made  by  20th 
Century-Fox  for  its  Cinemascope  "three-dimension"  system  are  borne 
out,  issued  a  statement  yesterday  commenting  on  recent  Hollywood  an- 
nouncements "including  the  plans  of  one  of  the  major  studios  to  con- 
centrate on  films  of  this  type." 

Dudley  Roberts,  Jr.,  president  of 
Cinerama  Prod.  Corp.,  said : 

"Imitation  is  the  sincerest  form  of 
flattery.  But  we  are  convinced  that  no 
hastily  thrown  together  process  can 
possibly  even  approach  the  dramatic 
power  of  Cinerama,  which  is  the  result 
of  fifteen  years  painstaking  work  and 
the  expenditure  of  more  than  eight 
and  a  half  million  dollars." 

"We  of  Cinerama  are  delighted  that 
we  have  precipitated  a  revolution  in 
the  motion  picture  industry,  but  we 
think  the  public  is  entitled  to  know 
that   there   is   only   one  Cinerama," 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

The  first  all-industry  meeting 
aimed  at  effecting-  the  standardiza- 
tion of  third-dimensional  processes 
will  get  underway  here  tomorrow 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Society  of 
Motion  Picture  and  Television  En- 
gineers. 

The  meeting  was  called  on  the 
heels  of  a  plea  for  uniformity 
issued  by  Nicholas  M.  Schenck, 
president  of  Loew's,  Inc.,  and 
Harry  Cohn,  president  of  Col- 
umbia Pictures  Corp. 

Attending  tomorrow's  meeting, 
which  will  get  underway  at  10 :30 
A.M.  at  SMPTE  headquarters,  will 
be  representatives  from  Allied  States 
Association,  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica, Independent  Theatre  Owners  As- 
sociation, Metropolitan  Motion  Pic- 
tures Theatres  Association  and  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 

(Continued  an  pane  4) 


Warner  Concludes  2 
Deals  with  Korda 

Hollywood,  Feb.  3. — Two  Warner 
Brothers  deals  with  Sir  Alexander 
Korda  have  been  concluded,  Jack  L. 
Warner,  executive  producer,  an- 
nounced here. 

Under  one  deal  Warners  will  film 
"Dial  M  for  Murder,"  the  current 
Broadway  stage  hit.  Under  the  terms 
of  the  second  deal,  Warners  will  re- 
lease Korda's  production  of  "The 
Beggar's  Opera,"  which  stars'  Lau- 
rence Olivier. 


To  Show  20th-Fox's 
Cinemascope  Feb.  20 

The  first  press  demonstration  of 
20th  Century-Fox's  Cinemascope,  the 
new  wide-screen  process  said  to  give 
a  third-dimensional  effect,  will  be  held 
here  on  Feb.  20  at  the  company's 
home  office,  it  was  disclosed  yester- 
day. 

The  setting  of  a  date  for  a  trade 
and  lay  press  demonstration  came  as 
thousands  of  inquiries  on  the  new 
process  continued  to  be  received  at 
the  company's  home  office  and  ex- 
changes from  exhibitors  as  to  when 
equipment  might  be  available. 


Proof  That  Popcorn 
Isn't  the  Only  Draw 

Chicago,  Feb.  3. — A  local  in- 
dustryite,  hearing  that  the 
Alex  Theatre  here  was  giving 
a  Marilyn  Monroe  calendar  to 
every  patron  and  had  ex- 
hausted its  supply  in  short 
order,  observed  that  it  proved 
the  truth  of  the  industry  say- 
ing that  "There's  nothing 
wrong  with  this  business  that 
a  good  picture  won't  cure." 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  4,  1953 


'Salome'  Set  to  Open 
At  Rivoli  Here 

The  first  date  to  be  set  for 
Columbia's  color  by  Techni- 
color "Salome"  is  the  Rivoli 
Theatre  here,  where  it  will 
open  in  late  March  or  early 
April.  The  film,  which  stars 
Rita  Hayworth  and  Stewart 
Granger,  and  co-stars  Charles 
Laughton,  will  be  given  pre- 
release openings  in  key  cities 
across  the  country  for  Easter, 
backed  by  the  company's 
most  extensive  advertising 
and  promotion  campaign. 


Personal 
Mention 

ROBERT  BENJAMIN,  United 
Artists  board  chairman,  has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  a  vacation 
in  Mexico. 

• 

Larry  La  pious,  booker  and  buyer 
for  Warner  Theatre  in  New  Haven 
and  son  of  Jules  Lapidus,  Warner 
Brothers  Eastern  and  Canadian  divi- 
sion sales  manager,  announces  the 
birth  of  a  girl,  Laura  Susan,  to 
Mrs.  Lapidus  on  Monday  in  New 
Haven  Hospital. 

• 

Ruth  Surowiec,  advertising  man- 
ager of  the  Strand  Amusement  Co., 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  circuit,  for  the 
past  10  years,  has  resigned.  Jean 
Fraunberger  succeeds  her. 

• 

Arthur  Israel,  assistant  to  Para- 
mount president  Barney  Balaban, 
has  returned  here  from  Omaha  and 
Des  Moines. 

• 

Charles  B.  Moss,  president  of  B. 
S.  Moss  Corporation,  is  on  the  Coast 
from  New  York. 

• 

Marion  Gering  of  G-L  Enter- 
prises arrived  here  yesterday  from 
Paris. 

• 

William  D.  Kelly,  head  of  M- 
G-M's  print  department,  has  returned 
here  from  the  Coast. 

• 

Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  president  of 
Walter  Reade  Theatres,  and  Mrs. 
Reade  have  left  here  for  Europe. 

IFE  Sets  TV  Film 
Production  Deal 

John  Nasht,  American  TV  pro- 
ducer, and  Thetis  Film,  Italian  motion 
picture  company,  have  concluded  an 
agreement  to  co-produce  nine  26-min- 
ute  films  in  Italy  and  France  for  the 
new  television  series  "Orient  Ex- 
press," it  was  announced  today  by 
Ralph  Serpe,  head  of  Italian  Films 
Export's  television  division.  This  is 
the  first  television  film  co-production 
deal  completed  since  IFE  inaugurated 
its  new  department.  Several  others 
are  now  being  negotiated,  according 
to  Serpe. 

Delivery  of  the  first  three  films  in 
New  York  is  expected  by  March  15. 


Cin.  Rejects  Bid 
For  Tax  Repeal 

Cincinnati,  Feb.  3. — Despite  a  per- 
sonal plea  before  the  city  council  by 
a  group  of  subsequent  run  exhibitors 
headed  by  Frank  W.  Huss,  Jr.,  presi- 
dent of  the  Greater  Cincinnati  Inde- 
pendent Exhibitors'  Ass'n.,  who 
sought  repeal  of  the  city  three  per 
cent  admission  tax,  "because  of  seri- 
ously declining  business,  which  has 
forced  the  closing  of  some  1Z  houses," 
the  plea  was  denied,  on  the  ground 
that  the  city  needed  the  annual  rev- 
enue of  approximately  $240,000,  of 
which  around  $100,000  is  derived 
from  theatres. 


Lippert  Leases  26 
Recent  Films  to  TV 

Hollywood,  Feb.  3.  —  Inde- 
pendent television  station 
KTLA  has  leased  26  features 
originally  released  by  Lippert 
Productions  in  1951-52  from 
Lippert's  subsidiary,  Telepic- 
tures.  The  lease  price  was  re- 
ported to  have  been  $80,000 
covering  unlimited  local  tele- 
casting for  the  next  two 
years. 

Certain  pictures  which  are 
still  in  theatrical  distribution 
will  be  witheld  from  televi- 
sion until  their  theatre  li- 
quidation has  been  completed. 


Set  More  'Moulin' 
Pre-Release  Dates 

Six  key  city,  pre-release  engage- 
ments of  "Moulin  Rouge"  have  been 
set  to  follow  the  New  York  premiere 
of  the  picture  at  the  Capitol  Theatre, 
Feb.  10,  United  Artists  announced. 

It  will  open  at  the  Fox,  Phoenix, 
Feb.  18;  the  United  Artists,  San 
Francisco,  and  Trans-Lux,  Philadel- 
phia, Feb.  19;  the  Fox,  Tucson,  Feb. 
20;  the  Miracle,  Carib  and  Miami, 
Miami,  Feb.  24,  and  the  Orpheum, 
Boston,  Feb.  26. 

Activities  at  the  New  York  pre- 
miere will  be  telecast  over  WJZ-TV, 
8  to  8 :30  P.M.,  from  the  lobby  of  the 
Capitol,  with  Zsa  Zsa  Gabor  as  mis- 
tress of  ceremonies.  A  campaign  of 
125  spot  announcements  on  the  TV 
network  will  precede  the  premiere. 

W.  Pa.  Allied  Backs 
Arbitration  Stand 

Pittsburgh,  Feb.  3. — Allied  The- 
atre Owners  of  Western  Pennsylvania 
at  a  meeting  here  last  week  approved 
national  Allied  board  action  rejecting 
the  arbitration  proposals  as  well  as 
the  board's  statement  deploring  Re- 
public's sale  of  films  to  TV.  The  meet- 
ing, attended  by  100  exhibitors,  was 
presided  over  by  unit  board  chairman 
Morris  Finkel. 

Sherman  Fife  of  Radio  Corporation 
of  America  gave  the  meeting  a  report 
on  the  types  of  equipment  and  booth 
changes  necessary  for  the  exhibition  of 
three-dimensional  pictures. 

'U'  to  Handle  Rank 
Coronation  Film 

Universal  will  handle  the  distribu- 
tion here  of  J.  Arthur  Rank's  "A 
Queen  Is  Crowned,"  the  color  by 
Technicolor  film  to  be  made  of  the 
forthcoming  coronation  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  it  was  disclosed  here  by 
Alfred  E.  Daff,  Universal  executive 
vice-president.  It  will  be  distributed 
as  a  regular  feature  release. 


Ampa  Board  Meet  Today 

The  board  of  directors  of  the  Asso- 
ciated Motion  Picture  Advertisers, 
will  hold  a  meeting  at  the  Blue  Rib- 
bon Restaurant  here  at  12:45  P.M., 
today  to  discuss  plans  for  spring  ses- 
sions. Harry  K.  Mc Williams,  AMPA 
president,  will  preside. 


Para.'s  Schwalberg 
Bids  Industry  to 
Develop  New  Stars 


A  call  to  the  industry  to  develop 
new  stars  with  wide  popular  appeal 
was  issued  here  yesterday  by  Alfred 
W.  Schwalberg,  president  of  Para- 
mount Film  Distributing  Corp. 

In  a  brief  introductory  address  for 
Rosemary  Clooney,  who  is  featured 
in  Paramount's  "The  Stars  Are  Sing- 
ing," Schwalberg  told  exhibitors 
present  at  a  Hotel  Astor  luncheon  for 
Miss  Clooney  that  Paramount  wel- 
comes the  arrival  of  new  personalities 
of  all  companies.  Such  personalities, 
he  added,  are  vital  to  the  popularity 
of  films. 

He  said  "The  Stars  Are  Singing" 
opened  in  28  engagements  last  week 
and  the  grosses  are  excellent.  Miss 
Clooney  left  for  Philadelphia  after 
the  luncheon  to  continue  a  personal 
appearance  tour. 


Green  to  Profit  by 
20th  Stock  Rise 


Charles  Green,  financier  who  has 
engaged  in  many  proxy  battles,  stands 
to  profit  by  the  stock  market  rise  ex- 
perienced following  20th  Century- 
Fox's  Cinemascope  third-dimensional 
announcement,  trade  quarters  pointed 
out. 

Green  owns  and  controls  more  than 
20,000  shares  of  20th-Fox  common, 
acquired  before  the  Cinemascope  de- 
velopment. His  stock  ownership  was 
pointed  up  in  the  past  in  conjunction 
with  his  probable  intentions  to  chal- 
lenge the  management  of  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  president,  in  a  forthcoming 
proxy  battle.  The  company's  stock 
gained  two  points  per  share  since  last 
Friday.  Green  is  believed  to  have 
been  buying  heavily  in  preparation  for 
a  proxy  battle. 

Quebec  Set  for  Dual 
Premiere  of  'Confess' 

The  world  premiere  of  Alfred 
Hitchcock's  "I  Confess"  has  been  set 
by  Warner  Bros,  for  the  Capitol  and 
Cartier  theatres  in  Quebec,  Feb.  12. 
The  premieres  will  be  followed  the 
next  day  by  an  opening  of  the  picture 
at  the  Palace,  Montreal.  The  film 
was  shot  on  location  in  Quebec. 

Plans  are  being  made  for  the  ap- 
pearance of  Hollywood  personalities, 
local  civic  and  industry  leaders  to 
attend  the  premiere. 

Submit  Bids  on 
Awards  Sponsorship 

Hollywood,  Feb.  3. — The  commit- 
tee appointed  by  the  Academy  board 
to  consider  offers  for  television-radio 
sponsorship  of  the  Academy  Awards 
event  March  19,  and  which  has  two  or 
three  such  offers  under  study,  tonight 
was  expected  to  submit  bids  to  the 
Academy  board  of  governors  within 
24  hours.  Reportedly,  NBC's  $100,000 
offer  for  rights  has  the  inside  track 
for  acceptance. 


Harvey  Asks  MP  A  A 
Field  Counselors 

San  Francisco,  Feb.  3. — The  ap- 
pointment by  the  Motion  Picture  As- 
sociation of  America  of  a  "trained 
man  in  every  exchange  city  whose  job 
it  would  be  to  call  upon  and  visit, 
as  often  as  possible,  every  theatre 
|  owner  and  manager  in  his  district," 
is  advocated  by  exhibitor  leader  Rotus 
Harvey. 

Harvey  suggests  that  the  MPAA 
set  up  a  committee  in  which  trained 
men  "could  intelligently  discuss  pres- 
ent and  future  pictures  from  all  com- 
panies, confer  on  theatre  operation, 
public  relations  and  listen  to  exhibitor 
'beefs'." 

These  men,  Harvey  asserts,  should 
be  sympathetic  and  helpful  and,  being 
a  representative  of  MPAA  and  not 
from  any  one  company,  would-be  wel- 
comed by  every  theatre. 

Stars  to  Denver  for 
'Spur'  Premiere 

Denver,  Feb.  3.  —  The  first  of 
M-G-M's  Hollywood  contingent  to 
arrive  here  for  the  "Hollywood  in  the 
Rockies"  premiere  of  "The  Naked 
Spur"  is  Polly  Bergen,  accompanied 
by  Bobby  Tucker  of  the  studio  music 
department.  She  will  be  followed  on 
Friday  by  James  Stewart  and  Vera- 
Ellen,  who  will  make  appearances  at 
the  Paramount  Theatre.  Howard 
Strickling,  studio  publicity  head, 
director  Anthony  Mann  and  producer 
William  Wright  will  also  arrive 
Friday. 

Norcop  20th's  Ass't 
Exploitation  Head 

John  Norcop  has  been  named  assis- 
tant exploitation  manager  of  20th 
Century-Fox  succeeding  Leo  Pillot, 
named  special  events  director  for  the 
company,  exploitation  manager  Rod- 
ney Bush  disclosed  here  yesterday. 
Norcop,  who  assumes  his  new  duties 
immediately,  was  formerly  a  member 
of  the  Western  division  exploitation 
staff. 


Buys  Republic  Stock 

Douglas  T.  Yates,  a  director  of 
Republic  Pictures,  purchased  250 
shares  of  common  stock  of  the  com- 
pany in  December,  bringing  his  direct 
holdings  to  2,360  shares,  the  Securi- 
ties and  Exchange  Commission  re- 
ported. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quiglev,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsay e,  Consulting;  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing1  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Eureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FT  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington.  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quig'ey  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times-a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  singJe  copies,  10c. 


M-G-M  presents  HUMPHREY  BOGART  •  JUNE  ALLYSON  in  "BATTLE  CIRCUS",  with  Keenan  Wynn  •  Robert  Keith  •  Screen 
Play  by  Richard  Brooks  •  Based  on  a  Story  by  Allen  Rivkin  and  Laura  Kerr  •  Directed  by  Richard  Brooks  •  Produced  by  Pandro  S.  Berman 

— ,  ★   

FLASH!  M-G-M' s  "JEOPARDY"  TERRIFIC  IN  FIRST  25  DATES! 

Watch  for  more  news  of  Barbara  Stanwyck  thriller.  Sure-fire  exploitation  hit! 


(All  together  for  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22,  1953) 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  4,  1953 


Uniformity 

(Continued  from  page  1)  

ica.  The  Society  of  Independent  Mo- 
tion Picture  Producers  may  also  be 
represented,  if  Ellis  G.  Arnall,  presi- 
dent is  available,  it  was  learned. 

The  SMPTE,  which  considers  the 
need  for  standardization  in  the  mush- 
rooming third-dimensional  field  im- 
perative, will  have  members  of  its 
newly-formed  stereoscopic  committee 
at  the  meeting.  An  SMPTE  spokes- 
man said  yesterday  its  slate  of  com- 
mitteemen who  will  be  present  to- 
morrow has  not  been  selected  as  yet, 
explaining  that  many  members  are  out 
of  town.  The  committee  is  headed  by 
Jack  A.  Norling,  of  the  Loucks  and 
Norling  Studios. 

The  tentative  agenda,  it  was 
learned,  calls  for  a  discussion 
of  the  various  third-dimensional 
processes  now  in  use,  the  need 
for  co-ordination  on  all  levels 
of  the  industry,  production,  dis- 
tribution and,  exhibition,  the 
importance  of  standardization 
and  the  possibility  that  SMPTE 
may  act  as  the  liaison  group  to 
achieve  such  standardization. 

Loew's  president  Schenck,  in  his  ap- 
peal for  uniformity,  announced  that 
his  company  intends  to  join  with  20th 
Century-Fox  in  making  available  one 
system  for  production  and  exhibition. 
He  referred  to  20th-Fox's  Cinemas- 
scope,  the  wide-screen  system  said  to 
give  a  third-dimensional  effect.  Col- 
umbia president  Cohn  warned  of  the 
havoc,  especially  in  exhibition,  if 
standardization  is  not  effected. 

The  following  are  slated  to  attend 
the  SMPTE  meet:  Wilbur  Snaper, 
Allied  president;  Harry  Brandt, 
ITOA  president;  Manny  Frisch  and 
D.  John  Phillips,  MMPTA  president 
and  executive-director,  respectively, 
and  John  B.  McCullough  of  MPA. 

Equip  Four  in  Buffalo 
Area  for  '3-D'  Showing 

Buffalo,  Feb.  3. — Three  dimension 
equipment  is  being  installed  in  the 
State  in  Ithaca,  operated  by  the  Ber- 
instein  brothers;  the  Batavia  in  Ba- 
tavia,  a  Dipson  theatre ;  the  Albion 
in  Albion,  of  which  Charlie  Martina 
is  the  owner,  and  the  Bellevue  in  Nia- 
gara Falls,  a  Shea  circuit  house. 

Evergreen  Circuit 
Installing  '3-D'  Screens 

Seattle,  Feb.  3. — William  H. 
Thedford,  executive  vice-president  of 
Evergreen  Theatres,  reports  that  Pa- 
lorama  screens  will  be  installed  in 
many  of  the  company's  houses  in 
Washington  and  Oregon,  at  a  total 
estimated  cost  of  $100,000.  They  are 
intended  for  use  with  the  new  '3-D' 
systems. 


Sees  No  Big  Shift 
In  RKO  Publicists 

There  will  be  no  wholesale 
lay-offs  in  RKO  Pictures'  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  depart- 
ments, Perry  Lieber,  national 
director  of  publicity  and  ex- 
ploitation, said  here  yester- 
day. 

Lieber,  here  from  his  Coast 
headquarters  to  coordinate 
activities  in  the  home  office, 
added  that,  in  all  probability, 
there  will  be  a  few  changes 
in  personnel.  These  changes, 
he  said,  should  be  effected  to- 
day. He  expects  to  return  to 
the  Coast  on  Friday. 


Oboler  on '3-D' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Cinerama 

(Continued  from-  page  1) 


Roberts  stated. 

An  executive  spokesman  for  20th 
Century-Fox,  asked  to  comment  on 
the  Cinerama  statement,  said:  "When 
a  major  company  such  as  ours  an- 
nounces that  a  production  schedule  of 
11  features,  aggregating  an  expendi- 
ture of  at  least  $25,000,000,  will  be 
made  for  Cinemascope,  you  can  be 
sure  it  is  not  a  hastily  thrown  to- 
gether process.  Moreover,  the  inven- 
tor has  worked  on  it  25  years." 

Answered  Cohn 

The  spokesman  also  said  that  20th- 
Fox  answered  Columbia  president 
Harry  Cohn's  appeal  for  uniform 
standards  in  "3-D''  equipment  in  its 
original  announcement. 

"Our  announcement  said  that  Cine- 
mascope would  be  made  available  to 
all  companies,  producers  and  theatres 
as  rapidly  as  equipment  is  available. 
Columbia  will  use  Cinemascope.  So 
will  MGM." 

Cinerama  stock  has  weakened  in 
the  market  since  the  20th-Fox  an- 
nouncement of  Cinemascope.  The 
unlisted  shares  were  quoted  at  a  frac- 
tion over  $3  bid  yesterday,  compared 
with  a  price  of  over  $5  last  week. 

Return  Delayed 

Spyros  Skouras,  20th-Fox  presi- 
dent; W.  C.  Michel,  executive  vice- 
president,  and  Al  Licntin^n,  nead  of 
distribution,  were  delayed  by  bad  fly- 
ing conditions  in  their  return  here 
yesterday  from  the  Coast,  where  dem- 
onstrations of  Cinemascope  were 
given.  They  were  scheduled  to  ar- 
rive here  last  night. 

Earl  I.  Sponable,  technical  expert 
for  20th-Fox,  who  is  credited  with 
contributing  development  work  to 
Cinemascope,  has  gone  to  Paris  from 
Hollywood,  presumably  on  further  de- 
velopments in  connection  with  the  new 
camera  and  projector  lens. 


National 


the  real  '3-D'  they  won't  accept  a 
substitute." 

Oboler,  who  has  spent  the  last 
several  years  in  experimenting  with 
three  dimensional  pictures,  said  that 
the  industry  must  suffer  through  a 
certain  amount  of  "labor  pains"  in  or- 
der to  achieve  the  real  thing.  With- 
out a  new  physical  principle,  there  is 
no  chance,  in  the  immediate  future, 
at  least,  to  achieve  true  depth  in  pic- 
tures without  glasses,  he  said.  There 
must  a  lens  for  each  eye ;  the  left  eye 
must  be  kept  from  seeing  what  the 
right  eye  is  seeing,  and  vice  versa. 

"This  is  the  industry's  opportunity 
to  pull  itself  up  by  the  eyeball,"  Obo- 
ler said,  adding  that  the  business  "had 
better  hurry  up  because  television  will 
have  three  dimensions  in  five  years." 
The  cost  structure  of  installation  will 
be  adjusted,  Oboler  asserted,  pointing 
out  that  there  is  no  set  amount  in- 
volved at  present  in  the  interlocking 
of  projectors.  He  said  the  interlock- 
ing expense  at  the  Paramount  Down- 
town Theatre  in  Los  Angeles  was 
only  $20  and  that  he  personally  had 
seen  an  installation  completed  for  a 
maximum  of  $25.  He  admitted  that 
these  were  "freak"  cases,  but  that  the 
average  cost  should  not  be  prohibi- 
tive. 

Exclusive  Rights 

The  distribution  of  Polaroid  glasses, 
for  which  Natural  Vision  has  tne  ex- 
clusive rights,  also  is  a  problem  that 
eventually  will  be  worked  out  satis- 
factorily, Oboler  predicted.  He  said 
he  had  been  informed  that  the  Boston 
engagement  of  another  process  had 
resulted  in  the  loss  of  $4,000  in 
glasses.  He  emphasized  the  need  for 
"good  throwaway  glasses." 

Oboler  predicted  that  within  two 
years,  oO  per  cent  ot  the  pictures 
maue  in  Hollywood  would  be  maue 
for  "3-D"  presentation  and  tne  con- 
version would  be  100  per  cent  in  five 
years.  I  he  next  aavaiiccmciii  in 
"3-D  '  development  will  be  the  pro- 
jection of  the  images  on  a  singie  mm 
strip  through  one  projector,  he  said. 
Looking  well  into  the  future,  perhaps 
Yd.  years,  Oboler  forecast  tnree-di- 
mensional  pictures  recreated  in  space 
electronically,  requiring  neither  screen 
nor  glasses. 

The  production  of  "Bwana  Devil" 
was  a  means  ot  paving  the  way  for 
other  "3-D"  producers  in  overcoming 
obstacles.  The  problems  encountered 
by  Oboler  were  met  and  solved  to  the 
benefit  of  those  who  will  tackle  the 
new  medium  in  the  future,  he  said.  Al- 
though he  has  a  continuing  agree- 
ment with  Milton  Gunsberg,  who  de- 
veloped the  Natural  Vision  process, 
Oboler  said  that  he  had  no  immedi- 
ate plans  for  the  production  of  another 
tri-dimensional  picture.  He  said  he 
would  work  for  a  while  in  doing  mis- 
sionary work  in  connection  with 
"Bwana  Devil"  for  United  Artists 
and  then  would  do  some  writing  in 
New  England.  The  money  realized 
from  the  sale  of  the  picture  to  UA 
will  not  be  turned  over  to  him  for 
three  years,  being  held  in  escrow 
pending  determination  of  the  capital 
gains  angle  by  the  Internal  Revenue 
Department. 

Max  Youngstein,  UA  vice-presi- 
dent in  charge  of  advertising-publicity, 
who  attended  the  interview,  said 
"Bwana"  had  been  booked  in  more 
than  300  situations  to  date. 


Pre-Selling 


PHOTOPLAY'S  GOLD  MEDAL 
AWARD  winners  are  listed  in  its 
March  issue.  The  presentation  of  the 
awards  will  take  place  at  the  Bev- 
erly Hills  Hotel,  Beverly  Hills,  on 
Feb.  9.  The  readers  of  Photoplay 
have  voted  Susan  Hayward  as  the 
Most  Popular  Actress;  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "With  a  Song  in  My  Heart," 
Most  Popular  Picture,  and  Gary 
Cooper,  Most  Popular  Actor.  Special 
awards  are  being  presented  to  Mari- 
lyn Monroe,  Dean  Martin  and  Jerry 
Lewis  and  William  Goetz. 

• 

The  Feb.  15  issue  of  Parade  will 
have  a  full-color  picture  of  Dick 
Powell  and  June  Allyson,  his  wife. 
Also  in  this  issue  is  a  story  of  Dick 
Powell's  career,  including  his  new 
job  as  a  director.  Dick  both  sold 
the  story  and  directed  "Split  Sec- 
ond" for  RKO  Radio,  now  ready  for 
release. 

• 

In  the  current  issue  of  Redbook 
"Above  a}id  Beyond,"  "Mississippi 
Gambler"  and  "The  Stooge"  are  re- 
viewed by  Florence  Somers,  the 
magazine's  film  editor.  Also  in  this 
issue  is  a  table  of  contents-page  ad  on 
"Jeopardy"  starring  Barbara  Stan- 
wyck. 

Double-page  ads  publicizing  the 
premiere  of  Bette  Davis  in  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "The  Star"  at  the  Rivoli 
Theatre  here  were  placed  in  the 
J ournal- American,  Post,  Times,  Her- 
ald Tribune  and  Daily  Mirror,  all 
New  York  papers,  by  Gimbel  Bros, 
store. 

• 

Ruth  Harbert  in  the  February 
issue  of  Good  Housekeeping  tells 
how  a  set  director  working  on  the 
"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba"  set 
spent  an  entire  day  making  a  five- 
room  house  look  slovenly.  After  he 
had  left  the  set  at  the  end  of  the 
working  day,  two  studio  night 
laborers  put  the  house  back  in 
apple  pie  order.  When  the  set 
director  returned  the  next  morning, 
he  got  the  shock  of  his  life.  His 
handiwork  was  ruined.  Wearily  he 
went  to  work  to  re-create  the  havoc 
so  painstakingly  achieved  the  day 
before. 

• 

Leo  Rosten  has  written  a  multi- 
page  profile  on  Bob  Hope  for  the 
Feb.  24  issue  of  Look.  Hope  has  just 
completed  "Here  Come  the  Girls"  for 
Paramount. 

m 

The  Walt  Disney  organization  has 
completed  a  mammoth  national 
tieup  on  behalf  of  "Peter  Pan"  with 
the  Peters  Shoe  Co.,  representing 
5,000  Weather-Bird  shoe  dealers 
throughout  the  country.  The  all- 
cartoon  Technicolor  feature  will  be 
plugged  by  the  shoe  company  in 
national  magazines  and  newspapers 
and  on  radio  and  television,  with 
initial  ads  set  to  break  in  the 
March  issues  of  Ladies'  Home 
Journal,  Woman's  Day,  Family 
Circle,  Woman's  Home  Companion 
and  Seventeen.  These  same  pub- 
lications will  repeat  the  ads  in  their 
April  and  May  issues.  Half-page 
four-color  newspaper  ads  are  sched- 
uled for  March  and  April  in  60  Sun- 
day comic  sections. 

Walter  Haas 


Wednesday,  February  4,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Theatre  TV 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

questions  on  the  industry's  concept  of 
a  theatre  television  service  the  FCC 
will  probably  decide  whether  or  not 
to  go  on  with  the  hearings,  and,  if  so, 
whether  to  change  their  focus. 

AT  &  T  Witnesses 

At  today's  session  witnesses  for  the 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.,  Western  Union  and  the  Ameri- 
can Petroleum  Institute  declared  that 
a  theatre  television  service  need  not 
be  confined  to  the  frequencies  pro- 
posed for  it  by  the  industry.  During 
the  theatre  television  hearings  held 
last  October  the  industry  proposed 
three  alternate  spectrum  locations  for 
such  a  service.  Some  of  the  industry- 
proposed  frequencies  have  already 
been  allocated  to  common  carriers ; 
some  to  industrial  services  such  as 
oil  companies,  A  T  and  T  and  West- 
ern Union  declared  that  they,  as  com- 
mon carriers,  could  provide  a  thea- 
tre television  service  which  would 
meet  the  industry  specifications  for 
clarity  of  image. 

Another  witness  today,  George  L. 
Beers,  Radio  Corporation  of  America 
engineer,  told  the  Commission  that 
RCA  would  be  able  to  provide  a  satis- 
factory theatre  television  service  in 
color  using  an  8  mc  channel. 


Grainger 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

affairs  at  his  former  headquarters  at 
Republic,  of  which  he  was  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  sales  manager. 


Review 


Off  Limits 

(Paramount) 

BOB  HOPE  is  teamed  with  Mickey  Rooney  in  this  zany  comedy  that  has 
all  the  tricks  of  the  trade  blended  into  a  riotous  hour  and  30  minutes 
of  slam-bang  fun.  Rooney  is  a  perfect  foil  for  the  flip,  brash  Hope  and  it 
may  well  be  that  Paramount  has  hit  upon  a  combination  that  will  serve  as 
starring  material  for  future  vehicles.  Rooney,  who  usually  portrays  the  flip- 
and-brash  roles,  plays  a  more  subdued  character,  that  of  an  Army  recruit 
with  aspirations  to  become  a  boxing  headliner  under  Hope's  tutelage.  Re- 
viewed at  a  New  York  "sneak"  preview,  the  picture  registered  solidly  with  the 
audience. 

When  fight  manager  Hope's  boxer,  Stanley  Clements,  wins  the  lightweight 
title,  Hope's  ambition  has  been  realized,  but  his  glory  is  short-lived  because 
Clements  is  drafted  right  after  the  title  bout.  In  order  to  keep  an  eye  on  his 
meal-ticket,  Hope  joins  the  army,  too,  only  to  learn  that  Clements  has  been 
rejected  and  Hope  is  a  permanent  fixture  in  the  Armed  Forces.  He  meets 
Rooney  while  going  through  his  physical  examination  and  eventually  they 
become  a  team  of  Military  Police.  This  leads  to  a  variety  of  incidents,  cul- 
minating in  Rooney  being  pitted  against  Hope's  former  protege.  Needless 
to  say,  Rooney  wins  the  bout  under  Hope's  coaching,  even  though  the  ring- 
side coaching  is  done  by  remote  control  as  Hope  is  being  pursued  by  the 
military  law  for  being  A.W.O.L. 

That,  in  a  very  small  nutshell,  is  the  framework  of  the  story.  But  the 
story  really  doesn't  matter,  as  the  entertainment  ingredients  lie  in  the  fast- 
paced  situations  and  dialogue.  The  romantic  angle  is  supplied  by  Marilyn 
Maxwell,  Rooney's  aunt,  who  is  opposed  to  fighting  in  general  and  Hope  in 
particular — at  least  at  the  beginning,  but  she  finally  is  won  over  by  the  per- 
sistent Hope.  A  good  performance  is  turned  in  by  Eddie  Mayehoff,  a  career 
corporal,  whose  strict  adherence  to  Army  rules  eventually  elevates  him  to 
the  rank  of  captajn. 

Hope  is  at  his  best  and  he  is  ably  aided  and  abetted  by  Rooney.  The  pic- 
ture should  be  sure-fire  box-office.  Produced  by  Harry  Tugend  and  directed 
by  George  Marshall,  the  story  and  screenplay  were  written  by  Hal  Kanter 
and  Jack  Sher.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Jack  Dempsey,  himself,  who  plays 
the  part  of  a  referee ;  Marvin  Miller,  John  Ridgely,  Tom  Harmon,  Norman 
Leavitt,  Art  Aragon,  Kim  Spalding,  Jerry  Hausner,  Mike  Mahoney,  Joan 
Taylor,  Carolyn  Jones,  Mary  Murphy. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release.  Al  Steen 


SIMPP  Suit 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


nail,  SIMPP  president,  said  here  yes- 
terday. 

The  suit  charges  discrimination 
against  independent  product  produced 
by  SIMPP  members  and  seeks 
around  $15,000,000  in  damages.  An 
early  pre-trial  parley  is  expected,  Ar- 
nall  said. 

Case  Strengthened 

Arnall  said  the  society's  case  had 
been  strengthened  by  the  delay  in 
bringing  the  suit  to  trial.  He 
pointed  out  that  the  defendants  had 
based  their  defense  on  the  legal  doc- 
trine of  pari  delictu,  which,  in  effect, 
means  coming  into  court  without 
clean  hands.  This  defense,  Arnall 
said,  was  related  to  the  attempt  by 
the  defendants  to  tie  in  the  plaintiffs 
with  their  distributors  who  were  de- 
fendants in  the  case  of  U.  S.  vs.  Para- 
mount, et  al.  On  the  basis  of  the 
so-called  tie-in,  the  defendants  claimed 
that  the  independent  producers  were 
saddled  with  the  illegal  acts  and  con- 
spiracies alleged  and  condemned  by 
the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court. 


Alperson 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


hand,  said  here  yesterday  that  he  had 
made  no  commitment  to  Alperson. 

Arthur  Krim,  president  of  UA,  flew 
to  the  Coast  last  weekend  for  the  pur- 
pose, among  other  things,  of  meeting 
with  Alperson  on  the  controversy. 
There  also  were  some  reports  that 
Alperson  may  be  included  some  way 
in  the  UA-"Bwana"  setup. 


THE  GREATEST  SPY-SMASHING  SERIAL 


S 


A  COLUMBIA 
SERIAL 

Reprint 


Paul  KELLY  Anne  NAGEL 

Original  screen  play  by  Basil  Dickey,  Leighton  Brill,  Robert  Beche    Directed  by  SPENCER  G.  BENNET 


PUT  THE  SPY-SMASHERS'  TICKET  SELLING  CAMPAIGN  TO  WORK  NOW! 


CAStf  /A/ 

BLAZING  ACTI0S3 

with  the  spy-smashers! 

FLAMING  ADVENTURES 

inside  the  spy  rings! 

RED-HOT  SUSPENSE 

that  brings  'em  back  week 
after  week  after  week! 


-  NEXT- 
|    RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

20th  Century-Fox's  Most  Glorious  Motion  Picture  Achievement! 


THERE'S  NO  BUSINESS  LIKE  2Q  CENTURY-FOX  BUSINESS! 


VOL.  73.    NO.  25 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  5,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Industry  Is  in 
Turmoil  on  the 
Future  of  %D' 


See  Production  Slow-Up 
Until  Issue  Is  Decided 


By  AL  STEEN 

The  advent  of  tri-dimensional 
pictures  has  created  a  turmoil  with- 
in the  industry  that  exceeds,  in 
some  observers'  opinions,  the  tur- 
bulence that  hit  Hollywood  in  1927 
when  producers  were  in  the  throes 
of  uncertainty  as  to  whether  sound 
pictures  were  here  to  stay.  A  check- 
up yesterday  among  leaders  in  all 
branches  of  the  industry  revealed  a 
distinct  division  of  opinion  as  to  the 
permanency  of  "3-D"  and  panoramic 
screens. 

One  leader  predicted  a  definite 
curtailment  in  production  until 
the  question  of  two-dimension 
or  three-dimension  is  settled — 
not  by  the  industry  but  by  the 
public,  which,  it  was  said,  is  the 
final  jury.  An  independent  pro- 
ducer, who  had  planned  to  put 
a  picture  before  the  cameras 
this  spring,  has  abandoned  the 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Appeal  Ohio  Film 
Censorship  Ban 


Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  4. — The  con- 
stitutionality of  film  censorship  in 
Ohio  was  up  before  the  State  Su- 
preme Court  today  following  hearings 
on  the  decision  of  the  state  censor 
board  ban  on  "M"  and  "Native  Son." 

Ephraim  London,  counsel  for  Clas- 
sic Pictures,  distributors  of  "Native 
Son,"  argued  that  the  state  has  no 
power  to  censor  films,  citing  the  recent 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  decisions.  Simi- 
lar arguments  were  advanced  by  John 
Harlor  and  Harry  Wright,  attorneys 
representing  Superior  Films,  distrib- 
utor of  "M." 


MPEA  Gives  $6,600 
For  Dutch  Relief 

Representatives  of  the  10 
film  companies  that  comprise 
the  Motion  Picture  Export 
Association  yesterday  voted 
to  donate  25,000  guilders  (ap- 
proximately $6,600)  to  Hol- 
land for  flood  relief. 


B'way  Critics  Hope  '3-D' 
Gets  Better;  Globe  B.O.  Is 

Broadway  and  the  city's  newspaper  film  critics  took  their  first  polaroid 
gander  at  the  poor-man's  third-dimension  effect  films — Stereo-Tech- 
niques' program  of  five  short  subjects — which  opened  at  the  Globe  here 
on  Tuesday,  and  came  away  with  mixed  reactions.  Apart  from  Ciner- 
ama, for  which  no  tickets  are  avail- 


2-Day  Globe  Gross 
$9,000  for  '3-D' 

First  two  days  of  Stereo- 
Techniques'  engagement  at 
the  Globe  Theatre  here 
grossed  approximately  $9,000 
for  the  tri-dimensional  sub- 
jects, it  was  reported  yester- 
day by  the  distributors. 
Opening  day  gross  Tuesday 
hit  close  to  $5,000  and  it  was 
estimated  that  the  box-office 
would  take  in  $4,000  by  clos- 
ing time  last  night. 

The  opener  was  reported  to 
have  been  the  largest  in  18 
months,  the  previous  high  for 
a  first  day  in  the  house  hav- 
ing been  $5,200.  Average  first 
day's  business  is  said  to  be 
$3,200. 


Weltner  Heads  MPA 
Foreign  Managers 

George  Weltner,  president  of  Para- 
mount-International, yesterday  was 
elected  chair- 
man of  the  for- 
eign managers 
committee  o  f 
the  Motion  Pic- 
t  u  r  e  Associa- 
tion of  America 
at  a  meeting 
here  of  the 
Motion  Picture 
Export  Asso- 
ciation. The 
post  is  a  new 
one,  although 
John  McCarthy 
served  as  chair- 
man e.v-officio 
when  he  headed  the  MPAA's  inter- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


able  till  next  June,  the  Globe  is  the 
only  spot  on  the  Main  Stem  at  the 
moment  where  Gothamites  can  watch 
images  jump  off  the  screen  into  their 
laps.  "Bwana  Devil,"  however,  will 
be  opening  at  Loew's  State  and  the 
Brooklyn  Fox  on  Feb.  18. 

The  critical  fraternity's  reaction  to 
the  Stereo-Techniques'  program  was 
not  flattering,  but,  obviously  impressed 
by  the  stir  "3-D"  has  caused  in  the 
industry,  the  top  string  reviewers  cov- 
ered the  opening  at  the  Globe  and 
gave  it  published  attention  comparable 
to  that  accorded  the  most  important 
film  openings. 

Business?  Swell — as  it  is  wherever 
"3-D"  films  have  opened. 

Frank  Quinn  of  the  N.  Y.  Mirror 
probably  was  the  kindest  of  the  re- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Slate  Cantor  for 
Brandt's  RKO  Post; 
Norton,  Others  Out 


George  Weltner 


Kreisler  Heads  New 
Foreign  Film  Firm 

International  Film  Associates  Corp., 
which  was  formed  in  1948  but  which 
has  been  dormant  since  that  time,  has 
been  _  activated  and  will  serve- as- a 
clearing  house  in  the  United  States 
for  selected  foreign  films.  B.  Ber- 
nard Kreisler  has  been  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  company  of  which  IFA- 
(Cmtimted  on  page  6) 


David  Cantor,  former  assistant  to 
RKO  Pictures'  exploitation  director, 
will  replace  Leon  Brandt  as  exploita- 
tion manager,  it  was  learned  here  yes- 
terday. Merv  Hauser,  now  at  RKO's 
advertising,  publicity  and  exploitation 
headquarters  on  the  Coast,  is  slated 
to  replace  Kay  Norton  for  an  interim 
period  as  Eastern  publicity  director. 

Other  resignations,  in  addition  to 
Brandt's  and  Miss  Norton's,  disclosed 
yesterday,  were  Ruth  Cosgrove,  radio 
contact,  Betty  Folker,  fan  magazine 
contact,  and  Jack  Lewis,  writer.  Cos- 
grove  will  be  replaced  by  Walter 
Wood  of  the  publicity  department,  it 
was  learned. 

The  changes  in  the  publicity  and 
exploitation  departments  came  follow- 
ing a  series  of  conferences  held  here 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


8  NV  Camera  Units 
In  Use  by  March  1 

_  Hollywood,  Feb.  4.  —  Natural  Vi- 
sion Corp.  will  have  eight  three-di- 
mension camera  mechanisms  completed 
and  in  use  by  March  1,  it  was  re- 
vealed here  today.  It  has  19  feature 
commitments  to  fulfill  in  the  next  six 
months. 

Two  completed  camera  units  are 
now  in  use,  one,*at  Warner  Brothers 
studio  and  the  other  at  Columbia. 


Pre-Fab  Booth 
Is  Developed 
By  Cinerama 

Cuts  Installation  Cost 
Of  System  Drastically 

Jn  an  apparent  major  develop- 
ment in  its  continuing  program  of 
reducing  the  installation  costs  of  its 
projection  and  stereophonic  sound 
system,  Cinerama  now  has  pre-fabri- 
cated  theatre  projection  booths  in  pro- 
duction at  its  Oyster  Bay,  L.  I., 
plant,  it  was  learned  yesterday. 

The  pre-fabricated  booths  make  it 
possible  to  install  the  Cinerama  equip- 
ment at  a  cost  several  thousand  dol- 
lars less  than  formerly,  it  is  claimed. 

One  example  of  the  saving  is  be- 
lieved to  be  in  Detroit,  where  Cine- 
rama equipment  is  being  installed  in 
the  Music  Hall  Theatre,  for  a  March 
23  opening  there  at"  a  reported  cost 
of  $45,000.  This  compares  with  esti- 
mated installation  costs  at  the  Cine- 
rama premiere  theatre  here,  the 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


SIMPP  Plans  Budget 
For  Foreign  Market 


Ways  and  means  of  improving  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers'  financial  position  so 
that  it  may  expand  its  activities  in 
the  foreign  market  were  discussed 
here  yesterday  by  the  SIMPP's  dis- 
tribution committee  in  a  session  with 
president  Ellis  Arnall.  Arnall  will 
prepare  a  proposed  budget  for  the  pro- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


20th  Begins  Talks 
On  '3-D'  Equipment 

Negotiations  for  the  manu- 
facture of  equipment  for 
Cinemascope,  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "third  -  dimensional" 
system,  are  underway,  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  president,  dis- 
closed here  yesterday  on  his 
arrival  from  the  Coast. 

He  declined  to  elaborate  at 
this  time,  explaning  that  it 
was  too  early  for  any  de- 
tailed exposition  of  equip- 
ment plans.  Skouras  said  that 
no  definite  date  has  been  set 
for  the  press  demonstration 
of  Cinemascope  in  New  York, 
previously  reported  to  be  Feb. 
20. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  5,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


ES.  GREGG,  vice-president  and 
•  general  manager  of  Westrex 
Corp.,  is  in  Hollywood  from  New 
York. 

• 

Max  Gomez,  RKO  Radio  mana- 
ger in  Mexico,  has  been  named  execu- 
tive director  of  the  Variety  Clubs  In- 
ternational convention  which  will  be 
held  in  Mexico  City  May  18-21. 
• 

Walter  Wilson,  released  from 
Army  duty  following  Korean  service, 
has  resumed  his  post  as  assistant 
manager  at  the  Paramount  Theatre, 
New  Haven. 

• 

Charles  E.  Kurtzman,  Loew's 
Theatres  Northeastern  division  man- 
ager, was  reelected  chairman  of  the 
Suffolk  County,  Mass.,  chapter  of  the 
"March  of  Dimes"  campaign. 
• 

Dave  Leff,  former  manager  of  the 
Buffalo  and  Cleveland  offices  of 
United  Artists,  has  become  sales  rep- 
resentative for  Italian  Films  Export 
in  the  former  exchange  area. 

• 

Charles  A.  McKernan,  manager 
of  UPT's  Seneca  Theatre,  has  been 
installed  as  president  of  the  South 
Buffalo  Business  Men's  Association. 
• 

Belle  Schiffrin,  head  inspector  at 
the  20th  Century-Fox  Hartford  ex- 
change,  has  married   Robert  Hoff- 
man, formerly  with  the  exchange. 
• 

William  Daugherty,  manager  of 
the  Torrington  Drive-in,  Conn.,  has 
shifted  to  a  similar  post  at  the  Avon 
Cinema,  Providence,  R.  I. 

• 

Ivan  Tors,  producer,  and  actress 
Constance  Dowling  will  be  married 
in  Hollywood  on  March  1. 

• 

Piper  Laurie  was  guest  at  a 
luncheon  for  the  Connecticut  press  in 
New  Haven  yesterday. 

• 

James  Mason  has  arrived  here 
from  Hollywood. 

• 

Jose  Ferrer  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  Paris. 


Calls  U.S.  Films  in  Japan 
Great  Democratic  Influence 

Hollywood,  Feb.  4. — Declaring-  that  American  films  are  the  most 
powerful  influence  at  work  in  behalf  of  establishing  democratic  principles 
in   Japan,    Hideo    Shiotsugu,  presi- 


'City9  Premiere  in 
Cleveland  Today 

Cleveland,  Feb.  4. — "City  Be- 
neath the  Sea"  will  premiere  at  the 
Palace  Theatre  here  tomorrow  with 
Suzan  Ball,  one  of  the  stars  of  the 
film,  Lt.  Harry  E.  Rieseberg,  author 
of  the  original  story,  and  Frank  West- 
more,  Universal  studio  make-up  ex- 
pert, making  appearances  at  the  the- 
atre. Philip  Gerard,  Eastern  pub- 
licity manager  for  Universal,  who  left 
for  this  city  from  New  York  today, 
will  handle  the  arrangements. 


'Sing'  at  Hall  Feb.  12 

"Tonight  We  Sing,"  20th  Century- 
Fox's  musical  in  color  by  Technicolor, 
will  have  its  premiere  at  Radio  City 
Music  Hall  here,  Feb.  12. 


dent  of  the  Eiga  Haikyu  Co.,  Ltd., 
Tokyo,  told  Allied  Artists  president 
Steve  Broidy  and  other  studio  execu- 
tives on  his  arrival  today,  "Your  films 
have  done  a  tremendous  amount  of 
good  in  our  country.  More  than  any- 
thing else,  they  have  pointed  the  way 
to  our  new  national  life  which  is 
based  on  the  concepts  of  American 
freedom." 

Shiotsugu,  who  leaves  Friday  for 
New  York  conferences  with  Norton 
V.  Ritchey,  said  the  Japanese  film  in- 
dustry is  experiencing  steady  growth, 
with  five  producing  companies  now 
producing  about  250  pictures  annually. 


Local  'Brotherhood* 
Drive  Advanced 

Plans  for  "Brotherhood  Week"  in 
the  New  York  exchange  area  moved 
ahead  with  the  issue  of  the  first  of 
a  series  of  "Exchange  of  Ideas"  bul- 
letins to  all  circuit  heads  in  the  area, 
Michael  Edelstein,  exhibitor  chair- 
man, reports.  Edelstein's  assistant, 
Fred  Herkowitz,  handles  the  bulletin. 

Also,  the  various  political  leaders 
of  the  five  boroughs  have  signed  the 
"Brotherhood"  honor  roll  and  given 
contributions. 

In  another  facet  of  the  compaign, 
all  newsreels  being  shipped  from  New 
York  this  weekend  to  first  run  houses 
will  carry  the  "Brotherhood  Week" 
appeal  trailer  made  by  M-G-M. 


Coronation  Trip 
Prize  in  UA  Contest 

A  trip  to  London  for  the  Corona- 
tion of  Queen  Elizabeth  in  June  is 
offered  as  a  first  prize  to  the  United 
Artists  branch  manager  or  salesman 
with  the  best  record  of  sales,  book- 
ings and  collections  on  "Royal  Jour- 
ney" in  the  next  four  months. 

The  contest  is  sponsored  by  U.  A. 
and  the  National  Film  Board  of  Can- 
ada, which  produced  the  picture  of 
Queen  Elizabeth's  visit  to  the  U.  S. 
and  Canada  last  year.  Second  prize 
is  a  week's  vacation  at  Banff,  and 
third,  a  wrist  watch. 


Form  Executives'  Club 

Gus  S.  Eyssell,  president  of  Rocke- 
feller Center,  Inc.,  and  Russell  V. 
Downing,  president  of  Radio  City 
Music  Hall,  were  participants  in  the 
organization  of  the  "Harfarbri  Club," 
composed  of  some  of  New  York's 
most  prominent  business  and  corpo- 
rate executives.  The  club  grew  out 
of  a  small  informal  luncheon  group. 


U.A.  Names  Cleve.  Mgr. 

David  Rosenthal,  sales  veteran,  has 
been  appointed  Cleveland  branch  man- 
ager for  United  Artists,  B.  G.  Kranze, 
general  sales  manager,  announced 
vesterday.  Rosenthal  in  the  past  has 
been  associated  with  National  Screen 
Service,  PRC,  Columbia,  Eagle  Lion 
and  20th-Fox. 


SIMPP  Budget 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


jected  operations  and  will  submit  it 
to  the  committee  members  who,  in 
turn,  will  turn  it  over  to  the  pro- 
ducer members  on  the  Coast  for 
approval. 

The  objective  of  the  expanded  bud- 
get will  be  to  engage  one  or  more 
representatives  to  serve  in  the  foreign 
field  in  the  interest  of  independent 
producers. 

The  committee  yesterday  discussed 
the  three  dimension  picture  situation 
and  informally  expressed  the  opinion 
that  3-D's  potentialities  rested  with 
quality  entertainment  rather  than  its 
current  attraction  as  a  novelty.  The 
members  expressed  some  enthusiasm 
for  the  medium  on  the  grounds  that 
it  turned  the  spotlight  again  on  motion 
pictures,  but  they  insisted  that  the 
determining  factor  as  to  whether  it 
was  just  a  "flash  in  the  pan"  would 
be  the  production  of  good  pictures. 

Offers  by  trading  companies  to  buy 
frozen  pounds  in  Israel  and  pesos  in 
Argentina  were  presented  to  the  com- 
mittee by  Arnall.  The  representatives 
will  submit  the  offers  to  their  respec- 
tive managements. 

Attending  the  meeting,  in  addition 
to  Arnall,  were  James  Mulvey,  Leo 
Samuels,  George  Schaefer,  Edward 
Peskay,  Seymour  Poe,  Manny  Reiner 
and  Vladimir  Lissim. 


Slate  Cantor 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


See  Theatre  Video 
Losing  Out  to 
Home  TV  on  4Oscar' 


Present  indications  point  to  theatre 
TV  losing  out  in  its  bid  to  televise 
the  industry's  Academy  Awards  cere- 
monies on  March  19,  as  reports  from 
the  Coast  tell  of  NBC's  $100,000  offer 
for  home  television  and  radio  rights 
having  the  inside  track. 

Theatre  Network  Television,  which 
proposed  that  the  telecast  go  to  thea- 
tres, has  not  received  an  official  reply 
from  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America,  but  the  sentiment  of 
member  companies  was  reported  as 
unfavorable  to  the  project.  A  num- 
ber of  member  company  representa- 
tives, it  was  said,  questioned  the  box- 
office  pull,  the  problem  of  timing  for 
each  zone  and  whether  the  cere- 
monies would  make  a  good  show. 
Three  companies.  Universal,  Warner 
Brothers  and  Universal,  have  with- 
drawn financial  support  of  the  Awards 
ceremony. 

TNT  submitted  its  proposal  to 
MPAA,  explaining  that  it  required 
approval  from  the  companies  before 
the  Academy  could  act  on  its  sug- 
gested theatre  telecast.  TNT  stated 
that  Academy  clearance  was  barred 
by  the  provisions  in  talent  contracts 
which  forbid  their  appearance  on  tele- 
vision. However,  if  the  Academy 
event  is  sponsored  as  indicated  from 
Coast  reports,  presumably  the  TV  bar 
would  be  lifted  by  certain  companies. 


by  the  newly-designated  national  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  director,  Perry 
Lieber.  He  is  due  to  return  to  his 
Coast  headquarters  tomorrow. 

Cantor,  the  newly-appointed  exploi- 
tation manager,  was  assistant  to 
Terry  Turner  before  he  resigned  his 
post  as  exploitation  director  to  be  re- 
placed by  Brandt  in  the  fall.  Brandt 
was  former  national  director  of  ad- 
vertising, publicity  and  exploitation 
for  Lopert  Films.  Miss  Norton,  long 
associated  in  the  public  relations  field, 
joined  RKO  in  the  fall. 


Settle  Bendslev  Suit 

Boston,  Feb.  4.— The  $2,000,000 
anti-trust  suit  brought  by  W.  Leslie 
Bendslev,  owner  and  operator  of  the 
Community  Playhouse  in  Wellesley, 
Mass.,  against  the  eight  majors  and 
several  theatre  circuits  has  been  set- 
tled out  of  court,  according  to  George 
S.  Ryan,  attorney  for  the  plaintiff. 
The  amount  of  damages  obtained  was 
not  divulged. 


Wader's  'Phantom'  to  UA 

Hollywood,  Feb.  4.— United  Artists 
has  acquired  for  release  "Phantom 
from  Space,"  science-fiction  feature 
produced  and  directed  by  W.  Lee 
Wilder,  Arthur  Krim,  U.A.  president, 
announced. 


Name  Committees 
For  Boy  Scout  Drive 

Major  company  and  group  chairmen 
for  the  1953  campaign  of  the  Boy 
Scout  Councils  of  Greater  New  York 
have  been  named  by  Charles  Boas- 
berg  and  Leon  Bamberger  of  RKO 
Radio,  who  are  heading  the  campaign 
within  the  industry  with  Spyros  S. 
Skouras  of  Skouras  Theatres,  chair- 
man. 

Named  to  the  committee  which  held 
its  first  meeting  at  COMPO  offices 
here  this  week  were:  Allied  Art- 
ists, John  Michelson;  Columbia, 
Henry  Kaufman;  MGM,  Mike  Si- 
mons ;  National  Screen  Service,  Bur- 
ton Robbins ;  Paramount,  Arthur  Is- 
rael ;  RKO  Radio,  Charles  Drayton ; 
20th  Century-Fox,  Edward  L.  Sul- 
livan ;  United  Artists,  Norman  A. 
Hasselo ;  Universal,  Anthony  Petti ; 
Warners,  Stuart  McDonald;  MPAA 
and  COMPO,  Taylor  Mills;  inde- 
pendent distributors,  producers  and 
producers'  representatives,  David 
W eshner ;  importers  and  exporters, 
Phil  Lewis. 


Impellitteri  Zukor 
Fete  Honorary  Head 

Mayor  Vincent  R.  Impellitteri  of 
New  York  has  accepted  the  honorary 
chairmanship  of  the  "Adolph  Zukor 
Golden  Jubilee  Dinner"  which  will 
be  held  March  4,  at  the  Waldorf-As- 
toria Hotel  here,  it  was  announced  by 
Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of  the  din- 
ner committee,  and  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  international  chairman  of  the 
vear-long  series  of  tributes  being  paid 
Zukor  by  Variety  Clubs  International. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  dailv,  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Eureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building 
William  K  Weaver  Editor  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
-Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington.  J.  A  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI:  Hope  Burnup.  Manager;  Peter  Burnup 
Editor;  cable  address,  Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y  under  the  act 
ot  March  3,  1579.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


ALFRED  HITCHCOCK'S 


FILMED  IN  CANADA'S  COLORFUL  QUEBEC,  STARRING 


ERYCUFT  ANNEBAXTER  Malden  Ah 


BRIAN 


ROGER  DANN  •  DOLLY  HAAS  •  CHARLES  ANDRE 


en  PL*, GEORGE  IAB0RI  and  WILLIAM  ARCHIBALD 


MUSIC   COMPOSED    AND   CONDUCTED    8Y  DIM  IT  R I  TlOMKIN 


Enroll  25  members  for  the  25th  Anniversary  of  Brotherhood  Weefc,  Feb.  1  5  to  22 


The  Record  Proves  That  Param 


IN  VARIETY'S  20  ALL-TIME  TOP  GROSSERS 
PARAMOUNT  SCORES  VWOm  AS  MANY  HITS 
AS  ITS  NEAREST  COMPETITOR: 


Paramount 
Company  B 


Company  C 
Company  D 
Company  E 
Company  F 
Company  G 
Company  H 


For  names  of  companies,  titles  of  pictures  and 
estimated  grosses,  see  page  4,  Variety,  January  21. 


+***. 


IF  IT'S  A  PARAMOUNT  PICTURE, 

ITS  THE  BEST  GROSS  IN  TOWN! 


Makes  The  Money-Makers 

AND  FOR  THE  FIRST  5  MONTHS  OF  1953 
PARAMOUNT  HAS  MORE  TOP  GROSSING 
PRODUCT  THAN  ANY  COMPANY: 


Cecil  B.  DeMille's  THE  GREATEST  SHOW  ON  EARTH 


DA  All  Tfi  DAI  I  TECHNICOLOR,  BING  CROSBY, 
ItUHIi    I  U  DHL!  BOB  HOPE,  DOROTHY  lamour 


TUIIKIRFD  IN  Tlir  TACT  alan  ladd,  deborah  kerr, 
I  nUlil/LIt  111  I  nL  LHO I  charles  boyer,  corinne  calvet 


TECHNICOLOR 


■ 

TDADIP  7AKIC  technicolor,  ronald  reagan, 
inuriu  LuliL  rhonda  Fleming,  estelita 

Hal  WalliS'  THE  STOOGE  DEAN  MARTIN  and  JERRY  LEWIS 

Hal  Wallis' COME  BACK,  LITTLE  SHEBA 

BURT  LANCASTER, 
SHIRLEY  BOOTH 

mCTADC  ADC  CIKIPIMP  technicolor,  rosemary  clooney, 
01 HUO  HIIL  OlIlUlllU  ANNA  MARIA  ALBERGHETTI,  LAURITZ  MELCHIOR 


I 

ICC  1 IM ITC  B0B  H0PE- MICKEY  money, 

JIT  LI  If  1 1  10  MARILYN  MAXWELL,  EDDIE  MAYEHOFF 

THE  GIRLS  OF  PLEASURE  ISLAND  newS^  marines 

PONY 

CYDDCCC  technicolor,  charlton  heston, 

CAl  HLOO  RHONDA  FLEMING,  FORREST  TUCKER,  JAN  STERLING 

THE  WAR  OF  THE  WORLDS 


TECHNICOLOR 

BASED  ON  THE  NOVEL  BY  H.  G.WELLS 


6 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Thursday,  February  5,  1953 


'3-D'  Inspires  First 
Newspaper  Editorial 

The  "3-D"  stir  in  the  indus- 
try, and  among  the  ticket 
buyers,  was  reflected  on  the 
editorial  page  of  the  New 
York  Herald-Tribune  yester- 
day, perhaps  the  first  edi- 
torial on  the  subject  to  ap- 
pear in  a  metropolitan  news- 
paper since  the  current  inter- 
est developed. 

"Now  that  Cinerama  and 
Cinemascope  have  made 
three-dimensional  effects  pos- 
sible without  the  use  of 
glasses,"  the  editorial  ob- 
served, "it  is  only  a  question 
of  installing  new  equipment 
in  the  old  theatres  and  watch- 
ing the  new  era  come  to  birth. 
What  wonders  may  now  be 
expected  of  a  medium  which 
out-engulfs  all  its  predeces- 
sors and  makes  every  man  a 
voyager  to  a  brave  new 
world!" 


BVay  Critics 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


TO  A  Names  Pinanski 
For  '3-D'  Meet  Today 

Sam  Pinanski,  member  of  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  execu- 
tive committee,  will  represent  TOA 
at  today's  all-industry  third-dimen- 
sional meeting  here,  held  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Society  of  Motion 
Picture  and  Television  Engineers. 

The  meeting,  aimed  at  effecting 
standardization  of  the  third-dimen- 
sional medium,  will  be  attended  by 
representatives  of  other  exhibitor  or- 
ganizations and  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America. 


Cinerama 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Broadway,  which  ranged  as  high  as 
$75,000,  and  none  of  which  were 
lower  than  $50,000. 

Cinerama  officials,  nevertheless,  dis- 
claim any  immediate  ambition  to  con- 
test the  mass  theatre  market  with  the 
goggle  and  other  inexpensive  systems. 
They  stick  by  their  original  statement 
that  they  envision  approximately  250 
theatres  in  principal  cities  only_  as 
outlets  for  their  system.  Reductions 
in  installation  costs  which  may  be 
realized  as  advances  are  made  are 
incidental  to  such  a  program  and  not 
an  effort  to  compete  for  mass  instal- 
lations with  other  processes,  they  as- 
sert. 


Weltner  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

national  division. 

The  meeting  yesterday  was  the  first 
in  a  new  plan  set  up  by  president 
Eric  Johnston  whereby  he  will  meet 
with  foreign  managers  on  the  first 
Wednesday  of  every  month. 


Set  21  -  Year  Lease 
On  Brooklyn  House 

A  21-year  lease  at  an  aggregate 
rental  of  $400,000  has  been  set  by 
Berk  &  Krumgold,  brokers,  on  the 
1,400-seat  Rugby  Theatre,  Brooklyn, 
to  a  new  corporation  headed  by  Ro- 
bert Seltzer.  The  Rugby,  formerly 
operated  by  Century  Circuit,  was  sold 
recently  to  Dave  Rosenzweig. 

The  same  brokers  recently  leased 
the  Little  Neck  Theatre,  Little  Neck, 


viewers  to  the  Stereo-Techniques  pro- 
gram. "New  Yorkers,"  he  observed, 
"are  getting  their  first  view  of  the 
film  of  the  future ;  the  lure  of  'some- 
thing new'  is  attracting  them  to  the 
Globe  in  throngs.  The  appearance  of 
so  many  spectacled  people  is  almost 
as  startling  as  the  subjects  displayed. 
.  .  .  Occasionally  there  is  a  blur  as  the 
films  get  out  of  synchronization.  But, 
in  sum,  these  experimental  shorts  of- 
fer a  fascinating  promise." 

Said  Otis  L.  Guernsey,  Jr.,  of  the 
Herald-Tribune :  "The  illusion  itself 
is  a  good  one,  and  effective  in  certain 
types  of  scenes,  but  the  material  now 
being  presented  at  the  Globe  is  neither 
particularly  interesting  in  itself  nor 
well  calculated  to  show  off  the  gadget. 

"There  is  no  perceptible  eyestrain 
in  watching  Stereo-Techniques,  but 
there  are  plenty  of  other  drawbacks. 
In  the  case  of  these  shorts  it  seems 
to  limit  motion  more  than  it  enhances 
it.  Fast  movements  tend  to  blur.  It  is 
hard  to  adjust  the  eyes  to  two  move- 
ments taking  place  at  the  same  time 
if  one  is  in  the  foreground  and  the 
other  in  the  background.  .  .  .  3-D  will 
have  to  use  its  device  more  cleverly, 
in  a  better  show  than  this  one,  to 
elbow  the  good  movies  off  the  local 
screens." 

'Dimly  Suggested' 

Said  Bosley  Crowther,  N.  Y.  Times  : 
"Whatever  prospects  of  improvement 
and  added  excitement  in  the  projec- 
tion of  movies  may  reside  in  the  new 
three-dimensional  processes  that  are 
now  being  ballyhooed  are  only  dimly 
and  erratically  suggested  in  the  de- 
monstration put  on  yesterday  at  the 
Globe  Theatre.  For  the  total  impres- 
sion imparted  by  this  45-minute  pro- 
gram of  assorted  shorts.  ...  is  one 
of  indifferent  achievement  in  the  op- 
tical-illusion line  and  little  or  no  de- 
parture in  the  way  of  novelty.  .  .  .  the 
pictures  presented  are  no  better  pic- 
torially — and  are  sometimes  worse — 
than  the  average  pictures  projected  in 
the  conventional  and  familiar  'flat' 
way. 

"The  necessity  of  wearing  Polaroid 
glasses.  ...  is  an  incidental  incon- 
venience that  may  also  prove  discom- 
forting. This  reviewer  found  the 
glasses  not  only  oppressive  but  un- 
pleasantly odorous — due,  it  appeared, 
from  the  plastic  composition  of  which 
they  are  made. 

'Justify  the  Noise' 

"With  all  due  respect  for  innova- 
tions, this  reviewer  cannot  see  that 
any  marked  improvements  in  stereo- 
scopic projection  have  been  made  in 
these  latest  films.  Something  more 
exciting  will  have  to  come  forth  to 
justify  the  noise  being  made  about 
'3-D'." 

Kate  Cameron  of  the  Neivs :  "Some 
of  the  effects  of  this  third  dimension 
process  are  remarkable,  particularly 
to  those  who  have  never  seen  a  third- 
dimensional  film.  But  10  or  12  years 
ago  a  number  of  trick  shorts  were 
made  which  produced  the  same  effect 
as  we  now  see  on  the  Globe  screen. 

"Some  of  these  pictures  are  in  Tech- 
nicolor and  some  are  in  black  and 
white.  The  former  are  much  more 
effective.  ...  By  the  time  all  the 
companies  now  developing  films  with 
depth  have  their  products  ready  for 
the  screen,  we  are  promised  some 
startling  sights  and  sensations." 

Irene  Thirer,  Post ;  "The  films_  are 
not  sensational ;  they  are  not  as  exciting 
as  Cinerama.  .  .  .  Now  and  again,  the 


20th-Fox  to  Make 
2  Films  in  NV 

Hollywood,  Feb.  4.  —  Twen- 
tieth Century-Fox,  aside  from 
its  productions  in  Cinema- 
scope, will  also  produce  two 
films — "Inferno,"  in  color,  and 
"Vicki,"  in  black  and  white — 
in  Natural  Vision,  the  com- 
pany reports. 

Also,  Allied  Artists  will  en- 
ter the  '3-D'  race  in  April 
with  "The  Maze,"  based  on 
an  English  mystery  novel  by 
Maurice  Sandoz. 

Executive  producer  Walter 
Mirsich,  announcing  the  pro- 
ject, said  it  will  be  filmed  in 
the  Natural  Vision  process  in 
black  and  white. 


Future  of  '3-D' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Gunzhurg  to  Confer 
On  '3-D'  Distribution 

Hollywood,  Feb.  4. — Natural  Vi- 
sion Corp.  president  Milton  L.  Gunz- 
burg  will  fly  to  New  York  at  the 
weekend  for  conferences  with  United 
Artists,  Warner  Brothers  and  Col- 
umbia executives  on  the  distribution 
of  features  filmed  in  NV  "3-D." 

Gunzburg  will  also  meet  with  So- 
ciety of  Motion  Picture  and  Tele- 
vision Engineers  officers,  prior  to  their 
convention,  on  the  possibilities  of 
standardizing  technological  processes. 
William  Blowitz  of  Blowitz  and 
Maskel,  representing  NV,  will  arrive 
there  Friday. 


'3-D'  Rage  Increases 
Screen  Installations 

With  the  three-dimension  race  gain- 
ing momentum,  National  Theatre 
Supply  reports  that  it  has  installed 
over  400  Walker  H.  I.  screens  in 
the  past  60  days  and  that  the  manu- 
facturer of  the  screen,  Walker-Ameri- 
can Corp.  of  St.  Louis,  is  on  an 
around-the-clock  production  schedule. 

The  Walker  screen,  according  to 
NSS,  is  an  all-purpose  screen  which 
entered  the  market  three  years  ago 
and  has  since  been  installed  in  several 
thousand  theatres. 


project  for  fear  that  it  would 
be  antiquated  before  it  was 
finished. 

While  some  segments  believe  that 
die  new  medium  definitely  has  taken 
its  place  in  the  entertainment  world 
as  a  permanent  fixture,  there  are 
others  who  are  highly  skeptical.  Not 
wanting  to  be  subject  to  the  "ribbing" 
experienced  by  a  top  executive  in 
1927  who  described  talking  pictures 
as  no  more  than  a  passing  fancy,  those 
interviewed  declined  to  be  quoted.  But 
the  pros  and  cons  on  the  issue  appear 
to  be  evenly  divided. 

Some  companies  are  rushing  into 
the  true  three-dimension  pictures  for 
fear  of  being  caught  short  in  case  the 
medium  catches  on.  This  action  is 
being  criticized  by  the  skeptics  who 
see  the  bubble  bursting  within  a  short 
time.  But  those  on  the  other  side  of 
the  fence  point  out  that  the  companies 
would  not  be  investing  money  in  the 
projects  unless  they  were  sure  that 
the  investments  would  pay  off. 

One  executive  of  a  company  closely 
allied  with  the  industry,  but  not  a 
part  of  it,  has  written  a  "document" 
in  which  he  has  put  down  his  predic- 
tions as  to  what  the  status  of  the  in- 
dustry will  be,  insofar  as  "3-D"  and 
panoramic  screens  are  concerned,  six 
months  from  now.  The  "document" 
has  been  sealed  and  locked  up  and 
will  not  be  opened  until  July  3.  As 
this  executive  is  among  the  skeptics, 
it  is  presumed  that  he  has  forecast 
a  declining  interest  in  the  new  media. 

In  any  event,  three-dimension  and 
wide  screens  are  holding  the  spotlight 
at  the  moment  and  it  is  anybody's 
guess  which  way  the  wind  will  blow, 
and  for  how  long. 


Kreisler  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 


TV  Corp.  is  a  subsidiary.  Kreisler 
also  heads  the  latter  firm. 

The  Italian  picture  "Ring  Around 
the  Clock"  has  been  acquired  by  In- 
ternational Film  Associates,  the  deal 
having  been  closed  during  Kreisler's 
recent  trip  to  Europe. 


magic  of  leaping  fish  or  leaping  ballet 
dancers,  makes  the  audience  gasp,  if 
not  leap.  .  .  .  Mostly,  rather  a  tame 
program  which,  were  it  not  for  the 
goggles,  would  be  just  another  as- 
sortment of  shorts,  accented  by  very 
British  commentaries.  ...  it  merely 
whets  one's  taste  for  things  to  come, 
for  instance,  Arch  Oboler's  feature 
length,  'Bwana  Devil'." 

Alton  Cook,  W or  Id  Telegram  & 
The  Sun :  "The  demonstration  is  im- 
pressive as  various  forms  of  3-D 
movies  always  have  been  over  the 
past  three  decades  or  so.  .  .  .  The 
nature  of  the  material  does  not  take 
the  process  much  out  of  the  novelty 
stage.  .  .  .  Something  livelier  in  the 
way  of  entertainment  material  would 
be  a  bigger  help." 


First  Week  of  'Bwana  Devil' 
In  Boston  Grosses  $45,000 

Boston,  Feb.  4. — "Bwana  Devil" 
ended  its  first  week  of  a  two-week 
run  at  the  Metropolitan  Theatre  here 
tonight  with  a  gross  of  $45,000.  The 
film  did  $11,750  for  one  day,  Satur- 
day, and  bad  weather  during  the  week 
was  blamed  for  the  drop. 


Stereo-Techniques  Opens  Feb.  11 
At  Kansas  City's  Missouri 

Kansas  City,  Feb.  4. — The  Stereo- 
Techniques  three-dimension  show  will 
bow  in  at  the  RKO  Missouri  Theatre 
here  next  Wednesday.  It  will  be 
shown  with  a  regular  feature,  "Sword 
of  Venus." 


Carolina  Houses  Re-Tooling 
For  '3-D'  Campaign 

Charlotte,  N.  C,  Feb.  4.  —  The 
Center,  Manor,  new  Fox,  Carolina 
and  Imperial  theatres  here  have  an- 
nounced plans  to  install  "3-D"  equip- 
ment. North  Carolina  Theatres  Corp., 
a  division  of  United  Paramount  Thea- 
tres, said  equipment  would  be  installed 
in  all  of  the  larger  communities  in 
the  Carolinas. 


From  the  Shores  of  Maine  to — 

Portland,  Ore.,  Feb.  4. — Portland 
will  get  its  first  sample  of  polaroid 
film-gazing  tomorrow  when  Stereo- 
Techniques'  45-minute  short  subject 
program  opens  at  Hamrick's  Liberty. 
Hamrick's  Orpheum  in  Seattle  also 
will  open  with  the  program  tomorrow. 


Fire  Destroys  Theatre 

Bran  ford,  Conn.,  Feb.  4. — The  800- 
seat  Branford  Theatre  here  was  de- 
stroyed by  a  fire  of  undetermined 
origin  last  week. 


SGT.  JAY  HALL 
WOUNDED  IN  KOREA 
WANTS  90  SECONDS  OF 
YOUR  SCREEN  TIME  - 


(Please  read  his  trailer  narration  below) 

"How  do  you  do  .  .  .  ladies  and  gentlemen  .  .  .  my  name  is  Jay  Hall . . . 
ex-sergeant  of  the  7th  Marines.  I'm  an  ex- sergeant  because  of  this 
Purple  Heart  and  a  piece  of  shrapnel  that  got  me  over  in  Seoul. 

"Korea  is  pretty  rugged  . . .  you  learn  a  lot  of  things  over  there  besides 
soldiering . . .  you  learn  about  your  buddies . . .  and  what  they  are  thinking 
about  the  war  and  .  .  .  about  home.  That's  what  I  want  to  talk  to  you 
about .  .  .  home  .  .  .  and  something  that  is  happening  here. 

"It's  called  Brotherhood  Week . . .  and  it  was  good  news  to  all  of  us  in 
Korea  to  learn  that  President  Eisenhower  is  the  honorary  chairman. 
Here's  something  he  said  ...  I  clipped  it  out  of  a  newspaper  .  .  . 

'Without  tolerance,  without  understanding  of  each  other, 
without  a  spirit  of  brotherhood,  we  should  soon  cease  to  exist 
as  a  nation.  Let  every  American  pledge  that  no  taint  of  re- 
ligious or  racial  animosity  shall  trouble  our  national  unity.' 

"Maybe  we  didn't  say  it  just  that  way  in  Korea . .  .where  we  had  all  kinds 
of  buddies  ...  all  races  and  religions  .  .  .  and  we  were  all  fighting  for 
the  same  thing  .  .  .  unity  .  .  .  peace  and  brotherhood. 

"Fighting  for  brotherhood  here  at  home  can  be  just  as  rugged  as  fighting 
for  peace  in  Korea  .  .  .  It's  rough  for  the  mothers  to  say  goodbye  .  .  . 
for  sweethearts  to  be  parted  .  .  .  and  sometimes  never  re-united  .  .  .  for 
the  families  that  are  broken  up. 

"There  is  a  way  that  all  of  us  can  help .  .  .  join  with  the  President .  .  . 
believe  in  what  he  says  ...  to  take  an  active  part  in  Brotherhood  Week 
by  making  a  contribution  to  help  in  the  educational  work  that's  being 
done ...  by  making  this  country  a  better  place  to  live  in  and  giving  all  of 
us  a  better  understanding  of  our  neighbors  ...  no  matter  who  they 
are.  Please  help . . .  thank  you.  Sign  up  in  the  lobby !  The  Honor  Scroll 
with  your  name  will  be  sent  to  the  White  House." 


"OKAY,  SGT.  JAY  HALL" 

15,000  American  showmen  will  run 
your  Brotherhood  Week  Trailer.  They 
will  put  the  Honor  Scroll  in  their  lobby 
and  run  the  20-foot  trailer  that  says: 
"This  is  Brotherhood  Week.  Join  up. 
Sign  the  Honor  Scroll  in  our  lobby." 


BROTHERHOOD  WEEK   •   FEBRUARY  15-22   •   SILVER  ANNIVERSARY 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  5,  1953 


Reviews 


"The  Silver  Whip" 

(20th  Century-Fox )  Hollywood,  Feb.  4 

MEASURING  an  odd  73  minutes  in  running  time,  and  shot  in  black-and- 
white  instead  of  color,  this  otherwise  big-scale  Western  may  prove 
something  of  a  programming  problem  in  a  majority  of  situations,  but  is  not 
problematical  on  other  grounds.  It  has  Dale  Robertson  and  Rory  Calhoun, 
both  popular  with  the  under-30  crowd  that  buys  the  most  tickets,  and  the 
man-hunting  sequences  are  filmed  against  some  of  the  prettiest  mountain 
country  most  people  ever  saw.  It's  got  ridin',  fightin',  fisticuffs  and  gunfire  in 
a  well-balanced  plenitude,  and  it  is  free  as  a  bullet  of  detours,  flash-backs 
and  false  starts.   Good,  serviceable  merchandise. 

Robert  Bassler  and  Michael  Abel,  credited  as  co-producers,  worked  from 
a  screenplay  by  Jesse  Lasky,  Jr.,  based  on  a  novel  by  Jack  Schaefer,  assign- 
ing the  direction  to  Harmon  Jones.  In  casting  Robertson  as  a  stagecoach 
guard  ("ridin'  shotgun"  is  the  term)  and  Calhoun  as  the  sheriff,  the  pro- 
ducers created  a  character  balance  that  keeps  an  audience  uncertain  regard- 
ing outcome  of  the  story  which  pits  them,  in  a  sense,  against  each  other. 
Both  do  handsomely  by  their  assignments.  Next  up  to  them  in  story  importance 
are  Robert  Wagner  as  Robertson's  young  friend  with  ambitions  to  become 
a  stage  driver,  and  Kathleen  Crowley,  Wagner's  young  friend  with  ambi- 
tions to  become  Mrs.  Wagner.  The  principal  incidents  are  robberies,  murders, 
pursuits  (by  individual  and  by  posse),  an  attempt  at  jail-delivery  by  would-be 
lynchers,  and  a  final  shooting  of  friend  by  friend  for  the  purpose  of  teaching 
that  law  has  come  to  the  West  and  must  be  upheld. 

Other  players  are  Lola  Albright,  J.  M.  Kerrigan,  John  Kellogg,  Ian  Mac- 
Donald,  Harry  Carter,  Robert  Adler,  Clancy  Cooper,  Burt  Mustin,  Dan 
White,  Paul  Wexler,  Charles  Watts,  Jack  Rice,  Bobby  Diamond  and  Cameron 
Grant. 

Running  time,  73  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March.  William  R.  Weaver 


"City  Beneath  the  Sea" 

( U  niver  sal-International) 

EXCELLENT  under-water  shots  including  an  exciting  earthquake  beneath 
the  sea  are  teamed  with  romantic  adventure  to  make  this  a  Grade  "A" 
feature.  The  color  by  Technicolor  adds  considerably  to  the  merits  of  the 
production.  Robert  Ryan  and  Anthony  Quinn  make  a  good  team  as  hard- 
boiled  deep  sea  divers,  while  the  romantic  touches  are  capably  supplied  by 
Mala  Powers  and  Suzan  Ball.  There  are  some  torrid  love  scenes  that  are 
of  the  spicey  variety. 

The  locale  is  Kingston,  Jamaica,  where  Ryan  and  Quinn  are  hired  by  Karel 
Stepanek  to  locate  a  sunken  ship  which  carried  a  million  dollars  in  gold. 
They  hire  Miss  Powers'  banana  boat  for  the  job,  but  it  becomes  apparent 
that  Stepanek  has  purposely  guided  the  crew  to  the  wrong  location,  so  that 
later  he  can  go  after  the  treasure  himself  after  reporting  failure  to  the 
insurance  company.  After  discovering  the  plot,  Ryan  and  Quinn,  separately, 
go  after  the  treasure  and  Quinn  finds  it  in  the  sunken  vessel,  which  is  in 
the  middle  of  the  sunken  city  of  Port  Royal.  Later,  Ryan  dives  and  also 
finds  the  treasure.  While  preparing  to  have  it  hauled  to  the  surface,  an  earth- 
quake begins  and  he  is  trapped,  but  is  saved  by  Quinn.  It  is  obvious  that  the 
gold  is  lost  forever  and  the  men  leave  for  the  mainland,  Ryan  with  Miss 
Powers,  and  Quinn  with  night  club  singer  Miss  Ball,  with  the  intentions  of 
being  married  by  the  captain.  But  when  they  get  a  summons  to  make  another 
try  for  the  treasure,  they  dash  off  the  ship  and  the  two  girls  follow. 

The  picture  is  packed  with  fast  action,  romance  and  suspense — which  add 
up  to  highly  acceptable  entertainment. 

Produced  by  Albert  J.  Cohen  and  directed  by  Budd  Boetticher,  the  screen- 
play was  written  by  Jack  Harvey  and  Ramon  Romero  and  based  on  "Port 
Royal"  by  Harry  E.  Rieseberg.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Hilo  Hattie,  George 
Mathews,  Lalo  Rios,  Woody  Strode,  Bernie  Gozier,  Leon  Lontoc,  John 
Warburton,  Barbara  Morrison. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  release  in 
March.  Al  Steen 


Solon  Hopes  for 
Ticket  Tax  Repeal 

Washington,  Feb.  4.  —  Rep. 
John  J.  Dempsey,  New  Mex- 
ico Democrat,  said  he  hoped 
that  any  tax  reduction  bill 
would  include  elimination  of 
the  20%  admission  tax  on  mo- 
tion picture  theatres. 

'That  tax,"  he  declared, 
"takes  one-fifth  of  the  gross 
receipts  of  the  motion  picture 
houses  even  if  the  owner 
takes  a  loss,  and  if  he  should 
make  a  profit,  another  52% 
can  be  collected.  That  is  driv- 
ing many  hundreds  of  the 
small  picture  shows  out  of 
business  and  denying  millions 
of  people  recreation  and  en- 
tertainment. To  me  that  does 
not  make  sense." 


Film  Payrolls  Up 
In  Second  Quarter 

Washington,  Feb.  4.  —  Total  in- 
dustry payrolls  for  the  second  quar- 
ter of  1952  rose  over  the  previous 
quarter,  the  Department  of  Labor 
reports. 

The  figure  for  the  second  quarter 
was  $167,494,000,  compared  with 
$163,161,000  paid  out  in  the  first  quar- 
ter. The  second  quarter  figure  was 
broken  down  into  $79,090,000  paid  out 
by  production-distribution;  $10,057,000 
by  service;  and  $78,357,000  by 
theatres. 

The  Department  figures  cover  all 
industry  employes  eligible  for  unem- 
ployment compensation.  Virtually  all 
industry  workers  are  in  that  category. 

Authors  Sue  20th-Fox 
For  Contract  Breach 

Charging  breach  of  contract  over 
novelization  rights  to  "I  Was  a  Male 
War  Bride,"  Roger  and  Marie  Char- 
lier  have  filed  a  suit  for  $50,000 
against  20th  Century-Fox  in  New 
York  Federal  Court.  The  plaintiffs 
wrote  the  story  from  which  20th-Fox 
produced  the  picture  of  the  same 
name. 

The  Charliers  charge  that  the  com- 
pany prepared  a  version  in  German 
in  excess  of  the  word  limit  stipulated 
in  the  contract,  and  without  credit  to 
the  Charliers. 

Miss  Clooney  Aids 
'Stars'  in  Capital 

Washington,  Feb.  4. — Twenty-five 
Washington-Baltimore  territory  ex- 
hibitor and  circuit  heads  have  been 
invited  to  a  luncheon  today  with 
Rosemary  Clooney,  star  of  Para- 
mount's  "The  Stars  Are  Singing." 
The  luncheon,  which  will  be  preceded 
by  a  special  screening,  will  be  held 
at  the  Mayflower  Hotel.  Miss  Cloo- 
ney arrived  here  today  with  Herb 
Steinberg,  Paramount  publicity  man- 
ager. 


Rob  Michaels'  Theatre 

Buffalo,  Feb.  4.  —  Safecrackers 
who  robbed  the  Palace  Theatre  here, 
owned  by  Dewey  Michaels,  chief 
barker  of  Buffalo  Variety  Tent  No. 
7,  were  only  partly  successful.  They 
obtained  several  hundred  dollars  from 
a  safe  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  thea- 
tre but  dropped  and  were  forced  to 
abandon  a  400-pound  strong  box  con- 
taining much  more. 


See  Closed  TV  for 
FP-C  in  Toronto 

Toronto,  Feb.  4.  —  In  connection 
with  a  switch  of  downtown  managers 
here.  Famous  Players  Canadian  Corp. 
has  closed  the  half-century-old  Vic- 
toria Theatre  without  official  an- 
nouncement and  the  intimation  is  that 
it  will  be  next  used  for  closed  television 
or  telemeter  productions  when  the 
circuit  obtains  the  necessary  license 
from  authorities.  The  building  already 
houses  an  experimental  TV  depart- 
ment for  video  programs  in  theatres, 
for  which  the  Imperial  here  is  already 
equipped  and  is  awaiting  the  green 
signal  from  the  government.  The  next 
step  is  expected  to  be  the  use  of  the 
auditorium  in  the  Victoria  for  live 
television  shows. 

R.  R.  McKibbin,  former  Victoria 
manager  has  gone  to  the  Imperial  from 
which  Fred  Trebilcock  has  resigned  to 
go  to  California. 


11th  Lust  Theatre 
Opens  on  April  1 

Washington,  Feb.  4. — Sidney  Lust 
Theatres  has  broken  ground  just  out- 
side of  Washington,  on  Marlboro  Pike 
in  Maryland,  for  another  drive-in 
theatre.  Opening  date  is  set  for  April 
1.  The  firm  already  operates  two 
other  drive-ins  and  eight  indoor  mo- 
tion picture  theatres  in  and  around 
W  ashington. 


Subway  Plugs  for  'Pan' 

Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  has 
been  chosen  a  "Go  See"  film  of  the 
month  for  February,  and  will  be 
plugged  with  14,000  poster  cards  in 
New  York  subway  cars  and  Brooklyn 
surface  lines.  Featuring  characters 
from  the  all-cartoon  Technicolor  fea- 
ture opening  Feb.  11  at  the  Roxy  The- 
atre here  the  cards  are  placed  two 
to  a  car. 


Ampa  to  Honor 
Ed  Sullivan 


Associated  Motion  Picture  Adver- 
tisers will  pay  tribute  to  columnist 
Ed  Sullivan  at  AMPA's  luncheon 
meeting  on  March  19,  it  was  decided 
here  yesterday  at  a  session  of  the 
board  of  directors.  Sullivan  will  be 
honored  for  his  cooperation  with  the 
motion  picture  industry  on  his  CBS- 
TV  show,  "Toast  of  the  Town." 
George  Ettinger,  radio-TV  contact 
for  Columbia  Pictures,  will  be  chair- 
man of  the  luncheon  for  Sullivan. 

Although  no  decision  was  made,  the 
AMPA  board  discussed  the  continu- 
ance of  the  AMPA  showmanship 
school  this  year  and  the  possibility  of 
accepting  a  publisher's  offer  to  in- 
corporate the  courses  in  a  book. 

To  Do  Disney  Story 
On  Sullivan  TV  Show 

The  life  story  of  Walt  Disney  will 
be  the  next  biographical  feature  on 
Ed  Sullivan's  "Toast  of  the  Town" 
TV  show  Sunday  over  CBS-TV  from 
8:00  to  9:00  P.M.  (EST). 

Disney  and  many  of  his  cartoon 
characters,  and  the  performers  asso- 
ciated with  them,  are  expected  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  career  story,  CBS 
stated.  In  addition,  a  special  film  ti- 
tled "Mickey's  Birthday  Party"  is  be- 
ing prepared  to  mask  the  25th  anni- 
versary of  Mickey  Mouse.  Sullivan 
just  returned  from  the  Coast,  where 
he  sketched  out  the  production  with 
Disney. 

Bid  Snaper,  Myers 
To  Drive-in  Meet 

Milwaukee,  Feb.  4.  —  Wilbur 
Snaper,  president  of  Allied  States  As- 
sociation, and  Abram  F.  Myers,  Al- 
lied general  counsel,  have  been  invited 
to  attend  the  National  Drive-in  Con- 
vention, slated  for  March  24-26  at  the 
Schroeder  Hotel  here. 

Among  the  topics  set  for  discussion 
are  concessions,  Cinerama  and  the 
various  types  of  three-dimensional 
processes,  advertising  and  promotion. 
The  discussion  on  concessions  will  be 
led  by  Spiro  Papas,  of  Keno  Drive-in, 
Robert  Peck,  publicity  chairman  of 
the  convention,  stated. 

New  SWG  Award  to 
Be  Given  in  March 

Hollywood,  Feb.  4. — A  laurel  of 
achievement  award  will  be  presented 
by  the  Screen  Writers  Guild  for  the 
first  time  at  the  fifth  annual  awards 
dinner  to  be  held  at  the  Hollywood 
Palladium  on  March  10. 

The  achievement  award  will  go  to 
the  screen  writer  who  has  contributed 
in  the  most  distinguished  and  con- 
sistent fashion  to  motion  pictures  over 
a  given  number  of  years.  In  addition 
there  will  be  writers'  awards  for  the 
past  year  for  comedy,  drama  and 
musicals. 


Registers  as  Lobbyist 

Hartford,  Feb.  4.  —  Herman  M. 
Levy  has  registered  as  a  lobbyist  with 
the  Connecticut  Secretary  of  State  for 
the  present  session  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature for  the  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Owners  of  Connecticut  and  the  Con- 
necticut Association  of  Public  Ac- 
countants. Levy  is  general  counsel  of 
TOA  and  executive  secretary  of  the 
MPTO  of  Connecticut. 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  73.    NO.  26 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  6,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


20th  Planning 
Cinemascope 
And  3-D  Films 


To  Use  Wide  Screen  for 
'Important'  Pictures 

By  AL  STEEN 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  will  pro- 
duce its  most  important  pictures  in 
Cinemascope  and  its  "smaller" 
product  in  actual  three  dimensions, 
president 
Spyros  Skouras 
said  here  yes- 
terday in  clari- 
fying the  com- 
pany's position 
on  the  new  me- 
dia in  the  film 
industry.  The 
tri-dimensional 
system,  he  said, 
will  be  the 
company's  own 
process  and  not 
that  of  Natural 
Vision  as  sta- 
ted yesterday. 

Skouras   said   that   20th-Fox  was 
"practically  abandoning"  the  produc- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Spyros  Skouras 


NT  Quarter  Net  in 
Rise  Since  Divorce 


Hollywood,  Feb.  5. — The  consoli- 
dated net  income  of  National  The- 
atres, Inc.,  and  voting-controlled  sub- 
sidiaries, after  all  charges,  for  the 
quarter  ended  last  Dec.  27,  was  $544,- 
697,  which  amounted  to  20  cents  per 
share  on  2,769,486  shares  of  stock  out- 
standing. This  was  the  first  quarter 
following  National's  separation  from 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Buchman  Contempt 
Trial  Postponed 

Washington,  Feb.  5. — The  con- 
tempt of  Congress  trial  of  Hollywood 
producer  Sidney  Buchman  has  been 
postponed  from  Monday. 

Court  officials  said  it  would  prob- 
ably be  at  least  March  before  the  case 
is  heard.  Buchman  is  charged  with 
contempt  for  failing  to  answer  a  sub- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Brandt  Believes 
Arbitration  Now 
Is  a  "Dead  Duck" 


Harry  Brandt,  head  of  the  Brandt 
Circuit  here  and  president  of  the  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  Associa- 
tion, said  yesterday  he  believed  arbi- 
tration was  a  "dead  duck"  even 
though  the  ITOA  is  willing  to 
launch  a  system  on  its  own.  The 
fact  that  the  ITOA  "feeler"  on  ini- 
tiating an  arbitration  program  was 
ignored  by  the  distributors  is  an  in- 
dication that  the  film  companies  have 
gone  cold  on  the  project,  Brandt 
said. 

"I'd  be  willing  to  sign  an  exhibi- 
tion contract  that  had  any  kind  of 
an  arbitration  clause  in  it,"  Brandt 
said,  "because  verbiage  is  not  so  es- 
sential. After  all,  the  decision  as  to 
the  merits  of  a  case  rests  with  the 
arbitrator   who   would   rule   on  the 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Polaroid  Glasses 
Pose  UA  Problem 


The  demand  for  Polaroid  glasses, 
required  for  the  viewing  of  United 
Artists'  "Bwana  Devil,"  is  so  great 
that  UA  executives  here  expressed 
concern  over  whether  the  Polaroid 
Corp.  of  America  will  be  able  to  keep 
up  with  the  orders. 

UA  officials  said  they  were  assured 
of  a  supply  necessary  for  the  current 
35  engagements  of  the  third-dimen- 
sional Natural  Vision  picture,  in  addi- 
tion to  50  to  60  bookings  set  within 
the  next  45  days.  Beyond  that  period, 
it  was  pointed  out,  UA  has  not  been 
assured  of  a  supply.  UA  officials, 
however,  were  hopeful  that  the  throw- 

( Continued  on  page  4) 


Legion  Easy  on 
'Limelight'  Here 

Brief  picketing  bv  Legionnaires  of 
"Limelight"  at  the"  RKO  Fordham 
and  Marble  Hill  theatres  was  discon- 
tinued yesterday.  They  were  the  only 
incidents  reported  up  to  last  night  in 
connection  with  the  showing  of  the 
Charles  Chaplin  picture  in  63  neigh- 
borhood houses  in  the  Metropolitan 
area. 

RKO  Theatres  spokesmen  said  the 
two  picketing  incidents  while  they 
lasted  were  orderly  and  unobtrusive, 
having  no  effect  on  business.  At  other 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


3-D'  UNIFORMITY 
WORK  UNDERWAY 


Name  Senate  Unit 
Members  Today 

Washington,  Feb.  5. — Senate 
majority  leader  Taft  (R.,  O.) 
promised  that  the  member- 
ship of  the  Senate  small  busi- 
ness committee  would  be  an- 
nounced tomorrow. 

The  committee  last  year 
started  an  investigation  of 
distributor  trade  practices, 
and  Sen.  Tobey  (R.,  N.  H.), 
who  is  considered  the  best  bet 
to  head  the  new  committee, 
has  said  he  would  push  this 
investigation.  However,  the 
committee  staff  has  been 
marking  time  for  the  last 
month,  waiting  appointment 
of  a  new  committee. 


Grainger  Election 
Seen  After  Feb.  12 


The  election  of  James  R.  Grainger 
to  the  presidency  and  to  the  board 
of  RKO  Pictures,  according  to  trade 
quarters  here  yesterday,  will  await 
the  Feb.  12  "token"  payment  of  the 
Ralph  Stolkin  group  to  Howard 
Hughes. 

Grainger  left  here  for  the  Coast 
last  night  where  he  will  be  on  the 
scene  as  the  developments  transpire. 
According  to  an  informed  source,  a 
board  meeting  is  not  expected  to  be 
called  on  the  Coast  until  the  Stolkin 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Goldfarb  Resigns 
RKO  Office  Post 

Robert  Goldfarb,  director  of  per- 
sonnel, office  management  and  pur- 
chasing at  RKO  Pictures,  today  an- 
nounced his  resignation. 

Meanwhile,  other  resignations  in  the 
reorganization  of  the  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  departments 
were  disclosed.  In  addition  to  those 
listed  in  yesterday's  Motion  Picture 
Daily,  they  are:  Orville  Deffen- 
baugh,  Herbert  Haines  and  Ernest 
Leffers,    artists ;    Miriam  Brandon, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Ask  All-Purpose  Screens, 
Standardized  Terms 
And  Coast  Liaison  Set-up 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

The  first  all-industry  steps  to  ef- 
fect standardization  of  third-dimen- 
sional and  wide-screen  processes 
were  taken  here  yesterday  at  a 
meeting  of  exhibition  and  distribution 
representatives,  held  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
and  Television  Engineers. 

The  four-hour  meeting  produced  a 
number  of  recommendations,  chief 
among  which  were : 

1.  The  manufacture  of  all  pur- 
pose screens  which  are  adapt- 
able for  all  third-dimensional 
processes  and  wide-screen  sys- 
tems, such  as  20th  Century- 
Fox's  Cinemascope  system,  said 
to  give  a  third-dimensional  ef- 
fect. 

2.  The  immediate  standardiz- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Film  Stocks  Still 
Board's  Most  Active 


While  for  the  most  part  registering 
no  appreciable  gains  on  the  day,  mo- 
tion picture  stocks  again  provided 
the  top  interest  and  activity  on  the 
New  York  Stock  Exchange  yester- 
day, for  the  fifth  consecutive  trading 
day. 

Shares  of  film  and  theatre  com- 
panies changed  only  fractionally  in 
price  but  the  heavy  volume  of  sales 
showed  there  has  been  no  diminution 
yet  in  investors'  interest  in  the  amuse- 
ment shares,  engendered  largely  by  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


TESMA  Lauds  '3-D' 
Standardization  Bid 

Omaha,  Feb.  5. — A  wire  heartily 
endorsing  the  third-dimensional  stan- 
dardization efforts  of  the  Society  of 
Motion  Picture  and  Television  En- 
gineers was  sent  out  today  by  J.  Rob- 
ert Hoff,  president  of  the  Theatre 
Equipment  and  Supply  Manufacturers 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


CONTENDER  FOR  AN  ACADEMY  AWARD  .'"-Showmen's  T.  R. 


Starring  JOSE  FERRER 
Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 

A  ROMULUS  Production 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  6,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

LOUIS  B.  MAYER,  chairman  of 
the  board  of  Cinerama  Produc- 
tions, will  arrive  in  New  York  to- 
morrow from  Hollywood. 

• 

Peter  Perakos,  Jr.,  office  manager 
of  the  Perakos  Theatre  Circuit,  New 
Britain,  Conn.,  and  son  of  the  head 
of  the  circuit,  and  his  bride  have  re- 
turned there  from  a  honeymoon  in 
Greece. 

• 

Andrew  Marton,  M-G-M  director, 
who  arrived  here  from  the  Coast  yes- 
terday, will  leave  for  French  Morocco 
today. 

e 

James  Perkins,  managing  director 
for  Paramount  International  in  Eng- 
land, will  return  to  London  from  here 
by  plane  on  Sunday. 

• 

Dick  Smith,  M-G-M  cashier  in 
Atlanta,  has  been  transferred  to  the 
booking  department.  Bob  Young  re- 
places him. 

• 

Arnold  Picker,  United  Artists  for- 
eign manager,  has  left  here  for  a  six- 
week  tour  of  Europe. 

• 

Louis  Astor,  Columbia  sales  exec- 
utive, is  in  Philadelphia  today  from 
New  York. 

• 

H.  M.  Richey,  director  of  exhibitor 
relations  for  M-G-M,  is  due  back  here 
this  weekend  from  a  Florida  vacation. 

John  P.  Byrne,  Eastern  M-G-M 
sales  manager,  returned  here  yester- 
day from  Philadelphia. 

o 

Dan  S.  Terrell,  M-G-M  publicity- 
exploitation  manager,  will  return  here 
Thursday  from  10  days  on  the  Coast. 
• 

Doug    Amos,    Hartford  division 
manager   of  Lockwood  and  Gordon 
Theatres,  is  on  a  Florida  vacation, 
e 

Carroll  Clark  has  left  the  Co- 
lumbia office  in  Atlanta  to  join  Wilby 
Theatres  in  the  same  city. 

M.   J.    Daly    of   the    Blue  Hills 
Drive-in  Theatre  Corp.,  Bloomfield, 
Conn.,  is  vacationing  in  Florida. 
• 

Irving  Allen,  producer,  has  left 
Hollywood  for  London. 

Estelita  and  Grant  Withers  were 
married  this  week  in  Reno,  Nev. 


Construction  Controls  May 
Be  Ended  Before  June  30 

Washington,  Feb.  5. — The  government's  theatre  construction  con- 
trols will  end  June  30  at  the  very  latest,  according  to  informed  govern- 
ment officials.  Moreover,  there's  a  good  chance  that  the  curbs  will  be 
further  liberalized  or  even  terminated  before  then. 
The  government's  present  authority 


Would  Show  Seating  Plan 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  5. — A  bill  re- 
quiring theatres  and  other  places  of 
entertainment  and  exhibition  to  "con- 
spicuously post  and  at  all  times  dis- 
play a  diagram  of  the  exact  location 
by  number  and  letter  of  each  reserved 
ticket"  has  been  introduced  by  Sen- 
ator Julius  A.  Archibald  and  Assem- 
blyman Daniel  M.  Kelly,  New  York 
City  Democrats.  Posting  would  be 
"adjacent  to  the  box  office  or  other 
place  where  such  reserved  seat  tickets 
are  sold." 


for  the  construction  control  order  ex 
pires  June  30.  President  Eisenhower 
has  said  he  wants  the  basic  allocation 
authority,  from  which  the  control 
order  stems  extended  beyond  June  30, 
but  has  indicated  that  he  will  use  this 
only  for  certain  defense-order  priori- 
ties and  for  allocations  of  a  few  very 
scarce  materials. 

Few  officials  believe  that  the  ex- 
tended authority  would  be  used  to 
cover  construction.  They  predict  that 
if  the  curbs  aren't  ended  before,  they 
will  end  June  30,  with  the  possible 
exception  of  some  continued  controls 
on  very  heavy  steel  shapes.  However, 
they  say,  there  will  be  no  further  con- 
trols on  other  types  of  steel,  copper 
or  aluminum,  as  at  present. 

The  Government's  ban  on  theatre 
building  was  relaxed  Jan.  1,  and  at 
present  most  theatre  projects  are  be- 
ing carried  on  under  the  new  self- 
authorization  procedures.  Only  the 
very  largest  projects  cannot  manage 
under  these  self-authorization  limits, 
government  officials  claim. 


Para.  Board  Votes 
50-Cent  Quarterly 

The  board  of  directors  of  Para- 
mount Pictures  yesterday  voted  a 
quarterly  dividend  of  50  cents  per 
share  on  the  common  stock,  payable 
March  27  to  holders  of  record 
March  16. 

The  payment  maintains  the  com- 
pany's dividend  rate  of  $2  per  year. 


Adams,  MGM  Branch 
Manager,  Resigns 

Washington,  Feb.  5. — Jerome  A. 
Adams,  M-G-M  branch  manager 
here,  has  resigned,  effective  April  4, 
to  accept  a  position  in  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay  area  where  he  was  associ- 
ated with  M-G-M  before  being  trans- 
ferred here  in  1947. 


Premiere  of  'Spur' 
Makes  Denver  Stir 


Denver,  Feb.  5.— More  than  5,000 
Denverites  turned  out  today  to  greet 
the  M-G-M  troupe  arriving  from 
Hollywood  for  the  local  premiere 
of  "The  Naked  Spur"  at  the  Para- 
mount tomorrow.  The  Coast  contin- 
gent was  headed  by  James  Stewart, 
star  of  the  picture ;  Robert  Ryan,  who 
appears  in  support  of  Stewart ;  pro- 
ducer William  H.  Wright  and  di- 
rector Anthony  Mann;  Howard 
Strickling ;  Vera-Ellen ;  Polly  Ber- 
gen ;  and  J.  C.  Flippen,  who  will  act 
as  m.c.  for  the  event. 

The  M-G-M  Technicolor  picture, 
filmed  entirely  in  the  Rockies,  will 
have  60  day  and  date  opening  tomor- 
row, in  this  territory,  with  the  local 
Paramount,  managed  by  John  Wolf- 
son,  the  center  for  three  personal  ap- 
pearances by  the  troupe.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  personal  appearances  the 
Hollywood  personalities  will  do  .eight 
radio  shows  and  two  TV  shows. 

Upon  arrival  of  the  Hollywood  con- 
tingent, Gov.  Dan  Thornton  declared 
Friday  "Hollywood  in  the  Rockies" 
day  and  also  introduced  the  members 
in  the  Senate.  Special  awards  will 
also  be  given  the  film  personalities. 
The  Hollywood  troupe  will  return  to 
Culver  City  on  Saturday. 


Program  on  Rowleys  Set 

Dallas,  Feb.  5.  —  The  executive 
committee  of  Texas  Council  of  Motion 
Picture  Organizations  has  arranged 
for  Paul  Short  to  produce  and  direct 
a  series  of  public  service  feature  radio 
programs  originating  from  station 
WFAA  in  this  city — the  first  will  be 
heard  Sunday — on  the  careers  of  Ed 
and  John  Rowley,  father  and  son,  who 
operate  the  largest  circuit  in  the 
Southwest. 


Studio  Craft  Wages  Up 

Hollywood,  Feb.  5. — Craft  union 
workers  in  studios  averaged  $112.13 
weekly  in  December,  which  compares 
to  $111.90  in  November,  and  to 
$107.01  in  December  a  year  ago,  the 
California  Division  of  Industrial  Re- 
lations reported  today. 


Clooneifs  Showmen's 
Tour  Ends  in  Tenn. 

The  week-long  "meet  the  exhibitors" 
Eastern  seaboard  tour  Paramount  star 
Rosemary  Clooney  has  been  making, 
will  wind  up  this  weekend  in  Nash- 
ville with  a  reception  in  her  honor  to 
be  given  by  Gov.  Frank  G.  Clement 
of  Tennessee.  The  reception  will  co- 
incide with  the  opening  at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre,  Nashville,  tomorrow 
of  Miss  Clooney's  first  picture,  "The 
Stars  Are  Singing." 


G.P.E.  Dividend 

General  Precision  Equipment  Corp. 
has  declared  a  dividend  of  25  cents 
per  share  on  the  common  stock,  pay- 
able March  15,  to  stockholders  of 
record  Feb.  25. 


ITOO  Convention  Set 

Columbus,  Ohio,  Feb.  5. — The  an- 
nual convention  of  Independent  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  Ohio  will  be  held 
April  7  and  8  at  the  Deshler-Wallick 
Hotel  here. 


Filming  Tax 
Short  in  Texas 


Dallas,  Feb.  5. — Herman  Hoffman, 
M-G-M  executive  assistant  to  Dore 
Schary,  is  here  to  confer  with  R.  J. 
O'Donnell,  H.  A.  Cole,  Pat  McGee, 
Bob  Coyne,  Paul  Short,  and  Kyle 
Rorex  at  the  Texas  Council  of  Motion 
Picture  Organizations  office,  to  obtain 
additional  information  and  film  foot- 
age on  local  theatres  for  the  produc- 
tion which  will  be  shown  to  the  House 
Ways  and  Means  committee  and  other 
congressmen  in  Washington,  "The 
case  for  the  repeal  of  the  20  per  cent 
Federal  admission  tax." 

Hoffman  brought  along  his  entire 
crew  of  cameramen,  sound  and  light- 
ing equipment,  and  will  make  pictures 
in  Ranger  and  Blooming  Grove, 
Texas,  as  well  as  in  Oklahoma  and 
Arkansas.  He  will  remain  in  Texas 
for  10  days,  and  when  he  returns  to 
the  Coast  the  picture  will  be  com- 
pleted in  10  more  days. 


Steve  Hannagan  Dies 
In  Africa  at  53 

Well  known  publicist  Steve  Hanna- 
gan died  yesterday  in  Nairobi,  Kenya, 
of  a  heart  attack.  Hannagan,  who 
has  had  several  motion  picture  ac- 
counts in  the  past,  was  53  years  of 
age.  His  body  will  be  flown  here 
tomorrow. 


New  Hay  worth  Vehicle 

"The  Galileans,"  a  novel  dealing 
with  the  life  of  Mary  Magdalene,  has 
been  purchased  by  Columbia  as  a 
starring  vehicle  for  Rita  Hayworth 
and  will  be  made  in  color  by  Tech- 
nicolor, the  company  reports. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


  Rockefeller  Center  . 

Lana  TURNER  •  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON  •  Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


JERR/ 


MARTIN  HEWS 


STOOGE 


Midnight  Feolur* 


SDG  Names  Ettinger 

Hollywood,  Feb.  5. — The  Ettinger 
Co.  has  been  retained  as  public  rela- 
tions counsel  for  the  Screen  Directors 
Guild,  George  Sidney,  Guild  president, 
has  announced. 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 


WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING . . . 


FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 


FILMACK 
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MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsay e,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing'  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  ~V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building1, 
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Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre-  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  atj^he  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  -  I    ■  -  — 


Are  YOU  one  of  them  • 


From  an  editorial  in 


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Hol  vWOOa  (-,DSK'                 btle£  tout  of 

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TOP" and  "BATTLE  ZONE"... and  you're  all  set 
more  ALLIED  ARTISTS  Boxoffice  Champions! 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  6,  1953 


20thPlanning 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


'3-D'  Uniformity  Work 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  of  the  conventional  two-dimension 
pictures,  releasing  only  those  cur- 
rently in  work.  He  predicted  that  be- 
tween 2,000  and  3,000  theatres  would 
be  equipped  for  Cinemascope  by  the 
time  "The  Robe"  is  released  in  Octo- 
ber, adding  that  no  exhibitor  could 
afford  to  refuse  installation  of  the 
necessary  equipment  when  the  com- 
panies start  to  release  their  dimen- 
sional product. 

The  Cinemascope  process, 
which  20th-Fox  controls,  will  be 
made  available  to  all  companies 
but  whether  it  will  be  offered 
on  a  royalty  basis  or  some  other 
method  has  not  been  deter- 
mined, Skouras  said.  He  stated 
that  a  verbal  commitment  had 
been  made  to  Loew's,  strictly  as 
a  production  venture,  stressing 
that  Loew's  would  not  be  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  marketing  of  the 
medium. 

Skouras  said  that  the  cost  of  instal- 
lation of  the  panoramic  screen  and  its 
equipment  had  not  been  determined, 
but  he  indicated  that  the  most  ex- 
pensive portion  would  be  the  setting 
up  of  the  stereophonic  sound  system. 
As  there,  will  be  four  sound  tracks  on 
a  single  strip  of  film,  there  must  be  a 
corresponding  number  of  speakers,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  screen,  one  in  the 
center  and  a  "control"  speaker  which 
may  reproduce  the  sound  from  all  four 
sound  tracks. 

Utilize  Only  Center  Part 

When  the  Cinemascope  screen  is 
installed  in  a  theatre,  it  will  be  pos- 
sible to  play  a  conventional  film  by 
utilizing  only  the  center  part  of  the 
screen.  Even  a  Cinemascopic  picture 
could  be  exhibited  on  the  conventional 
screen  but  on  panoramic  shots  the 
scenes  would  be  cut  off  on  each  side. 
Skouras  said  a  new  lens  that  would 
permit  the  showing  of  pictures  for 
either  medium  was  in  the  stage  of  ex- 
perimentation. He  pointed  out,  how- 
ever, that  a  theatre  equipped  for  Cine- 
rama could  not  show  pictures  made 
for  Cinemascope. 

Equipment  for  Cinemascope  will  be 
delivered  to  theatres  in  a  "package," 
Skouras  said,  which  will  include  the 
special  Cinemascope  lens,  stereoscopic 
sound  and  screen,  the  latter  measuring 
approximately  two-and-a-half  times 
the  width  of  present  screens.  The 
lenses,  now  being  made  in  France, 
will  be  manufactured  in  other  parts 
of  the  world  and  20th-Fox  expects  to 
"farm  out"  the  contracts.  Skouras 
left  here  yesterday  afternoon  for  Paris 
to  speed  up  the  manufacturing  of  the 
lenses  and  to  confer  there  with  Earl 
I.  Sponable,  2'0th-Fox  research  direc- 
tor, and  with  company  executives  on 
the  expansion  of  the  company's  activi- 
ties in  the  3-D  field. 

A  demonstration  of  the  Cinema- 
scope process  is  expected  to  be  ready 
by  mid-April  although  efforts  will  be 
made  to  show  the  system  sometime  in 
March. 

The  first  20th-Fox  picture  to  be 
made  in  true  three  dimension  will 
go  before  the  cameras  on  Feb.  16. 
This  will  be  "Inferno"  and  will  be 
made  in  color.  Another,  to  be  made 
in  black-and-white,  is  titled  "Vicki." 


Ga.  T.O.  Convention 

Atlanta,  Feb.  5. — Georgia  Thea- 
tre Owners  and  Operators  have  set 
May  31-June  2  as  the  date  for  their 
annual  convention,  to  be  held  at  the 
Atlanta  Biltmore  Hotel  here. 


ation  of  technical  terms  to  elim- 
inate misunderstandings. 

3.  A  change  in  the  height  and 
width  ratio  of  the  picture  in 
order  to  realize  a  bigger  picture 
on  the  screen  using  present-day 
projection  equipment. 

4.  That  SMPTE  act  as  a  liai- 
son with  the  Motion  Picture  Re- 
search Council  on  the  Coast. 

5.  That  SMPTE  prepare  and 
distribute  a  report  on  the  basic 
principles  of  all  third-dimen- 
sional and  wide-screen  systems 
presently  advocated. 

Herbert  Barnett,  SMPTE  presi- 
dent, in  a  statement  following  the 
meeting  made  it  clear  "that  each 
manufacturer  must  and  shall  remain 
completely  free  to  accept  or  reject  any 
proposed  standard  or  to  determine 
whether,  if  standards  are  adopted,  he 
desires  to  meet  them  in  his  own  prod- 
ucts." Furthermore,  he  added,  "it 
will  be  necessary  to  scrupulously 
avoid  any  attempts  at  comparative 
evaluations  of  systems,  or  the  prefer- 
ence of  one  system  or  the  individual 
features  of  one  system  over  the 
others." 

It  was  emphasized  that  engineering 
standardization  must  originate  on  the 
Coast  and  in  this  connection  the  pion- 
eering third-dimensional  work  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Research  Council, 
under  the  direction  of  William  F. 
Kelly,  was  highlighted  at  the  meeting. 
Participants  were  told  that  the  MPRC 
met  yesterday  with  film  exchange 
managers  to  discuss  the  standardiza- 
tion of  film  reel  sizes,  ways  of  identi- 
fying the  right  and  left  eye  films  and 
the  need  for  standard  markings,  and 
splicing  problems.  The  MPRC,  it 
was  explained,  is  composed  of  the 
eight  major  companies  belonging  to 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America. 

The  SMPTE,  functioning  in  its 
role,  will  have  its  report  on  the  vari- 
ous third-dimensional  systems  and 
wide-screen  processes  ready  in  about 
another  month,  it  was  estimated.  Ex- 
hibition's request  that  an  all-purpose 
screen  be  manufactured  will  be  for- 
warded to  equipment  dealers  within  a 
few  days,  it,  was  stated. 

All  exhibitor  delegates  at  the  meet- 
ing urged  the  immediate  consideration 
of  changing  the  height  and  width  ratio 
to  a  new  standard  so  that  a  bigger 
picture  on  the  screen  is  effected.  The 
present  picture  ratio,  technically 
called  the  aspect  ratio,  is  three  feet 
wide  and  four  feet  high.  The  adop- 
tion of  such  a  standard  ratio,  it  was 
explained,  will  be  one  of  the  first 
standards  to  be  adopted  for  wide- 
screen  systems. 


Polaroid  Glasses 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

away  glasses  would  be  forthcoming. 
In  the  meantime,  it  was  stated,  UA 
will  not  book  the  film  after  the  45- 
day  period  until  the  supply  picture 
clears  up. 


NT  Quarter  Net 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

20th  Century-Fox  Film  Corp.  as  a 
result  of  the  consent  decree. 

Corresponding  figures  for  the  same 
period  the  year  before  were  $373,948 
and  14  cents  per  share,  on  a  pro 
forma  basis. 


The  adoption  of  standards,  it  was 
explained,  would  allow  theatres  to 
make  the  necessary  conversions  which 
would  allow  the  playing  of  any  type 
of  third-dimensional  or  wide-screen 
film. 

Turning  to  the  work  of  MPRC  on 
the  Coast,  an  SMPTE  spokesman 
stated  that  third-dimensional  systems 
as  opposed  to  wide-screen  processes  is 
now  on  top  of  the  council's  agenda. 
He  explained  that  according  to  his 
information  not  enough  engineering 
data  on  wide-screen  processes  such  as 
Cinemascope  has  been  supplied  to  the 
council  as  yet,  forestalling  standard- 
ization action  on  wide-screen  proc- 
esses. He  added  though  that  Cinema- 
scope and  other  wide-screen  systems 
in  the  work  are  comparatively  very 
new. 

Working  in  Cooperation 

The  Coast  council,  it  was  added,  is 
working  in  cooperation  with  such 
equipment  dealers  as  Altec  Service 
Co.  and  RCA  Service  Co.,  the  two 
firms  currently  installing  the  syn- 
chronization machines  for  Natural 
Vision  and  Tri-Opticon. 

Among  the  three-dimensional  stand- 
ardization proposals  before  the  coun- 
cil, it  was  stated,  are  two  suggested 
reel  sizes,  3,500  or  5,500  feet,  and  the 
adoption  of  such  basic  standards  as 
the  fixing  of  the  image  on  the  screen. 

The  following  attended  the  meeting 
at  SMPTE  headquarters:  Wilbur 
Snaper,  president  of  Allied  States 
Association ;  Sam  Pinanski,  executive 
committee  member  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America;  Barnett,  presi- 
dent, Henry  Hood,  engineering  vice- 
president,  J.  A.  Norling,  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  stereoscopic  motion 
pictures,  all  of  the  SMPTE;  Julius 
Sanders,  vice-president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association ; 
Manny  Frisch,  president,  D.  John 
Phillips,  executive  director,  of  the 
Metropolitan  Motion  Picture  Theatres 
Association. 

Also,  John  McClullough,  technical 
director  of  MPAA ;  Vincent  Gilcher, 
chief  engineer  of  the  Radio  City 
Music  Hall;  C.  R.  Horstman,  of 
RKO  Theatres  Inc. ;  and  Frank  E. 
Cahill,  director  of  sound  and  projec- 
tion for  Warner  Brothers  Theatres. 


RKO  Radio  to  Demonstrate 
Norling  Camera  Here 

RKO  Radio  will  offer  a  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Norling  stereoscopic 
camera  in  the  home  office  projection 
room  here  today  for  press  representa- 
tives and  others.  The  camera  is  of 
the  type  used  in  the  production  of  the 
Pete  Smith  Audioscopics  for  M-G-M 
in  1940. 


Buchman  Trial 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

poena  of  the  House  Un-American  Ac- 
tivities Committee.  Reason  for  the 
postponement  is  that  Rep.  Jackson 
(R.,  Calif.),  a  member  of  the  commit- 
tee, is  supposed  to  testify  at  the  trial 
and  was  prevented  by  a  speaking  en- 
gagement from  being  available. 


Goldfarb  Resigns 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

press-book  editor ;  and  Charles  Cohen, 
copywriter.  Cohen,  it  was  disclosed, 
has  rejoined  the  advertising  depart- 
ment of  20th  Century-Fox. 


Grainger 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

group  makes  it  clear  whether  they 
wish  to  forfeit  their  controlling  stock 
interest  to  Howard  Hughes,  or  con- 
tinue to  hold  on  to  it  and  be  liable 
for  the  unpaid  balance,  $6,250,000,  due 
Hughes  under  the  purchase  agree- 
ment. The  $150,000  "token"  payment, 
called  for  to  show  the  intention  of 
the  Stolkin  group,  is  due  one  week 
from  today,  according  to  reports. 

If  the  payment  is  not  forthcoming, 
it  was  pointed  out  here,  one  vacancy 
will  be  created  on  the  board  due  to 
the  expected  resignation  then  of  Ed- 
ward Burke,  the  sole  remaining  mem- 
ber of  the  Stolkin  group  on  the  RKO 
Pictures  board.  If  the  payment  is 
made,  either  another  board  member  is 
expected  to  resign,  or  the  board  will 
be  increased  from  five  directors  to 
six,  to  accommodate  Grainger. 


Film  Stocks 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

wide  public  and  trade  interest  in 
three-dimensional  films  and  wide 
screen  projection. 

Activity  in  the  case  of  United 
Paramount  Theatres'  shares,  however, 
was  attributed  to  the  market's  antici- 
pation of  imminent  approval  by  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
of  the  merger  with  American  Broad- 
casting Co.  The  latter's  shares  also 
were  in  demand.  Confidence  of  the 
Street  in  approval  of  the  merger  by 
FCC  was  demonstrated  by  the  Big 
Board's  changing  the  name  of  UPT 
yesterday  to  American  Broadcasting- 
Paramount  Theatres. 


Brandt  Believes 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

question  of  whether  there  has  been 
an  injustice." 

Brandt  said  he  couldn't  understand 
why  exhibitors  and  distributors  ap- 
parently preferred  to  spend  their  time 
in  court  than  to  settle  differences  by 
arbitration.  At  least,  he  said,  partial 
relief  could  be  obtained  under  that 
method. 

The  projected  invitation  by  Alfred 
Starr,  president  of  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  to  Allied  leaders  for  a  meet- 
ing on  the  arbitration  question  has  not 
yet  been  sent. 


TESMA  Lauds 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Association. 

Said  Hoff,  in  part,  "Present  pro- 
posed divergent  processes  create  huge 
engineering  expenses  for  all  manu- 
facturers of  sound  and  projection 
equipment,  projection  lens  and  allied 
lines  and  we  would  welcome  a  single 
standard  that  would  enable  us  to  pro- 
duce desired  equipment  at  the  lowest 
possible  cost  to  the  exhibitor." 

He  pledged  TESMA's  cooperation 
in  standardization  efforts  in  his  wire, 
addressed  to  Herbert  Barnett,  SMPTE 
president. 


Legion  Easy 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

theatres,  it  was  reported,  numerous 
telephone  calls,  presumably  from 
Legionnaires,  were  received  inquiring 
why  the  Chaplin  picture  was  being 
played.  Spokesmen  for  United  Artists, 
the  distributor,  said  the  picture  is 
doing  normal  business  here,  "neither 
sensational  nor  poor." 


Friday,  February  6,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Reviews 


"I'll  Get  You" 

(Lippert)  Hollywood,  Feb.  5 

TP  HIS  is  the  all-around  best  George  Raft  picture  in  a  good  while  and 
appears  certain  to  satisfy  fully  the  standard  Raft  fan-following  while 
giving  the  plain  melodrama  crowd  a  full  79  minutes  The  scene  is  London, 
with  the  action  taking  the  camera  into  a  wide  variety  of  extremely  interest- 
ing sections  of  the  city,  and  both  Scotland  Yard  and  the  American  FBI 
figure  in  the  story,  on  about  even  terms.  The  Raft  role  is  better  fitted  to 
his  staple  performance  than  some  he's  had,  and  the  story  stays  on  the  track 
steadily  from  its  suspenseful  beginning  to  a  climactic  fight  on  the  descending 
external  elevator  of  a  water-front  warehouse,  an  unique  setting  for  a  con- 
vincing finale. 

Bernard  Luber  produced  the  picture  in  London,  making  utmost  dramatic 
use  of  the  city  both  scenically  and  plot-wise,  and  Seymour  Friedman  gave  il 
the  benefit  of  straightaway  direction.  The  screenplay  is  by  John  V.  Baines, 
with  additions  by  Nicholas  Phipps. 

Raft  enters  the  picture  as  an  American  landing  from  a  plane  in  London 
and  skipping  customs  inspection,  which  gets  him  on  the  police's  "wanted" 
list  at  once,  also  on  the  front  pages  of  the  newspapers.  Sally  Gray  portrays 
an  English  girl  of  seemingly  sinister  connections  with  whom  Raft  is  asso- 
ciated in  the  variety  of  adventures  which  make  up  the  story.  Raft  turns  out 
to  be  an  FBI  man  and  she's  an  employee  of  the  British  police,  but  this  fact 
isn't  held  out  from  the  audience  too  long.  They  have  been  on  the  trail  of 
an  international  spy  and  Raft  turns  him  in  at  picture's  end. 

Running  time,  79  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Jan.  16.  William  R.  Weaver 

"Curtain  Up" 

(Noel  Meadoiv- — /.  Arthur  Rank  Organisation) 

WITH  those  two  fine  actors,  Robert  Morley  and  Margaret  Rutherford, 
giving  top  performances,  this  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization  production 
is  a  thoroughly  delightful  comedy  and  one  of  the  better  imports  of  the  season. 

Adapted  from  Philip  King's  London  play,  "On  Monday  Next,"  the  film 
details  the  birth  pangs  of  a  new  play  as  a  repertory  company  rehearses  to 
bring  it  before  the  footlights.  The  story  has  enough  varied  comedy  to  meet 
any  taste,  for  in  its  hilarious  development  it  ranges  from  slapstick  to  subtlety. 

Most  of  the  picture's  comedy  is  set  off  when  the  author,  a  middle-aged 
eccentric — Miss  Rutherford — comes  to  the  rehearsal  to  harry  the  already 
agonized  producer-director,  Morley.  What  follows  is  a  merry  romp  of  barbed 
words,  poisoned  looks  and  corny  theatrics.  Other  aspects  developed  in  the 
story  involve  the  personal  lives  of  the  performers.  Among  them  is  a  love 
angle  concerning  Joan  Rice,  who  will  be  remembered  here  for  the  feminine 
lead  in  Walt  Disney's  "Robin  Hood." 

This  Robert  Garrett  production  has  had  the  benefit  of  very  clever  direction 
by  Ralph  Smart  and  superior  support  in  Olive  Sloane,  Charlotte  Mitchell, 
Liam  Gaffney  and  others.  _  . 

Running  time,  82  minutes.   General  audience  classification,   lor  February 

release. 


To  Screen  'Sheba'  at 
MPA's  D.C.  Theatre 

Washington,  Feb.  5. — Members  of 
the  Cabinet,  Congress,  the  Washing- 
ton diplomatic  and  press  corps  will 
attend  a  special  screening  Sunday  of 
Hal  Wallis'  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba"  at  the  MPAA  Theatre,  here, 
with  Shirley  Booth,  star  of  the  film, 
as  hostess. 

Among  those  expected  are:  Navy 
Secretary  Robert  Andersen  and  Mrs. 
Andersen ;  James  Hagerty,  press  sec- 
retary to  President  Eisenhower ;  Am- 
bassador Gaganvihari  Lallubhai 
Mehta  of  India ;  Ambassador  Alberto 
Tarchiani  of  Italy ;  ex-Ambassador 
Joseph  Davies  and  Mrs.  Davies;  Sen- 
ator and  Mrs.  Sparkman ;  Benjamin 
McKelway,  publisher  of  the  Wash- 
ington Ezviving  Star,  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Kelway ;  Eugene  Meyer,  publisher  of 
the  Washington  Post;  White  House 
correspondents  Merriman  Smith  of 
the  United  Press  and  Ted  Lewis  of 
the  Daily  Nezvs,  and  others. 

Mexico  Showed  More 
Foreign  Films  in  '52 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  5. — More  for- 
eign but  fewer  Mexican  pictures  were 
exhibited  here  during  1952  than  in 
any  year  since  1949,  it  is  learned. 
Last  year,  309  imported  films  were 
screened,  of  which  252  were  Amer- 
ican, 23  French,  14  Spanish,  13  En- 
glish, six  Italian  and  one  Swedish — 
but  only  96  Mexican.  The  Mexican 
trade  claims,  however,  that  those  home 
pictures  had  a  much  higher  box  office 
and  artistic  quality  than  had  those  of 
some  other  years. 

Exhibited  here  in  1951  were  263 
foreign  films  (210  U.S.)  and  111 
Mexican;  1950,  239  foreign  (183 
U.S.)  and  102  Mexican,  and  1949, 
259  foreign,  (188  U.S.)  and  103  Mex- 
ican. 

Stiff  Control  Over 
Theatre  Admissions 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  5. — A  request  by 
top  local  first-run  exhibitors  that  they 
be  allowed  to  charge  12  cents  more 
for  exceptional  pictures  was  rejected 
by  the  Municipal  Amusements  Super- 
vision Department  which  reiterated 
that  it  considers  46  cents  ample  for 
any  picture  that  plays  here.  The  ex- 
hibitors failed  to  move  the  Department 
with  their  plea  that  46-  cents  is  un- 
profitable for  them. 


Mexican  Bank  Reports 

Mexico  City,  Feb.  5. — The  trade's 
own  bank,  the  semi-official  Banco 
Nacional  Cinematografico,  S.  A., 
ended  1952  with  loans,  credits  and  dis- 
counts totaling  $1,551,783.19  and 
$1,723,000  worth  of  its  bonds  circu- 
lating, its  Dec.  31  balance  sheet 
shows. 


New  Columbia  Musical 

"His  Master's  Voice,"  a  cavalcade 
of  the  record  business  "from  Caruso 
to  Perry  Como,"  has  been  placed  on 
Columbia  Pictures'  schedule.  It  will 
be  made  in  cooperation  with  RCA 
Victor,  which  will  place  all  of  its 
facilities  at  the  studio's  disposal.-  - 


Canadian  Film  Awards 

Ottawa,  Feb.  5. — The  annual  Cana- 
dian film  awards,  covering  six  classes 
of  films  produced  for  release  in  Can- 
ada during  1952,  will  be  presented  in 
Montreal  in  April. 


Smith  to  Conduct 
Para,  Branch  Meets 

Los  Angeles,  Feb.  5.— George  A. 
Smith,  Paramount  Western  division 
manager,  has  left  here  for  branch 
meetings  at  which  he  will  discuss  new 
product  and  the  plans  formulated  at 
the  week-long  division  and  branch 
managers  meeting  in  New  York  from 
which  he  returned  last  weekend. 

Smith  will  hold  sessions  in  Seattle, 
Portland,  San  Francisco,  Des  Moines, 
Omaha,  Salt  Lake  City  and  Denver. 
Back  here  from  the  New  York  ses- 
sions are  A.  R.  Taylor,  branch  man- 
ager, and  Lester  Coleman,  assistant  to 
Smith. 


Now  They're  Reopening 

Charlotte,  N.  C,  Feb.  5. — The 
Broadway  Theatre  here,  a  former 
United  Paramount  Theatres  house, 
closed  since  last  July,  will  be  reopened 
and  operated  soon  by  H.  B.  Meisel- 
man  on  a  first  run  policy.  The  Char- 
lotte, a  second  run  house,  also  was 
reopened  here  recently. 


Crosby  Film  Set 

Hollywood,  Feb.  5.  —  "White 
Christmas"  will  start  at  Paramount 
in  mid-August  with  Bing  Crosby  in 
the  top  role,  according  to  a  studio 
announcement.  A  postponement  of 
announcement.  A  postponement  of  the 
shooting  schedule  was  at  the  request 
of  Crosby,  it  was  stated. 


IFE  Demonstrates 
Dubbing  Procedure 

Yesterday's  press  opening  of  the 
new  Italian  Films  Export  studio  here 
was  highlighted  by  a  demonstration  of 
the  art  of  dubbing  motion  picture  dia- 
logue from  Italian  into  English,  cli- 
maxed by  the  preview  showing  in 
New  York  of  an  excerpt  from  the 
American-language  version  of  "Anna," 
new  Silvana  Mangano  film  co-starring 
Vittorio  Gassman. 

Dr.  Mauro  Zambuto,  designer-direc- 
tor of  the  film  recording  set-up  which 
occupies  the  entire  fifth  floor  of  the 
Skouras  Theatre  Building  here,  con- 
ducted the  demonstration. 


Holt z  Buys  Colonial 

San  Francisco,  Feb.  5.  —  Cali- 
fornia exhibitor  Charles  Holtz  has 
purchased  the  850-seat  Colonial  at 
Sacramento  from  United  California 
for  an  estimated  $250,000.  J.  Leslie 
Jacobs,  theatre  broker,  handled  the 
transaction.  The  house  will  undergo 
a  complete  renovation. 


New  Night  Policy 

Hartford,  Feb.  5. — A  new  policy 
of  scheduling  two  complete  perform- 
ances nightly,  beginning  at  5  P.M., 
has  gone  into  effect;-  at  the  Hi-Way 
and  Beverly  theatres,  first-run  houses 
in  Bridgeport,  operated  by  Perakos 
Theatre  Associates,  New  Britain, 
Conn. 


Aid  to  Theatre  TV 
Pledged  by  Equity 


Assistance  and  encouragement  of 
theatre  television  was  pledged  by 
Ralph  Bellamy,  president  of  Actors 
Equity,  in  a  report  to  the  union's 
membership  for  1953. 

Bellamy,  informing  members  that 
Equity  had  been  approached  about 
theatre  televising  a  number  of  plays, 
said  that  closed-circuit  TV  can  "lead 
to  an  interest  in  the  (legitimate) 
theatre  never  before  experienced." 

The  report,  reprinted  in  the  current 
issue  of  the  union's  publication, 
Equity,  did  not  refer  to  Equity's  new 
pay  scale  for  theatre  TV  perform- 
ances, which  industry  spokesmen 
claim  is  "unacceptable"  at  this  point. 
Bellamy's  report,  however,  held  out 
the  "exciting  prospect"  of  the  advent 
of  the  new  medium,  which  could  mean 
additional  money  to  actors. 

Albany  'Brotherhood' 
Meet  on  Monday 

Albany,  Feb.  5. — Dr.'  Everett  R. 
Clinchy  of  the  National  Conference  of 
Christians  and  Jews,  will  speak  at  a 
civic  "Brotherhood"  luncheon  in  the 
Hotel  Ten  Eyck  on  Monday,  exhibitor 
co-chairman  Charles  A.  Smakwitz 
announced  today. 

The  luncheon  is  arranged  by  the 
motion  picture  district  committee  for 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  with  the 
assistance  of  local  church  leaders. 
Smakwitz  spoke  on  "Brotherhood" 
over  station  WPTR  this  afternoon. 

FCC  Issues  Eight 
More  TV  Licenses 

Washington,  Feb.  5. — The  Federal 
Communications  Commission  has  au- 
thorized eight  more  commercial  and 
three  more  educational  television  sta- 
tions, bringing  the  post-freeze  total  to 
220  grants,  including  14  educational. 

The  new  commercial  authorizations 
went  to  applicants  in  Fort  Dodge, 
Iowa ;  Roswell,  New  Mex. ;  Salem, 
Ore. ;  Johnson  City  and  Memphis, 
Tenn. ;  Temple  and  Tyler,  Tex. ;  and 
Charlottesville,  Va.  All  three  new  edu- 
cational grants  went  to  the  Connecticut 
State  Board  of  Education  for  stations 
at  Bridgeport,  Hartford  and  Norwich. 


Balance  Board's  Budget 

Ottawa,  Feb. .  5.  —  The  National 
Film  Board  has  balanced  its  1952 
budget,  it  has  reported  to  the  Cana- 
dian Parliament,  income  and  expendi- 
tures both  totalling  $3,476,088.  The 
receipts,  however,  included  $2,662,333 
in  grants  that  were  voted  by  Parlia- 
ment. Actual  revenue  consisted  of 
$731,000  from  film  sales  and  $117,000 
from  rentals  and  royalties,  and  other 
items. 


To  'Confess'  Premiere 

Quebec,  Feb.  5. — Alfred  Hitchcock 
and  Anne  Baxter  will  arrive  here 
from  Hollywood  Sunday  to  attend  the 
dual  premiere  of  Warners'  "I  Con- 
fess" at  the  Capitol  and  Cartier, 
Feb.  12,  and  will  be  at  the  Montreal 
opening  at  the  Palace  there  the  fol- 
lowing day. 


First  Wyo.  TV  Station 

Washington,  Feb.  5.  —  Wyoming 
has  received  its  first  television  station 
grant,  issued  by  the  Federal  Commu- 
nications Commission  to  the  Frontier 
Broadcasting  Co.  at  Cheyenne. 


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WARNERS 

ABBOTT  AND 
COSTELLO  MEET 
CAPTAIN  KIDD 

(Color) 
Charles  Laughton 

C— 70  mln.  (208) 
(Rev.  11/25/52) 

APRIL   IN  PARIS 
(Color) 
Doris  Day 
Ray  Bolger 

MO— 101  min.  (209) 
(Rev.  11/13/52) 

STOP.  YOU'RE 
KILLING  ME 
(Color) 
Broderick  Crawford 

Claire  Trevor 
O— 86  min.  (210) 
(Rev.  12/17/52) 

THE  MAN 
BEHIND  THE 
GUN 

(Color) 
Randolph  Scott 
Patrice  Wymore 

0—82  mln.  (211) 
(Rev.  1/5/53) 

THE  JAZZ  SINGER 

(Color) 
Danny  Thomas 
Peggy  Lee 

D— 107  min.  (212) 
(Rev.  1/5/53) 

1  CONFESS 
Montgomery  Clitt 
Anne  Baxter 

D— 95  min.  (213) 

UNIV.-INTT.. 

(Dec.  Releases) 

THE  BLACK 

CASTLE 
Richard  Greene 
Boris  Karloff 

D — 81  mtn.  (304) 
(Rev.  10/24/52) 

AGAINST  ALL 
FLAGS 
(Color) 
Errol  Flynn 
Maureen  O'Hara 
D — 83  mln.  (305) 
(Rev.  11/26/52) 

[•HE  IMPORTANCE 
OF  BEING 
EARNEST 

(Color) 
Michael  Redgrave 
Joan  Greenwood 

O— 95  min.  (381) 
(Rev.  12/29/52) 

(Jan.  Releases) 

THE  LAWLESS 
BREED 
(Color) 
Rock  Hudson 
Julia  Adams 
0—83  mln.  (306) 
(Rev.  11/28/52) 

MEET  ME  AT  THE 
FAIR 

(Color) 
Dan  Dailey 
Diana  Lynn 

M— 87  min.  (307) 
(Rev.  12/5/52) 

THE  REDHEAD 
FROM  WYOMING 
(Color) 
Maureen  O'Hara 
Alex  Nicol 
OD — 80  min.  (309) 
(Rev.  12/29/52) 

(Feb.  Releases) 

MISSISSIPPI 
GAMBLER 

(Color) 
Tyrone  Power 
Piper  Laurie 

D— 98  min.  (310) 
(Rev.  1/9/53) 

GIRLS  IN  THE 
NIGHT 

Harvey  Lembeek 
Joyce  Holden 

D— 83  min.  (311) 

(Rev.  1/16/53) 

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BATTLE  CIRCUS 
Humphrey  Bogart 
June  Allyson 

D — 90  min. 
(Rev.  1/27/53) 

THE  TALL  TEXAN 
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VOL.  73.    NO.  27 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  9,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

THE  two  foremost  concerns  of 
responsible  exhibitors  pertaining 
to  three-dimensional  film  processes 
today  appear  to  be  the  immediate 
need  for  standardization  or  inter- 
changeability  of  equipment  for  the 
theatre,  and  the  type  and  quality  of 
product  which  will  be  offered  at  the 
outset,  while  the  public's  appetite 
for  the  novelty  continues  unap- 
peased. 

Presumably,  a  good  start,  at 
least  a  serious  one,  in  the  direction 
of  obtaining  production  standards 
which  will  permit  exhibition  to 
eliminate  or,  at  least,  limit  the 
financial  risk  involved  in  the  pur- 
chase of  new  equipment,  was  made 
here  last  week  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
and  Television  Engineers.  This 
necessary  work  will  be  carried  for- 
ward in  conjunction  with  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Research  Council  in 
Hollywood,  with,  it  is  to  be  hoped, 
the  full  cooperation  of  the  studios 
with  which  the  Council's  members 
are  associated. 

Sensible  standards  must  be 
agreed  upon,  and  the  sooner  the 
better.  Production's  stake  in  the 
issue  is  every  bit  as  big — and  as 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


FCC  Theatre  TV 
Challenge  up  Today 

Washington,  Feb.  8. — Attorneys 
for  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
and  National  Exhibitors  Theatre 
Television  Committee  tomorrow  will 
try  to  answer  a  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  challenge  to  the  in- 
dustry's plea  for  theatre  television 
frequencies. 

The  Commission  late  in  January 
said  the  industry's  case  contained  "ap- 
parent inconsistencies"  and  that  in- 
dustry lawyers  should  clear  them  up. 
Tomorrow's  the  time  MPAA  attorney 

{Continued  on  page  6) 


Gunzburgs  to  Reveal 
'3-D'  Plans  Today 

Future  activities  of  Natural  Vision 
Corp.  and  information  on  Polaroid 
glasses  and  the  general  status  of  tri- 
dimensional pictures  will  be  revealed 
to  the  trade  tomorrow  by  M.  L.  Gunz- 
burg,  president  of  Natural  Vision, 
and  his  wife,  who  is  executive  vice- 
president  of  the  company 

Gunzburg  will  meet  with  the  trade 
press  this  morning.  He  was  preceded 
here  from  the  Coast  by  Bill  Blowitz, 
publicity  director  for  Natural  Vision. 


Studio  Operations, 
W.B.  Confidence  at 
Peak,  Jack  L.  Says 

Hollywood,  Feb.  8. — With  15  pro- 
duction units  engaged  in  filming  nine 
major   pictures,    Warners    is    in  the 
midst  of  one  of  the  heaviest  production 
schedules  in 
company  his- 
tory,   Jack  L. 
Warner  an- 
nounced today. 

More  than 
1,600  stars,  fea- 
tured players, 
singers,  dancers 
and  technicians 
are  directly  em- 
ployed by  the  15 
currently  active 
units,  giving  the 
studio    a  peak 
program  it  his 
not  approached 
since  the  boom  days  of  World  War  II, 
and  which  is  utilizing  all  of  its  21 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Jack  Warner 


Cinerama,  Technico'r 
In  $10,000,000  Pact 

Hollywood,  Feb.  8.  —  Cine- 
rama Productions  has  signed 
a  $10,000,000  contract  with 
Technicolor  Corp.,  C.  V.  Whit- 
ney, a  member  of  the  board 
of  the  former  company  and 
executive  assistant  to  the 
president,  announced  here  at 
the  weekend.  Whitney  recent- 
ly became  an  important  in- 
vestor in  Cinerama. 

The  pact  was  finalized  fol- 
lowing discussions  between 
Whitney  and  Technicolor 
president  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kal- 
mus  and  involves  an  initial 
commitment  for  11  Cinerama 
features. 


1,704  Cost  Seen 
For  Cheapest  43-D' 


Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  8. — An  esti- 
mated $1,704  was  seen  as  the  conver- 
sion cost  for  the  simplest  third- 
dimensional  equipment  in  a  bulletin 
issued  by  the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Ohio. 

Ohio  ITO  members  were  told  that 
in  addition  to  the  $1,704  cost,  there 
might  be  some  small  additional 
charges  such  as  housing  for  over- 
sized reel  and  test  film.  The  bulletin, 
signed  by  Robert  A.  Wile,  executive 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


RKOAcquiresRights 
To  Norling  Camera 

The  acquisition  of  rights  to  use  the. 
new  third-dimensional  Norling  camera 
was  disclosed  here  on  Friday  by  RKO 
Pictures,  which  plans  to  enter  the 
third-dimensional  field  shortly. 

The  camera,  which  eliminates  the 
need  for  two  conventional  cameras, 
was  demonstrated  with  a  series  of 
third-dimensional  slides  by  the  inven- 
tor, John  A.  Norling,  president  of 
Loucks  and  Norling  Studios,  on  Fri- 
day at  the  RKO-Radio  home  office 
projection  room. 

A  spokesman  for  Loucks  and  Nor- 
ling said  that  while  RKO  Radio  has 
exclusive  rights  for  an  indefinite  period 
currently,  the  camera  is  expected  to 
be  marketed  in  the.  future  to  other 
studios.  The  Norling  system,  like 
Natural  Vision  and  Tri-Opticon,  re- 
(Continucd  on  page  2) 


1952  Federal  Admission  Tax  Collections 
Were  $312,396,860,  Almost  10%  Below  '51 

Washington,  Feb.  8. — General  admission  tax  collections  in  1952, 
reflecting  box-office  business  from  December,  1951,  through  Novem- 
ber, 1952,  were  almost  10  per  cent  below  those  for  the  12  months 
of  1951,  the  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue  reported. 

Collections  for  the  12  months  of  1952  amounted  to  $312,396,860, 
compared  with  $344,643,241  in  the  12  months  of  1951.  Collections 
have  been  falling  steadily  since  the  1946  and  1947  peak  years.  In 
1947,  collections  amounted  to  $389,867,479. 

The  general  admissions  tax  figures  include  taxes  on  tickets  to 
legitimate  theatre,  concerts,  sports  events  and  other  spectator 
events,  as  well  as  motion  picture  theatres. 

Collections  in  December,  1952,  reflecting  November  business, 
were  $26,966,928,  compared  to  $26,032,781  in  December,  1951,  the 
Bureau  reported.  This  was  the  first  1952  month  to  top  a  1951  month 
since  September.  Total  admission  tax  collections  in  December, 
including  roof  garden  and  cabaret  taxes  as  well  as  various  over- 
charges, amounted  to  $31,551,710,  compared  to  $29,663,467  in  Decem- 
ber a  year  earlier. 


Myers  Calls 
For  3-D  Film 
Standardizing 

War  of  Giants  Could  End 
In  Disaster,  He  Says 

Washington,  Feb.   8.  —  Allied 
States  general  counsel  Abram  F. 
Myers   today  urged  producers  to 
standardize    on    one  three-dimen- 
sional film:  pro- 
cess rather  than 
engage    in  a 
"battle    of  the 
giants"  between 
competing  sys- 
tems. 

Such  a  battle, 
he  declared,  can 
can  only  bring 
ruin  to  the  ex- 
hibitors and 
thus  to  the  en- 
tire industry,  in- 
cluding the  pro- 

,,  „  ducer  who  wins 

Abram  F.  Myers        thg  He 

also  warned  the  film  companies  to 
keep  an  adequate  supply  of  two-dimen- 
sional films  coming  while  theatres  are 
going  through  the  process  of  making 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


See  Delay  on  Fate 
Of  16mm.  Trust  Case 


Washington,  Feb.  8.  —  Attorney 
General  Brownell  will  make  no  final 
decision  on  whether  to  continue  or 
drop  the  16mm.  anti-trust  case  until  a 
new  Assistant  Attorney  General  is 
appointed  to  head  the  anti-trust 
division  and  has  had  a  chance  to  re- 
view the  case. 

While  President  Eisenhower  has 
named  men  to  fill  most  of  the  other 
Assistant  Attorney  General  positions, 
he  has  not  named  anyone  to  the  anti- 
trust division  post. 

The  industry  has  had  high  hopes 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Decision  Delayed  On 
Trade  Practice  Probe 

Washington,  Feb.  8.  —  Senator 
Thye  (R.,  Minn.),  newly  elected 
chairman  of  the  Senate  Small  Busi- 
ness Committee,  said  it  might  be  an- 
other few  weeks  before  the  committee 
makes  a  final  decision  on  whether  to 
continue  its  investigation  of  distrib- 
utor trade  practices. 

Members  of  the  committee  were 
named  by  Vice-President  Nixon  on 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  9,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


ELLIS  ARNALL,  SIMPP  presi- 
dent, left  here  for  Atlanta  over 
the  weekend. 

• 

Mervin  Houser,  assistant  to  Perry 
Lieber  at  RKO  Radio,  has  arrived 
here  from  Hollywood  to  assume  tem- 
porarily the  duties  of  publicity  direc- 
tor of  the  New  York  office. 

• 

Perry  Lieber,  RKO  Radio  national 
director  for  publicity  and  exploitation, 
left  here  for  the  Coast  over  the  week- 
end. 

• 

Dino  de  Laurentis,  Italian  pro- 
ducer of  the  Ponti  de  Laurentis 
studios  in  Rome,  arrived  here  yes- 
terday from  that  city. 

• 

Edward  E.  Sullivan,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox publicity  manager,  flew  to 
Hollywood  from  New  York  over  the 
weekend. 

• 

Wade  H.  Nichols,  editor  of  Red- 
book  magazine,  will  arrive  in  Holly- 
wood from  here  today. 

• 

George  Jessel,  20th  Century-Fox 
producer,  will  arrive  here  tomorrow 
from  the  Coast  by  plane. 


Myers  Asks  3-D  Standards 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


'3-D'  Cost 

(Continued  froi 


page  1) 


secretary,  hailed  the  advent  of  third- 
dimensional  films  as  "the  panacea 
which  will  bring  our  industry  out  of 
the  doldrums." 

The  necessity  of  an  intermission  in 
the  showing  of  "Bwana  Devil"  and 
the  Tri-Opticon  short  subjects  was 
welcomed  as  a  bonanza  to  the  conces- 
sion business.  Members  were  warned 
not  to  sign  a  National  Screen  contract 
unless  it  has  a  clause  specifying  that 
there  will  be  no  weekly  charge  if 
three-dimensional  trailers  are  used  or 
unless  a  per  trailer  contract  or  the 
exact  charge  for  three-dimensional 
trailers  is  specified. 


Norling  Camera 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


quires  the  use  of  spectacles.  Theatres 
equipped  for  other  third-dimensional 
systems  will  find  the  Norling  system 
interchangeable,  a  spokesman  claimed. 
Two  conventional  interlinked  projec- 
tors can  be  used  in  theatres,  it  was 
added. 


Tampa  Jury  Indicts 
2  on  Tax  Charges 

Tampa,  Feb.  8. — A  Federal  grand 
jury  here  has  indicted  Mose  L.  Wal- 
ler, Jr..  and  F.  Hugh  Thomas,  Jr., 
president  and  secretary-treasurer,  re- 
spectively of  Waller  and  Thomas 
Amusement  Co.,  on  10  counts  of  fail- 
ing to  remit  all  admission  taxes  col- 
lected in  a  10-month  period  from 
April,   1950,  through  January,  1951. 

The  two  men  already  are  facing 
Federal  charges  of  willful  failure  to 
■  file   tax   admission   returns   for  the 


themselves  ready  for  3-D  exhibition 
"Unless  a  standardized  3-D  product 
can  be  devised,  and  unless  the  exhibi- 
tors can  he  supplied  with  acceptable 
flat  pictures  during  the  transition  from 
2-D  to  3-D,"  he  said,  "the  entire  in- 
dustry will  come  crashing  down  and 
the  responsibility  will  rest  on  those 
now  striving  for  mastery." 

Myers  made  his  remarks  in  a  spe- 
cial bulletin  to  Allied  members,  en- 
titled "Bwana  Bustle."  The  bulletin 
started  by  recalling  that  the  major 
companies  tried  to  use  the  advent  of 
sound  pictures  in  the  late  1920's  as 
"an  opportunity  to  freeze  out  the 
small  exhibitors,"  and  that  Allied  had 
to  go  to  the  Department  of  Justice 
to  head  off  an  attempt  by  the  dis- 
tributors to  write  into  the  film  license 
agreements  that  sound  pictures  must 
be  reproduced  on  "approved"  equip- 
ment, on  which,  Myers  said,  the  af- 
filiated circuits  had  a  corner. 

"Sensing  that  history  may  re- 
peat," Myers  continued,  Allied's 
board  at  the  New  Orleans  con- 
vention appointed  a  special  '3-D' 
Committee.  "Should  it  appear 
necessary  or  desirable,"  he  said, 
"the  committee's  authorty  will 
be  enlarged  so  that  it  can  act 
in  any  emergency."  Myers  did 
not  amplify,  but  this  was  ob- 
viously a  threat  to  go  to  the 
Justice  Department  or  Congress 
with  any  complaints  about  the 
way  the  producers  are  handling 
the  3-D  problem. 

Myers  said  it  was  difficult  to  tell 
yet  whether  there  is  a  genuine  stam- 
pede to  3-D  or  "whether  some  of  the 
bulls  are  merely  pawing  the  ground 
to  see  which  can  stir  up  the  most  dust." 
However,  he  said,  with  most  of  the 
film  companies  carrying  large  inven- 
tories of  flat  pictures,  and  with  the 
great  majority  of  exhibitors  lacking- 
equipment  to  play  any  other  kind,  "one 
may  question  the  wisdom  of  proclaim- 
ing to  the  public  that  from  now  on 
there  will  be  nothing  but  depth  pic- 
tures." 

The  novelty  appeal  of  3-D  is  tre- 
mendous, Myers  admitted,  and  added 
that  it  would  be  hard  for  "revenue- 
hungry  exhibitors  to  resist  the  lure 
of  swollen  grosses."  However,  he 
said,  "it  may  be  wise  to  bide  a  wee 
and  see  what  sort  of  rabbit  Para- 
mount, 20th  Century  and  Universal 
can  pull  out  of  the  hat." 

Then  Myers  swung  into  the  meat 
of  his  bulletin.  "Now  is  the  time  for 
the  responsible  heads  of  the  film  com- 
panies to  pause  and  consider,"  he  said. 
"In  its  present  state,  the  industry  is 
in  no  condition  to  suspend  operations 
pending  the  outcome  of  a  battle  of  the 
giants.  And  if  each  giant  has  a  dif- 
ferent method  and  there  is  no  me- 
chanical interchangeability,  it  is  not 
to  be  expected  that  many  theatres  will 
be  equipped  to  handle  films  made  by 
different  methods  and  the  giants  may 


period  from  September,  1949,  through 
1950.  The  indictment  charges  that  a 
total  of  $3,828  in  collected  admission 
taxes  was  never  turned  over  to  the 
government.  The  company  operates 
the  Trail  Drive-in  at  Sarasota. 


find  themselves  without  retail  out- 
lets. .  .  . 

"It  is  proper  that  in  a  competitive 
spirit  each  company  should  try  to 
come  up  with  the  best  system,  but  like 
the  automobile  manufacturers,  they 
should  work  under  an  agreement  that 
the  discoveries  or  acquisitions  of  one 
should  be  made  available  to  the  other, 
so  that  at  the  earliest  possible  time 
all  3-D  pictures  will  be  produced  by 
the  best  and  most  economical  method, 
whether  it  he  Cinemascope  or  Para- 
mount's  or  Universal's  masked  mar- 
vels, or  a  combination  of  all  three.  If 
assurances  that  this  will  be  done 
could  be  given,  it  would  relieve  a 
great  deal  of  the  current  anxiety  in 
exhibitor  circles  and  enable  the  whole 
industry  to  move  into  a  new — and  pos- 
sible great — era  confident  and  un- 
fraid. 

"With  all  due  respect  to  those 
to  whom  we  have  just  referred 
as  giants,  not  one  is  strong 
enough  to  withstand  such  a 
battle  as  seems  to  be  shaping 
up.  And  if  one  should  pull 
through  it  would  find  that  in 
the  meantime  it  had  lost  its 
market;  that  the  theatres  are 
no  longer  there  to  absorb  its 
products." 

Myers  claimed  that  some  of  the 
producers  "intend  to  use  3-D  as  a 
further  weapon  in  reestablishing  the 
monopoly"  which  the  courts  con- 
demned in  the  Paramount  case.  He 
cited  as  an  example  20th  Century- 
Fox,  and  said  that  Fox  "spurns" 
Natural  Vision  or  any  method  which 
the  independent  exhibitors  can  afford, 
and  instead  is  using  a  system  which 
could  cost  a  theatre  anywhere  from 
$25,000  to  $100,000. 

New  Orlean's  Loew's  State  and 
Saenger  Equipped  with  '3-D' 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  8. — The  Loew's 
State  and  Saenger  theatres  here  have 
installed  three-dimension  equipment, 
National  Theatre  Supply  handling  all 
the  State's  equipment  and  part  of  the 
Saenger's,  the  rest  of  the  latter's  be- 
ing supplied  by  the  Southeastern 
Theatre  Equipment  Co. 


Johnston  to  Coast 
On  '3-D'  Survey 

Third  dimensional  develop- 
ments will  be  reviewed  by 
Eric  Johnston,  president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion of  America,  who  is  due 
to  leave  Washington  for  the 
Coast  this  week. 

The  date  of  Johnston's  de- 
parture has  not  been  fixed, 
but  he  is  expected  to  remain 
on  the  Coast  for  a  week. 
While  there,  he  will  confer 
with  officials  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Research  Council, 
currently  working  on  the 
standardization  of  third- 
dimensional  and  wide  screen 
processes. 


Tradewise . . . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Services  for  Porter; 
Was  on  Fox  Board 

Funeral  services  for  Seton  Porter, 
70,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
board  _  of  directors  of  20th  Century- 
Fox  since  1933,  will  be  held  here  to- 
day at  St.  Bartholomew's  Church.  He 
died  Friday  after  a  long  illness. 

Porter,  an  industrialist  and  engi- 
neer, was  also  board  chairman  of 
the  National  Distillers  Products  Corp. 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  served 
other  corporations  as  a  director,  gain- 
ing renown  as  a  "trouble-shooter." 
He  is  survived  by  the  widow,  Fred- 
erica  Berwin. 


Mrs.  Ritter,  80 

Funeral  services  were  held  Friday 
for  Mrs.  Catherine  Ritter,  80,  mother 
of  Marie,  secretary  to  J.  Robert  Rubin 
of  Loew's,  at  Stenger  Funeral  Chapel 
here. 


hazardous — as  exhibition's.  Any 
producer  would  be  foolhardy  to 
play  the  lone  wolf,  or  to  attempt  to 
stampede  the  field,  at  this  stage  of 
the  game.  He  might  well  find  him- 
self in  time  with  a  backlog  of 
processed  3-D  product  and  a  piti- 
fully inadequate  potential  of  thea- 
tres equipped  to  exhibit  it. 

The  times  call  for  full  coopera- 
tion and  for  reasonable  caution. 
That  is  true,  too,  of  the  type  of 
product  to  be  offered  while  the 
market  is  hot  for  3-D. 

If  the  innovation  is  to  be  any- 
thing more  than  a  transitory  shot- 
in-the-arm  for  the  business,  the 
public's  appetite  must  be  whetted, 
not  dissipated,  by  what  it  sees. 
Curiosity  about  the  novelty  will 
bring  them  into  the  theatres. 
What  they  are  shown  there  will 
determine  whether  or  not  they  will 
return,  and  how  often. 

Numerous  trade  observers  pause 
to  point  out  the  similarity  between 
the  Allied  States'  position  today  on 
industry  arbitration  and  that  of 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  until 
recently,  on  the  Council  of  Motion 
Picture  Organizations.  TOA  was 
as  serious  a  deterrent  to  COMPO's 
organization  and  smooth-function- 
ing as  Allied  is  being  to  the  or- 
ganization of  industry  arbitration. 

The  same  observers  point  out 
that  ultimately  means  were  found 
of  holding  TOA  while  someone 
poured  COMPO  down  its  throat. 
Inferring,  perhaps,  that  a  way  may 
be  found  of  putting  an  arbitration 
headlock  on  Allied  some  day. 


Harold  D.  Maloney,  67 

Worcester,  Mass.,  Feb.  8.— Harold 
D.  Maloney,  67,  manager  of  Loew's 
Poli  here  died  here  on  Friday.  Malo- 
ney joined  Loew's  Theatres  in  1927 
at  Loew's  Century  in  Baltimore.  He 
is  survived  by  his  widow,  Effie,  daugh- 
ter, Ethlyn,  and  granddaughter  Ethlyn. 


Erdi£?ri-  addre|f-  "QuigPub.co-  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald ;  Better  Theatres  and~Theatre  Sales,  eaVh^pu Wished  'lT'timeTa5  vear^s  a  section 

°f  potion  Picture  Herald;  Mot.on  Picture  and  Television  Almanac ;_Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter.  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office Ta New  York  N  Y  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.   Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and'$12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c.  '  ' 


Monday,  February  9,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Set  Cinemascope 
Filming  for  7  More 

Hollywood,  Feb.  8.  —  The 
starting  dates  for  seven  20th 
Century-Fox  properties  to  be 
filmed  during  the  next  seven 
months  in  the  Cinemascope 
process  were  announced  at 
the  weekend  by  Darryl  F. 
Zanuck,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  production.  The 
seven  are  in  addition  to  the 
previously  announced  "The 
Robe"  on  Feb.  16. 

They  are :  "How  to  Marry  a 
Millionaire,"  March  24 ; 
"Twelve  Mile  Reef,"  April  27; 
"The  Story  of  Demetrius," 
May  4;  "River  of  No  Return, 
May  11;  "Prince  Valiant," 
June  1;  "Sir  Walter  Raleigh," 
June  22;  and  "King  of  the 
Khyber  Rifles,"  July  6. 
Zanuck  said  that  "Vicki"  and 
"Inferno,"  previously  an- 
nounced, will  be  filmed  in  both 
third  -  dimensional  polaroid 
and  regular  negative,  because 
of  prior  commitments. 


Additional  $900,000 
Sought  from  B.  &  K. 

Chicago,  Feb.  8. — The  Congress 
Theatre  Bulding  Corp.  went  into  Fed- 
eral District  Court  here  at  the  week- 
end asking  $900,000  (after  trebling) 
additional  damages  from  Balaban  and 
Katz  Corp.  in  the  building  corpora- 
tion's anti-trust  suit  charging  that 
B.  and  K.  reduced  the  building's  in- 
come through  favoring  its  other  the- 
atres (with  more  favorable  leases)  by 
giving  them  better  running  time  and 
bigger  attractions  than  the  Congress. 

The  additional  $900,000  demanded 
arises  from  an  alleged  offer  by  B.  and 
K.  to  buy  the  building  for  $625,000 
(topping  a  bid  by  David  Pollack  of 
$620,000)  and  B.  and  K's  subsequent 
failure,  to  do  so.  The  Congress  origi- 
nally sought  damages  for  this  in  the 
Illinois  court,  but  the  Illinois  Appeals 
Court  threw  the  case  out,  saying  that 
B.  and  K.  was  not  obligated  to  buy 
the  building  (after  the  alleged  bid.) 


Review 


Decision  Delayed 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Friday  and  met  immediately  and 
named  Thye  as  chairman.  Sen.  Tobey 
(R.,  N.  H.),  who  was  in  line  for  the 
chairmanship  by  virtue  of  his  seni- 
ority, was  finally  persuaded  to  step 
aside,  since  he  was  already  chairman 
of  the  Senate  Commerce  Committee. 
Tobey,  an  ardent  advocate  of  con- 
tinuing the  film  probe,  will  remain  a 
member  of  the  Small  Business  Com- 
mittee. 


'Blacklist'  Suit  vs. 
Studios  Is  Dropped 

Hollywood,  Feb.  8. — Screen  writ- 
ers voted  nine  to  one  in  the  Screen 
Writers  Guild  mail  referendum  to 
follow  the  executive  committee's 
recommendation  that  the  so-known 
"blacklist"  suit  against  the  studios  be 
dropped.  The  recommendation  was 
based  on  a  letter  from  Eric  Johnston 
stating  that  the  1947  "Waldorf  pol- 
icy" never  implied  the  studios  would 
act  in  concert  to  bar  anybody  from 
employment. 


"/  Confess" 

(Warner  Bros.)  Hollywood,  Feb.  8 

THE  Alfred  Hitchcock  talent  for  sustaining  suspense  is  exercised  to  the 
full  in  behalf  of  this  story  about  a  priest  who  undergoes  trial  for  murder 
without  violating  the  sanctity  of  the  confessional  to  prove  his  innocence. 
Director  Hitchcock,  who  is  said  to  have  worked  on  preparation  of  the  picture 
for  two  years  before  shooting  it,  gave  himself  the  severest  kind  of  narrative 
handicap  by  informing  his  audience  of  the  identity  of  the  murderer  in  the  first 
sequence.  That  he  carried  it  with  consummate  skill  was  indicated  unmistak- 
ably when  a  Hollywood  Boulevard  audience,  composed  in  about  50-50 
proportions  of  unprepared  public  and  invited  profession,  came  off  of  a  hilarious 
laugh-session  with  the  programmed  picture  to  sit  in  wrapt  attentiveness 
through  the  Hitchcock  production.  With  Montgomery  Clift,  Anne  Baxter, 
Brian  Aherne  and  Karl  Maiden  topping  a  powerful  cast,  the  attraction  appears 
solidly  qualified  for  a  prosperous  box  office. 

The  film  was  shot  principally  in  Quebec,  an  extraordinarily  pictorial  city, 
and  the  Robert  Burke  photography  is  strikingly  effective.  Similarly  important 
to  the  success  of  the  production  is  an  especially  eloquent  music  score  by  the 
always  proficient  Dimitri  Tiomkin. 

The  script  by  George  Tabori  and  William  Archibald,  based  on  a  play  by 
Paul  Anthemle,  presents  Clift  as  a  young  priest,  O.  E.  Hasse  as  a  displaced 
person  who  has  been  given  odd  jobs  to  do  at  the  rectory  and  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  who  confesses  to  Clift  in  the  opening  sequence  that  he  has  com- 
mitted a  murder  in  the  neighborhood,  Maiden  as  a  detective,  Aherne  as  the 
crown  prosecutor,  and  Miss  Baxter  as  a  young  married  woman,  a  sweetheart 
of  Clift's  in  his  boyhood,  who  bares  the  story  of  her  frustrated  love  for  him 
in  an  attempt  to  save  him  from  what  appears  destined  to  be  conviction  of 
murder.  The  central  thread  of  the  story,  tautly  held  and  culminating  in  a 
powerful  climax,  shows  dramatically  the  stresses  under  which  the  priest  holds 
true  to  his  vows  and  yet  is  vindicated  of  the  charge  brought  against  him. 
The  secondary  thread,  concerning  the  youthful  romance  between  the  priest 
and  the  woman,  and  her  attempt  to  provide  a  saving  alibi  for  him  in  his 
extremity,  could  have  been  curtailed  and  modified  with  advantage. 

Running  time,  95  minutes.  Adult  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb.  28.  William  R.  Weaver 


Col.  Stockholders' 
Annual  Meet  Today 


Ratification  of  employment  con- 
tracts for  Jack  Cohn  and  A.  Mon- 
tague and  the  election  of  nine  direc- 
tors are  expected  to  highlight  the 
annual  meeting  here  today  of  Colum- 
bia Pictures'  stockholders.  Cohn, 
vice-president  of  the  company,  has 
been  given  a  new  four-year  contract 
beginning  Jan.  1,  1953,  his  last  con- 
tract having  been  for  a  seven-year 
period  starting  Jan.  1,  1947.  Mon- 
tague, vice-president  and  sales  man- 
ager, is  being  given  a  new  contract 
starting  June  10  of  this  year  and  run- 
ning for  five  years. 

The  stockholders  also  will  be  asked 
to  ratify  the  issuance  of  an  option  for 
1,000  shares  of  common  stock  at  $16 
a  share  to  Gerald  Rackett,  who  is  in 
charge  of  the  company's  laboratory. 

Nominated  for  election  to  the  board 
are  Harry  Cohn,  Jack  Cohn,  A. 
Schneider,  Leo  M.  Blancke,  N.  B. 
Spingold,  A.  Montague,  Donald 
Stralem,  Alfred  Hart  and  Abraham 
Sonnabend. 


German  Named  to 
'Pioneers'  Board 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  Motion  Picture  Pio- 
neers, Inc.,  William  German  of  Wil- 
liam German,  Inc.,  was  elected  a 
director  of  the  Pioneers. 

In  attendance  at  the  meeting  were : 
Jack  Alicoate,  Barney  Balaban,  Jack 
Cohn,  Ned  Depinet,  Gus  Eyssell,  Wil- 
liam Heineman,  John  J.  O'Connor, 
Martin  Quigley,  Herman  Robbins  and 
Harry  Takiff.  German  is  the  22nd 
director  on  the  board. 


U.A.  Acquires  'Assassin' 

United  Artists  has  acquired  for  re- 
lease the  J.  Arthur  Rank  presentation, 


"The  Assassin,"  originally  titled  "The 
Venetian  Bird."  Produced  by  Betty 
Box,  it  stars  Richard  Todd  and  Eva 
Bartok. 


W.B.  Optimism 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

sound  stages.  Additionally,  numerous 
extra  players  are  being  employed 
daily. 

"This  is  Warner  Bros.'  'message'  on 
the  state  of  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try," Warner  said.  "We  are  expressing 
our  confidence  in  the  tangible  terms  of 
maximum  production. 

"New  pioneering  advances,  carefully 
grounded  by  research  and  experimen- 
tation are  expanding  the  horizon  of 
our  business." 

Of  the  nine  feature  films  now  in 
production  seven  are  being  made  in 
color,  four  in  Technicolor  and  three  in 
WarnerColor.  Among  the  features  be- 
ing filmed  in  WarnerColor  is  "House 
of  Wax,"  the  first  Natural  Vision 
three-dimensional  picture  to  be 
launched  by  a  major  studio,  he  said. 
A  second  Natural  Vision  picture,  also 
to  be  filmed  in  WarnerColor,  will  be 
started  in  the  immediate,  future,  War- 
ner said. 

Others  now  in  the  unusual  produc- 
tion activity  at  the  studio  are:  "So 
This  Is  Love,"  "Calamity  Jane,"  "The 
Eddie  Cantor  Story,"  "Three  Sailors 
and  a  Girl,"  "Sulu  Sea,"  "So  Big," 
"The  Boy  from  Oklahoma"  and  "Rid- 
ing Shotgun."  In  addition,  Milton 
Sperling  is  shooting  "Blowing  Wild" 
and  Wayne-Fellows  Prod.  "Island  in 
the  Sky"  for  Warner  release. 


Temple  Leaves  20th 

Herman  Temple,  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  art  department,  resigned  at  the 
weekend  to  engage  as  a  consulting 
art  director  and  freelance  visualizer. 


carrvina 


color  page  on 

JOHN  HUSTON'S 


WORLD  PREMIERE 

TONIGHT  8  PM 
FAIR  WIND  TO  JAVA" 

Stars,!* iPgsoii 


iP',:-. 


A  TIDAL  WAVE  OF  APPLAUSE 
GREETS  WORLD  PREMIERE  OF 

FAIR  WIND  TO  JAVA 

Paramount  Theatre,  Miami 
and  Beach  Theatre,  Miami  Beach 

MIAMI  HERALD  says: 

"Fair  Wind  to  Java'  is  exciting ...  escapist  film  fare... 
beautiful  color ...  exotic  sex  and  fine  performances. 
Entertainment  that  satisfies!" 

MIAMI  DAILY  NEWS  says: 

"Fair  Wind  to  Java'  has  lusty  action. . .inspired  acting 
...gorgeous  Trucolor. ..  hair-raising  knock-down  action. 
The  rank  and  file  will  love  it!" 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  9,  1953 


RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINGS  of 

"COUNT  THE  HOURS" 


Tues. 


ALBANY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
1052  B'way 

ATLANTA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
195  Luckie  St.,  N.W. 

BOSTON 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

122-28  Arlington  St. 
BUFFALO 

Mo.  Pic.  Oper. 

Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

498  Pearl  St. 
CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

308  S.  Church  St. 

CHICAGO 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 
CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace 
Scr.  Rm. 

12  E.  6th  St. 
CLEVELAND 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

2219  Payne  Ave. 

DALLAS 

Rep.  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

412  S.  Harwood  St. 
DENVER 

Para.  Ser.  Rm.  Tues. 

2100  Stout  St. 

DES  MOINES 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

1300  High  St. 
DETROIT 

Blnmenthals 

Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

2310  Cass  Ave. 

INDIANAPOLIS 

Univ.  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
517  N.  Illinois  St. 

KANSAS  CITY 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.  Wed. 
1800  Wyandotte  St. 

LOS  ANGELES 
RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 

MEMPHIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

151  Vance  Ave. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 

MINNEAPOLIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

1015  Currie  Ave. 
NEW  HAVEN 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Wed. 

200  S.  Liberty  St. 
NEW  YORK 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

630  Ninth  Ave. 

OKLAHOMA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

10  North  Lee  St. 
OMAHA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

1502  Davenport  St. 
PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

250  N.  13th  St. 

PITTSBURGH 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 

PORTLAND 

Star  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
925  N.W.  19th  Ave. 

ST.  LOUIS 
RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
3143  Olive  St. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

216  E.  1st  St.  South 
SAN  FRANCISCO 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

245  Hyde  St. 

SEATTLE 
Jewel  Box  Scr. 

Room 
2318  2nd  Ave. 

SIOUX  FALLS 
Hollvw'd  Thea.  Tues. 
212  N.  Philips  Ave. 

WASHINGTON 
Film  Center 

Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
932  New  Jersey  Ave. 


2/17 
2/17 
2/17 


2:00  P.M. 
2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 


2/17    2:00  P.M. 
2/17 
2/17 


2:00  P.M. 
2:00  P.M. 


2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 

2/17 
2/17 
2/18 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/18 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 
2/17 

Tues.  2/17 
2/17 


8:00  P.M. 
2:30  P.M. 
2:30  P.M. 
2:00  P.M. 
1:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:00  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 
12:15  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

2:30  P.M. 

1:30  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

1:00  P.M. 

1:00  P.M. 

2:00  P.M. 

1:00  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 


2/17    2:00  P.M. 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


\J  BC  Board,  at  a  meeting  last  Friday,  added  two  new  vice-presi- 
dents,  William  H.  Fineshriber  and  David  C.  Adams,  the  former 
to  become  veepee  and  gen.  mgr.  of  both  nets  (radio  and  TV)  starting 
March  2,  when  he  leaves  Mutual.  Adams  left  the  FCC  to  join  NBC 
as  ass't.  gen.  counsel  in  1947  and  is  currently  director  of  special 
projects.  .  .  .  Vic  McLeod,  formerly  producer  of  the  "James  Melton 
Show,"  has  returned  from  Hollywood  with  a  new  half  hour  quiz 
panel  TVehicle,  "Guess  the  Grouch''  which  has  three  ad  agencies 
excited.  .  .  .  Wm.  Morris  Agency  is  trying  to  interest  Leonard 
Sillman  in  packaging  a  TVersion  of  his  stage  hit,  "New  Faces." 
.  .  .  All-Star  Sports  Associates  with  offices  in  Boston  and  South 
Bend  (new  office  soon  to  be  opened  in  Philly)  have  completed  plans 
to  produce  a  series  of  15-minute  telefilms  titled,  "Classroom  for 
Sports"  featuring  luminaries  of  the  sports  world.  Films  will  have 
open  ends  for  key,  local  and  regional  schedules.  Head  Football 
Coach  Frank  Leahy  of  Notre  Dame  is  prexy  of  the  film  with  Billy 
Sullivan,  formerly  an  exec  with  the  Boston  Braves,  secretary-treas- 
urer. .  .  .  Merrill  Joels,  one  of  TV's  better  thespians,  will  be  seen 
Thursday  on  the  "Martin  Kane,"  NBCluedunit. 

it        it  it 
Sammy   Kaye's  opening  tonite   at  the   Hotel   Statler  in 
Gotham  will  be  a  packed  affair  with  top  name  wax  artists, 
celebs,  music  pubs  and  songwriters  in  full  force.   The  swing  & 
sway  maestro  will  introduce  "Lighthouse  in  the  Harbor," 
which  he  has  just  recorded  for  Columbia 
and  which  he  feels  will  duplicate  the  success 
of  his  other  tune,  "Harbor  Lights."   .   .  . 
Paul  Kasander  and  S.  Robert  Rowe  of  Walt 
Framer  Productions  have  a  new  comedy- 
audience  participation  show  which  Walt  F. 
is  offering  as  a  summer  replacement  (sum- 
mer? yep  just  around  that  w.k.  corner)  .  .  . 
Production  coordinator  for  the  new  West- 
inghouse  Show,  "Freedom  Rings,"  which  is 
produced  by  George   F.   Foley,   Inc.  and 
which  debuts  over  CBS-TV  March  3  (2:00 
P.M.)    is  Arnold  Fetbrod,   formerly  with 
MCA.  ...  A  real  neat  tie-up.   That's  what 
we  call  the  exclusive  star-studded  telecast 
of  a  special  program,  "Channel  7  Day  at 
Macy's,"  which  will  originate  on  the  fifth  floor  of  that  dep't. 
store  Thursday  from  12  noon  to  1 :00  P.M.   Among  the  stars 
present  will  be  Ed  &  Pegeen  Fitzgerald,  Paul  Whiteman, 
Irene  Wicker,  Vanessa  Brown,  Dennis  James,  Neil  Hamilton, 
Steve  Allen,  Nancy  Craig,  Jack  Barry,  "Mr.  Deetle  Doodle" 
and  Peggy  (Miss  Channel  7)  O'Hara.    Ray  Abel  will  direct 
the  show. 

it      it  it 

If  there  is  a  performer  more  at  ease  prior  to  a  program  than 
Mel  Allen,  we  haven't  as  yet  "bunked"  into  him.  Wednesnite 
Mel,  his  producer  Judson  Bailey,  Toots  Shor,  Billy  Sullivan, 
Frank  Graham,  ace  sports  columnist  of  the  N.  Y.  Journal- 
American  and  Y  &  R  exec  John  Clark  partook  of  Toot's  fine 
food  prior  to  Cadillacing  (gift  by  Mel's  fans  to  Liederkrants 
Hall  where  the  "Mel  Allen  Show"  originates.  Buss  Bavasi 
(Brooklyn  Dodgers  veepee)  and  sportscaster  Vince  Scully  drifted 
to  our  table  and  the  gags,  quips  and,  puns  that  obfuscated  the 
atmosphere  might  have  been  likened  to  "the  table"  at  the  Algon- 
quin. (Ah,  there,  Mr.  Fadiman.).  .  .  .  Demby  Productions'  TV 
series,  "What's  Playing?"  produced  in  cooperation  with  the 
motion  picture  industry  ( which  has  won  a  fine  rating  during  the 
39  weeks  it  was  seen  on  WJZ-TV)  will  be  syndicated  so  that 
local  and  regional  TV  stations  may  utilise  local  favorites  as  mc's. 
Series  will  feature  "scripts  and,  clips"  from  actual  current  movies. 
.  .  .  Gerald  E.  Weiler,  ass't.  to  producer  Richard  deRochemont, 
has  been  recalled  to  active  duty  with  the  Army  Signal  Corps 
where  he's  a  lieutenant.  .  .  .  Ernest  Walker  of  Masterson, 
Redd.y  &  Nelson  in  Chicago  huddling  with  sponsors  for  three 
new  TV  shows;  one  of  them  a  sports  program. 

it       it  it 

LOTSA  DOTS  .  .  .  Dick  Thomas,  whose  "Sioux  City  Sue" 
was  the  sensation  of  Tune  Pan  Alley  several  seasons  ago,  may  have 
another  Hit  Parader  in  "Forgetful,"  which  he  penned  with  Lou 
Shelley  and  which  has  just  been  recorded  by  Patti  Page.  .  .  . 
Bambi  Linn  and  Rod  Alexander  have  been  signed  for  nine  more 
weeks  for  Max  Liebman's  "Your  Show  of  Shows." 


Sammy  Kaye 


Drop  'Limelight', 
N.  O.  Legion  Asks 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  8.  — 
Twenty-two  commanders  of 
the  31  posts  in  this  district 
of  the  American  Legion  have 
passed  a  resolution  request- 
ing that  the  showing  of 
Charles  Chaplin's  "Limelight," 
which  opened  Wednesday  at 
the  RKO  Orpheum  here,  be 
withdrawn. 

Theatre  manager  Ross  Mc- 
Causland  said  that  the  film 
would  continue  to  run  until 
the  circuit  ordered  its  re- 
moval. 


Leon  Brandt  Joins 
Samuel  Goldwyn 

Leon  Brandt,  who  resigned  last 
week  from  RKO  Radio,  joins  Samuel 
Goldwyn  Productions  as  exploitation 
head  today,  David  Golding,  director 
of  advertising  and  publicity  for  Gold- 
wyn, announced.  Brandt  was  exploita- 
tion manager  for  RKO  Radio  also, 
and  prior  to  that  served  in  similar 
posts  with  Lopert  Films  and  Eagle 
Lion. 


To  Honor  Skouras 
For  'Brotherhood* 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  will  be  among  the 
leaders  who  will  be  honored  at  a  din- 
ner on  Feb.  19  to  highlight  the  amuse- 
ment industry's  participation  in  Broth- 
erhood Week,  which  begins  Sunday. 
The  dinner  will  be  held  at  the  Waldorf 
Astoria. 


NATO  Wacs  Return 
Here  for  Promotion 

The  eight  NATO  Wacs  who  have 
been  touring  the  U.  S.  in  connection 
with  openings  of  Frederick  Brisson's 
"Never  Wave  at  a  Wac"  returned 
to  New  York  over  the  weekend  from 
Atlanta  where  they  attended  the  open- 
ing of  the  RKO  Radio  release  at  the 
Rialto  Theatre. 


Theatre  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Vincent  Welch  and  NETTC  attorney 
Marcus  Cohn  get  a  chance  to  do 
exactly  that. 

The  MPAA-NETTC  answer  is  the 
first  order  of  business  when  the  FCC 
hearings  resume.  What  happens  after 
that  is  not  known.  The  Commission 
may  recess  immediately  and  take  over- 
night or  even  longer  to  study  the 
answers,  before  issuing  a  new  decision 
on  what  should  happen  to  the  hear- 
ings. Or  it  may  cross-examine  the 
two  attorneys  for  more  details. 

Parties  have  been  told  not  to 
bother  having  any  witnesses  on  hand 
tomorrow. 


16mm.  Trust  Case 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  the  new  Administration  would 
decide  to  drop  the  16mm.  case,  and 
during  his  confirmation  hearings 
Brownell  promised  a  review  of  all 
pending  cases.  However,  it  was 
learned,  Brownell  so  far  has  done 
nothing  on  this,  waiting  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  someone  to  the  anti- 
trust vacancy. 


VOL.  73    NO.  28 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  10,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Nominees  for 
1953  'Oscars' 
Are  Disclosed 


Ceremonies  Will  Be 
Held  on  March  19 


Hollywood,  Feb.  9.  —  Nomina- 
tions for  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences'  1953 
"Awards  of  Merit"  were  announced 
here  today.  The  Awards  ceremonies 
disclosing  the  winners  will  be  held 
March  19. 

Following  is  a  listing  of  the  con- 
tenders in  the  major  categories: 

Best  Motion  Picture:  "The  Great- 
est Show  on  Earth,"  Cecil  B.  De- 
Mille  -  Paramount;  "High  Noon," 
Stanley  Kramer  Productions ;  "Ivan- 
hoe,"  M-G-M ;  "Moulin  Rouge," 
Romulus  Films,  and  "The  Quiet 
Man,"  Argosy  Pictures-Republic. 

Best  Actress:  Shirley  Booth  for 
"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba,"  Hal 
Wallis-Paramount ;    Joan  Crawford 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Gunzburg  Says  NV 
Can  Be  Adapted 
For  CinemaScope 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

The  combining  of  the  three-dimen- 
sional Natural  Vision  process  with  a 
wide-screen  system  such  as  Cinema- 
Scope  was  forecast  here  yesterday  by 
Milton  L.  Gunzburg,  president  of 
Natural  Vision  Corp.  He  said  such 
a  development  would  represent  "the 
ultimate  in  screen  entertainment." 

Gunzburg,  here  from  the  Coast  for 
a  three-day  visit,  said  he  had  talked 
over  the  idea  of  adapting  NV  to  20th 

(.Continued  on  page  3) 

Equipment  for  Both 
'3-D',  Wide-screen 
Offered  by  Lesser 

Hollywood,  Feb.  9.— Theatre  screen 
equipment  claimed  to  accommodate  all 
types  of  three-dimensional  and  wide- 
screen  systems  so  far  announced  will 
be  offered  to  exhibitors  on  a  fran- 
chise basis  by  Sol  Lesser  and  associ- 
ates at  an  early  date,  Lesser  an- 
nounced here  today. 

Described  as  "wide  vision  sur- 
round," the  equipment  includes  the 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Effect  Merger 
Of  UPT-ABC 
Immediately 


The  consummation  of  the  merger 
of  United  Paramount  Theatres, 
Inc.,  and  the  American  Broadcast- 
ing Co.  is  being  effected  immediate- 
ly, the  two  com- 
panies disclosed 
here  yesterday 
following  au- 
thorization of 
the  merger  by 
the  Federal 
C  o  m  m  u  n  i- 
cations  C  om  - 
mission. 

Certificates  of 
i  n  c  o  r  p  o  - 
ration  for  the 
merged  com- 
pany, known  as 
American 
B  ro  adcast- 
ing-Paramount  Theatres,  Inc.,  were 
filed  at  4  P.M.  (EDT)  in  Albany, 
N.  Y.  and  Dover,  Del.,  shortly  after 
the  Washington  announcement.  The 
merged  company  will  be  headed  by 
Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  UPT  presi- 
dent. 

The  merger  is  being  effected 
through  an  exchange  of  common  stock 
of  ABC  for  a  combination  of  pre- 
ferred   and    common    stock    of  the 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


RECESS  HEARINGS 
ON  THEATRE  TV 


DuMont  Controlled 
By  Paramount, 
Commission  Rules 


Leonard  Gnlrlenson 


Washington,  Feb.  9. — The  Federal 
Communications  Commission  ruling 
which  today  authorized  the  merger 
between  the  American  Broadcasting 
Co.  and  United  Paramount  Theatres 
also  held  that  Paramount  Pictures 
Corp.  controlled  Allen  B.  DuMont 
Laboratories,  Inc. 

The  Commission  found  that 
Paramount  and  UPT  were  qual- 
ified TV  licensees  without  any 
anti-trust  taint. 

In  terms  of  the  DuMont  control 
finding,  the  Commission  decision 
means  that  the  DuMont  Television 
Network  will  be  unable  to  acquire  the 
five  television  stations  it  wants  and 
that  the  two  companies — Paramount 
Pictures  and  DuMont — will  be  permit- 
ted to  license  five  stations  between 
them.  Under  a  Commission  rule,  no 
company  may  license  more  than  five. 
DuMont  is  already  the  licensee  of 
three  TV  stations,  Paramount  of  one. 
Commission  officials  said  that 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


FCC  May  Decide  to 
Call  Off  Hearings 
Or  Change  Scope 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  9. — After  a 
day  of  intensive  questioning  on  the 
industry's  specific  proposals  for 
theatre  television,  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  recessed 
the  theatre  television  hearings  to  an 
undetermined  date. 

While  the  hearing  is  in  recess 
the  Commission  will  decide — 
based  on  the  information  given 
today  by  two  industry  attor- 
neys— whether  to  go  on  with 
the  hearings  or  to  call  them  off. 
And,  if  the  FCC  decides  to  con- 
tinue with  the  hearings,  it  has 
said  it  may  change  their  scope. 
A  Commission  spokesman  said  the 
FCC  would  probably  make  its  deci- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


RKO  STOCK  TO  GO 
BACK  TO  HUGHES 

Stolkin  Syndicate  to  Forfeit  $1,000,000 
Deposit;  Will  Be  Relieved  of  Liabilities 

Bq  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 


Hollywood,  Feb.  9.— Negotiations 
between  Howard  Hughes  and  the 
Ralph  Stolkin  syndicate  will  be  ter- 
minated here  on  Wednesday  with  the 
Stolkin  group  forfeiting  the  approxi- 
mately $1,000,000  deposit  it  paid  to 
Hughes  last  fall  for  his  controlling 
stock  interest  in  RKO  Pictures,  and 
possession  of  the  stock,  now  in  es- 
crow, being  returned  to  Hughes. 

Members  of  the  Stolkin  syndicate 
will  be  released  from  further  obliga- 
tions under  their  stock  purchase  con- 
tract with  Hughes,  which  called  for 
future  payments  to  him  aggregating 
more  than  $6,000,000.  Interest  pay- 
ments and  penalty  provisions  for  de- 
faults also  were  involved,  and  pre- 
sumably are  being  waived  by  Hughes. 

The  manner  in  which  the  deal  will 


be  terminated  will  enable  the  Chi- 
cago syndicate  members  to  take  a  tax 
loss  on  their  $1,000,000  deposit  and 
will  permit  Hughes  to  earn  a  capital 
gain. 

Ed  ward  G.  Burke,  Jr.,  the  sole  re- 
maining member  of  the  Stolkin  syndi- 
cate on  the  RKO  Pictures  board,  will 
resign,  making  way  for  the  election  to 
the  board  of  fames  R.  Grainger,  who 
will  then  be  elected  RKO  Radio  presi- 
dent. 

The  Stolkin  group's  tenure  in  RKO 
Pictures  lasted  a  little  more  than  four 
months.  In  that  time  it  brought  about 
a  complete  turnover  of  top  executives 
of  the  company.  Other  members  of 
the  syndicate  resigned  following  pub- 
lication in  the  Wall  Street  Journal 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Columbia  'Holders 
OK  New  Pacts  for 
Cohn,  Montague 


By  AL  STEEN 

Stockholders  of  Columbia  Pictures 
here  yesterday  approved  the  various 
proposals  on  the  agenda  of  the  an- 
nual meeting,  including  new  pacts  for 
Jack  Cohn  and  A.  Montague  but 
not  without  opposition  from  minority 
stockholder  groups.  The  meeting  was 
punctuated  by  occassional  flareups 
and  some  criticism  of  management, 
especially  by  Lester  Martin,  an  in- 
vestment broker,  who,  through  his  at- 
(Continued  an  page  3) 


Film  Shares  Hold 
Market  Interest; 
TV  Stocks  Decline 


Motion  picture  shares  continued  to 
show  strength  for  the  second  consecu- 
tive week  yesterday  on  the  New  York 
Stock  Exchange,  despite  a  generally 
soft  market.  By  contrast,  television 
and  radio  shares  continued  to  give 
ground,  more  from  lack  of  demand 
than  from  any  indications  of  selling. 

Zenith  Radio  has  dipped  a  couple 
of  points  in  recent  trading  and  Radio 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  10,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


DAVID  GOLDING,  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn  Productions  advertising- 
publicity  director,  left  here  yesterday 
for  Chicago. 

• 

Arch  Oboler,  writer-producer-di- 
rector of  "Bwana  Devil,"  will  arrive 
here  from  Hollywood  on  Thursday, 
accompanied  by  Mrs.  Oboler  and 
Geraldine  Kay,  his  production  assis- 
tant. 

• 

Harold  Mirisch  and  G.  Ralph 
Branton,  Allied  Artists  vice-presi- 
dents, arrived  here  yesterday  from  the 
Coast. 

e 

Jules  Lapidus,  Warner  Brothers 
Eastern  and  Canadian  division  sales 
manager,  will  be  in  Gloversville, 
N.  Y.,  from  here  today. 

• 

Louis  Astor,  Columbia  home  office 
sales  executive,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  a  five-week  trip  through  the 
West. 

Bruce  Trinz,  manager  of  the  Clark 
Theatre  in  Chicago,  has  entered  the 
hospital  there  for  observation. 


TV  Coverage  for 
'Rouge?  Premiere 

The  Hollywood-style  premiere  here 
of  "Moulin  Rouge"  at  the  Capitol 
Theatre  tonight,  sponsored  by  the 
Damon  Runyon  Memorial  Fund  for 
Cancer  Research,  will  be  attended  by 
1,000  notables  and  will  receive  heavy 
TV  coverage,  United  Artists  reports. 

Station  WJZ-TV  will  cover  the 
premiere  festivities  with  an  on-the- 
spot  half-hour  telecast  featuring  Zsa 
Zsa  Gabor  as  mistress  of  ceremonies 
and  Art  Ford  as  commentator.  NBC- 
TV  will  cover  the  event  on  the  "To- 
day" show. 

Walter  Winchell  will  appear  on 
stage  of  the  Capitol  at  the  premiere 
and  will  present  a  number  of  checks 
to  beneficiaries  of  the  Runyon  Fund. 


Services  Held  for 
Gustave  Schaefer 

Hartford,  Feb.  9. — Funeral  services 
were  held  in  Boston  yesterday  for 
Gustave  J.  Schaefer,  treasurer  of 
Hartford  Theatres,  who  died  here  on 
Friday  at  59. 

Paramount  European  sales  manager 
for  17  years,  Schaefer  has  also  held 
the  posts  of  European  and  New  En- 
gland sales  manager  for  RKO  Radio. 
The  widow  survives,  as  do  a  sister 
and  four  brothers. 


Unveil  Balaban  Gift 

Washington,  Feb.  9.  —  President 
and  Mrs.  Eisenhower  yesterday  at- 
tended a  special  service  at  the  New 
York  Avenue  Presbyterian  church, 
followed  by  a  special  ceremony  in  the 
church's  "Lincoln  Parlor,"  where 
Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount Pictures,  unveiled  his  gift  of 
the  document  in  which  President 
Lincoln  first  proposed  to  free  the 
slaves. 


British  Theatres 
Aid  Flood  Victims 

London,  Feb.  9.  —  A  nation- 
wide film  industry  appeal  for 
relief  of  victims  of  last  week's 
storm  and  ensuing  floods  was 
organized  under  the  direction 
of  the  Cinematograph  Ex- 
hibitors Association.  Collec- 
tions are  being  made  at  every 
performance  in  all  theatres, 
which  are  also  serving  as 
depots  for  clothing  contribu- 
tions. 

Newsreels  not  only  give 
graphic  coverage  of  the  tragic 
events  but  also  add  a  direct 
appeal  to  audiences.  Many 
theatres  in  the  stricken  area 
were  damaged  by  flood  waters 
and  power  failures  caused 
others  to  close. 


Price  Heads  RKO 
Jacksonville  Branch 

Jacksonville,  Feb.  9. — Cam  Price, 
veteran  RKO  Radio  salesman,  has 
been  named  branch  manager  of  the 
company's  new  exchange  here.  It  will 
begin  operations  at  the  end  of  this 
month. 

Price,  who  worked  out  of  the  At- 
lanta branch,  will  be  joined  by  sales- 
men Paul  Harrison,  also  from  Atlanta, 
and  James  Hudgens,  of  the  Oklahoma 
City  exchange,  who  will  serve  as  office 
manager. 


Schlanger  Holding 
WB  Theatre  Meets 

Ted  Schlanger,  Philadelphia  zone 
manager  for  Warner  Bros.  Theatres, 
is  conducting  a  series  of  meetings  this 
week  with  the  managers,  district  man- 
agers and  department  heads  to  plan 
campaigns  on  new  pictures. 

Attending  the  meetings,  in  addition 
to  the  managers  will  be  Lester  Krie- 
ger,  assistant  zone  manager;  J.  Ellis 
Shipman,  contact  manager ;  Ted  Min- 
sky,  head  film  buyer  and  booker ;  Paul 
Castello,  A.  J.  Vanni,  and  Everett 
Callow,  director  of  advertising  and 
publicity. 


$25,000  at  Globe  for 
Stereo-Techniques 

Stereo-Techniques'  tri-dimensional 
program  at  the  Globe  Theatre  here 
was  expected  to  wind  up  its  first  week 
last  night  with  a  gross  of  $25,000',  the 
distributors  report.  The  program  is 
being  held  over  for  another  week  and 
may  stay  for  a  third. 

In  addition  to  the  Globe  opening, 
Stereo-Techniques  opened  in  six  other 
situations  last  week.  Thev  were  in 
Portland,  Ore.,  Seattle,  Canton,  O., 
Columbus,  Louisville  and  Wilming- 
ton. Grosses  were  not  disclosed,  but 
managements  reported  "top  A'"  busi- 
ness. 


Johnston,  Clark  to  Coast 

Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica president  Eric  A.  Johnston  and 
MPAA  information  chief  Kenneth 
Clark  are  due  to  arrive  in  Los  An- 
geles tonight  for  one  of  their  "reg- 
ular visits"  to  studio  heads. 


BOOK  REVIEW 


MERELY  COLOSSAL 
By  Arthur  Mayer.   With  drawings 
by  George  Price.  264  pages.  Simon 
and    Schuster,    New    York.  $3.50. 

Arthur  Mayer  writes  entertain- 
ingly from  an  abundance  of  remini- 
scenes  of  his  35  years  in  the  indus- 
try. Most  of  those  years  having 
been  spent  in  the  employ  of  Publix 
Theatres  and  its  associates,  and  with 
the  Rialto  Theatre  in  Times  Square, 
it  is  natural  that  they  bulk  largest 
in  Mayer's  story.  He  does,  how- 
ever, venture  briefly  into  industry 
history  antedating  his  own  begin- 
i.ngs  in  it,  particularly  when  con- 
cerned with  the  careers  of  such  in- 
dustry pioneers  and  veterans  as 
Adolph  Zukor,  the  Balaban  broth- 
ers, Sam  Katz,  Cecil  B.  DeMille, 
Samuel  Goldwyn,  William  Fox  and 
Mary  Pickford. 

Names,  incidentally,  bulk  large  in 
Mayer's  chronicle.  So  large,  in  fact, 
that  there  is  a  seven-page  "cast  of 
characters"  listed  in  alphabetical  or- 
der and  indexed  as  to  the  page  or 
pages,  as  the  case  may  be,  on  which 
the  name  appears. 

Mayer's  accounts  of  the  manner 
in  which  some  local  circuits  began, 
became  regional  and  were  swal- 
lowed up  by  national  circuits  some- 
times read  like  a  bill  of  complaint 
in  a  Federal  anti-trust  suit,  except 
that  they  are  written  in  understand- 
ing and  amusement  rather  than  as 
an  indictment.  Also,  his  reference 
to  some  pioneer  bookkeeping  prac- 
tices in  exhibition  clearly  explain 
why  a  Copyright  Protection  Bu- 
reau and  Sargoy  &  Stein  became 
necessary  appurtenances  of  dis- 
tribution at  a  later  date.  Let  it  be 
said,  too,  that  Mayer  isolates  such 
accounts,  attributing  them  to  what 
might  be  described  as  "characters," 
rather  than  to  general  industry 
practice.    It  is  all  in  good  fun. 

Closing  chapters  of  "Merely  Col- 
ossal" contain  a  good  account  of 
motion  pictures'  contributions,  with- 
out charge  to  the  government,  to 
military  entertainment,  instruction 
and  morale  in  World  War  II ;  and  a 
splendid  statement  of  the  relative 
merits,  both  on  the  art  and  enter- 
tainment level,  of  Hollywood  ver- 
sus foreign  films — a  field  in  which 
the  author  is  a  recognized  author- 
ity, having  imported  most  of  the 
good  foreign  films  to  reach  these 
shores  in  recent  years.  The  book 
ends  with  the  author's  views  of  the 
current  television  problem,  which 
he  believes  eventually  will  be  over- 
come by  making  an  ally  of  the  new 
medium. 

"Merely  Colossal'  is  easy  reading 
and  better  entertainment  for  mem- 
bers of  the  industry  and  those  out- 
side it  who  are  interested  in  its 
background  and  people  than,  say, 
anything  television  has  to  offer. 
George  Price's  illustrations  are 
pointed  and  nostalgic. 

Sherwin  Kane 


'Pan'  Record  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  9.  —  Walt  Disney's 
"Peter  Pan"  grossed  a  record-break- 
ing $42,000  in  its  first  four  days  at 
the  State  Lake  Theatre  here,  it  is 
understood.  The  world  premiere  en- 
gagement is  expected  to  shatter  the 
house  record  for  the  week.  The  film 
is  playing  to  a  heavy  adult  trade. 


'Change  Talks 
Are  Resumed 


The  distributors'  exchange  opera- 
tions committee  this  week  is  resuming 
its  negotiations  for  new  contracts  with 
the  unions  representing  front  and 
back  office  employes  of  the  national 
company's  exchanges. 

Tom  Murray,  chairman  of  the  dis- 
tributors' committee,  Michael  Rosen 
of  Loew's  and  Joseph  McMahon  of 
Republic  have  left  for  Cincinnati  and 
Kansas  City  to  initiate  conferences 
with  the  local  unions.  Clarence  Hill 
of  2'0th  Century-Fox  and  Jules  Chap- 
man of  United  Artists  are  in  Pitts- 
burgh. 

A  third  "team"  will  head  for  the 
West  Coast  later  this  week  for  par- 
leys in  Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco, 
Seattle  and  Portland.  This  group  will 
consist  of  Arthur  Israel  of  Para- 
mount, A.  A.  Schubart  of  RKO 
Radio,  Ely  Drexler  of  National 
Screen  Service  and  either  Bernard 
Goodman  or  Larry  Leshansky  of 
Warner  Brothers. 

Preliminary  negotiations  have  been 
held  in  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Jack- 
sonville, Charlotte,  Atlanta,  Omaha 
and  Des  Moines. 


Merchants  to  Honor 
Zukor  at  Luncheon 


A  permanent  metal  plaque  paying 
tribute  to  Adolph  Zukor  as  "the  man 
whose  vision  and  foresight  brought 
fame  and  glory  to  14th  Street  and 
created  a  historical  landmark  in  en- 
tertainment" will  be  unveiled  Tues- 
day, March  3,  on  the  site  of  Zukor's 
first  "Automatic  Vaudeville"  penny 
arcade  on  Union  Square.  The  event 
will  celebrate  the  50th  anniversary  of 
the  opening  of  the  entertainment  em- 
porium which  grew  into  the  motion 
picture  industry  of  today. 

Announcement  of  plans  to  pay  trib- 
ute to  "Mr.  Motion  Pictures"  came 
from  executives  of  the  14th  Street 
Association,  who  revealed  that  the 
film  pioneer  would  be  tendered  a  tes- 
timonial luncheon  at  Luchow's  14th 
Street  restaurant. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

— Rockefeller  Center 


Lana  TURNER  •  Kirk  DOUGLAS 
Walter  PIDGEON   •   Dick  POWELL 

"THE  BAD  AND  THE  BEAUTIFUL" 

An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


JERK/ 


MARTM*  LEWIS 

STOOGE 

A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  Feature 


MOTION  PICTURE  D'AILY.  Martin  Ouigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Tlieo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunning-ham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manaeer;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  TJrben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  E».  C.  London  Bureau.  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  J938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act' 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  February  10,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Gunzburg 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


Century-Fox's  CinemaScope  with 
Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  20th-Fox  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  production. 
Similar  talks  on  the  idea  were  held 
with  other  studio  heads,  Gunzburg 
said.  The  NV  president  said  that 
film  in  his  process  could  be  projected 
to  cover  four  times  the  ordinary 
screen.  CinemaScope,  according  to 
20th-Fox,  utilizes  a  screen  two-and-a- 
half  times  the  ordinary  width. 

The  NV  president  said  19  feature 
films  are  slated  for  production  in  his 
three-dimensional  process  in  1953.  He 
added  that  12  of  the  19  set  for  pro- 
duction in  various  studios  are  await- 
ing NV  camera  equipment  deliveries. 
The  necessary  units,  he  added,  are  ex- 
pected to  be  ready  by  April. 

Gunzburg  expressed  assur- 
ance that  there  will  be  no 
bottle-neck  in  the  supply  of 
Polaroid  spectacles,  needed  for 
viewing  the  three-dimensional 
NV  film.  He  said  the  Polaroid 
Corp.,  manufacturers  of  the 
spectacles,  currently  is  produc- 
ing 800,000  pairs  weekly  and  will 
increase  its  production  schedule 
to  6,000,000  pairs  in  March, 
8,000,000  in  April,  and  12,000,000 
in  May.  The  supply  of  glasses 
for  "Bwana  Devil,"  now  re- 
leased by  United  Artists,  is 
assured,  he  added.  Gunzburg 
said  that  16,000,000  Polaroid 
spectacles  have  been  allotted 
for  "Bwana  Devil,"  while 
1,000,000  have  been  ordered  by 
Sol  Lesser  for  delivery  in 
March.  Lesser  is  distributing 
the  three-dimensional  Stereo- 
Techniques  series  of  short  sub- 
jects. "Bwana  Devil,"  the  first 
picture  made  in  NV,  has  already 
consumed  3,000,000  viewers,  he 
added. 


'Holders  Okay  Col.  Pacts 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


torney,  Harris  Klein,  sought  to  have 
the  meeting  adjourned  for  two  weeks. 
Martin,  who  is  said  to  represent  38,- 
000  shares  of  Columbia  common  stock, 
had  sought  a  list  of  Columbia  share- 
holders from  the  company  and,  when 
the  list  was  not  furnished,  he  was 
granted  a  motion  for  the  list  from 
judge  Samuel  Hofstadter. 

The  Securities  and  Exchange  Com- 
mission last  Thursday  approved  the 
petition  for  the  list  of  stockholders 
but  the  okay  came  too  late  for  the 
Martin  group  to  contact  the  stock- 
holders in  reference  to  protests  against 
the  granting  of  common  stock  op- 
tions vice-president  Montague  at  $12 
a  share.  Martin  also  had  made  a 
motion  to  Judge  Benjamin  Schreiber 
for  the  right  to  examine  Columbia's 
books  and  records,  but  the  motion 
was  denied  at  9  :30. yesterday  morning, 
a  half-hour  before  the  meet  opened. 

The  question,  of  whether  the  meet- 
ing should  be  adjourned  for  two 
weeks  was  put  to  a  vote  and  the  mo- 
tion was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  522,- 
000  shares  against  adjournment  and 
10,544  share  in  favor. 

The  slate  of  nominees  for  direc- 
tors was  elected  after  some  discus- 
sion and  a  proposal  by  Martin  to  add 
three  directors  to  represent  common 
stockholders.  However,  the  proposal 
was  not  brought  to  a  vote.  The  slate 
includes  two  new  directors,  Alfred 
Hart,  president  of  the  Alfred  Hart 
Distilleries  of  Los  Angeles,  and 
Abraham  M.  Sonnabend,  president  of 
the  Sonnabend  Associated  Properties 
of  Brookline,  Mass.  Hart  replaced 
Arnold  Grant  and  Sonnabend  filled 
the  vacancy  left  by  the  resignation 
of  Henry  Crown.  The  other  direc- 
tors were  reelected  ;  namely,  Harry  and 
Jack  Cohn,  A.  Schneider,  Leo  M. 
Blanche,  N.  B.  Spingold,  Montague 
and  Donald  S.  Stralein. 


The  Natural  Vision  Theatre  Equip- 
ment Corp.,  a  subsidiary  of  NV,  is 
the  sole  distributing  agency  for  the 
"throw-away"  Polaroid  spectacles,  it 
was  explained.  The  NV  equipment 
firm,  it  was  pointed  out,  currently  is 
furnishing  a  conversion  kit  to  theatres 
for  $700,  consisting  of  a  Selsyn  inter- 
lock motor,  filters,  magazines  and  all 
other  items  except  a  reflecting  screen 
needed  for  three-dimensional  conver- 
sion. 


Claims  NV  Can  Put 
TV  in  '3-D'  Field 

Three-dimensional  home  television, 
utilizing  the  Natural  Vision  process, 
could  be  a  reality  immediately,  it  was 
claimed  here  yesterday  by  Milton  L. 
Gunzburg,  president  of  the  National 
Vision  Corp. 

Gunzburg  said  that  all  that  would 
be  needed  would  be  home  TV  set 
adaptors,  which  the  NV  president  es- 
timated could  be  sold  from  $15  to  $25 
each.  However,  he  expressed  doubt 
that  the  TV  industry  is  as  yet  willing 
to  accept  the  three-dimensional  proc- 
ess, pointing  out  the  problem  of  spon- 
sorship and  set  conversion. 

Gunzburg  stated  that  he  will  meet 
today  with  the  head  of  an  undisclosed 
television  network  and  will  confer 
later  in  the  week  with  a  TV  set  manu- 
facturer. 


Buchman  Trial  March  9 

Washington,  Feb.  9. — March  9  has 
been  set  as  the  new  date  for  the  con- 
tempt of  Congress  trial  of  Hollywood 
producer  Sidney  Buchman. 


A  new  employment  contract 


Offered  by  Lesser 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

British  Stableford  lenticular  semi- 
specular  screen  which  permits  a  flat 
picture  to  "bleed"  off  a  central  section 
onto  front-angled  surfaces  on  all  sides, 
giving  the  "illusion  of  both  depth  and 
panoramic  size." 

Lesser  asserted  this  screen-equip- 
ment, which  produces  an  image  one- 
and-a-half  times  the  normal  size,  en- 
hances the  value  of  present  three- 
dimensional  pictures  and  "modern- 
izes" films  shot  "flat." 

The  Lesser  organization  acquired 
the  U.  S.  rights  from  Donford  Corp., 
Chicago,  American  licensee. 

Lesser  also  announced  that  the  next 
program  to  follow  the  Stereo-Tech- 
niques bill  now  being  roadshowed  will 
be  "Three-D  Follies,"  consisting  of 
five  20-minute  variety-type  shorts,  in 
color,  headlined  by  a  comedy  star  as 
master  of  ceremonies. 


Pictorial  Review  Tieup 

Representatives  of  Pictorial  Re- 
view Will  meet  with  branch,  managers 
and  sales  staffs  of  United  Artists  in 
10  of  the  key  cities  where  Pictorial 
Review  is  distributed  with  Sunday- 
Hearst  newspapers.  The  United  Art- 
ists sales  staff  will  be  given  reprints 
of  a  full-color  ad  on  "Moulin  Rouge" 
which  will  appear  in  Pictorial  Reviezv 
and  they  will  be  shown  the  circula- 
tion pattern  of  the  magazine. 


for  Jack  Cohn  was  approved  by 
the  stockholders  by  unanimous 
vote,  the  pact  to  run  for  four 
years  at  $2,500  a  week  and  giv- 
ing him  the  right  to  reduce  his 
activities  after  Dec.  31,  1954,  at 
half-salary.  A  new  employment 
contract  for  Montague,  to  run 
five  years  at  $2,500  a  week  and 
an  option  to  purchase  10,000 
shares  of  common  stock  at  $12 
a  share,' was  approved  bv  a  vote 
of  522,375  shares  to  34,753.  The 
stockholders  also,  by  a  vote  of 
531,450  shares  to  22,671,  gave  an 
option  to  buy  1,000  shares  of 
common  at  $16  per  share,  to 
Gerald  Rackett,  in  charge  of  the 
company's  general  laboratory. 

Both  Jack  Cohn  and  Schneider, 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  brought 
the  stockholders  up  to  date  on  the 
developments  of  three  dimensional  and 
wide  screen  pictures.  They  explained 
that  the  public  was  "buying"  3-D  and 
that  Columbia  would  join  the  parade 
of  companies  that  will  utilize  the  new 
medium.  They  said  no  decision  had 
been  made  as  to  which  process  would 
be  adopted,  but  that  all  systems  would 
be  thoroughly  explored  and  studied 
before  a  decision  is  made. 

The  company's  contract  with  pro- 
ducer Stanley  Kramer  was  clarified  to 
the  stockholders.  The  original  con- 
tract called  for  five  years,  but  the 
pact  has  been  amended  so  that  both 
parties  have  the  right  to  terminate  the 
agreement  at  the  end  of  the  third  year. 
The  contract  now  is  nearing  the  end 
of  the  second  year.  Kramer  will  make 
"The  Caine  Mutiny"  and  two  others 
during  the  third  year  of  the  pact. 

Price,  Waterhouse  and  Co.  was  re- 
elected to  serve  as  the  company's  au- 
ditors for  the  coming  year.  Of  the 
670,669  stock  shares  outstanding, 
565,322  shares  were  represented  at 
yesterday's  meeting. 


Film  Shares 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Corp.  of  America,  Columbia  Broad- 
casting and  others  showed  no  resist- 
ance to  the  trend.  American  Broad- 
casting alone  was  firm,  and  that  was 
ascribed  to  Federal  Communications 
Commission  approval  of  its  merger 
wtih  United  Paramount  Theatres. 

Popularity  of  the  film  shares,  based 
on  public  and  trade  interest  in  the 
new  three-dimensional  and  wide 
screen  processes,  brought  considerable 
comment  from  financial  writers  over 
the  weekend  and  yesterday. 

C.  Norman  Stabler  of  the  Herald 
Tribune,  pointing  out  that  Loew's 
20th  Century-Fox  and  National  Thea- 
tres were  the  three  most  active  stocks 
on  the  Big  Board  all  last  week,  re- 
called that  amusement  shares  have 
had  "their  tough  times  since  tele- 
vision became  popular." 

"Now  they  appear  to  be  coming 
back  into  the  limelight,"  he  said.  "In 
the  meantime,  the  television  and  radio 
companies,  although  doing  a  record 
volume  of  business,  are  receiving  a 
polite  frown  in  the  stock  market.  The 
popular  debutante  is  sitting  out  a  few 
dances  while  the  former  wall  flower 
is  the  flower  of  Wall  Street." 

William  Bloeth,  financial  writer  for 
the  World-Telegrann  &  Sun,  noted 
that  "Movie  stocks  have  led  the 
parade  recently,  most  of  the  popularity 
stemming  from  all  the  new  three- 
dimensional  types  in  the  works.  Radio 


'Awards'  Over  NBC, 
Sponsored  by  RCA 

Hollywood,  Feb.  9.  —  The 
Academy  Awards  ceremonies 
March  19  will  be  televised  and 
broadcast  over  NBC  nation- 
ally, with  RCA  sponsoring, 
under  a  one  year  deal.  It  is 
understood  the  Academy  re- 
ceives $100,000,  with  the'  pro- 
gram running  from  7:30  to 
8:30. 


1953  'Oscars' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

for  "Sudden  Fear,"  Joseph  Kaufman 
Productions-RKO  Radio  ;  Bette  Davis 
for  "The  Star,"  Bert  Friedlob  Pro- 
ductions -  20th  Century  -  Fox  ;  Julie 
Harris  for  "The  Member  of  the  Wed- 
ding," Stanley  Kramer  Productions, 
and  Susan  Hayward  for  "With  a 
Song  in  My  Heart,"  20th-Fox. 

Best  Supporting  Actress:  Gloria 
Grahame  for  "The  Bad  and  the  Beau- 
tiful," M-G-M ;  Jean  Hagen  for 
"Singin'  in  the  Rain,"  M-G-M ;  Col- 
ette Marchand  for  "Moulin  Rouge"  ; 
Terry  Moore  for  "Come  Back.  Little 
Sheba,"  and  Thelma  Ritter  for  "With 
a  Song  in  My  Heart." 

Best  Actor:  Marlon  Brando  for 
"Viva  Zapata,"  20th  -  Fox ;  Gary 
Cooper  for  "High  Noon" ;  Kirk 
Douglas  for  "The  Bad  and  the  Beau- 
tiful" ;  Jose  Ferrer  for  "Moulin 
Rouge",  and  Alec  Guinness  for  "The 
Lavender  Hill  Mob,"  J.  Arthur  Rank. 

Best  Supporting  Actor:  Richard 
Burton  for  "My  Cousin  Rachel,"  20th- 
Fox ;  Arthur  Hunnicutt  for  "The  Big 
Sky,"  Winchester  Pictures-RKO  Ra- 
dio ;  Victor  McLaglen  for  "The  Quiet 
Man" ;  Jack  Palance  for  "Sudden 
Fear"  and  Anthony  Quinn  for  "Viva 
Zapata". 

Best  Director:  Joseph  L.  Mankie- 
wicz  for  "Five  Fingers,"  20th-Fox ; 
Cecil  B.  DeMille  for  "The  Greatest 
Show  on  Earth" ;  Fred  Zinneman  for 
"High  Noon" ;  John  Huston  for 
"Moulin  Rouge"  and  John  Ford  for 
"The  Quiet  Man". 

Houser,  Cantor  Start 
New  RKO  Duties 

Mervin  Houser  and  David  Cantor" 
yesterday '  took  over  their  duties  at  . 
RKO  Radio  as  home  office  publicity 
director  and  exploitation  director,  re- 
spectively.   Both   appointments  were 
made  last  week  by  Perry  W.  Lieber... 

Houser,  former  assistant  to  Lieber, 
has  been  in  the  industry-  in  various 
advertising,  exploitation  and  publicity 
capacities  with  practically  all  major 
companies.  He  served  also  as  director 
of  advertising  and  publicity  for  Cecil 
B.  DeMille  and  as  associate  'director 
of  advertising,  publicity  and  exploita- 
tion for  David  O.  Selznick.  He  was 
with  RKO  in  1936-37  and-„. rejoined^ 
the  company  in  1949.  •!-*-s§<f 

Cantor's  industry  experience  began 
25  years  ago  with  Warner  Brothers. 
He  joined  RKO  in  1940  as  Western 
field  supervisor. 


and  Zenith  were  weak  members  of  the 
video  section,  Zenith  dipping  a  couple 
of  points  at  times." 

None  of  the  gains  of  the  film-shares 
have. .  been  sensational,  however,  the 
greatest  significance  of  the  activity 
being  the  investment  public's  reawak- 
ened interest  and  the  fact  that  what 
price  advances  there  have  been  were 
registered  in  the  face  of  a  downward 
market  trend. 


EAD  THIS  ONE  FOR  TOP 


FFIC 


"Unusual  dramatic  story  V      -film  daily 
"Plenty  of  speed... exciting !"  -  box office 
"Finely  acted. ..good  marquee  names!" 

-HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 

"Gripping  entertainment. ..will  cause 
turnstile  clickers  to  thank  you!" 

-SHOWMEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 


HOWARD  HUGHES 

presents 


ROBERT  MITCHUM 
JEAN  SIMMONS 


- 

in 

6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  10,  1953 


OMPI  to  Continue 
Film  Course  Aid 

The  Board  of  Superintendents  of 
the  New  York  City  Board  of  Educa- 
tion in  cooperation  with  the  Organi- 
zation of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry 
of  the  City  of  New  York  is  continuing 
lor  the  second  consecutive  year  the 
in-service  course  on  motion  pictures 
for  teachers. 

Dr.  Jacob  Greenberg,  associate 
superintendant,  is  directing  the  pro- 
gram and  Rita  Hochheimer,  assistant 
director  of  visual  education,  is  serving 
as  coordinator,  in  cooperation  with 
Fred  J.  Schwartz,  president  of  Century 
Theatres  and  chairman  of  the  OMPI. 
The  course  deals  with  the  production, 
distribution  and  exhibition  of  theatri- 
cal motion  pictures  and  ther  educa- 
tional and  social  implications  for 
teachers. 

Schwartz  will  conduct  the  first 
lecture  on  Feb.  10  and  will  cover  the 
theatre  owner's  role  in  the  motion 
picture  industry.  Prof.  Robert  Gess- 
ner,  chairman  of  the  motion  picture 
•department  of  Washington  Square 
College  of  Arts  and  Science,  of  New 
York  University,  will  speak  at  the 
second  session  on  Feb.  17,  and  Walt 
Disney's  feature  film  "Peter  Pan"  will 
be  shown  at  the  third  session  on  Feb. 
24.  The  programs  for  future  sessions 
will  be  announced  later. 


Drop  'Limelight'  in  N.  0. 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  9. — On  orders 
from  RKO  Theatres  home  office, 
Charles  Chaplin's  "Limelight"  was 
withdrawn  from  the  Orpheum  Thea- 
tre here.  The  booking  had  been  pro- 
tested by  the  local  American  Legion. 


DuMont,  Para. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  decision  is  effective  imme- 
diately. All  parties  to  the  case, 
however,  have  30  days  in  which 
to  ask  the  Commission  for  a 
rehearing  on  the  decision. 
The  decision  approved  the  transfer 
of  control  of  Paramount  Television 
Laboratories,   Inc.,   from   the  parent 
company,   Paramount   Pictures.  PTI 
is  the  licensee  of  KTLA,  Los  Angeles 
television  station. 

In  addition  the  Commission  ap- 
proved the  transfer  of  control  of 
WSMB-AM  and  WSMB-FM,  New 
Orleans  stations,  from  the  parent  com- 
pany to  UPT. 

The  Commission  further  granted 
the  license  applications  for  KTLA, 
WBKB,  WSMB,  and_  for  the  three 
DuMont  television  stations.  Until  now 
all  of  these  stations  have  operated  on 
temporary  licenses,  which  had  to  be 
renewed  periodically.  As  a  result  of 
today's  decision,  the  licenses  are  now 
permanent. 

Commissioners  Hennock  and  Web- 
ster dissented  from  approval  of  the 
merger,  Hennock  because  it  would  not 
serve  the  public  interest,  Webster  be- 
cause he  felt  action  on  the  merger 
should  be  withheld  "until  the  record 
is  clear  as  to  whether  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  has  engaged  in  anti- 
trust violations." 

Commissioners  Hyde  and 
Sterling  dissented  from  the 
DuMont  control  finding,  uphold- 
ing the  FCC  examiner's  initial 
decision  which  found  that  Para- 
mount did  not  control  DuMont. 
Commissioners    Hennock  and 


House  to  Probe  FCC 
On  Its  Policies 

Washington,  Feb.  9.— Mem- 
bers of  the  Federal  Communi- 
cations Commission  will  go 
before  the  House  Commerce 
Committee  on  Thursday  and 
Friday,  Feb.  19  and  20,  for 
questioning  on  current  FCC 
policies.  The  House  Commit- 
tee is  quizzing  all  Federal 
agencies  subject  to  its  juris- 
diction. The  FCC  questioning 
will  probably  include  theatre 
television  and  the  approved 
merger  between  American 
Broadcasting  and  United 
Paramount  Theatres. 


Webster  declared  that  Para- 
mount should  divest  itself  of 
its  stock  in  DuMont  "in  a  man- 
ner considered  by  the  Commis- 
sion to  be  in  the  public  inter- 
est." 

In_  approving  the  merger  the  Com- 
mission decision  said  that  "there  is  no 
reasonable  probability  that  the  merger 
will  substantially  lessen  competition  or 
tend  to  monopoly  in  any  section  of  the 
country  in  any  line  of  commerce."  The 
decision  went  on  to  say  that  it  saw 
no  "substantial  lessening  of  competi- 
tion" between  home  and  theatre  tele- 
vision as  resulting  from  the  merger 
between  the  two  media.  The  Commis- 
sion discarded  the  contention  that 
UPT  was  entering  into  the  merger  in 
order  to  suppress  ABC  and  thus  "crip- 
ple television,"  and  pointed  out  that 
such  a  course  would  "cripple  UPT 
financially." 

In  ruling  on  the  question  of  Para- 
mount's  control  of  Dumont  the  Com- 
mission decision  said  that  the  record 
in  the  case  "shows  that  as  a  matter 
of  basic  organization,  Paramount  has 
been  given  a  dominating  position  in 
DuMont  which  sets  it  apart,  in  terms 
of  influence,  from  all  of  the  other 
stockholders."  This  position,  the  deci- 
sion said,  results  from  the  stock  plan 
adopted  by  the  company  and  is  re- 
flected in  the  selection  of  the  board  of 
directors,  selection  and  function  of  of- 
ficers and  the  "veto  control  of  basic 
matters  of  corporate  activity  which  re- 
quire the  consent  of  both  classes  of 
stock." 

The  decision  had  this  to  say  about 
the  anti-trust  issue  : 

"We  are  impressed  by  the  great 
progress  that  has  been  made  and  we 
have  a  reasonable  expectation  that  the 
anti-trust  activities  'which  the  Para- 
mount people  are  abandoning  in  the 
unregulated  field  of  motion  picture 
distribution  will  not  be  imported  into 
the  licensed  field  of  broadcasting. 
They  have  not  done  so  in  their  broad- 
cast operations  in  the  past  and  we  do 
not  anticipate  that  they  will  do  so  in 
the  future." 

In  his  dissent  on  the  merger, 
Commissioner  Webster  asked 
that  the  record  be  reopened 
"for  the  purpose  of  taking  full 
and  complete  testimony  with 
respect  to  whether  Paramount 
Pictures  Corp.  and  United  Para- 
mount Theatres,  Inc.,  have  con- 
tinued the  monopolistic  prac- 
tices engaged  in  by  Paramount 
Pictures,  Inc." 

Both  Webster  and  Commissioner 
Hennock  dissented  from  the  portion 
of  the  decision  which  granted  licenses 
to  the  stations  operated  by  the  Para- 
mount companies.  Webster  called  the 
parent  company's  officers  "completely 


UP  Heads  to  Hold 
Latin  America  Meets 

Universal-International  foreign  gen- 
eral sales  manager  Americo  Aboaf  re- 
ported here  yesterday  that  regional 
sales  meetings  have  been  scheduled  at 
which  home  office  executives  will  con- 
fer with  the  managers  of  U-I  branches 
throughout  Latin  America. 

President  Milton  R.  Rackmil,  ex- 
ecutive vice-president  Alfred  E.  DafF, 
foreign  department  executive  Ben  M. 
Cohn  and  Latin  American  supervisor 
Al  Lowe  are  members  of  the  New 
York  contingent  which  will  meet  in 
Mexico  City  with  the  Caribbean  area 
managers  on  Feb.  14  and  15  and  with 
South  American  managers  on  Feb.  18 
and  19  in  Lima,  Peru. 

Attending  from  the  Caribbean  area 
will  be :  Ramon  Garcia,  Cuba ;  Morris 
Paiewonsky,  Dominican  Republic ;  Al- 
fredo Holguin,  Mexico ;  Saul  Jacobs. 
Panama  and  Central  America ;  Harold 
Dudoff,  Puerto  Rico  and  Dominican 
Republic  ;  Tony  Garcia,  Trinidad  and 
British  Guiana ;  Robert  Ferber,  Vene- 
zuela ;  Dario  Vazquez,  representing 
Caribe  Films,  U-I  distributors  in 
Colombia. 

At  the  Lima  meeting  will  be :  Mon- 
roe Isen  and  Enrique  Pardo,  Argen- 
tina ;  Rudi  Gottschalk,  Daniel  Tik- 
homiroff  and  Enderson  de  Figueiredo, 
Brazil ;  Raul  Viancos,  Chile ;  Fran- 
cisco Puig  J.,  Ecuador;  Alejandro 
Undurraga,  Peru ;  James  Alexander, 
home  office  representative,  Uruguay. 

On  the  agenda  of  both  meetings  will 
be  the  screening  of  new  product  and 
the  "Daff  Third-of-a-Century  Drive," 
a  global  sales  competition. 


negligent,  indifferent  and  inept"  in 
their  responsibilities  under  the  Com- 
munications Act.  Hennock  declared 
that  the  officers  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures and  UPT  cannot  be  held  "quali- 
fied from  the  standpoint  of  character 
and  conduct  to  be  licensees  of  radio 
and  television  stations."  She  asked 
that  the  hearing  be  reopened  and  com- 
pleted on  this  issue. 


Hughes  Gets  Stock 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

last  November  of  unfavorable  pub- 
licity concering  the  previous  business 
activities  of  some  and  the  unsavory 
associates  of  others. 

Under  the  Hughes-Stolkin  agree- 
ment, a  payment  of  $150,000,  designed 
to  evidence  good  faith  in  carrying  out 
the  balance  of  the  stock  purchase 
agreement,  is  to  come  due  on  Thurs- 
day. The  syndicate's  decision  not  to 
make  the  payment  brings  about  the 
termination  of  the  deal. 


FINANCING 

Large  Industrial 
Enterprises 

L.  N.  ROSENBAUM  &  SON 
565  Fifth  Ave..  N.  Y.  17 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING  . . . 

FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
1     IN  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK  JL 
TRAILERS  m 

_^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H                 ill  \  j  j.  Ml    1  <  .li'i  1 1 

GREAT    MOTION    PICTURES    ARE    PROCESSED    BY    PAT  H  E 


Director  HOWARD  HAWKS  says: 

"Every  frame  of  every  one  of  my 
pictures  must  meet  the  most  rigid 
specifications  in  our  industry.  Thafs 
why  I  insist  on  lab  work  by  PathL  5  5 


Pathe  processed  Mr.  Hawks'  latest 
picture,  "Big  Sky."  May  we  talk 
about  doing  your  next  picture? 


^PROCff 


Both  New  York  and  Hollywood  Have  Complete  Pathe  Laboratory  Facilities: 
35MM'    •       l6MM       •       COLOR       •       BLACK    AND  WHITE 

Pathe  Laboratories,  Inc.  is  a  subsidiary  of  Chesapeake  Industries,  Inc. 


Tuesday,  February  10,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Merger 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


merged  company.  In  return  for  their 
1,689,017  shares  of  common,  ABC 
stockholders  will  receive  608,047 
shares  of  five  per  cent  $20  par  pre- 
ferred and  666,717  shares  of  common 
stock  of  the  merged  company.  The 
common  stock  held  by  stockholders 
of  UPT  will  remain  unchanged. 

As  a  division  of  American  Broad- 
casting-Paramount Theatres,  Inc.,  the 
American  Broadcasting  Co.,  continu- 
ing the  company  and  the  ABC  trade 
name,  will  operate  the  owned  radio 
and  television  stations  in  New  York 
(WJZ,  WJZ-FM,  WJZ-TV)  ;  Chi- 
cago  (WENR,  WENR-FM, 
WBKB)  ;  Detroit  (WXYZ,  WXYZ- 
FM,  WXYZ-TV)  ;  Los  Angeles 
(KECA,  KECA-FM,  KECA-TV)  ; 
San  Francisco  (KGO,  KGO-FM, 
KGO-TV),  in  addition  to  the  nation- 
wide ABC  radio  network  and  the 
ABC  television  network. 

Theatre  operations  of  the 
merged  company  will  continue 
to  be  conducted  on  a  decentral- 
ized basis  by  subsidiary  re- 
gional companies. 

The  merged  company  will  own  and 
operate  Channel  7  in  Chicago,  under 
the  WBKB  call  letters.  It  was  an- 
nounced that  television  station  Chan- 
nel 4  in  Chicago  (now  known  as 
WBKB),  owned  and  operated  by 
UPT  subsidiary,  the  Balaban  and 
Katz  Corp.,  is  being  sold  to  the 
Columbia  Broadcasting  System  for 
$6,000,000.  Sale  of  the  station  was 
necessitated  by  FCC  regulations  pro- 
hibiting ownership  of  more  than  one- 
television  station  in  a  given  commun- 
ity. Channel  7  is  now  known  as 
VVENR-TV  but  its  call  letters  will 
be  changed  to  WBKB. 

Commenting  on  the  merger,  Golden- 
son  said,  in  part :  "The  American 
public  is  looking  to  a  strengthened 
ABC  for  new  and  more  varied  pro- 
gramming on  both  radio  and  televi- 
sion. More  entertaining,  interest- 
ing and  informative  programs — these 
are  the  goals.  It  will,  of  course,  take 
time,  but  we  shall  do  our  utmost  in 


Theatre  TV  Hearings 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


sion  on  the  hearings  late  this  week 
or  early  next  week.  In  any  event, 
there  probably  won't  be  a  resumption 
of  the  hearings  for  two  weeks,  since 
the  Commission  will  be  tied  up  until 
then  in  oral  arguments  on  other  cases. 

Today's  session  was  characterized 
by  insistent  Commission  probing  for 
details  on  exactly  how  when  and  by 
whom  a  theatre  television  service 
would  be  operated.  Marcus  Cohn,  at- 
torney for  the  National  Exhibitors 
Theatre  Television  Committee,  bore 
the  brunt  of  the  Commission's  per- 
plexed questioning  on  policy  and  pro- 
gramming for  the  service.  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  attor- 
ney Vincent  Welch  took  over  to  an- 
swer technical  questions. 

Chairman  Walker  hammered  away 
frequently  at  the  possibility  that  a 
theatre  television  service  would  be 
monopolistic,  taking  away  from  home 
television  sports  and  public  events 
which  home  viewers  have  been  seeing. 

the  coming  years  to  keep  faith  with 
the  public  and  the  many  radio  and 
television  station  affiliates,  stock- 
holders and  employees  who  see  in  this 
merger  an  opportunity  to  build  a 
vigorous,  public  minded  and  profit- 
able broadcasting  operation." 

Robert  E.  Kintner,  who  will  con- 
tinue as  president  of  the  American 
Broadcasting  Co.,  a  division  of  the 
merged  company,  said,  'With  added 
capital  and  with  strengthened  man- 
power, ABC  will  now  have  the 
weapons  with  which  to  compete  more 
effectively. 

'We  recognize  and  accept  eagerly 
the  opportunity  given  to  ABC 
through  this  merger  to  stimulate  more 
vigorous  competition  within  the 
radio  -  television  broadcasting  in- 
dustry." 

List  Officers 

Officers  of  the  merged  company,  in 
addition  to  Goldenson,  president,  will 
include,  from  UPT,  Walter  W.  Gross, 
vice  president  and  general  counsel ; 
Edward  L.  Hyman,  Sidney  M.  Mark- 
ley  and  Robert  M.  Weitman,  vice 
presidents ;  Robert  H.  O'Brien,  sec- 
retary-treasurer ;  Simon  B.  Siegel, 
Comptroller,  and  James  L.  Brown, 
assistant  treasurer. 

The  UPT  directors  on  the  board 
of  the  merged  company  are  John 
Balaban,  A.  H.  Blank  and  Robert  B. 
Wilby,  heads  of  UPT  theatre  operat- 
ing subsidiaries ;  John  A.  Coleman, 
member  of  the  New  York  Stock  Ex- 
change firm  of  Adler,  Coleman  and 
Co.;  Charles  T.  Fisher,  Jr.,  president 
of  the  National  Bank  of  Detroit;  E. 
Chester  Gersten,  president  of  the 
Public  National  Bank  &  Trust  Com- 
pany of  New  York;  UPT  president 
Goldenson ;  Gross,  UPT  vice-presi- 
dent ;  Robert  L.  Huffines,  Jr.,  direc- 
tor of  Burlington  Mills  Corp.  of 
Greensboro,  N.  C. ;  William  T.  Kil- 
born,  president  of  the  Flannery  Manu- 
facturing Co.  of  Pittsburgh;  Walter 
P.  Marshall,  president  of  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.;  O'Brien,  UPT 
secretary  -  treasurer,  and  Herbert 
Schwartz,  president  of  City  Stores, 

Inc.   

The  five  ABC  directors  who  will 
join  the  new  board  are  Edward  J. 
Noble,  ABC  chairman,  and  Robert  E. 
Kintner,  ABC  president;  Earl  E. 
Anderson  and  Robert  H.  Hinckiey, 
vice  presidents  of  ABC  and  Owen  D. 
Young,  honorary  chairman  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  General 
Electric  Co. 


"If  we  license  theatre  people,"  Walker 
asked,  "are  we  building  up  a  perpetual 
monopoly  of  news  and  events  hereto- 
fore available  to  the  public?"  Walker 
wondered  if  the  FCC  was  being  used 
"unwittingly  as  an  agency  to  perpe- 
tuate" a  practice  which  would  take 
events  away  from  home  television. 

Cohn  declared  that  the  person  who 
owned  the  rights  to  a  program  would 
decide  whether  or  not  to  put  it  ex- 
clusively on  theatre  television,  but  as- 
sured Walker  that  theatre  television 
wouldn't  take  anything  away  from 
home  television.  "It  has  been  doing- 
it,"  Walker  replied,  but  asked  if  thea- 
tre television  would  continue  doing  it 
in  the  future.  Cohn  answered  that  it 
would  happen  "only  on  rare  occa- 
sions." 

Cohn  estimated  that  within  10 
years  there  would  be  from  two 
to  five  hours  of  theatre  tele- 
vision programs  available  to 
theatres  daily.  Within  a  couple 
of  years,  he  said,  if  theatre  tele- 
visions moves  forward  "with 
rapidity,"  there  would  be  one  to 
two  hours  available.  He  could 
not  say,  however,  how  much  the 
frequencies  would  be  used  if 
the  Commission  made  exclusive 
allocations  of  frequencies  for 
theatre  television. 

Repeated  questioning  from  Commis- 
sioner Hennock  centered  on  names  of 
individuals  or  companies  that  would 
be  applicants  for  theatre  television  fre- 
quencies. Cohn  told  the  Commissioner 
that  he  would  produce  witnesses  who 
would  testify  that  they  would  parti- 
cipate in  companies  that  would  be  ap- 
plicants for  theatre  television  channels. 
They  would  be  people  with  "faith  in 
the  theatre  television  art"  coming 
from  "every  field  in  the  United 
States,"  he  said. 

Cohn  told  the  Commission  that  the 
industry  was  willing  to  have  the  Com- 
mission write  into  its  rules  a  prohibi- 
tion against  the  use  of  film  on  theatre 
television  programs,  "except  inciden- 
tally." He  also  told  the  Commission 
it  would  prohibit  the  use  of  advertis- 
ing on  theatre  television  programs. 

Welch  outlined  the  drawbacks  in- 
volved if  a  common  carrier  should 
transmit  theatre  television  programs, 
saying  that  there  would  be  frequency 
conflicts,  interconnection  problems  and 
a  poor  quality  of  service.  "We  want 
exclusive  allocations  for  theatre  tele- 
vision," he  said,  "and  we  don't  care 
where  you  put  them." 

He  told  the  Commission  that  wit- 
nesses would  testify  that  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co.  could 
only  provide  for  23  per  cent  of  the 
theatre  television  programs  planned. 


Some  lessening  of  competition  might 
occur  as  the  result  of  the  merger,  the 
Commission  decision  said,  but  it  would 
not  be  "substantial"  in  view  of  the 
"external  competition  facing  UPT 
theatres  and  ABC  radio  and  television 
stations  and  affiliates  "throughout  the 
country." 

"It  has  been  suggested,"  the  deci- 
sion went  on,  "that  the  Commission's 
decision  on  the  merger  will  eventually 
permit  the  motion  picture  industry  to 
take  over  television."  This  argument 
ignores  the  fact,  the  decision  said,  that 
the  Commission  exercises  a  continuing 
supervision  over  the  growth  of  tele- 
vision and  must  approve  television 
station  licenses,  transfers  and  renewals 
of  license. 


RK0  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINGS  of 

"PORT  SINISTER" 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  1/7 
N.W. 

Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17 


Tues.  2/17  10:30  A.M. 


Tues.  2/17    2:30  P.M. 


ALBANY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

1052  Bway 
ATLANTA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm. 

195  Luckie  St. 
BOSTON 

RKO  Scr.  Rm. 

122-28  Arlington  St. 

BUFFALO 

Mo.  Pic.  Oper. 
Scr.  Rm. 

498  Pearl  St. 
CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

308  S.  Church  St. 

CHICAGO 

RKO  Scr.Rm.      Tues.  2/17 

1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 
CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace 
Scr.  Rm. 

12  E.  6th  St. 
CLEVELAND 

Fox  Scr.  Rm. 

2219  Payne  Ave 

DALLAS 

Rep.  Scr.  Rm. 
412  S.  Harwood  St. 

DENVER 
Para.  Scr.  Rm. 
2100  Stout  St. 

DES  MOINES 
Fox  Scr.  Rm. 
1300  High  St. 

DETROIT 

Blumenthals 
Scr.  Rm. 

2310  Cass  Ave. 
INDIANAPOLIS 

Univ.  Scr.  Rm. 

517  N.  Illinois  St. 

KANSAS  CITY 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.  Wed. 
1800  Wyandotte  St. 

LOS  ANGELES 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 

MEMPHIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

151  Vance  Ave. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner  Scr.  Rm.  Tues 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 

MINNEAPOLIS 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues 
1015  Currie  Ave. 

NEW  HAVEN 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Tues.  2/17 
40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.       Wed.  2/18 
200  S.  Liberty  St. 

NEW  YORK 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.     Tues.  2/17 

630  Ninth  Ave. 
OKLAHOMA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

10  North  Lee  St. 

OMAHA 

Fox  Scr.Rm.  Tues. 

1502  Davenport  St. 
PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

250  N.  13th  St. 
PITTSBURGH 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 

1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 

PORTLAND 
Star  Scr.  Rm.  Tues. 
925  N.W.  19th  Ave. 

ST.  LOUIS 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.     Tues.  2/17 

3143  Olive  St. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.       Tues.  2/17 

216  E.  1st  St.  South 
SAN  FRANCISCO 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.       Tues.  2/17 

245  Hyde  St. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box  Scr. 

Room  Tues.  2/17 

2318  2nd  Ave. 

SIOUX  FALLS 
Hollyw'd  Thea.    Tues.  2/17 
212  N.  Philips  Ave. 

WASHINGTON 
Film  Center 

Scr.  Rm.         Tues.  2/17 
932  New  Jersey  Ave. 


3:30  P.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 
2:30  P.M. 

3:30  P.M. 
3:30  P.M. 
11:00  A.M. 

9:30  P.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 
10:30  A.M. 
3:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 


2/18 


2/17 


2/17 


2/17 


2/17 


2/17 


2/17 


J/17 


2/7 


2/17 


1:00  P.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 
10 :30  A.M. 

3:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

3:00  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 
11:00  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
10:30  A.M. 

2:30  P.M. 
9:00  A.M. 

3:30  P.M. 


The  Biggest  Showmen  In  America 

Have  Booked 
The  Biggest  Money-Maker  Of  The  Year! 


JOSEPH  R.  VOGEL 

Vice  Pres.  and  Director,  Loew's  Inc. 
says: 


^  Am  looking  forward  to 
record  business  with 
this  fine  attraction." 


TOMORROW/ 

WATCH  THE  CAPITOL 
THEATRE,  NEW  YORK. 

We  predict  the  same  kind 
of  spectacular  grosses 
Charles  Skouras  is  piling 
up  at  the Fox-Wilshire,  L.  A . 


Romulus  presents 


romulus  presents  JOSE  FERRER  in  John  Huston's  "MOULIN  ROUGE"- Color  by  Technicolor,  with  ZSA  ZSA  GABOR 


SUZANNE  FLON  •  And  Introducing  •   COLETTE  MARCHAND 


A  ROMULUS  Production  •  Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON 


Screenplay  by  Anthony  Veiller  and  John  Huston  •  From  the  Novel  "MOULIN  ROUGE"  by  PIERRE  LA  MURE 


THE   BIG   NEWS   TODAY  COMES   FROM'  UA 


FIRST 

IN 
FILM 

NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  73.    NO.  29 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  11,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


'3-D'  Impact 
Beginning  To 
Hit  Exhibitors 


Demand  Mounting  for 
Equipment  Uniformity 

Exhibitors  of  the  nation  are  "in 
a  dither"  over  the  sudden  invasion 
of  tri-dimensional  and  wide  screen 
pictures  and  the  situation  almost 
has  reached  a  state  of  panic,  accord- 
ing to  theatre  owners  and  sales  execu- 
tives who  have  visited  the  field  re- 
cently. The  big  cry,  it  was  said,  is 
the  demand  for  standardization  of 
equipment  as  exhibitors  are  having 
"nightmares"  over  the  possibility  of 
having  to  use  different  systems  for 
each  company's  product.  • 

Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  Texas  Allied 
leader,  said  here  yesterday  that  the 
impact  was  beginning  to  hit  Texas 
showmen  who  are  still  uncertain  as  to 
whether  the  industry  has  a  new  toy 
of  which  the  public  will  soon  tire  or  a 
now  permanent  fixture. 

A  sales  executive  who  has  just  re- 
turned from  a  tour  of  several  terri- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Cinerama  in  Warner 
Theatre,  Hollywood 


Hollywood,  Feb.  10. — A  contract 
for  the  installation  of  Cinerama  equip- 
ment in  the  Warner  Theatre  here  is 
scheduled  to  be  signed  today  following 
the  return  to  New  York  of  Harry  M. 
Kalmine,  head  of  Warner  Theatres. 
The  deal  was  set  here  between  Kal- 
mine and  Joseph  Kaufman,  director  of 
exhibition  for  Cinerama. 

The  deal  is  the  first  for  a  major 
circuit  theatre  to  be  made  by  Cine- 
rama. The  installation  is  scheduled 
to  be  completed  by  late  May  and  will 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


International-United 
Plans  Two  in  '3-D' 


International-United  Pictures  has 
arranged  to  produce  two  tri-dimen- 
sional pictures  in  Europe  this  year, 
utilizing  the  Stereo  Techniques 
process,  it  was  disclosed  here  yester- 
day by  David  Coplan,  I-U  president. 
Coplan,  who  has  just  returned  from 
a  six-week  European  tour,  said  that 
two  stories  had  been  tentatively 
selected,  but  that  he  would  await  the 
release  of  3-D  pictures  currently  in 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Top-Level  Turnout 
At  N.  Y.  Tribute 
To  Zukor  March  4 


Presidents,  board  chairmen  and  top 
distribution  executives  of  every  com- 
pany in  the  motion  picture  industry 
will  serve  on  committees  named  by 
Variety  Clubs  International  for  the 
Adolph  Zukor  Jubilee  Dinner  which 
will  be  held  on  Wednesday,  March  4, 
at  New  York's  Waldorf-Astoria,  in 
celebration  of  the  50th  anniversary  of 
the  opening  of  Zukor's  first  Penny 
Arcade  on  Union  Square  in  New  York 
City,  according  to  an  announcement 
by  Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of  the 
Jubilee  Dinner,  and  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,   international    chairman    of  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Arnall  Mentioned 
For  Governorship 


Atlanta,  Feb.  10.  —  Ellis  Arnall, 
president  of  the  Society  of  Independ- 
ent Motion  Picture  Producers  and 
former  governor  of  Georgia,  is  being 
mentioned  as  a  possible  gubernatorial 
candidate  in  Georgia  in  1954.  This  was 
brought  out  this  week  in  the  local 
Journal  and  Constitution. 

Charles  Pou,  a  political  writer  for 
the  newspaper,  pointed  out  that  Ar- 
nalPs  name  is  "mentioned  more  often 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Senator  Tobey  Hits 
FCC  Merger  Ruling 

Senator  Tobey  (Rep.,  N.H.), 
visiting  here  yesterday,  char- 
acterized the  Federal  Com- 
munication Commission's  ap- 
proval of  the  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  —  American 
Broadcasting  merger  as  a 
"grave  mistake." 

"It  will  come  up  to  plague 
them  in  years  to  come,"  he 
said.  Asked  what  course  of 
action  he  would  take  in  light 
of  his  opinion,  the  Senator 
said  that  he  had  not  decided 
as  yet. 


Horwits  Promoted 
At  U-I  Studio 


Al  Horwits,  for  the  past  four 
years  studio  publicity  director  at  Uni- 
versal-International, has  been  ad- 
vanced to  the  newly-created  post  of 
executive  aide  to  the  studio  executive 
committee  and  will  handle  special 
public  relations  on  the  Coast,  the  com- 
pany reported  here  yesterday. 

In  addition  to  his  duties  with  the 
executive  committee,  Horwits  also 
will  have  charge  of  special  projects 
involving  studio  talent. 

Horwits,  for  many  years  a  news- 
paperman in  Philadelphia,  joined  Uni- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Cole  Reports  Possible  Tax 
Hearing  in  Early  March 

While  there  is  no  definite  indication  as  to  when  there  will  be  a  Con- 
gressional hearing  on  the  repeal  of  the  Federal  admission  tax,  there  is 
a  possibility  that  a  session  may  be  held  in  early  March,  Col.  H.'  A.  Cole 
of  the  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organization's  tax  committee,  said 

here  yesterday,  -  Cole  stopped  in  New 


See  Peck  Heading 
Anti-Trust  Division 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — New 
York  City  Judge  David  W. 
Peck  will  probably  be  the  new 
Assistant  Attorney  General  in 
charge  of  the  Justice  Depart- 
ment's anti-trust  division. 

It  is  reliably  reported  here 
that  Attorney  General  Her- 
bert Brownell  will  make  the 
appointment  soon.  With 
Brownell,  the  head  of  the 
anti-trust  division  will  decide 
whether  the  16mm.  anti-trust 
suit  should  be  prosecuted  or 
withdrawn. 


York  yesterday  en  route  from  Dallas 
to  Washington  where  he  will  confer 
with  Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied's  gen- 
eral counsel. 

Cole  said  that  Herman  Hoffman, 
executive  assistant  to  Dore  Schary, 
M-G-M  production  chief,  had  been  in 
Dallas  and  other  Texas  cities  to  shoot 
scenes  for  a  20-minute  anti-tax  subject 
which  will  be«  shown  to  the  House 
Ways  and  Means  Committee.  Hoff- 
man and  a  camera  crew  also  will 
shoot  material  showing  the  distress 
caused  by  the  tax,  in  Oklahoma,  Kan- 
sas and  Michigan. 

Texas  COMPO's  plans  for  a  22-car 
streamliner  train  to  carry  a  motion 
picture  exposition  around  the  country 
probably  will  be  suspended,  at  least 
as  a  project  for  this  year,  Cole  said. 


Wrong  Tactics 
Used  in  FCC 
TV  Hearings 

Failed  to  Show  Policy, 
Need  for  Theatre  TV 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — Indus- 
try attorneys  have  admitted  that 
they  used  the  wrong  tactics  in  pre- 
senting the  case  for  theatre  televi- 
sion frequencies  to  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission. 

They  now  realize  that  they 
should  have  started  off  their 
testimony  with  industry  and 
public  officials  testifying  to  the 
need  for  theatre  television  and 
its  possible  uses,  and  then  put 
on  technical  and  cost  details. 
As  it  was,  they  started  off  with 
the  technical  and  cost  aspects 
and  ran  into  a  barrage  of 
criticism  from  a  Commission 
not  sold  on  the  need  for  the 
new  service. 

"We  put  the  cart  before  the  horse," 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Harry  Cohn's  Pact 
Extended  to  1955 


W.-vsiirN-Gtc'x.  Feb. -10.— The  con- 
tract of  Harry  Cohn,  president  of 
Columbia  Pictures,  has  been  extended 
to  Feb.  10,  1955,  the  Securities  and 
Exchange  Commission  was  notified. 

The  extension  came  in  the  form  of 
a  contract  modification  filing,  which' 
continues  his  salary  as  executive  pro- 
ducer at  $3,500  weekly  and  a  general 
expense  allowance  of  $300  per  week. 
Other  modifications  eliminated  the  six- 
month  cancellation  clause  which  al- 

( Continued  on  page  3) 


Green  Reported  with 
70,000  Proxy  Shares 


Charles  Green,  who  is  reported  to 
be  planning  a  proxy  fight  at  the  an- 
nual meeting  of  20th  Century-Fox 
stockholders,  is  understood  to  have 
rounded  up  proxies  representing  ap- 
proximately 70,000  shares  of  20th-Fox 
stock.  Close  associates  of  Green  are 
continuing  to  buy  company  stock,  it 
is  reported.  However,  Green  is  silent 
as  to  his  plans  for  the  May  meeting. 

Meanwhile,  20th-Fox  is  reported  to 
be  taking  steps  to  offset  any  strategy 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  11,  1953 


42  U.A.  Exploiteers  Will 
Handle  'Rouge9 and 'Bwana 9 


Congressman  Cites 
Goldwyn  for  'Hans* 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — Rep. 
Ben  F.  Jensen  (R.,  Iowa)  eulo- 
gized producer  Sam  Goldwyn 
and  told  Congress  that  his 
"Hans  .  Christian  Andersen" 
was  "one  of  the  great  motion 
picture  achievements  of  all 
time." 

Jensen  said  he  had  never 
before  seen  a  picture  "so  filled 
with  joy  and  happiness  for 
people  of  all  ages,"  and  de- 
clared that  "America  can  well 
be  proud  of  Samuel  Goldwyn 
for  his  magnificent  contribu- 
tion to  the  entertainment  of 
the  world." 


Personal 
Mention 

STEPHEN    BOSUSTOW,  presi- 
dent   of    United    Productions  of 
America,  and  Charles  Daggett,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  public  relations, 
will  arrive  here  from  the  Coast  today. 
• 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  vice-president,  and 
assistant,  Bernard  Levy,  have  re- 
turned here  from  a  three-week  trip  in 
the  West. 

• 

Herb  Steinberg,  Paramount  pub- 
licity manager,  and  Rosemary 
Clooney  have  returned  to  New  York 
from  a  week  of  Eastern  seaboard  pro- 
motion. 

• 

Dick  Dickson,  general  manager  of 
the  Roxy  Theatre  here,  was  guest  on 
the  "Meet  the  Boss"  DuMont  Tele- 
vision Network  show  last  night. 
• 

David  Lewis,  Loew's  International 
Corp.  regional  director  for  Continen- 
tal Europe,  is  en  route  to  Paris  from 
here  aboard  the  SS.  Queen  Mary. 
• 

Ned  Clarke,  Walt  Disney  Produc- 
tions   foreign   sales    supervisor,  has 
arrived  in  Paris  from  New  York  on 
the  first  stop  of  a  seven-week  tour. 
• 

Dan  S.  Terrell,  M-G-M  publicity- 
exploitation  manager,  is  due  to  return 
to  New  York  from  San  Francisco 
today. 

• 

Marcel  Hellman,  director  of  Ex- 
celsior Film  Productions,  London,  is 
in  New  York  for  three  weeks. 
• 

Norman  Z.  McLeod,  RKO  Radio 
director,  has  returned  to  Hollywood 
from  New  York. 

• 

Eric  Johnston  and  Ken  Clark  of 
MPAA  are  due  back  in  Washington 
from  the  Coast  at  the  weekend. 

New  Name  for  RTMA 
Proposed  to  Board 

A  recommendation  that  the  Radio- 
Television  Manufacturers  Association 
change  its  name  to  Electronics  Manu- 
facturers Association  or  a  similar  title 
has  been  made  by  a  special  com- 
mittee of  the  technical  products  divi- 
sion of  the  RTMA.  A.  D.  Plamondon, 
RTMA  president,  told  the  associa- 
tion's mid-winter  board  meeting  that 
any  change  in  name  would  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  full  membership. 

Paul  Galvin,  chairman  of  a  commit- 
tee to  survey  subscription  television, 
reported  his  group  would  continue  its 
survey  and  confer  shortly  with  repre- 
sentatives of  the  broadcasting  indus- 
try. He  said  there  was  no  opposition 
to  subscription  TV  by  his  committee. 


No  Paper  Tomorrow 

Motion  Picture  Daily  will 
not  be  published  tomorrow, 
Lincoln's  Birthday,  a  legal 
holiday. 


With  "Moulin  Rouge,"  a  John  Hu- 
ston production,  and  "Bwana  Devil," 
Arch  Oboler's  three-dimensional  film, 
moving  into  release,  United  Artists 
has  expanded  its  exploitation  opera- 
tions with  the  addition  of  42  fieldmen 
to  handle  the  two  pictures  alone,  it 
was  announced  by  Francis  M.  Wini- 
kus,  national  director  of  UA  adver- 
tising-publicity. 

Under  the  supervision  of  exploita- 
tion director  Mori  Krushen,  who  has 
just  returned  from  a  nation  wide  tour, 
the  increased  staff  is  divided  almost 
equally  between  "Moulin  Rouge"  and 
"Bwana  Devil,"  with  additional  ex- 
ploiteers handling  other  United 
Artists  releases. 

Approximately  20  exploiteers  are 
now  in  the  field  for  "Moulin  Rouge," 
doing  advance  planting  and  preparing 
for  pre-release  engagements  in  Chi- 
cago, Boston,  Philadelphia,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Miami,  Detroit,  Pittsburgh, 
Cleveland,  Buffalo,  Indianapolis,  Lou- 
isville, St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  Minne- 
apolis, Milwaukee,  Syracuse,  Roches- 
ter, Dallas,  Houston,  New  Orleans, 
San  Antonio  and  Atlanta. 

A  similar  string  of  key  cities  is 
being  covered  by  a  like  field  staff  for 
"Bwana  Devil." 

Lincoln-Washington 
Birthday  Closings 

Six  company  home  offices  will  be 
closed  all  day  tomorrow,  Lincoln's 
Birthday,  and  most  of  the  others  will 
close  at  1:00  P.M.  Allied  Artists, 
M-G-M,  RKO  Pictures,  RKO  Thea- 
tres, 20th  Century-Fox  and  United 
Paramount  Theatres  will  be  closed  all 
day.  Closing  at  1 :00  P.M.  will  be 
Columbia,  Paramount  Pictures, 
United  Artists,  Universal  -  Inter- 
national, Warner  Brothers  and  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica. Republic  was  still  undecided  at 
press  time. 

All  of  the  above-mentioned  com- 
panies except  Republic  and  United 
Artists  will  be  closed  all  day  Monday, 
Feb.  23,  in  celebration  of  the  Wash- 
ington's Birthday  holiday.  Republic 
and  UA  had  not  yet  made  a  decision. 

Isaacs  President  of 
New  England  Allied 

Boston,  Feb.  10. — Irving  Isaacs 
was  elected  president  of  Independent 
Exhibitors,  Inc.,  of  New  England  to- 
day, succeeding  Norman  Glassman, 
who  becomes  chairman  of  the  board. 
Also  elected  were  Melvin  B.  Safner, 
first  vice-president ;  Herbert  Brown, 
second  vice-president ;  Julian  Rifkin, 
treasurer,  and  Albert  B.  Lourie,  sec- 
retary. Ray  Feeley  continues  as  ex- 
ecutive secretary. 


$5,400  for  'Peter* 

Chicago,  Feb.  10.  —  An  excellent 
opening  day  gross  of  $5,400  was 
racked  up  by  "Peter  Pan"  at  the 
State  Lake  Theatre  here.  Approxi- 
mately 70  per  cent  of  the  patrons  were 
adults,  according  to  the  theatre  man- 
ager. 


Chairmen  Named  for 
'Brotherhood  Week' 


Thomas  F.  O'Connor,  home  office 
chairman  for  the  amusement  industry's 
participation  in  "Brotherhood  Week," 
starting  Sunday,  on  behalf  of  the  sil- 
ver anniversary  of  the  National  Con- 
ference of  Christians  and  Jews,  has 
announced  the  following  chairmen  for 
home  offices : 

Martin  Newman,  Century  Thea- 
tres ;  T.  J.  Walker,  Comerford  Thea- 
tres;  Mary  Becker,  Fabian  Theatres; 
Mary  E.  Tuttle,  RKO  Theatres ;  Ray 
Wemple,  United  Artists  Theatre  Cir- 
cuit ;  Spyros  S.  Skouras,  Jr.,  Skouras 
Theatres. 

Also,  Eddie  Hyman,  United  Para- 
mount Theatres  ;  Leo  Jaffee,  Columbia 
Pictures;  Pincus  Sober,  Loew's;  John 
Michelson,  Monogram ;  Burton  Rob- 
bins,  National  Screen  Service ;  Al 
Schwalberg,  Paramount  Pictures ; 
Garrett  Van  Wagner,  RKO  Radio 
Pictures ;  Margaret  Monte,  Republic 
Pictures ;  William  Gehring,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox ;  Norman  Hasselo,  United 
Artists ;  Anthony  Petti,  Universal ; 
Bernard  R.  Goodman,  Warner 
Brothers. 

Joint  Convention  for 
Ala.,  Ga.,  Exhibitors 

Birmingham,  Feb.  10. — The  Ala- 
bama Theatres  Association  and  the 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
Georgia  will  hold  a  joint  convention 
at  the  Atlanta  Biltmore  Hotel,  At- 
lanta, May  31 -June.  2.  This  was  de- 
cided at  the  recent  exhibitors'  annual 
convention  here. 

The  ATA,  a  unit  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  voted  approval 
of  the  principle  of  arbitration  and 
went  on  record  approving  the  action 
of  the  TOA  board  of  directors  in 
seeking  a  meeting  of  all  exhibitor 
groups  in  an  attempt  to  develop  an 
acceptable  arbitration  system. 

R.  M.  Kennedy  was  re-elected 
president  of  the  ATA  as  were  all 
other  officers,  including  R.  C.  Cobb, 
vice-president ;  T.  E.  Watson,  secre- 
tary-treasurer, and  Mack  Jackson, 
national  TOA  representative. 

TOA  president  Alfred  Starr  at- 
tended the  convention  and  gave  a  re- 
port on  the  organization's  board  meet- 
ing in  New  York  last  month. 

Rites  Thursday  for 
Homer  F.  Strowig 

Kansas  City,  Feb.  10. — Services 
for  Homer  F.  Strowig,  who  died 
Monday  in  an  automobile  accident 
while  coming  here  from  Abilene, 
will  be  held  in  that  city  Thursday. 
Strowig,  the  owner  of  three  theatres 
in  Abilene  as  well  as  others  in  asso- 
ciation and  at  his  death  the  treasurer 
of  the  Kansas-Missouri  Theatre  Asso- 
ciation, has  twice  been  a  president  of 
the  unit. 

He  is  survived  by  the  widow  and 
two  sons,  Calvin  and  Robert. 


'Hans'  Earns  Over 
$600,000  to  Date 

Over  $600,000  in  film  rentals  has 
been  earned  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures 
on  the  first  six  engagements  of 
Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen,"  it  is  learned. 

The  robust  gross  was  racked  up  in 
two  situations  in  New  York,  where 
the  picture  opened  for  the  Thanks- 
giving holidays,  and  theatres  in  Bos- 
ton, Los  Angeles,  Miami  and  Miami 
Beach,  which  ushered  in  the  film  with 
the  Christmas  season.  The  Goldwyn 
production  is  still  going  strong  in  all 
six  situations,  a  company  spokesman 
stated. 

Thirty  other  engagements,  in  addi- 
tion to  last  week's  Philadelphia  open- 
ing at  the  Midtown,  are  slated  for 
later  this  month,  it  was  stated. 

Senate  to  Probe 
Anti-Trust  Laws 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — The  Senate 
Judiciary  Committee  has  approved  a 
resolution  calling  for  the  Committee 
to  make  a  complete  study  and  investi- 
gation of  the  Eederal  anti-trust  laws 
and  the  need  for  new  legislation  to 
change  or  strengthen  those  statutes. 


Japan  Executive  Here 

Masaichi  Nagata,  president  of 
Daiei,  one  of  Japan's  leading  produc- 
tion companies,  was  the  guest  of  honor 
here  yesterday  at  a  luncheon  at  the 
Harvard  Club,  given  by  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America.  The 
luncheon  was  attended  by  foreign  de- 
partment managers  of  member  com- 
panies and  James  Mulvey,  president  of 
Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions.  Na- 
gata, who  also  is  president  of  the 
association  that  corresponds  to  the 
MPAA,  is  here  on  a  periodic  visit, 
this  time  with  an  accent  on  "3-D" 
developments. 


Maloney  Services  Held 

Hartford,  Feb.  10. — Funeral  serv- 
ices for  Harold  H.  Maloney,  veteran 
Loew's  Poli  circuit  manager,  were 
held  yesterday  in  Worcester,  Mass. 
Maloney,  67,  who  had  been  manager 
of  Loew's  Poli,  Worcester,  since  1936, 
died  last  Friday  at  the  Worcester  City 
Hospital. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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.  Bradv, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y..  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Wednesday,  February  11,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Review 


"Tangier  Incident" 

(Allied  Artists)  Hollywood,  Feb.  10 

RECENT  spirited  comments  by  distinguished  heads  of  government  on  the 
question  of  whether  Russia  has  a  workable  atomic  bomb  or  hasn't  one 
may  turn  out  to  have  kindled  timely  interest  in  subjects  having  to  do  with 
how  and  why  government  secrets  are  obtained  by  one  country  from  another 
without  leave.  This  picture  deals  with  the  kind  of  espionage  that  is  respon- 
sible for  delivery  of  one  nation's  scientific  information  to  the  agents  of  an- 
other nation,  or  rather  with  the  attempted  delivery,  and  it  has  George  Brent 
in  the  role  of  the  American  who  thwarts  not  one  but  three  espionage  plots. 
Apart  from  its  possible  timeliness,  the  picture  contains  no  extraordinary  or 
differentiating  features  or  characteristics. 

The  screenplay  by  George  Bricker  has  Brent  posing  as  a  black  market 
operator  in  Tangier,  although  actually  in  the  employ  of  the  American  le- 
gation, and  it  is  his  mission  to  upset  the  plans  of  three  atomic-scientists 
meeting  in  Tangier  to  pool  their  secrets  and  sell  them,  in  a  package,  so  to 
speak,  to  the  Communists.  The  twistings  and  turnings  of  the  story  thresh 
up  such  materials  as  deceptions,  counter-deceptions,  masquerades,  disguises, 
plastic  surgery  and  killings,  with  Brent  emerging  successful  over  his  adver- 
saries. 

Lindsley  Parsons  produced  the  picture,  with  Ace  Herman  as  associate,  and 
Lew  Landers  directed  it.  Dorothy  Patrick,  Mari  Aldon,  Bert  Freed,  Dan 
Seymour  and  Dayton  Lummis  head  the  support. 

Running  time,  77  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb  i  William  R.  Weaver 


Settle  'Lab'  Strike 
At  UK  Pathe  News 

London,  Feb.  10.— The  two 
weeks  old  strike  of  100  mem- 
bers of  the  Association  of 
Cine  Technicians  at  Pathe 
Laboratories  here  and  which 
has  prevented  production  of 
Pathe  Newsreel  for  that 
length  of  time,  was  settled  to- 
day on  terms  agreeable  to 
both  sides.  However,  since 
union  maintenance  workers 
were  withdrawn  from  the 
plant  during  the  strike  con- 
siderable reconditioning  is 
necessary  before  normal  op- 
erations can  be  resumed. 

The  newsreel  will  have  to 
skip  the  next  scheduled  issue, 
Thursday's,  but  will  reappear 
on  Monday. 


BBC  Seeks  New  TV 
Film  Programs 

London,  Feb.  10.— With  "Cur- 
rent Release,"  the  present 
BBC  television  program  about 
films,  scheduled  to  end  next 
month,  BBC  has  made  tenta- 
tive proposals  to  the  British 
Film  Producers  Association  in 
regard  to  a  trial  series  of  a 
new  and  more  selective  film 
program. 

The  new  program  would  be 
known  as  "Film  Scrapbook" 
and  would  deal  with  "impor- 
tant" films,  old  and  new.  The 
proposal  has  been  referred  to 
the  joint  committee  of  the 
four  film  trade  associations 
here. 


Theatre  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Marcus  Cohn,  attorney  for  the  Na- 
tional Exhibitors  Theatre  Television 
Committee,  admitted.  "We  should 
have  put  policy  and  need  first.  That 
is  why  we  rightfully  have  to  stop  the 
proceedings  now  and  answer  questions 
that  are  bothering  the  Commission." 

FCC  attorneys  privately  agree  that 
the  commissioners  would  have  been 
less  inclined  to  pick  to  pieces  the  in- 
dustry's technical  testimony  if  they 
had  been  more  convinced  that  theatre 
TV  was  an  important  new  develop- 
ment. 

The  FCC  is  expected  to  announce 
late  this  week  or  next  week  whether 
it  will  continue  the  theatre  TV  hear- 
ings and  if  so,  whether  it  will  change 
any  of  the  issues  in  the  proceeding. 


Greene  Reported 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

attempted  by  Green.  This  is  said  to 
be  in  the  form  of  letters  to  stock- 
holders, pointing  up  corporate  effi- 
ciency and  general  company  progress. 


Jack  L.  Warner  and 
Greene  in  Stock  Deals 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — A  report 
issued  here  by  the  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Committee  shows  these 
changes  in  the  holdings  of  companies' 
stock  by  officers  or  directors : 

Jack  L.  Warner  bought  17,100 
shares  of  Warner  Brothers  common, 
bringing  his  total  direct  and  indirect 
holdings  to  413,848  shares ;  a  trust 
account  controlled  by  David  Greene 
bought  another  4,200  shares  of  RKO 
Theatres  common,  bringing  his  total 
direct  and  indirect  holdings  to  70,750 
shares ;  Jacob  Starr  bought  7,000 
shares  of  Trans  Lux  common,  for  a 
total  of  15,400  shares. 


Music  Hall  Hurok  Party 

Russell  V.  Downing,  president  of 
Radio  City  Music  Hall,  will  be  host 
at  a  reception  and  midnight  cham- 
pagne party  in  the  Music  Hall  studio 
apartment  in  honor  of  Sol  Hurok  fol- 
lowing conclusion  of  the  premiere 
evening  performance  tomorrow  of  20th 
Century-Fox's  "Tonight  We  Sing," 
based  on  Hurok's  career. 


Skiatron  Vice-Pres. 

Rear  Admiral  Timothy  J.  O'Brien 
(retired)  has  been  elected  vice-presi- 
dent of  Skiatron  Electronics  and  Tele- 
vision Corp.,  it  was  announced  by 
Arthur  Levey,  president. 


Republic  Directors 
To  Meet  Monday 

Republic's  board  of  directors  will 
meet  here  Monday,  the  date  having 
been  advanced  from  the  regularly 
scheduled  meeting  on  the  last  Thurs- 
day of  each  month,  which  would  have 
been  Feb.  26.  The  reason  for  the  ad- 
vanced date  is  that  president  Herbert 
J.  Yates  is  going  to  Europe  and  will 
not  be  here  on  the  previously  sched- 
uled meeting  day. 

It  is  reported  unofficially  that  the 
question  of  a  successor  to  James  R. 
Grainger  as  general  sales  manager 
will  come  up  at  the  meeting.  While 
there  has  been  no  indication  of  whom 
will  be  named  to  the  post,  it  is  under- 
stood that  Yates  has  been  consider- 
ing several  men  and  may  already  have 
selected  his  man.  There  have  been 
strong  reports  that  Grainger's  suc- 
cessor may  be  picked  from  the  foreign 
field. 


Scout  Fund  Drive 
Under  Way  This  Week 

Solicitation  of  funds  for  the  1953 
campaign  of  the  Boy  Scout  Councils 
of  Greater  New  York  is  taking  place 
this  week,  designated  Boy  Scout 
Week,  it  was  announced  by  Charles 
Boasberg  and  Leon  Bamberger  of 
RKO  Radio,  who  head  the  industry- 
wide committee  for  the  drive. 

Jack  Ellis  has  been  added  to  the 
committee  as  co-chairman  of  film  ex- 
porters and  importers,  along  with  Phil 
Lewis. 


Adelman  to  Appeal 

Dallas,  Feb.  10.— Robert  L.  Wright, 
former  Justice  Department  anti-trust 
attorney,  who  is  counsel  for  I.  B. 
Adelman,  plaintiff  in  a  trust  suit 
against  major  distributors  and  the  In- 
terstate Circuit,  has  filed  an  appeal 
here  from  the  directed  verdict  of  Dis- 
trict Court  Judge  H.  W.  Atwell  which 
resulted  in  the  dismissal  on  Jan.  14 
of  Adelman's  suit  involving  his  Del- 
man  Theatre,  Dallas. 


Connolly  Joins  AA  Here 

Helen  Agnes  Connolly,  formerly 
with  20th  Century-Fox  here,  joined 
Allied  Artists'  local  publicity  office  as 
assistant  to  Harry  Goldstein,  Eastern 
publicity  representative. 


Rejects  Crescent 
Drive-in  Petition 

Nashville,  Feb.  10. — U.  S.  District 
Court  Judge  Elmer  Davies  has  denied 
a  request  of  Crescent  Amusement  Co. 
for  permission  to  build  a  new  drive-in 
theatre  near  Hopkinsville,  Ky. 

Crescent  asked  for  permission  to 
build  a  drive-in  at  Hopkinsville  and 
another  in  the  suburbs  of  Nashville. 
The  Justice  Department  opposed  both 
projects.  Davies  ruled  on  the  Hop- 
kinsville drive-in  and  another  hearing 
will  be  held  later  on  the  one  proposed 
for  Nashville. 


House  'Red'  Probe  to 
Reopen  on  March  23 

Washington,  Feb.  10. — Rep.  Don- 
ald Jackson  (R.,  Calif.)  said  March 
23  has  tentatively  been  set  for  the 
reopening  of  the  House  Un-American 
Activities  Committee's  hearings  in  Los 
Angeles  on  Communism  on  the  West 
Coast.  The  hearings  are  expected  to 
have  some  witnesses  on  the  film  in- 
dustry, but  to  date  even  more  with 
radio,  television,  defense  plants  and 
other  industries. 


Astor  Gets  Rights 
To  2  Shelton  Films 

All  rights  to  two  new  color  by 
Cinecolor  features  made  by  Hall 
Shelton — "Love  Island"  and  "Born  to 
the  Saddle" — have  been  acquired  out- 
right by  Astor  Pictures  Corp.,  accord- 
ing to  R.  M.  Savini,  Astor  president. 

He  also  reported  that  Astor  had 
signed  a  contract  with  Hal  Roach,  Jr., 
for  six  new  films  now  in  production 
at  the  Hal  Roach  Studios  on  the 
Coast. 


'Pan/  'Sing'  Share  Plugs 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  "Tonight 
We  Sing"  will  share  the  "Go  See" 
designation  with  Walt  Disney's  "Peter 
Pan"  in  the  New  York  subway  cars 
this  month.  Both  pictures  will  be 
plugged  with  14,000  poster  cards. 


37l/2-Cent  Roxy  Dividend 

A  quarterly  dividend  of  37 cents 
per  share  on  Roxy  Theatre,  Inc.,  stock 
has  been  declared,  payable  March  2 
to  stockholders  of  record  on  Friday. 


Top-Level  Turnout 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

year-long  nationwide  series  of  tributes 
being  paid  to  "Mr.  Motion  Pictures." 

Industry  figures  accepting  member- 
ship on  the  honorary  committee  are : 
Barney  Balaban,  Nate  J.  Blumberg, 
Steve  Broidy,  Jack  Cohn,  Edward  P. 
Curtis,  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  Ned  E. 
Depinet,  Walt  Disney,  Gus  S.  Eyssell, 
Samuel  Goldwyn,  James  R.  Grainger, 
Eric  A.  Johnston,  Dr.  Herbert  T. 
Kalmus,  Arthur  B.  Krim,  Jesse  L. 
Lasky,  Louis  B.  Mayer,  Milton  R. 
Rackmil,  Herman  Robbins,  George  J. 
Schaefer,  Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  Spy- 
ros  P.  Skouras,  Albert  Warner,  Rich- 
ard F.  Walsh,  Herbert  J.  Yates. 

Sponsoring  Committee 

Serving  on  the  sponsoring  commit- 
tee are:  Robert  Benjamin,  Charles 
Boasberg,  George  F.  Dembow,  Charles 
J.  Feldman,  Leopold  Friedman,  Maury 
Goldstein. 

Also :  Joseph  Hazen,  William  J. 
Heineman,  Benjamin  Kalmenson,  Al 
Lichtman,  W.  C.  Michel,  Robert  M. 
Mochrie,  Samuel  Goldwyn,  Abe  Mon- 
tague, Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  James 
A.  Mulvey,  John  J.  O'Connor,  Charles 
M.  Reagan,  William  F.  Rodgers,  J. 
Robert  Rubin,  Abe  Schneider,  Sam 
Schneider,  Alfred  W.  Schwalberg, 
Nate  Spingold,  Arthur  L.  Mayer, 
Robert  W.  Coyne,  Louis  Nizer. 


Arnall  Mentioned 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

from  forces  and  supporters  of  the 
present  administration."  He  added : 
"The  way  they  figure  it,  when  they're 
talking,  is  this:  Ellis  is  the  only  man 
who  could  unite  the  opposition  forces." 

Arnall  recently  completed  his  as- 
signment as  Federal  price  stabilizer 
and  returned  to  his  law  practice  in 
Atlanta.  In  New  York  last  week, 
Arnall  was  busy  on  SIMPP  affairs 
and  held  conferences  with  Society  rep- 
resentatives. 

However,  when  questioned  by  Pou 
on  his  possible  candidacy  for  the  gov- 
ernorship, Arnall  replied,  "I  have  no 
comment  to  make  about  it  at  this  time. 
Underscore  'at  this  time',"  he  added. 


Harry  Cohn's  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

lowed  either  Cohn  or  the  company 
to  sever  the  contract.  Another  clause 
allowed  a  $600  week  general  expense 
allowance  at  the  option  of  the  board 
of  directors. 


WHEN  YOU  OPEN  THIS 
BOX  AT  EASTER - 


YOU'LL  FIND  LEO'S  NEW 
EASTER  BONNET! 


ROMANCE -WlfH-Mus/c 


SERENADES  AND 

V     fights  and  Fevjds1- 

.  _    o  1  1  I 


3HTS  ANU     -  e.HTERST 
BRAVOS  AND  BOUUF.GHT 
B  pDY  AND  CARNWAUS1 

COMEDY  A" 

DRAMA       ^  daNCERs 
OARUNGSANU  ^ 


4     Thev  Sing! 
"  They  Dance1. 

Thev  Romance! 
•"'  \t's  Wonderful! 

/ 

6  SCREEN  PlAJJ* 

Based  On  the  Novel 


Based  On  the  Nov*. 

-     V  law"  by  JOStfW*  N1GGLI 
.-A  Mexican  Village  uj 


DIRECTED  BV 


[ft-  PRODUCED  BY 


IT'S  GOT  EVERYTHING  AN 
AUDIENCE  WANTS  IN  A 
BIG  HOLIDAY  SHOW! 

TRADE  SHOWS  FEB.  20 
BE  READY  FOR  EASTER! 


ALBANY  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

ATLANTA  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

BOSTON  M-G-M  Screen  Room 

BUFFALO  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

CHARLOTTE  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

CHICAGO  Warner  Screen  Room 

CINCINNATI  RKO  Palace  Bldg.  Sc.  Rm. 

CLEVELAND  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

DALLAS  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

DENVER  Paramount  Screen  Room 

DES  MOINES  20th-Fox  Screen  Room 

DETROIT  Max  Blumenthal's  Sc.  Rm. 

INDIANAPOLIS  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

JACKSONVILLE  Florida  State  Screen  Room 

KANSAS  CITY  20th- Fox  Screen  Room 

LOS  ANGELES  United  Artists'  Screen  Rm. 

'Except  Jacksonville  which  is  2/19 


1052  Broadway  2/20 

197  Walton  St.,  N.  W.  2/20 

46  Church  Street  2/20 

290  Franklin  Street  2/20 

308  S.  Church  Street  2/20 

1307  S.  Wabash  Ave.  2/20 

16  East  Sixth  Street  2/20 

2219  Payne  Avenue  2/20 

1803  Wood  Street  2/20 

2100  Stout  Street  2/20 

1300  High  Street  2/20 

2311  Cass  Avenue  2/20 

236  No.  Illinois  St.  2/20 

128  East  Forsyth  Street  2/19 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  2/20 

1851  S.  Westmoreland  2/20 


2  P.M. 

2  P.M. 

2  P.M. 

2  P.M. 
1  :30  P.M. 
1 :30  P.M. 

8  P.M. 


1 

2:30 
2 
1 

1 :30 
1 


P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 


2  P.M. 
1  :30  P.M. 
2  P.M. 


MEMPHIS 
MILWAUKEE 
MINNEAPOLIS 
NEW  HAVEN 
NEW  ORLEANS 
NEW  YORK  N.  J. 
OKLAHOMA  CITY 
OMAHA 
PHILADELPHIA 
PITTSBURGH 
PORTLAND 
ST.  LOUIS 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 
SAN  FRANCISCO 
SEATTLE 
WASHINGTON 


20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
Warner  Screen  Room 
20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
M-G-M  Screen  Room 
20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
M-G-M  Screen  Room 
M-G-M  Screen  Room 
B.  F.  Shearer  Screen  Rm. 
S'Renco  Art  Theatre 
20th-Fox  Screen  Room 
20th- Fox  Screen  Room 
Jewel  Box  Preview  Thea. 
RKO  Screen  Room 


151  Vance  Avenue  2/20 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.  2/20  1 

1015  Currie  Avenue  2/20 

40  Whiting  Street  2/20 

200  S.  Liberty  St.  2/20 

630  Ninth  Avenue  2/20  2 

10  North  Lee  Street  2/20 

1502  Davenport  St.  2/20 

1233  Summer  Street  2/20 

1623  Blvd.  of  Allies  2/20 

1947  N.  W.  Kearney  St.  2/20 

3143  Olive  Street  2/20 

216  E.  First  St.,  So.  2/20 

245  Hyde  Street  2/20  1 

2318  Second  Avenue  2/20 

932  N.Jersey  Ave.,  N.W.  2/20 


12  Noon 
:30  P.M. 
8  P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 
P.M. 


(All  together  for  Brotherhood  Week's  Silver  Anniversary  Feb.  15-22, 1953) 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  11,  1953 


'3-D 9  Impact 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

tories  said  that  exhibitors  close  to 
cities  in  which  "3-D"  pictures  have 
been  shown  are  more  upset  over  the 
future  than  those  who  have  not  yet 
been  brushed  by  the  new  medium. 

However,  it  was  pointed  out  by 
Irving  Lesser  of  Stereo  Techniques 
that  it  takes  very  little  sales  talk  to 
sell  an  exhibitor  on  letting  the  equip- 
ment be  installed.  News  of  the  heavy 
grosses  run  up  by  the  subjects  has 
spread  fast  and  most  theatre  men  are 
receptive. 

Herbert  Golden,  of  the  amusement 
industries  division  of  the  Bankers 
Trust  Co.  here,  who  is  just  back  from 
a  Hollywood  survey,  reported  that 
there  was  a  "big  upheaval"  on  the 
Coast,  but  that  the  enthusiasm  over 
the  new  media  was  a  healthy  sign. 
He  said  practically  every  company  has 
a  system  of  its  own  or  is  experi- 
menting with  a  new  process. 

The  general  feeling  is  that  the  pano- 
ramic screen  is  here  to  stay,  whether 
the  real  tri-dimensional  system  is  or 
not.  It  is  pointed  out  that  television 
cannot  compete  with  the  large  screen 
presentation  and  that  that  is  an  im- 
portant factor  in  these  days  of  TV 
competition. 

Several  independent  producers  have 
deferred  production  plans  until  a  pat- 
tern of  presentation  has  been  agreed 
upon  or  determined  by  public  accept- 
ance. 


Horwits  Promoted 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

versal  10  years  ago  in  the  home  office 
as  publicity  manager  and  went  to  the 
studio  in  1949  to  head  the  publicity 
department  under  David  A.  Lipton. 

Sam  Israel,  assistant  to  Horwits  for 
the  past  three  years,  succeeds  him  as 
studio  publicity  director.  Israel  went 
to  U-I  from  Eagle-Lion,  where  he 
served  as  publicity  director  after  long 
service  in  both  the  motion  picture  and 
newspaper  fields. 


ir/4  HRS.  0NEST0P 

TO  LOS  ANGELES 

ON 

UNITED  AIR  LINES! 

De  luxe  service  aloft,  including 
delicious  Mainliner  meals  at  no 
extra  cost.  Leave  at  12:05  a.m., 
arrive  the  next  morning.  United's 
famous  DC-6  flight,  "the  Holly- 
wood," leaves  at  noon,  arrives  at 
8:15  p.m.  Another  onestop  DC-6 
at  9  a.m. 


CORRECTION 

RKO-Radio  Pictures,  Inc.  trade  show- 
ing of  "Port  Sinister"  for  Pittsburgh 
will  be  held  at  the  RKO  Screening 
Room,  1809-13  Ave.  of  Allies,  on 
Tuesday,   February  17. 


16mm.  'Triorama' 
3-D'  Called  Poor 


The  New  York  public  was  offered 
a  poor  demonstration  of  three-dimen- 
sional films  last  night  with  the  open- 
ing at  the  Rialto  of  "Triorama,"  a 
16mm.  series  of  four  subjects  in  color 
filmed  in  the  Bolex  Stereo  process, 
developed  by  the  Bolex  Co. 

Before  the  36-minute  show  got  un- 
derway a  Bolex  spokesman  explained 
that  the  series  was  originally  designed 
for  amateur  use.  The  lack  of  profes- 
sional talent  is  apparent  in  the  photog- 
raphy, the  lack  of  light,  the  mediocrity 
of  the  travelogue  series  and  the  rather 
dull  commentary. 

Some  Startling  Shots 

There  are  a  number  of  shots,  how- 
ever, which  are  startling  such  as  un- 
dersea scenes  and  a  few  others.  But 
the  program  does  not  add  up  to  the 
level  of  entertainment  desired  by  film 
audiences. 

The  use  of  Polaroid  spectacles  was 
necessary.  A  single  projector  was  used 
in  the  process,  unlike  other  three- 
dimensional  systems  which  require  two 
interlocked  projectors.  The  three  sub- 
jects were  "Sunday  in  Stereo,"  "In- 
dian Summer,"  "American  Life"  and 
"This  Is  Bolex  Stereo." 

M.  H. 


Cinerama 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


be  the  third  for  the  process,  the  in- 
stallation at  the  Music  Hall,  Detroit, 
being  scheduled  to  be  completed  ahead 
of  it,  apart  from  the  initial  long  run 
engagement  at  the  Broadway  Theatre, 
New  York. 

Cinerama  officials  denied  that  a  deal 
for  the  fourth  installation  had  been 
concluded  for  Chicago.  Union  de- 
mands there  still  prevent  an  agree- 
ment, it  was  stated. 

The  deal  for  the  Warner  Theatre 
here  is  on  the  same  basis  as  the 
others,  a  long  term  lease  arrangement 
by  Cinerama  for  the  theatre. 

Eitel's  Palace  and  Union  Settle 
Differences  on  Cinerama  Scale 

Chicago,  Feb.  10. — Eitel's  Palace 
and  the  Chicago  operators  union  ap- 
parently have  ironed  out  differences 
in  setting  up  the  scale  for  "This  Is 
Cinerama,"  the  union  having  come 
down  in  its  demands  from  17-man 
crew  to  12  with  the  pay  scale  re- 
maining at  $200  per  man  as  originally 
demanded. 

The  Cinerama  board  was  reportedly 
meeting  in  New  York  today  to  con- 
sider closing  the  deal.  If  the  deal  is 
closed,  Cinerama  should  open  here 
late  in  March  or  early  April. 


'Paint  Your  Wagon' 
1st  for  Cinerama 

Hollywood,  Feb.  10. — "Paint  Your 
Wagon,"  Broadway  musical  to  which 
Louis  B.  Mayer  has  owned  film  rights 
for  some  time,  will  be  the  first  feature 
to  be  filmed  for  Cinerama,  with  shoot- 
ing planned  for  June.  Arthur 
Schwartz  and  Jay  Lerner  are  to  sup- 
ply additional  musical  numbers  for  the 
picture. 


$25,000  for  'Beneath  Sea' 

Cleveland,  Feb.  10. — -"City  Beneath 
the  Sea"  is  expected  to  gross  $25,000 
for  its  first  week  at  the  RKO  Palace 
here,  with  the  first  four  days  hitting 
close  to  $18,000. 


Par.  to  Show  3-D 
'Sangaree'  Clips 

Clips  from  Paramount's 
first  three  dimensional  fea- 
ture, "Sangaree,"  will  be 
shown  to  the  New  York  trade 
press  and  exhibitors  at  the 
New  York  Paramount  Thea- 
tre on  Monday  at  9:15  A.M. 
"Sangaree"  is  a  Pine-Thomas 
production  with  color  by 
Technicolor. 


Plan  2  in  '3-D' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


National 


Pre-Selling 


production  in  Hollywood  to  determine 
audience  reaction  before  going  ahead. 

The  stories  he  has  selected,  Coplan 
said,  come  within  the  scope  of  his  own 
concept  of  what  three  dimensional 
pictures  should  portray,  but  he  wants 
to  observe  the  fruits  of  current  Hol- 
lywood 3-D  labors  before  embarking 
on  his  own  projects.  One  will  be 
made  in  England  and  the  other  in 
France.  He  has  eight  other  stories 
on  tap  from  which  he  can  draw  in 
case  he  doesn't  think  the  two  selected 
are  suitable. 

Announced  Twelve 

I-U  announced  12  foreign  pictures 
for  release  this  year  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  and  the  list  may 
be  increased  to  include  four  slated  for 
release  in  1954,  Coplan  said.  The 
product  will  be  distributed  on  a  "na- 
tional de-centralized"  basis,  he  said, 
explaining  that  the  films  would  be 
handled  by  local  independent  dis- 
tributors. An  expanded  sales  organ- 
ization will  be  announced  shortly,  he 
said. 

Six  of  the  12  pictures  for  this  year's 
release  are  now  ready,  the  program 
consisting  of  three  pictures  from  Italy 
and  one  each  from  France,  Sweden 
and  Mexico.  The  Italian  lineup  in- 
cludes "Swords  of  the  Musketeers," 
"Vengeance  of  the  Black  Eagle"  and 
"City  of  Violence."  The  others  are 
"Mistress  of  Treves,"  French ;  "Kill 
Him  for  Me,"  Mexican,  and  "High 
Tension,"  Swedish.  Distribution  will 
start  immediately,  Coplan  said. 

Coplan  plans  to  return  to  Europe 
in  about  sxi  weeks. 


Alperson-Bren  Sue 
Oboler  for  'Bwana' 

Hollywood,  Feb.  10.  —  Charging 
that  Arch  Oboler  and  his  associates 
had  a  binding  agreement  to  sell  them 
"Bwana  Devil"  for  $2,000,000,  Ed- 
ward L.  Alperson  and  Milton  Bren, 
through  the  Brenco  Pictures  Corp., 
have  filed  suit  against  the  Oboler 
group,  seeking  minimum  damages  of 
$3,500,000.  _ 

The  plaintiffs  charge  that  Oboler 
violated  the  agreement  in  selling  the 
Natural  Vision  tri-dimensional  pic- 
ture to  United  Artists.  The  suit  asks 
for  an  injunction  to  halt  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  film  and  for  a  fulfillment 
of  the  alleged  agreement. 


3-Theatre  'Seminole9 
Premiere  in  Miami 

"Seminole,"  in  color  by  Technicolor, 
will  have  its  world  premiere  at  the 
Miami,  Carib  and  Miracle  theatres 
in  Miami  on  Feb.  20,  launching  terri- 
torial saturation  openings  of  the  pic- 
ture out  of  the  Jacksonville  and  At- 
lanta exchanges. 


COLOR  ADS  on  Columbia's  "Sa- 
lome" will  appear  in  Seventeen, 
Collier's,  American  Weekly,  Life,  Pic- 
torial Review,  Look  and  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  in  the  order  named, 
starting  on  March  1  and  ending  on 
April  15 

• 

"A  New  Look  at  Never  Land"  is 
the  title  Life  gave  to  its  story  of 
Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  appear- 
ing in  the  Feb.  16  issue.  Two  fac- 
ing pages  in  full  color  depict  how 
Walt  Disney  endowed  "Peter  Pan" 
with  the  lushest  and  most  colorful 
surroundings  ever  to  grace  a  Disney 
picture. 

• 

Louella  Parsons  said  in  the  Feb.  8 
issue  of  Pictorial  Review  that  "Vera 
Ralston  is  one  of  the  few  completely 
honest  persons  in  Hollywood."  Lou- 
ella told  of  Vera  Ralston's  life  from 
the  time  she  left  Czechoslovakia  until 
she  dyed  her  blonde  hair  to  jet  black 
to  suit  the  role  of  the  native  girl  in 
"Fair  Winds  to  Java."  Miss  Ralston 
is  co-starred  with  Fred  MacMurray 
in  this  new  Republic  picture  which  is 
now  being  readied  for  release. 
• 

The  C0m/>am'oM-recommended  pic- 
tures in  the  March  issue  of  Woman's 
Home  Companion  are  Columbia's 
"The  Member  of  the  Wedding,"  20th 
Century-Fox's  "My  Cousin  Rachel," 
Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan,"  Univer- 
sal-International's "The  Mississippi 
Gambler"  and  "The  Importance  of 
Being  Earnest"  and  RKO  Radio's 
"Never  Wave  at  A  WAC." 

• 

A  full-color  ad  on  Disney's  "Peter 
Pan"  appears  in  the  March  issue  of 
American  magazine.  Also  in  this 
issue  are  four  color  pictures  taken 
on  the  sets  and  reviews  of  Warner's 
"She's  Back  on  Broadway,"  United 
,  Artists'  "Moulin  Rouge,"  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's "Niagara"  and  M-G-M's 
"The  Story  of  Three  Loves."  Also 
represented  by  production  shots 
and  reviews  in  this  issue  are  "The 
Pathfinder,"  "Angel  Face,"  "Come 
Back,  Little  Sheba,"  "Forbidden 
Games"  and  "The  Mississippi 
Gambler." 

• 

Ads  for  Warner  Brothers'  "The 
Jazz  Singer"  appeared  in  the  Feb.  8 
issue  of  American  Weekly  magazine 
and  will  appear  in  the  Feb.  14  issue 
of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  and  in 
the  Feb.  16  issue  of  Newsweek. 
• 

Bing  Crosby's  informal  eloquence 
receives  its  first  full-scale  literary  em- 
ployment in  "Call  Me  Lucky,"  his  own 
story  of  his  life,  which  begins  in  the 
Feb.  14  issue  of  The  Saturday  Eve- 
ning Post.  "The  autobiographical  kick 
is  a  new  kind  of  caper  for  me,"  he 
says  in  the  opening  paragraph.  "Start- 
ing the  story  of  my  life  makes  my 
memory  feel  like  an  out-of-kilter  juke 
box.  When  I  drop  a  nickel  into  it, 
I'm  not  sure  what  story  it  will  play 
back."  Crosby  dictated  his  story  to 
a  voice  recorder,  abetted  by  questions 
from  Pete  Martin,  a  Post  editor.  This 
arrangement  witnessed  Martin  travel- 
ing 20,000  miles  with  Bing,  including 
an  ocean  voyage  to  Europe  where 
Crosby  made  a  picture.  The  dictation, 
travel,  transcription,  editing,  etc.  cov- 
ered a  five-month  period. 

Walter  Haas 


Walt 


Disney's  Greatest 


In  "Peter  Pan",  Walt  Disney,  master  story-teller  of 
our  time,  has  created  a  new  achievement  in  motion 
picture  entertainment.  Even  unforgettable  "Snow 
White"  and  matchless  "Cinderella"  were  but  prepa- 
ration for  this,  his  greatest  triumph.  For  "Peter  Pan" 
is  a  picture  that  will  live  in  the  hearts  of  the  world 
forever! 


PETER 


The  good  runs  are  the  long  ones! 


. . .  another  reason  why  Walt  Disney  chooses  monthly 
American  Magazine  for  the  full  color  "Peter  Pan" 


advertising. 


THE 


A 


merican 


MAGAZINE 


Reaches  1 0,230,000  Readers 

•  .  who  Pick  It  Up  40,920,000  Times 
.  .  and  Read  It  30,349,000  Hours 


The  Crowell-Collier  Publishing  Company,  640  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  19,  N.  Y.    •     Publishers  of  The  American  Magazine,  Collier's  and  Woman's  Home  Co 


BACK  BROTHERHOOD  WEEK'S 
SILVER  ANNIVERSARY  Feb.  15-22 


'h  Be,     *».  y  i 


Bert  E.  Friedlob  presents  BETTE  DAVIS  in  "THE  STAR"  co-starring 
STERLING  HAYDEN  with  Natalie  Wood  •  Warner  Anderson  •  Minor  Watson 
June  Travis  •  Produced  by  BERT  E.  FRIEDLOB  •  Directed  by  STUART 
HEISLER  •  Original  Story  and  Screenplay  by  KATHERINE  ALBERT  and  DALE 
ELJNSON  •  A  BERT  E.  FRIEDLOB  production  •  Released  by  20th  Century-Fox 


VOL.  73.    NO.  30 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  13,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Progress  on 
Wide-Screen 
By  Para.  Seen 

Huge  Back-log  of  Films 
Are  at  Stake  in  Process 

Officials  of  Paramount  Pictures 
are  enthusiastic  over  the  progress 
made  to  date  on  the  problem  of 
converting  conventional  films  to  the 
company's  wide-screen  process,  it  was 
learned  here. 

Involved  in  the  experimentation  on 
the  Coast,  it  was  pointed  out,  are 
millions  of  dollars  tied  up  in  film  in- 
ventories, the  value  of  which  would 
be  sharply  depleted  in  a  three-dimen- 
sional and  wide-screen  market. 

The  Paramount  process,  it  was  dis- 
closed, employs  a  large  "warped" 
screen  for  its  effect,  unlike  the  concave 
screen  of  Cinerama  and  20th  Century- 
Fox's  CinemaScope.  The  adaption 
of  the  conventional  films  to  the 
"warped"  screen  for  panoramic 
effects  was  said  to  be  the  heart  of 

(Continued  on  page  6) 

Roxy,  Music  Hall, 
Capitol  Lead  BVay 

Spurred  by  strong  new  openings, 
"Peter  Pan"  at  the  Roxy,  "Moulin 
Rouge"  at  the  Capitol  and  "Tonight 
We  Sing"  at  Radio  City  Music  Hall, 
and  with  good  holdover  attractions, 
Broadway  showcases  racked  up  excel- 
lent grosses  over  the  Lincoln's  Birth- 
day holiday  despite  discouraging 
weather  and  headed  for  what  appears 
certain  to  be  a  fine  weekend  session. 

Even  better  business  is  expected 
from  the  long,  three-day  holiday 
weekend  coming  up,  Feb.  20-23. 

Long  waiting  lines  virtually  all  the 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


WB  Optimistic  on 
Proxy  Returns 

A  sufficient  number  of  Warner 
Brothers  proxies  to  win  the  necessary 
two-thirds  approval  for  the  company's 
reorganization  plan  is  expected,  a 
WB  executive  stated  here. 

The  company  official  claimed  that 
proxies  are  being  received  at  the  home 
office  in  a  satisfactory  quantity,  dis- 
counting reports  that  there  was  undue 
anxiety  over  proxy  returns.  In  order 
to  insure  the  maximum  returns,  he 
explained,  WB  home  office  and  ex- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


42  State  Legislatures  Now  in  Session; 
No  Adverse  Measures  Are  in  Sight 

Washington,  Feb.  12. — Forty-two  state  legislatures  are  already 
in  session,  with  no  tax  or  other  bills  threatening  the  industry, 
according  to  Jack  Bryson,  legislative  representative  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America. 

In  one  state,  Kansas,  a  bill  has  been  introduced  to  repeal  the 
state  censorship  law.  The  only  state  legislatures  not  yet  in  session 
are  those  in  Florida  and  Alabama,  which  do  not  meet  until  April, 
and  those  in  Virginia,  Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Kentucky,  which 
will  not  meet  until  next  year. 


900  N.  Y.  Theatres 
To  Participate  in 
'Brother hood  Week 9 


More  than  900  theatres  in  Metro- 
politan New  York  will  salute 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  which  starts 
Sunday.  Nationally,  close  to  18,000 
theatres,  it  was  said,  will  participate 
in  the  week-long  celebration  which 
marks  the  silver  anniversary  of  the 
National  Conference  of  Christians  and 
Jews. 

Sol  A.  Schwartz,  national  chairman 
for  the  amusement  industry's  partici- 
pation in  "Brotherhood,"  announced 
that  theatres  nationally  have  set  a 
goal  for  250,000  new  members.  The 
public,  Schwartz  said,  may  sign  up 
for  Brotherhood  Week  at  any  theatre 
where  honor  rolls  are  being  displayed 
in  the  lobby.  The  honor  rolls,  bear- 
ing the  signatures  of  all  members — 
adults  and  children — will  be  sent  to 
President  Eisenhower,  honorary 
chairman. 

A  highlight  of  the  amusement  in- 
dustry's participation  will  be  a  dinner 
to  be  held  on  Thursday,  at  the  Wal- 
dorf-Astoria, honoring  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  Walter  D.  Fuller,  John 
Golden,  William  Randolph  Hearst, 
Jr.,  Jack  R.  Howard,  Danny  Kaye 
and  David  Sarnoff. 


National  Screen 
Observing  33rd 
Year  in  Industry 


National  Screen  Service  is  marking 
its  33rd  year  in  the  industry  with  a 
"Third  of  a  Century"  celebration, 
being  observed  by  all  NSS  Offices. 

From  a  hand- 
ful of  employes 
in  a  single  of- 
fice in  1920, 
National  Screen 
Service  has  de- 
veloped a  na- 
tionwide service 
organi  z  a  t  i  o  n 
with  31  branch 
offices  through- 
out the  country, 
and  special 
trailer  produc- 
tion facilities  in 
New  York, 
Hoi  1  y  w  o  o  d , 
Chicago  and  Dallas,  as  well  as  an 
office  and  studio  in  London.  The 
roster  of  employes  has  grown  to 
2,000. 

Since  1935,  National  Screen  Service 
has  provided  standard  and  specialty 
advertising  accessories  to  exhibitors, 
thereby  establishing  a  central  source 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Congressional 
Majority  for 
Repeal  of  Tax 

100  Others  Favor  Cut 
In  Present  20  Per  Cent 


A  majority  of  members  of  both 
the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  Senate  have  committed  them- 
selves as  being  in  favor  of  full 
repeal  of  the  Federal  admission  tax, 
according  to  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Council  of  Motion  Picture 
Organizations  tax  committee.  Cole 
said  here  that  the  majority  in  the 
House  was  "substantial." 

In  addition  to  those  Congress- 
men who  have  expressed  favor 
of  complete  repeal,  approxi- 
mately 100  others  have  declared 
themselves  as  favoring  a  re- 
duction in  the  present  20  per 
cent  levy.  Cole  that  there  were 
15  tax  bills  in  work  involving 
the  elimination  of  the  amuse- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Herman  Kobbins 


'3-D',  in  Revitalizing  Industry,  Leaves 
'Life'  and  'Wall  St.  Journal'  Holding  Bag 

Industryites  have  begun  wondering  out  loud  whether  Life  maga- 
zine's alert  reporters  who  presided  at  obsequies  for  the  motion 
picture  theatre  18  months  ago  are  aware  of  the  technical  revolu- 
tion now  going  on  in  the  industry  with  its  promise  of  an  entirely 
new  era  in  screen  entertainment.  And,  if  it  has  come  to  their 
attention,  whether  they  will  be  as  diligent  in  reporting  the  re- 
birth of  the  theatre  as  they  were  in  giving  it  the  short  count. 

The  wondering  extends  to  the  reportorial  enterprise  of  the 
Wall  Street  Journal,  too,  which  on  several  occasions  has  misinter- 
preted the  bleats  of  a  few  defeated  exhibitors  as  the  dying  gasps 
of  an  entire  industry.  With  motion  picture  and  theatre  stocks 
holding  the  center  of  the  stage  on  the  Stock  Exchange,  the  Wall 
Street  Journal  may  have  some  explaining  to  do  to  some  of  its 
readers  whom  it  may  have  encouraged  to  dispose  of  their  motion 
picture  securities  a  short  time  ago,  industryites  point  out. 


Warns  '3-D'  May 
Kill  Tax  Repeal 

Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  12. — A  warn- 
ing that  the  publicity  on  the  robust 
business  racked  up  by  three-dimen- 
sional films  would  have  a  bad  effect 
on  the  industry  campaign  to  repeal 
the  20  per  cent  Federal  admission 
tax  was  sounded  here  by  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio 
board  of  directors. 

The  board,  in  addition,  declared 
that  three-dimensional  films  which 
need  glasses  are  no  cure  for  theatre 
ills.  Twentieth  Century-Fox's  wide- 
screen  process,  CinemaScope,  it  added, 
has  created  confusion  by  contradic- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Services  Tomorrow 
For  Bert  Sanford 


A  Solemn  Requiem  Mass  will  be 
sung  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  at 
10:00  o'clock  tomorrow  for  Albert 
(Bert)  Sanford,  60,  industry  pioneer 
m  production,  distribution  and  ex- 
hibition. Sanford  dropped  dead  at 
Broadway  and  47th  Street  Tuesday 
afternoon  from  a  heart  attack. 

Sanford  operated  the  State  Theatre 
in  Trenton  last  year  and  resigned  to 
study  possibilities  of  several  three- 
dimension  projects.  He  entered  the 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  13,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


MANNY  REINER,  foreign  man- 
ager for  Samuel  Goklwyn  Pro- 
ductions, will  leave  here  Tuesday  for 
a  South  American  tour. 

• 

James  Town,  formerly  with  War- 
ner Brothers  Connecticut  theatres,  has 
rejoined  the  circuit  as  manager  of  the 
Warner  in  Bridgeport,  replacing  Al- 
bert Schleicher,  who  goes  to  the 
Palace,  Torrington,  Conn. 

• 

John  O'Neill,  recently  named  of- 
fice manager  of  the  Los  Angeles  Al- 
lied Artists  Exchange,  has  returned 
to  his  office  following  three  weeks  re- 
cuperating from  auto  accident  in- 
juries. 

• 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  sales  promo- 
tion manager  for  RKO  Radio,  will 
address  the  first  convention  of  the 
Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  Oklahoma 
set  for  Oklahoma  City  on  Feb.  24-25. 
• 

Frank  P.  Rosenberg,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox producer,  is  on  his  honey- 
moon in  Las  Vegas,  where  he  was 
married  on  Saturday  to  the  former 
Maryanne  Elizabeth  Schaffer. 
• 

J.  Louis  Gfxler,  vice-president  of 
Consolidated  Theatres,  Ltd.,  of  Can- 
ada, was  elected  president  of  the 
Kings  County  Grand  Jury  Associa- 
tion, Brooklyn. 

• 

Lewis  A.  Sumberg,  executive  direc- 
tor and  counsel  for  Albany  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  and  Mrs.  Sum- 
berg are  vacationing  in  Miami. 
• 

Harry  Lamont,  head  of  the  circuit 
bearing  his  name,  will  return  to 
Albany  from  a  vacation  in  Key  West, 
Fla.,  on  Feb.  20. 

P.  T.  Dana,  Universale  Eastern 
sales  manager,  left  here  yesterday  for 
Richmond,  Washington  and  Philadel- 
phia. 

• 

Leon  Brandt,  director  of  exploita- 
tion for  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions, 
is  in  Washington  from  New  York. 
• 

E.  S.  Gregg,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  Westrex  Corp., 

has  returned  here  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Frederick  Brisson,  producer,  has 
arrived  in  London  from  here  on  the 
first  stop  of  a  European  tour. 

• 

Irving     Traeger,     supervisor  of 
NBC's  film  library,  and  Elaine  Hart 
have  announced  their  engagement. 
• 

Stephen  Widemann,  formerly  man- 
ager of  the  Westrex  Co.,  has  returned 
to  New  York  from  Europe. 

Alfred  Starr,  president  of  Theatre 
Owners  of  America,  will  arrive  here 
today  from  Nashville. 


'Life's'  Stevens  to  Coast 

Harry  Stevens,  manager  of  the 
motion  picture  division  of  Life,  has 
left  here  for  the  Coast,  where  he  will 
•visit  studio  executives. 


Texas  COMPO  Film  Train 
Is  Indefinitely  Postponed 


Dallas,  Feb.  12. — Plans  for  the 
national  tour  of  a  streamlined  train 
carrying  a  "motion  picture  exposition" 
have  been  postponed  indefinitely, 
although  the  project  may  be  revived 
next  year.  The  22-car  train  was  to 
have  been  sponsored  this  year  by  the 
Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organiza- 
tions of  Texas  and  to  have  gone  on 
tour  following  the  industry's  partici- 
pation in  the  Texas  State  Fair  in 
October. 

The  film  exposition,  however,  will 
be  a  major  attraction  at  the  Texas 
fair  and  plans  are  under  way  to 
transport  at  least  some  of  the  exhibits 
to  other  state  fairs,  but  not  on  the 
large  scale  previously  planned.  Vari- 
ous obstacles,  including  costs  and  lack 
of  necessary  time  to  complete  all 
arrangements,  contributed  to  the  de- 
ferment of  the  exposition-on-wheels 
for  this  year. 

Meanwhile,  Texas  COMPO  is  pre- 
paring a  short  feature  on  the  birth, 
growth  and  development  of  the  indus- 
try. This  feature  will  have  its  pre- 
miere at  the  film  exposition  in  the 
Texas  Fair  this  year.  Herman  Hoff- 
man, executive  assistant  to  Dore 
Schary,  conferred  here  last  week  with 
COMPO  leaders  on  the  project.  At- 
tending the  session  were  R.  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  Robert  Coyne, 
Pat  McGee,  Phil  Isley,  Julius  Gordon, 
Sam  Landrum,  Paul  Short  and  Kyle 
Rorex. 


Cecil  Hepworth,  79, 
U.K.  Film  Pioneer 

London,  Feb.  12. — Cecil  Hepworth, 
film  industry  technician  associated 
with  National  Screen  Services  in 
Great  Britain,  died  at  his  home  in 
Middlesex  Monday  at  79.  Hepworth 
patented  an  automatic  developing  plant 
in  1897  and  perfected  a  "stretched 
film''  process  the  following  year. 

The  British  veteran,  who  went  into 
production  before  the  turn  of  the  cen- 
tury, wrote,  directed  and  produced  his 
own  films.  He  published  his  autobio- 
graphy, "Came  the  Dawn :  Memories 
of  A  Film  Pioneer,"  last  year. 


Cinerama  Refuses 
Chicago  Union  Offer 

Chicago,  Feb.  12. — The  Cinerama 
board  has  turned  down  the  demand 
by  the  Chicago  operators  union  for 
a  guaranteed  showing  time  for  a  pro- 
posed run  plus  extra  pay  for  extra 
showings.  The  Palace  Theatre,  which 
has  been  closed  since  the  first  of  the 
year  and  was  scheduled  to  house  the 
release,  may  reopen  after  Easter. 


G.E.  Has  an  Atom  Film 

General  Electric  will  be  host  on 
Monday  at  Toot  Shor's  here  to  the 
press  at  a  reception  and  screening  of 
a  new  animated  color  short  subject, 
"A  Is  for  Atom,"  which  is  said  to 
explain  what  the  atom  is,  how  it  is 
split  and  forecasting  some  peacetime 
uses  for  atomic  energy. 


Impressive  Message 
In  Brotherhood  Film 


Simple  but  to  the  point,  this  two- 
and-a-half  minute  subject  is  designed 
to  stimulate  interest  in  brotherhood  in 
general  and  "Brotherhood  Week"  in 
particular.  It  is  available  to  all  ex- 
hibitors for  showings  next  week. 

The  trailer's  content  is  a  message 
from  a  wounded  veteran  of  the 
Korean  war,  Jay  Hall,  ex-sergeant 
of  the  7th  Marines,  who  steps  before 
a  curtain  and  speaks  in  plain  language 
on  the  vital  necessity  of  contributing 
to  the  educational  work  that's  being 
done,  "by  making  this  country  a  bet- 
ter place  to  live  in  and  giving  all  of 
us  a  better  understanding  of  our 
neighbors."  He  quotes  a  statement 
by  President  Eisenhower  who  said, 
"Without  tolerance  .  .  .  without  a 
spirit  of  brotherhood,  we  should  soon 
cease  to  exist  as  a  nation." 

The  veteran  asks  that  patrons  sign 
the  Brotherhood  Honor  Scroll,  which 
will  be  sent  to  the  White  House. 

A.  S. 


Socialites  Attend 
4Sing'  Reception 

Socialites  and  notables  of  opera, 
stage,  screen  and  the  concert  world 
last  night  attended  a  post-premiere 
reception  here  tendered  by  Russell 
V.  Downing,  president  of  Radio  City 
Music  Hall.  The  occasion  was  the 
premiere  of  20th  Century-Fox's"  "To- 
night We  Sing"  at  the  Hall. 

Among  the  guests  invited  to  the  re- 
ception, given  in  honor  of  impresario 
Sol  Hurok  were :  Ezio  Pinza,  Jan 
Peerce,  Tamara  Toumanova,  Lucrezi 
Bori,  Isaac  Stern,  Cole  Porter,  and 
George  Jessel.  The  party  was  held 
at  the  Hall's  studio  department. 

Meanwhile,  Macy's  department 
store  heralded  the  film  in  full-page 
ads  on  Wednesday  in  metropolitan 
newspapers. 


Hitchcock,  Baxter  in 
Can.  Appearances 

Following  the  two-theatre  Holly- 
wood-style world  premiere  of  "I  Con- 
fess" at  the  Capitol  and  Cartier  thea- 
tres in  Quebec  last  night,  at  which 
producer-director  Alfred  Hitchcock 
and  Anne  Baxter,  who  co-stars  with 
Montgomery  Clift,  made  personal  ap- 
pearances, the  film  will  bow  tonight 
at  the  Palace  Theatre  in  Montreal. 

Hitchcock  and  Miss  Baxter,  accom- 
panied by  Roger  Dann,  who  also  ap- 
peared at  the  two  Quebec  houses,  will 
arrive  in  Montreal  today  for  more  ap- 
pearances as  well  as  other  special 
events.  The  Quebec  premiere  was  cov- 
ered by  newspaper  representatives 
from  many  Canadian  cities  and  was 
preceded  by  a  series  of  receptions  and 
a  dance. 


Nat' I  Theatres,  GPE 
Stock  at  New  Highs 

With  industry  stocks  still 
among  the  leaders  on  the  Big 
Board  prior  to  yesterday's 
holiday,  National  Theatres 
and  General  Precision  Equip- 
ment set  new  highs.  Trading 
interest  in  GPE  was  attri- 
buted to  three  -  dimensional 
developments,  investors  con- 
cluding that  installation  of 
equipment  in  theatres  will  be 
an  important  earnings  factor 
for  the  company. 

GPE  stock  was  quoted  at 
over  $25  per  share  while  Na- 
tional Theatres  reached  a 
high  of  over  $6  per  share. 
Other  film  and  theatre  shares 
were  steady,  prices  changing 
only  fractionally  one  way  or 
the  other.  Television  and 
radio  shares  have  failed  to 
stage  any  real  comeback  in 
market  interest. 


Scouts  Unit  Headed 
By  Skouras,  Jr. 

Spyros  S.  Skouras,  Jr.,  president  of 
Skouras  Theatre  Corp.,  has  accepted 
chairmanship  of  the  amusement  divi- 
sion for  the  1953  finance  campaign  of 
the  greater  New  York  council  of  the 
Boy  Scouts  of  America.  Charles  B. 
Moss,  vice  president  of  B.  S.  Moss 
Corp.,  will  serve  as  co-chairman  of 
the  division. 

Announcement  was  also  made  that 
Herman  G.  Place,  president  of  Gen- 
eral Precision  Equipment  Corp.,  will 
serve  as  chairman  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture and  theatrical  equipment  commit- 
tee. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

——————    Rockefeller  Center 


Tonight  We  Sing" 

Ezio  FINZA  .  Roberta  PETERS 
Tainara  TOUMANOVA .  David  WAYNE 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  20th  Century-Fox  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION* 


JEP.RV 


MARTIN  *  LEWIS 

STOOGE 

  A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  F«ctvrt 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING . . . 

FILMACK  GIVES  VOU  MORE  SHOW* 
MANSHIP  PER  D01LAI  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILED  SERVICE 
M  THE  WORLD 

FILMACK  J 
TRAILERS  S 

MOTION  PICTURE  D'AILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting:  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Paramount's 

BOXOFFICE  POWER 


3»  C- 


KtiWSlOW 

M  ;  mmno  I 


lit* 


&9 


»  is s  r?* 


*  #1 

SS5 


^—  J««™-.'    '    ■ 

LIGHTS  UP  BROADWAY  AND  THE  NATION! 


Marquee  bait," -n.y.  post 
"Seething  with  excitement!" 


—  N.Y.  Journal-American 


His  next  date 
with  Paramount  to  star  in 
"Knock  On  Wood"... 


«.»,-*-  1  *  »  •  •  f  *  *  -•  »  #*"»"  »-  *-  *jr 
-»  »-w%-«r  »  *  "  f  »  «  -•  »#•*•♦•  »■ 


Bigger  grosses  and  more 
holdovers  than  any 
"Road"  picture  yet... 


The  industry's  top 
money- making  stars 
are  making  new  records.. 


It's  the  Picture  of  the  Year- 
for  honors  and  for  business... 


HIGH  VOLTAGE  NEWS  FLASH  * 


Paramount  is  now  editing 


for  early  release: 

SANGAREE 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  13,  1953 


Sharp  Increase  in 
Industry  Dividends 

Washington,  Feb.  12.— Pub- 
licly-reported cash  dividend 
payments  made  during  Janu- 
ary totalled  $1,970,000,  the  De- 
partment of  Commerce  re- 
ports, compared  with  $1,544,- 
000  paid  in  January  of  1952. 

The  department  said  that  a 
drop  in  the  payments  made 
by  Warner  Brothers  in  Janu- 
ary of  this  year  was  more 
than  offset  by  a  $587,000  pay- 
ment by  RKO  Theatres,  which 
made  no  payment  in  January 
of  last  year. 


No  6C'  Tags  in  '52 
For  Holly  wood  Films 


No  Hollywood-produced  picture  re- 
ceived a  "C"  (condemned)  rating  dur- 
ing 1952  by  the  National  Legion  of 
Decency,  according  to  a  report  com- 
piled by  the  Legion.  Four  foreign- 
made  films  and  10  in  the  miscellaneous 
classification  were  placed  in  the  "C" 
category. 

In  the  Class  A-l  bracket  last  year, 
the  Legion  reported  40.81  per  cent  of 
the  product,  totalling  182  pictures  re- 
viewed, were  so  designated,  compared 
with  33.49  per  cent  or  148  pictures 
in  1951.  Seventy-eight  pictures,  or 
17.49  per  cent,  were  placed  in  the 
Class  "B"  column,  compared  with  85 
pictures,  or  19.28  per  cent,  the  year 
before. 


Tax  Repeal 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ment  tax  that  were  almost  iden- 
tical in  content. 

The  first  phase  in  COMPO's  drive 
for  the  tax  repeal  has  ended.  This 
concerned  the  mobilization  of  exhibi- 
tors in  the  field  and,  according  to 
Cole,  the  cooperation  in  most  terri- 
tories has  been  excellent.  The  second 
phase  of  the  campaign  has  now  been 
shifted  to  Washington  and  the  pro- 
jected Congressional  hearings  on  the 
measures. 


B'way  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


opening  day,  Wednesday,  and  yester- 
day were  the  rule  at  the  Roxy,  where 
the  Walt  Disney  attraction,  plus  stage 
show,  was  headed  last  night  for  an 
estimated  two-day  gross  of  nearly 
$50,000.  "Moulin  Rouge"  was  setting 
a  comparably  hot  pace  for  the  same 
two  days  with  the  Capitol  expected 
to  rack  up  nearly  $30,000.  "Tonight 
We  Sing"  was  off  to  a  fine  start  yes- 
terday, the  estimate  for  the  opening 
day  being  in  excess  of  $20,000. 


Four  Stars  to  Rio 

Arlene  Whelan,  Cesar  Romero, 
Marie  Windsor  and  Broderick  Craw- 
ford flew  from  here  yesterday  to  Rio 
de  Janeiro  to  be  the  guests  of  the 
Brazilian  government  at  the  "Carnival 
of  Rio."  They  were  accompanied  by 
Stanley  Richardson,  director  of  the 
Hollywood  Coordinating  Committee, 
and  Harry  Stone,  representative  of  the 
international  division  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America.  The 
party  will  return  Feb.  21. 


U.K.  Theatremen  Are  Calm 
Despite  '3-D'  Stir  in  U.S. 


London,  Feb.  12. — Despite  volumes 
of  publicity  this  side  on  the  stir  that 
three-dimensional  and  wide  screen 
process  is  causing  in  America,  the 
British  trade  remains  singularly  calm 
about  the  whole  development. 

Common  comment  among  exhibitors 
is  "Let's  wait  and  see."  And  they 
want  to  know  how  much  the  new 
equipment  will  cost  them,  before  pass- 
ing judgment. 

Comment  from  the  big  circuits  is 
equally  reserved.  ABC  has  lately  been 
experimenting  in  selected  theatres 
with  the  Stereo-Techniques  process, 
seen  here  at  the  Festival  of  Britain 
in  1951.  D.  J.  Goodlatte,  ABC's  man- 
aging director,  merely  has  this  to  say 
of  the  experiments  :  "Interesting." 

J.  Arthur  Rank's  spokesmen  have 
no  comment  to  make.  British  Film 
Producers  Association  director-gen- 
eral Sir  Henry  French  said :  "Our 
members  have  given  no  consideration 
to  the  subject." 

Most  of  the  trade  here  assumes 
that  Cinemascope,  the  newly  an- 
nounced 20th  Century-Fox  process,  is 
a  development  of  Henri  Chretien's 
system  seen  by  many  here  in  Paris  in 
the  early  1930's.  The  Paris  show  then 
was  impressive  but  it  gave  no  illu- 
sion of  stereoscopy,  being  essentially 
panoramic. 


Warns  on  '3-D' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tory  announcements.  The  board  said 
that  there  are  only  eight  Ohio  cities 
of  more  than  100,000  and  if  Cinema- 
Scope  is  limited  to  eight  theatres,  this 
would  be  more  harmful  than  helpful 
to  all  other  Ohio  theatres.  It  went 
on  to  say  that  the  advent  of  three- 
dimensional  films  is  not  a  business 
bonanza  for  all  theatres. 

The  board  also  affirmed  Allied's  re- 
jection of  the  arbitration  plan  as  now 
presented  because  of  distribution's 
persistence  in  what  it  called  illegal 
practices,  notably  the  pre-releasing  of 
pictures  and  the  failure  of  the  draft  to 
include  provisions  for  arbitration  of 
film  rentals. 


Para.  Progress 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  problem.  Paramount  officials 
here  declined  to  be  more  explicit  on 
what  they  meant  by  a  "warped" 
screen. 

In  the  three-dimensional  field, 
Paramount  will  screen  clips  from 
"Sangaree,"  the  first  filmed  in  its  own 
process,  on  Monday  at  the  New  York 
Paramount  Theatre  for  exhibitors 
and  the  press.  "Sangaree,"  like  other 
planned  Paramount  three-dimensional 
films,  will  also  be  filmed  in  regular 
two  dimensions  to  accommodate  both 
markets. 


33rd  Anniversary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


for  trailers  and  accessories  in  every 
film  exchange  center. 

According  to  NSS  president,  Her- 
man Robbins,  the  "observation  of  this 
milestone  in  the  'Prize  Baby's'  career 
will  essentially  be  confined  to  a  re- 
dedication  by  NSS  and  its  employes 
to  the  principles  of  'service,'  a  prin- 
ciple on  which  NSS  was  founded,  and 
has  progressed  these  33  years." 


Files  Patent  Suit 
Against  Polaroid 

A  suit  alleging  patent  infringements 
against  the  Polaroid  Corp.,  manufac- 
turers of  the  Polaroid  spectacles  used 
in  conjunction  with  the  Natural 
Vision  three-dimensional  process,  was 
filed  here  on  Wednesday  in  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Court  by  Alvin  M.  Marks,  presi- 
dent of  Depix  Corp. 

Marks,  as  head  of  Depix,  manufac- 
turers of  Polalite  lenses,  claimed  in- 
fringement of  patents  relating  to  light 
polarizing  materials.  Asher  Lens  of 
Cousins  and  Cousins  represents  the 
plaintiff  in  the  action. 


WB  Optimistic 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


change  personnel  are  conducting  a 
phone  campaign  directed  at  the  com- 
pany's larger  stockholders,  urging 
them  to  exercise  their  proxies.  He 
said  the  campaign  will  continue  up  to 
Feb.  17,  the  date  of  the  annual  meet- 
ing which  will  be  held  in  Wilming- 
ton, Del. 

The  plan  of  reorganization,  which 
paves  the  way  for  Si  H.  Fabian,  head 
of  Fabian  Enterprises,  Inc.,  to  assume 
management  control  of  the  new  War- 
ner theatre  company,  must  receive  the 
approval  of  approximately  3,300,000 
shares.  The  large  block  of  Warner 
family  stock,  representing  27  per  cent 
of  the  outstanding  stock,  will  be  voted 
in  favor  of  the  plan,  it  was  reported. 

Fabian's  projected  management  con- 
trol of  the  new  theatre  company 
stems  from  his  deal  with  the  Brothers 
Warner  calling  for  the  purchase  of 
their  stock  interest  in  the  new  theatre 
company,  slated  to  be  organized 
March  1,  according  to  the  terms  of 
the  company's  consent  decree. 


Sanford 


Pine  Due  Today  for 
'Sangaree'  Showing 

Producer  William  Pine  will  arrive 
here  today  to  supervise  a  special  de- 
monstration of  the  new  three-dimen- 
sion process,  in  which  he  and  his  co- 
producer,  William  Thomas,  are  cur- 
rently filming  Paramount's  color  by 
Technicolor  film,  "Sangaree."  The  de- 
monstration of  cut  footage  and  daily 
rushes  from  "Sangaree"  is  being  held 
for  motion  picture  executives,  exhibi- 
tors and  trade  newspaper  editors  in 
the  Paramount  Theatre  on  Monday. 
Admission  to  the  screening  will  be  by 
invitation  only. 


To  Reopen  Balto.  House 

Baltimore,  Feb.  12. — The  Hippo- 
drome Theatre  here,  owned  by  I.  M. 
Rappaport,  will  reopen  Feb.  20  with 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen."  The 
house  has  been  closed  since  last  spring 
when  an  early  morning  fire  damaged 
it.  Meanwhile,  it  was  offered  for  sale 
until  the  owner  decided  recently  to 
book  it  again. 


La.  House  Destroyed 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  12. — With  sup- 
per hour  patrons  exiting  calmly,  the 
Bijou  Theatre  in  Houma,  La.,  was 
completely  destroyed  by  fire  last  week, 
with  damages  estimated  at  $300,000  by 
theatre  officials. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

film  business  as  an  "actor" — a  spear- 
carrier — for  the  original  David  Wark 
Griffith  Productions  at  New  York's 
Biograph  Studio.  An  awkwardly  held 
spear  catching  on  to  unsteady  stage 
curtains,  and  the  resulting  destruction, 
sent  him  into  distribution,  where, 
from  1912  to  1917  he  was  booker  and 
an  assistant  exchange  manager  in 
New  York  for  the  old  General  Film 
Company.  During  a  lengthy  associa- 
tion with  Pathe  Film,  he  became  that 
company's  top  salesman  in  New  York, 
in  charge  of  selling  the  original 
Harold  Lloyd  feature  comedies. 

Sound  pictures  came  on  the  horizon 
and  Sanford  moved  over  to  Western 
Electric's  Electrical  Research  Prod- 
ucts, pioneering  in  the  sale  of  sound 
reproducers  in  this  territory.  He  held 
various  executive  sales  and  mainte- 
nance positions  with  ERPI  and  its 
successor,  Altec  Lansing.  In  1949  he 
resigned  to  become  general  sales 
manager  of  ABC  Vending  Corp., 
servicing  theatres. 

Sanford  was  active  in  industry 
philanthropic  projects  and  participated 
prominently  in  the  Motion  Picture 
Pioneers,  New  York  Variety  Club, 
25-30  Club,  and  other  organizations. 

Surviving  are  the  widow,  Madeline  ; 
a  daughter,  Mrs.  Patricia  Donnelly ; 
two  granddaughters ;  two  brothers, 
Frank  and  Raymond,  and  three  sis- 
ters, Mrs.  Sidney  Taylor,  Mrs.  Harry 
Williams,  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Baldwin. 
The  remains  repose  at  the  -Plaza 
Funeral  Home.  Interment  will  be  at 
Gate  of  Heaven,  Valhalla,  N.  Y. 
Contributions  to  New  York  Catholic 
Charities  in  lieu  of  flowers  would  be 
appreciated  by  the  family. 


New  Mexican  Solon 
Again  Attacks  Tax 


Washington,  Feb.  12. — Unless  the 
Federal  admission  tax  is  repealed  this 
year,  small  theatres  will  soon  be  "as 
extinct  as  the  dodo  bird,"  Congress 
was  told. 

Rep.  John  J.  Dempsey  (D.,  N. 
Mex.)  spoke  out  again  in  opposition 
to  the  20  per  cent  tax,  warning  that 
the  levy  is  forcing  the  closing  of 
"thousands"  of  theatres  and  thus  de- 
priving "millions"  of  Americans  of 
their  only  entertainment. 

Dempsey,  who  has  sponsored  a  bill 
to  exempt  theatres  from  the  tax  and 
who  attacked  the  levy  in  a  statement 
last  week,  inserted  in  the  Congres- 
sional Record  a  letter  from  a  New 
Mexico  exhibitor  who  three  years  ago 
bought  a  theatre  for  $7,500  and  in  the 
following  three  years:  paid  $7,270  in 
Federal  admission  taxes  and  $890  in 
local  school  taxes..  "Thus,"  the  the- 
atre-owner wrote,  -"I  have  paid  more 
taxes  in  the  past  three  years  than  the 
theatre  cost.  Now  I  have  worn-out 
equipment,  broken  seats  and  a  ruined 
floor  due  to  the  flood  of  last  July  7. 
I  am  waiting  to_  see  the  outcome  of 
the  tax-repeal  legislation.  If  the  tax 
is  retained,  I  have  no  alternative  but 
to  sell  or  close  the  theatre." 


IFE  Film  on  NY  Circuits 

The  Italian  Films  Export-Classic 
Pictures  release,  "The  Iron  Crown," 
is  playing  at  60  theatres  in  the 
Metropolitan  area.  The  circuits  book- 
ing the  film  are  the  RKO,  Skouras, 
Century,  Randforce  and  J.  and  J. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  31 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  16,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

rPWO  years  ago  United  Artists, 
without  product,  with  rapidly 
dwindling-  income,  with  a  roster  of 
top  executives  who  had  only  limited 
knowledge  of  and  experience  in 
show  business,  and  lacking  the  con- 
fidence of  independent  producers, 
was  all  but  written  off  as  a  going 
concern  by  most  of  the  industry,  in- 
cluding many  associated  with  the 
company  itself. 

Then  on  Feb.  15,  1951,  Mary 
Pickford  and  Charles  Chaplin  con- 
cluded the  deal  by  which  Arthur 
Krim,  Robert  Benjamin  and  Mat- 
thew Fox  took  over  management 
of  United  Artists  with  an  oppor- 
tunity to  acquire  ownership  of  50 
per  cent  of  the  stock  by  putting 
U.A.  operations  back  into  the  black. 
Far  from  thinking  in  terms  of  prof- 
itable operation,  many  were  won- 
dering if  the  spirited  new  manage- 
ment would  be  able  to  keep  the  com- 
pany afloat  and,  if  so,  for  how  long. 

But  things  began  to  happen,  and 
fast.  Max  Youngstein,  William 
Heineman,  Arnold  Picker,  among 
others,  were  added  to  the  executive 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


Delays  in  Theatre 
TV  Case  Dictated 
Industry's  Tactics 

Washington,  Feb.  IS.  —  Industry 
tactics  in  presenting  the  case  for  thea- 
tre television  channels  to  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  were  dic- 
tated by  a  desire  to  get  the  long  de- 
layed hearings  under  way  and  were 
decided  upon  after  consultation  with 
the  FCC's  own  staff,  Marcus  Cohn 
and  Vincent  Welch,  attorneys  handling 
the  industry's  theatre  television  case, 
said  in  clarifying  a  statement  Cohn 
made  before  the  Commission  on  this 
question  last  week. 

A  story  in  Motion  Picture  Daily 

(.Continued  on  page  6) 


Industry  Leaders  on 
'Brotherhood'  Dais 


Top  names  of  the  industry  will  be 
on  the  dais  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
Thursday  when  a  dinner  honoring 
seven  leaders  of  the  communications 
systems  is  held  as  a  highlight  of  the 
amusement  field's  participation  in 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  sponsored  by 
the  National  Conference 'of  Christians 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Skouras  Sets 
CinemaScope 
Lens  Output 

From  3,000  to  5,000'  CinemaScope 
sets  of  lenses  are  expected  to  be 
available  by  the  end  of  this  year, 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  said  in  a  cable 
from  Paris  received  here  at  the  week- 
end. 

The  20th-Fox  president  also 
announced  the  completion  of  a 
10-year  agreement  with  French 
inventor  Professor  Chretien, 
whose  lens  form  an  integral 
part  of  the  company's  wide- 
screen  process.  Under  the  agree- 
ment, 20th-Fox  was  granted 
worldwide  rights  to  distribute 
and  manufacture  the  lenses 
throughout  the  world,  with  the 
exception  of  France  and  the 
French  Union.  In  France,  the 
lenses  will  be  manufactured  ex- 

(Continucd  on  page  2) 


Schimel,  O'Connor 
Get  3 -Year  Pacts 


Washington,  Feb.  15. — New  three- 
year  contracts  for  Adolph  Schimel, 
vice-president,  secretary  and  general 
counsel,  and  John  J.  O'Connor,  vice- 
president  and  assistant  to  the  presi- 
dent, have  been  signed  by  Universal, 
the  Securities  and  Exchange  Com- 
mission was  informed. 

Each  contract  calls  for  a  weekly 
pay  rate  of  $1,000,  a  31 -day  vacation 
period  per  year  and  reimbursement  for 
all  reasonable  entertainment  and  other 
expenses  incurred  in  the  carrying  out 
of  Universal  business.  The  contracts 
were  signed  Jan.  16  and  date  from 
Jan.  1  1953  to  Dec.  31,  1955. 

The  new  contract  for  O'Connor  re- 

(Continned  on  page  4) 


100%  Holdovers 
For  4Bwana  Devil' 


"Bwana  Devil,"  the  first  full-length 
three-dimensional  film',  has  established 
a  100  per  cent  record  if  holdovers_dn 
its  first  string  of  key  city  engagements, 
it  was  announced  by  William  J. 
Heineman,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
distribution  for  United  Artists,  which 
is  releasing  the  first  color  film  in  tri- 
dimensional, stereoscopic  Natural  Vi- 
sion. 

In  Los  Angeles,  Philadelphia  and 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


10%  Ticket  Tax  Is 
Proposed  for  NYC 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15.— A 
tax  of  10  cents  on  admissions 
to  all  entertainments  where 
the  charge  is  $1  or  more 
would  be  one  of  the  levies 
which  New  York  City  could 
impose  by  local  law,  the  pro- 
ceed going  to  the  munici- 
pally owned  and  operated 
transportation  system,  under 
terms  of  a  bill  introduced  by 
Senator  Fred  G.  Moritt,  of 
Brooklyn.  Such  a  tax,  of 
course,  would  apply  to  a  com- 
paratively few  theatres. 

A  levy  of  not  more  than  10 
cents  a  work  day  or  50  cents 
a  week  on  non-residents  is 
another  which  the  measure 
would  allow. 


$1,072,000 
Warner  Net 


A  net  profit  of  $1,072,000  after  pro- 
vision of  $1,400,000  for  Federal  in- 
come taxes  and  of  $100,000  for  con- 
tingent liabilities  was  reported  here  at 
the  weekend  by  Warner  Brothers  for 
the  three  months  ending  Nov.  29, 
1952.  This  compares  with  a  net  profit 
of  $2,605,000  for  the  three  months 
ending  Dec.  1,  1951,  after  provision 
of  $2,500,000  for  Federal  taxes. 

Included  in  the  operating  profit  for 
the  three  months  ending  Nov.  29, 
1952,  the  company  reported,  is  a 
profit  of  $24,000  from  sales  of  capital 
assets,  before  provision  for  Federal 
income  taxes  thereon,  which  com- 
pares with  a  corresponding  profit  of 
$935,000  for  the  three  months  ending 
Dec.  1,  1951. 

The  net  for   the   Nov.   29  three- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


'Life'  Goes  Back  to 
A  Movie  (3-D)  Party 

Life  magazine,  in  the  current  issue 
now  on  newsstands,  takes  note  of  the 
three-dimensional  excitement  in  the 
industry,  devoting  a  two-page  picture 
and  text  spread  to  the  subject.  It's 
considerably  less  space  than  the  10 
pages  the  same  magazine  devoted  to 
editorial  obsequies  for  the  motion  pic- 
ture theatre  18  months  ago.  Never- 
theless, it's  a  serious,  even  enthusias- 
tic reporting  of  the  current  develop- 
ments. 

"Last  week,"  says  Life,  "all  Holly- 
wood was  reeling  happily  in  a  frenzy 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


Allied,  TOA  to 
Meet  on  New 
TradeProblem 


Starr  Says  '3-D'  Poses 
New  Theatre  Conflicts 


A  meeting  between  leaders  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
and  Allied  for  the  discussion  of 
new  trade  problems  springing  from 
the  advent  of 
three-  dimen- 
sional pictures 
and  panoramic 
screens  is  ex- 
p  e  c  t  e  d  to  be 
held  sometime 
before  March 
10.  The  session 
also  will  seek  to 
reach  some  sort 
of  an  under- 
standing on  the 
future  of  arbi- 
tration within 
the  industry. 
This  was  re- 
vealed here  at  the  weekend  by  Alfred 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Alfred  Starr 


Grainger  Election 
As  RKO  President 
Slated  This  Week 


Hollywood,  Feb.  15.  —  An  RKO 
Pictures  board  of  directors  meeting  is 
slated  for  early  this  week,  probably 
Tuesday,  to  elect  James  R.  Grainger 
to  the  board  and  to  the  presidency  of 
the  company.  He  will  replace  Edward 
J.  Burke,  Jr.,  resigning  board  mem- 
ber. 

J.  Miller  Walker,  vice-president, 
general  counsel  and  director,  left  New 
York  at  the  weekend  to  be  on  hand 
for  the  meeting.  Grainger,  who  has 
been  at  the  RKO  studios  during  the 
past  week,  is  expected  to  return  to 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


50%  of  20th-Fox 
Releases  in  Color 


More  than  50  per  cent  of  20th 
Century  -  Fox's  18  releases  between 
February  and  June  of  this  year  will 
be  in  color,  nine  with  color  by  Tech- 
nicolor and  one  in  Cinecolor,  the  com- 
pany announced  over  the  weekend. 

Leading  off  the  Technicolor  line-up 
are  "Niagara"  and  "Treasure  of  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  16,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


SI  H.  FABIAN,  president  of  Fa- 
bian Enterprises,  Inc.,  is  due  here 
from  Florida  tomorrow. 

• 

Edward  A.  Sargoy  of  the  law  firm 
of  Sargoy  and  Stein  became  a  grand- 
father for  the  first  time  when  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Richard  H.  Rosen- 
berg, gave  birth  to  a  son,  John  Ed- 
ward, at  the  Bethesda  Hospital,  Cin- 
cinnati. 

• 

Milton  R.  Rackmil,  Universal 
president ;  Alfred  E.  Daff,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  and  Ben  Cohn, 
foreign  department  executive,  left  here 
at  the  weekend  by  plane  for  Mexico 
City  on  the  first  leg  of  a  two-week 
trip  to  Central  and  South  America. 
• 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
has  returned  to  Washington  from 
Hollywood.  He  is  expected  to  make 
his  next  visit  early  next  month. 

Irwin  Allen,  RKO  Radio  pro- 
ducer-writer, will  arrive  here  tomor- 
row from  Hollywood. 

• 

Louis  Berg,  film  and  TV  editor  of 
This  Week  magazine,  flew  to  Europe 
from  here  at  the  weekend. 


'Life*  on  '3-D' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


of  what  looked  like  the  biggest  boom 
since  the  advent  of  the  talkies." 
Sounds  better  than  the  "Now  It's 
Trouble  That's  Supercolossal  in 
Hollywood"  heading  on  Life's  article 
of  August,  1951. 

The  Wall  Street  Journal,  which 
also  has  devoted  extensive  space  to 
theatre  depression  stories,  has  pub- 
lished nothing  yet  on  the  3-D  stir,  de- 
spite the  fact  that  in  the  Journal's  own 
backyard,  the  Stock  Market,  3-D  has 
made  the  amusement  stocks  the  most 
active  on  the  Big  Board  for  more 
than  two  weeks,  while  the  general 
market  condition  otherwise  was  as 
weak  as  the  Journal  had  depicted 
theatre  business  to  be. 


25-inch  Magazines  for  3-D 
Recommended  by  MPRC 


4  Get  Promotions  in 
W.B.  Pittsburgh  Zone 

Pittsburgh,  Feb.  15. — Henry  Bur- 
ger, district  manager  of  Warner  Thea- 
tres here,  has  been  named  director  of 
advertising  for  all  Warner  Theatres 
in  this  Tri-State  area.  In  addition,  he 
will  supervise  Erie  district  theatres. 
He  will  replace  Jacques  L.  Kahn, 
whose  resignation  as  advertising  di- 
rector, is  effective  March  1. 

Robert  Bowman,  manager  of  the 
Warner  Theatre,  Erie,  has  been  ad- 
vanced to  district  manager  for  North- 
ern Pennsylvania  and  lower  New 
York  State .  theatres.  Also,  added  re- 
sponsibilities will  be  given  to  Phil 
Katz  as  publicity  and  exploitation 
chief.  Succeeding  "Bowman  as  man- 
ager of  the  Warner,  Erie,  is  Henry 
Rastetter,  manager  of  the  Columbia 
there.-  All  of  the  appointments,  an- 
nounced by  M.  A.  Silver,  zone  man- 
•  ;ager,  are  effective  March  1. 


Says  NV  Got  6  New 
Commitment  Bids 

Hollywood,  Feb.  15.— Inter- 
viewed on  his  arrival  back 
from  a  New  York  business 
trip,  Natural  Vision  Corp. 
president  Milton  L.  Gunzburg 
said  six  new  bids  for  the 
use  of  the  NV  process  in 
producing  three  -  dimensional 
pictures  had  been  received 
while  there.  The  identity  and 
disposition  of  these  bids  can- 
not be  divulged,  he  said,  until 
it  becomes  certain  NV  equip- 
ment now  in  use  and  commit- 
ted for  can  be  freed  for  other 
use  on  stipulated  dates. 


Tradewise . . . 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


staff.  Financing  to  independent 
producers  was  opened  through  the 
Walter  Heller  Co.  and,  within  six 
weeks,  Krim  was  able  to  announce 
a  release  schedule  of  24  pictures 
for  the  coming  year. 

In  less  than  two  months,  acquisi- 
tion of  the  Eagle  Lion  product  as- 
sets was  announced,  making  it  pos- 
sible for  the  distributing  organiza- 
tion to  bridge  the  gap  until  new 
product  was  ready  for  delivery. 

At  the  end  of  1951,  and  with  only 
a  ten  and  one-half  months'  tenure 
for  the  new  management,  U.A.  was 
in  the  black,  qualifying  the  man- 
agement for  possession  of  half  of 
the  company's  stock  and  voting  con- 
trol for  a  seven-year  period. 
• 

In  the  second  year,  1952,  the 
new  management  registered  equally 
remarkable  progress,  permitting  it 
to  offer  a  program  of  42  pictures 
for  the  ensuing  season — impressive 
testimony  of  the  restoration  of  in- 
dependent producers'  confidence  in 
management  and  the  company. 
Much  of  that  product  won  outstand- 


Hollywood,  Feb.  15. — Twenty-five- 
inch  magazines  and  24-inch  reels  con- 
taining 5,000  feet  of  color  film 
(or  5,500  in  black  and  white)  are 
recommended  as  standard  for  exhibit- 
ing three-dimensional  pictures  by  the 
Motion  Picture  Research  Council  in 
a  report  issued  here  following  an 
MPRC  board  meeting.  Council  di- 
rector W.  F.  Kelly  pointed  out  that 
this  makes  a  two-hour  show  compris- 
ing 112  minutes  of  film  and  the  neces- 
sary intermission  readily  practical.  If, 
as  seems  likely  for  the  immediate 
future  at  least,  the  actual  three-dimen- 
sional portion  of  a  program  runs  less 
than  that,  a  newsreel  and  shorts  can 
be  spliced  onto  one  of  the  3-D  films 
and  projected  conventionally,  with  the 
other  machine  shut  off  or  "doused." 

The  Council  is  proceeding  with  the 
preparation  of  a  complete  report  for 
distribution  to  the  trade.  Recom- 
mendations for  standards  contained  no 
significant  deviations  from  the  ex- 
pectancy created  by  the  familiarity 
with  3-D  equipment  now  in  use. 

Athough  the  Council  is  not  ready 
to  disclose  details,  the  organization 
has  been  working  on  standards  for 
photographing  in  3-D  also,  and  will 
shortly  have  in  readiness  for  studio 
use  what  is  described  as  a  "virtual 
sliderule"  by  which  cinematographers 
and  others  can  compute  convergences, 
lens  separations  and  other  vital  adjust- 
ments, as  rapidly  and  surely  as  they 
regulate  the  focus  on  normal  cameras. 

The  Council  disclosed  that  many 
types  of  screens  now  in  general  use 
can  be  made  satisfactory  for  three- 
dimensional  purposes  by  painting  with 
appropriate  paints ;  the  Council  will 
report  on  paints  later. 


100%  Holdovers 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


ing'  box-office 


and, 


equally  flattering,  if  less  satisfying, 
corporately,  some  of  it  won  sub- 
stantial critical  citations  and  Acad- 
emy honors. 

The  second  calendar  year's  oper- 
ations ended  in  a  substantial  profit. 

Now  the  UA  management's  own 
second  anniversary  is  at  hand. 

It  started  out  the  third  year  with 
the  acquisition  of  "Bwana  Devil," 
the  industry's  first  third-dimen- 
sional feature  film,  the  success  of 
which  at  the  box-office  has  been 
the  largest  single  factor  in  spur- 
ring the  technical  revolution  in 
production  and  exhibition  now  in 
progress,   the   ultimate   extent  of 


Detroit,  "Bwana  Devil",  chalked  up 
seven-week  engagements.  It  played 
six  weeks  in  San  Francisco  and  four 
in  Pittsburgh,  with  similar  long  runs 
in  Houston,  Dallas,  Baltimore,  Buf- 
falo, Miami  Beach,  Chicago,  San  An- 
tonio, Washington,  Boston,  Cleveland 
and  Syracuse. 

The  African  adventure  drama,  which 
will  open  at  some  40  key  theatres 
during  the  next  few  weeks,  will  have 
its  New  York  premiere  on  Wednes- 
day at  Loew's  Scate  and  will  open 
simultaneously  at  Fabian's  Fox  in 
downtown  Brooklyn. 


which,  many  believe,  will  compare 
with  the  changeover  from  silent  to 
talking  pictures.  Fittingly,  New 
York  premieres  of  "Bwana"  on 
Wednesday  will  provide  a  climax 
for  the  U.A.  management's  second 
anniversary  observance. 

The  record,  eventful  though 
brief,  is  one  to  be  proud  of. . 

Motion  Picture  Daily  joins 
United  Artists'  host  of  friends  in 
the  sincere  wish  that,  enviable  as 
that  record  is,  it  will  be  equalled 
if  not  surpassed  in  the  years  to 
come. 


'Bwana?  British  Bow 
In  4  Rank  Theatres 

London,  Feb.  15. — Four  J. 
Arthur  Rank  theatres,  one 
each  in  London,  Leeds,  Bir- 
mingham and  Glasgow,  have 
booked  "Bwana  Devil"  to  open 
next  month.  The  necessary 
equipment  and  glasses  for  the 
Natural  Vision  process  al- 
ready are  on  hand  for  the 
engagements. 

The  deal  was  set  by  Arnold 
Picker,  United  Artists  vice- 
president,  during  his  recent 
visit  here.  The  bookings  will 
be  the  first  engagements  on 
this  side  for  the  picture  which 
has  caused  such  a  stir  in  the 
States. 


Skouras  Sets 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


clusively  by  Professor  Chretien 
for  20th-Fox. 

Skouras  added  that  he  expects  Pro- 
fessor Chretien  to  deliver  500  sets 
before  the  end  of  the  year.  This,  plus 
the  output  of  other  manufacturing 
units  in  different  areas  of  the  world, 
should  make  sufficient  lenses  available 
to  meet  contemplated  theatre  demands, 
Skouras  declared.  20th-Fox,  he 
added,  would  produce  nine  Cinema- 
Scope  feature  films  between  now  and 
the  end  of  June. 

Skouras  said  that  2'0th-Fox  will 
make  available  shooting  lenses  to 
other  companies  in  about  75  to  90 
days  on  an  equitable  basis.  He  ex- 
pressed the  belief  that  in  about  one 
or  one-and-half  years  the  majority 
of  the  world's  film  production  will 
be  using  the  CinemaScope  system. 
The  20th-Fox  president  also  stressed 
the  system's  simplicity  for  shooting 
and  exhibition,  adding  that  all  the- 
atres will  be  able  to  use  it  as  special 
lenses  will  be  adopted  to  the  size  of 
the  particular  theatre. 

Twentieth-Fox,  he  explained,  will 
have  the  lenses  manufactured  in  vari- 
ous countries  wherever  there  are  good 
opticians  in  order  to  make  available 
sufficient  sets  for  installation  in  the 
theatres  of  the  world  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. Skouras  expressed  the  belief 
that  the  time  cost  of  production  with 
CinemaScope  will  be  greatly  reduced 
as  close-ups  will  not  be  essential  any 
longer.  "The  Robe,"  the  first  pic- 
ture to  be  made  in  the  process,  will 
go  into  production  next  week,  Skouras 
added.  The  20th-Fox  president  was 
due  to  leave  here  for  New  York  at 
the  weekend,  accompanied  by  Earl  I. 
Sponable,  research  director. 


Tent  35  to  Reveal 
Heart  Project  Feb.  25 

Tent  No.  35,  Variety  Club  of  New 
York,  will  announce  its  new  Heart 
project  at  a  special  luncheon  at  the 
Hotel  Piccadilly  here  on  Feb.  25,  Ed 
Lachman,  chief  barker,  announced  at 
the  weekend. 

Guests  at  the  luncheon  will,  include 
Constance  Moore,  vocalist,  and  Dr. 
H.  Houston  Merritt,  director  of  neuro- 
logical service  of  the  Neurological  In- 
stitute, Presbyterian  Hospital. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Ouigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Terry  Ramsaye  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily  except  Satodays, 
Sundavs  and  holidavs.  by  Quiglev  Publishing-  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100  Cable  address:  Q"OTubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Ouigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr..  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo .J.  Brady. 
Secretary:  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau  Yucca-Vine  Building 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Tr.nz,  Editorial  Representative  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  H°P=  .B,U™"P-  ^a"af Be*f  ,B"^Fon 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  ea ch  published  1J 5  time s  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  JM.  Y..  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


! 


ROBERT         MALA         ANTHONY  SUZAN 

RYAN  •  POWERS  •  QUINN  •  BALL 

w,th  HILO  HATTIE  •  directed  by  BUDD  BDETTICHER  •  written  by  JACK  HARVE9  ano  RAMON  ROMERO 

ALBERT  J.  COHEN  -  A  UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL  PICTURE 

CLEVELAND -TOLEDO -DETROIT  AREA  •  SAN  FRANCISCO- 
NORTHERN  CALIF. AREA  •  BOSTON-NEW  ENGLAND  AREA 


WtTH  THAT  i/iffONO  OF  SHOWMANSHIP  f 


A  CHARLES  J.  FELDMAN  25th  SILVER  ANNIVERSARY  DRIVE  PICTURE! 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  February  16,  1953 


File  RKO  Minority 
Suit  in  Nev.  Also 

Washington,  Feb.  15.  — The 
minority  Castleman  and  Feu- 
erman  suit  against  Howard 
Hughes  and  RKO  Pictures 
has  been  filed  in  District 
Court  at  Las  Vegas,  the  Se- 
curities and  Exchange  Com- 
mission was  informed  here. 

The  suit,  which  follows  the 
lines  of  the  complaints  filed 
in  New  York  and  Los  Angeles 
courts,  was  entered  on  Dec. 
23  and  was  answered  by  a 
general  denial  by  the  com- 
pany on  Feb.  3.  The  suit  also 
accuses  Hughes  of  "misman- 
agement" and  seeks  an  ac- 
counting of  funds  for  the 
awarding  of  damages. 


Review 


Grainger  Election 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  York  as  president  on  Feb.  23. 

The  meeting  was  slated  following 
the  decision  of  the  Ralph  Stolkin 
syndicate  to  return  its  26.8  per  cent 
controlling  interest  in  the  company 
to  Howard  Hughes,  currently  board 
chairman.  The  decision  paved  the  way 
for  the  resignation  of  Burke,  who  is 
a  member  of  the  syndicate,  from  the 
board.  Involved  in  the  transaction 
was  the  forfeiture  of  $1,250,000,  the 
sum  of  the  Stolkin  group's  down  pay- 
ment for  the  1,013,400  shares  of  stock 
owned  by  Hughes  and  the  36,000 
shares  owned  by  Ned  E.  Depinet, 
former  president  and  now  company 
consultant.  Depinet  was  due  to  re- 
ceive about  $40,000,  representing  his 
share  of  the  down  payment,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  36,000  shares.  Depinet, 
however,  declined  comment  in  New 
York. 

On  Friday,  Hughes,  in  response  to 
queries,  issued  a  statement  saying  that 
the  Stolkin  group  is  issuing  the  neces- 
sary instructions  to  accomplish  trans- 
ference of  the  stock.  He  added  that 
he  would  nominate  Grainger  to  the 
presidency  at  the  board  meeting. 

The  loss  of  the  Stolkin  syndicate, 
which  owned  the  stock  since  last  Sep- 
tember when  the  deal  was  consum- 
mated, was  put  at  $1,750,000,  which 
includes  the  down  payment,  interest 
charges  and  legal  and  brokerage  fees. 
The  syndicate,  which  bought  the  stock 
at  $7  per  share,  still  owed  an  addi- 
tional $6,100,000  when  it  was  decided 
to  bow  out  of  the  deal  under"  the 
amended  agreement  with  Hughes. 


9> 


Warner  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

month  period  is  equivalent  to  21  cents 
per  share  on  the  4,950,600  shares  of 
common  stock  outstanding",  compared 
to  46  cents  per  share  on  the  5,619,- 
785  shares  of  common  outstanding  at 
the   corresponding   period   last  year. 

Film  rentals,  theatre  admissions 
and  sales  amounted  to  $26,378,000, 
compared  with  $29,558,000  for  the 
corresponding  period  last  year. 

The  consolidated  balance  sheet  as 
of  Nov.  29  showed  cash  of  $14,743,- 
049,  United  States  government  se- 
curities of  $11,368,042,  inventories  of 
$26,879,556  and  total  current  assets 
of  $59,377,217.  Current  liabilities 
were  listed  at  $30,340,703. 

Total  income  for  the  three-month 
period  was  put  at  $27,985,989.  Earned 
surplus  was  listed  at  $66,422,398. 


/  Love  Melvin 

(Metro-Goldzvyn-Mayer) 

A ROLLICKING  comedy  with  music,  this  picture  should  register  especially 
well  with  the  juveniles  and  offer  plenty  of  amusement  for  the  grownups. 
With  Donald  O'Connor  carrying  the  comedy  and  Debbie  Reynolds  supplying 
the  romantic  angle,  the  film  rolls  along  at  a  fast  pace  with  only  a  few  dull 
moments,  caused  by  the  interpolation  of  some  not-so-good  musical  numbers. 
However,  such  criticism  is  minor  and,  all-in-all,  the  picture  can  be  classed 
as  good  entertainment. 

O'Connor,  a  carrier  of  flash  bulbs  for  Look  magazine,  poses  as  a  big-time 
lens  expert  in  order  to  woo  Miss  Reynolds,  who  has  aspirations  for  a  Holly- 
wood career.  He  fakes  a  magazine  cover  of  her  which  wins  the  girl  and 
foils  a  rival,  but  the  deception  is  discovered  and  O'Connor  disappears.  The 
magazine  is  sufficiently  impressed  by  his  work  to  launch  a  search  for  him, 
resulting  in  his  reinstatement  in  both  the  life  of  Debbie  and  the  good  graces 
of  the  magazine.  And  Debbie  gets  her  picture  on  Look's  cover,  this  time 
legitimately. 

O'Connor  excels  in  the  dance  numbers,  but  Jim  Backus,  as  a  photographer, 
steals  almost  every  scene.  Doreen  Corcoran  clicks  as  Debbie's  little  sister. 

The  color  by  Technicolor  feature  was  produced  by  George  Wells,  who 
also  wrote  the  screenplay.  Don  Weis  directed.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Una 
Merkel,  Richard  Anderson,  Allyn  Joslyn,  Les  Tremayne,  Barbara  Ruick 
and  Robert  Taylor. 

Runningtime,   77  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   Release  date, 

March  20. 


New  Trade  Problems 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Starr,  TOA  president.  Starr  will 
leave  for  a  combination  business  and 
pleasure  trip  to  Europe  on  March 
10  and  he  said  he  was  hopeful  that 
the  parley  could  be  held  before  that 
date. 

When  the  TOA  board  of  di- 
rectors met  in  New  York  last 
month,  Starr  announced  that  he 
would  press  for  a  meeting  with 
Allied  heads  on  the  matter  of 
settling  differences  existing  be- 
tween the  two  trade  associa- 
tions on  the  approach  to  arbi- 
tration. However,  the  pending 
flow  of  new  dimensional  pic- 
tures that  loom  on  the  industry 
horizon  is  creating  additional 
common  problems  which  require 
serious  discussions  among  exhi- 
bitor leaders,  Starr  asserted. 

"There  is  every  indication  that  we 
are  going  into  a  new  form  of  picture 
presentation,"  Starr  said.  "We  don't 
know  what  that  form  will  be,  inso- 
far as  equipment  is  concerned,  but 
as  we  have  a  vital  stake  in  the  de- 
velopments we  must  be  prepared  to 
meet  the  advances." 

Starr  said  he  had  discussed  the  plan 
for  a  joint  meeting  with  Wilbur 
Snaper,  Allied  president,  and  that 
Snaper  was  receptive  to  the  proposal. 
Herman  Levy,  TOA  general  counsel, 
who  attended  Starr's  conference  with 
the  trade  press,  said  the  TOA-Allied 
meeting   would  be  "informal." 

Starr  said  that  exhibitors  were  de- 
manding standardization  in  the  new 
medium.  Right  now,  he  added,  the 
rush  into  dimensional  pictures  by  the 
producers  is  a  "free-for-all,"  with 
each  studio  striving  to  come  up  with 
something  different.  This,  he  said,  is 
a  healthy  condition,  because  with  all 
of  the  experimentation  going  on,  one 
good  system  is  bound  to  materialize. 
Therefore,  Starr  continued,  the  ex- 
hibitor demand  for  standardization  at 
this  time  is  premature  because  "we 
don't  know  what  we're  going  to  have." 

In  the  final  analysis,  Starr 
said,  two  criteria  will  determine 
the  future  of  the  new  medium. 
One  is  public  acceptance  and 
the  other  is  the  cost  of  installa- 
tion to  the  exhibitor.  Assuming 
that  the  new  medium  is  a  per- 
manent fixture,  then  only  one  of 


20th-Fox  Releases 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Golden  Condor,"  both  of  which  cur- 
rently are  in  release. 

Next  month  will  see  "Down  Among 
the  Sheltering  Palms"  and  "Destina- 
tion Gobi." 

April  Technicolor  productions  are 
"Call  Me  Madam,"  and  "Tonight  We 
Sing." 

For  May,  20th-Fox  will  offer  "The 
Farmer  Takes  A  Wife"  and  "In- 
vaders from  Mars,"  the  latter  in 
Cinecolor. 

The  June  slate  will  be  represented 
by  "The  Girl  Next  Door,"  and  "Pow- 
der River." 


the  various  processes  must  sur- 
vive, he  said.  Currently  there 
are  Cinerama,  Natural  Vision 
and  Stereo  Techniques,  while 
coming  up  are  CinemaScope, 
new  and  unveiled  systems  by 
Paramount  and  others.  How- 
ever, the  TOA  president  pre- 
dicted that  within  a  year  the 
validity  of  one  system  will  have 
been  proven. 

Starr  warned  exhibitors  to  "move 
with  caution"  and  carefully  watch  de- 
velopments in  the  new  field.  The  un- 
certain conditions  now  prevailing 
"will  settle  down,"  he  added.  By  the 
time  each  company  has  brought  out 
a  dimensional  film,  he  continued, 
"everything  will   be  clarified." 

The  TOA  president's  European  trip 
will  be  partly  a  vacation  but  he  plans 
to  study  exhibition  abroad  and  the 
effects  of  three-dimensional  pictures 
in  Southern  countries  where  "3-D" 
is  well  advanced.  He  plans  to  visit 
Greece,  Italy  and  Turkey. 


More  Join  Zukor 
Sponsoring  Group 

Leading  exhibitors,  circuit  execu- 
tives and  trade  press  editors  and  pub- 
lishers have  accepted  invitations  to 
join  the  sponsoring  committee  for  the 
Adolph  Zukor  Golden  Jubilee  dinner 
which  will  be  held  here  Wednesday 
March  4,  at  the  Hotel  Waldorf-As- 
toria. This  was  announced  by  Harry 
Brandt,  chairman  of  the  dinner  com- 
mittee, and  Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  inter- 
national chairman  of  the  year-long 
nationwide  series  of  tributes  which 
Variety  Clubs  International  has  set  up 
to  honor  "Mr.  Motion  Pictures"  on 
the  50th  anniversary  of  the  opening 
of  his  first  penny  arcade. 

Among  key  figures  from  exhibition 
who  have  already  been  named  to  the 
sponsoring  committee  are:  Herman 
Becker,  William  Brandt,  Leo  Brecher, 
Max  A.  Cohen,  Russell  V.  Downing! 
Emanuel  Frisch  and  Harry  Kalmine. 

Also:  Edward  Lachman,  Charles  B. 
Moss,  Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Samuel 
Rinzler,  Samuel  Rosen,  Fred  J. 
Schwartz,  Sol  A.  Schwartz,  Joseph 
M.  Seider,  Gerald  Shea,  George 
Skouras,  Spyros  S.  Skouras,  Jr.,  Wil- 
bur Snaper,  Joseph  R.  Vogel,  Frank 
C.  Walker,  David  Weinstock,  and 
Robert  M.  Weitman. 

Trade  paper  editors  and  pubishers 
who  have  accepted  the  invitation  to 
join  the  sponsoring  committee  are 
Jack  Alicoate,  Jay  Emanuel,  Abel 
Green,  Pete  Harrison,  Chick  Lewis, 
Martin  Quigley,  Ben  Shlyen,  Morton 
Sunshine,  Mo  Wax  and  William  R. 
Wilkerson. 


'Brotherhood' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Volchok,  Engerman 
Form  New  Company 

Portland,  Ore.,  Feb.  15.— Zollie 
Volchok,  former  theatre  executive 
here,  under  the  Evergreen  banner, 
and  for  the  past  few  years  executive 
of  Sterling  Theatres  of  Seattle,  has 
joined  Jack  Engerman  of  Lippert  Pic- 
tures in  forming  the  Northwest  Re- 
leasing Corp.,  with  offices  here  and 
Seattle. 

In  addition  to  Lippert  films,  they 
have  obtained  franchises  from  inde- 
pendent distributors  dealing  in  art  and 
exploitation  attractions. 


and  Jews.  Sol  A.  Schwartz,  is  na- 
tional chairman  for  the  Brotherhood 
committee's  amusement  division. 

The  honored  guests  will  be  Spyros 
P.  Skouras,  Walter  D.  Fuller,  John 
Golden,  William  Randolph  Hearst,  Jr., 
Jack  R.  Howard,  Danny  Kaye  and 
David  Sarnoff  and  Spyros  P.  Skouras. 

Among  those  scheduled  to  be  on  the 
dais  are  Benjamin  Kalmenson,  C. 
Walton  Anient,  Harry  M.  Kalmine, 
Barney  Balaban,  Austin  C.  Keough, 
Charles  Boasberg,  Arthur  B.  Krim, 
Harry  Brandt,  Chick  Lewis,  Max  A. 
Cohen,  Al  Lichtman,  Jack  Cohn,  Abe 
Montague,  Ned  E.  Depinet,  Edward 
Morey,  Robert  W.  Dowling,  Charles 
C.  Moskowitz,  Louis  Nizer,  John  J. 
O'Connor,  Russell  Downing,  Martin 
Quigley,  Jay  Emanuel,  Milton  R. 
Rackmil,  Simon  Fabian,  Charles  M. 
Reagan,  Frank  Folsom,  Quentin  Rey- 
nolds, William  P.  Gehring,  Samuel 
Rinzler,  William  German,  Herman 
Robbins,  John  Alicoate,  Leonard  H. 
Goldenson,  Samuel  Rosen,  Maurice 
Goldstein,  J.  Robert  Rubin,  Bernard 
Goodman,  Abe  Schneider,  A.  W. 
Schwalberg,  Ben  Grauer,  Fred 
Schwartz,  Abel  Green,  Si  Seadler,  Bill 
Hayes,  Ben  Shylen,  Will  H.  Hays, 
George  Skouras,  William  J.  Heine- 
man,  Donald  A.  Henderson,  Bill 
Stern,  Morton  Sunshine,  John  Cam- 
eron Swayze,  Joseph  A.  Vogel,  Albert 
Warner,  Mo  Wax,  Herbert  J.  Yates, 
Max  E.  Youngstein. 


Schimel,  O'Connor 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


places  an  old  one  for  one  year  under 
which  he  also  was  paid  at  the  rate  of 
$1,000  per  week.  Schimel's  old  one- 
year  contract  also  called  for  a  $1,000 
weekly  salary. 


If  HIGH  PRICES  have  you  seeing  stars  . . .  you'll 
find  the  answer  in  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics 
report . . .  which  shows  that  the  cost  of  living 
has  shot  skyward  an  average  of  90.8%  since 
1939  .  .  .  with  Food  contributing  to  the  tune  of 
133.2%  . . .  House  Furnishings  105%  .  Clothing 
102.3%  . . .  and  so  on,  to  dazzling  heights! 

Exhibitors  Digest  reports  an  even  greater 
skyrocketing  of  your  theatre's  operating  costs 
. .  .  with  an  average  increase  of  98.9%  since 
1940 ...  including  an  increase  of  115%  in  the 
cost  of  projection  equipment  and  supplies  .  .  . 
143%  in  the  cost  of  seats ...  106%  for  janitor 
supplies  ...  93%  in  stationery  supplies  .  .  .  and 
so  on  . . .  into  the  wild  blue  yonder! 

When  you  compare  these  astronomical  fig- 
ures .  .  .  with  the  negligible  increase,  IF  ANY, 
you  have  paid  NSS  during  all  these  years  of 
rising  costs  .  .  .  you  will  recognize  the  down-fo- 
earth,  service-with-a-smile  policy  that  has 
earned  the  reputation  of  The  Prize  Baby  of 
the  Industry! 


nmomi,\ czern  service 


6 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Monday,  February  16,  1953 


Theatre  TV 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


of  Wednesday,  Feb.  11,  said  industry 
attorneys  had  admitted  using  the 
wrong  tactics  in  presenting  the  case 
to  the  FCC,  that  they  should  have  put 
on  general  testimony  on  the  need  and 
uses  for  theatre  TV  before  putting 
on  technical  testimony.  "We  put  the 
cart  before  the  horse,"  Cohn  was 
quoted  as  saying. 

Cohn's  full  quote  was :  'We  have 
gotten  the  cart  before  the  horse  in 
this  proceeding  through  no  one's 
fault." 

To  clear  up  any  possible  misunder- 
standing, the  Daily  prints  herewith 
the  full  text  of  Cohn's  remarks  before 
the  Commission  on  this  question : 

"In  the  course  of  our  discussions 
and  deliberations  as  to  how  best  to 
present  the  case  to  the  Commission, 
we  concluded  that  it  was  absolutely 
essential  that  in  the  presentation  to  the 
Commission  we  first  deal  with  the 
need  for  the  service  and  the  use  to 
which  the  service  would  be  put  if 
allocated  by  the  Commission,  and  then, 
secondly  and  lastly,  to  deal  with  the 
engineering  and  cost  accounting  prac- 
tices. 

Postponed  Proceedings 

"From  the  summer  on  into  the 
winter  of  1951,  the  Commission  from 
time  to  time  postponed  the  proceed- 
ings, until  in  June  of  1952  it  announced 
that  it  would  begin  the  proceedings  in 
January  1953.  By  that  time  our  en- 
gineering testimony,  our  engineering 
preparation,  if  you  will,  had  almost 
been  concluded  and  we  were  in  the 
process  of  buttoning  up  the  lay  testi- 
mony as  to  the  need  and  use  of  the 
service.  Because  of  the  numerous 
times  that  the  hearing  had  been  post- 
poned, a  petition  was  filed  with  the 
Commission  asking  that  a  few  days 
be  set  aside  in  the  fall  of  1952  in  which 
we  could  put  in  the  engineering  testi- 
mony, which  we  judged  at  that  time 
would  take  approximately  eight  hear- 
ing days.  That  petition  was  granted 
by  the  Commission  and  we  began  this 
proceeding  with  the  presentation  of  the 
engineering  details. 

"I  think  it  was  clear  to  all  of  us 
from  the  very  beginning  of  this  hear- 
ing that  the  Commission  was  rightly 
and  obviously  concerned  about  basic 
policy  considerations  to  which  none  of 
the  engineers  could  direct  their  atten- 
tion, nor  had  they  given  consideration, 
policy  considerations,  that  only  the  lay 
witnesses  who  would  testify  concern- 
ing need  and  future  use  could  answer. 
I  am  sure  you  recall  the  question 
which  frequently  arose  as  to  why  it 
was  necessary  to  have  six  proposed 
services,  why  it  was  necessary  to  have 
quality  equal  to  35mm.  film.  All  of 
those  questions  were  pertinent,  of 
course. 

"We  intend  to  answer  those  ques- 
tions and  all  of  the  other  non-engineer- 
ing questions  which  have  been  raised 
by  the  commissioners  at  various  times 
in  the  course  of  this  particular  pro- 
ceeding. In  other  allocation  proceed- 
ings, the  records  of  which  I  have  gone 
through  as  best  I  could,  I  find  again 
and  again  that  the  history  of  the 
presentation  is  first  to  present  the 
need  and  the  future  use  and  then  to 
deal  with  the  engineering  factors.  I 
think  we  have  gotten  the  cart  before 
the  horse  in  this  proceeding  through 
no  one's  fault,  and  that  is  the  reason 
why  we  are  in  the  position  today,  I 
think,  of  having  temporarily  inter- 
rupted this  proceeding  to  answer  ques- 
tions which  rightfully  bother  the  Com- 
mission." 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


THE  NEW  CBS  Production  Center,  at  the  site  of  the  former 
Sheffield  Farms  depot  and  office  building  on  56th  &  57th  streets 
between  10th  and  11th  Aves.  in  N.  Y.,  may  be  used  in  the  near 
future  for  telecast  studios.  Property  consists  of  about  405,000  square 
feet  of  floor  space.  .  .  .  Did  you  know  that  Jack  Mahoney,  TV's 
"Range  Rider,"  used  to  be  a  stunt  man  for  Hollywood  studios?  .  .  . 
Ken  Murray's  10-months-old  daughter  Pamela  makes  her  screen 
debut  in  Ken's  forthcoming  production,  "The  Marshall's  Daughter." 
Ken  didn't  get  started  on  his  career  until  he  was  20  (months?  NO  ! 
years).  .  .  .  Smart  gal,  Toni  Romer.  Though  she  appears  regularly 
on  "High  Adventure,"  "The  Web"  and  "John  Steele,  Adventurer," 
the  actress  still  keeps  her  job  as  hat  checker  at  Peter's  Backyard 
Bistro  in  Greenwich  Village  and  always  gives  an  "at  liberty"  actress 
her  job  when  she  has  a  studio  commitment.  .  .  .  Interstate  TV 
Corp.,  with  13  TV  films  of  "The  Amazing  Tales  of  Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  on  hand,  has  made  a  deal  with  KEM  Productions  for 
another  13,  to  be  filmed  next  month. 


ft  ft 


ft 


Donald  Voorhees 


An  unusual  circumstance  has  just  been  brought  to  our 
attention,  by  one  of  our  readers,  Ray  Perkins  of  KFEL  in 
Denver.  A  composer  in  his  own  right  and  ex-vaudevillian, 
Ray  airmailed  an  epistle  to  ye  scribe,  pointing  out  that  though 
"The  Bell  Telephone  Hour"  and  "Cavalcade 
of  America"  won  two  different  awards  in  the 
Motion  Picture  DMLY-Fame  poll  (radio) 
the  respective  orchestras  are  batoned  by 
Donald  Voorhees.  .  .  .  To  Ray:  Thanks  for 
the  reminder.  To  Donald:  Congratulations. 
.  .  .  Starting  Saturday,  Feb.  28,  WOR- 
Mutual's  Barn  Dance  schedule  will  be  ex- 
panded to  a  full  hour,  when  a  new  series, 
"Virginia  Barn  Dance  Jamboree,"  originat- 
ing in  Danville,  Va.,  will  be  heard  from  8:30 
to  9:00  P.M.  preceding  the  "New  England 
Barn  Dance  Jamboree"  from  Worcester, 
Mass.  The  Dixie  portion  of  this  series 
features  Clyde  Moody  and  his  Woodchop- 
pers,  the  Bowes  Bros,  with  Frank  Raymond, 
emceeing  the  hootenanigans.  .  .  .  When  Lilli  Palmer 
WCBScreens  the  life  story  of  Genghis  Khan,  medieval  scourge 
of  Asia  and  Eastern  Europe,  Sunday,  Feb.  22  (2:45-3.00  P.M.) 
her  guest  on  the  telecast  will  be  Capt.  Chinges  Guirez,  a 
direct  descendant  of  Khan,  who  served  as  liaison  officer  for 
Gen.  Mark  Clark  in  Italy  during  World  War  2.  ...  In  honor 
of  the  late  Amalia  Coleman,  mother  of  Emil,  Gregory,  Joseph 
and  Adolf,  who  made  their  marks  in  American  popular  and 
classical  music,  an  "Amalia  Coleman  Scholarship  Fund"  has 
been  created  and  is  available  to  the  10  most  promising  and 
talented  young  violinists  of  all  nations.  Joseph  Coleman,  pupil 
of  the  late  Prof.  Leopold  Auer,  starting  in  April,  will  per- 
sonally conduct  auditions  of  young  violinists  in  Steinway  Hall. 
A  wonderful  memorial  to  a  grand  old  lady  of  music. 

ft  ft  ft 
PERSONAL  POSTCARDS  TO:  WALTER  WINCHELL— 
The  "American  Inventory"  producer  Bill  Hodapp,  with  Bob 
Wald,  asst.  prod.,  will  film  "The  Cancer  Story"  for  the  Cancer 
Society.  Laurence  Schwab,  Jr.,  zuill  direct.  .  .  .  GREGORY 
RAT  OFF — Not  only  did  you  tell  Jack  Lescoulie  {pinch-hitting 
for  vacationing  Dave  Garroway)  on  "NBToday"  that  he  "looks 
like  the  son  of  Clark  Gable  and  that  you  will  use  him  in  a 
featured  role  in  your  next  picture"  BUT  WHAT  YOU  DON'T 
KNOW  TILL  YOU  READ  IT  HERE  IS  THAT  YOUR 
PROMISE  WAS  RECORDED  ON  TAPE.  .  .  .  JACK 
BENNY — Adolphe  Menjou's  list  of  ten  "best-dressed  men"  in 
TV  includes  Robert  Montgomery^  Bob  Hope  (ah  there,  Bing), 
Kent  _  Taylor,  Dean  Martin,  Mike  Wallace,  Charles  Farrell, 
Dennis  Day,  Lee  Bowman,  Bud  Collyer  and,  Waukegan's  gift  to 
the  violin  world,  J.  Benny.  .  .  .  WILLIAM  PALEY— Arthur 
Godfrey  (you  must  have  heard  of  hint,  a  CBS  artist  for  the  past 
20  years)  started  his  radio  career  as  an  amateur  banjoist  on 

WFBR  Baltimore,  back  in  Oct.  1929.  .  .  .  SAMMY  KAYE  

Your  newest  Columbia  platter  of  the  tune,  "Lighthouse  in  the 
Harbor"  according  to  several  local  top  deejays,  will  be  another 
"Harbor  Lights."  .  .  .  ED  WYNN—The  cost  of  shipping  your 
TV  costumes  and  props  to  London  for  your  Palladium  engage- 
ment there  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  Five  grand. 


Atlanta  Business  Up, 
Small  Towns  Down 

Atlanta,  Feb.  15. — A  number 
of  theatres  in  Atlanta  report 
an  increase  in  business  in 
January  over  January  1952,  of 
about  two  one-half  per  cent, 
but  most  small  town  theatres 
throughout  Georgia  showed  a 
decrease  of  10  to  20  per  cent, 
attributed  mostly  to  the  se- 
vere drouth  which  the  area 
suffered  last  year. 


'Eagle'  Won't  Boost 
Theatre  Ad  Rates 

Although  contemplating  rate  in- 
creases in  all  other  advertising  classi- 
fications, the  Brooklyn  Eagle  has  de- 
cided to  make  no  change  in  its  present 
amusement  advertising  rate,  Martin 
Dickstein,  amusement  advertising  man- 
ager, announced  Friday. 

Dickstein  said  the  Eagle  "is  cogni- 
zant of  the  fact  that  this  is  a  period 
of  adjustment  for  the  motion  picture 
industry,  and  it  is  this  newspaper's 
intention  to  do  everything  possible  to 
cooperate." 


Top  Grosses  Here 
For  4  Para,  Films 

Four  Paramount  films,  "Come  Back, 
Little  Sheba,"  "The  Stooge,"  "Road 
to  Bali"  and  "The  Stars  Are  Sing- 
ing," are  reportedly  doing  top  business 
in  their  bookings  here. 

"Little  Sheba"  hit  $19,000  for  its 
eighth  week  at  the  Victoria.  The 
second  week  of  "The  Stooge"  went 
$2,000  over  its  first  week  at  the  Para- 
mount, hitting  $115,000.  "Road  to 
Bali"  at  the  Astor,  also  went  $2,000 
over  its  first  week  with  a  figure  of 
$30,000. 


$228f4U  for  Kaye 
In  39  Performances 

In  39  performances,  Danny  Kaye 
and  his  show  which  started  its  fifth 
week  at  the  RKO  Palace  Theatre 
here  yesterday  grossed  $228,411,  ex- 
ceeding previous  grosses  for  Judy 
Garland  and  Betty  Hutton,  the  cir- 
cuit reports. 


'Whafs  Playing?9  to 
Go  on  TV  Nationally 

"What's  Playing?"  the  television 
program  highlighting  scenes  from  new 
motion  pictures,  will  be  made  available 
nationally,  Emanuel  Demby,  president 
of  Demby  Productions,  Inc.,  producer 
of  the  program,  disclosed  here. 


Rites  for  Mrs.  Rosenthal 

Troy,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15.  —  Funeral 
services  for  Mrs.  Jennie  C.  Rosenthal, 
owner  of  the  State  Theatre  here, 
widow  of  Jacob  C.  Rosenthal,  a 
pioneer  exhibitor  in  this  city,  and 
mother  of  Leonard  L.  Rosenthal, 
counsel  for  Upstate  Theatres,  Inc.,  of 
Albany,  were  held  Thursday  at 
Temple  Beth  El  here.  She  died  Wed- 
nesday. 


Hitchcock,  Baxter  Here 

Alfred  Hitchcock,  Anne  Baxter  and 
Roger  Dann  arrived  in  New  York 
over  the  weekend  from  Montreal  and 
Quebec  following  personal  appear- 
ances at  the  world  premiere  engage- 
ments there  of  "I  Confess." 


\ 


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Closely  following  general  acceptance  of  the  sensational,  new  9mm 
"Suprex"  carbon,  National  Carbon  now  offers  greatly  improved 
screen  light  for  theatres  with  variable-feed,  mirror-type  lamps, 
using  7mm  high-intensity  carbons.  Specifically,  the  new  "Suprex" 
carbon  provides  the  following  advantages: 

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—  that  research  is  constantly  making  better— get  complete  informa- 
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The  terms  "National"  and  "Suprex"  are  trade-marks 
of  Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

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A  Division  of  Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 
30  East  42nd  Street,  New  York  17,  N.Y. 

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IN  CANADA:  National  Carbon  Limited  —  Montreal,  Toronto,  Winnipeg 


VOL.  73.    NO.  32 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  17,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


WB  'Assured' 
Of  'Holders' 
Okay  Today 

Says  Count  Clinches 
Reorganization  Plan 


Approval  of  the  Warner  Broth- 
ers' amended  plan  of  reorganiza- 
tion is  assured  at  today's  annual 
meeting  of  stockholders,  to  be  held 
in  Wilmington,  Del.,  a  management 
spokesman  declared  here  yesterday, 
on  the  basis  of  proxy  returns  mailed 
to  the  home  office. 

The  plan,  which  paves  the 
way  for  Si  H.  Fabian,  president 
of  Fabian  Enterprises,  Inc.,  to 
assume  management  control  of 
the  new  Stanley  Warner  Theatre 
Corp.,  needs  the  approval  of 
two-thirds  of  the  outstanding 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Robbins  Nominated 
B'nai  B'rith  Head 


Burton  E.  Robbins,  executive  of 
National  Screen  Service  and  repre- 
sentative of  his  company  for  many 
years  in  its  participation  in  industry 
charitable 
drives,  has  been 
nominated  t  o 
the  presidency 
of  New  York's 
Cinema  Lodge 
of  B'nai  B'rith 
to  succeed  Mar- 
tin Levine,  ex- 
ecutive  of 
Brandt  Thea- 
tres, Leo  Jaffe 
and  Albert  A. 
Senft,  co-chair- 
m  e  n  of  the 
nominating 
committee  an- 
nounced yesterday. 

Elections  will  be  held  on  Tuesday, 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Burton   E.  Robbins 


Reed  Bill  Dampens 
Tax  Repeal  Hopes 

Washington,  Feb.  16.  —  Chances 
for  House  action  this  year  on  repeal 
or  reduction  of  the  Federal  admission 
tax  grew  dimmer  today  as  the  House 
Ways  and  Means  Committee  stamped 
speedy  approval  on  the  so-called  Reed 
income  tax  reduction  bill. 

The  House  Rules  Committee  will 
prevent  the  Reed  bill  from  coming 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Booth  Conversion  to  3-D 
Cost  Range:  $584  to  $784 

The  approximate  cost  of  converting  a  projection  booth  for  the  exhi- 
bition of  tri-dimensional  pictures  ranges  from  $584  to  $784,  plus  installa- 
tion costs  which  vary  in  accordance  with  the  condition  of  the  booth, 
according  to  James  Brigham,  supervisor  of  installations  for  "Bwana 

'  Devil."  Brigham  is  here  to  direct  in- 


20th,  U-I,  UWF  File 
Reply  in  16mm.  Suit 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16.— Twen- 
tieth-Century-Fox, Universal- 
International  and  United 
World  Films,  Inc.  today  filed 
answers  in  Federal  Judge 
William  Byrne's'  court  to  the 
government's  amended  com- 
plaint charging  that  these 
three  and  nine  co-defendant 
companies  had  conspired  to 
prevent  television  and  certain 
other  outlets  from  obtaining 
16mm.  prints  of  their  pic- 
tures. 

The  other  nine  have  three 
more  days  to  file  answers  be- 
fore the  deadline  set  by  court 
on  Jan.  19.  The  companies 
which  filed  today  made  a  gen- 
eral denial  of  the  principal 
charges  against  them.  Fol- 
lowing the  answer  period  the 
court  may  order  pre-trial  con- 
ferences to  consolidate  the 
issues  and  stipulations,  or  can 
set  a  date  for  trial. 


Yates  Predicts  Big 
Year  for  Republic 

A  "banner"  year  for  Republic  Pic- 
tures and  Consolidated  Laboratories 
was  predicted  yesterday  by  Herbert 
J.  Yates,  president  of  both  companies, 
at  a  meeting 
here  of  the 
board  of  direc- 
tors. Yates  told 
the  board  that 
the  laboratory 
business  was 
increasing  and 
that  film  sales 
were  on  the  up- 
swing. 

Yates,  with 
Mrs.  Y  at  e-s 
(Vera  Ral- 
ston), will  leave 
here  tomorrow 
for  Europe  and 
will  be  gone  about  six  weeks. 

No  mention  was  made  at  the  meet- 
ing of  a  successor  to  James  R.  Grain- 
ger as  sales  chief.  Until  a  successor 
has  been  named,  greater  responsibility 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Herbert  J.  Yates 


stallations  in  Loew's  State  Theatre, 
the  Fox  Brooklyn  and  Loew  neigh- 
borhood houses. 

Brigham  yesterday  broke  down  the 
equipment  costs  as  follows :  large 
magazines,  $302;  port  filters  and  sta- 
ticmaster  brush,  $62 ;  lineup  chart, 
$10;  three  large  reels,  $60,  and  the  in- 
terlock, $150  to  $350,  depending  on 
whether  a  mechanical  or  electrical  de- 
vice is  used. 

The  installation  costs,  Brigham  said, 
vary  with  the  booth.  As  a  rule,  if 
the  booth  is  up-to-date,  the  outlay  will 
be  considerably  less  than  if  there  has 
been  no  modernizing  in  recent  years. 
He  pointed  out  that  the  supply  of 
D.C.  current  must  be  sufficient  to  sup- 
ply both  lamps  continuously  for  the 
complete  running  time. 

The  screen  must  be  metallic  or  have 
an  aluminum  surface  so  that  it  is  non- 
depolarizing.   Brigham  said  some  ex- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Series  of  Meetings 
To  Promote  RKO's 
25th  Anniversary 

Charles  Boasberg,  general  sales 
manager  of  RKO  Radio,  and  Nat 
Levy,  Eastern  division  manager,  will 
arrive  in  Cleveland ,  today  from  New 
York  for  the  first  of  a  series  of  meet- 
ings with  division,  district,  branch 
and  sales  managers  in  preparation  for 
the  company's  "25th  Anniversary 
Drive,"  set  for  March  6  to  June  25. 
Following  the  meeting  today  Boasberg 
will  go  to  New  Orleans  and  then  to 
Chicago  on  Feb.  24,  and  Toronto  on 
March  4.     Levy  will  go  to  Phila- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Owen  at  Southern 
Para.  Meet  Today 


Hugh  Owen,  Paramount  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  manager,  will 
arrive  in  Atlanta  today  from  New 
York  for  the  first  of  a  series  of  nine 
branch  meetings  at  which  he  will  dis- 
cuss new  product  and  the  plans  for- 
mulated at  the  recent  week-long 
division  and  branch  managers'  meet- 
ing in  New  York. 

High  on  the  agenda  will  be  a  dis- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Find  Para.'s 
3-D  Process 
4Impr  essive' 

To  Release  'Sangaree'  in 
May;  Slate  Another  Two 


By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

Paramount  unveiled  its  three-di- 
mensional process  to  the  trade  here 
yesterday,  making-  it  the  first  of  the 
major  studios  to  publicly  show  its 
own  tri-dimensional  system,  ft  was  an 
impressive  performance. 

Utilized  for  the  demonstra- 
tion at  the  New  York  Para- 
mount Theatre  were  unedited 
"rushes"  of  "Sangaree."  De- 
spite the  rough  quality  of  the 
scenes,  the  picture  had  all  the 
earmarks  of  a  top  professional 
production    and    the  depth 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


UA  Names  Blumofe 
To  Hollywood  Post 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — The  appoint- 
ment of  Robert  F.  Blumofe  as  West 
Coast  representative  of  United  Artists 
was  announced  here  today  by  Arthur 
B.  Krim,  presi- 
dent of  UA. 
Blumofe,  for- 
merly an  execu- 
tive of  the  Mu- 
sic Corp.  of 
America,  will 
assume  his  new 
post  immedi- 
ately. 

Blumofe,  a  n 
attorney  and 
production  ex- 
ecutive, will 
represent  UA 
in  negotiations 
with  indepen- 
dent producers  for  new  pictures  and 
will  serve  as  the  company's  liaison 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Robert  F.  Blumofe 


UA  Will  Observe 
An  Anniversary 

United  Artists  is  celebrating  the 
second  anniversary  this  week  of  the 
assumption  of  the  company's  manage- 
ment by  president  Arthur  B.  Krim 
and  his  executive  group  that  includes 
board  chairman  Robert  S.  Benjamin, 
vice  presidents  William  J.  Heineman, 
Arnold  Picker  and  Max  E.  Young- 
stein  and  Matthew  Fox. 
.  Although  Sunday  marked  the 
•   •  (Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  17,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


ROBERT  CLARK,  executive  pro- 
ducer and  board  member  of  the 
Associated  British  Pictures  Corp., 
will  sail  for  New  York  tomorrow  on 
the  Queen  Mary. 

• 

Harry  Mandel,  in  charge  of  RKO 
Theatres  national  advertising  and  pub- 
licity, became  a  grandfather  for  the 
second  time  Sunday  when  his  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Sidney  Unger,  gave  birth 
to  a  baby  girl  at  Park  East  Hospital. 
• 

Dr.  Renato  Gualino,  general  di- 
rector of  Italian  Films  Export  and 
chief  executive  of  the  IFE  Releasing 
Corp.,  who  has  been  in  New  York 
for  the  past  two  weeks,  returned  to 
Rome  over  the  weekend. 

• 

David  Golding,  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector, returned  here  from  Chicago  at 
the  weekend  and  will  leave  for  Wash- 
ington tomorrow  or  Wednesday. 
• 

Dick  Pitts  of  the  TOA  office  here 
became  a  father  Sunday  when  his 
wife,  Lee,  gave  birth  to  an  eight- 
pound  girl  at  Flushing  Hospital.  The 
new  arrival  was  named  Julie. 
• 

Earl  I.  Sponable,  20th  Century- 
Fox  research  director,  has  delayed  his 
return  to  New  York  from  Paris  for 
another  w.eek.  He  is  now  due  back 
on  Monday. 

• 

Albert  Floersheimer,  Jr.,  adver- 
tising and  publicity  director  for  Wal- 
ter Reade  Theatres,  is  on  a  vacation 
cruise  to  South  America. 

• 

John  P.  Byrne,  Eastern  M-G-M 
sales  manager,  has  completed  his  peri- 
odic swing  of  the  six  branches  under 
his  supervision. 

• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  sales  mana- 
ger, has  returned  to  his  Washington 
headquarters  after  a  brief  home  office 
visit. 


'Rouge, ?  'Pan ?  Bow  Strong 
In  Robust  B'way  Week 


Brandt  on  Tour  for 
'Andersen'  Openings 

Leon  Brandt,  exploitation  director 
for  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions,  left 
here  last  night  for  Washington  to 
finalize  plans  for  the  premiere  in  that 
city  of  "Hans  Christian  Andersen," 
to  be  sponsored  by  the  American 
Newspaper  Women's  Club  at  the 
Metropolitan  Theatre  on  Thursday 
evening. 

From  Washington  Brandt  will  pro- 
ceed to  Dallas,  where  "Andersen" 
will  open  at  the  Tower  Theatre,  also 
on  Thursday.  From  Dallas  Brandt 
will  go  to  Oklahoma  City  for  the 
opening  at  the  State  on  Feb.  25,  then 
to  Tulsa,  for  the  opening  at  the  Del- 
man  on  March  3.  He  will  then  go 
to  Tucson  to  finalize  plans  for  an 
opening  at  the  Catalina  Theatre  on 
March  4,  from  Tucson  to  Detroit  to 
activate  the  campaign  for  an  opening 
at  the  Adams  Theatre  on  March  13, 
and  then  to  Cleveland  to  set  plans  for 
an  opening  at  the  Hippodrome  on 
'March  20. 


Spearheaded  by  strong  openings 
and  "Tonight  We  Sing,"  grosses  at 
robust  level  this  week,  aided  by  the 
office  take  would  have  been  greater 
and  rain  Sunday. 

A  terrific  $125,000  is  due  to  be 
racked  up  by  "Peter  Pan,"  currently 
in  its  first  week,  at  the  Roxy  which 
also  features  an  ice  show.  At  the  Cap- 
itol, the  first  week  of  "Moulin  Rouge" 
is  forecast  to  hit  a  very  big  $110,000. 
The  first  seven  days  of  "Tonight  We 
Sing"  at  Radio  City  Music  Hall  is 
expected  to  register  a  good  $140,000. 

Another  excellent  grosser,  "The 
Stooge,"  at  the  Paramount,  is  due  to 
do  $113,000  for  its  second  week.  At 
the  Rivoli,  a  good  $21,0000  is  indi- 
cated for  the  third  week  of  "The 
Star."  Still  holding  up  strong  is 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen"  at  the 
Criterion,  where  a  substantial  $29,200 
is  indicated  for  the  13th  week. 

"Mississippi  Gambler"  will  bow  out 
of  Loew's  State  tomorrow  with  a  nice 
$22,000  seen  for  its  third  and  final 
week.  The  Natural  Vision  three-di- 
mensional "Bwana  Devil"  is  the 
State's  next  attraction.  The  Stereo 
Techniques  three-dimensional  pro- 
gram at  the  Globe  is  expected  to  close 
with  a  mild  $13,500'  for  its  second 
week.  The  Italian  import  "Anna"  will 
have  its  premiere  tomorrow  at  the 
Globe. 

Holding  up  nicely  are  "Road  to 
Bali"  at  the  Astor  and  "Come  Back, 
Little  Sheba"  at  the  Victoria.  A 
steady  $24,000  is  seen  for  the  third 
week  of  "Road  to  Bali"  and  a  fine 
$22,000  is  predicted  for  the  eighth 
week  of  "Come  Back,  Little  Sheba." 
A  very  good  $32,000  is  seen  for  the 
third  week  of  "Above  and  Beyond"  at 
the  Mavfair. 


for  "Moulin  Rouge,"  "Peter  Pan," 
most  Broadway  situations  rose  to  a 
Lincoln  Birthday  holiday.  The  box- 
had  it  not  been  for  the  steady  wind 


Danny  Kaye  to  Remain 
At  Palace  for  Easter 

Danny  Kaye  and  his  "All-Star  In- 
ternational Show"  will  remain  at  the 
RKO  Palace  here  through  Easter 
week,  it  was  disclosed  here  yesterday. 

Kaye's  two-a-day  engagement, 
which  began  Jan.  18,  has  proven  to 
be  a  standing  room  only  hit  practically 
since  it  opened.  For  his  first  11  per- 
formances, Kaye  grossed  $62,000 — an 
all-time  Palace  record. 


National  Tour  For 
"Robe"  Paintings 

A  national  tour  of  Dean  Cornwell's 
oil  paintings  depicting  story  highlights 
of  Loyd  C.  Douglas'  novel,  "The 
Robe,"  will  be  launched  next  week, 
coinciding  with  the  start  of  production 
in  CinemaScope  of  the  picture.  The 
eight  large  canvasses  will  have  a  pre- 
miere showing  at  Bamberger's  depart- 
ment store  in  Newark  on  Tuesday, 
followed  by  an  exhibition  at  the 
Davidson-Paxon  store  in  Atlanta. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox,  producer 
of  "The  Robe,"  has  announced  that 
it  has  received  requests  to  exhibit  the 
paintings  from  leading  shops  and  gal- 
leries throughout  the  country.  "The 
Robe"  will  be  the  first  made  with  the 
CinemaScope  process. 


Screen  Writers  List 
Story  Contestants 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16.  —  Fifteen 
authors  of  screen  plays  released  dur- 
ing 1952  were  nominated  here  by  the 
Screen  Writers  Guild  for  the  best- 
written  films  of  the  year.  The  win- 
ners in  three  categories — comedy, 
musical  and  drama — will  be  presented 
with  awards  at  the  annual  SWG 
ceremony  at  the  Hollywood  Palladium 
on  March  10. 

Ruth  Gordon,  Broadway  actress- 
writer  and  her  husband,  Garson 
Kanin,  had  two  nominations  in  the 
best-written  American  comedy  cate- 
gory :  "The  Marrying  Kind,"  for  Co- 
lumbia, and  "Pat  and  Mike,"  for 
M-G-M. 

The  comedy  group  also  includes 
Stanley  Kramer's  "The  Happy  Time," 
a  Broadway  play  adapted  for  the 
screen  by  Earl  Felton,  and  Republic's 
"The  Quiet  Man,"  written  by  Frank 
S.  Nugent. 

"Come  Back,  Little  Sheba,"  pro- 
duced on  the  stage  by  the  Theatre 
Guild  and  adapted  for  the  screen  by 
Ketti  Frings,  was  one  of  five  nomi- 
nations for  the  best-written  drama. 

The  best  written  American  musical 
category  includes  Sam  Goldwyn's 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen,"  screen 
play  by  Moss  Hart ;  "Singing  in  the 
Rain,"  M-G-M  film  with  story  and 
screen  play  by  Adolph  Green  and 
Betty  Comden,  and  "Where's  Char- 
ley?" Warner  film  based  on  the 
Broadway  musical  screen  play  by 
John  Monks  Jr. 


"/  Confess"  Draws 
Big  in  Canada 

In  Quebec,  where  "I  Confess,"  War- 
ner Brothers,  had  a  dual  world  pre- 
miere last  Thursday,  the  picture 
grossed  $7,198  for  the  first  four  days 
at  the  Capitol  Theatre  and  drew 
$2,967  for  the  first  four  days  at  the 
Cartier.  In  Montreal,  where  the  pic- 
ture opened  the  day  following  the 
world  premiere,  at  the  Palace  Thea- 
tre, "I  Confess"  pulled  $11,738  in  the 
first  three  days. 

Meanwhile,  the  Mystery  Writers  of 
America  will  honor  director  Alfred 
Hitchcock  and  Anne  Baxter,  one  of 
the  stars  of  the  picture,  at  a  special 
showing  of  the  film  today  in  New 
York. 


Ainsworth  Buys  Film 

Hollywood,  Feb.  16. — Sam  Nathan- 
son,  distribution  head  of  Helen  Ains- 
worth Corp.,  announced  the  acqui- 
sition of  release  rights  in  this  country 
and  Canada  for  "Stolen  Identity,"  a 
feature  produced  in  Vienna  bv  Turhan 
Bey. 


Reynolds  to  Star  in 
'Brotherhood'  Play 
At  Thursday  Dinner 


A  dramatic  tableaux,  "The  ABC's 
of  Brotherhood,"  with  a  cast  includ- 
ing Quentin  Reynolds,  Ben  Grauer, 
John  Cameron  Swayze,  Mel  Allen, 
Bob  Considine  and  Bill  Hayes  will  be 
presented  on  Thursday  night  at  the 
Hotel  Waldorf-Astoria  here.  Writ- 
ten by  Morton  Sunshine,  the  tableaux 
will  be  a  feature  of  the  amusement 
industry's  dinner  saluting  "Brother- 
hood Week"  and  honoring  seven 
leaders  in  the  field  of  communications. 

Sol  A.  Schwartz,  national  chair- 
man for  the  industry's  participation 
in  Brotherhood  Week,  sponsored  by 
the  National  Conference  of  Christians 
and  Jews,  said  that  leaders  in  the 
amusement  industry  will  fill  the  main 
ballroom  of  the  Waldorf-Astoria  to 
honor  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  Walter  D. 
Fuller,  John  Golden,  William  Ran- 
dolph Hearst,  Jr.,  Jack  R.  Howard, 
Danny  Kaye  and  David  Sarnoff. 

Nine  hundred  motion  picture  thea- 
tres in  the  Metropolitan  New  York 
area  are  participating  in  Brotherhood 
Week,  which  will  end  Sunday  night. 
Every  theatre  is  displaying  an  honor 
roll  and  patrons  are  invited  to  sign 
it  as  their  pledge  to  promote  harmony 
among  all  Americans. 


Shapiro  in  Top  Spot 
At  N.Y.  Paramount 


Promotion  of  Robert  K.  Shapiro  to 
the  post  of  executive  manager  of  the 
Paramount  Theatre  here  was  an- 
nounced yesterday  by  Leonard  Gold- 
enson,  president  of  American  Broad- 
casting-Paramount Theatres.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  physical  operation  of  the 
house,  a  post  he  has  held  since  1941, 
Shapiro  will  have  full  charge  of  the 
stage  and  screen  programs.  Shapiro 
first  went  n>  the  theatre  as  an  usher. 

Eugene  Pleshette,  mnager  of  the 
Brooklyn  Paramount  since  1945,  has 
been  promoted  to  executive  manager 
of  that  theatre. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


Tonight  We  Sing" 

Ezio  PINZA  .  Roberta  PETERS 
Tarnara  TOUMANOVA  .  David  WAYNE 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  20th  Century- Fox  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION* 


JERR/ 


MARTIN  HEMS 
THE 

STOOGE 

 A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  Ftarurt 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane.  Editor:  Terry  Ramsave,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  February  17,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Name  Robbins 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Feb.  24,  at  a  meeting  at  the  Hotel 
Astor  which  will  feature  the  appear- 
ance of  Dr.  Arthur  Lelyveld,  national 
director  of  B'nai  B'rith's  Hillel 
Foundations. 

Nominated  for  vice-presidents  are 
Marvin  Kirsch,  Moses  L.  Kove,  Mil- 
ton Livingston,  Joseph  Maharam,  Sol 
Rissner,  Cy  Seymour,  Robert  K. 
Shapiro,  Al  Wilde  and  Lou  Wolff. 
All  are  present  incumbents. 

Jack  H.  Hoffberg  has  been  nomi- 
nated for  treasurer,  David  Kelton  for 
secretary  and  Levine  for  chaplain. 
Nominated  for  trustees  are  Max  B. 
Blackman,  Julius  M.  Collins,  Harold 
L.  Danson,  Leo  Jaffe,  Louis  A. 
Novins  and  Arthur  H.  Schwartz. 


Review 


Yates  Predicts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


is  being  placed  on  the  regional  sales 
managers. 

A  dividend  of  25  cents  on  preferred 
stock,  payable  April  1  to  stockholders 
of  record  on  March  9,  was  declared 
by  the  board. 

A  testimonial  dinner  to  Grainger 
upon  his  resignation  to  become  presi- 
dent of  RKO  Radio  will  be  held  next 
month.  It  had  been  planned  to  hold 
the  affair  this  month. 


Promoting  'Fair  Wind' 

A  full  color  page  caricature  of  the 
stars  of  Republic's  "Fair  Wind  to 
Java"  will  appear  on  the  front  cover 
of  the  Feb.  22  issue  of  Pictorial  Re- 
view. 


All  Ashore 

(Columbia)) 

THE  zaney  adventures  of  three  sailors  on  leave  on  Catalina  Island,  inter- 
spersed with  a  song  and  dance  here  and  there,  add  up  to  relaxing  enter- 
tainment. The  trio  consists  of  Mickey  Rooney,  Dick  Haymes  and  Ray  Mc- 
Donald whose  romantic  adventures  are  linked  with  Peggy  Ryan,  Barbara 
Bates  and  Jody  Lawrence.  The  picture  has  been  tailored  strictly  for  fun  by 
producer  Jonie  Taps  and  director  Richard  Quine  and  scripted  by  Quine  and 
Blake  Edwards. 

Rooney  is  the  fall  guy  of  his  two  buddies  who  push  all  the  unsavory  jobs 
on  to  him.  Therefore,  Rooney  always  is  lonely  and  dejected,  while  his  pals 
are  busy  with  dates  and  having  a  lot  of  fun.  When  Rooney  finally  meets  a 
girl  he  likes,  Miss  Lawrence,  it  isn't  long  before  she  is  appropriated.  But 
Rooney  becomes  a  hero  and  turns  the  tide  on  his  buddies  when,  while  motor- 
boating  with  Miss  Bates,  the  craft  has  a  mishap  and  is  lost  and  the  pair  are 
marooned  on  an  isolated  part  of  the  island.  A  search  party  combs  the  bay 
and  vicinity,  but  Rooney  and  his  girl  make  a  dramatic  return. 

"All  Ashore"  rolls  along  at  a  good  pace  and  should  be  popular  fare  with 
the  average  fan.  Haymes  supplies  most  of  the  song  numbers.  The  picture 
was  framed  in  color  by  Technicolor. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Fay  Roopes,  Jean  Wiles,  Rica  Owen,  Patricia  Walker, 
Edwin  Parker,  Dick  Crockett,  Frank  Kreig,  Ben  Welden,  Gloria  Pall  and 
Joan  Shawlee. 

Running  time,  80  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


UA  Names  Blumofe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


See  more... do  more- 
enjoy  the  best  for  less! 

FLY  TWA 
to  EUROPE  in 
THRIFT  SEASON 

and  SAVE! 

You  can  save  more  than  $100 
on  a  TWA  ticket  to  Europe 
and  return  (th  rough 
March  31).  See  your  travel 
agent  or  call  Trans  World 
Airlines. 

ACROSS    THE    U.S.    AND    OVERSEAS  .  .  . 

FLY- 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING  . . . 

FILMACK  CIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK    1  ^  | 
TRAILERS  ^BWI 

with  independent  producers  whose 
films  are  released  by  United  Artists, 
Krim  said.  In  recent  years,  United 
Artists  has  had  no  West  Coast  repre- 
sentative. 

Blumofe  Background 

In  announcing  the  appointment, 
Krim  expressed  his  gratitude  to  Lew 
Wasserman,  president  of  MCA,  for 
his  cooperation  in  releasing  Blumofe 
from  MCA. 

A  member  of  the  New  York  and 
California  bars,  Blumofe  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  Columbia  University  Law 
School.  He  entered  the  motion  pic- 
ture field  in  1939  as  attorney  for 
Paramount  Pictures  in  New  York. 
In  1941,  he  moved  to  Paramount's 
Hollywood  offices,  serving  as  an  at- 
torney there  until  January  of  last 
year,  when  he  joined  MCA. 


UA  Anniversary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


actual  anniversary  date,  the  company's 
celebration  is  being  held  tomorrow  to 
coincide  with  the  New  York  premiere 
of  "Bwana  Devil,"  the  first  full-length 
three-dimensional  feature  picture. 

One  feature  of  the  anniversary  cele- 
bration will  be  a  round-the-world 
telephone  conference  among  members 
of  the  Krim  management  group. 
Krim  will  participate  in  the  confer- 
ence from  Hollywood,  where  he  is 
currently  holding  a  series  of  confer- 
ences with  independent  producers 
making  films  for  United  Artists  re- 
lease. Picker,  vice  president  in  charge 
of  foreign  distribution,  will  join  the 
talk  from  London.  Benjamin,  Heine- 
man,  Youngstein  and  Fox  will  take 
part  from  the  company's  New  York 
headquarters. 


Owen  Opens 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


cussion  of  Paramount's  "Sangaree," 
the  first  major  picture  to  be  made  in 
three-dimension  in  Technicolor. 
Among  other  films  which  Owen  will 
discuss  are  "The  Stooge,"  "The  Stars 
Are  Singing,"  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba,"  "Off  Limits,"  "The  Girls  of 
Pleasure  Island,"  "Pony  Express," 
"War  of  the  Worlds,"  "Jamaica  Run" 
and  "Shane." 


A.  Kent  Craig  Heads 
Hamilton  Managers 

Toronto,  Feb.  16. — One  of  the  old- 
est and  most  active  exhibitor  organ- 
izations in  Canada,  the  Hamilton, 
Out.,  Theatre  Managers  Association, 
has  elected  the  following  officers : 

President,  A.  Kent  Craig,  Avalon 
Theatre ;  vice-president,  Oscar  Lang, 
Delta,  secretary-treasurer,  Mrs.  Jean 
Ford.  Directors  named  were  J.  P. 
McDonough,  Tivoli ;  Jack  Hunter,  Jr., 
Queen's ;  Paul  Turnbull,  Granada ; 
Andrew  McDougall,  Capitol. 


Construction 
Controls  Seen 
Off  by  June  30 


Washington,  Feb.  16.  —  The 
Administration  has  given  strong 
indication  that  theatre  construction 
controls  would  be  completely  elim- 
inated after  June  30  and  might  be 
relaxed  considerably  before  then. 

This  was  the  implication  made 
in  a  statement  by  acting  De- 
fense Mobilizer  Arthur  Flem- 
ming  that  the  government's 
Controlled  Materials  Plan,  un- 
der which  the  government  allots 
steel,  copper  and  aluminum  to 
theatre  equipment  manufactur- 
ers and  other  essentials  users 
of  these  materials,  would  be 
continued  through  the  30th. 
Observers  felt  that  the  obvious 
purport  of  Flemming's  remarks 
was  that  CMP  and  most  other 
allocation  controls  would  not 
be  continued  after  that  date. 

Only  limited  allocations  \controls 
over  a  few  very  scarce  metals  and 
chemicals  will  be  continued  after 
June  30,  it  is  believed.  Flemming 
also  announced  that  manufacturers 
would  be  free  to  scramble  between 
now  and  June  30  for  any  steel,  copper 
and  aluminum  left  over  after  defense 
needs  have  been  met.  It  was  be- 
lieved that  similar  privileges  might 
have  to  be  given  shortly  to  construc- 
tion projects. 


BOSTON 


is  carrying  a 
color  page  on . 

JOHN  HUSTON'S 


PRE-RELEASE  EXHIBITIO 


|t»  BEGINNING  MAY  20TH 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  17,  1953 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

with  RAY  GALLOm>  . 


Para's  3-D  'Impressive 


WB  'Holders 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


4  TOTAL  of  29  recording  licensee 
r\.  agreements  were  completed  dur- 
ing 1952  by  the  Westrex  Corp.,  New 
York.  Twelve  installations  of  the  lat- 
est Western  Electric  and  Westrex 
motion  picture  studio  photographic, 
magnetic  and  disk  recording  equip- 
ment were  made  last  year  by  new 
licensees  in  the  United  States,  four  in 
India,  three  in  Indonesia,  two  each  in 
Japan,  Brazil  and  France,  and  one  in 
England,  Malaya,  Taiwan  and  Italy, 
according  to  E.  S.  Gregg,  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  manager. 

« 

The  St.  Louis  Theatre  Supply  Co., 
headed  by  Arch  Hosier,  has  been 
named  a  distributor  for  Supurdis- 
play,  Inc.,  Specialty  Division  of  Mil- 
waukee. The  company  will  handle 
the  "Butter-Mat"  butter  dispenser, 
the  "Buttercup"  buttered  popcorn 
container  and  a  complete  line  of 
"Buttercup"  sales  and  utility  acces- 
sories. 

• 

H.  MacGregor  Tuttle,  Jr.,  has  been 
appointed  manager  of  the  field  _  and 
promotion  department  of  the  National- 
Confectioners'  Association,  Chicago, 
according  to  Philip  G.  Gott,  president. 
Tuttle  will  work  through  committees 
on  promotion  and  merchandising  of 
confectionery  and  also  devote  atten- 
tion to  state  legislative  problems  ('hat 
affect  the  industry. 

• 

For  the  care  of  drive-in  grounds, 
Andres  Sprinklers  of  Hollywood  is 
marketing  a  new  plastic  sprinkler  hose 
which  performs  the  double  duty  of  a 
soaker  on  the  reverse  side.  It  is  de- 
signed to  spray  an  area  more  than  12 
feet  wide  by  500  feet  long  at  average 
water  pressure.  It  can  be  shaped  to 
fit  the  contour  of  any  landscaping, 
being  adaptable  to  twining  around 
flower  beds  as  well  as  just  lying 
straight  on  the  lawn. 

• 

A  new  development  in  supported 
plastic  upholstery  material  —  "Ny- 
lonized  Boltaflex"  —  is  now  being 
produced  in  a  deep-moulded  "poin- 
settia  pattern,"  according  to  an 
announcement  from  Bolta,  Law- 
rence, Mass.  Previously  it  had  been 
available  in  a  "leather-like"  bur- 
nished top-grain  finish.  The  fabric 
has  a  face  sheet  of  standard  20- 
gauge  Boltaflex  plastic  supported 
by  a  non-woven  backing  consisting 
primarily  of  nylon  and  wool  fibres. 
• 

For  indoor  and  drive-in  theatre  re- 
freshment service  the  Ajax  Corp.  of 
America,  Evansville,  Ind.,  has  a  newly 
redesigned  ice  cube  maker  with  a  pro- 
duction capacity  of  350  pounds  of  ice 
cubes  daily.  Trade-named  the  "Elec- 
tric Iceman"  the  unit  freezes  ice 
cubes  in  individual  compartments  de- 
signed to  provide  cubes  identical  in 
•  size,  shape  and  clearness.  The  cubes 
drop  into  a  heavily  insulated,  ivaist- 
high  storage  bin  for  easy  access. 
• 

Sam  E.  Rich  has  been  elected  vice- 
president  of  the  Sweets  Co.  of  Amer- 
ica, Inc.,  Hoboken.  N.  J.,  manufac- 
turers of  Tootsie  Rolls. 


achieved  by  the  process  was 
extraordinarily  realistic.  The 
color  by  Technicolor  enhanced 
the  excitement  on  the  screen. 

The  scenes  were  uncorrelated  and 
brief,  yet  such  effects  as  a  man 
knocked  over  a  bar,  the  size  of  a 
room,  and  the  breadth  of  a  landscape 
were  impressive.  No  trick  shots  to 
startle  an  audience  were  shown.  The 
"throwaway"  polarized  spectacles  did 
not  detract  to  any  degree  from  the 
brightness  of  the  screen. 

In  a  brief  introductory  address, 
Russell  Holman,  studio  production 
representative,  said  that  Paramount 
is  ready  to  start  production  on  two 
more  Technicolor  features  in  three- 
dimensional  and  conventional  proc- 
esses. Under  the  Paramount  system, 
both  processes  are  photographed  si- 
multaneously. The  two  new  films, 
he  said,  would  be:  "Those  Sisters 
from  Seattle,"  starring  Rhonda  Flem- 
ing and  Gene  Barry,  and  "Red  Gar- 
ters," starring  Rosemary  Clooney  and 
Anna  Maria  Alberghetti. 

Holman  called  the  advent  of  three- 
dimensional  films  "the  most  stimulat- 
ing development  to  hit  Hollywood" 
since  sound.  "The  time  and  talent 
of  its  entire  creative  personnel,  from 
the  studio  heads,  Y.  Frank  Freeman 
and  Don  Hartman,  plus  Adolph 
Zukor,  on  down,  are  being  focused 
upon  it." 

He  added  that  the  Paramount 
research  laboratory,  under  the 
direction  of  Loren  Ryder,  is 
working  day  and  night  upon  the 
technical  problems.  "Already 
the  results  have  proven  amaz- 
ing possibilities  and  when  put 
into  practical  use  in  the  near 
future,  these  findings  will  open 
up  new  frontiers  in  the  produc- 
tion and  exhibition  of  three- 
dimension  motion  pictures," 
Holman  declared. 

"Sangaree,"  which  stars  Arlene 
Dahl  and  Fernando  Lamas;  will  be 
released  in  May,  both  in  its  three- 
dimensional  and  conventional  form,  it 
was  disclosed. 

William  H.  Pine,  co-producer  of 
"Sangaree"  in  a  brief  address  re- 
minded the  audience  of  several  hun- 
dred New  York  and  Eastern  exhib- 
itors, circuit  executives,  distribution 
leaders,  press  representatives,  and 
others  that  the  footage  was  rough, 
uncut,  unedited  sequences. 


Says  All  Systems 
Can  Be  Converted 

Minneapolis,  Feb.  16.— O.  E. 
Maxwell,  operating  head  of 
Northwest  Sound  Service,  re- 
ports that  a  survey  by  his 
company's  engineers  indicates 
that  every  type  of  theatre 
sound  system  presently  in  use 
can  be  converted  to  handle 
the  Natural  Vision  method  of 
three  dimension  film  projec- 
tion. 

Maxwell  emphasized  that  in 
any  event  the  power  supply 
must  be  adequate  to  carry 
two  arc  lamps. 


3-D  Screen  Orders 
In  60-Day  Backlog; 
600-800  on  File 


RKO  Meets 

(Continued  fror 


page  1) 


delphia  on  Thursday  and  then  return 
to  his  New  York  headquarters. 

Walter  Branson,  assistant  general 
sales  manager,  will  leave  New  York 
Monday  to  attend  sales  meetings  in 
Chicago,  Feb.  24  and  March  3 ; 
Kansas  City  on  Feb.  25  ;  Los  Angeles, 
Feb.  27 ;  Toronto,  March  4,  and  New 
York  on  March  5.  The  drive  will  be 
aimed  at  booking  RKO  product  in 
every  theatre,  in  every  territory,  dur- 
ing each  of  the  drive's  16  weeks. 

Twenty-three  RKO  pictures  on 
which  the  drive  will  be  centered  are : 
"Blackbeard,  the  Pirate,"  "Split 
Second,"  "Angel  Face,"  "Break-Up," 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen,"  "Andro- 
cles  and  the  Lion,"  "Never  Wave  at  a 
Wac,"  "Peter  Pan,"  "The  Hitch- 
Hiker,"  "Count  the  Hours,"  "The 
Sea  Around  Us,"  "Sea  Devils,"  "Be- 
low the  Sahara"  and  others. 


Although    the    manufacturers  of 
metallic  screens  for  the  presentation 
of  tri-dimensional  pictures  are  step 
ping  up  their  production  to  capacity, 
dealers  cannot  promise  delivery  for 
60  days  because  of  the  backlog  of 
orders,  a  checkup  disclosed  here  yes^ 
terday.   It  is  estimated  that  the  deal 
ers  have  between  600  and  800  orders 
on  hand  for  the  screens,  with  ap 
proximately    100    already  installed 
nationally. 

Dealers  expect  the  orders  to  reach 
the  3,000-mark  within  90  days, 
although  some  success  has  been 
achieved  by  spraying  ordinary  screens 
with  a  metalized  coating. 

The  backlog  in  order  also  extends 
to  other  3-D  equipment  such  as  maga 
zines  and  electric  motors. 


Conversion  Costs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


stock.  According  to  the  tabula- 
tion compiled  here,  which  was 
called  "unofficial,"  the  two- 
thirds  vote  needed  has  been  met 
in  the  flood  of  proxy  returns. 

The  amended  plan  of  reorganiza- 
tion was  proposed  to  stockholders 
following  the  deal  between  Fabian 
and  Brothers  Warner,  under  which 
Fabian  purchased  the  stock  in  the 
new  Warner  theatre  company  of  the 
three  Warners  and  their  families.  Ac- 
cording to  the  plan,  which  follows  the 
terms  of  the  consent  decree,  the  di- 
vorce of  exhibition  from  production- 
distribution  will  be  effected  at  the 
close  of  business  on  Feb.  28.  Broth- 
ers Warner  will  retain  their  stock 
control  and  their  positions  with  the 
new  production-distribution  firm. 

Today's  annual  meeting  in  Wilm- 
ington, in  addition  to  passing  on  the 
amended  reorganization  plan,  will  also 
vote  on  the  reduction  of  the  capital  of 
the  corporation  and  the  recent  New 
York  Statutory  Court  order  provid- 
ing for  the  divestiture  of  a  number  of 
additional  theatres.  Directors  of 
neither  company  will  not  be  elected 
at  the  meeting.  The  slate  of  each 
company,  as  previously  reported  in 
Motion  Picture  Daily,  will  be  rati- 
fied by  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
parent  company  following  the  stock- 
holders meeting. 


Reed  Bill  Dampens 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


periments   in  spraying  older  screens 
with  metalized  coating  have  been  sue 
cessful.     This  was  done  at  Loew's 
State  here  and  will  be  done  in  Loew's 
neighborhoods. 

Magazines 

Because  large  reel  magazines  hold' 
ing  5,000  feet  of  film  are  necessary 
a  clearance  of  at  least  25  inches  be 
tween  the  upper  magazine  and  the 
front  wall  is  needed.  Therefore,  the 
machines  must  be  moved  back.  Brig- 
ham  said  that  exhibitors  contemplat- 
ing an  installation  should  put  in  a 
common  switch  immediately  for  both 
machines.  This  work,  he  said,  is  the 
most  difficult  part  of  the  conversion 
because  the  two  projectors  must  be 
interlocked  so  that  they  can  be  started 
simultaneously.  If  the  D.C.  supply 
is  not  enough  to  maintain  both  lamps 
continuously,  provision  must  be  made 
for  an  extra  rectifier  or  supply  to  do 
this,  Brigham  explained. 

Brigham  said  that  every  obstacle 
encountered  in  the  exhibition  of 
"Bwana  Devil"  had  been  overcome. 
As  to  the  showing  of  3-D  pictures  in 
drive-in  theatres,  Brigham  said  that 
at  present  the  lighting  is  not  sufficient 
but  that  this  situation  would  be  cor- 
1  rected  shortly. 


up  for  a  House  vote  for  quite  some 
time.  But  it  is  expected  that  the 
House  will  pass  it  sooner  or  later. 

It  is  considered  unlikely,  however, 
in  view  of  the  large  revenue  loss  in- 
volved in  the  Reed  bill  and  in  view 
of  the  attitude  of  Congressional  lead- 
ers and  Administration  officials  on  the 
importance  of  a  balanced  budget,  that 
House  tax  writers  will  want  to  ap- 
prove this  year  and  other  measures 
that  will  entail  large  loss  of  revenue, 
as  would  the  admissions  tax  bill. 

There  will  be  no  opportunity  to  try 
to  amend  the  Reed  bill  on  the  House 
floor  to  include  an  admissions  tax  cut, 
since  the  House  normally  considers 
tax  bills  under  a  rule  that  bars  any 
changes. 

Income  Tax  Cut 

The  Reed  bill  would  put  a  10  per 
cent  reduction  on  individual  income 
taxes  into  effect  six  months  earlier 
than  presently  scheduled,  on  June  30, 
1953,  instead  of  Dec.  31.  It  would 
also  let  the  30  per  cent  excess  profits 
tax  on  corporations  die  June  30,  1953, 
as  scheduled. 

A  Democratic  motion  to  hold  hear- 
ings on  the  Reed  bill  was  defeated  in 
the  Ways  and  Means  Committee  on 
a  15-10  party  line  vote. 

The  Ways  and  Means  Committee 
might  still  decide  to  hold  hearings 
later  in  the  session  on  general  tax 
reduction,  including  excises,  or  on 
specific  tax  cut  bills.  But  it  is  be- 
lieved likely  that  any  legislation  on 
this  subject  would  not  be  moved  until 
next  year. 

It  is  possible  that  when  the  House 
passed  the  Reed  bill,  the  Senate  Fi- 
nance Committee  might  decide  to 
amend  it  and  hold  hearings  on  excise 
tax  and  other  proposed  changes.  Here 
again,  however,  the  odds  are  the  other 
way  and  indicate  that  the  Senators 
will  be  disinclined  to  vote  for  any 
more  tax  reductions  this  year. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  33 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  18,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


111.  Allied  Fears 
Film  Turnover 
lo  lelevision 


Unit  Calls  On  Company 
Heads  to  'Ponder*  Move 


Chicago,  Feb.  17. — Current  ru- 
mors to  the  effect  that  major  com- 
panies would  dispose  of  their  back- 
log of  regular  motion  pictures  to 
television  drew  the  fire  of  Allied 
Theatres  of  Illinois  here  today.  The 
unit  branded  the  reports  as  a  "dis- 
turbing factor  that  may  well  shatter 
the  high  hopes  which  exhibitors  hold 
out  for  the  success  of  three  dimen- 
sion." 

"If  the  industry  is  to  enter 
upon  an  orderly  process  of  con- 
version to  3-D,  a  development  in 
which  the  public  is  displaying 
great  interest,"  the  unit's  board 
said  in  a  formal  statement,  "and 
if  this  new  medium  of  present- 
ing motion  pictures  is  to  mean 
anything  in  bolstering  the  fu- 
ture of  motion  picture  theatres, 
then  the  greatest  mistake  that 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Sees  3-D  Without 
Glasses  Distant 


Three-dimensional  films  without 
glasses  arc  "not  around  the  corner," 
Farciot  Edouart,  of  the  Paramount 
studios'  scientific  department,  said 
here  yesterday  in  an  effort  to  clarify 
the  company's  3-D  stand  in  answer  to 
exhibitor  questions.  William  H.  Pine, 
Paramount  producer,  also  present  at 
the  conference,  said  that  standardiza- 
tion in  three-dimensional  processes 
was  necessary   and  possible  because 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Offers  100%  Deal 
For  "Peter  Pan" 

Boston,  Feb.  17.— The  mil- 
lenium  has  come!  A  subse- 
quent-run exhibitor  here,  who 
is  in  strong  competition  with 
another  theatre,  has  offered 
RKO  Radio  a  deal  whereby  he 
will  give  the  distributor  100 
per  cent  of  the  gross  of  "Peter 
Pan."  The  reason:  The  the- 
atre doubles,  triples  and  some- 
times quadruples  the  popcorn 
and  candy  sales  when  playing 
Walt  Disney  product. 


President  Condemns  Any  Tax  Cut  That 
Would  Throw  Budget  Out  of  Balance 

Washington,  Feb.  17. — President  Eisenhower  today  made  his 
strongest  statement  yet  against  any  early  tax  cut. 

While  no  mention  was  made  of  any  specific  taxes,  the  President's 
statement,  made  at  his  first  press  conference,  was  broad  enough 
to  cover  the  admission  tax  or  any  other  tax  involving  a  sizeable 
loss  of  revenue.  The  President  said  flatly  that  there  should  be  no 
tax  cuts  until  government  income  and  spending  can  be  seen  to  be 
plainly  in  balance. 

The  President  said  he  would  not  agree  to  ending  the  excess 
profits  tax  June  30  unless  other  revenue  was  provided  to  make 
up  the  loss.  He  would  not  say,  however,  that  he  would  veto  a 
specific  tax  cutting  bill  sent  him  by  Congress. 

President  Eisenhower  said  the  Administration's  aim  evidently  is 
tax  reduction  but  budget  balancing  must  come  first. 


Extensive  Promotions  Stem 
From  Merger  of  UPT-ABC 

The  merger  of  United  Paramount  Theatres  and  American  Broadcast- 
ing Co.  has  resulted  in  several  promotions  within  the  organization  of 
the  parent  company,  American  Broadcasting-Paramount  Theatres.  These 
promotions  and  transfers  were  announced  here  yesterday  by  Leonard  H. 

Goldenson,   president   of   the  parent 


Republic  Net  Profit 

At  $759,603;  Rises 
$113,199  Over  1951 


A  net  income  of  $759,603  after  pro- 
viding for  Federal  income  taxes  was 
reported  here  yesterday  by  Republic 
Pictures  and  its  subsidiaries  for  the 
year  ended  Oct.  25,  1952.  This  con- 
solidated net  profit  represented  an  in- 
crease of  $113,199  over  1951,  when  net 
earnings  amounted  to  $646,404. 

Income  for  1952  totalled  $1,582,603 
before  Federal  taxes,  which  amounted 
to  $823,000. 

Gross  revenue  for  the  last  fiscal  year 
amounted  to  $33,085,510,  a  slight  drop 
from  the  previous  period's  gross  of 
$33,085,612. 

In  a  letter  to  stockholders,  presi- 
(Coutinued  on  page  6) 


Chicago  Drive-ins 
Hit  Government  Suit 


Chicago,  Feb.  17. — Main  arguments 
of  briefs  filed  today  by  drive-in  attor- 
neys in  reply  to  government  briefs  in 
the  appeal  of  Federal  Judge  Barnes' 
dismissal  of  the  government's  anti- 
trust suit  charging  Chicago  area  drive- 
ins  with  price-fixing  are  that :  Ex- 
hibitors are  not  engaged  in  interstate 
commerce,  nor  do  their  actions  affect 
interstate  commerce ;  and,  any  so- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


company.  The  changes  involve  the 
moving  of  Earl  Hudson  to  Hollywood 
as  vice-president  of  the  Western 
division  and  the 
naming  of  Har- 
old Brown  as 
president  o  f 
United  Detroit 
Theatres. 

Robert  H. 
O'Brien,  who 
had  been  secre- 
tary and  treas- 
urer of  the 
theatre  com- 
pany, becomes 
financial  vice- 
president  and 
Earl  Hudson  secretary  of  the 

parent  c  o  m  - 
pany,  ABC-UPT.  He  also  moves 
over  to  American  Broadcasting,  which 
will  function  as  a  separate  division, 
as  executive  vice-president.  Robert 
Kintner,  formerly  president  of  ABC, 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


General  Clay  Joins 
Zukor  Committee 


General  Lucius  D.  Clay,  USA 
(ret.),  former  Military  Governor  of 
Germany,  has  accepted  membership  on 
the  honorary  committee  for  the 
Adolph  Zukor  Golden  Jubilee  dinner 
on  March  4,  at  the  Hotel  Waldorf- 
Astoria  here,  it  was  announced  yes- 
terday by  Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of 
the  dinner  committee,  and  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell,  international  chairman  of 
(Continued  on  page  4)  , 


WB  'Holders 
Approve  Plan 
Of  New  Setup 

To  Decide  on  Dividends 
At  Meeting  in  March 


Wilmington,  Del.,  Feb.  17. — ■ 
Stockholders  of  Warner  Brothers 
Pictures,  at  their  annual  meeting 
here  today,  voted  to  adopt  a  series 
of  four  resolutions  which,  in  effect, 
approved  the  amended  plan  of  reor- 
ganization of  the  corporation  and 
effected  the  divorcement  of  its  theatre 
assets  in  the  U.  S.  from  its  produc- 
tion-distribution assets.  This  was 
done  by  a  transfer  to  two  new  com- 
panies of  all  assets  of  the  corporation 
in  exchange  for  all  outstanding  stock 
of  the  two  new  firms. 

The  producing  and  distributing- 
company  will  retain  the  name  of 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  while 
the  new  theatre  company  will  be 
known  as  Stanley- Warner  Corp. 

It  was  recorded  at  the  meet- 
ing that  the  brothers  Warner 
have  decided  to  retain  the  stock 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Ramsay  in  UI  Ad 
Post  with  Lipton 

Clark  Ramsay  has  resigned  as  vice- 
president  of  the  Monroe  Greenthal 
Advertising  Agency  to  accept  a 
newly-created  executive  post  under 
David  A.  Lipton,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising  and  publicity  for 
Universal-International.  Ramsay  will 
handle  the  company's  national  adver- 

(Continurd  on  page  6) 


Newsreelers  Cover 
Ike's  1st  Press  Meet 

Washington,  Feb.  17. — News- 
reel  photographers  were  per- 
mitted today  to  shoot  without 
sound  the  opening  of  Presi- 
dent Eisenhower's  first  press 
conference. 

Television  cameras  were  not 
allowed  in,  but  White  House 
spokesmen  have  said  that 
both  newsreels  and  television 
cameras  will  probably  be  able 
to  give  full  coverage  to  subse- 
quent Presidential  press  con- 
ferences, a  precedent  insofar 
as  regular  Presidential  press 
confabs  are  concerned. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  18,  1953 


ABC-UPT  Capital  Stock 
Listed  at  $17,160,940 


Personal 
Mention 

GERALD  SHEA,  Shea  Circuit 
president,  will  return  here  over 
the  weekend  from  a  tour  of  the  com- 
pany's Western  theatres. 

• 

Harry  Foster,  Columbia  produc- 
tion executive,  and  Mrs.  Foster  an- 
nounce the  engagement  of  their  daugh- 
ter, Renee,  to  Jack  Young,  president 
of  the  Jack  Knit  Co. 

• 

George  D.  Burrows,  Allied  Art- 
ists .executive  vice-president  and 
treasurer,  has  returned  to  his  office  in 
Hollywood  after  a  three-week  busi- 
ness trip  in  New  York. 

• 

Ivan  Fuldauer,  M-G-M  field  divi- 
sion representative  in  Des  Moines, 
has  returned  to  his  headquarters  fol- 
lowing a  vacation  in  Miami  and  New 
York. 

• 

Mrs.  J.  Raymond  Bell,  wife  of 
the  Columbia  executive,  gave  birth  to 
a  daughter,  Crystal,  the  Bell's 
fourth  child. 

• 

Colton  Hand,  State  Department 
film  expert,  is  back  at  his  Washing- 
ton desk  after  a  three-week  siege  of 
pneumonia. 

• 

Emery  Austin,  assistant  to  Dan  S. 
Terrell  on  M-G-M  exploitation,  has 
returned  here  from  Atlanta  with  his 
family. 

• 

Joseph  Grant,  owner  of  the 
Northwood  Theatre  in  Baltimore,  is 
recovering  from  surgery  at  Johns 
Hopkins  Hospital. 

• 

M.  J.  Daly    of    the    Blue  Hills 
Drive-in   Theatre   Corp.,  Bloomfield, 
Conn.,  is  back  in   Hartford  follow- 
ing a  Florida  vacation  with  his  wife. 
• 

Rudy  Berger,  M-G-M  Southern 
sales  manager,  has  returned  to  his 
Washington  headquarters  from  a 
home  office  visit. 

• 

Jerome  Adams,  who  recently  re- 
signed as  M-G-M  Washington  branch 
manager,  will  move  to  San  Francisco 
with  his  family  in  April. 

• 

Samuel    Pinanski,    president  of 
American  Theatres  Corp.,  is  confined 
to  his  home  in  Boston  with  a  cold. 
• 

George   Cukor,   M-G-M  director, 
has  left  for  Paris  to  look  over  loca- 
tion sites  for  "One  More  Time." 
• 

John  P.  Byrne,  M-G-M  Eastern 
sales  manager,  has  returned  here  from 
a  tour  of  his  territory. 

• 

Gerald  McGlynn;,  M-G-M  Des 
Moines  manager,  is  vacationing. 


Named  Dinner  Head 

Dick  Dickson,  manager  of  the  Roxy 
Theatre  in  New  York,  was  chosen  to 
stage  the  Variety  Club  Humanitarian 
Award  Dinner  in  Mexico  City  on 
May  18.  Dickson  has  already  invited 
several  film  stars  to  appear. 


Albany,  Feb.  17. — A  certificate  of 
consolidation  of  American  Broadcast- 
ing Co.  and  United  Paramount  Thea- 
tres into  American  Broadcasting- 
Paramount  Theatres,  Inc.,  recorded 
with  the  Secretary  of  State,  showed 
its  authorized  capital  stock  is  $17,- 
160,940. 

The  certificate  said  that  "the  direc- 
tors of  each  constituent  corporation,  to 
the  end  that  greater  efficiency  and 
economy  in  the  management  of  the 
business  now  carried  on  by  each  cor- 
poration, do  deem  it  advisable  and 
generally  to  the  advantage  and  wel- 
fare of  said  corporations  and  their 
respective  stockholders,  that  United 
Paramount  Theatres,  Inc.,  merges 
itself  into  American  Broadcasting 
Company,  Inc." 

Among  the  corporation's  26  pur- 
poses is  to  acquire,  by  lease,  purchase, 
contract  or  otherwise,  and  to  own, 
manage,  lease,  operate  and  control 
motion  picture  studios,  film  branches 
or  exchanges,  warehouses,  store 
rooms,  laboratories,  developing  and 
printing  plants,  and  radio  and  tele- 
vision studios,  stations  and  facilities. 

The  number  of  directors  is  to  be 
not  less  than  five,  nor  more  than  18. 
They  need  not  be  stockholders. 
Authorized  to  fill  vacancies  until  the 
first  meeting  after  consolidation  are : 
Owen  J.  Young,  E.  J.  Noble,  R.  E. 
Kintner,  R.  H.  Hinckley  and  E.  E. 
Anderson. 

Capital  stock  is  divided  into  608,407 
shares  of  five  per  cent  preferred,  at 
$20  par  value  per  share,  and  5,000,000 
common,  at  $1  per  share.  ABC,  the 
certificate  revealed,  has  authority  to 
issue  2,500,000  shares  of  common 
stock  at  $1  par  value.  Its  number  of 
outstanding  shares  was  listed  as 
1,689,017.  UPT  has  authority  to 
issue  4,000,000  shares  of  common 
stock,  at  $1  par  value.  Its  total  of 
outstanding  snares  is  3,260,228. 

American  Broadcasting  System, 
Inc.,  registered  a  certificate  of  incor- 
poration with  the  Secretary  of  State 
in  Dover,  Del.,  on  March  13,  1943, 
adn  changed  the  corporate  name  to 
American  Broadcasting  Co.,  Inc.,  on 
Oct.  14,  1944.  United  Paramount 
Theatres,  Inc.,  registered  a  certificate 
with  the  Secretary  of  State  in  Albany, 
Nov.  15.  1949. 

Steve  Broidy  Heads 
Hollywood  Temple 

Hollywood,  Feb.  17. — Allied  Ar- 
tists president  Steve  Broidy  has  been 
elected  president  of  Temple  Israel  of 
Hollywood,  founded  27  years  ago  by 
members  of  the  film  industry. 

The  temple  will  be  host  Friday  to 
Roger  William  Straus  of  New  York, 
national  co-chairman  of  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and  Jews, 
who  will  be  the  principal  speaker  at 
the  "Brotherhood"  night  observation. 


Krueger  Film  for  UA 

Hollywood,  Feb.  17. — Independent 
producer  Carl  Krueger  will  make 
"Sabre  Jet,"  in  the  new  Cinecolor,  an 
original  based  on  the  present  daily  con- 


Promotions 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

will  be  president  of  that  division. 

Robert  M.  Weitman,  a  vice-presi- 
dent of  United  Paramount  Theatres, 
moves  over  to  ABC  as  vice-president 
in  charge  of  programming  and  talent. 
His  theatre  duties  as  consultant  for 
the  company's  Southern  theatres  will 
be  taken  over  by  Sidney  Markley 
who  assumes  the  new  post  in  addition 
to  the  duties  and  responsibilities  he 
now  has.  Edward  Hyman,  vice-presi- 
dent and  consultant  on  theatres  in  the 
North,  assumes  responsibility  for  the 
Philadelphia  theatres  formerly  han- 
dled by  Weitman. 

Weitman' s  duties  at  the  New  York 
and  Brooklyn  Paramount  theatres 
will  be  taken  over  in  New  York  by 
Robert  K.  Shapiro  who  is  promoted 
from  manager  to  executive  manager 
of  the  Broadway  house,  as  reported 
yesterday.  Eugene  Pleshette  is  pro- 
moted from  manager  of  the  Brooklyn 
Paramount  to  executive  manager. 

Simon  Siegel,  formerly  comptroller 
of  UPT,  moves  into  the  position  of 
treasurer  of  ABC-UPT.  J.  L. 
Brown,  assistant  treasurer,  becomes 
comptroller  and  assistant  treasurer, 
and  Edith  Schaffer  becomes  assistant 
secretary  of  the  parent  company. 
Herbert  Hahn,  in  charge  of  the  con- 
fection department,  retains  that  po- 
sition and  in  addition  becomes  assis- 
tant to  Markley. 

Hudson  was  president  of  United 
Detroit  Theatres,  a  subsidiary  com- 
pany. He  will  make  his  headquarters 
in  Hollywood. 

John  Mitchell,  who  has  been  man- 
ager of  television  station  WBKB  in 
Chicago,  becomes  manager  of  the 
Chicago  television  operations  for 
ABC. 


RKO  Radio  Doubles 
Exploitation  Force 


In  a  move  to  provide  current  and 
forthcoming  RKO  Radio  releases  with 
campaigns  "tailored"  for  individual 
engagements,  the  company  has  almost 
doubled  its  field  exploitation  forces, 
according  to  David  Cantor,  newly  ap- 
pointed home  office  exploitation  di- 
rector. 

Cooperating  with  exhibitors  in  set- 
ting local  promotions,  and  adapting 
national  promotions  to  local  situa- 
tions, the  RKO  field  staff  currently 
is  concentrating  on  openings  of  "An- 
gel Face,"  "Androcles  and  the 
Lion,"  "Blackbeard  the  Pirate," 
"Never  Wave  at  a  Wac"  and  pre- 
release engagements  of  "Hans  Chris- 
tian Andersen"  and  "Peter  Pan." 


flicts  between  UN  planes  and  Russian- 
built  MIGs  in  Korea,  for  United 
Artists  release,  the  producer  and  UA 
president  Arthur  Krim  jointly  an- 
nounced. Department  of  Defense  will 
give  full  cooperation.  Louis  King 
will  direct. 


See  US  Taking  Over 
Rank's  Denham  Lot 

London,  Feb.  17. — Tentative 
agreements  have  been  entered 
into  for  the  sale  of  the  lease 
of  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Denham 
studio,  dark  for  more  than  a 
year,  to  the  U.  S.  government, 
well-authenticated  sources 
here  assert. 

Design  of  the  contracts  is 
to  convert  the  former  Brit- 
ish film  production  plant  into 
a  storehouse  for  the  U.  S. 
Army. 


Eady  Plan  Still 
In  A  Stalemate 


London,  Feb.  17. — With  producer 
representatives  unable  to  estimate  the 
extent  of  their  output  in  1953-54  due 
to  the  uncertainty  in  the  Eady  posi- 
tion, the  Films  Council  has  decided 
by  a  small  majority  that  it  was  un- 
able to  give  advice  to  the  Board  of 
Trade  president  in  regard  to  the  quota 
for  the  new  year  commencing  in  Octo- 
ber next. 

The  Cinematograph  Exhibitors  As- 
sociation says  it  is  prepared  to 
continue  with  some  form  of  Eady 
plan  but  not  at  its  present  rate  and 
is  awaiting  the  decision  of  the  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  on  its  claim 
to  a  tax  remission  before  coming  to 
a  decision. 

Meanwhile,  CEA's  general  council 
has  agreed  to  enforce  sanctions  against 
Eady  defaulters — the  defaulters  will 
be  placed  on  the  restricted  credit  list. 
Also,  machinery  has  been  agreed  upon 
to  cover  the  case  of  exhibitors  who 
claim  they  cannot  meet  the  Eady  bur- 
den. They  are  invited  to  submit  au- 
dited figures  in  confidence  to  a  small 
joint  Kinematograph  Renters  Society- 
CEA  committee  that  will  pass  judg- 
ment on  them.  It  is  understood  that 
nearly  50  theatres  will  invoke  the 
"hardship"  machinery  of  the  400  the- 
atres defaulting. 

L  e  Vinson ,  Napoli 
Promoted  by  Loevfs 

Eugene  Picker,  in  charge  of  Loew's 
theatre  operations  here,  reports  the 
promotion  from  the  ranks  of  two 
Loew's  assistants,  Charles  Levinson, 
assistant  manager  of  Loew's  Grand, 
who  becomes  manager  of  the  116th 
Street  theatre,  and  James  Napoli, 
assistant  at  the  Valencia,  Jamaica, 
who  will  manage  the  Grand  in  the 
Bronx. 

Other  managerial  transfers  will 
bring  Sig  Schwartz  from  the  175th 
Street  to  the  Gates,  Nate  Bernstock 
from  the  National  to  the  175th  Street., 
and  Joe  McCoy  from  the  116th  Street, 
to  the  National. 


Mother  of  Charles  Cohen 

Funeral  services  for  Mrs.  Millie 
Cohen,  mother  of  20th  Century-Fox 
publicist  Charles  Cohen,  were  held 
yesterday  in  Rockville  Center,  L.  I., 
Mrs.  Cohen  died  Monday  after  a  long 
illness.  She  was  64. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane.  Editor:  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New_  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnun. 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco.  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y..  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


It  will  be  a  festive  Easter  with 
M-G-M's  Technicolor  Musical! 

Be  prepared  with  the  Biggest  Easter  Attraction.  It's  got 
everything  an  audience  wants  in  a  gala  holiday  show! 

M-G-M  presents  Color  by  Technicolor  "SOMBRERO"  •  starring  RICARDO  MONTALBAN  •  PIER  ANGELI 
VITTORIO  GASSMAN  •  CYD  CHARISSE  •  YVONNE  de  CARLO  •  with  Rick  Jason  •  Nina  Foch  •  Kurt 
Kasznar  •  Walter  Hampden  •  Thomas  Gomez  •  Jose  Greco  •  Screen  Play  by  Josefina  Niggli  and  Norman  Foster 
Based  on  the  novel  "A  Mexican  Village"  by  Josefina  Niggli  •  Directed  by  Norman  Foster  •  Produced  by  Jack  Cummings 


(This  is  Brotherhood  Week.  Observe  the  Silver  Anniversary!) 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  18,  1953 


Review 


"Count  the  Hours" 

(RKO  Radio  Pictures)  Hollywood,  Feb.  17 

TERESA  WRIGHT  AND  MACDONALD  CAREY  are  better  names 
than  are  commonly  provided  for  murder  melodramas  in  the  74-minute 
measure,  and  this  one  also  has  such  people  as  Dolores  Moran,  Edgar  Barrier, 
John  Craven  and  Jack  Elam  as  additional  well-knowns  to  bill.  The  picture, 
produced  by  Benedict  Bogeaus  and  directed  by  Don  Siegel,  from  a  story  by 
Doane  R.  Hoag  and  a  script  by  Hoag  and  Karen  DeWolf,  opens  with  a  bang 
(two  bangs,  in  fact,  both  fatal)  and  steps  out  of  the  expected  at  two  points  in 
the  story  to  give  the  audience  false  clues  of  unusual  order,  then  ends  convinc- 
ingly. Too  bad  the  title  doesn't  give  the  melodrama  fans  an  inkling  about  its 
being  their  kind  of  picture ;  they're  the  people  it  will  satisfy  best. 

Carey,  playing  an  attorney  who  prizes  legal  ethics  above  career  interest,  is 
the  central  character,  and  Miss  Wright  has  a  virtual  black-cloak  assignment 
as  the.  faithful  wife  who  insists  that  her  husband  did  not  commit  the  double 
murder  of  which  he  is  convicted,  on  the  slightest  of  physical  evidence,  although 
he  signs  a  false  conviction  in  order  to  stop  the  questioning  of  his  wife  by 
authorities. 

The  wife's  steadfastness  in  defense  of  her  husband  impels  Carey  to  take  his 
case  and,  when  a  jury  has  convicted  him  and  a  date  is  set  for  his  execution, 
to  persist  in  efforts  to  uncover  new  evidence,  or  discover  the  identity  of  the 
real  murderer,  even  though  this  costs  him  his  professional  clientele  and  reduces 
him  to  personal  penury.  Elam  is  typical  as  the  real  killer,  a  former  asylum 
patient,  but  there  is  nothing  typical  about  the  killer's  gal  as  she  is  played  by 
Adele  Mara,  a  portrayal  that  sizzles. 

Running"  time,  74  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  1.  William  R.  Weaver 


Industry  Cooperates 
To  Help  the  Blind 

I  Wind  persons  will  be  able  to  enjoy 
motiori-ipictures  more  by  means  of  a 

.  new  application  of  the  sound  track 
through  a  project  named  the  "Sight- 
less Cinema,"  to  which  10  film  com- 
panies have  granted  the  rights  to  their 

Vproduct  without  charge.  The  method, 
conceived  by  Leon  J.  Rubinstein, 
pioneer  publicist  and  producer,  is  to 
transfer  the  complete  sound  track  of 
a  picture  to  a  record,  with  the  addi- 
tion of  another  voice  which  will  clar- 
ify the  action  and  guide  the  blind  lis- 
tener in  sequences  where  the  move- 
ments are  not  clear  to  him.  The  effect 
is  comparable  to  a  blind  person  hear- 
ing a  motion  picture  with  the  aid  of 
a  sighted  guide  beside  him  to  clarify 
sounds. 

Recommended  to  the  producers  by 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America,  Sightless  Cinema  is  said  to 
be  assured  of  a  sound  track  supply  of 
top  pictures.  Participating  in  the 
project  are  Allied  Artists,  Columbia, 
M-G-M,  Paramount,  Republic,  RKO 
Radio,  20th  Century-Fox,  United  Art- 
ists, Universal  and  Warner  Brothers. 
Taking  parallel  action  by  waiving  all 
recording  fees  because  of  the  non- 
profit nature  of  the  plan  are  the  Screen 
Actors  Guild,  Screen  Writers  Guild 
and  the  American  Federation  of  Mu- 
sicians. 

These  grants,  which  will  bring  the 
film  play  records  to  the  blind  without 
charge  on  a  lending  library  basis,  have 
been  made  to  the  National  Founda- 
tion to  Entertain  the  Blind  of  New 
York,  of  which  Rubinstein  is  the  di- 
rector. Initial  production  will  be  at 
the  rate  of  two  pictures  a  week,  with 
recordings  and  pressing  by  RCA.  It 
is  estimated  that  the  first  year  of 
operations  will  cost  about  $250,000. 
The  first  release  will  be  ready  in  two 
weeks. 


Merman  Hostess 
At  20th  Party 

Ethel  Merman  will  serve  as  hostess 
here  March  2  when  the  20th  Century- 
Fox  production  in  color  by  Techni- 
color, "Call  Me  Madam,"  in  which 
she  stars,  will  be  shown  to  an  audi- 
ence of  society,  entertainment,  literary 
and  musical  figures. 

The  preview  will  be  followed  by  a 
party  at  the  home  office  where  Miss 
Merman  will  handle  duties  similar  to 
those  she  performs  as  a  lady  ambassa- 
dor in  the  picture. 


Addresses  SMPTE 

Robert  S.  Kuaahara,  assistant  to 
Paul  Terry  of  Terrytoons,  Inc.,  was 
the  guest  speaker  at  last  night's  meet- 
ing of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
and  Television  Engineers  at  the  Mu- 
seum of  Modern  Art  here.  Kuaahara, 
a  replacement  for  Terry  who  has  the 
flu,  spoke  on  the  relation  of  the  ani- 
mated cartoon  to  motion  pictures. 


Tribute  to  Hope 
For  Palsy  Fund 

Leaders  of  the  industry,  radio,  gov- 
ernment, the  military,  publishing  and 
other  fields  will  gather  at  the  Wal- 
dorf-Astoria Hotel  here  Feb.  27  to 
pay  tribute  to  Paramount  star  Bob 
Hope  for  his  achievements  as  an  en- 
tertainment figure  and  humanitarian. 

Hope's  testimonial  will  be  held  for 
the  benefit  of  United  Cerebral  Palsy. 

The  comedian,  whose  32'  films,  not 
counting  "Road  to  Bali,"  his  latest, 
have  grossed  $162,000,000  over  15 
years,  said  Paramount,  and  whose 
humanitarian  efforts  represent  $1,000,- 
000  a  year  in  donated  time,  will  be 
honor  guest  at  the  Friars'  annual  tes- 
timonial banquet.  More  than  1,000 
persons  will  attend. 

Occuping  the  dais,  with  George  Jes- 
sel  as  toastmaster,  will  be  Eric  A. 
Johnston,  Bernard  Baruch,  Adolph 
Zukor,  Jack  Benny,  Fred  Allen, 
Danny  Kaye,  Milton  Berle,  U.  S. 
Senator  W.  Stuart  Symington,  Major 
General  Emmett  O'Donnell,  NBC 
president  Frank  White,  RCA,  presi- 
dent Frank  Folsom,  Cleveland  Press 
publisher  Louis  P.  Seltzer,  Jesse 
Block,  Richard  Rodgers,  Oscar  Ham- 
merstein  III,  and  Friars  dean  Harry 
Delf. 


Chicago  Drive-ins 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

called  price-fixing  agreement  among 
exhibitors  would  be  purely  a  local 
matter  not  subject  to  Federal  jurisdic- 
tion. 

In  a  separate  brief,  Edward  Black- 
man,  attorney  for  Essaness  Theatres, 
claims  that  the  government's  case  is 
defective  in  including-  Essaness  as  a 
defendant  inasmuch  as  the  alleged 
agents  for  Essaness  named  by  the 
government  never  were  acting  as  of- 
ficial representatives  of  the  company, 
which  maintains  it  never  was  repre- 
sented at  the  meetings  mentioned  by 
the  government  as  having  been  set  up 
to  fix  prices. 

After   filing   of  further   briefs  by 
government  attorneys  oral  arguments 
will  be  heard  by  the  U.  S.  Court  of 
Appeals  for  the  Seventh  District  some 
time  in  March  or  April. 


Sharmark  Seeks  Its 
'African  Queen'  Cut 


Funds  held  by  United  Artists  for 
Horizon  Pictures  were  attached  yes- 
terday in  a  suit  brought  by  Sharmark 
Enterprises  in  Superior  Court  here. 
The  action  involves  the  recovery  of 
gross  proceeds  from  "African  Queen," 
produced  by  Horizon  and  distributed 
by  UA. 

It  is  alleged  in  the  action  brought 
by  Stanley  J.  Dorman,  attorney  for 
the  plaintiff,  that  Sharmark  financed 
several  pictures  for  Sam  Spiegel,  head 
of  Horizon,  and,  in  return,  was  to 
receive  a  share  in  the  gross  of  "Afri- 
can Queen."  The  money  allegedly  has 
not  been  forthcoming.  Approximately 
$120,000  is  involved. 

United  Artists  is  not  directly  a  de- 
fendant and  was  named  only  because 
it  holds  gross  receipts  from  the  pic- 
ture. The  case  was  filed  here  because 
Sharmark  is  a  New  York  company 
and  Horizon  is  a  California  corpora- 
tion. The  suit  had  to  be  filed  where 
Horizon  had  property,  the  property 
being  the  funds  held  by  UA. 


Show  Films  at  Playhouse 

Boston,  Feb.  17. — Bryant  Haliday 
and  Cyrus  Harvey,  Jr.  have  purchased 
the  Brattle  Theatre,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
— famous  for  its  stage  presentations — 
and  converted  it  to  a  motion  picture 
house.  The  new  owners,  who  were 
with  the  theatre  when  it  was  a  legi- 
timate house,  have  decided  on  a  policy 
of  showing  "art"  films.  This  is  the 
first  house  in  New  England  to  use 
a  rear-projection. 


General  Clay 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  tributes  being  sponsored  by  Va- 
riety Clubs  International. 

General  Clay  joins  the  honorary 
committee's  list  of  Federal,  state  and 
local  dignitaries  who  include  Vincent 
R.  Impellitteri,  Mayor  of  New  York ; 
U.  S.  Senator  Herbert  H.  Lehman, 
U.  S.  Senator  Irving  M.  Ives,  New 
York  State  Attorney  General  Na- 
thaniel L.  Goldstein,  Edward  Corsi, 
industrial  commissioner  of  the  New 
York  State  Department  of  Labor ; 
District  Attorney  Frank  S.  Hogan, . 


111.  Allied  Fears 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

can  be  made  by  production  and 
distribution  would  be  to  reverse 
its  policy  and  sell  their  product 
to  television." 

The  Allied  unit  pointed  out  that  the 
association  for  years  has  "maintained 
that  the  primary  cause  for  the  de- 
pressed box-office  in  those  areas  where 
TV  exists  is  the  free  televising  of 
motion  pictures  over  that  medium. 
That  is  an  inescapable  fact  and  we, 
in  Chicago,  have  conclusive  figures  to 
back  up  our  contention."  The  directors 
stated  that  they  shared  the  enthu- 
siasm in  3-D  that  has  been  expressed 
by  leaders  in  every  branch  of  the  in- 
dustry, "but  we  do  so  with  bated 
breath  so  long  as  the  fears  herein  ex- 
pressed continue  to  plague  us." 

In  conclusion,  the  unit  called  upon 
the  heads  of  all  companies  "to  ponder 
this  subject  well  lest  the  great  devel- 
opment of  3-D  will  be  over-shadowed 
and  seriously  hampered  by  hasty  ac- 
tion on  the  part  of  any  producer  or 
distributor  in  disposing  of  their  pic- 
tures to  television."  According  to  the 
reports,  distributors  plan  to  dispose  to 
TV  those  pictures  made  in  the  last 
five  years. 


3-D  Without  Glasses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

"everything  in  3-D  is  public  domain." 

Without  standardization,  Pine  said 
that  tri  -  dimensional  productions 
"could  fall  on  their  face."  The  sys- 
tem that  Paramount  is  currently  using 
in  its  3-D  productions  is  not  Para- 
vision  but  a  process  developed  by  the 
Motion  Picture  Research  Council. 

Pine  said  that  the  camera  used  to 
film  the  company's  first  3-D  feature, 
"Sangaree,"  was  developed  by  Edou- 
art  17  years  ago.  Although  the 
camera  won  an  Academy  Award  for 
Edouart  in  1937,  Paramount  did  not 
use  it  previously  because  it  was  j 
thought  the  public  and  the  studios 
were  not  ready  for  it. 

In  backing  his  statements  concern- 
ing the  future  of  3-D  without  glasses,  i 
Edouart  pointed  out  that  the  Armed 
Forces    spent   $7,000,000   to  develop 
such  a  system  during  World  War  II 
and  wound  up  with  polarized  glasses,  j 
He  also  mentioned  that  the  company 
is  now  working  on  a  camera  that  will 
shoot  miniature  objects  from  one  inch  I 
to  one  foot  in  height,  in  three  dimen- 
sion.   No  indication  was  given  when 
this    small-scale    camera    would  be 
ready. 

"To  protect  exhibitors  who  do  not  '<j 
have  equipment  for  3-D,"  Paramount 
is  producing  "Sangaree"  in  both  the  J 
standard    and    tri-dimensional  proc- 
esses, according  to  Pine.     He  also 
announced  that  the  company  was  ex- 
perimenting    with     a     wide  -  screen  J 
method  of  production. 

Meanwhile,  spurred  by  the  enthusi- 
asm which  greeted  Monday's  demon-  , 
stration  test  screening  here  of  "San- 
garee," Paramount  announced  that  it 
is  going  to  film  a  fourth  picture, 
"High  Voltage,"  in  this  process  as 
well  as  in  regular  form. 


New  York  City  Comptroller  Lazarus 
Joseph,  Herman  T.  Stitchman,  com- 
missioner of  Housing ;  Robert  F. 
Wagner,  Jr.,  borough  president  of 
Manhattan ;  John  Cashmore,  borough 
president  of  Brooklyn ;  Edward  T. 
McCaffrey,  commissioner  of  licenses, 
and  Walter  T.  Shirley,  commissioner 
of  commerce. 


WANTED 

Growing,  progressive  Drive-In  theatre 
organization  has  wonderful  opportunity 
for  District  Manager.  Must  be  qualified 
in  advertising,  promotion,  knowledge  of 
buying  and  booking,  maintenance,  and 
personnel  of  Drive-in  theatres.  Should 
have  concession  experience.  Position  will 
require  traveling.  Write  giving  past  em- 
ployment and  references.  Enclose  photo. 

ARNOLD  BERCER 

82  NEWBURY  STREET 
BOSTON    16.  MASS. 


PARAMOUNT  TRADE 


FEBRUARY  19 


FEBRUARY  26 


MARCH  19 


ISLAND 


i 


THE  WAR 


01 


PONY 
EXPRESS 


starring 


Color-  by  TECHNICOLOR 

Starring 

LEO  6fNM  DON  TAYLOR 

~;ij.6ENE  BARRY-  EISA  WNCHESTiR 

and  introducing 

WROTH/ ,  AUDREY  JO/W 
SROMILfcY  DALTOtf  ELM 

Produced  by  PAUL  JONES 
ected  by  F.  HUGH  HERBERT  and  ALVIN  GANZER 
Screenplay  by  F.  HUGH  HERBERT 
Based  on  the  novel  by  William  Maier 


WORLDS 

Color  by 

TECHNICOLOR 

Produced  by  GEORGE  PAL 
Directed  by  BYRON  HASKIN 
Screenplay  by  BARRE  LYNDON 

Based  on  the  novel  by 
H.  G.  WELLS 


CHARLTON  HESTON 
RHONDA  FLEMING 
JAN  STERLING 
FORREST  TUCKER 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 

Directed  by  JERRY  HOPPER 
Screenplay  by  CHARLES  MARQUIS  WARREN 
Story  by  Frank  Gruber 
Produced  by  NAT  HOLT 


CITY 


PLACE  OF  SCREENING 


"THE  GIRLS  OF  "THE  WAR 

PLEASURE  OF  THE  "PONY 

ISLAND"  WORLDS"  EXPRESS" 

February  19th  February  26th  March  19th 

ALBANY  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1052  Broadway  2.-30  P.M  2:30  P.M  2.30  P.M. 

ATLANTA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  154  Walton  St.,  N.  W  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

BOSTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  58-62  Berkeley  St  2  P.M  2  P.M...  ,  2  P.M. 

BUFFALO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  464  Franklin  St  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

CHARLOTTE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  305-7  So.  Church  St  10  A.M  10  A.M  10  A.M. 

CHICAGO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1306  So.  Michigan  Ave  1:30  P.M  1:30  P.M  1:30  P.M. 

CINCINNATI  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1638  Central  Parkway  2:30  P.M  2:30  P.M  2:30  P.M. 

CLEVELAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1735  E.  23rd  St  8.15  P.M  8.15  P.M  8:15  P.M. 

DALLAS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  401  N.  Pearl  Expressway  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

DENVER  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2100  Stout  Street  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

DES  MOINES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1125  High  Street  I  P.M  I  P.M  1  P.M. 

DETROIT  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  479  Ledyard  Ave  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

INDIANAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  116  West  Michigan  Ave  10:30  A.M  10.30  A.M  10:30  A.M. 

JACKSONVILLE  FLORIDA  THEATRES  SCREENING  ROOM,  Florida  Thea.  Bldg  8  P.M  8  P.M  8  P.M. 

KANSAS  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1800  Wyandotte  St  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

LOS  ANGELES  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1613  W.  20th  St  1:30  P.M  1.30  P.M  1:30  P.M. 

MEMPHIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  362  South  Second  St  12.15  Noon  12.15  Noon  12.15  Noon 

MILWAUKEE  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1121  North  Eighth  St  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

MINNEAPOLIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1201  Currie  Avenue  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

NEW  HAVEN  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  82  State  Street  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

NEW  ORLEANS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  215  S.  Liberty  St  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

NEW  YORK  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1501  Broadway  (9th  Fl.)  2:30  P.M  2.30  P.M  2:30  P.M. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  701  West  Grand  Ave  10:30  A.M  10:30  A.M  10.30  A.M. 

OMAHA  FOX  SCREENING  ROOM,  1502  Davenport  St  1:30  P.M  1:30  P.M  1:30  P.M. 

PHILADELPHIA  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  248  N.  12th  St  2:30  P.M  2:30  P.M  2:30  P.M. 

PITTSBURGH  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  1727  Boulevard  of  Allies  2  P.M  2  P.M   2  P.M. 

PORTLAND  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  909  N.  W.  19th  Avenue  2  P.M  2  P.M  2  P.M. 

ST.  LOUIS  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  2949-2953  Olive  St  1  P.M  I  P.M  I  P.M. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  270  East  1st  So.  St  1:30  P.M  7:30  P.M  1:30  P.M. 

SAN  FRANCISCO  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  205  Golden  Gate  Ave  2  P.M  2  P.M   2  P.M. 

SEATTLE  MODERN  THEATRE  SUPPLY  PROJ.  ROOM,  2400  Third  Ave  1:30  P.M  7:30  P.M  1:30  P.M. 

WASHINGTON  PARAMOUNT  PROJ.  ROOM,  306  H  Street,  N.  W  8  P.M  8  P.M  8  P.M. 


5S 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  18,  1953 


WB  'Holders  Approve  Plan 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Republic 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

dent  Herbert  J.  Yates  said  that  the 
corporation's  bank  indebtedness  as  of 
last  Oct.  25  amounted  to  $3,016,962, 
compared  with  a  similar  indebtedness 
of  $1,805,546  on  Oct.  27,  1951.  The  in- 
crease of  $1,211,415  is  accounted  for 
in  an  increase  of  inventories  by  $2,- 
161,536. 

"Notwithstanding-  adverse  conditions 
affecting  importation  and  distribution 
of  American  motion  pictures  in  for- 
eign countries,  and  conversion  and 
remittance  of  foreign  currencies  to  this 
country  in  U.  S.  funds,"  Yates  said, 
"income  from  distribution  of  our  pic- 
tures in  foreign  countries  was  main- 
tained at  a  satisfactory  level.  Your 
management  looks  forward  to  im- 
provement of  these  conditions,  at  least 
in  some  foreign  countries,  during  this 
year." 

Subsidiary  Expanding 

Yates  said  Consolidated  Film  Indus- 
tries Laboratory,  a  subsidiary,  was  ex- 
panding its  operations  to  handle  more 
Trucolor  printing  to  take  advantage 
of  the  trend  toward  color  pictures.  As 
more  and  more  pictures  are  made  in 
color,  he  said,  there  will  be  a  decrease 
in  the  amount  of  black  and  white 
printing.  Improvements  at  the  Holly- 
wood film  laboratory,  at  a  cost  of 
$500,000,  is  expected  to  result  in  an 
increase  in  the  income  from  laboratory 
work  in  connection  with  television  and 
16mm.  films,  Yates  said. 

The  consolidated  balance  sheet 
shows  total  current  assets  amounting 
to  $6,060,207,  including  cash  in  banks 
and  on  hand  of  $1,979,226.  Current 
liabilities  were  listed  at  $7,572,305. 
Current  assets  in  foreign  countries, 
(subject  to  withdrawal  restrictions), 
less  reserves,  amounted  to  $2,410,935. 


Ramsay  in  Post 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tising  and  co-related  promotional 
activities. 

Ramsay  was  associated  with  Uni- 
versal-International for  13  years.  At 
one  time  he  served  as  studio  adver- 
tising manager  and  after  assuming  his 
post  with  the  Greenthal  agency  he 
served  as  the  U-I  account  executive 
and  headed  the  West  Coast  office  of 
the  agency. 

Archie  Herzoff,  U-I  studio  adver- 
tising and  promotion  manager,  will 
continue  to  function  in  that  capacity. 


which  they  will  receive  in  the 
new  picture  company,  and  ac- 
cordingly, they  and  members  of 
their  families  are  forced  to  sell 
or  trustee  the  stock  which  they 
will  receive  in  the  new  theatre 
company.  They  have  entered 
into  agreements  to  sell  this 
stock  when  issued  to  Fabian 
Enterprises  or  its  assigns. 
This  is  a  corporation  owning 
and  operating  a  theatre  circuit, 
of  which  Simon  H.  Fabian  is 
the  head. 

The  stockholders  approved  and 
ratified  the  corporation's  consent  to 
the  court  order  which  is  essential  to 
complete  the  purchase  of  stock  by 
Fabian  Enterprises  and  it  is  expected 
that,  upon  the  consummation  of  the 
purchase  of  the  stock,  the  following 
will  constitute  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  new  theatre  company,  Stanley- 
Warner  Corp. :  Fabian,  Samuel 
Rosen,  David  G.  Baird,  Harry  M. 
Kalmine  and  Maurice  A.  Silver. 
Baird  is  a  partner  of  Baird  and  Com- 
pany, a  New  York  brokerage  firm, 
and  has  experience  in  financial  mat- 
ters. Fabian,  Rosen  and  Baird  have 
been  designated  by  Fabian  Enter- 
prises. Kalmine  has  for  many  years 
been  the  general  manager  of  the 
Warner  Theatre  Circuit.  Silver  has 
been  in  charge  of  operation  of  Warner 
theatres  in  various  zones  and  is  now 
in  charge  of  the  Pittsburgh  and 
Cleveland  areas. 

It  is  expected  that  the  follow- 
ing will  constitute  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  new  picture 
company,  Warner  Brothers  Pic- 
tures, Inc.:  Harry  W.  Warner, 
Albert  Warner,  Jack  L.  Warner, 
Wadill  Catchings,  Robert  W. 
Perkins,  Samuel  Carlisle,  Stan- 
leigh  P.  Friedman,  Charles  S. 
Guggenheimer  and  Samuel 
Schneider.  Some  of  these  have 
been  directors  of  the  present 
corporation  since  its  formation 
in  1923,  and  all  of  them  have 
been  on  the  board  for  nine 
years  or  more. 

As  provided  under  the  plan  of  re- 
organization the  present  Warner 
Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  is  to  be  dis- 
solved shortly  after  Feb.  28.  In 
March,  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
new  Warner  Brothers  Pictures  and 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  Stanley- 


Warner  Corp.  will  meet,  at  which 
time  consideration  will  be  given  as  to 
future  dividend  payments.  It  is  the 
intent  of  the  management  of  the  new 
Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  it  was  stated, 
to  recommend  that  the  board  of 
directors  declare  a  dividend  payable 
in  May,  1953.  It  was  not  possible  to 
state  today  what  recommendation  as 
to  dividends  will  be  made  by  the 
management  of  Stanley-Warner  Corp. 
The  management  of  Stanley- Warner 
will  not  be  named  until  early  in 
March,  as  the  officers  and  directors 
will  be  determined  on  the  basis  of 
whether  or  not  the  sale  of  their 
stockholdings  in  Stanley- Warner  by 
the  brothers  Warner  and  certain 
members  of  their  families  to  Fabian 
Enterprises  or  its  assigns  is  com- 
pleted. 

The  stockholders  were  ad- 
vised of  the  current  interest  in 
three  dimensional  pictures. 
The  Warner  studio,  it  was  ex- 
plained, has  been  experimenting 
from  time  to  time  with  three  di- 
mensional processes  and  experi- 
mental activity  lately  has  been 
accelerated.  In  the  meantime 
Warner  Brothers  is  producing  a 
third  dimensional  picture, 
"House  of  Wax,"  using  the 
Natural  Vision  process.  It  is 
expected  that  this  picture, 
which  will  be  in  WarnerColor, 
will  be  released  in  April  and  it 
will  be  the  first  feature  picture 
utilizing  a  three  dimensional 
process  to  be  produced  and  re- 
leased by  a  major  company. 
Warner  Brothers  plans  to  im- 
mediately start  the  production 
of  another  tri-dimensional  pic- 
ture, it  was  said. 

Equipment  to  exhibit  three  dimen- 
sional pictures  which  require  the  use 
of  Polaroid  glasses  by  the  patron 
have  been  installed  in  eight  Warner 
theatres  to  date.  Installations  are 
now  being  made  in  40  additional 
Warner  theatres. 


Plan  Studio  Building 

Ottawa,  Feb.  17. —  Construction 
will  start  this  year  on  a  new  large 
building  and  studios  in  Montreal  for 
the  National  Film  Board.  The  Cana- 
dian government  expects  to  complete 
the  addition  in  two  years. 


National 


Pre-Selling 


<<1?  rv  Day  Hits  Hollywood  in 
<^J"  \-J  Blinding  Falsh"  is  the  cap- 
tion Life  gave  to  its  3-D  story  in  the 
Feb.  16  issue.  The  author  of  this  story 
says  "The  whole  film  industry  turns 
to  third  dimension  in  its  most  frenzied 
boom  since  the  birth  of  sound."  Scenes 
appear  of  3-D  photographic  equipment 
in  three  major  Hollywood  studios.  A 
shot  of  Jack  Warner  is  used  as  he 
watches  Natural  Vision  films  in  his 
screening  room.  "Originally  a  skeptic, 
he  plans  to  go  overboard  on  3-D  as 
he  did  on  sound  in  1927,';  says  Life. 
• 

The  March  issue  of  Woman's 
Home  Companion  tells  how  a  Peter 
Pan  Treasure  Hunt  Party  can  be 
run,  in  a  two-page  spread  in  full 
color.  The  color  reproductions  of 
12  Peter  Pan  novelties  suggest  that 
these  can  be  used  as  party  prizes. 

Also  in  the  issue  is  a  full  color 
page  ad  placed  by  the  Advance  Pat- 
tern Co.  featuring  a  large  picture  of 
Peter  and  Wendy  in  the  costumes 
they  wear  in  "Peter  Pan."  The  pat- 
terns illustrated  in  the  ad  are 
available  in  500  W.  T.  Grant  Com- 
pany stores. 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  Walt  Dis- 
ney full  color  page  ad  on  "Peter." 
• 

"Hoopla  Over  Hans"  is  the  title  of 
Look's  story  in  the  Feb.  24  issue  tell- 
ing how  Samuel  Goldwyn  ignored 
budgets  and  gave  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen"  two  "world  premieres." 

Candid  camera  shots  taken  at  pre- 
miere parties,  of  Margaret  Truman, 
Marlene  Dietrich,  Renee  Jeanmaire, 
Danny  Kaye  and  Milton  Berle  are  dis- 
played on  three  pages. 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  full  page  ad 
on  Hal  Wall  is'  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba." 

• 

"The  Member  of  the  Wedding"  is 
picked  as  its  favorite  picture  of  the 
month  by  Seventeen  for  March. 

Ed  Miller,  motion  picture  editor  of 
Seventeen  reviews  "The  Stars  Are 
Singing,"  "To-Night  We  Sing," 
"Moulin  Rouge,"  "All  Ashore,"  "Peter 
Pan"  and  "Never  Wave  at  A  Wac" 
in  the  March  issue. 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  color  ad  on 
Columbia's  "Salome." 

• 

"The  Walt  Disney  Story"  fills  four 
pages  of  text  and  pictures  in  the 
Feb.  16  issue  of  Newsweek.  The 
story  tells  details  of  Disney's  fea- 
ture films  and  the  financing  which 
made  them  possible,  also  their  po- 
tential box-office  returns.  How  the 
"True-Life  Adventure  Series"  was 
started,  and  photographs  of  this  se- 
ries of  films  appear  in  this  story 
of  Walt  Disney. 

The  front  cover  of  this  issue  is 
given  over  to  Disney  cartoons  and 
to  "Peter  Pan."  Also  in  the  issue 
is  a  full  page  ad  on  Warner  Broth- 
ers' "Jazz  Singer." 

• 

The  Sunday  News  Magazine  Sec- 
tion of  Feb.  15  carried  a  story  of 
Marilyn  Monroe  and  Jane  Russell, 
titled,  "The  Battle  of  the  Bulges."  A 
full  color  front  cover  picture  of  the 
two  stars  was  used  in  addition  to  four 
color  pictures  and  text  on  a  center 
fold  spread.  The  misses  Monroe  and 
Russell  are  starred  in  20th  Century- 
Fox's  new  picture,  "Gentlemen  Prefer 
Blondes." 

Walter  Haas 


*      Diowe  m  Tom  / 


Currently  advertised 
in  the  COMPANION 

Peter  Pan  Walt  Disney-RKO 

Come  Back,  Little  Sheba 

Paramount  Pictures 

Dream  Wife  MGM 

Jeopardy  MGM 


It's  an  age-old  story:  CoMPANiON-approval  means  big,  bright,  beautiful 
box  office  ...  as  practically  any  successful  movie  maker 
(or  Companion  rep)  will  be  delighted  to  tell  you. 

What's  the  secret?  Simple:  more  than  4,300,000  readers  count  on  the 
Companion  for  straight-from-the-shoulder  movie  news  and 
guidance  every  month.  These  wonderful  women  form  the  most  intensely 

loyal  movie  audience  in  America  today. 

There  you  have  4,300.000  important  reasons  why  Hollywood 
has  invested  more  money  in  the  Companion  during  the  past  seven  years 
than  in  any  other  monthly  magazine.* 

*Except,  of  course,  the  fan  magazines. 


CURRENT  CIRCULATION  MORE  THAN  4,300,000 


THE  CROWELL -COLLIER  PUBLISHING  COMPANY- 


640  FIFTH  AVE. ,  NEW  YORK  19,  N.  Y. - 


PUBLISHERS  OF  WOMAN'S  HOME  COMPANION,  COLLIER'S,  THE  AMERICAN  MAGAZINE 


"SET  A  NEW  OPENING  DAY  BOX-OFFICE  HIGH,  CAPITOL  THEATRE 
for  a  non-  stage  show  attraction  playing  at  regular  prices.  With 
the  single  exception  of  'Quo  Vadis, '  'MOULIN  ROUGE'  has  also 
established  the  biggest  first  day  total  gross  in  5  years,  since 
Sept.  1948,  when  the  Capitol  stage  show  policy  was  still  in 
effect.  On  the  basis  of  its  opening  day  figures,  it  outgrossed 
by  more  than  50%  the  Capitol's  previous  record-holders,  'A  Place 
In  the  Sun,'  'The  African  Queen'  and  'The  Quiet  Man.'  On  the 
basis  of  the  second  day  indications,  'MOULIN  ROUGE'  will  continue 
to  set  box-office  marks  at  the  Capitol,  and  we  look  forward  to 
a  record-breaking  week." 

EUGENE  PICKER,  Loev/s  Theatre  Exec. 


k 


romulus  presents  JOSE  FERRER  in  John  Huston's  "MOULIN  ROUGE"- Color  by  Technicolor  •  with  ZSA  ZSA  GABOR 
SUZANNE  FLON  •  And  Introducing  •   COLETTE  MARCHAND  •  a  romulus  Production  •  Directed  by  john  huston 

Screenplay  by  Anthony  Veiller  and  John  Huston  •  From  the  Novel  "MOULIN  ROUGE"  by  PIERRE  LA  MURE 


HONORED  WITH  7  ACADEMY  AWARD  NOMINATIONS! 


thru 

UA 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  34 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  19,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Urges  Probe 
Of  Practices 
Be  Continued 


Senate  Group  To  Get 
Recommendation  Today 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  18.  —  The 
staff  of  the  Senate  Small  Business 
Committee  is  recommending-  that 
the  Committee  continue  its  investi- 
gation of  distributor  trade  practices, 
and  that  the  investigation  culminate 
with  two  weeks  of  public  hearings 
here  late  in  March. 

This  recommendation,  it  was 
learned,  will  be  handled  by  the 
Committee  when  it  meets  to- 
morrow afternoon  to  discuss  its 
program  for  the  year  ahead. 

Whether  the  staff  recommendation 
on  the  film  probe  is  approved  will 
depend  largely  on  the  attitude  of  the 
new  chairman,  Senator  Thye,  Minne- 
sota Republican,  and  his  stand  is  not 
known.     Several    other  Committee 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Montague  Morton 
Heads  UA  in  UK 


The  appointment  of  Montague  C. 
Morton  as  managing  director  of 
United  Artists'  British  company, 
United  Artists  Corp.,  Ltd.,  was  an- 
nounced in  London  yesterday  by 
Arnold  Picker,  vice-president  of 
United  Artists  in  charge  of  foreign 
distribution,  the  UA  home  office  here 
reported. 

Morton  has  been  United  Artists' 
general  sales  manager  in  Britain  since 
1948.  He  joined  the  company  there 
in  1937  as  a  salesman,  becoming  Lon- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


New  TV  Commercial 
Contract  Okayed 


Approval  of  a  proposed  contract  for 
actors  in  television  film  commercials 
was  disclosed  here  yesterday  by  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Screen  Act- 
ors Guild.  The  contract,  when  rati- 
fied by  the  guild  membership,  will  end 
the  guild  strike,  in  effect  since  Dec.  1. 

Highlights  of  the  contract,  which 
sets  a  new  pattern  of  "use  payments" 
for  actors,  include  a  minimum  "pro- 
duction   payment"    to    actors  "on 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


New  Board  Elects  Warner 
Officers;  H.M.  Heads  Slate 

Harry  M.  Warner  has  been  elected  president  of  the  new  Warner 
Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  the  firm  which  will  take  over  the  production- 
dist  r  i  b  u  t  i  o  n 


phases  of  the 
old  parent  com- 
pany which  is 
set  to  be  dis- 
solved officially 
at  the  end  of 
the  month. 

The  election 
of  Warner  to 
the  same  po- 
sition he  held 
with  the  old 
parent  company 
came  at  a  re- 
cent  board 
meeting,  it  was 
disclosed  here  yesterday.  The  board 
and  officers  of  the  new  theatre  com- 
pany, which  will  be  controlled  by 
Si  H.   Fabian,   president  of  Fabian 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Harry  Warner 


Polaroid  Confident 
Of  Continued  Supply 


Cambridge,  Mass.,  Feb.  18. — Assur- 
ances that  the  recent  patent  suit 
brought  against  Polaroid  Corp.  would 
"have  no  effect"  on  current  Polaroid 
deliveries  or  future  Polaroid  plans 
came  today  from  Richard  T.  Kriebel, 
secretary  of  the  company. 

He  called  the  suit  instituted  by  De- 
pix  Corp.  in  U.  S.  District  Court  of 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Jack  Warner  to  Head 
Coronation  Filming 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18. — Jack  L. 
Warner  personally  will  supervise  the 
filming  of  the  coronation  of  Queen 
Elizabeth  in  London,  the  executive 
producer  of  Warner  Brothers  Pictures 
disclosed  here  today.  Warner  prom- 
ised to  film  the  coronation  in  Warner- 
Color  in  an  address  he  made  to  the 
British  film  industry  in  London  last 
summer. 

Working  in  cooperation  with  Asso- 
ciated British  Pictures  Corp.,  with 
which  Warner  Brothers  is  affiliated  in 
England,  more  than  40  cameras  are 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Barkley  to  Address 
'Brotherhood'Group 

Former  vice-president  Alben  W. 
Barkley  will  be  one  of  the  principal 
speakers  tonight  at  a  "Brotherhood 
Week"  dinner  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
here  where  the  amusement  industry 
will  honor  seven  leaders  of  communi- 
cations arts  and  sciences. 

Sol  A.  Schwartz  is  national  chair- 
man  for   the   amusement  industry's 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


NPA  Eases  Construction 
Rules  for  Theatres 

Washington,  Feb.  18. — The  National  Production  Authority  has 
authorized  theatre  builders  and  builders  of  other  types  of  construction  to 

buy  supplies  of  steel,  copper  and  alum- 


Deadline  on  16mm. 
Filing  Now  Mar.  11 

Los  Angeles,  Feb.  18.— The 
deadline  for  filing  answers  by 
defendants  in  the  govern- 
ment's 16mm.  case  against  the 
12  film  companies  was  set 
forward  to  March  11  by  Fed- 
eral Judge  William  Byrne  on 
a  petition  for  extension  by 
counsel  for  RKO  Pictures, 
Columbia  and  Screen  Gems, 
which  is  in  mid-trial  of  an- 
other case  in  a  different  court. 


mum  without  official  government 
priorities,  provided  these  purchases 
are  made  from  producers  after  they 
have  filled  all  government-approved 
priority  orders. 

This  marks  a  further  relaxation  in 
construction  controls  and  is  in  keep- 
ing with  a  decision  announced  last 
Friday  relaxing  the  controls  on  equip- 
ment manufacturers  and  other  pro- 
ducers. 

At  present,  theatre  builders  can 
write  their  own  priorities  for  four  to 
five  tons  of  steel  and  500  pounds  of 
copper  per  project  per  quarter.  Start- 
ing May  1,  they  will  be  able  to  write 
their  own  priorities  for  up  to  300 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Elect  Grainger 
President  of 
RKO  Pictures 


Also  Chosen  to  Boards 
Of  RKO  Pictures,  Radio 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18. — James  R. 
Grainger  was  elected  president  of 
RKO   Pictures   Corp.   and  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  Inc.,  the  operating 
subsi  d  iary, 
at  meetings  to- 
day   of  the 
boards  of  direc- 
tors of  the  two 
companies. 

Grainger  was 
also  elected  to 
the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  each 
company, 
replacing  Ed- 
ward G.  Burke, 
Jr.,  on  the  RKO 
Pictures  board. 
The    board  of 

J.  B.  Grainger  directors  of 

RKO  Pictures  Corp.  now  consists  of 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


'Hans'  and  'Peter' 
Top  RKO  Grossers 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  18. — Samuel 
Goldwyn's  "Hans  Christian  Ander- 
sen" and  Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan" 
will  likely  be  the  biggest  grossers  in 
the  history  of  RKO  Radio,  Charles 
Boasberg,  general  sales  manager,  to- 
day told  a  meeting  of  the  company's 
Southern  division  sales  force  in  this 
city.  "The  figures  on  these  two  attrac- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Naming  of  Republic 
Sales  Head  Delayed 

Herbert  J.  Yates,  president 
of  Republic  Pictures,  will  not 
name  a  new  sales  head  to  re- 
place James  R.  Grainger,  until 
after  his  return  to  New  York 
from  Europe,  in  about  six 
weeks.  Grainger  resigned  to 
become  president  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures.  Yates  left 
here  yesterday. 

Meanwhile,  greater  respon- 
sibility has  been  placed  on 
Republic's  regional  sales 
heads  in  the  field,  as  pre- 
viously reported. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  19,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


EDWARD  (TED)  CURTIS,  East- 
man Kodak  executive,  left  here 
yesterday  on  the  5".  5.  United  States 
for  Europe  and  South  Africa. 
• 

L.  W.  Teegarden,  formerly  RCA 
vice-president  in  charge  of  technical 
products  of  the  RCA  Victor  division, 
has  been  named  executive  vice-presi- 
dent of  RCA. 

• 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
and  Ken  Clark,  information  director, 
were  here  from  Washington  yester- 
day. 

• 

William  Pine,  producer,  and  Far- 
ciot  Edouart  of  the  Paramount  stu- 
dio scientific  department,  left  here  yes- 
terday by  plane  for  Hollywood. 
• 

H.  W.  Braden  of  Hamliton,  Onta- 
rio, head  of  United  Amusement  Thea- 
tres there,  is  recuperating  from  auto 
accident  injuries. 

• 

Addie   Addison   has   been  moved 
from  the  United  Artists  sales  depart- 
ment in  Atlanta  to  the  Southern  pub- 
licity department  of  the  company. 
• 

Herman  Kass  of  the  Universal 
Eastern  advertising-publicity  depart- 
ment left  New  York  yesterday  for 
Boston. 

• 

Mitchell  Rawson  of  M-G-M's 
publicity  department  here,  will  leave 
for  the  Coast  at  the  end  of  the  month. 

Frederick  Brisson,  RKO  Radio 
producer,  will  return  here  Monday 
from  Madrid. 

G.  S.  Eyssell,  president  of  Rocke- 
feller Center,  has  returned  here  from 
the  Coast. 


Label  Group  OK's 
'I A'  Foreign  Stand 

The  Central  Union  Label 
Council  of  Greater  New  York 
has  endorsed  the  stand  taken 
by  the  IATSE  against  foreign 
production  by  American  film 
companies.  The  IATSE  has 
raised  objections  to  the  prac- 
tice of  U.S.  producers  making 
pictures  overseas  with  Ameri- 
can players  and  for  American 
consumption  for  tax-saving 
purposes. 


Yates  to  Seal 
Italian  Deal 


Add  Dignitaries  to 
Zukor  Committee 


Services  Held  for 
Ward  Scott,  67 

Denver,  Feb.  18. — Services  were 
held  here  for  Ward  Scott,  67,  who 
retired  in  1948  as  branch  manager  at 
Kansas  City  for  20th  Century-Fox. 
He  died  here  Saturday  following  a 
long  illness. 

Scott  entered  the  business  in  1913 
with  Mutual  Film,  later  was  branch 
manager  for  Pathe  and  then  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox in  Denver,  going  to  Cleve- 
land in  a  similar  capacity,  and  from 
there  to  the  district  job  at  Kansas 
City.  He  returned  to  Denver  on  his 
retirement.  He  is  survived  by  the 
widow,  Daisy,  two  sons  and  a  sister. 


The  first  list  of  Congressmen,  New 
York  City  councilmen  and  judges  who 
have  accepted  membership  on  the  hon- 
orary committee  of  the  Adolph  Zukor 
Golden  Jubilee  dinner  here  on  March 
4  was  announced  yesterday  by  Harry 
Brandt  and  Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  who 
are  guiding  the  event  for  its  sponsors, 
Variety  Clubs  International. 

Members  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives (all  from  New  York  State), 
are:  Congressman  Emanuel  Celler, 
Isidore  Dollinger,  Francis  E.  Dorn, 
Sidney  A.  Fine,  Paul  A.  Fino,  Louis 
B.  Heller,  Lester  Holtzman,  Eugene 
J.  Keogh,  Arthur  G.  Klein,  Abraham 
J.  Multer,  Adam  Clayton  Powell, 
John  H.  Ray,  John  J.  Rooney,  Jacob 
K.  Javitz  and  Edna  F.  Kelly. 

City  councilmen  who  will  serve  on 
the  honorary  committee  are:  Maurice 
J.  McCarthy,  Jr.,  Charles  E.  Keegan, 
Irving  I.  Shreckinger,  Stanley  M. 
Isaacs,  Eric  James  Treulich,  Robert 
Weisberger,  Jack  Kranis,  Jeremiah  B. 
Bloom,  Arthur  A.  Low  and  Council- 
woman  Bertha  Schwartz. 

Judges  are  Charles  W.  Frossel, 
Jonah  J.  Goldstein,  Ferdinand  Pecora, 
Meier  Steinbrink,  S.  Samuel  DiFalco, 
Samuel  S.  Liebowitz  and  Matthew  M. 
Levy. 


A  deal  for  the  joint  production  of 
American-Italian  pictures  in  Rome 
with  the  Athena  Co.  is  expected  to  be 
concluded  by  Herbert  J.  Yates,  presi- 
dent of  Republic  Pictures,  on  his  cur- 
rent trip  to  Europe.  Yates  and  his 
wife,  Vera  Ralston,  and  William  Saal, 
his  executive  assistant,  sailed  yester- 
day on  the  S.S.  United  States.  A 
study  of  the  German  production  situa- 
tion will  be  made  in  Munich  for  the 
purpose  of  working  out  a  production 
deal  in  Germany. 

In  England,  Yates  will  confer  with 
Herbert  Wilcox  on  plans  for  the  Lon- 
don world  premiere  of  "Laughing 
Ann,"  first  picture  under  the  recent 
Wilcox-Neagle-Republic  agreement. 


Lazarus  to  Head 
Sullivan  Tribute 

Paul  N.  Lazarus,  Jr.,  Columbia 
home  office  executive  and  former  pres- 
ident of  the  Associated  Motion  Pic- 
tures Advertisers,  will  lead  AMPA's 
tribute  to  newspaper  columnist  Ed 
Sullivan  when  the  advertising  organ- 
ization fetes  the  television  master-of- 
ceremonies  of  "Toast  of  the  Town" 
for  his  cooperation  with  the  motion 
picture  industry.  The  tribute  will  be 
at  a  luncheon  on  Thursday,  March  19 
in  the  Hotel  Piccadilly,  according  to 
Harry  K.  McWilliams,  AMPA  presi- 
dent. George  Ettinger,  Columbia's 
radio  and  TV  contact,  is  chairman. 


N.  Y.  Legislature 
Is  Clear  on  Films 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  18.— D.  John 
Phillips,  executive  director  of  the 
Metropolitan  Motion  Picture  Theatres 
Association,  New  York,  made  a  two- 
day  visit  to  the  State  Legislature  here 
as  part  of  his  organization's  continued 
vigilance  on  bills  affecting  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry.  He  found  no 
special  threat  in  any  of  the  measures 
•  introduced,  so  far. 


SMPTE  Coast  Meet 
Discusses  3-D 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18. — The  tech- 
nology of  stereoscopy  came  in  for 
study  when  the  Western  branch  of  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  and  Tele- 
vision Engineers  played  host  to  the 
American  Society  of  Cinematogra- 
phers  membership  at  Republic  studio 
here  for  an  evening-long  discussion  of 
principles  and  problems. 

Speakers  included  Raymond  L. 
Spottiswoode,  co-producer  of  the 
Stereo-Techniques  subjects;  Raphael 
G.  Wolff,  partner  with  Sol  Lesser  in 
Stereo-Cine;  Milton  L.  Gunzburg, 
Natural  Vision  president,  and  Dr. 
Harold  R.  Lutes,  president  of  the 
H-L  Instrument  Co. 


Morris  Legendre,  Wife 

Charlotte,  N.  C,  Feb.  18.— Morris 
Legendre,  Carolina  theatre  owner, 
was  among  those  killed  in  the  crash 
of  a  National  Air  Lines  plane  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  on  Sunday.  Legendre 
and  his  wife  were  returning  to  their 
home  in  New  Orleans. 


$14,000  for  'Bwana' 
At  Loew's  State 

A  gross  of  $14,000  was  claimed  for 
the  opening  of  tri-dimensional  "Bwana 
Devil"  at  Loew's  State  in  New  York 
yesterday. 

United  Artists  says  that  the  simul- 
taneous opening  here  at  the  State  and 
Fabian's  Brooklyn  Fox  smashed  box 
office  records.  A  new  all-time  high 
gross  for  a  non-holiday  opening  was 
hit  at  the  Fox  and  at  the  State  the 
film  was  running  neck  and  neck  with 
the  record-holding  1946  performance 
of  "The  Jolson  Story." 


Green  Named  Head 
Of  Awards  Event 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18.  —  Johnny 
Green,  general  musical  director  oi 
M-G-M,  has  accepted  the  invitation 
of  the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture 
Arts  and  Sciences  to  be  the  general 
director  of  the  annual  Academy 
Awards  presentation  program,  which 
will  be  staged  at  the  RKO  Pantages 
Theatre  on  March  19. 

Green,  who  has  been  associated 
with  all  of  the  Academy  Awards 
events  since  1945,  will  produce  the 
Silver  Jubilee  program,  which  will  be 
broadcast  and  televised  over  the  com- 
bined facilities  of  NBC. 


Heads  Texas  Drive-ins 

Dallas,  Feb.  18.- — Charles  Weisen- 
burg  has  been  elected  president  of  the 
Texas  Drive-in  Theatre  Owners  As 
sociation.    He  operates  a  circuit  of 
outdoor  theatres. 


Companies  Donate 
For  Belgian  Relief 

Member  companies  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Export  Asso- 
ciation voted  to  contribute 
200,000  Belgian  francs  for 
flood  relief  in  Belgium  at  a 
meeting  of  foreign  depart- 
ment representatives  here 
yesterday.  Eric  Johnston, 
president  of  the  MPEA,  pre- 
sided. 

The  session  dealt  princi- 
pally with  the  matter  of  legal 
fees  in  foreign  countries.  All 
business  on  the  agenda  was 
not  completed  and  the  meet- 
ing was  adjourned  until  to- 
morrow. 


KMTA  Board  Okays 
Arbitration  Plan 


Kansas  City,  Feb.  18. — The  board 
of  directors  of  the  Kansas-Missouri 
Theatre  Association  today  adopted 
resolutions  endorsing  the  principles  of 
arbitration  as  put  forward  by  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  and 
hopes  were  expressed  that  a  plan 
might  become  effective  for  making 
arbitration  available  generally. 

The  Association's  committee  on  con- 
ciliation reported  plans  for  promoting 
relations  between  distributors  and  ex- 
hibitors. 

The  board  also  acted  on  plans  for 
the  drive-in  conference  here  March 
4,  sponsored  by  the  Association. 

There  will  be  an  exhibit  of  equip- 
ment and  supplies  set  up  by  March  3 
for  a  full  day  of  viewing  before  the 
meeting.  The  program  for  March  4 
will  provide  for  discussions  following 
talks  on  operating  subjects  and  public 
relations.  There  will  be  no  charge  for 
registration. 

C.  D.  (Doc)  Cook,  president,  re- 
ported on  the  recent  TOA  meeting  in 
New  York. 


TOA  Setting  Plans 
For  Chicago  Meet 

Although  the  annual  convention  of 
the  Theatre  Owners  of  America  is 
almost  eight  months  away,  prelimi- 
nary plans  have  already  been  started. 
The  conclave  will  be  held  in  Chicago 
at  the  Conrad  Hilton  Hotel  Nov.  1-5. 

Charles  (Chick)  Lewis,  convention 
and  trade  show  chairman,  and  How- 
ard Bryant  of  the  New  York  TOA 
office,  are  now  in  Chicago  to  discuss 
hotel  accommodations  and  to  confer 
with  J.  Robert  Hoff,  president  of  the 
Theatre  Equipment  Supply  Manufac- 
turers Association,  in  regard  to  the 
trade  show  exhibit. 


Promote  'Anna' 

The  first  hundred  ladies,  bringing 
proof  that  their  first  names  are  Anna, 
who  presented  themselves  at  the  box 
office  of  the  Globe  Theatre  here  yes- 
terday were  admitted  free  to  the  pre- 
miere of  "Anna."  The  Italian  import, 
dubbed  in  the  American  language,  will 
play  on  a  continuous  policy. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Pubhshed  daily  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays and I  holidays,  bTQu Wey  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue.  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-31O0  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
New  York  "  Mart^  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy  Vice-President:  Leo  J-  Brady. 
Secretary  •'  Jaml?  P  Cunningham  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  IL  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Ho  lywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Bu.ld.ng. 
Willfam  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley.  Advertising  Representative,  Ff  6-3074;  Bruce  Tnnz,  Editorial  Representative. 
Clark  Street  FR  2-2843  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup, 
Editor-  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales, 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept. 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c 


11  North 
Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
21.  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y..  under  the  act 


Thursday,  February  19,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Review 


"Destination  Gobi" 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

THE  fact  that  there  are  no  women  in  the  cast  of  "Destination  Gobi" 
should  not  detract  from  the  entertainment  merits  of  the  picture.  Filmed 
in  color  by  Technicolor,  the  story  contains  comedy,  drama  and  suspense. 
A  "sneak  preview"  audience  in  New  York  registered  almost  100  per  cent 
praise  for  the  picture,  which  may  be  taken  as  proof  that  a  story  does  not 
have  to  have  a  boy-meets-girl  angle  to  hold  interest. 

One  facet  in  the  picture's  favor  is  the  novelty  of  the  juxtaposition  of  the 
locale  and  characters.  It  is  the  story  of  seafaring  men  in  the  Mongolian 
Desert  and  that,  in  itself,  is  something  unusual.  Richard  Widmark  is  the 
most  well  known  name  in  the  cast,  but  he  has  been  surrounded  by  a  fine 
array  of  supporting  players  and  is  given  co-star  billing  with  Don  Taylor. 

Widmark,  as  chief  petty  officer,  is  in  charge  of  seven  enlisted  men  assigned 
to  the  Gobi  Desert  for  the  purpose  of  sending  vital  weather  observations  to 
the  Navy  during  the  last  days  of  World  War  II.  The  party  wins  the  friend- 
ship of  a  tribe  of  Gobi  nomads  by  giving  them  saddles  for  their  horses.  In 
danger  of  a  Japanese  attack,  the  Navy  men  start  a  long  trek — 800  miles — to 
the  coast  and  it's  the  adventures  en  route  that  provide  the  suspense  and 
excitement  of  the  picture.  The  nomads,  alternately,  prove  to  be  both  friends 
and  enemies  of  the  little  party,  but  eventually  turn  out  to  be  better  friends 
that  enemies  by  supplying  an  escape  ship  after  Widmark  and  his  crew  are 
taken  prisoners  by  the  Japanese. 

The  picture  is  sprinkled  with  humorous  incidents  and  amusing  wisecracks 
which  offer  relief  from  the  tense  moments. 

Produced  by  Stanley  Rubin  and  directed  by  Robert  Wise,  the  screenplay 
by  Everett  Freeman  is  based  on  a  story  by  Edmund  G.  Love. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Murvyn  Vye,  Darryl  Hickman,  Martin  Milner, 
Ross  Bagdasarian,  Judy  Dann,  Rodolfo  Acosta,  Russell  Collins,  Leonard 
Strong. 

Running  time,  89  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release.  Al  Steen 


WB  Officers 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Enterprises,  will  be  officially  desig- 
nated when  the  Fabian-Brothers 
Warner  deal  is  consummated.  Fabian 
is  expected  to  conclude  the  agree- 
ment, under  which  he  gains  Brothers 
Warner  stock  in  the  new  theatre  com- 
pany, some  time  near  the  end  of  this 
month. 

With  the  exception  of  Harry  M. 
Kalmine,  vice-president,  and  W.  S. 
McDonald,  assistant  treasurer,  all 
other  officers  remain  the  same  in  the 
new  picture  company.  They  are: 
vice-presidents  Albert  Warner,  Jack 
L.  Warner,  Herman  Starr,  Stanleigh 
P.  Friedman,  Samuel  Schneider,  Ben- 
jamin Kalmenson,  Mort  Blumenstock 
and  Robert  W.  Perkins,  who  is  also 
secretary;  assistant  secretaries  H.  S. 
Bareford,  R.  J.  Obringer  and  E.  K. 
Hessberg  ;  treasurer,  Albert  Warner  ; 
assistant  treasurer  and  controller,  S. 
Carlisle ;  assistant  treasurer,  C.  H. 
Wilder,  and  assistant  controller,  Walter 
Meihofer. 

Kalmine  and  McDonald  are  to  join 
the  projected  new  theatre  company  in 
the  same  positions  they  occupied  in 
the  parent  company.  Meanwhile,  both 
are  functioning  in  their  respective 
positions  at  Warner  Theatres. 


Jack  Warner 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

being  readied  to  capture  the  full 
scope  of  the  ceremony.  Tests  are  also 
being  conducted  in  Westminster 
Abbey,  scene  of  the  actual  coronation, 
to  provide  enough  light  for  the  cathe- 
dral. 

Production  will  be  cut  to  a  final 
length  of  5,000  feet  under  the  super- 
vision of  specially  selected  teams  of 
editors  from  Pathe  Pictorial  and  docu- 
mentary units  in  London.  Provisions 
have  been  made  to  fly  the  film  out  of 
England  on  the  night  of  the  corona- 
tion and  rushed  to  the  Burbank  stu- 
dios 

Additionally,  400-  and  2,000-foot  ver- 
sions will  be  prepared  for  show- 
ings on  the  following  day  in  England 
and  elsewhere. 

Warner  said,  "Although  it  is  stan- 
dard operating  procedure  at  our 
studios  to  view  WarnerColor  dailies 
the  day  after  they  have  been  shot,  this 
is  the  first  time  in  motion  picture  his- 
tory that  mass  release  color  prints  will 
be  available  to  theatres  within  a  few 
hours  after  the  film  has  been  ex- 
posed." 


TV  Contract 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

camera"  of  $70  for  each  television 
filmed  commercial  delivered  by  pro- 
ducer to  advertiser  and  a  graduated 
"use  payment"  to  the  actor  when  the 
same  film  commercial  is  re-used,  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  uses. 

The  proposed  contract  has  been  ap- 
proved by  members  of  the  Film  Pro- 
ducers Association  of  New  York  who 
will  be  the  primary  signatories  and 
national  advertising  agencies  which 
have  agreed  to  sign  letters  of  adher- 
ence to  the  contract.  Members  of 
the  Alliance  of  Television  Film  Pro- 
ducers, Hollywood,  and  other  Holly- 
wood, Chicago  and  Detroit  producers 
of  video  commercials  also  are  expect- 
ed to  sign  the  contract.  If,  as  ex- 
pected, guild  membership  meetings 
ratify  the  contract,  the  guild's  three- 
months'  strike  will  end  March  2. 


Barkley  to  Address 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

participation  in  Brotherhood  Week. 
Those  to  be  honored  are :  Spyros  P. 
Skouras.  motion  pictures ;  Walter  D. 
Fuller,  Curtis  Publishing  Co.,  repre- 
senting the  magazine  field;  John 
Golden,  the  legitimate  theatre ;  Wil- 
liam Randolph  Hearst,  Jr.,  news  serv- 
ices ;  Jack  R.  Howard,  newspapers ; 
Danny  Kaye,  entertainment  arts,  and 
David  Sarnoff,  radio  and  television. 

A  feature  of  the  evening  will  be  a 
dramatic  tableaux,  "The  ABC's  of 
Brotherhood,"  with  a  cast  including 
Quentin  Reynolds,  John  Cameron 
Swayze,  Ben  Grauer,  Danny  Kaye, 
Bill  Hayes,  Mel  Allen,  Bob  Considine, 
Conrad  Nagel  and  Dennis  O'Keefe. 
The  tableaux  was  written  by  Morton 
Sunshine. 


Montague  Morton 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

don  branch  manager  and  sales  super- 
visor of  all  British  branches  in  1944 
and  assistant  general  sales  manager 
in  1945.  The  position  of  managing 
director  there  has  been  vacant  since 
1949. 

Picker  is  on  a  regular  business  visit 
in  London  from  his  headquarters  in 
New  York. 


Walter  Seltzer  Named 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18.— Walter  Selt- 
zer has  been  appointed  executive 
assistant  to  Jack  Saper,  general  man- 
ager of  Hal  Wallis  Productions. 
Seltzer,  director  of  advertising-pub- 
licity for  the  company  for  the  past 
eight  years,  will  continue  to  _  super- 
vise those  activities. 


Loew's  Dividend 

Directors  of  Loew's  Inc.  yesterday 
declared  a  dividend  of  20  cents  per 
share  on  the  common  stock,  payable 
March  31,  to  stockholders  of  record 
on  March  13. 


Urges  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

members,  especially  Senator  Tobey 
(R.,  N.  H),  are  anxious  to  have  the 
investigation,  which  started  last  year, 
continued. 

More  complaints  from  exhibitors 
have  reached  the  Committee  in  recent 
weeks,  it  was  learned.  It  is  expected 
that  these  will  give  extra  weight  to 
the  staff  recommendation  that  the  in- 
vestigation be  continued. 

Some  complaints  are  also  coming  in, 
it  is  understood,  against  the  United 
Paramount  Theatres-American  Broad- 
casting merger,  but  the  staff  is  making 
no  recommendation  that  the  Commit- 
tee look  into  this. 

IMPPA  Memb  ers 
Named  to  3  Units 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18. — Members  of 
three  committees  were  named  at  a 
regular  meeting  here  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Motion  Picture  Producers  Asso- 
ciation. Appointed  to  the  Permanent 
Charities  Committee  were  Walter 
Mirisch,  Lindsley  Parsons,  Robert 
Lippert,  Ed  Finney  and  Sam  Katz- 
man.  Named  to  the  Motion  Picture 
Industrial  Council  Committee  were 
Steve  Broidy,  Lippert,  Parsons,  and 
Jack  Broder. 

The  new  Labor  Relations  Commit- 
tee will  be  comprised  of  Mirisch,  Par- 
sons, Jan  Grippo,  Eugene  Arnstein 
and  Vincent  M.  Fennelly. 

'Seminole'  Set  for 
Southern  Openings 

Miami,  Feb.  18.  —  Universal-Inter- 
national's "Seminole,"  in  Technicolor, 
will  have  its  world  premiere  at  the 
Miami  Theatre  here  tomorrow,  launch- 
ing a  series  of  Florida  territorial 
openings. 

The  Florida  openings  will  be  fol- 
lowed Sunday  by  a  premiere  at  the 
Weis  Theatre  in  Savannah,  starting  a 
series  of  Georgia  territorial  saturation 
openings. 


Elect  Grainger 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Howard  Hughes,  chairman;  Noah 
Dietrich,  J.  Miller  Walker,  and  A.  D. 
Simpson,  in  addition  to  Grainger. 

The  election  of  Grainger  to  the 
presidency  came  in  the  wake  of 
Hughes  reacquiring  his  controlling 
stock  interest  from  the  Ralph  Stolkin 
syndicate,  which  forfeited  a  $1,250,000 
down-payment.  The  Stolkin  group 
served  notice  on  Hughes  earlier  in  the 
month  that  it  would  bow  out  of  the 
deal,  under  which  it  was  obligated  to 
pay  an  additional  $6,100,000  for  the 
26.8  per  cent  stock  interest  in  the 
company  which  it  bought  at  $7  per 
share. 

Grainger,  who  resigned  his  position 
as  executive  vice-president  in  charge 
of  sales  at  Republic  Pictures  to  as- 
sume the  helm  at  RKO,  is  due  to  re- 
turn to  New  York  early  next  week. 


'Hans'  and  'Peter' 

 (Continued  from  page  1 ) 

tions  are  almost  unbelievable,"  said 
Boasberg.  "Everywhere  they  open, 
new  box-office  records  are  set.  And 
subsequent  weeks  of  most  engage- 
ments actually  equal  and  often  better 
the  initial  weeks'  grosses,  he  added. 

Previous  Top  Grossers 

Previous  high  grossers  in  RKO 
Radio's  history  are  "The  Best  Years 
of  Our  Lives,"  "The  Bells  of  St. 
Mary"  and  "Snow  White  and  the 
Seven  Dwarfs,"  all  of  which  are 
among  the  industry's  top  money- 
makers of  all  time. 

Boasberg  is  currently  touring  RKO 
Radio  branches  in  preparation  for  the 
company's  "25th  Anniversary  Drive" 
which  will  be  held  March  6-June  25. 

Also  present  at  the  meeting  were 
Sidney  Kramer,  short  subjects  sales 
manager ;  David  Price,  Southern 
division  manager,  and  Frank  Mooney, 
his  assistant,  all  representing  the 
home  office.  From  the  field  were  Ben 
Cammack,  Southwestern  district  man- 
ager, and  branch  managers  Rogers 
Lamantia,  New  Orleans ;  Sol  Sachs, 
Dallas ;  Ralph  Williams,  Oklahoma 
City ;  Reg  Reagin,  Memphis ;  Ira 
Stone,  Atlanta,  and  Rovy  Brannon, 
Charlotte. 


Polaroid  Confident 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

New  York,  alleging  infringement  of 
patents  relating  to  light  polarizing 
materials,  "wholly  without  merit." 
Said  Kriebel :  "It  should  not  give  rise 
to  any  confusion  or  uncertainty  in  the 
industry.  We  have  been  making  and 
selling  polaroid  viewers  for  more  than 
15  years  without  interruption  and 
shall  continue  to  do  so.  Our  present 
production  of  many  millions  of  view- 
ers per  month  is  being  rapidly  in- 
creased to  meet  all  conceivable  de- 
mands of  the  industry." 


NPA  Eases 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

pounds  of  aluminum. 

The  new  relaxation  applies  both  to 
projects  which  are  already  under 
way  and  to  projects  not  yet  started. 
It  will  probably  clear  the  way  for 
the  construction  of  even  the  largest 
theatres,  which  might  have  been 
blocked  previously.  It  is  expected  that 
all  construction  controls  will  be  re- 
moved by  June  30. 


i 


A  story  that  will  hit  home  with 
every  last  spectator!  Clift  and  Baxter 
are  seen  in  perhaps  their  best  roles 

to  date.  Here  is  Hitchcock  at  his  best  — 
a  new  peak  of  accomplishment! 

FILM  DAILY 


if 


is 


Piles  suspense 
upon  suspense 

to  the  last  foot! 

Hitchcock  emerges  with 

new  laurels.  Thrilled  audiences 

will  undoubtedly  boost  this  film 

into  a  super  boxoffice  hit!" 

SHOWMEN'S  TRADE  REVIEW 


Indications  for  excellent  grosses  are  bright!1 

DAILY  VARIETY 


An  attraction  solidly  qualified  for 
a  prosperous  boxoffice !" 

M.  P.  DAILY 


A  crescendo  of  breath-catching  suspense! 
The  exhibitor  may  be  assured 
his  audience  will  be  more 
than  satisfied  that  this  is  one  of 
the  best  from  Hitchcock! 
Rating:  Excellent !" 

M.  P.  HERALD 


"The  picture  will  be  one  of  the  most 
widely  discussed  of  several  seasons! 
Excitement  that  is  assurance  of 

capacity  attendance!" 

BOXOFFICE 

"A  thrilling  motion  picture  that  achieves 
a  peak  of  suspense  from  the  very  start 
and  maintains  it  consistently 
throughout  its  95  minutes!  'I  Confess' 

represents  the  famous 
'Hitchcock  touch'  at  its  best!'* 

HOLLYWOOD  REPORTER 


STARRING 

MONTGOMERY  CUR 

IM 


DIRECTED  BY 


ALFRED  HITCHCOCK 


O.E.HASSE  •  ROGER  DANN  •  DOLLY  HAAS  •  CHARLES  ANDRE 


SCREEN    PLAT  BY 


GEORGE  TABORLcJILLIAM  ARCHIBALD 


MUSIC  COMPOSEO  AN 0  CONQUCTEO   BY  OIMITRI  TIOMKIN 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  19,  1953 


Seventeen  taps "Memberl'  Teen  fans  to  line  up  quick! 

Teen  fans  go  for  adult  fare,  want  pictures  of  consequence. 
And  they  look  to  Seventeen  for  news  of  the  latest,  the  best. 
What  Seventeen  recommends,  month  after  month— they  go  see. 

So  when  Seventeen  puts  a  motion  picture  into  its  award 
column— especially  one  drenched  in  drama  and  heart-tugs  like 
Columbia's  "Member  of  the  Wedding"— there's  gold  in  them 
thar  tills!  Good  news  at  box-offices  everywhere— because  mil- 
lions of  teens  all  over  the  country  will  queue  up  with  their 
friends  and  their  folks  to  see 

SEVENTEEN's  picture-of-the-month  in  MARCH: 


Stanley  Kramer's  production 


starring 
ETHEL  WATERS 
JULIE  HARRIS 
BRANDON  DeWILDE 

A  Columbia  Picture 

seventeen 

ENTERTAINMENT  MAGAZINE  FOR  YOUNG  WOMEN  IN  THEIR  TEENS 


Reviews 


"The  Magnetic  Monster" 

(Ivan  Tors — United  Artists) 

T^HIS  WILD  BUT  PLAUSIBLE  science  fiction  screenplay  is  an  ex- 
J  ploitable  natural.  Its  subject  is  a  new  and  yeast-like  element  which  devours 
energy  and  turns  it  into  mass  matter  so  that  it  doubles  its  size  every  11 
hours.  Producer  Ivan  Tors  and  director  Curt  Siodmak  get  the  most  out  of 
this  weird  and  imaginative  story;  they  penned  the  screenplay  themselves. 
It  should  please  those  who  look  for  the  odd  and  unusual  without  disturbing 
other  viewers. 

Heading  a  cast  of  comparatively  unknown  players,  all  of  whom  give  honest 
and  creditable  performances,  is  Richard  Carl  son.  His  task  is  to  destroy  the 
monster  before  it  destroys  the  world.  Carlson's  monotoned  narration,  "I  ar- 
rived Monday  morning  at  9  :45  .  .  .,"  accompanying  the  story  is  reminiscent 
of  a  popular  radio  crime  program  and  tends  to  create  the  illusion  of  reality. 

A  Los  Angeles  hardware  store  owner  discovers  that  all  of  his  appliances 
are  magnetized  as  the  film  gets  underway.  Investigation  by  the  scientist 
reveals  traces  of  a  strange  new  radioactive  substance  and  a  trail  which  even- 
tually leads  to  physicist  Leonard  Mudie.  Before  he  dies  of  radiation  burns, 
Mudie  reveals  the  element  has  to  be  regularly  bombarded  with  electrons  to 
keep  it  from  "inbloding"  (as  opposed  to  exploding)  or  milking  the  energy 
from  all  nearby  objects.  Since  it  is  regularly  doubling  in  size,  it  stands  to 
grow  so  quickly  as  to  throw  the  earth  out  of  its  orbit. 

The  methods  which  Carlson  and  his  associates  use  in  rendering  the  mys- 
terious element  neutral  make  for  some  fine  suspense  and  photographic  hocus- 
pocus,  climaxing  in  a  tumultous  fashion  in  a  below-the-sea  laboratory.  Improb- 
able but  fun. 

King  Donovan  and  Jean  Byron  are  effectively  cast.  Responsible  for  the 
eye-opening  special  effects  are  Harry  Redmond,  Jr.  and  Jack  Glass.  The 
film  is  an  Ivan  Tors  presentation.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Harry  Ellerbe.  Leo 
Britt,  Byron  Foulger,  Michael  Fox,  Jarma  Lewis,  John  Zarimba,  Frank 
Gerstle  and  John  Vosper. 

Running  time,  76  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  February 
release. 


"Port  Sinister" 

(RKO  Radio) 

HIGHLIGHTING  THE  INTEREST  in  this  action  mystery  drama  writ- 
ten and  produced  by  Audrey  Wisberg  and  Jack  Pollexfen  are  pools  of 
bubbling  lava.  However,  even  though  there  are  boiling  volcanic  eruptions, 
and  an  adequate  dosage  of  shootings  and  fights,  a  contrived  story  prevents 
the  viewer  from  maintaining  any  interest  in  the  proceedings.  The  net  result 
is  a  product  with  all  the  elements  but  none  of  the  continuity  of  a  good  mystery 
drama. 

In  the  main  the  story  concerns  a  search  for  pirate  treasure  on  a  long  sub- 
merged island  which  periodically  ejects  from  the  bottom  of  Neptune's  king- 
dom. James  Warren,  a  scientist,  enlists  the  aid  of  Lynne  Roberts,  head  of 
the  Florida  Marine  Experimental  Institute,  to  finance  the  search.  Miss 
Roberts  at  first  feels  the  whole  project  is  a  wanton  waste  of  money  but  is 
finally  convinced  that  Warren  is  sincere.  Some  pseudo-scientific  hoodlums 
learn  of  the  treasure  hunt  and  after  taking  Warren  for  a  "ride"  sail  away 
with  Miss  Roberts  as  a  captive. 

Upon  his  recovery,  the  hero  discovers  his  ship  has  sailed  and  hires  a  sea- 
plane to  track  down  the  schooner.  A  horrendous  storm  makes  the  going 
rough  for  the  ship  and  the  plane  but  both  weather  the  trouble.  The  search 
for  Miss  Roberts  by  the  scientists  and  the  search  for  buried  gold  by  the 
gangsters  lead  to  a  number  of  chases  on  the  flaming  island.  The  forces  of 
good  triumph  when  the  volcano  claims  the  pirates  and  the  treasure. 

Flames  and  thunder  attract  momentary  attention  in  parts  of  the  produc- 
tion, which  was  directed  by  Harold  Daniels.  The  lead  performances  are 
adequate.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Paul  Cavanagh,  William  Schallert,  House 
Peters,  Jr.,  Marjorie  Stapp,  Helen  Winston,  Eric  Colmar,  Norman  Budd, 
Anne  Kimball,  Robert  Bice,  Merritt  Stone,  Ken  Terrell,  Charles  Victor,  E. 
Guy  Hearn  and  Dayton  Loomis. 

Running  time,  65  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


Foreign  Newsmen 
Honor  'Greatest* 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18. — Cecil  B.  De- 
Mille's  "The  Greatest  Show  On 
Earth"  has  been  named  as  the  out- 
standing motion  picture  of  1952  by 
the  Foreign  Press  Association  of 
Hollywood.  These  representatives  of 
world-wide  newspapers  and  magazines 
selected  the  Paramount  release  at  their 
third  annual  World  Film  Festival  in 
Santa  Monica. 


Going  on  'Arena'  Location 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18.  —  Arthur 
Loew,  Jr.,  producer,  and  Richard 
Fleischer,  director,  for  M-G-M's 
"Arena,"  first  three-dimensional  pic- 
ture to  be  produced  by  M-G-M,  will 
leave  by  air  for  Tucson  _  tomorrow 
to  start  two  weeks  of  location  scenes. 


Would  Picket  'Limelight' 

Hollywood,  Feb.  18. — Commander 
Maurice  Norman,  Hollywood  Post 
No.  43,  American  Legion,  said  the 
post  voted  last  night  to  picket  "Lime- 
light" if  the  film  is  shown  here,  and 
settled  on  the  text  for  the  placards 
to  be  used  in  such  case. 


WANTED 


Growing,  progressive  D  rive-In  theatre 
organization  has  wonderful  opportunity 
for  District  Manager.  Must  be  qualified 
in  advertising,  promotion,  knowledge  of 
buying  and  booking,  maintenance,  and 
personnel  of  Drive-In  theatres.  Should 
have  concession  experience.  Position  will 
require  traveling.  Write  giving  past  em- 
ployment and  references.    Enclose  photo. 

ARNOLD  BERCER 

82  NEWBURY  STREET 
BOSTON  16.  MASS. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  35 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  20,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Formation  of 
Intl  Drive-in 
Unit  Planned 


Ezell  of  Texas  Sparks 
Exhibitor  Organization 

Dallas,  Feb.  19. — Plans  are  un- 
derway for  organizing-  the  "Inter- 
national Drive-in  Theatre  Owners 
Association,"  Claude  Ezell,  presi- 
dent of  Ezell  and  Associates,  operat- 
ing one  of  the  largest  independent 
drive-in  circuits  in  the  United  States, 
disclosed  here  today. 

Ezell  recently  resigned  as 
president  of  the  Texas  Drive-in 
Theatre  Owners  Association  so 
that  he  could  devote  his  efforts 
to  the  organization  of  the  new 
international  group.  The  or- 
ganization will  embrace  mem- 
bers of  both  Allied  and  the 
Theatre  Owners  of  America, 
but  it  will  function  as  an  inde- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


No  3-D  Magazines 
Available  Until 
After  March  20 


Orders  for  large  magazines  to  ac- 
commodate the  5,000-foot  3-D  film 
reels  cannot  be  filled  until  after  March 
20,  it  was  stated  here  yesterday  at  a 
regional  meeting  of  National  Theatre 
Supply  Co.  branch  managers.  Until 
now,  it  was  pointed  out,  the  Wenzel 
Projector  Co.  of  Chicago,  sole  manu- 
facturers of  the  magazines,  would  rush 
the  special  reel-holders  to  a  customer 
who  needed  them  to  meet  a  scheduled 
opening  of  "Bwana  Devil."  The  de- 
mand now  exceeds  the  supply  and  the 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


20th's  CinemaScope 
Plans  Progressing 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  is  scheduled  to  fly 
to  California  over  the  weekend  to 
confer  with  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  on  pro- 
duction plans  for  properties  sched- 
uled to  be  filmed  in  the  CinemaScope 
process.  While  at  the  studio,  Skouras 
will  observe  initial  shooting  of  "The 
Robe,"  Frank  Ross  production,  which 
is  set  to  go  before  the  cameras  via 
the  CinemaScope  system. 

Meanwhile,  20th   Century-Fox  re- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


CHANGES  IN  TRUST 
LAW  ARE  URGED 

Simplified  Limitations  and  Judge's  Discretion  in 
Damage  Cases  Advocated  at  Law  Ass'n  Symposium 

A  re-examination  of  the  Federal  anti-trust  laws  was  advocated  here 
yesterday  by  Chauncey  W.  Reed,  chairman  of  the  House  Judiciary  Com- 
mittee, in  an  address  before  an  anti-trust  symposium  of  the  New  York 
State  Bar  Association.  While  Reed  did  not  mention  the  motion  picture 

industry  specifically,  nor  its  involve-  

ment  in  numerous  Sherman  Act  cases, 
his  recommendations  are  of  interest  to 
the  film  business. 

"Although  the  provision  for  manda- 
tory treble  damages  is  no  doubt  an 
effective  deterrent  to  possible  vio- 
lators of  the  anti-trust  laws,"  Reed 
said,  "it  may  be  an  unreasonably  harsh 
remedy  in  some  cases  of  innocent  vio- 
lation." 

Reed  said  that  an  experienced  anti- 
trust lawyer  indicated  to  the  Judiciary 


Committee  that  "the  harshness  of  the 
remedy  may  have  led  the  court  in 
some  cases  to  adopt  a  very  strict  in- 
terpretation of  the  law  and  conse- 
quently to  allow  no  recovery  for  the 
plaintiff."  He  added  that  "if  the 
court  had  discretion  in  the  case  of  an 
unintentional  violation  to  allow  only 
the  recovery  of  actual  damages,  both 
of  the  harsh  alternatives — either  no 
{Continued  on  page  5) 


MGM  Joins  Rank 
On  3-Dimension 
Bandwagon  in  UK 

By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,  Feb.  19. — Following  the 
disclosure  by  J.  Arthur  Rank  that  his 
organization  has  obtained  "Bwana 
Devil"  for  three-dimensional  theatre 
exhibition  here,  Metro  -  Goldwyn- 
Mayer  discloses  that  its  "Third  Di- 
mensional Murder"  will  be  screened 
in  its  Leicester  Square  Empire  Thea- 
tre in  about  four  weeks.  The  process 
to  be  used  is  called  Metroscopix. 
Technical  details  are  not  revealed  but 
M-G-M's  Sam  Eckman,  Jr.,  says  that 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Dunningcolor  Has 
New  3-D  Process 

Hollywood,  Feb.  19.— Dun- 
ningcolor Corp.  next  week 
will  place  a  new  three-dimen- 
sional process  at  the  disposal 
of  producers  on  terms  not  yet 
revealed. 

The  process,  developed  by 
Dunningcolor  Laboratories 
over  a  several-year  period, 
utilizes  a  single  camera  ex- 
posing two  film  strips,  and 
produces  a  picture  requiring 
audiences  to  wear  polaroid 
viewers. 

The  company  plans  a  dem- 
onstration for  the  trade, 
probably  within  a  week  or  10 
days. 


1,200  See  Seven 
Receive  Medals  At 
'Brotherhood'  Fete 


Seven  leaders  in  the  fields  of  com- 
munications, arts  and  sciences  were 
honored  here  last  night  by  the  amuse- 
ment industry  in  its  participation  in 
"Brotherhood  Week,"  sponsored  by 
the  National  Conference  of  Christians 
and  Jews.  At  a  banquet  attended  by 
1,200  at  the  Hotel  Waldorf-Astoria, 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  Walter  D.  Fuller, 
John  Golden,  William  Randolph 
Hearst,  Jr.,  Jack  R.  Howard,  Danny 
Kaye  and  David  Sarnoff  were  pre- 
sented with  gold  medals  from  the 
NCCJ  by  attorney  Louis  Nizer.  J. 
Robert  Rubin,  general  counsel  of  the 
amusement  division,  accepted  the 
award  for  Golden,  who  was  not  pres- 
ent because  of  illness. 

Sol  A.  Schwartz,  national  chairman 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Senate  Group 
Will  Resume 
Industry  Probe 

Exhibitor  Complainants 
Will  Be  Heard  First 


Washington,  Feb.  19.  —  The 
Senate  Small  Business  Committee 
disclosed  today  that  it  would  hold 
extensive  hearings  on  industry 
trade  practices  beginning  in  late 
March  or  early  April. 

Meeting  in  executive  session 
today,  the  Committee  agreed  to 
accept  the  recommendation  of 
its  staff  to  hold  the  hearings. 
The  Committee  staff  has  been 
conducting  a  sporadic  investiga- 
tion into  exhibitor  complaints 
against  distributors  for  the  past 
several  months. 

Among  those  who  will  testify,  a 
Committee  spokesman   said,   will  be 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


3,000,000  Trust 
Suit  in  Providence 


Providence,  Feb.  19. — An  anti-trust 
action  was  filed  in  U.  S.  District 
Court  here  by  Elmwood  Amusement 
Corp.,  operator  of  the  Liberty  Thea- 
tre, Providence,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Milton  and  Edward  Bomes, 
asking  for  damages  of  $3,000,000.  The 
defendants  are  RKO  Rhode  Island 
Corp.,  operator  of  the  Albee  Theatre 
and  former  operator  of  the  Victory, 
Providence ;  Loew's  State  Theatre, 
Ralph  E.  Snider  &  Associated  Thea- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


First  Educational 
Program  Is  Set 
For  Theatre  Video 


Seven  theatres  in  New  York  and 
New  Jersey  will  cooperate  on  Satur- 
day, March  21  in  presenting  theatre 
television's  first  "off-hour"  educational 
program,  sponsored  by  the  Technical 
Society's  Council  of  New  York. 

The  program,  called  the  "First 
Greater  New  York  Scientific  and  En- 
gineering Career  Conference,"  will  be 
viewed  by  an  estimated  20,000  high 
school  students,  John  Kotrady,  gen- 
eral chairman  of  the  conference,  dis- 
closed here  yesterday. 

Sparking  the  negotiations  for  the 
deal  was  Irving  Sulds  of  United 
Paramount  Theatres  and  Leo  Rosen 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Grainger,  Raftery 
Win  Shea  Dispute 

Charges  of  fraud  against  Edmund 
C.  Grainger  and  Edward  C.  Raftery 
in  their  trusteeship  of  the  Maurice  A. 
Shea  Estate  were  flatly  rejected  in  a 
report  rendered  yesterday  to  the 
Bronx  Surrogate  Court  by  referee 
John  L.  Flynn. 

The  report,  climaxing  months  of 
hearings,  stated  in  part :  "I  find  here 
an  administration  of  the  estate  and 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  20,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


CHARLES  BOASBERG,  RKO 
Radio  general  sales  manager,  and 
Walter  Branson,  assistant  general 
sales  manager,  arrived  here  yesterday 
from  New  Orleans.  They  will  leave 
over  the  weekend  for  Chicago,  accom- 
panied by  Sidney  Kramer,  short  sub- 
jects sales  manager,  and  Harry 
Gittleson,  assistant  to  Branson. 
• 

Irving  Isaacs,  president  of  Inde- 
pendent Exhibitors,  Inc.,  of  New 
England,  and  Mrs.  Isaacs  announced 
in  Boston  the  engagement  of  their 
daughter,  Diane,  to  Thomas  A. 
Weil. 

• 

Sam  Forgotson,  in  charge  of  the 
M-G-M  advertising  trade  production 
department,  will  celebrate  the  Bar 
Mitzvah  of  his  oldest  son,  Jeffrey, 
on  Feb.  28. 

• 

David  Golding,  advertising-pub- 
licity director  for  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions,  and  Martin  Davis,  as- 
sistant director,  will  return  to  New 
York  today  from  Washington. 
• 

Harold  Wirthwein,  Allied  Artists 
Western  sales  manager,  and  M.  J.  E. 
McCarthy,  manager  of  the  Los  An- 
geles exchange,  will  leave  Hollywood 
over  the  weekend  for  Phoenix,  Ariz. 
• 

Harry  Seipel,  formerly  with  Fox 
West  Coast  Theatres  of  Northern 
California  and  now  an  executive  of 
Hoyts  Theatres,  Australia,  is  visiting 
in  San  Francisco  for  three  months. 
• 

Seymour  Mayer,  Lcew's  sales  su- 
pervisor for  the  Far  East,  returned 
to  New  York  yesterday  from  a  six- 
week  tour  of  his  territory. 

• 

Richard  W.  Altschuler,  president 
of    Republic    Pictures  International 
Corp.,  will  leave  here  by  plane  today 
for  a  four-week  tour  of  Europe. 
• 

Jimmy  Boyle,  Universal  exploiteer, 
will  complete  a  five-week  promotion 
stint  in  the  Midwest  on  Sunday. 
• 

P.    T.    Dana,   Universal  Eastern 
sales  manager,  will  leave  here  today 
for  Albany,  Buffalo  and  Pittsburgh. 
• 

Arthur  Canton,  Eastern  M-G-M 
press  representative,  has  left  Pitts- 
burgh for  Upstate  New  York. 


Wakshul  and  Smith 
With  Buying  Service 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  19.  —  Louis 
Wakshul  is  now  in  charge  of  the  film 
payment  department  of  Allied  Buying 
and  Booking  Service  here.  Jack 
Smith,  a  veteran  of  independent  thea- 
tre operation,  is  the  new  booker. 


No  Paper  Monday 

Motion  Picture  Daily  will 
not  be  published  Monday,  a 
legal  holiday  in  observance  of 
Washington's  Birthday. 


Seek  Out  Audience  Tastes 
Personally,  Zukor  Urges 

Hollywood,  Feb.  19. — Adolph  Zukor,  the  honor  guest  at  last  night's 
meeting  of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry  Council,  told  the  membership 
that  all  persons  responsible  for  select- 


ing subjects  and  making  pictures 
should  acquaint  themselves  personally 
with  audience  preferences  by  attend- 
ing theatres  in  all  sections  of  the 
country,  in  all  size  cities  and  towns, 
regularly.  He  pointed  out  many  in- 
stances showing  that  preview-room 
judgment  is  seldom  a  dependable 
guide  to  public  demand. 

The  Paramount  board  chairman 
also  said  the  "next  most  important 
thing  to  making  good  pictures  is  good 
advertising,"  and  urged  that  advertis- 
ing methods  be  studied  as  closely  as 
production  techniques  are. 

Arthur  Freed  succeeded  Steve 
Broidy  as  MPIC  chairman  for  the 
next  six  months  term.  Broidy,  Wil- 
liam Thomas  and  Y.  Frank  Freeman 
were  named  to  the  Council  of  Motion 
Picture  Organizations  liaison  commit- 
tee. 


Zukor  Tribute 
Committee  Grows 


Top-level  American  industry  will 
join  in  Variety  Clubs'  Golden  Jubilee 
Dinner  in  tribute  to  Adolph  Zukor  on 
Wednesday,  March  4,  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria. 

The  following  have  become  mem- 
bers of  the  honorary  committee  for  the 
dinner : 

Greg  Blackton,  director  of  Black- 
ton-Fifth  Avenue,  Ltd. ;  James  Wright 
Brown,  president,  Editor  &  Publisher; 
Douglas  L.  Elliman,  president,  Doug- 
las Elliman  &  Co. ;  F.  M.  Flynn,  presi- 
dent, Nezv  York  Daily  News;  Ber- 
nard Gimbel,  president,  Gimbel 
Brothers;  Albert  M.  Greenfield, 
president,  Albert  M.  Greenfield  &  Co. ; 
Stanton  Griffis,  industrialist  and  former 
United  States  Ambassador  to  Poland, 
Egypt,  Spain  and  Argentina;  H.  H. 
Helm,  president,  Chemical  Bank  & 
Trust  Co. 

Also,  William  J.  Keary,  president, 
Empire  State  Building  Corp.;  Mac 
Kriendler,  "21"  Club;  Mrs.  Albert 
Lasker;  J.  Wilson  Newman,  president, 
Dun  &  Bradstreet;  Joseph  Pulver- 
macher,  president,  Sterling  National 
Bank  ;  William  Rosenwald,  industrial- 
ist;  Toots  Shor;  Charles  P.  Sligh, 
Jr.,  president,  National  Association  of 
Manufacturers  ;  C.  R.  Smith,  president, 
American  Airlines,  Inc. ;  Harold  V. 
Smith,  president,  Home  Insurance 
Co. ;  H.  M.  Taliaferro,  president, 
American  Seating  Co. ;  Robert  R. 
Young,  president,  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Railroad ;  Philip  Liebmann, 
president,  Liebmann  Breweries ; 
Grover  A.  Whalen,  board  chairman, 
Coty's ;  Whitelaw  Reid,  editor,  New 
York  Herald  Tribune;  Richard  Pren- 
tice Ettinger,  president,  Prentice-Hall. 

'Messalina'  Rights  to  Col. 

Columbia  has  acquired  worldwide 
distribution  rights  to  "The  Affairs  of 
Messalina,"  Mexican  film  starring 
Maria  Felix,  the  company  reports. 


Veterans  Oppose  A 
Ban  on  'Limelight' 

The  American  Veterans  Committee, 
of  Brooklyn,  Bedford  Eastern  Park- 
way chapter,  yesterday  urged  exhibi- 
tors to  resist  the  efforts  of  the  Ameri- 
can Legion  to  ban  scheduled  exhibi- 
tions of  "Limelight." 

In  a  letter  to  Allied  States  Associa- 
tion and  to  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  the  chapter  termed  the 
Legion's  demands  as  "unwarranted" 
since  the  film  itself  was  not  objec- 
tionable. 

AVC  pointed  out  that  any  vocal 
pressure  group  could  set  itself  up  as 
censor  and  demand  the  removal  of 
films  because  of  personal  dislike  of 
one  of  its  actors.  Accordingly,  the 
chapter  urged  theatre  owners  to 
"avoid  this  form  of  censorship  and 
to  have  faith  that  the  American  people 
would  support  them  in  such  a  stand." 


Legion  Pickets  "Limelight" 
At  Washington  Openings 

Washington,  Feb.  19.  ■ —  Charles 
Chaplin's  "Limelight"  opened  here  to- 
day at  the  Plaza  and  Little  Theatres 
and  the  American  Legion  promptly 
started  picketing. 

A  spokesman  for  Roth  Theatres, 
which  owns  both  the  Plaza  and  Little, 
said  the  management  had  no  intention 
of  ending  the  showing  of  the  film, 
despite  the  picketing.  He  said  the 
theatres  had  received  many  protests 
and  threats  but  had  also  received  as 
many  or  more  messages  applauding 
the  decision  to  show  the  picture  and 
urging  the  management  not  to  give  in 
to  the  Legion. 

The  Washington  Post  today  again 
editorially  attacked  the  Legion's  stand, 
and  urged  that  individuals  be  per- 
mitted to  decide,  for  themselves  what 
pictures  they  wanted. 


Name  John  Mitchell 
ABC  Vice-President 

John  Mitchell  has  been  elected  a 
vice-president  of  the  American  Broad- 
casting Co.  Mitchell  has  assumed 
supervision  of  WBKB,  Channel  No.  7, 
ABC  television's  owned  video  station 
in  Chicago  under  the  terms  of  the 
recent  merger. 

Mitchell  first  entered  television  in 
1948  as  general  manager  of  the  Bala- 
ban  and  Katz  Corp.  Channel  No.  4 
television  station  in  Chicago. 


$8,000,000  'Lucy'  Deal 

Hollywood,  Feb.  19.  —  Columbia 
Broadcasting  and  Philip  Morris  and 
Co.  have  signed  an  $8,000,000  contract 
here  with  Lucille  Ball  and  Desi  Arnaz 
to  continue  their  "I  Love  Lucy"  tele- 
vision show  through  1955.  The  figure 
is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  TV 
history. 


'Forbes'  Cites  the 
'Insight'  of  Balaban 

Paramount's  president,  Bar- 
ney Balaban,  wins  the  plaudits 
of  Forbes  Magazine  for  show- 
ing "a  shrewd  insight  into  the 
exhibitor's  mind." 

In  a  current  article,  the 
business  and  finance  maga- 
zine's article  says:  "In  es- 
sence, Paramount  has  devel- 
oped the  knack  of  taking 
good,  solid  talent  and  exploit- 
ing it  in  a  universal  fashion." 
The  Paramount  story  runs 
over  six  pages. 


Disney  Launching 
New  Shorts  Series 

"The  Alaskan  Eskimo"  is  the  initial 
release  in  Walt  Disney's  new  series 
of  Technicolor  featurettes  titled 
"People  and  Places."  It  will  be 
shown  to  newspaper,  magazine,  syndi- 
cate and  trade  press  writers  and  ex- 
ecutives in  a  series  of  screenings  to 
be  held  at  the  Johnny  Victor  Theatre 
in  the  RCA  Exhibition  Hall  here  on 
the  evenings  of  Feb.  25,  26  and  27. 
The  short  started  its  first  engagement 
at  Loew's  State  Theatre  on  Broadway 
Wednesday  with  Arch  Obler's  3-D 
"Bwana  Devil." 

RKO  Radio,  distributors  of  Disney 
product,  said  there  is  to  be  no  pre- 
determined number  of  issues  in  the 
new  series,  nor  will  there  be  a  set 
releasing  schedule. 


Orr  Is  Greenthal 
Coast  Manager 

Hollywood,  Feb.  19. — Montgomery 
Orr  has  been  named  manager  and 
account  supervisor  of  the  West  Coast 
office  of  Monroe  Greenthal  Co.,  Inc., 
the  advertising  agency  discloses. 


Orde  to  the  Coast 

Bert  Orde  of  Redbook  will  leave 
here  today  for  Hollywood  to  attend 
Redbook's  14th  annual  Silver  Cup 
Award  dinner,  to  be  held  on  Wednes- 
day at  the  Bel-Air  Hotel.  Orde  will 
also  visit  with  studio  executives. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


Tonight  We  Sing" 

Ezio  PINZA  .  Roberta  PETERS 
Tamara  TOUMANOVA  .  David  WAYNE 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  20th  Century- Fox  Picture  _ 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


OE»N  JERRr 

MARTIN*  LEWS 
THE 

STOOGE 

A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  F«otur« 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Qu 
New  York."  Martin  Ouigley,  - 

Secretary;  James  P.  Cunning-ham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising-  Manaprer;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  February  20,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


FP-C  Installing  NV 
3-D  in  10  Theatres 

Toronto,  Feb.  19.— Famous 
Players  Canadian  Corp.  has 
jumped  into  the  three  dimen- 
sional arena  here  with  the 
announcement  that  10  of  its 
key  theatres  across  the  coun- 
try are  being  prepared  for  the 
early  presentation  of  films  in 
the  Natural  Vision  process. 

The  first  to  be  equipped  in 
Toronto  will  be  Shea's  The- 
atre, where  Warner  Brothers' 
"House  of  Wax"  will  be  shown 
after  Lent. 

Three  dimensional  installa- 
tions at  Odeon  units  are 
promised  for  the  early  future, 
the  type  said  to  be  Stereo- 
Techniques. 


M-G-M  Joins  Rank 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


his  audience  will  be  asked  to  use 
special  spectacles  during  the  show. 

On  his  recent  return  here  from  the 
United  States,  Paramount's  James  E. 
Perkins  remarked  that,  for  the  mo- 
ment anyway,  he  didn't  think  that 
there  was  much  to  get  excited  about. 
Nevertheless,  his  company's  Plaza  is 
being  equipped  for  3-D  shows. 

Alexander  Korda  made  a  charac- 
teristic contribution  to  the  flurry. 
Reflecting  that  Hollywood  chiefs  in 
their  scramble  to  stake  out  stereo- 
scopic claims  see  the  development  as 
the  answer  to  TV,  Sir  Alexander 
said :  "Of  course  it  is  not.  TV's 
place  is  assured.  You  do  not  retort 
by  3-D  or  any  other  device  like  that. 
TV  has  taken  the  habit  out  of  cinema 
going  but  a  film  will  draw  big  audi- 
ences and  take  just  as  much  money 
as  ever  when  it  is  better  entertain- 
men  than  TV  can  offer  at  home. 

"I  do  not  believe  there  is  any  point 
in  rushing  in  and  making  every  pic- 
ture in  three  dimensions.  Some  films 
do  not  need  it." 

All  the  same,  Showman  Korda  will 
not  be  left  out  of  it.  He  plans  mak- 
ing what  he  calls  "Britain's  first  full- 
length  feature  film  in  three  dimen- 
sions" around  May. 

Inevitably  a  crowd  of  energetic  pro- 
moters have  come  over  Britain's 
horizon  with  loudly  pronounced  claims 
to  3-D  equipment  ideas.  The  authori- 
ties do  not  propose  being  caught  on 
the  wrong  foot  as  they  were  when 
sound  arrived.  The  Board  of  Trade 
has  already  made  it  clear  that  there 
can  be  no  question  of  dollars  being 
made  available  for  equipment  pur- 
chases or  royalty  rights.  In  other 
words,  3-D  equipment  will  be  required 
to  be  made  here  or  elsewhere  in  the 
sterling  area. 


CinemaScope  Plans 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ported  here  yesterday  that  work  has 
started  on  the  construction  of  a 
CinemaScope  screen  in  its  home  office 
Little  Theatre  for  press  and  industry 
showings  of  the  wide-screen  process. 

Alterations  are  expected  to  be  com- 
pleted shortly  for  demonstrations,  in- 
cluding scenes  from  "The  Robe,"  first 
in  the  wide-screen  process. 


TV  Line  to  New  Britain 

The  Bell  Telephone  System's  nation- 
wide television  network  facilities  have 
been  extended  to  station  WKNB-TV 
in  New  Britain,  Conn. 


3-D  Orders,  Installations 
Mounting  Across  Country 

The  avalanche  of  theatre  installations  for  the  showing-  of  tri-dimen- 
sional  pictures  is  continuing  to  sweep  across  the  country,  with  orders 

mounting  daily,  according  to  equip-   

ment  men.     Although   shortages  of 

some  pieces  of  necessary  equipment  I |_  p  A1H<^*1 

are  existing  currently,  a  step-up  in  I «• 8  ^  C 1  ±1  J.  a»  ^llUCU 
production  of  all  parts  is  expected  to  ^      T-k.  ^  -j-^ 

keep  up  with  the  demand  in  the  near    |  Q  JJlSCUSS  O-JJ 

future. 

Contracts  for  35  3-D  installations 
in  the  Cleveland  exchange  area  have 
been  received  by  the  National  Theatre 
Supply  Co.  office,  according  to  man- 
ager Frank  Masek.  Among  them  are 
seven  for  Shea  circuit  theatres  in 
Ashtabula,  New  Philadelphia,  Zanes- 
ville,  Marietta,  Cambridge,  Lancaster 
and  Newark.  The  Skirball  circuit 
has  placed  orders  for  Massilon,  Bryan, 
Mansfield  and  Toledo.  Chris  Velas 
has  ordered  equipment  for  Wheeling 
and  Bellaire.  Other  orders  have  come 
from  Cuyahoga  Falls,  Bedford,  To- 
ledo, Kenton,  Canton,  East  Liverpool 
and  Cleveland. 


Five  Openings 


Warner  Theatres  has  set  five  open- 
ings in  March  of  "Bwana  Devil"  in 
Akron,  Youngstown,  Mansfield,  Can- 
ton and  Lima,  while  Loew's  Valentine 
in  Toledo  opens  with  the  picture  on 
March  21. 

In  the  Denver  area,  Fox  Inter- 
mountain  is  surveying  all  of  its  "A" 
theatres  for  3-D  installations  as  well 
as  making  preparations  for  the  intro- 
duction of  CinemaScope.  The  circuit 
operates  theatres  in  seven  states. 

Omaha  fans  will  get  their  first  look 
at  tri-dimensional  pictures  on  Sunday 
when  the  Stereo-Techniques  program 
opens  at  R.  D.  Goldberg's  State 
Theatre.  The  Tri-State  circuit  had 
hoped  to  open  "Bwana  Devil"  at  the 
Omaha  late  this  month,  but  because 
of  equipment  delays  the  picture  will 
not  start  until  late  March. 

"Bwana  Devil"  bows  on  the  War- 
ner Connecticut  circuit  in  mid- 
March,  opening  first  at  the  Roger 
Sherman  in  New  Haven  on  March 
16,  to  be  followed  shortly  thereafter 
by  the  Strand  in  Hartford  and  other 
key  houses.  Loew's  Poli  in  Bridge- 
port currently  is  playing  the  Stereo- 
Techniques  subjects  and  will  open 
shortly  in  Loew  houses  in  Waterbury 
and  New  Haven. 


Children's  Ticket 
Prices  Increased 


Washington,  Feb.  19. — Children's 
admission  prices  in  large  cities  rose 
in  the  last  three  months  of  1952,  while 
adult  prices  held  steady,  the  U.  S. 
Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  reports. 

The  Bureau  collects  price  data 
every  three  months  in  18  large  cities 
and  weighs  the  information  to  reflect 
price  trends  in  the  34  largest  cities. 

The  children's  price  index  rose  from 
149.4  at  the  end  of  September  to  151.5 
at  the  end  of  December.  Thfs~  was 
the  highest  since  March,  when  the 
index  was  152.5.  The  1935-39  aver- 
age was  100.  The  adult  price  index 
remained  unchanged  at  177.9.  As  a 
result  of  the  rise  in  the  children's 
price  index,  the  combined  adult-chil- 
dren price  index  rose  from  174.1  at 
the  end  of  the  third  quarter  to  174.3 
at  the  end  of  the  year. 


Philadelphia,  Feb.  19. — A  panel 
discussion  on  three-dimensional  film 
problems  will  highlight  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania Allied's  15th  annual  meeting, 
slated  to  be  held  Tuesday  at  the 
Broadwood  Hotel. 

Representatives  from  20th  Century- 
Fox,  National  Theatre  Supply  and 
RCA  will  be  on  hand  to  lead  the  dis- 
cussion. In  addition,  the  Allied  unit 
disclosed  that  the  current  film  situa- 
tion, including  "the  plague  of  pre- 
release pictures,  and  50  per  cent  film 
rentals"  will  be  taken  up  at  the  meet- 
ing. 


Orville  L.  Wood  Dies 

Portland,  Ore.,  Feb.  19. — Orville 
L.  Wood,  owner  and  operator  of  the 
Roxy  and  Liberty  Drive-in  Theatres 
at  Coquille,  Ore.,  died  Tuesday  of  a 
heart  attack,  at  the  age  of  56. 


Studios  to  Study 
3-D  Uniformity 

Studio  heads  in  Hollywood 
are  planning  to  meet  next 
week  to  formulate  a  basis 
upon  which  standardization 
of  tri-dimensional  film  pro- 
duction may  be  achieved,  it 
was  learned  here  yesterday. 
Existing  processes,  it  is  un- 
derstood, will  be  studied  and 
completed  and  partially-com- 
pleted product  will  be  re- 
viewed from  the  standpoint  of 
3-D  quality. 


3-D  Magazines 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


not  accept  orders  if 
required  prior  to  the 


company  will 
shipments  are 
March  date. 

The  NTS  managers  were  informed 
that  the  shortage  in  both  magazines 
and  screens  are  acute,  and  are  "getting 
worse."  Currently,  there  is  no  short- 
age in  interlocking  devices. 

Attending  yesterday's  sessions  were 
Walter  Green,  president  of  NTS ; 
W.  J.  Turnbull  and  John  Currie,  vice- 
presidents  ;  Allen  Smith,  New  York 
manager ;  William  Hutchins,  Phila- 
delphia ;  W.  J.  McKinney;  Boston ; 
N.  C.  Haefle,  Baltimore ;  Ralph  Mor- 
row, Albany  and  New  Haven. 


Groucho  Marx,  who  ought  to  know, 
says  that  ARTHUR  MAYER'S 

if 


is  merely  colossal.  But  Abel  Green 
of  Variety,  who  ought  to  know,  says 
it's  truly  colossal. 


You  may  remember 
Mayer.  Not  Louis 
B.,  not  the  old  gray, 
but  Arthur— the  fellow  who  ( 1 ) 
used  to  run  those  horror  films 
at  the  Rialto,  (2)  imported 
foreign  films  which  actually 
grossed  almost  as  much  as  they 
claimed  to,  and  (3)  did  odd 
jobs  for  dear  old  Compo. 

Now  Mayer,  masquerading 
as  an  author,  tells  all  —  or  a 
little  more  than  all:  stones  about 
hundreds  of  people  you  know 
including,  perhaps,  yourself.* 


Get  a  copy  quickly  at  your 
nearest  bookstore.  Mayer  sug- 
gests that  those  of  his  friends 
who  have  never  gone  into  a 
bookstore  can  get  Merely 
Colossal  hot  off  the  griddle  by 
sending  $3.50  with  their  name 
and  address  to  Simon  and 
Schuster,  publishers,  Dept. 
M-l,  630  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York  20. 

*  If  your  name  is  not  in  the  index, 
complain  direct  to  Arthur  Mayer. 
He  may  put  you  in  the  next 
edition. 


OF*  The  New  York  Times  calls  it  "rambunctiously  entertaining." 

OF"  Morion  Picture  Daily  says  it  is  "better  entertainment  for 
members  of  the  industry  than  anything  TV  has  to  offer." 

OF*  According  to  Film  Daily,  it's  a  "must"  for  moviemen. 

©F*  Variety  calls  it  "a  refresher  course  in  real  showmanship." 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  20,  1953 


Reviews 


"Seminole" 

{Universal-International) 

THE  efforts  of  an  Army  detachment  to  clean  out  Seminole  Indians  for 
their  refusal  to  move  West  is  the  theme  of  this  picture.  The  locale  is 
the  Florida  Territory  in  1835.  It  is  a  sort  of  cowboy-and-Indian  formula, 
except  that  the  "cowboys"  in  this  case  are  soldiers,  and  the  redskins  are  a 
tribe  not  common  to  action  pictures.  The  Seminole  dress  differently  from 
the  whooping  savages  of  the  West,  so  familiar  to  the  outdoor  fans. 

The  color  by  Technicolor  is  excellent  and  a  capable  cast,  including  Rock 
Hudson,  Anthony  Quinn,  Barbara  Hale  and  Richard  Carlson,  make  the  most 
of  their  difficult  assignments.  There  is  plenty  of  action,  some  romance  and 
a  fair  amount  of  suspense,  but  somewhere  along  the  line  the  picture  misses 
fire.  Despite  its  weak  points,  however,  "Seminole"  has  enough  to  satisfy  the 
less-demanding  audiences.  Youngsters  should  like  it. 

Hudson  portrays  a  young  lieutenant  assigned  to  Fort  King  where  he  finds 
himself  in  disagreement  with  the  post  commander,  Carlson,  who  wants  to 
liquidate  the  Seminoles.  Hudson,  a  native  of  the  territory,  tries  to  convince 
Carlson  that  the  Seminole  are  friendly  and  should  be  permitted  to  remain  in 
their  swamp  country.  The  Indians'  leader,  Quinn,  is  half  white  and  a  boy- 
hood friend  of  Hudson.  An  effort  is  made  by  Miss  Hale,  who  operates  a 
trading  post,  to  arrange  a  peace  meeting  between  Quinn  and  the  military, 
but  before  it  can  take  place  open  warfare  has  broken  out.  Eventually  Hudson 
is  accused  of  murdering  a  sentry  and  is  sentenced  to  death,  but  is  saved  by 
the  confession  of  an  Indian. 

The  story  and  screenplay  were  by  Charles  K.  Peck.  Howard  Christie  pro- 
duced and  Budd  Boetticher  directed.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Hugh  O'Brien, 
Russell  Johnson,  Lee  Marvin,  Ralph  Moody,  James  Best,  Dan  Poore  and 
Frank  Chase. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release.  Al  Steen 


"The  Girls  of  Pleasure  Island" 

(Paramount)  Hollywood,  Feb.  19 

A WORLD  WAR  II  episode  concerning  the  responses  of  three  unsophisti- 
cated British  sisters  to  the  arrival  of  1,500  U.  S.  Marines  on  Paradise 
Island,  of  which  the  girls'  father,  Leo  Genn,  is  the  British  administrator, 
provides  the  theme  of  this  amusing  picture.  Three  of  the  young  people  sin- 
gled out  by  Paramount  some  time  ago  for  training  and  promotion — Dorothy 
Bromley,  Audrey  Dalton  and  Joan  Elan — pan  out  very  well  as  the  sister  trio. 
Their  work  stands  up  nicely  alongside  that  of  such  skilled  performers  as 
Elsa  Lanchester,  Don  Taylor  and  Genn. 

When  the  Marines  land  on  the  island  to  build  an  airstrip  early  in  1945, 
Genn  is  concerned  over  the  welfare  of  his  daughters  and  their  wholesale 
courtship  by  the  Leathernecks.  It  is  that  situation  that  keeps  the  picture 
rolling  along  at  a  pleasant  clip  until  the  Marines  are  called  away  for  other 
duties. 

The  title  may  be  misleading  as  the  picture  embodies  a  very  proper  island 
romance  with  color  in  Technicolor.  Producer  Paul  Jones  had  a  thorny 
undertaking  in  turning  out  the  production,  while  F.  Hugh  Herbert  and  Alvin 
Ganzer,  co-directors,  did  a  capable  job.  The  script  by  Herbert  was  based 
on  a  novel  by  William  Maier. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Philip  Ober,  Peter  Baldwin,  Gene  Barry,  Barry 
Bernard,  A.  E.  Gould-Porter. 

Running  time,  95  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


"Gunsmoke" 

( Universal-International) 

A LARGE  scale  Western  that's  packed  with  action  and  suspense.  It  has 
stampedes,  fires,  treachery,  romance  and,  of  course,  much  gunsmoke. 
With  all  of  those  ingredients,  the  picture  can  hardly  miss  in  situations  where 
such  fare  is  a  favorite  diet.  Audie  Murphy  heads- the  cast,  ably  supported  by 
Susan  Cabot,  Paul  Kelly,  Donald  Randolph,  Mary  Castle,  and  others. 

The  formula  of  an  empire-builder  seeking  to  acquire  a  valuable  ranch  by 
skullduggery  is  far  from  new,  but  the  manner  in  which  the  familiar  theme 
has  been  developed  is  convincing  and  exciting. 

Audie  Murphy  is  hired  by  Randolph  to  do  away  with  Paul  Kelly  because 
Randolph  has  a  covetous  eye  on  the  latter's  ranch.  But  Murphy  joins  forces 
with  Kelly  when  he  wins  the  ranch  in  a  card  cut.  The  task  of  getting  the  cattle 
to  the  railroad  falls  to  Murphy  and  therein  lies  the  source  of  the  action. 
Further  complications  develop  when  one  of  the  ranch  men  becomes  Murphy's 
rival  for  Miss  Cabot's  heart.  But  Murphy  gets  the  cattle  to  their  destination 
safely  and  wins  the  girl.  Miss  Castle,  an  entertainer,  provides  some  vocal 
numbers  and  a  touch  of  competition  for  Miss  Cabot. 

Aaron  Rosenberg  produced  and  Nathan  Juran  directed,  from  a  screenplay 
by  D.  D.  Beauchamp.  Rounding  out  the  cast  are  Charles  Drake,  Jack  Kelly, 
Jesse  White,  William  Reynolds,  Chubby  Johnson,  Bill  Radovich,  James  F. 
Stone,  Jimmy  Van  Horn  and  Clem  Fuller. 

Running  time,  79  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


'Brotherhood' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

for  the  amusement  division  of  the 
Brotherhood  celebration,  presided. 
Schwartz  said  that  regional  chairmen 
around  the  country  have  been  sending 
him  encouraging  reports  and  this 
year's  participation  by  the  industry  in 
Brotherhood  Week  should  be  one  of 
the  most  successful  in  years. 

Former  vice-president  Alben  W. 
Barkley  was  one  of  the  principal 
speakers.  Barkley  congratulated  the 
amusement  industry  for  the  work  it 
has  done  to  help  the  NCCJ.  He  said 
theatres  of  the  nation  have  always 
done  an  outstanding  job  when  called 
upon  for  help  for  a  worthy  cause. 

A  highlight  was  the  presentation  of 
a  dramatic  tableaux,  "The  ABC's  of 
Brotherhood,"  by  Morton  Sunshine. 
In  the  cast  were  Quentin  Reynolds, 
John  Cameron  Swayze,  Ben  Grauer, 
Danny  Kaye,  Mel  Allen,  Bob  Con- 
sidine  and  Conrad  Nagel.  Margaret 
Phelan  sang  the  "Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner." Musical  numbers  included  "The 
House  I  Live  In,"  by  Jack  Russell ; 
"You've  Got  To  Be  Taught  To  Hate" 
by  Bill  Hayes,  and  "You'll  Never 
Walk  Alone"  by  the  Billy  Williams 
Quartet. 

The  need  for  the  free  world  to  cre- 
ate a  moral  empire  in  which  brother- 
hood, freedom,  and  tolerance  will  form 
the  main  pillars  of  strength  was  un- 
derscored by  Skouras,  in  accepting 
an  achievement  award. 

Skouras  declared  that  the  people  of 
the  world  are  looking  to  America  for 
spiritual  leadership ;  and  that  "if  we 
show  them  that  our  love  of  freedom 
and  equality  is  actively  practiced  at 
home  as  well  as  abroad,  they  will  re- 
spond quickly  and  decisively."  This, 
Skouras  counseled,  is  one  of  the  most 
effective  forces  at  our  disposal,  and 
one  that  must  be  utilized  with  as  much 
care  and  prudence  as  any  military 
weapon.  | 

Canadian  Pioneers 
Reelect  Taylor 

Toronto,  Feb.  19.  — N.  A.  Taylor 
was  reelected  president  of  the  Cana- 
dian Picture  Pioneers  at  a  meeting- 
held  here  at  the  King  Edward  Hotel. 
Reelected  to  the  board  of  directors 
were :  Oscar  Hanson,  Ray  Lewis, 
Charlie  Dentelbeck,  Harold  Pfaff  and 
Walter  Kennedy.  Chosen  to  serve  on 
the  board  for  the  first  time  were :  Tom 
Daley,  Morris  Doyle,  Harry  Lester, 
Frank  O'Byrne  and  E.  Wells. 

Some  100  members  were  present  at 
the  annual  meeting. 

Investigator  Long 
Quits  Committee 

Washington,  Feb.  19. — Gillis  W. 
Long,  a  member  of  the  Senate  Small 
Business  Committee  staff  investigating 
trade  practices  in  this  and  other  in- 
dustries, has  resigned  to  enter  private 
practice. 


WANTED 

Growing,  progressive  Drive-in  theatre 
organization  has  wonderful  opportunity 
for  District  Manager.  Must  be  qualified 
in  advertising,  promotion,  knowledge  of 
buying  and  booking,  maintenance,  and 
personnel  of  Drive-in  theatres.  Should 
have  concession  experience.  Position  will 
require  traveling.  Write  giving  past  em- 
ployment and  references.    Enclose  photo. 

ARNOLD  BERCER 

82  NEWBURY  STREET 
BOSTON  16,  MASS. 


Censor  Named  Lt.  Col. 

Baltimore,  Feb.  19. — Sydney  R. 
Traub,  chairman  of  the  Maryland 
State  Board  of  Motion  Picture  Cen- 
sors since  1949,  has  been  appointed  a 


lieutenant-colonel  in  the  U.  S.  Air 
Force  Reserve.  Traub,  who  served 
in  the  Air  Force  in  both  World  Wars, 
left  active  dutv  in  1946  with  the  rank 
of  lieutenant-colonel. 


TV  Program 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  Fabian  Theatres,  it  was  learned. 
Participating  in  the  one-hour  show 
which  will  get  underway  at  10  A.M. 
will  be  the  following  theatres:  New 
York  Paramount,  Lane,  Manhattan ; 
RKO  Fordham,  Bronx  ;  Fabian's  Fox, 
Brooklyn;  Century  Circuit's  Marine, 
Brooklyn;  Prospedt,  Flushing,  and 
the  Lee,  at  Fort  Lee,  N.  J. 

Dr.  Henry  T.  Heald,  chancellor  of 
New  York  University,  will  present 
the  welcoming  address,  which  will  be 
followed  by  talks  by  Dr.  Lloyd 
Berkner,  president  of  Associated  Uni- 
versities, and  Dr.  Charles  Selzer,  su- 
perintendent of  schools  in  Dumont, 
N.  J.  A  two-way  audio  hook-up  will 
permit  students  seated  in  the  theatres 
to  ask  questions  and  obtain  answers 
from  the  speakers. 

The  entire  program  is  part  of  the 
council's  effort  to  build  up  the  tech- 
nical strength  of  the  nation  and  help 
overcome  the  engineering  and  scien- 
tific manpower  shortage,  chairman 
Kotrady  explained.  The  full  coopera- 
tion of  boards  of  education,  science 
teachers,  parochial  school  officials  and 
university  faculties  in  the  area  has 
been  obtained,  he  added. 

The  telecast  is  being  held  in  con- 
junction with  workshop  sessions  on 
scientific  careers  which  will  be  held 
on  the  same  day,  but  later  in  the  after- 
noon, at  New  York  University's 
Washington  Square  campus. 

Illinois  Variety  Club 
Honors  Carpentier 

Chicago,  Feb.  19. — Charles  F.  Car- 
pentier, Moline  exhibitor  and  Illinois 
Secretary  of  State,  was  honored  at  a 
testimonial  banquet  in  the  Congress 
Hotel  here  last  night  by  the  Variety 
Club  of  Illinois.  Master-of-cere- 
monies  George  Murphy  who  came  in 
from  Hollywood  for  the  banquet  in- 
troduced other  prominent  guests  in- 
cluding William  G.  Stratton,  Gover- 
nor of  Illinois ;  Albert  Crampton, 
Chief  Justice  of  Illinois  Supreme 
Court,  and  other  political  dignitaries. 

The  1953  panel  of  Variety  Club 
officers  was  installed  with  John  J. 
Jones  taking  office  as  chief  barker. 
Other  new  officers  and  directors  in- 
clude Nat  Nathanson,  first  assistant 
chief  barker ;  James  Coston,  second 
assistant;  Manny  Gottlieb,  dough  guy; 
Manny  Smerling,  property  master, 
and  directors  James  Donohue,  Tom 
Flannery,  .  Max  Rosenberg,  Arthur 
Schoenstadt,  Edwin  Silverman  and 
Dave  Wallerstein.  Ex-international 
chief  barker  Mark  Wolf  and  the 
present  international  chief  barker, 
Jack  Beresin,  also  spoke  to  the  500 
guests. 


Israel  Product  to  Cornell 

J.  Milton  Salzburg,  president  of 
Cornell  Films,  announced  the  signing 
here  of  a  contract  with  Zeev  Kendler, 
president  of  Kenfilm  Enterprises  of 
Tel  Aviv,  Israel,  to  represent  and  dis- 
tribute the  product  of  Kenfilm  here. 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING... 

FILMACK  GIVES  V0U  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PEA  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK  M 
TRAILERS  3 

Friday,  February  20,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Settle  '49  Prefect 
Suit  Vs.  Majors 

The  settlement  of  a  $1,200,000  trust 
suit  against  all  of  the  majors  except 
Paramount,  filed  by  Prefect  Theatres 
Inc.,  of  Greenwich,  Conn.,  was  dis- 
closed here  yesterday  at  New  York 
Federal  District  Court. 

Prefect  Theatres,  operator  of  the 
Pickwick  and  the  Greenwich  Play- 
house, in  its  1949  suit  also  named  as 
defendants,  Skouras  Theatres  and 
Metropolitan  Playhouses,  Inc.  Terms 
of  the  settlement  were  not  disclosed. 

Principals  Rest  in 
Bronx  Trust  Case 

Both  the  plaintiffs  and  defendants 
rested  their  cases  yesterday  in  the 
anti-trust  suit  brought  by  J.  J. 
Theatres  and  Luxor  Group,  Inc., 
against  20th  Century-Fox,  Warner 
Brothers,  RKO  Radio,  Universal  and 
Skouras  Theatres  in  Federal  Court 
here.  Judge  Edward  Weinfeld  denied 
a  motion  by  the  defendants  to  dismiss 
the  action  and  the  case  will  go  to  the 
jury  on  Wednesday  after  a  summation 
on  Tuesday. 

The  plaintiffs  asked  for  $3,000,000 
for  alleged  favoritisms  by  the  dis- 
tributors in  granting  Skouras'  Park 
Plaza  Theatre  in  the  Bronx  first-run 
product  over  the  Luxor  Theatre. 


$3,000,000  Suit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

tres,  operators  of  the  Palace,  Cran- 
ston, R.  I.,  and  the  eight  major  dis- 
tributors. 

The  complaint  charges  conspiracy, 
beginning  prior  to  1932  by  the  defend- 
ants to  restrain  and  monopolize  inter- 
state trade  by  a  system  of  runs,  clear- 
ances and  admission  prices  in  and  near 
Providence,  as  a  result  of  which  the 
plaintiff  is  said  to  have  been  denied 
the  right  to  obtain  features  within  a 
reasonable  time  after  territorial  re- 
lease date,  and  was  compelled  to  wait 
for  varying  periods  of  from  55  to  100 
days  after  first-run  in  Providence.  It 
also  charges  admission  price  fixing, 
block  booking,  blind  buying,  and  vari- 
ous alleged  discriminations  against  the 
plaintiff  in  favor  of  the  defendants. 
The  action  was  filed  by  George  S. 
Ryan  of  Boston  and  by  Fergus  J. 
McOsker,  E.  Harold  Dick  and  Joseph 
B.  Carty  of  Providence,  as  attorneys 
for  the  plaintiff. 

Robinson  Heads  EK 
Savings  Association 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  19. — Arch- 
bold  H.  Robinson,  treasurer  of  East- 
man Kodak,  is  the  new  president  of 
the  Eastman  Savings  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation, succeeding  Marion  B.  Folsom, 
now  U.  S.  Undersecretary  of  the 
Treasury  in  Washington. 

Craig  P.  Cochrane,  director  of 
Kodak  industrial  relations,  has  been 
elected  vice-president  of  ESL  and 
was  also  named  chairman  of  its  execu- 
tive committee,  formerly  headed  by 
Robinson.  Douglas  H.  Foxall,  who 
has  been  executive  vice-president  of 
ESL,  was  appointed  assistant  to  the 
treasurer  of  Kodak,  and  James  G. 
Killip,  assistant  vice-president  of 
ESL,  will  become  managing  officer  of 
the  Association.  J.  Donald  Fewster, 
Kodak  assistant  treasurer,  is  named 
a  director  of  the  Association  and  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee. 


Trust  Law 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

recovery  at  all,  or  else  a  treble  dam- 
age recovery — could  be  avoided  in 
such  cases." 

The  film  industry  long  has  favored 
this  application  of  the  law,  believing 
that  the  question  of  triple  damages 
should  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
judge.  The  film  business,  also,  it  is 
pointed  out  by  company  lawyers,  be- 
lieves that  the  matter  of  statute  of 
limitations  is  an  unfair  facet  of  the 
law.  In  this  regard,  Reed  said  yes- 
terday : 

"One  aspect  of  anti-trust  procedure 
which  probably  can  be  simplified  is 
the  matter  of  limitations  in  private 
actions.  Instead  of  having  48  differ- 
ent state  statutes  of  limitations  apply 
to  this  Federal  remedy,  it  would  seem 
to  be  sound  policy  to  settle  upon  the 
most  equitable  period  and  make  that 
period  applicable  uniformly  through- 
out the  country.  A  Federal  statute 
of  limitations  would  eliminate  the  fre- 
quent dispute  over  what  statute  is 
applicable  in  a  particular  case,  and 
also  discourage  the  possible  practice 
of  shopping  around  for  a  forum  with 
a  particularly  favorable  statute.  A 
bill  to  accomplish  this  end  has  already 
been  introduced  in  the  83rd  Congress 
by  a  member  of  our  committee." 

Reed  told  the  symposium  that  the 
committee  welcomes  suggestions  for 
"improvements"  in  the  anti-trust  laws. 


Grainger,  Raftery 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  Shea  Companies  without  a  trace 
of  fraud  or  constructive  fraud  by  the 
executors.  Rather  it  is  one  marked 
by  care  and  prudence  and  crowned 
with  .exceptional  success." 

Rejected  by  the  referee  were 
charges  brought  by  Dorothy  Shea, 
wife  of  Gerald  Shea,  president  of  Shea 
Enterprises,  and  daughter  of  the  late 
M.  A.  Shea,  founder  of  the  Eastern 
circuit.  Grainger,  former  general 
manager  and  president  of  Shea  En- 
terprises, Raftery  of  the  law  firm  of 
O'Brien,  Driscoll  &  Raftery,  and 
Thomas  E.  Shea  were  named  as  the 
sole  surviving  trustees  of  the  estate. 

The  action  in  the  Bronx  Surrogate 
Court  was  disclosed  in  Jan.,  1?52 
following  Grainger's  dismissal  as 
general  manager  of  the  circuit  in 
what  was  described  as  an  aftermath 
to  a  dispute  over  terms  of  his  employ- 
ment contract.  Grainger,  who  is  now 
head  buyer  and  booker  of  RKO  The- 
atres, still  has  a  suit  pending  against 
the  Shea  circuit  in  New  York  Su- 
preme Court,  calling  for  arbitration 
of  his  contract  dispute.  Litigation  in 
this  suit,  it  was  explained,  will  be 
held  up  pending  findings  of  the  Bronx 
Surrogate  Court,  which  will  consider 
the  referee's  report. 

Sen,  Carlson  Lauds 
Samuel  Goldwyn 

Washington,  Feb.  19. —  Producer 
Samuel  Goldwyn's  life  story  was 
pointed  up  here  as  a  typical  example 
of  the  American  way  of  life  by  Se- 
nator Frank  Carlson  (Rep.,  -Kan.) 
who  inserted  his  remarks  into  the 
Congressional  Record  on  the  dual  oc- 
casion of  the  producer's  40th  year  in 
the  motion  picture  industry  and  the 
benefit  performance  of  his  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen,"  sponsored  by  the 
American  Newspaper  Women's  Club, 
tonight  at  the  Warner  Metropolitan 
Theatre. 


225,100  Own  Stock 
In  16  Film  Firms 

Sixteen  companies  in  the 
motion  picture  industry  which 
have  stock  outstanding  on  the 
public  market  have  225,100 
common  or  preferred  share- 
holders, according  to  a  survey 
by  Motion  Picture  Herald. 
Following  is  a  list  of  the  com- 
panies and  their  total  stock- 
holders; the  figures  were 
either  supplied  by  the  com- 
pany itself  or  were  published 
in  the  latest  edition  of  Stand- 


ard &  Poor's: 

Allied  Artists    2,100 

Columbia   Pictures    3,300) 

Disney   Productions    1,20(J 

Loew's    "7,800 

National  Theatres    24.500 

Paramount  Pictures    24,000 

Republic   Pictures    9,000 

RKO   Pictures    16,000 

RKO  Theatres    21,000 

Technicolor    6,900 

Trans-Lux    2,900 

Twentieth  Century-Fox    24,509 

United   Artists   Theatres   800 

United  Paramount  Theatres..  26,800 

Universal   Pictures    3,309 

Warner  Brothers    21,000 


TOTAL    225,100 


Int'l  Drive-in 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

pendent  association,  Ezell  ex- 
plained. 

Meanwhile,  it  was  disclosed  that  Al 
Reynolds,  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  Ezell  and  Associates,  will 
attend  the  Allied  drive-in  meeting  in 
Milwaukee,  March  24-26. 


Senate  Group 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Justice  Department  and  Federal  Trade 
Commission  officials. 

The  Committee  estimated  that  the 
hearings  would  take  about  two  weeks, 
and  that  some  80:  to  100  witnesses 
would  be  heard.  "In  the  past,  on  mat- 
ters of  this  scope,"  one  Committee 
official  said  today,  "we've  usually  run 
around  100  witnesses." 

The  tentative  hearing  schedule  calls 
for  putting  on  the  stand  first  as  many 
as  possible  of  the  exhibitors  who  wish 
to  testify. 

After  the  Committee  has  a  rounded 
picture  of  what  the  exhibitor  problems 
are,  a  Committee  member  said,  the 
group  will  hear  distributors  and  prob- 
ably some  producers.  They  will  be 
followed  by  spokesmen  from  the  FTC 
and  from  the  Justice  Department's 
anti-trust  division. 

Committee  investigators  will  do 
"considerable  work"  before  the  hear- 
ing throughout  the  East,  a  staff  mem- 
ber said,  centering  in  Chicago,  Michi- 
gan, New  York  State  and  the  District 
of  Columbia  area.  The  bulk  of  ex- 
hibitor complaints  have  come  from 
these  sections,  he  said.  Most  of  the 
investigation  done  to  date  has  been 
on  the  West  Coast,  and  Committee  in- 
vestigators expect  to  return  there. 


Ministers  Back  Censors 

Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  19. — Continu- 
ance of  the  present  statewide  film  cen- 
sorship was  asked  in  a  resolution 
approved  by  1,300  Protestant  clergy- 
men attending  the  Ohio  Pastors  con- 
vention here. 


CORRECTION  NOTICE 

THE 

PARAMOUNT  TRADE  SHOWING 
OF 

PONY  EXPRESS 

IS 

FEBRUARY  25 

instead  of  MARCH  19  as 
previously  advertised 


"Light  housekeeping  . . .  a  necessity" 


Obvious  to  everyone  may  be  the  fact 
that  not  enough  light  is  getting  to 
the  screen;  or  that  the  sound  system 
is  not  functioning  properly. 
The  reasons,  however,  may  be  varied — 
equipment  failure,  inadequate  house- 
keeping, or  a  drop  in  power  output. 
Aid  in  this  type  of  trouble-shooting  may 
be  obtained  from  the  Eastman  Technical 
Service  for  Motion  Picture  Film  which 
Kodak  maintains  at  strategic  centers 
to  cooperate  with  producers,  processors, 
and  exchanges  and  exhibitors. 


f*  I RSX 

IN 
FILM 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  36 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  24,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Rep.  Urges  No 
TV  Grants  for 
Film  Interests 


Says  Radio,  Newspapers 
Should  Also  Be  Denied 


Washington,  Feb.  23.  —  Rep. 
Springer  (R.,  111.)  of  the  House 
Interstate  Commerce  Committee 
urged  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  at  the  weekend  to  follow 
a  policy  of  denying  television  licenses 
to  applicants  from  the  motion  pic- 
ture, radio  broadcasting  and  newspaper 
industries. 

The  Congressman's  remarks  were 
made  to  FCC  chairman  Paul  A. 
Walker,  who  spent  a  full  day  on  the 
stand  as  part  of  the  committee's 
routine  review  of  the  FCC. 

Asking  whether  the  FCC  had  given 
much  thought  so  far  to  the  question 
of  denying  licenses  to  the  three  media, 
Rep.  Springer  said  he  thought  that 
those  industries  were  in  competition 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


De  Laurentis  Plans 
First  Italian  3-D 


Italian  producer  Dino  De  Laurentis 
will  utilize  a  tri-dimensional  process 
for  the  production  of  "The  Odyssey 
of  Ulysses,"  which,  he  asserts,  will  be 
the  first  3-D  film  to  be  made  in  Italy. 
De  Laurentis,  who  went  to  Hollywood 
about  10  days  ago  to  sign  talent,  told 
a  trade  press  conference  here  that  he 
found  such  an  "upheaval"  over  three 
dimension  pictures  on  the  Coast  that 
he  decided  to  make  "The  Odyssey"  in 
both  3-D  and  standard  versions.  The 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Amend  Jackson  Park 
Decree  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  Feb.  23.— The  Jack- 
son Park  decree  was  amended 
at  the  weekend  by  Federal 
Judge  Michael  L.  Igoe  of  the 
Federal  District  Court  here  in 
accordance  with  an  opinion 
handed  down  by  the  United 
States  Appeals  Court  for  the 
Seventh  Federal  District  last 
December,  relieving  Balaban 
and  Katz  and  other  "affili- 
ated" theatres  here  (except 
those  on  the  South  Side)  from 
the  ruling  prohibiting  them 
from  double  featuring  ahead 
of  the  Jackson  Park.  The 
amendment  also  establishes 
10  days  clearance  before  first 
subsequent  run  for  pictures 
playing  first  Chicago  runs  of 
a  week  or  less. 


Fabian  Tops  Slate 
Of  New  Warner 
Theatre  Officers 


17  Films  from  MGM 
In  Next  4  Months 

M-G-M  will  have  17  pictures  for 
general  release  during  February, 
March,  April  and  May,  with  "Som- 
brero" as  its  Easter  attraction,  Charles 
M.  Reagan,  general  sales  manager, 
discloses. 

Heading  the  list  of  February  re- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Washington,  Feb.  23. — S.  H.  Fa- 
bian will  be  president  and  Samuel 
Rosen  will  be  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  new  Stanley  Warner  Thea- 
tre Corp.,  the 
Securities  and 
Exchange  Com- 
mission was  in- 
formed. 

Fabian  and 
Rosen,  in  addi- 
tion to  three 
other  officers, 
will  assume 
their  posts  fol- 
lowing the  con- 
summation of 
the  deal  under 
which  Fabian, 
president  of 
Fabian  Enter- 
his  associate,  will 
cent  controlling 
Warner  in  the 


V 


S.  H.  Fabian 


prises,  and  Rosen 
purchase  the  27  per 
interest  of  Brothers 
new  theatre  company.  The  conclusion 
of  the  deal  is  expected  to  take  place 
during  the  first  week  of  March. 

Under  the   reorganization  plan, 
adopted  to  conform  with  the  Warner 
Brothers   consent   decree,   the  other 
officers  will  be :  David  G.  Baird,  chair- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


LeRoy  Proposes  Public  Be 
Polled  on  Product,  Talent 

Hollywood,  Feb.  23. — An  annual  poll  of  theatre-goers  to  determine 
the  "best"  talent,  pictures  and  processes  of  the  year,  conducted  by  Holly- 
wood in  cooperation  with  exhibitors 


Majors  Facing 
Barrage  of  7 
NY  Trust  Suits 

Raybond  Preparing  Six 
After  Filing  Initial  Suit 

One  of  the  heaviest  barrages  of 
litigation  ever  to  be  fired  at  the 
major  companies  by  independent 
exhibition  interests  in  this  area 
over  trade  practices  is  in  the  offing. 

It  is  understood  that  Raybond 
Theatres,  operating  15  houses 
in  and  around  New  York,  is 
preparing  six  anti-trust  actions 
against  the  distributors.  Seven 
cases  are  involved,  the  first  of 
which  was  filed  in  Federal  Dis- 
trict Court  here  last  week  when 
the  Normandie  Amusement 
Corp.,  a  Raybond  unit,  entered 
a  $1,200,000  suit  against  the 
major  companies. 

The   Normandie   case   attacks  the 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Allied  Puts  Lid  on 
Arbitration  Talks 


RCA  Offers  3-D 
Conversion  Kit 


Camden,  N.  J.,  Feb.  23— A  pack- 
aged "3-Dimension  Kit"  claimed  to 
permit  speedy  conversion  of  projection 
equipment  for  showing  of  three- 
dimensional  films  was  disclosed  by  the 
theatre  equipment  section  of  RCA. 

Included  in  RCA's  package  are  two 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


of  America,  instead  of  the  Academy 
"Oscar"  selec- 
tions made  only 
by  industry 
people,  is  pro- 
posed by  Mer- 
vyn  LeRoy,  vet- 
eran motion  pic- 
ture director. 

"Results  will 
be  more  repre- 
sentative," Le- 
Roy said,  "and 
the  general 
goodwill  and 
publicity  result- 
ing from  such  a 
national  poll 
would  well  be  worth  whatever  money, 


Mervyn  LeRoy 


time  and  effort  Hollywood  and  exhi- 
bitors put  into  the  project. 

"Many  exhibitors  have  pointed  out 
that  Hollywood's  Oscar  selections  are 
not  those  of  the  public.  In  fact,  some 
showmen  flatly  maintain  that  Oscar- 
winning  pictures  do  uniformly  medio- 
cre business  at  the  box-office." 

The  director  quoted  an  extensive 
survey  conducted  recently  by  the  82 
theatres  of  the  Fox-Intermountain 
circuit  among  50,000  film-goers  in 
seven  states  as  "a  straw  in  the  wind" 
and  predicted  that  before  long  other 
circuits  and  theatres,  led  by  Holly- 
wood, will  join  to  make  such  selec- 
tions national  in  scope. 

The  director  considers  that  the  Fox- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Allied  has  clamped  a  lid  on  all  fur- 
ther discussions  on  the  association's 
stand  on  arbitration,  at  least  until  the 
board  of  directors  authorizes  such  ac- 
tion. Wilbur  Snaper,  Allied  president, 
in  a  press  statement,  said  that  no  time 
or  place  had  been  set  for  the  proposed 
meeting  between  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  America  and  Allied  on  industry 
problems. 

Snaper   said  he   was   making  the 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


E.  Penna.  Allied  to 
Elect  Governors 


Philadelphia,  Feb.  23. — A  board 
of  governors  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania 
Allied  will  be  elected  here  tomorrow 
when  the  exhibitor  unit  holds  its  an- 
nual meeting  at  the  Broadwood  Hotel. 

The  nominating  committee  has  sub- 
mitted the  following  names : 

For  three-year  terms  from  Phila- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


ADVERTISED 
IN  THE 
APRIL  ISSUE 

technicolor]  of 


More  than 
5,550,000 
Primary  Readers 


THE  MAGAZINE  FOR  YOUNG  ADULTS 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  24,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

OSCAR  A.  DOOB,  Loew's  Thea- 
tres executive,  returned  to  New 
York  from  a  Palm  Beach  vacation 
yesterday. 

• 

Mort  Spring,  Loew's  International 
first  vice-president,  has  returned  here, 
after  a  stopoff  on  the  Coast,  from  a 
six-week  Far  East  trip.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  wife. 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  is  in  Okla- 
homa City  today  to  address  a  conven- 
tion of  the  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
Oklahoma. 

Robert  L.  Lippert,  Jr.,  son  of  the 
head  of  Lippert  Pictures,  announces 
the  birth  of  a  second  child,  a  daugh- 
ter, Stacey  Ellen,  to  Mrs.  Lippert 
in  Hollywood  on  Wednesday. 

• 

Teddy  Gelber,  now  with  the  San 
Francisco  branch  of  20th  Century- 
Fox,  will  resign  March  1  to  take  over 
the  management  of  Guy  Meek's  new 
Studio  Drive-in  at  San  Mateo,  Cal.. 
• 

Edmund    Grainger,    RKO  Radio 
producer,  will  address  the  Los  An- 
geles American  Legion  Club  today  on 
the  subject  "3-D  and  Americanism." 
• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  will  attend  the  Okla- 
homa Allied  convention  in  Oklahoma 
City  tomorrow. 

Charles  B.  Moss,  executive  direc- 
tor of  the  B.  S.  Moss  Corp.,  has  re- 
turned to  New  York  from  a  three- 
week  business  trip  in  California. 

Harry  Glichman,  formerly  asso- 
ciated with  the  late  Carl  Laemmle 
of  Universal,  has  started  Gay  Films 
in  Jacksonville,  Fla. 

• 

Paul  Wilson,  assistant  Southern 
division  manager  of  20th  Century- 
Fox,  has  returned  to  Atlanta  from 
Florida. 

• 

Jack  Galloway,  formerly  sales 
representative  for  Lippert  Pictures, 
was  appointed  Columbia  representa- 
tive in  Jacksonville. 

• 

Charles  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
National  Theatres,  left  here  at  the 
weekend  for  the  Coast. 

• 

Irving  Asher,  Paramount  pro- 
ducer, arrived  in  New  York  over  the 
weekend  from  Ceylon. 


Johnston  on  Cancer  Unit 

Eris  Johnston,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
is  a  member  of  the  honorary  com- 
mittee heading  the  dinner  to  be  held 
by  the  Radio-Newsreel-TV  Working 
Press  Association  on  May  27  in  behalf 
of  the  Damon  Runyon  Fund  for 
Cancer  Research  at  which  winners  of 
the  Association's  "Mike  and  Screen" 
awards  will  be  announced. 


Wyoming  Bill  Would 
Restrict  Drive-ins 

Washington,  Feb.  23.— A  bill 
has  been  introduced  in  the 
Wyoming  state  legislature  to 
bar  drive-in  theatres  if  they 
are  built  within  one  mile  of 
any  incorporated  city  or  town, 
according  to  Jack  Bryson,  leg- 
islative representative  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America. 

Bryson  says  this  is  the  first 
bill  introduced  in  any  state 
legislature  so  far  this  year 
about  which  the  industry  need 
concern  itself. 


RKO  Radio  Chicago 
Meeting  Today 

Chicago,  Feb.  23. — The  fourth  in  a 
Coast-to-Coast  series  of  meetings  in 
preparation  of  RKO  Pictures'  forth- 
coming "25th  Anniversary  Drive," 
March  6-June  25,  will  get  under  way 
tomorrow  with  the  arrival  here  from 
New  York  of  Charles  Boasberg,  gen- 
eral manager,  and  Walter  Branson, 
assistant  general  sales  manager. 

Also  present  from  the  home  office 
will  be  Sidney  Kramer,  short  subjects 
sales  manager,  and  Harry  Gittleson, 
Branson's  assistant.  Field  sales  repre- 
sentatives will  include  Herbert  Green- 
blatt,  Midwestern  district  manager, 
and  branch  managers  Sam  Gorelick, 
Chicago ;  Lou  Elman,  Milwaukee ; 
Fay  Dressell,  Minneapolis ;  Ray 
Nolan,  St.  Louis ;  Sherm  Fitch,  Sioux 
Falls,  and  Seymour  Borde,  Chicago 
sales  manager. 


9  N.  Y.  Circuits  in 
Para.  Promotion 


Nine  theatre  circuits  in  the  New 
York  Metropolitan  area  are  cooperat- 
ing in  a  "first-night"  promotion  plan 
to  be  held  in  conjunction  with  the 
opening  of  Paramount's  "The  Stars 
Are  Singing"  on  March  10  at  the 
Astor  Theatre. 

The  circuits,  representing  60  neigh- 
borhood theatres,  will  make  it  possi- 
ble for  a  total  of  600  of  their  patrons 
to  attend  the  Astor  premiere  by  hold- 
ing a  contest  in  local  theatres.  The 
cooperating  circuits  are :  Randforce, 
Interboro,  J.  J.  Theatres,  Island  Cir- 
cuit, Endicott  Circuit,  Lane  Circuit, 
Fabian  Theatres,  Warner  Theatres 
and  United  Paramount  Theatres. 


Companies  to  Join 
Berlin  Festival 

Participation  by  American  film  com- 
panies in  the  third  annual  international 
film  festival  in  Berlin  was  confirmed 
by  Eric  Johnston  president  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica. Johnston  informed  A.  Bauer,  head 
of  the  Berlin  festival,  that  U.S.  com- 
panies would  join  the  event  on  a  com- 
pany-by-company basis  and  not  as  an 
all-industry  affair.  The  festival  will 
be  held  June  18-28. 


Mass.  Law  Would 
Censor  Imports 
Before  Exhibition 


Boston,  Feb.  23.  —  Newly-intro- 
duced House  Bill  No.  2070  seeks  to 
have  the  Department  of  Public  Safety 
be  authorized  to  approve  all  films  im- 
ported from  foreign  countries  before 
exhibition  in  Massachusetts.  The  bill 
was  petitioned  by  John  P.  McMorrow. 
Opponents  include  Ray  Feeley,  execu- 
tive secretary  of  the  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors, Inc.,  the  New  England  unit 
of  national  Allied,  and  Frank  Lydon, 
executive  secretary  of  Allied  of  New 
England. 

They  state  that  it  is  unconstitu- 
tional to  regulate  interstate  commerce 
and  that  the  bill  was  so  ambiguous 
that  it  set  no  standards  by  which  the 
Commissioner  nor  the  Department  of 
Public  Safety  could  make  operative 
the  proposed  legislation.  They  cited 
the  recent  opinion  handed  down  by  the 
Supreme  Court  that  it  is  illegal  to  ban 
a  film  before  it  has  been  exhibited. 


Police  End  Bank 
Nights  in  Memphis 

Memphis,  Feb.  23. — Memphis  Thea- 
tres operating  "Bank  Night"  have 
been  ordered  by  police  to  discontinue 
them  immediately. 

This  action  follows  a  decision  last 
October  by  city  officials  declaring  that 
giveaways  as  then  operated  were  legal. 

Chief  of  Police  Reeves  ordered  thea- 
tres to  discontinue  the  cash  drawings 
and  said  the  move  was  based  on 
"numerous  complaints"  that  theater 
employes  have  been  making  house-to- 
house  calls  inviting  individuals  to 
register  for  the  jackpots. 

The  "Bank  Nights"  have  been  con- 
ducted by  theaters  owned  by  M.  A. 
Lichtman,  Sr.,  and  J.  A.  West. 

Anyone  who  registered  was  eligible 
to  be  a  winner  as  the  "Bank  Nights" 
have  been  operated  in  Memphis.  The 
winner  could  be  inside  or  outside  the 
theater  when  his  or  her  name  was 
called,  but  must  answer  "present" 
within  a  minute  or  two  after  the  name 
was  announced. 


Owen  to  Boston 
For  Para.  Meet 

Hugh  Owen,  Paramount's  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  manager,  will 
leave  here  today  for  Boston  where  he 
will  conduct  the  second  of  a  series  of 
nine  branch  meetings  on  new  product. 

Other  meetings  will  be  held  later 
in  Charlotte,  Jacksonville,  New  Or- 
leans, Buffalo  Albany  New  Haven  and 
New  York. 


Top  Dollars  for  'Confess' 

Alfred  Hitchcock's  "I  Confess," 
Warner  Brothers,  is  said  to  have  set 
an  all-time  high  in  each  of  its  three 
pre-release  engagements  in  Canada.  In 
Quebec,  where  the  picture  had  a  dual 
theatre  world  premiere,  the  Capitol 
recorded  $12,245  and  the  Cartier,  $5,- 
456,  for  eight  days  at  both  houses.  At 
the  Palace,  Montreal,  it  grossed  $20,- 
646  for  the  first  week. 


Silver  City  Film 
Under  House  Fire 

Washington,  Feb.  23.— Rep. 
Donald  Jackson,  California 
Republican,  said  he  will  take 
the  House  floor  tomorrow  to 
discuss  the  film  now  being 
produced  at  Silver  City,  New 
Mexico,  largely  by  persons 
who  have  been  under  attack 
as  Communists  or  Communist 
sympathizers. 

Jackson  pointed  out  that 
the  film  and  its  production 
have  been  condemned  by  the 
motion  picture  industry  and 
studio  unions.  Jackson  is  a 
member  of  the  House  Un- 
American  Activities  Commit- 
tee. Many  of  the  people  con- 
nected with  the  Silver  City 
production  were  uncoopera- 
tive witnesses  before  the 
House  Committee. 


To  Screen  'Zukor 
Story'  at  Dinner 

"The  Adolph  Zukor  Story,"  a  film 
featurette  produced  by  A.  J.  Richard, 
editor  of  Paramount  News,  will  be 
the  key  entertainment  feature  of  the 
Adolph  Zukor  Golden  Jubilee  dinner 
to  be  held  here  on  March  4. 

Announcement  of  the  first  public 
showing  of  the  featurette  was  made 
by  Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of  the 
Golden  Jubilee  dinner  committee,  and 
Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  international 
chairman  of  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional's year-long  series  of  nationwide 
tributes.  It  was  produced  with  the 
assistance  of  Russell  Holman,  Eastern 
production  head  of  Paramount. 


Yorke  Short  to  Columbia 

Columbia  will  release  Emerson 
Yorke's  one-reel  sport  film  dealing 
with  American  Legion  junior  baseball, 
"Legion  at  Bat."  The  film,  which 
Yorke  produced  and  directed,  will  be 
released  in  late  March  or  early  April, 
backed  by  a  joint  Columbia- American 
Legion  promotion  campaign. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


i4 


Tonight  We  Sing" 

Ezio  PINZA  .  Roberta  PETERS 
Tamara  TOUM ANOVA  •  David  WAYNE 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  20th  Century- Fox  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


DEAN 


JERRf 


i  fit 

cST0OGEv^ 

 A  Pcromounl  Picture 


Midnight  F«otuf» 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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  T-  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H*.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building-, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  G  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $13   foreign;  single  copies,  10c 


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TECHNICOLOR 


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HERBERT  T.  KALMUS,  PRESIDENT  AND  GENERAL  MANAGER 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  February  24,  1953 


Television--  Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


r^OMES  Friday  Night  and  NBC  will  start  a  special  back-to-back, 
^  J  -vou  come  to"  my  house  (program)  and  I'll  go  to  yours,'  which 
will  run  on  through  April  4.  Specifically,  George  Jessel  will  be 
Roastmaster  Friday  at  the  Friars'  special  Frolic  honoring  Bob  Hope's 
15th  anniversary  "as  an  NBComic.  The  following  day,  Bob  will 
undoubtedly  get  "back  at  Jessel  when  he  makes  a  guest  appearance  on 
George's  "All-Star  Revue."  Then,  to  even  things  up,  Jessel  will 
return  the  compliment  and  joust  with  Hope  on  the  hitter's  "Colgate 
Comedv  Hour"  stint.  Two  weeks  later,  March  15.  Jessel  will  visit 
Eddie  "Cantor's  "Colgate  Comedy  Hour""  turn  with  Eddie  set  to 
euestai-  on  Jessel's  "All-Star  Revue"  on  April  4.  (simple,  eh,  what?) 

ft        ft  * 

Norman  Siegel,  former  radio  editor  of  the  Cleveland  Plain 
Dealer,  who  later  went  to  Hollywood  for  a  post  with  Paramount 
Pictures,  has  been  named  director  of  publicity  and  promotion 
for  CBS-TV  on  the  Coast.  Congrats  are  in  order  to  all  con- 
cerned. .  .  .  Victorecording  star  Elton  Britt  starts  a  new  WOR- 
MB Series  of  songfests  tonight.  The  five  times  a  week  pro- 
gram will  be  heard  at  10:15  to  10:30  P.M.  and  will  alternate 
as  local  and  network,  but,  starting  April  8,  entire  show  goes 
network.  .  .  .  Al  Heifer  and  Dizzy  Dean  will  give  the  play-by- 
play and  color  sportscasts  for  Mutual's  baseball  series,  "Game 
of  the  Day,"  which  starts  March  30.  Falstaff  Brewing  Co.  will 
pick  up  the  tab.  .  .  . 

ft        ft  ft 

Bill  Harrington,  former  "Hit  Parade"  NBChirper  and  currently 
star  of  his  own  daily  across-the-board  noon  series  over  VVNEW, 
has  the  inside  track  to  star  on  a  nezv  TVariety  network  shozv  .  .  . 
lad  has  sooo  much  talent.  .  .  .  The  Screen  Actors  Guild  strike 
(TV  film  commercials)  which  has  been  in  ef- 
fect since  Dec.  1,  last,  zvill  be  over  by  March  2. 
Film  Producers  Ass'n.  of  N.  Y.  has  approved 
the  nezv  pact  which  includes  eight  nezv  amend- 
ments, likewise  okayed  by  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  Screen  Actors  Guild  and  respective 
Guild  general  membership  meetings  in  N.  Y., 
Detroit,  Chicago  and  Hollyzvood  are  scheduled 
for  ratification.  .  .  .  The  latest  Nielson  shows 
Dave  Garrozvay's  "Today"  reaching  an  all- 
time  high  of  6.1.  Based  on  this  figure,  this 
early  morning  NBC  shozv  is  TViezved  by  about 
2,000,000  'get-up-and-go-to-zvorkers:  (zvho— 
Me?).  .  .  .  Barbara  Britton  has  leased  Ilona 
Massey's  home  in  Laurel  Canyon.  Incidentally 
their  forthcoming  'The  Jade  Dragon'  ("Mr.  <b 
Mrs.  North"  series)  zvill  feature  an  all-Chinese  supporting  cast. 

.  Fred  Van  deVanter's  entertaining  quiz  program,  "20  Ques- 
tions," MBStarts  its  8th  year.  .  .  . 

ft       ft  ft 

The  March  issue  of  Woman's  Home  Companion  will  profile  Gracie 
Allen.  .  .  .  Next  Wednesnite's  "Kraft  Television  Theatre"  presenta- 
tion will  be  "My  Brother's  Keeper,"  written  by  former  radiolite 
George  Roy  Hill",  currently  a  captain  in  the  U.  S.  Marines  Corps, 
and  stationed  at  Edenton,  N.  C.  On  leave,  Capt.  Hill  will  play  one  of 
the  leads.  .  .  .  Arnold  Shaw's  tome,  "The  Money  Song"  (Random 
House  )  is  easilv  one  of  the  most-absorbing  tales  of  Tune  Pan  Alley 
ever  penned.  Here  is  blank  verse  in  a  setting  where  the  'Chorus' 
reverberates  with  the  discordant  music  of  'the  Street  of  Ragged 
rhythms  and  songwriters  to  match.'  Arnold  Shaw  lived  what  he 
wrote.  .  .  .  Harve  Foster,  producer-director  of  the  Bing  Crosby 
Enterprises  series,  "Crown  Theatre,"  hostessed  by  Gloria  Swanson, 
is  having  La  Swanson  photographed  in  her  Fifth  Avenue  apartment 
among  her  souvenirs,  collections  and  objets  d'Art.  Replicas  of  the 
setting  will  be  reproduced  and  used  at  the  studios  in  Hollywood 
where  the  next  six  films  will  be  shot.  CBS-TV  Film  Sales  distributes 
the  program.  .  .  .  The  zany  bit  which  the  Ritz  Freres  introduced 
Sundav  on  the  "NBColgate  Comedy  Hour"  was  defied  by  Sid  Kuller, 
Snag  Werris  and  Maestro  Al  Goodman.  .  .  .  Credit  a  'first'  for 
WATV  (Channel  13.)  newscaster  Richard  Thomas.  He  uses  no 
script  at  all  during  his  "Trends  in  the  News"  programs,  relying 
solely  on  the  Dr.  Bruno  Furst  Memory  Training  System,  which  he 
mastered.  .  .  . 

ft        ft  ft 
LOTS  A  DOTS  .  .  .  Yul  Brynner  will  make  his  initial  dra- 
matic appearance  March  8  when  he  stars  as  'Francois  Villon' 
in  the  adaptation  of  R.  L.  Stevenson's  "A  Lodging  For  The 
Night"  sequence  in  CBS'  "Omnibus." 


Hill  Main 


Reviews 


Sombrero 

( M  etro-Goldivyn-Maycr) 

IT1  OR  the  millions  of  people  who  flock  to  theatres  seeking  escape,  who  want 
A  to  be  lushly  entertained  by  songs  and  dances,  love  and  passion,  humour 
and  a  dab  of  adversity,  "Sombrero"  should  be  their  film  fare.  In  those  terms, 
this  film  overcomes  its  weaknesses  in  plot  and  credible  characterization. 

Served  on  a  platter  of  color  by  Technicolor,  the  audience  is  offered  a 
103-minute  fiesta,  starring  Ricardo  Montalban,  Pier  Angeli,  Vittorio  Gass- 
man  and  Yvonne  de  Carlo.  Featured  are  a  lively  feud  between  the  towns- 
people of  two  Mexican  villages,  the  love  affairs  of  the  principal  characters, 
a  gory  bull  fight,  an  exciting  dance  by  Jose  Greco  and  much  horse-play. 
"Sombrero,"  with  the  exploitation  accent  on  its  strong  points,  should  do 
lively  business. 

The  story  outline  finds  Montalban,  as  a  carefree,  fun-loving  Mexican  named 
Pepe  Gonzales,  in  love  with  a  girl  from  the  neighboring  village,  Pier  Angeli. 
Overcoming  the  feud  that  separates  their  union  forms  one  of  the  humorous 
highlights  of  the  film.  Another  young  man  of  Montalban's  village,  Vittorio 
Gassman,  a  man  of  noble  stock,  finds  himself  in  love  with  a  humble  girl, 
Yvonne  de  Carlo.  Out  of  regard  to  his  heritage  and  impending  death  from 
an  incurable  disease,  the  latter  union  ends  in  tragedy.  The  most  appealing 
couple  is  Rick  Jasom,  the  gentle  lover,  and  Cyd  Charisse,  the  sister  of  bull- 
fighter Jose  Greco.  The  trio  of  lovers  form  the  web  of  the  story,  which,  if 
one  does  not  search  too  deeply,  is  satisfying. 

Jack  Cummings  produced,  while  Norman  Foster  directed,  from  a  screen- 
play bv  Josefine  Niggli  and  Norman  Foster,  based  on  the  novel,  "A  Mexi- 
can Village,"  by  Miss  Niggli.  Others  in  the  cast  include  Nina  Foch,  Kurt 
Kasznar,  Walter  Hampden,  Thomas  Gomes,  John  Abbott  and  Andres  Soler. 

Running  time,  103  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  3.  Murray  Horowitz 

"Marshal  of  Cedar  Rock" 

(Republic) 

Tj^ROM  THIS  LATEST  Alan  (Rocky)  Lane  production,  outdoor  action 
enthusiasts  should  receive  a  sufficient  amount  of  riding,  shooting  and  fight- 
ing as  Rocky  beats  off  the  threats  of  the  outlaws  in  his  usual  effective  style. 
P'ollowing  the  conventional  story  lines,  Lane  proves  faster  on  the  draw  than 
any  of  the  lawbreakers  and  also  proves  that  one  good  marshal  is  worth  more 
than  a  number  of  outlaws  in  a  fight  to  the  finish. 

As  the  film  opens,  Bill  Henry  is  climbing  over  prison  walls  to  freedom. 
In  the  background,  Rocky,  a  U.  S.  Marshal,  watches  and  follows  the  escap- 
ing convict  in  the  hope  that  Henry  will  either  clear  himself  or  lead  the  law 
to  stolen  bank  money.  Henry  returns  to  the  scene  of  the  crime  and  accuses 
the  banker  of  the  theft.  Rocky  watches  this  scene  and  attempts  to  arrest 
Henry  for  his  own  good. 

Rocky's  worries  mount  when  Henry  again  escapes.  As  the  story  unwinds 
the  banker  schemes  to  make  a  tremendous  profit  on  land  sales  to  the  railroad. 
Eddy  Waller,  head  of  the  ranchers'  association  and  his  niece,  Phyllis  Coates, 
are  almost  fooled  by  the  smooth-talking  propositions,  but  Rocky  comes 
through  with  the  necessary  evidence.  After  a  chase  or  two  and  a  couple  of 
convincing  slug-fests,  the  heavies  are  subdued  and  Henry  is  free  to  court 
Miss  Coates, 

Waller,  Henry,  Miss  Coates  and  Roy  Barcroft  are  competent  in  support 
of  L?ne  who  gives  his  usual  steady  performance.  Black  Jack,  Rocky's  horse, 
and  the  scenery  take  back  seats  in  this  Rudy  Ralston  production  directed  by 
Harry  Keller.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Robert  Shayne,  John  Crawford,  John 
Hamilton,  Kenneth  MacDonald  and  Herbert  Lytton. 

Running  time,  54  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  February 
release. 


44 


The  Tall  Texan" 

(Lippcrt)  Hollyzvood,  Feb.  23 

MAN'S  GREED  FOR  GOLD  is  dramatized  in  this  picture.  The  sure-fire 
theme  which  time  and  again  has  been  featured  in  Westerns  takes  on  a 
different  twist  in  "The  Tall  Texan,"  lending  added  entertainment  ingredients 
to  the  production.  The  rules  of  plausibility  rather  than  tradition  have  been 
followed  in  the  story  written  by  Samuel  Roeca. 

Lloyd  Bridges  plays  the  tall  Texan  named  in  the  title,  and  mighty  im- 
pressively, too.  Strong  alongside  Bridges  is  Lee  J.  Cobb,  a  powerful  con- 
tender for  the  favor  of  Marie  Windsor,  the  only  woman  in  the  cast.  Luther 
Adler,  Samuel  Herrick,  and  Syd  Saylor  are  the  other  members  of  the  group 
engaged  in  the  quest  for  gold.  Performances  are  competent  and  well  bal- 
anced, one  against  the  other. 

Roeca's  story  has  Bridges,  a  handcuffed  prisoner,  Cobb,  a  renegade  ship 
captain,  Adler,  an  unprincipled  trader,  Herrick,  a  weakling  sheriff,  and  Miss 
Windsor,  a  woman  of  the  frontier  whose  husband  is  killed  in  the  opening  se- 
quence, making  their  way  across  the  Texas  wastes  to  Indian  country  where  a 
friendly  tribe  permits  them  to  pan  for  gold  on  condition  they  do  not  trespass 
on  Indian  burial  grounds.  Adler  finally  does  so.  however,  and  before  the 
consequences  are  completed  all  are  dead  but  Bridges  and  Miss  Windsor.  Pro- 
duction is  by  T.  F.  Woods  and  Robert  L.  Lippen,  Jr.,  with  direction  by  Elmo 
Williams. 

Running  time,  84  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb.  13. 


Brandt  Enos  on  His  Own 

Brandt  Enos  has  announced  his  re- 
signation as  business  manager  of 
Transfilm,  Inc.  here  to  form  a  man- 


agement consultant  firm  specializing 
in  both  theatrical  and  TV  motion  pic- 
tures, to  be  known  as  Brandt  Enos 
Associates. 


Tuesday,  February  24,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


7  Trust  Suits 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Loew's-RKO  Theatres  product  split 
in  neighborhood  runs.  The  plaintiff 
charges  that  the  distributors  suppress 
and  destroy  competition  by  dividing- 
pictures  and  allocating  them  only  to 
Loew's  and  RKO  houses  on  first 
neighborhood  run,  thereby  "destroy- 
ing the  ability  of  other  exhibitors"  to 
negotiate  for  licenses.  It  is  claimed 
that  the  "huge  purchasing  power"  of 
the  two  circuits  compels  the  so-called 
"Big  Eight"  to  refuse  service  to  the 
independent  operators. 

The  plaintiff  claims  that  there  is  "no 
substantial  competition  between  the 
Normandie  and  other  theatres  oper- 
ated on  first  neighborhood  run  by 
Loew's  and  RKO  and  that  the  Nor- 
mandie has  been  forced  to  play  in 
accordance  with  a  "fixed  design  and 
pattern"  as  dictated  by  the  defendants. 
The  court  is  asked  to  grant  an  injunc 
tion  restraining  the  defendants  from 
refusing  first  neighborhood  run  to  the 
Normandie. 


TV  Grants  for  Film  Applicants 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Lee  Theatre,  Ft.  Lee, 
Files  Anti-Trust  Case 

An  antitrust  action  seeking  an  in 
junction  to  force  Loew's  to  grant  day 
and-date  runs  to  the  Lee  Theatre,  Fort 
Lee,  N.  J.,  with  Skouras'  Fox  in 
Hackensack  has  been  filed  in  Federal 
District  Court  here.  The  plaintiff 
claims  that  when  the  house  opened  in 
1952,  it  was  assured  of  the  same  Hack- 
ensack run,  but  that  the  distributors 
have  fixed  a  clearance  between  the 
two  towns,  despite  the  fact  that  the 
clearance  was  not  requested  by  the 
Fox. 


RCA  Offers  '3-D' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Selsyn  interlocking  motors  ;  a  mount- 
ing plate ;  a  silent  chain  and  two 
sprockets  to  couple  the  motors,  and 
special  screws  for  attaching"  the 
sprockets  to  the  motor  shafts. 

Also  provided  are  upper  and  lower 
5,500-foot  film  magazines  and  two 
small  blowers  to  keep  the  polarized 
filters  in  the  projection  ports  cooled. 
The  lower  film  magazine  is  equipped 
with  a  special  belt-driven  film  takeup. 

Independent  RCA  theatre  supply 
dealers  are  now  prepared  to  supply 
the  3-D  kit,  as  well  as  an  additional 
power  supply  unit  that  may  be  re- 
quired in  some  projection  booths  for 
simultaneous  operation  of  both  arc 
lamps  at  the  desired  amperage,  said 
the  company. 

Polarizing  filters  for  projection  and 
polarized  spectacles  for  use  by  patrons 
at  third-dimensional  showings  are  not 
a  part  of  the  RCA  kit,  but  are  pro- 
vided by  the  film  booking  agencies. 


Fabian  Tops 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


man  of  the  finance  committee;  Harry 
M.  Kalmine,  vice-president,  and  David 
Fogelson,  secretary. 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING . . . 

FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
•    IN  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK  J 
T R A ILERS  flliHlJ 

with  television  broadcasting.  It  might 
be  possible,  he  said,  that  if  a  film 
theatre  and  a  television  station  in  the 
same  town  were  owned  by  the  same 
person,  the  TV  station  would  suffer. 

Rep.  Springer  told  Walker 
that  if  the  FCC  doesn't  face  up 
to  this  issue  before  it  gives  out 
many  more  TV  licenses  it  will 
find  itself  "in  very  hot  water." 

Walker  replied  that  the  Commission 
had  no  such  policy  as  far  as  television 
licensees  were  concerned  and  had 
never  considered  anything  along  those 
lines.  He  referred  to  the  recent 
American  Broadcasting-United  Para- 
mount Theatres  merger  decision,  in 
which  the  Commission  had  said  that 
motion  picture  people  should  not  be 
barred  as  television  licensees. 

In  his  prepared  statement  Walker 


mentioned  the  theatre  television  hear 
ings  as  one  of  the  major  problems  in 
which  the  commission  is  now  engaged. 
He  told  the  committee  that  the  cur 
rent  theatre  television  hearing,  now  in 
recess,  is  not  concerned  with  whether 
theatre  television  should  be  permitted 
to  exist,  but  rather  to  the  extent  to 
which    radio    frequencies    should  be 
made  available  to  it.  Subsequently 
under    questioning    from  committee 
members,  he  declared  that  he  didn't 
"like  the  idea"  that  the  theatre  people 
"could   take   programs   away  from" 
home  television,   but   that  the  FCC 
"couldn't  do  anything  about  it"  be 
cause  it  was  a  question  of  private 
enterprise. 

The   hearing   recessed   to   an  un 
named  date,  probably  some  time  next 
week,  when  the  other  FCC  Commis 
sioners  will  be  on  the  stand. 


Italian  3-D 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


picture  will  be  made  in  Eastman  color 
for  Lux  Films  and  for  distribution 
here  through  Italian.  Films  Export. 

De  Laurentis,  husband  of  Silvana 
Mangano  and  producer  of  her  current 
IFE  release,  "Anna,"  announced  that 
he  had  signed  Ben  Hecht  and  Hugh 
Gray  to  prepare  the  screenplay  and 
Karl  Struss  as  director  of  photog- 
raphy for  "The  Odyssey."  William 
Schorr  was  signed  as  associate  pro- 
ducer and  American  consultant  on 
the  picture,  which  will  be  directed  by 
G.  W.  Pabst.  Filming  will  start  in 
mid-April,  with  Miss  Mangano  co- 
starred  with  Kirk  Douglas. 

De  Laurentis  said  he  was  unable  to 
disclose  the  exact  method  of  3-D  pre- 
sentation that  would  be  used,  but  that 
the  equipment  was  being  obtained 
from  the  Richardson  Camera  Co.  of 
Hollywood.  He  said  he  would  watch 
development  of  20th  Century-Fox's 
CinemaScope  for  possible  use  in  the 
production  of  a  subsequent  picture, 
"Judith  and  Holofernes." 

Four  pictures  have  been  produced 
by  De  Laurentis  for  Paramount  re- 
lease abroad  under  the  recently  con- 
cluded deal  whereby  the  producer  will 
make  10  pictures  yearly  for  two  years. 
They  are  "One  of  Those,"  "Man, 
Beast  and  Virtue,"  "The  She-Wolf" 
and  "Jorio's  Daughter." 

De  Laurentis  said  that  "The  Odys- 
sey" was  not  a  part  of  the  Paramount 
deal.  De  Laurentis  left  over  the  week- 
end for  Rome. 


Allied  Puts  Lid 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


17  from  M-G-M 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


leases  is  "The  Naked  Spur,"  in  Tech- 
nicolor, followed  by  "Rogue's  March," 
the  general  release  of  "Ivanhoe"  and 
"Jeopardy." 

For  March  there  will  be  four  pic- 
tures. "Battle  Circus,"  "Confidentially 
Connie,"  "I  Love  Melvin,"  Techni- 
color musical,  and  "The  Girl  Who 
Had  Everything." 

There  also  will  be  four  in  _April, 
"Sombrero,"  in  Technicolor,  followed 
by  "Small  Town  Girl,"  Technicolor 
musical,  "See  How  They  Run,"  and 
Code  Two." 

For  May  there  will  be  five,  with 
"Never  Let  Me  Go"  as  the  first,  fol- 
lowed by  "Cry  of  the  Hunted," 
'Arena"  (M-G-M's  first  3-D  Metro- 
'ision  picture").  "Fast  Company,"  and 
"Dream  Wife." 


statement  which  he  believed  to  be 
necessary  to  clarify  any  misunder- 
standing in  view  of  numerous  in- 
quiries. His  statement  follows : 

"There  is  no  intent  on  the  part  of 
Allied  to  vary  one  degree  from  its 
present  position  as  to  arbitration  and 
each  day  gives  reason  to  strengthen 
that  position.  Alfred  Starr,  president 
of  TOA,  called  me  and  suggested  an 
informal  get-together  of  members  of 
Allied  and  TOA  might  prove  to  be  of 
benefit  to  exhibitors  and  a  general  dis- 
cussion of  industry  problems  might 
take  place.  I  agreed  to  put  his  sugges- 
tion before  our  board  which  alone  has 
the  authority  to  authorize  participa- 
tion in  such  a  meeting  and  advise  him 
of  its  decision. 

"It  was  further  suggested  that  per- 
haps some  other  exhibitor  leaders 
might  be  invited.  No  definite  time  or 
place  for  such  a  meeting  has  been  set 
at  this  moment.  The  program  out- 
lined at  the  national  Allied  meeting-  in 
Chicago  in  November  and  further 
emphasized  at  the  New  Orleans  board 
meeting  will  continue  to  guide  all 
Allied  efforts  to  make  it  possible  for 
exhibitors  to  remain  in  business.  As 
to  arbitration,  nothing  further  can  be 
said  or  done  by  Allied." 


E.  Penna.  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


LeRoy 


delphia :  M.  B.  Ellis  and  Norman 
Lewis ;  for  three-year  terms  from  Up- 
state Pennsylvania :  J.  Lester  Stall- 
man  (Reading)  and  Harold  D.  Cohen 
(Lewistown)  ;  for  a  two-year  term 
filling  a  vacancy  from  Upstate  Penn- 
sylvania: Mark  Rubinsky  (Harris- 
burg)  ;  for  alternate  governors  to 
serve  one  year:  Max  Korr  (Allen- 
town),  Mel  Koff  (Glenside)  and 
Samuel  Segal  (Philadelphia). 

As  reported  previously,  third-di- 
mensional films,  trade  practices  and 
the  admission  tax  situation  will  be 
among  the  subjects  to  come  up  for 
discussion  at  the  meeting. 


Names  Two  Salesmen 

Cleveland,  Feb.  23. — Mark  Gold- 
man, IFE  district  manager  has  ap- 
pointed Al  Glaubinger  as  sales  repre- 
sentative covering  Cincinnati,  Indian- 
apolis and  Kentucky  and  also  named 
Dave  Leff  to  cover  Buffalo  and  Pitts- 
burgh. . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Intermountain  action  in  inviting  pa- 
trons to  vote  for  the  pictures  which 
they  had  "enjoyed  most"  during  1952 
was  significant. 

"It  shouldn't  be  so,"  LeRoy  stated, 
"but  the  fact  is  that  'the  best  picture' 
and  'the  picture  they  enjoyed  most' 
would  not  necessarily  be  the  same  to 
a  lot  of  people.  Sheer  entertainment, 
of  course,  should  be  the  only  criterion, 
although  seemingly  it  is  possible  for 
some  theatre  patrons,  as  well  as  some 
members  of  the  industry  to  be  actually 
bored  with  a  film  and  yet  vote  it  the 
'best\"_  _ 

Criticism  has  been  raised  from  time 
to  time  about  the  Oscar  selections,  he 
asserted,  and  to  some  degree  such 
criticism  has  been  valid  and  justified. 

"For  instance,"  he  stated,  "it  is  true 
that  considerable  sentiment  enters  into 
the  Oscar  selections.  People  who  work 
around  the  nominees  for  Oscars  tend 
to  vote  for  stars  and  directors  and  so 
forth  whom  they  personally  like,  and 
vote  against  those  they  personally  dis- 
like, regardless  of  the  actual  quality 
of  the  acting  or  screen  efforts  in  issue. 
"The  general  public  would  not  be 
much  influenced  by  such  considera- 
tions." 

Fox-Intermountain  submitted  a  list 
of  50  pictures  released  last  year  and 
asked  patrons  to  select  the  10  they 
enjoyed  most.  Patrons  whose  lists  cor- 
responded exactly  to  the  final  total 
selections  were  given  prizes  of  season 
passes. 

Results  of  the  poll  gave  the  best  pictures 
in  this  order:  "Greatest  Show  on  Earth", 
'Quo  Vadis",  (which  LeRoy  directed), 
"Snows  of  Kilimanjaro",  "The  African 
Queen",  "High  Noon".  "David  and  Bath- 
sheba",  "With  a  Song-  in  My  Heart", 
"Story  of  Will  Rogers",  "A  Streetcar 
Named  Desire",  and  "The  Quiet  Man". 

Best  actresses  were  Susan  Hayward, 
Doris  Day,  Marilyn  Monroe,  Jane  Wyman, 
Betty  Hutton,  Ann  Blythe,  Esther  Wil- 
liams, June  Allyson.  Maureen  O'Hara  and 
Jane  Russell. 

Best  actors  selected  were:  John  Wayne, 
Gary  Cooper,  Gregory  Peck,  Jeff  Chandler, 
James  Stewart,  Stewart  Granger,  Alan 
Ladd,  Tony  Curtis,  Robert  Mitchum  and 
Robert  Taylor. 

LeRoy  is  preparing  to  direct  "Indian  Love 
Call"  as  his  next  for  M-G'-M. 


Coast  to  coast  and  Transatlantic! 

TWAs 

CONSTELLATION 

SKY  TOURIST 

Regularly  scheduled  service 

New  York  -  Los  Angeles  *99* 
NewYork-  San  Francisco  $99* 
New  York  -  Chicago  $33* 
Chicago  -  Los  Angeles  *76* 
New  York  -  London  $270 
New  York  -  Paris  $290 

*  Federal  Tax  Extra 

See  your  travel  agent  or  call 
Trans  World  Airlines. 

ACROSS    THE    U  S     AND    OVERSEAS  .  .  . 


4th  SMASH  WEEK,  RIVOLI,  N.Y.!  9th  RECORD  WEEK,  4-Star.LA.! 

Bert  E.  Friedlob  presents  BETTE  DAVIS  in  "THE  STAR"  co-starring  Sterling  Hoyden  •  Produced  by  Bert  E.  Friedlob  ■  Directed  by  Stuart 
Heisler  •  Original  story  and  screen  play  by  Katherine  Albert  and  Dale  Eunson  •  A  Bert  E.  Friedlob  Production  •  Released  by  20th  Century-Fox 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.   NO.  37 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  25,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Holiday  Sends 
Grosses  Along 
BVay  Upward 

'Moulin,'  'Bwana,'  'Pan' 
Lead  Feature  Parade 


The  Washington  Birthday  holi- 
day weekend  sent  grosses  spurting 
upward  this  week  along  Broadway, 
with  such  attractions  as  "Moulin 
Rouge,"  'Bwana  Devil,"  "Peter  Pan," 
"Tonight  We  Sing"  and  "The  Stooge" 
doing  outstanding  business. 

While  the  weekend  was  good  gen- 
erally, typical  of  the  business  report 
for  Monday  was  the  experience  of  the 
Criterion,  where  "Hans  Christian  An- 
dersen" is  featured.  There,  matinee 
business  on  Monday  was  the  biggest 
in  the  13  weeks  of  playing-  time  of 
the  Samuel  Goldwyn  production.  A 
terrific  $29,900  was  forecast  for  the 
week. 

At  the  Capitol,  "Moulin  Rouge"  is 
expected  to  chalk  up  a  robust  $111,000 
for  its  second  week,  topping  the  first 
week's  business  by  about  $3,000.  At 
Loew's   State,   the  three-dimensional 

{Continued  cm  page  5) 


Warner  Expanding 
Color  Facilities 


To  meet  expanded  demands,  for 
WarnerColor  and  the  increased  film 
processing  required  for  the  two-film 
tracks  of  true  third  dimensional  pic- 
tures, the  Warner  laboratory  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  is  being  converted 
to  supplement  the  studio's  processing 
of  WarnerColor,  Jack  L.  Warner  an- 
nounced yesterday. 

The  Brooklyn  laboratory  heretofore 
handled  only  35mm.  black  and  white 
printing,  16mm.  orders  and  special 
government  work. 

Warner  currently  has   "House  of 

(Continued  cm  page  5) 


M.A.  Schlesinger 
Dies;  Film  Pioneer 


M.  A.  Schlesinger,  industry  pioneer 
whose  amusement  enterprises  domi- 
nated_  South  Africa,  died  here  Monday 
morning  after  a  long  illness.  Funeral 
services  were  held  yesterday  at  River- 
side Chapel. 

Schlesinger  and  his  brother,  the  late 
John  Schlesinger,  operated  theatre, 
radio  station,  newspaper  and  numer- 
ous other  enterprises  in  South  Africa 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Schoeppel  Heads 
Monopoly  Group 

Washington,  Feb.  24.  —  Sen- 
ate Small  Business  Commit- 
tee chairman  Thye  (R.,  Minn.) 
has  named  Senator  Schoeppel 
(R.,  Kans.)  to  head  the  mon- 
opoly sub-committee,  which 
will  conduct  the  coming  hear- 
ings on  film  industry  trade 
practices. 

Other  members  will  be 
Senators  Tobey  (R.,  N.  H.), 
Ferguson  (R.,  Mich.),  Long 
(D.,  La.)  and  Gillette  (D., 
Iowa). 


Loew's  State  Here 
Forced  to  Replace 
'Bwana  '  Screen 


The  battle  of  painted  screens  vs. 
screens  made  especially  for  tri-dimen- 
sional  pictures  at  Loew's  State  The- 
atre here  reached  a  climax  over  the 
weekend  when  the  theatre'  was  obliged 
to  replace  its  metallic-coated  screen 
with  a  Walker  3-D  screen.  Reports 
of  faulty  presentation  of  "Bwana 
Devil"  resulted  in  threats  to  pull  the 
picture  unless  a  perforated  plastic  sur- 
face screen  was  installed. 

The  State  had  opened  the  picture  on 
its  regular  porous  glass  fabric  screen 
which,  according  to  technicians,  caused 
an  approximate  25  per  cent  loss  -in 
light.  One  of  the  chief  criticisms  of 
"Bwana  Devil"  at  the  State  was  di- 
rected at  poor  lighting.  The  State  had 
ordered  a  Walker  3-D  screen  and  then 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Drive-in  Circuit  on 
Coast  Begins  3-D, 
Wide -screen  Tests 


Experiments  to  adapt  three-dimen- 
sional and  wide-screen  film  processes 
to  drive-in  theatres  are  currently  un- 
derway on  the  Coast,  Bill  Forman, 
president  of  Pacific  Drive-in  Theatres, 
disclosed  here  yesterday. 

Forman,  in  New  York  since  Sun- 
day, said  he  expects  to  remain  here  a 
few  days  to  "catch  up  on  the  3-D  situ- 
ation," discussing  various  phases  of 
the  problem  with  company  executives 
and  technicians.  Speaking  for  the 
company  he  heads,  Forman  said  that 
"we  are  in  the  3-D  field  with  both 
feet  now."  Pacific  Drive-in  Theatres, 
he  explained,  believes  that  3-D  and 
wide-screen  films  will  form  a  signifi- 
cant segment  of  drive-in  business  in 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Gunzburg  Warns 
On  3-D  Equipment 

Hollywood,  Feb.  25.  —  Recklessly 
improvised  booth  and  screen  equip- 
ment for  the  exhibition  of  three- 
dimensional  pictures  can  seriously 
limit  and  in  some  cases  nullify  the 
box  office  gains  to  be  had  from  the 
new  medium,  Natural  Vision  president 
Milton  L.  Gunzburg  told  the  press 
today.  The  NV  head  showed  news- 
men specimens  of  certain  unrecom- 
mended  items  which  have  been  offered 
exhibitors  on  asserted  money-saving 
terms  and  pointed  out  that,  while  the 
difference  in  price  between  them  and 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


INDUSTRY  FAVORS 
MASON  MEASURE 

To  Concentrate  on  His  House  Measure  Which 
Would  Immediately  Eliminate  the  20%  Levy 

Col.  H.  A.  Cole  and  Pat  McGee,  co-chairmen  of  the  National  Tax 
Repeal  Campaign  Committee,  have  selected  H.R.  157,  introduced  Jan.  3 
by  Representative  Noah  M.  Mason  of  Illinois,  as  the  measure  to  be 
supported  by  the  motion  picture  industry  in  its  campaign  for  repeal  of 
the  Federal  20  per  cent  admission  tax. 


The  bill  provides  for  immediate 
elimination  of  the  tax  on  those  film 
theatres  in  which  the  principal  form 
of  entertainment  is  the  exhibition  of 
motion  pictures.  "It  has  been  studied 
by  leading  industry  lawyers  and  has 
been  approved  as  meeting  the  indus- 
try's needs  in  all  respects,"  according 
to  a  statement  issued  here  yesterday 
by  the  Council  of  Motion,  Picture  Or- 
ganizations. 


One  of  26  bills  having  to  do  with 
admission  taxes  that  have  been  intro- 
duced at  this  session  of  Congress, 
"the  Mason  bill  was  chosen  because 
it  was  one  of  the  first  offered  and 
because  its  sponsor  is  a  high  ranking 
Republican  member  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee."  Fifteen  other 
bills  of  language  identical  with  the 
Mason  bill  also  have  been  introduced, 
(Continued  cm  page  5) 


Pre-Releases 
Hit  Again  by 
Abram  Myers 

Renews  Blast  Against 
Advanced  Admissions 


Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  24.  — 
Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied  general 
counsel,  today  lashed  out  anew  at 
the  practice  of  pre-releasing  pic- 
tures at  ad- 
vanced admis- 
sion prices  and 
at  what  he 
termed  "fla- 
grant viola- 
tions"  of  the 
consent  decree 
by  distributors. 
Speaking  at  the 
first  annual  con- 
vention of  Al- 
lied Theatre 
Owners  of  Ok- 
lahoma, Myers 
said:  "If  ever 
there  was  a 
time  when  it  was  necessary  that  the 
greatest  possible  number  of  people  see 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Abram  Myers 


E.  Pa.  Allied  Meet 
Airs  3-D  Problems 


Philadelphia,  Feb.  24. — Two  hun- 
dred exhibitors  from  six  states  repre- 
senting some  500  theatres  were  on 
hand  today  at  the  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  con- 
vention here,  the  first  .multi-state  ex- 
hibitor confab  to  tackle  the  problems 
presented  by  the  3-D  boom.  Repre- 
sentatives from  both  stereoscopic  and 
panoramic  systems  spoke  at  the 
meeting. 

_  The  convention  also  saw  the  reelec- 
tion of  the  unit's  IS  directors  and  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Film  Salesmen  In 
Loyalty  Pledge 

Dallas,  Feb.  24.— Voluntary  affi- 
davits to  the  effect  that  members  of 
the  Colosseum  of  Motion  Picture 
Salesmen  are  not  members  of  the. 
Communist  Party  and  that  they  do  not 
believe  in  its  teachings  will  be  routed 
to  the  various  organization  chapters 
next  week  by  David  Beznor,  Colos- 
seum attorney. 

Ray  Wild,  .  .president  of  the  sales- 
(Coniinued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  25,  1953 


Report  British  Theatres 
Grosses  Are  Up  Slightly 


NEWS 

in  Briet  .  .  . 


Personal 
Mention 

KENNETH  N.  HARGREAVES, 
-  managing  director  of  J.  Ar- 
thur Rank's  General  Film  Distribu- 
tors, and  assistant  managing  director 
of  Odeon  Theatres,  has  arrived  here 
from  London  and  will  leave  for  the 
Coast  soon  for  conferences  at  the 
Universal  studio. 

• 

Cecil  B.  DeMille  arrived  in  New 
York    yesterday    from  Washington, 
and  will  leave  Friday  for  the  Coast, 
with  a  stopover  in  Chicago  scheduled, 
e 

Edward  E.  Sullivan,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox publicity  manager,  returned 
to  New  York  yesterday  from  the 
Coast  by  plane. 

• 

Milton  E.  Cohen,  United  Artists 
Eastern  division  manager,  returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  from  a  four- 
week  tour  of  branches. 

• 

William  Dieterle,  Paramount  di- 
rector, will  stop  off  here  today  from 
Ceylon  en  route  to  Hollywood. 
• 

Theron  Warth,  producer,  will  ar- 
rive in  New  York  from  Hollywood 
tomorrow  en  route  to  London. 

Install  B'nai  B'rith 
Officers  April  8 

Burton  E.  Robbins,  executive  of 
National  Screen  Service,  was  elected 
president  of  New  York's  Cinema 
Lodge  of  B'nai  B'rith  at  a  meeting  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  here  last  night.  He 
succeeds  Martin  Levine,  executive  of 
Brandt  Theatres  who  was  elected 
chaplain. 

Installation  of  the  new  president  and 
other  officers  will  be  held  at  an  in- 
dustry-wide "Presidents'  Luncheon" 
to  be  held  at  the  Astor  on  April  8. 

Elected  vice-presidents  were  Mar- 
vin Kirsch,  Moses  L.  Kove,  Milton 
Livingston,  Joseph  Maharam,  Sol 
Rissner,  Cy  Seymour,  Robert  K. 
Shapiro,  Al  Wilde  and  Lou  Wolff. 
Jack  H.  Hoffberg  was  reelected  treas- 
urer and  David  Kelton  was  elected 
secretary. 

Elected  trustees  were  Max  B. 
Blackman,  Julius  M.  Collins,  Harold 
L.  Danson,  Leo  Jaffe,  Louis  A. 
Novins  and  Arthur  H.  Schwartz. 


Glenn  and  Sloane  to 
Address  NTFC  Meet 

Jack  Glenn,  senior  director  of  The 
March  of  Time,  and  Robert  Sloane  of 
Prockter  Productions  will  address  the 
luncheon-meeting  of  the  National 
Television  Film  Council  at  the  War- 
wick Hotel  here  tomorrow,  it  was 
announced  by  Arche  Mayers,  the  TV- 
film  organization's  president.  Glenn- 
and  Sloane  will  participate  in  panel 
discussions  which  have  been  labeled 
"Producers,  Directors  and  Stories," 
in  which  a  film  producer  will  join  the 
director  and  writer  in  detailing  some 
of  the  problems,  innovations  and  the 
future  of  TV-films. 


London,  Feb.  24. — British  theatres 
grossed  £27,986,000  during  the  quarter 
ended  Sept.  27,  1952,  a  2.9  per  cent 
increase  over  the  preceding  quarter, 
the  Board  of  Trade  Journal  reports. 

Theatre  admissions  during  the  quar- 
ter rose  from  the  previous  quarter's 
326,447,000  to  335,215,000.  The  Jour- 
nel  comments  that  this  is  a  normal 
seasonal  increase  in  attendance  and 
the  figure  still  is  below  the  level  for 
the  corresponding  quarter  in  1950  and 
1951. 

The  increased  gross,  the  Journal 
says,  reflects  higher  admission  prices 
resulting  from  an  increase  in  the  ad- 
mission tax  and  Eady  Fund  payments. 
The  average  admission  price  rose 
from  18.04  pence  in  1950  to  20  pence 
last  year. 

Exhibitors  paid  £9,654,000  in  enter- 
tainment tax  and  £723,000  in  Eady 
levy  during  the  1952  quarter,  which 
together  represented  37.1  per  cent  of 
the  gross.  Net  takings  rose  by 
£588,000  to  £17,609,000.  Film  rentals 
totaled  £6,203,000,  a  4.1  per  cent  in- 
crease over  the  previous  quarter. 

The  amount  retained  as  the  ex- 
hibitors' share  rose  by  £344,000  to 
£11,406,000. 


Ad  Peace  Sought 
By  London  Papers 


London,  Feb.  24. — Max  Aitken,  son 
of  Lord  Beaverbrook,  made  the  first 
overture  to  restore  American  film  ad- 
vertising to  the  Beaverbrook  papers 
here  during  the  recent  London  visit  of 
Murray  Silverstone,  20th  Century- 
Fox  International  president,  it  is 
learned. 

Aitken  orally  agreed  to  undertake 
to  curb  the  spleen  of  Beaverbrook 
newspaper  film  writers  against  Amer- 
ican films,  the  cause  of  the  withdrawal 
of  the  American  advertising,  if  his 
kiss-and-make-up  overtures  are  ac- 
cepted. Most  American  companies, 
with  the  exception  of  M-G-M,  have 
resumed  advertisements  with  the  Ex- 
press group.  The  J.  Arthur  Rank  Or- 
ganization, which  took  unilateral  ac- 
tion, also  is  still  withholding  its  ad- 
vertising. 


Boasberg,  Branson 
Travelling  for  Drive 


RKO  Radio  Pictures  sales  execu- 
tives, topped  by  Charles  Boasberg, 
general  sales  manager,  and  Walter 
Branson,  assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager, were  travelling  yesterday  in  pre- 
paration for  the  company's  forthcom- 
ing "25th  Anniversary  Drive,"  March 
6-  June  25. 

Boasberg  is  due  to  return  here  today 
from  Chicago  where  he  conducted  a 
meeting  of  the  company's  Midwestern 
field  sales  force.  Branson,  meanwhile, 
is  slated  to  arrive  in  Kansas  City  to- 
day to  conduct  the  fifth  of  the  anni- 
versary drive  series  of  meetings  with 
the  field  sales  force. 


Clark  of  ABP  Is 
Here  to  Study  3-D 


In  an  effort  to  determine  whether 
tri-dimensional  pictures  are  here  to 
stay  or  are  a  "passing  fancy,"  Robert 
Clark,  executive  producer  of  Associ- 
ated British  Pictures,  is  here  from 
London  to  study  developments. 

Clark,  who  arrived  in  New  York 
Monday  on  the  S.S.  Queen.  Mary, 
said  yesterday  that  he  would  go  to 
the  Coast  on  Friday  to  confer  with 
executives  at  Warner  Brothers 
studios,  with  which  ABP  is  closely 
associated.  He  said  he  would  decide 
after  the  conferences  whether  ABP 
would  equip  for  3-D  and  make  im- 
dimensional  pictures. 

Clark  will  stay  in  Hollywood  for 
about  two  weeks  during  which  he  will 
seek  advice  and  "see  what  we  have  to 
learn." 


ABC  Circuit  Sets 
1st  Screen  Ad  Deal 

London,  Feb.  24. — The  450-theatre 
Associated  British  Cinemas  here  will 
accept  screen  advertising  for  the  first 
time  under  a  deal  just  closed  with  the 
firm  of  Pearl  &  Dean,  Ltd.  The  con- 
tract provides  for  a  three-minute 
program  of  advertising  "filmlets" 
throughout  the  circuit  and  two-minute 
national  advertising  films  in  selected 
theatres  or  territories  on  the  circuit. 

Ernest  and  Charles  Pearl,  heads  of 
the  theatre  advertising  firm,  until  re- 
cently were  in  charge  of  J.  Arthur 
Rank's  Langfords'  Theatre  Publicity, 
from  which  they  resigned  to  form 
their  own  company. 


Mayer  and  Servies 
At  I  TOO  Meeting 

Columbus,  O.,  Feb.  24. — Arthur 
Mayer,  former  Council  of  Motion  Pic- 
tures Organizations  secretary,  and 
Jack  Servies,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  National  Theatre 
Supply  Co.,  will  be  among  the  speak- 
ers at  the  convention  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio  here 
April  7-8.  Maurice  Bergman,  public 
relations  director  of  Universal-Inter- 
national, will  attend  the  convention, 
said  Robert  Wile,  ITOO  secretary. 

Wile  will  address  Rotary  Club 
meetings  March  10  in  East  Liverpool, 
Ohio,  and  April  15  at  Hudson,  Ohio, 
on  "The  Importance  of  the  Theatre 
in  Your  Community." 

Balaban  Chairman 
Of  Defense  Appeal 

Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount Pictures,  will  serve  as  hono- 
rary chairman  of  the  1953  Joint  De- 
fense Appeal  campaign,  it  was  an- 
nounced by  Maurice  Glinert  and  Ed- 
mund Waterman,  chairmen  of  JDA 
in  Greater  New  York. 


Edward  Lachman,  chief  barker  of 
the  Variety  Club  of  New  York,  host 
tent  at  the  forthcoming  Adolph  Zukor 
Golden  Jubilee  dinner  here,  has  ap- 
pointed a  special  committee  to  arrange 
for  club  tables  at  the  dinner  which 
will  be  held  March  4  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria. 

The  committee  consists  of  Harold 
Rinzler,  Bert  Robbins,  Martin  Levine, 
Edward  L.  Fabian  and  Albert  G. 
Gorson. 

• 

Los  Angeles,  Feb.  24. — William 
Wallace  Kerrigan,  73,  general  mana- 
ger of  Universal  studios  from  1912 
to  1914  and  at  various  times  manager 
of  Rudolph  Valentino,  William  S. 
Hart,  Mary  Pickford  and  Douglas 
Fairbanks,  Sr.,  died  here  on  Friday. 
He  was  the  twin  brother  of  J.  Warren 
Kerrigan,  silent  film  star. 

• 

A  special  press  screening  of  "My 
Son's  Dad,"  a  film  designed  for  TV, 
theatre  or  private  showing  made  for 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion by  the  March  of  Time,  was  held 
here  yesterday  in  the  Time  and  Life 
Building.  The  27-minute  film  was 
written  and  directed  by  Jack  Glenn. 
• 

Baron  Carlo  de  Serrariis  Salvano, 
Italian  consul  general,  yesterday  pre- 
sented J.  Milton  Salzburg,  president 
of  Pictorial  Films,  with  the  award 
won  by  his  company's  production, 
"F.D.R.— Hyde  Park,"  at  the  Venice 
Film  Festival  last  year. 


'Redbook'  Awards 
Cite  Young  Talent 


Hollywood,  Feb.  24 — Hollywood's 
young  talent  was  given  top  honors 
here  last  night  in  Redbook  Ulagasine's 
14th  annual  "Silver  Cup  Movie 
Award"  on  the  Martin  and  Lewis 
radio  show  over  NBC.  The  awards 
were  announced  by  editor  Wade  H. 
Nichols. 

The  1952  winners  were  Marilyn 
Monroe  for  "best  young  box-office 
personality" ;  Julie  Harris,  best  young 
actress ;  Leslie  Caron,  best  young  for- 
eign actress ;  Marge  and  Gower 
Champion,  best  young  dance  team ; 
and  Dean  Martin  and  Jerry  Lewis, 
best  young  comedians 

The  winners  are  the  subject  of  a 
feature  article  by  picture  editor  Flor- 
ence Somers  in  the  March  "annual 
award  issue"  of  Redbook  The  maga- 
zine's silver  cup  trophy  is  given  each 
year  in  recognition  of  "distinguished 
contributions  to  the  art  of  motion  pic- 
tures." The  awards  were  started  in 
1939. 

Hope  Named  M.C.  of 
Awards  Ceremonies 

Hollywood,  Feb.  24. — Bob  Hope 
will  be  master  of  ceremonies  of  the 
Academy  Awards  ceremonies  March 
19,  Johnny  Green,  general  director  of 
presentations,  announced  here  today. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editcr-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting:  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing:  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunning-ham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Eepresentative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq..  London  WI;  Hope  Bumup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $121  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


"M-G-M  wins 
'Top  Young 


REDBOOK  IS  RIGHT 
ABOUT  YOUNG  TALENTS! 

The  industry  needs  them  and  M-G-M's  got  'em.  This  year,  Redbook 
Magazine  gives  its  Annual  Awards  to  the  industry's  rising  young  stars 
and  M-G-M  leads  as  usual: 


Winner! 

MARGE  AND 

GOWER 

CHAMPION 

Watch  for  them  in 
M-G-M's  "Give  A 
Girl  A  Break." 


Winner ! 

LESLIE  CARON 

Star  of  "American 
In  Paris."  Watch 
for  her  in  "Lili" 
and  "The  Story  of 
3  Loves."  (All  Tech.) 


THANKS  REDBOOK!  KEEP  YOUR  EYES  ON  THESE! 

POLLY  BERGEN — "Cry  of  the  Hunted,"  "Fast  Company,"  "Arena"  (MetroVision,  Ansco 
Color)  •  DONNA  CORCORAN— "Scandal  At  Scourie"  {Tech.)  ■  RITA  GAM— "Saadia" 
(Tech.)  •  ROBERT  HORTON— "Code  Two,"  "Arena"  {MetroVision,  Ansco  Color),  "See 
How  They  Run,"  "Big  Mike"  •  BARBARA  RUICK— "I  Love  Melvin"  {Tech.),  "Affairs 
of  Dobie  Gillis,"  "Confidentially  Connie"  •  ELAINE  STEWART— "Take  The  High 
Ground"  (Ansco  Color),  "Code  Two,"  "A  Slight  Case  of  Larceny"  •  BETTA  ST.  JOHN — 
"Dream  Wife,"  "All  The  Brothers  Were  Valiant"  (Tech.)  •  BOBBY  VAN— "Small  Town 
Girl"  (Tech),  "Affairs  of  Dobie  Gillis,"  "Ghost  of  A  Chance." 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  February  25,  1953 


Pre-Releases  Hit  Again 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


National 


Pre-Selling 

IN  announcing  its  12th  annual 
"Achievement  Awards,"  Look,  in 
the  current  issue,  "congratulates  the 
motion  picture  industry  for  creative 
accomplishment  and  rebirth  of  show- 
manship," during  1952. 

Among  those  industry  personalities 
who  received  Look's  accolades  are 
Gary  Cooper  and  Shirley  Booth  for 
the  best  starring  performances  ;  Claire 
Bloom  and  Richard  Burton  for  the 
best  performances  in  supporting  roles. 

Marilyn  Monroe  was  chosen  as  the 
most  promising  female  newcomer. 
John  Ford  was  picked  as  the  director 
of  the  year.  And  A.  H.  Blank  of 
the  Tri-States  Theatres,  was  chosen 
the  exhibitor  of  the  year. 

• 

Louella  Parsons  reports  in  the 
Feb.  22  issue  of  Pictorial  Review 
that  six  months  ago  she  visited 
Mala  Powers,  star  of  "City  Beneath 
the  Sea,"  while  Mala  was  a  patient 
in  a  hospital.  She  had  contracted  a 
serious  blood  disease  when  she 
went  to  Korea  to  entertain  the 
boys.  Doctors  said  "Mala  would 
live  for  a  few  months."  That  was 
almost  a  year  ago.  Since  then  she 
has  also  completed  "The  City  That 
Never  Sleeps,"  and  is  well  and  wait- 
ing to  start  "The  Gambler's  Moon" 
with  Robert  Mitchum. 

a 

A  foiur  color  one-half  page  ad  on 
"Peter  Pan"  appeared  in  the  Feb.  22 
issue  of  American  Weekly.  Also  in 
the  issue  is  a  full  color  ad  placed  by 
Lustre  Creme  Shampoo,  which  fea- 
tures a  photograph  of  Anne  Baxter 
and  tie-in  copy  on  Warner's  "I 
Confess." 

• 

A  large  photograph  of  Robert 
Taylor  and  Eleanor  Parker  taken  on 
the  set  of  "Above  and  Beyond"  ap- 
pears in  the  Assignment-in-Holly- 
wood  department  of  the  March 
issue  of  Good  Housekeeping.  Ac- 
companying the  photo  is  a  Ruth 
Harbert  review  of  this  M-G-M  pic- 
ture which  is  based  on  the  life  of 
Colonel  Tibbets  of  the  U.  S.  Air 
Force.  Colonel  Tibbets  was  the 
pilot  of  the  B-29  that  sent  the  his- 
tory making  bomb  hurtling  on 
Hiroshima. 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  table  of 
contents  ad  on  "Dream  Wife." 
• 

Rosemary  Clooney  is  Time  Maga- 
zine's current  cover  girl,  appearing  in 
full  color.  The  issue  also  has  a  four- 
page  story  of  Rosemary  titled  "Girl 
in  the  Grove." 

Referring  to  her  achievements  as  a 
singer,  Time  writes :  "The  voice  of 
Rosemary  Clooney,  24,  to  ballad  buy- 
ers, has  become  as  familiar  as  the 
voice  of  F.  D.  R." 

The  author  of  the  feature  reports 
her  first  meeting  with  Bing  Crosby 
who  visited  her  on  the  set  of  "The 
Stars  Are  Singing." 

"I  just  want  to  tell  you,"  Bing 
said,  "that  I  think  you're  the  best 
singer  in  the  business." 

• 

"The  Star,"  "Member  of  the  Wed- 
ding" and  "The  Jazz  Singer"  are  re- 
viewed in  the  March  issue  of  McCalls. 
Ten  photographs  taken  on  the  sets 
of  the  pictures  reviewed  are  used  in 
McCall's  "Goes  to  the  Movies"  de- 
partment. 

Walter  Haas 


the  best  pictures  while  they  are  still 
benefitting  from  word-of-mouth  ad- 
vertising, it  is  now.  How  are  the 
people  going  to  regain  the  movie- 
going  habit  if  the  best  pictures  are 
withheld  from  them  or  made  available 
only  in  large  cities  at  advanced  ad- 
mission prices?" 

Myers  told  the  Oklahomans  that 
"responsible  film  executives  are  toying 
with  the  idea  that  the  motion  picture 
business  can  be  profitably  conducted, 
so  far  as  they  are  concerned,  by 
restricting  their  films  to  one  theatre 
in  each  large  city,  to  be  exhibited  at 
prices  comparable  to  those  which 
proved  the  undoing  of  the  legitimate 
theatre." 

The  Allied  general  counsel  was 
critical  of  the  allocation  of  equipment 
for  three  dimensional  and  panoramic 
screen  exhibitions,  pointing  out  that 
20th  Century-Fox  "says  it  won't  at- 
tempt to  supply  equipment  for  Cin- 
emaScope  in  towns  of  less  than  100,- 
000  population  for  a  long  time — long 
enough  for  the  theatres  in  the  smaller 
towns  to  die  a  lingering  death."  He 
added  that  theatres  already  are  dying 
at  an  estimated  rate  of  1,000  for  each 
decline  of  one  per  cent  in  receipts. 

Myers  said  that  the  film  ex- 
ecutives of  today  are  forgetting 
the  fact  that  motion  pictures' 
success  stemmed  from  their 
ability  to  give  low  cost  enter- 
tainment. The  "moguls,"  he 
said,  have  the  "weird  notion 
that  screen  entertainment  can 
be  restricted  to  a  compara- 
tively few  high  admission 
houses  in  large  cities  and  that 
the  public  will  troop  to  those 
theatres  in  sufficient  volume  to 
make  up  for  the  15,000-odd 
theatres  that  will  be  forced  to 
close." 

Columbia's  sales  policy  on  "Salome" 
and  the  distributors'  alleged  establish- 
ment of  a  new  system  of  fixed  clear- 
ances also  came  under  Myers'  fire. 
He  asserted  that  the  companies  not 
only  are  granting  unreasonable  clear- 
ance "solely  in  their  own  interest  be- 
tween competing  theatres,  but  are  ex- 
tending those  clearances  to  include 
non-competitive  theatres  which  never 
were  subjected  to  clearance  before." 
Myers  declared  that  "all  this  is  being 
done,  not  in  unwitting  violation  of  the 
decree   but    in   knowing,    wilful  and 


3-D  Experiments 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  near  future  and  is  prepared  to  ex- 
pend time  and  talent  to  capture  that 
business.  About  40  open-air  theatres 
compose  the  Pacific  circuit,  he  added. 

The  two  big  problems,  Forman  said, 
are  getting  sufficient  light  for  the  3-D 
picture  and  procuring  a  special  screen 
which  retains  the  light  and  with- 
stands adverse  weather  conditions. 
While  acknowledging  that  the  prob- 
lems are  "serious,"  Forman  expressed 
optimism  that  answers  would  be  found 
in  the  not  too  distant  future.  Pres- 
ent experiments  on  the  Coast  con- 
ducted by  Pacific  Coast  are  on  light- 
ing and  screen  problem,  it  was  added. 

The  drive-in  executive  also  ex- 
pressed interest  in  the  "wide-screen 
surround"  screen  equipment,  said  to 
accommodate  all  types  of  three-dimen- 
sional and  wide-screen  systems.  The 
Lesser  organization  has  acquired  U.  S. 
rights  from  Donford  Corp.,  Chicago, 


deliberate  contempt  of  the  decree." 
He  said  "a  purpose  to  evade  the  de- 
cree is  the  only  possible  explanation 
of  Columbia's  declaration  that  'no 
specific  clearance  will  be  granted'  on 
'Salome'." 

Turning  to  arbitration,  Myers  said 
that  Allied  worked  for  an  all-inclu- 
sive arbitration  system  that  would 
prove  an  acceptable  substitute  for  lit- 
igation. However,  he  asserted  that 
while  negotiations  were  on,  and  since 
they  have  been  broken  off,  the  film 
companies  were  pre-releasing  pictures 
and  planning  to  pre-release  more  pic- 
tures. This,  Myers  said,  "is  courting 
litigation  with  a  vengeance."  He 
added  that  every  exhibitor  who  has 
been  injured  in  his  business  or  prop- 
erty is  "entitled  to  sue  for  triple 
damages." 

Myers  said  that  "if  Allied  .  .  .  were 
merely  seeking  to  protect  or  gain  an 
advantage  for  its  own  members,  you 
might  not  take  too  seriously  some  of 
the  charges  we  have  made.  But  we 
are  fighting  not  only  to  protect  our 
members  but  all  independent  exhibi- 
tors ;  not  only  the  exhibitors  but  a 
great  business  and  a  great  industry." 
Myers  said  that  all  warnings  had  been 
ignored  and  that  from  now  on  Allied 
intends  to  follow  through  on  its  pro- 
gram, "using  every  legal  means  avail- 
able," adding  that  "this  may  turn  out 
to  be  a  hot  fight." 


Bamberger  Stresses  Good 
Industry  Public  Relations 

Oklahoma  City,  Feb.  24.  —  The 
value  of  good  public  relations  be- 
tween exhibitors  and  townspeople  was 
stressed  here  today  by  Leon  J.  Bam- 
berger, sales  promotion  manager  of 
RKO  Radio,  in  an  address  before  the 
first  annual  convention  of  Allied  of 
Oklahoma. 

Bamberger  singled  out  the  efforts 
of  Earl  and  Arthur  Elkin,  operators 
of  two  theatres  in  Aberdeen,  Miss.,  as 
examples  of  public  relations  at  work. 
Their  activities  in  civic  affairs,  fund 
raising  campaigns  and  courtesies  to 
organizations  have  repaid  their  efforts 
many  fold,  Bamberger  said. 

He  urged  exhibitors  to  use  the  many 
facilities  offered  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  such  as  the 
"Green  Sheet,"  school  pamphlets, 
study  guides  and  the  MPAA's  com- 
munity relations  department. 


Schlesinger  Dies 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

under  the  name  of  International  Vari- 
eties and  Theatrical  Agency.  John 
conducted  the  business  in  Johannes- 
burg while  M.  A.  looked  after  the 
New  York  end  of  the  vast  empire. 

In  the  early  days  of  talking  pic- 
tures, the  Schlesingers  headed  General 
Talking  Pictures  Corp.,  which  mar- 
keted DeForest  Photophone.  M.  A. 
Schlesinger  became  ill  late  last  fall 
and  his  nephew,  John,  Jr.,  who  di- 
rected the  South  African  activities  of 
the  company  following  the  death  of  his 
father,  rushed  to  New  York.  When 
his  uncle  appeared  to  be  recovering, 
John  returned  to  South  Africa. 

Survivors  also  include  his  widow. 
Betty,  and  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Esther 
Greenwald  and  Elizabeth  Stark. 


American  licensee  of  the  British  de- 
velopment. 


E.  Pa.  Allied 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

following  officers :  Sidney  Samuelson, 
president,  general  manager,  and  na- 
tional director,  Ben  Fertel,  treasurer, 
E.  B.  Gregory,  secretary,  and  Jack 
Greenberg,  finance  committee  chair- 
man. Also  named  to  the  finance  com- 
mittee were  Gregory  Fertel,  Al  Davis, 
Martin  Ellis,  and  Harold  Cohen. 

Among  those  making  presentations 
were  20th  Century  Fox's  general  sales 
manager  William  C.  Gehring,  for 
Cinemascope,  Harold  Legrande  and 
Knox  Haddow  for  Paramount's  Para- 
vision,  as  well  as  technicians  from 
RCA,  Altec  and  National  Theatre 
Supply. 

A  new  field  for  3-D  in  drive-ins  was 
seen  as  practical  as  soon  as  the  light 
problems  were  solved.  All  of  the  ex- 
perts addressing  the  group  stressed 
the  point  that  whatever  process  was 
to  be  used,  it  should  be  fitted  to  the 
theatres  capabilities.  They  cautioned 
that  no  theatre  should  be  equipped 
without  having  the  house  completely 
surveyed  by  specialists  in  that  field. 
It  was  estimated  that  steroscopic  3-D 
would  cost  theatres  a  minimum  of  $1,- 
000  in  addition  to  the  refurbishing, 
generators,  light  source,  wiring,  et 
cetera  to  take  care  of  the  extra  load. 

Also  discussed  at  an  early  morning 
session  were  current  film  problems, 
annual  reports  of  officers  and  a  reso- 
lution, unanimously  passed,  requesting 
national  Allied  to  take  vigorous  action 
on  current  film'  problems. 

Larry  Woodin,  Wellsboro,  Pa.,  was 
hailed  for  his  demonstration  of  music 
in  the  public  domain  that  would  pre- 
clude payments  to  ASCAP. 

The  states  represented  at  the  meet- 
ing, in  addition  to  the  Pennsylvania 
delegation  were  New  Jersey,  Dela- 
ware, Maryland  and  Connecticut,  as 
well  as  Washington. 


'Bwana'  Screen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

cancelled  it,  when  it  was  decided  to 
repaint  the  house  screen.  The  ordered 
screen  was  diverted  to  the  Palace 
Theatre  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  but  Na- 
tional Theatre  Supply  was  able  to 
have  it  transferred  back  to  the  State. 

By  working  all  night  Friday,  the 
new  screen  was  ready  for  the  first 
show  Saturday  morning.  The  results 
are  said  to  be  far  superior,  with  the 
advocates  of  special  3-D  screens  win- 
ning their  point. 

Despite  the  inferior  projection  dur- 
ing the  first  three  days  of  "Bwana" 
at  the  State,  the  gross  climbed  daily, 
with  the  initial  week  ending  last  night 
to  an  estimated  figure  in  excess  of 
$90,000.  The  picture  was  expected 
to  hit  $50,000  at  the  Fabian  Fox  The- 
atre in  Brooklyn  in  its  first  week. 


Gunzburg  Warns 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

fully  recommended  equipment  is  very 
small,  ultimate  box  office  loss  due  to 
the  dissatisfaction  caused  by  inade- 
quate presentation  can  be  great. 

Gunzberg  said  the  major  theatre 
equipment  companies  are  now  able  to 
supply  the  proper  equipment,  as  is 
Natural  Vision  Equipment  Corp.,  and 
added  that  exhibitors  wishing  com- 
plete information  concerning  booth 
and  screen  equipment  can  obtain  same 
directly  from  NV  without  commitment  i 
or  obligation. 


Wednesday,  February  25,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Silver  City  Film 
Branded  as  'Red' 


Mason  Tax  Measure 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Washington,  Feb.  24. — Rep.  Don- 
ald Jackson,  California  Republican 
and  a  member  of  the  House  Un- 
American  Activities  Committee,  told 
the  House  today  that  the  film  now 
being  produced  in  Silver  City,  N.  M., 
is  being  made  "under  Communist  aus- 
pices" and  is  "deliberately  designed  to 
inflame  racial  hatreds  and  to  depict 
the  U.  S.  A.  as  the  enemy  of  all 
colored  peoples." 

Jackson  took  the  House  floor  for 
almost  30  minutes  to  discuss  the  Sil- 
ver City  venture.  He  started  out  by 
recalling  the  House  committee's 
lengthy  Hollywood  investigation  and 
said  that  it  had  disclosed  two  aims 
of  Communist  infiltration  of  Holly- 
wood :  To  provide  a  lucrative  source 
of  income  for  the  party,  and  to  use 
films  to  present  Communist  propa- 
ganda. While  the  party  did  get  large 
amounts  of  money  from  party  mem- 
bers and  sympathizers  in  Hollywood, 
the  attempt  to  put  propaganda  into 
films  "succeeded  only  to  a  minor  ex- 
tent," he  declared. 

The  Silver  City  venture,  Jackson 
said,  was  "an  illustration  of  the  cease- 
less and  diabolical  attack  upon  the 
U.  S.  and  its  free  institutions"  car- 
ried on  by  the  Communists.  He  said 
he  would  do  everything  in  his  power 
"to  prevent  the  showing  of  this  Com- 
munist-made film  in  theatres  of  Amer- 
ica, and  1  am  confident  that  millions 
of  Americans  will  join  in  that  effort." 

Jackson's  speech  documented  the 
Communist  affiliations  of  many  of  the 
persons  associated  with  the  Silver 
City  production  and  discussed  the 
Communist  charges  against  the  inter- 
national Union  of  Mine,  Mill  and 
Smelter  Workers,  which  is  said  to  be 
financing  the  film. 

The  California  Republican  empha- 
sized that  the  production  has  been 
condemned  by  the  Hollywood  A.  F. 
of  L.  Film  Council,  the  Screen  Actors 
Guild  and  other  organizations  of  the 
motion  picture  industry. 


Fitzgerald  Heads 
Wise.  Welfare  Group 


Milwaukee,  Feb.  24. — At  a  meet- 
ing where  representatives  from  all 
segments  of  the  industry  here  met,  a 
new  non-profit  organization  was 
formed  for  the  welfare  of  all  em- 
ployes in  the  industry  in  Wisconsin 
and  Upper  Michigan.  The  organiza- 
tion, first  of  its  kind  in  Wisconsin,  is 
called  Showman's  Guild,  Inc. 

Officers  are :  President,  Harold  J. 
Fitzgerald,  president  of  Fox-Wiscon- 
sin Amusement  Corp. ;  first  vice- 
president,  Ben  Marcus,  S.  &  M. 
Theatres ;  second  vice-president,  A.  D. 
Kvool,  Warner  Theatres ;  treasurer, 
L.  F.  Gran,  Standard  Theatres; 
assistant  treasurer,  Oliver  Trampe, 
and  secretary,  Jack  Lorentz,  branch 
manager,  20th  Century-Fox. 

The  purpose  of  the  Guild  is  to  ex- 
tend help  and  relief  to  those  in  the 
industry  here  who  have  not  been  as 
fortunate  as  others.  A  fund  for  this 
cause  will  be  raised  through  various 
functions  now  being  planned. 

Fitzgerald  has  had  such  a  plan  in 
mind  for  several  years  and  through 
the  efforts  of  Marcus,  Kvool,  Gran 
and  himself  such  a  plan  has  finally 
materialized. 


three  of  them  by  Mason's  colleagues 
on  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee. 

Carrying  the  heading,  "A  Bill  to 
provide  that  the  tax  on  admissions 
shall  not  apply  to  admissions  to  a 
moving-picture  theatre,"  the  text  of 
the  bill  is  as  follows : 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives  of  the 
United  States  of  America  in  Congress 
assembled,  That  section  1700  (a)  (1) 
of  the  Internal  Revenue  Code  (relat- 
ing to  tax  on  admissions)  is  hereby 
amended  by  adding  at  the  end  thereof 
the  following  new  sentence :  'The  tax 
imposed  under  this  paragraph  shall 
not  apply  to  the  amount  paid  for  ad- 
mission to  a  moving-picture  theatre 
if  the  principal  amusement  offered 
with  respect  to  such  admission  is  the 
showing  of  moving  pictures.' 

"Sec.  2.  The  amendment  made  by 
the  first  section  of  this  Act  shall 
apply  only  with  respect  to  amounts 
paid,  on  or  after  the  first  day  of  the 
first  month  which  begins  more  than 
ten  days  after  the  day  on  which  this 
Act  is  enacted,  for  admissions  on  or 
after  such  first  day." 

Cole  and  Robert  Livingston 
of  Omaha  have  been  in  Wash- 
ington the  last  week  interview- 
ing sponsors  of  the  other  bills 
on  admissions.  From  all  of 
them,  it  is  understood,  they 
have  received  assurances  that 
they  will  let  their  own  bills  lie 
dormant  and  support  the  Mason 
bill. 

Two  of  the  identical  bills  were  in- 


Film  Salesmen 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


men's  organization,  has  notified  Presi- 
dent Eisenhower  of  the  plan,  accord- 
ing to  Vernon  Christian,  publicity 
director  of  the  Colosseum  here. 

The  affidavit  reads : 

"1.  I  am  a  member  of  the  union 
named  below. 

"2.  I  am  not  a  member  of  the  Com- 
munist Party  or  affiliated  with  such 
party. 

"3.  I  do  not  believe  in,  and  am  not 
a  member  of,  nor  do  I  support  any 
organization  that  believes  in  or  teaches 
the  overthrow  of  the  United  States 
government  by  force  or  by  any  illegal 
or  unconstitutional  methods." 

Two  More  from  Tors 
For  United  Artists 

Hollywood,  Feb.  24. — With  "The 
Magnetic  Monster,"  his  first  science- 
fiction  film,  set  for  national  release 
by  United  Artists  in  10  days,  producer 
Ivan  Tors  announced  that  he  will 
make  two  more  science-fiction  films 
for  United  Artists  this  year,  "Space 
Station,  U.S.A."  and  "The  Meteor 
Hunters."  Both  will  be  in  Pathe 
color. 

Tors  is  forming  a  new  corporation, 
Ivan  Tors  Productions,  to  make  the 
two  films.  Richard  Carlson  and~Curt 
Siodmak,  the  star  and  director,  re- 
spectively, of  "The  Magnetic  Mon- 
ster," will  continue  with  Tors  on  the 
new  projects.  Tors  and  Siodmak 
collaborated  on  the  screenplay  for 
"Magnetic  Monster,"  which  was  made 
by  A-Men  Productions,  the  Tors- 
Carlson-Siodmak  company  which  will 
remain  in  existence  to  produce  films 
for  television. 


troduced  in  the  Senate  by  Republican 
Senators  Dirksen  of  Illinois  and  But- 
ler of  Nebraska.  Those  introducing 
identical  bills  in  the  House  are  Repre- 
sentatives Dingell  (D.  Mich.), 
Fisher  (D.  Tex.),  Boggs  (D.  La.), 
Frazier  (D.  Tenn.),  Hagen  (R. 
Minn.),  Patten  (D.  Ariz.),  Elliott 
(D.  Ala.),  King  (D.  Calif.), 
McDonough  (R.  Calif.),  Zabloski  (D. 
Wis.),  Davis  (D.  Ga.),  Thompson 
(D.  Tex.),  Vanzandt  (R.  Pa.). 

Deeply  Appreciative 

"We  are  deeply  appreciative  of  the 
efforts  of  these  Senators  and  Con- 
gressmen to  bring  tax  relief  to  our 
industry,"  said  Cole  and  McGee  in  a 
statement  issued  yesterday.  "We 
also  think  the  industry  owes  them  a 
debt  of  gratitude  for  their  gracious- 
ness  in  withholding  action  on  their 
own  measures  and  giving  their  sup- 
port to  the  Mason  bill.  We  are  sure 
that  with  their  active  support  the  in- 
dustry's case  for  tax  repeal  will  re- 
ceive proper  consideration  by  the 
Congress." 

Through  the  offices  of  the  Council 
of  Motion  Picture  Organizations, 
copies  of  the  Mason  bill  were  mailed 
yesterday  to  all  state  and  Congres- 
sional District  campaign  committees, 
with  a  request  that  each  committee 
advise  its  Congressman  that  the 
Mason  bill  is  the  one  the  industry 
would  like  to  see  passed.  Exhibitors 
in  the  districts  of  other  bill  sponsors 
have  been  requested  to  write  their 
Congressmen  thanking  them  for  the 
introduction  of  repeal  bills. 


B'way  Grosses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


"Bwana  Devil"  is  expected  to  do  a 
tremendous  $90,000  for  its  opening 
week. 

"Peter  Pan,"  coupled  with  the  ice 
stage  show  at  the  Roxy,  is  due  to  hit 
a  big  $115,000  for  its  second  week.  At 
the  Paramount,  "The  Stooge"  and  the 
stage  attraction  headlining  Joni  James 
is  predicted  to  do  an  excellent  $99,000 
for  its  third  week.  The  second  week 
of  "Tonight  We  Sing"  at  Radio  City 
Music  Hall  is  forecast  to  rack  up  a 
solid  $133,000. 

At  the  Rivoli,  a  nice  $23,000  is  in- 
dicated for  the  fourth  week  of  "The 
Star."  Holding  up  strongly  is  "Come 
Back,  Little  Sheba"  at  the  Victoria, 
with  $27,000  seen  for  the  ninth  week. 
Also  doing  well  is  "Road  to  Bali"  at 
the  Astor,  with  $27,000  due  for  the 
fourth  week. 

"Anna,"  the  English-dubbed  Italian 
import  at  the  Globe,  racked  up  a  very 
good  $31,000  for  its  first  week,  while 
"Above  and  Beyond"  at  the  Mayfair 
is  expected  to  hit  a  rosy  $32,000  for 
its  fourth  week.  At  the  off-Broadway 
engagement  of  "Hans  Christian  An- 
dersen" at  the  Paris,  a  fine  $10,800 
for  the  13th  week  is  seen. 


Rollinson  in  New  Post 

Dudley  R.  Rollinson  has  been 
named  manager  of  motion  picture  ad- 
vertising of  The  American  Weekly. 
He  previously  was  on  the  executive 
staff  of  Pedlar  &  Ryan,  and  prior  to 
that  was  an  account  executive  with 
National  Broadcasting,  business  man- 
ager of  Holiday  magazine,  director  of 
research  for  Blackett-Sample-Hum- 
mert,  and  president  of  his  own  firm 
of  advertising  consultants. 


Dempsey  Cites  High 
U.S.  Tax  Payments 

Washington,  Feb.  24.— Clos- 
ing of  theatres  due  to  "exces- 
sive" taxation  "will  remove 
one  of  the  most  valuable  po- 
tentials our  country  has  for 
clean  juvenile  entertainment 
and  for  youth  education," 
Rep.  Dempsey  (D.,  N.  Mex.) 
told  the  House  today. 

Dempsey  has  twice  before 
taken  the  House  floor  to  at- 
tack the  20  per  cent  Federal 
admission  tax.  Today  he  in- 
cluded in  his  remarks  a  letter 
from  a  Texas  exhibitor  who 
told  of  paying  $4,500  in  1952 
in  Federal  admission  tax  for 
one  theatre,  which  operated 
at  a  $10,000  loss,  and  paying 
$10,000  in  taxes  in  another 
theatre  operating  at  a  $2,000 
loss  last  year. 


Warner  Expanding" 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Wax,"  Natural  Vision  3-D  production 
filming  in  WarnerColor  as  "the  first 
true  third  dimensional  film  to  be 
launched  by  a  major  studio."  Pre- 
paring to  go  in  WarnerColor  is  a 
second  3-D  film,  "The  Burning  Ar- 
row," also  to  be  filmed  with  Natural 
Vision. 

Also  in  work  in  WarnerColor  are 
"The  Boy  from  Oklahoma,"  starring 
Will  Rogers,  Jr.,  and  Nancy  Olson 
with  Michael  Curtiz  directing  and 
David  Weisbart  producing,  and  "Rid- 
ing Shotgun,"  starring  Randolph 
Scott  with  Andre  de  Toth  directing 
and  Ted  Sherdeman  producing. 

It  is  anticipated  that  the  Eastern 
facilities  will  be  completed  in  time  to 
handle  the  rush  processing  on  the 
WarnerColor  coverage  of  the  Corona- 
tion of  Queen  Elizabeth  in  June. 


$16,000  for  'City  Beneath' 

"City  Beneath  the  Sea,"  Universal- 
International,  which  opened  at  the 
Pilgrim  in  Boston  last  Thursday  to 
launch  a  series  of  New  England  en- 
gagements, is  said  to  be  rolling  up 
one  of  the  biggest  weeks  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  theatre,  grossing  an  esti- 
mated $16,000  in  the  first  seven  days. 


—FLY  TO— ^^=> 

LOS  ANGELES 

on  United's  Luxurious 

"OVERNIGHT 
HOLLYWOOD" 

Only  1  114  hrs.  one-stop! 

The  fine  service  of  United's  "Hollywood" 
flights  is  yous  j  on  the  "Overnight  Holly- 
wood" to  Los  Angeles.  You  leave  New 
York  after  midnight,  stop  only  at  Denver, 
enjoy  a  delicious  breakfast  aloft,  and 
arrive  in  Los  Angeles  at  8:20  a.  m.,  giv- 
ing you  a  full  day  for  business. 

United  air  lines 

COMPARE  THE  FARE  AND 
YOU'LL  GO  BY  AIR 


DEAN  MARTIN  AND  JERRY  LEWIS 

"Best  Young  Comedians'' 


LESLIE  CARON 

"Best  Young  Foreign  Actress" 


Redbook's  14th  annual  movie  award 
goes  to  rising  Young  Talent 

This  year  the  Redbook  Silver  Cup  trophy  in  recognition  of  "distinguished  contribution 
to  the  Art  of  the  Motion  Picture"  has  been  awarded  to  the  outstanding  bright  young  talent 
of  the  industry.  Redbook  Movie  Editor  Florence  Somers  has  made  these  famous  youngsters 
the  subject  of  a  feature  article  in  the  March  Annual  Award  issue  now  on  the  stands.  She  says: 
"Since  Redbook  appeals  primarily  to  young  people,  and  since  young  people  are  the  greatest 
movie-goers,  it  seemed  fitting  that  this  year  the  young  talent  of  Hollywood  be  honored." 
Redbook's  movie-going  Young  Adults  — all  its  5.550.000  readers  join  in  this  salute! 

^  A  .  . 


THE  VITAL  YEARS 


•  from  18  to  35  •  •  •  • 


THE  VITAL  MARKET 


9 


America's  ONLY  Mass  Medium  for  Young  Adults 


Over  2,000,000  Circulation. ..More  than  5,550,000  Primary  Readers 


VOL.  73.   NO.  38 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  26,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


White  House 
Meet  Today  on 
Tax  Situation 


Overlapping  Levies  on 
Agenda  of  Major  Confab 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  Feb.  25. — Presi- 
dent Eisenhower  today  announced 
he  is  calling-  a  major  conference  at 
the  White  House  tomorrow  to  dis- 
cuss overlapping  Federal  and  state 
taxes. 

Invited  to  the  meeting  are 
spokesmen  for  the  Council  of 
State  Governors,  House  and 
Senate  Republican  leaders  and 
top  Administration  officials. 

The  President  emphasized  that  he 
did  not  expect  any  quick  solution  to 
the  problem  but  said  the  conference 
might  make  a  start  to  finding  an 
answer. 

The  admission  tax  has  always  been 
cited  by  the  states  as  a  type  of  tax 
that  should  be  surrendered  by  the 
Federal  government  for  the  exclusive 
use  of  states  and  cities.  Treasury 
Department   officials    have   been  in- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Pimstein  Resigns, 
RKO  Radio  VP 


Harry  M.  Pimstein,  attorney  for 
the  RKO  Pictures  companies  for  26 
years,  and  vice-president  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  Inc.,  since  October, 
1952,  resigned  yesterday. 

Pimstein's  ascendancy  to  the  vice- 
presidency  in  October  came  with  the 
appointment  of  Arnold  Grant  as 
board  chairman  of  RKO  Pictures. 
Grant,  who  was  named  when  the 
Ralph  Stolkin  group  purchased  con- 
trolling interest  from  Howard 
Hughes,  resigned  in  November.  More 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Industry  Trade  Fair 
Planned  for  Toronto 


Toronto,  Feb.  25. — An  all-industry 
trade  fair  in  Toronto  toward  the  end 
of  October  as  a  co-operative  boost  for 
film  entertainment  is  in  the  making, 
the  proposal  being  in  the  hands  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Theatres  Association 
of  Ontario. 

The  exhibition  is  to  be  staged  in 
conjunction  with  the  annual  meetings 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Testimonial  Banquet 
For  Earl  Hudson 

Detroit,  Feb.  25.— Earl  J. 
Hudson,  executive  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Western  division 
of  the  American  Broadcasting 
Co.,  will  be  honored  at  a  ban- 
quet March  16  at  the  Shera- 
ton Cadillac  Hotel  here.  The 
testimonial  for  the  veteran 
Detroit  theatre  executive  is 
being  arranged  by  the  Detroit 
Variety  Club. 

Before  he  was  named  to  the 
ABC  post,  Hudson  was  presi- 
dent of  United  Detroit  The- 
atres, operating  17  theatres  in 
Greater  Detroit.  He  joined 
the  organization  as  an  execu- 
tive assistant  in  1934. 


May  Settle  Import 
Quota  in  Japan  By 
March  10;Parley  On 

By  AL  STEEN 

The  question  of  Japanese  import 
permits  for  foreign  pictures  may  be 
determined  as  a  result  of  trade  con- 
ferences now  in  progress  in  Tokyo 
among  the  embassies  of  various  coun- 
tries. This  was  revealed  here  yester- 
day by  Hideo  Shiotsugu,  president  of 
Eiga  Haikyu  Co.  of  Japan,  whose 
company  distributes  Allied  Artists 
product.  Shiotsugu  said  he  had  been 
informed  of  the  conferences  by  trans- 
pacific telephone  to  his  Tokyo  office 
from  New  York  this  week. 

It  is  expected  that  a  tentative  quota 
will  be  announced  March  10,  with  all 
indications  pointing  to  approximately 
the  same  number  of  permits — 215 — 
allowed  for  the  current  fiscal  year 
that  were  issued  during  the  last  fiscal 
period.  The  embassy  conferences  in 
Tokyo,     Shiotsugu    said,  concerned 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Epileptic  Project 
For  N.Y.  Variety 


Variety  Club  of  New  York,  Tent 
No.  35,  yesterday  announced  its  initial 
charitable  project,  the  formation  of 
the  Variety  Club  Foundation  to  Com- 
bat Epilepsy.  Disclosure  of  the  plan 
was  made  at  a  membership  luncheon 
at  the  Hotel  Piccadilly  by  chief  barker 
Ed  Lachman. 

Lachman  said  that  the  new  founda- 
tion would  devote  its  efforts  primarily 
to  epilepsy  and  all  related  treatment, 
research,  study,  teaching  and  public 
information.    The  immediate  objective 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


20th,  Skouras 
Win  J.J.  Suit 


A  $3,075,000  anti-trust  suit  by  J.  J. 
Theatres,  Inc.,  against  20tn  Century- 
Fox  and  Skouras  Theatres  was  lost 
yesterday  in  Federal  District  Court 
here  when  a  jury  deliberated  for  two 
hours  and  came  in  with  a  verdict  for 
the  defendants. 

J.  J.  Theatres  and  its  operating 
company,  Luxor  Group,  Inc.,  claimed 
that  its  Luxor  Theatre  in  the  Bronx 
was  unfairly  discriminated  against  in 
favor  of  the  Park  Plaza,  a  neighbor- 
ing theatre.  Named  as  co-conspirators 
in  the  month-long  trial  were  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  Warner  Brothers  and 
Universal.  The  trial  judge  was  Ed- 
ward Weinfeld. 


UA-TV  Sales  Exceed 
$250,000  in  6  Weeks 


Sales  by  United  Artists  Television 
for  the  first  six  weeks  of  this  year 
were  in  excess  of  $250,000,  according 
to  George  Shupert,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  UA  sub- 
sidiary. UA-TV  distributes  pictures 
made  especially  for  TV  advertisers. 

Schupert  left  here  yesterday  for  the 
Coast  to  confer  with  William  Cane 
and  Henry  Donovan,  producers  of 
"Cowboy  G-Men,"  a  half-hour  series 
distributed  by  UA-TV.  Production 
of  a  second  13  films  will  start  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  conferences,  at 
which  the  possibility  of  filming  in 
three  dimensional  color  will  be  dis- 
cussed. Purity  Baking  Co.  is  the 
sponsor  of  "Cowboy  G-Men." 

UA-TV  now  is  servicing  six  pro- 

(Continued  on'  page  2) 


Sales  Drive  for 
UA  Anniversary 


United  Artists  branches  are  joining 
in  a  Coast-to-Coast  tribute  to  the 
company's  management  on  the  second 
anniversary  of  its  tenure  with  a 
special  eight-week  anniversary  cam- 
paign as  part  of  the  current  "Bernie 
Kranze  Drive."  Vice-president  Max 
E.  Youngstein  has  accepted  the 
special  campaign  captaincy,  it  was 
announced  by  William  J.  Heineman, 
distribution  vice-president. 

Youngstein  will  team  up  with  drive 
co-captains  Milton  E.  Cohen  and 
James  Velde,  respectively  Eastern  and 
Western  division  managers,  for  the 
campaign. 

The  anniversary  campaign,  which 
celebrates  the  completion  of  two  years 
under    the    leadership    of  president 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


DeMille  Erects 
Go-slow  Sign 
Over  3-D  Push 

Describes  'Excitement'  in 
All  Hollywood  Studios 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

A  go-slow  sign  over  the  three- 
dimensional  and  wide-screen  push 
of  the  industry  was  erected  here 
yesterday  by  veteran  producer  Cecil 
B.  DeMille, 
some  of  whose 
produc- 
tions rate 
among  the  top 
all-time  money- 
makers. 

D  e  M  i  1 1  e  '  s 
cautious 
approach  con- 
trasted sharply 
with  what  he 
described 
as  Hollywood's 
"joyful  and  ex- 
citing" feeling 
about  3-D  and 
wide-screen  potentialities.  The  state 
of  excitement  on  the  Coast,  he  said, 

(Continued  cm  page  5) 


Cecil  B.  DeMille 


Dunningcolor  3-D 
System  Introduced 


Hollywood,  Feb.  25. — Color  pioneer 
Carroll  Dunning  today  entered  the 
three-dimensional  sweepstakes  with 
Dunningcolor  Corp.'s  single-camera 
system,  offered  producers  by  exclu- 
sive licensor  Nat  Levine  on  terms 
competitive  with  Natural  Vision 
Corp.'s  terms  for  the  process  used  for 
"Bwana  Devil"  and  by  Warner  and 
Columbia  studios. 

Dunningcolor's  terms  are  analagous 
to  NV's  on  productions  costing  up  to 
$250,000,  and  higher  than  NV's  above 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Yates  Defends  Sale 
Of  Films  to  TV 


Chicago,  Feb.  25.  —  Replying  to  a 
letter  of  protest  from  Jack  Kirsch, 
president  of  Allied  Theatres  of  Illi- 
nois, hitting  Republic's  recent  sale  of 
104  features  to  television,  president 
Herbert  J.  Yates  cited  losses  of  over 
$1,000,000  in  1950,  1951  and  1952  suf- 
fered by  Republic  when  "theatres 
discontinued  playing  B  pictures  and 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  26,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


Upton,  Loll  and  Green  Are 
Named  to  Cinerama  Posts 


ALFRED  CROWN,  RKO  Radio 
foreign  manager,  will  fly  to 
Europe  from  New  York  tomorrow. 
He  will  spend  approximately  three 
weeks  abroad. 

Stanton  Griffis,  chairman  of 
Paramounts'  executive  committee, 
will  be  the  speaker  here  tonight  at 
a  dinner  meeting  of  the  Bridgeport, 
Conn.,  Junior  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
to  be  held  in  the  Stratfield  Hotel  of 
that  city. 

• 

Hideo  Shiotsugu,  president  of 
Eiga  Haikyu  Co.,  Ltd.,  which  distrib- 
utes Allied  Artists  products  in  Japan, 
will  return  to  that  country  from  here 
this  week  via  London. 

• 

Spencer  Tracy  and  director  How- 
ard Hawks  and  his  bride,  actress 
Donna  Hartford,  were  aboard  the 
S.  S.  Queen  Mary  which  sailed  for 
Eurooe  from  here  yesterday. 

• 

John  Nolan  of  the  Parkway 
Drive-in  Theatres,  Atlanta,  has  been 
vacationing  in  California  for  several 
weeks. 

Ivan  Tors,  producer,  was  married 
last  night  to  actress  Constance 
Dowling  in  Yuma,  Ariz.  They  will 
honeymoon  in  Mexico. 

o 

David  Cantor,  RKO  Radio  exploi- 
tation director,  returned  here  yester- 
day from  Boston. 

Al  Adams,  associated  with  Emil 
Velasco,  TV  film  producer  here,  is 
seriously  ill  at  his  home. 

Reeder  Named  FWC 
District  Manager 

San  Francisco,  Feb.  25. — Fay  S. 
Reeder,  advertising-publicity  director 
of  Fox  West  Coast  Theatres  of 
Northern  California,  has  been  ap- 
pointed Peninsula  district  manager  by 
Spence  Leve,  Northern  California 
division  manager,  replacing  C.  E. 
Macdonald,  who  resigned  to  join  his 
brother  in  the  restaurant  business  at 
Oregon. 

Reeder  will  continue  his  headquar- 
ters in  San  Francisco  and  in  his 
present  capacity  of  San  Francisco  dis- 
trict manager.  His  advertising-pub- 
licity chores  will  be  taken  over  by 
Herman  Kersken,  in  addition  to  Ker- 
sken's  duties  as  resident  manager  of 
the  Fox  Theatre  here. 


$15.25  B.  &  K.  Dividend 

Chicago,  Feb.  25.  —  Balaban  and 
Katz  directors  have  voted  a  special 
dividend  of  $15.25  a  share  on  the  com- 
mon stock  out  of  funds  from  the  sale 
of  television  station  WBKB  to  Colum- 
bia Broadcasting  System.  Sale  price 
of  the  station  was  $6,000,000'  of  which 
$3,997,040  was  given  to  stockholders 
in  the  current  dividend.  B.  and  K., 
a  subsidiary  of  United  Paramount 
Theatres,  paid  dividends  totalling 
$5.25  a  share  last  year. 


Detroit,  Feb.  25.  —  Frank  Upton, 
William  Loll  and  William  Green  have 
joined  Cinerama,  it  was  announced  by 
Zeb  Epstin,  assistant  to  Cinerama's 
director  of  exhibition,  Joseph  Kauf- 
man. Cinerama  will  open  here  at  the 
Music  Hall  on  March  23.  He  was 
long  identified  with  United  Detroit 
Theatres  as  assistant  to  Earl  J.  Hud- 
son— with  time  out  for  three  years 
with  the  Marines  overseas  during 
World  War  II.  Recently  he  was  thea- 
tre supervisor  for  W.  S.  Butterfield 
Theatres. 

Loll  has  been  appointed  Music  Hall 
treasurer.  Since  1918  he  has  been  be- 
hind ticket  windows  at  Detroit  legiti- 
mate theatres,  at  the  opera,  state  fair 
and  other  amusement  centers. 

Green  was  named  Detroit  press  rep- 
resentative. He  has  been  with  M-G-M 
and  Columbia  as  well  as  such  thea- 
trical personalities  as  Rubinoff,  Olsen 
and  Johnson  and  Benny  Goodman. 

WB  Pr  emier  e  for 
Theatre  Anniversary 

Nashville,  Feb.  25. — Joint  cere- 
monies for  the  world  premiere  of 
Warner  Brothers'  WarnerColor  pro- 
duction of  "She's  Back  On  Broad- 
way" and  the  first  anniversary  of  the 
Tennessee  Theatre,  Crescent  Amuse- 
ment showcase,  will  take  place  here 
tomorrow. 

Celebration  activities  as  set  by 
Kermit  Stengel,  of  Crescent,  and 
Floyd  Rice,  manager  of  the  theatre, 
will  include  ceremonies  on  Church 
Street,  the  main  thoroughfare,  which 
will  be  renamed  "Broadway"  in  honor 
of  the  film  and  world  premiere. 

Start  Manufacture  of 
Stereophonic  Unit 

Hollywood,  Feb.  25. — Stencil-Hoff- 
man Corp.,  which  designed  the 
camera-motor  control  system  used  in 
interlocking  the  Natural  Vision 
cameras  for  filming  "Bwana  Devil," 
has  announced  the  commencement  of 
the  manufacture  of  a  stereophonic 
magnetic  film  reproducer  designed 
especially  for  companies  producing 
films  intended  for  big-screen  systems 
such  as  CinemaScope. 

The  multi-channel  recording  device 
is  claimed  to  obviate  difficulties  in- 
herent in  optical-recording  systems 
when  more  than  a  single  channel  is 
needed.  The  Stencil-Hoffman  mechan- 
ism is  expected  to  sell  for  around 
$3,000. 


Rites  for  Sam  Pasqua 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  25.  —  Services 
were  held  Sunday  in  Gonzales,  La., 
for  Sam  Pasqua,  49,  an  exhibitor  in 
that  town  who  died  here  on  Friday 
of  a  heart  attack.  He  is  survived  by 
the  widow,  two  sons  and  four  brothers. 


35c  FPC  Dividend 

Ottawa,  Feb.  25. — Famous  Players 
Canadian  Corp.,  Ltd.,  declares  a  35c 
dividend  payable  March  27  to  share- 
holders of  record  March  12. 


Grosses  High,  Despite 
'Limelight?  Pickets 

Washington,  Feb.  25.  —  Despite 
American  Legion  picketing,  the  Plaza 
and  Little  theatres  are  doing  "very 
satisfactory"  business  with  Charlie 
Chaplin's  "Limelight,"  according  to  a 
spokesman  for  Roth  Theatres,  which 
operates  both  houses. 

He  said  receipts  since  the  film 
opened  last  Thursday  have  been 
"strictly  comparable  to  receipts  for 
some  of  our  best  previous  showings." 
A  run  of  "certainly  not  less  than  six 
or  seven  weeks"  is  assured,  he  stated. 

The  Legion's  picketing  has  come 
under  strong  editorial  attack  in  Wash- 
ington newspapers  and  has  also  re- 
ceived some  criticism  from  Washing- 
ton pulpits. 

3  Firms  Now  Making 
Viewers  for  3-D 

Entrance  of  two  additional  com- 
panies into  the  marketing  of  polarized 
glasses  for  viewing  tri-dimensional  pic- 
tures may  offset  unconfirmed  rumors 
of  a  "black  market"  in  the  viewers. 
Newest  organization  to  enter  the  field 
is  Commerce  International,  of  which 
Matthew  Fox  is  a  partner.  Fox  said 
here  yesterday  that  C-I  is  setting  up 
plans  for  the  distribution  of  viewers 
manufactured  by  Depix  Corp.  of  Long 
Island.  The  glasses  will  be  of  the 
"throw-away"  type. 

Aside  from  the  Polaroid  Corp.,  the 
only  other  company  making  the  view- 
ers is  an  Ohio  company,  Polacoat,  Inc. 


NJ.  Allied  Protests 
"Peter  Pan"  Terms 

Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jer- 
sey this  week  aimed  its  guns  at  RKO 
Radio  for  terms  allegedly  being  asked 
on  Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan,"  claim- 
ing that  the  deal  is  60-40,  with  the 
60  per  cent  going  to  distribution.  Ad- 
mitting that  it  is  necessary  "for  the 
welfare  of  the  industry  that  as  many 
theatres  play  this  picture  as  possible," 
an  Allied  bulletin  asserts  that  the 
terms  are  an  "economic  impossibility." 

The  New  Jersey  unit  claims  that 
"if  this  continues,  the  thought  of  many 
exhibitors  that  distribution  intends  to 
write  off  many  theatres  in  this  coun- 
try may  well  be  a  fact  in  spite  of  pro- 
testations." 


UA  Sales  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Arthur  B.  Krim  and  his  management 
colleagues,  was  launched  at  the  start 
of  the  ninth  week  of  the  drive  that  is 
named  for  Kranze,  United  Artists' 
general  sales  manager. 


UA  TV  Sales 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

grams  in  27  markets.  A  new  series, 
tentatively  titled  "Telegram,"  is  ex- 
pected to  be  available  in  three  months. 
Steve  Sharff  is  the  producer. 


N.Y.  Variety 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  the  foundation,  he  said,  is  the  sup- 
port of  the  newly  designated  Variety 
Club  Clinic  for  Epileptic  Children  at 
the  Neurological  Institute  at  Co- 
lumbia-Presbyterian Medical  Center. 
While  the  directors  of  the  foundation 
were  not  announced,  Lachman  said 
that  William  German,  of  William 
German,  Inc.,  would  head  the  project 
and  that  he  had  donated  $1,000  per- 
sonally to  the  enterprise. 

Doctors  Spoke 

Dr.  H.  Houston  Merritt,  of  the 
Neurological  Institute,  and  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Caveness,  his  associate,  will 
direct  the  Variety  clinic.  Both  doc- 
tors spoke  at  yesterday's  luncheon, 
explaining  aspects  of  the  disease  and 
pointing  out  that  more  than  40,000 
children  in  the  Metropolitan  area  re- 
quired medical  attention.  At  present, 
the  clinic  handles  a  case  load  of  650 
children. 

Also  speaking  at  the  meeting  was 
Jack  Beresin,  international  chief 
barker,  who  announced  that  a  charter 
had  just  been  granted  for  a  tent  in 
Hamburg,  Germany,  and  that  a  new 
tent  soon  would  start  in  Cairo,  Egypt. 


Sees  Bigger,  Fewer 
Films  with  3-D 


Atlanta,  Feb.  25. — The  advent  of 
three-dimensional  films  will  mean 
fewer  but  bigger  pictures  and  bigger 
grosses  but  fewer  theatres,  E.  D.  Mar- 
tin, president  of  Martin  Theatres,  told 
a  meeting  here  of  the  Theatre  Owners 
of  Georgia. 

Martin,  who  recently  made  a  study 
of  three-dimensional  developments  in 
New  York,  feels  that  regular  films 
have  reached  their  zenith  and  that 
"three-dimensional  films  will  be  a 
sorely  needed  shot  in  the  arm."  He 
forecast  that  the  progress  of  motion 
picture  theatres  into  the  3-D  field 
would  be  "gradual." 

The  Georgia  unit  will  meet  jointly 
with  the  Alabama  TOA  unit  at  the 
Biltmore  Hotel  here  May  31-June  2. 


3-D  Advances  Mich. 
Allied  Convention 


Detroit,  Feb.  25. — Ernest  T.  Con- 
Ion,  executive  secretary  of  Allied 
Theatres  of  Michigan,  reports  that  the 
Allied  unit  will  hold  its  34th  annual 
convention  April  27-29  at  the  Tuller 
Hotel  here. 

The  date  of  the  convention  was 
moved  up  to  spring  from  the  fall 
when  it  is  usually  held,  because  of 
rising  concern  over  three-dimensional 
films  and  other  changes  in  the  indus- 
try. 

Pierce  Parkhurst,  of  the  Lansing 
Drive-in  in  Lansing,  was  appointed 
chairman  of  the  convention  commit- 
tee. Sen.  Homer  Ferguson  is  expected 
to  be  present  as  a  speaker  at  the  con- 
vention. 

Special  drive-in  theatre  programs 
are  being  set-up  also,  in  regard  to 
three-dimension. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunning-ham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign ;  single  copies,  10c. 


WILL  M?l  IUPO  TUF 


WORLD  PREMIERE 

AT  THE_ 

PARAMOUNT,  N=Y, 

FOLLOWED  IMMEDIATELY 

THROUGHOUT  THE 
UNITED  STATES.  CANADA 
AND  GREAT  BRITAIN! 


TCKIURE  PICTURE  PRODUCED 
6Y  A  MAJOR  STUDIO  IN 


Vjn\ \  nAVAr" v~i  i  ^rvi{ 


wnise  or  WAX 

>NnhherCol0r  Natural V/s/00 


STARRING 


VINCENT  PRICE  •  FRANK  LOVEJOY  •  PHYLLIS  KIRK 

CAROLYN  JONES  ■  PAUL  PICERNI  ■  SCrEEN  PL«  by  CRANE  WILBUR  produced  by  BRYAN  FOY  d,REcT£DbyANDRE  DeTOTH 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  February  26,  1953 


Pimstein 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


recently,  Hughes,  the  current  board 
chairman,  regained  the  stock. 

In  his  26  years  with  the  company, 
Pimstein's  activities  embraced  virtu- 
ally all  phases  of  law  in  distribution, 
production  and  exhibition.  One  of 
RKO's  oldest  employes  in  point  of 
service,  he  started  with  B.  F.  Keith 
Corp.  in  the  days  of  the  late  E.  F. 
Albee  and  Maurice  Goodman  and  in 
1928  assisted  in  the  merger  of  the 
Keith-Albee  and  Orpheum  vaudeville 
circuits  into  Keith  -  Albee  -  Orpheum 
and  in  the  formation  shortly  afterward 
of  Radio-Keith-Orpheum. 

Until  1939  Pimstein  handled  mat- 
ters affecting  RKO  theatres.  There- 
after until  assuming  the  post  of  vice- 
president,  he  specialized  in  anti-trust 
litigation  and  was  in  charge  of  motion 
picture  arbitration  proceedings  in 
which  RKO  was  named  as  a  party. 


Industry  Trade  Fair 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


here  of  Ontario  exhibitors,  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Industry  Council  of 
Canada  and  the  National  Committee, 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  Associa- 
tions of  Canada,  and  the  participation 
of  the  Association  of  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Laboratories  of 
Canada. 

The  MPTAO  guiding  committee 
consists  of  President  J.  D.  McCulloch, 
Petrolia ;  Lou  Conskyr  Haliburton ; 
Morris  Stein,  Famous  Players ;  Jack 
Clarke,  Loew's,  and  Myer  Axler, 
20th  Century  Theatres,  Toronto. 


Review 


Small  Town  Girl" 

{Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)  Hollywood,  Feb.  25 

MUSICALLY  this  production  by  Joe  Pasternak  ranges  from  hymns  to 
beat  tunes,  and  back  again,  with  Jane  Powell  principally  in  charge  of 
the  vocal  department,  Ann  Miller  doing  sparkling  justice  to  the  dance  re- 
quirement, and  Farley  Granger  the  young  man  in  the  third  corner  of  the 
approximately  equillateral  triangle.  The  story  shuttles  back  and  forth  between 
a  small  town  named  Duck  Creek  and  a  big  one  named  New  York,  much  as 
the  music  switches  from  the  churchly  to  the  nightclubby,  and  the  Pasternak 
skill  makes  the  contrast  an  asset.  The  picture  appears  to  have  been  pointed 
directly  at  the  under-30  age  group,  and  it  was  a  predominantly  under-30 
audience  that  caught  the  press  preview  at  the  Westwood  Village  Theatre, 
hard  by  the  U.C.L.A.  campus.  If  under-30  audiences  generally  react  to  the 
picture  as  this  one  did  there  is  no  question  about  its  future. 

The  tale  told  in  the  script  by  Dorothy  Cooper  and  Dorothy  Kingsley, 
based  on  a  story  by  the  former,  opens  with  the  arrest  of  wealthy  young 
Granger  for  speeding  through  rural  Duck  Creek  at  85  miles  per  hour  en 
route  to  his  wedding  with  Broadway  musical  comedy  star  Ann  Miller.  Miss 
Powell  plays  the  daughter  of  the  local  judge  (Robert  Keith)  and  the  rest 
of  the  narrative  deals  with  the  romance  that  springs  up  between  Granger 
and  Miss  Powell,  as  the  one  between  Granger  and  Miss  Miller  dies  out. 
None  of  it  is  dealt  with  more  seriously  than  the  rules  of  musical  comedy 
requires,  and  none  of  it  taxes  the  directorial  capacities  of  Leslie  Kardos. 

Bobby  Van,  playing  a  stage  struck  youth,  turns  in  some  fine  dance  rou- 
tines. Nat  King  Cole  contributes  a  rendition  of  "My  Flaming  Heart"  in  a 
nightclub  setting.  The  music  composed  by  Nicholas  Brodszky  and  Leo  Robin 
is  generally  good.  Musical  direction  was  by  Andre  Previn  and  music  numbers 
were  staged  by  Busbey  Berkeley,  with  their  usual  artistry.  The  color  by 
Technicolor  treatment  is  splendid. 

Running  time,  95  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date 
not  set.  William  R.  Weaver 


Drive-in  Tax  Proposed 

Nashville,  Feb.  25. — Imposition  of 
a  tax  of  five  cents  per  patron  on 
drive-in  theatres  in  Tennessee  is  pro- 
posed in  a  bill  introduced  in  the  state 
legislature  by  Rep.  Paul  A.  Phillips 
of  this  city.  Revenue  from  the  pro- 
posed levy  would  go  for  public  edu- 
cation. 


MARCH  5th 


Dorit  Forget  .... 

Your  Date  with  "HAZEL"- 

UHAZEL"  Who??? 


Hazel  Flacc 


OF  COURSE 

★  *  * 

The  Smash  Musical  Hit  of  1953 

*  *  * 

A  Gala  Theatre  Party 

SPONSORED  BY 

The  Motion  Picture  Bookers  Club 


MARK  HELLINGER 

THEATRE 


THURSDAY  EVE'G 
MARCH  5th 


Make  Your  Reservation  NOW 


Berkowitz,  Veteran 
Operator,  Retires 


Michael  (Mike)  Berkowitz,  veteran 
New  York  Capitol  Theatre  projec- 
tionist, has  retired  after  63  years  in 
the  amusement  industry,  23  of  which 
were  spent  at  the  Capitol. 

Berkowitz  made  many  contributions 
to  motion  picture  technology,  having 
built  with  the  late  Frank  B.  Cannock 
the  Simplex,  Cinematograph  and 
Edengraph  projectors.  Berkowitz 
also  produced  the  65mm.  Vitascope, 
a  combination  projector  which  could 
run  both  65mm.  and  35mm.  on  the 
one  machine,  all  at  a  cost  of  approxi- 
mately $100  per  projector. 

Berkowitz  is  said  to  have  been  the 
first  projectionist,  having  operated  the 
first  projector,  by  hand,  at  the  Gaiety 
Museum  on  the  Bowery  in  1890.  He 
operated  his  own  machine  shop  in 
New  York  for  many  years  prior  to 
his  affiliation  with  the  Capitol.  He 
held  many  union  offices  with  Local 
No.  306,  and  was  for  years  president 
of  the  25-30  Club  here. 


UA  to  Release  New 
Paal  Production 

"There  Is  No  Escape,"  produced  by 
Alexander  Paal,  has  been  acquired  for 
release  by  United  Artists.  Arrange- 
ments for  the  acquisition  of  the  film, 
which  was  directed  by  Terence  Fisher 
and  will  star  Paul  Henreid,  were  com- 
pleted yesterday  prior  to  Paal's  de- 
parture for  England  aboard  the  S.  S. 
Queen  Mary. 


Promoting  'Anna' 

The  Italian  Films  Export  release, 
"Anna,"  will  open  at  the  4,000-seat 
Metropolitan  in  Boston  on  March  12, 
Jonas  Rosenfield,  Jr.,  IFE  advertis- 
ing-publicity head,  discloses.  Arthur 
H  erzog,  Jr.  of  the  company's  special 
exploitation  force,  is  in  Boston  setting- 
up  intensive  area  campaigns  for  the 
film's  opening  in  several  other  New 
England  Theatres'  houses. 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

with  RAY  GALLOm  . 


AS  PART  of  its  program  for  1953, 
the  Prestoseal  Manufacturing 
Corp.  of  Long  Island  City,  N.  Y.,  will 
introduce  a  new  professional  model 
Prestoseal  film  splicer.  In  making 
this  announcement,  Leonard  A-  Her- 
zig,  the  company's  president,  told  also 
of  plans  for  extensive  promotion  of 
their  compact  PRO  Model  microfilm 
splicer  and  an  overall  sales  and  adver- 
tising program  already  under  way. 
The  entire  set-up  is  to  be  exhibited 
at  the  National  Microfilm  Association 
Show,  March  19-20'  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel  in  New  York.  The 
PRO  Model  Presto-Splicer  is  dis- 
tributed in  the  motion  picture  field  by 
RCA  Victor,  Camden;  the  S.  O.  S. 
Cinema  Supply  Corp.,  New  York,  and 
Reeves  Equipment  Corp.,  also  of  New 
York. 

• 

Purchase  of  the  manufacturing 
facilities  of  the  Industrial  Vacuum 
Cleaner  Department  of  General 
Electric  has  been  completed  by 
Multi-Clean  Products,  Inc.,  St.  Paul. 
In  a  new  factory  now  under  con- 
struction at  St.  Paul,  Multi-Clean 
will  carry  out  production  of  the  In- 
dustrial line,  using  the  same  models 
of  construction  but  distributing 
under  a  new  trade  name. 

• 

Pictured  herewith  is  an  animated, 
refrigerated  juice  dispenser  for  snack 
bar  counter  dis- 
^  play,  manufac- 

'  i  tured  by  Majes- 

,  *T tic  Enterprises, 
I      f  Ltd.,  Los  An- 

I  i  geles.  Known 

as  "Model  720- 
R,"    it    has  a 
new    type  cir- 
culating pump 
that  sprays  the 
beverage  to  the 
top  of  the  pas- 
tel   dome  and 
then  showers  it 
down  over  Lu- 
cite  cascades. 
The  unit  has  a  stainless  steel  cabinet 
and  a  capacity  of  8y2  gallons.  Counter 
space  required  is  17^-x-18H  inches. 

For  refreshment  operation,  Helmco- 
Lacy  of  Chicago  has  a  new  hot  choco- 
late dispenser  with  a  capacity  of  56 
cups.  It  features  the  company's 
"Dial-a-Heat"  temperature  control 
unit,  which  is  designed  to  keep  the 
beverage  at  a  steady  heat  auto- 
matically. Three  temperature  settings 
are  available :  low,  serving,  and  high. 
When  the  desired  temperature  is 
dialed,  the  dispenser  automatically 
reaches  this  heat,  it  is  explained,  and 
holds  it  until  changed. 

• 

A  new  chemical  designed  to  re- 
duce air  odors  by  treating  fabrics 
has  been  developed  by  L.  S.  Green 
Associates,  New  York.  Called 
"Dust-Seal,"  the  process  prevents 
bacterial  action  on  the  fiber  of 
upholstered  seats  and  carpeting,  the 
company  explains,  adding  that  the 
waste  product  of  this  action  is  a 
source  of  bad  air. 


Thursday,  February  26,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Import  Quota 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


many  industries,  with  the  film  business 
having  a  prominent  part. 

The  dollar  allocations  for  the  pur- 
chase of  foreign  pictures  in  Japan  re- 
main in  doubt  but  this  factor,  too,  is 
expected  to  come  out  of  the  trade 
parleys.  In  the  past,  Japan  allocated 
$6,000,000  for  foreign  films  and  Shiot- 
sugu  Said  the  figure  probably  would 
remain-,  the1  same,  although  Japanese 
distributors  do  not  believe  that  the 
amount  is  sufficient. 

Shiotsugu  said  that  the  Japanese 
government  was  concerned  over  the 
accumulation  of  unremittable  yen 
which  is  put  aside  each  month  by 
foreign  companies  from  earnings. 
This  amounts  to  about  $400,000  a  year 
and  the  government  is  seeking  ways 
of  having  the  money  put  to  beneficial 
use. 

Masatoyo  Takano,  who  is  both 
branch  manager  and  publicity  director 
of  the  Japanese  company,  and  who 
accompanied  Shiotsugu  here  from 
Japan,  said  that  American  pictures 
were  the  most  popular  in  Japan. 

The  Japanese  distributors  said  that 
native  production  was  on  the  upbeat. 
In  1951,  they  said,  Japan  turned  out 
208  pictures,  the  schedule  having  been 
increased  to  256  last  year.  It  is  ex- 
pected that  275  features  will  be  turned 
out  this  year  and  that  the  figure  will 
hit  300  next  year.  In  addition  to 
features,  Japanese  companies  are  pro- 
ducing what  are  called  "sister  pic- 
tures," 50-minute  subjects.  Their 
purpose  is  to  create  a  possible  double 
bill  market  in  Japan. 

Shiotsugu  and  Takano  have  been 
here  for  more  than  two  weeks  con- 
ferring with  Norton  Ritchey,  presi- 
dent of  Monogram-International,  and 
William  Osborne,  assistant  export 
manager.  Osborne  will  leave  shortly 
for  an  extended  tour  of  the  Far  East. 


Dunningcolor  3-D 

(Continued  from  page  1 ) 

that  figure.  Dunningcolor  equipment 
is  offered  at  10  per  cent  of  the  pro- 
duction cost  plus  five  per  cent  of 
the  picture's  gross.  NV  terms  are 
$25,000  plus  five  per  cent  of  the 
film's  gross.  Dunningcolor  executives 
say  the  unions  have  okayed  their  use 
of  a  four-man  crew  on  their  single- 
camera  equipment  instead  of  the  eight- 
man  crew  required  for  two-camera 
equipment. 

The  Dunningcolor  camera,  15  years 
under  development,  feeds  two  nega- 
tives past  twin  lenses  set  abreast, 
one-and-three-tenths  inches  apart, 
thus  dispensing  with  the  mirrors  used 
in  most  three-dimensional  systems, 
and  can  handle  black-and-white  as 
well  as  color.  Two  projectors  and 
polarized  viewers  are  required. 


White  House  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


clined  to  agree  with  this  point  of  view, 
but  have  argued  that  the  tax  collects 
too  much  revenue  for  the  Federal 
government  to  give  it  up  at  the 
present  time. 

The  President  announced  the  meet- 
ing at  his  weekly  press  conference. 
He  said  the  conference  was  being 
called  to  discuss  several  matters 
affecting  the  proper  division  of  func- 
tions between  state  and  Federal  gov- 
ernments, but  that  taxes  and  Social 
Security  problems  would  have  top 
priority. 


DeMille  Cites  Own  Experience 
To  Belie  Pessimistic  Outlook 

Cecil  B.  DeMille  again  expressed  his  optimism  about  the  health 
and  future  of  the  industry  here  yesterday,  citing  his  own 
experience. 

About  four  years  ago  when  some  people  said  the  industry  was 
going  down-hill  and  that  home  television  was  too  tough  as  a 
competitor,  "Sampson  and  Delilah"  broke  every  Paramount  and 
every  DeMille  record,  he  said.  When  things  got  worse,  in  the 
industry  "The  Greatest  Show  on  Earth"  was  released,  he  said,  and 
that  the  picture  has  been  seen  by  more  people  than  any  other  film 
in  the  world,  breaking  all  Paramount  and  DeMille  grossing  records. 

"If  you  have  something  the  people  want  to  see,  they'll  come  to 
see  it,"  he  concluded.  He  acknowledged  that  unlike  other  years 
people  no  longer  go  to  the  theatre  simply  to  see  any  picture.  Today, 
DeMille  declared,  the  public  wants  a  good  picture. 


DeMille  Cautious 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


is  greater  today  than  it  was  years 
ago  with  the  advent  of  sound.  De- 
Mille added,  however,  "What  will 
come  out  of  it,  I  don't  know.  Your 
guess  is  as  good  as  mine." 

The  veteran  producer,  most 
of  whose  hlms  have  been  re- 
leased through  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, acknowledged  that  wide- 
screen  processes  such  as  Cine- 
rama and  20th  Century-Fox's 
CinemaScope  have  great  pos- 
sibilities for  panoramic  scenes. 
But  he  questioned  the  dramatic 
impact  which  such  large  screens 
would  have  for  emotional,  inti- 
mate close-ups.  He  also  ques- 
tioned the  long-term  merits  of 
3-D  systems.  "I  don't  think  you 
should  have  to  have  mechanical 
tricks  to  bring  people  into  the- 
atres," DeMille  declared. 

DeMille  maintained  that  what  has 
made  the  screen  attractive  to  millions 
of  people  throughout  the  world  is  its 
intimacy,  the  capability  of  the  screen 
to  grasp  and  place  the  audience  on 
stage  within  a  few  feet  of  life-like 
characters  and  the  competence  of  the 
screen  to  transmit  thought  with  its 
images.  In  his  exposition,  DeMille 
pointed  out  that  these  views  were 
iirst  expounded  and  put  to  use  by  the 
late  D.  W.  Griffith.  They  are  still 
valid  today,  he  added. 

The  producer  claimed  that  the  first 
five  or  six  three-dimensional  and 
wide-screen  films  could  not  be  judged 
solely  on  their  box-office  draw  be- 
cause of  their  novelty  appeal.  He 
predicted  that  after  the  novelty  as- 
pect wears  off,  audiences  will  be  seek- 
ing "a  good  show"  rather  than  a  "me- 
chanical device."  Unlike  sound  which 
appealed  to  one  of  man's  five  senses, 
3-D  and  wide  screen  processes  open 
up  no  new  avenue  to  man's  senses, 
DeMille  claimed. 

In  the  use  of  wide-screens,  DeMille 
saw  the  necessity  of  reducing  the  size 
of  the  picture  for  more  emotional,  in- 
timate scenes.  He  skeptically  added, 
however,  that  audiences  may  get  used 
to  seeing  mammoth  figures  on  the 
screen  for  close-ups. 

DeMille  described  Hollywood 
as  "a  maze"  today  with  execu- 
tives experimenting  and  testing 
numerous  3-D  and  wide-screen 
processes  daily.  He  said  that  he 
has  seen  tests  of  20th's  Cinema- 
Scope  system,  which  has  still  to 
be  unveiled  to  the  trade  and 
public,  and  found  them  "inter- 
esting" and  the  results  "good." 

As  to  which  3-D  or  wide-screen  sys- 
tem will  eventually  emerge  in  the  in- 


dustry, DeMille  said  the  decision  will 
rest  in  the  hands  of  the  public  after 
audiences  have  had  a  chance  to  com- 
pare various  processes.  Asked  whether 
nis  forthcoming  production,  "The  Ten 
Commandments,"  will  be  produced  in 
a  3-D  or  in  a  wide-screen  process  and 
which  of  the  current  processes,  De- 
Mille replied,  "It'll  be  in  the  most  ad- 
vanced form  of  film  production."  In 
light  of  the  unsettled  state  of  affairs, 
he  said  he  was  "delighted  to  be  caught 
in  between  pictures."  He  said  that 
he  will  move  slowly  on  shooting  the 
picture,  which  he  said  will  he  the 
most  costly  in  his  long  career.  A  ten- 
tative starting  shooting  date  for  next 
October,  he  went  on,  has  been  post- 
poned and  it'll  be  about  another  year 
before  shooting  begins,  pending  the 
calming  down  of  the  3-D  situation. 
"I  won't  be  asleep  at  the  switch,"  De- 
Mille promised. 

DeMille,  who  was  recently  honored 
by  the  Freedom  Foundation,  said  that 
he  planned  to  leave  here  Friday  for 
Cleveland  to  receive  the  "Oscar"  of 
the  Cleveland  press,  which  selected 
his  "Greatest  Show  on  Earth"  for  an 
award.  Last  Sunday,  DeMille  re- 
ceived the  Freedom  Foundation's 
George  Washington  award  for  the 
best  address  in  1952,  an  address  ren- 
dered by  DeMille  to  the  Veterans  of 
Foreign  Wars.  The  $1,000  cash  prize 
which  came  with  the  award,  he  added, 
nas  been  turned  over  to  the  DeMille 
Foundation  for  Political  Freedom  and 
the  Right  to  Work. 


Cleveland  Exhibitors  at 
Tribute  for  C.  B.  DeMille 

Cleveland,  Feb.  25. — Several  hun- 
dred exhibitors  of  the  Cleveland  area 
have  made  reservations  to  attend  an 
industry  luncheon  to  be  held  Friday, 
in  the  Statler  Hotel  in  honor  of  Cecil 
B.  DeMille  who  is  coming  here  to 


Yates  Defends 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


lower  cost  Westerns,"  and  asserted 
that  his  first  responsibility  was  to  the 
company's  stockholders. 

Yates'  letter  of  Feb.  21,  in  response 
to  the  exhibitor  leader's  letter  of  Jan. 
27,  said  that  his  solution  to  the  crisis 
of  the  company  was  to  eliminate  the 
production  of  B  pictures  and  to  estab- 
lish a  program  of  18  to  20  de  luxe 
productions  during  1953  costing  from 
$750,000  to  $2,000,000  each.  In  view 
of  the  directors'  feeling  that  the  nec- 
essary financing  of  $5,000,000  could 
not  be  procured  from  the  company's 
stockholders,  and  not  wishing  to  stop 
production  of  pictures,  "I  agreed  that 
we  must  seek  other  sources  of  revenue 
and  the  only  other  source  was  to  sell 
some  of  our  old  pictures  to>  television, 
that  is  old  pictures  exhibitors  would 
not  buy  at  any  price." 

Pointing  out  that  the  "entire  indus- 
try, production,  distribution,  and  ex- 
hibitors were  getting  into  TV,"  he 
asks  "why  the  attempt  to  make  a  goat 
of  Republic  Pictures,  whose  loyalty 
has  never  been  questioned?  .  .  .  .To 
date  over  3,000  pictures  have  been  of- 
fered to  TV.  Of  this  total,  150  were 
offered  by  Republic."  Asserting  that 
the  company's  1953  program  could  not 
be  carried  out  without  the  income 
from  TV,  he  continues  "I  assure  you 
that  every  dollar  collected  from  TV 
will  be  used  in  production." 

Yates  concludes  by  asking  Kirsch 
what  he  would  do  if  he  were  in  Yates' 
position,  and  says  "We  believe  our 
efforts  during  1953  are  entitled  to  the 
sympathy  and  support  of  all  exhibi- 
tors," and  pledges  his  willingness  to 
meet  with  Kirsch  and  his  board  of 
directors  to  discuss  the  problem,  which 
he  says  would  convince  them  of  the 
"loyalty  and  good  will  of  Republic  to 
members  of  your  organization  on  a 
level  with  any  other  studio  or  pro- 
ducer of  motion  pictures." 


Filming  Starts  on 
$5,000,000  'Robe9 

Hollywood,  Feb.  25. — Following  10 
years  of  script  and  production  pre- 
paration, CinemaScope  filming  of 
"The  Robe,"  Lloyd  C.  Douglas  novel, 
began  here  this  week.  20th  Century- 
Fox  announced. 

With  color  by  Technicolor,  it  is  be- 
ing produced  by  Frank  Ross  at  a  cost 
of  $5,000,000— "the  most  expensive 
film  ever  made  by  20th  Century-Fox." 
Henry  Koster  is  the  director  and  Leon 
Shamroy  the  cameraman. 


accept  the  third  annual  award  of  the 
Cleveland  Film  Critics  Circle  in  be- 
half of  "The  Greatest  Show  on  Earth" 
which  won  their  vote  as  the  best  pic- 
ture shown  in  Cleveland  during  1952. 


Hope  and  Rooney, 

Paramounts  Big  New  Team 
are  Big  News  for  Easter  / 


Bob  and  Mickey  are  linked 
up  for  laughs — as  the 
M.  P.'s  who  mean 
MORE  PROFITS! 


''May  well  be  Paramount 
has  hit  on  a  combination 
for  future  vehicles." 

—M.  P.  Daily 

"Most  entertaining 
Hope  picture  in  the  last, 
several  years." 
— M.  P.  Herald 

"Rooney's  role  his 
best!"  — Variety 


with 

STANLEY  CLEMENTS  -  JACK  DEMPSEY  •  MARVIN  MILLER 
Produced  by  HARRY  TUGEND  •  Directed  by  GEORGE  MARSHALL-  Story  and  Screenplay  by  HAL  KANTER  and  JACK  SHER 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  73.    NO.  39 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  FEBRUARY  27,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


WB  Deal  with 
Fabian  to  Be 
Finalized  Mon. 


Officers  to  Be  Officially 
Elected  on  Same  Day 

The  consummation  of  the  $7,498,- 
994  Fabian-Brothers  Warner  deal, 
under  which  the  interests  of  Si  H. 
Fabian,  president  of  Fabian  Enter- 
prises, Inc.,  acquires  the  controlling 
stock  interest  of  Brothers  Warner  in 
the  new  Stanley-Warner  Theatre  Co., 
has  been  set  for  Monday. 

This  was  revealed  here  yes- 
terday by  Fabian,  who  said  im- 
mediately following  the  consum- 
mation of  the  agreement,  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  new 
theatre  company  would  meet 
and  elect  officers.  The  slate  of 
Stanley-Warner  officers  and  di- 
rectors already  has  been  pub- 
lished in  Motion  Picture  Daily. 

Fabian  explained  that  in  addition 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Seeks  Ways  to  Halt 
Showing  of  Silver 
City  Picture  Abroad 


Washington,  Feb.  26. — Rep.  Don- 
ald Jackson  (R.,  Calif.)  asked  Ad- 
ministration officials  today  whether 
anything  could  be  done  to  prevent  the 
exporting  of  prints  of  the  film  now 
being  produced  at  Silver  City,  N.  M. 

Jackson  said,  in  similar  letters  to 
Attorney  General  Brownell,  State 
Secretary  Dulles  and  Commerce  Sec- 
retary Weeks,  that  showing  of  the 
film  abroad  would  "do  irreparable 
harm  to  this  country." 

The  letter  to  Brownell  called  atten- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


DeMille  and  4  Show' 
Win  ITOA  Awards 


Cecil  B.  DeMille  was  the  outstand- 
ing producer-director  of  1952  and  his 
"The  Greatest  Show  on  Earth"  was 
the  top  money-making  picture  of  the 
year,  according  to  the  results  of  a 
poll  of  10,000  theatres  in  the  United 
States  conducted  by  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  Association  of  New 
York.  . 

Harry    Brandt,    ITOA  president, 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Joseph  M.  Schenck  Resigns 
20th-Fox  Production  Post 

Hollywood,  Feb.  26. — Joseph  M.  Schenck,  who  has  been  execu- 
tive production  head  of  20th  Century-Fox  here,  resigned  his  post 
today  in  a  letter  to  president  Spyros  Skouras  and  vice-president  in 
charge  of  production  Darryl  F.  Zanuck. 

He  gave  as  his  reason  that  his  time  was  preempted  by  his  large 
theatre  holdings,  noting  that  he  was  principal  owner  of  the  United 
Artists  Theatre  Circuit,  which  he  organized  in  1926  and  reportedly 
resigned  from  in  1950. 

In  1935,  20th  Century  Pictures,  which  Schenck  headed,  merged 
with  Fox  Film  Corp.,  and  formed  the  present  corporation,  20th 
Century-Fox.  Schenck  became  chairman  of  the  board  of  the  new 
company  and  continued  in  that  position  until  his  resignation  in 
June,  1942,  when  Wendell  L.  Willkie  took  over  the  post. 

Schenck  entered  the  amusement  industry  in  1908  and  in  1912  pur- 
chased Palisades  Park,  Ft.  Lee,  N.  J.,  in  which  Marcus  Loew  became 
a  partner.  After  becoming  an  executive  in  the  Loew  organization, 
he  shortly  thereafter  resigned  to  go  into  independent  motion  picture 
production.  He  became  chairman  of  the  board  of  the  United  Artists 
Corp.  in  1924  and  two  years  after  formed  the  theatre  company.  He 
was  president  of  UA  in  1927.  In  1933,  he  formed,  with  Darryl 
Zanuck,  the  production  company  which  merged  with  Fox  Films. 


Favors  Long  Statute 
On  Anti-Trust  Suit 


Washington,  Feb.  26.  —  House 
Judiciary  Committee  chairman  Reed 
(R.,  111.)  said  he  is  inclined  to  favor 
legislation  providing  a  relatively  long 
— five  or  six  years — Federal  statute 
of  limitations  on  private  treble  damage 
anti-trust  suits. 

Reed  emphasized  that  he  is  "not 
wedded  to  any  particular  time  limit," 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Int'l  Drive-in  Unit 
At  Compo  Meet 


Dallas,  Feb.  26.  —  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell,  co-chairman  of  the  Texas 
Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organiza- 
tions, after  a  meeting  with  the  execu- 
tive board,  announced  that  the  dates 
for  the  Texas  COMPO  conference 
had  been  changed  from  June  1-3  to 
Sept.  14-17.  O'Donnell  stated  that  it 
would  be  a  joint  conclave  with  the 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Rise  in  Loew's 
Earnings  Seen 
By  Moskowitz 

Stormy  'Holders  Meet 
Reveals  Company  Plans 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

A  rise  in  Loew's  earnings  to  40 
cents  per  share  for  the  first  28 
weeks  of  the  current  fiscal  year, 
compared  to  six  cents  per  share 
earned  in  the  first  12  weeks  was  fore- 
cast here  yesterday  by  Charles  C. 
Moskowitz,  vice-president  and  treas- 
urer, at  the  company's  annual  meeting 
of  stockholders. 

The  two-hour-and-fifteen  minute 
meeting  was  marked  by  constant 
charges  leveled  against  management 
by  individual  stockholders.  The 
charges  brought  out  details  on  Loew's 
plans  for  3-D  and  CinemaScope,  econ- 
omies, and  other  matters.  The  steady 
flow  of  questions  also  revealed  a  loss 
of  $134,000  sustained  in  the  sale  of 
11  theatres  as  required  by  the  consent 

{Continued  on  page  2) 


Bi-Partisan  Commission 
To  Study  Tax  Situation 

Washington,  Feb.  26. — The  Eisenhower  Administration,  members  of 
Congress,  and  spokesmen  for  state  governors  have  agreed  to  set  up  a 
special  bi-partisan  commission  to  make  recommendations  on  eliminating 
overlapping  state  and  Federal  taxes. 

Homeland,  Majors 
Settle  Trust  Suit 


The  commission  was  suggested  by 
President  Eisenhower  at  a  special 
White  House  conference  this  morn- 
ing. Members  will  probably  be  named 
next  week,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the 
commission  will  be  able  to  make "  a 
final  report  early  next  year,  with  pos- 
sibly some  stop-gap  recommendations 
even  earlier. 

The  President  met  for  two  and  one- 
half  hours  with  key  members  of  Con- 
gress, representatives  of  the  Confer- 
ence of  State  Governors  and  Admin- 
istration aides.  A  White  House  an- 
nouncement said  they  had  discussed 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


Washington,  Feb.  26. — Attorneys 
for  the  Homeland  Amusement  Co.  and 
for  the  eight  major  distributors  to- 
day agreed  to  a  settlement  of  the 
Homeland's  $750,000  anti-trust  suit 
against  the  film  companies. 

Robert  E.  Sher,  attorney  for  Home- 
land, said  his  client  had  received  an 
"improvement   in  run"   for   its  Rex 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


20th's  CinemaScope 
Cited  at  Loew's 
Stockholders  Meet 


Twentieth  Century  -  Fox's  wide- 
screen  CinemaScope  process  was 
given  a  big  boost  here  yesterday  by 
Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  vice-president 
and  treasurer  of  Loew's,  at  the  annual 
Loew's  meeting  of  stockholders. 

At  the  same  time,  Moskowitz  re- 
vealed the  deep  reluctance  of  Loew's 
to  enter  the  home  television  field,  ex- 
plaining that  the  company's  welfare 
was  tied  up  with  the  welfare  of  thea- 
tres. 

"CinemaScope  has  everything  Cin- 

{Contimied  on  page  3) 


Friars'  Testimonial 
To  Hope  Tonight 

Bob  Hope  will  be  the  guest  of 
honor  here  tonight  at  the  annual 
banquet  of  the  New  York  Friars  Club. 
More  than  1,000  of  show  business,  in- 
dustry, government  and  the  Armed 
Forces  will  pay  tribute  to  Hope  for 
his  achievements  as  an  entertainer 
and  humanitarian,  in  the  Hotel  Wal- 
dorf-Astoria, where  friends  and  ad- 
mirers from  Hollywood,  Washington 
{Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  27,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


SAMUEL  GOLDWYN  is  scheduled 
to  arrive  here  from  the  Coast  on 
Monday.  * 

• 

Nate  J.  Blumberg,  Universal  board 
chairman,  is  scheduled  to  arrive  here 
from  the  Coast  this- weekend.  Milton 
Rackmil,  president ;  Al  Daff,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  and. ...Ben  Cohn, 
foreign  department  executive,  are  due 
back  here  Monday  from  a  South 
American  trip. 

• 

W.  B.  Potter,  Eastman  Kodak  Co. 
director  of  advertising,  has  received 
the  first  annual  leadership  award  of 
radio  station  WHAM,  the  Stromberg 
Carlson  station  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
« 

David  A.  Lipton,  Universal  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising- 
publicity,  will  arrive  in  New  York 
from  Hollywood  on  Monday. 

Blake  McVeigh,  assistant  to 
Harry  Goldstein,  Allied  Artists' 
Eastern  publicity  representative,  has 
returned  here  from  Toledo. 

• 

Guy  Meek,  president  of  Guy  Meek 
Theatres  of  Northern  California,  is 
in  Korea  until  March  1  on  Navy- 
business. 


Censor  Fears  Flood 
Of  Improper  Films 

Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Feb.  26. — Mrs. 
Edna  R.  Carroll,  chairman  of  the 
State  Board  of  Censors,  who  cited 
recent  decisions  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court  stripping  state  film  censorship 
groups  of  some  of  their  powers,  said 
that  as  a  result  Pennsylvania  may  be 
in  for  a  deluge  of  "objectionable  and 
salacious"  films. 

Mrs.  Carroll  said  that  as  a  result 
of  this  ruling  the  board  has  been 
powerless  to  halt  a  new  wave  of 
pictures  dealing  with  sex  and  other 
objectionable  matters. 

Objectionable  films  come  not  from 
the  large  film-making  companies  but 
from  fly-by-night  firms  trying  to 
make  "a  fast  dollar,"  Mrs.  Carroll 
claimed. 

"Conditions  now  are  about  what 
they  were  in  1915  when  Pennsylvania 
first  began  censorship  of  films,"  the 
official  said,  explaining  that  under  the 
1915  law,  set  up  when  the  industry 
was  still  young,  the  Pennsylvania 
Board  was  empowered  to  disapprove 
such  pictures  as  are  "sacrilegious,  ob- 
scene indecent,  or  immoral,  or  such 
as  tend  in  the  judgment  of  the  Board 
to  corrupt  morals. 


20th-Fox  Quarterly 
Dividend  Pays  25c 

A  quarterly  dividend  of  25  cents 
per  share  on  20th  Century-Fox's 
outstanding  common  stock  has  been 
declared  by  the  company's  board  of 
directors.  The  dividend  is  payable  on 
March  28  to  stockholders  of  record 
on  March  10. 


Rise  in  Loew's  Earnings  Seen 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


decree,  the  breakdown  of  theatre  and 
production-distribution  profits  ,  the 
profits  made  on  candy  and  other 
phases  of  Loew's  operations. 

Despite  the  objections  voiced 
at  the  overflow  meeting,  over 
4,000,000  proxy  votes  were  gar- 
nered for  the  reelection  of  the 
11-member  management  slate  of 
directors.  Immediately  follow- 
ing the  meeting,  the  board  re- 
elected the  present  officers, 
headed  by  Nicholas  M.  Schenck, 
president. 

The  estimated  rise  of  net  earnings 
to  40  cents  per  share  for  the  first  28 
weeks  was  cited  in  answer  to  expres- 
sions voiced  by  stockholders  over  the 
drop  in  dividend  payments  and  the 
market  value  of  the  stock.  However, 
Leopold  Friedman,  vice-president,  sec- 
retary and  counsel,  who  was  chairman 
at  the  meeting,  declined  to  make  any 
prediction  on  future  dividend  policy, 
explaining  that  such  policy  must  be 
decided  by  the  board  of  directors. 

Main  Attack 

The  main  attack  by  stockholders 
attending  the  meeting  who  represented 
an  aggregate  of  29,526  shares,  was 
the  decline  in  the  annual  dividend 
rate  from  $1.50  to  80  cents  per  year. 
Many  stockholders  attending  did  not 
voice  any  opposition  to  management 
and  there  were  a  few  expressions  of 
praise.  One  of  those  commending  man- 
agement was  Walter  Higgins,  rep- 
resenting Associated  Prudential  The- 
atres, Inc.,  which  owns  Loew's  stock. 

Speaking  on  the  3-D  problem,  Hig- 
gins said  that  he  has  every  confi- 
dence in  3-D  when  M-G-M  enters 
the  field.  The  outline  and  details  of 
Loew's  plans  for  3-D  and  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's wide-screen  process,  Cine- 
maScope,  in  which  Loew's  will  co- 
operate, appears  elsewhere  in  this 
issue,  also  a  report  on  Loew's  attitude 
regarding  the  films  for  television 
problem. 

In  light  of  unsettled  conditions  in 
the  industry  brought  on  by  3-D, 
Loew's  has  reduced  its  production 
schedule,  Moskowitz  said.  Loew's 
current  inventory  of  conventional  films 
was  put  at  $80,000,000.  However, 
Moskowitz  told  stockholders  that  3-D 
"won't  come  overnight"  and  that  it 
is  still  to  be  decided  whether  it's  a 
novelty  or  here  to  stay. 

Moskowitz,  in  response  to  a 
query,  said  that  breaking  down 
the  over-all  operations  of  Loew's 
in  the  fiscal  year  of  1952,  which 
ended  Aug.  31,  earnings  were 
divided  43  per  cent  from  theatre 
operations,  compared  to  46  per 
cent  in  the  previous  fiscal  year. 
This  was  arrived  at,  he  added, 
by  arbitrarily  dividing  the  fund- 
ed debt  equally  between  the 
two  groups,  the  other  being 
production  -  distribution  opera- 
tions. Net  earnings  in  1952,  ac- 
cording to  the  company's  an- 
nual statement,  were  $4,692,806, 
equivalent  to  91  cents  per  share, 
compared  to  $7,804,370,  equiva- 
lent to  $1.52  per  share  in  the 
previous  year. 

The    vice-president    and  treasurer 


saw  the  possibility  of  "Quo  Vadis" 
outgrossing  "Gone  with  the  Wind"  on 
the  basis  of  revenues  already  realized. 
He  said  that  38  per  cent  of  Loew's 
film  income  was  derived  from  the 
foreign  market.  He  also  said  that 
$970,000  was  earned  during  the  last 
fiscal  year  from  the  sale  of  candy  in 
Loew's  Theatres,  which  has  an  agree- 
ment with  Peoples  Candy  Co.  Mos- 
kowitz defended  the  agreement,  over- 
riding the  observation  by  a  stockhold- 
er that  a  member  of  the  candy  supply 
firm  is  a  relative  of  Schenck's.  The 
income  from  People's  Candy,  he  said, 
is  comparable  to  the  earnings  derived 
from  concessions  by  any  other  the- 
atres. Moskowitz  acknowledged  that 
the  sale  of  WMGM,  a  New  York 
radio  station  owned  by  Loew's,  was 
the  subject  of  negotiations,  but  he 
said  the  station  has  not  been  sold. 
He  reminded  stockholders  that  the 
terms  of  the  consent  decree,  which 
calls  for  divorce  of  exhibition  and 
production-distribution  phases  of  the 
company  by  Feb.  6,  1954,  provides  for 
the  sale  of  13  additional  theatres.  The 
11  properties  already  sold,  he  added, 
has  resulted  in  a  $134,800  loss. 
$6,000,000  on  Advertising 
During  1952,  Moskowitz  disclosed, 
$6,000,000  was  spent  on  advertising, 
a  figure  heightened  by  the  "Quo 
Vadis"  campaign. 

On  the  over-all  operations  of 
the  company,  he  assured  stock- 
holders that  "considerable"  fur- 
ther economies  are  planned,  in 
addition  to  the  voluntary  pay 
cut  from  25  to  50  per  cent  on 
salaries  from  $1,000  per  week 
and  over,  instituted  last  Sep- 
tember. Stockholders  were  in- 
formed that  the  company's  re- 
tirement plan  cost  stockholders 
about  25  cents  per  share  and 
that  $31,500,000  has  been  paid 
in,  with  the  funds  being  held  by 
the  Equitable  Insurance  Co. 
Over  a  nine-year  period,  it  was 
added,  about  $4,000,000  has  been 
paid  out  in  benefits. 

Many  attacks  against  management 
centered  around  the  profit-sharing- 
agreements  held  by  Schenck,  Edgar 
J.  Mannix,  vice-president,  and  J.  Rob- 
ert Rubin,  vice-president  and  counsel, 
with  the  sentiment  being  expressed 
they  should  forego  profit-sharing  until 
the  financial  status  of  the  company  is 
improved. 

Stockholder  Weinstein  deplored  the 
amount  of  shares  of  stock  owned  by 
the  directors,  claiming  that  it  was  too 
little,  indicating  a  lack  of  faith  in  the 
company.  He  called  for  the  admission 
of  two  independent  directors  on  the 
board.  Attacks  were  made  by  other 
stockholders  on  what  was  claimed  to 
be  the  high  salaries  paid  to  officers 
of  the  company. 

A  letter  from  stockholder  James 
Fuller  was  read  which  called  for  the 
appointment  of  a  committee  looking 
toward  the  liquidation  of  the  company 
in  light  of  the  drop  in  earnings.  This 
proposal  was  dropped  by  Fuller's  rep- 
resentative attending.  Other  propo- 
sals looking  toward  the  appointment 
to  the  board  of  "independent"  direc- 
tors were  not  acted  upon. 

Of  the  5,142,655  shares  outstanding, 


Atlas  Has  $1,623,512 
In  Film  Stocks 

The  Atlas  Corp.  yesterday 
released  a  report  on  its  hold- 
ings as  of  Dec.  31,  1952,  which 
disclosed  common  stock  hold- 
ings in  three  film  corpora- 
tions. 

Atlas  holds  25,000  shares  of 
Paramount  Pictures  stock, 
valued  at  $703,125;  76,500 
shares  of  RKO  Pictures,  val- 
ued at  $315,562  and  93,050 
shares  of  Walt  Disney  Pro- 
ductions, valued  at  $604,825. 
The  number  of  shares  held  in 
the  three  firms  represented 
no  change  since  the  1951  year- 
end  report.  It  was  also  re- 
vealed that  Atlas  had  dis- 
posed of  25,000  shares  of 
United  Paramount  Theatres 
Stock,  and  held  none  as  of 
Dec.  31. 


4,056,000  shares  were  represented 
either  in  person  or  by  proxy. 

Besides  Schenck,  the  following  offi- 
cers were  reelected :  Moskowitz,  vice- 
president  and  treasurer;  Rubin,  Wil- 
liam F.  Rodgers,  Dore  Senary, 
Mannix,  Howard  Dietz,  Joseph  R. 
Vogel,  Benjamin  Thau,  Marvin  H. 
Schenck,  J.  J.  Cohn  and  Louis  K. 
Sidney,  all  vice-presidents ;  Friedman, 
vice-president  and  secretary ;  and 
Jesse  T.  Mills,  controller  and  assis- 
tant treasurer. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


it 


Tonight  We  Sing" 

Ezio  PINZA  .  Roberta  PETERS 
Tamara  TOUMANOVA  .  David  WAYNE 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  20th  Century- Fox  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


JERR/ 


MARTIN*  IMS 
THE 

A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  faolurt 


2  BIG  I.F.E.  HITS  ON  B'WAY! 


SILVANA 

MANGANO 


AvinnRin 


-starring 

VITTORIO  GASSMAN 


BRANDT'S 


GLOBE Bway& 


46th  St. 


FERNANDEL  m 

THE  mm  WORLD  Of 

DON  CAMILL0' 

Bl  IABB  45th  St.  w.  of 

RIIVW  B'way*  CO  5-8215 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigrley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Rarasaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Cub,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq..  London  Wl;  Hope  Burmip,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  February  27,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


Warner-Fabian  Deal 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


Long  Statute 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


CinemaScope 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

erama  has  and  it  is  cheaper  to  pro- 
ject and  shoot,"  Moskowitz  declared. 
The  vice-president  and  treasurer  said 
that  he  had  seen  tests  of  the  process 
and  he  had  "liked"  what  he  saw.  Mos- 
kowitz told  stockholders  that  Loew's 
had  been  experimenting  along  the 
same  lines  as  20th-Fox,  but  rather 
than  duplicate  expenses,  it  was  decided 
to  move  along  with  CinemaScope. 

Moskowitz  refused  to  divulge  the 
agreement  between  Loew's  and  20th- 
Fox  regarding  CinemaScope,  but  said 
that  "we  don't  have  to  pay"  for  the 
use  of  the  process  and  that  20th-Fox 
could  not  stop  Loew's  from  using  it. 
He  said  Loew's,  which  helped  to  de- 
velop the  system,  has  its  own  rights 
to  the  process  and  "we  have  access 
to  everything." 

As  to  3-D,  Moskowitz  said  Loew's 
is  currently  shooting  one  film  and 
another  would  start  in  three  weeks, 
both  requiring  the  use  of  spectacles. 

The  declaration  in  support  of  thea- 
tres versus  home  TV  came  in  response 
to  a  stockholder's  question  of  why 
Loew's  has  not  entered  the  TV  field. 
Moskowitz  replied  that  "we  have  a 
great  consideration  for  the  12,000  to 
14,000  theatres  who  are  playing  our 
pictures."  There  are  "still  ...  a  great 
many  customers  in  theatres,"  he 
added.  Moskowitz  acknowledged  that 
company  executives  are  constantly 
weighing  the  decision  of  selling  old 
films  to  TV,  but  "the  jury  is  still 
out." 

As  to  entering  the  field  of  produc- 
ing TV  film  shorts,  Moskowitz 
claimed  it  was  not  a  lucrative  market. 


Hope  Testimonial 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

and  Broadway  will  be  on  hand.  Pro- 
ceeds from  the  $50-a-plate  dinner  will 
go  to  the  United  Cerebral  Palsy,  one 
of  Hope's  favorite  charities.  George 
Jessel  will  be  toastmaster. 

Invited  to  the  dais  with  Hope  and 
Jessel  were  Eric  A.  Johnston,  Ber- 
nard Baruch,  Adolph  Zukor,  Fred 
Allen,  Danny  Kaye,  Milton  Berle, 
U.  S.  Senator  W.  Stuart  Symington, 
Maj.  Gen.  Emmett  O'Donnell,  NBC 
president  Frank  White,  RCA  presi- 
dent Frank  M.  Folsom,  Louis  P. 
Seltzer,  publisher  of  the  Cleveland 
Press;  Jesse  Block,  Richard  Rodgers, 
Oscar  Hammerstein  III  and  Harry 
Delf,  Dean  of  the  Friars. 

Willis  Vance  Heads 
Ohio  Buying  Group 

Cincinnati,  Feb.  26. — Willis  Vance 
was  elected  president  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  Corp.,  a  buying  and  booking 
agency,  at  the  annual  stockholders 
meeting.  Charles  Ackerman  was 
named  first  and  Louis  Wiethe,  second 
vice  presidents.  Maurice  Chase  was 
elected  treasurer  and  Herman  Hunt, 
secretary.  Rex  Carr  was  reelected 
general  manager  and  assistant  secre- 
tary and  treasurer. 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING . . , 

FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PEi  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
m  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK  1 
TRAILERS  gffiffi 

K 

to  assuming  the  presidency  of  the  new 
Stanley- Warner  Co.,  he  will  retain 
his  position  as  president  of  the  Fabian 
circuit.  The  same  holds  true  for  Sam- 
uel Rosen,  who  will  assume  the  post 
of  vice-president  and  treasurer  of 
Stanley-Warner,  in  addition  to  keep- 
ing his  post  of  the  same  title  with  the 
Fabian  circuit. 

Fabian  said  that  he  and  other  offi- 
cers of  the  Stanley-Warner  Theatre 
Co.  would  have  offices  in  the  Warner 
Brothers  home  office  building. 

The  cash  transaction  between  Fa- 
bian and  Brothers  Warner  will  cul- 
minate the  divorcement  of  Warner 
Brothers'  exhibition  and  production- 
distribution  units  as  required  by  the 
consent  decree.  Brothers  Warner 
have  elected  to  retain  their  stock  and 
executive  posts  with  the  picture  com- 
pany, moving  out  of  the  exhibition 
fold.  According  to  present  plans, 
the  two  new  companies  will  begin 
functioning  as  separate  entities  on 
Monday.    Brothers  Warner  and  their 


Settle  Trust  Suit 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Theatre  in  Baltimore,  but  that  he 
could  not  disclose  other  terms  of  the 
settlement.  The  case  was  scheduled 
to  go  to  trial  yesterday,  but  last- 
minute  efforts  by  the  lawyers  and 
Federal  District  Court  Judge  Tamm 
produced  the  settlement. 

Homeland  had  sued  the  majors  for 
$250,000  damages,  trebled  to  $750,000, 
and  for  an  injunction  against  an  in- 
ferior clearance  position.  It  named 
the  Durkee  circuit  as  co-conspirator, 
alleging  that  the  distributors  wrongly 
forced  the  Rex  to  play  films  behind 
three  competing  Durkee  first-neigh- 
borhood run  theatres,  the  Senator, 
Boulevard  and  Waverly. 

The  settlement,  which  has  been 
agreed  to  in  principle  by  all  parties, 
must  still  be  finally  reduced  to  writ- 
ing and  signed,  but  Sher  said  he  an- 
ticipated no  difficulty.  However, 
Judge  Tamm  is  retaining  jurisdiction 
of  the  case  until  that  is  done. 


Int'l  Drive-in  Unit 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

first  meeting  of  the  new  International 
Drive-in  Theatre  Owners  Association. 
Every  drive-in  theatre  owner  in  the 
world  will  be  extended  a  special  invi- 
tation, according  to  Claude  Ezell, 
founder  and  organizer  of  the  drive-in 
association. 

O'Donnell  stated  "we  expect  the  at- 
tendance to  be  over  2,000  and  both 
the  Baker  and  Adolphus  hotels  in 
Dallas  have  been  reserved  for  this 
unique  gathering."  All  circuit  and 
independent  theatre  owners  and  man- 
agers of  conventional  operations  in 
the  Southwest  are  expected. 

'U'  Sets  $1,000,000 
To  Develop  Stars 

Universal-International  will  spend 
$1,000,000  in  developing  new  screen 
personalities  during  1953,  it  has  been 
revealed  by  Robert  Palmer,  studio 
casting  director. 

This  expanded  program  for  build- 
ing young  actors  and  actresses  is 
reportedly  the  result  of  the  wide  ac- 
ceptance, by  both  exhibitors  and 
public,  of  the  new  stars  developed  by 
U-I  during  the  last  few  years. 


families  sold  their  approximately  27 
per  cent  stock  interest  to  Fabian. 

The  incoming  president  of  Stanley- 
Warner  Theatres  said  that  he  con- 
templated no  major  changes  in  per- 
sonnel. Asked  for  his  views  on  3-D, 
he  said  the  public  apparently  likes  the 
process,  based  on  the  grosses  of  3-D 
films.  Eventually  every  Fabian  and 
Stanley- Warner  theatre,  he  said,  will 
be  equipped  for  3-D  projection.  Pri- 
mary theatres,  he  added,  will  be  con- 
verted initially.  Such  conversion,  he 
explained,  was  based  on  the  fact  that 
virtually  every  major  company  plans 
to  produce  some  films  in  3-D. 

Fabian  who  is  also  chairman  of 
the  National  Exhibitors  Theatre  Tele- 
vision Committee,  said  he  was  still 
optimistic  about  the  results  of  the 
theatre  TV  hearings  before  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission, 
now  in  recess.  "My  interest  in  the- 
atre TV  has  not  diminished  in  the 
slightest  and  I'm  still  as  strong  as 
ever"   regarding  the  subject. 


DeMille  Wins 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

yesterday  presented  to  DeMille  in 
New  York  the  organization's  citation 
marking  the  achievements.  The  pic- 
ture was  released  by  Paramount. 

DeMille  will  leave  New  York  to- 
day by  plane  for  Cleveland  where  he 
will  receive  the  Cleveland  Film  Critics 
Circle  citation  also  naming  "The 
Greatest  Show"  the  best  picture  of 
1952. 


but  that  five  or  six  years  seemed 
nearer  to  the  average  of  state  statutes 
than  did  a  shorter  term.  Exhibitors 
have  urged  a  Federal  statute  of  at 
least  six  years,  while  spokesmen  for 
the  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  urged  the  statute  be  no  more 
than  two  or  three  years.  Reed  said 
he  thought  that  would  be  "much  too 
short." 

Legislation  to  set  up  a  uniform 
Federal  statute  of  limitations  is  pend- 
ing before  a  special  sub-committee 
which  Reed  heads.  The  sub-commit- 
tee was  due  to  submit  its  recommenda- 
tions to  the  full  committee  by  the  end 
of  February.  Reed  said  today  that 
members  had  been  too  busy  on  other 
matters  to  work  on  these  recommen- 
dations, and.,  that  he  would  ask  the 
full  committee  to  extend  the  deadline 
until  the  end  of  March. 

The  Judiciary  Committee  chairman 
said  he  thinks  there  is  a  fairly  good 
chance  of  House  approval  this  year 
of  three  anti-trust  bills:  setting  a  uni- 
form Federal  statute  of  limitations; 
giving  Federal  district  courts  discre- 
tion to  award  less  than  treble  dam- 
ages (at  present,  such  an  award  is 
mandatory  when  a  defendant  is  found 
guilty)  and  increasing  the  fines  for 
violations  of  the  Sherman  Act. 


Adolph  Deutsch  Named 

Hollywood,  Feb.  26.  —  Johnny 
Green,  managing  director  of  the 
Academy  Awards  presentations,  an- 
nounced the  appointment  of  Adolph 
Deutsch  as  musical  director  for  the 
March  19  ceremonies. 


CHICAGO 


is  carrying  a 
color  page  on... 


JOHN  HUSTON'S 


ANTONE 


CAMERON 


with  RODOLFO  ACOST^  R 


Screen  Play  By  STEVE  FISHER  •  Based  on  the  Novel  "THE  GOLDEN  HERD" 
By  CURT  CARROLL  •  Associate  Producer-Director  JOSEPH  KANE 


a  thousand  miles  through  Apache  ambush! 


starring 

ARLEEN        FORREST  KATY 

WHELAN*  TUCKER*  JURADO 

ROY  ROBERTS  •  BOB  STEELE  •  HARRY  CAREY,  JR. 


REPUBLIC  PICTURE 


h*  Bad  Gi,rZ 
Noon  " 


Republic  Pictures  Corporction 


(5 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  February  27,  1953 


Seeks  to  Halt 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


tion  to  Jackson's  recent  House  speech, 
in  which  he  outlined  the  Communist 
affiliations  of  many  of  the  persons 
connected  with  the  film. 

"It  is  believed,"  he  declared,  "that 
the  content  matter  of  the  film  is  de- 
signed to  inflame  racial  hatreds  and  to 
represent  a  distorted  and  untrue  pic- 
ture of  American  life.  Its  showing, 
if  advance  reports  are  accurate,  would 
do  irreparable  harm  to  this  country  in 
nations  abroad. 

"Inasmuch  as  motion  picture  unions 
are  strongly  opposed  to  the  production 
of  the  picture,  it  is  improbable  that 
the  domestic  market  will  offer  any 
great  opportunity  for  public  presenta- 
tion. My  preoccupation  and  concern 
at  the  moment  is  to  insure  that 
propaganda  which  would  be  distorted 
not  be  made  available  to  foreign  na- 
tions for  the  use  of  Communist  aims 
and  purposes." 

Jackson  declared  that  the  Un- 
American  Activities  Committee,  of 
which  he  is  a  member,  "does  not  wish 
to  enter  into  the  field  of  censorship 
in  any  way,"  and  that  the  purpose  of 
his  letter  was  to  determine  whether 
effective  legislation  is  presently  at 
hand  with  which  to  meet  the  problem 
posed  by  any  attempt  to  send  the 
finished  prints  of  the  film  to  foreign 
countries. 

"I  should  also  like,"  he  said,  "to 
have  a  ruling  from  your  office  as  to 
whether  or  not  those  individuals  di- 
rectly connected  with  the  production 
of  this  picture  are  subject  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Alien  Agents  Registra- 
tion legislation,  assuming  that  the  pic- 
ture is  found  to  be  of  a  propaganda 
nature. 

"It  is  believed  that  the  production  is 
almost  completed  at  this  time,  and  I 
would  appreciate  the  cooperation  of 
your  department  in  assuring  that 
proper  and  legal  steps  are  taken  to 
protect  this  country  from  the  adverse 
impact  abroad  which  would  certainly 
come  as  a  result  of  the  showing  of 
any  film  of  this  kind." 


Rules  III.  Statute  of 
Limitations  Applies 

Chicago,  Feb.  26. — Judge  Sullivan 
of  the  Federal  District  Court  here  has 
ruled  that  the  Illinois  two-year  statute 
of  limitations  applies  in  the  Norwal 
Theatre  case  (De  Lucca  vs.  Para- 
mount et  al),  dismissing  Paramount, 
RKO  Pictures,  Balaban  and  Katz, 
and  Publix-Great  States  as  defen- 
dants. 


Louis  Rothenberg,  66, 
Boston  Circuit  Owner 

Boston,  Feb.  26. — Funeral  services 
for  Louis  Rothenberg,  66,  who  died 
this  morning  at  Beth  Israel  Hospital 
of  a  heart  attack,  will  be  held  tomor- 
row at  Solomon  Funeral  Home  in 
Brookline.  A  veteran  theatre  owner 
with  the  Morse  and  Rothenberg  cir- 
cuit, he  leaves  his  widow,  a  son, 
Stanley,  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Harold 
Watchmaker,  and  three  grandchildren. 


Rites  for  Dewey  Vanscoy 

Wilmington,  O.,  Feb.  26. — Serv- 
ices will  be  held  here  Saturday  for 
Dewey  Vanscoy, .  55,  manager  of  the 
Lamax  Theatre,  who  died  yesterday 
of  a  heart  attack  in  Clinton  Mem- 
orial Hospital.  He  became  a  projec- 
tionist with  the  theatre  in  1915. 


Asides  &  Interludes 


-by  James  Cunningham 


THEY  say  that  the  Greeks  have  a  word  for  it.  Let  any  Greek  beat  Nick 
John  Matsoukas'  Triskedekaphobia. 
Nicholas,  a  native  of  Navarino-Pylos,  Greece,  has  been  promoting 
community  relations  for  George  Skouras'  theatres  around  New  York  for  quite 
a  spell.  His  work  in  behalf  of  the  Will  Rogers  Memorial  Hospital  is  well 
known. 

Little  known  is  Nick's  almost  superhuman  efforts  in  behalf  of  Triskedeka- 
phobia, an  affliction  which  causes  millions  of  Americans  (and,  probably,  per- 
sons behind  the  Iron  Curtain,  too),  to  run  away  from  black  cats,  knock  on 
wood,  fling  tons  of  salt  over  their  left  shoulders,  tremble  with  fear  over  the 
impending  seven  years  bad  luck  over  a  broken  mirror  and  buy  millions  of 
dollars  worth  of  rabbits'  feet,  four  leaf  clovers  and  a  melange  of  lucky  charms 
as  insurance  against  high  jinxes. 

Nicholas  John  Matsoukas  is  the  founder  and  executive  secretary  of  the 
National  Committee  of  13  Against  Superstition,  Prejudice  and  Fear.  Nick 
Matsoukas'  name  has  13  letters.  He  is  the  13th  child  of  a  family  of  13.  He 
graduated  from  Chicago  University  on  a  December  13.  He  first  set  eyes  on 
the  Statue  of  Liberty  on  a  February  13. 

ik      ik  ft 

We  guess  motion  picture  exhibitors  all  over  the  world  have  problems. 
Independents  in  New  York  do  not  like  the  product  split  between  major 
circuits.  London  exhibitors  are  plagued  for  not  showing  quota  films. 
Authorities  in  Chicago  pinch  guys  for  showing  naughty  films.  The  mighty 
in  Memphis  crack  down  on  fellows  like  M.  A.  Lightman  for  banking 
"Bank  Night."  And  so  it  goes,  on  and  on. 

Like  in  Mexico  City,  where  the  mean  old  Municipal  Amusements  Super- 
vision Department  has  warned  exhibitors  that  they  must  keep  their 
theatres  sanitary  and  free  of  rats.  Unless  the  theatres  take  heed  of 
the  warning,  the  Department  threatens  to  ask  the  Health  Board  to  "dis- 
infect, delouse  and  deoderant"  the  theatres. 

Imagine  that! ! ! 

ft      ft  ft 

Columbia  Pictures  has  found  the  "find"  of  all  finds,  Yvonne  Doughty.  They 
say  she  is  shapely,  a  23-year-oldcr,  of  French,  Irish  and  Cherokee  Indian  an- 
cestry, a  motorcyclist,  and,  oh  yes,  she  is  better  known  as  "Miss  Auto  Polish." 
Yvonne  will  first  Simonize  in  "The  Wild  One.".  .  ."Variety  H eartline ,"  house 
publication  of  the  Variety  Club  of  New  York,  is  at  hand.  It  contains  a  spe- 
cial insert  setting  forth  some  rather  stern  rules  for  members.  If,  as  we 
expect,  membership  interest  lags  from  here  on,  Variety  Tent  No.  35  will 
have  none  other  to  blame  than  George  I.  Waldman,  the  Main  Guy  of  the 
House  Committee.  Waldman,  for  example,  sets  down  House  Rule  No.  6,  to 
wit:  "Your  conduct  in  the  Club  must,  at  all  times,  be  that  of  a  gentleman. 
If  for  any  reason,  you  or  your  guests  are  »sked  to  leave,  please  do  so  grace' 
fully." 

Iron  Curtain  tactics. 

ft     ft  ft 

International  Variety  Clubs  terms  and  double-talk  for  officers  and 
organization,  for  the  great  institution  which  to  date  has  steered  some 
$30,000,000  through  the  Heart  of  Charity,  to  charity  are  as  follows: 

A  Barker  is  a  member;  Big  Top  means  the  international  organization. 
Now  pick  up  from  here:  Big  Top  Crew,  international  officers;  Tents  of 
Midway,  chapters  or  branches;  Circus,  all  tents  combined;  Chief  Barker, 
president;  First  Assistant  Chief  Barker,  first  vice-president;  Second 
Assistant  Chief  Barker,  second  vice-president;  Property  Master,  sec- 
retary; Dough  Guy,  treasurer;  Canvassmen,  directors;  Bookers,  mem- 
bership committee;  Privilege  Men,  house  committee;  Winter  Quarters, 
convention;  Fixer,  lawyer;  Clown,  delegate;  Main  Guy,  committee  chair- 
man; Flunkies,  assistants;  The  Crew,  general  committee;  Side  Show, 
entertainment  committee;  The  Law,  constitution  and  by-laws  committee; 
The  Heart,  welfare  and  charity  committee;  The  Billers,  publicity  com- 
mittee; The  Payoff,  finance  committee;   Ducat  Peddler,  ticket  seller. 

ft        ft     .  ft 

RKO  Radio  is  relcasutg  abroad  Frederick  Frisson's  "Never  Wave  At  A 
Wac"  under  the  title,  "The  Newest  Profession."  No  comment,  please.  .  .  .  If 
all  of  the  drawings  photographed  by  the  color  cameras  for  Walter  Disney's 
"Peter  Pan"  were  laid  end  to  end,  they  would  extend  farther  than  58  miles, 
or  the  distance  between  sales  department  rental  demands  of  RKO  Radio 
and  the  next  bidder  for  the  exhibition  rights  to  "Peter  Pan." 

ft       ft  ft 

Famous  Quotations :  Patrick  Henry  :  "Give  Me  Liberty,  or  Give  Me  Death." 
Nicholas  Schenck :  "There  Is  Nothing  Wrong  With  the  Film  Business  That 
A  Good  Picture  Can't  Cure."  Nathan  Hale :  "I  Only  Regret  That  I  Have 
But  One  Life  to  Give  for  My  Country."  James  Otis  :  "A  Man's  Home  Is  His 
Castle."  Marlon  Brando :  "One  More  Film  and  I  Will  Have  Made  My  Pile." 

ft      ft  ft 

Irving  Mack  sends  to  us,  from  Chicago,  "A  Messenger  of  Good  Cheer," 
in  his  inspirational  Inspiration  house  publication,  wherein  Irving  gives  forth 
with  some  more  Mack-Aroons.  Have  one : 

Sympathy  is  what  one  woman  offers  another  in  exchange  for  details. 

It's  easy  to  control  your  temper  when  the  other  fellow  outweighs  you. 

A  grapefruit  is  a  lemon  that  had  a  chance  and  took  advantage  of  it. 

It  isn't  exactly  fair  to  call  a  slot-machine  a  one-armed  bandit,  because 
it  zmll  let  you  alone  if  you  let  it  alone. 

It  takes  two  to  make  a  marriage — a  single  girl  and  an  anxious  mother. 

Men  have  been  tried  and  found  wanting — all  wanting  the  same  thing. 


Tax  Situation 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  tax  problem  and  also  Federal-state 
overlapping  and  duplication  in  other 
fields,  and  had  agreed  to  establish  the 
commission  to  work  out  solutions.  The 
House  and  Senate  will  name  the  Con- 
gressional members  of  the  commis- 
sion ;  the  Conference  will  name 
spokesmen  for  the  governors ;  and  the 
President  will  name  Treasury  De- 
partment and  other  officials  to  repre- 
sent the  Administration. 

White  House  press  secretary  James 
Hagerty  said  further  details  of  just 
how  and  when  the  commission  will 
meet  and  work  will  be  announced 
later. 

The  possibility  of  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment surrendering  the  admission 
tax  to  the  states  and  cities  has  al- 
ways figured  prominently  in  any  dis- 
cussion of  ending  overlapping  Fed- 
eral-state taxes. 

Major  Problem 

The  official  White  House  an- 
nouncement said  President  Eisen- 
hower told  the  meeting  that  overlap- 
ping taxes  was  one  of  the  major  prob- 
lems in  Federal-state  relations.  "The 
existing  systems  of  taxation,  both  at 
the  Federal  and  state  level,  contain 
many  gross  inequalities  insofar  as  the 
tax  burden  between  citizens  of  differ- 
ent states  is  concerned,"  the  Presi- 
dent said.  "There  is  often  a  pyramid- 
ing" of  taxation,  state  taxes  being  su- 
perimposed on  Federal  taxes  in  the 
same  field." 

New  Jersey's  Governor  Driscoll,  as 
chairman  of  the  Governors'  Confer- 
ence sub-committee  on  Federal-state 
relations,  said  he  hoped  the  commis- 
sion could  make  an  extensive  report 
with  recommendations  in  a  year,  and 
that  he  also  hoped  that  some  sugges- 
tions might  be  made  and  acted  on  even 
before  then. 


O'Donnell  Here  for 
Zukor  Dinner  Confab 

Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  international 
chairman  of  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national's year-long  series  of  nation- 
wide tributes  to  Adolph  Zukor  on  his 
Golden  Jubilee  in  motion  pictures,  has 
arrived  in  New  York  for  conferences 
with  Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of  the 
New  York  Golden  Jubilee  dinner 
which  will  be  tendered  Zukor  on  Wed- 
nesday evening,  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria. 

O'Donnell,  who  will  be  one  of  the 
principal  speakers  at  the  dinner,  ex- 
pressed gratification  at  the  number  of 
top-level  personalities  from  all  phases 
of  American  industry,  public  life  and 
all  media  of  communication  who  will 
join  the  industry  to  pay  tribute  to 
"Mr.  Motion  Pictures." 


ELC  Suit  Pre-trial 
Date  Set  for  April 

A  pre-trial  conference  for  April  8 
has  been  set  by  U.  S.  District  Court 
Judge  Bondy  here  in  the  $15,000,000 
anti-trust  suit  brought  by  Chesapeake 
Industries  against  Loew's  and  RKO 
Theatres. 

Chesapeake  Industries,  as  the  owner 
of  the  now-dissolved  Eagle  Lion 
Classics,  is  pressing  the  suit,  which 
charges  that  ELC  had  been  denied 
access  to  the  New  York  market  be- 
cause of  an  alleged  split  by  Loew's 
and  RKO  Theatres  of  film  product. 
It  was  charged  that  this  arrangement 
prevented  any  opening  of  the  market 
to  ELC. 


VOL.  73.   NO.  40 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  MARCH  2,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


IndustryOffers 
Compromise 
On  Theatre  TV 


Drops  Bid  for  Exclusive 
Transmission  Channels 


Washington,  March  1.  —  The 
industry  has  offered  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  a 
"compromise  solution"  in  order  to 
end  the  stalemate  which  now  exists 
on  the  question  of  allocating  channels 
for  theatre  television  transmission. 

In  a  petition  filed  over  the 
week-end  with  the  Commission, 
the  industry  asked  the  FCC  to 
"authorize  the  use  of  the  cur- 
rent common  carrier  frequency 
bands  by  a  limited  or  restricted 
common  carrier  furnishing  only 
a  television  transmission  serv- 
ice (including  associated  audio 
transmission)  suitable  for  thea- 
tre or  large-screen  television 
operations." 

If  the  Commission  grants  the  in- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Cautions  Ban  on 
Silver  City  Film 


Washington,  March  1.  —  Com- 
merce Department  officials  said  pres- 
ent export  control  legislation  was 
certainly  broad  enough  to  permit  the 
Administration  to  ban  exports  of  the 
film  now  being  produced  at  Silver 
City,  N.  M.,  but  they  indicated  they 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


Rackmil  Is  Sole  'U' 
Decca  Nominee 

Washington,  March  1.  —  No 
person  affiliated  with  Decca 
Records,  Inc.,  other  than  Mil- 
ton R.  Rackmil,  who  holds  the 
dual  position  of  president  of 
Decca  and  Universal  Pictures, 
is  proposed  by  Universal  man- 
agement as  a  director  to  be 
elected  at  the  annual  meeting 
of  "U"  stockholders  on  March 
11,  the  Securities  and  Ex- 
change Commission  was  in- 
formed here. 

The  report,  noting  the  42.2 
per  cent  of  Universal  stock 
held  by  Decca,  stated  that 
Decca  has  not  attempted  to 
direct  the  operations  of  Uni- 
versal. 


'BwanaDevil  Wears 
$1,000,000  Gross 
In  Initial  Bookings 

The  three-dimensional  feature 
"Bwana  Devil"  is  nearing  the  $1,000,- 
000  mark  in  grosses  in  the  compara- 
tively few  engagements  it  has  played. 
The  gross  went  over  the  $700,000  fig- 
ure last  week  and  it  is  expected  that 
it  will  exceed  $1,000,000  within  the 
next  10  days. 

An  indication  of  the  public  interest 
in  tri-dimensional  pictures  was  seen 
in  St.  Louis  where  "Devil"  chalked 
up  $41,900  at  the  Ambassador  Theatre 
in  its  first  week.  A  gross  of  $15,000 
is  'considered  a  good  week's'  gross  in 
that  house.  At  the  Indiana  Theatre, 
Indianapolis,  "Bwana  Devil"  grossed 
$4,970  on  Thursday.    A  $12,000  week 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


20  New  Theatres 
Authorized  by  NPA 

Washington,  March  1.— The  Na- 
tional Production  Authority  author- 
ized the  construction  of  20  drive-in 
and  indoor  theatres  during  the  fourth 
quarter  of  19S2. 

Two  of  the  authorizations  were 
made  to  Texas  Consolidated  Theatres, 
one  for  a  $312,500  theatre  to  be  con- 
structed at  Wichita  Falls,  Tex.,  and 
one  for  a  theatre  costing  $199,500  at 
Vernon,  Tex. 

Other  approved  projects  were  these: 
Manchester  Drive-in  Theatre  Corp., 
Bolton,  Conn.,  $41,500;  Cobian  The- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


SENATE  GROUP  SET 
FOR  FILM  PROBE 


Set  Tentative  Date 
For  House  Hearings 
On  Tax  Proposals 

Washington,  March  1. — Republi- 
can members  of  the  House  Ways  and 
Means  committee  have  tentatively 
scheduled  hearings  "sometime  after 
Easter"  on  proposals  to  eliminate  or 
reduce  the  admissions  tax  and  other 
Federal  excise  levies. 

A  special  three-man  subcommittee, 
set  up  at  a  secret  meeting  of  GOP 
members  Friday,  drafted  a  tentative 
agenda  for  the  committee  for  the 
coming  year.  Members  of  the  sub- 
committee emphasized  that  they  could 
well  be  reversed  by  the  full  commit- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Set  CinemaScope 
Show  for  March  16 


The  first  press  and  public  demon- 
stration of  CinemaScope,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox's wide-screen  process,  will 
be  held  on  or  about  March  16  at  the 
company's  home  office  in  New  York, 
it  was  disclosed  at  the  weekend  by 
20th-Fox. 

For  the  demonstration,  scenes  from 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Predict  US  Will  Not  Drop 
16mm.  Suit  vs.  the  Majors 

Washington,  March  1. — Key  Justice  Department  officials  are  predict- 
ing that  Attorney  General  Brownell  will  refuse  to  drop  the  government's 
16mm  anti-trust  suit  against  the  mayors. 

They  emphasize  that  there  has  been  no  final  decision  yet  and  likely 
will  be  none  until  a  new  anti-trust 


chief  has  had  some  time  to  look  over 
the  case  and  make  his  recommenda- 
tions. But  they  add  that  on  the  basis 
of  Brownell's  other  decisions  so  far, 
he  will  decide  to  go  ahead  with  the 
case. 

Brownell  will  take  the  stand,  it  is 
believed  by  these  officials,  that  the 
courts  must  decide  whether  or  not  the 
distributors  are  guilty  without  any 
reference  to  the  effect  the  decision 
might  have  on  exhibitors.  Steps  to 
minimize  the  effects  on  theatre  own- 
ers will  be  considered,  under  this 
(Continued  on  page  $j 


Col.,  WB  Racing  for 
First  3-D  Release 


Hollywood,  March  1.  —  Columbia 
expects  to  have  its  first  three-dimen- 
sional picture,  "Fort  Ticonderoga,"  on 
screens  by  April  21,  which  means  that 
Warner  Brothers'  "House  of  Wax" 
will  be  the  first  major  3-D  production 
to  be  released,'  aside  from  United 
Artists'  ""Bwana  :,  Devil."  "House  of; 
,  r      (Continued^  on  page  5) 


Investigator  to  Hear 
Complaints  This  Week; 
Allied  Parley  Tomorrow 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  1.  —  The. 
first  phase  of  the  Senate  Small 
Business  Committee's  investigation 
of  film  trade  practices  will  get  un- 
der way  this  week.  The  committee 
met  here  at  the  weekend  to  formulate 
the  early  stages  of  the  probe. 

It  was  decided  that  the  1953 
phase  of  this  investigation  would 
get  going  in  earnest  this  week, 
when  committee  investigator 
William  D.  Amis  will  start  out 
again  to  confer  with  and  listen 
to  the  complaints  of  exhibitor 
spokesmen.  Amis  spent  portions 
of  last  year  listening  to  the 
views  of  West  Coast  theatre 
owners.  This  week  he  will  start 
talking  to  theatre  owner  spokes- 
men here  and  in  New  York,  and 
then  go  on  to  Chicago,  various 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Levin  Heads  Drive-in 
Research  Operation 

Organization  of  the  National  Drive- 
in  Theatre  Institute,  Inc.,  serving  ex- 
hibitor, distributor,  and  equipment 
company  interests,  was  announced 
here  at  the  weekend  by  its  president, 
Jack  H.  Levin. 

According  to  Levin,  the  Institute 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Maryland  Censors 
Prepare  for  Battle 

Baltimore,  March  1.  — The 
Maryland  Board  of  Motion 
Picture  Censors  is  preparing 
for  a  fight  to  be  waged  on 
March  23  in  City  Court  to 
beat  an  appeal  by  Floyd  Lewis 
Attractions  against  the  cen- 
sors' rejection  of  parts  of  the 
film,  "Street  Corner."  Deleted 
scenes  involve  normal  and 
caesarian  births  and  other 
subjects. 

The  film  was  ordered  heav- 
ily cut  in  Dec,  1952.  Through 
attorney  Albert  Sklar,  Lewis 
Attractions  and  R.  B.  Andrus, 
an  agent,  have  appealed  the 
eliminations. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  2,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


1,000  Attend  Armed  Forces 
Tribute  to  Bob  Hope 


TAMES  R.  GRAINGER,  RKO 
»J  Radio  president,  is  scheduled  to  re- 
turn to  New  York  tomorrow  from  the 
Coast. 

Stanley  Chambers,  assistant  to 
Olin  H.  Clark,  M-G-M  Eastern 
story  head,  became  a  father  for  the 
third  time  when  Mrs.  Chambers  gave 
birth  to  a  girl,  Martha,  at  Norwalk 
General  Hospital. 

Harry  M.  Warner,  Warner 
Brothers  president,  addressed  the  an- 
niversary banquet  of  the  Los  Angeles 
Junior  Chamber  of  Commerce  at  the 
weekend. 

Leo  F.  Samuels,  Walt  Disney  Pro- 
ductions world-wide  sales  supervisor, 
left  New  York  over  the  weekend  for 
Chicago.  On  Wednesday  he  will  head 
for  Toronto. 

• 

Herman  Ripps,  field  assistant  to 
M-G-M  Eastern  sales  manager  John 
P.  Byrne,  returned  to  New  York  at 
the  weekend  from  Albany  and  Glovers- 
ville. 

Harold  Wlrthwein,  Allied  Artists 
Western  sales  manager,  and  J.  E. 
McCarthy,  manager  of  the  Los  An- 
geles exchange,  have  postponed  until 
March  9  their  trip  to  Phoenix,  Ariz, 
e 

Pete  Brice,  general  manager  of  the 
Pal  Amusement  Co.  in  Georgia,  has 
returned  to  Vidalia,  Ga.,  from  a 
Miami  vacation,  accompanied  by  his 
wife. 

e 

Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  ABC-UPT 
president,  addressed  Connecticut  Cere- 
bral Palsy  workers  last  night  at  the 
Hotel  Bond  in  Hartford. 

Walter  Branson,  RKO  Radio  as- 
sistant  general    sales   manager,  and 
his  assistant,  Harry  Gittleson,  will 
fly  to  Chicago  from  Hollywood  today. 
• 

Sidney  Kramer,  RKO  Radio  short 
subjects   sales   manager,   returned  to 
New  York  over  the  weekend  from 
New  Orleans  and  the  Midwest. 
• 

Arthur  Canton,  M-G-M  Eastern 
field  division  representative,   is  back 
here  from  a  10-day  visit  to  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Upstate.  New  York, 
e 

Morey  Getz,  treasurer  of  GB  Pro- 
ductions, and  Mrs.  Getz  flew  back  to 
Paris  from  here  over  the  weekend. 

Dennis  L.  Smith,  Westrex  Co. 
Puerto  Rican  branch  manager,  is  in 
New  York  from  there. 

• 

Arthur  Krim,  United  Artists  presi- 
dent, is  due  back  here  today  from  a 
Coast  visit. 

• 

Larry  Germaine  of  Warner 
Brothers  Theatres,  New  Haven,  has 
returned  there  from  a  Florida  vaca- 
tion. 


More  than  1,000  leaders  of  show- 
business,  industry,  government  and 
the  Armed  Forces  on  Friday  evening 
paid  tribute  to  Bob  Hope  for  his  hu- 
manitarianism  and  entertainment 
achievements  at  the  Waldorf  Astoria. 
Principal  speakers  at  the  occasion, 
which  was  the  annual  benefit  testi- 
monial banquet  of  the  New  York 
Friars,  were  former  U.  S.  Vice-Presi- 
dent Alben  W.  Barkley  and  Presiden- 
tial advisor  Bernard  Baruch. 

George  Jessel  was  toastmaster.  In- 
vited to  the  dais,  in  addition  to  Bark- 


Merman  Hostess  at 
20th-Fox  Preview 

Ethel  Merman,  star  of  20th-Fox's 
"Call  Me  Madam,"  will  be  hostess 
this  evening  at  a  reception  and  pre- 
view of  the  production  at  the  com- 
pany's home  office. 

Invited  were  the  Duchess  of  Wind- 
sor, Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Farley,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Richard  Berlin,  Mrs.  George 
F.  Baker,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  Ehram, 
Broderick  Crawford,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Russell  Crouse,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Morris 
Fishbein,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leland  Hay- 
ward,  Mrs.  William  Randolph  Hearst, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack  Howard,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  M.  Kreindler. 

Also,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  Lind- 
say, Paul  Lukas,  Tex  and  Jinx  Mc- 
Crary,  Elsa  Maxwell,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ray  Middleton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Irving 
Netcher,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clyde  New- 
house,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack  Pearl,  Mrs. 
Eleanor  Holm  Rose,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Toots  Shor,  Ed  Sullivan,  Bill  Talbert, 
Arlene  Whelan,  and  others. 

Nov.  12  Set  for 
Pioneers  Meeting 

Plans  for  this  year's  dinner-meeting 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Pioneers  are  al- 
ready in  work,  according  to  Jack 
Cohn,  president,  who  announced  that 
Thursday,  Nov.  12  is  the  date  chosen 
for  the  14th  anniversary  affair  of  the 
organization  of  film  pioneers,  at  the 
Astor  Hotel  here. 


Reelect  Roth  AJC  'V-P' 

Hollywood,  March  1.- — Lester  W. 
Roth,  vice-president  of  Columbia  Pic- 
tures and  partner  in  the  law  firm  of 
Cohen  and  Roth,  has  been  reelected 
a  vice-president  of  the  American  Jew- 
ish Committee. 


Kohlmar  Joins  Columbia 

Hollywood,  March  1. — Fred  Kohl- 
mar has  joined  Columbia  Pictures  as 
a  producer  of  "AA"  productions,  the 
company  reports.  For  the  past  seven 
years  Kohlmar  has  been  associated 
with  20th  Century-Fox. 


Temple  in  Schlaifer  Post 

Herman  Temple  has  joined  the  staff 
of  Charles  Schlaifer  and  Co.  as  con- 
sulting art  director,  as  part  of  an  ex- 
pansion program  in  the  advertising 
agency's  staff  and  services.  Temple 
was  formerly  with  20th  Century-Fox, 
1  Warner  Brothers  and  RKO  Radio. 


ley  and  Baruch,  were :  Eric  A.  John- 
ston, Adolph  Zukor,  Fred  Allen, 
Danny  Kaye,  Milton  Berle,  U.  S.  Sen- 
ator W.  Stuart  Symington,  Maj.  Gen. 
Emmett  O'Donnell,  Frank  White, 
Frank  M.  Folsom,  Cleveland  Press 
publisher  Louis  P.  Seltzer,  Jesse 
Block,  Richard  Rodgers,  Oscar  Ham- 
merstein  III  and  the  Friars'  dean, 
Harry  Delf. 

Guests  paid  $50  a  plate,  the  pro- 
ceeds to  be  turned  over  to  United 
Cerebral  Palsy,  one  of  Hope's  fa- 
vorite charities. 


Allot  $150,000  for 
'Anna!  Ad  Drive 

A  sum  of  $150,000  for  cooperative 
advertising  with  theatres  in  400  key 
cities  has  been  allocated  by  Italian 
Film  Export  Releasing  Corp.  on  its 
American-language  dubbed  film, 
"Anna,"  Jonas  Rosenfield,  Jr.,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertising, 
publicity  and  exploitation,  disclosed  at 
the  weekend. 

This  money  will  be  augmented  later 
for  campaigns  beyond  the  400  situa- 
tions, Rosenfield  added. 

Form  New  Foreign 
Distributors  Unit 

The  formation  of  a  new  organiza- 
tion to  replace  the  defunct  Interna- 
tional Motion  Picture  Organization, 
representing  distributors  of  foreign 
product  here,  was  disclosed  at  the 
weekend  by  Joseph  Burstyn. 

Burstyn,  a  member  of  the  steering 
committee,  said  that  further  details 
would  be  announced  today.  The  new 
organization  was  formed  at  a  meet- 
ing of  foreign  distributors  on  Friday. 

Hellmer  Buys  Mans* 
Pipestone  Interest 

Minneapolis,  March  1. — H.  J.  Hell- 
mer has  purchased  Paul  Mans'  50  per 
cent  interest  in  the  Orpheum,  State 
and  Sunset  drive-in  stands  at  Pipe- 
stone, Minn.  Hellmer  was  formerly 
manager  of  the  three. 

Elmer  and  Lyman  Lee  of  Minne- 
apolis own  the  other  50  per  cent  inter- 
est. The  Lees  are  also  partners  in 
the  Richfield,  a  suburban  Minneapolis 
theatre. 


Lopert  Names  Mindlin 

Michael  Mindlin,  Jr.,  has  been  en- 
gaged by  Lopert  Films  to  do  the  unit 
publicity  work  on  Sir  Alexander  Kor- 
da's  productions  of  "The  Stranger" 
and  "Paradise,"  both  now  shooting  in 
Europe.  Mindlin  flew  over  the  week- 
end to  Berlin  where  "The  Stranger" 
is  now  being  filmed,  and  will  remain 
in  Berlin  for  five  weeks.  He  will 
then  fly  to  London  on  "Paradise." 


Gets  'St.  Anthony'  Rights 

J.  D.  Trop  has  purchased  the  rights 
to  the  Italian  language  feature,  "The 
World  of  St.  Anthony."  It  is  being 
dubbed  into  English  by  Tru  Sync. 


Ruling  Soon  on  Tax 
On  Earnings  Abroad 

Washington,  March  1.— The 
Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue 
is  expected  to  rule  within  the 
next  few  weeks  on  whether 
actors  and  other  film  industry 
employes  can  take  advantage 
of  a  provision  in  the  1951  tax 
law  waiving  U.S.  income 
taxes  on  income  earned 
abroad  by  a  U.S.  citizen  over- 
seas for  17  out  of  17  consecu- 
tive months.  If  the  bureau 
rules  they  cannot,  the  matter 
probably  will  be  appealed  to 
the  courts. 


Says  Legion  Favors 
'Limelight'  for  Free 


New  Orleans,  March  1.— The 
American  Legion  is  not  attempting  to 
prevent  the  exhibition  of  Charles 
Chaplin's  "Limelight"  but  merely  does 
not  want  to  see  Chaplin  earn  Ameri- 
can money  which  might  be  donated 
to  anti-American  causes,  Maurice 
Bender,  commander  of  the  Legion's 
First  District,  states  in  a  letter  to 
the  New  Orleans  Item. 

The  Legion  picketed  the  picture 
here  and  for  the  past  month  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  pros  and  cons  of  its 
action  has  been  carried  on  in  the  "let- 
ters from  readers"  columns  of  local 
papers. 

In  his  letter  to  the  Item,  Bender 
said  the  Legion  is  not  opposed  to  any- 
one seeing  the  picture  but  is  against 
anyone  making  millions  of  dollars 
which  might  find  their  way  into  the 
coffers  of  Communist  fronts.  If 
"Limelight"  were  to  be  shown  with- 
out an  admission  charge,  the  Legion 
would  not  object,  Bender  said,  and 
added  "Maybe  I  would  go  see  it  my- 
self." 

He  denied  the  Legion  had  attacked 
Chaplin's  character  or  moral  stan- 
dards and  reiterated  that  the  Legion 
asks  that  the  picture  be  withheld 
from  exhibition  only  until  Chaplin 
has  answered  Justice  Department 
questions. 

10,000  Detroit  Mail 
Orders  for  Cinerama 

Detroit,  March  1.  ■ —  Across-the- 
counter  ticket  sales  for  "This  is  Cine- 
rama" started  here  today  for  the 
March  23  opening  at  the  Music  Hall 
Theatre.  Advance  mail  orders  are  said 
to  be  in  excess  of  10,000. 

In  the  first  four  days  of  mail  order 
acceptances,  the  theatre  received  6,955 
requests  for  tickets.  The  Detroit  open- 
ing is  the  second  in  the  U.  S.  "This 
is  Cinerama"  is  now  in  its  seventh 
month  at  the  Broadway  Theatre  in 
New  York. 


Drive-ins  Starting 

Buffalo,  March  1. — A  sure  sign 
of  spring :  The  Lakeshore  drive-in 
at  Lakewood  in  the  Chautauqua  Lake 
region,  will  open  for  the  season  on 
Thursday,  the  first  to  re-open  in 
Western  New  York.  The  Lakeshore 
is  owned  by  the  Blatt  Brothers. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor -in -Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsave,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing;  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising-  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  C-blden  Sq..  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor:  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12)  foreign;  single  copies,  10c 


Monday,  March  2,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


DeMille  Lauds  3-D, 
But  Says  Story,  Not 
Gadgets,WillPayOff 

Cleveland,  March  1. — Television, 
Cinerama  and  all  tri-dimensional 
methods  were  praised  by  Cecil  B.  De- 
Mille here  at  the  weekend,  but  he  said 
that  "it  was,  the  story  and  not  the 
gadgets  that  brings  in  the  patrons." 
In  Cleveland  to  receive  the  Critics' 
Circle  third  annual  award  trophy  for 
"The  Greatest  Show  on  Earth,"  De- 
Mille said  that  pictures  and  TV  are 
only  as  good  as  the  ideas  they  dis- 
tribute. 

Speaking  briefly  on  his  forthcoming 
"Ten  Commandments,"  DeMille 
stressed  the  importance  of  teaching- 
history  via  the  screen  and  said  that  he 
never  digresses  from  historical  facts. 


DeMille  Sweeps  Foreign 
Correspondents  Awards 

Hollywood,  March  1. — Cecil  B. 
DeMille's  "The  Greatest  Show  on 
Earth"  swept  the  annual  Golden  Globe 
Awards  of  the  Hollywood  Foreign 
Correspondents  Association.  It  was 
named  the  year's  best  dramatic  pic- 
ture" and  DeMille  was  acclaimed  the 
"top  director."  "Greatest  Show"  also 
won  the  annual  color  photography 
award. 


3-D  Research  Group 
Formed  in  Nashville 

Nashville,  March  1. — The  Moving 
Picture  Research  Corp.  has  been  in 
corporated  here  for  the  "research  and 
development  of  three-dimensional  mo 
tion  pictures  and  other  entertainment 
by  all  methods  and  means  related  to 
the  lenticular  process,  including  tele 
vision."     The  company  is  chartered 
to  "sell,  license  or  lease  any  fran 
chise,  rights  or  privileges  that  may 
result  from  said  research  and  develop- 
ment program." 

Principals  listed  are  Sam  L.  Leach, 
Mrs.  Moriat  McDonnell  de  Martini 
and  Ward  Hudgins.  Neither  Leach 
nor  Mrs.  de  Martini  is  connected  with 
theatre  interests.  Hudgins,  a  U.  S. 
district  attorney,  has  been  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  representative  in 
recent  actions  involving  the  Crescent 
Amusement  Co.  anti-trust  litigations. 


Reviews 


The  Girl  Who  Had  Everything 

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) 

THIS  frothy  title  may  give  the  impression  that  "The  Girl  Who  Had 
Everything"  is  a  light  comedy  or  a  musical,  whereas  the  picture  actually 
is  heavy  drama,  intensely  interesting  in  some  parts  and  routine  in  others. 
The  exhibitor  has  a  good  crop  of  names  to  sell — Elizabeth  Taylor,  William 
Powell,  Fernando  Lamas,  Gig  Young  and  James  Whitmore.  And  Miss 
Taylor  is  shown  to  good  advantage  in  a  variety  of  wardrobes  that  are  pleas- 
ing to  the  eye,  such  as  swim  suits,  formals  and  sport  clothes. 

The  story  is  built  around  the  Senate  Crime  Investigating  Committee — at 
least,  that  is  the  indirect  theme.  Lamas,  the  kingpin  in  a  crime  syndicate, 
has  Powell  for  his  lawyer  who  does  a  good  job  in  defending  the  mob.  But 
when  his  daughter,  Miss  Taylor,  falls  in  love  with  Lamas,  Powell  has  a 
problem  on  his  hands.  Having  always  given  her  complete  independence,  he 
discovers  the  fallacy  of  his  policy  in  raising  her,  because  he  has  no  desire 
to  have  Lamas  for  a  son-in-law.  She  refuses  to  give  up  Lamas  and  even 
slaps  her  father  when  he  tries  to  get  her  to  change  her  mind.  When  Powell 
tells  Lamas  that  he  is  going  to  testify  against  him  at  the  Washington  hear- 
ings, the  killer  attacks  him.  This  makes  the  daughter  realize  her  mistake. 
The  gang,  having  been  told  by  Lamas  that  he  is  quitting  the  racket,  rubs 
him  out.  And  Powell  and  Miss  Taylor  start  life  anew. 

The  picture  is  somewhat  wordy,  with  action  sequences  spaced  too  far  apart. 
But  the  picture  has  sufficient  appeal  to  rate  in  the  money  class.  Armand 
Deutsch  produced  and  Richard  Thorpe  directed.  The  screenplay  by  Art  Cohn 
was  adapted  from  a  novel  by  Adela  Rogers  St.  John.  Robert  Burton  and 
William  Walker  round  out  the  capable  cast. 

Running  time,  69  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release.  Al  Steen 


107,512  Collected 
To  Date  for  Rogers! 

Fund,  Says  Feldman 

  ,  j 

A  total  of  $107,512  has  been  re- 
ceived to  date  for  the  Will  Rogers 
Memorial  Hospital  Christmas  Salute,' 
it  was  announced  over  the  weekend 
by  Charles  J.  Feldman,  national  dis- 
tributor chairman,  and  Sam  J.  Switow, 
national  exhibitor  chairman,  in  a  joint 
statement  on  the  campaign  within  the 
amusement  industry. 

A  tabulation  of  the  monies  received 
from  each  exchange  area,  the  total  of 
Salute  scrolls,  and  special  and  cor- 
porate contributions,  reveals  that  in 
most  territories  local  chairmen  in- 
creased their  totals  over  1951.  The 
IATSE  campaign  conducted  nation- 
ally through  locals,  has  readied  $16,- 
590,  passing  last  year's  total.  This, 
in  addition  to  what  is  expected  from 
other  sources  in  the  next  few  weeks, 
will  push  the  figure  to  over  $110,000 
when  the  Salute  is  closed  out  at  the 
end  of  March. 


« 


Interstate  of  N.  E. 
To  Equip  2  with  3-D 

Boston,  March  1. — Interstate  Thea- 
tres will  equip  at  least  two  houses  in 
the  circuit  with  some  variety  of  three- 
dimensional  equipment,  it  was  re- 
vealed here  at  a  district  managers 
meeting  called  by  general  manager 
James  Mahoney.  Three-dimensional 
films  were  also  the  topic  at  a  meeting 
of  Interstate  managers  from  Connec- 
ticut and  Western  Massachusetts  held 
in  Hartford,  addressed  by  president 
Theodore  Fleisher. 

A  meeting  of  Interstate  managers 
in  the  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire 
areas  will  be  held  March  4  at  White 
River  Junction,  Vt. 


Screen  "Legion  at  Bat" 

Columbia  Pictures,  distributors  of 
-the  short  subject,  "The  Legion  at 
Bat,"  and  Emerson  Yorke,  its  pro- 
ducer, were  hosts  on  Friday  at  a  re- 
ception and  screening  of  the  first  offi- 
cial film  on  American  Legion  junior 
baseball  activities,  held  at  the  RCA 
Exhibition  Hall. 


Ma  and  Pa  Kettle  on  Vacation 

(Universal-International)  Hollywood,  March  1 

WHAT  is  there  to  say  about  a  Kettle  picture?  What  does  a  showman 
want  to  know  about  it,  knowing  already  that  it  will  make  money  in 
amounts  contradicting  all  the  rules  in  the  book  of  box-office?  Does  he  care 
whether  it  takes  place  in  this  country  or,  as  this  time,  in  Paris  ?  Or  whether 
it's  better  than  or  not  so  good  as  its  predecessor  (as  if  anybody  but  the 
Kettles'  target-public  could  know  that)  or  even-up?  He  does  need  to  be 
reassured,  of  course,  that  Mar  j  one  Main  and  Percy  Kilbride  are  in  their 
accustomed  roles  as  Ma  and  Pa  Kettle,  and  perhaps  the  most  important  thing 
to  be  said  about  the  fifth  picture  in  the  series  is  that  yes,  they  are.  Pre- 
cedent suggests  that  a  showman  who  posts  the  new  title  and  adds  the  infor- 
mation that  the  Main-Kilbride  billing  still  stands  needn't  worry  about  much 
else  but  counting  his  earnings. 

It  remains  to  be  remarked,  purely  for  purposes  of  information  and  with 
no  reference  whatever  to  financial  potential  or  audience  reaction,  that  the 
Kettle  brood  appears  only  momentarily  at  the  beginning  and  again  at  the 
end  of  this  production,  and  that  the  gags,  situations  and  routines  in  which 
their  parents  engage  during  their  visit  to  Paris,  which  comprises  the  bulk 
of  the  footage,  are  totally  unrelated  to  their  numerous  progeny  or,  for  that 
matter,  to  anything  else  specifically  Kettle-esque.  They  are  gags,  situations 
and  routines  that  Mack  Sennett  dredged  up  in  his  boyhood  from  the  even 
then  dead  era  of  medicine  shows  and  wheel  burlesque,  and  there  seems  no 
reason  for  doubting  that  they'll  prove  as  profitable  in  this  picture  as  they 
did  for  him.  You  know  them  all  too  well  to  stand  for  their  repetition  here. 

The  production  is  by  Leonard  Goldstein,  the  direction  by  Charles  Lamont, 
and  the  writing  is  attributed  to  Jack  Henley.  The  cast  includes  Ray  Collins, 
Bodil  Miller,  Sig  Ruman,  Barbara  Brown,  Ivan  Triesault,  Oliver  Blake, 
Teddy  Hart  and  Peter  Brocco. 

Running  time,  75  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release.  William  R.  Weaver 


"Old  Overland  Trail'9 

(Republic) 

REX  ALLEN  again  is  the  epitome  of  a  hero  on  the  plains  and  his  Western 
fans  will  not  be  disappointed  with  his  latest  production  for  it  moves 
along  smoothly  and  furnishes  the  usual  amount  of  action. 

Rex  portrays  a  government  agent  working  for  the  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs. 
He  is  sent  with  his  partner,  Slim  Pickens,  to  break  up  some  Apache  up- 
risings in  an  area  where  his  brother  has  gone  into  business.  The  brothers 
meet  in  an  Indian  raid  which  destroys  all  of  the  homesteaders'  equipment. 
This  sad  state  of  affairs  proves  a  boom  to  Roy  Barcroft  and  his  partner, 
Rex's  brother.  When  Rex  sees  his  brother  flagrantly  exploiting  the  misfor- 
tunes of  the  settlers,  the  two  have  a  rough-house  fight.  The  fight  is  well 
handled  and  extremely  convincing. 

Brother  Jim  realizes  the  error  of  his  ways  but  Barcroft  kills  him  to  place 
the  suspicion  on  Rex.  After  a  tussle  or  two  with  the  Indians  and  an  attempted 
train  robbery,  Rex  and  his  buddy  expose  and  defeat  Barcroft  and  his  col- 
laborators. The  film  closes  on  a  note  of  retribution  as  the  misguided  Indian 
chief  saves  Rex  and  kills  Barcroft. 

Milton  Raison's  screenplay  is  adequately  handled  by  associate  producer 
Edward  J.  White  and  director  William  Witney.  Slim  serves  as  a  good  foil 
for  Allen  and  provides  some  of  the  humorous  moments  of  the  film.  Rex  and 
the  Republic  Rhythm  Riders  offer  three  musical  selections  which  add  to  the 
general  effect.  Barcroft  and  the  rest  of  the  cast  do  creditable  jobs. 

Running  time,  60  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb.  25. 


Blumenstock  Returns 
After  Product  Talks 

Mort  Blumenstock,  Warner  Broth- 
ers' vice-president  in  charge  of  ad- 
vertising-publicity, r-eturned  to  his 
headquarters  at  the  company's  Bur- 
bank  studio  by  plane  over  the  week- 
end. While  in  New  York,  Blumen- 
executives  and  set  up  campaigns  for 
"House  of  Wax,"  3-D  film  in 
Natural  Vision  and  WarnerColor, 
starring  Vincent  Price,  Frank  Love- 
joy  and  Phyllis  Kirk;  "The  Blue 
Gardenia,"  an  Alex  Gottlieb  produc- 
tion starring  Anne  Baxter,  Richard 
Conte  and  Ann  Sothern ;  "Trouble 
Along  the  Way,"  John  Wayne  star- 
rer, and  "By  the  Light  of  the  Silvery 
Moon,"  with  color  by  Technicolor, 
co-starring  Doris  Day  and  Gordon 
MacRae  and  which  will  have  its  world 
premiere  at  Radio  City  Music  Hall. 


Make  Zukor  Trailer 
Plugging  (Sangareef 

Adolph  Zukor,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Paramount  Pictures,  now 
celebrating  his  Golden  Jubilee  in  the 
motion  picture  business,  has  just  made 
a  special  color  in  Technicolor  trailer 
filmed  in  Paramount's  new  three-di- 
mensional process,  promoting  "San- 
garee,"  first  of  the  studio's  productions 
to  be  photographed  both  in  3-D  and 
regular  versions. 

The  trailer,  directed  by  Don  Hart- 
man,  in  charge  of  production  at  Para- 
mount, will  be  screened  at  exhibitor 
meetings  and  other  gatherings.  In  the 
film,  showing  Zukor  seated  at  a  "San- 
garee"  set,  the  pioneer  briefly  recounts 
highlights  of  his  career. 


Extend  Time  for  Sale 
Of  Two  RKO  Houses 

Washington,  March  1. — The  Jus- 
tice Department  has  agreed  to  extend 
for  60  days  the  deadline  for  RKO 
Theatres  to  dispose  of  two  first-run 
theatres  in  downtown  Cincinnati,  They 
are  the  Capitol  and  Shubert. 

The  circuit  sold  the  theatres  once 
but  then  had  to  take  them  back  from 
the  new  owners.  The  Justice  Depart- 
ment in  August  gave  RKO  until 
Feb.  28  to  sell  the  theatres  again,  but 
the  company  was  unable  to  do  this, 
and  so  received  more  time,  until 
April  29. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  2,  1953 


In  the  THE  A  TRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

with  RAY  GALLO 


ADDED  to  the  projection  carbon 
line  of  the  National  Carbon  Co. 
are  a  new  positive  carbon  for  con- 
denser type  high-intensity  lamps  in 
larger  theatres  which,  however,  do  not 
require  the  full  maximum  light  of  Na- 
tional "Hitex"  carbons,  and  a  new 
7-mm.  suprex  carbon  in  two  lengths. 
Designated  as  the  13.6-by-22-inch  "reg- 
ular H-I  Positive  Carbon,"  the  first 
is  designed  for  operation  between  125 
and  160  amperes,  to  provide  a  much 
wider  current  range  than  previous 
carbons  for  similar  service.  The 
7-mm.  suprex  positive  is  for  variable 
feed  lamps  and  is  available  in  12  and 
14-inch  lengths. 

Production  of  metallic  screens  for 
three-dimension  projection  is  now 
taking  the  entire  facilities  of  the 
Williams  Screen  Co.,  Akron,  O.,  ac- 
cording to  Harry  C.  Williams,  presi- 
dent. The  screens  are  produced 
from  seamless  plastic,  remain  per- 
manently flexible  and  have  perfora- 
tions with  no  projecting  fibres  to 
impede  sound  or  collect  dirt.  They 
also  are  fungus  proof  and  unaf- 
fected by  moisture,  the  announce- 
ment states. 

• 

W.  B.  Potter,  director  of  advertis- 
ing for  Eastman  Kodak  Co.,  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y .,  has  received  the  first  an- 
nual leadership  award  of  radio  station 
WHAM,  the  Stromberg-Carlson  sta- 
tion in  Rochester. 

e 

An  illustrated  brochure  describing- 
its  line  of  playground  equipment  for 
drive-ins  has  been  issued  by  the 
American  Playground  Device  Co., 
Anderson,  Ind.  Included  are  specifi- 
cations for  such  apparatus  as  swing 
sets,  slides,  see-saws,  merry-go- 
rounds,  castle  towers,  picnic  grills, 
etc.  A  copy  of  the  brochure  can  be 
secured  by  writing  to  the  company. 
• 

For  third-dimension  projection, 
Motiograph,  Inc.,  of  Chicago  has 
available  for  immediate  delivery 
the  gear  reduction  type  projector 
interlocking  equipment  shown  be- 
low. This  mechanical  system  inter- 
connects the  soundheads  through 
gear  reduction  boxes  mounted  in 
front  of  the  soundhead  castings  and 
joined  by  a  slowly  revolving  cross- 
rod.  It  is  adaptable  for  use  with 
any  make  or  model  of  mechanism, 
the  announcement  states,  "except 
certain  obsolete  models  having  un- 
orthodox drives."  Equipment  for 
electrical  interlock  (selsyn  motors) 
is  furnished  on  special  drive  only, 
the  company  adds.  It  can  be  used 
under  the  same  conditions  as  the 
mechanical  system,  with  the  motors 
replacing  the  two-gear  reduction 
boxes. 


Theatre  TV  Compromise 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


dustry's  petition,  attorneys  Vincent 
Welch,  for  the  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  and  Marcus  Cohn, 
for  the  National  Exhibitors  Theatre 
Television  Committee,  said  the  indus- 
try would  not  object  to  a  dismissal 
of  the  current  theatre  television  hear- 
ings. 

In  addition,  the  petition  requests  the 
FCC  to  issue  a  statement  of  policy 
to  the  effect  that  all  common  carriers 
utilizing  the  frequencies  now  allocated 
to  common  carriers  will — if  the  new 
theatre  television  common  carrier  is 
authorized — "cooperate  in  the  resolu- 
tion of  conflicts  pertaining  to  the  util- 
ization of  those  frequencies  through 
advance  joint  consultations"  and  that 
"where  frequency-usage  conflicts  must 
be  resolved"  the  Commission  "will  ex- 
pect interconnection  of  the  facilities  of 
such  common  carriers  with  respect  to 
channels  suitable  for  theatre  television 
transmission  purposes." 

Add  Another  Peg 

The  industry  also  asked  the  com- 
mission to  add  another  peg  to  its 
policy  statement  and  say  that  in  cases 
where  interconnection  with  another 
common  carrier  must  be  used  the 
other  carrier  will  provide  facilities 
technically  equivalent  to  those  of  the 
theatre  television  carrier. 

Until  now  the  industry  has 
been  asking  for  exclusive  chan- 
nels for  theatre  television  trans- 
mission. What  the  petition 
means,  in  the  words  of  an  in- 
dustry attorney,  is  that  the  in- 
dustry will  give  up  its  request 
for  exclusive  theatre  television 
channels  and  will  agree  to  share 
common  carrier  frequencies — if 
a  special  common  carrier  can  be 
set  up  by  the  industry,  with 
FCC  approval,  to  transmit  only 
large  screen  programs  for  thea- 
tres. 

He  explained  that  the  industry  is 
not  thinking  of  either  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co.  or 
Western  Union — major  common  car- 
riers— as  the  common  carrier  which 
will  transmit  theatre  television  pro- 
grams. The  industry  wants  to  set  up 
its  own  common  carrier,  he  said,  to 
do  the  job. 

MPAA  and  NETTC  said  they 
realized  it  was  possible  that  the  prob- 
lems inherent  in  sharing  frequencies 
with  other  common  carriers  could  be 
solved  by  the  FCC  on  a  case-by-case 
basis.  On  the  other  hand,  they  said, 
"because  of  the  very  substantial  in- 
vestment required,  persons  interested 
in  establishing  a  theatre  television 
service  cannot  undertake  the  develop- 
ment of  the  service  on  the  mere  hope 
that  it  will  receive  the  necessary  co- 
operation from  existing  common  car- 
riers." They  pointed  out  that  Amer- 
ican Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co.  has 
repeatedly  refused  to  permit  inter- 
connection with  its  facilities. 

The  petition  said  the  industry 
felt  a  policy  statement  by  the 
FCC,  plus  authorization  for  a 
special  theatre  television  com- 
mon carrier,  "would  make  it 
clear  that  the  Commission  in- 
tends to  assure  the  theatre 
television  industry  reasonable 
opportunity  to  establish  and 
develop  a  nationwide  theatre 
television  service.  Such  a  policy 
declaration  would  encourage  the 
industry  to  go  ahead  with  the 
development  of  a  theatre  tele- 


vision service,  by  alleviating 
doubts  with  respect  to  the 
above-described  difficulties." 

The  petition  stems  from  the  Com- 
mission's action  in  temporarily  re- 
cessing the  theatre  television  hearing 
early  last  month.  Shortly  before  that, 
the  Commission  had  asked  Cohn  and 
Welch  eight  detailed  questions  con- 
cerning the  industry's  proposals  and 
prognoses  regarding  theatre  television. 
The  questions  were  asked,  the  Com- 
mission said,  in  order  to  clear  up  "ap- 
parent inconsistencies"  in  the  hearing 
record  up  to  that  point.  When  the 
questions  were  answered,  the  Commis- 
sion said,  it  would  decide  whether  to 
go  on  with  the  hearing  and,  if  so, 
whether  to  change  the  scope  of  the 
hearing. 

On  Feb.  9  Welch  and  Cohn  spent 
the  entire  day  answering  not  only 
the  eight  formal  questions  presented 
by  the  FCC,  but  a  steady  barrage  of 
questions  which  developed  the  infor- 
mation given  by  the  attorneys. 

The  hearing  recessed  at  the  close 
of  the  day,  pending  a  Commission 
ruling  on  what  it  would  do  about  re- 
suming the  hearing. 

Referring  to  the  questions  asked  by 
Commissioners  the  petition  declared 
that  "the  extent  of  the  commitments 
which  the  Commission  is  apparently 
seeking  in  this  proceeding  ...  is  un- 
precedented." However,  the  petition 
goes  on,  the  industry  "have  attempted 
to  give  and  will  continue  to  give  the 
Commission  all  the  information  which 
it  desires." 

The  petition  states  that  the 
industry  has  considered  the 
question  of  the  amount  of  time 
and  expense  involved  if  it  is  to 
answer  satisfactorily  all  the 
questions  asked  by  the  Commis- 
sion. The  industry  has  also 
wondered  whether  there  isn't  a 
presently  available  method 
would  give  high  quality  theatre 
television  transmission  and 
"which  would  at  the  same  time 
minimize  the  allocations  prob- 
lem involved  and  thus  permit  a 
more  expeditious  termination  of 
the  proceeding,"  the  petition 
said. 

The  industry  is  satisfied,  the  peti- 
tion went  on,  that  the  most  rapid  and 
efficient  development  of  theatre  tele- 
vision would  come  if  exclusive  fre- 
quencies were  assigned  to  the  service 
by  the  FCC.  The  petition  pointed  out 
that  A.  T.  and  T.  witnesses  said  dur- 
ing the  hearing  that  the  company  "can 
and  will  make  an  effort  to  provide 
facilities  of  the  quality  required  by 
careful  study. 

the  theatre  television  industry." 

But,  the  petition  continued,  "ade- 
quate service  from  existing  common 
carriers  is  still  a  very  long  way  off." 

A.  T.  and  T.'s  "assertion,"  the  peti- 
tion said,  together  with  a  Commission 
question  about  the  feasibility  of  a 
common  carrier  offering  only  a  the- 
atre television  service,  "may  now  sug- 
gest a  possible  compromise  situation," 
to  which  the  industry  has  been  giving 
careful  study. 


Silver  City 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


doubted  the  advisabiilty  of  such  a 
step. 

Rep.  Donald  Jackson  (R.,  Calif.) 
asked  the  Commerce,  State  and  Jus- 
tice Departments  whether  anything 
could  be  done  to  prevent  .exports  of 
this  film,  which  he  said  would  make 
valuable  propaganda  for  the  Com- 
munists. Commerce  spokesmen  said 
unofficially  that  they  believed  the 
present  law  gives  wide  latitude  to 
the  Administration.  At  present,  the 
Department  screens  exports  of  tech- 
nical films  on  an  individual  basis,  but 
permits  "general  licensing" — without 
individual  scrutiny — for  other  films. 

The  Commerce  spokesmen  indicated 
a  feeling  that  to  use  the  export  con- 
trol authority  for  the  Silver  City  film 
would  be  to  establish  a  censorship 
precedent,  and  that  this  could  lead  to 
endless  difficulties  with  films  that 
might  present  a  less  clear-cut  case 
than  the  Silver  City  production. 

However,  they  added,  Secretary 
Weeks,  State  Secretary  Dulles  and 
Attorney  General  Brownell  might  take 
a  different  view. 

They  also  pointed  out  that  they  did 
not  know  whether  steps  could  be  taken 
under  the  Internal  Security  Act  or 
any  other  legislation. 


20  New  Theatres 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Carolinas  Meet  Nov.  22-24 

Charlotte,  March  1. — The  annual 
convention  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  Association  of  North 
and  South  Carolina  will  be  held  here 
on  Nov.  22-24. 


atres  of  Puerto  Rico,  Inc.,  Rio  Pie- 
dras,  P.  R.,  $44,400;  Kent  Theatre 
Corp.,  Dover,  Del.,  drive-in,  $16,700; 
Connellee  &  Co.,  Aberdeen,  Md.,  $55,- 
000 ;  Thomas  H.  Blash,  Cumberland, 
Md.,  drive-in,  $15,000;  H.  J.  Gilbert, 
Princeton,  W.  Va.,  $152,326;  Eastern 
Theatre  Co.,  Inc.,  Goldsboro,  N.  C., 
drive-in,  $56,900;  H.  D.  Bowers,  Kos- 
ciusko, Miss.,  $70,000;  Gary  Outdoor 
Theatre  Corp.,  Gary,  Ind.,  drive-in, 
$48,000;  Donald  W.  Campbell,  New- 
town, N.  D.,  $25,000;  Minnesota 
Amusement  Co.,  Minot,  N.  D.,  $93,- 
000 ;  Arcada  Theatre,  Holton,  Kans., 
$102,800. 

Also:  Rowley  United  Employes 
Pension  Fund,  Little  Rock,  Ark., 
drive-in,  $46,172;  William  R.  Ever- 
ill,  Salt  Lake  City,  drive-in,  $20,000; 
John  K.  Cook,  Tucson,  Ariz.,  amount 
not  given ;  W.  R.  Becker,  Yuma, 
Ariz.,  drive-in,  $14,500;  Regina 
Perry,  Yerington,  Nev.,  drive-in, 
$24,000 ;  Jones  Enterprises,  Inc., 
North  Bend,  Ore.,  $71,950. 


Levin  Heads 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


has  been  set  up  for  the  purpose  of 
specializing  in  surveys,  research,  and 
inspections  for  drive-in  operations.  Its 
first  assignment  is  a  nationwide  sur- 
vey and  analysis  of  the  current  drive- 
in  situation,  with  its  relationship  to 
the  future. 

The  Institute,  which  is  affiliated 
with  Jack  H.  Levin  Associates,  Inc., 
has  headquarters  in  the  Paramount 
Building,  New  York. 


Audio,  Ltd.  Acquires 
Ad  Film  Company 

Toronto,  March  1. — Audio  Pictures, 
Ltd.,  distributor  of  screen  advertising 
films,  has  acquired  the  assets  in  Brit- 
ish Colombia  of  Canadian  Screen 
Publicity,  including  all  existing  cus- 
tomer contracts  and  theatre  screening 
agreements. 


Monday,  March  2,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


US  Reports  Drop 
In  Industry  Firms 


Washington,  March  1. — The  num- 
ber of  firms  in  the  motion  picture 
industry  dropped  again  in  the  second 
quarter  of  1952,  the  Commerce  De- 
partment reports. 

The  Department  said  the  total  fell 
from  14,900  at  the  end  of  March  to 
14,800  at  the  end  of  June.  These  fig- 
ures include  all  branches  of  the  in- 
dustry. 

The  number  had  reached  a  peak  of 
15,100  in  the  third  quarter  of  1950. 
In  the  fourth  quarter  of  that  year, 
the  total  dropped  to  15,000  and  re- 
mained steady  through  June,  1951.  In 
the  third  quarter  of  1951,  it  fell  again, 
to  14,900,  and  then  stayed  at  that  fig- 
ure until  the  new  drop  in  the  second 
quarter  of  1952. 

Commerce  officials  said  that  in  the 
April-June  period  last  year  about  300 
new  firms  entered  the  industry  while 
approximately  400  old  firms  discon- 
tinued operations. 


Government  Film 
Workers  Discharged 

Washington,  March  1. — Thirty  and 
90-day  discharge  notices  have  been 
handed  to  the  50  employes  of  the 
Agriculture  Department's  film  pro- 
duction section. 

The  section,  which  for  the  past  41 
years  has  produced  and  printed  films 
for  the  Agriculture  Department  and 
other  government  agencies,  has  run 
out  of  work  due  to  the  economy  pro- 
gram of  the  new  Administration, 
officials  explained.  They  added  that 
business  might  pick  up  later  and  that 
if  so,  some  discharge  notices  would 
be  withdrawn.  They  added,  however, 
that  they  are  not  too  optimistic. 

The  move  does  not  affect  the  far 
smaller  section  of  the  chief  of  the  film 
unit.  This  unit  acts  as  an  adviser  to 
the  Secretary  of  Agricluture  on  film 
training  material  and  also  distributes 
pictures. 

Wilson  Compton  Resigns 

Washington,  March  1.  —  Doctor 
Wilson  M.  Compton  has  resigned  as 
head  of  the  State  Department's  Inter- 
national Information  Administration. 
The  Administration  is  in  charge  of 
the  film  division  and  other  branches 
of  the  overseas  information  program. 


Review 


ff 


San  Ant  one 

(Republic) 

THERE  is  enough  action,  including  Indian  fights  and  hand-to-hand  com- 
bats, in  this  picture  to  satisfy  those  fans  who  like  the  outdoor  flavor  in 
their  film  fare.  The  picture  is  particularly  rich  in  scenic  beauty  and  excellent 
photography.  The  theme  is  familiar,  that  of  a  cattle  drive  with  the  accom- 
panying hazards  and  obstacles  until  the  mission  is  accomplished. 

Rod  Cameron  portrays  a  young  Texas  rancher  who,  in  1861,  arrives  at 
the  estate  owned  by  Arleen  Whelan's  father  with  orders  for  Forrest  Tucker 
to  give  military  escort  to  a  large  herd  of  cattle  being  driven  to  rebel  head- 
quarters. Tucker  resents  Cameron's  appearance  because  the  latter  is  a  civilian 
while  Tucker  is  a  Confederate  lieutenant  and  also  because  he  appears  to  be 
a  rival  for  Miss  Whelan's  hand.  But  in  reality,  Cameron  has  little  use  for 
the  Southern  belle  because  she  is  flighty  and  deceptive. 

On  the  cattle  drive,  a  troop  of  Union  soldiers  attacks  the  party  and  Tucker 
turns  coward  and  runs  away  while  Cameron  is  captured  and  remains  a  pri- 
soner for  the  balance  of  the  war.  Meanwhile,  Tucker  has  joined  the  forces 
of  Maximilian  in  Mexico  and  his  raiders  kill  Cameron's  father.  The  aim  of 
Cameron  then  is  to  find  Tucker  and  get  revenge  and  the  core  of  the  story 
is  Cameron's  trek  into  Mexico  in  search  of  his  father's  killer  who  is  a  pri- 
soner of  Juarez's  bandits.  With  Cameron  are  Miss  Whelan  and  Katy  Jurado, 
sister  of  Rodolfo  Acosta,  leader  of  the  bandits.  Cameron  finds  Tucker  and 
there  is  a  terrific  fight,  but  Cameron  spares  his  enemy's  life  and  sends  him 
away  with  Miss  Whelan,  while  Cameron  bestows  his  love  on  Miss  Jurado. 

Cameron  is  convincing  in  his  role  and  carries  the  acting  honors  of  the 
picture.  One  criticism  might  be  some  overly-melodramatic  dialogue  and  some 
dramatic  sequences  that  do  not  register  from  the  standpoint  of  plausibility. 

Joseph  Kane,  who  directed,  also  was  associate  producer.  Steve  Fisher  wrote 
the  screenplay,  from  a  novel,  "The  Golden  Herd,"  by  Curt  Carroll. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Roy  Roberts,  Bob  Steele,  Harry  Carey,  Jr.,  James 
Lilburn,  Andrew  Brennan,  Richard  Hale,  Martin  Garralaga,  Argentina 
Brunetti,  Douglas  Kennedy,  Paul  Fierro,  George  Cleveland. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Feb.  15.  Al  Steen 


Anderson  Is  Named 
UPT  City  Manager 

Buffalo,  March  1. — Francis  Ander- 
son has  succeeded  Ira  Epstein  as 
United  Paramount  Theatres  city  man- 
ager in  Rochester,  according  to  an  an- 
nouncement by  Arthur  Krolick,  UPT 
general  manager  of  Buffalo  and  Ro- 
chester. 

Anderson  resigned  the  UPT  city 
management  post  in  Rochester  about  a 
year  ago  to  enter  the  publishing  busi- 
ness. Before  becoming  associated  with 
UPT,  Anderson  was  with  RKO  Thea- 
tres in  the  same  city. 

It  is  understood  Epstein  is  return- 
ing to  New  York  but  has  not  as  yet 
announced  his  future  plans. 


Favorite  Films  of  Cal. 
Buys  Out  G.  &  K. 

San  Francisco,  March  1. — M.  P. 
Jacobs,  president  of  Favorite  Films 
of  California,  Inc.,  in  Los  Angeles, 
has  closed  a  deal  whereby  he  bought 
out  Goodman  and  Kaufman,  distribu- 
tors of  films  in  11  Western  states 
and  elsewhere.  As  a  result,  Favorite 
will  distribute  Classic  Pictures,  for- 
merly handled  by  G.  and  K.  Herbert 
Kaufman  of  the  bought-out  firm  will 
go  to  Favorite  as  general  manager 
with  headquarters  in  Los  Angeles. 


3  Higgins  Houses 
Leased  to  Sterling 

Portland,  Ore.,  March  1. — Three 
additional  theatres  in  a  neighboring 
Seattle  community  have  joined  the 
Sterling  Theatre  circuit,  reports  Fred 
Danz,  general  manager.  They  are  the 
Lake  City,  Bel  Vue  and  Gateway  in 
Kirkland,  Wash.  They  were  leased 
to  Sterling  by  Pete  Higgins,  operator 
of  Higgins  Amusement  Co. 


Gets  3  Theatre  Bills 

Toronto,  March  1. — On  the  agenda 
of  the  new  spring  session  of  the  On- 
tario legislature  are  bills  to  amend  and 
consolidate  the  Theatres  and  Cine- 
matographs Act,  Public  Halls  Act 
and  the  Touring  Shows  Act. 

Recommendations  for  theatre  and 
censorship  regulations  were  submitted 
to  the  provincial  government  by  a 
special  committee  of  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Theatres  Association  of  Ontario. 


16mm.  Suit 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


theory,  in  the  event  the  courts  find  the 
defendants  guilty  and  before  the  De- 
partment would  ask  for  specific  relief 
from  the  court. 

"If  they're  found  guilty, "  says  one 
official,  "then  we'll  have  a  big  pow- 
wow and  consider  the  industry's  views 
as  to  what  relief  we  can  get  without 
hurting  the  exhibitors.  But  that's 
quite  different  from  dropping  the  case. 
It's  never  been  contended  by  the  the- 
atre owners  that  the  defendants  aren't 
guilty — just  that  the  case  will  put 
them  out  of  business.  That's  not  nec- 
essarily so — it  depends  on  the  relief 
we  ask  after  the  defendants  are  found 
guilty." 


Legion  Places 
One  Film  in  Class  B 

The  current  Legion  of  Decency  re- 
port places  one  film,  "One  Girl's  Con- 
fession," Columbia,  in  Class  B,  and 
three  films  in  Class  A. 

"Confidentially  Connie,"  M-G-M,  is 
placed  in  Class  A-I  and  "Seminole," 
Universal,  and  "The  Tall  Texan," 
Lippert,  were  put  in  Class  A-II. 


Industry  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Southern  cities  and  other  points. 
A  meeting  has  been  tentatively 
set  for  Tuesday  with  Allied  gen- 
eral counsel  Abram  F.  Myers 
and  other  Allied  leaders. 

A  Committee  spokesman  said  Al- 
lied was  preparing  a  formal  presenta- 
tion for  the  Committee  and  would  un- 
doubtedly be  among  the  witnesses  at 
the  coming  public  hearings. 

Approved  Plans 

The  Committee  Friday  also  ap- 
proved plans  for  hearings  to  be  held 
by  a  sub-committee  headed  by  Sen. 
Schoeppel  (R.,  Kans.)  and  tentatively 
scheduled  the  hearings  to  start  March 
30  or  31,  and  run  for  about  two  weeks. 

The  Justice  Department  has  been 
sounded  out  for  its  views,  it  was 
learned.  The  department  has  taken  the 
stand — according  to  this  report — that 
most  of  the  matters  involved  in  the 
exhibitor  complaints  are  now  involved 
in  various  anti-trust  suits  pending  in 
the  courts,  and  that  the  matters  should 
be  left  for  the  courts  to  decide.  The 
Committee's  position,  it  was  reported, 
was  that  many  independent  exhibitors 
cannot  afford  to  take  their  troubles  to 
court,  and  so  Congress  must  look  at 
the  problem. 

The  Federal  Trade  Commission  has 
told  the  Committee  that  it  has  received 
many  exhibitor  complaints,  but  has 
channeled  them  to  the  Justice  Depart- 
ment, feeling  that  it  was  more  the  type 
of  problem  that  should  be  handled  by 
the  anti-trust  division. 


32  Productions  in 
Work  on  the  Coast 


Hollywood,  March  1. — The  pro- 
duction index  remains  even  for  a  total 
of  32,  with  three  new  pictures  start- 
ing and  an  equal  number  completed. 

Started  were :  "Valley  of  the  Head- 
hunters"  (Katzman  Corp.),  Colum- 
bia ;  "The  Robe,"  20th  Century-Fox ; 
"The  Burning  Arrow,"  Warner 
Brothers.  Completed  were :  "The 
Moon  Is  Blue"  ( Preminger-Herbert 
Productions)  United  Artists;  "Ab- 
bott and  Costello  Meet  Dr.  Jekyll  and 
Mr.  Hyde,"  Universal-International ; 
"House  of  Wax,"  Warner  Brothers. 


'Bwana'  Gross 

(Continued  front  page  1) 


is  considered  very  satisfactory  nor- 
mally. 

The  Orpheum  in  Denver  pulled 
$24,699  in  its  initial  week,  which  is 
about  double  a  normal  week's  business. 
Other  record-breakers  were  in  Dayton 
where  the  Keith  drew  $25,000  and 
the  Palace  in  Columbus  which  took 
in  $20,000  in  their  initial  weeks.  In 
a  dual  opening  in  the  Fox  Palace  and 
Wisconsin  theatres  in  Milwaukee, 
"Bwana"  took  in  $40,000  in  the  open- 
ing week.  At  the  Albee  in  Cincinnati, 
the  3-D  feature  drew  $32,000  in  its 
first  seven  days. 

"Bwana  Devil"  opened  at  the  Bran- 
ford  Theatre  in  Newark  late  last 
week  and  rang  up  $7,653  in  its  first 
two  days. 


First  3-D  Release 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Wax"  is  due  to  open  at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre  in  New  York  on 
April  10,  and  it  is  understood  that 
Columbia  is  racing  to  be  the  second 
company  among  the  majors  to  deliver 
a  3-D  feature.  If  "House  of  Wax" 
should  be  delayed,  Columbia  still  may 
be  the  first  on  the  scene. 

Both  companies  have  started  to  sell 
their  tri-dimensional  product  and  it  is 
expected  that  the  first  theatres  to  play 
the  pictures  will  be  those  that  have 
booked  "Bwana  Devil"  because  the 
equipment  is  on  hand. 


CinemaScope 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


"The  Robe,"  now  being  filmed  in  color 
by  Technicolor  and  costing  an  esti- 
mated $5,000,000,  will  be  utilized.  Al- 
terations are  currently  being  made  at 
the  home  office  projection  room  to 
facilitate  the  staging  of  the  Cinema- 
Scope  demonstration. 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president,  who 
delayed  his  departure  for  the  Coast 
last  week,  is  now  slated  to  leave  over 
the  coming  weekend  for  the  studios 
to  set  up  the  program. 


Tax  Proposals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


tee,  when  the  matter  is  presented  to 
them  this  week,  probably  Thursday. 

They  also  emphasized  that  even  if 
hearings  are  held  this  year,  actual 
legislation  growing  out  of  the  hear- 
ings might  go  over  until  the  following 
year. 

Members  refused  to  say  exactly 
when  the  excise  hearings  were  pro- 
grammed, merely  saying  they  would 
be  "sometime  after  Easter"  and  "be- 
fore adjournment"  in  July. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  2,  1953 


Television  Antennas 
Encircle  the  Globe 

Washington,  March  1— The 
Office  of  International  Trade 
in  the  Commerce  Department 
has  issued  a  report  review- 
ing recent  television  develop- 
ments in  38  foreign  nations. 
It  shows  that  stations  are  in 
operation,  under  construction, 
in  the  experimental  stage  or 
under  active  consideration  in 
all  but  three  of  the  38  coun- 
tries. 


Record  Number  of 
Television  Grants 


Washington,  March  1. — The  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  has 
approved  19  applications  for  television 
stations,  the  largest  batch  of  approvals 
so  far  issued  in  any  one  day. 

They  bring  to  260  commercial  and 
14  educational  stations  the  number  of 
applications  granted  since  the  "freeze" 
was  lifted  last  July.  Idaho  Falls  and 
Pocatello,  Idaho,  each  got  two  new 
stations  in  the  new  actions,  while  one 
new  station  was  authorized  for  each 
of  these  cities :  Decatur,  Ala. ;  Val- 
dosta,  Ga. ;  Champaign,  111. ;  Spring- 
field,  111.;  Pittsburg,  Kans. ;  New  Or- 
leans ;  Benton  Harbor,  Mich. ;  Sedalia, 
Mo.;  Butte,  Mont.;  Elmira,  N.  Y.; 
Charlotte ;  Durham,  N.  C. ;  Tulsa, 
Okla. ;  Scranton,  Pa, ;  Eau  Claire, 
Wis. 


Acquires  50  FBO 
Silents  for  Video 


Fifty  silent  pictures  produced  by 
Jesse  J.  Goldburg  and  released 
through  the  old  FBO  exchanges  and 
other  outlets  have  been  acquired  by 
Scott  Brown  for  distribution  to  tele- 
vision stations.  Brown,  former  16mm. 
film  distributor  in  Hollywood,  said 
that  the  pictures  would  be  given  an 
up-to-date  touch  by  using  new  footage 
for  introductions  and  closings.  Bob 
Livingston,  the  original  Lone  Star 
Ranger,  Ann  Bradley  and  "Death 
Valley"  Mack  will  appear  in  the 
openings  and  closings. 

The  FBO  pictures  were  acquired 
by  RKO  Radio  when  the  latter  com- 
pany absorbed  FBO  in  1928. 


CBC  in  Ottawa  Is 
Mulling  TV  Licenses 

Ottawa,  March  1. — The  Canadian 
Broadcasting  Corp.  will  consider  for 
the  first  time  applications  for  private 
TV  broadcasting  licenses.  Meetings 
for  that  purpose  will  be  held  March 
26-28. 


UA  Names  Braden 

Frank  Braden  has  been  signed  by 
United  Artists  as  national  exploita 
tion  representative  for  "Melba"  and 
will  leave  New  York  today  on  a 
country-wide  tour  publicizing  the  S 
P.  Eagle  musical,  it  was  announced 
by  Francis  M.  Winikus,  UA  national 
director  of  advertising-publicity 
Braden,  circus  press-agent,  served  in 
a  similar  capacity  on  "Samson  and 
Delilah,"  "The  Greatest  Show  on 
Earth"  and  "Fantasia." 


Television  -  -  Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


npHE  TV  CBSchedule  will  undergo  major  changes  starting  the  end 
*  of  the  month  when  "The  Big  Payoff"  switches  over  to  the  Paley- 
wick  from  NBC,  March  30,  to  take  over  the  daily  3:00  to  3  :30  P.M. 
slot.  Until  then  a  revised  "Eddie  Albert  Show,"  which  tees  off 
today  in  that  time,  to  be  shifted  to  another  time  after  the  "Payoff" 
switcheroo.  "Biff  Baker,  U.S.A.,"  film  series  currently  CBSeen 
Thursdays  at  9:00  to  9:30  P.M.,  will  be  dropped  after  the  March 
26th  stanza  and  on  April  2  will  be  replaced  with  "Lux  Video 
Theatre,"  which  will  move  from  Monday  night  at  8.  "Burns  &  Allen 
Show,"  starting  March  30,  will  take  over  the  vacated  "Lux"  Monday 
half  hour.  .  .  .  The  "Dinah  Shore  Show,"  telecast  for  NBChevrolet, 
Tues.  &  Thurs.  for  the  past  two  years,  has  been  extended  for  an 
additional  six  weeks  through  July  2.  Same  sponsor  will  also  star 
La  Shore  in  a  new  Radio  series  to  be  heard  via  NBC  Mondays  & 
Fridays  (10:00-10:30  P.M.)  starting  March  23.  .  .  .  Bob  Hope 
will  emcee  the  "Oscar  Awards"  scheduled  to  be  aired  and  telecast 
via  NBC  from  the  RKO  Pantages  Theatre,  March  19.  .  .  .  Some 
lucky  American  housewife, -not  only  will  be  crowned  "Queen  for  a 
Day"  by  producer  Jack  Bailey  but  she'll  also  be  flown  to  London  to 
witness  the  Coronation  ceremonies  of  another  Queen,  Elizabeth  II, 
in  London,  June  2. 


ft  ft 


ft 


Vaughn  Monroe's  third  motion  picture  for  Republic,  a 
collegiate  musical  titled  "The  Professor  and  the  Co-Ed,"  will 
go  into  production  in  May.  Vaughn's  last  picture,  a  western 
titled  "Toughest  Man  In  Arizona,"  has  been  doing  very  well 
at  the  box  office.  NBC  is  dangling  a  tempt- 
ing exclusive  TV  offer  to  Tom  Ewell,  star 
of  the  new  Broadway  smash  musical,  "Seven 
Year  Itch."  .  .  .  Producer  Richard  de 
Rochemont,  accompanied  by  Pulitzer  Prize- 
winner, Marc  Connelly,  en  route  to  Port- 
au-Prince,  Haiti,  where  they'll  set  up  plans 
to  produce  Marc's  newest  flicker,  "The 
Spring,"  based  on  a  Haitian  story.  .  .  . 
Jim  Coy's  daily  news  commentary  on  the 
"Today  In  N.  Y."  seg  of  NBC-TV's  "Today" 
series,  is  breezy,  informative  and  in  fact 
nothing  else  but  the  real  (Mc)Coy.  .  .  . 
Yvonne  de  Carlo  will  make  her  telefilm 
debut  Thursday  on  the  Ford  Theatre  pre- 
sentation of  "Madame  .44"  over  NBC-TV 
(9:30  P.M.)  when  she  stars  as  a  two-gun  gal  masquerading 
as  a  prim  New  England  school  marm.  .  .  .  With  the  addition 
of  KTNT,  Tacoma,  Wash.,  WTAG-TV,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich., 
KAFY-TV,  Bakersfield,  Cal.  and  KTTS-TV  Springfield,  Mo. 
(which  will  start  telecasting  in  the  Spring),  DuMont  Affiliates 
will  total  94.  .  .  .  Joe  Hornsby,  jingeleer  with  BBD&O,  is 
the  composer  of  the  Bing  Crosby  life  story-inspired  songhit 
"Am  I  Lucky,"  which  Bob  Kerr  published,  then  sold  to  Rob- 
bins  Music  for  beaucoup  d'argent.  .  .  .  Robert  Q.  Lewis 
collects  totem  poles,  20  of  which  are  currently  on  exhibition 
at  the  Fireside  Inn.  (Bob,  tell  us,  pray  tell,  who  climbs  them?) 
.  ,  .  Barbara  Britton  (Mrs.  North  of  the  TV  "Norths") 
expects  Sir  Stork  to  visit  her  for  the  third  time  in  July. 


Vaughn  Monroe 


ft  ft 


ft 


By  special  arrangement  with  Procter  &  Gamble,  sponsors  of 
the  film  series,  "The  Doctor,"  NBC  will  syndicpt'p  the  Marion 
Parsonnet  half-hour  productions,  making  them  available  to  local 
sponsorship  in  new  markets.  Latter  syndication  completed  via 
Benton  &  Bowles,  zvith  the  title  being  changed  to-  "The  Visitor." 
.  .  .  Edith  Adams,  CBSongstress,  who  took  a  leave  of  absence 
from  "Kovacs  Unlimited,"  TVehicle  in  January  for  the  role  of 
"Sister  Eileen"  in  the  new  click  Broadway  musical,  "Wonderful 
Town,"  zvill  return  to  the  Kovacs  program  the  third  week  in 
Ma>-ch.  Robert  Coleman  of  the  (N.  Y.)  Mirror  declared  "She 
(Edie)  can  sing,  act,  dance  and,  soothe  the  eyes.  She's  got  every- 
thing." .  .  .  Fred  MacMurray  and  Wally  (Mr.  -  Peepers)  Cox 
will  visit  Tailulah's  "All-Star  Revue"  telecast  (NBC)  March  14. 
.  .  .  Bob  Downing,  who  won  the  "Dr.  Christian"  essay  contest 
last  year,  has  been  making  a  name  for  himself  as  a  thespian, 
having  appeared  during  the  past  year  with  Martha  Raye,  Lily 
Pons,  Ezio  Pima,  Sarah  Churchill,  Hafpo  Marx  and  Paul 
Winchell. 


To  Use  Educational 
Theatre  TV  Show 
As  Technical  Test 


The  March  21  educational  theatre 
television  program,  set  for  seven  the- 
atres in  New  York  and  New  Jersey, 
will  be  utilized  as  a  major  technical 
test  for  the  medium,  it  was  learned 
here  at  the  weekend. 

With  a  comparatively  large  group 
of  engineers  participating,  efforts  will 
be  made  to  obtain  the  best  picture  pat- 
tern possible.  Theatre  circuit  ex- 
ecutives will  weigh  the  results  as  an 
indication  of  what  can  be  done  for 
such  programs  as  a  Broadway  show, 
a  sales  convention  and  other  theatre 
TV  programming.  Although  many 
types  of  theatre  TV  programs  have 
already  been  telecast,  theatre  execu- 
tives in  the  past  have  expressed  dis- 
appointment with  the  results  on  the 
screen. 

Tentative  plans  call  for  a  committee 
of  engineers,  composed  of  circuit  tech- 
nicians, RCA  personnel  and  A.  T. 
&  T.  to  supervise  the  event  which 
will  be  telecast  from  the  television 
studios  of  American  Broadcasting  Co. 
in  New  York.  The  program,  spon- 
sored by  the  Technical  Society's  Coun- 
cil of  New  York,  will  be  viewed  by 
an  estimated  20,000  high  school  stu- 
dents who  will  see  and  hear  addresses 
by  leading  educators  on  career  pos- 
sibilities in  technical  fields. 

Tentative  plans  call  for  tests 
throughout  the  week  prior  to  the  Sat- 
urday morning  one-hour  show,  which 
will  get  underway  at  10  o'clock,  and 
a  dress  rehearsal  the  night  before 
the  program.  Engineers,  according 
to  present  plans,  will  travel  from  the- 
atre to  theatre  to  watch  the  results  on 
the  screen  and  make  recommendations. 

The  following  theatres  will  be  in 
the  network:  New  York  Paramount, 
Lane,  Manhattan;  RKO  Fordham, 
Bronx;  Fabian's  Fox,  Brooklyn;  Cen- 
tury Circuit's  Marine,  Brooklyn; 
Prospect,  Flushing,  and  the  Lee,  at 
Fort  Lee,  N.  J. 


MGMStartsNewFilm 
Promotion  on  TV 


Highlights  from  "Battle  Circus," 
starring  Humphrey  Bogart  and  June 
Allyson,  shown  on  the  Ed  Sullivan 
"Toast  of  the  Town"  TV  program 
on  the  CBC  network  last  night, 
marked  the  first  of  eight  M-G-M  pic- 
tures to  receive  this  time-of-release 
promotion  through  this  national  pro- 
gram. 

Leslie  Caron,  in  town  for  the  world 
premiere  of  "Story  of  Three  Loves" 
at  Radio  City  Music  Hall  Thursday 
and  "Lili"  at  the  Trans  Lux  52nd 
St.  March  10,  appeared  in  person  as 
part  of  the  TV  audience  last  night 
and  was  introduced. 

According  to  M-G-M,  the  next  pic- 
ture to  be  presented  by  Sullivan  will 
be  "I  Love  Melvin,"  scheduled  for 
March  22,  with  Debbie  Reynolds  ap- 
pearing in  person.  The  remaining 
six  pictures  will  include  "Dream 
Wife"  and  five  others  to  be  an- 
nounced. 

The  arrangement  with  Sullivan  was 
made  by  M-G-M  following  the  presen- 
tation of  scenes  from  "Above  and 
Beyond"  in  January  along  with  the 
personal  appearance  of  Robert  Tay- 
lor. It  is  understood  that  both  com- 
pany and  exhibitor  reaction  favored 
similar  presentations. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  41 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A..TUESDAY,  MARCH  3,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Sol  Lesser  Has 
Only  1st  1,200 
3-D  Accounts 


Stereo  Techniques  Then 
Changes  Distributor 

Sol  Lesser's  Stereo  Techniques 
organization  will  handle  the  dis- 
tribution of  its  tri-dimensional  pro- 
gram only  on  the  first  1,200  ac- 
counts and  then  will  turn  the  sub- 
jects over  to  a  national  distributor  or 
state  rights  companies,  it  was  disclosed 
here  yesterday. 

On  the  basis  of  current  business  on 
the  3-D  program,  the  series  of  Stereo 
Techniques  will  gross  between  $900,- 
000  and  $1,000,000  on  its  first  1,200 
engagements,  it  was  said.  The  films 
have  played  approximately  200  en- 
gagements to  date. 

The  program,  consisting  of  five 
short  subjects,  was  produced  under 
the  three  dimensional  process  of 
Stereo  Techniques,  of  London.  Less- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Baruch  Key  Speaker 
At  Zukor  Jubilee 


"Elder  statesman"  Bernard  M. 
Baruch  will  be  the  keynote  speaker 
at  the  Adolph  Zukor  Golden  Jubilee 
dinner  here  tomorrow  night  at  the 
Hotel  Waldorf  Astoria.  This  was  an- 
nounced yesterday  by  dinner  chairman 
Harry  Brandt  and  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  international  chairman  of  the 
Zukor  tributes. 

In  addition  to  Baruch,  other  speak- 
ers will  include  New  York  Mayor 
Vincent  R.  Impellitteri,  Nathaniel  L. 
Goldstein,  New  York  State  Attorney 
General ;  Barney  Balaban,  Paramount 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Must  Open  Books  in 
Percentage  Suits 


Columbia,  S.  C,  March  2. — United 
States  District  Judge  C.  C.  Wyche 
has  ordered  a  complete  inspection  of 
all  theatre  books  and  records  in  seven 
pending  percentage  actions.  The  order 
was  entered  in  suits  by  Paramount, 
Loew's,  20th  Century-Fox,  Warner 
Brothers,  United  Artists,  Universal 
and  Columbia  against  William  Harold 
Hall,  operating  the  Dixie  Theatre  and 
Hall's  Drive-in,  both  located  in  West 
Columbia,  S.  C.  In  the  case  of  the 
Dixie,  the  theatre  records  for  each 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Harman  Says  Technical  Difficulties 
Of  3-D  Cartoons  Have  Been  Solved 

The  technical  details  of  producing  animated  cartoons  in  three 
dimensions  have  been  worked  out  by  Hugh  Harman,  veteran 
cartoon  producer  and  head  of  Harman-Ising,  Inc.  Harman  said 
here  that  his  organization  was  preparing  its  first  3-D  subject  and 
that  he  was  in  New  York  from  Hollywood  to  discuss  distribution. 

In  1931  and  1932,  Harman  said,  his  company  made  tests  of  3-D 
cartoons  and  that  they  were  successful.  However,  production  of 
the  subjects  appeared  to  be  impractical  at  the  time.  The  technical 
differences  in  producing  tri-dimensional  cartoons  and  live  action 
are  slight,  but  basically  the  technique  is  the  same,  requiring  two 
film  strips.  Stories  for  the  forthcoming  three  dimension  cartoons 
are  now  in  preparation,  said  Harmon. 

Harman  said  that  all  companies  were  thinking  about  3-D  cartoon 
production.  He  said  his  company  was  not  concerned  about  further 
tests  as  he  "knows  it  will  work." 

It  is  reported  that  Paramount  is  taking  steps  to  enter  the  3-D 
cartoon  field.  Paramount's  cartoons  are  made  in  New  York  by 
Famous  Studios  and  it  is  understood  that  active  operations  will 
start  when  the  necessary  cameras  are  obtained. 


Community  Operations  An 
Aid  to  Local  Businessmen 

Minneapolis,  March  2. — The  trend  in  this  area,  as  in  many  parts  of 
the  country,  toward  the  realization  that  a  town  which  loses  its  theatre  also 

loses  a  big  business  asset  has  prompt-  

ed  civic  groups  in  four  more  North 
Central  towns  to  underwrite  theatre 
operation  as  a  business  stimulator. 

Largest  of  the  four  new  projects 
under  consideration  is  at  Deadwood, 
S.  D.,  where  35  businessmen  are  con- 
sidering the  construction  of  a  $170,000 
building  to  include  a  theatre. 

The  town  has  been  without  a 
theatre  for  a  year.  The  Deadwood, 
operated  by  the  Black  Hills  Amuse- 
ment Co.,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1951,  but  the  Isis,  under  lease  to  the 
circuit,  has  been  kept  closed.  Legal 
action  to  force  the  company  out  of 
the  Isis  was  recently  defeated. 

Dr.    F.    S.    Howe,    a   director  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Newsreels  Increase 
Coverage;  Survey 
Reveals  New  Gains 


Yates  Calls  3-D 
Hollywood  Hysteria; 
Defends  TV  Sales 


"The  American  industry's  newsreels 
are  giving  the  nation's  film  fans  a 
more  extensive  coverage  of  world 
events  than  ever  before."  This  is 
disclosed  in  a  Motion  Picture  Asso- 
ciation of  America  analysis  of  the 
contents  of  520  newsreel  issues  re- 
leased in  1952  by  the  five  major  news- 
reel  organizations. 

The  survey  shows  that  of  some 
3,300  newsreel  topics  presented  last 
year,  785  dealt  exclusively  with  some 
aspect  of  the  foreign  scene,  an  in- 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,   March  2. — H.  J.  Yates, 
Republic    Pictures   president,  dashed 
some  cold  water  on  the  rising  three- 
dimensional  film  fever  during  a  press 
interview  f  o  1  - 
lowing  his  ar- 
rival here  from 
New  York. 

Yates  gave  it 
as  his  opinion 
that  Hollywood 
largely  has 
given  itself  over 
to  hysterics  on 
the  subj  ect  of 
3-D.  True  3-D 
is  not  even  in 
sight,  he  said. 
H  o  1  lywood's 
hysterical  fit, 
declared  Yates, 
confusion  and 


H.  J.  Yates 


has   led   in   turn  to 
panic. 

Of  some  of  his  Hollywood  confreres 
the  Repblic  chief  remarked,  "They're 
like  a  crowd  of  men  fishing  in  an  un- 
known pool  and  praying  they'll  drag 
up  a  crock  of  gold ;  though  it's  much 
more  likely  to  be  an  old  boot." 

Maybe,  Yates  conceded,  someone's 
3-D  dreams  will  one  day  come  true, 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Name  Newbery 
Republic  'VP' 
And  Sales  Head 

Armour  Succeeds  in  UK; 
Newbery  Here  Shortly 

The  appointment  of  C.  Bruce 
Newbery  as  vice-president  and  di- 
rector of  sales  of  Republic  Pictures 
in  the  United  States  was  announced 
in  London  yesterday  by  president 
Herbert  J.  Yates.  Newbery  will  suc- 
ceed James  R.  Grainger,  former  ex- 
ecutive vice-president  and  general 
sales  manager.  Newbery's  appoint- 
ment confirms  Motion  Picture 
Daily's  story  of  Jan.  26  when  it  was 
stated  that  Newbery  was  in  line  for 
the  post. 

Yates  yesterday  also  announced  the 
appointment  of  Reginald  Armour  to 
Newbery's  former  position  as  vice- 
president  and  chief  executive  officer 
of  Republic's  British  organization. 
Richard   G.   Yates,   former  assistant 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


See  No  Early  Pacts 
For  Branch  Workers 


More  than  half  of  the  32  exchange 
cities  have  been  covered  by  the  dis- 
tributors' exchange  operations  com- 
mittee for  the  purpose  of  negotiating 
new  contracts  with  the  branches'  front 
and  back  office  personnel,  but  to  date 
no  agreements  have  been  reached.  In 
fact,  there  is  no  sign  currently  of  an 
early  conclusion  of  the  pacts  and  the 

(Continued  on  page  41 


Formalize  Divorce 
Of  WB,  WB  Theatres 

The  physical  separation  of 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures  and 
Warner  Brothers  Theatres 
was  effected  as  of  the  close 
of  business  Saturday  and  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  new 
Stanley-Warner  Theatre  Co. 
met  here  last  night  to  form- 
alize the  transaction.  The 
meeting  was  held  here  in  the 
board  room  of  the  Warner 
Brothers  Building,  where  Si 
Fabian  and  Samuel  Rosen, 
president  and  vice-president, 
respectively,  will  make  their 
headquarters. 

The  board,  through  Fabian, 
is  slated  to  make  a  formal 
announcement  today. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  3,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


PERRY  LIEBER,  RKO  Radio  ad- 
vertising-publicity director,  arrived 
in  New  York  from  the  Coast 
yesterday. 

Edward  L.  Hyman,  vice-president 
of  American  Broadcasting-Paramount 
Theatres, !  has  left  here  for  a  trip 
through  the  Tri-States  area,  accom- 
panied by  Simon  B.  Siegel,  comp- 
troller. 

• 

Jerome  J.  Cohen,  motion  picture 
insurance  specialist,  on  Sunday  will 
celebrate  a  birthday  which  will  mark 
a  third  of  a  century  in  the  film  in- 
dustry. 

Milton  Dureau,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  Masterpiece  Pic- 
tures, announces  the  birth  of  a  second 
son  to  Mrs.  Dureau  in  New  Or- 
leans on  Saturday. 

• 

Lt.  Ted  Sullivan,  Jr.,  son  of  the 
vice-president  and  treasurer  of  Quig- 
ley  Publications,  returned  to  his  home 
here  yesterday  after  10  months  in 
Korea. 

Mort  Spring,  vice-president  of 
Loew's  International,  returned  here 
yesterday  from  the  Coast,  following- 
six  weeks  in  the  Far  East. 

• 

H.  M.  Rickey,  M-G-M,  exhibitor 
relations  head,  has  returned  here  from 
the  Oklahoma  Allied  convention  in 
Oklahoma  City. 

• 

Jack  Kaufman,  20th  Century-Fox 
sales  manager  in  Cincinnati,  will  talk 
to  the  Rotary  Club  of  St.  Mary's, 
Ohio,  tomorrow. 

Robert  Wile,  executive  secretary 
of  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners 
of  Ohio,  was  in  New  York  yesterday 
from  Columbus. 

9 

Samuel  Goldwyn  will  arrive  in 
Chicago  today  from  Hollywood  and 
will  leave  for  New  York  later  in  the 
week. 

Jack  Goldberg,  M-G-M  manager 
in  Albany,  and  Mrs.  Goldberg  are  on 
a  cruise  to  Central  America. 

• 

Luke    Stein,    president   of  Stein 
Theatres  in  Georgia  and  Florida,  is 
recuperating  at  Pasadena,  Cal. 
• 

Arthur  Loew,  president  of  Loew's 
International,,  has  left  the  Coast  for 
South  America. 


Producers  Split  on  Merits 
Of  3-D,  Wide-Screen  Films 

Hollywood,  March  2. — Ten  members  of  the  Screen  Producers  Guild, 
meeting  an  equal  number  of  journalists  at  SPG's  second  meet-press  lunch- 
eon, split  about  evenly  today  on  the  relative  merits  of  stereoscopic  and 
peripheral-screen  systems,  but  were  unanimous  on  their  collective  value 
to  the  industry  as  a  stimulant  to  tech 


nological  progress  and  public  interest. 

Informal,  informed  discussion  last- 
ing two  hours  brought  out,  from 
various  speakers,  the  disclosure  that 
all  peripheral-screen  systems  now  in 
existence  or  in  experimentation  are 
susceptible  to  being  used  with  stereo- 
scopic processes  requiring  audience 
viewers  as  well  as  otherwise.  Pro- 
ducers William  Pine  and  Bryan  Foy, 
each  fresh  from  completing  _  his  first 
production  in  three-dimension,  dif- 
fered to  some  extent  on  the  manner 
in  which  the  new  medium  should  be 
cultivated,  but  agreed  that  its  useful- 
ness and  durability  will  depend  on  the 
immediate  supply  of  quality  product. 

Other  producers  participating  were 
Samuel  G.  Engle,  chairman  of  the 
public  relations  committee,  Harriet 
Parsons,  Buddy  Adler,  Hall  Bartlett, 
Robert  Bassler,  Stanley  Kramer, 
Walter  Mirisch,  Ted  Richmond  and 
Carey  Wilson. 


Rank  to  Use  3-D 
Stableford  Screen 


Donald  Mersereau 
Quits  'Film  Daily9 

Donald  Miller  Mersereau  resigned 
late  yesterday  as  associate  publisher 
and  general  manager  of  Film  Daily, 
and  as  general  manager  of  Radio 
Daily.  He  had  been  with  Jack  Ali- 
coate's  trade  paper  publishing  interests 
for  some  30  years. 

Mersereau  will  leave  New  York  to- 
day or  tomorrow  for  Palm  Springs 
and  a  vacation. 


London,  March  2.  —  Regarded  as 
the  most  significant  step  taken  so  far 
on  this  side  in  the  3-D  flurry  is  the 
decision  of  J.  Arthur  Rank  to  equip 
all  of  his  551  theatres  with  the  three- 
purpose  Stableford  screen,  claimed  to 
be  suited  to  the  screening  of  3-D, 
panoramic  or  standard  35mm.  films. 

The  decision  follows  prolonged 
tests  at  Rank's  experimental  TV  thea- 
tre in  the  London  suburb  of  Penge, 
at  the  Festival  of  Britain  Telecinema 
and  at  the  2,075-seat  Kensington 
Odeon. 

J.  L.  Stableford,  optics  specialist 
and  inventor  of  the  screen,  has  just 
returned  from  the  U.  S.  following  a 
demonstration  before  a  joint  Research 
Council-SMPTE  gathering.  He  re- 
ports his  factory  is  working  at  capac- 
ity filling  American  orders  for  the 
screen. 


Set  the  Basis  for 
SMPTE  Convention 


Stereoscopic  motion  pictures  and  the 
engineering  of  drive-in  theatres  stand 
out  in  the  schedule  of  sessions  for 
the  Society  of  Motion  Picture  and 
Television  Engineers'  73rd  conven 
tion  at  Los  Angeles  on  April  27 
May  1,  it  is  announced  by  program 
chairman  Ralph  Lovell  of  NBC  Tele- 
vision, Hollywood. 

Other  special  subjects  slated  for 
discussion  are  color  television  stan- 
dards being  developed  by  the  National 
Television  System  Committee,  sub- 
scription television,  magnetic  record- 
ing and  editing  and  high-speed  pho- 
tography. 


Technicolor  Tests 
Rival  Processes 


London,  March  2. — Technicolor  has 
installed  the  necessary  equipment  to 
test  and  use  the  more  important  of 
rival  color  processes,  the  better  to 
serve  the  industry,  Dr.  Herbert  T. 
Kalmus,  Technicolor  president,  said 
here. 

Kalmus  said  there  is  no  doubt  the 
industry  is  going  more  completely  into 
color,  with  other  processes  being  used 
more  extensively  than  hitherto.  Total 
positive  film  sold  by  Technicolor  in 
1952  was  37  per  cent  more  than  the 
preceding  year,  he  said. 

Last  year  the  British  company  sup- 
plied Technicolor  facilities  for  28  fea- 
ture films,  as  against  13  in  1951.  Pres- 
ent indication  is  that  34  Technicolored 
features  will  be  made  here  this  year. 

Kalmus  said  important  film  interests 
in  Germany,  France  and  Italy  have 
asked  Technicolor  to  establish  labora- 
tories in  those  countries.  He  reported 
his  company  is  cooperating  with  most 
of  the  3-D  processes  in  an  endeavor 
to  enhance  entertainment  values. 


Maas  to  Tokyo  for 
Quota  Conferences 

Irving  Maas  will  represent  member 
companies  of  the  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
port Association  in  Tokyo  at  the 
forthcoming  conferences  on  the  new 
Japanese  film  quota  for  the  next  fiscal 
year,  which  starts  April  1.  Eric 
Johnston,  MPEA  president,  cabled 
the  Japanese  government  yesterday 
that  Maas  would  leave  New  York  for 
the  parleys  tomorrow. 

Whether  Maas  will  represent  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  of  Independent 
Motion  Picture  Producers  had  not 
been  determined  late  yesterday.  The 
MPEA  was  trying  to  contact  SIMPP 
president  Ellis  Arnall  to  learn  if  he 
wanted  to  have  his  association's  own 
representative  at  the  meetings. 


NCA  Board  Meeting 
March  9  on  3-D 

Minneapolis,  March  2.— The 
board  of  North  Central  Allied 
has  been  summoned  to  a 
March  9  meeting  at  the  Nicol- 
let Hotel  here  to  probe  the 
impact  of  three-dimensional 
films. 

Benjamin  Berger,  NCA  pres- 
ident, declared  that  3-D  was 
a  potential  "shot  in  the  arm" 
for  film  exhibitors,  but  said 
that  there  were  many  sides  to 
the  problem  which  need 
study. 

The  board  will  also  com- 
plete plans  for  the  annual 
convention  which  opens  May 
5  in  Minneapolis  and  will  dis- 
cuss further  methods  of  com- 
batting pre-release  engage- 
ments and  other  terms  which 
Berger  said  were  hurting  in- 
dependent exhibitors. 


Merman  Is  Hostess 
At  20th-Fox  Party 

Scores  of  Ethel  Merman's  friends 
of  the  entertainment,  political,  social 
and  business  worlds,  last  evening  as- 
sembled at  the  star's  invitation  to  see 
an  advance  showing  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "Call  Me  Madam."  The  pre- 
view, held  at  the  home  office  of  the 
company,  was  followed  by  a  party  at 
which  Miss  Merman  was  hostess. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

— — —   Rockefeller  Center 


Tonight  We  Sing" 

Ezio  PINZA  .  Roberta  PETERS 
Tamara  TOUMANOVA .  David  WAYNE 
Color  by  TECHNICOLOR 
A  20th  Century- Fox  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


JERRV 


MARTIN*  LEWS 

•  Pic 

<§TOOGE 

  A  Paramount  Picture  


dnight  Ftotur* 


Kansas  City  Grosses 
Dip  75%  Due  to  Snow 

Kansas  City,  March  2. — The  most 
severe  storm  of  the  winter  hit  the 
Kansas  and  Missouri  area  yesterday 
and  sent  grosses  in  this  city  down  to 
scarcely  25  per  cent  of  normal  Sun- 
day business. 


$48,000  for  'Peter  Pan' 

Cleveland,  March  2.  —  With  a 
record-shattering  $48,000  opening 
week  take,  "Peter  Pan"  reportedly 
did  more  business  here  at  the  3,300- 
seat  RKO  Palace  than  anywhere  in 
the  U.S.  in  proportion  to  population. 


2  BIG  I.  F.  E.  HITS  ON  B'WAY! 


SILVANA 

MANGANO 


'VITTflRiri 


'vittorioTassman 

BRANDTS  GLOBE  46thSt& 


FERNANDEL  m 

THE  1ITTIE  WORLD  OF 

DON  CANILL0' 

RBJOll  45th  st  w- of 

DIIWIlB'way  CO  5-8215 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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  Tames  P  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising-  Manager;  Cus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building. 
William  R  Weaver '  Editor  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street  FR  2-2843  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Bumup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup,- 
Editor-  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


H  1 1 


■ 


•  'i.  .'-s. 


\\o' 


4to 


in 


itC"tiCs 
4 stars!*  "  *rtft  , 


romulus  presents  JOSE  FERRER  in  John  Huston's  "MOUUNf  ROUGE" 

Color  by  Technicolor  •  with  ZSA  ZSA  GABOR  •  SUZANNE  FLOrjl , 

And  Introducing 


COLETTE  MARCHAND 


A  ROMULUS  Production 


Directed  by  JOHN  HUSTON  •  Screenplay  by  Anthony  Veiller  and  iohn.Huston 
From  the  Novel  "MOULIN  ROUGE"  by  PIERRE  LA  MURE 

7 ACADEMY  AWARD  NOMINATIONS! 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  3,  1953 


Newsreels  Increase 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Yates  Calls 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

But,  he  maintained,  in  the  ultimate 
analysis,  the  test  lies  in  the  picture 
itself. 

"I  have  given  firm  orders  to  my 
own  people  to  concentrate  on  making 
20  good  pictures  a  year  and  to  forget 
all  about  this  business  of  glasses  and 
wide  screens." 

Delicate  Subject 

Yates  went  on  to  defend  Republic's 
policy  of  selling  films  to  television,  a 
delicate  subject  in  this  land  in  which 
the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors  Asso- 
ciation has  vowed  that  its  members 
will  not  trade  with,  a  producer  who 
services  TV. 

As  a  producer  of  motion  pic- 
tures, Yates  claimed  the  right 
of  any  manufacturer  to  sell  his 
wares  in  any  profitable  market. 
You  can't  just  brush  off  tele- 
vision, ran  the  argument.  It's 
here  and  it  will  grow  into  the 
world's  biggest  entertainment 
medium,  if  indeed  it  is  not  so 
already.  Film  is,  and  more  so  in 
the  future,  its  food.  The  motion 
picture  business  has  to  face 
the  inevitability  of  some  kind  of 
integration  with  the  putative 
enemy. 

Yates  believes  he  has  the  answer  to 
the  Sphinx's  riddle.  As  the  manu- 
facturer, he  will  trade  with  both 
classes  of  retailer  and  make  film  for 
theatres  and  TV. 

12  "B"  Films 

Yates  said  that  the  newly  regis- 
tered Republic  Productions  (Great 
Britain),  Ltd.,  will  make  12  "B"  pic- 
tures slightly  over  3,000  feet  in 
length  here.  The  pattern  will  be  set 
by  the  first  three,  to  be  made  by 
Western-producer  R.  G.  Springsteen ; 
the  others  to  be  made  by  British  tech- 
nicians. Yates  said  experiments  have 
shown  that  an  acceptable  package  pro- 
gram can  be  made  up  of  a  good  fea- 
ture, '  a  newsreel  and  one  of  his  30- 
minute  pieces. 

He  declined  to  comment  on  a  sug- 
gestion that  a  30-minute  picture  is 
just  what  TV  needs  but  said  he  will 
set  up  similar  production  projects 
in  any  country  that  he  finds  con- 
venient. 

Yates  said  that  Republic's  sales  of 
films  to  television  last  year  brought 
his  company  $3,000,000.  He  reckons 
on  $5,000,000  from  that  source  this 
year,  clear  enough  indication  that 
more  sales  to  TV  are  in  prospect. 


Baruch  Key  Speaker 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

president,  and  O'Donnell.  Canon  Ed- 
ward N.  West,  D.D.,  of  the  Cathedral 
of  St.  John  the  Divine,  will  give  the 
invocation. 

The  entertainment  portion  of  the 
program  will  be  headed  by  Bob  Hope 
and  Rosemary  Clooney.  Also  sched- 
uled is  a  film  featurette,  "The  Adolph 
Zukor  Story,"  prepared  by  Paramount 
News  editor  A.  J.  Richard  and  Rus- 
sell Holman,  Eastern  production  head 
of  Paramount. 

Meanwhile,  Zukor  will  be  honored 
today  by  the  14th  Street  Association 
in  two  ceremonies,  citing  Zukor's  start 
in  the  amusement  business  with  a 
penny  arcade  on  14th  St.  A  luncheon 
at  Luchow's  and  the  unveiling  of  a 
plaque  on  the  site  of  the  penny  arcade, 
now  the  site  of  Ohrbach's,  are  in- 
cluded in  the  ceremonies. 


crease  of  118  topics  of  foreign  source 
over  the  previous  12  months,  marking 
one  of  the  greatest  years  on  record 
for  overseas  coverage. 

American  newsreels  last  year  re- 
corded salient  events  and  happenings 
in  71  different  countries  and  terri- 
tories of  the  world. 

Great  Britain,  with  274  se- 
quences, provided  the  richest 
source  of  newsworthy  material. 
Korea  rated  second  with  242 
sequences.  Other  countries  that 
figured  importantly  were 
France,  Germany,  Italy,  Canada 
and  Japan. 

The  broader  coverage  of  interna- 
tional events  brought  no  curtailment 
in  newsreel  attention  to  the  domestic 
front.  In  all,  the  reels  brought  out 
over  2,500  sequences  covering  every 
newsworthy  facet  of  life  and  activity 
in  the  U.  S.  The  Presidential  elec- 
tion and  campaigns  alone  accounted 
for  305  of  the  topics. 

Sports  continued  to  be  an  important 
reservoir  of  news,  with  sequences  on 
football  again  outnumbering  those  on 
baseball  by  better  than  a  two-to-one 
ratio.  Water  sports  gained  in  topical 
frequency,  replacing  horse-racing  for 
third  place. 

Despite  the  accelerated  pace  of 
defense  preparations,  the  reels 
reflected  substantial  gains  in 
scientific  and  industrial  prog- 
ress with  101  sequences  devoted 
to  this  category  as  against  66 

SAG  Won't  Defend 
Mexican  Actress 

Hollywood,  March  2. — The  Screen 
Actors  Guild  tonight  rejected  a  re- 
quest from  the  Mexican  Actors  Guild 
for  SAG  "intervention  in  favor  of 
our  member  Miss  Rosaura  Revueltas, 
whose  unjustified,  unpredictable  de- 
tention has  caused  deep  indignation  in 
our  country." 

The  Mexican  actress  was  taken  into 
custody  last  week  at  Silver  City, 
N.  M.,  by  immigration  officials  on  the 
suspicion  of  illegal  entry. 

The  SAG  reply  to  the  Mexican 
Actors  Guild  request  read  in  part : 
"We  will  always  protect  the  wages 
and  working  conditions  for  actors  of 
all  nationalities  working  in  the  United 
States  for  film  producers  who  have 
signed  our  basic  agreement.  We  want 
you  to  know,  however,  that  Miss  Re- 
vueltas was  working  for  a  non-union 
company,  not  signatory  to  our  con- 
tract." The  untitled  film  in  which  the 
Mexican  actress  was  working  had 
been  condemned  by  SAG  and  the 
AFL  Film  Council  previously. 


Newbery  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  Grainger,  will  be  assistant  director 
of  sales  under  Newbery. 

Newbery  is  expected  to  leave  Lon- 
don for  New  York  within  the  next 
10  days  to  take  up  his  new  duties. 
Armour  assumed  his  new  duties  in 
London  yesterday.  Upon  his  return 
to  New  York,  Yates  will  attend  sev- 
eral regional  sales  meetings  with 
Newbery  throughout  the  United 
States.  Similarly,  Richard  W.  Alt- 
schuler,  president  of  Republic  Inter- 
national, is  arranging  a  tour  of  Great 
Britain  with  Armour. 


during  1951.  News  developments 
affecting  the  nation's  health 
and  welfare  showed  correspond- 
ing gains  with  44  topics  in  1952 
compared  with  29  for  the  pre- 
ceding year.  Education  and 
labor  also  captured  a  greater 
share  of  attention  in  1952. 

A  relatively  large  number  of  disas- 
ters hit  the  nation  last  year,  according 
to  the  newsreel  tabulations.  Holo- 
causts and  catastrophes,  both  in  the 
"Act  of  God"  and  man-made  cate- 
gories, numbered  137  last  year — 33 
more  than  in  1951. 

Unprecedented  Number 

Theatres  in  1952  exhibited  an  un- 
precedented number  of  newsreel  is- 
sues devoted  entirely  to  a  single  sub- 
ject. There  were  31  such  issues  last 
year,  against  only  10  during  the  pre- 
vious year.  Twenty-four  of  the  31 
special  editions  dealt  with  the  politi- 
cal conventions,  the  Presidential  can- 
didates and  President  Eisenhower's 
visit  to  Korea. 

The  American  industry,  through  its 
newsreels,  continued  its  record  of  co- 
operation with  public  welfare  projects, 
devoting  63  sequences  to  humani- 
tarian, civic  and  charitable  causes. 
The  analysis  of  the  contents  of  Amer- 
ican newsreels  is  part  of  a  continuing 
study  made  under  the  direction  of 
MPAA's  Newsreel  Committee  of 
which  Walton  C.  Ament,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Warner  Pathe  News,  is  the 
present  chairman. 


Red  Cross  Post  for 
Sigmund  Gottlober 

Sigmund  Gottlober,  executive  direc- 
tor of  the  Foreign  Language  Press 
Film  Critics'  Circle,  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  direct  the  publicity  and 
promotion  drive  in  the  New  York 
foreign  language  press  and  radio  on 
behalf  of  the  American  Red  Cross 
annual  fund  drive  for  1953. 

This  will  mark  the  12th  consecutive 
year  of  service  to  the  Red  Cross  in 
this  capacity  by  Gottlober. 


Lesser's  3-D 

(Contimied  from  page  1) 

er's  only  connection  with  that  process, 
at  this  time,  is  in  the  distribution  of 
the  five  pictures  in  the  United  States. 
He  bought  the  distribution  rights  from 
the  London  company. 

Lesser's  process  for  making  3-D 
films  is  Stereo-Cine,  which  he  owns 
with  Raphael  Wolff,  Hollywood  ad- 
vertising and  industrial  film  producer, 
who  developed  the  Stereo-Cine  proc- 
ess and  technique.  There  is  no  con- 
nection between  Stereo-Cine  and 
Stereo  Techniques.  One  film  already 
has  been  filmed  by  Lesser  in  the 
Stereo-Cine  process.  This  is  "Car- 
menesque,"  starring  Lili  St.  Cyr.  A 
second  picture  using  the  same  process 
is  in  production. 


Marian  Gueth  Resigns 

Buffalo,  March  2. — Marian  Gueth 
has  resigned  as  secretary  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  New 
York,  Western  zone,  after  29  years 
with  that  local  exhibitor  organization 
and  has  accepted  a  position  with  the 
rehabilitation  division  of  the  Veterans 
Administration. 


Local  Business 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Phoenix  Realty,  which  is  sponsoring 
the  new  project,  told  a  merchants' 
committee  that  "if  Deadwood  is  to 
have  a  theatre  it  must  be  a  com- 
munity project,"  adding,  "if  Dead- 
wood  is  to  continue  living  and  grow- 
ing as  a  city,  our  need  is  as  great 
for  a  theatre  •  as  it  was  for  the  hos- 
pital." Howe  pledged  a  $25,000  dona- 
tion toward  the  project  providing  that 
businessmen  raise  at  least  $100,000. 

A  Mediapolis,  Iowa  group  of  45 
businessmen  have  organized  the  Citi- 
zens' Theatre  Committee  and  have 
taken  over  the  lease  on  the  Swan 
Theatre  from  I.  R.  Lesne  and  Mrs. 
Lily  Johnson.  The  committee  will 
operate  the  house  four  nights  a  week, 
Wednesday,  Friday,  Saturday  and 
Sunday,  with  a  children's  free  show 
on  Friday  nights. 

A  Lake  Bronson,  Minn.,  Commer- 
cial Club  has  voted  to  reopen  a  shut- 
tered theatre  as  a  community  project. 
A  committee  headed  by  Harris  Hall- 
gren  will  direct  operations.  Further 
cooperation  was  reported  in  the  in- 
stallation of  150  new  seats  by  the 
local  American  Legion  post. 

The  Victory  Theatre  at  Fontanelle, 
Iowa,  will  be  reopened  and  operated 
by  the  Fontanelle  Enterprise  Club  and 
a  committee  headed  by  C.  C.  Wallace 
was  instructed  to  draft  a  plan  guar- 
anteeing support  of  the  project. 


Percentage  Suits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

day  of  operation  from  Jan.  1,  1941 
to  Aug.,  1952  are  required  to  be  pro- 
duced by  the  defendants. 

In  his  opinion,  Judge  Wyche  made 
reference  to  his  consideration  of  simi- 
lar motions  pending  by  distributors 
against  Herbert  B.  Ram  and  others 
and  affirmed  his  prior  ruling. 

Augustus  T.  Graydon  and  C.  T. 
Graydon  of  Columbia,  S.  C.  repre- 
sented the  distributors  with  Sargoy 
and  Stein,  New  York,  of  counsel. 


Percentage  Suits  Against  Newbold 
Circuit  Settled  Out  of  Court 

Bluefield,  W.  Va.,  March  2.  — 
Seven  pending  percentage  actions  in 
Federal  Court  against  the  Newbold 
Circuit  have  been  terminated  with  the 
filing  of  a  stipulation  in  the  court  by 
attorneys  for  both  sides  to  the  effect 
that  the  matters  in  difference  between 
the  parties  have  been  settled. 

The  seven  actions  were  by  Para- 
mount, Loew's,  Warner  Brothers, 
RKO  Pictures,  United  Artists,  Uni- 
versal and  Columbia  against  Newbold, 
operating  theatres  in  West  Virginia 
and  Kentucky. 

Paxton  and  Seasongood  of  Cincin- 
nati and  A.  J.  Lubliner  of  Bluefield 
represented  the  distributors,  with  Sar- 
goy and  Stein,  New  York,  of  counsel. 


No  Early  Pacts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

parleys  may  extend  well  into  the 
spring. 

It  is  reported  unofficially  that  the 
local  unions  are  "comparing  notes" 
on  the  conferences  held  in  the  various 
cities  in  order  to  reach  a  basis  for 
provisions  of  new  contracts.  The 
negotiating  committee  has  been  broken 
up  into  three  "teams"  which  are  tour- 
ing the  country.  Each  team  has  about 
five  more  cities  to  visit. 


Tuesday,  March  3,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Kas,  Censor  Repeal 
Measure  Seen  Dead 

Topeka,  March  2.— With  the 
present  session  of  the  state 
legislature  drawing  to  a  close, 
little  chance  of  action  is  seen 
on  the  bill  introduced  by  Rep. 
Milo  Sutton  to  end  film  cer- 
sorship  in  Kansas. 

The  bill  still  is  in  the  house 
State  Affairs  committee,  to 
which  it  was  referred  follow- 
ing its  introduction.  Indica- 
tions are  it  will  remain  there. 
Rep.  Sutton  is  one  of  20  Dem- 
ocrats in  a  house  composed  of 
125  members.  The  state  admin- 
istration is  Republican  and  35 
of  the  40  state  senators  are 
Republican. 


Enact  Bill  to  Cut 
Mont.  Theatre  Tax 

Helena,  March  2. — A  bill  reducing 
Montana  license  taxes  on  motion  pic- 
ture theatres  has  been  passed  by  the 
legislature  and  sent  to  the  governor 
for  signature. 

A  1947  law  required  Montana  thea- 
tres to  pay  a  tax  of  \%  per  cent  of 
gross  ticket  sales  above  $12,000  a  year. 
The  new  measure  raises  that  exemp- 
tion to  $20,000. 


Amusem't  Tax  Take 
Rises  in  Chicago 

Chicago,  March  2.— City  amuse- 
ment tax  figures  released  by  the  city 
collector's  office  here  today  reflect  an 
increase  in  January  theatre  receipts 
over  those  of  the  corresponding  month 
last  year.  February  collections  (on 
January  receipts)  this  year  were  $90,- 
654.49,  against  $87,130.49  last  year,  an 
increase  of  roughly  four  per  cent. 


Starr  in  Air-time  Change 

A  change  of  air  time  marks  Martin 
Starr's  entry  into  his  sixth  year  for 
New  York  station  WINS  as  drama 
critic  and  motion  picture  commenta- 
tor. The  reporter  will  be  heard,  be- 
ginning last  night,  at  7  :30  P.M.,  in- 
stead of  7  :00  o'clock  with  his  nightly 
coverage  of  Broadway-and-Hollywood 
over  his  programs,  "Movie  Starr 
Dust"  and  "Broadway  Starr  Dust." 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING  . . . 

FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK    1  | 
TRAILERS  flpf^li 

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MITCHELL  MAY,  Jr. 

CO.,  INC. 

INSURANCE 
• 

Specializing 

in  requirements  of  the 

Motion  Picture  Industry 

75  Maiden  Lane.  New  York 
3720  W.  6th  St..  Los  Angeles 


Boasberg,  Kramer 
To  Toronto  Meeting 

Charles  Boasberg,  general  sales 
manager  for  RKO  Radio,  and  Sidney 
Kramer,  short  subject  sales  manager, 
will  leave  New  York  tonight  for  To- 
ronto for  the  final  session  of  a  series 
of  meetings  with  the  field  sales  force 
in  preparation  for  the  company's 
forthcoming  "25th  Anniversary 
Drive,"  March  6-June  25. 

Walter  Branson,  assistant  general 
sales  manager,  will  join  them  in  To- 
ronto tomorrow  following  completion 
of  a  meeting  today  in  Chicago.  Other 
home  office  sales  executives  who  will 
be  present  include  Harry  Gittleson,  as- 
sistant to  Branson,  and  Frank 
Mooney,  assistant  to  David  Prince, 
Southern  division  manager. 

Attending  from  the  field  will  be 
Carl  Peppercorn,  Canadian  district 
manager,  and  branch  managers  Jactc 
Labow,  Toronto  ;  Harry  Cohen,  Mon- 
treal, and  Meyer  Nackimson,  Winni- 
peg. 


Owen  Will  Conduct 
Albany  Meet  Today 

Fourth  in  the  current  series  of 
Paramount  Eastern  and  Southern 
division  branch  meetings  of  spring 
and  summer  releases  is  taking  place  in 
Albany  today,  with  Hugh  Owen, 
division  manager,  presiding.  Owen 
has  conducted  meetings  in  the  At- 
lanta, Boston  and  New  Haven 
branches. 

Owen  will  return  to  New  York  to- 
morrow to  attend  the  Variety  Clubs 
International  dinner  honoring  Para- 
mount board  chairman  Adolph  Zukor 
on  his  Golden  Jubilee  in  the  industry. 
The  following  day  Owen  will  proceed 
to  Buffalo,  where  another  branch 
meeting  will  be  held.  Subsequently 
he  will  hold  meetings  in  New  Orleans, 
Jacksonville,  Charlotte  and  New 
York. 


Johnston  to  Testify 
On  Overseas  Program 

Washington,  March  2.  —  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  presi- 
dent Eric  A.  Johnston  is  tentatively 
scheduled  to  testify  Friday  before  a 
Senate  Foreign  Relations  sub-commit- 
tee studying  the  government's  over- 
seas information  program. 

The  sub-committee,  which  is  headed 
by  Sen.  Hickenlooper  (R.,  Iowa),  is 
studying  all  information  media  and 
is  planning  to  hear  both  industry 
and  government  officials.  Committee 
spokesmen  said  that  the  motion  pic- 
ture hearings  might  start  even  earlier, 
since  several  witnesses  who  were  in- 
vited to  testify  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day have  not  yet  replied.  Moreover, 
additional  witnesses  might  testify  Fri- 
day, it  was  stated. 


AM  PA  Membership 
Meet  Next  Tuesday 

The  annual  membership  luncheon- 
meeting  of  the  Associated  Motion  Pic- 
ture Advertisers  will  be  held  here 
next  Tuesday. 

The  purpose  of  the  meeting  is  to 
appoint  a  nominating  committee  for 
new  officers  and  to  discuss  business 
and  policy  items,  including  continua- 
tion of  the  AMPA  school,  publica- 
tion of  a  book  based  on  the  course 
and  program  ideas  for  future  meetings. 


Would  Repeal  Tenn. 
Theatre  Tax  Law 

Nashville,  March  2.— A  1949 
Tennessee  1  a  w  authorizing 
cities  and  counties  to  levy  a 
20  per  cent  tax  on  admissions 
to  theatres  and  other  places 
of  entertainment  would  be  re- 
pealed under  terms  of  a  bill 
introduced  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature by  Sen.  Charles  M.  Ev- 
erhart  of  Kingsport  and  Rep. 
Richard  T.  Moore  of  Newbern. 


Goldenson  Reports 
New  Goal  for  Palsy 

United  Cerebral  Palsy  and  its  affili- 
ates will  seek  to  raise  $7,500,000  dur- 
ing the  1953  campaign,  Leonard  H. 
Goldenson,  national  UCP  president, 
discloses. 

Stressing  the  urgency  for  expanding 
the  work  for  the  Cerebral  Palsied, 
Goldenson,  who  also  is  president  of 
American  Broadcasting  -  Paramount 
Theatres,  said  that  "only  a  fraction" 
of  America's  550,000  palsied  children 
and  adults  are  now  receiving  the 
proper  treatment  and  care. 

The  new  $7,500,000  goal_  set  for 
the  national  campaign  during  May 
will  enable  United  Cerebral  Palsy  and 
its  more  than  100  affiliates  and  sub- 
affiliates  in  33  states  to  enlarge  their 
operations,  he  said. 


20th,  NT  Shares  To 
Lehman,  C.  Skouras 


Washington,  March  2. — Robert 
Lehman,  a  director  of  20th  Century- 
Fox,  bought  7,000  shares  of  20th-Fox 
common  stock,  $1  par  value,  in  Janu- 
ary, it  was  disclosed  yesterday  by  the 
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission. 
The  purchase  increased  Lehman's  di- 
rect holdings  in  the  company  to  7,500 
shares. 

The  SEC  also  reported  that  Charles 
P.  Skouras,  president  of  National 
Theatres,  purchased  11,700  shares  of 
common,  $1  par  value,  also  in  Janu- 
ary, bringing  his  direct  holdings  to 
11,710  shares.  His  wife,  Florence  L. 
Skouras,  owns  200  shares  in  her  own 
names. 


Allied  Explores  Air 
Travel  to  Conclave 


Boston,  March  2. — Allied  is  plan- 
ning to  take  advantage  of  the  forth- 
coming chartered  coach  service  of  the 
various  airlines  to  bring  delegates  to 
the  association's  national  convention 
here  Oct.  3-7.  Tie-ins  with  the  air- 
lines for  chartered  trips  are  now  being 
explored  by  the  convention's  attend- 
ance committee.  The  air  transporta- 
tion firms  are  about  to  announce  a 
coach  service  at  a  saving  of  approxi- 
mately one-third  of  the  normal  fare. 

The  amounts  of  the  savings  for  air 
travel  to  the  convention  will  be  sent 
to  Allied  units  throughout  the  country 
by  the  Independent  Exhibitors  of  New 
England,  the  host  unit. 

Various  convention  committees  met 
here  to  discuss  all  phases  of  the  forth- 
coming conclave.  It  was  decided  to 
have  a  "keynote"  theme  for  the  entire 
convention,  but  the  subject  was  not 
selected  at  the  meeting. 


New  Maryland  Censor 

Baltimore,  March  2. — Maryland's 
Governor  McKeldin  has  sent  to  the 
State  Senate  for  confirmation  the 
name  of  Mrs.  Maude  B.  Dorrance  of 
Harford  County  to  replace  Mrs.  Eva 
M.  Holland  of  Baltimore  on  the 
Board  of  Motion  Picture  Censors.  It 
is  expected  the  appointment  will  be 
confirmed. 


Kill  Mass.  Censor  Bill 

Boston,  March  2. — A  bill  which 
would  have  provided  for  censorship 
by  the  Massachusetts  State  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Safety  of  all  foreign 
films  brought  into  the  state  has  been 
rejected  by  the  Massachusetts  House 
of  Representatives. 


Top  Capital  Brass 
Sees  'Julius  Caesar' 

Washington,  March  2. — Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  presi- 
dent Eric  A.  Johnston  and  Mrs. 
Johnston  were  hosts  tonight  at  a  buf- 
fet supper  and  screening  at  MPAA 
headquarters  for  House  Speaker  Jo- 
seph W.  Martin.  The  film  was 
M-G-M's  "Julius  Caesar." 

Guests  also  included  Treasury  Un- 
der-Secretary and  Mrs.  Marion  B. 
Folsom,  Presidential  assistant  Sher- 
man Adams  and  Mrs.  Adams,  and 
members  of  the  Senate  and  House. 


Two  More  Tax  Bills 
In  Congress  Hopper 

Washington,  March  2. — Two  more 
admission  tax  bills  have  been  intro- 
duced—one by  Rep.  McMillan  (D., 
S.  C.)  to  repeal  the  tax  and  another 
by  Rep.  Fogarty  (D.,  R.  I.)  to  exempt 
theatres  from  the  tax. 


Kill  S.D.  Sunday  Bill 

Pierre,  So.  Dak.,  March  2. — A  bill 
to  legalize  Sunday  motion  picture 
shows,  ball  games,  operas,  ballets  and 
other  forms  of  amusement  where  an 
admission  is  charged  has  been  killed 
by  the  South  Dakota  Senate. 


See  more... do  more- 
enjoy  the  best  for  less! 

FLY  TWA 
to  EUROPE  in 
THRIFT  SEASON 

and  SAVE! 

You  can  save  more  than  $100 
on  a  TWA  ticket  to  Europe 
and  return  (th  rough 
March  31).  See  your  travel 
agent  or  call  Trans  World 
Airlines. 

ACROSS    THE    US     AND    OVERSEAS  ... 

FLY- 


tm 


m 


Reorganization  of  Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc. 
In  Accordance  With  Court  Decree 


The  management  of  Warner  Bros,  theatre  circuit  changed  at  midnight 
February  28. 

To  sum  up  recent  history  in  the  motion  picture  industry,  a  government 
divorcement  decree  dated  January  5,  1951  ordered  that  a  single  management  may  not 
operate  both  Warner  Bros,  exhibition  and  production-distribution.  The  decree  ruled 
that  Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc.  might  operate  only  one  or  the  other.  Transfer  of 
theatre  circuit  management  was  set  for  the  end  of  business  February  28,  1953. 

The  date  is  historic  in  the  life  of  the  corporation  and  the  Warner  brothers. 
We  have  founded,  built  and  developed  what  we  believe  to  be  a  very  important  company 
in  a  very  important  industry  and  art  —  that  of  the  motion  picture.  We  were  guided  in 
filming  and  exhibition  by  pride  and  standards  of  service  and  showmanship  we  had 
set  for  ourselves.  We  knew  high  standards  in  production  would  be  valued  by  exhibitor 
and  audience.  We  devoted  ourselves  sincerely  and  hopefully  always  to  the  principles 
of  good  American  citizenship  and  service  to  the  free  thinking  people  of  the  world  in 
the  conduct  of  the  company. 

It  is  with  regret,  therefore,  that  we  leave  a  splendid  theatre  organization 
and  the  great  associates  who  helped  to  build  it.  The  regrets  are  tempered  by  the  knowl- 
edge that  the  new  officers  of  Stanley  Warner  Corporation  are  men  who  are  also  veterans 
in  show  business  and  exhibition.  Mr.  Fabian  and  his  associates,  who  will  be  the  chief 
executives  of  the  new  theatre  company,  have  always  conducted  their  own  enterprises 
in  the  finest  traditions  of  show  business  and  service  to  the  community.  We  wish  them 
the  greatest  possible  success. 

We  want  to  say  too,  at  this  time  of  hail  and  farewell,  that  our  efforts  in  the 
production  and  distribution  of  motion  pictures  will  continue  with  every  resource  of 
our  great  producing  company,  Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc.  All  the  members  of  our 
production-distribution  organization  will  continue  also  to  explore  new  ways  to  enter- 
tain the  public,  as  we  have  in  the  past  with  the  introduction  of  the  modern  talking 
picture  and  WarnerColor,  and  to  provide  exhibitors  with  the  best  possible  materials 
for  box-office  benefits  and  the  exercise  of  showmanship. 

Sincerely, 

HARRY  M.  WARNER  ALBERT  WARNER  /         JACK  L.  WA 


WARNER 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.   NO.  42 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  4,  1953 

TEN  CENTS 

Fabian  Takes 
Over  Control 
Of  S-W  Houses 


Sounds  Confident  Note 
On  First  Operating  Day 

By  AL  STEEN 
(Photo  on  Page  4) 

Si  Fabian  and  Sam  Rosen  for- 
mally initiated  their  first  day  as 
president  and  executive  vice-presi- 
dent, respectively,  of  the  new  Stan- 
ley-Warner Co.  here  yesterday  by 
sounding  a  note  of  high  optimism  on 
the  future  of  the  motion  picture  busi- 
ness. The  company  executives  called 
in  the  trade  press  for  a  question  and 
answer  session,  following  the  comple- 
tion of  the  details  in  connection  with 
the  sale  by  the  Brothers  Warner  and 
their  families  of  their  stock  in  the 
new  theatre  company  to  Fabian  En- 
terprises. 

Fabian  asserted  that  his  great 
faith  in  the  future  of  the  industry 
prompted  the  deal  whereby  he  ac- 
quired the  Warners'  interest  in  ap- 
proximately  300  theatres.     He  said 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Levey  Making 
Edison  Story 


In  cooperation  with  the  Thomas  A. 
Edison  Foundation  and  the  assistance 
of  Mary  Pickford  and  Cecil  B.  De- 
Mille,  production  has  been  started  by 
producer-distributor  Jules  Levey  on  a 
feature  picture  tentatively  titled  "The 
Life  of  Thomas  A.  Edison."  A  con- 
tract covering  the  rights  to  the  story 
were  signed  yesterday  in  West 
Orange,  N.  J.,  by  Admiral  Harold  G. 
Bowen,  executive  director  of  the 
Foundation.  Charles  Edison,  son  of 
the  famous  inventor  and  former  gov- 

(Continiied  on  page  4) 


AB-PT  Divests 
60  More  Theatres 


American  Broadcasting- Paramount 
Theatres  yesterday  completed  on 
schedule  the  divestiture  of  another  60 
theatres,  representing  a  total  to  date 
of  two-thirds  of  the  180  divestitures 
required  by  the  Federal  consent  de- 
cree. In  the  most  recent  divestiture 
60  theatres  were  disposed  of  in  the 
past  six  months,  according  to  Walter 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


ADOLPH  ZUKOR'S 
Golden  Ann  i  versa  ry 


By  SHERWIN  KANE 

FIFTY  years  ago  today  Adolph 
Zukor  brought  to  reality  his  de- 
cision to  enter  upon  a  new  business 
career — the  operation  of  a  penny 
arcade  in  Union  Square,  New  York. 
He  was  30  years  of  age.  Half  of 
those  years  had  been  spent  in  the 
fur  business  in  America,  the  re- 
mainder as  a  boy  in  his  native 
Hungary. 

From  that  beginning  has  evolved 
much  of  the  industry  of  motion 
pictures  as  we  have  known  it  and 
know  it  today.  Adolph  Zukor  was 
responsible  for  much  of  its  growth. 
His  was  a  key  role  in  its  swift 
transition  from  store  room  peep- 
show  to  the  fabulously  popular  and 
glamorous  art-industry  which  it  be- 
came in  every  corner  of  the  globe. 

It  is  in  gratitude  and  deep  re- 
spect for  his  contributions  and 
achievements  that  did  so  much 
to  bring  the  motion  picture  to 
greatness  that  not  only  today's 
leaders  of  this  industry,  but  lead- 
ers of  other  industries  and  civic 
dignitaries  as  well,  gather  at  the 


ADOLPH  ZUKOR 

Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel  here  to- 
night to  honor  Adolph  Zukor  on 
the  occasion  of  his  Golden  Anni- 
versary in  his  "new"  business 
career. 

Th's  day's  tribute  to  his  achieve- 
ments, sponsored  by  the  Heart  of 
Show  Business — the  Variety  Clubs 
International — is  the  sincere  ex- 
pression of  the  respect  and  esteem 
in  which  Adolph  Zukor,  the  man 
and  the  builder  of  industry,  is  held 
by  so  many. 


'Call  Me  Madam" 


(20th  Century-Fox) 

THAT  well-worn  expression,  "There's  nothing  wrong  with  this 
business  that  good  pictures  won't  cure,"  certainly  applies  to  "Call 
Me  Madam."  If  there  were  more  pictures  like  this  Ethel  Merman 
starring  production,  there  would  be  no  need  for  worry  over  TV  competi- 
tion or  the  confusion  resulting  from  the  inroads  being  made  by  tri- 
dimensional films  and  panoramic  screens.  In  short,  "Call  Me  Madam" 
is  tops. 

The  Irving  Berlin  music,  the  dance  creations  of  Robert  Alton,  the 
color  by  Technicolor,  the  costume  designs  by  Irene  Sharaff,  Arthur 
Sheekman's  screenplay,  Walter  Lang's  direction  and  producer  Sol 
Siegel's  deft  supervision,  plus  superb  sets  and  a  flawless  cast,  are  com- 
bined to  make  this  the  fastest  114  minutes  of  entertainment  that  has 
come  along  in  many  a  moon. 

Miss  Merman  has  been  surrounded  by  stellar  names  who  give  stellar 
performances.  Donald  O'Connor,  Vera-Fllen,  George  Sanders,  Billy  De 
Wolfe  and  all  the  others  have  been  expertly  cast.  And  as  for  Miss  Merman 
— there's  only  one  Ethel.  It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  anyone  else  in 
the  role  of  Sally  Adams,  the  U.  S.  ambassador  to  the  mythical  kingdom  of 
Lichtenburg. 

The  film  edition  follows  the  stage  version  of  the  Howard  Lindsay-Russel 
Crouse  musical  closely.  Naturally,  however,  the  screen  can  give  greater 
scope  and  more  lavish  treatment  to  the  story.  And  the  story,  with  all  its 
substance,  provides,  mainly,  the  reason  for  the  colorful  production  numbers, 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


Good  Chance 
For  U.S.  Tax 
Repeal:  Compo 

Cole,  McGee  Optimistic 
After  D.C.  Conferences 

There  is  "a  good  chance"  that  the 
Federal  20  per  cent  admission  tax 
will  be  repealed  at  this  session  of 
Congress,  it  was  declared  yesterday 
by  Col.  H.  A.  Cole  and  Pat  McGee, 
co-chairmen  of  the  National  Tax  Re- 
peal Campaign  Committee,  in  a  state- 
ment issued  through  the  Council  of 
Motion  Picture  Organizations. 

The  statement  urged  the  in- 
dustry to  disregard  discourag- 
ing rumors  regarding  tax  repeal 
and  to  continue  "the  fine  spirit 
of  cooperation  that  has  so  far 
been  shown  in  the  repeal  cam- 
paign." Cole  and  McGee  also 
asked  people  in  the  industry, 
especially  state  and  Congres- 
sional repeal  campaign  commit- 
tee members,  to  hold  them- 
selves   available    for  further 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


New  Disney. 
RKO  Pact 


James  R.  Grainger,  president  of 
RKO  Pictures,  and  Roy  O.  Disney, 
president  of  Walt  Disney  Productions, 
yesterday  disclosed  here  that  a  new 
distribution  arrangement  had  been 
consummated  between  the  two  or- 
ganizations for  the  handling  of  Dis- 
ney product  by  RKO. 

The  first  film  to  be  released  under 
the  new  agreement  will  be  Disney's 
newest  Technicolor  production,  "The 
Sword  and  the  Rose,"  which  co-stars 
Richard  Todd  and  Glynis  Johns,  and 
was  produced  by  Walt  Disney.    It  is 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

Zukor  Honored  at 
Penny  Arcade  Site 

To  succeed  in  business,  trust  he 
public's  attitude  toward  the  product 
you  are  selling  rather  than  your  own, 
was  the  advice  Adolph  Zukor  gave 
yesterday  in  thanking  members  of 
New  York's  14th  Street  Association 
for  honors  bestowed  on  him  in  con- 
nection with  the  celebration  this  year 
of  his  50th  anniversary  in  the  motion 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


ROBERT  F.  BLUMOFE,  United 
Artists  West  Coast  representa- 
tive.arrived  here  from  Hollywood  yes- 
terday for  home  office  conferences. 
• 

Norm  Levinson  of  Loew's  Poli 
Theatre,  Hartford,  and  Irv  Richland 
of  Hartford  Amusements,  also  of  that 
city,  are  en  route  to  South  America 
on  a  cruise. 

• 

Edward  Feldman  of  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox publicity  department,  has 
become  engaged  to  Miss  Lorraine 
Kain  of  the  Otto  Kleppner  Advertis- 
ing Agency. 

• 

George  Roth,  general  sales  mana- 
ger of  Fine  Arts  Films,  left  here  yes- 
terday for  Philadelphia,  Pittsburgh 
and  Chicago. 

• 

Wallace  Elliott,  former  Warner 
Theatres  Cleveland  manager,  has  re- 
turned to  that  post  from  the  Warner 
West  Coast  theatre  department. 
• 

J.   E.   Elliot,,   Jr.,  who  formerly 
owned  and  operated  the  Cardinal  The- 
atre, Hodgenville,  Ky.,  is  now  at  the 
Post  Exchange  at.  Fort  Knox,  Ky. 
• 

Mori  Krushen,  United  Artists  ex- 
ploitation manager,  is  on  a  one-week 
swing  through  Chicago  and  Cleve- 
land. 

• 

Mitchell  Rawson,   M-G-M  pub- 
licist, is  due  back  here  today  from  a 
visit  to  the  Culver  City  studio. 
• 

Al  Adams,  associated  with  Emil 
Velasco,  TV  film  producer,  is  back 
at  his  desk  after  recovering  from 
pneumonia. 

• 

Milton  Harris  has  been  named 
Cleveland  publicity  manager  for  RKO 
Radio,  succeeding  Joseph  Longo. 


Paramount's  Jackson 
Heads  Cancer  Drive 

Appointment  of  Alan  Jackson,  story 
and  play  editor  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, as  chairman  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture division  for  the  April  "Cancer 
Crusade"  has  been  announced  by  John 
Reed  Kilpatrick,  president  of  the  New 
York  City  Cancer  Committee. 

"Motion  picture  people  have  always 
been  generous  with  their  time  in  help- 
ing the  cause  of  cancer  control,"  Jack- 
son said.  "Now  I  will  ask  them  to 
be  as  generous  with  their  funds  to  help 
finance  the  year-round  local  and  na- 
tional programs  of  cancer  research, 
professional  and  public  education  and 
service  to  patients." 


NCA  to  Seek  Court  Relief 
From  Pre-releasing  Policy 


Minneapolis,  March  3. — Twin 
cities  independent  exhibitors  de- 
clared war  today  on  the  growing 
custom  of  pre-release  engagements 
which  they  charged  cancel  out  in  ef- 
fect the  terms  of  the  government's 
consent  decree  imposing  reasonable 
clearances  on  product. 

Led  by  Benjamin  Berger,  president 
of  North  Central  Allied,  the  exhibi- 
tors group  composed  of  both  members 
and  non-members  of  NCA,  indicated 
that  it  will  seek  court  relief  by  in- 
junctive procedure  against  the  ad- 
vanced price,  pre-release  policy  which 
results  in  two  first-runs  in  downtown 
situations  and  the  bypassing  of  subse- 
quent-run suburban  houses. 


The  special  indignation  meeting 
was  touched  off  by  the  report  that 
one  current  attraction,  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "Tonight  We  Sing,"  and  three 
upcoming  pictures,  "Peter  Pan,"  "Sa- 
lome" and  "Hans  Christian  Ander- 
sen," were  to  be  offered  to  loop  houses 
only  and  were  then  to  be  withdrawn. 
While  terms  were  also  the  target  of 
heavy  criticism,  the  exhibitors  agreed 
that  the  worst  of  the  evil  was  the 
policy,  growing  in  scope,  which  by- 
passed the  suburban  houses. 

A  suggestion  by  Berger  that  the 
independents  picket  first-run  houses 
running  such  pre-release  pictures  at 
advanced  prices  was  rejected.  Fur- 
ther action  was  to  be  taken  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  NCA  board  next  Tuesday. 


Milwaukee  Loge 
Installs  Officers 

Milwaukee,  March  3.  —  Local 
branch  managers  and  their  wives  were 
dinner  guests  of  Milwaukee  Loge 
No.  4  of  the  Colosseum  of  Motion 
Picture  Salesmen  of  America  at  the 
Elks  Club.  David  Beznor,  general 
counsel  for  the  Colosseum,  and  his 
wife  were  among  the  guests. 

The  occasion  was  the  annual  in- 
stallation dinner  for  new  officers.  In- 
stalled as  president  was  L.  J.  Seidel- 
man,  Republic ;  vice-president,  Morton 
Kramer,  Columbia ;  secretary-treas- 
urer, George  Edgerton,  20th-Fox ; 
segeant-at-arms,  William  Schwartz, 
U-I;  and  Robert  Baker  and  M.  An- 
derson, both  of  RKO  Radio,  as 
trustees. 

Dave  Chapman,  Columbia  Pictures, 
was  presented  with  a  radio  in  recog- 
nition of  his  services  as  president  for 
the  previous  year. 


AFL  Head  Backs 
T-H  Law  Changes 

Washington,  March  3. — Provisions 
of  the  Taft-Hartley  law  permitting 
workers  to  stay  on  the  job  for  up  to 
30  days  without  joining  the  union  are 
"meaningless"  in  the  amusement  in- 
dustry and  other  industries  where 
workers  are  hired  by  a  particular  em- 
ployer for  only  a  limited  period, 
American  Federation  of  Labor  ,  presi- 
j  dent  George  Meany  declared  today. 
He  presented  the  AFL's  views  on 
Taft-Hartley  changes  to  the  House 
Labor  committee.  He  urged  repeal 
of  the  law's  provisions  prohibiting  a 
full  union  shop,  under  which  workers 
must  join  the  union  as  soon  as  they 
are  hired. 


McKenna  Named  Buyer 

John  McKenna,  former  exchange 
manager  for  United  Artists,  Film 
Classics  and  Eagle  Lion,  has  been  ap- 
pointed Newark  zone  film  buyer  for 
Stanley  Warner  Theatres,  Frank 
Damis,  zone  manager,  has  announced. 
McKenna  has  been  with  the  S-W  film 
buying  and  booking  staff  in  Newark 
for  the  past  18  moonths. 


Wis.  Bill  Aimed  at 
Drive-In  Locations 

Madison,  March  3. — Assemblyman 
Romell,  Adams  Republican,  has  intro- 
duced in  the  Wisconsin  legislature  a 
bill  to  regulate  the  locations  of  drive- 
in  theatres  built  after  July  1. 

The  measure  would  prohibit  con- 
struction of  drive-ins  within  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  any  state  or  county  high- 
way. Exits  would  have  to  lead  to 
town  roads  or  village  streets. 


Altec  Coast  Meet  on 
Stereo  Sound  Issues 

Hollywood,  March  3. — Technicians 
and  engineers  of  Altec  Service  and 
Altec  Lansing  are  meeting  here  this 
week  with  G.  L.  Carrington,  presi- 
dent, to  study  stereophonic  equipment 
design  and  manufacture. 

The  Altec  representatives  also  will 
confer  with  studio  sound  directors  to 
clarify  theatre  problems  involving 
stereophonic  sound  reproduction,  which 
the  group  is  convinced  will  be  part  of 
the  industry's  eventual  3-D  standards. 


Name  Robert  Riley 
Technicolor  'V-P' 

Hollywood,  March  4. — Technicolor 
president  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kalmus  to- 
day announced  the  appointment  of 
Robert  Riley  as  vice-president.  Riley, 
with  Technicolor  for  more  than  30 
years,  started  with  the  company  in 
Boston  in  1922,  participated  in  estab- 
lishing the  company's  plant  here,  and 
has  served  in  many  capacities.  In  his 
new  post  he  will  have  charge  of 
Hollywood  sales  and  continue  as  di- 
rector of  studio  operations. 


EK  Sales  Are  Up, 
Profits  Are  Down 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  March  3. — Con- 
solidated net  sales  of  Eastman  Kodak 
increased  to  a  new  high  in  1952  for 
the  third  consecutive  year.  They  were 
$575,022,750,  up  six  per  cent  from 
$542,284,510  for  1951,  Thomas  J.  Har- 
grave,  chairman,  and  Albert  K.  Chap- 
man, president,  reported  in  E.  K.'s  an- 
nual statement. 

Consolidated  net  earnings  were  $45,- 
803,851,  equal  to  $2.74  a  share  on 
16,554,935  shares  of  common  stock, 
against  $49,025,906,  or  $3.23  a  share 
on  15,030,675  shares  in  1951. 


New  U.A.  Albany  Mgr. 

Buffalo,  March  3. — Irving  Men 
delsohn  has  been  appointed  United 
Artists  sales  manager  in  the  Albany 
territory  by  Mannie  A.  Brown,  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  U.  A.  Buffalo  and 
Albany  branches.  Mendelsohn  replaces 
Bert  Adler,  who  will  become  booker 
for  Allied  Artists  in  Albany. 


Trade  Practice  Probe 
Off  Till  Late  April 

Washington,  March  3. — Sen- 
ate Small  Business  Commit- 
tee hearings  on  film  industry 
trade  practices  have  been 
pushed  back  at  least  until  the 
end  of  April,  it  was  learned 
today.  The  hearings  were 
originally  scheduled  for  the 
beginning  of  April.  Commit- 
tee investigator  William  D. 
Amis  said  the  committee  staff 
had  considerable  amount  of 
work  to  do  on  the  film  hear- 
ings and  also  had  to  work  on 
two  other  committee  hear- 
ings, and  hence  the  delay. 

Amis  and  committee  coun- 
sel Charles  M.  Noon  met  to- 
day with  Allied  States  gen- 
eral counsel  Abram  F.  Myers 
to  get  Allied's  views  on  some 
of  the  industry  problems 
which  should  be  covered  in 
the  hearings.  Amis  said  it  was 
pretty  well  agreed  that  Myers 
and  other  Allied  officials 
would  testify  at  the  commit- 
tee hearings. 


Sullivan  TV  Show, 
20th-Fox  in  Pact 

A  pact  was  concluded  here  yester- 
day between  20th  Century-Fox  and 
the  Ed  Sullivan  "Toast  of  the  Town" 
CBS-TV  show  under  which  "minia- 
ture world  premieres"  of  forthcoming 
20th-Fox  films  will  be  shown  as  reg- 
ular monthly  features  of  the  Sunday 
television  show  for  a  two-year  period. 


Stewart  Missing  in 
Plane  in  the  South 

Charlotte,  March  3. — A  four-state 
search  is  under  way  for  Worth 
Stewart,  Charlotte  theatre  executive 
over  70  theatres,  who  has  been  miss- 
ing since  Thursday  of  last  week. 
Stewart,  president  of  Stewart  and  Ev- 
erett Theatres,  took  off  from  Jackson- 
ville, Fla.,  Thursday  morning  in  his 
Beech  Craft  Bonanza  and  has  not 
been  heard  from  since.  He  failed  to 
file  a  flight  plan. 


Cinerama  Moving 
To  Warner  Here 

On  June  1,  Cinerama  will  move  its' 
presentation  from  the  Broadway 
Theatre  here  to  the  Warner  Theatre, 
with  orders  for  seats  at  the  latter 
being  accepted  to  next  Sept.  1.  Cine- 
rama's gross  at  the  Broadway  passed 
the  million  dollar  mark  on  Feb.  21. 


Singleton  Heads 
Assoc .  Screen  News 

Montreal,  March  3. — William  J. 
Singleton,  general  manager  of  Asso- 
ciated Screen  News,  Ltd.,  and  with? 
the  company  for  almost  30  years,  has 
been  named  president,  succeeding 
B.  E.  Norrish,  who  will  retire  from! 
active  management  but  remain  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors. 
Norrish  founded  Associated  Screen 
News  in  1921. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane.  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting;  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  .1.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2S43.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  PVess  Club,  Washington,  Dl  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  Lcndon  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Buruup, 
Editor;  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


NAKED  SPUR  IS  DYNAMITE  IN 


C 


SATURATION  CAMPAIGN! 


(This  wire  is  typical  of  Colorado,  Wyoming,  New  Mexico,  Nebraska,  Texas  whirlwind.) 

'Naked  Spur'  opened  to  largest  number  of  admissions 
in  the  history  of  any  theatre  or  any  attraction  in 
Denver.  The  campaign  is  the  talk  of  the  city.  Holding 
them  out  ever  since  opening  day.  This  is  a  top  hit!" 

—  Harris  and  John  Wolf  berg,  Paramount  Theatre,  Denver 

TECHNICOLOR 
TORNADO! 

Bomb -shell  campaign 
echoes  across  country: 


M-G-M  presents  James  Stewart,  Janet  Leigh,  Robert  Ryan, 
Ralph  Meeker  in  "The  Naked  Spur"  with  Millard  Mitchell; 
color  by  Technicolor;  written  by  Sam  Rolfe  and  Harold 
Jack  Bloom;  directed  by  Anthony  Mann;  produced  by 

William  H.  Wright 


Colorado  Legislature  honors 
James  Stewart  and  party  with 
presentation  of  Gold  Nugget 
Awards!  Governor  Dan 
Thornton  proclaims  "Holly- 
wood in  the  Rockies  Day"! 
Mayor  Quigg  Newton  of  Den- 
ver declares  city  wide  "James 
Stewart  Day" !  Silver  Dollar 
Award  to  James  Stewart  by 
Denver  mayor!  Girl  Scout 
honor  citations  to  M-G-M 
players!  "Naked  Spur"  Mine 
presented  to  James  Stewart! 
Denver's  top  civic,  social  event! 
Greatest  news  coverage  ever 
given  motion  picture  by  Denver 
press !  27  radio  and  TV  shows, 
parades,  civic  ceremonies 
greet  "Naked  Spur"  stars! 

AND  IT'S  THE  SAME 
STORY  NATIONWIDE! 

"Shows  what  happens 
when  you've  got 
a  picture  and  get 
behind  it!" 

—  Hollywood  Reporter 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


Fabian  Control 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  full  potentialities  of  the  theatre 
business  had  not  yet  been  reached  and 
that  with  new  technical  developments, 
such  as  3-D  and  wide  screen,  plus  the 
strong  pictures  in  prospect,  theatre 
grosses  this  year  will  run  well  ahead 
of  those  in  1952. 

It  was  emphasized  that  there 
was  no  connection  between 
Stanley- Warner  and  the  Fabian 
circuit  and  that  each  will  buy, 
book  and  operate  as  separate 
entities.  Stanley-Warner  has 
taken  a  three-year  lease  on  the 
eighth,  ninth  and  part  of  the 
sixth  and  seventh  floors  of  the 
Warner  Brothers  Building  on 
West  44th  St.  here.  Fabian  En- 
terprises will  continue  to  make 
its  headquarters  in  the  Para- 
mount Building  for  the  opera- 
tion of  its  50-odd  theatres. 
Fabian  said  there  would  be  no 
personnel  changes,  except  for 
the  transfer  of  Nathaniel  Lap- 
kin  from  the  Fabian  circuit  to 
the  vice-presidency  of  Stanley- 
Warner. 

Commenting  on  the  fast  rise  in  tri- 
dimensional pictures,  Fabian  said  that 
the  grosses  on  "Bwana  Devil"  even 
topped  the  figures  of  the  most  pros- 
perous eras  in  the  business,  but,  he 
added,  "we  haven't  begun  to  learn  how 
to  use  the  new  medium."  He  said 
that  when  the  technique  has  been  mas- 
tered, the  industry  can  expect  "some 
sensational  things."  Fabian  said  he 
had  seen  some  of  the  rushes  of  War- 
ners' "The  House  of  Wax"  and  that 


Meet  to  Finalize  S-WDeal 


Quigley  Publications  Photo 


IT*  1RST  formal  gathering  of  the  new  officers  and  board  of  Stanley- 
■*  Warner  Corp.,  held  in  the  W arner  Building  here  to  finalize  the 
deal  whereby  it  acquired  the  stock  interests  of  the  Brothers  Warn- 
ers and  their  families  in  Warner  Theatres.  Left  to  right  are  Harry 
Kalmine,  vice-president,  general  manager  and  director;  David 
Baird,  chairman  of  the  finance  committee  and  director;  S.  H. 
Fabian,  president  and  director;  Moe  A.  Silver,  director;  Sam  Rosen, 
executive  vice-president  and  director.  Standing  are  W.  Stewart 
McDonald,  vice-president  and  treasurer;  David  Fogelson,  secre- 
tary; Natltaniel  Lapkin,  vice-president,  and  Charles  Schwartz, 
counsel.  Not  in  the  photo  is  Frank  Kiernan,  controller. 


the  technique  is  noticeably  superior. 
He  predicted  the  eventual  "marriage" 
of  3-D  and  panoramic  screens  and 
when  that  comes,  "we  shall  see  pic- 
tures of  a  type  never  made  before." 


M-G-M  TRADE  SHOW 

(NEW  YORK  ONLY) 

THE  STORY  OF 


J? 


THREE  LOVES 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

Pier  Angeli  •  Ethel  Barrymore  •  Leslie  Caron 
Kirk  Douglas  •  Farley  Granger  •  James  Mason 
Agnes  Moorehead  •  Moira  Shearer 

THURSDAY- MAR.  5th 
3:30  P.M. 

M-G-M  SCREENING  ROOM 

630  Ninth  Avenue,  N.  Y.  C. 


Approximately  200  of  the 
Stanley-Warner  theatres  have 
been  serviced  for  the  showing 
of  tri-dimensional  pictures, 
while  between  25  and  30  houses 
in  the  Fabian  circuit  are 
equipped  for  the  new  medium. 
Fabian  said  that  Cinerama 
would  open  at  the  Warner 
Theatre  on  Broadway  about 
June  1  and  that  the  Cinerama 
company's  deal  on  a  four-walls 
basis  called  for  options  up  to 
five  years.  The  cost  of  change- 
over to  true  three  dimensions, 
Fabian  said,  ranged  from  $1,500 
to  $2,000. 

Fabian  explained  that  the  depreci- 
ated value  of  the  300  Warner  houses 
acquired  in  the  stock  purchase  was 
$70,000,000.  There  are  approximately 
25  theatres  in  the  group  that  are  still 
to  be  divested  under  the  provisions 
of  the  consent  decree. 

Meetings  of  the  zone  managers  of 
Stanley- Warner  will  be  held  shortly, 
with  Fabian  personally  attending  the 
sessions.  He  said  that  a  study  of  all 
the  houses  for  the  purpose  of  rehabili- 
tation was  now  in  progress. 

The  board  of  directors  of  Stanley 
Warner  was  formally  elected  Monday 
night  and  the  directors,  in  turn, 
elected  the  slate  of  officers  previously 
announced.  The  S-W  board  consists 
of  Fabian,  Rosen,  Harry  Kalmine, 
David  G.  Baird  and  Moe  A.  Silver. 
The  elected  officers  are  Fabian,  presi- 
dent ;  Rosen,  executive  vice-president ; 
David  Baird,  chai  rman  of  the  finance 
committee ;  Kalmine,  vice-president 
and  general  manager ;  Lapkin,  vice- 
president  ;  W.  Stewart  McDonald, 
vice-president  and  treasurer ;  Frank 
Kiernan,  controller ;  David  Fogelson, 
secretary ;  Miles  Alben,  assistant  sec- 
retary, and  James  M.  Brennan,  assis- 
tant treasurer. 

Attending  yesterday's  press  meet- 
ing, in  addition  to  Fabian  and  Rosen, 
were  Harry  Goldberg,  advertising 
manager ;  Fogelson,  Kalmine,  Lapkin 
and  McDonald. 


Theatre  TV  Opera 
Fans  Ask  for  More 

A  tabulation  of  4,000  ballots 
filled  out  by  persons  who  at- 
tended the  Dec.  11  theatre 
telecast  of  the  opera  "Car- 
men" revealed  that  87  per 
cent  declared  they  would  go 
to  see  more  operas  if  offered 
by  theatre  television,  and  91 
per  cent  termed  the  telecast, 
carried  by  31  theatres,  "excel- 
lent," Theatre  Network  Tele- 
vision, which  handled  the 
event,  reported  yesterday. 

Operas  which  balloters  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  see  on 
theatre  television  were 
"Aida,"  "Rigoletto,"  "Madame 
Butterfly,"  "La  Boheme"  and 
"Tosca." 


Edison  Story 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ernor  of  New  Jersey,  was  present  at 
the  signing. 

Shooting  got  under  way  immedi- 
ately in  Greenfield  Village,  near  Dear- 
born, Mich.,  where  the  original  Menlo 
Park  laboratory  was  reconstructed  by 
the  late  Henry  Ford.  Other  location 
sites  will  include  Milan,  O.,  where 
Edison  was  born,  and  Fort  Myers, 
Fla.,  where  he  had  a  winter  home, 
laboratory  and  botanical  gardens. 
Mary  Pickford  will  appear  in  se- 
quences dealing  with  the  development 
of  the  motion  picture.  DeMille  will 
assist  in  reconstructing  the  early  days 
of  the  industry.  David  Sarnoff, 
chairman  of  the  RCA  board,  also  will 
assist  in  the  project. 

Directed  by  Hoffman 

The  picture  is  being  directed  by 
Julian  Hoffman  from  a  script  by 
Lester  Cooper,  who  also  will  serve  as 
producer  for  Levey.  There  will  be 
no  stock  shots  and  Edison  will  not  be 
seen  nor  will  he  be  portrayed  by  an 
actor.  No  distribution  deal  will  be 
discussed  until  the  picture  has  been 
completed. 


Disney-RKO  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


a  live-action  film.  The  agreement 
also  calls  for  the  distribution  by  RKO 
of  Disney's  newest  "true-life"  film, 
"Prowlers  of  the  Everglades." 

RKO  is  currently  distributing  Dis- 
ney's "Peter  Pan,"  and  indications 
are  that  the  box-office  gross  on  this 
Technicolor  film  "will  soar  to  well 
over  $7,000,000  in  the  domestic  market 
alone.  The  world  gross  is  expected 
to  top  $13,000,000,  which  will  exceed 
by  a  wide  margin  the  gross  of  any 
Disney  feature  on  its  initial  release," 
said  RKO. 


AB-PT  Divests 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Gross,  AB-PT  vice-president. 

The  company  has  another  six 
months  in  which  to  dispose  of  the 
final  60  theatres  and  complete  the 
divestiture  program.  The  deadline 
for  completion  of  the  second  one-third 
was  yesterday  and  no  time  extension 
was  required. 

Also  disposed  of  were  several  thea- 
tres in  the  Interstate  Circuit  of  Texas 
group,  for  which  additional  time  to 
complete  the  divestiture  had  been 
granted  earlier. 


Paramount  Pictures  Corporation 

and  its  personnel 
join  in  affectionate  felicitations  to 

ADOLPH  ZUKOR 

on  the  happy  occasion  of 

THE  ADOLPH  ZUKOR  GOLDEN  JUBILEE,  1903-1953 

— celebrating  fifty  years  of  service  to  the  motion  picture 

And  Paramount  extends  thanks  to 
Variety  Clubs  International  for  its  sponsorship  of  this 
industrywide  tribute  to  Paramount's  beloved  founder. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


ADOLPH  ZUKORS  50TH  ANNIVERSARY 


A WOMEN'S  dress  shop  oc- 
cupies the  site  on  East  14th 
Street,  New  York,  where  SO 
years  ago  today  Adolph  Zukor  be- 
gan his  career  in  motion  pictures 
with  the  opening  of  a  penny  arcade 
there. 

The  intervening  years  have  all 
but  erased  the  identity  of  that  be- 
ginning, but  exemplifying  the 
monuumental  business  achieve- 
ments of  Zukor  from  that  day  to 
this  is  another  building,  30  blocks 
uptown  and  in  the  heart  of  Times 
Square — the  Paramount  Building, 
towering  over  the  internationally 
known  Broadway  entertainment 
capital. 

From  the  narrow,  street  level 
store  filled  with  penny  "peep 
shows"  before  which  patrons  stood 
and  peered,  to  the  huge  Paramount 
Building  of  today  is  the  route  that 
Zukor  traveled.  Even  in  this 
America  of  fabulous  success  stor- 
ies, it  would  be  an  epic  for  any 
man's  30  years  in  industry.  Ac- 
tually, Zukor  made  it  in  25. 

Spurred  Growth 

If  the  growth  of  the  industry  in 
those  years  was  phenomenal,  much 
of  it,  nonetheless,  must  be  credited 
to  the  foresight,  the  confidence,  the 
ability  and  the  driving  energy  of 
one  man — Adolph  Zukor.  It  was 
his  belief  in  the  motion  picture  and 
its  ultimate  destiny  as  the  world's 
most  popular  form  of  mass  enter- 
tainment which,  over  the  years, 
contributed  more  to  its  advance- 
ment as  an  art  and  industry  than 
any  other  individual  consideration. 

That  vision  and  confidence  of 
Zukor's  were  demonstrated  early 
in  his  career  in  the  industry  as, 
for  example,  when  he  decided  to 
install  chairs  and  show  his  films  to 
a  group  audience  seated  in  rela- 
tive comfort  —  at  an  increased 
charge,  instead  of  having  them 
stand  singly  before  the  penny  ma- 
chines. It  was  a  move,  signifi- 
cantly, that  Zukor  undertook  on 
his  own  when  the  skepticism  of  his 
arcade  partners  restrained  them 
from  joining  with  him  in  the  new 
venture. 

First  Feature 

It  was  demonstrated  again  when 
Zukor  imported  the  first  four-reel 
film,  "Queen  Elizabeth,"  with 
Sarah  Bernhardt,  and  from  there 
went  on  to  establish  the  feature  film 
as  the  basic  box  office  attraction. 
Alone,  he  won  over  to  motion  pic- 
tures the  great  names  of  the  stage 
of  the  day,  both  artists  and  pro- 
ducers, evolving  the  star  system  in 
his  policy  of  "famous  players  in 
famous  plays." 

His  vision  and  confidence  in  the 
future  of  the  motion  picture  led 
him  also  to  discover  and  groom 
"unknowns"  to  film  stardom.  He 
believed  in  quality  entertainment 
and  when  convinced  it  could  be 
delivered  he  did  not  hesitate  to  ap- 
prove producers'  budgets  which  es- 
tablished new  highs  in  their  day. 


Adolph  Zukor 


FIFTY  years  ago  the  motion  picture  industry,  then  in  its  first  forma- 
tive years,  provided  to  the  young  and  starry-eyed  Adolph  Zukor 
a  golden  opportunity — rich  in  the  promise  of  exciting  rewards — 
which  was  just  what  he  was  looking  for. 

But  the  contact  of  young  Zukor  with  the  new  industry  was  no  one- 
sided bargain;  he  brought  to  the  marketplace  a  quick  intelligence, 
a  driving  energy  and — above  all — a  confident,  yet  realistic,  vision 
which  was  content  with  no  easily-won  gains  or  expedient  compromises. 

In  a  career  that  ranks  importantly  in  the  annais  of  American  enter- 
prise, Adolph  Zukor  has  made  many  important  contributions — but  no 
single  attribute  which  he  has  exercised  has  been  more  distinguished 
than  his  ever-insistent  demand  for  quality  and  betterment.  With  his 
eyes  constantly  set  upon  a  far  and  brilliant  horizon  he  has  been  relent- 
less in  his  reaching  out  for  something  better — better  in  the  quality  of 
entertainment  upon  the  screen,  better  in  the  theatres  that  housed  the 
entertainment,  better  in  the  advertising  and  the  presentation  of  the 
product  and  better  in  all  those  facets  of  intra-industry  relations. 

From  long  personal  contact  this  writer  is  able  to  testify  to  the  ever- 
willing,  ever-anxious,  disposition  of  the  Zukor  mind  to  pioneer,  to  test, 
to  experiment  in  any  reasonable  direction  that  offered  promise  of  a 
better  motion  picture  and  a  better  industry.  He  never  reckoned  as 
too  great  any  effort  or  any  cost  if  they  were  sensibly  conceived  to 
the  end  of  bettering  the  motion  picture  of  which  he  is  so  proud. 

Logical  and  consistent  it  is  indeed  that  the  motion  picture  and  the 
industry  should  be  so  proud  of  Adolph  Zukor  at  this  time  of  his 
eightieth  anniversary  and  the  golden  celebration  of  his  career  in  the 
motion  picture  business. 

—MARTIN  QUIGLEY 

(Reprinted  from  Motion  Picture  Herald,  February  28,  1955) 


Only  through  constantly  improving 
attractions,  Zukor  believed,  could 
the  industry  continue  to  grow  and 
attain  its  destiny. 

As  Paramount  embarked  on  the- 
atre acquisitions,  the  same  polici- 
cies  were  put  into  effect.  Com- 
fort, luxury,  courteous  service, 
keystones  of  successful  theatre  op- 
erations, were  "musts." 

Zukor  became  aware  early  of  the 
importance  of  foreign  markets  and 
pioneered  in  much  of  the  export 
film  field,  which  won  and  held  au- 
diences for  American  pictures 
throughout  the  world. 

Zukor  Modest 

Though  his  contributions  to  the 
industry  have  been  numerous  and 
vital,  Zukor  has  been  and  remains 
one  of  the  most  modest  and  self- 
effacing  of  the  motion  pictures' 
greats." 

The  story  of  the  Hungarian-born 
Zukor,  who  arrived  in  this  country 
at  the  ag_e  of  16  alone  and  with  $40 
sewn  in  the  lining  of  his  coat,  and 
who,  after  building  one  of  the  great 
companies  of  the  industry  still 
serves  it  today  at  the  age  of  80  as 
chairman  of  its  board  of  directors, 
will  be  shown  on  film  to  those  who 
gather  to  pay  honor  to  him  at  his 
Golden  Jubilee  dinner  at  the  Wal- 
dorf-Astoria Hotel  here  tonight. 

The  film,  "The  Adolph  Zukor 
Story,"  was  produced  by  A.  J. 
Richard,  editor  of  Paramount 
News,  and  the  staff  of  the  newsreel, 
with  the  assistance  of  Russell  Hol- 
man,  Paramount's  Eastern  produc- 


tion head.  The  film  has  been  as- 
sembled from  thousands  of  feet  of 
negatives  taken  over  the  years  and 
includes  scenes  of  his  private  as 
well  as  business  life. 

Chairmen  of  the  dinner,  which  is 
sponsored  by  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national, are  Harry  Brandt  and 
Robert  J.  O'Donnell.  S.  H.  Fa- 
bian is  treasurer. 

On  the  honorary  committee  for 
the  jubilee  dinner  are : 

General  Lucius  D.  Clay ;  Mayor 
Vincent  R.  Impelliterri  of  New  York 
City;  United  States  Senators  Her- 
bert H.  Lehman  and  Irving  M.  Ives ; 
New  York  State  Attorney  General 
Nathaniel  M.  Goldstein;  Borough 
Presidents  Robert  F.  Wagner  Jr.  of 
Manhattan  and  John  Cashmore  of 
Brooklyn ;  District  Attorney  Frank 
S.  Hogan ;  New  York  State  members 
of  the  House  of  Representatives 
Emmanuel  Celler,  Isidore  Dollinger, 
Francis  E.  Dorn,  Sidney  A.  Fine, 
Paul  A.  Fino,  Louis  B.  Heller,  Les- 
ter Holtzman,  Eugene  J.  Keogh,  Ar- 
thur G.  Klein,  Abraham  J.  Multer, 
Adam  Clayton  Powell,  John  H.  Ray, 
John  J.  Rooney,  Jacob  K.  Javits  and 
Edna  F.  Kelly. 

Many  Do  Honor 

Also :  Greg  Blackton,  director  of 
Blackton-Fifth  Avenue,  Ltd. ;  James 
Wright  Brown,  president,  Editor  & 
Publisher;  Douglas  L.  Elliman,  presi- 
dent, Douglas  L.  Elliman  &  Co. ;  F. 
M.  Elynn,  president,  New  York  Daily 
Nezvs;  Bernard  Ginibel,  president, 
Gimbel  Brothers ;  Albert  M.  Green- 
field, president,  Albert  M.  Greenfield 
&  Co. ;  Stanton  Griffis,  industrialist 
and  former  United  States  Ambassa- 
dor to  Poland,  Egypt,  Spain  and  Ar- 
gentina ;    H.    H.    Helm,  president, 


Chemical  Bank  &  Trust  Co. 

Also:  William  J.  Keary,  president, 
Empire  State  Building  Corp. ;  Mac 
Kriendler,  "21"  Club;  Mrs.  Albert  ] 
Lasker;  J.  Wilson  Newman,  presi- 
dent, Dun  &  Bradstreet ;  Joseph  Pul- 
vermacher,  president,  Sterling  Na- 
tional Bank;  John  M.  Schiff,  presi- 
dent, Kuhn  Loeb  &  Co.;  Oscar  Ham- 
merstein  II ;  William  S.  Paley,  presi- 
dent, Columbia  Broadcasting  System ; 
Jules  Stein,  president,  MCA;  Walter 
Hoving,  president,  Bonwit  Teller; 
Gardner  Cowles,  publisher,  Look;  '' 
John  Hay  Whitney,  industrialist  and 
financier. 

Also :  Jack  Frye,  president,  Gen- 
eral Aniline  &  Film  Corporation ; 
Peter  Grimm,  president,  William  A. 
White  &  Sons ;  Saul  Schiff,  president, 
A.  S.  Beck;  Capt.  Edward  Ricken- 
backer,  president,  Eastern  Airlines ; 
Otto  Harbach,  president,  ASCAP; 
W.  P.  Marshall,  president,  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co. ;  Frank  D. 
Schroth,  publisher,  Brooklyn  Daily 
Eagle;  William  Randolph  Hearst,  Jr., 
president,  Hearst  publications. 

Notables  at  Dinner 

Also :  Alfred  Steele,  president, 
Pepsi-Cola  Co. ;  Cornelius  Vanderbilt, 
Jr.,  financier  and  author;  A.  S.  John- 
son, president,  National  Carbon  Co. ; 
General  Ted  Curtis,  vice-president, 
Eastman  Kodak  Co. ;  Horace  C.  Flan- 
igan,  president,  Manufacturers  Trust 
Co. ;  Conrad  Hilton,  president,  Hilton 
Hotels ;  John  A.  Coleman,  attorney ; 
Abe  Lastvogel,  president,  William 
Morris  Agency ;  Herbert  Bayard 
Swope,  industrialist ;  Joseph  F.  Cull- 
man, Jr.,  president,  Benson  &  Hedges ; 
Albert  Winger,  chairman  of  the 
board,  Crowell-Collier  Publishing 
Co. ;  L.  Jan  Mitchell,  chairman,  Four- 
teenth Street  Association ;  Carol  M 
Shanks,  president,  Prudential  Insur- 
ance Company  of  America. 

Also :  William  Rosenwald,  indus- 
trialist ;  Toots  Shor ;  Charles  P. 
Sligh,  Jr.,  president,  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Manufacturers ;  C.  R. 
Smith,  president,  American  Airlines, 
Inc. ;  Harold  V.  Smith,  president, 
Home  Insurance  Co. ;  H.  M.  Talia- 
ferro, president,  American  Seating 
Co. ;  Robert  R.  Young,  president, 
Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad ;  Philip 
Liebmann,  president,  Liebmann  Brew- 
eries ;  Grover  A.  Whalen,  chairman 
of  the  board,  Coty's ;  Whitelaw  Reid, 
editor,  New  York  Herald-Tribune; 
Richard  Prentice  Ettinger,  president, 
Prentice-Hall,  Inc. 

Civic  Leaders 


Other  public  officials  serving  on 
the  honorary  committee  are :  New 
York  City  Councilmen  Maurice  J. 
McCarthy,  Jr.,  Charles  E.  Keegan, 
Irving  I.  Shreckinger,  Stanley  M. 
Isaacs,  Eric  James  Treulich,  Robert 
Weisberger,  Jack  Kranis,  Jeremiah 
B.  Bloom,  Arthur  A.  Low  and  Coun- 
cilwoman  Bertha  Schwartz ;  and 
Judge  Charles  W.  Froessel,  Court  of 
Appeals ;  Judge  Jonah  J.  Goldstein, 
General  Sessions ;  Judge  Ferdinand 
Pecora,  official  referee,  former  Su- 
preme Court  Justice ;  Judge  Meier 
Steinbrink,  official  referee,  former 
Supreme  Court  Justice ;  Judge  S. 
Samuel  DiFalco,  Supreme  Court; 
Judge  Samuel  S.  Liebowitz,  County 
Court;  Judge  Matthew  M.  Levy,  Su- 
preme Court. 

Representing  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry on  the  honorary  committee  are : 
Barney    Balaban,    president,  Para- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Arcade  Site 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Zukor— from  Arcade  to  '3-D' 


AT  left  is  artist's  conception  of  Adolph  Zukor's  first 
i  penny  arcade  with  nickelodeon  upstairs,  opened 
on  East  14th  St.,  New  York,  50  years  ago  today. 
Above,  Zukor  being  photographed  in  new  Paramount 
three-dimensional  film  process  by  Don  Hartman  at 
Hollywood  studio  recently.  At  left  below,  Zukor  and 
Jesse  L.  Lasky  looking  over  blueprints  of  first  Para- 
mount Hollywood  studio.  Below,  Zukor  with  Will  H. 
Hays  at  opening  of  Paramount  Building  in  Times 
Square  in  1927.   Model  of  building  is  shown. 


Zukor  Jubilee  Dinner 


(Continued  from  page  6) 
mount  Pictures ;  Nate  J.  Blumberg, 
chairman  of  the  board,  Universal-In- 
ternational ;  Steve  Broidy,  president, 
Allied  Artists ;  Jack  Cohn,  vice-presi- 
dent, Columbia ;  Edward  P.  Curtis, 
vice-president,  Eastman  Kodak ;  Cecil 
B.  DeMille;  Ned  E.  Depinet,  RKO 
Radio  Pictures ;  Walt  Disney,  presi- 
dent, Walt  Disney  Productions ;  Gus 
S.  Eyssell,  president,  Rockefeller 
Center,  Inc. ;  Samuel  Goldwyn ;  James 
R.  Grainger,  president,  RKO  Radio 
Pictures ;  Eric  A.  Johnston,  president, 
MPAA;  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kalmus, 
president,  Technicolor. 

Also :  Arthur  B.  Krim,  president, 
United  Artists ;  Jesse  L.  Lasky ;  Louis 
B.  Mayer,  chairman  of  the  board, 
Cinerama ;  Milton  R.  Rackmil,  presi- 
dent, Universal-International ;  Her- 
man Robbins,  president,  National 
Screen  Service ;  George  J.  Schaefer ; 
Nicholas  M.  Schenck,  president, 
Loew's ;  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  presi- 
dent, 20th  Century-Fox;  Major  Al- 


bert Warner,  vice-president,  Warner 
Bros. ;  Richard  F.  Walsh,  president, 
IATSE;  Herbert  J.  Yates,  president, 
Republic. 

The  sponsoring  committee,  which 
represents  distributors,  the  motion 
picture  industry  trade  press  and  the 
theatres  of  the  country,  includes 
among  its  membership:  Herman 
Becker,  Rugoff  &  Becker ;  William 
Brandt,  William  Brandt  Theatres ; 
Leo  Brecher,  Leo  Brecher  Enter- 
prises ;  Max  A.  Cohen,  Cinema  Cir- 
cuit ;  Russell  V.  Downing,  Radio 
City  Music  Hall ;  Emanuel  Frisch, 
MMPTA ;  Harry  Kalmine,  Warner 
Bros.    Circuit  Management. 

Also :  Edward  Lachman,  chief  bark- 
er, Tent  35,  Variety  Clubs  Interna- 
tional; Charles  B.  Moss,  B.  S.  Moss 
Theatres ;  Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  Walter 
Reade  Theatres ;  Samuel  Rinzler, 
Randforce  Amusement  Corp ;  Samuel 
Rosen,  Fabian  Theatres ;  Fred  J. 
Schwartz  Century  Theatres ;  Sol  A. 
Schwartz;,  RKO  Theatres;  Joseph  M. 


Seider,  Associated  Prudential  The- 
atres ;  Gerald  Shea,  Jamestown 
Amusement  Corp. ;  George  F.  Skouras, 
Skouras  Theatres  ;  Spyros  S.  Skouras, 
Jr.,  Skouras  Theatres  ;  Wilbur  Snap- 
er,  Allited  States  Theatres  Owners ; 
Joseph  R.  Vogel,  Loew's ;  Frank  C. 
Walker,  Comerford  Circuit;  David 
Weinstock,  Raybond  Theatres ;  Rob- 
ert M.  Weitman,  United  Paramount 
Theatres. 

Also:  Robert  Benjamin,  president, 
J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization ; 
Charles  Boasberg,  general  sales  man- 
ager, RKO  Radio;  Al  E.  Daff,  ex- 
ecutive vice-president,  Universal-In- 
ternational ;  George  F.  Dembow,  vice- 
president,  National  Screen  Service ; 
Charles  J.  Feldman,  sales  manager, 
Universal  -  International ;  Leopold 
Friedman,  vice-president,  Loew's ; 
Maury  Goldstein,  vice-president,  Al- 
lied Artists. 

Also :  Joseph  Hazen,  Hal  Wallis 
Productions ;  William  J.  Heineman, 
vice-president,  United  Artists ;  Ben- 


picture  industry.  "If  you  think  you, 
yourself,  know  it  all,"  Zukor  said,  "it's 
time  for  a  change." 

Zukor  advised  theatre  operators  to 
watch  the  audience's  reaction  to  a 
picture  to  determine  if  it  will  do  good 
business.  He  said  that  was  his  own 
system  over  the  years  to  the  exclusion 
of  whatever  opinions  he  himself  had 
concerning  the  quality  of  pictures  and 
their  money-making  possibilities. 

Zukor,  Paramount  board  chairman, 
was  the  guest  of  the  14th  Street  As- 
sociation at  luncheon  at  Luchow's 
Restaurant  on  14th  Street,  near  where 
he  opened  his  motion  picture  penny 
arcade  a  half  century  ago.  Tonight 
he  will  be  honored  at  a  50th  anniver- 
sary banquet  in  the  Waldorf  Astoria 
Hotel.  Following  the  luncheon,  at 
which  Jan  Mitchell,  chairman  of  the 
association  and  owner  of  Luchow's, 
was  toastmaster,  the  luncheon  gather- 
ing of  industry  executives  and  associ- 
ation members  went  to  Ohrbach's  De- 
partment Store  nearby  to  witness  the 
unveiling  of  a  plaque  commemorating 
the  opening  of  Zukor's  penny  arcade 
on  that  site. 

Presiding  at  the  unveiling  was 
Mitchell,  with  Jerome  Ohrbach,  pres- 
ident of  Ohrbach's,  and  James  S. 
Carson,  president  of  the  Avenue  of 
America's  Association,  assisting. 

Among  those  present  at  the  lunch- 
eon were:  Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  in- 
ternational chairman  of  the  Zukor 
Golden  Jubilee,  sponsored  by  Variety 
Clubs  International ;  A.  W.  Schwal- 
berg,  president  of  Paramount  Film 
Distributing  Corp. ;  Arthur  L.  Mayer, 
former  executive  vice-president  of  the 
Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organiza- 
tions ;  Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of  the 
Zukor  Jubilee  dinner  committee  ;  Ned 
E.  Depinet,  RKO  Pictures  consultant 
and  former  COMPO  president ;  Rus- 
sell Holman,  Paramount's  Eastern 
production  manager  ;  Jerome  Pickman, 
Paramount  vice-president  in  charge 
of  advertising  -  publicity -exploitation  ; 
Louis  Novins,  assistant  to  Para- 
mount president  Barney  Balaban  and 
others. 


jamin  Kalmenson,  vice  -  president, 
Warner  Bros. ;  Al  Lichtman,  vice- 
president,  20th  Century-Fox ;  W.  C. 
Michel,  vice-president,  20th  Century- 
Fox  ;  Robert  M.  Mochrie,  sales  man- 
ager, Samuel  Goldwyn ;  Abe  Mon- 
tague, vice  -  president,  Columbia ; 
Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  vice-president, 
Loew's ;  James  A.  Mulvey,  president, 
Samuel  Goldwyn ;  John  J.  O'Connor, 
vice  -  president,  Universal  -  Interna- 
tional ;  Charles  M.  Reagan,  vice- 
president,  Loew's ;  William  F.  Rodg- 
ers,  vice-president,  Loew's ;  J.  Robert 
Rubin,  vice-president,  Loew's ;  Abe 
Schneider,  vice-president,  Columbia ; 
Sam  Schneider,  vice-president,  War- 
ner Bros. ;  Alfred  W.  Schwalberg, 
president,  Paramount  Film  Distribut- 
ing Corp. ;  Nate  Spingold,  vice-presi- 
dent, Columbia ;  Arthur  L.  Mayer ; 
Robert  W.  Coyne,  COMPO,  and 
Louis  Nizer. 

Trade  paper  editors  and  publishers 
on  the  sponsoring  committee  are : 
Jack  Alicoate,  Film  Daily ;  Jay  Eman- 
uel, Exhibitor;  Abel  Green,  Variety; 
Pete  Harrison,  Harrison's  Reports; 
Charles  E.  Lewis,  Showmen's  Trade 
Review;  Martin  Quigley,  Motton 
Picture  Daily  and  Motion  Picture 
Herald;  Ben  Shlyen,  Boxoffice;  Mor- 
ton Sunshine,  The  Independent ;  Mo 
Wax,  Film  Bulletin;  and  William  R. 
Wilkerson,  Hollywood  Reporter. 


ongratulations  and  Best  ishes 


to 


MR.  ADOLPH  Zlkllll 


on  the  occasion  of  his 


50 


th  Anniversary 


in  the  Motion  Picture  Industry 


EASTMAN  KODAK  COMPANY 

and 

W.  J.  GERMAN,  INC. 

Agent  for  the  sale  and  distribution  of 
Eastman  Professional  Motion  Picture  Films 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


Congratulations 
and  a  long,  active  life 
from  all  of  us  at 

UNITED  PARAMOUNT  THEATRES 


Congratulations 

For  Your  Outstanding  Contributions 
To  The  Motion  Picture  Industry 


WILLIAM    MORRIS   AGENCY,  Inc. 

NEW  YORK         .         CHICAGO         .  BEVERLY  HILLS         .  LONDON         •  '  PARIS 

/WW 


EST.      ZXXX  1898 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


11 


Tax  Repeal 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

assistance  to  the  campaign,  as 
help  may  be  necessary. 

"Having  just  spent  considerable 
time  in  Washington,"  the  two  co- 
chairmen  said,  "we  are  greatly  en- 
couraged by  the  prospects  of  repeal 
at  this  session  of  Congress.  Our  op- 
timism is  based  on  information  given 
us  by  leading  members  of  both  Houses 
of  Congress  who  are  in  closest  touch 
with  legislation  pertaining  to  tax  mat- 
ters. 

"Because  of  the  publicity  which  has 
been  given  the  Administration's  desire 
to  balance  the  budget,  some  people  m 
the  industry  apparently  are  willing  to 
throw  up  their  hands  and  despair  of 
tax  relief.  Indeed,  there  seems  to  be 
an  impression  in  some  quarters  that 
the  Tax  Committee  itself  has  come 
to  a  halt.  This  is  not  the  case.  On 
the  contrary,  the  fact  is  that,  far  from 
being  inactive,  COMPO's  tax  commit- 
tee is  busier  than  ever. 

"Only  the  focus  of  its  activities  has 
changed.  Having  successfully  com- 
pleted the  first  phase  of  the  campaign, 
which  was  the  grassroots  approach  to 
Congressmen  and  Senators  in  their 
home  districts,  we  have  now  moved 
our  efforts  to  Washington.  We  have 
established  headquarters  at  the  Raleigh 
Hotel,  and  from  these  headquarters 
we  have  been  busy  for  the  last  several 
weeks  strengthening  contacts  with 
Congressional  leaders.  The  immediate 
aim  of  this  activity  is  to  obtain  an 
early  hearing  before  the  House  Ways 
and  Means  Committee  on  the  bill 
which  has  been  chosen  as  the  one  best 
suited  for  our  purposes.  This  measure 


Call  Me  Madam 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  quips  and  antics  of  Miss  Merman,  the  excellent  dancing  of  Vera-Ellen 
and  O'Connor  and  the  vocal  offerings.  Miss  Merman,  who  has  made  a  for- 
tune in  Oklahoma  oil,  is  appointed  ambassador  to  Lichtenburg,  and  takes 
O'Connor  along  as  her  press  attache.  There  follows,  of  course,  Miss  Merman's 
romance  with  Sanders,  the  country's  Secretary  of  State,  and  O'Connor's 
love  affair  with  Vera-Ellen,  the  princess.  And  the  efforts  of  the  diplomats 
to  get  a  loan  from  the  U.S.  through  the  feminine  ambassador  are  highlights 
of  the  picture.  This  angle  is  augmented  by  Miss  Merman's  frequent  phone 
conversations  with  "Harry"  in  Washington. 

There  are  no  dull  moments  in  "Call  Me  Madam."  Exhibitors  should  not 
be  afraid  of  superlatives  in  their  advertising  because  they  have  plenty  to  sell. 
Word-of-mouth  promotion  will  carry  on  where  the  printed  word  leaves  off. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Helmut  Dantine,  Walter  Slezak,  Steven  Geray, 
Ludwig  Stossel,  Lilia  Skala,  Charles  Dingle,  Emory  Parnell,  Percy  Helton, 
Leon  Belasco  and  many  others. 

Running  time,  114  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  release 
in  April.  Al  Steen 


is  H.R.  157,  introduced  by  Represen- 
tative Noah  M.  Mason  of  Illinois,  a 
high  ranking  member  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee. 

"To  impress  upon  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  the  necessity  for 
early  action  on  the  Mason  Bill,  we 
have  brought  to  Washington  delega- 
tions of  exhibitors  from  the  districts 
represented  bv  members  of  the  com- 
mittee and  other  key  leaders  of  Con- 
gress. These  conferences,  which  will 
be  continued,  have  been  eminently 
fruitful,  for  not  only  have  they  fur- 
ther cemented  the  support  promised  by 
these  Congressmen  but  they  also  have 
elicited  helpful  advice  and  offers  of 
guidance.  As  a  consequence,  we  now 
have  several  powerful  Congressional 
leaders  who  are  helping  us  in  our 
efforts. 

"But  all  of  this  activity  would 
be  in  vain  if  we  failed  to  make 


Best  Wishes 


to 


ADOLPH  ZUKOR 

On  His  50th  Anniversary 
in  the  Motion  Picture 
Industry. 


CENTURY  THEATRES 


National 


thorough  preparation  for  the 
presentation  of  our  case  when 
the  House  Ways  and  Means 
Committee  hearing  is  held.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  Tax  Committee 
has  been  busy  marshaling  facts 
and  figures  to  prove  to  the 
Ways  and  Means  group  that 
tax  relief  is  not  only  needed 
but  is  needed  now. 

"For  the  collection  of  this  informa- 
tion, we  have  retained  Sindlinger  & 
Co.,  the  well,  known  statistical  organ- 
ization. This  group  has  been  conduct- 
ing a  survey,  now  nearly  completed, 
which  will  set  forth  facts  and  figures 
never  before  collected  by  this  industry. 
These  figures,  whose  authenticity  is 
beyond  question,  are  expected  to  be 
of  immense  value  in  the  presentation 
of  our  case. 

Will  Show  Film 

"For  this  presentation,  moreover, 
we  have  not  overlooked  resources 
peculiar  to  our  own  business.  At  the 
suggestion  of  several  Congressional 
leaders,  we  are  having  a  short  film 
produced  which  will  be  shown  to  the 
Ways  and  Means  Committee  and  other 
interested  Congressmen  and  Senators. 
This  film,  now  nearing  completion  at 
the  MGM  studio,  is  being  made  by 
Herman  Hoffman,  producer  of  'The 
Hoaxters',  and  is  expected  to  be  a 
powerful  argument  for  tax  repeal.  In- 
cidentally, permission  to  show  this 
film  to  the  Ways  and  Means  Commit- 
tee already  has  been  granted.  . 

"Whatever  the  immediate  outcome 
may  be,  we  wish  to  emphasize  once 
more  that  the  fight  to  repeal  the  Fed- 
eral admission  tax  continues  to  be  the 
industry's  most  important  undertaking. 
Three-dimension  films  and  other  in- 
novations of  this  nature  are  now  en- 
gaging the  attention  of  many  in  our 
business.  These  new  developments, 
however,  will  be  of  little  value  if  the 
theatres  they  are  designed  for  have 
been  closed  by  the  admission  tax.  We 
hope,  therefore,  that  nobody  in  our 
business  will  be  so  preoccupied  with 
the  future  benefits  of  3-D  as  to  neglect 
the  present  danger  of  the  admission 
tax." 


Wile  Leads  Group  to  Capital 
To  See  Ohio  Solons  on  Tax 

Washington,  March  3. — Robert 
Wile,  executive  secretary  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio,  and 
four  other  Ohio  exhibitors  are  in  town 
urging  their  Congressmen  to  support 
legislation  to  exempt  theatres  from 
the  Federal  admission  tax. 

The  delegation  saw  Ohio  Senators 
Taft  and  Bricker  today.  Tomorrow, 
they  will  see  members  of  the  House, 
including  Representative  Jenkins,  sec- 
ond ranking  member  of  the  House 
Ways  and  Means  Committee. 


Pre-Selling 

THERE'S  an  awesome  sound  to  the 
title  of  a  thriving  project  at  a 
Hollywood  studio,  a  project  called  the 
Universal-International  Development 
Program.  Behind  those  formidable 
words,  you  will  discover  one  of  the 
finest  dramatic  schools  in  the  coun- 
try. In  the  March  issue  of  Seventeen, 
Ed  Miller  and  Sara  Salzer  report 
how  this  school  is  conducted.  To 
illustrate  the  school,  they  use  15  can- 
did camera  photographs  taken  during 
class  sessions,  varying  from  viewing 
selected  feature  films,  used  to  illus- 
trate specific  values  to  regular  after- 
noon sessions  held  in  the  gym. 

In  the  same  issue,  Columbia  starts 
its  ad  campaign  on  "Salome"  in  con- 
sumer magazines,  not  including  fans, 
with  their  first  two  color  ad. 

• 

Henry  King,  director  of  "Snows 
of  Kilamanjaro"  and  "David  and 
Bathsheba"  is  Coronet's  guest  critic 
for  the  March  issue. 

Henry  King  picks  two  pictures, 
"Come  Back  Little  Sheba,"  and 
"Jeopardy"  as  his  current  favorites. 

The  guest  critic  says  "Sheba  is  a 
mature  and  emotionally  valid  study 
of  marriage  and  adjustment"  and 
that  the  film  is  one  of  the  year's 
greatest. 

King  has  this  to  say  of  "Jeopardy" : 
"Fine  screencraft  and  first-class 
direction  are  manifest  in  this 
M-G-M  thriller  of  compelling  sus- 
pense." 

• 

"Mervyn  LeRoy  has  again  been 
chosen  director  of  presentations  of  the 
Academy  Awards,  by  the  governors 
of  the  Academy,"  says  Ruth  Harbert 
in  the  March  issue  of  Good  House- 
keeping. This  is  the  eighth  time  he 
has  been  in  charge  of  the  show. 

LeRoy  zvas  asked  to  list  his  favor- 
ite pictures,  actresses  and  actors  since 
the  Academy  it/as  established  in  1929. 
He  did  this  and  Ruth  Harbert  has 
listed  them  in  her  assignment-in-Hol- 
lywood  department. 

• 

Florence  Somers  in  the  issue  of 
Rcdbook  now  on  the  newsstands  uses 
three  full  color  pictures  taken  on  the 
sets  of  "Moulin  Rouge"  to  illustrate 
her  review  of  the  latest  John  Huston 
picture.  There  are  three  other  films 
reviewed  in  the  issue,  "All  Ashore," 
"The  Stars  Are  Singing,"  and  "Never 
Wave  at  a  Wac." 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  full  page  ad 
on  Warner's  "I  Confess." 

• 

Dewey  Martin,  born  in  Katempsi, 
Texas,  population  1,400,  is  Louella 
Parson's  "Movie  Star  of  the  Week" 
in  the  March  issue  of  Pictorial  Re- 
view. Dewey,  who  appeared  in 
"Knock  on  Any  Door,"  and  "The 
Big  Sky,"  will  be  starred  in  Hem- 
ingway's "The  Sun  Also  Rises." 
Howard  Hawks  will  take  Martin 
and  other  members  of  the  cast  to 
Spain  this  spring,  so  scenes  in  the 
actual  locale  of  the  Hemingway 
story  can  be  made. 

• 

"This  month,  movie-goers  have  an 
unusually  zuidc  choice  of  entertain- 
ment," says  the  movie  editor  of 
American  Magazine  ('/;  the  March 
issue.  The  selection  includes  a  new 
Alfred  Hitchcock  suspense  thriller,  "I 
Confess,"  and  Walt  Disney's  "Peter 
Pan." 

Walter  Haas 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  4,  1953 


Warns  Exhibitors  to 
'Go  Slow'  on  3-D 

Salt  Lake  City,  March  3.— 
"Take  your  sweet  time  about 
ordering  3-D  equipment. 
Don't  rush  in.  You  might 
make  some  horrible  mistakes. 
The  processes  are  not  settled 
and  what  you  buy  now  might 
not  fit  the  purposes  a  few 
months  from  now." 

This  was  the  advice  given 
to  Utah  theatre  owners  today 
by  Rotus  Harvey  of  Western 
Theatre  Owners  Association, 
in  an  address  to  the  group.  A 
symposium  followed  the  meet- 
ing. Harvey  also  talked  to 
Variety  Tent  38  of  this  city 
regarding  charities  and  urged 
the  club  to  adopt  a  charity 
that  will  benefit  children. 


Films  Missing  from 
Brazil  Import  List 


The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  yesterday  sought  a  clarifica- 
tion of  Brazil's  new  list  of  importable 
items,  of  which  motion  pictures  are 
not  included.  This  was  considered 
puzzling  inasmuch  as  a  list  issued  by 
Brazil  on  Jan.  27  included  films 
among  those  items  that  could  be  im- 
ported. A  telephone  call  to  Brazil 
from  New  York  failed  to  clarify  the 
issue.  However,  it  is  not  expected 
that  the  currently  blocked  currency 
will  be  affected. 

Foreign  managers  met  here  yester- 
day to  discuss  progress  reports  on  im- 
port negotiations  in  Brazil,  Belgium 
and  Italy.  Company  presidents  of  the 
MPAA  are  scheduled  to  meet  today. 


NPA  Film  Division 
Dropping  Employes 

Washington,  March  3. — Personnel 
cutbacks  in  the  controls  agencies  will 
start  hitting  the  National  Production 
Authority's  film  division  soon. 

Film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  said 
he  thought  his  division,  which  in- 
cludes certain  other  functions  in  ad- 
dition to  film  and  photographic  equip- 
ment, would  be  forced  to  fire  "almost 
half"  its  39  employes  soon,  probably 
early  in  April.  A  still  further  reduc- 
tion may  be  necessary  in  June  or  July, 
he  stated.  Golden  pointed  out  that 
the  reduction  in  force  naturally  fol- 
lows from  the  relaxation  or  elimina- 
tion of  the  controls  being  administered 
by  NPA. 

Golden  said  he  thought  NPA  would 
stay  intact  as  an  agency  at  least  until 
June  30.  Observers  have  been  pre- 
dicting that  what's  left  of  NPA  after 
June  30  would  return  to  the  Com- 
merce Department. 


Cinema  Lodge  to 
Honor  Liehowitz 

Judge  Samuel  Liebowitz,  Justice  of 
Kings  County  Court,  will  be  honored 
by  Cinema  Lodge  of  B'nai  B'rith  for 
his  public  service  as  a  fighter  for  the 
betterment  of  human  relations.  U.  S. 
Senator  Charles  W.  Tobey  of  New 
Hampshire,  himself,  will  present  the 
Cinema  Lodge  "Honor  Scroll"  to  him 
at  a  special  evening  in  his  honor  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  on  March  16,  it  was 
announced  yesterday  by  Alartin 
Levine,  president  of  the  unit. 


Asides  &  Interludes 


-by  James  Cunningham 


Zukor-ama 

(Thanks  to  Terry  Ramsaye) 

IN  1903,  Adolph  Zukor,  a  capable  and  modestly  successful  furrier  in  Chi- 
cago, decided  that  he  would  go  down  to  New  York  and  see  what  could 
be  done  about  the  plight  of  a  friend  to  whom  he  had  loaned  $3,000  to  go 
into  the  penny  arcade  business.  The  penny  arcade,  located  at  Sixth  Avenue 
and  Fourteenth  Street,  did  not  seem  to  be  prospering.  Now  $3,000  was  some- 
thing, not  the  whole  of  Zukor's  fortune  at  that  time,  it  is  true,  but  it  was 
a  considerable  fraction  thereof. 

The  effort  to  salvage  the  loan  put  Adolph  Zukor  into  the  penny  arcade 
peep  show  business,  got  him  into  association  with  Marcus  Loew,  who  was 
similarly  interested,  led  to  the  acquisition  of  William  A.'  Brady's  "Hale's 
Tours"  shows,  and  converted  the  many  penny  arcades  into  motion  picture 
store  shows. 

By  1906,  Zukor  was  a  full-fledged  theatre  proprietor,  with  his  Comedy 
Theatre  presenting  the  best  motion  pictures  he  could  find  to  the  amusement 
seeking  crowds  of  New  York's  14th  Street. 

Zukor  had  started  out  to  rescue  a  bad  loan  and  had  found  a  new  career. 
That's  why  Mr.  Zukor  will  be  sitting  in  the  middle  of  a  dais  at  New  York's 
Waldorf  Astoria  Hotel  tonight,  the  honor  guest  of  a  grand  tribute  to  a  grand 
man  on  his  50th  anniversary  in  the  industry. 


ft  ft 


ft 


Even  though  the  difference  between  the  nickelodeon  of  those  days 


and  Mr.  Rockefeller's  Music 


MARY  PICKFORD 

His  First  Great  Star 


Hall  of  today  was  approximately  the  dif- 
ference between  a  down-at-the-heel  hot 
dog  stand  and  the  Waldorf  Astoria  Hotel, 
exhibitors  were  complaining. 

Film-peddler  Al  Lichtman  came  in  off 
the  road  from  selling  "Queen  Elizabeth" 
and  the  original  "Prisoner  of  Zenda," 
bringing  with  him  a  clamor  from  exhibi- 
tors for  more  pictures  to  "save  the  busi- 
ness." Many  Wilbur  Snapers,  Abram 
Myerses,  Al  Starrs,  and  many  other  we- 
want-more  product  fellows  had  been 
heard  from. 

Anyway,  Lichtman  reported  the  need 
for  a  continuous  flow  of  pictures  to  Fa- 
mous Players  heads  Adolph  Zukor,  Ed- 
win S.  Porter  and  Frohman.  They  de- 
cided to  expand  production,  and  succeeded 
in  acquiring  for  a  Class  B  production, 
the  entire  rights  and  cast  of  David  Be- 
lasco's  "A  Good  Little  Devil,"  for  $15,000— 
including  Mary  Pickford,  who  was  to  be- 
come Zukor's  first  great  star. 


ft  ft 


ft 


Mary's  pictures  made  many  dollars  for  Zukor's  Famous  Players  and  it 
was  not  long  before  Zukor  and  his  lazvyers — lawyers  zvere  around  the  pic- 
ture business,  then,  too — had  Mary  on  the  payroll  with  a  new  contract 
stipulating  the  payment  of  $1,000  a  zveek,  every  zveek  for  her  appearance  in 
not  less  than  eight  or  more  than  12  pictures  a  year. 

The  contract  called  for  Famous  Players  to  pay  all  wardrobe  expenses.  But 
the  parties  of  the  first  part  refused  Miss  (Mary  Smith)  Pickford's  demand 
that  "all  Pickford  features  must  be  sold  at  double  the  customary  prices  and 
an  exhibitor  shozving  them,  must  charge  double  admissions."  That  zvas  in 
November,  1914. 

Seems  'twas  only  the  other  day  when  we  heard  a  strong  exhibitor  com- 
plaint about  "a  new  trend"  in  forcing  higher  than  customary  admissions  for 
the  exhibition  of  a  company's  product. 


ft  ft 


ft 


It  was  in  the  year  of  1912 — the  year  of  the  Titanic  disaster,  the  dis- 
covery of  the  South  Pole,  the  election  of  Woodrow  Wilson,  when  "Creepy" 
Zukor,  so  named  because  he  was  so  quiet,  obtained  the  rights  to  "Queen 
Elizabeth"  with  Sarah  Bernhardt  in  the  title  role,  for  $18,000,  and  with 
Joe  Engel  and  Edwin  Porter  formed  the  Engadine  Corporation. 

That  production  of  "Queen  Elizabeth"  was  in  four  reels.  Besides  Sarah 
Bernhardt,  it  starred  Lou  Tellegen.  But,  importantly,  it  was  the  first 
feature  picture  in  these  United  States,  and,  as  Mr.  Zukor  will  attest,  was 
without  Technicolor,  Natural  Vision,  WarnerColor,  Cinerama,  TruColor, 
three-dimension,  anti-trust  suits,  trade  practice  wrangles,  and  whatnot. 


ft 


ft 


The  name  of  Famous  Players,  predecessor  of  Famous  Players-Lasky  and 
Paramount  Pictures,  came  about  when  Zukor  persisted  in  promoting  "famous 
players  in  famous  plays"  during  the  years  from  1912  to  1915,  zvhen  the  screen 
was  engaged  in  strivings  for  escape  from  its  one-reel  bondage.  Zukor  in- 
sisted in  those  years  on  "feature"  pictures  only,  like  his  four-reel  "Queen 
Elizabeth."  Mention  a  double-feature  bill  now,  and  Zukor  will  wince. 


Col.  Shooting  in 
Own  3-D  Process 

Hollywood,  March  3.  — Col- 
umbia is  shooting  "The  Man 
Who  Lived  Twice"  in  the  stu- 
dio's own,  as  yet  un-named, 
three-dimensional  process. 
Developed  by  Columbia  tech- 
nicians, the  mechanism  util- 
izes two  cameras,  shoots  two 
film  strips,  requires  two  pro- 
jectors for  exhibition  and 
spectacles  for  viewing. 

As  announced  earlier,  Col- 
umbia also  is  currently  shoot- 
ing "Fort  Ti"  in  the  Natural 
Vision  3-D  process. 


Predicts  U.K.  4 3-D' 
Films  This  Year 


London,  March  3. — The  prediction 
that  several  British  pictures  will  be 
completed  in  "3-D"  this  year  was 
made  by  Kenneth  A.  Nyman,  sales 
director  of  Stereo-Techniques,  Ltd., 
in  a  lecture  at  Oxford. 

His  company,  he  said,  has  agree- 
ments with  Sir  Alexander  Korda  and 
Ealing  Studios  for  the  use  of  its  sys- 
tem in  some  of  their  new  feature 
films.  Certain  scenes  in  one  of  Eal- 
ing's current  productions  are  now 
oeing  made  in  3-D  as  an  experiment. 

"I  think  the  demand  for  three- 
dimensional  films  will  spread  over  the 
world  very  rapidly,"  Nyman  said. 
'There  will  be  a  period  of  marking 
.ime  while  we  find  out  whether  the 
public  wants  the  new  medium  and  in 
what  form,  and  methods  will  have  to 
be  standardized.  But  within  two  years 
we  shall  have  the  solution." 

Plans  are  afoot  for  the  education  of 
British  exhibitors  in  3-D  develop- 
ments at  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Associations^  annual  convention 
scheduled  for  June  at  Eastbourne. 


Expect  U.K.  Quota 
Ruling  Next  Week 

London,  March  3. — Well  informed 
sources  here  expect  Peter  Thorney- 
croft,  president  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
to  announce  next  week  the  continu 
ance  of  the  present  30  per  cent  film 
qupta  for  another  year. 

The  statute  requires  that  a  decision 
be  made  by  the  end  of  March  estab- 
lishing the  quota  to  become  effective 
for  the  12  months  starting  the  follow 
ing  Oct.  1.    The  Board  of  Trade  has 
been  uncertain  as  to  what  recommen 
dation  to  make,  lacking  recommenda- 
tions from  the  trade  thus  far.  Be 
cause  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  Eady  levy,  producers 
have  been  reluctant  to  make  a  recom- 
mendation involving  long-range  plans. 

Thorneycroft's  anticipated  an- 
nouncement of  a  continuance  of  the 
present  30  per  cent  quota  for  another 
year  is  expected  to  have  the  effect  of 
tossing  the  matter  back  into  the  laps 
of  the  industry  organizations  and 
forcing  them  to  make  up  their  minds. 


Lease  Upstate  Drive-in 

Buffalo,  March  3. — The  Deleware 
Drive-in,  onerated  for  several  seasons 
bv  Louis  Drew,  has  been  leased  bv 
Harry  Berkson  of  Allied  Artists  and 
Nate  Dickman,  his  partner. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  43 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  5,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Levy  Offers 
New  Formula 
On  Bidding 

Counsel  Says  His  Plan 
Would  Solve  Problems 


A  three-point  formula  for  the 
use  of  competitive  bidding  by  dis- 
tributors was  offered  here  yester- 
day by  Herman  Levy,  general 
counsel  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  in  an  analysis  of  court  de- 
cisions in  the  Milwaukee  Towne  Corp. 
and  the  Chicago  Jackson  Park  anti- 
trust cases.  In  both  cases,  Levy  said, 
the  court  uses  language  which  indi- 
cates strongly  that  a  system  of  com- 
petitive bidding  would  be  approved  by 
it  "in  those  sets  of  facts  only  if  it 
resulted  in  the  determination  of  'fair 
and  reasonable'  film  rental." 

Levy  said  that,  in  his  opinion,  this 
approach  to  the  problem  should  be 
adopted  by  all  distributors  ;  that  is,  the 
employment  of  competitive  bidding 
only  when  they  feel,  sincerely  and 
honestly, 

(1)  That  there  is  a  definite 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


1  Chances  Remote  for 
I  TOA-Allied  Meeting 


leu 

ids 
Bj 

eel 
on 
an 


If 


The  meeting  proposed  by  Alfred 
Starr,  president  of  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  between  leaders  of  TOA  and 
Allied  to  discuss  trade  practices  may 
be  deferred  indefinitely  unless  the  par- 
ties can  get  together  before  next 
Tuesday.  Starr  is  scheduled  to  fly  to 
Europe  on  Tuesday  for  an  extended 
stay.  At  the  time  that  he  suggested 
the  get-together  he  expressed  hope 
that  the  sessions  could  be  held  before 
he  left. 

However,  Wilbur  Snaper,  Allied 
president,  said  here  yesterday  that  a 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Sees  Auto  Industry, 
Drive-ins  in  Tie-up 

Kansas  City,  March  4.— Jack  H. 
Levin  outlined  to  the  drive-in  oper- 
ators attending  the  conference  spon- 
sored by  the  Kansas-Missouri  Theatre 
Association  today  the  activities  and 
possibilities  for  the  National  Drive-In 
Institute,  Inc.,  which  he  heads.  Among 
the  projects  offered  is  the  cultivating 
of    mutual    interests    between  the 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Honor  Montague  on 
20th  Anniversary 

Columbia  general  sales  manager 
A.  Montague 
was  honor 
guest  yester- 
day at  a  lunch- 
eon given  him 
by  his  col- 
leagues at 
Toots  Shor's 
restaurant  to 
celebrate  h  i  s 
20th  anniver- 
sary as  sales 
manager.  At 
the  conclusion 
of  the  lunch- 
eon, Montague 
was  presented 
with  a  silver  bowl,  suitably  in- 
scribed. 

Among  those  attending  the  affair 
were  Jack  Cohn,  A.  Schneider,  N.  B. 
Spingold,  Leo  Jaffe,  Paul  N.  Laza- 
rus, Jr.,  Rube  Jackter,  Mort  Worm- 
ser,  Lou  Weinberg,  Irving  Wormser, 
George  Josephs,  Maurice  Grad,  Nat 
Cohn,  Joe  Freiberg,  Vincent  Borelli, 
Seth  Raisler  and  Dr.  M.  W.  Gold- 
stein. 


A.  Montague 


3  Exhibitor  Units 
Set  Meeting  Plans 

Activities  of  exhibitor  organizations 
in  Texas,  Wisconsin  and  Ohio  were 
reported  here  from  the  field. 

In  Dallas,  Charles  Weisenburg, 
president  of  Texas  Drive-in  Theatre 
Owners  Association,  disclosed  that 
April  14-15  has  been  set  for  the  an- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Johnston  Sets 
Committee  for 
Study  of  3-D 


Top  executives  of  all  member 
companies  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  met  here 
yesterday  with  MPAA  president 
Eric  Johnston  to  discuss  the  status  of 
three  dimensional  pictures  and  wide 
screen  presentations.  In  order  to  col- 
lect and  sift  all  information  on  3-D 
and  panoramic  screen  problems  as 
they  relate  to  production,  distribution 
and  exhibition,  Johnston  appointed  a 
five-man  committee  to  tackle  the 
chore. 

The    committee    consists    of  A. 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


WB's  Kalmenson  to 
Detail  10  Pictures 
At  Meetings  Here 

Ben  Kalmenson,  Warner  Brothers 
vice-president  in  charge  of  distribu- 
tion, will  preside  over  a  two-day 
meeting  of  the  company's  district 
managers  beginning  today  at  the 
company's  home  office. 

Details  of  product  for  spring  and 
summer  will  highlight  the  confer- 
ences. Ten  productions  to  be  dis- 
cussed are  "House  of  Wax,"  3-D  film 
in  Natural  Vision  and  WarnerColor, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


HONOR  ZUKOR  ON 
50th  ANNIVERSARY 

Civic  and  Industry  Leaders  Pay  Tribute 
To  Paramount  Founder  at  Banquet  Here 

Leaders  of  American  industry,  distinguished  jurists  and  Federal,  state 
and  city  officials  joined  with  film  and  theatre  executives  last  night  in 
honoring-  Adolph  Zukor,  founder  and  chairman  of  the  board  of  Para- 
mount Pictures,  in  observance  of  his  golden  anniversary  in  the  motion 
picture  industry. 

In  addition  to  the  long  list  of  digni- 
taries and  show  people  who  graced 
the  dais,  approximately  1,200  others 
from  all  walks  of  life  and  all  branches 
of  this  industry  were  on  hand  in  the 
Grand  Ballroom  of  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  Hotel  here  to  pay  tribute  to 
the  man  who  started  his  career  in  this 
city  with  the  opening  of  a  penny 
arcade  on  East  14th  Street  on  March 
4,  1903,  and  who  for  the  50  interven- 
ing years   contributed  much  to  the 


Set  3-D  Film 
Of  Marciano, 
Walcott  Fight 

To  Use  Stereo-Cine 
Process;  U.A.  Handling 

The  Rocky  Marciano-Jersey  Joe 
Walcott  heavyweight  championship 
fight  in  the  Chicago  Stadium,  April 
10,  will  be  put  on  three-dimensional 
film  for  distribution  to  theatres,  Wil- 
liam J.  Heineman,  vice-president  of 
United  Artists,  which  has  acquired 
the  distribution  rights,  announced 
yesterday. 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  fight 
will  be  on  home  television 
everywhere  outside  the  Chicago 
and  Milwaukee  area,  the  3-D 
film  is  expected  to  be  of  wide 
interest  to  exhibitors,  who  will 
get  it  24  hours  to  several  days 
later.  A  professional  match  of 
this  kind  is  regarded  as  a 
"natural"  for  the  best  dramatic 
effects  of  3-D  and  should  be  in 
sharp  contrast  to  TV's  report- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


progress  and  expansion  of  the  in- 
dustry. 

The  Waldorf's  huge  ballroom  was 
symbolically  decorated  in  gold 
throughout  and  the  dinner  service  at 
the  quadruple  dais  and  the  more  than 
100  tables  was  of  gold.  Even  the 
banquet  menu  featured  a  "golden  an- 
niversary surprise"  as  the  dessert 
piece  de  resistance. 

The  keynote  speech  was  delivered 

.  ■■       (Continued  on  page  4) 


1st  S-W  Zone  Heads 
Meeting  Today 

The  first  meeting  of  zone  managers 
and  the  home  office  staff  of  the  new 
Stanley  Warner  Corp.  will  take  place 
here  today  when  Simon  H.  Fabian, 
president,  and  other  officers  will  dis- 
cuss the  policy  of  the  company  and 
the  future  of  the  industry.  Also  par- 
ticipating will  be  Samuel  Rosen,  ex- 
ecutive vice-president ;  Harry  M. 
Kalmine,  vice-president  and  general 
manager ;  Nathaniel  Lapkin,  vice- 
president;    W.    Stewart  McDonald, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

To  Trustee  Hughes 
RKO  Theatres  Stock 


_  Washington,  March  4. — The  Jus- 
tice Department  and  attorneys  for 
Howard  Hughes  have  agreed  on  a 
stipulation  putting  Hughes'  RKO 
Theatres  stock  back  in  trust  with  the 
Irving  Trust  Co. 

The  stipulation  has  been  presented 
to  the  New  York  Statutory  Court. 

Justice  officials  said  that  an  order 
entered  in  October,  after  a  group 
headed  by  Ralph  ' Stolkin  had  bought 
Hughes'   RKO   Pictures   stock,  per- 

■  (Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  5,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

CHARLES  BOASBERG,  RKO 
Radio  general  sales  manager ; 
Walter  Branson,  assistant  general 
sales  manager,  and  Sidney  Kramer, 
short  subjects  sales  manager,  will  re- 
turn to  New  York  today  from 
Toronto. 

• 

Arthur  H.  Lockwood,  treasurer  of 
Lockwood  and  Gordon  Enterprises  of 
Boston,  has  been  named  chairman  of 
the  motion  picture  committee  at 
Brandeis  University  for  the  produc- 
tion of  a  film  on  the  university's  his- 
tory and  activities. 

• 

Benjamin  Lorber  of  the  Universal 
home  office  will  be  honored  by  Con- 
gregation Beth  Mordecai  in  Perth 
Amboy,  N.  J.,  on  March  13  for  his 
service  as  president  of  the  congrega- 
tion during  1951-1952. 

• 

Paul  W.  Amadeo,  general  manager 
of  the  Pike  Drive-In  Theatre  Corp., 
Newington,  Conn.,  is  back  at  his 
desk,  following  surgery  at  St.  Frances 
Hospital  in  Hartford. 

• 

Samuel  Goldwyn  will  arrive  in 
New  York  today  from  Chicago.  After 
an  extended  visit  here  he  will  go  to 
London. 

• 

James  R.  Grainger,  RKO  Radio 
president,  who  was  slated  to  arrive 
here  from  the  Coast  Tuesday,  has 
delayed  his  return. 

• 

Robert  Wile,  secretary  of  the  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio, 
will  address  the  Rotary  Club  of  New 
London,  O.,  on  Monday. 

• 

Maggi   McNellis,   radio-TV  per- 
sonality, will  write  a  series  of  monthly 
feature  articles  for  Screenland  maga- 
zine, beginning  with  the  April  issue. 
• 

William  Z.  Porter,  Allied  Artists 
field  representative,  has  arrived  in 
Chicago  from  Dallas. 


Sullivan  to  Advise 
On  Suit  Economics 

Gael  Sullivan,  former  executive  di- 
rector of  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America,  has  joined  the  New  York 
law  firm  of  Phillips,  Nizer,  Benjamin 
and  Krim  as  an  economics  analysist 
on  anti-trust  suits  in  the  industry. 
Sullivan  currently  is  working  on  as- 
pects of  the  anti-trust  suit  brought 
against  National  Screen  Service  by 
the  Independent  Poster  Exchanges 
through  Mitchell  Panzer  and  Charles 
Lawlor. 


M-G-M  3-D  System 
Called  MetroVision 

Hollywood,  March  4. — M-G-M  to- 
day disclosed  its  three-dimensional 
process  in  use  on  "Arena"  is  to  be 
known  as  MetroVision,  written  as  one 
word  with  the  first  and  sixth  letters 
capitalized,  a  la  WarnerColor  and 
CinemaScope. 


'Madam'  Bow  Brings 
20th  Stars  to  TV 

Hollywood,  March  4.  — 
Twentieth  Century  -  Fox  al- 
lowed its  stars  to  appear  on 
television  for  the  first  time 
at  the  world  premiere  of  "Call 
Me  Madam"  at  the  Ritz  Thea- 
tre tonight. 

With  the  approval  of  Darryl 
F.  Zanuck,  20th-Fox  produc- 
tion head,  the  personalities 
were  caught  by  TV  cameras 
as  they  approached  and  en- 
tered the  theatre.  Ken  Mur- 
ray was  master-of-ceremonies. 


'Gobi'  Starts  New 
20th-TV  Tie-Up 

"Destination  Gobi,"  20th  Century- 
Fox,  will  be  the  first  picture  to  be 
given  pre-selling  treatment  on  the  Ed 
Sullivan  "Toast  of  the  Town"  pro- 
gram over  the  CBS-TV  network  un- 
der the  deal  worked  out  between 
Charles  Einfeld,  vice-president  of 
20th-Fox,  and  Sullivan.  This  is  said 
to  be  the  first  time  that  a  film  com- 
pany has  harnessed  television  as  a 
publicity  medium  on  a  regular  and 
long-term  basis.  Sullivan  will  fea- 
ture six-minute  scene  highlights  from 
upcoming  20th-Fox  releases  every 
month. 

On  special  occasions,  such  as  when 
a  particular  picture  or  person  con- 
nected with  its  filming  receive  awards, 
presentations  also  will  be  held  on  the 
show.  At  other  times,  personalities 
viewing  proceedings  in  the  studio 
audience  will  take  bows  and  have  their 
latest  screen  vehicles  credited. 

Other  pictures  due  for  TV  exploita- 
tion by  Sullivan  are  "Call  Me 
Madam,"  "The  President's  Lady," 
"Titanic,"  "The  Girl  Next  Door," 
"White  Witch  Doctor"  and  "Gentle- 
men Prefer  Blondes."  The  deal  is 
for  two  years. 

It  is  exjpected  that  Linjcoln  and 
Mercury  cars,  sponsors  of  the  Sulli- 
van show,  as  well  as  CBS  stations 
and  affiliates  will  join  with  theatre- 
men  in  coordinating  the  campaigns. 
The  film  company  will  arrange  its 
releasing  program  to  mesh  with  the 
national  television  publicity  schedule. 
The  "Destination  Gobi"  program  will 
be  on  next  Sunday's  Sullivan  show. 

Loew's  Circuit  Sets 
'Melvin'  Contest 

Forty  theatres  in  the  out-of-town 
group  of  Loew's  Metropolitan  circuit 
will  participate  in  a  "cover  girl"  con- 
test for  the  benefit  of  M-G-M's  "I 
Love  Melvin,"  reports  Ernest  Emer- 
ling,  Loew's  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector. 

Several  thousand  dollars  in  prizes 
will  be  supplied  by  cooperating  photo 
supply  dealers  in  the  newspaper- 
geared  promotion.  Final  judging  of 
contest  entries  in  New  York  City  will 
be  timed  to  get  extra  publicity  for 
the  New  York  group's  run  of  the 
picture. 


Coming 
Events 

March  9 — North  Central  Allied 
board  meeting,  Nicollet  Hotel, 
Minneapolis. 

March  10 — Gulf  States  Allied  board 
meeting,  Jung  Hotel,  New  Or- 
leans. 

March  10 — Screen  Writers  Guild 
fifth  annual  awards  dinner,  Holly- 
wood Palladium,  Hollywood. 

March  16 — Earl  J.  Hudson  testi- 
monial banquet,  Sheraton  Cadillac 
Hotel,  Detroit. 

March  19 — Academy  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Arts  and  Sciences  awards 
presentation,  RKO  Pantages  The- 
atre, Hollywood. 

March  24 — Allied  Theatre  Owners 
of  Indiana  regional  meeting  and 
film  clinic;  members  of  Kentucky 
Allied  as  guests,  Louisville. 

March  24-26 — Allied  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Wisconsin  annual  conven- 
tion in  conjunction  with  national 
convention  of  drive-in  theatre  op- 
erators, Schroeder  Hotel,  Milwau- 
kee. 

March  25-26 — Kentucky  Association 
of  Theatre  Owners  annual  con- 
vention, Brown  Hotel,  Louisville. 

March  27-28— Allied  States  board 
meeting,  Schroeder  Hotel,  Mil- 
waukee. 

W  anger  Temporarily 
Joins  Sol  Lesser 

Hollywood,  March  4.  —  Producer 
Walter  Wanger  will  put  his  own  pro- 
duction program  for  Allied  Artists  in 
abeyance  to  join  Sol  Lesser  as  asso- 
ciate producer  of  the  latter's  "3-D 
Follies,"  which  is  in  production. 

Wanger  will  resume  AA  production 
following  the  Lesser  film's  completion. 
"3-D  Follies"  is  being  filmed  in  color 
by  Stereo-Cine  process  and  will  be 
offered  as  a  roadshow,  according  to 
present  plans. 


KATO  Dates  Changed 

Louisville,  March  4. — The  dates  for 
the  annual  convention  of  the  Kentucky 
Association  of  Theatre  Owners  has 
been  changed  from  March  24-25  to 
April  14-15.  The  convention  location 
has  also  been  changed,  from  the 
Brown  Hotel  here  to  the  Seelbach 
Hotel.  The  convention  chairman  is 
W.  W.  Carroll,  head  of  the  Falls  City 
Theatre  Equipment  Co.,  Louisville. 
In  addition  to  the  regular  convention 
activities,  there  will  also  be  display 
booths  available  for  manufacturers, 
distributors  and  supply  dealers. 


Goldwyn,  Jr.  to  CBS-TV 

Samuel  Goldwyn,  Jr.,  has  joined  the 
CBS  television  network  as  producer 
in  the  news  and  public  affairs  depart- 
ment. Goldwyn  has  just  finished  a 
two-year  tour  of  duty  with  the  Army, 
during  which  he  headed  a  film  produc- 
tion unit  assigned  to  SHAPE. 


Coast  'Red'  Sessions 
Will  Be  Telecast 

Washington,  March  4.— The 
House  Un-American  Activi- 
ties Committee  today  agreed 
to  televise  the  West  Coast 
hearings  due  to  start  March 
23. 

The  hearings  will  resume 
the  committee's  investigation 
of  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try, and  will  also  cover  tele- 
vision and  other  industries. 
Committee  members  said  the 
telecast  would  be  on  a  pooled 
basis.  It  still  has  not  been  de- 
cided, it  was  stated,  whether 
the  hearings  would  be  by  the 
full  committee  or  a  sub-com- 
mittee. 


'Parade'  Hit  Peak 
In  Film  Coverage 


A  peak  in  editorial  coverage  of  the 
film  industry  during  1952  for  the  Sun- 
day picture  magazine  Parade  was  re- 
ported here  yesterday.  The  estimated 
coverage  on  a  paid  space  rate  basis 
would  have  amounted  to  $1,385,250, 
the  magazine  claimed. 

During  the  year,  the  magazine  said 
it  brought  to  the  attention  of  its  more 
than  13,000,000  readers  62  pages  of 
film  entertainment  news  and  articles, 
in  addition  to  devoting  20  covers  to 
film  celebrities. 

"We  know  the  immense  appeal  that 
motion  pictures  and  motion  picture 
stars  play  in  the  lives  of  our  readers," 
Jess  Gorkin,  Parade's  editor,  com- 
mented. "It  is  because  of  this  keen 
interest  of  what  goes  on  in  that  most 
fabulous  of  cities,  Hollywood,  that 
Parade  constantly  strives  to  please  the 
appetities  of  its  readers. 

The  same  attitude  will  prevail  in 
the  current  year,  the  magazine's  editor 
reported,  predicting  that  coverage  in 
1953  "will  be  wider,  more  intensive." 

Senators  to  Hear 
Weltner  of  Para. 

Washington,  March  4. — George 
Weltner,  president  of  Paramount  In- 
ternational Films,  has  been  scheduled 
as  the  second  witness  before  a  Senate 
Foreign  Relations  sub-committee  Fri- 
day. 

The  sub-committee  is  studying  the 
effectiveness  of  the  government's 
overseas  information  program,  and  is 
getting  the  views  of  private  industry 
as  well  as  government  officials.  Lead- 
off  witness  Friday  will  be  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  president 
Eric  A.  Johnston. 


Says  MGM  Record 
Co.  Not  for  Sale 

Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  vice-presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  Loew's,  yester- 
day denied  a  published  report  (not  in 
Motion  Picture  Daily)  that  the 
M-G-M  Record  Co.  is  for  sale.  Mos- 
kowitz characterized  the  story  as 
"ridiculous  and  entirely  without  foun- 
dation." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


/  AlFi 


MASH  IN  TROY!  SMASH  IN  ff^ 


'*  «OSrOH!  SMASH  IN  «* 


*SlM^ 


PROD 


1.E.HASSE  -  ROGER  DANN  -  DOLLY  HAAS -CHARLES  ANDRE 


SCREEN  PLAY  BY 


GEORGE  TABORI— WILLIAM  ARCHIBALD 

MUSIC  COMPOSED  AND  CONDUCTED  BY  OIMITRI  TIOMKIN 


DIRECTED  ll 
BY 


A 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  5,  1953 


Kalmenson 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


starring  Vincent  Price,  Frank  Love- 
joy  and  Phyllis  Kirk;  "The  Blue 
Gardenia,"  Alex  Gottlieb  ■  production 
starring  Anne  Baxter,  Richard  Conte 
and  Ann  Sothern;  ''Trouble  Along 
the  Way,"  John  Wayne  starrer;  "By 
the  Light  of  the  Silvery  Moon,"  with 
color  by  Technicolor,  starring  Doris 
Day  and  Gordon  MacRae ;  "Plunder 
of  the  Sun,"  starring  Glenn  Ford, 
Diana  Lynn  and  Patricia  Medina ; 
"The  Desert  Song,"  Technicolor,  co- 
starring  Kathryn  Grayson  and  Gordon 
MacRae ;  "Thunder  over  the  Plains," 
WarherColor,  starring  Randolph 
Scott ;  "The  Marines  Have  a  Word 
for  It,"  co-starring  Burt  Lancaster 
and  Virginia  Mayo ;  "A  Lion  Is  in 
the  Streets,"  a  Cagney  production  in 
Technicolor,  starring  James  Cagney, 
and  "The  Burning  Arrow,"  starring 
Frank  Lovejoy,  3-D  film  in  Natural 
Vision  and  WarnerColor. 

District  managers  attending  the 
meetings  will  include  Norman  J. 
Ayers,  Robert  Smeltzer,  Jerry  S. 
Abrose,  A.  W.  Anderson,  Hall  Walsh, 
W.  O.  Williamson,  Ed  Williamson, 
Henry  M.  Herbel,  Haskell  W.  Mas- 
ters, and  Ben  Abner,  New  York 
branch  manager. 

Home  office  executives  attending 
will  include  Albert  Warner,  Samuel 
Schneider,  Roy  Haines,  Jules  Lapidus, 
John  F.  Kirby,  Norman  H.  Moray, 
Ed  Hinchy,  I.  F.  Dolid,  Bernard  R. 
Goodman,  Robert  A.  McGuire,  Frank 
Cahill,  Gil  Golden,  Larry  Golob, 
Charles  S.  Steinberg,  and  Max 
Blackman. 


Zone  Heads 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


vice-president  and  treasurer,  and 
David  Fogelson,  secretary. 

Others  present  from  the  home  office 
will  be  Miles  Alben,  James  M.  Bren- 
nan,  Nat  Fellman,  Harry  Goldberg, 
Louis  J.  Kaufman,  Herman  R.  Maier, 
W.  Frank  Marshall,  Frank  Phelps, 
Bernard  Rosenzweig,  Carl  Siegel, 
Fred  Stengl  and  Ben  Wirth. 

Zone  managers  will  include  Harry 
Feinstein,  New  Haven ;  Frank 
Damis,  Newark;  Ted  Schlanger, 
Philadelphia ;  George  Crouch,  Wash- 
ington ;  Moe  A.  Silver,  Pittsburgh ; 
C.  A.  Smakwitz,  Albany;  Al  D. 
Kvool,  Milwaukee,  and  Ben  R.  Wal- 
lerstein,  Hollywood. 


Hughes  Stock 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


mitted  Hughes  to  take  the  theatre 
stock  out  of  trust  and  "in  effect  termi- 
nated the  trust."  Since  Hughes  has 
now  regained  his  picture  stock,  it  was 
declared,  it  became  necessary  for  the 
Department  to  have  the  trust  recon- 
stituted, and  that  was  the  effect  of 
the  new  stipulation.  The  stipulation 
was  agreed  to  by  Hughes'  attorney, 
Thomas  Slack,  it  was  said. 

File  Another  Suit 
Vs.  Howard  Hughes 

Hollywood,  March  4. — Eli  Castle- 
man,  Marian  Castleman,  doing  busi- 
ness as  Wolverine  Corp.,  filed  an 
amended  complaint  in  Federal  Court 
here  against  Howard  Hughes,  RKO 
Pictures,  Inc.,  RKO  Radio  Pictures, 
Inc.,  Chase  National  Bank,  eleminat- 
ing  the  former  contentions  regarding 
"The  Outlaw"  and  making  additional 
charges  to  support  the  claim  Hughes 
managed  the  company  by  whim. 


Zukor  Golden  Jubilee 


(Continued  from  page  Y)- 


4 


by  Herbert  Bayard  Swope,  speaking 
on  behalf  of  Zukor's  long-time  friend, 
Bernard  M.  Baruch,  "elder  states- 
man," who  had  planned  to  deliver  the 
keynote  address  but  who  was  absent 
due  to  the  death  of  his  brother.  In 
Baruch's  name,  Swope  stressed  the 
place  which  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try and  theatres  have  assumed  in  the 
national  economy  and  as  a  force  for 
the  promotion  of  American  ideals  here 
and  abroad.  Declaring  that  our  gov- 
ernment has  come  to  lean  on  motion 
pictures  as  one  of  its  strongest  sup- 
ports in  the  work  of  achieving  inter- 
national understanding,  Swope  re- 
called that  the  motion  picture  theatre 
has  become  the  present-day  equivalent 
of  the  traditional  town  hall  meeting- 
house in  all  cases  of  national  or  local 
emergency  or  need,  acting  as  civic 
center  and  focal  point  for  worthwhile 
causes.  Swope  then  presented  Zukor 
with  an  elaborate  testimonial  book 
containing  messages  of  appreciation 
and  friendship  from  leading  members 
of  all  industries  and  all  phases  of  pub- 
lic life,  to  which  will  later  be  added 
a  complete  photographic  record  of 
last  night's  Golden  Jubilee  dinner. 

Significant  Contributions 

Other  speeches  emphasizing  the  sig- 
nificant contributions  which  have  been 
made  by  Zukor  and  the  industry 
which  stemmed  from  his  first  penny 
arcade  were  made  by  Mayor  Vincent 
R.  Impellitteri.  New  York  State 
Attorney-General  Nathaniel  L.  Gold- 
stein, speaking  as  representative  of 
Governor  Thomas  E.  Dewey,  who  was 
unable  to  be  present. 

Speaking  as  one  of  Zukor's  closest 
associates  and  long-time  friend  was 
Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount Pictures. 

Balaban  eulogized  Zukor  as  a  man 
whose  tradition  symbolized  something- 
bigger  than  Paramount  and  bigger 
than  the  motion  picture  industry.  He 
said  that  Zukor's  accomplishment  was 
in  the  pioneering-  and  establishment  of 
mass  entertainment  for  the  world. 

"If  any  one  man  is  responsible  for 
making  the  movies  a  world  institution, 
it  is  Adolph  Zukor,"  Balaban  declared. 
"This  gigantic  achievement  entitles 
him  to  the  gratitude  of  hundreds  of 
millions  of  people  who  have  been  the 
beneficiaries  of  his  vision,  his  courage 
and  his  ability." 

Balaban  said  that  "as  far  as  Zukor 
is  concerned,  the  past  is  merely  a 
guide  to  ihe  future.  His  is  the  young- 
est 80  years  J  have  ever  encountered." 

As  president  of  Paramount,  Balaban 
said  that  what  he  had  done  "was  to 
merely  build  upon  the  solid  founda- 
tion of  what  Zukor's  vision  had  cre- 
ated before  me." 

Other  addresses  were  made  by 
Harry  Brandt,  chairman  of  the  Jubilee 
Dinner  committee ;  and  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell,  ringmaster,  Variety  Clubs 
International. 

Zukor  Speaks  Briefly 

Zukor,  in  responding,  spoke  briefly 
on  the  vast  changes  wbich  have  taken 
place  in  the  world  since  the  day  he 
opened  his  first  penny  arcade,  and  the 
accompanying  growth  of  the  motion 
picture  industry.  He  extended  thanks 
and  appreciation  to  those  assembled 
at  the  dinner  and  to  the  many  friends, 
associates  and  co-workers  whose  co- 
operation and  help  had  so  greatly  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  his  ventures. 
He  in  particular  thanked  the  trade 
press  for  all  it  had  done. 

Bob  Hope  who,  last  week,  had  been 


honored  in  the  same  room  on  his  15th 
anniversary  with  Paramount  and  in 
radio,  and  for  his  activities  in  behalf 
of  patriotic  and  charitable  causes,  fea- 
tured the  lighter  part  of  the  evening's 
program.  Rosemary  Clooney,  one  of 
Paramount's  newest' stars,  contributed 
vocal  selections  to  the  entertainment. 

Malbin  Sings 

The  invocation  was  given  by  Canon 
Edward  Wesflof  the  Cathedral  of  St. 
John  the  Divine.  The  National  An- 
them was  sung  by  Elaine  Malbin. 

On  the  dais  were :  Gen.  Julius 
Ochs  Adler,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral manager,  New  York  Times; 
Rabbi  Bernard  Birstein,  of'the  Actors' 
Temple ;  Greg  Blackton,  Blackton 
Stores ;  John  A.  Coleman,  financier ; 
Judge  Irving  Ben  Cooper,  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  Special  Sessions ;  Felix  W. 
Coste,  vice-president,  Coca-Cola  Co. ; 
Thomas  Curran,  Secretary  of  State ; 
Thomas  J.  Deegan,  vice-president, 
Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railway ;  Horace 
C.  Flanigan,  president,  Manufacturers 
Trust  Co. ;  Frank  Folsom,  president, 
Radio  Corp.  of  America;  F.  M.  Flynn, 
president,  New  York  Daily  News; 
Bernard  F.  Gimbel,  president,  Gimbel 
Brothers ;  Nathaniel  L.  Goldstein, 
Attorney  General,  New  York  State; 
Stanton  Griffis,  industrialist  and  for- 
mer ambassador  to  Poland,  Egypt, 
Spain  and  Argentina ;  Rudolph  Hal- 
ley,  president  of  City  Council ;  Will 
H.  Hays,  former  Postmaster  General 
of  the  United  States ;  William  Ran- 
dolph Hearst,  Jr.,  president,  Hearst 
Publications ;  Hon.  Frank  S.  Hogan, 
district  attorney,  Manhattan ;  Walter 
Hoving,  president,  Bonwit  Teller ; 
Mayor  Vincent  R.  Impellitteri ;  Laz- 
arus Joseph,  New  York  City  comp- 
troller. 

Also :  William  J.  Keary,  president, 
Empire  State  Building  Corp. ;  Walter 
P.  Marshall,  president,  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co. ;  Vernon  Mey- 
ers, publisher  of  Look;  New  York 
Police  Commissioner  George  P.  Mon- 
aghan ;  Louis  Nizer,  attorney ;  Wil- 
liam S.  Paley,  president,  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System;  James  C. 
Petrillo,  president,  American  Federa- 
tion of  Musicians ;  Mrs.  Anna  M. 
Rosenberg,  former  Under-secretary  of 
Defense;  Carrol  M.  Shanks,  presi- 
dent, Prudential  Insurance  Company 
of  America ;  Charles  R.  Sligh,  Jr., 
president,  National  Association  of 
Manufacturers ;  Harold  V.  Smith, 
president,  Home  Insurance  Company; 
Hon.  Meier  Steinbrink,  official  ref- 
eree, Supreme  Court ;  Swope  ;  Frank 
C.  Walker,  former  Postmaster  Gen- 
eral of  the  United  States ;  Canon 
West,  and  Mrs.  Wendell  L.  Willkie. 

Many  From  Industry 

Representing  the  industry  on  the 
dais  were :  Balaban  ;  Nate  J.  Blum- 
berg,  chairman  of  the  Board,  Univer- 
sal Pictures ;  Arthur  Krim,  president, 
United  Artists ;  Milton  R.  Rackmil, 
president,  Universal ;  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  president,  20th  Century-Fox. 

Also :  Jack  Alicoate,  publisher, 
Film  Daily;  Robert  S.  Benjamin, 
president,  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organiza- 
tion ;  Jack  Beresin,  chief  barker,  Va- 
riety Clubs  International ;  Harry 
Brandt,  president,  Brandt  Theatres ; 
Sam  Dembow,  Jr.,  producers'  repre- 
sentative ;  Ned  E.  Depinet,  consultant, 
RKO:Radio  Pictures;  Russell  V. 
Downing,  president  and  managing  di- 
rector, Radio  City  Music  Hall ;  S.  H. 
Fabian,  president,  Fabian  and  Stanley- 
W arner   Theatres,   and  treasurer  of 


Conditions  Improve 
In  Storm-Hit  K.C. 

Kansas  City,  March  4.— The 
heavy  snow  and  wind  condi- 
tions of  the  past  few  days 
were  much  improved  in  this 
area  today  with  most  schools 
reopening. 

Where  the  storm  struck, 
theatre  attendance  was  cut  to 
about  one-fourth  of  normal. 
Exhibitors  consider  that  de- 
gree of  attendance  gratifying 
in  view  of  the  severe  traffic 
handicaps  and  hazards. 


the  Adolph  Zukor  Golden  Jubilee 
Dinner. 

Also:  Emanuel  Frisch,  president, 
Metropolitan  Motion  Picture  Theatres 
Association;  Jack  Frye,  president, 
General  Aniline  and  Film  Co. ;  Wil- 
liam J.  German,  president,  William  J. 
German,  Inc. ;  Leonard  H.  Goldenson, 
president,  American  Broadcasting- 
Paramount  Theatres;  Morey  Gold- 
stein, vice-president,  Allied  Artists; 
Abel  Green,  editor,  Variety;  Walter 
E.  Green,  president,  National- Sim- 
plex-Bloodworth  Corp ;  John  H.  Har- 
ris, big  boss,  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national; William  J.  Heineman  and 
Max  Youngstein,  vice-presidents, 
United  Artists  ;  Harry  Kalmine,  gen- 
eral manager  Stanley-Warner  Thea- 
tres ;  Austin  Keough,  vice-president, 
Paramount. 

From  All  Branches  of  Industry 

Also:  Edward  Lachman,  chief 
barker,  Tent  35,  Variety  Clubs  Inter- 
national ;  Abe  Lastfogel,  president, 
William  Morris  Agency ;  Charles  E. 
Lewis,  publisher,  Showmens  Trade 
Review;  Al  Lichtman,  vice-president, 
20th  Century-Fox;  Arthur  L.  Mayer; 
Abe  Montague,  vice-president,  Co- 
lumbia ;  Charles  C.  Moskowitz,  vice- 
president,  Loew's ;  Edward  J.  Noble, 
chairman  finance  committee,  Amer- 
ican Broadcasting-Paramount  Thea- 
tres ;  Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  vice- 
president,  Interstate  Theatres;  Martin 
Quigley,  Motion  Picture  Herald  and 
Motion  Picture  Daily;  Herman  Rob- 
bins,  president,  National  Screen  Serv- 
ice ;  Sam  Rinzler,  president,  Rand- 
force  Amusement  Corp.;  Samuel  Ro- 
sen, vice-president,  Fabian  and  Stan- 
ley-Warner Theatres ;  Abe  Schnei- 
der, vice-president,  Columbia;  James 
A.  Mulvey,  president,  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn  Prod. ;  Max  Cohen,  president, 
Cinema  Circuit. 

Also  Listed 

Also:  Alfred  M.  Schwalberg, 
president,  Paramount  Film  Distribut- 
ing ;  Fred  J.  Schwartz,  president, 
Century  Theatres ;  Sol  A.  Schwartz, 
president,  RKO  Theatres  ;  Ben  Shlyen, 
publisher,  Bo.ro ffice;  George  Skouras, 
president,  Skouras  Theatres ;  Wilbur 
Snaper,  president,  Allied  States  As- 
sociation ;  Joseph  R.  Vogel,  vice- 
president,  Loew's;  Major  Albert 
Warner,  vice-president,  Warner  Bros. 
Pictures ;  Mo  Wax,  publisher,  Film 
Bulletin;  Martin  Mullin,  president, 
New  England  Theatres ;  Louis  Schine, 
Schine  Circuit;  C.  J.  Feldman,  Uni- 
versal. 


Heermance  to  Make  'Maz* 

Hollywood,  March  4. — Allied  Art- 
ists' executive  producer  Walter  Mi- 
risch  announced  the  assignment  of 
Richard  Heermance  as  the  producer 
of  "Maz,"  the  company's  first  three- 
dimensional  production,  which  starts 
in  April. 


Thursday,  March  5,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Offers  Bidding  Formula 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


3  State  Groups 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

nual  meeting  of  the  Texas  Drive-in 
Association,  which  will  be  held  at  the 
Adolphus  Hotel,  Dallas. 

In  Milwaukee,  it  was  disclosed  that 
Herbert  Barnett,  president  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Motion  Picture  and  Tele- 
vision Engineers,  will  speak  at  the 
drive-in  convention  in  that  city  on 
March  24-26.  Barnett  will  discuss 
third-dimensional  films  for  both  in- 
door and  outdoor  exhibition.  In  mak- 
ing the  announcement,  Sig  Goldberg, 
president  of  Allied  Independent  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  Wisconsin,  said  that 
every  angle  of  third-dimensional  films 
and  its  possibilities  for  drive-in  opera- 
tion will  be  discussed. 

In  Columbus,  O.,  it  was  announced 
that  Ralph  H.  Heacock,  product  man- 
ager of  the  RCA  theatre  equipment 
section,  will  address  the  18th  annual 
convention  of  the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Ohio  at  the  Deshler-Wal- 
lick  Hotel  in  Columbus,  April  7-8. 
His  subject  will  be  the  installation  of 
third-dimensional  equipment. 


TOA-Allied  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

meeting  had  not  been  set  and,  at  the 
same  time,  pointed  out  that  he  previ- 
ously stated  that  such  a  conference 
would  have  to  have  the  authorization 
of  the  Allied  board  of  directors.  In- 
asmuch as  the  Allied  board  does  not 
meet  until  late  this  month  in  Mil- 
waukee, the  chances  for  a  TOA-Allied 
meeting  appear  to  be  remote.  If  a 
parley  should  be  called  between  now 
and  Tuesday,  it  is  unlikely  that  the 
subject  of  arbitration  will  be  included. 
Allied  has  turned  thumbs  down  on 
that  topic  without  full  board  sanction. 

Starr  is  due  in  New  York  Monday 
prior  to  his  departure  for  overseas. 
The  local  TOA  headquarters  said 
yesterday  that  no  meeting  was  on  his 
agenda  during  his  brief  stay. 


Drive-ins  in  Tie-up 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

drive-in  and  the  motor  car  industries, 
in  view  of  the  present  and  prospec- 
tively vastly  expanded  television 
broadcasting. 

He  suggested  that  a  possibility  is 
50,000,000  cars  idle  after  six  in  the 
evening.  With  mutual  interests  estab- 
lished, motor  car  manufacturers  would 
give  eager  attention  to  adaptations  of 
cars  to  drive-in  screen  viewing,  for 
example. 

Levin  gave  an  instant  demonstra- 
tion of  the  sort  of  thing  the  institute 
may  do.  One  speaker  had  told  of 
pests  of  mosquitoes  in  some  areas,  and 
the  inability  of  drive-in  exhibitors  to 
find  any  way  to  combat  the  audience- 
disturbing  marauder.  Levin  suggested 
that  many  government  agencies  are 
studying  mosquito  domination,  and 
that  perhaps  if  drive-in  interests  were 
to  consult  them,  the  mosquitos  could 
be  banished  from  an  area  and  not  only 
from  a  theatre. 


KMTA  Hears  Urgent 
Tax  Repeal  Plea 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  March  4. — The 
urgency  of  the  tax  repeal  campaign 
was  underscored  by  Jack  Brunagle, 
director  of  Commonwealth  drive-in 
operations,  at  the  spring  drive-in  con- 
ference sponsored  by  the  Kansas-Mis- 
souri Theatre  Association,  held  at  the 
Hotel  Phillips. 

Personal  contacts  were  stressed  by 


threat  of  litigation  and  that 
competitive  bidding  will  elimi- 
nate that  threat,  and 

(2)  That  it  is  the  only  way  of 
arriving  at  a  "fair  and  reason- 
able" rental,  and  further 

(3)  That  the  competitive  bid 
accepted  constitutes  a  "fair 
and  reasonable"  rental  for  the 
particular  theatre  involved. 

"While  distributors  are,  of  course, 
under  no  compulsion  to  accept  the 
reasoning  of  the  Towne  and  of  the 
Bigelow  (Jackson  Park)  cases  on  this 
point,"  Levy  said,  "it  would  seem  that 
they  should  do  so,  and  thus  eliminate 
a  tremendous  amount  of  unnecessary, 
unwarranted  and  unjustifiable  com- 
petitive bidding.  It  would,  once  and 
for  all,  put  an  end  to  the  devastating 
practice  of  employing  competitive  bid- 
ding for  the  sole  purpose  of  obtaining 
increased  film  rentals." 

The  Towne  Theatre,  one  of  seven 
first-runs  in  the  downtown  section  of 
Milwaukee,  instituted  an  anti-trust 
suit  which  was  successful.  Damages 
were  awarded  and  the  distributors 
were  enjoined  from  refusing  to  offer 
films  suitable  for  first-run  to  the  plain- 
tiff at  fair  and  reasonable  film  rental. 
The  defendants  then  entered  a  suit  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  an  interpreta- 
tion of  "fair  and  reasonable  film  ren- 
tal." The  Towne  took  the  position  that 
the  language  of  the  first  decision 
meant  that  the  defendants  are  required 
to  offer  each  picture  to  the  Towne 
for  exclusive  first-run  at  "fair  and 
reasonable  film  rentals"  without  re- 
quiring the  Towne  to  make  any  offers 

Loew's  Metropolitan 
Managers  Switched 

Eugene  Picker,  in  charge  of  Loew's 
New  York  theatre  operations,  has 
made  the  following  managerial 
changes : 

George  Daniels,  formerly  manager 
of  the  Elsmere,  Bronx,  now  closed,  has 
been  transferred  to  the  167th  Street 
Theatre,  George  Powell,  formerly  man- 
ager of  the  Palace,  Brooklyn,  also 
closed,  has  been  transferred  to  the 
Kameo,  Brooklyn.  Frank  Rizzo,  for- 
merly assistant  at  Loew's  Palace,  has 
been  transferred  to  the  Delancey 
Street  Theatre ;  Eleanor  Stenzel,  for- 
merly assistant  at  the  Kameo,  has 
been  transferred  to  the  Paradise, 
Bronx;  Mrs.  Daisy  Cantor,  assistant 
at  the  72nd  Street,  transferred  to  the 
83rd  Street,  temporarily;  George 
Karros,  recently  discharged  from 
military  service,  has  been  made 
assistant  at  the  167th  Street  Theatre. 


'Salome'  Opening  Mar.  24 

The  world  premiere  of  Columbia's 
color  by  Technicolor  "Salome,"  will 
be  marked  at  the  Rivoli  Theatre  here 
on  the  evening  of  March  24  by  a 
Klieg  light  opening,  the  company  re- 
ports. Personalities  of  screen,  stage, 
radio  and  television,  as  well  as  from 
the  social,  political,  artistic  and  sports 
worlds,  will  attend. 


Braunagle.  More  than  60  exhibitors 
attended  the  conference,  which  was 
also  highlighted  by  a  trade  show. 
Concession  operation  received  much 
attention  at  the  meet,  with  other  sub- 
jects including  combined  indoor-and- 
outdoor  operation,  new  theatre  con- 
struction and  competitive  factors. 


and  without  regard  to  the  terms  which 
any  competitive  theatre  might  offer. 

The  defendants  took  the  position 
that  they  are  entitled  to  entertain  of- 
fers from  other  competitive  exhibitors 
and  to  award  pictures  to  those  compe- 
titive theatres  if  they  make  higher 
"acceptable"  offers.  The  lower  court 
(U.S.  District  Court)  decided  for  the 
Towne  and  the  defendants  appealed  to 
the  Circuit  Court.  That  tribunal  re- 
versed the  lower  court  and  decided  in 
favor  of  the  defendants.  One  signi- 
ficant reason  given  by  the  Circuit 
Court  was  that  a  plaintiff  successful 
in  an  anti-trust  suit  is  not  entitled  to 
injunctive  relief  "which  will  accord 
him  a  preferred  status  over  his  com- 
petitors." He  is  not  entitled  "to  re- 
legate his  competitors  to  an  inferior 
position." 

On  the  same  day  that  it  handed 
down  the  Towne  decision,  this  Circuit 
Court  came  to  the  same  conclusion  on 
the  identical  language  in  the  Jackson 
Park  case.  Levy  points  out  that  "the 
same  language  as  in  the  Towne  case 
was  tested  and  the  court  decided  it 
the  same  way,  stating,  'we  hold  as 
we  did  in  the  Towne  case  that  a  fair 
and  reasonable  film  rental  means  a 
rental  determinable  by  competition. 
Undoubtedly,  bidding  is  a  conventional 
means  of  ascertaining  the  fair  and  rea- 
sonable price  of  a  product  but,  as 
pointed  out  by  the  Supreme  Court  in 
U.  S.  vs.  Paramount,  the  determina- 
tion of  a  fair  and  reasonable  film 
rental  involves  numerous  intricate  fac- 
tors and  is  more  complicated  than  the 
determination  of  a  fair  price  for  or- 
dinary products',"  it  was  stated. 

'Oscar9  Ceremonies 
On  Both  Coasts 

Hollywood,  March  4.  —  The  first 
telecast  of  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  awards 
over  NBC  television  on  March  19  will 
present  the  ceremonies  from  both  New 
York  and  Hollywood. 

Charles  Brackett,  president  of  the 
Academy,  announced  that  a  leading 
Hollywood  personality,  would  act  as 
master-of-ceremonies  in  New  York  at 
the  International  Theatre  where  for- 
mer "Oscar"  winners  and  a  number  of 
this  year's  nominees  for  top  honors 
have  been  invited  to  be  present.  Bob 
Hope  will  be  master-of-ceremonies  for 
the  main  ceremony  in  Hollywood. 

John  Schlesinger 
Here  in  April 

John  Schlesinger,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  all  of  the  Schlesinger  enter- 
prises in  South  Africa,  will  arrive  here 
from  Johannesburg  about  April  15  for 
a  month's  stay  to  confer  with  Joseph 
Stark,  new  president  of  the  organiza- 
tion. Stark,  formerly  vice-president 
and  treasurer,  succeeded  to  the  presi- 
dency upon  the  recent  death  of  Max 
A.  Schlesinger  on  Feb.  23.  Stark  was 
associated  with  Schlesinger  for  30 
years. 

John  Schlesinger  currently  is  in 
London,  having  stopped  off  en  route 
to  South  Africa  after  attending  his 
uncle's  funeral  in  New  York. 


'Call  Me  Madam'  at  Roxy 

"Call  Me  Madam,"  20th  Century- 
Fox's  color  by  Technicolor  film  ver- 
sion of  Irving  Berlin's  Broadway 
musical,  will  have  its  New  York  pre- 
miere at  the  Roxy  Theatre  March  25. 


Fight  Film 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

ing  of  the  fight  on  its  miniature 
screens,  observers  point  out. 

The  fight  film  will  be  made  in  the 
Stereo-Cine  process,  which  requires 
audiences  to  use  spectacles.  No  other 
films  of  the  fight  will  be  made  for 
theatrical  exhibition  under  the  deal 
set  by  U.  A.  with  James  D.  Norris, 
president  of  the  International  Boxing 
Club. 

Associated  With  Lesser 

Associated  with  Lesser  in  the  mak- 
ing/ of  the  Miaircianp-Walcott  3-D 
film  are  Raphael  Wolff  and  Sherrill 
Corwin  of  Hollywood.  Nathan  L. 
Halpern  of  Theatre  Network  Televi- 
sion will  supervise  the  production, 
having  had  considerable  experience 
in  the  handling  of  championship  fights 
for  large  screen  theatre  TV.  Under 
the  sponsorship  deal  with  Gillette 
Razor  by  which  the  fight  will  go  to 
home  TV,  it  will  not  be  available  for 
theatre  television. 

U.  A.  is  in  the  3-D  field  now  as 
distributor  of  "Bwana  Devil,"  while 
Lesser  currently  is  producing  "3-D 
Follies,"  a  feature  film,  in  the  Stereo- 
Cine  process. 


Johnston  Names 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Schneider,  Columbia ;  Paul  Raibourn, 
Paramount ;  Joseph  R.  Vogel,  Loew's ; 
Al  Lichtman,  20th  Century-Fox,  and 
Wolfe  Cohen,  Warner  Brothers.  The 
group  will  probe  into  all  facets  of  the 
new  medium,  although  it  is  not  likely 
that  it  will  come  up  with  any  techni- 
cal recommendations.  However,  it  is 
possible  that  the  committee  will 
recommend  certain  policies  in  order  to 
meet  exhibitor  problems  so  that  a 
chaotic  changeover  condition  may  be 
avoided.  The  urgent  need  for  stan- 
dardization probably  will  be  crystal- 
lized as  a  result  of  the  committee's 
work.  It  appears  certain  that  the 
committee  will  keep  in  close  contact 
with  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
and  Television  Engineers  and  the 
Hollywood  Research  Council. 

UK  'Devil'  Openings 
Set  for  March  20 

London,  March  4.  —  Members  of 
Parliament,  scientists,  national  editors 
and  advertising  men  will  be  among 
the  distinguished  invited  audiences  at 
the  British  premieres  of  "Bwana 
Devil"  in  Natural  Vision  at  four  J. 
Arthur  Rank  theatres  on  March  20. 

The  advertising  men  are  particu- 
larly interested  in  the  first  3-D  ad- 
vertising film  which  will  be  shown 
at  the  same  time. 

The  colored  advertising  film  is  be- 
ing made  here  by  Rank's  Theatre 
Publicity,  Ltd.  The  picture  is  being 
produced  by  the  Stereo-Techniques 
process  and  advertises  a  well  known 
brand  of  English  cigarettes. 


Commonwealth  Meets 

Kansas  City,  March  4. — Common- 
wealth theatres  held  its  spring  meet- 
ing for  drive-in  managers  yesterday 
at  the  Hotel  President  with  Jack 
Braunagle,  manager  of  drive-in  opera- 
tions, opening  the  session  and  Robert 
Walter  acting  as  chairman  for  the 
presentation  of  subjects  by  common- 
wealth managers. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  5,  1953 


Motion  Pictu  re  Da  ilyFeatu  re  Revie  ws 


"The  Story  of  Three  Loves" 

(M ctro-Goldzvyn-Mayer) 

A COLLECTION  of  three  vaguely  related  love  stories,  this  picture  pro- 
vides a  diversification  of  entertainment  which  should  have  at  least  one 
segment  to  please  everyone.  The  stories  range  from  the  whirling  courtship 
of  a  ballet  dancer  to  a  boy  who  grows  to  manhood  before  his  time  and  then 
to  an  episode  in  the  lives  of  trapeze  artists. 

The  first  tale  concerns  James  Mason,  Agnes  Moorehead  and  that  sensa- 
tional dancer  of  "Red  Shoes,"  Moira  Shearer.  It  is  her  dancing  that  domi- 
nates the  opening  story.  Because  of  a  heart  ailment,  Miss  Shearer  knows 
she  should  not  dance  and  her  aunt,  Miss  Moorehead,  tries  to  keep  her  from 
performing.  When  she  meets  Mason,  a  dance  impresario,  she  forgets  her  ill- 
ness and  performs  for  his  benefit.  Not  realizing  she  is  sick,  he  thinks  her 
affair  of  the  heart  involves  another  man.  When  he  discovers  the  truth,  it  is 
too  late.  Mason  and  Miss  Moorehead  serve  as  capable  support  to  Miss 
Shearer  in  this  screenplay  by  John  Collier,  directed  by  Gottfried  Reinhardt. 

The  second  story  is  a  fantasy,  competently  portrayed  by  Ethel  Barrymore, 
Ricky  Nelson  and  Leslie  Caron.  It  moves  at  a  slower  pace  than  the  other 
two  chapters.  Nelson,  a  12-year-old,  is  bored  with  his  life  studying  French 
under  Miss  Caron  and  he  persuades  a  witch,  played  by  Miss  Barrymore, 
to  grant  him  temporary  manhood.  In  his  grown  state  be  becomes  Farley 
Granger  and  falls  in  love  with  Miss  Caron.  But  at  the  witching  hour,  he 
hurries  away  to  return  to  his  youth.  Vincente  Minneli  directed,  from  a  screen- 
play by  Jan  Lustig  and  George  Froeschel. 

The  final  story  is  the  most  exciting  of  the  trio.  Kirk  Douglas  and  Pier 
Angeli  are  aerial  performers  who  know  that  those  who  fall  in  love  can  never 
live  to  perform  again.  Some  beautiful  shots  of  trapeze  work,  tension  and 
suspense  dominate  this  segment  which  was  directed,  also,  by  Reinhardt, 
from  a  screenplay  by  John  Collier. 

Sidney  Franklin  produced  all  three  episodes.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Zsa 
Zsa  Gabor  and  Richard  Nelson. 

Running  time,  122  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  March 
release. 


War  of  the  Worlds 


(Paramount) 


Hollyivood,  March  4 


\  NEW  high  in  science-fiction  films  is  struck  in  this  latest  George  Pal 
production,  a  motion  picture  which  dwarfs  his  previously  successful 
"Destination  Moon"  and  "When  Worlds  Collide."  "War  of  the  Worlds"  is 
a  stunning  representation  of  the  attack  on  Earth  by  the  creatures  from  Mars 
which  H.  G.  Wells  undertook  to  describe  in  his  book  of  the  same  title  back 
in  1898.  The  film,  which  expands  on  the  book,  is  fabulously  staged,  incredibly 
convincing,  and  genuinely  frightening.  It  can't  miss  setting  box-office  records 
far  and  wide. 

In  the  screenplay  by  Barre  Lyndon  the  planet  Mars  has  become  exhausted 
and  its  superior  intellects  have  chosen  Earth  as  the  planet  to  which  they  can 
migrate  successfully,  following  conquest.  The  first  Mars  men  to  reach  Earth 
arrive  in  a  seeming  meteor  that  lands  between  Los  Angeles  and  Pomona, 
and  are  followed  quickly  by  others  arriving  similarly  at  strategic  points 
around  the  world.  The  meteor-like  conveyances  open  to  disgorge  deadly  air- 
borne machines  which  prove  impervious  to  the  guns,  cannon,  and  finally 
the  atomic  bombs  that  the  military  forces  of  this  and  other  nations  send 
against  them.  City  by  city,  area  by  area,  the  Martians  set  out  to  destroy  our 
world,  and  are  stopped,  ultimately,  only  by  germs  against  which  they  have 
no  earthly  immunity.  But  this  last  comes  very  late  and  as  a  complete  sur- 
prise, in  a  story  that  has  left  its  audience  no  ground  for  expecting  anything 
but  total  doom. 

Credit  should  be  given  to  the  Paramount  special  effects  department  under 
the  late  Gordon  Jennings  for  the  picture's  compelling  realism.  Color  by  Tech- 
nicolor also  figures  importantly  in  the  superlative  production  accomplishment. 

Gene  Barry  and  Ann  Robinson  perform  competently  the  boy-and-girl  story 
that  runs  through  the  narrative,  but  it  is  not,  of  course,  an  actor's  picture. 
It  is  primarily  a  producer's  picture,  the  craftsmen  coming  in  for  a  giant  share 
of  credit.  Director  Byron  Haskin  rates  a  special  kind  of  credit  for  keeping 
his  players  on  a  par  with  the  technicians.  A  special  credit  is  earned,  too, 
by  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke,  for  his  off-screen  narration. 

Others  in  the  cast  include  Les  Tremayne,  Bob  Cornthwaite,  Sandra  Giglio 
and  Lewis  Martin. 

Running  time,  85  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 


Build  New  TV  Lines 
From  N.  Y.  to  Albany 

Plans  for  construction  of  a  radio- 
relay  system  between  New  York  and 
Albany,  to  be  used  intially  to  carry 
television  programs,  were  filed  with 
the  Federal  Communications  Commis- 
sion by  A.  T.  and  T. 


Albany  Tent  Fete  Mar.  14 

Albany,  N.  Y„  March  4. — More 
than  200  reservations  have  been  made 
for  the  annual  Variety  Club  dinner- 
dance  at  the  Colonie  Country  Club 
here  March  14,  honoring  retiring 
chief  barker  Nate  Winig.    Stars  from 


Kinescope  Patent 
To  Dr.  Goldsmith 

A  patent  covering  the  invention 
leading  to  what  RCA  described  as 
the  first  demonstrated  direct-view, 
tricolor  kinescope  (television  picture 
■ube)  has  been  issued  to  Dr.  Alfred 
N.  Goldsmith,  radio  pioneer  and  New 
York  consulting  engineer,  who  has 
assigned  the  patent  to  RCA,  accord- 
mar  to  the  U.  S.  Patent  Office 


New  York  will  entertain.  The  com- 
mittee on  arrangements  is  headed  by 
Lewis  A.  Sumberg,  executive  director 
of  Albany  TOA,  and  Leo  Green- 
field, Universal  branch  manager. 


"The  President's  Lady" 


(20th  Century-Fox) 

THE  turbulent  romance  of  Andrew  Jackson  prior  to  his  election  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  in  1828  forms  the  background  of  this  inter- 
esting picture.  Hewing  close  to  historical  facts,  the  film  points  up  Jackson's 
struggle  to  protect  the  reputation  of  his  wife  who  is  the  object  of  slander 
because  she  is  a  divorcee.  Not  only  that,  it  develops  that  she  married  the 
future  President,  innocently,  before  she  actually  is  divorced.  Although  his- 
torical in  subject  matter,  the  picture  is  slanted  more  for  adult  consumption 
than  history-studying  children  because  of  frequent  reference  to  pregnancy, 
adultery  and  prostitution.  In  fact,  placards  branding  Mrs.  Jackson  as  a 
prostitute  are  paraded  through  the  streets  during  the  1828  Presidential  cam- 
paign. 

Charlton  Heston  is  excellent  as  Jackson,  while  Susan  Hayward  does  a 
very  commendable  job  as  Rachel  Donelson  Robards,  the  future  Mrs.  Jackson. 
Intermingled  with  the  domestic  troubles  are  some  exciting  Indian  attacks, 
fist  fights,  a  horse  race  and  other  ingredients  that  go  for  good  film  fare. 

Heston  meets  Miss  Hayward,  the  wife  of  Whitfield  Connor  from  whom 
she  is  separated,  when  he  arrives  at  the  Tennessee  settlement  to  be  the  law 
partner  of  John  Mclntyre  and  also  to  be  attorney  general.  When  Miss  Hay- 
ward starts  on  a  dangerous  trip  down  the  Mississippi  to  visit  her  mother's 
sister  in  Natchez,  Heston  goes  along  and  the  romance  develops.  They  hear 
that  Connor  has  obtained  a  divorce  and  so  she  and  Heston  are  married,  only 
to  learn  that  Connor  had  not  actually  obtained  the  legal  separation.  This 
places  Miss  Hayward  in  a  bad  spot  and  even  after  they  are  legally  married 
she  is  still  on  the  receiving  end  of  insults.  Heston  rises  politically  until  he 
is  nominated  and  elected  President,  but  his  wife  doesn't  live  to  see  him 
inaugurated. 

In  one  or  two  spots  the  picture  drags  slightly,  but  a  competent  directorial 
job  has  been  done  by  Henry  Levin  who  makes  the  most  of  a  difficult  assign- 
ment. Sol  C.  Siegel  produced.  The  screenplay  by  John  Patrick  was  based 
on  a  novel  by  Irving  Stone.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Fay  Bainter,  Carl  Betz, 
Gladys  Hurlbut,  Ruth  Attaway,  Charles  Dingle. 

Running  time,  96  minutes.  Adult  classification.  For  April  release. 

Al  Steen 


Pony  Express9 

(Paramount) 

\    VIRILE  Western,  which  shapes  up  as  good,  reliable  fare,  has  been 
fashioned  by  Nat  Holt.  The  color  by  Technicolor  adds  to  its  enjoy- 
ment. 

The  story  is  a  page  out  of  history,  telling  of  the  linking  of  the  Missouri 
plains  to  the  Pacific  via  the  pony  express.  Charlton  Heston  and  Forrest 
Tucker  are  two  gun-fighting,  Indian-wise  buddies,  known  respectively  as 
Buffalo  Bill  Cody  and  Wild  Bill  Hickock.  In  the  romantic  department, 
Heston  seems  the  more  popular,  for  there  are  two  girls,  Rhonda  Fleming 
and  Jan  Sterling,  who  are  attracted  to  him. 

Heston  finds  that  he  has  two  enemies,  an  Indian  chief  called  Yellow  Hand, 
and  the  evil  force  that  would  block  the  success  of  the  pony  express  for 
selfish  interest.  In  due  time  Heston  takes  care  of  his  Indian  nemesis.  This 
requires  a  deadly  struggle  with  hachet  and  dagger,  all  of  it  making  for  good 
pictorial  effect.  Next  comes  the  struggle  against  the  evil  white  men  who 
would  hamper  the  forging  of  the  Westward  trail.  At  first  Miss  Fleming  allies 
herself  with  the  forces  of  evil  but  gradually  she  goes  over  to  the  side  of  law 
and  order,  and  with  the  change  there  grows  an  affection  for  Heston.  The 
gunplay  and  skullduggery  is  punctuated  by  outbursts  that  grow  from  the 
romantic  triangle  that  involve  Heston,  Miss  Fleming  and  Miss  Sterling. 
After  vaulting  great  obstacles  Heston  finally  makes  the  initial  express  run. 
Miss  Sterling  sacrifices  herself  to  save  Heston  from  a  sniper's  bullet. 

Jerry  Cooper  directed,  from  a  screenplay  by  Charles  Marquis  Warren. 
Others  in  the  cast  include  Forrest  Tucker,  Michael  Moore,  Porter  Hall, 
Richard  Shanon  and  Henry  Brandon. 

Running  time,  101  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


"The  Story  of  Mandy" 


(J.  Arthur  Rank-Universal) 

THIS  is  a  touching  and  beautifully  acted  story  about  a  little  deaf  girl  who 
learns  to  speak  and  "hear."  It  is  a  picture  that  should  play  profitably 
in  both  the  "art"  and  conventional  type  theatres.  Starring  are  Phyllis  Cal- 
vert, Jack  Hawkins  and,  in  the  title  role,  Mandy  Miller,  a  new  addition  to 
the  growing  list  of  remarkable  moppets  from  abroad. 

When  Miss  Calvert  and  her  husband,  Terence  Morgan,  discover  that  their 
child  is  totally  deaf,  efforts  are  made  to  get  her  adjusted,  but  there  is  a 
controversy  between  the  parents  over  the  method  of  teaching.  Eventually, 
Miss  Calvert  takes  the  child  to  a  special  school,  operated  by  Hawkins.  A 
domestic  triangle  develops,  but,  happily,  this  is  resolved  before  it  can  wreck 
the  little  girl's  future. 

.  When  dealing  with  Mandy  and  her  struggles,  the  film  is  little  short  of 
superb.  The  adult  angle,  however,  appears  to  be  contrived  and  sentimental. 
But  the  triangle  and  the  completely  feminine  viewpoint  from  which  it  is  seen 
mav  be  just  what  the  ladies  in  the  audience  will  like  best. 

The  scriot  by  Nigel  Balchin  and  Jack  Whittingham  was  based  on  a  novel 
by  Hilda  Lewis.  Leslie  Norman  produced  and  Alexander  Mackendrick  di- 
rected. There  is  excellent  camera  work  by  Douglas  Slocombe.  Others  in  the 
r^st  are  Godfrey  Tearle,  Marjorie  Fielding,  Nancy  Price,  Edward  Chapman, 
Patricia  Plunkett. 

Running  time,  93  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   March  release. 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  44 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  6,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Mason  to  Push 
For  Early  Tax 
Bill  Hearing 

Sees  Approval  If  It 
Gets  Out  of  Committee 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  5. — Repre- 
sentative Noah  Mason  (R.,  111.) 
said  today  he  would  press  for  the 
House  Ways  and  Means  Committee 
to  hold  public  hearings  "right  after 
Easter"  on  his  bill  to  exempt  motion 
picture  theatres  from  the  Federal  ad- 
mission tax. 

Col.  H.  A.  Cole  and  Pat  Mc- 
Gee,  co-chairmen  of  the  Nation- 
al Tax  Repeal  Campaign  Com- 
mittee, last  week  selected  H.R. 
157,  introduced  Jan.  3  by  Repre- 
sentative Mason,  as  the  measure 
to  be  supported  by  the  motion 
picture  industry  in  its  campaign 
for  repeal  of  the  20  per  cent  tax. 

The  bill  provides  for  immediate 
elimination  of  the  tax  on  those  thea- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Standardized  3-D 
Urged  by  NCTO 

San  Francisco,  March  5. — At  a 
board  meeting  of  Northern  California 
Theatre  Owners  a  resolution  was 
passed  causing  petitions  to  be  sent  to 
heads  of  all  producing  companies  ask- 
ing them  to  do  everything  possible  to 
standardize  third  dimensional  proc- 
esses in  order  to  avoid  confusion  in 
the  industry  and  undue  expense  to 
exhibitors. 

Exhibitors  here  have  expressed  con- 
cern over  the  confusion  which  they 
say  will  result  unless  there  is  uni- 
formity of  3-D  within  the  industry, 

{Continued  on  page  3) 


Jessel  Signs  Pact 
With  ABC-TV,  Radio 


A  long-term  contract  with  George 
Jessel  covering  his  exclusive  services 
as  a  performer  and  producer  for  the 
American  Broadcasting  Co.  radio  and 
television  networks  was  disclosed  here 
yesterday  by  Robert  E.  Kintner,  ABC 
president. 

Jessel  will  join  ABC  on  June  1 
under  the  contract  negotiated  with 
him  by  Robert  M.  Weitman,  ABC 
vice-president  in  charge  of  programs 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


ON  THE  MARCH! 

By  MARTIN  QUIGLEY 

HOLLYWOOD — The  contemporary  scene  in  the  world's 
capitol  of  motion  picture  production  is  vital  and  exciting. 
It  is  a  far  cry — and  a  notable  betterment — from  the  pre- 
ceding period.  In  morale  it  is  essentially  a  switch  from,  "Where 
are  we  drifting?"  to,  "Let's  Go!" 

Rather  surprisingly,  it  seems  suddenly  to  have  dawned  on 
Production  that  merely  to  be  intent  upon  improvement  in  qual- 
ity and  economical  operation  was  not  enough.  With  this  reali- 
zation it  came  to  be  recognized,  at  long  last,  that  the  medium 
itself,  aside  from  subject  matter  and  the  ever-present  problems 
of  administration,  was  capable  of  essential  technical  improve- 
ment in  its  challenge  to  public  attention. 

Historically,  it  probably  will  be  recorded  that  Cinerama  and 
the  first  Natural  Vision  picture,  together  with  the  attendant 
public  reaction,  fulfilled  their  supreme  function,  not  in  what 
they  demonstrated  in  technical  or  artistic  development  but 
rather  in  the  fact  that  a  consequence  of  their  appearance  was 
the  sounding  of  an  alarm  that  the  industry  as  a  whole  had  been 
dozing  at  the  switch. 

These  innovations  drove  home  the  realization  that  there  have 
been  lying  about,  in  some  instances  for  many  years,  a  number 
of  technological  betterments  of  the  medium  which  could  serve 
to  give  it  greater  stature,  scope  and  power.  Various  of  these 
have  long  been  within  easy  reach  but  it  seems  to  have  been  a 
case  like  a  person  who,  walking  along  with  head  bowed  in 
concentration  upon  his  immediate  problems,  had  failed  to  look 
up  and  ahead  where  he  could  have  seen  the  solution  he  was 
seeking. 

As  to  what  may  be  expected  out  of  Hollywood  in  the  months 
ahead  this  much  is  certain : 

The  motion  picture  theatre  is  going  to  become  a  place  of 
greater  challenge  and  interest  to  the  amusement-loving  public. 
Already  there  are  clear  indications  of  an  awakened  public 
interest  in  motion  pictures.  The  industry  is  again  appearing 
as  an  institution  that  is  on  the  march.    The  down-beat  attitude 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Get  the  Facts — Here! 


Hollywood,  March  5. — The  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  issued 
the  following  statement : 

"A  published  report  that  the  Pro- 
duction Code  has  'outlived  its  useful- 
ness' and  will  be  dropped  is  completely 
without  foundation.  The  Code  con- 
tinues to  have  the  full  backing  and 
support  of  the  members  of  the  Asso- 
ciation and  all  responsible  elements  in 
the  industry. 

_  "Through  its  system  of  self-regula- 
tion, the  industry  has  demonstrated  its 
high  sense  of  responsibility  to  the 
public  in  providing  wholesome  enter- 
tainment. The  Code  has  won  wide- 
spread public  acclaim  and  support  and 
there  will  be  no  departure  from  the 
Code's  high  standards." 


Arthur  B.  Krim,  president  of 
United  Artists,  issued  the  following 
statement  yesterday : 

"I  regret  the  report  in  a  certain 
trade  paper  that  United  Artists  is  not 
in  full  sympathy  with  the  activities 
of  the  Production  Code  authorities. 
My  associates  at  United  Artists  and 
I  unanimously  feel  that  the  Breen  of- 
fice performs  a  vital  and  needed  func- 
tion and  has  done  a  fine  job. 
-  "We  anticipate  no  difficulty  with 
'The  Moon  Is  Blue,'  which  has  been 
produced  by  Otto  Preminger  and  F. 
Hugh  Herbert  with  taste  and  dignity 
and  which  will  be  submitted  to  the 
Breen  office  in  regular  course." 


Injunction  Is 
Requested  In 
Luxor  Suit 


Precedent  Believed  Set 
After  Adverse  Verdict 


Federal  Judge  Edward  Weinfeld 
here  yesterday  granted  J.  J.  Thea- 
tres and  its  operating  company, 
Luxor  Group,  Inc.,  a  hearing  on 
April  2  on  a  petition  for  an  injunction 
to  halt  alleged  discrimination  against 
the  Luxor  Theatre  in  the  Bronx. 
Inasmuch  as  a  jury  last  week  entered 
a  verdict  in  favor  of  the  defendants 
in  an  anti-trust  suit  brought  by  J.  J. 
and  Luxor,  in  which  the  plaintiffs 
asked  for  damages  of  $3,079,000,  this 
is  believed  to  be  the  first  time  in  mo- 
tion picture  legal  history  that  a  move 
for  such  an  injunction  has  been  made 
after  an  adverse  verdict. 

The  plaintiffs  had  charged  that  the 
defendant  distributors  favored  the 
Skouras'  Park  Plaza  over  the  Luxor 
in  playing  time.  Although  the  dam- 
ages phase  of  the  suit  was  denied  by 
the  jury,  Judge  Weinfeld  agreed  to 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


WB  in  90-Day  3-D 
Research  Program 

Hollywood,  March  5.  —  Warner 
Brothers  will  rebuild  its  burned  studio 
facilities  and  expand  its  technical  re- 
search and  development  during  a 
period  of  about  90  days.  Meanwhile, 
29  new  scripts  will  be  prepared  for 
shooting. 

It  was  announced  that  during  the 
period  of  studio  reconstruction,  the 
company  will  intensify  its  laboratory 
research  and  experiment  in  new  possi- 
bilities for  "films  of  the  future." 
Major  projects,  already  started  and 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


To  Meet  Tuesday  on 
Equity  Wage  Scale 


_  Another  round  of  confabs  on  estab- 
lishing a  theatre  television  wage  scale 
for  actors  is  slated  for  Tuesday  when 
Leo  Rosen,  TV  director  of  Fabian: 
Theatres,  will  confer  with  members 
of  Actors  Equity  Council. 

Pending  agreement  on  a  wage  scale, 
Fabian  plans  to  theatre  telecast  the 
Broadway  stage  show,  "Pal  Joey," 
will  be  held  up.  With  the  exception 
of  Actors  Equity,  it  was  disclosed,. 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  6,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


PAUL  LAZARUS,   Jr.,  Columbia 
Pictures  home  office  executive,  left 
here  for  the  Coast  yesterday  by  plane. 
• 

Jerry  Koerner,  former  Columbia 
booker  in  Cleveland  who  has  been 
away  from  the  motion  picture  business 
for  several  years,  will  return  to  suc- 
ceed Jerry  Whitesell  as  M-G-M 
booker  there.  Whitesell  resigned  to 
go  into  television. 

• 

Morgan  Hudgins  of  M-G-M's  pub- 
licity staff  is  due  back  here  Monday 
by  plane  from  London.  He  will  re- 
main in  New  York  three  days  before 
heading  for  the  Coast. 

• 

Bill  Brumberg,  head  of  Warner 
Brothers  field  exploitation  staff  here, 
is  recuperating  in  Fifth  Ave.  Flower 
Hospital  from  injuries  sustained  in 
an  auto  mishap. 

• 

Hiller  Innis,  assistant  to  Russel 
Holman,  Paramount  Eastern  produc- 
tion manager,  is  en  route  to  the  island 
of  Jamaica  for  a  two-week  vacation. 
• 

Adolph  Zukor,   Paramount  board 
chairman,  will  be  guest  celebrity  on 
the    Martha    Deane    program  over 
WOR-Mutual  Monday  morning. 
• 

Arthur  Good,  head  of  RKO  Radio's 
16mm.  division,  announces  the  birth 
of  a  girl  to  Mrs.  Good  on  Wednesday 
at  Harkness  Pavilion  here. 

A.  A.  Schubart,  manager  of  ex- 
change operations  for  RKO  Radio, 
has  returned  to  New  York  from  Jack- 
sonville, Fla. 

Nat  Levy,  RKO  Radio  Eastern 
division  manager,  will  return  to  New 
York  over  the  weekend  from  Glovers- 
ville. 

George    Weltner,     president  of 
Paramount   International,   will  leave 
here  for  Hollywood  on  Sunday. 
• 

Walter  H.  Grosselfinger  of  the 
Westrex  Corp.  has  left  here  for  an 
extended  tour  of  the  Far  East. 


Services  Tomorrow 
For  Alex  Sayles 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  5. — Funeral 
services  for  Alex  Sayles,  68,  manager 
of  Fabian's  Palace  here  for  19  years 
and  a  showman  in  this  city  for  31 
years,  will  be  held  on  Saturday  in  St. 
James'  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He 
died  in  Albany  Hospital  yesterday  of 
a  heart  condition. 

He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  a 
brother,  a  sister  and  a  cousin. 


Isaac  Shifts  Monday 

Lester  Isaac  will  assume  his  po- 
sition with  Cinerama  Productions 
Inc.,  as  assistant  general  manager  of 
theatre  operations  in  charge  of  all 
technical  services,  on  Monday.  He 
will  leave  his  post  with  Loew's  as 
director  of  projection  and  sound  and 
theatre  television,  today. 


Partmar,  F.&M.  Take  Para, 
Case  to  Supreme  Court 


Washington,  March  5. — Partmar 
Corp.  and  Fanchon  and  Marco,  Inc., 
today  asked  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
to  reverse  a  Ninth  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals  decision  which  threw  out 
Partmar  damage  claims  against  Para- 
mount Theatres  and  against  Para- 
mount Pictures,  Inc. 

The  case  is  another  action  in  a  long 
series  of  legal  bouts  between  Partmar 
and  Paramount  over  a  Los  Angeles 
theatre  which  Partmar  leased  from 
Paramount.  In  May,  1947,  Paramount 
brought  suit  to  evict  Partmar  from 
the  theatre,  and  as  part  of  its  defense 
Partmar  entered  counter-claims  for 
treble  damages,  alleging  that  Para- 
mount had,  as  landlord  and  as  part  of 
an  illegal  monopoly,  compelled  the 
lessee  to  pay  excessive  rentals  and  li- 
cense fees  for  pictures. 


3  TV  Shows  Plug  2 
20th-Fox  Features 

Two  20th  Century-Fox  productions, 
"Call  Me  Madam"  and  "Destination 
Gobi,"  will  be  extensively  publicized 
on  three  top  TV  shows  Sunday  night. 

Filmed  highlights  of  last  Wednes- 
day's world  premiere  of  "Madam"  at 
the  Ritz  Theatre,  Los  Angeles,  will 
be  shown  on  the  Ken  Murray  CBS- 
TV  variety  show,  and  the  picture  also 
will  be  "plugged"  by  Donald  O'Con- 
nor, one  of  its  stars,  during  his  ap- 
pearance on  the  Colgate  Comedy 
Hour,  NBC-TV.  As  previously  an- 
nounced, a  six-minute  clip  of  "Gobi" 
will  be  shown  on  the  Ed  Sullivan 
"Toast  of  the  Town"  on  CBS-TV. 


Gordon  and  Metzler 
Reelected  by  AMPP 

Hollywood,  March  5. — The  inter- 
national committee  of  the  Association 
of  Motion  Picture  Producers  has  re- 
elected William  Gordon  chairman  for 
a  second  term,  and  named  Roy  Metz- 
ler publicity  chairman. 

Forum  on  New  SAG  Pact 

The  Film  Producers  Association _  of 
New  York  is  sponsoring  an  invitation 
forum  to  discuss  and  explain  the 
workings  of  the  new  Screen  Actors 
Guild  contract  covering  production 
and  use  of  TV  film  spots  on  Monday 
at  the  National  Republican  Club  here. 


Simms  to  Discuss  3-D 

New  Orleans,  March  S. — John 
Simms,  National  Theatre  Supply 
3-dimensional  equipment  representa- 
tive and  engineer,  will  be  on  hand  at 
Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  Gulf 
States'  board  meeting  on  Tuesday  at 
the  Jung  Hotel  to  explain  tri-dimen- 
sional  installations. 


Bauer  of  Filmack  Dies 

Chicago,  March  5. — Frank  Bauer, 
58,  head  cameraman  for  Filmak 
Trailer  Co.  here,  died  at  his  home 
Sunday  of  a  cerebral  hemorrhage. 
Bauer  had  been  with  Filmack  for  26 
years.  He  is  survived  by  his  widow, 
a  son  and  a  daughter. 


Two  US  Films  Win 
Foreign  Press  Poll 

The  Foreign  Press  Film  Critics 
Circle  last  night  presented  annual 
awards  to  "Limelight,"  "Breaking  the 
Sound  Barrier,"  Charles  Chaplin,  and 
Stanley  Kramer  and  Fred  Zinnemann, 
producer  and  director,  respectively,  of 
"High  Noon."  The  selections  were 
the  result  of  the  annual  poll  of  for- 
eign language  press  critics. 

The  awards  were  presented  in  the 
New  York  City  Municipal  Building. 
Arthur  Kelly,  vice-president  of  Chap- 
lin's Celebrated  Films,  accepted  the 
"Limelight"  honors  and  Ilya  Lopert, 
head  of  Lopert  Films,  accepted  for 
"Breaking  the  Sound  Barrier." 

"Limelight"  was  chosen  as  the  best 
American  film  of  the  year  and  the  best 
film  in  all  categories,  with  Chaplin 
himself  selected  as  the  best  actor  and 
runner-up  to  Stanley  Kramer  as  best 
producer.  "Sound  Barrier"  was  voted 
the  year's  best  British  film  and  "For- 
bidden Games"  was  picked  as  the  best 
film  in  a  foreign  language. 

Fred  Zinneman's  direction  of  "High 
Noon"  was  selected  as  best  of  the  year 
in  that  category,  while  the  balloting 
for  best  writer  resulted  in  a  three-way 
tie  among  Carl  Foreman  for  "High 
Noon,"  Chaplin  for  "Limelight,"  and 
Ketti  Frings  for  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba."  The  award  for  best  actress 
went  to  Shirley  Booth  for  "Come 
Back,  Little  Sheba."  Gary  Cooper, 
for  "High  Noon,"  was  runner-up  to 
Chaplin  as  best  actor. 


Herman  Mankiewicz 
Dies  on  the  Coast 

Hollywood,  March  5. — Herman 
Mankiewicz,  veteran  Hollywood  scen- 
arist and  brother  of  writer-director 
Joseph  L.  Mankiewicz,  died  here  this 
morning  at  55  at  Cedars  of  Lebanon 
Hospital  after  three  weeks  of  illness. 
Services  will  be  held  tomorrow  at 
Hollywood  Cemetery.  He  is  also  sur- 
vived by  the  widow,  two  sons,  a 
daughter  and  a  sister. 

After  several  years  as  a  newspaper- 
man, Mankiewicz  went  to  Hollywood 
in  1926  to  do  the  screenplay  for  "Road 
to  Mandalay."  Recent  pictures  in 
which  he  had  a  writing  hand  include : 
"Pride  of  St.  Louis,"  "A  Woman's 
Secret,"  "Christmas  Holiday,"  "Good 
Fellow,"  "Spanish  Main  and  "En- 
chanted Cottage." 


David  Hanna  to  IFE 
Rome  Publicity  Post 

David  Hanna,  former  newspaperman 
who  has  specialized  in  recent  years  in 
serving  as  publicist  for  American  pro- 
ducers making  pictures  in  Europe,  has 
been  appointed  public  relations  repre- 
sentative assigned  to  the  Rome  office 
of  Italian  Films  Export,  it  was  an- 
nounced here  by  Jonas  Rosenfield,  Jr., 
director  of  public  relations. 

Hanna  will  assume  his  new  duties 
on  April  1. 


Wash.,  Idaho,  Alaska 
Owners  Quit  WTO 

San  Francisco,  March  5. — 
Hannah  Oppie,  executive  sec- 
retary of  Western  Theatre 
Owners,  announced  the  thea- 
tre owners  of  Washington, 
Northern  Idaho  and  Alaska 
have  resigned  from  the  WTO. 
The  reason  given  was  that 
they  did  not  care  for  any  out- 
side contact  and  only  desired 
a  strong  statewide  organiza- 
tion. The  resignations  will 
not  affect  WTO  despite  the 
fact  all  three  organizations 
have  been  members  since 
WTO's  inception  as  the 
PCCITO  10  years  ago. 


Get  TV  Clearance 

Hollywood,  March  5. — The  Amer- 
ican Federation  of  Television  and  Ra- 
dio Artists  has  granted  automatic 
clearance  to  all  members  who  parti- 
cipate without  pay  in  the  Academy 
Awards  presentation  ceremonies. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


"THE  STORY  OF  THREE  LOVES" 


Kirk 
DOUGLAS 


James 
MASON 


Farley 
GRANGER 


PierANGELI   IVloiraSH  EA  RER  LeslieCARON 
An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


JEW/ 


MARTIN*  LEWS, 

STOOGE' 

A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  F«gtwnv 


2  BIG  I  F.  E.  HITS  ON  B'WAY! 


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MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Rainsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager:  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  March  6,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


ON  THE  MARCH! 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  the  past  several  years  has  disappeared  and  in  its  place  there 
is  an  attitude  of  anticipation,  expectation  and  curiosity. 

THE  motion  picture  in  its  essential  technological  character 
is  going  to  be  changed  and  improved — improved  not  in 
the  fashion  of  the  addition  of  some  mere  gimmick  or  novelty 
but  improved  in  a  manner  that  will  give  it  greater  stature, 
power  and  scope.  Deficiencies  and  inadequacies  which  have 
long  failed  to  be  rightly  appraised  will  be  remedied.  The  result 
will  be  a  medium  that  even  in  its  first  developmental  days  will 
have  a  new  freshness  and  appeal  and  will  admit  of  both  spec- 
tacular effects  and  genuinely  dramatic  power  never  previously 
possible. 

To  attempt  at  this  point  to  form  an  opinion  as  to  just  what 
process,  format  or  technical  character  upon  which  the  re-vital- 
ized Screen  will  be  based  would  involve  a  departure  from  the 
function  of  comment  and  an  intrusion  into  the  area  of  prophecy. 
There  are,  however,  good  reasons  for  believing  that  eventually 
there  will  be  developed  a  perfected  combination  of  various  of 
the  schemes  and  techniques  which  are  now  under  highly  skilled 
study  and  experimentation. 

But  fortunately  for  purposes  of  meeting  the  immediate 
necessities  of  both  the  theatre  and  the  producer  it  is  not  going 
to  be  required  that  the  business  world  of  motion  pictures  sit 
back  with  folded  hands  awaiting  some  promised  day  when  the 
scientists  and  technicians  will  come  up  with  their  finally  per- 
fected devices. 

Happily,  there  is  to  be  an  interim  period — or  perhaps  several 
of  them — during  which  pictures  with  new  elements  of  power 
and  challenge  will  be  ready  for  the  theatres  and  for  a  public 
with  a  re-awakened  interest  in  theatrical  entertainment.  Such 
pictures  are  not  in  any  blueprint  stage.  There  are  now  several 
of  them  in  work  and  due  for  completion  within  the  next  several 
weeks. 

THESE  pictures  will  not  be  specimens  of  the  full,  new  power 
and  effectiveness  toward  which  the  motion  picture  is 
headed,  but  if  portions  of  some  of  them  which  have  lately  been 
viewed  here  prove  to  be  a  fair  indication  of  what  the  completed 
pictures  will  be  there  will  be  no  need  for  apology  or  alibi.  They 
are  startling  and  impressive.  They  reveal  the  possibilities  of 
dramatic  realism  and  effectiveness  never  previously  within  the 
range  of  motion  pictures  in  the  conventional  format  which,  inci- 
dentally it  should  be  noted,  has  virtually  remained  unchanged, 
with  the  exception  of  sound  and  color,  since  its  earliest  days. 

The  introduction  of  depth  and  perspective  in  motion  pictures 
is  in  no  true  sense  merely  the  adding  of  a  novelty  gimmick. 
The  true,  realistic  living  picture  is  one  with  depth  and  perspec- 
tive. The  public  came  arbitrarily  to  assume  depth  and  perspec- 
tive on  the  screen.  But  any  such  arbitrary  assumption  falls 
far  short  of  the  real  thing  in  its  ultimate  satisfactions.  The 
new  pictures  will  have  the  real  thing.  In  the  early  future  they 
will  also  communicate  sound  and  the  spoken  word  to  the  audi- 
ence in  a  manner  that  will  be  true  and  real — a  long  step  from 
the  conventional  method  under  which  the  patron's  imagination 
must  compensate  for  inadequacies  in  sound  transmission. 

And — very  importantly — the  screen  image  will  break  out  of 
the  confining  straightjacket  in  dimensions  and  proportions  in 
which  it  has  for  so  long  been  held. 

It  is  a  bright  and  inspiring  horizon  that  faces  the  industry. 
It  will  not,  of  course,  be  conquered  without  compensatory 
headaches  and  heartaches.  But  the  great  good  news  is  that 
the  motion  picture  is  again  on  the  march,  with  the  helping  hand 
of  technology  coming  to  the  aid  of  the  entertainment  prowess 
which  it  already  possesses — bringing  it  to  a  still  more  com- 
manding position  in  the  preferences  of  the  amusement-seeking 
public  the  whole  world  over.  ' 


Mason  Bill 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

tres  in  which  the  principal  form  of 
entertainment  is  the  exhibition  of 
motion  pictures.  "It  has  been  studied 
by  leading  industry  lawyers  and  has 
been  approved  as  meeting  the  indus- 
try's needs  in  all  respects,"  according 
to  a  statement  issued  here  last  week 
by  the  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Or- 
ganizations. 

Mason  said  he  brought  his  bill  up 
at  a  closed-door  meeting  of  the  Com- 
mittee today.  The  meeting  was  called 
to  consider  the  agenda  for  the  com- 
ing year.  Mason  said  he  had  been 
told  that  Chairman  Reed  (R.,  N.  Y.) 
wanted  the  views  of  the  Treasury  on 
the  admission  tax  bill  and  other  ex- 
cise measures,  and  that  only  yesterday 
Committee  Clerk  Gordon  Grand  had 
asked  the  Treasury  to  "expedite"  its 
report  on  the  admissions  tax  bill. 
Mason  Will  Press 

"If  it  isn't  expedited,"  Mason  said, 
"I'm  going  to  press  for  hearings  any- 
how, right  after  Easter."  He  said  he 
would  suggest  that  the  Committee 
move  on  the  admission  tax  bill  sep- 
arately, and  not  as  part  of  over-all 
excise  tax  hearings. 

Mason  estimatetd  the  revenue  loss 
from  his  bill  at  "close  to  $250,000,000," 
and  admitted  that  this  might  cause 
the  Treasury  Department  to  oppose  it. 
"But  that  makes  no  difference  to  me," 
he  added.  "I'm  going  ahead  anyhow. 
If  the  bill  comes  out  of  Committee, 
it  will  pass  the  House  by  an  over- 
whelming vote." 

Reed  would  not  comment  on  the 
possibility  of  separate  hearings  and 
action  on  the  admission  tax  bill, 
merely  stating  that  "some  time  this 
year  we  will  have  excise  tax  hear- 
ings." In  a  separate  statement,  the 
powerful  New  Yorker  reiterated  his 
determination  to  have  the  30  per  cent 
excess  profits  tax  die  on  schedule  on 
June  30. 


WB  Program 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  be  hastened,  include  those  in  three 
dimensional  photography  and  projec- 
tion, an  expanded  screen  image  and 
expanded  sound  techniques  to  match 
the  added  scope  of  the  screen. 

Production  will  taper  off  during  the 
period  but  it  was  stressed  that  there 
will  be  no  studio  shutdown. 


Standardized  3-D 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  that  unless  there  is  standardiza- 
tion a  great  many  theatres  in  the 
country  would  go  out  of  business  be- 
cause of  being  physically  and  finan- 
cially unable  to  equip  for  all  types 
of  3-D. 

Film  Division  of 
Red  Cross  to  Meet 

The  motion  picture  section  for  the 
1953  American  Red  Cross  campaign 
will  meet  at  the  Metropolitan  Club 
here  on  Tuesday  at  the  invitation  of 
Spyros  P.  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 
president  and  head  of  the  division. 

E.  Roland  Harriman,  national 
president  of  the  Red  Cross ;  LeRoy 
Lincoln,  national  chairman  of  Red 
Cross  fund  raising,  and  three  wounded 
veterans  of  the  Korean  War,  Sergeant 
Louis  A.  Capone,  Corporal  William 
Brady  and  Corporal  Robert  Feltner, 
will  attend. 


Settles  Savoy  a  Suit 

A  suit  brought  by  Savoya  Films  of 
Italy  against  Vanguard  Films  and 
Selznick  Releasing  Organization  was 
settled  out  of  court  here  for  $12,500. 

The  suit  involved  the  exclusive  serv- 


ices held  by  Savoya  on  actress  Alida 
Valli.  Savoya  relinguished  its  rights 
to  the  defendants  in  return  for  free 
distribution  in  Italy  of  two  pictures 
produced  by  Vanguard,  which  were 
not  delivered  as  allegedly  promised. 


Injunction 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

hear  arguments  for  injunctive  relief. 
The  judge  told  the  jury  that  if  they 
found  the  theatres  to  be  in  substantial 
competition,  they  should  bring  in  a 
verdict  for  the  defendants.  However, 
Monroe  Stein,  counsel  for  the  plain- 
tiffs, said  that  even  if  there  were  com- 
petition, this  should  not  place  the 
Luxor  in  an  inferior  position. 

Defendants  in  the  suit  were  Skouras 
Theatres,  20th  Century-Fox,  RKO 
Radio,  Warner  Brothers  and  Uni- 
versal. 


Equity  Wage  Scale 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

most  of  the  stumbling  blocks  in  tele- 
casting the  musical  have  been  passed. 

Previous  Equity  wage  proposals, 
based  in  part  on  a  percentage  of  the 
box-office  gross,  have  been  found  to  be 
unsatisfactory  by  theatre  TV  in- 
terests. 


Jessel  Signs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  talent.  The  deal  will  permit 
Jessel  to  continue  his  motion  picture 
work.  In  addition  to  his  exclusive 
services  as  a  performer  and  producer 
in  radio  and  TV  for  ABC,  Jessel  also 
will  represent  the  network  as  a  "good- 
will ambassador"  at  public  and  private 
functions. 

Rowley,  Short  to 
Head  Texas  Drive 

Dallas,  March  5. — The  executive 
board  of  the  Texas  Council  of  Motion 
Picture  Organizations  has  appointed 
John  Rowley,  vice-president  of  Row- 
ley United  Theatres,  and  Paul  Short, 
division  manager  for  National  Screen 
Service,  as  co-chairmen  of  the  1953 
Red  Cross  drive  for  the  industry  in 
this  area. 

Rowley  and  Short  will  maintain 
headquarters  during  the  campaign  in 
the  Texas  COMPO  offices.  A  special 
Red  Cross  luncheon  has  been  arranged 
for  the  executives  of  exhibition,  dis- 
tribution and  allied  industries  to  be 
held  at  the  Town  and  Country  Res- 
taurant here  on  Monday. 

Kill  N.M.  Bill  to 
Outlaw  Bank  Night 

Sante  Fe,  March  5. — New  Mex- 
ico's House  of  Representatives  has 
killed  a  bill  which  would  have  out- 
lawed "bank  nights"  in  theatres. 

A  present  law  permitting  bank 
nights  was  recently  termed  unconsti- 
tutional by  a  state  attorney  general's 
ruling  on  the  grounds  that  it  dis- 
criminates against  theatres  built  since 
the  law  went  into  effect.  However, 
the  statute  continues  in  effect  until 
tested  in  court. 

'Decameron'  Ruled 
U.K.  Quota  Picture 

London,  March  5.— The  Board  of 
Trade,  following  submission  of  fur- 
ther _  information  concerning  the  pro- 
duction background  of  "Decameron," 
has  granted  the  picture  a  British 
quota  certificate.  Previously,  the 
Board  had  held  that  the  picture  had 
insufficient  British  sponsorship  to 
qualify  as  a  quota  production. 


-X  J/ 


'Hans'  Sockeroo\ 
Seattle 


Terrific  total 
leads  town 


/ '  'Hans'  Gigantic  \ 
Frisco 


Unheard-of  business  / 
at  Stagedoor  ✓ 


/  ''Hans',  9fc\ 
LA. Nifty  ; 

Upbeat  sensation  f 
at  Beverly  Hills  (9th  wk.)  j 
and  Palace  (5th  wk.)  ^ 

4 


>  'Hans'  Bests  \ 
'BestYrs.'  \ 
In  Denver  / 

\       Miracle  opening  tees  J 
v        off  record  run  / 


AMUEL  GOLDWYN 


presents 


starring 


Danny  Kaye 


ana 


'  'Hans',  2nd,  \ 

Wows  Chi  ; 

Great  in  holdover  a 

\        at  Oriental,  Chicago  f 


/  'Hans' Huge  \ 
i   Pittsburgh  ) 

^  Off  with  a  bang  J 

vv         at  the  Fulton  f 

v-  


Hans'  N.  Orleans  \ 
Knockout 


^^^^^^  ^  vw  y  TT 

'Hans'  Boffo  <J  Hans  Happy 
Buffalo  \  ■  \  I"  9th,  Hub 

/  v        Holdover  sensation 


Pacingfield  / 
by  big  margin  / 


"n^       at  Astor,  Boston 


;  'Hans',  3rd,\ 
!  Thrills  Philly ) 


13th  session  tops  previous 
-  socko  6  wks.  in  day-date 
Criterion,  Paris,  N.  Y.  run 


3rd  wk.  terrific 
V    following  smash  2nd 


/ 'Hans' D.C.; 


Metropolitan 


Sizzling  2nd  wk.  after 


'Hans' Miami 
10  Wh.  Mop-Up 


let-up  in  torrid  take 


:ARLEY  GRANGER^  JEAN  MAI  RE  —*««~~^'«"" 


Words  &  Music  by  FRANK  LOESSER  •  Choreography  by  ROLAND  PETIT 


j 


TH 


BACKS  YOU  WITH  TH 


HHHBHHHMnnnntniiii 


GREATEST  TV  PROMOTION 


IN  MOVIE  HISTORY! 


LONG 
RANGE! 


Starting  Sunday,  March  8th, 
■  and  every  month  for  two 
solid  years! 


PRE- 
SELLING! 


Ed  Sullivan's  "Toast  of  the 
Town/'  top-rated  CBS-TV 
show,  each  month  will  fea- 
ture a  forthcoming  20th  Century-Fox  pro- 
duction as  an  outstanding  picture  of  the 
month,  previewing  highlight  scenes  run- 
ning up  to  six  minutes! 


3-WAY 
EXPLOITATION! 


Lincoln -Mercury  dealers 
and  CBS-TV  stations  and 
affiliates  everywhere  are 
all  set  to  cooperate  with  you  in  every 
phase  of  local  merchandising.  Contact 
them  now! 


LET  "T.O.T." 
WORK  FOR  YOU! 


\ 


Plan  and  purchase  spots 
just  before  and  after  "Toast 
of  the  Town"  to  sell  your 
own  playdate! 

(Note-.  Kinescope  cities  follow  "live"  telecast  within  two  weeks.) 


There's  No  Showmanship  Like 


Here  are  the  first  three! 

MARCH  8TH 


DESTINATION  GOBI 

Technicolor 


MARCH  29TH 


CALL  ME  MADAM 

Technicolor 


APRIL  5TH 


THE  PRESIDENT'S  LADY 

...and  these  are  only  the  beginning! 


Century-Fox  Showmanship! 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  73.    NO.  45 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  MARCH  9,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

OBVIOUSLY  bewildered  over 
the  recent  market  strength 
shown  by  motion  picture  and  thea- 
tre shares,  in  contrast  to  the  simul- 
taneous softness  in  television 
stocks,  was  E.  F.  Hutton  &  Com- 
pany's Gerald  Loeb.  Financial 
writers  reported  Loeb  as  telling  his 
"circle":  "Buying  movies  on  stereo 
prospects  and  selling  TV  for  lack 
of  them  in  my  opinion  has  just 
about  no  basis  whatsoever.  As  far 
as  I  know  it  is  yet  to  be  demon- 
strated that  anyone  would  ever  go 
to  a  so-called  stereo  movie  twice." 

Until  the  public  gives  the  answer, 
Loeb,  like  anyone  else  who  may  be 
inclined  to  doubt  that  3-D  will 
usher  in  a  new  economic  era  for 
the  motion  picture  and  for  theatres, 
is  entitled  to  his  dissenting  opinion. 
However,  if  he  was  quoted  cor- 
rectly, his  would  appear  to  be  based 
on  either  misinformation  or  lack 
of  any  information. 

Only  one  3-D  feature  is  being 
exhibited  currently.  Only  two 
other  experimental  "stereo"  pro- 
grams, both  consisting  of  short 
subjects,  are  available  to  the  pub- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Senate  Probe  Unit 
Starts  Distributor 
Talks  Next  Week 


Washington,  March  8.  ■ —  Senate 
Small  Business  Committee  investiga- 
tors expect  to  start  talking  to  dis- 
tributors in  New  York  next  week,  a 
staff  member  said  over  the  week-end. 

This  will  be  the  first  time  they  get 
the  home  office  viewpoint.  So  far, 
their  talks  with  distribution  officials 
have  been  in  local  areas  around  the 
country.  Moreover,  most  of  their  talks 
so  far  have  been  with  exhibitor  lead- 
ers, getting  the  theatre  owners'  view- 
point. 

William  D.  Amis,  who  has  been 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Rep.  Sales  Managers 
Honored  by  Drive 


Republic's  five  sales  managers  are 
currently  being  honored  by  a  sales 
managers'  drive  to  run  during  March 
and  April,  with  prizes  to  be  awarded 
to  winning  branch  managers,  sales- 
men and  bookers. 

The    Atlanta,     Charlotte,  Dallas, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Johnston  Says 
U.S.  Films  Do 
Good  Abroad 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  8.  —  Eric 
Johnston,  president  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America, 
assured  a  worried  Senate  Foreign 
Relations  sub- 
committee that 
film  producers 
are  doing  their 
best  to  give  for- 
eign countries  a 
good  impres- 
sion of  the 
United  States 
in  the  pictures 
they  send 
abroad. 

"We  recog- 
nize our  respon- 
sibility," John- 
ston declared, 
"and   we  are 

trying  in  general  to  do  an  effective 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Eric  Johnston 


MPA  Again  Offers 
State  DepH  Mobile 
Units  for  Overseas 


Washington,  March  8.  —  Motion 
picture  companies  would  like  to  re- 
new an  offer,  first  made  in  1950  and 
turned  down  at  that  time,  to  set  up 
mobile  film  units  and  supply  Holly- 
wood features  for  the  State  Depart- 
ment's Overseas  Information  program, 
according  to  Motion  Picture  Associa- 
tion president  Eric  Johnston. 

Testifying  Friday  before  a  Senate 
Foreign  Relations  subcommittee, 
Johnston  said  that  in  1950  MPAA 
member  companies  offered  to  provide 
mobile  units  for  Turkey  and  Siam  as 
an  experiment.  If  it  was  successful 
there,  Johnston  said,  they  proposed  to 

(Continued  on  page  4)- 


IJ -Million  to  RKO 
From  25  'Pan'  Runs 


Net  rentals  to  RKO  Radio  orrthe 
first  25  engagements  of  "Peter  Pan" 
are  in  excess  of  $500,000,  it  was 
learned  here  at  the  weekend.  On  this 
basis,  the  Walt  Disney  feature  poten- 
tially could  remit  a  $1,000,000  net  to 
the  distributor  on  50  dates.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  RKO's  share  from  the 
Roxy  Theatre  engagement  here  will 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


42%  of  Film  Revenue 
From  Overseas  in  '52 

Washington,  March  8.  — 
Forty-two  per  cent  of  the 
film  industry's  dollar  revenue 
in  1952  came  from  outside  the 
United  States,  Motion  Picture 
Association  President  Eric  A. 
Johnston  declared  at  the 
weekend.  He  told  a  Senate 
Foreign  Relations  sub-com- 
mittee that  approximately  70 
per  cent  of  the  playing  time 
on  screens  all  over  the  world 
is  filled  by  Hollywood  pic- 
tures, and  that  200,000,000 
people  a  week  outside  the 
U.  S.  see  American  pictures. 


Lichtman  Sees  New 
Era  in  TV  Tieup 

A  new  era  of  cooperation  between 
motion  pictures  and  television  was 
predicted  at  the  weekend  here  by  Al 
Lichtman,  director  of  distribution  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  as  the  result  of 
his  company's  tie-up  with  the  CBS 
Ed  Sullivan  "Toast  of  the  Town"  TV 
show.  The  first  program  of  the  two- 
year  agreement  was  telecast  last 
night. 

Lichtman  termed  the  agreement  "a 
great  boon  to  both  television  viewers 
and  motion  picture  audiences  who 
now  can  share  the  accomplishments 
of  both  media."  Under  the  agree- 
ment, 20th  Century-Fox  productions 
will  be  highlighted  in  advance  of  re- 
lease by  the  showing  of  dramatic  or 
production  highlights  on  the  Sullivan 
show. 

Lichtman    cited    Sullivan    as  one 
"who  has  always  shown  unusual  in- 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


RKO  Will  Release 
Lesser's  3-D  Film 


Hollywood,  March  8.— J.  R.  Grain- 
ger, president  of  RKO  Radio,  and  Sol 
Lesser,  president  of  Sol  Lesser  Pro- 
ductions, today  jointly  announced  here 
that  RKO  will  distribute  Lesser's  new 
third  dimensional  film  entitled  "The 
3-D  Follies." 

May  1  will  be  the  release  date  of 
the  3-D  fiilm,  Grainger  announced. 
It  will  be  RKO's  first  third  dimen- 
sional film,  and  is  also  said  to  be  the 
first  musical  film  to  be  made  in  stereo- 
scopy  in  the  history  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry.  The  process  is  known 
as  Stereo-Cine,  and  was  developed  by 
Rafael  G.  Wolff. 

"The  3-D  Follies"  is  in  Eastman 
color,  and  is  a  full-length  feature  run- 
ning approximately  90  minutes. 


ReactionMixed 
To  Draw  of  3-D 
Fight  Picture 

Novelty  Aspect  Weighed 
Against  Home  TV  Factor 


By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

The  planned  three  -  dimensional 
filming  of  the  Rocky  Marciano- 
Jersey  Joe  Walcott  heavyweight 
championship  bout  has  created 
quite  a  stir  among  top  circuit  execu- 
tives, with  expressions  running  hot 
and  heavy  on  the  film's  box-office 
value.  Although  reactions  to  United 
Artists'  announcements  were  mixed, 
nearly  every  exhibitor  canvassed  felt 
strongly  about  the  subject. 

A  United  Paramount  Thea- 
tres executive  highlighted  the 
novelty  aspect  of  the  first  fight 
film  to  be  seen  in  3-D.  If  the 
price  is  fair,  he  added,  the  film 
may  be  booked  at  the  New  York 
Paramount,  running  concur- 
rently with  "The  House  of 
Wax,"  the  3-D  Warner  Brothers 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


3-D  Future  May  Rest 
On  First  3  Films, 
Observers  Believe 


By  AL  STEEN 

The  future  of  tri-dimensional  pic- 
tures may  rise  or  fall  with  the  release 
of  the  first  trio  of  3-D  features  sched- 
uled for  initial  showings  this  spring, 
according  to  some  trade  observers. 
The  industry  will  watch  with  vital  in- 
terest the  public  reaction  to  Warner 
Brothers'  "House  of  Wax,"  Colum- 
bia's "Fort  Ti"  and  Paramount's 
"Sangaree,"  it  was  said. 

It  is  believed  by  some  that  if 
these  initial  features  draw  as 
strongly    as    United  Artists' 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


New  Stereophonic 
Sound  from  RCA 


Camden,  N.  J.,  March  8.— Stereo- 
phonic sound  reproduction  to  accom- 
pany any  type  of  3-D  motion  picture 
presentation  will  be  madej.'available  by 
a  series  of  theatre  sound  systems  just 
developed  by  RCA  Victor. 

Engineering  development  on  the  new 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  9,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

RICHARD  F.  WALSH,  IATSE 
president,  is  scheduled  to  return 
to  New  York  tomorrow  or  Wednes- 
day from  Las  Vegas. 

• 

Hope  Kramer,  daughter  of  Abe 
Kramer,  executive  with  the  Associa- 
tion Circuit  in  Cleveland,  and  an  ac- 
tress in  several  major  studio  films, 
was  married  in  Miami  Beach  to 
Edward  Gropper  of  New  York. 
• 

Arthur  C.  Bromberg,  president  of 
Monogram  Southern  Exchanges,  At- 
lanta, has  returned  there  from  Mobile, 
Ala. 

• 

Ed  Cutler,  RKO  Radio  booker 
who  resigned  several  months  ago  to 
move  to  Florida,  is  back  in  Cleveland 
with  the  company  again. 

• 

George   L.   Carrington,  head  of 
Altec  Lansing  and  of  Altec  Service 
Corp.,  is  in  New  York  from  Holly- 
wood. He  will  return  there  on  Friday. 
• 

Eugene  B.  Gould,  vice-president  of 
Foreign  Service  Film  Co.,  has  arrived 
here  from  Hollywood. 

• 

Morris  Davis,  M-G-M  managing 
director  for  South  Africa,  is  in  New 
York. 

Alfred  Starr,  TOA  president,  is 
due  here  today  from  Nashville  en 
route  to  Europe. 

Beottcher,  O'Brien 
Fill  Isaac  Post 

William  Beottcher  and  M.  D. 
O'Brien  are  filling  the  post  vacated 
by  Lester  Isaac,  former  Loew's  di- 
rector of  projection  and  sound,  it  was 
reported  here  at  the  weekend. 
Beottcher  and  O'Brien  were  assistants 
to  Isaac  and  no  successor  to  the 
vacated  post  has  been  named. 

Isaac  left  Loew's  to  join  Cinerama 
Productions,  Inc.,  as  assistant  general 
manager  of  theatre  operations  in 
charge  of  all  technical  services,  start- 
ing today. 


Holdovers  in  Key 
Spots  for  'Wac'  * 

RKO  Radio  reports  that  "Never 
Wave  at  a  Wac's"  grosses  have  re- 
sulted in  holdovers  in  Los  Angeles, 
San  Francisco,  Atlanta,  Baltimore, 
Washington,  Wilmington,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Richmond,  Philadelphia,  Miami, 
Miami  Beach,  Birmingham,  Oklahoma 
City  and  Seattle. 

Additional  openings  are  set  for 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul  on  Wed- 
nesday ;  Toronto  on  Friday,  and  Bos- 
ton and  Syracuse  on  March  18. 

Eugene  Lowe  Again 
Albany  Loge  Head 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  8. — Eugene 
Lowe  of  Universal-International  has 
been  reelected  president  of  the  Albany 
Loge  of  the  Colosseum  of  Motion 
Picture  Salesmen.    Other  officers  are : 


Mass.  Court  Enjoins 
2  Men  in  Booth  Rule 

Boston,  March  8.  —  An  in- 
junction restraining  the  local 
projectionists  union  from  re- 
quiring exhibitors  to  employ 
two  men  in  a  booth  was 
granted  on  Friday  by  Su- 
preme Court  Judge  Donahue. 
Signing  of  the  injunction  fol- 
lowed an  earlier  finding  of  the 
court  against  the  two  men  in 
a  booth  requirement. 

The  union  has  indicated  its 
intention  to  take  an  imme- 
diate appeal  but,  meanwhile, 
Massachusetts  theatres  will 
be  free  to  have  only  one 
operator  instead  of  two  in 
their  booths. 


$2,550,000  Trust 
Suit  Filed  by  Leff 

An  anti-trust  suit  asking  for 
$2,550,000  in  triple  damages  has  been 
filed  in  Federal  Court  here  by  Leff 
Theatres,  Inc.,  operating  the  Freeman 
Theatre  in  The  Bronx,  against  the 
eight  major  companies,  United  Para- 
mount Theatres,  Metropolitan  Play- 
houses and  Skouras  Theatres.  The 
plaintiffs  charge  that  the  distributors 
discriminate  against  the  Freeman  in 
favor  of  RKO,  Loew's  and  Skouras 
theatres  in  granting  first  neighborhood 
run. 

The  Freeman  belonged  to  Loew's 
before  1934  and  played  first  neighbor- 
hood run.  According  to  the  com- 
plaint, when  the  Freeman,  which  later 
passed  to  Leff,  sought  an  earlier  run, 
the  management  was  told  that  it 
would  have  to  get  the  consent  of 
Loew's.  It  is  claimed  that  Loew's 
urged  Leff  to  buy  the  Boston  Road 
Theatre  which  would  enable  the 
operators  to  get  a  better  run.  Leff 
bought  the  Boston  Road  but  still 
allegedly  could  not  get  first  neighbor- 
hood run. 

The  plaintiffs  assert  that  the  Free- 
man is  not  in  direct  competition  with 
other  theatres. 

Marlon  Brando  Wins 
British  'Oscar' 

London,  March  8. — Marlon  Brando 
was  named  the  best  foreign  actor  of 
1952  for  his  performance  in  "Viva 
Zapata"  in  "Oscar"  ceremonies  held 
here  by  the  British  Film  Academy. 

In  other  awards,  "Breaking  the 
Sound  Barrier"  was  named  the  best 
British  picture  of  1952  and  the  best 
film  made  anywhere ;  Sir  Ralph  Ri- 
chardson was  elected  top  British  actor 
for  his  role  in  the  winning  film  ;  Vivien 
Leigh  was  voted  the  best  British  ac- 
tress for  her  performance  in  "A 
Streetcar  Named  Desire,"  and  Claire 
Bloom,  who  co-starred  with  Charles 
Chaplin  in  "Limelight,"  was  picked  as 
the  most  promising  newcomer. 


Howard  Smith,  Paramount,  vice- 
president  ;  Harvey  Appell,  Columbia, 
secretary-treasurer,  and  Fred  G. 
Slither,  20th  Century-Fox,  sergeant- 
at-arms. 


Tradewise . . . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

lie — one  of  them,  Cinerama's  lim- 
ited to  a  single  theatre. 

When,  in  the  coming  months,  the 
public  will  have  a  choice  of  well- 
made  3-D  films  in  theatres,  and  not 
before,  will  there  be  a  chance  to 
determine  whether  the  public  will 
"go  to  a  so-called  stereo  movie 
twice."  Public  response  to  date  to 
the  3-D  programs  now  available 
definitely  indicates  that  it  not  only 
will  go  twice  but  countless  times. 

Loeb's  statement  coming  at  this 
stage  of  the  3-D  development  might 
be  likened  to  a  prophecy  of  doom 
for  newspaper  publishing  on  the 
grounds  that  it  has  not  been  dem- 
onstrated that  the  public  will  buy 
yesterday's  paper.  It  completely 
overlooks  the  fact  that  a  new  issue 
of  stereo  films  is  not  yet  on  the 
stands. 

Now  come  rumblings  of  exhibitor 
ire  against  "ivory  tower"  news- 
paper film  critics  in,  of  all  places, 
Omaha,  Nebraska. 

Calm  yourselves,  gentlemen.  If 
those  reviewers  continue  to  bother 
you,  you  need  do  only  what  the 
public  does — turn  the  page  without 
reading  them. 

Enter  Censorship 
Bill  in  Delaware 

Dover,  Del.,  March  8. — Censorship 
of  motion  pictures  and  sterescopic 
slides  shown  in  public  places  in  Dela- 
ware would  be  established  by  a  State 
Senate  bill  introduced  at,  the  week- 
end by  Senator  John  M.  Longbotham 
(R-Milford).  The  bill  would  set  up 
a  three-member  board  of  censors  to 
pass  on  the  morality  and  propriety  of 
films  and  slides.  The  law  is  aimed 
at  pictures  which  are  "sacreligious, 
obscene,  indecent  or  immoral  or  such 
that  tend  in  the  judgment  of  the  board 
to  debase  or  corrupt  morals."  News- 
reels  would  require  that  films  be  cer- 
tified by  the  board  before  their  show- 
ing. 

WB  District  Heads 
Return  to  the  Field 

Warner  Brothers  district  managers 
returned  over  the  weekend  to  their 
respective  headquarters  following  a 
two-day  meeting  at  the  home  office 
held  by  Ben  Kalmenson,  vice-president 
in  charge  of  distribution.  The  com- 
pany's product  for  spring  and  summer 
highlighted  the  confabs. 

District  managers  will  hold  local 
meetings  of  branch  managers  and 
salesmen  in  their  territories. 


Cinema  Circuit  Robbed 

Max  Cohen's  Cinema  Circuit  Corp. 
here  was  robbed  of  $4,300,  represent- 
ing receipts  of  the  Harris,  Anco  and 
New  Amsterdam  theatres,  all  on  42nd 
Street,  when  employes  Jose  Cuadra 
and  Eugene  Lesser,  manager  of  the 
corporation,  were  held  up  as  they  were 
making  a  night  bank  deposit. 


Newsreels  Plan 
Stalin  Coverage 

American  newsreel  compa- 
nies are  working  on  plans  to 
cover  Stalin's  funeral  and 
subsequent  events  in  the  Sov- 
iet Union. 

A  spokesman  for  one  news- 
reel  company  said  a  visa 
application  may  be  made  here 
or  abroad  for  pooled  camera 
representatives  to  go  to  Mos- 
cow to  film  the  historic 
scenes.  The  cameramen,  it 
was  explained,  would  be  sent 
from  the  Continent.  It  may  be 
decided,  however,  to  depend 
on  official  Soviet  filming  of 
the  event,  if  American  cam- 
eramen are  barred. 


Zukor  Honor  Guest 
At  Astoria  Studio 


Adolph  Zukor,  Paramount  board 
chairman  now  celebrating  50  years  in 
the  motion  picture  busiess,  this  after- 
noon will  return  to  the  scene  of  his 
early  triumphs — the  former  Para- 
mount Studio  in  Astoria,  L.  I.,  which 
has  been  operated  as  the  Army  Signal 
Corps  Photographic  Center  since 
March  9,  1942. 

Zukor  will  be  the  guest  of  honor  at 
the  unveiling  of  new  murals  depicting 
the  history  of  the  Astoria  studio, 
which  Paramount  built  in  1921.  This 
ceremony,  to  take  place  in  the  officers 
club,  will  be  attended  by  many  vet- 
eran cameramen,  stage  hands  and 
other  Army  civilian  employes  who  got 
their  start  in  the  film  business  work- 
ing for  Paramount  in  the  studio. 

Col.  Wallace  W.  Lindsay,  com- 
manding officer  of  the  Photographic 
Center,  will  greet  Zukor  in  the  same 
office  that  the  latter  occupied  during 
Paramount's  period  of  operation. 

Mexican  Night  at 
Tent  35,  March  18 

A  Mexican  "fiesta  night"  to  ac- 
quaint Variety  Club  members  with 
some  of  the  attractions  that  may  be 
encountered  should  they  attend  the 
Variety  International  annual  conven- 
tion in  Mexico  City,  May  18-21,  will 
be  held  at  Tent  35's  clubrooms  in  the 
Piccadilly  Plotel  here  Wednesday, 
March  18. 

Free  to  members,  the  evening  will 
offer  refreshments,  entertainment  and 
souvenirs  in  Mexican  style,  in  addi- 
tion to  screening  of  a  scenic  film  on 
Mexico  City  and  Acapulco. 

Davies  Into  C.E.A. 
Presidency  Tuesday 

London,  March  8. — John  W.  Davies, 
London  exhibitor,  will  become  presi- 
dent of  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association  at  the  annual  meeting  to 
be  held  here  Tuesday.  Claude  H. 
Whincup  becomes  vice-president  with 
succession  rights  to  the  presidency  a 
year  hence.  Whincup  operates  14  thea- 
tres in  the  Leeds  area.  Edward  J. 
Hinge  continues  as  the  association's 
treasurer. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Rarasaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2S43.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;_  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c 


> 


'  Light  housekeeping  . . .  a  necessity 


Obvious  to  everyone  may  be  the  fact 
that  not  enough  light  is  getting  to 
the  screen;  or  that  the  sound  system 
is  not  functioning  properly. 
The  reasons,  however,  may  be  varied — 
equipment  failure,  inadequate  house- 
keeping, or  a  drop  in  power  output. 
Aid  in  this  type  of  trouble-shooting  may 
be  obtained  from  the  Eastman  Technica 
Service  for  Motion  Picture  Film  which 
Kodak  maintains  at  strategic  centers 
to  cooperate  with  producers,  processors, 
and  exchanges  and  exhibitors. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  9,  1953 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

.    .    with  RAY  GALLO 


NEW  drive-in  replacement  speak- 
ers, one  four  inches  square  and 
the  other  5  and  one-quarter  inches 
square,  have  been  placed  on  the  mar- 
ket by  Permoflux  Corp.,  of  Chicago 
and  Glendale,  Cal.  The  speakers  have 
a  voice  coil  gap  that  is  larger  than 
usual,  designed,  the  company  explains, 
"to  prevent  rubbing  of  the  voice  coil, 
a  cause  of  many  speaker  failures." 
Metal  parts  of  the  speakers  have  been 
given  a  dichromate  treatment  de- 
signed to  prevent  corrosion.  A 
special  cork  gasket  is  used  instead  of 
the  ordinary  water  absorbent  paper 
type  to  prevent  warping  of  the  cone 
due  to  swelling  and  buckling  of  the 
gasket.  The  cone  is  water-  and 
fungus-proof. 

• 

Anew  coin  changer,  featuring  a 
hidden  storage  box  and  a  top 
tray,  both  removable,  has  been  an- 
nounced by  the  Metal  Products  En- 
gineering, Inc., 
Los  Angeles. 
"The  M.  P.  Jr. 
Coin  Changer" 
(shown  here- 
with) has  an 
aluminum  body 
with  a  gray 
ham  mertone 
finish.  Its  di- 
mensions are 
8  x  10  x  6 '/4  inches,  and  it  weighs 
nine  pounds.  Capacity  of  the 
changer  and  top  tray  combined  is 
$125  from  one  cent  to  50  cents. 
There  is  utility  space  in  the  top 
tray,  and  a  special  slot  to  hold  10 
silver  dollars.  Also  manufactured  by 
the  company  is  a  base  attachment 
for  the  changer,  which  converts  it 
into  the  roll-out  type.  The  sole  thea- 
tre distributor  is  Norpat  Sales,  Inc., 
New  York. 


i 


Magazines  of  24-inch  diameter  for 
third  dimensional  projection  have  been 
developed  by  Edward  H.  IV oik,  Chi- 
cago, to  be  distributed  through  author- 
ised theatre  equipment  dealers  for  de- 
livery in  late  April.  Holding  5,000 
feet  of  film  the  magazines  have  steel 
bodies  and  covers  of  extra  strength  to 
absorb  the  additional  film  weight, 
with  dimensions  ample  enough  to  pre- 
vent the  reels  from  rubbing  against 
the  zvalls. 


New  pre-fabricated  and  pre-finished 
panels  for  ceilings  and  walls  in  com- 
mercial interiors  have  been  developed 
by  Marsh  Wall  Products,  Inc.,  Dover, 
Ohio,  manufacturers  of  Marlite  plas- 
tic-finished wallpanels.  Known  as 
"Korelock,"  the  panels  are  constructed 
with  an  interlocking  wood  core  be- 
tween two  sheets  of  Masonlite  Duo- 
lux.  The  face  of  the  panel  has  the 
baked  Marlite  finish  and  the  back  is 
sealed  and  baked.  The  wood  core 
provides  a  tongue  and  groove  design 
for  concealed  fastening.  Panel  sizes 
available  are  24-X-48  and  24-X-96 
inches,  and  they  are  manufactured  in 
cream  and  white  in  a  satin  semi-lustre 
and  in  distinctive  wood  patterns. 


U.S.  Films  Do  Good  Abroad 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


job."  Although  the  committee  is  inves- 
tigating the  effectiveness  of  the  State 
Department's  overseas  information 
program,  most  of  Friday's  hearings 
dealt  with  the  effect  that  Hollywood 
films  are  having  overseas.  Chairman 
Hickenlooper  (R.,  Iowa)  said  the 
sub-committee  had  received  reports 
and  letters  from  observers  who  felt 
that  in  some  instances  Hollywood 
films  are  "damaging"  the  govern- 
ment's program. 

Johnston's  denial  of  this  charge  was 
corroborated  by  another  witness  Fri- 
day, George  Weltner,  chairman  of 
the  foreign  managers  committee  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Export  Associa- 
tion and  president  of  Paramount  In- 
ternational Films.  Weltner  declared, 
"We  know  we  have  a  problem  and  we 
really  work  at  it." 

Quoting  from  letters  coming  from 
observers  in  Indonesia,  Germany  and 
the  Philippines,  Hickenlooper  pulled 
out  such  statements  as,  "One  American 
movie  that  is  very  popular  takes  the 
bottom  out  of  our  program  for  a 
while."  Another  observer  wrote, 
Hickenlooper  said,  "There  is  no  sense 
in  setting  up  a  United  States  In- 
formation Service  at  great  cost  only 
to  have  it  undermined  by  commercial 
pictures."  He  also  quoted  a  group  of 
German  officials  who  saw  "a  serious, 
immediate  threat"  to  their  culture 
from  Hollywood  pictures  and  cited 
their  bad  effect  on  the  youth  of  the 
country. 

Johnston  answered  by  saying 
that  for  every  letter  Hicken- 
looper produced  decrying  Amer- 
ican films  he  could  produce  20 
lauding  them.  He  quoted  former 
Ambassador  to  Italy  James 
Dunn  as  saying  that  "the  single 
most  important  thing  combat- 
ting Communism  in  Italy" 
was  "Ninotchka."  Many  times, 
he  went  on,  the  people  who 
write  letters  attacking  pictures 
haven't  seen  the  picture. 

It's  very  difficult,  Johnston  con- 
tinued, to  decide  what  kind  of  picture 
should  be  sent  to  what  area,  and 
asked,  "Who  is  wise  enough  to  make 
that  decision  ?" 

The  great  majority  of  our  pictures, 
he  declared,  are  extremely  effective 
abroad.  Committee  members  agreed 
with  him  when  he  called  Hollywood 
pictures  "the  greatest  arm"  of  the  U.S. 
information  program  abroad. 

"Our  strength  is  in  our  lack  of 
propaganda,"  he  said.  "Pictures  that 
are  all  sweetness  and  light  mean 
propaganda  in  foreign  countries,"  he 
went  on.  "Our  greatest  strength  is 
in  our  ability  to  criticize  ourselves 
and  in  our  being  able  to  correct  what 
we're  criticizing.  The  great  majority 
of  our  pictures  have  been  extremely 
effective  abroad  except  in  isolated  in- 
staces."  He  estimated  that  in  the  past 
seven  or  eight  years  the  industry  has 
turned  out  some  3,000  pictures,  of 
which  the  committee  had  received 
letters  "singling  out  a  few." 

Hickenlooper    mentioned  "tenden- 
cies" in  pictures  which  had  been  called 
to  his  attention.     He  cited  pictures 
with  undue  amounts  of  violence  and 
"luxury"    pictures    which,    he  said, 
gave  the  impression  that  everyone  in 
America  led  a  "push-button  life." 
In  reply,  Johnston  said  that 
MPAA  companies  had  carefully 
surveyed  their  output  and  found 
that   only   three    per   cent  of 
their    pictures    were  "luxury" 


films  and  only  15  per  cent  con- 
tained "some  kind  of  violence." 

Senator  Gillette  (D.,  Iowa)  told 
Johnston  he  didn't  want  it  thought 
that  "this  is  an  inquisition  and  that 
this  committee  is  bringing  charges 
against"  the  industry.  "But,"  he 
added,  "you  do  make  mistakes  in  judg- 
ment." 

Johnston  agreed  and  Gillette  asked 
what  could  be  done  to  protect  pictures 
from  mistakes  in  judgment. 

Johnston  explained  that  one  MPAA 
official  devotes  all  his  time  to  work- 
ing with  pictures  which  will  be  sent 
to  the  foreign  market,  seeing  that 
they  contain  nothing  objectionable. 
In  addition,  he  said,  each  company 
has  a  foreign  specialist  who  goes  over 
his  company's  product  with  the  same 
view. 

All  this  is  done,  Johnston  said,  be- 
fore the  completed  negative  of  the 
picture  is  made. 

He  also  pointed  to  the  Production 
Code,  as  a  guarantee  that  certain  lim- 
itations will  be  maintained.  All  pic- 
tures made  in  this  country  adhere  to 
the  code,  he  said. 

Johnston  said  the  industry  had  a 
"conscious  desire"  to  help  United 
States  in  the  pictures  it  sent  overseas. 
"With  our  conscious  desire,"  he  went 
on,  "I  think  we  do  a  more  effective 
job  overseas  than  any  other  informa- 
tion medium." 


MPAA  Offers 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


extend  it  to  other  areas.  The  Depart- 
ment turned  down  the  offer,  Johnston 
stated. 

He  told  the  committee  that  MPAA 
now  would  like  to  renew  the  offer  to 
the  Department. 

As  outlined  by  Johnston,  the  plan 
submitted  to  the  Department  called 
for  member  companies  to  purchase 
mobile  units  equipped  for  motion  pic- 
ture projection  and  turn  these  over 
to  the  information  service.  The  com- 
panies also  offered  to  "open  their 
whole  library"  to  the  Department  so 
that  the  Department  could  select  the 
feature  pictures  which  would,  in  its 
estimation,  be  best  suited  for  the  areas 
where  the  mobile  units  would  operate. 

In  the  brochure  submitted  to  the 
Department,  the  companies  also  pro- 
posed that  a  small  admission  fee  be 
charged,  Johnston  said.  This  was  be- 
cause they  believed  that  "if  people 
don't  have  to  pay  for  a  picture  they 
will  think  it's  propaganda,"  according 
to  the  MPAA  president. 

The  money  coming  in  from  admis- 
sions would  go  toward  paying  back 
the  cost  of  the  equipment  to  the  com- 
panies, Johnston  said,  and  any  deficit 
remaining  would  be  made  up  by  the 
State  Department. 


Tan'  Gross 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


be  three  times  greater  than  it  has  been 
on  any  other  Disney  production  play- 
ing first-run  in  New  York. 

While  it  is  too  early  to  estimate  a 
world  gross  on  "Peter  Pan,"  it  is  re- 
ported that  the  Disney  organization 
has  hopes  of  equalling  or  exceeding 
Cecil  B.  DeMille's  "Greatest  Show 
on  Earth"  gross,  which  is  bordering 
on  the  $12,000,000  mark.  In  any  event, 
Disney  and  RKO  executives  are  cer- 
tain that  "Pan"  will  gross  at  least 
$7:500,000  on  its  first  time  around. 


'Pan'  Pulls  $10,000 
In  Candy  Sales 

Cleveland,  March  8.  —  The 
RKO  Palace  here,  during  the 
first  week  of  Walt  Disney's 
"Peter  Pan,"  did  a  concession 
business  of  $10,000,  equal  to 
an  average  week's  box-ofifice 
gross.  The  picture  drew 
$45,500,  establishing  a  Cleve- 
land record. 


Distributor  Talks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


handling  much  of  the  committee's  in- 
vestigation into  exhibitor  complaints 
to  date,  said  that  either  he  or  com- 
mittee counsel  Charles  M.  Noone — or 
possibly  both — would  talk  to  New 
York  distributors  during  the  week  of 
March  15. 

It  was  also  learned  that  the  com- 
mittee has  received  requests  to  investi- 
gate local  trade  situations  from  the 
North  Central  Allied  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  and  from  Allied's 
Eastern  Pennsylvania  unit,  Amis  said. 
North  Central  Allied's  request  was 
sent  to  Minnesota  Senators  Humphrey 
and  Thye ;  Pennsylvania's  to  Senator 
Duff.  All  three  senators  are  members 
of  the  committee  and  turned  the  let- 
ters over  to  the  staff. 

Amis  said  staff  investigators  would 
go  to  Pennsylvania  and  Minnesota  to 
talk  to  the  Allied  units,  or,  if  that 
isn't  possible  in  view  of  the  wide 
geographical  area  which  the  investiga- 
tion is  covering,  ask  representatives  of 
the  units  to  come  here  for  the  hear- 
ings scheduled  to  open  late  in  April. 


Rep.  Sales  Managers 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Memphis,  New  Orleans,  Oklahoma 
City  and  Tampa  branches  are  com- 
peting for  honors  in  the  Southern 
district  headed  by  sales  manager 
Walter  L.  Titus,  Jr. 

Sales  manager  Paul  Webster  is 
being  honored  by  the  Chicago,  Des 
Moines,  Kansas  City,  Milwaukee, 
Minneapolis,  Omaha  and  St.  Louis 
branches  in  his  Midwestern  district. 

The  Eastern  district,  which  is 
saluting  sales  manager  John  P.  Cur- 
tin,  includes  the  Albany,  Boston, 
Buffalo,  Cleveland,  Detroit  and  New 
Haven  branches. 

Sales  manager  Francis  Bateman  is 
being  honored  by  branches  in  his 
Western  district,  embracing  Seattle, 
Salt  Lake  City,  San  Francisco,  Den- 
ver, Portland  and  Los  Angeles. 

Sales  manager  James  V.  O'Gara  is 
being  saluted  by  the  Cincinnati,  In- 
dianapolis, New  York,  Philadelphia, 
Pittsburgh  and  Washington  branches 
in  his  Metropolitan  district. 


FP-C  Stock  Rises  on 
News  of  3-D  Interest 

Toronto,  March  8. — From  a  1953 
low  of  $18.25  the  common  stock  of 
Famous  Players-Canadian  Corp.  has 
advanced  to  $20.50  in  trading  on  the 
floor  of  the  Toronto  and  Montreal  ex- 
changes on  mounting  interest  in  three- 
dimensional  developments  and  the  pro- 
spect of  an  excellent  1952  financial 
report  for  the  annual  meeting  at  the 
end  of  the  month. 

A  regular  35-cent  dividend  has  been 
declared  for  the  first  quarter  of  1953, 
payable  March  27,  compared  with  the 
25-cent  rate  that  prevailed  for  several 
years. 


Monday,  March  9,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Fight  Film 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


production,  which  has  been 
booked  for  the  period  covering 
the  April  10  fight  date. 

Negative  viewpoints,  mainly  center- 
ing on  the  fact  that  the  fight  will  be 
seen  nationally  on  home  television, 
were  expressed  by  other  circuit  ex- 
ecutives. They  argued  that  once  it  is 
seen  on  home  television,  there  would 
not  be  much  incentive  to  see  the  same 
fight  in  theatres,  despite  the  3-D  fac- 
tor. It  was  also  pointed  out  by  those 
lukewarm  to  the  idea  that  extra  costs 
would  be  involved  in  supplying  polar- 
izing spectacles,  which  might  mean 
advanced  admission  prices  in  some 
situations. 

In  between  the  extreme  viewpoints 
was  the  prediction  that  booking  the 
film  would  be  a  big  gamble.  One  cir- 
cuit executive  said  "it  all  depends  on 
the  filming.  The  patron  may  find  with 
the  use  of  3-D,  he'll  have  one  of  the 
fighters  knocked  in  his  lap."  He  said 
the  idea  was  most  unusual  and  the 
only  way  to  test  its  effect  on  the  pub- 
lic is  to  show  it.  Another  circuit  top- 
per acknowledged  that  he  was  "ner- 
vous" about  booking  the  film  because 
of  its  availability  on  home  TV,  but 
said  it  was  an  "interesting"  idea  which 
has  to  be  proven. 

Meanwhile,  a  top  UA  executive 
detailed  plans  for  filming,  selling  and 
distributing  the  picture,  which  will  be 
filmed  in  the  Stereo-Cine  process.  In 
order  to  obtain  an  interesting,  enter- 
taining picture  no  matter  how  long 
the  bout  lasts,  cameramen  will  be  dis- 
patched to  the  training-  camps  of  each 
fighter  prior  to  the  bout.  There,  being 
in  absolute  control  of  the  staging, 
novel  shots  for  3-D  will  be  taken,  it 
was  explained.  It  will  take  at  least 
three  days  following  the  fight  before 
prints  will  be  available  for  distribu- 
tion. This  time-table,  it  was  pointed 
out,  would  make  the  prints  available 
to  theatres  in  the  New  York  area  on 
the  Monday  following  the  April  10 
fight  date.  National  distribution  would 
be  effected  within  days  afterwards,  it 
was  added. 

Contract  commitments  from 
theatres  will  be  required  prior 
to  the  bout,  which  will  take 
place  in  the  Chicago  Stadium. 
The  film  will  be  sold  on  a  per- 
centage basis,  with  guarantees 
sought  in  some  situations.  As 
to  the  Polaroid  spectacles,  the 
same  pricing  policy  as  that 
evolved  for  "Bwana  Devil,"  an- 
other UA  release,  will  be  pur- 
sued. For  the  spectacles,  thea- 
tres will  be  charged  10  cents 
per  pair,  with  the  cost  being 
deducted  from  the  gross  before 
the  percentage  is  calculated. 

A  UA  spokesman  declined  to  be 
drawn  out  on  the  advanced  admissions 
question,  saying  that  was  a  question 
for  each  theatre  to  decide.  UA,  he 
added,  has  been  assured  of  a  proper 
supply  of  Polaroid  glasses. 

The  UA  executive  said  that  initial 
reaction  to  the  project  has  been  very 
good.  _  He  maintained  that  the  3-D 
film  will  '['overwhelm"  the  version  seen 
on  home  TV  sets,  dwarfing  it  not' only 
in  size  but  in  "reality."  Film  fans 
will  have  "better  than  ringside  seats," 
he  claimed,  and  "the  picture— the  first 
3-D  fight  film — will  live  as  a  short 
subject." 

Among  the  factors  delaying  the 
processing  of  prints,  it  was  explained, 
are  that  two  prints  will  be  required. 
The  prints  will  have  to  be  matched 


330  Houses  to  Be  Set  for 
Natural  Vision  by  April  1 

Hollywood,  March  8. — The  Natural  Vision  Theatre  Equipment  Corp. 
has  equipped  110  theatres  to  date  for  three  dimensional  exhibition  and 
will  have  equipped  240  additional  theatres  by  the  end  of  this  month,  the 
company  disclosed.   Partial  equipment  has  been  supplied  to  "hundreds 

more    throughout    this    country  and 


3-D  Equipment  to 
Virginia  Drive-in 

Although  the  adaptability 
of  tri-dimensional  films  to 
drive-in  theatres  has  not  been 
determined,  Walter  Saunders' 
Park  Drive-in  Theatre  in  Pet- 
ersburg, Va.,  has  ordered 
3-D  equipment,  according  to 
RCA.  The  Park  is  reported  to 
be  the  first  drive-in  to  order 
three-dimensional  equipment, 
which  includes  Selsyn  motor 
hook-up,  RCA  water-cooled 
Brite-Arc  lamps  and  gener- 
ators. 

The  Park  is  a  500-car  drive- 
in.  Elmer  H.  Brient  and  Sons, 
Washington  RCA  dealer,  is 
supplying  the  equipment. 


3-D  Future 

(Continued  from  page  i) 


"Bwana  Devil,"  then  the  tri- 
dimensional era  in  the  indus- 
try will  be  launched  formally 
and  officially.  "Bwana  Devil,"  it 
is  said,  has  been  the  "novelty 
guinea  pig"  and  the  big  test  will 
be  whether  the  public  will  want 
to  continue  to  see  depth  presen- 
tations. 

Some  observers  point  out  that  en- 
tertainment quality  will  be  the  guiding- 
factor,  not  the  novelty  of  seeing  pic- 
tures in  three  dimensions.  If  the  pic- 
tures are  good,  the  public  will  lose 
some  of  its  current  resentment  to 
wearing  polarized  viewers.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  initial  three  3-D  features 
is  expected  to  be  the  signal  for  a  fud- 
scale  plunge  into  the  new  medium  by 
those  independent  producers  who  have 
been  holding  back  on  production  until 
public  acceptance  has  been  determined. 
One  distribution  executive  here  said 
he  knew  of  seven  independent  pro- 
ducers who  have  postponed  the  start 
of  new  pictures  until  the  3-D  issue 
has  been  decided  one  way  or  the  other. 


Stereophonic  Sound 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


equipment  has  been  completed  and  it 
is  now  in  the  early  stages  of  produc- 
tion in  the  RCA  Engineering  Prod- 
ucts plant  here. 

The  announcement  by  Barton  Kreu- 
zer,  nianager  of  the  company's  theatre 
and  industrial  marketing  division,  fol- 
lowed a  preview  and  demonstration  of 
initial  models  of  the  new  equipment, 
presented  for  a  group  of  company 
executives  by  RCA  sound  engineers 
under  the  supervision  of  J.  E.  Volk- 
mann,  manager  of  commercial  ^ound 
engineering. 


and  carefully  edited.  Prints  for  a  con- 
ventional fight  film  are  usually  proc- 
essed in  a  day. 

By  April  10,  the  date  of  the  fight, 
approximately  400  theatres  are  ex- 
pected to  be  equipped  for  presentation 
of  3-D  films. 


abroad,"  the  company  said. 

Meanwhile,  Natural  Vision,  under 
the  supervision  of  Vera  Berch  Gunz- 
burg,  is  expanding  its  staff  and  space 
to  meet  worldwide  demands.  In  re- 
cent weeks,  shipments  have  been  made 
to  theatre  supply  houses  and  circuits 
in  Canada,  England,  Italy,  France, 
Singapore,  Capetown  and  Melbourne. 
The  shipments  are  for  bookings  either 
of  United  Artists'  "Bwana  Devil"  or 
Warner  Brothers'  "House  of  Wax." 

Altec  Service  Corp.  will  install  the 
equipment  for  the  showing  of  "House 
of  Wax"  at  the  New  York  Paramount 
Theatre. 


Rotus  Harvey  Warns 
Against  3-D  Jitters 

San  Francisco,  March  8. — "Don't 
get  the  3-D  jitters,"  that's  the  advice 
Rotus  Harvey  is  giving  exhibitors 
through  his  column  in  The  Exhibitors' 
Digest. 

He  cautioned,  "There  are  only  two 
programs  available  to  run.  The  own- 
ers of  the  programs,  quite  naturally, 
are  interested  in  the  big  money,  which 
means  that  only  larger  theatres  can 
get  them  now.  Also,  there  are  only  a 


Two  Press  Books 
For  'Sangaree' 

Two  sets  of  press  books  and 
accessories  are  being  pre- 
pared by  Paramount  for  "San- 
garee," which  is  being  pro- 
duced in  both  three  dimen- 
sional and  conventional  ver- 
sions. 

Theatres  playing  the  3-D 
version  will  receive  an  entire- 
ly different  press  book  and 
advertising  accessories  from 
those  playing  the  standard 
version.  It  is  presumed  that 
all  companies  making  two 
versions  will  do  likewise. 


few  prints  of  the  pictures  ;  there  is  a 
shortage  of  glasses  and,  it  is  even 
doubtful  if  there  is  enough  equipment 
to  meet  the  demands  of  even  the 
larger  houses.  All  this  adds  up  to  the 
fact  there  is  no  need  to  get  excited 
so  early  and  break  out  in  a  3-D  rash. 
While  it  is  true  there  are  several 
pictures  in  production,  with  others 
scheduled  to  roll  soon,  they  won't  be 
released  for  several  months.  Then,  it 
is  my  guess,  they  will  be  pre-released 
and  roadshown,  which  would  preclude 
the  average  exhibitor  from  running 
early.  I  believe  it  will  be  1954  before 
many  pictures  will  be  available  to  all 
theatres." 


To  Discuss  3-D  Costs 

New  Orleans,  March  8.  —  Gulf 
States  Allied's  board  of  directors, 
meeting  here  on  March  18,  will  hear 
W.  Y.  Dejarnette,  local  Altec  Service 
engineer,  on  3-D  equipment  costs. 


There  was  nothing  lily-white  about  her! 


i1  3 


4 


The  clinch-and-kill  girl  they  called 

Hi  iuii  (Sardinia* 


SENSATION  COMING  FROM  WARNER  BROS.. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  9,  1953 


Students  Get  Bids 
For  Theatre  TV 

Invitations  to  the  First 
Greater  New  York  Scientific 
and  Engineering  Career  Con- 
ference, slated  to  be  theatre 
telecast  on  March  21,  are  be- 
ing distributed  now  to  stu- 
dents in  New  York  City  high 
schools  with  the  cooperation 
and  assistance  of  the  Board 
of  Education. 

Seven  theatres  in  New  York 
and  New  Jersey  are  cooperat- 
ing in  the  closed  circuit  one- 
hour  program,  scheduled  to 
begin  at  11:00  A.M. 


Technicolor  Now 
Active  in  3-D 


Hollywood,  March  8. — The  three- 
dimensional  situation  took  on  a  new 
aspect  at  the  weekend  when  the  un- 
expected disclosure  attending  Hal 
Wallis',  tests  for  a  3-D  process  to 
use  on  Martin-Lewis'  "Money  from 
Home"  revealed  Technicolor  Corp.  as 
an  active  participant. 

Although  disclaiming  Technicolor 
technicians  had  "invented"  a  3-D  cam- 
era or  system,  president  Herbert  T. 
Kalmus  confirmed  that  tests  had  been 
made  to  ascertain  the  practicability  of 
using  regulation  Technicolor  cameras 
for  3-D  purposes  and  had  proved  sat- 
isfactory to  him.  Company  policy  so 
far  as  determined  will  be  to  furnish 
interested  clients  with  two  Techni- 
color cameras  instead  of  one,  on  re- 
quest, and  to  show  them  how  to  inter- 
connect them  to  obtain  prints  for  3-D 
purposes.  An  official  statement  on  this 
and  several  other  matters  will  be  is- 
sued by  Technicolor  on  Tuesday. 


Sees  New  Era 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

terest  and  enthusiasm  in  Hollywood's 
wares  and  has  made  important  use  of 
motion  picture  and  film  personalities 
in  shaping  his  programs." 

Predicting  increased  cooperation  be- 
tween television  and  motion  pictures 
for  the  greater  benefit  of  both,  Licht- 
man  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  highlights  from  the  20th  Century- 
Fox  pictures  to  be  shown  will  be  com- 
plete sequences  up  to  six  minutes  in 
length  chosen  as  most  representative 
of  the  picture. 

The  film  sequence  last  night  was 
from  "Destination  Gobi." 


David  Lake  Dies; 
MGM  Australia  Head 

Word  has  been  received  in  New 
York  by  M-G-M  via  telephone  from 
Australia  that  David  Lake,  general 
sales  manager  there,  died  Wednesday, 
March  4,  in  Sydney.  He  had  been 
associated  with  M-G-M  for  many 
years.  Survivors  are  the  widow, 
Hannah,  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Book  Coronation  Film 

"Coronation  Ceremony,"  a  British 
Information  Services  documentary 
giving  a  short  history  of  the  corona- 
tion and  showing  the  ritual  as  it  will 
take  place  on  June  2  in  London  has 
been  booked  for  a  dual  premiere  here 
at  the  Beekman  and  Art  theatres  of 
the  Rugoff  and  Becker  circuit. 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


HP  HE  audience-participation  quiz  not  only  has  proven  lucrative 
J-  to  thousands  of  individuals  but  is  highly  entertaining  to  audi- 
ences, studio  or  home.  However,  there  are  thousands  of  hospital- 
ized war  vets,  whose  needs  are  many  and  who  cannot  possibly 
appear  on  nor  vie  for  the  many  prizes.  Prompted  by  this  thought, 
producers  Wilbur  Stark  and  Jerry  Layton  have  come  up  with  a 
fine  package,  "Win  for  Him,"  which  will  invite  relatives  or  friends 
of  these  veterans  to  come  to  New  York,  participate  as  "stand-ins" 
in  the  quiz  and  win  prizes  for  these  vets.  Program,  with  Jack 
Lescoulie  as  emcee,  auditioned  for  ABC  and  with  so  noble  a 
purpose,  how  can  it  miss  ?  .  .  .  Stefan  Hatos  will  produce-direct 
the  CBS-TV  series,  "There's  One  in  Every  Family,"  which  moved 
West  and  starting  today,  originates  at  TV  City  in  Hollywood.  .  .  . 
TV's  new  triple-threat  lad  is  Bob  Quigley,  whose  WPIXilated 
"Shenanigans"  features  the  writer-actor  as  "Slick  Trick  Quigley, 
Private  Eye."  Bob  is  also  the  popular  Good  Humor  Man  and 
will  soon  make  his  debut  as  "The  Shell  (oil)  Dealer." 


1t 


Talented  Eugenie  Baird  not  only  spins  'em  ("On  and  Off 
the  Record"),  WOR-Mutual  every  nite  from  9:30  to  10:00 
P.M.,  but  she's  a  recording  artist  herself.  Vocalist's  latest 
four  sides,  featured  on  Vinrob  Records,  are,  "Say  Si  Si," 
"Hootin'  Holler,"  "Be  Good  to  Yourself"  and  "Why  Should 
I  Want  You?"  .  .  .  Did  anyone  ever  refer  to  ex- Vice-Presi- 
dent Barkley  as  the  "TVeep?"  .  .  .  The  Broadway  premiere 
tomorrow  nite  of  Rosemary  Clooney's  first  starring  flicker  for 
Paramount,  "The  Stars  Are  Singing,"  at  the  Astor  Theatre, 
will  seem  like  one  of  the  old  time  Music  Festivals.  The  lumi- 
naries of  stage,  screen,  TV  and  radio  will  be  outnumbered  by 
an  army  of  recording  (especially  Columbia)  execs,  music  pub- 
lishers, ork  pilots  and  songwriters,  paying  tribute  to  a  great 
personality  and  voice  to  match. 


GO  EAST,  YOUNG  MAN— Three  years  ago,  the  president  of 
the  Dayton  (Ohio)  Rubber  Co.  advised  his  ex-newsboy,  ambitious 
to  make  his  mark  in  TV,  to  head  for  New  York.  Next  Tuesday 
at  10  P.M.  DuMont's  "Meet  the  Boss"  program  will  feature  A.  L. 
Freedlander,  the  Dayton  executive  who  told  the  youngster  that 
"TV  is  cradled  in  N.  Y ."  and  sent  him  East  with  his  blessing. 
The  director  of  the  program  is  Wesley  Kenny,  none  other  than 
Freedlander s  ex-newsboy.  .  .  .  Mrs.  Robert  Ripley  (Arthur 
Godfrey's  sister)  will  be  Art  Linklettcr's  "House  Party"  guest 
next  Monday.  Mrs.  Ripley  produces  her  own  KPHOuse  party 
for  children  in  Phoenix,  Ariz.  .  .  .  BBDO  has  quietly  been 
giving  lots  of  thought  to  a  new  quiz  panel  show,  featuring  Jinx 
Falkenburg,  H.  V.  Kaltenborn  and  Conrad  Nagel  with  John 
McCaffrey  moderator.  .  .  .  Ed  &  Pegeen  Fitzgerald,  one  of  the 
first  (and  most  popular)  of  "Mr.  &  Mrs."  programs,  heard  morn- 
ings over  WJZ  and  afternoons  on  WJZ-TV,  will  usher  in  a  new 
TV  series,  "Mend  Your  Manners,"  for  three  weeks,  preceding 
Walter  Winchel's  programs,  shifting  to  another  time  slot  after 
the  March  22  telecast.  .  .  .  Though  all  the  nets  are  experiment- 
ing with  the  nczv  Hollywood-developed  Vitascope,  DuMont's 
James  L.  Caddigan  and  Frank  Bunetta  are  the  first  to  have  used 
the  new  "depth"  technique  in  actual  telecasts. 


DEE-JAY  (walking)  .  .  .  If  UI  decides  to  world  premiere  its 
new  flicker,  "Moonlight  Serenader"  (based  on  the  life  of  Glenn 
Miller),  in  Iowa,  where  the  great  Ork  Pilot  was  born,  they  might 
do  themselves  proud  to  use  the  hour-long  "Tribute  to  Glenn  Miller," 
produced  by  Station  KWWL  (Waterloo,  Iowa),  Ray  Starr,  Bob 
Leonard  of  the  local  Paramount  Theatre,  and  Bob  Bender,  local 
C.  of  C.  exec,  last  Sept.  .  .  .  Bob  Reed,  formerly  associated  with 
Major  Bowes  and  more  recently  a  waxtro,  is  now  spinning  platters 
and  his  winning  chatter  is  influencing  people  on  WRC  down  in 
Washington.  ...  Hal  Tate  has  left  WBKB  in  the  Windy  City, 
to  give  out  with  a  daily  "Tate  on  WAIT"  disk  jockey  series.  "Bob 
Horn's  Bandstand,"  TViewed  daily  (2:00  to  4:45  P.M.)  over 
WFILadelphia,  boasts  one  of  the  top  ratings  in  Quakertown.  .  .  . 
Alan  Saunders,  D.  J.  at  WVNJ,  Newark,  after  a  lengthy  pitch  on 
the  excellence  of  a  certain  TV  set,  inadvertently  (that's  for  sure) 
segued  into  Perry  Como's  platter  of  "Lies,"  which  opens  with  the 
title  (tee-hee). 


ATT  to  File  Reply 
With  FCC  on  New 
Industry  Position 


The  American  Telephone  and  Tele- 
graph Co.  will  file  a  petition  with  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission 
on  the  industry's  "compromise  solu- 
tion" on  allocating  channels  for  thea- 
tre television  transmission. 

An  A.  T.  &  T.  spokesman  said  here 
that  the  petition  would  probably  be 
filed  today  or  tomorrow.  The  spokes- 
man declined  to  state  what  position 
A.  T.  &  T.  would  take  on  the  proposal 
made  a  week  ago  by  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Association  of  America  and  the 
National  Exhibitors  Theatre  Televi- 
sion Commission.  The  motion  picture 
industry  in  its  proposal  said  that  it 
would  give  up  its  request  for  exclusive 
theatre  TV  channels  and  would  agree 
to  share  common  carrrier  frequencies, 
if  a  special  common  carrier  could  be 
set  up  by  the  industry,  with  FCC  ap- 
proval, to  transmit  only  large-screen 
programs  for  theatres. 

It  was  explained  by  an  MPAA  at- 
torney that  the  industry  is  not  think- 
ing of  either  the  American  Telephone 
and  Telegraph  Co.  or  Western  Union 
— major  common  carriers — as  the 
common  carrier  which  would  trans- 
mit theatre  television  programs.  The 
industry  wants  to  set  up  its  own  com- 
mon carrier,  it  was  pointed  out. 


WB  Houses  Refuses 
To  Pull  'Limeligh? 

Milwaukee,  March  8. — Despite  an 
American  Legion  request  that  the 
opening  of  "Limelight"  be  delayed  un- 
til after  the  justice  department  com- 
pletes an  investigation  of  Chaplin,  the 
picture  will  open  at  the  Warner  Thea- 
tre here  on  Wednesday,  according  to 
Al  Kvool,  zone  manager  for  Warner. 
He  told  the  Milwaukee  county  coun- 
cil of  the  Legion  that  the  theatre  had 
to  fulfill  its  contract  commitment  on 
the  picture. 

Kvool  stated  that  "Chaplin  has  not 
been  convicted  of  anything,  and  no 
one  has  raised  an  objection  against 
the  picture  itself.  It  does  not  deal 
with  a  Communist  subject,"  he  con- 
cluded. 


Korea  Premiere  for 
'Pleasure  Island9 

The  first  world  premiere  in  Seoul, 
Korea,  of  a  Hollywood  motion  pic- 
ture will  take  place  on  March  20 
when  Paramount's  "The  Girls  of 
Pleasure  Island"  will  open  there  under 
the  joint  sponsorship  of  the  U.  S.  De- 
partment of  Defense  and  USO  Camp 
Shows.  Stars  of  the  film  will  make 
personal  appearances  in  connection 
with  the  Seoul  and  subsequent  front- 
line showings. 

The  film's  stars  slated  to  fly  to 
Korea  are  Don  Taylor,  Audrey  Dal- 
ton,  Joan  Elan  and  Richard  Shannon. 


ATFP,  Writers  in 
New  TV  Film  Pact 

Hollywood,  March  8.  —  The  Alli- 
ance of  Television  Film  Producers  has 
signed  a  contract  with  the  Screen 
VVriters  Guild  and  the  three  guilds 
representing  the  Authors  League  of 
America  under  the  terms  of  which 
writers  for  filmed  television  shows 
will  receive  a  minimum  of  $1,425  for 
one-hour  productions,  scaling  down  to 
$450  for  quarter-hour  shows. 


T  MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.   NO.  46 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  10,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Radically  New 
Sound  System 
Claimed  by  WB 

First  Installation  in 
Paramount  House  Here 


"Climaxing  nearly  30  years  of 
continuing  research  and  develop- 
ment since  their  introduction  of 
sound  to  the  motion  picture,  the 
perfection  of  ' WarnerPhonic'  sound,  a 
new  Warner  studio-developed  high  fi- 
delity sound  recording  and  projection 
technique  for  motion  pictures"  is  an- 
nounced by  Jack  L.  Warner,  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  production  for 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  according 
to  a  home  office  statement.  It  said, 
"The  new  WarnerPhonic  sound  sys- 
tem gives  full  depth  and  range  to 
match  the  hearing  power'  of  the  human 
ear,  never  before  possible  from  the 
motion  picture  screen." 

The  first  picture  to  introduce 
WarnerPhonic  sound  will  be 
"House  of  Wax,"  the  first  major 
studio  release  in  three-dimen- 
sional Natural  Vision  and  War- 
nerColor,  also  a  studio  develop- 
ment.    It  will  have  its  world 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


NCA  to  D.  of  J.  on 
'Pan'  Sales  Policy 

Minneapolis,  March  9.— A  request 
to  the  Department  of  Justice  for  an 
investigation  of  charges  that  RKO 
Pictures  is  "fixing  admission  prices" 
in  the  release  of  Walt  Disney's  "Peter 
Pan"  in  violation  of  the  Federal  anti- 
trust law  will  be  filed  as  a  result  of  a 
meeting  of  the  directors  of  North 
Central  Allied  here  today. 

The  directors,  following  up  an  in- 
dignation meeting  of  Twin  Cities'  ex- 

(Continued  on  pauc  5) 


100%  Distribution 
Coverage  for  Astor 

With  the  addition  of  two  new  fran- 
chise holders,  Astor  Pictures  Corp. 
now  has  100  per  cent  distribution 
coverage  in  the  United  States  and 
a  total  of  32  franchisers,  according 
to   president   R.   M.  Savini. 

Don  Swartz,  head  of  Realart  Pic- 
tures, Milwaukee,  and  Independent 
Film  Exchange,  Minneapolis,  has  en- 
tered into  a  franchise  agreement  with 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


1952  Ticket  Tax  Income 
Was  8y2%  Less  Than  1951 

Washington,  March  9. — General  admission  tax  collections  for  the 
12  months  reflecting  business  conditions  in  1952  were  about  8^2  per  cent 
below  collections  for  the  12  months  reflecting  1951  business,  according 
to  figures  released  today  by  the  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue. 

They  showed  that  total  collections 


Walton  May  Join 
Grainger  at  RKO 

Edward  L.  Walton  may  be- 
come assistant  to  James  R. 
Grainger,  president  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures.  Grainger  said 
here  yesterday  that  a  deci- 
sion on  the  matter  would  be 
reached  in  a  few  days. 

Until  Jan.,  1951,  Walton  was 
assistant  general  sales  man- 
ager of  Republic  Pictures.  He 
resigned  to  acquire  an  inter- 
est in  the  Modern  Theatre 
Supply  Co.  in  Seattle. 


Charges  Tax  Closed 
Hundreds  of  Houses, 
225  in  Penna.  Alone 


Washington,  March  9.  —  Rep. 
James  E.  Van  Zandt  (R.,  Pa.)  told 
the  House  today  that  the  number  of 
motion  picture  theatres  in  Pennsyl- 
vania had  fallen  from  about  1,210  a 
few  years  ago  to  about  985  today, 
largely  due  to  the  "regressive"  Fed- 
eral admission  tax. 

Urging  Congress  to  repeal  the  20 
per  cent  tax,  he  said  it  was  a  "re- 
gressive" one  because  "it  is  drying  up 
the  source  of  revenue."  Up  to  20  per 
cent  of  the  theatres  in  some  states 
have  been  forced  to  close  in  recent 
years  due  to  the  tax  and  competition 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


U-I  Completes  Its 
First  3-D  Feature 


The  completion  of  the  first  3-D 
feature  by  Universal-International,  "a 
top  budget  science-fiction  production" 
titled  "It  Came  from  Outer  Space," 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by  Al- 
fred E.  Daff,  executive  vice-presi- 
dent. 

Daff  -  disclosed  that  U-I  plans  to 
release  "It  Came  from  Outer  Space" 
in  the  spring.  He  pointed  out  that  the 
company  made  the ;  production  also,  in 
the  conventional  medium. 

At!>  the  same  time  Daff  said  that 
U-I  has  completed  a  two-reel  musi- 

(Contihued  on  page  4) 


for  the  period  from  Feb.,  1952 
through  Jan.,  1953,  the  12  monthly  col- 
lections reflecting  business  in  1952, 
amounted  to  $311,517,781,  compared 
to  $340,632,140  for  the  Feb.,  1951 
through  Jan.,  1952  months,  reflecting 
1951  business. 

General  admission  tax  collections 
include  receipts  on  admissions  to  con- 
certs, legitimate  theatre,  sports  and 
other  general  spectator  events  as  well 
as  to  motion  picture  theatres. 

General  admission  tax  collections 
for  Jan.,  1953,  reflecting  Dec,  1952 
business,  were  $21,974,853,  compared 
to  $22,853,932  for  Jan,  _  1952.  Total 
admission  tax  collections,  includ- 
ing roof  gardens  and  cabaret  taxes 
and  various  miscellaneous  admission 
charges,  amounted  to  $25,782,600  in 
January,  compared  to  $26,634,691  in 
Jan.,  1952. 


High  Court  Upholds 
AFM  in  Akron  Case 
On  Feather-Bedding 

Washington,  March  9. — The  Su- 
preme Court  today,  in  a  6  to  3  deci- 
sion, decided  that  the  American  Fed- 
eration of  Musicians  had  not  violated 
the  "feather-bedding"  provisions  of 
the  Taft-Hartley  law  in  its  demands 
on  the  Palace  Theatre  in  Akron. 

The  Palace,  a  member  of  the  Gam- 
ble Enterprises  circuit,  occasionally 
used  traveling  bands  to  supplement  its 
screen  shows.  The  Akron  AFM  local, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Canadian  Exhibitors 
May  Get  Tax  Relief 

Ottawa,  March  9.— Affect- 
ing directly  the  operations  of 
theatres  in  purchasing  equip- 
ment and  in  admission  prices, 
if  carried  out,  the  525,000- 
member  Canadian  Congress 
of  Labor  has  presented  a 
6,000-word  brief  through  its 
president,  Percy  Bengough,  to 
Prime  Minister  St.  Laurent 
and  his  Cabinet  here  calling 
upon  the  Canadian  govern- 
ment to  abolish  the  10  per 
cent  sales  tax  and  create  a 
board  with  full  powers  to 
control  prices. 


RKO  Goes  Into 
High  Gear 
On  Production 


Grainger  Tells  of  Plans 
After  Studio  Confabs 


RKO  Radio  Pictures  will  move 
into  high  gear  on  production,  end- 
ing the  lull  which  settled  at  the 
studio  during  the  course  of  man- 

■MMMMMHMMMMHKSII     a    S    e    m    e    n  t 

changes,  J.  R. 
Grainger,  presi- 
dent, reported 
here  yesterday 
following  four 
weeks  of  con- 
ferences with 


Mm 


H 


o  w  a  r 


Hughes,  board 
I  '        chairman ;  C.  J. 

liT  j^BBw  Tevlin,  studio 
chief,  and  other 
I;  Kl)  rxecu 

^■HBH  ives. 

The  company 
J.  R.  Grainger  wjU      put  two 

films  into  production  on  Monday,  a 
third  in  production  on  March  30,  and 
a  series  of  other  films  beginning  in 
May,   Grainger  disclosed.      A  more 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Plan  38-Theatre 
Video  Network 


Phoenix,  Ariz.,  March  9— Plans  to 
form  a  closed-circuit  theatre  TV  net 
encompassing  38  theatres  in  the  Harry 
L.  Nace,  Inc.,  Circuit  of  Arizona 
were  disclosed  here  today. 

The  disclosure  came  in  conjunction 
with  announced  plans  for  KTYL-TV, 
the  television  station  for  which  ap- 
proval was  won  by  Harry  L.  Nace, 
Sr.,  president  of  the  circuit  bearing 
his  name ;  Harry  L.  Nace,  Jr.,  gen- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Theatre  TV  Move 
Opposed  by  A.T.&T. 

Washington,  March  9.  —  The 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.  has  told  the  Federal  Communica- 
tions Commission  that  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  has  failed  to  show  that 
a  special  theatre  television  common 
carrier  would  be  in  the  public  interest. 

The  Motion  Picture  Association 
and  the  National  Exhibitors  Theatre 
Television    Committee    on    Feb.  27 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  10,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


PANDRO  BERMAN,  M-G-M  pro- 
ducer, will  arrive  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  on  March  23  accom- 
panied by  his  wife.  They  will  leave 
for  Europe  the  following  day  aboard 
the  5".  5".  Liberie. 

Florence  Friedman,  formerly  with 
Realart  in  Cleveland  and  absent  from 
the  industry  for  several  months,  suc- 
ceeds Anne  Cohn  as  Italian  Films 
Export  office  manager  and  booker  in 
that  city. 

• 

Oliver  Brughton,  M-G-M  mainte- 
nance supervisor,  arrived  here  yester- 
day from  the  Coast  for  a  10-day  home 
office  visit  before  starting  out  on 
another  cross-country  exchange  tour. 
• 

Alfred  Starr,  TOA  president, 
arrived  in  New  York  from  Nashville 
yesterday  and  left  immediately  for 
Washington.  He  will  return  here 
today  and  leave  for  Europe  tonight. 
• 

Steve  Davis  of  M-G-M's  home 
office  exploitation  department  will 
marry  Harriet  Fein  at  the  Hamp- 
shire House  here  on  Sunday.  They 
will  honeymoon  in  Miami  Beach. 
• 

Newton  Meltzer,  documentary 
writer-director,  announces  the  birth  of 
a  second  child,  a  son,  Stephen 
Joseph,  to  Mrs.  Meltzer  in  Beth 
Israel  Hospital  here  on  Friday. 
• 

E.  O.  Wilschke,  Altec  operating 
manager,  has  left  the  Coast  for  New 
York  and  plans  to  stop  en  route  at 
various  first-run  houses  to  study  3-D 
installations. 

• 

Ed  Gabriel,  head  of  Capital  Film 
Exchange  in  Philadelphia,  became  a 
grandfather  when  Mrs.  Bob  Gabriel 
gave  birth  to  a  son,  Steven  Robert. 
• 

Carl  Schwyn,  banker  and  theatre 
circuit  owner  of  Cygnet,  O.,  has  been 
named  head  of  the  newly  organized 
Mary  Manse  Foundation. 

• 

Leo  J.  Samuels,  Walt  Disney  Pro- 
ductions worldwide  sales  supervisor, 
has  returned  to  New  York  from 
Toronto. 

Chilt    Robinett,    formerly  with 
20th  Century-Fox  in  Seattle,  is  now 
a  salesman  for  the  company  in  Denver. 
• 

Jimmy  Bello  of  Astor  Pictures  Co. 
in  Atlanta  has  arrived  in  New  York 
to  attend  the  funeral  of  his  mother. 
• 

Arthur  Barnett,  owner  of  the 
Rex  Theatre,  Oakland,  Cal.,  will  leave 
on  a  European  trip  April  1. 

• 

Mori  Krushen,  United  Artists  ex- 
ploitation head,  was  in  Cleveland 
from  New  York. 

• 

John  Davis,  executive  of  J.  Arthur 
Rank,  is  due  in  New  York  today  from 
London. 

• 

Bert  Orde  of  Redbook  Magazine 
returned  here  yesterday  from  the 
Coast. 


Russia  Rejects  Bid 
Of  US  Newsreels 

A  visa  bid  by  American 
newsreel  companies  to  film 
Stalin's  funeral  in  Moscow 
yesterday  was  rejected  by  the 
Soviet  Embassy  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.  The  rejection,  it 
was  understood,  took  the 
form  of  ignoring  the  request. 

As  a  consequence,  footage 
of  the  Russian  dictator's 
death  and  funeral  which  will 
be  seen  on  American  theatre 
screens  will  come  from  offi- 
cial Soviet  sources  only. 


M-G-M  Promotions 
For  Bennin,  Bailey 

In  two  new  M-G-M  promotions, 
Herbert  J.  Bennin,  branch  manager 
of  the  company's  St.  Louis  office,  has 
been  named  to  the  same  post  in  Wash- 
ington, succeeding  Jerome  Adams, 
who  resigned  to  enter  another  indus- 
try, and  Thomas  E.  Bailey,  assistant 
branch  manager  at  Charlotte,  replaced 
Bennin  in  St.  Louis,  it  was  disclosed 
here  by  general  sales  manager  Charles 
M.  Reagan. 

Both  promotions  become  effective 
April  6.  The  two  men  are  M-G-M 
veterans. 


Premiere  at  Astor 
Tonight  for  Para.'s 
'Stars  Are  Singing' 


Paramount  will  unveil  "The  Stars 
Are  Singing"  tonight  at  the  Astor 
Theatre  here  at  a  premiere  which  will 
be  attended  by  600  "typical  movie- 
goers" drawn  from  a  tie-up  with  54 
neighborhood  theatres  in  the  New 
York  Metropolitan  area.  The  "typical" 
fans  will  be  joined  by  personalities 
from  the  amusement  and  newspaper 
fields  in  the  highlight  tribute  to  Rose- 
mary Clooney,  who  makes  her  debut 
in  the  picture. 

The  neighborhood  houses  of  the 
Warner,  Randforce,  J.  J.,  Island, 
Endicott,  Lane,  Fabian  and  United 
Paramount  circuits  awarded  tickets 
following  lobby  drawings.  Fifty  re- 
tail music  stores  cooperated  with  the 
theatres  by  giving  prominent  window 
displays  and  other  types  of  promotion 
to  the  premiere. 

Among  the  invited  premiere  guests 
are  Monica  Lewis,  Joan  Fontaine, 
Jane  Pickens,  Maggie  McNellis, 
Harry  James,  Charlton  Heston,  Jack 
Palance,  Blossom  Seeley,  Benny 
Fields,  Julius  LaRosa,  Eddie  Fisher, 
Edward  D.  Madden,  Sid  Caesar, 
Perry  Como,  Red  Buttons,  Faye 
Emerson,  Imogene  Coca,  Boris  Kar- 
loff,  Eva  Gabor,  and  others. 


Report  on 
ADVERTISING 


The 
HERALD 
INSTITUTE 

of  Industry, 
Opinion 


FOR  the  first  time,  the  combined  thinking  of 
the  industry  on  this  important  subject  has  been 
ascertained.  All  three  of  the  Institute's  Panels 
— thoroughly  representative  of  Production,  Dis- 
tribution and  Exhibition — have  evidenced  keen 
interest  in  their  study  of  questions  dealing  with: 
More  informative  advertising  copy;  the  need 
for  creation  of  new  advertising  styles;  misrepre- 
sentative  appeals;  expenditure  allocations;  com- 
parative newspaper  rates;  pre-selling  through 
national  magazines;  and  trade  advertising  policy. 
The  analysis  of  the  opinion  of  the  Institute  Panels 
will  appear — 

in  this  week's  issue  of 

Motion  Picture  Herald 


High  Court  Rejects 
Towne  Interest  Plea 

Washington,  March  9.— The 
Supreme  Court  today  refused 
to  hear  an  appeal  by  the  Mil- 
waukee Towne  Corp.,  seeking 
five  per  cent  interest  on  the 
$1,000,000  anti-trust  claim  it 
collected  from  major  distribu- 
tors two  years  ago. 

The  Milwaukee  theatre  firm 
was  awarded  $941,574  in  treble 
damages,  plus  $75,000  in  at- 
torney fees  and  $4,871  in 
costs.  The  District  court  and 
Seventh  Circuit  court  upheld 
the  distributors'  refusal  to 
pay  interest  on  this  amount, 
and  Milwaukee  Towne  ap- 
pealed to  the  Supreme  Court. 
The  justices  today  turned 
down  the  appeal,  but  gave  no 
reasons. 


Hospital  Group  Aided 
By  'Lili'  Premiere 

Leslie  Caron,  one  of  the  stars  of 
M-G-M's  "Lili,"  was  present  at  the 
world  premiere  of  the  picture  last 
night  at  the  Trans-Lux  52nd  Street 
Theatre  here  and  presented  a  check 
representing  the  proceeds  of  the  bene- 
fit showing  to  Mrs.  Charles  S.  Pav- 
son,  president  of  the  North  Shore 
Hospital  Association  of  Manhasset, 
L  I.  Jinx  Falkenburg  McCrary  was 
chairman  of  the  benefit  committee. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


"THE  STORY  OF  THREE  LOVES" 


Kirk 
DOUGLAS 


James 
MASON 


Farley 
GRANGER 


PierANGELI   MoiraSH  EA  RER  LeslieCARON 
An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


JEftRf 


MARTIN  » LEWIS 

STOOGE 

 A  Paramount  Picture 


Midnight  Pcohjr* 


2  BIG  I.  F.  E.  HITS  ON  B'WAY! 


SILVAN  A 

MANGANO 

m    9  co-starring 

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month  FERNANOEL  m 

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MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Rainsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President:  Leo  J.  Brady 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building! 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager:  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
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Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  10,  1953 


Theatre  TV 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


asked  the  FCC  to  authorize  a  special 
theatre  TV  common  carrier,  using 
frequencies  presently  allotted  to  other 
common  carriers,  and  to  make  a 
policy  declaration  that  the  other  car- 
riers should  cooperate  with  the  new 
carrier  in  using  the  frequencies. 
A.  T.  and  T.  over  the  week-end  filed 
with  the  FCC  a  statement  urging  that 
the  film  industry  petition  be  denied. 

The  phone  company  argued  to  the 
Commission  that  the  film  industry  pe- 
tition, if  granted,  would  impair  the 
usefulness  of  the  common  carrier  fre- 
quencies for  the  general  public.  The 
motion  picture  industry  is  still  seeking 
"preferential  treatment,"  A.  T.  and  T. 
charged.  It  said  the  industry  had  to 
prove  that  the  public  interest,  neces- 
sity or  convenience  justified  such  treat- 
ment, and  that  the  industry  had  not 
done  this. 

In  fact,  the  phone  company  said, 
the  public  interest  would  not  be  served 
by  granting  the  film  industry's  pe- 
tition. It  declared  that  the  evidence 
shows  that  A.  T.  and  T.  is  "qualified 
and  able"  to  furnish  the  service  re- 
quired for  theatre  TV.  The  phone 
company  petition  said  A.  T.  and  T. 
facilities  could  be  made  capable  of  the 
wider  bandwidth  required  for  theatre 
television.  It  repeated  earlier  asser- 
tions of  A.  T.  and  T.  witnesses  that 
this  would  be  more  efficient  and  eco- 
nomical. 

The  film  industry's  petition,  A.  T. 
and  T.  declared,  is  a  request  for  ad- 
vance pronouncement  by  the  Commis- 
sion for  preferential  treatment  for 
organizations  whose  "form,  nature 
and  background  are  unknown." 

Any  organization  that  applies  for  a 
license  as  a  theatre  TV  common  car- 
rier would  serve  only  the  populated, 
profitable  areas,  A.  T.  and  T.  said. 
It  argued  that  this  would  leave  the 
more  costly  service  in  the  less  popu- 
lated areas  to  the  phone  company,  and 
that  this  would  put  an  unreasonable 
burden  on  the  other  customers  of 
A.  T.  and  T.  and  other  common 
carriers. 


Advances  Available 
On  Census  Forms 

Washington,  March  9— Film 
producers  and  equipment 
manufacturers  can  get  ad- 
vance copies  of  the  questions 
they  will  be  asked  in  the  1953 
census  of  manufacturers,  the 
Commerce  Department  re- 
ports. 

The  Department  said  the 
advance  release  of  the  infor- 
mation that  will  be  asked 
will  enable  firms  to  inform 
themselves  early  this  year 
with  respect  to  the  informa- 
tion they  will  be  asked  to 
give  when  they  file  their  cen- 
sus reports  next  year  on  their 
operations  for  1953.  The  in- 
formational material,  avail- 
able on  request  from  the 
Census  Bureau  here,  includes 
specimen  report  forms  and 
booklets  defining  the  items  to 
be  included  in  the  census. 


Zugsmith  Heads 
American  Pictures 

Hollywood,  March  9. — Albert  Zug- 
smith was  elected  president  of  Amer- 
ican Pictures  Corp.  at  the  company's 
annual  meeting.  Other  officers  select- 
ed were  :  Larry  Gross,  vice-president ; 
Peter  Miller,  treasurer  and  director, 
and  Dr.  George  Zugsmith,  chairman 
of  the  board. 

Zugsmith,  former  newspaper  editor 
and  publisher,  has  been  producing  mo- 
tion pictures  independently  since  1951. 
Gross  formerly  owned  and  operated 
television  station  KFNB  in  San 
Diego,  and  Miller  is  also  a  former 
newspaper  editor,  publisher  and  radio 
station  owner. 

American  Pictures  also  announced 
plans  to  produce  a  new  film  in  April 
titled  "Girls  of  the  South  Pacific." 
The  company's  currently  released  pic- 
ture is  "Invasion,  U.  S.  A." 


Bureau  Reports  B.O. 
U pturn  in  South 

A  substantial  upturn  in  business 
throughout  the  Central  South  ana 
Gulf  States  areas  during  the  past  few 
weeks  has  been  noted  by  exhibitors 
and  distributors  alike,  Milton  Dureau, 
vice-president  and  general  manager  ol 
Masterpiece  Pictures,  Inc.,  of  New 
Orleans,  reported  here  yesterday. 

Dureau  is  in  New  York  for  business 
conferences  with  Realart  and  other 
executives.  He  is  scheduled  to  return 
to  New  Orleans  on  Thursday. 


Oresman  Buys  More 
RKO  Theatres  Stock 

Washington,  March  9. — A.  Louis 
Oresman,  RKO  Theatres  director,  has 
purchased  4,200  shares  of  RKO  Thea- 
tres common,  bringing  total  holdings 
to  36,600  shares,  according  to  a  report 
to  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Com- 
mission. 


38-Theatre  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


eral  manager,  and  their  radio  and  TV 
associate,  Dwight  Harkins. 

The  younger  Nace  and  Harkins  left 
here  for  New  York  for  a  three-day 
round  of  conferences  with  network 
officials,  TV  film  producers  and  na- 
tional advertising  representatives. 


Oehs  Circuit  4-Day 
Cleveland  Meeting 

Cleveland,  March  9. — Herbert  and 
Jack  Ochs,  heads  of  the  Ochs  Man- 
agement Co.,  operating  seven  Cana- 
dian drive-in  theatres,  opened  a  four- 
day  convention  of  managers  and  their 
wives  at  the  Hollenden  Hotel  today. 
General  circuit  policy  and  individual 
theatre  policies  will  be  discussed.  All 
of  the  drive-ins  in  the  Ochs  circuit 
are  family  managed,  with  the  man- 
ager's wife  serving  either  as  cashier 
or  in  charge  of  concessions. 

Present,  in  addition  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Herbert  Oths  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack 
Ochs  are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ken  Jones 
of  London,  Ontario,  in  charge  of 
Canadian  distribution  of  Glenray  bar- 
becue machines,  for  which  Ochs  has 
the  Canadian  franchise ;  Larry  and 
Hilda  Buck  Star  Top  Drive-in,  Belle- 
ville ;  Randy  and  Helen  MacLennan, 
Drive-in,  Kingston ;  Earl  and  Lois 
Taylor,  Star  Top  Drive-in,  London ; 
Len  and  Audry  Larmour,  Star  Top 
Drive-in,  Cyrville;  William  and  Dolly 
MacDonald,  Star  Top  Drive-in,  Sar- 
nia,  Ontario ;  Emil  and  Mary 
Maenck,  Porcupine  Drive-in,  Tim- 
mins,  all  in  Ontario,  and  Earl  and 
Marilyn  Scherffius,  Blue  Water 
Drive-in,  Port  Huron,  Mich. 

Also,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Forrer, 
circuit  accountants,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fred  Stinson,  of  Adfilms,  Ltd. 

Herbert  Ochs  reports  that  his  cir- 
cuit business  in  1952  was  up  20  per 
cent  over  that  of  the  previous  year. 


Skouras  to  Coast  to 
Show  CinemaScope 

Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  and  Al  Lichtman, 
distribution  director,  will  leave  here 
for  the  Coast  on  Friday  in  prepara- 
tion for  the  projected  demonstration 
there  of  20th-Fox's  wide-screen 
CinemaScope  process.  They  will  be 
preceded  by  Earl  I.  Sponable,  research 
director,  who  will  leave  for  Holly- 
wood on  Thursday. 

The  demonstration  of  CinemaScope, 
which  will  utilize  clips  from  "The 
Robe,"  will  take  place  on  or  about 
March  18.  The  scene  for  the  showJ 
ing  was  shifted  to  the  Coast  from 
New  York  due  to  equipment  difficul- 
ties relating  to  sound  in  the  com- 
pany's projection  room  here,  it  was 
learned.  The  New  York  demonstra- 
tion, originally  set  for  this  month,  has 
been  postponed. 


Wallis  Using  3  -  D 
Technicolor  Camera 

Hollywood,  March  8. — The  new 
Hal  Wallis  Productions  Dean  Martin- 
Jerry  Lewis  film,  "Money  from 
Home,"  went  into  production  this 
morning  using  the  newly  developed 
3-D  Technicolor  camera,  according  to 
Wallis  and  his  associate,  Joseph 
Hazen.  They  disclosed  the  film  was 
budgeted  at  $2,000,000. 


Adds  Projectors  to 
Skip  3-D  Intermission 

Chicago,  March  9.  —  The  Imperial 
Theatre  here,  operated  by  Dudley 
Gazzola,  has  ordered  installation  of 
two  RCA  projectors  in  addition  to  the 
two  now  in  use  so  that  the  theatre 
will  be  able  to  run  three-dimensional 
pictures  without  intermissions.  The 
house,  located  on  the  West  Side  here, 
has  booked  "Bwana  Devil." 


Upholds  A.F.M. 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


starting  in  1947,  refused  to  permit  any 
traveling  band  to  play  the  Palace  un- 
less the  theatre  agreed  to  hire  a  local 
band  to  play  supplemental  music  or  to 
play  on  some  other  date.  The  theatre 
company  refused,  and  eventually  filed 
charges  against  the  union  with  the 
National  Labor  Relations  Board. 

The  board  threw  out  the  complaint, 
arguing  that  the  union  was  not  seek- 
ing pay  for  work  it  did  not  plan  to 
perform,  which  would  have  been 
feather-bedding,  but  was  merely  seek- 
ing actual  employment  for  its  mem- 
bers. The  Sixth  Circuit  Court  of  Ap- 
peals ruled  for  the  theatre  company, 
and  the  board  appealed  to  the  high 
court. 

Justice  Burton,  delivering  the  ma- 
jority opinion  today  acquitting  the 
union,  said  the  court  accepted  the  find- 
ing of  the  board  that  "the  union  was 
seeking  actual  employment  for  its 
members  and  not  mere  stand-by  pay." 
He  said  the  court  did  not  have  to 
determine  whether  the  offers  were  "in 
the  nature  of  an  exaction"  and  that 
there  was  no  reason  to  think  the  offers 
were  sham  or  tokens.  "When  an  em- 
ployer receives  a  bona  fide  offer  of 
competent  performance  of  relevant 
services,"  Burton  said,  "it  remains  for 
the  employer  through  free  and  fair 
negotiation,  to  determine  whether  such 
offer  shall  be  accepted  and  what  com- 
pensation shall  be  paid  for  the  work 
done." 

Justice  Jackson  dissented  in  one  opi- 
nion and  Chief  Justice  Vinson  and 
Justice  Clark  joined  in  another  dissent. 
Jackson  said  that  before  Taft-Hartley 
was  passed,  the  union  did  compel  the 
theatre  to  pay  for  no  work  at  all,  and 
when  this  was  forbidden  by  the  new 
law,  "it  sought  to  accomplish  the  same 
result  by  compelling  it  to  pay  for  use- 
less and  unwanted  work."  Justices 
Vinson  and  Clark  called  the  AFM 
offer  a  "Boondoggle"  which  "the  em- 
ployer does  not  want,  does  not  need 
and  is  not  even  willing  to  accept." 


U-I  3-D  Feature 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


cal  in  the  3-D  medium  featuring  Nat 
(King)  Cole  and  Russ  Morgan  and 
His  Orchestra.  Daff  pointed  out  that 
U-I  had  activated  its  3-D  plans  sev- 
eral months  ago  but  withheld  anv  an- 
nouncement until  both  pictures  were 
completed. 

Further  production  planning  in  the 
3-D  and  large  screen  processes  will 
take  place  on  the  Coast  next  week, 
with  participants  including  Milton  R. 
Rackmil,  president ;  N.  J.  Blumberg, 
chairman  of  the  board  ;  Daff  ;  Charles 
J.  Feldman,  general  sales  manager ; 
William  Goetz,  in  charge  of  produc- 
tion ;  Edward  Muhl,  vice-president 
and  general  production  executive ; 
David  A.  Lipton,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising-publicity,  and 
other  studio  executives.  Rackmil, 
Daff  and  Feldman  are  scheduled  to 
leave  New  York  for  the  -  Coast  on 
Thursday  with  Blumberg  and  Lipton 
due  to  follow  over  the  weekend. 


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Tuesday,  March  10,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


s 


RKO  Goes  into  High  Gear 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


Majors  Named  in 
Newark  Trust  Suit 


Warner  Claims 


(Continued  from  page  1 ) 

premiere  April  10  at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre  in  New  York. 

WarnerPhonic  sound  is  said  to  com- 
prise a  series  of  sound  tracks  in  addi- 
tion to  the  original  basic  sound  track 
which  accompanies  the  picture.  The 
company  stated  that  "the  Warner- 
Phonic  technique  is  as  revolutionary 
as  sound  compared  with  silent  films. 

"When  employed  in  conjunction 
with  a  true  three-dimensional  process 
such  as  we  are  using  in  'House  of 
Wax,'  and  our  own  WarnerColor, 
WarnerPhonic  sound  will  bring  out 
the  fullest  dramatic  and  musical  re- 
sults ever  obtained  from  the  screen," 
Warner  said.  "  'House  of  Wax' 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in 
motion  picture  making.  Audiences 
will  be  thrilled  and  entertained  as 
never  before  in  the  history  of  our 
industry." 

New  York's  Paramount  is  install- 
ing 25  special  speakers  for  the  "House 
of  Wax"  opening.  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  head  of  the  Interstate  circuit  in 
Texas,  is  equipping  houses  in  Dal- 
las, Houston,  San  Antonio  and  Fort 
Worth  with  similar  WarnerPhonic 
facilities.  "House  of  Wax"  opens  in 
Dallas  on  April  16  and  the  other 
Texas  engagements  will  follow.  Addi- 
tional units  will  be  installed  for  other 
major  "House  of  Wax"  playdates. 

Recording  of  music  for  "House  of 
Wax"  in  the  new  sound  system  has 
already  begun  at  the  studio  under 
the  direction  of  Ray  Heindorf. 

Warner  said,  "We  are  sure 
the  research  we  are  now  con- 
ducting in  many  other  direc- 
tions will  further  expand  at- 
traction values  of  the  screen. 
We  are  convinced  that  we  are 
adding  to  the  entertainment 
power  of  motion  pictures  for 
the  benefit  of  public  and  exhib- 
itors alike. 

"We  know  the  outlook  is  good,  that 
we  are  adding  assets  to  films  which 
will  keep  them  at  their  present  state 
of  being  the  world's  most  popular  en- 
tertainment. 

"Our  technicians  and  research  ex- 
perts are  making  wonderful  progress 
in  a  number  of  directions,  all  calcu- 
lated to  augment  and  strengthen  mo- 
tion picture  entertainment." 

New  Texas  Tax  Bill 
Passed  by  House 

Austin,  March  9. — The  Texas 
House  of  Representatives  has  passed 
and  sent  to  the  Senate  the  Kilgore  bill 
revising  state  admission  taxes. 

The  present  state  tax  is  10  per  cent 
on  admissions  over  50  cents.  The  new 
bill  would  exempt  tickets  under  80 
cents.  Those  between  80  and  90 
cents  would  pay  a  three-cent  tax ; 
from  90  cents  to  $1,  a  five-cent  tax, 
and  in  the  Jiigher  brackets  a  10  per 
cent  tax.  Proponents  of  the  bill  said 
the  present  law  deters  exhibitors  from 
raising  prices  above  50  cents. 


Miss  Kashew  to  Filmack 

Chicago,  March  9. — Filmack  Trailer 
Co.  here  has  added  Joan  Kashew  to 
its  publicity  staff.  Miss  Kashew  was 
formerly  assistant  publicity  and  art 
director  for  Harvey  01  sen  Studios, 
a  Chicago  ad  agency.  In  addition  to 
trailer  copy  writing,  Miss  Kashew 
will  edit  the  Filmackian,  Filmack's 
intra-house  organ,  and  assist  in  edit- 
ing Inspiration,  which  is  mailed 
monthly  to  theatres. 


detailed  production  program,  he  added, 
will  be  announced  within  the  next  30 
days. 

The  RKO  president  pointed  out  that 
the  company  currently  has  product 
on  hand  to  fulfill  its  release  schedule 
through  Aug.  15,  and  with  the  re- 
sumption of  production  scheduled  for 
next  week  at  the  studio  RKO  is  said 
to  be  in  a  most  healthy  condition. 
Production  ran  into  a  lull  during  the 
tenure  of  the  Ralph  Stolkin  manage- 
ment group,  which  bowed  out  when 
Hughes  reassumed  active  control  of 
the  company.  Grainger  reported  that 
RKO  has  15  new  films  and  several 
key  attractions  of  years  past  which 
will  be  re-released. 

The  two  RKO  films  going  into 
production  on  Monday  are :  "Second 
Chance,"  starring  Robert  Mitchum 
and  Linda  Darnell.  Sam  Weisenthal 
will  produce  under  supervision  of  Ed- 
mund Grainger ;  Rudolph  Mate  is  the 
director  and  Zachary  Gold  the  writer  ; 
and  "Arizona  Outpost,"  starring  Dale 


Tax  Closes  Houses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

from  television,  the  Altoona  Congress- 
man declared. 

"A  comparison  of  the  admission  tax 
receipts  paid  to  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment for  1952  shows  a  decline  since 
1951  of  something  over  nine  per  cent 
for  the  entire  country,  with  a  decline 
of  17  per  cent  for  Pennsylvania,"  Van 
Zandt  stated.  "The  wholesale  closing 
of  theatres,  which  is  being  brought 
about  by  the  continuation  of  this  re- 
gressive tax,  is  a  serious  threat  to 
other  small  merchants  and  business- 
men. Theatres  are  the  center  of  at- 
traction, particularly  in  small  neigh- 
borhoods. When  a  theatre  closes,  for 
all  or  part  time,  small  merchants  in 
the  vicinity  suffer  a  resulting  loss  of 
trade.  It  is  also  generally  conceded 
Jiat  there  is  a  consequent  decrease  of 
other  business  values  in  the  neighbor- 
hood," he  added. 


NCA  to  D.  of  J. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

hibitors  a  week  ago,  authorized  Ben- 
jamin Berger,  NCA  president,  to  take 
action  to  combat  what  they  termed  the 
"evil  pre-release  practice."  The 
resolution,  passed  unanimously,  volun- 
teered to  give  definite  proof  of  the 
admission-fixing  demand  and  asked 
that  fast  and  appropriate  action  be 
taken  to  halt  the  practice. 

The  board  also  authorized  Berger 
to  obtain  an  opinion  on  the  legality 
of  picketing  theatres  playing  pre- 
release pictures  on  an  advanced  price 
basis. 

NCA's  directors  also  authorized 
Stanley  Kane,  executive  counsel,  to 
prepare  a  bill  for  introduction  in  the 
current  session  of  the  Minnesota  legis- 
lature setting  up  minimum  standards 
for  construction  of  drive-ins.  The  bill 
is  aimed  at  halting  the  mushroom 
growth  of  the  so-called  "blaster"  type 
drive-ins. 


Astor  Coverage 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Savini  for  exclusive  distribution  of 
Astor  product  in  the  Des  Moines  ter- 
ritory and  a  second  franchise  agree- 
ment was  closed  between  Savini  and 
Don  Hammer,  head  of  the  Inter- 
mountain  Film  Exchange,  Denver. 


Robertson  and  Arthur  Hunnicutt,  Ed- 
mund Grainger,  producer,  Alfred 
Werker,  director,  from  a  story  writ- 
ten by  William  Bowers. 

The  next  in  production,  "Son  of 
Sinbad"  will  star  Keith  Andes,  Mona 
Freedom  and  Ursula  Thiess,  which 
Robert  Sparks  will  produce,  and  Ted 
Tetzlaff  direct  from  a  story  written 
by   Jeff  Bailey. 

The  three  films,  it  was  added,  will 
be  in  color.  The  recently  completed 
"Split  Second"  will  go  into  release 
May  2,  Grainger  disclosed. 

Others  to  be  released  in  the  immediate 
future  include:  "Sea  Devils,"  color  in 
Technicolor,  produced  by  David  Rose  and 
directed  by  Raoul  Walsh,  co-starring 
Yvonne  DeCarlo  and  Rock  Hudson. 

"The  Sword  and  the  Rose,"  Walt  Dis- 
ney's Technicolor  production  starring  Rich- 
ard Todd  and  Glynis  Johns. 

'"Beautiful  but  Dangerous."  co-starring 
Jean  Simmons,  Robert  Mitchum  and  Arthur 
Hunnicutt,  produced  by  Robert  Sparks,  di- 
rected by  Lloyd  Bacon. 

"Break-Up,"  co-starring  Victor  Mature 
and  Jean  Simmons,  produced  by  Robert 
Sparks,  directed  by  Roy  Rowland. 

"The  Sea  Around  Us,"  the  color  picturi- 
zation  of  Rachel  Carson's  book,  which  was 
nominated  for  an  Academy  Award,  and 
was  produced  by  Irwin  Allen. 

"The  Hitch-Hiker,"  starring  William  Tal- 
man,  Edmund  O'Brien  and  Frank  Lovejoy. 
directed  by  Ida  Lupino. 

"Tarzan  and  the  She-Devil."  produced  by 
Sol  Lesser  and  starring  Lex  Barker. 

Grainger  also  revealed  that  Hughes' 
Technicolor  production  of  "Jet  Pilot."  which 
stars  John  Wayne,  will  be  released  by  RKO 
in  the  late  fall  or  early  winter. 

"Top  Hat,"  starring  Ginger  Rogers  and 
F****-i  Astvre.  will  ^ead  *he  list  of  re-issues. 
Others  include  "Isle  of  the  Dead,"  with 
oj.i.-.  Karioit;  "\Vithout  Reservations." 
starring  John  Wayne;  "Blood  on  the 
Moon,"  with  Robert  Mitchum  and  Bar- 
bara Bel  Geddes;  and  "Mighty  Joe 
Young." 


Charging  inability  to  obtain  prod- 
uct on  early  runs  for  the  Essex  The- 
atre in  Newark,  Howard  Theatres, 
Inc.,  yesterday  filed  an  anti-trust  suit 
in  Federal  Court  here  against  the 
eight  major  companies.  Damages  to- 
talling $1,800,000  are  asked.  Asso- 
ciated with  Howard  Theatres  in  the 
action  are  the  Cinema  Theatre  Corp., 
which  operated  the  theatre  from  1940 
to  1951  ;  Max  and  Adele  Goldbaum, 
trustees  for  the  dissolved  Mira  The- 
atres Corp.  which  had  the  theatre 
previously,  and  the  H-J-G  Realty 
Corp.,  owner  of  the  property.  How- 
ard has  operated  the  house  since 
1951. 

The  suit  charges  that  the  defend- 
ants favor  the  large  circuits  and  affili- 
ated theatres  in  the  Newark  area  and 
discriminate  against  independent  the- 
atres by  holding  back  pictures  until 
public  appeal  has  been  lost.  The 
plaintiffs  claim  there  is  no  competi- 
tion between  the  Essex  and  those 
theatres  allegedly  favored  by  the  de- 
fendants. 


Downing  Head  of 
N.Y.  Fund  Campaign 

Russel  V.  Downing,  president  of 
the  Radio  City  Music  Hall  Corp.,  has 
accepted  the  chairmanship  of  the  en- 
tertainment group  for  The  Greater 
New  York  Fund's  1953  campaign. 
The  campaign  to  help  423  voluntary 
hospitals  and  health  and  welfare  serv- 
ices in  New  York  City  will  begin 
April  27. 


GREAT   MOTION    PICTURES    ARE    PROCESSED  BY 


e 


ERROL  FLYNN, 

Independent  Producer,  says: 

"I'm  using  the  great 
new  PatheeoXov  film 

...  I  am  now  shooting  my  first  Pathecolov  film  in  Rome, 
and  I  chose  Pathecolov  because  it  gives  me  Lifelike 
Color  in  every  situation  and  on  every  set . . .  and  Pathe 
gives  me  daily  overnight  processing." 

You  owe  it  to  your  next  picture  to  see 
the  Pathecolov  demonstration  reel  to- 
day. Phone  for  a  date :  In  New  York  it's 
TRafalgar  6  - 1 1 20  and  in  Hollywood 
it's  HOllywood  9-3961. 


Both  New  York  and  Hollywood  Have  Complete  ,^5^e"Laboratory  Facilities: 
35MM      •       l6MM      •      COLOR      •      BLACK    AND  WHITE 

.^a^e'Laboratories,  Inc.  is  a  subsidiary  of  Chesapeake  Industries,  Inc. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  10,  1953 


Reviews 


"Dream  Wife" 

(M etro-Goiawyn-M oyer)  Holiyzvood,  March  9 

THE  billing  tells  the  tale  about  "Dream  Wife."  That  is  to  say  that  it 
J-  stacks  up  as  about  the  picture  the  names  of  Cary  Grant,  Deborah  Kerr 
and  Walter  Pidgeon  would  suggest,  and  is  therefore  doubtless  precisely  the 
merchandise  sought  by  the  people  whom  the  billing  of  those  names  can  be 
figured  to  attract.  It  is  a  somewhat  starchy,  moderately  sophisticated,  con- 
versational comedy  concerning  in  a  slightly  jocose  way  the  differences  be- 
tween Oriental  and  Occidental  women  in  their  attitude  toward  men,  and  in  a 
secondary  way  the  procedures  and  practices  of  our  State  Department.  It  is 
never  very  serious  about  either  of  these  topics,  and  yet  never  very  frivolous 
either,  but  follows,  rather,  the  middle  lane,  which  leads,  of  course,  to  the 
middle  ground  on  which,  by  and  large,  box-office  smashes  do  not  abound. 
On  the  basis  of  its  preview  at  the  Egyptian  Theatre  on  Hollywood  Boulevard, 
this  picture  doesn't  appear  destined  to  break  box-office  rules. 

The  production  of  Dore  Schary,  directed  by  Sidney  Sheldon  from  a  script 
by  the  director,  Herbert  Baker  and  Alfred  Lewis  Levitt,  the  film  is  im- 
peccably turned  out,  brilliantly  photographed,  tastefully  staged,  costumed  and 
so  on.  It  has  a  large  cast,  with  the  newcomer,  Betta  St.  John,  and  big 
Buddy  Baer  leading  the  support,  and  it  was  founded  on  an  idea  that  had  con- 
siderable promise.   Maybe  outright  slapstick  would  have  got  more  out  of  it. 

Grant  plays  a  kind  of  oil  salesman,  in  mythical  Bukestan  as  the  story  opens, 
who  comes  home  to  find  his  fiancee,  Miss  Kerr,  too  preoccupied  with  the 
affairs  of  our  State  Department,  with  which  she  is  importantly  connected,  to 
marry  him  on  an  appointed  date.  An  importunate  fellow,  he  cables  an  offer 
of  marriage  to  the  princess  of  Bukestan,  who  has  viewed  him  with  apparent 
emotion,  and  who  has  been  trained  from  babyhood  to  make  her  ultimate  hus- 
band happy,  and  she  accepts,  coming  forthwith  to  America,  with  retinue  and 
according  to  protocol.  The  State  Department  assigns  Miss  Kerr  to  the  af- 
fianced couple  as  interpreter,  and  the  humorous  potentialities  of  this  arrange- 
ment are  explored  during  the  remainder  of  the  picture. 

Running  time,  98  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
May  29.  William  R.  Weaver 


"The  Glass  Wall" 

{Columbia)  Hollywood,  March  9 

IVAN  TORS  and  Maxwell  Shane,  two  forward-looking  young  men  un- 
afraid of  hard  work  or  new  ideas,  have  turned  out  here  a  grimly  stirring 
account  of  a  harrassed  displaced  person's  experiences,  impressions  and  emo- 
tions on  his  arrival  in  New  York  as  a  stowaway  and  during  a  night  of 
hiding  out  from  immigration  authorities,  the  police,  and,  unknowingly,  from 
the  people  who  can  help  him  adjust  his  legalistically  improper  situation. 

The  newcomer  to  our  shores  is  played  impressively  by  Vittorio  Gassman, 
lately  acclaimed  with  favor  by  American  audiences,  and  the  girl  whom  he 
first  befriends  and  then  is  befriended  by  is  played  in  commendable  manner 
by  Gloria  Grahame,  whose  name  is  likewise  on  the  rise  in  point  of  marquee 
meaning.  The  other  players  in  the  large  cast  are  relatively  unknown,  although 
capable,  and  the  nature  of  the  production  is  such  that  the  story  gains  force 
from  the  circumstance.  That  is  to  say,  awkwardly,  that  the  Tors-Shane 
production  policy — their  sacrificing  of  polish  in  the  interests  of  realism,  their 
flat-lighting  for  emphasis,  their  exclusion  of  all  but  the  plainest  of  language — 
relies  so  firmly  upon  authenticity  for  impact  that  unfamiliar  players  add 
more  than  well-knowns  would  add  to  the  sum  of  their  efforts. 

In  the  picture  the  stowaway,  who  spent  10  years  in  concentration  camps, 
learned  English,  saved  an  American  soldier's  life  and  made  his  way  to  the 
United  States  where  he  wishes  to  live,  runs  afoul  of  red  tape  and,  desperate, 
jumps  ship  to  search  for  the  soldier,  known  to  him  only  as  a  clarinetist 
named  Tom  who  probably  is  playing-  in  a  Times  Square  orchestra.  During 
a  long  night  in  which  he  comes  into  intimate  and  sometimes  violent  touch 
with  assorted  individuals  who  live  or  work  in  Times  Square  he  is  frequently 
frustrated  but  never  discouraged,  and  next  morning  the  clarinetist  and  others 
catch  up  with  him  just  as  he  is  about  to  leap  from  the  top  of  the  United 
Nations  building  to  his  death,  and  rescue  him. 

Most  of  the  story  transpires  in  Times  Square.  It  was  filmed  there,  with- 
out special  lighting  and  with  concealed  cameras,  a  method  that  imparts  a 
rare  tone  of  legitimacy  to  the  production. 

Tors  is  down  as  producer,  Shane  as  director,  and  the  screenplay  is  by 
both  of  them. 

Running  time,  80  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  Anri' 
release.  W.  R.  W. 


Essoldo  Now  U.K.'s 
3rd  Largest  Circuit 

London,  March  9.  —  The 
mushrooming  Essoldo  Cine- 
mas, controlled  by  Sol  Sheck- 
man  of  Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
has  now  become  the  largest 
privately  -  owned  circuit  in 
Britain.  Two  more  acquisi- 
tions last  week  brought  Es- 
soldo's  total  to  96  theatres. 

Only  the  publicly-owned  J. 
Arthur  Rank's  CM.  A.  and 
Associated  British  are  larger. 


Boston  Judge  Gives 
Safety  Film  Ruling 

Boston,  March  9. — In  ruling  that 
certain  regulations  of  the  Boston 
Commissioner  of  Public  Safety  were 
"invalid,  void  and  unenforceable," 
Judge  Francis  Donahue  interpreted 
the  law  as  to  differentiate  between 
"combustible"  and  "incombustible"  in 
regard  to  motion  picture  film.  The 
interpretation  was  given  in  connec- 
tion with  his  granting  an  injunction 
against  forcing  theatres  to  employ 
two  men  in  a  booth. 

The  court  stated  that  motion  pic- 
ture film  made  of  the  substance  known 
as  cellulose  acetate  or  safety  film  does 
not  constitute  "combustible"  film.  The 
court  further  ruled  that  the  section 
of  the  safety  law  prohibiting  the  use 
of  "combustible  or  incombustible"  film 
of  more  than  10  inches  in  length,  ex- 
cept in  accordance  with  the  provisions 
of  the  law,  was  beyond  the  Commis- 
sioner's authority  so  far  as  it  purports  1 
to  apply  to  the  keeping  and  use  of 
"incombustible  film." 

Buchman  Contempt 
Trial  Opens  in  D.C. 

Washington,  March  9. — The  con- 
tempt of  Congress  trial  of  producer 
Sidney  Buchman  got  under  way  today 
in  Federal  District  court  here. 

Buchman  was  cited  for  contempt 
for  refusing  to  appear  before  the 
House  Un-American  Activities  com- 
mittee in  answer  to  subpoenas  on  two 
different  occasions. 

Assistant  U.  S.  Attorney  William 
Hitz  opened  the  government's  case  by 
putting  committee  counsel  Frank 
Tavenner  on  the  stand  and  having 
him  recite  the  events  surrounding  the 
subpoenas  and  Buchman's  non-appear- 
ance. Tavenner  will  be  subject  to 
defense  cross-examination  tomorrow. 

Delay  Decision  on 
'Ronde'  Censoring 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  9. — Decision 
by  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  the  appeai 
by  Commercial  Pictures  Corp.,  Amer- 
ican distributor  of  "La  Ronde,"  from 
the  ruling  of  the  Board  of  Regents 
that  the  French  feature  was  not  li- 
censeable  because  it  was  "immoral  and 
would  tend  to  corrupt  morals,"  went 
over  to  the  April  term.  It  was  first 
believed  that  the  state's  highest  court 
might  announce  a  decision  now.  The 
case  was  argued  on  Jan.  7  by  Dr. 
Charles  A.  Brind,  Jr.,  counsel  for 
the  Regents,  and  by  Mrs.  Florence 
Perlow  Shientag,  attorney  for  the  pe- 
titioner-appellant. 

Studio  Craft  Wages  Dip 

Hollywood,  March  9. — Craft  work- 
ers in  studios  averaged  $109.36  weekly 
during  January,  with  the  work  week 
averaging  40  1/10  hours,  according  to 


Max  Seligman  Dies 
Suddenly  in  Florida 

Max  Seligman,  for  the  past  24  years 
^rchasing  director  for  Columbia  Pic- 
tures, died  suddenly  yesterday  in  St. 
^"tersburg,  Fla.  He  is  survived  bv 
his  widow,  Pauline ;  a  daughter,  Mrs. 
Sidney  Brenwasser ;  a  sister,  Mrs. 
Mary  Brandt,  and  a  granddaughter, 
Tane  Brenwasser.  Funeral  services 
-  i1l  be  held  Friday  morning  at  River- 
Memorial  Chapel  here  at  11  :15. 
Tnterment  will  be  in  Westchester  Hills 
•""""iptery.  Yonkers. 


the  monthly  report  of  the  California 
Department    of    Industrial  Relations. 


Johnston  Again  Host 
To  D.  C.  Notables 

Washington,  March  9.  —  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America  presi- 
dent Eric  Johnston  was  host  tonight 
•  t  -mother  informal  dinner  and  screen- 
ing _  for  top  ranking  Washington 
officials. 

Officials  who  attended  with  their 
wives  included  White  House  press 
secretary  James  Hagerty ;  assistant 
Secretary  of  State  Carl  McCardle ; 
Allen  Dulles,  head  of  the  Central  In- 
telligence Agency :  and  some  50  Sen- 
ators and  congressmen.  The  picture, 
which  was  shown  at  MPAA's  Acad- 
.mia,  was  "Story  of  Three  Loves." 


$104,000  Dividends 
Paid  Out  in  Feb. 

Washington,  March  9.— Pub- 
licly-reported cash  dividends 
for  the  film  industry  in  Feb- 
ruary amounted  to  $104,000, 
compared  to  $108,000  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1952,  the  Commerce  De- 
partment reports. 


Past  Award  Winners 
On  NBC  'Oscar9  Night 

Hollywood,  March  9. — Twenty  for- 
mer Academy  Award  winners  will  ap- 
pear on  NBC's  telecast  and  radio 
broadcast  of  the  25th  anniversary 
awards  presentation  here  on  March  19, 
it  was  revealed  today  by  Johnny 
Green,  general  director  of  the  show. 
The  former  winners  will  make  the 
presentations  of  the  Oscars  to  this 
year's  winners,  marking  the  first  time 
that  this  has  been  done. 

Bob  Hope  will  be  master-of-cere- 
monies,  with  the  RCA  Victor  Division 
of  RCA  sponsoring  the  air  shows. 

The  "presenters"  of  the  Oscars 
range  from  Janet  Gaynor,  who  won 
the  "best  actress"  award  in  1927-28, 
to  Vivien  Leigh,  who  won  the  same 
title  for  "A  Streetcar  Named  Desire" 
in  1951. 

Levey  to  Ft.  Myers 
For  'Edison'  Scenes 

Jules  Levey  will  leave  here  at  the 
weekend  for  Fort  Myers,  Fla.,  to  com- 
plete final  production  arrangements  for 
the  filming  of  sequences  of  "The  Life 
of  Thomas  Edison,"  which  Levey  is 
producing  in  cooperation  with  the 
Thomas  A.  Edison  Foundation.  The 
camera  crew  completed  its  assignment 
in  Dearborn,  Mich.,  yesterday  and  will 
start  shooting  today  in  Milan,  O., 
Edison's  birthplace. 

Early  next  week,  the  crew  will  be 
in  West  Orange,  N.  J.,  the  site  of 
Edison's  first  film  studio,  known  as 
the  Black  Maria,  which  was  mounted 
on  a  turntable  so  as  to  follow  the  sun. 
The  Black  Maria  has  been  re-con- 
structed for  the  picture.  Final  shoot- 
ing will  be  in  Fort  Myers,  Edison's 
summer  home  and  site  of  his  labora- 
tory and  botanical  gardens. 

N.  J.  Allied  Meets 
At  Astor  Today 

A  wide  range  of  subjects  will  be 
taken  up  here  today  at  a  membership 
meeting  of  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of 
New  Jersey.  The  sessions  will  fol- 
low a  luncheon  at  the  Hotel  Astor. 

State  legislation  and  taxation  are 
expected  to  be  highlights  for  discus- 
sion. The  members  also  will  hear  a 
-eport  on  the  status  of  the  20  per  cent 
idmission  tax  and  will  give  attention 
to  the  pre-release  situation  and  the 
advancement  of  tri-dimensional  pic- 
tures. 

McCarthy  Returns; 
New  Post  in  Sight 

John  G.  McCarthy,  former  vice- 
president  of  the  Motion  Picture  Ex- 
oort  Association,  has  returned  to  New 
York  from  a  two-month  vacation  in 
Nassau  and  may  announce  a  new 
affiliation  shortly. 

McCarthy  said  yesterday  that  sev- 
eral deals  were  "on  the  griddle,"  both 
within  and  outside  the  film  industry 
but  that  nothing  definite  had  been 
consummated. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  47 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  11,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


British  Quota 
Continues  at 
30%  for  1954 

Government  Determined 
On  Eady  Extension,  Too 

By  PETER  BURNUP 

London,  March  10.  —  Britain's 
current  film  quota  percentages  will 
be  continued  for  another  year, 
Peter  Thorneycroft,  president  of 
the  Board  of  Trade,  told  the  House 
of  Commons  today.  The  present  quota 
is  30  per  cent  for  first  features  and 
25  for  supporting  program  pictures. 

The  Board  of  Trade  presi- 
dent also  stated  significantly 
that  the  government  is  pre- 
pared to  institute  a  statutory 
scheme  continuing  the  Eady 
Plan  after  its  expiration  date  in 
August,  1954,  should  that  be 
necessary. 

He  said  the  Board  thought  it  de- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Walton  Is  Named 
Grainger  Assistant 

Edward  L.  Walton  has  been  named 
executive  as- 
sistant to  James 
R.  Grainger, 
president  o  f 
RKO  Pictures. 
The  post  is  a 
newly  -  created 
one. 

"Mr.  Walton 
is  an  addition 
to  the  RKO  ex- 
ecutive team," 
Grainger  em- 
phasized, "and 
is  not  being 
brought  in  as  a 
replacement  for 

anyone.    He  will  have  his  headquar- 

(Continued  or.  page  A) 


Edward  Walton. 


Equipment  Sales  Up 
On  Wave  of  3-D 


Camden,  N.  J.,  March  10.— Sales 
of  RCA  theatre  projectors  and  arc 
lamps  have  shown  a  marked  increase 
in  the  past  two  months  due  to  current 
interest  in  3-D  productions,  it  was 
disclosed  here  today  by  J.  F.  O'Brien, 
manager  of  RCA's  theatre  equipment 
section.   If  this  trend  continues,  sales 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Starr  To  Explore  Plan  for  Foreign 
Groups  To  Affiliate  With  TO  A 

The  possibility  of  the  Theatre  Owners  of  America  effecting  a 
tie-up  with  foreign  exhibitors'  associations  will  be  explored  by 
TOA  president  Alfred  Starr  during  his  current  European  tour. 
Starr  left  here  yesterday  for  a  month's  stay  on  the  Continent  for 
the  purpose  of  studying  exhibition  methods  abroad. 

Starr  said  before  his  departure  that  affiliation  of  European  exhi- 
bitor organizations  with  the  TOA  was  not  unlikely,  inasmuch  as 
all  theatre  owners  have  common  operation  problems.  However, 
he  pointed  out  that  exhibitors  on  the  two  continents  do  not  have 
the  same  trade  practice  problems  and  that  affiliations  would  in- 
volve the  exchange  of  technical  information,  especially  as  it  relates 
to  three  dimensional  pictures. 


Skouras  Urges  N.  Y. 
Theatres  to  Aid 
Red  Cross  Drive 


An  appeal  for  theatre  collections  for 
the  1953  American  Red  Cross  cam- 
paign in  the  New  York  Metropolitan 
area  was  made  yesterday  by  SpVros  P. 
Skouras,  2'0th 
Century  -  Fox 
president,  and 
chairman  of  the 
amusement  in- 
dustry division 
of  the  campaign. 

Presiding  at 
a  campaign 
luncheon  at  the 
M  e  tropoli- 
tan  Club  here, 
attended  by  cir- 
cuit and  home 
office  execu- 
tives, Skouras 
i  n  t  r  o  d  u  c  e  d 
three  Korean  War  veterans,  Sgt. 
Louis  A.  Capone,  Corp.  William  S. 
Brady,   and   Corp.   Thomas   J.  Mc- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Spyros  Skouras 


Gov't  16mm.  Suit 
Takes  Step  Ahead 

Hollywood,  March  10.— The  Gov- 
ernment's 16mm.  suit  against  12  film 
companies  moved  a  step  forward  today 
with  the  last  among  the  defendants 
filing-  answers  to  the  amended  com- 
plaint. The  case  now  enters  the  pre- 
trial information-gathering  stage,  and 
the  Government  has  given  defendant 
companies  interrogatories  embracing 
29  questions  pertaining  to  company 
activities  back  to  1936  and,  in  some 
instances,  to  1928.  Counsel  for  one 
defendant  said  the  research  involved 
will  take  months  to  perform. 

Although  technically  the  defendants 
are  required  to  answer  interrogatories 
or  file  objections  within  20  days,  the 
Government  indicated  the  necessary 
extensions  will  be  granted  on  request. 


New  Record  Profit 
And  Footage  in  '52 
By  Technicolor 


Net  profit  of  Technicolor,  Inc.,  and 
its  subsidiary,  Technicolor  Motion 
Picture  Corp.,  established  a  new 
record  in  1952,  climbing  to  $2,069,206 
after  all  deductions,  as  compared  with 
$1,918,537  in  1951,  according  to  the 
annual  report  issued  here  yesterday 
by  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kalmus,  president 
and  general  manager.  New  records- 
also  were  set  in  print  output  and  pro- 
duction of  pictures  in  color  by  Techni- 
color. 

The  profit  before  taxes  on  income 
last  year  was  $6,340,288,  against 
$5,942,700  in  the  previous  year.  Net 
earnings  per  share  rose  from  $2.06 
in  1951  to  $2.19  last  year.  Dividends 
per  share  of  capital  stock  amounted  to 
$2  for  a  total  of  $1,872,816,  compared 
with  $2  in  1951  for  a  total  of  $1,855,- 
407.  Capital  investments  in  machinery 
and  equipment  amounted  to  $1,755,000 
last  year  and  the  total  investment  in 
permanent  assets  since  Jan.  1,  1945, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Terms  Driving 
Exhibitors  to 
D  of  J:  TOA 

Association  'Alarmed' 
Over  Rental  Demands 


By  AL  STEEN 

The  Theatre  Owners  of  America 
came  out  yesterday  in  its  first  offi- 
cial statement  as  an  organization  in 
protest  against  "the  increasing  num- 
ber of  d  e  - 
mands  for  ex- 
orbitant film 
rentals."  While 
expressing  it- 
self as  being 
opposed  to 
seeking  govern- 
ment relief,  the 
statement  said 
frankly  that  "it 
has  become  in- 
creasingly clear 
that  the  con- 
tinuation of  this 
policy  by  dis- 
tribution will 
drive  exhibitors  to  seek  relief  from  the 
Department  of  Justice." 
The    statement    was    prepared  by 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Walter  Reade,  Jr. 


Launch  Theatre 
TV  Tests  Today 

Initial  tests  and  meetings  designed 
to  get  the  best  possible  theatre  tele- 
vision large-screen  picture  will  get 
under  way  here  today  at  RCA's  Cen- 
ter Theatre  and  Johnny  Victor  The- 
atre where  parts  of  the  March  21 
educational  program  will  be  shown 
and  discussed. 

Taking  part  in  the  operation  will 
be  a  group  of  55  technicians  and  the- 
atremen  of  the  following  firms :  RCA, 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Co.,  New  York  Telephone  Co.,  New 
Jersey  Bell  System,  Trad  Television, 
American  Broadcasting  Co.,  General 
Precision  Laboratories,  American 
Broadcasting  -  Paramount  Theatres, 
Fabian  Theatres,  Century  Circuit,  Ft. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Appeal  Crest  Case 
To  Supreme  Court 

Washington,  March  10.  —  The 
Supreme  Court  was  asked  today  to 
rule  that  the  film  distributors  do  not 
have  the  right  to  refuse  to  license 
first-run  pictures  to  neighborhood 
theatres. 

Theatre  Enterprises,  Inc.,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Crest  Theatre,  Balti- 
more, appealed  to  the  high  court  a 
ruling  of  the  Fourth  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals  that  the  distributors  had  not 
violated  the  anti-trust  laws  by  refus- 

(Continucd  on  page  4) 


DuMontAsksFCCto 
Reconsider  Decision 


Washington,  March  10. — Allen  B. 
DuMont  Laboratories,  Inc.,  today 
asked  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  to  reconsider  its  Feb.  9 
decision  that  Paramount  Pictures  con- 
trols DuMont. 

The  request,  which  is,,, considered  to 
have  relatively  little  chance  of  suc- 
cess, was  taken  by  observers  as  an 

(Continued  on  pbge  4) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  11,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

TITLES  LAPIDUS,  Warner  Broth- 
«J  ers  Eastern  and  Canadian  division 
sales  manager,  is  in  Cincinnati  today 
on  the  first  stop  of  a  tour  of  the 
Central  district.  He  will  return  to 
New  York  on  Monday. 

• 

Manny  Reiner,  foreign  sales  man- 
ager for  Samuel  Goldwyn  Produc- 
tions, has  returned  to  New  York  from 
a  Latin  American  trip. 

• 

Leon  Brandt,  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Productions  director  of  exploitation, 
will  leave  here  today  for  Detroit, 
Cleveland  and  Cincinnati. 


List  38  N.Y.  Houses 
For  4Bwana  Devil' 


Third-Dimension  will  blanket  New 
York  for  the  first  time  this  weekend, 
with  "Bwana  Devil"  opening  on  Fri- 
day in  31  Loew's  neighborhood  the- 
atres and  seven  in  other  circuits  in 
the  Metropolitan  area. 

"Bwana  Devil,"  a  United  Artists  re- 
lease, will  open  at  these  Loew's  the- 
atres :  The  Paradise  in  the  Bronx, 
and  the  Triboro  in  Queens ;  in  Man- 
hattan, the  72nd  St.,  83rd  St.,  116th 
St.,  175th  St.,  Canal,  Commodore, 
Delancey,  Inwood,  Lexington,  Olym- 
pia,  Orpheum,  Rio,  Sheridan  and  Vic- 
toria;  in  Brooklyn,  the  46th  St.,  Al- 
pine, Brevoort,  Broadway,  Coney 
Island,  Gates,  Kameo,  Kings,  Oriental, 
Pitkin  and  Premiere;  in  Westchester, 
Mt.  Vernon,  New  Rochelle,  White 
Plains  and  Yonkers. 

It  will  also  open  in  Brooklyn  at 
the  Sanders  Theatre  on  the  Brandt 
circuit ;  the  Meserole,  Clinton  and 
Commodore  on  the  Randforce  circuit 
and  the  Kingsway  and  Sheepshead 
theatres  on  the  Century  circuit.  An 
additional  opening  in  Westchester  will 
take  place  at  the  Capitol  in  Port- 
chester  and  another  in  New  Jersey 
will  be  held  at  the  DeWitt  in 
Bayonne. 


All-purpose  Screen 
Set  for  Para.  Studio 

Hollywood,  March  10. — Installation 
of  the  first  all-purpose  proving-ground 
for  3-D  and  peripheral  vision  systems 
will  be  completed  at  Paramount  stu- 
dio here  within  six  weeks  on  the  ar- 
rival of  a  concave  plastic  screen  being- 
built  in  England  and  measuring  36  by 
18  feet,  as  against  the  13  by  16-foot 
screen  currently  in  the  300-foot  thea- 
tre. 


Rank's  Davis  Here 
For  Study  of  3-D 

A  study  of  tri-dimensional  develop- 
ments in  the  United  States  will  be 
made  during  the  next  two  weeks  by 
John  Davis,  managing  director  of  the 
J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization,  Ltd. 

Davis  arrived  here  from  London 
yesterday  and,  after  a  few  days  of  con- 
ferences in  New  York,  he  will  go  to 
Hollywood. 


Film,  Equipment  Exports 
In  '52  Totaled  $25,692,819 

Washington,  March  10. — Exports  of  motion  pictures  films  and 
equipment  in  1952  were  about  eight  per  cent  below  1951  shipments, 
Commerce  Department  film  chief  Nathan  D.  Golden  reports. 

Golden  estimated  shipments  last  year  at  $25,692,819,  compared  with 
$28,053,500  the  year  before.  Major  de- 


clines came  in  shipments  of  exposed 
feature  films,  all  types  of  raw  stock 
except  35mm.  positive  film,  and  prac- 
tically all  types  of  equipment  except 
16mm.  sound  projectors  and  35mm. 
cameras. 

Exports  of  exposed  or  developed 
motion  picture  feature  film  fell  from 
323,836,500  linear  feet,  valued  at 
$10,051,858  in  1951,  to  305,866,735 
linear  feet,  valued  at  $9,681,480  in 
1952.  Major  drops  came  in  shipments 
of  both  35mm.  negative  and  positive 
features  and  16mm.  positive  features. 
Exports  of  16mm.  negative  features 
increased  both  in  terms  of  linear  feet 
and  dollar  value. 

Total  raw  stock  shipments  fell  from 
298,028,800  linear  feet,  valued  at 
$7,095,959  in  1951,  to  267,643,072  feet, 
valued  at  $6,184,418  last  year.  Ship- 
ments of  35mm.  positive  raw  stock  in- 
creased in  terms  of  linear  feet  but 
dropped  slightly  in  terms  of  dollar 
value.  All  other  raw  stock  categories 
fell  both  in  terms  of  footage  and 
dollars. 


$51,750,000  Blacklist 
Suit  Filed  on  Coast 

Los  Angeles,  March  10. — Damages 
totaling  $51,750,000  are  sought  from 
17  film  companies,  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America,  the  Society 
of  Independent  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers, 20  individuals  and  also  mem- 
bers of  the  House  Un-American 
Activities  Committee  in  a  Superior 
Court  suit  filed  here  by  23  individuals 
today  charging  conspiracy  to  deprive 
them  of  employment  both  inside  and 
outside  the  film  industry. 


Shipments  of  cameras  fell  from 
18,164  cameras,  valued  at  $1,531,326 
in  1951,  to  16,614  cameras,  valued  at 
$1,316,540  last  year.  Exports  of 
35mm.  cameras  increased  both  in 
terms  of  number  and  dollar  value, 
while  shipments  of  8mm.  cameras  in- 
creased in  number  but  fell  sharply  in 
dollar  value.  Both  the  number  and 
value  of  16mm.  camera  exports  fell. 


Report  on 
ADVERTISING 


The 
HERALD 
INSTITUTE 

of  Industry 
k  Opinion 


KOR  the  first  time,  the  combined  thinking  of 
the  industry  on  this  important  subject  has  been 
ascertained.  All  three  of  the  Institute's  Panels 
— thoroughly  representative  of  Production,  Dis- 
tribution and  Exhibition — have  evidenced  keen 
interest  in  their  study  of  questions  dealing  with: 
More  informative  advertising  copy;  the  need 
for  creation  of  new  advertising  styles;  misrepre- 
sentative  appeals;  expenditure  allocations;  com- 
parative newspaper  rates;  pre-selling  through 
national  magazines;  and  trade  advertising  policy. 
The  analysis  of  the  opinion  of  the  Institute  Panels 
will  appear — 

in  this  week's  issue  of 

Motion  Picture  Herald 


MP  A  A  Annual  Meet 
Set  for  March  30 

The  annual  meeting  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  will  be  held  on 
March  30,  if  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  directors  are  available 
at  the  time. 

On  the  agenda  will  be  the 
annual  election  of  officers  and 
directors  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  standing  committees 
for  the  ensuing  year.  Indica- 
tions are  that  all  present 
officers  will  be  reelected  and 
that  James  R.  Grainger,  RKO 
Radio  president,  will  be 
elected  to  the  MPAA  board 
as  that  company's  representa- 
tive. 


Clark  Firm  Will 
Service  3-D  Glasses 

Matthew  Fox,  in  partnership  with 
Commerce  International  Co.,  has  com- 
pleted a  deal  with  National  Film  Ser- 
vice, for  the  sale  and  distribution  of 
glasses  for  three-dimensional  films. 

National  Film  Service,  of  which 
James  P.  Clark  is  president,  is  a  na- 
tion-wide organization  covering  every 
exchange  city.  It  is  affiliated  with 
National  Film  Carriers.  National 
Film  will  be  ready  March  16  to  ser- 
vice exhibitors'  requirements  locally 
with  delivery  scheduled  for  May  15. 
Output  between  now  and  May  15  will 
be  used  for  emergency  requirements 
for  engagements  of  "Bwana  Devil" 
and  contemplated  engagements  of  the 
Marciano-Walcott  fight  and  "House 
of  Wax." 


Asks  Continuation 
Of  AMP  A  School 

A  resolution  calling  for  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  Associated  Motion 
Picture  Advertisers'  school  was  ap- 
proved here  yesterday  at  AMPA's 
annual  membership  luncheon.  The 
resolution  calling  upon  the  new  ad- 
ministration to  continue  the  school 
received  the  endorsement  of  the  more 
than  20  members  attending. 

The  meeting  also  selected  the  fol- 
lowing nominating  committee  and 
alternates  to  choose  an  incoming 
slate :  Gordon  White,  chairman, 
Blanche  Livingston,  Burt  Robbins, 
Bill  Bolle,  Vincent  Trotta,  Ray  Gal- 
lagher, Ray  Gallo  and  alternates  Leon 
Bamberger  and  Rutgers  Neilson. 


Meet  Tomorrow  on 
Mass.  Booth  Ruling 

Boston,  March  10.  —  Irving  A. 
Isaacs,  president  of  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors, Inc.,  and  Ted  Rosenblatt, 
president  of  Drive-in  Theatres  Asso- 
ciation, both  New  England  units  of 
national  Allied,  have  called  a  special 
membership  meeting  here  Thursday 
to  further  clarify  the  decree  and  en- 
joinment  of  Judge  Francis  Donahue, 
in  which  he  declared  that  certain  reg- 
ulations of  the  Commissioner  of  Pub- 
lic Safety  are  void  and  unenforceable. 
He  said  that  the  regulation,  requiring 
two  operators  in  a  booth  at  the  same 
time  is  invalid. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President:  Leo  J.  Brady, 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben   Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,   Editorial  Representative.  11  North 


of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c. 


Look 

EST'         <•«  " 


I  LOVE 
MELVIN" 

t  / 
ABOVE:  TA«  cofer 
showmanship  history. 


M-G-M  SCORES 
ANOTHER  FIRST! 


A  unique  promotion  idea  for  a  great  box-office 
a  look  „m        attrefction  M.G.M'S  Sparkling  TECHNICOLOR  musical! 


Read  about  it  below. 


THIS  IS  M-G-M's  TIE-UP  WITH 


Look 


1  —  The  LOOK  cover  above  featuring  Debbie  Reynolds  is  part  of  the  story  theme  of  "I  LOVE 

MELVIN"  and  appears  importantly  in  the  production. 

2  —  The  same  cover  that  appears  in  "I  LOVE  MELVIN"  is  on  LOOK,  issue  of  April  7th,  out  on 

March  24th. 

3  —  The  same  issue  carries  a  story  about  Debbie,  Donald  O'Connor  and  "I  LOVE  MELVIN." 

4  —  LOOK  will  furnish  magazine  distributors  with  thousands  of  2 -color  "I  LOVE  MELVIN" 

truck  posters  (size  44 "x  28"). 

5  — LOOK  will  distribute  50,000  "I  LOVE  MELVIN"  newsstand  cards. 

6 — LOOK  field  men  and  American  News  Company  branches  are  at  your  service.  Communicate 
with  them. 


26  MILLION  PEOPLE  SEE 
FILM'S  HIGHLIGHTS  ON  T.V. 

On  Sunday,  March  22nd,  on  Ed  Sullivan's 
CBS  "Toast  Of  The  Town"  the  nation  will 
see  highlight  scenes  and  hear  musical  excerpts 
from  "I  LOVE  MELVIN."  Seeing  is  believing. 
It's  like  a  trailer  in  homes  across  America. 

THE  SHOWMANSHIP  MUSICAL! 

On  March  14th  NBC's  "What's  The  Score" 
3:30  P.  M.  will  play  the  M-G-M  Records 
Album.  See  the  press  book  and  use  the  live- 
wire  ideas.  From  coast-to-coast  the  folks  will 
be  saying  "I  LOVE  MELVIJSf." 


I 


M-G-M  presents 


Starring 


LVIN 


DONALD  O'CONNOR  •DEBBIE  REYNOLDS 

UNA  MERKEL  ■  RICHARD  ANDERSON  ■  AUVN  JDSLYN 

Color  by  TECHNICOLOR  •  Screen  Play  by  GEORGE  WELLS 
Additional  Dialogue  by  Ruth  Brooks  Flippen    •    Story  by  Laslo  Vadnay 
Directed  by  DON  WEIS   •   Produced  by  GEORGE  WELLS 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  11,  1953 


Crest  Appeal 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ing  to  grant  first-run  films  to  the 
Crest.  All  eight  major  distributors 
are  named  as  defendants. 

The  suit,  seeking  injunctive  relief 
and  monetary  damages  resulting  from 
the  loss  of  first-run  films,  was  brought 
originally  in  March,  1950.  The  1,600- 
seat  Crest,  built  in  1949,  is  located 
six  miles  from  the  nearest  downtown 
first-run  theatre  in  Baltimore.  Ac- 
cording to  the  petition  filed  by  Thea- 
tre Enterprises,  the  distributors  ad- 
mitted that  if  the  Crest  were  in  down- 
town Baltimore  or  were  owned  by  one 
of  themselves  it  would  be  granted 
access  to  first-run  films,  but  that  it 
was  a  uniform  policy  throughout  the 
U.  S.  to  limit  the  exhibition  of  first- 
run  pictures  to  downtown  theatres. 
Such  a  policy,  Theatre  Enterprises 
maintained,  violates  the  anti-trust 
laws  and  the  Supreme  Court  opinion 
in  the  Paramount  case. 


Theatre  TV  Tests 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Lee  Theatre  and  Lane  Theatre. 

The  operation  will  get  underway  at 
the  Center  Theatre,  where  the  filmed 
portion  of  the  theatre  TV  educational 
program  will  be  flashed  on  the  screen, 
in  addition  to  "live"  National  Broad- 
casting Co.  television  programs  picked 
off  the  air.  The  group,  following  the 
theatre  TV  screening,  will  then  dis- 
cuss such  problems  as  lighting  and 
sound  at  the  Johnny  Victor  Theatre 
in  Rockefeller  Center. 

The  one-hour  educational  program, 
sponsored  by  the  Technical  Society's 
Council  of  New  York,  will  be  seen  in 
seven  theatres  in  New  York  and  New 
Jersey. 


Walton  Named 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


ters  in  New  York,  but  will  travel 
extensively  as  my  personal  repre- 
sentative." 

Formerly  executive  assistant  to 
Grainger  for  seven  years  when  both 
were  with  Republic  Pictures,  Walton 
previously  had  served  Republic  for 
five  years  as  Midwest  district  man- 
ager and  for  three  years  as  Seattle 
branch  manager.  Prior  to  that  he 
owned  the  Republic  franchise  in  Den- 
ver, Seattle,  Portland  and  Salt  Lake 
City  in  partnership  with  J.  T.  Shef- 
field. 


Independents  Hit 
IFE  in  MPA  Talks 


§  only  $644.45*  for  a 

^  10-DAY 
*s  HAWAIIAN 
VACATION! 


Includes  Mainliner  transportation,  hotel 
accommodations  and  sightseeing. 

That's  just  one  of  United  Air  Lines' 
low-expense  Hawaiian  Air  Vacations. 
There  are  six  others  from  which  to 
choose,  lasting  up  to  23  days.  Call  or 
write  for  a  free  descriptive  folder. 

UNITED  AIR  LINES 

(*  From  New  York,  plus  tax) 


A  sharp  protest  against  the  sub- 
sidization of  the  Italian  Films  Ex- 
port company  by  major  American  film 
firms  was  issued  here  yesterday  by 
Joseph  Burstyn,  president  of  the  new- 
ly-formed Independent  Motion  Picture 
Distributors  Association  of  America. 

The  IFE,  Burstyn  maintained,  has 
been  organized  as  a  distributing  or- 
ganization for  Italian  films  in  the 
U.  S.,  to  the  detriment  of  established 
independent  distributors  of  this  coun- 
try and  contrary  to  the  American 
principle  of  private  free  enterprise. 
These  sentiments,  Burstyn  added, 
were  forwarded  to  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America  in  a  series  of 
meetings  between  himself  and  Eric 
Johnston,  MPA  A  president. 

Other  officers  of  I M  PDA  A  are: 
Arthur  L.  Mayer,  Max  Goldberg, 
vice-presidents;  Sanford  W.  Weiner, 
secretary ;  George  Margolin ,  treas- 
urer ;  and  the  following  board  of  di- 
rectors :  Burstyn,  chairman,  Goldberg, 
Margolin,  Mayer,  Ilya  Lopert  and 
George  Roth. 


WEJVS 

in  Brief 


Technicolor  Profit 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


approximated  $6,733,000. 

Doctor  Kalmus  noted  that  97  fea- 
tures in  color  by  Technicolor  or  prints 
by  Technicolor  exceeded  by  21  the 
previous  high  mark  set  in  1951.  The 
British  affiliated  company  produced 
28  features,  making  a  total  of  125 
Technicolor  pictures  in  1952.  He  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  the  advent 
of  the  new  wide  angle  and/or  three- 
dimensional  processes  will  mean  an 
increasing  demand  for  Technicolor 
services  and  products. 

Negative  Sales  High 

A  new  record  high  for  negative 
sales  was  set  with  a  total  of  29,887,- 
631  feet  for  1952,  compared  with  the 
previous  high  of  25,214,062  feet  in 
1951.  Technicolor's  net  sales  in  1952 
were  $33,020,559.  In  1951  they  were 
$28,896,344. 

Kalmus  said  that  Technicolor  is 
taking  no  position  with  respect  to 
the  relative  merits  of  the  dimension 
processes.  "We  are  currently  cooperat- 
ing with  most  of  them  in  the  interests 
of  the  motion  picture  industry  through 
the  means  of  any  device  which  will  en- 
hance the  entertainment  value  or 
lower  the  cost  of  screen  presentation 
entertainment,"  he  said. 

Technicolor,  Ltd.,  the  British  com- 
pany, also  had  a  record-breaking  year 
in  1952.  Total  footage  was  162,016,- 
619,  an  increase  of  44,684,149  feet 
over  1951.  Total  profit  before  taxes 
was  £780,012,  compared  with  £455,- 
159  in  1951.  Net  income  was  £260,012 
(1951,  £189,159). 

_  Thirty-four  features  are  in  produc- 
tion or  in  active  preparation  by  Tech- 
nicolor, Ltd. 


Toronto,  March  10. — The  age  limit 
for  children  who  can  be  admitted  to 
film  theatres  when  unaccompanied  by 
a  parent  or  adult  guardian  is  to  be 
reduced  from  16  to  14  years  under 
the  provisions  of  The  Theatres  Act 
of  1953,  which  has  been  placed  before 
the  Ontario  legislature. 

The  concession  means  that  unat- 
tended juveniles  of  14  years  or  older 
can  be  admitted  to  performances 
after  6  :00  P.M. 

• 

Samuel  Spring,  attorney  and  author 
of  the  book,  "Risks  and  Rights,"  has 
been  appointed  to  head  a  legal  com- 
mittee of  the  National  Television  Film 
Council  to  investigate  current  laws 
regarding  defamation,  privacy,  and 
sundry  legal  protection,  as  they  apply 
to  television,  it  was  announced  by 
Arche  Mayers,  NTFC  president. 
• 

Thousands  from  the  New  York 
Metropolitan  area  last  night  converged 
on  Broadway's  Astor  Theatre  to  pay 
tribute  to  Rosemary  Clooney,  Holly- 
wood's new  star,  at  the  arc-lighted 
premiere  of  her  first  motion  picture, 
"The  Stars  Are  Singing." 

• 

At  least  six  film  companies  will  be 
represented  at  the  "Toast  of  the 
Town"  luncheon  honoring  Ed  Sulli- 
van, columnist  and  aircaster,  which  is 
being  sponsored  by  the  Associated 
Motion  Picture  Advertisers  on  March 
19  at  the  Hotel  Piccadilly. 

Companies  already  accepting  invita- 
tions are  :  Paramount,  Warner  Broth- 
ers, Universal,  Loew's,  RKO  Pictures 
and  United  Artists. 

• 

"The  Twonky,"  Arch  Oboler  sci- 
ence-fiction picture,  has  been  acquired 
for  release  by  United  Artists,  which 
currently  is  releasing  Oboler's  three- 
dimensional  "Bwana  Devil."  Oboler 
wrote,  produced  and  directed  "The 
Twonky,"  which  is  based  on  Henry 
Kuddner's  science-fiction  short  story. 
• 

Washington,  March  10. — District 
court  Judge  Kennedy  today  dismissed 
one  of  the  two  contempt  of  Congress 
counts  against  Hollywood  writer-pro- 
ducer Sidney  Buchman. 

• 

A  bomb  fashioned  from  a  four-inch 
pipe  was  exploded  in  the  orchestra 
section  of  Radio  City  Music  Hall 
here  early  yesterday  afternoon.  No 
interruption  of  the  program  resulted 
and  no  injuries  or  property  damage 
were  reported. 

Police  and  Fire  Department  squads 
were  investigating  the  action,  which 
followed  the  setting  off  of  several 
stench  bombs  in  other  first-run  Broad- 
way houses  during  the  past  two  weeks. 


National 


DuMont  Asks 

(Continued  from  page  !) 


indication  that  DuMont  is  prepared  to 
go  to  court  to  fight  the  FCC's  find- 
ing. A  request  for  reconsideration  is 
a  necessary  preliminary  to  a  court 
appeal. 

The  FCC  finding  that  Paramount 
did  control  DuMont  was  part  of  the 
decision  which  approved  the  American 
Broadcasting  -  Paramount  Theatres 
merger  and  which  found  both  Para- 
mount   Pictures    and    United  Para- 


mount qualified  television  licensees. 
The  DuMont  petition  does  not  affect 
these  issues. 

One  effect  of  the  FCC  decision  on 
control  would  be  to  cut  down  the 
number  of  additional  television  sta- 
tions that  DuMont  can  get. '  FCC 
rules  forbid  more  than  five  stations 
to  any  firm  or  firms  with  common 
control.  DuMont  now  has  three  sta- 
tions and  Paramount  one,  so  under 
the  FCC  ruling,  only  one  more  sta- 
tion would  be  allowed  the  two  firms 
together.  If  there  should  be  a  finding 
that  Paramount  did  not  control  Du- 
Mont, DuMont  could  apply  for  two 
more  stations  and  Paramount  for  four 


Pre-Selling 

DARRYL  ZANUCK  expresses  his 
views  on  3-D  and  CinemaScope 
in  the  current  issue  of  Life. 

Zanuck  says,  "We  don't  need  depth. 
My  brain  gives  me  depth.  I  see  a 
tiny  man  on  the  screen  and  my  brain 
tells  me  it  is  a  man  and  he  has  width 
and  height  and  depth.  I  have  been 
supplying  my  own  third  dimension  all 
my  life.  What  we  need  is  to  open  up, 
open  up  wide." 

When  Zanuck  says  "open  up  wide," 
he  is  thinking  of  CinemaScope,  which 
tries  to  increase  the  illusion  of  reality, 
not  by  three-dimensional  effect  but  by 
width.  Its  screen  is  2.66  times  as 
wide  as  the  normal  one  and  opens  up 
enormous  space  to  the  camera  eye. 
Life  shows  how  CinemaScope  works 
on  the  set  at  its  first  major  trial. 
"The  Robe,"  a  Biblical  story,  was 
chosen  to  inaugurate  his  ideas. 

Also  shown  is  a  photograph  taken 
on  a  "Robe"  set.  Super-imposed  on 
the  photograph  are  frames  showing 
the  width  of  the  picture  without  the 
process  in  a  theatre  and  the  size  of 
the  picture  when  using  the  Cinema- 
Scope process. 

The  3-D  Cinerama  process  and 
Ediphor  were  depicted  in  previous 
issues  of  Life. 

• 

Lisa  Wilson  reports  in  the  March 
15  issue  of  American  Weekly  that 
Virginia  Mayo  during  her  childhood 
in  addition  to  contracting  many  ill- 
nesses common  among  children  picked 
up  an  inferiority  complex.  Virginia 
says  if  she  had  not  met  Michael 
O'Shea,  her  husband,  "I'd  still  be  a 
knucklehead."  Mike  told  her  "if  she 
did  not  stop  belittling  herself  he  zuould 
beat  her  to  a  pulp." 

Virginia  Mayo's  new  picture,  "She's 
Back   on  Broadway,"   opens  at  the 
Paramount  Theatre  here  today. 
• 

Five  pages  are  devoted  to  a 
profile  of  Gene  Kelly  and  back- 
ground material  on  his  latest 
picture,  "Invitation  to  the 
Dance,"  in  the  current  issue  of 
Look. 

Kelly  wrote  the  story  for  "In- 
vitation to  the  Dance,"  did  the 
choreography  and  is  both  star 
and  director.  Stills  taken  on 
the  sets  in  both  Paris  and 
London  are  used. 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  full 
color  page  ad  on  "Desert 
Island,"  and  a  full  page  ad  on 
"I  Love  Melvin." 


Philip  T.  Hartung,  movie  editor  of 
the  Woman's  Home  Companion,  uses 
15  photographs  to  illustrate  the  six 
Co»i/'a;;.iOH-approved  movies  listed  in 
the  March  issue.  Also  recommended 
by  Hartung  are  nine  other  pictures 
now  in  release. 

• 

"On  Location"  is  the  caption  given 
to  a  picture-and-text  story  on  Alfred 
Hitchcock's  latest  thriller,  "I  Con- 
fess," in  the  March  issue  of  Seventeen. 
The  photographs  were  made  in 
Quebec  during  filming.  Intimate 
scenes  are  used  showing  how  movie- 
making fascinated  the  people  of 
Quebec,  as  well  as  shots  of  Ann  Bax- 
ter, Montgomery  Clift  and  Alfred 
Hitchcock. 

Also  in  this  issue  is  a  table  of  con- 
tents page  ad  on  "Dream  Wife." 

Walter  Haas 


Wednesday,  March  11,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


U.K.  Quota 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Hits  Rentals 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Walter  Reade,  Jr.,  executive  vice- 
president  of  the  TOA,  who,  with 
TOA  president  Alfred  Starr  and  gen- 
eral counsel  Herman  Levy,  elabo- 
rated on  the  organization's  position 
in  a  trade  press  conference. 

The  trio  of  TOA  leaders  said 
they  were  particularly  alarmed 
over  the  rental  demands  because 
"at  long  last"  there  are  avail- 
able a  number  of  pictures  with 
strong  box-office  appeal.  Reade 
singled  out  as  examples  such 
product  as  "Peter  Pan,"  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen,"  "Moulin 
Rouge,"  "Salom  e,"  "Bwana 
Devil"  and  "Call  Me  Madam." 
He  said  he  may  have  left  out 
many  other  big  potential  gross- 
ing pictures,  but  that  it  was 
almost  necessary  to  have  these 
features  in  order  to  stay  in 
business.  The  exhibitors'  plight, 
he  added,  was  the  diminishing 
returns  on  the  so-called  "aver- 
age" picture,  pointing  out  that 
top  pictures  must  make  up  for 
the  lesser  films.  However,  it 
was  indicated  that  this  was 
impossible  because  of  the  high 
terms. 

Starr  said  he  preferred  that  an  ad- 
justment be  made  on  an  individual 
basis,  with  an  appeal  to  the  business 
sense  of  the  distributors.  However,  if 
a  "friendly"  approach  to  the  problem 
fails,  he  said,  then  the  issue  will  go  to 
the  TOA  board  of  directors  for  action. 
He  said  he  hoped  the  distributors 
would  not  be  so  short-sighted  as  not 
to  realize  that  they  are  driving  their 
customers — and  '"only  customers" — 
out  of  business.  The  distributors,  he 
said,  must  provide  the  means,  through 
fair  film  rentals  on  top  pictures,  to 
keep  their  customers  in  business. 

Starr  and  Reade  said  it  was 
not  the  TOA  policy  to  "call  the 
cops,"  preferring  to  explore  all 
other  avenues  to  achieve  re- 
sults. The  end  result  of  going 
to  the  government  on  these 
matters,  Starr  said,  has  been 
disastrous,  with  the  exhibitors 
"getting  the  dirty  end  of  the 
deal."  He  said  he  disliked  to 
see  the  way  opened  for  govern- 
ment regulation  and  control  of 
the  industry,  but,  he  asked, 
"What  can  we  do  if  it  can't  be 
settled  on  a  friendly  basis?" 

Reade  asserted  that  the  array  of 
good  product  on  the  way  during  the 
next  90  days  was  the  type  that  "will 
keep  us  in  business"  and  he  added 
that  he  hoped  the  distributors  would 
realize  they  must  share  the  respon- 
sibility of  keeping  theatres  in  busi- 
ness. A  few  years  ago  when  the  dis- 
tributors claimed  they  had  to  have 
higher  rentals  because  of  higher  pro- 
duction costs,  exhibitors  cooperated, 
he  said,  but  now  the  "shoe  is  on  the 
other  foot." 

The  TOA  statement,  as  issued  by 
Reade,  while  not  advocating  immedi- 
ate Justice  Department  action,  did, 
however,  appear  to  parallel  certain 
tenets  often  expressed  by  Allied,  in- 
dicating, according  to  some  observers, 
that  the  two  associations  seem  to  be 
closer  together  on  a  policy  platform. 
In  regard  to  the  terms  asked  on  the 
bigger  pictures,  TOA  said : 

"We  feel  that  this  practice  is 
economically  unsound  and  is 
unfair   and    unjust.    We  feel, 


TOA  Planning  3-D 
Clearing  House 

A  clearing  house  to  chan- 
nel information  on  tri-dimen- 
sional  developments  to  mem- 
bers will  be  set  up  here 
shortly  by  the  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America.  News  of 
technical  advancements,  in- 
stallation problems  and  pub- 
lic acceptance  of  3-D  pictures 
in  release  will  be  included  in 
special  bulletins  and  in  the 
associations  "Progress  Re- 
ports." The  clearing  house 
will  be  handled  by  Dick  Pitts 
of  the  New  York  office. 


too,  that  while  there  is  no  sub- 
stantial evidence  before  us  of 
concerted  action  by  distribu- 
tors in  the  employment  of  this 
practice,  the  end  result  is  that 
exhibitors  are  being  asked  by 
almost  all  of  the  distributing 
companies  to  agree  to  film 
rental  terms  that  leave  them 
no  alternative  but  to  increase 
their  customary  admission 
prices. 

"The  decision  of  the  courts  in  U.  S. 
vs.  Paramount,  et  al.,  and  the  decrees 
entered  therein,  all  had  as  a  major 
basis  of  their  philosophy  that  the  dis- 
tributors were  not  to  compel  nor  to 
control  admission  prices.  The  current 
practice  of  demanding  unrealistic  film 
rental  is,  in  our  opinion,  bringing 
about  indirectly  what  the  law  has 
declared  to  be  illegal  if  done  directly. 
It  cannot  be  that  the  courts  and  the 
Department  of  Justice  expected  this 
development  to  occur,  nor  that  they 
will  condone  it.  It  has  become  in- 
creasingly clear  that  the  continuation 
of  this  policy  by  distribution  will  drive 
exhibitors  to  seek  relief  from  the 
Department  of  Justice." 

Starr  said  that  the  projected  meet- 
ing with  Allied  on  trade  practices  and 
arbitration  would  not  be  held  until 
after  he  returned  from  his  European 
trip,  which  will  end  about  April  15. 
He  said  he  was  aware  of  the  fact  that 
Allied  president  Wilbur  Snaper  had 
to  get  his  board's  sanction  before  such 
a  meeting  could  be  held.  The  Allied 
board  will  meet  late  this  month  in 
Milwaukee. 

Starr  expressed  the  belief  that  ar- 
bitration was  not  "dead"  despite  some 
opinions  within  the  trade  to  the  con- 
trary. 


Aid  Red  Cross 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

Mamaro,  who  described  Red  Cross 
services  performed  for  them  and  other 
wounded  veterans. 

Other  speakers  included  E.  Roland 
Harriman,  American  Red  Cross  presi- 
dent;  Albert  C.  Simmonds,  Jr.,  chair- 
man of  the  New  York  chapter ;  Austin 
Keough,  vice-president  and  general 
counsel  of  Paramount  Pictures,  and 
Vanessa  Brown,  film  and  stage 
actress. 

Harry  Brandt,  president  of  the  In- 
dependent Theatre  Owners  Associa- 
tion of  New  York,  pledged-  that 
organization's  members  to  theatre  col- 
lections during  the  campaign. 

Skouras  said  a  John  Wayne  cam- 
paign trailer  is  being  made  for  the- 
atres. Herman  Robbins,  president  of 
National  Screen  Service,  volunteered 
the  services  of  his  company  in  its  dis- 
tribution, and  Paul  Terry  of  Terry- 
toons  offered  his  services. 


sirable  that  there  be  an  extension  of 
Eady  for  at  least  three  years  which 
should  be  achieved,  if  possible,  by  vol- 
untary agreement  within  the  industry. 
He  said  it  is  hoped  that  such  an 
agreement  will  be  forthcoming  but 
that  he  is  convinced  that  British  pro- 
duction must  be  maintained  by  such 
means. 

Officers  of  all  trade  associations 
were  summoned  to  the  Board  of 
Trade  and  given  the  president's  ulti- 
matum in  advance  of  his  statement  to 
Commons.  Since  no  segment  of  the 
industry  desires  any  additional  state 
control,  it  is  believed  certain  that  ex- 
hibitors, therefore,  will  agree  to  some 
voluntary  plan  for  the  extension  of 
Eady,  which  they  have  been  reluctant 
to  do  before  now.  However,  indica- 
tions are  they  will  insist  upon  wait- 
ing until  the  Chancellor  of  the  Ex- 
chequer has  disclosed  the  new  budget 
to  Commons. 

The  industry  has  made  no  recom- 
mendations to  the  government  on 
either  the  new  quota  or  the  exten- 
sion of  Eady,  exhibitors  being  dis- 
satisfied with  the  latter  and  pro- 
ducers asserting  they  could  set  no 
definite  production  plans  until  the 
future  of  Eady  was  settled  and,  with- 
out definite  production  plans,  they  had 
no  quota  recommendations  to  make. 
Therefore,  the  Board  of  Trade's 
action  today  forces  the  issue. 

The  current  quota  year  ends  next 
Sept.  30.  By  statute,  a  decision  on 
the  next  quota  year's  percentages 
must  be  made  by  the  preceding 
March  31. 


Code  in  Mexico 
Is  Being  Revised 

Mexico  City,  March  10.— 
The  code  ruling  the  moral  and 
social  activities  of  the  Mexi- 
can film  industry  is  being 
revised  by  Jose  Lelo  de  Lar- 
rea,  the  new  director  general 
of  the  National  Cinematogra- 
phic Board.  The  code  will 
modernize  the  existing  one 
that  has  been  in  effect  for 
several  years. 


Equipment  Sales 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

of  these  items  for  the  first  quarter 
of  1953  are  expected  to  be  consider- 
ably higher  than  for  the  correspond- 
ing quarter  of  1952,  he  said. 

"As  interest  in  three-dimensional 
motion  pictures  increases,"  added 
O'Brien,  "many  theatres  are  finding 
that  their  current  equipment  is  not  in 
sufficiently  good  condition  for  the 
screening  of  3-D  pictures." 

Appoint  Kupferman 
Cinerama  Attorney 

Theodore  R.  Kupferman  has  re- 
signed from  the  legal  department  of 
National  Broadcasting  to  become  gen- 
eral attorney  for  Cinerama  Produc- 
tions, it  was  disclosed  here  by,  Dudley 
Roberts,  Jr.,  Cinerama  president. 
Kupferman  will  be  associated  with  the 
law  firm  of  Chapman,  Bryson,  Walsh 
and  O'Connell,  general  counsel  to  the 
company. 


"More  th  '  — 

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BACKED  BY  MOST 
POWERFUL  TV  CAMPAIGN 
EVER  PUT  BEHIND  A 
MOTION  PICTURE! 

Presold  for  you  by 

TOAST  OF  THE  TOWN! 

Ed  Sullivan  presents  highlight 
scenes,  Sunday,  March  29th! 

KEN  MURRAY  SHOW! 

Re-creating  excitement  and  fes- 
tivities of  Los  Angeles  premiere! 

COLGATE  COMEDY  HOUR! 

Headlining  "Call  Me  Madam" 
star  Donald  O'Connor  in  person! 

YOUR  SHOW  OF  SHOWS! 

Staging  two  of  film's  sock 
production  numbers.  Soon! 


TQJMU 

MTZ,  LA.  -  OUT  OF  THIS  WORLD' 

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SSd  everywhere  for  Easter! 


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THERE'LL  BE  NO  EASTER  LIKE  A 


EASTER! 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  48 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  12,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Rackmil  Sees 
3-D  Ushering 
In  New  Era 


Stresses  Forward  Push 
While  Admitting  Doubts 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

The  excitement  engendered  by 
three-dimensional  films  has  ushered 
in  a  new  era  for  the  motion  picture 
industry  comparable  to  the  advent 
of  sound,  Mil- 
ton R.  Rackmil, 
president  of 
Universal 
Pictures  Co., 
told  stockhold- 
ers here  yester- 
day at  the  com- 
pany's annual 
meeting. 

Rackmil  made 
it  clear  that  his 
prediction  of  a 
new  .era  was 
not  based  on 
the  3-D  excite- 
ment in  itself, 
about    which  he 


Milton   Ha.  I, mi  I 

expressed  many 


doubts,  but  the  forward  push  the  new 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Urges  No  Let-up 
In  Anti-tax  Drive 


Miami,  March  11. — Sam  Pinanski, 
co-chairman  of  the  Council  of  Motion 
Picture  Organizations,  cautioned  the 
industry  today  against  any  slackening 
of  its  efforts  to  obtain  exemption  from 
the  Federal  20  per  cent  admission  tax. 
At  the  same  time,  he  praised  the  work 
of  the  National  Tax  Repeal  Campaign 
Committee. 

Pinanski,  who  is  vacationing  at  the 
Roney-Plaza  Hotel,  said  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole  and  Pat  McGee,  co-chairmen  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


TV  Sales  Down  in 
Six  Major  Cities 

Soft  markets  for  television 
sales  were  reported  in  trade 
quarters  yesterday  to  prevail 
here,  in  Detroit,  Chicago, 
Cleveland*  Philadelphia  and 
Boston.  A  slump  in  sales  has 
been  noticeable  for  some 
weeks  and  no  improvement  is 
foreseen  in  the  immediate 
future,  it  was  said.  Somewhat 
offsetting  the  slump  are  sales 
in  newly  opened  TV  terri- 
tories. 

Noticeable  improvement  in 
theatre  attendance  has  been 
reported  in  the  six  major 
cities  where  the  TV  market 
has  gone  soft,  as  well  as  else- 
where throughout  the  coun- 
try. 


Set  Further  Tests 
On  March  21  Event 


Further  tests  for  the  March  21  edu- 
cational theatre  TV  program,  to  be 
seen  in  six  New  York  theatres  and 
one  New  Jersey  house,  were  sched- 
uled yesterday  following  the  initial 
test  at  RCA's  Center  Theatre  here. 

The  group  of  technicians  and  TV 
circuit  executives  agreed  to  hold 
another  test  next  Thursday  morning 
and  afternoon,  in  addition  to  one  on 
the  following  day.  The  last  two  tests 
will  be  devoted  to  a  full  dress  re- 
hearsal of  the  one-hour  show,  spon- 
sored by  the  Technical  Society's 
Council  of  New  York. 

A  filmed  portion  of  the  projected 

{Continued  on  page  4) 


N.  /.  Allied  Facing 
Censorship,  Tax 
Bills  in  Trenton 


Two  New  Jersey  legislative  meas- 
ures involving  censorship  and  taxes 
are  of  prime  concern  to  exhibitors  of 
the  state  and  Allied  Theatre  Owners 
of  New  Jersey  is  mobilizing  its  forces 
to  combat  them  under  the  guidance 
of  George  Gold,  the  unit's  legislative 
chairman. 

Wilbur  Snaper,  president  of  both 
the  state  unit  and  national  Allied,  said 
here  yesterday  that  Assembly  Bill 
No.  200  empowers  communities  to  set 
up  local  censoring  boards,  which,  ex- 
hibitors believe,  will  create  a  danger- 
ous precedent.  The  bill  has  come  out 
of  committee  with  no  recommenda- 
tions, but  it  is  reported  that  it  will 
come  up  for  a  vote  in  Trenton  on 
Monday. 

The  other  measure,  Assembly  Bill 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Declare  2  Dividends, 
First  for  AB-UPT 


American  Broadcasting-United  Para- 
mount Theatres  yesterday  declared 
two  dividends,  the  first  since  the  con- 
summation of  the  merger  of  the  two 
companies  last  Feb.  9. 

Leonard  H.  Goldenson,  president, 
announced  that  the  board  of  directors 
declared  dividends  of  14^  cents  per 
share  on  the  preferred  stock  and  25 
cents  per  share  on  the  common  stock, 
payable  April  20  to  holders  of  record 
on  March  27. 

According  to  Goldenson,  the  lAl/2 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Jones  Says  Calif. 
Solons  for  Tax  Bill 


California  Congressmen  are  sup- 
porting the  Mason  Bill,  (H.R.  157), 
which  would  exempt  motion  picture 
theatres  from  the  20  per  cent  Federal 
admission  tax,  according  to  Burton  I. 
Jones  of  La  Mesa,  Cal. 

Jones,  who  is  president  of  the 
Southern  California  Theatre  Owners 
Association,  has  spent  the  last  two 
days  in  Washington  conferring  on  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


GOV'T  CONTROLS 
TO  END  JUNE  30 

Administration  Officially  Lifts  Curbs  on 
Theatre  Building  and  Industry  Equipment 

Washington,  March  11.  — The  Administration  has  officially  an- 
nounced that  present  controls  on  theatre  construction  and  on  the  produc- 
tion of  film  and  theatre  equipment  will  end  on  June  30. 

After  that  date,  official  Government  allocation  controls  will  be  used  to 
channel  materials  only  to  top  military 


and  atomic  .energy  production  and,  con 
struction.  All  -  other  'production  and 
construction  will  be  free  to  go  ahead 
without  any  Government  interference 
— or  help — providing  they  can  get  ma- 
terials in  the  open  market. 

The  new  policy  was  announced  by 
Acting  Defense  Mobilizer  Arthur 
Flemming.  Orders  carrying  out  the 
new  policy  will  "be  issued  "in  a  few 


.days,"  he  said,,.  .  _  ,  ,.  ,-,^J-.--  I  -.H 
In  Oct.,  1950,  theatre  construction 
was  banned  except  in  the  most  excep- 
tional cases,  and  this  tight  ban  re- 
mained in  effect  through  Dec,  1952. 
Since  the  first  of  the  year,  construc- 
tion controls  have  been  greatly  re- 
laxed, but  they  still  are  on  the  books 
and  will  apparently  remain  there  until 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Gold  wyn  Blasts 
Exhibitors  for 
Terms  Protests 


Advanced  Prices  to  Be 
Policy  on  "Andersen" 

Samuel  Goldwyn  yesterday  gave 
a  strong  retort  to  exhibitors  who 
have  been  protesting  increased  per- 
centage terms  and  advanced  admis- 
sion prices  on 
top  pictures,  de- 
claring that  he 
believed  exhib- 
i  t  -o  r  s  had 
"their  nerve"  to 
make  such  pro- 
tests. He  said 
flatly  that  his 
"Hans  Chris- 
tian Ander- 
sen" would  play 
only  at  a  d- 
vanoed  prices 
and  that  if  ex- 
hibitors do  not 
want  to  play  it, 

they  do  not  have  to. 

At  a  trade  press  conference  here, 
Goldwyn  asked  how  producers  could 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Samuel  Goldwyn 


Goldwyn  Awaits  3-D 
Process  Uniformity 


Asserting  that  there  is  no  "real" 
three  dimensional  system  as  yet, 
Samuel  Goldwyn  said  here  yesterday 
that  he  is  holding  all  production  plans 
in  abeyance  until  there  is  a  uniformity 
of  methods.  Goldwyn  said  that  he  is 
developing  two  production  projects 
for  the  future  but  that  he  would  await 
developments  of  the  various  processes 
before  proceeding. 

Goldwyn  said  he  did  not  believe 
that  true  three  dimensions  were  ob- 
tained through  the  polarized  viewers, 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


NY  Projectionists 
Talks  Hit  A  Snag 

There  was  no  evidence  yesterday  of 
any  break  in  the  stalemate  on  con- 
tract negotiations  between  fATSE 
Projectionist  Local  No.  306  and  cir- 
cuit exhibitors  in  the  New  York 
Metropolitan  area.  Both  sides  in  the 
dispute  acknowledged  that  no  future 
meetings  have  been  scheduled. 

Meanwhile,  projectionists  continue 
to  work  under  the  extended  agreement 

(Continued  on  page  4)- 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  12,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

BARNEY  BALABAN,  Paramount 
president ;  Paul  Raibourn,  vice- 
president,  and  George  Weltner,  for- 
eign chief,  are  on  the  Coast  from  New 
York. 

• 

-William  Lescaze,  theatre  architect 
who  installed  Cinerama  in  New  York, 
will  speak  in  Detroit  tonight  before 
the  Michigan  Society  of  Architects  at 
the  Statler  Hotel. 

• 

J.  Bob  Hoff,  president  of  TESMA 
and  general  sales  manager  of  Ballan- 
tyne  Co.  of  Omaha,  is  in  New  York 
from  that  city. 

• 

Si  H.  Fabian  and  his  son,  Edward 
L.,  were  in  Albany  from  New  York 
for  the  funeral  of  Alex  Sayles,  late 
Fabian  Palace  manager  there. 
• 

Clare  Roloff,  De  Vry  Corp.  public 
relations  head,  is  here  from  Chicago. 

See  Little  Chance  for 
N.  Y.  Censor  Bill 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  11. — The 
expected  introduction  of  a  bill  to  re- 
peal motion  picture  censorship  legisla- 
tion in  New  York  State  has  not  ma- 
terialized at  the  present  session  of  the 
Legislature.  The  probability  of  such 
action  now  is  slim,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  March  21  has  been  tenta- 
tively fixed  for  adjournment.  Intro- 
duction of  a  bill  would  be  possible 
now  only  through  the  rules  committee 
of  the  Senate  or  Assembly.  A  favor- 
able committee  report  and  house 
votes,  at  this  late  date,  is  most  un- 
likely. 

Sonya  Levien  Gets 
Writers*  Award 

Hollywood,  March  11.  —  The 
Screen  Writers  Guild  has  bestowed 
the  "Laurel  for  Achievement"  award 
on  Sonya  Levien,  for  consistent 
screen  contributions  over  the  years. 

The  award  was  made  at  the  fifth 
annual  SWG  presentation  dinner  at 
the  Palladium  here.  Frank  Nugent 
was  given  the  award  for  the  best 
comedy,  "The  Quiet  Man" ;  Betty 
Comden  and  Adolph  Green  for  the 
best  musical  writing  for  "Singin'  in 
the  Rain,"  and  Carl  Foreman  for  the 
best  dramatic  writing  in  "High 
Noon." 

Gulf  Allied  Hears 
Simms,  DeJarnette 

New  Orleans,  March  11. — Mem- 
bers and  non-members  gathered  at  the 
Jung  Hotel  here  yesterday  for  the 
Allied  Gulf  board  meet  to  hear  John 
Simms  of  National  Theatre  Supply 
discuss  in  detail  the  approximate  cost 
of  large  screen  TV  equipment  and  in- 
stallation. W.  Y.  De  Jarnette,  Altec 
representative,  and  Tom  Neely,  local 
NTS  manager  discussed  various  3-D 
systems. 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


$10-Million  in  Col. 
Films  on  Schedule 

Hollywood,  March  11. — Nine 
productions,  budgeted  in  ex- 
cess of  $10,000,000,  will  be  on 
Columbia's  sound  stages  dur- 
ing March,  including  its  third 
three-dimensional  picture. 

"From  Here  to  Eternity," 
"Miss  Sadie  Thompson"  and 
"The  Big  Heat,"  commenced 
shooting  during  the  first  10 
days  of  the  month.  These  will 
be  followed  by  "Renegade 
Canyon,  (3-D),"  "Ten  Against 
Caesar,"  "Operation  16-Z," 
"Rough  Company,"  "Last  of 
the  Pony  Express,"  and  a 
serial,  "Adventures  of  Cap- 
tain Kidd." 


Pa.  Censor  Board 
Warns  on  Film  Ads 

Harrisburg,  March  11. — Pennsyl- 
vania exhibitors  have  been  notified  by 
the  state  censor  board  that  it  has 
been  "deluged"  with  complaints  of 
"sensational"  advertising  of  certain 
motion  pictures.  The  board  points 
out  that  under  the  state  law  it  may 
"eliminate  from  films  and  advertising 
anything  which  is  indecent,  immoral 
or  not  moral." 


W.B.  Will  Premiere 
4  Wax'  Abroad  and  in 
U.S.  At  Same  Time 


Hollywood,  March  11.  —  Warner 
Brothers  forthcoming  third-dimen- 
sional "House  of  Wax"  will  be  booked 
for  world-wide  openings  to  coincide 
with  domestic  playdates,  Jack  L.  War- 
ner, executive  producer,  revealed  here 
today. 

The  picture  will  be  world  premiered 
at  the  Paramount  Theatre  in  New 
York  on  April  10  and  already  is 
booked  for  a  London  opening-  at  the 
Warner  Theatre  in  mid-April.  The 
London  showing  will  be  followed  by 
openings  in  other  world  capitals  as 
rapidly  as  prints  become  available. 

Dates  also  scheduled  include  Manila, 
April  22 ;  Singapore  Straits  Settle- 
ments, April  23 ;  Hong  Kong,  April 
23  ;  Havana,  April  25  ;  Bangkok,  April 
25 ;  Mexico  City,  April  25 ;  Lima, 
April  26  ;  Panama,  April  27  ;  Caracas, 
April  27;  San  Juan,  April  28. 


No  Buchman  Decision 

Washington,  March  11. — A  Fed- 
eral District  Court  jury  reached  no 
conclusion  today  on  a  contempt  of 
Congress  charge  against  producer 
Sidney  Buchman.  The  jury  will  re- 
turn tomorrow  to  resume  delibera- 
tions. 


Vandalism  Costs 
Lust  $500  Weekly 

Washington,  March  11.  — 
Vandalism,  chiefly  by  teen- 
agers, is  causing  more  than 
$500  a  week  damage  in  his 
eight-theatre  circuit,  reports 
Sidney  Lust. 

Lust  has  taken  the  problem 
to  Parent  -  Teacher  associa- 
tions. Among  the  complaints 
listed  were  slashed  theatre 
seats,  toilet  seats  torn  off, 
obscene  words  written  on 
restroom  walls,  damage  to 
drinking  fountains,  and  theft 
of  drive-in  speakers.  Lust 
says  he  now  employs  a  man 
full  time  to  make  repairs  and 
that  this  man  isn't  able  to 
keep  up  with  the  damage. 

In  hopes  of  working  up  a 
campaign  to  combat  the  van- 
dalism, Lust  plans  a  lunch- 
eon-meeting with  representa- 
tives of  the  PTA's  school  and 
law  enforcement  officials,  and 
student  representatives. 


Denies  Beaverbrook 
Ad  Peace  Initiative 


Max  Aitken,  son  of  Lord  Beaver- 
brook, stated  in  a  cable  to  Motion 
Picture  Daily  from  London  yester- 
day, that  the  Beaverbrook  Express 
newspapers  there  have  made  "no  over- 
ture to  American  film  advertisers"  to 
solve  the  differences  between  them  and 
the  Express  papers.  Aitken  added, 
"The  opposite  was  the  case." 

Referring  to  a  dispatch  from  Lon- 
don, published  in  Motion  Picture 
Daily  on  Feb.  25,  Aitken  said:  "No 
undertaking  has  been  given  to  curb 
the  Beaverbrook  film  critics.  Nor 
would  such  an  undertaking  ever  be 
given." 

Most  American  film  companies  in 
London,  riled  at  habitual  sniping  at 
American  pictures  by  Beaverbrook 
film  critics,  discontinued  their  adver- 
tising in  those  papers  several  months 
ago.  J.  Arthur  Rank's  companies, 
acting  separately,  did  the  same.  Dis- 
tributors and  theatres  report  there  has 
been  no  decrease  in  business  since  the 
advertising  in  the  Express  group  was 
stopped. 

La  Salle  College 
Award  to  Harris 

Philadelphia,  March  11. — John  H. 
Harris,  Pittsburgh  showman  and  big 
boss  of  Variety  Clubs  International, 
will  be  the  recipient  of  the  La  Salle 
College  Alumni  Association  "Signum 
Fidei"  (sign  of  faith)  medal.  The 
award  is  made  every  year  to  the  per- 
son who  has  done  the  most  to  advance 
Christian  principles.  By  virtue  of 
his  work  in  founding  Variety  Clubs 
International,  and  the  outstanding 
amount  of  philanthropic  work  these 
clubs  perform  annually,  Harris  was 
selected  by  the  committee  for  this 
year. 

The  award  will  be  presented  to 
Harris  on  April  12  on  the  campus  of 
La  Salle  College  here. 


The 
HERALD 
i  INSTITUTE 

Keport  on  \  of  |nduStr9 


ADVERTISING 


Opinion 


FOR  the  first  time,  the  combined  thinking  of 
the  industry  on  this  important  subject  has  been 
ascertained.  All  three  of  the  Institute's  Panels 
— thoroughly  representative  of  Production,  Dis- 
tribution and  Exhibition — have  evidenced  keen 
interest  in  their  study  of  questions  dealing  with: 
More  informative  advertising  copy;  the  need 
for  creation  of  new  advertising  styles;  misrepre- 
sentative  appeals;  expenditure  allocations;  com- 
parative newspaper  rates;  pre-selling  through 
national  magazines;  and  trade  advertising  policy. 
The  analysis  of  the  opinion  of  the  Institute  Panels 
will  appear — 

in  this  week's  issue  of 

Motion  Picture  Herald 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quifdey  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quiglev,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady. 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
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Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
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T"^^^^  ~Ze  desi«d 


lSEB^_LA  — ■  '  D 


to  «w  »®  ^ ust  °  "  our  w»*       we wjseBIED 


THE  FIRST  FEATURE 


PRODUCED  BY  A 
MAJOR  STUDIO 

IN  3-DIMENSION 
WARNERCOLOR 


^AMOUNT 


T**.;  lOff, 
AND 

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4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  12,  1953 


Rackmil  Sees  New  Era 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Gov  t  Controls 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

June  30.  On  the  production  front, 
the  U.S.  has  had,  since  late  1950,  the 
so-called  controlled  materials  plan, 
under  which  manufacturers  of  theatre 
equipment  and  other  products  were  al- 
located steel,  copper  and  aluminum  in 
terms  of  certain  percentages  of  their 
pre-Korea  consumption.  This,  too, 
will  be  in  effect  through  the  second 
quarter  of  this  year. 

Under  the  new  plan  taking  effect 
July  1,  only  military  and  atomic  con- 
tractors and  sub-contractors  will  be 
granted  Government  allotments  for 
materials  and  equipment  for  produc- 
tion and  construction.  All  other  users 
will  have  to  get  their  supplies  without 
Government  assistance  on  the  free 
market — but  they'll  be  free  to  use 
whatever  they  can  get,  without  the 
need  of  getting  any  Government  ap- 
proval. 

What  this  amounts  to,  ODM  offi- 
cials explained,  is  a  negative  control 
over  non-military  production  and  con- 
struction. Instead  of  direct  controls, 
telling  the  producers  and  builders 
exactly  how  much  materials  they  can 
use  and  for  what  purposes  they  can  be 
used,  it  will  tell  them  how  much  of  the 
output  of  steel,  copper  and  aluminum 
will  not  be  available  on  the  open  mar- 
ket for  non-military  use. 

A  few  products,  like  nickel,  stain- 
less steel,  tungsten,  molybdenum  and 
other  scarce  metals,  will  remain  under 
100  per  cent  Government  allocation. 
This  is  expected  to  have  little  effect, 
however,  on  the  film  industry. 


AB-UPT  Dividends 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

cents  on  the  preferred  stock  is  the 
pro  rata  portion  of  the  regular  25 
cents  dividend  payable  on  the  five  per 
cent  $20  par  preferred  because  of  the 
consummation  of  the  merger. 

Goldenson  also  disclosed  that  the 
company  had  made  arrangements  for 
The  Bank  of  New  York  to  buy  and 
sell  scrip  certificates  for  fractional 
shares  as  agent  on  behalf  of  the  stock- 
holders. Under  this  arrangement,  the 
company  will  pay  the  costs  of  the 
bank's  services.  This  service  will  be 
available  until  June  30  to  stockholders 
desiring  to  sell  their  scrip  or  to  round 
it  out  into  full  shares. 


Anti-tax  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  National  Tax  Committee,  had 
done  ''a  marvellous  job"  in  uniting 
the  industry  behind  the  campaign.  The 
committee  will  continue  to  need  help 
in  getting  the  Mason  Bill  through 
Congress,  he  said,  adding-  "it  is  to  be 
hoped,  therefore,  that  everybody  in 
our  business  will  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  give  whatever  further  assist- 
ance may  be  necessary  to  these  men 
who  are  performing-  such  a  monu- 
mental task." 


For  Tax  Bill 

(Continued  from,  page  1) 

admission  tax  with  members  of  the 
California  Congressional  delegation. 
He  said  all  of  the  Congressmen  he 
talked  to  were  well  aware  of  the  in- 
dustry's need  for  tax  relief  and  were 
prepared  to  vote  for  the  Mason  Bill, 
which  is  now  before  the  House  Ways 
and  Means  Committee  awaiting  a 
hearing. 


technical  advance  has  given  the  in- 
dustry. 

When  the  public  answers  such  ques- 
tions as  the  novelty  aspect  of  3-D,  the 
system  it  prefers,  the  question  of  spec- 
tacles and  other  related  problems, 
"something  great"  will  come  out  of 
this  3-D  furor  for  the  industry,  Rack- 
mil  predicted.  The  Universal  presi- 
dent disclosed  that  he,  Alfred  E.  Daff, 
executive  vice-president,  and  Charles 
J.  Feldman,  general  sales  manager, 
will  leave  here  today  for  the  Coast  to 
appraise  Universal  product  and  plan 
future  production.  They  will  be  fol- 
lowed in  a  few  days  by  Nate  J. 
Blumberg,  chairman  of  the  board. 

Questions  by  stockholders  elicited 
the  following  information  ■  that  Rack- 
mil's  salary  is  $80,000  per  year ;  that 
Universal  business  in  the  first  quarter 
of  this  year  is  running  ahead  of  last 
year ;  and  that  there  is  not  the  "re- 
motest" chance  at  this  time  of  Uni- 
versal selling  its  old  or  current  feature 
films  to  home  television. 

Praised  Blumberg 

Rackmil,  in  response  to  an  objection 
over  the  modification  of  Blumberg's 
contract,  praised  the  former  presi- 
dent's efforts  on  behalf  of  the  com- 
pany, explaining  that  he  was  just  as 
active  today  as  board  chairman  in 
company  affairs.  Rackmil  also  ex- 
pressed his  views  that  Universal 
should  adopt  a  permanent  pension  plan 
for  its  employes,  pointing  out  that 
Universal  is  one  of  the  few  motion 
picture  companies  which  has  no  such 
plan. 

The  10  directors  nominated  by 
management  were  approved  by 
888,954  votes.  Following  the 
meeting  the  board  met  and  re- 
elected all  officers  of  the  com- 
pany. Also  receiving  the  ap- 
proval of  stockholders  was  the 
modification  of  Blumberg's  con- 
tract, the  modifications  being 
mainly  a  redefinition  of  Blum- 
berg's duties  as  consultant  and 
board  chairman  contrasted  to 
his  previous  post  as  president. 

Rackmil,  who  acted  as  chairman  of 
the  meeting,  expressed  doubt  whether 
the  3-D  box-office  pull  is  here  to  stay. 
He  added,  however,  that  Universal 
was  moving  cautiously  to  be  prepared 
for  any  eventuality,  citing  the  com- 
pletion of  one  feature  picture  in  the 
company's  own  3-D  process  and  a 
Nat  Cole-Russ  Morgan  short  subject. 
He  added  that  "we  believe  ours  (3-D 
process)  is  better  than  others  on  the 
market."  He  expressed  the  belief  that 
once  the  novelty  aspect  is  gone,  the 
drawing  power  of  the  picture  will  de- 
pend on  its  entertainment  ingredients. 
It  was  at  this  point  that  Rackmil  pre- 
dicted, despite  his  reservations,  that 
something  great  will  eventually  come 
out  of  the  3-D  furor  and  usher  in  a 
new  era  for  the  industry. 

The  company's  new  dividend  policy 
of  $1  per  annum,  paid  semi-annually, 
was  described  by  Rackmil  as  "fair" 
and  "conservative."  Explaining  that 
the  board  of  directors  is  responsible 
for  declaring  dividends,  Rackmil 
stated  his  own  view  that  dividends 
should  not  be  increased  at  this  time 
and  that  the  company  should  maintain 
a  strong  cash  position. 

He  also  explained  that  the  indus- 
try "has  been  plagued  by  anti-trust 
suits"  necessitating  large  reserves  for 
contingencies.  Universal  alone,  it  was 
added,  is  subject  to  claims  for  dam- 
ages totaling  $180,000,000.  Ad*Mr,t> 
Schimel,  vice-president,  secretary  and 


general  counsel,  reported  that  the  most 
that  was  paid  out  by  the  company 
either  in  settlement  or  judication  of 
anti-trust  suits  was  about  $150,000. 
Schimel  added  that  from  $75,000  to 
$100,000  a  year  is  spent  by  the  com- 
pany in  fighting  anti-trust  suits. 

On  the  question  of  television, 
Rackmil  told  stockholders  that 
any  sale  of  feature  films  to 
home  TV  "would  kill  our  rela- 
tions with  exhibitors."  Basi- 
cally, he  added,  the  exhibitors 
are  the  company's  customers. 
Some  day,  he  went  on,  the  ex- 
hibitor may  accept  the  sale  of 
pictures  to  TV.  Now,  he  de- 
clared, there  is  not  "the  re- 
motest chance"  of  Universal 
taking  such  a  step. 

Rackmil  explained  that  United 
World  Films,  a  TV  subsidiary  of 
Universal,  has  found  it  economically 
unfeasible  to  produce  films  for  tele- 
vision after  completing  a  series  of  13 
such  films.  For  this  reason,  he  stated, 
"we  have  stopped  TV  production." 

Rackmil,  in  response  to  a  question, 
acknowledged  that  Serge  Semenko, 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Boston,  was  retained  by  Universal 
to  go  to  Europe  three  or  four  months 
ago  on  a  special  mission  relating  to 
the  company's  frozen  funds  abroad. 
He  said  the  company  did  not  pay  his 
expenses.  Semenko  figured  promi- 
nently in  the  negotiations  which 
brought  about  Decca  Records'— of 
which  Rackmil  is  also  president — pur- 
chase of  the  controlling  stock  interest 
in  Universal. 

Rackmil  reiterated  that  there  were 
no  plans  to  merge  Decca  and  Univer- 
sal. The  Universal  president  was 
praised  by  a  stockholder  for  bringing 
the  company's  annual  meeting  to  New 
York  instead  of  Wilmington. 

It  was  reported  that  Universal 
spent  $2,188,000  last  year  in  adver- 
tising, compared  to  $2,018,000  in  the 
previous  year. 

Reelected  as  officers  of  the  company 
were :  Blumberg,  board  chairman ; 
Rackmil,  president ;  Daff,  executive 
vice-president ;  Leon  Goldberg,  vice- 
president  and  treasurer ;  Schimel, 
vice-president,  secretary  and  general 
counsel ;  John  J.  O'Connor,  David 
Lipton  and  Edward  Muhl,  vice-presi- 
dents ;  Eugene  F.  Walsh,  comptroller, 
assistant  treasurer  and  assistant  secre- 
tary ;  George  Douglas,  assistant  treas- 
urer ;  Morris  Davis,  Percy  Guth  and 
Anthony  Petti,  assistant  secretaries. 


1st  Grainger  Sales 
Meet  in  Chicago 

James  R.  Grainger,  president  of 
RKO  Pictures,  will  meet  with  the 
company's  home  office  sales  execu- 
tives and  district  managers  in  Chi- 
cago on  March  20-21  to  report  on 
the  results  of  his  recent  visit  to  the 
studio  and  his  conferences  with  How- 
ard Hughes,  chairman  of  the  board. 

The  meetings  will  mark  Grainger's 
first  get-together  with  RKO's  key 
sales  personnel  since  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  company  on  Feb.  18. 

Accompanying  him  to  Chicago  from 
the  home  office  will  be  Edward  L. 
Walton,  his  executive  assistant ; 
Charles  Boasberg,  general  sales  man- 
ager ;  Walter  Branson,  assistant  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  and  Nat  Levy, 
Eastern  division  manager.  David 
Prince,  Southern  division  manager, 
will  join  them  in  Chicago. 


N.  J.  Allied 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

No.  170,  would  permit  the  state  to 
collect  a  10  per  cent  tax  on  admis- 
sions to  theatres  showing  closed  cir- 
cuit televised  boxing  matches  and 
other  sporting  events.  At  present, 
such  a  law  would  affect  few  theatres 
in  the  state  but  its  impact  would  be 
felt  as  more  theatres  install  large 
screen  television.  The  bill  is  con- 
sidered by  New  Jersey  Allied  to  be 
discriminatory,  exhibitors  feeling  that 
they  should  not  be  assessed  any  more 
than  bars  and  taverns  having  tele- 
vision sets.  If  passed,  the  bill  would 
mean  that  there  would  be  a  30  per 
cent  tax  on  tickets  to  TV  perform- 
ances. 

Changed  Their  Minds 

Snaper  said  that  the  wave  of  pre- 
releases and  demands  for  higher  terms 
and  increased  admission  prices  were 
factors  in  attracting  new  members  to 
exhibitor  organizations.  Speaking  for 
his  own  unit,  Snaper  said  that  recent 
membership  meetings  not  only  drew 
greater  attendance  but  a  large  num- 
ber of  non-members  who  joined  or 
planned  to  join  the  organization.  He 
said  that  exhibitors  who  previously 
believed  that  they  did  not  need  an 
association  have  changed  their  minds. 

Citing  theatre  closings  in  New  Jer- 
sey, Snaper  said  that  he  believed  if 
the  policy  of  pre-releases  and  higher 
terms  continue,  more  houses  will  have 
to  go  dark.  He  said  that  in  one  area 
in  which  he  has  theatres,  seven  out 
of  15  in  a  radius  of  10  miles  have 
closed  or  dropped  to  part-time  opera- 
tion in  the  last  two  years. 

At  a  membership  meeting  Tuesday 
in  the  Hotel  Astor,  the  unit  voted  to 
hold  a  state  convention  this  year  in 
Atlantic  City.  None  was  held  last 
year.  Dates  have  not  been  set.  Con- 
siderable time  was  given  over  to  three 
dimensional  pictures  at  the  Tuesday 
meeting.  Members  who  had  played 
"Bwana  Devil"  gave  a  report  on  their 
experiences  and  cautioned  other  mem- 
bers on  possible  mistakes  in  installa- 
tions. 


Projectionists 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

the  expiration  date  of  which  was  last 
August.  The  dispute  centers  around 
union  demands  for  a  15  per  cent  wage 
hike,  inclusive  of  welfare  provisions, 
above  the  $87  per  week  paid  per  man 
currently,  in  addition  to  a  five  per  cent 
welfare  provision.  Affected  are  the 
following :  Loew's,  RKO  Theatres, 
Stanley-Warner,  City  Investment,  Ra- 
dio City  Music  Hall,  and  the  Para- 
mount, Rivoli  and  other  Times  Square 
first-run  theatres. 

Local  306,  in  the  meantime,  has  filed 
a  suit  against  the  Marcus  Loew 
Booking  Agency,  RKO  Service  Corp. 
and  Radio  City  Music  Hall  Corp.  in 
New  York  for  $1,000,000  each  on 
charges  the  defendants  breached  their 
contracts  with  the  union.  Local  306 
claimed  that  for  the  past  six  years, 
the  defendants  have  failed  to  pay  their 
projectionists  overtime  for  the  time 
spent  in  preparing  the  show. 


Further  Tests 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

show  was  seen  yesterday  by  the  tech- 
nical group.  General  reaction  was 
that  the  film  was  not  as  good  for  the 
theatre  TV  medium  as  the  "live"  pro- 
gram projected  on  the  large-screen, 
which  was  taken  off  the  air. 


Thursday,  March  12,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Review 

"Lili" 

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)                                           Hollywood,  March  11 
l\yf  ANY  a  time  and  oft,  during  the  81  minutes  of  this  delightful  entertain- 
J-VJ.  ment,  the  Technicolor  camera  comes  up  with  a  sequence  as  three- 
dimensional  as  anyone  ought  to  expect  to  witness,  with  or  without  glasses, 
and  this  is  without  trying.   It  is  also  without  need,  for  "Lili"  has  some  very 
special  dimensions  of  its  own,  measurable  by  degree  rather  than  by  number, 
and  the  chief  of  these  is  charm,  carried  here  to  the  nth  power.   Like  most 
of  the  truly  great  pictures,  this  one  is  hard  to  describe  precisely,  but  the 
pleased  people  who  see  it  on  opening  day  can  be  depended  upon  to  convey 
the  news  of  its  merits  clearly  and  productively  to  friends  and  acquaintances, 
as  they  always  do.  It  is  a  picture  sure  to  gratify  all  types  of  people  in  all 
kinds  of  theatres,  and  likely  to  run  long  in  most  of  them. 

The  principal  players  in  "Lili"  are  Leslie  Caron,  Mel  Ferrer,  Jean  Pierre 
Aumont,  Zsa  Zsa  Gabor,  Kurt  Kasnar  and  four  Walton  &  O'Rourke  puppets 
named  Carrot-Top,  Marguerite,  Raynardo  and  the  Giant.  The  producer  is 
Edwin  H.  Knopf,  who  used  a  screenplay  by  Helen  Deutsch,  based  on  a  story 
by  Paul  Gallico,  and  who  also  wrote,  with  Bronislaw  Kaper — who  furnished 
the  music  for  the  production — the  single  song  in  the  film,  "Hi-Lili,  Hi-Lo," 
which  could  become  a  great  hit.  All  of  those  named,  including  the  puppets*, 
are  likely  to  be  remembering  this  film  as  their  favorite  credit  when  they 
come  to  the  age  of  dandling  grandchildren  on  reminiscent  knees. 

The  splendid  film  these  talented  co-workers  have  put  together  may  be 
most  precisely  termed,  perhaps,  a  practical  fantasy.  That  is,  the  things  that 
happen  on  the  screen  probably  could,  but  probably  wouldn't,  yet  are  most 
important  and  fascinating  things  nevertheless.  The  picture  combines  the  finest 
of  film  story-telling  with  the  artistry  of  the  puppeteer  and  the  grace  of  the 
ballerina   (no  all-out  ballet  dancing  here;  just  simple  stuff  that  even  the 
plain  actors  can  go  along  with)  in  the  presentation  of  the  experiences  of  an 
unsophisticated  French  girl  who  finds  wonderment,  bepuzzlement,  enlighten- 
ment and  finally  romance  as  an  impromptu  member  of  a  small  French 
carnival  troupe.   Miss  Caron  is  magnificent  as  the  principal  character,  and 
so  are  all  the  others. 

Running  time,  81  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   Release  date, 
not  set.                                                                 William  R.  Weaver 
* — Well,  these  could. 

RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINGS  of 

"THE  BIG  FRAME" 

ALBANY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    3:30  P.M. 

1052  B'way 
ATLANTA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

195  Luckie  St..  N.W. 
BOSTON 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

122-28  Arlington  St. 
BUFFALO 

Mo.  Pic.  Oper. 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    3:30  P.M. 

498  Pearl  St. 
CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    3:30  P.M. 

308  S.  Church  St. 
CHICAGO 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  11 :00  A.M. 

1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 
CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    9:30  P.M. 

12  E.  6th  St. 
CLEVELAND 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

2219  Payne  Ave. 

DALLAS 

Rep.  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 
412  S.  Harwood  St. 

DENVER 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    3:30  P.M. 
2100  Stout  St. 

DES  MOINES 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19  10:30  A.M. 

1300  High  St. 
DETROIT 

Blumenthals 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

2310  Cass  Ave. 

INDIANAPOLIS 
Univ.  Scr.  Rm.  Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 
517  N.  Illinois  St. 

JACKSONVILLE 
Florida  State 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    9:00  P.M. 
128  E.  Forsythe  St. 

KANSAS  CITY 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.   Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

1800  Wyandotte  St. 
LOS  ANGELES 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  10:30  A.M. 

1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 
MEMPHIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

151  Vance  Ave. 

MILWAUKEE 
Warner  Scr. 

Room             Thurs.  3/19  10:30  A.M. 
212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 

MINNEAPOLIS 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19  10:30  A.M. 
1015  Currie  Ave. 

NEW  HAVEN 
Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    3:30  P.M. 
40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

200  S.  Liberty  St. 
NEW  YORK 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

630  Ninth  Ave. 
OKLAHOMA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

10  North  Lee  St. 
OMAHA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

1502  Davenport  St. 
PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

250  N.  13th  St. 
PITTSBURGH 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    3:00  P.M. 

1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 
PORTLAND 

Star  Film 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19  10:00  A.M. 

925  N.W.  19th  Ave. 
ST.  LOUIS 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    1 :00  P.M. 

3143  Olive  St. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    3:00  P.M. 

216  E.  1st  St.  South 
SAN  FRANCISCO 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

245  Hyde  St. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box 
Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

2318  2nd  Ave. 
SIOUX  FALLS 

Hollyw'd  Thea.  Thurs.  3/19    9:00  A.M. 

212  N.  Philips  Ave. 
WASHINGTON 

Film  Center 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    3:30  P.M. 

932  New  Jersey  Ave. 

RKO  RADIO  PICTURES,  Inc. 

TRADE  SHOWINCS  of 

"SPLIT  SECOND" 

ALBANY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

1052  B'way 
ATLANTA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

195  Luckie  St.,  N.W. 
BOSTON 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  10:30  A.M. 
122-28  Arlington  St. 

BUFFALO 

Mo.  Pic.  Oper. 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

498  Pearl  St. 
CHARLOTTE 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

308  S.  Church  St. 
CHICAGO 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2  :00  P.M. 

1300  S.  Wabash  Ave. 
CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    8:00  P.M. 

12  E.  6th  St. 
CLEVELAND 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19  10 :30  A.M. 

2219  Payne  Ave. 

DALLAS 

Rep.  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 
412  S.  Harwood  St. 

DENVER 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

2100  Stout  St. 
DES  MOINES 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    1:30  P.M. 

1300  High  St. 
DETROIT 

Blumenthals 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19  10:30  A.M. 

2310  Cass  Ave. 

INDIANAPOLIS 
Univ.  Scr.  Rm.  Thurs.  3/19    1:00  P.M. 
517  N.  Illinois  St. 

JACKSONVILLE 

Florida  State 

Scr.  Rm.        Thurs.  3/19    7:30  P.M. 

128  E.  Forsythe  St. 
KANSAS  CITY 

Para.  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    1 :00  P.M. 

1800  Wyandotte  St. 

LOS  ANGELES 
RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 
1980  S.  Vermont  Ave. 

MEMPHIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19  12 :15  P.M. 

151  Vance  Ave. 
MILWAUKEE 

Warner 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

212  W.  Wisconsin  Ave. 
MINNEAPOLIS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19    1:30  P.M. 

1015  Currie  Ave. 
NEW  HAVEN 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

40  Whiting  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

200  S.  Liberty  St. 
NEW  YORK 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

630  Ninth  Ave. 
OKLAHOMA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19    1:30  P.M. 

10  North  Lee  St. 
OMAHA 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.      Thurs.  3/19    1:30  P.M. 

1502  Davenport  St. 
PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    2:30  P.M. 

250  N.  13th  St. 
PITTSBURGH 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19    1:30  P.M. 

1809-13  Blvd.  of  Allies 
PORTLAND 

Star  Film 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

925  N.W.  19th  Ave. 
ST.  LOUIS 

RKO  Scr.  Rm.    Thurs.  3/19  11 :00  A.M. 

3143  Olive  St. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    1:30  P.M. 

216  E.  1st  St.  South 
SAN  FRANCISCO 

Fox  Scr.  Rm.     Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

245  Hyde  St. 
SEATTLE 

Jewel  Box 
Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    1:00  P.M. 

2318  2nd  Ave. 
SIOUX  FALLS 

Hollyw'd  Thea.  Thurs.  3/19  10:00  A.M. 

212  N.  Philips  Ave. 
WASHINGTON 

Film  Center 

Scr.  Rm.         Thurs.  3/19    2:00  P.M. 

932  New  Jersey  Ave. 

Goldwyn  Blasts 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Goldwyn  Awaits 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

be  encouraged  to  make  great  pictures 
if  "exhibitors   talk  like  that."  He 
saiQ  uidi  me  negative  cosi  on  .niiuci 
sen"  had  been  approximately  $4,000,- 
000  and  that  the  picture  would  have 
to  gross  $8,000,000  before  he  could 
break  even.     Goldwyn  said  he  was 
having  no  trouble  in  selling  "Ander- 
sen" because  it  is  his  biggest  hit.  He 
also  said  that  the  minimum  admission 
price  for  children  would  be  50  cents 
on  the  picture ;  he  sharply  criticized 
the  policy  of  some  theatres  in  allowing 
children  to  see  important  product  for 
as  low  as  nine  cents  and,  in  some 
cases,  for  no  charge  at  all. 

Goldwyn  said  he  was  thankful  that 
there  are  many  exhibitors  who  real- 
ized producers'  problems  and  are  will- 
ing to  pay  top  terms  for  top  pictures. 
He  said  that  the  public  does  not  have 
the  "picture  habit"  today,  pointing  out 
that  families  make  up  their  minds  on 
what  they  want  to  see  before  going 
out    It's  not  a  question  of  price  but 
the  quality  of  the  picture  that  counts, 
he  said.    And  families  will  keep  com- 
ing back  if  they  can  see  good  family 
pictures,  he  added. 

Goldwyn  said  it  was  true  that  the 
cost  of  living  had  gone  up.    But  he 
questioned  whether  people  "squawked" 
at  the  higher  costs  of  clothing,  eggs 
and  other  commodities.     He  asked  if 
he  were  supposed  to  lose  money  for 
delivering  a  box-office  attraction.  He 
indicated  that  it  would  be  better  if 
some  exhibitors  paid  more  attention 
to  their  theatre  operation  "instead  of 
running  to  Washington." 

Goldwyn  to  Salute  Kaye 
On  Palace  Stage  Here 

Samuel     Goldwyn,     producer  of 
"Hans     Christian    Andersen,"  will 
salute  Danny  Kaye,  the  star  of  the 
picture,  on  the  stage  of  the  Palace 
Theatre  here  tonight.    The  producer 
will  pay  tribute  to  Kaye  for  his  suc- 
cessful engagement  at  the   Palace — 

adding  that  "there  is  still  a  great  deal 
of  work  to  be  done  in  this  field."  He 

coin    tliQr    li  ^   rrtnlrin  f    q  tt  <~>rv1    t<~\    4  *  1 1 1  m  n 

into  the  new  medium  blindly"  and 
that  he  wanted  to  wait  until  he  could 
use  the  right  method  to  the  fullest 
extent.  So  far,  he  said,  he  is  not  ex- 
cited about  the  various  developments, 
but  he  contended  that  "out  of  all  this 
process  of  change,  I  see  larger  audi- 
ences and  a  greater  future  for  motion 
pictures  than  ever  before." 

Goldwyn  stated  that  he  had  not  seen 
CinemaScope  but  that  he  had  seen 
Cinerama  and  most  of  the  other  proc- 
esses, adding  that  "I  do  not  believe 
that  any  system  based  on  the  use  of 
glasses  is  the  final  answer."  He  said 
that  he  was  not  sure  that  Cinerama 
would  be  economically  adaptable  for 
general  use  even  though  it  has  been 
very  successful  in  its  New  York  run. 

"However,"  Goldwyn  added.  "I  am 
sure  that  out  of  all  the  work  being, 
done,  a  uniform  system  will  be  devel- 
oped that  will  give  the  public  all  the 
advantages  of  sound  and  color  plus  a 
new  dimension.  With  this  uniformity, 
the  basic  entertainment  value  of  mo- 
tion   pictures    will    be    greatly  in- 
creased." 

In  the  rush  of  excitement  about  the 
new  processes,  Goldwyn  said,  "we 
must  not  forget  that  over  any  long 
run,  the  public  will  not  accept  novelty 
in  place  of  real  values.  The  public 
may  today  rush  to  see  something  new 
on  the  screen,  just  because  it  is  new, 
but  tomorrow  the  public  will  want  to 
have — and  will  be  entitled  to  get — 
motion  picture  entertainment  that  is 
based  on  telling  a  story  that  keeps 
the  audiences  interested  and  enter- 
tained." 

Goldwyn  will  be  in  New  York  until 
April  22  when  he  will  depart  for  an 
extensive  tour  of  Europe. 

now  in  its  eighth  week — and  his  per- 
formance in  "Hans." 

r 


1 
l 


THE  ONLY  FULL-LENGTH  FEATURE 
IN  COLOR  BY 

OF  THE  CORONATION 
OF  QUEEN  ELIZABETH  O 


NARRATED  BY 

AURENCE  OLIVIER 

NARRATIVE  BY  CHRISTOPHER  FRY 
IUSIC  BY  THE  LONDON  SYMPHONY  ORCHESTRA 


THE  J.  ARTHUR  RANK  ORGANIZATION  PRESENTS 


"A  QUEEN  IS  CROWNED" 

A  UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL  RELEASE  ^^^^p^ 


AVAILABLE  ABOUT  JUNE   1  Oth 

ONLY  THROUGH  UNIVERSAL  FILM  EXCHANGES 

It  will  be  well  worth  your  while  to  wait  just  a  few  more  days  after  the 
Coronation  On  June  2  in  order  to  show  your  patrons  nothing  less  than  the  whole 
story  of  this  once-in-a-lifetime  experience. 


CONTACT  YOUR  UNIVERSAL  BRANCH  MANAGER  NOW! 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  73.   NO.  49 


NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  13,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Film  Ads  Need 
An  Overhaul, 
Panel  Agrees 

Industry  Opinion  Also 
Hits  Misrepresentation 

The  industry's  advertising  is  in 
need  of  an  overhaul,  a  large  ma- 
jority of  representatives  of  produc- 
tion, distribution  and  exhibition 
agree  in  the  current  Motion  Picture 
Herald  Institute  of  Industry  Opinion, 
published  today. 

At  the  same  time,  the  panel- 
ists agreed  that  no  pat  rules 
can  be  laid  down  for  motion 
picture  advertising  and  that  in- 
dividual pictures  and  circum- 
stances call  for  their  own,  not 
general,  procedures. 

The  highest  percentage  of  the  pan- 
elists of  all  three  branches  of  the  in- 
dustry, 93.3  per  cent,  are  agreed  that 
film  advertising  should  abandon  older 
styles  and  techniques,  even  those 
tested  by  previous  successful  use,  in 
favor  of  a  search  for  distinctive  new 
styles  of  motion  picture  advertising. 

The  next  largest  combined  percent- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Wayne-Fellows  Sign 
New  WB  Contract 


Hollywood,  March  12. — The  con- 
tinuation of  the  present  releasing  deal 
between  Wayne-Fellows  Productions, 
Inc.,  and  Warner  Brothers  was  dis- 
closed here  today  by  Jack  L.  Warner, 
executive  producer.  John  Wayne's 
next  picture,  according  to  present 
plans,  will  be  a  Western  in  3-D  and 
in  WarnerColor. 

Under  the  deal,  John  Wayne  will 
star  in  some  of  the  pictures  to  be  pro- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Texas  COMPO  Film 
Exposition  Deferred 

Dallas,  March  12.— The  Motion 
Picture  World  Exposition  which  had 
been  planned  as  a  project  for  the  State 
Fair  of  Texas  in  October  has  been 
postponed  until  the  1954  fair.  The 
plan  for  the  subsequent  transfer  of 
the_  exposition  to  a  22-car  streamlined 
train  also  has  been  deferred  until  next 
year,  when  it  will  be  presented  as  out- 
lined by  Paul  Short. 

R.  J.  O'Donnell,  co-chairman  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


MP  A  A  Delays  State  Censorship 
Attacks  Pending  High  Court  Rulings 

Washington,  March  12. — The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  has  decided  to  see  what  two  high  courts  say  on  two 
pending  censorship  test  cases  before  pushing  ahead  any  further 
with  a  campaign  to  repeal  state  censorship  laws. 

That  was  the  answer  of  an  MPAA  official  when  asked  about  the 
dearth  of  state  bills  to  repeal  state  censorship.  He  said  the  MPAA 
had  at  one  time  decided  to  launch  an  all-out  legislative  drive  this 
year,  but  had  more  recently  decided  to  wait  out  higher  court  action 
on  the  Ohio  newsreel  censorship  challenge  and  on  the  "La  Ronde" 
case  in  New  York. 


Ezell  Outlines  Program  of 
New  InVl  Drive-in  Group 

Dallas,  March  12. — The  program  of  the  new  International  Drive-in 
Theatre  Owners  Association  was  outlined  here  by  Claude  Ezell,  presi- 
dent of  Ezell  and  Associates,  founder  and  organizer  of  the  world-wide 

drive-in  group 


Technicolor  Ready 
To  Make  1 -Strip 
Negatives  in  Color 


Hollywood,  March  12. — With  new 
machinery  and  process  improvements 
installed  in  the  Technicolor  labora- 
tory here,  the  company  now  has  facili- 
ties available  for  the  processing  of  the 
newer  single  strip  color  negatives  such 
as  the  Eastman,  Ansco  and  other 
processes,  Dr.  Herbert  T.  Kalmus, 
president,  disclosed  here  today.  In 
addition,  he  said,  new  developments 
make  faster  deliveries  of  rush  prints 
and  release  prints  possible. 

With  the  new  improved  and  ex- 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


The  association  will  act  in  concert 
to  attack  such  problems  as  discrimi- 
natory laws,  print  shortages,  unfair 
insurance  rates,  higher  film  rentals  and 
other  factors,  Ezell  declared.  The 
operator  of  one  of  the  world's  largest 
independent  drive-in  circuits  outlined 
the  purposes  of  the  organization  at 
an  executive  committee  meeting  of  the 
Texas  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Or- 
ganizations. 

Declared  Ezell :  "The  International 
Drive-in  Theatre  Owners  was  cre- 
ated primarily  because  drive-in  thea- 
tres have,  since  their  inception,  been 
looked  upon  by  certain  elements 
necessary  to  our  business  as  aliens 
and  not  an  essential  part  of  the  in- 
dustry." 

He  said  every  drive-in  theatre 
owner  and  manager  in  the  world  is 
eligible  for  membership  in  the  new 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


'Salome 


(Columbia)  rr  „        ,  »,r     ,  ,L 

/  Hollywood,  March  12 

PRESENTING  a  huge  cast  topped  by  such  potent  marquee  person- 
alities as  Rita  Hayworth,  Stewart  Granger,  Charles  Laughton, 
.  Judith  Anderson  and  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke,  this  $2,000,000  produc- 
tion by  Buddy  Adler  of  the  climactic  period  in  the  life  of  Salome  comes 
now  to  take  its  place  in  trade  history  alongside  "David  and  Bathsheba," 
'Samson  and  Delilah"  and  all  those  other  works  in  kind  which  (go  back 
and  check-  on  down  from  D.  W.  Griffith's  "Judith  of  Bethulia"  if  in 
doubt)  have  proved  so  positively  and  profitably  that  the  big-scale  Bible- 
story  is  the  safest,  surest  and_paying-est  type  of  box  office  product  dis- 
covered to  date.  It's  as  nearly  axiomatic  as  anything  in  show  business 
can  be  _  that  "Salome"  will  pile  up  profits  all  along  its  exhibition  course, 
for  it  is  a  characteristic  of  the  Bible-story  that  the  big  towns  and  the 
little  ones,  the  near  places  and  the  far,  respond  uniformly  to  its  billing — 
and  the  title  of  this  one  bills  especially  well. 

Producer  Adler  has  given  the  Salome  story  painstaking  and  luxurious 
handling.  The  painstaking  began  with  the  making  of  choice  between  the 
various  versions  of  the  Salome  story  available  in  the  different  translations 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


CinemaScope 
Exhibit  Pulling 
400  Exhibitors 


Showmen  from  All  Over 
US  to  Head  for  the  Coast 


Approximately  400  exhibitors 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  are 
expected  to  attend,  at  their  own 
traveling  expense,  20th  Century- 
Fox's  demonstration  of  CinemaScope 
at  the  company's  Hollywood  studios 
next  week.  As  of  yesterday,  200  in- 
vitations to  exhibitors  had  been  ac- 
cepted and  the  list  is  expected  to 
reach  the  400-mark  by  the  end  of  the 
demonstration  period  on  March  20. 
Large  circuits  are  sending  representa- 
tives to  the  exhibit,  as  well  as  inde- 
pendent theatre  owners. 

The  company  is  sending  its 
division  managers  to  the  Coast 
for  the  showings,  as  well  as  a 
contingent  of  home  office  execu- 
tives, including  Al  Lichtman, 
William  Gehring,  Charles  Ein- 
feld,  Edwin  Aaron,  Arthur  Sil- 
verstone  and  Alex  Harrison. 

New  York  exhibition  ranks  will  be 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


M-G-M  Expands  Use 
Of  TV  in  Promotion 


In  addition  to  the  preview  presenta- 
tions on  Ed  Sullivan's  "Toast  of  the 
Town"  CBS-TV  program,  M-G-M  is 
using  the  television  medium  to  pro- 
mote other  product.  The  company  is 
planning  to  re-release  "Trader  Horn" 
shortly  and  will  use  special  television 
trailers  in  its  promotion.  Television 
trailers  also  are  being  used  experi- 
mentally on  "A  Woman's  Face"  and 
more  or  less  extensively  on  "Jeop- 
ardy." Meanwhile,  four  more  M-G-M 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Senate  Prober  to 
Talk  to  Majors 


Washington,  March  12. — Senate 
Small  Business  Committee  counsel 
Charles  M.  Noone  said  he  had  ap- 
pointments arranged  in  New  York 
City  next  week  with  officials  of  vir- 
tually all  of  the  major  distributors. 

Noone  will  talk  to  the  home  office 
officials  to  get  material  for  the  Com- 
mittee's investigation  and  hearings  on 
industry  trade  practices.  He  said 
most  of  the  meetings  are  arranged  for 
Wednesday  and  Thursday. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  13,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


HARRY  THOMAS,  Souvaine  Se- 
lective Pictures  vice-president  in 
charge  of  sales,  has  left  here  for  the 
Coast  and  will  make  several  stopovers 
in  the  South  en  route. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  head  of  M- 
G-M  sales  for  shorts  and  newsreels, 
will  leave  here  Monday  on  a  visit  to 
exchanges  in  Jacksonville,  Atlanta, 
Charlotte,  and  Washington. 

• 

Milton  Dureau,  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  Masterpiece  Pic- 
tures of  New  Orleans,  left  here  by 
plane  for  that  city  yesterday  following 
a  business  visit. 

Lewis  Blumberg,  son  of  N.  J. 
BlumberGj  Universal  board  chairman, 
will  be  married  here  tomorrow  to 
Nilda  Colon  of  San  Juan,  P.  R.,  and 
New  York. 

Norm  Levin  son  of  Loew's  Poli 
Theatre,  Hartford,  and  Irv  Richland 
of  Hartford  Amusements,  will  return 
there  today  from  a  South  American 
cruise. 

P.    T.    Dana,    Universal  Eastern 
sales  manager,  will  leave  New  York 
today  for  Cleveland,  Pittsburgh  and 
Detroit  and  will  return  on  Tuesday. 
© 

Barney    Balaban,    president  of 
Paramount  Pictures,  and  Paul  Rai- 
bourn,  vice-president,   are  due  here 
from  the  Coast  over  the  weekend. 
• 

Perry  Lieber,  national  director  of 
publicity-exploitation  for  RKO  Radio, 
is  scheduled  to  leave  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Hollywood. 

e 

Jack  Markle,  New  England  pub- 
licist, replaces  Bob  Weiner  as  Co- 
lumbia exploitation  man  in  Boston. 
Weiner  goes  to  Chicago. 

• 

Whitney  North  Seymour,  of 
counsel  to  Paramount  Pictures,  has 
been  elected  president  of  the  American 
Arbitration  Association. 

Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
has  a  White  House  appointment  today 
to  discuss  Point  Four  business  with 
President  Eisenhower. 

® 

Bette  Elaine  Simon,  daughter  of 
Cecile  F.  Simon  of  Warner  Brothers 
here,  was  married  Saturday  to  Harry 
Leshinsky. 

• 

John  Davis,  managing  director  of 
J.  Arthur  Rank  Organization,  Ltd., 
London,  has  left  New  York  for  the 
Coast. 

• 

Mervin  Houser,  RKO  Radio  home 
office  publicity  manager,  has  returned 
to  New  York  from  the  Coast. 

George  Weltner,  head  of  Para- 
mount-International, arrived  here  yes- 
terday from  the  Coast. 

• 

Sol  Lesser  is  due  in  New  York 
from  the  Coast  next  week. 


$500,000  Cinerama 
Debentures  Sold 

Cinerama,  Inc.  debentures 
totaling  about  $500,000  were 
sold  here  to  the  public  yester- 
day, the  first  day  of  a  $2,000,- 
000  debenture  offering,  Gear- 
hart  and  Otis,  the  brokerage 
firm  handling  the  floatation, 
reported. 

A  spokesman  described  the 
current  market  as  being  cau- 
tious of  all  issues  of  new  in- 
vestments, but  expressed  the 
belief  that  the  sale  of  the 
debentures  will  rise  following 
the  opening  in  Detroit  on 
March  23  of  "This  Is  Cine- 
rama." 


Cinerama  Names 
Hartley  Treasurer 

The  election  of  John  H.  Hartley 
as  treasurer  of  Cinerama,  Inc.,  replac- 
ing Frank  M.  Smith,  was  disclosed 
here  yesterday  by  the  company. 
.  Smith  will  retain  his  positions  as 
secretary  and  director  of  the  company. 
Hartley,  who  has  resigned  as  cashier 
and  trust  officer  of  the  National  Ma- 
haiwe  Bank  at  Great  Barrington, 
Mass.,  will  assume  his  new  duties  on 
April  6. 

Buchman  Is  Found 
Guilty  of  Contempt 

Washington,  March  12. — A  Fed- 
eral District  Court  jury  today  found 
Hollywood  writer-producer  Sidney 
Buchman  guilty  of  contempt  of  Con- 
gress for  failing  to  answer  a  House 
Un-American  Activities  Committee 
subpoena  in  Jan.  1952. 

The  jury  reached  an  agreement  45 
minutes  after  it  had  reported  for  the 
second  time  that  it  could  not  reach 
a  verdict.  Judge  T.  Blake  Kennedy 
urged  the  jury  to  try  once  more,  and 
the  guilty  verdict  resulted. 

Buchman  will  be  sentenced  Mon- 
day, and  faces  up  to  a  year  in  jail 
and  a  fine  of  $1,000.  In  the  meantime, 
he  was  permitted  to  go  free  on  bond. 


Full  Agenda  for 
MPEA  Meeting 


A  16-point  agenda  has  been  set  for 
foreign  department  managers  of  mem- 
ber companies  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Export  Association  when  they  meet 
here  next  Wednesday. 

The  program  consists  of  discussions 
on  a  new  film  agreement  in  Spain,  the 
new  import  agreement  in  Italy,  the 
"Golden  Jubilee"  celebration  in  South 
Africa,  Eady  plan  developments  in 
England,  legal  fees  in  Brazil,  Mex- 
ico, France  and  Italy,  the  allocation 
of  two  remaining  licenses  in  France, 
tax  committee  recommendations  in  In- 
donesia, by-laws  of  the  newly-created 
film  board  in  Ecuador,  a  status  re- 
port on  Japan,  a  report  on  Argentina, 
indemnification  of  employes  in  Peru 
and  progress  reports  on  Belgium  and 
Norway. 


Many  Register  for 
Drive-in  Convention 

Milwaukee,  March  12. — Reserva- 
tions are  coming  in  fast  for  the  na- 
tional drive-in  convention  to  be  held 
here  March  24-26  at  the  Schroeder 
Hotel.  Thus  far  41  of  the  48  states 
are  represented,  and  eight  delegates 
from  Canada  are  expected. 

Among  the  speakers  announced  are 
Wilbur  Snaper,  national  Allied  presi- 
dent ;  Abram  Myers,  Allied  chairman- 
general  counsel ;  Herbert  Barn.ett, 
president  of  the  Society  of  Motion 
Picture  and  TV  Engineers,  and  Har- 
old Fitzgerald,  president  of  Fox  Wis- 
consin Amusement  Corp.,  who  will 
speak  on  the  newly-formed  Show- 
man's Guild,  Inc. 


Gillis  and  Ableson 
In  New  Para.  Posts 

Herbert  Gillis  has  been  promoted 
from  sales  manager  at  the  Paramount 
Philadelphia  branch  to  branch  mana- 
ger at  Cincinnati,  effective  Monday, 
A.  W.  Schwalberg,  president  of  Para- 
mount Film  Distributing  Corp.,  an- 
nounced here  yesterday.  Gillis  suc- 
ceeds William  Meier,  who  will  remain 
at  Cincinnati  as  sales  manager. 

Another  field  personnel  change  in- 
volves Robert  Ableson,  who  has  been 
promoted  from  salesman  in  Los  An- 
geles to  branch  sales  manager,  suc- 
ceeding Ralph  Carmichael,  resigned. 
Ableson  will  take  over  on  April  6. 


'Wac'  Follows  'Hans' 

RKO  Radio's  "Never  Wave  at  a 
Wac"  will  be  the  next  attraction  at 
the  Criterion  Theatre  here.  It  will 
follow  Samuel  Goldwyn's  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen,"  which  is  now 
playing  a  16th  week  and  very  likely 
will  continue  through  Easter. 


MPA's  Clark  Retains 
Hockstetter  as  Aide 

Washington,  March  12.  —  Leo 
Hockstetter,  deputy  director  of  infor- 
mation for  the  Mutual  Security 
Agency,  is  scheduled  to  join  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America 
staff  here  in  another  10  days  or  two 
weeks  as  assistant  to  MPAA  informa- 
tion director  Kenneth  Clark.  A  former 
reporter  on  the  Washington  Times- 
Herald,  Hockstetter  has  been  with  the 
Economic  Cooperation  Administration 
and  with  MSA  for  the  past  four 
vears. 


Goldberg  Resigns 
RKO  Radio  Post 

Fred  Goldberg  has  resigned  as  as- 
sistant publicity  manager  for  RKO 
Radio  here,  effective  March  20.  He 
will  reveal  his  future  plans  shortly. 

Goldberg  joined  RKO  in  Oct.,  1952, 
and  prior  to  that  was  a  member  of 
Paramount's  home  office  publicity  de- 
partment where  he  handled  New  York 
newspapers,  syndicates,  trade  papers, 
promotions  and  exploitation  at  various 
times. 


Harding  to  U.K. 

Alfred  Harding,  assistant  to  the 
president  of  Actors  Equity,  will  leave 
here  for  London  over  the  weekend  to 
negotiate  a  new  agreement  governing 
alien  actors  with  the  British. 


Fears  Upped  Prices 
Endanger  Tax  Repeal 

Columbus,  March  12.— Rob- 
ert Wile,  executive  secretary 
of  the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Ohio,  has  a  new 
reason  for  opposing  pre-re- 
lease, high  term  pictures. 

Such  policies,  he  says,  com- 
pel exhibitors  to  raise  their 
admissions;  the  total  amount 
of  admission  tax  remitted  to 
the  Treasury  will  be  greater; 
the  Treasury  will  be  given  an 
argument  against  repeal  of 
the  20  per  cent  Federal  tax. 


20th  Opens  Merman 
Film  in  Miami 

Miami,  March  12. — A  crowd  of  10,- 
000  was  on  hand  tonight  to  see  and 
cheer  Ethel  Merman  leading  a  motor- 
cade along  Lincoln  Road  to  the  Carib 
Theatre,  where  20th  Century-Fox's 
"Call  Me  Madam"  had  its  world  pre- 
miere. 

The  motorcade  included  150  mem- 
bers of  the  Greater  Miami  Boys  Drum 
and  Bugle  Corps.  It  kicked  off  an 
evening  of  festivities  culminating  with 
the  showing  of  the  Irving  Berlin 
musical. 

Miss  Merman,  in  whose  honor  to- 
day was  named  "Ethel  Merman  Day," 
was  welcomed  at  the  Carib  by  Mayor 
D.  Lee  Powell,  who  presented  her 
with  keys  to  the  city. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 

RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

^—    Rockefeller  Center 


"THE  STORY  OF  THREE  LOVES" 


Kirk 
DOUGLAS 


Farley 
GRANGER 


James 
MASON 

Pier ANGELI  MoiraSH EARER  LeslieCARON 
An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


WARNERCOLOR 


Midnight  rtoigrc 


2  BIG  I.  F.  E.  HITS  ON  B'WAY! 


SILVAN  A 

MANGANO 


AviTTflRlfl 


-starring 

'VITTORIO  GASSMAN 

BRANDT'S  GLOBE  fe* 


2nd 


month  FERNANDEL  m 

"1HI  UTUE  WORLD  Of 

DON  CAMILL0' 

B|  IAII  45th  Sf  w-  of 

Dl«  W  B'way  •  CO  5-8215 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Terry  Rarnsave,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  _ holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20.  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco,  U 
New  York  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  T.  Brady. 
?,er?.retaryj  JjSmes  R  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq..  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quiglev  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald:  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
pf  March  3,  18/9.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Friday,  March  13,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


'Salome' 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

of  the  Bible,  as  well  as  the  fictitious  representations  given  popular  circulation 
by  Oscar  Wilde,  Gustave  Flaubert,  Lord  Alfred  Douglas,  Richard  Strauss, 
Jules  Massenet  and  other  imaginative  gentlemen.  The  version  finally  chosen, 
after  extensive  conferences  with  various  religious  authorities,  is  screen- 
credited  as  a  screenplay  by  Harry  Kleiner,  from  a  story  by  Jesse  L. 
Lasky,  Jr.,  and  it  is  free  of  most  of  the  grisly  stage-business  and  the  erotic 
implications  emphasized  by  the  creators  of  the  fictitious  versions  which,  in 
all  probability,  are  better  known  to  the  average  ticket-buyer  than  the 
Biblical  original.  This  is  not  likely  to  make  much  difference  in  general 
audience  reaction,  however,  for  the  script  is  quite  precise  in  stating  its  points. 

Miss  Hayworth,  as  Salome,  wears  a  fortune's-worth  of  the  brilliantly- 
colored  garb  of  the  period,  and  deports  herself  as  every  inch  the  princess  (no 
slinky-siren  business  this  time)  throughout,  including  the  dance  sequence, 
which,  according  to  the  Kleiner  script,  was  not  undertaken  for  purposes  of 
seduction. 

Granger  is  pictorially  correct  as  the  enlightened  Roman  who  befriends  the 
doomed  John  the  Baptist,  and  competently  ardent  in  the  restrained  clinches 
the  script  allows.  Laughton's  King  Herod  of  Galilee,  torn  between  fear  and 
license,  is  the  most  convincing  portrayal  in  the  picture.  Judith  Anderson's 
Queen  Herodias  is  dour,  crafty  and  courageous  all  at  once,  a  complex 
character  even  for  Miss  Anderson's  consummate  skill.  Hardwicke's  Caesar 
Tiberius  is  powerful,  commanding,  completely  credible,  although  but  briefly 
present  in  the  story.  Alan  Badel's  John  the  Baptist  is  piercingly  impressive, 
probably  the  most  memorable  of  all  the  performances. 

As  it  is  told  here,  the  story  has  Queen  Herodias  determined  to  stop  John 
the  Baptist  from  making  public  addresses  referring  to  her  as  an  adultress. 
Her  husband,  Herod,  is  unwilling,  due  to  fear,  to  stop  him.  When  the  queen 
orders  John  assassinated,  and  the  attempt  fails,  Herod  has  John  jailed,  for 
protection,  and  in  this  circumstance  the  queen  persuades  Salome  (her 
daughter  by  a  former  marriage)  to  dance  for  Herod  at  his  birthday  party, 
and  persuades  him,  while  Salome  is  dancing,  to  authorize  the  beheading  of 
John.  When  a  servant  brings  in  John's  head  on  a  salver  Salome  finds  out 
her  mother's  true  character  and  denounces  her,  leaving  then,  with  the  Roman, 
to  follow  a  life  of  devotion. 

The  production  is  big  in  over-all  dimensions,  in  scale  and  splendor  of 
settings  and  presentation,  and  in  the  use  of  large  numbers  of  players.  Direc- 
tion by  the  distinguished  William  Dieterle  keeps  the  many-stranded  basic 
story  steadily  clear,  and  the  performances  well  balanced.  The  color  by  Tech- 
nicolor is  superlative. 

Exhibitors  can  look  forward  to  excellent  business  with  this  opulent,  star- 
laden  attraction.  Its  box  office  potential  should  be  equal  in  every  respect  to 
the  receptions  given  those  lavish  productions  based  on  Biblical  themes  which 
have  preceded  it  to  market. 

Running  time,  105  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April.  William  R.  Weaver 


Would  Cut  License 
Fee  to  Aid  Theatres 

Annapolis,  March  12.  —  If 
Baltimore  County  exhibitors 
can  be  helped  by  only  a  token 
license  fee  to  further  fight 
television  inroads,  help  may 
be  on  the  way. 

A  bill  reducing  the  annual 
license  fee  from  as  much  as 
$200  to  a  flat  $1  per  year 
which  previously  passed  the 
Senate  has  cleared  the  House 
and  been  sent  to  Governor 
McKeldin.  Senator  John  Turn- 
bull,  the  sponsor,  said  of  his 
measure:  "Movie  people  in 
the  county  are  going  broke 
and  its  mainly  due  to  TV." 


Oklahoma  Support 
Goes  to  Mason  Bill 

Oklahoma  City,  March  12.— 
The  Oklahoma  unit  of  the 
Council  of  Motion  Picture 
Organizations  will  join  other 
industry  groups  in  concen- 
trating its  tax  efforts  on  the 
Mason  Bill,  H.  R.  157,  accord- 
ing to  chairman  Morris  Loew- 
enstein.  In  a  letter  to  the 
state's  exhibitors,  Loewen- 
stein  urges  them  to  contact 
their  Senators  and  Represen- 
tatives at  once  and  to  use  the 
word  "exemption"  and  not 
"repeal"  of  the  20  per  cent 
tax.  He  also  asks  the  exhibi- 
tors to  stress  the  urgency  of 
the  bill  and  request  that  it 
"not  be  encumbered  by  any 
other  amendments." 


Theatres  in  Buffalo 
Face  A  5%  Tax 

Buffalo,  March  12. — Mayor  Jo- 
seph Mruk  has  proposed  a  five  per 
cent  tax  on  theatre  admissions  and 
other  levies  in  his  tax-laden  budget 
for  1953-54.  Public  reaction  to  the 
proposals  has  been  prompt  and  an- 
tagonistic. Officials  of  groups  con- 
cerned have  voiced  strong  disapproval 
of  any  of  the  taxes.  The  Mayor  hopes 
to  raise  $600,000  annually  through  the 
admission  tax. 

A  spokesman  for  the  industry  in 
commenting  on  the  proposed  tax  on 
theatres,  said :  "Theatres  are  about  the 
most  heavily  taxed  enterprises  in  the 
country.  We  already  have  a  20  per 
cent  Federal  tax.  Such  taxes  on  the 
industry  are  definitely  discriminatory. 
Right  now  we  are  trying  to  get  the 
20  per  cent  tax  cut  down  or  elimi- 
nated. I  don't  think  the  business 
could  stand  another  tax." 

Tenn.  Tax  Repealer 
To  the  Governor 

Nashville,  March  12. — Tennessee's 
legislature  has  passed  and  sent  to  the 
governor  for  signature  a  bill  repealing 
a  1949  law  authorizing  cities  and 
counties  to  levy  a  20  per  cent  tax  on 
admissions  to  amusement  places. 

The  local  taxing  power  has  never 
produced  any  revenue  because  the  law 
stipulated  that  it  would  not  apply  so 
long  as  the  Federal  government  lev- 
ied a  similar  tax  of  the  same  amount. 

Savini  to  St.  Louis 
On  Franchise  Deal 

R.  M.  Savini,  president  of  Astor 
Pictures  Corp.,  flew  to  St.  Louis  from 
here  yesterday  to  confer  with  Gore- 
lick  and  Phillips,  of  Realart  Pictures 
of  St.  Louis,  Inc.,  and  close  negotia- 
tions whereby  Realart  will  take  over 
the  franchise  to  distribute  Astor  prod- 
uct exclusively  for  that  territory. 

The  Astor  president  will  then  fly  to 
Hollywood  for  conferences  with  Hal 
Roach,  Jr.,  to  line  up  features  now  in 
production  for  Astor  release  in  1953 
and  1954. 


'Lili'  Breaks  2  Records 

"Lili"  opened  here  Tuesday  at  the 
Trans-Lux  52nd  Street  Theatre  to  a 
record-breaking  first-day  gross  of 
slightly  over  $2,000  and  hit  another 
record-breaking  $2,200  for  the  second 
day,  the  theatre  reports. 


'Devil'  Goes  Abroad 
Beginning  Monday 


On  Monday,  "Bwana  Devil,"  the 
Natural  Vision  three-dimensional  film 
being  released  by  United  Artists,  will 
open  in  Puerto  Rico,  the  first  opening 
of  a  3-D  feature  film  outside  the 
United  States. 

The  Puerto  Rican  bow,  a  UA 
spokesman  disclosed,  will  be  followed 
in  the  foreign  field  by  openings  in  four 
cities  of  England  on  March  20.  Sub- 
sequent openings  running  through 
April  and  later  have  been  set  in  Paris, 
Brussels,  Stockholm,  Rome,  Zurich, 
Berlin,  Singapore  and  Hong  Kong, 
among  other  key  foreign  situations. 

A  UA  spokesman  acknowledged 
that  the  supply  of  polarizing  glasses 
poses  a  problem  for  the  foreign  field, 
but  said  that  this  problem  is  being 
met.  In  some  countries  such  as  Eng- 
land, a  limited  supply  of  permanent 
polarizing  spectacles  has  been  con- 
tracted for  by  UA,  it  was  explained. 
The  major  source  of  supply  still  is 
Polaroid  Corp.,  which  supplies  the 
throw-away  type  of  spectacles,  it  was 
added. 


Stewart  Search  Halted 

Charlotte,  N.  Cj  March  12.— The 
search  for  Worth  Stewart,  Charlotte 
theatre  circuit  owner,  has  been  dis- 
continued. Stewart  left  Jacksonville, 
Fla.,  on  Feb.  26  in  his  plane  and  has 
not  been  heard  from  since.  Civil  Air 
Patrol  planes  searched  areas  of  North 
and  South  Carolina  for  weeks. 


M-G-M  Lists  Product 
For  Broadway  Runs 


M-G-M's  "Jeopardy,"  starring  Bar- 
bara Stanwyck,  Barry  Sullivan  and 
Ralph  Meeker,  opens  at  the  Mayfair 
Theatre  here  on  March  30.  "Above 
and  Beyond,"  currently  at  the  house, 
will  wind  up  a  nine-week  run  when 
it  is  succeeded  by  "Jeopardy." 

Other  M-G-M  pictures  scheduled 
for  Broadway-  showings  are  "Battle 
Circus,"  starring  June  Allyson  and 
Humphrey  Bogart,  following  the  cur- 
rent picture  at  the  Capitol  Theatre. 
"The  Naked  Spur,"  starring  James 
Stewart,  Janet  Leigh,  Robert  Ryan 
and  Ralph  Meeker,  follows  the  cur- 
rent picture  at  the  State,  probably 
about  Easter.  Also  for  Easter  week 
will  be  "Ivanhoe,"  teamed  with  "The 
Hoaxters"  _  in  Loew's  greater  New 
York  circuit. 

Currently  on  Broadway  in  addition 
to  M-G-M's  "Above  and  Beyond"  at 
the  Mayfair  is  "The  Story  of  Three 
Loves,"  in  its  second  week  at  Radio 
City  ;  Music  Hall.  Off-Broadway  is 
"Lili)".  starring  Leslie  Caron,  which 
is  in  its  opening  week  at  the  Trans- 
Lux  52nd  St.  Theatre. 


14  More  ABC  Affiliates 

American  Broadcasting  Co.  has 
acquired  14  new  affiliates  for  its  radio 
and  TV  networks,  bringing  its  tele- 
vision total  to  95  and  the  number  of 
AM  stations  to  362,  according  to 
Alfred  Beckman,  ABC  national  direc- 
tor of  station  relations. 


May  Show  British 
Screen  Next  Week 

A  demonstration  of  the  British- 
developed  "wide-vision  surround," 
screen  equipment  which  is  said  to  add 
depth  and  panoramic  size  to  standard 
films,  may  be  held  here  next  week. 
Sol  Lesser,  who  with  a  group  of  asso- 
ciates has  purchased  the  U.S.  rights 
from  the  Donford  Corp.  of  Chicago, 
is  due  in  New  York  for  a  brief  stay 
and  will  demonstrate  the  equipment 
if  it  arrives  from  England  before  he 
returns  to  the  Coast.  The  device  is 
now  enroute  to  the  United  States. 

The  "surround"  permits  a  projected 
"flat"  picture  to  "bleed"  off  a  central 
screen  creating  an  "unframed  picture 
in  space"  that  gives  an  illusion  of 
both  depth  and  panorama,  according 
to  Lesser.  The  equipment  also  is  said 
to  enhance  the  values  of  tri-dimen- 
sional  pictures  made  in  any  process. 

Similar  screens  are  now  in  use  in 
the  U.  S.j  one  of  which  is  made  by 
RCA. 

RCA's  Piatt  Touring 
On  3-D  Installations 

A.  J.  Piatt,  RCA  theatre  field 
sales  manager,  will  spend  the  next 
two  weeks  visiting  RCA  independ- 
ent theatre  supply  dealers  in  a  num- 
ber of  cities  to  discuss  RCA's  new 
3-D  equipment,  and  installation  and 
service  plans  relating  to  the  new 
medium,  the  company  reports. 

During  his  tour,  Piatt  will  visit 
3-D  producers  and  Hollywood  stu- 
dios, as  well  as  dealers  and  exhib- 
itors in  the  Chicago,  San  Francisco, 
Denver,  Des  Moines,  Cincinnati  and 
Pittsburgh  areas. 


Files  Equity  Suit  in  III. 

Chicago,  March  12.  —  Attorney 
Seymour  Simon  filed  a  suit  here  to- 
day in  Federal  District  Court  on  be- 
half of  J.  J.  McFarland  and  the 
Arcadia  Theatre,  St.  Charles,  111., 
against  the  major  film  companies  ask- 
ing that  the  Arcadia  be  furnished  first 
run  product.  The  equity  suit  claims 
that  the  major  film  companies  refused 
to  allow  the  Arcadia  to  play  pictures 
until  after  they  have  played  the 
Aurora  and  Elgin  Theatres. 


Korda  Plans  3-D  Film 

London,  March  12.— Sir  Alexander 
Korda,  now  in  Bombay,  has  an- 
nounced that  the  first  three-dimen- 
sional film  to  be  made  outside  the 
U.  S.  would  be  his  "Taj  Mahal," 
which  he  plans  to  produce  in  India 
soon  with  an  Indian  and  European 
cast. 


20th  Century 
First  Demdr 


for  Producers,  Exit! 


Next  week,  a  momentous  new  era  in  motion 
pictures  will  be  launched  at  our  Studios  when  we 
present  the  first  demonstrations  of  CinemaScope,  the 
most  eagerly  anticipated  development  in  the  history 
of  entertainment. 

In  addition  to  showings  for  industry  executives, 
studio  heads,  producers,  technicians  and  representa- 
tives of  the  guilds  and  the  press,  Mr.  Spyros  P. 
Skouras,  president  of  our  company,  has  scheduled 
a  series  of  showings  for  exhibitors,  personally  pre- 
pared by  Mr.  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  and  revealing  the 
unparalleled  new  vista  of  entertainment  potentiali- 
ties created  by  the  advent  of  CinemaScope  . 


k  Announces 
orations  of 


dtors  and  the  Press 


A  Series  of  Four  Demonstrations  Especially  for  the 


EXHIBITORS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 

will  be  held 
FRIDAY,  MARCH  20th,  at  2:30  P.M. 
and  SATURDAY,  MARCH  21st, 
at  10:30  A.  M.,  2:30  P.  M.  and  5  P.  M. 
ON  STAGE  6  OF  OUR  STUDIO  LOCATED  AT 
WESTERN  AVE.  AND  SUNSET,  HOLLYWOOD,  CALIF. 

We  hope  you  will  be  able  to  attend  these  demon- 
strations, along  with  those  of  your  associates  who 
I    should  share  this  wonderful  experience. 


Al  Lichtman,  Director  of  Distribution,  20th  Century-Fox 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  13,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily  Feature  Reviews 


One  Girl's  Confession 


(Columbia) 

A STORY  of  fate  and  irony  is  spun  in  this  Hugo  Haas  vehicle  which  is 
far  superior  to  its  modest  budget.  Haas,  as  customary,  produced  and 
directed  the  picture  in  which  he  also  acts  and  for  which  he  wrote  the  script. 
Attractive  Cleo  Moore  is  the  victim  of  strange  and  ironic  twists  of  fate. 

Miss  Moore  plays  the  part  of  a  waitress  in  a  tawdry  waterfront  restaurant 
who  is  constantly  harassed  by  the  owner.  Throughout  the  picture  the  camera 
shows  a  tendency  to  linger  provocatively  on  the  contours  of  Miss  Moore. 
It  seems  that  the  restaurant  owner  not  only  maltreats  Miss  Moore,  but  years 
ago  cheated  her  father  out  of  a  fortune.  One  day  Miss  Moore  spies  the 
owner  collecting  some  $25,000  in  an  illegal  transaction  with  a  seaman.  She 
plans  her  retribution  and  carries  it  out  by  stealing  the  money  and  hiding  it. 
Next  she  confesses  the  theft  to  the  police  and  serves  out  her  jail  sentence 
for  the  crime. 

Free  once  more  she  goes  to  work  again  in  a  restaurant  owned  by  Haas. 
Gradually  she  grows  to  trust  Haas,  and  when  he  gets  into  difficulties  because 
of  a  gambling  debt,  she  offers  to  help  by  advising  him  where  the  $25,000  is 
buried. 

Once  again  fate  intercedes  ironically.  Circumstances  indicate  that  Haas 
has  stolen  the  money  and  so  Miss  Moore  hits  him  on  the  head  with  a  bottle, 
apparently  killing  him.  Too  late,  she  learns  that  Haas  never  stole  the 
buried  loot.  Whereupon  Miss  Moore  digs  it  up,  donates  it  to  an  orphanage, 
and  surrenders  to  the  police.  Irony  has  its  day  again.  It  develops  that  Haas 
was  not  killed  but  merely  sustained  a  few  forehead  scratches. 

The  one  thing  in  Miss  Moore's  life  that  is  not  jinxed  is  her  romance  with 
Glenn  Langan,  a  fisherman,  find  when  the  curtain  comes  down  she  seems 
happily  headed  for  matrimony.  Throughout  the  picture  there  are  imaginative 
touches  that  enhance  the  entertainment  value. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Ellen  Stansbury,  Anthony  Jochim,  Burt  Mustin, 
Leonid  Snegoff  and  Jim  Husser. 

Running  time,  74  minutes.    Adult  audience  classification.    For  April  release. 


"Luxury  Girls" 


(Cines  Productions-United  Artists) 

THE  efforts  of  a  group  of  pseudo-sophisticates  in  a  swank  school  for  girls 
in  the  Alps  to  trap  a  wealthy  man  offer  the  background  for  "Luxury 
Girls."  The  teen-age  youngsters  accurately  portray  their  roles  as  obnoxious 
by-products  of  an  existence  that  offers  them  everything  except  parental  gui- 
dance. At  times  the  dialogue  is  a  bit  choppy  and  the  story  and  interest  are 
only  of  average  caliber. 

Director  Piero  Mussetta  and  Carlo  Civallero,  the  producer,  have  squeezed 
a  few  moments  of  suspense  and  some  good  shots  of  the  Alps  out  of  Enno 
Flaiano's  screenplay  and  a  cast  of  comparatively  unknowns.  Although  the 
story  tends  to  be  fanciful,  it  has  as  a  background  the  reality  of  young  girls' 
heartbreak  in  their  search  for  acceptance  and  love. 

Susan  Stephen,  the  spirited  daughter  of  an  American  playboy,  enters  the 
school  for  the  international  smart  set.  She  is  immediately  dominated  by  the 
school's  ring-leaders  and  forced  into  a  room  with  a  scholarship  student.  It  is 
only  when  a  wealthy  young  American  becomes  interested  in  Miss  Stephen 
that  she  is  included  in  the  international  clique  of  the  upper  termers.  Trying 
to  follow  her  father's  advice  to  mature,  she  rejects  her  young  scholarly  friend 
and  takes  up  with  the  "worldy"  set. 

Even  though  she  finds  the  wealthy  American  repulsive  she  maintains  con- 
tact with  him  to  keep  up  appearances.  When  she  falls  in  love  with  a  local 
mountaineer,  Miss  Stephen  realizes  the  life  she  has  been  leading  is  quite 
barren.  It  is  not  easy  to  resolve  all  her  difficulties  but  she  exercises  extreme 
perseverance  and  emerges  the  master  of  the  situation. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Anna  Maria  Ferrero,  Jacques  Sernas,  Steve  Barclay, 
Marine  Vlady,  Brunella  Bovo,  Rosanna  Podesta,  Elica  Ceganni  and  Claudio 
Cora. 

Running  time,  96  minutes.  General  audience  classification. 


Para,  to  Use  TV 
On  'War  of  Worlds' 

Paramount  is  preparing  to  launch 
a  television  promotion  campaign  on 
"War  of  the  Worlds"  on  a  national 
basis. 


Seek  Insurance  Law 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  12. — Com- 
panion bills  have  been  introduced  by 
Senator  Herbert  I.  Sorin  of  the 
Bronx,  and  Assemblyman  Ben  Werbel 
of  Brooklyn,  which  would  require  es- 
tablishments operating  under  a  license 
from  a  municipality  and  charging  pub- 
lic admission  fee,  to  secure  and  main- 
tain minimum  liability  insurance  of 
$25,000  for  personal  injuries  to  one 
person,  and  $50,000  for  more  than  one 
person  in  one  accident.  An  amend- 
ment to  the  General  Municipal  Law, 
the  measures  have  been  referred  to 
the  Cities  Committees  in  each  house. 


Rank's  Theatre  TV 
Into  W.  Germany 

London,  March  12.  —  J.  Arthur 
Rank's  Cinema-Television  company  is 
installing  the  first  large  screen  the- 
atre television  in  Western  Germany. 
The  installation  is  being  made  at  the 
Europa  Theatre,  Dusseldorf,  where 
two  weeks  of  TV  demonstrations  will 
start  Saturday.  The  equipment  will 
operate  on  German  standards  and 
will  show  German  TV  programs. 


'Wax'  in  'Frisco  and  L.A. 

Added  to  Warner  Brothers'  do- 
mestic playdates  on  its  three-dimen- 
sional "House  of  Wax"  are  Los  An- 
geles and  San  Francisco.  The  film 
will  open  at  the  Paramount  Down- 
town and  Paramount  Hollywood  in 
Los  Angeles  on  April  17  and  at  the 
St.  Francis  in  San  Francisco  on 
April  21. 


it 


Son  of  the  Renegade" 

(United  Artists) 

IF  YOUR  patrons  like  plenty  of  gunplay,  this  picture  might  be  what  they 
are  looking  for,  because  an  abundance  of  shootings  and  an  aggregation  of 
corpses  play  major  roles.  The  story  line  offers  enough  to  satisfy  only  the 
most  zealous  of  outdoor  action  enthusiasts.  When  the  plot  begins  to  drag, 
someone  manages  to  revive  interest  temporarily  by  spraying  the  area  and  a 
liumber  of  bystanders  with  "hot  lead." 

A  flashback  starts  the  action  rolling  by  showing  a  killer  named  Red  River 
Johnny  roaming  the  West,  eliminating  all  who  oppose  him  and  robbing  all 
who  have  money.  He  is  a  tough  cowpoke  who  evidences  only  a  few  actions 
that  are  of  the  kindly  and  human  variety.  It  is  this  man's  reputation  that 
John  Carpenter  has  to  fight  to  prove  that  the  son  of  an  outlaw  can  be  an 
exemplary  individual.  With  a  few  devoted  friends  at  his  side,  Carpenter 
rides  back  to  his  father's  old  haunts. 

When  he  arrives  in  the  town  of  Red  River  he  discovers  that  he  is  being 
framed  by  a  gang  of  some  of  the  toughest,  most  wanted  criminals  in  the  land. 
Because  of  his  father's  reputation,  very  few  of  the  residents  side  with 
Carpenter.  It  is  only  after  his  guns  and  fists  speak  for  justice  that  he  con- 
vinces the  people  he  is  honest.  By  this  time  at  least  half  of  the  town  and  the 
entire  gang  have  been  killed. 

The  acting  as  well  as  the  production  and  direction  are  only  of  average 
calibre.    Carpenter  also  wrote  and  produced  this  Western. 

The  support  includes  Lori  Irving,  Joan  McKellen,  Valley  Keene,  Jack 
Ingram,  Verne  Teters,  Bill  Goons,  Ted  Smile,  Bill  Ward,  Roy  Canada, 
Whitey  Hughes,  Lennie  Smith,  Ewing  Brown,  Freddie  Carson,  Percy  Lennon 
and  Jack  Wilson. 

Running  time,  57  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  27. 


White  Lightning" 


(Allied  Artists)  Hollyzvood,  March  12 

THE  film  treatment  of  the  sport  and  the  spectacle  of  professional 
hockey  provides  a  fresh  subject  on  the  screen,  and  the  rigging  of  the 
game  by  racketeers  provides  exhibitors  with  an  exploitation  angle  still  fresh 
enough  in  the  headlines  to  make  for  easier  selling.  Although  the  film,  head- 
lined by  Stanley  Clements,  Steve  Brodie  and  Gloria  Blondell,  is  not  a  greater 
production  than  its  61  minutes  of  running  time  suggests,  it  is  quite  marketable. 

The  production  by  Ben  Schwalb,  with  Edward  Morey,  Jr.,  in  association, 
is  workmanlike  in  a  level-headed  commonsense  way.  For  instance,  there  is 
the  firm  direction  of  Edward  Bernds,  a  straight-away  handling  of  values  that 
makes  the  most  of  every  asset  in  hand.  And  there  is  the  straight-line  script  by 
Charles  R.  Marion  which  leaves  no  points  cloudy  and  no  issues  confused. 
Altogether  a  neat,  trim  job. 

Clements  portrays  a  hockey  star  who  wangles  himself  a  job  with  a  team 
owned  by  a  friend  of  his  big  brother,  and  who  wins  games  in  spite  of  the 
attempts  of  a  fellow-player,  in  the  pay  of  racketeers,  to  continue  a  losing 
streak  dictated  by  the  gamblers.  The  team-owner's  young  sister  is  in  love 
with  Clements  but  he  tries  to  discourage  her,  on  the  theory  that  a  hockey 
player's  wife  leads  a  dog's  life,  but  when  the  hockey  title's  won  and  the 
gamblers  are  bested,  he  gives  in.  Others  in  the  cast  include  Barbara  Bestar, 
Lyle  Talbot,  Frank  Jenks  and  Paul  Bryar. 

Running  time,  61  minutes.  General  audience  classifiication.  Release  date, 
March  15. 


March,  Nagel  Handle 
NY  Awards  Airing 

Fredric  March  and  Conrad  Nagel 
will  be  the  principal  figures  of  the 
New  York  portion  of  the  Academy 
Awards  presentation  program  to  be 
broadcast  and  telecast  on  NBC 
Thursday  night. 

Nagel  will  be  master-of-ceremonies 
at  the  International  Theatre  in  New 
York,  where  former  "Oscar"  winners 
and  nominees  for  this  year's  awards 
who  are  in  the  East  will  congregate. 
Nagel  also  will  serve  as  commentator 
for  those  portions  of  NBC's  90-minute 
Coast-to-Coast  telecast  and  radio 
broadcast  that  originate  in  New  York. 
March  will  present  any  "Oscars"  that 
may  be  won  by  nominees  in  New 
York. 


Boston  to  See  Part  of  Awards  TV 

Boston,  March  12.  —  Television 
viewers  here  will  be  able  to  see  some 
of  the  telecasting  of  the  Academy 
Award's  presentations  from  Holly- 
wood on  Thursday,  after  first  being 
told  that  a  sponsor  conflict  would  not 
allow  the  televising  to  be  shown  in 
this  area.  WBZ-TV  has  finally 
cleared  sufficient  time  to  take  the 
final  hour  of  the  90-minute  telecast. 


Rome  Customs  Law 
Strictly  Enforced 

The  Rome  customs  office  has  in- 
formed importing  firms  there  that  it 
intends  to  enforce  strictly  a  law  re- 
quiring that  goods  lying  at  customs 
be  imported  or  reforwarded  within 
three  months  from  their  arrival,  or 
else  the  customs  authorities  "shall 
consider  them  abandoned  upon  ex- 
piration of  such  period,  and  shall  dis- 
pose of  the  goods  by  putting  them  on 
sale."  This  change  was  disclosed 
here  by  Norman  Barnett,  vice-pres- 
ident of  Barnett  International  For- 
warders. 


Savage  to  NBC  Film  Unit 

David  Savage  will  join  the  NBC 
film  division  as  manager  of  film  pro- 
curement on  Tuesday,  Robert  W. 
Sarnoff,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
the  division,  has  announced.  For  the 
past  two  years  manager  of  the  film 
department  for  WCBS-TV,  Savage 
was  associated  previously  with  Offi- 
cial Films  in  its  promotional  and  sales 
activities,  and  prior  to  that  spent  two 
years  in  Eastman  Kodak's  research 
development  and  testing  division  in 
Rochester. 


I 


Friday,  March  13,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


? 


Film  Ads 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


age  was  registered  against  the  use  of 
"misrepresentative  illustrations  or 
wording — ads  which  convey  an  inac- 
curate impression  of  a  picture  or 
which  feature  something  that  is  a 
minor  part  of  it."  An  industry  total 
of  90.8  per  cent  said  that  such  adver- 
tising should  not  be  used. 

In  this  connection,  however,  most 
observed  that  there  is  no  harm  and 
frequently  some  advantage  in  featur- 
ing a  comparatively  minor  phase  of  a 
picture,  or  in  building  a  campaign 
around  a  supporting  player  rather 
than  a  star  if  local  conditions  warrant. 

A  combined  83.1  per  cent  of  the 
panelists  called  for  more  informative 
advertising,  with  clearer  indication  of 
picture  content.  A  similar  conviction 
was  expressed  in  respect  to  trade 
paper  advertising,  where  75.4  per  cent 
said  such  film  advertising  should  be 
more  informative,  conveying  more 
information  on  the  saleable  assets  of 
pictures. 

The  panelists  agreed  that 
trade  paper  advertising  would 
be  most  helpful  to  film  buyers 
if  distributors  inaugurated  it 
four  to  five  weeks  prior  to  the 
actual  offering  of  pictures  for 
negotiation. 

National  magazine  advertising  for 
pre-selling  important  pictures  was  ad- 
vocated by  92.4  per  cent  of  the  ex- 
hibition, distribution  and  production 
panelists.  It  was  also  agreed  in  gen- 
eral that :  from  over  five  to  almost 
11  per  cent  of  a  theatre's  gross  should 
be  spent  on  advertising  and  exploita- 
tion, depending  on  the  situation ;  that 
newspaper  advertising  should  com- 
mence six  days  ahead  of  openings 
where  a  picture  plays  a  week  and  at 
least  three  days  ahead  for  theatres 
with  two  changes  a  week ;  that  gen- 
erous space  should  be  used  through- 
out the  engagement  instead  of  reduc- 
ing the  ad  size  soon  after  the  opening, 
and  that  newspaper  amusement  ad 
rates  are  25  to  53  per  cent  higher 
than  regular  retail  rates  in  almost  half 
the  situations. 


Wayne-Fellows 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


duced,  while  Robert  Fellows  will 
handle  production.  Warner  stated 
that  the  deal  was  extended  before 
the  expiration  of  the  old  agreement. 


Redecorating  for  'Salome* 

Chicago,  March  12. — The  Grand 
Theatre,  which  has  won  the  Chicago 
premiere  of  "Salome,"  will  close  for 
three  days  prior  to  the  opening  of  the 
picture  on  April  4.  During  the  three- 
day  hiatus  the  lobby,  foyers,  and 
canopy  will  be  redecorated  and  the 
theatre  will  be  recarpeted.  Price 
scale  for  the  scheduled  eight  weeks 
will  be  98  cents  until  one  P.M.,  $1.20 
to  five  P.M.  and  $1.50  thereafter,  with 
extra  late  shows  to  be  run  after  mid- 
night until  four  A.M. 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 


WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING  . . . 


FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

r 


FILMACK 
TRAILERS  WM'i 


1  NINTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


Showman  Suggests  Poll  in  Nation's 
Theatres  to  Name  Hollywood's  'Bests' 

Des  Moines,  March  12. — The  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organ- 
izations or  exhibitors  nationally  could  conduct  a  month-long  poll 
of  the  public  in  the  nation's  theatres  to  determine  the  best  picture, 
actors,  supporting  players  and  other  phases  of  motion  pictures  in 
which  the  public  is  interested,  and  have  something  of  greater 
value  to  exhibition  than  the  Academy  Awards. 

That  suggestion  is  made  by  Charles  Jones,  secretary  of  Allied  of 
Iowa,  Nebraska  and  Mid-Central,  in  a  current  organizational 
bulletin. 

"We  have  the  means  of  naming  the  real  national  champions  of 
everything  in  the  movie  business,"  Jones  writes.  That  method  of 
selection,  he  adds,  "would  give  the  public  a  voice,  would  be  a  truer 
picture,  and  should  really  get  some  publicity  for  motion  pictures. 
They  do  it  in  baseball.  Why  not  in  movies?" 

A  similar  suggestion  was  made  by  Hollywood  director  Mervyn 
LeRoy  in  Motion  Picture  Daily  on  Feb.  24. 


Ezell  Outlines 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


international  organization. 

The  principal  aim  of  the  new  asso- 
ciation, he  continued,  is  to  work  to- 
gether for  the  good  of  the  industry. 
Ezell  stated  that  he  is  making  special 
arrangements  with  Herman  Robbins, 
president  of  National  Screen  Service, 
for  the  services  of  Paul  Short,  local 
executive  of  that  organization,  to  be 
chairman  of  the  executive  planning 
committee  to  prepare  advertising,  pro- 
motional, and  public  relations  cam- 
paigns, and  to  design  surveys  involv- 
ing the  future  operations  of  the  drive- 
in  theatre.  The  results  of  these  sur- 
veys will  be  revealed  at  the  inter- 
national conclave  of  the  Texas 
COMPO  conference  and  the  Interna- 
tional Drive-in  Theatre  Owners  As- 
sociation, Sept.  28-30. 

List  Those  Attending 

Those  attending  the  executive  com- 
mittee meeting  were :  Karl  Hoblit- 
zelle,  R.  J.  O'Donnell,  Col.  H.  A. 
Cole,  Edward  H.  Rowley,  H.  J.  Grif- 
fith, Ezell,  Phil  Isley,  Julius  Gordon, 
Henry  Reeve,  Kyle  Rorex,  Short, 
John  Adams,  R.  I.  Payne,  Don 
Douglas,  Al  Reynolds,  A.  J.  Del- 
cambre,  Sam  Landrum,  Bill  Lewis, 
Heywood  Simmons,  Ed  Green,  E.  L. 
Pack,  Charles  Weisenburg  and  Joe 
Bryant. 


M-G-M  Expands 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


films  have  been  set  for  TV  previews 
on  the  Sullivan  show,  continuing  the 
promotion  program  that  it  inaugu- 
rated last  January.  The  next  four 
pictures  from  which  scenes  will  be 
presented  are  "I  Love  Melvin,"  March 
22;  "Small  Town  Girl,"  April  12'; 
"Never  Let  Me  Go,"  May  3,  and 
"Dream  Wife,"  May  31.  Howard 
Dietz,  M-G-M  vice-president,  said 
here  yesterday  that  although  Sullivan 
will  present  excerpts  from  other  com- 
panies' pictures  from  time  to  time,  the 
majority  will  be  provided  by  his  com- 
pany. 


Legion  Puts  Four 
Films  in  Class  B 

Four  films  were  placed  in  Class"  B 
and  13  in  Class  A  in  the  latest  Le- 
gion of  Decency  report.  Films  placed 
in  Class  B  are  "Devotion"  and  "Duel 
Without  Honor,"  IFE  Releasing 
Corp. ;  "One  Girl's  Confession,"  Col- 
umbia, and  "Battle  Circus,"  M-G-M. 


March   is  American  Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Film  Exposition 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Texas  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Or- 
ganizations and  director  general  of  the 
film  exposition,  said  the  reason  for  the 
postponement  was  the  necessity  for 
Texas  COMPO  members  to  devote 
their  efforts  to  the  campaign  for  the 
repeal  of  the  Federal  admission  tax. 


Technicolor 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


panded  plant,  Technicolor  is  prepared 
to  handle  either  type  of  photography 
used  by  producers ;  that  is,  Techni- 
color three-strip  or  any  of  the  single- 
strip  color  negatives. 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


CinemaScope 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


represented  by  a  group  headed  by 
Leonard  Goldenson,  president  of 
American  Broadcasting  -  Paramount 
Theatres ;  Harry  Brandt,  Fred 
Schwartz,  Spyros  Skouras,  Jr.,  pos- 
sibly Si  Fabian  and  Sam  Rosen,  and 
others.  Spyros  Skouras,  20th-Fox 
president ;  Lichtman,  distribution  di- 
rector, and  Earl  I.  Sponable,  head  of 
research,  will  leave  New  York  over 
the  weekend  for  the  Coast. 

The  demonstrations  will  start  next 
Tuesday  and  will  be  attended  by 
studio  heads,  press  and  executives 
representing  all  phases  of  production 
and  exhibition.  A  home  office  spokes- 
man said  yesterday  that  the  interest 
in  the  demonstrations  has  been  so 
great  that  the  showings  may  have  to 
be  extended.  It  is  planned  to  hold 
two  exhibitions  daily,  at  2:30  and 
5:00  P.M. 

Making  up  a  major  segment  of  the 
premiere  program  will  be  a  test  reel 
showing  scenes  from  Frank  Ross' 
production  of  "The  Robe,"  which  is 
being  CinemaScoped  at  a  cost  of 
more  than  $4,000,000. 


Republic  Board  U p 
For  Re-election 

A  slate  of  five  Republic  directors 
will  be  up  for  re-election  at  the  an- 
nual meeting  of  company  stockholders, 
to  be  held  here  on  April  7. 

The  five  are :  Arthur  J.  Miller, 
Harry  C.  Mills,  John  J.  O'Connell, 
Leon  A.  Swirbul  and  Walter  J.  Titus, 
Jr. 


WARNER 


BROS'.  TRADE  SHOW  MARCH  18 

"THE 

SYSTEM 


STARRING 

FRANK  LOVEJOY  JOAN  WELDON 


808  ARTHUR-PAUL  PICERNI- IER0ME  COWAN- DAN  SEVMOUR 

SCREEN  PlAY  BY       PRODUCED  BY  DIRECTED  BY 

JO  EISINGER  -  SAM  BISCHOFF  -  LEWIS  SEILER 


ALBANY 

DETROIT 

OKLAHOMA 

Warner  Screening  Room 

Film  Exchange  Building 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

HON.  Pearl  Si.  •  8:00  P.M. 

2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2:00  P  M. 

10  North  Lee  SI.  •  1:30P.M. 

ATLANTA 

INDIANAPOLIS 

OMAHA 

20lh  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

20lh  Cenlury-Fox  Screening  Room 

I97  Wollon  SI.  N.W.  •  2:00  P.M. 

326  No.  Illinois  Si.  ■  1  00  P.M. 

1502  Davenport  SI.  •  1.30  P.M. 

BOSTON 

JACKSONVILLE 

PHILADELPHIA 

RKO  Screening  Room 

Florida  Theatre  Bldg.  Sc.  Rm. 

Warner  Screening  Room 

1 22  Arlington  SI.  •  2:30  P.M. 

128  E.Forsyth  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

BUFFALO 

KANSAS  CITY 

PITTSBURGH 

20th  Century  Fox  Screening  Room 

20th  Cenlury-Fox  Screening  Room 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

290  Franklin  Street  8  00  P.M. 

1720  Wyandotte  St.  •  1  30  P.M. 

1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  ■  1:30  P.M. 

CHARLOTTE 

LOS  ANGELES 

PORTLAND 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

Warner  Screening  Room 

Star  Sc.  Rm. 

308  S.  Church  St.  •  2  00  P.M. 

2025  S.  Vermont  Ave.  •  2  00  P.M. 

925  N.  W.  19th  Ave.  •  2  00  P.M. 

CHICAGO 

MEMPHIS 

SALT  LAKE 

Warner  Screening  Room 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

20lh  Cenlury-Fox  Screening  Room 

1307  So.  Wabash  Awe.  •  1:30  P.M. 

151  Vance  Ave.  •  1215  P.M. 

316EostlstSoulh  •  100PM. 

CINCINNATI 

MILWAUKEE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Wornec  Theatre  Screening  Room 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

Palace  Ih.  Bldg.  E.  6th  •  8  00  P.M. 

212  W.Wisconsin  Ave.  ■  2  00  P.M. 

205  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1  30  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

MINNEAPOLIS 

SEATTLE 

Warner  Screening  Room 

Warner  Screening  Room 

Modern  theatre 

2300  Payne  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M. 

2400  Third  Ave.  •  10:30  A.M. 

DALLAS 

NEW  HAVEN 

ST.  LOUIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

Worner  Theatre  Projection  Room 

S'renco  Screening  Room 

1803  Wood  St.  •  2:00  P.M. 

70  College  SI.  •  2:00  P.M. 

31 43  Olive  St.  •  100  P.M. 

DENVER 

NEW  ORLEANS 

WASHINGTON 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

Worner  Theatre  Building  . 

2100  Stout  St.  •  2  00  P.M. 

200  S.  liberty  St.  •  1  30  P.M. 

1 3tb  &  E.  Sts.  N.W  -7:30  P.M.  f|j^ 

DES  MOINES 

NEW  YORK 

Paramount  Screening  Room 

Home  Office 

1)25  High  St.  •  124SP.M. 

321W.44lh.SI.  •  215  P  M. 

8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  13,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily  Feature  Reviews 


The  Blue  Gardenia 

(Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  March  12 

THE  exploitation-wise  Alex  Gottlieb  has  put  together  here  some  marquee 
names  that  are  also  talented,  a  setting  that  is  Hollywood  but  is  not  the 
picture  business,  a  murder  that  an  audience  can  go  along  with,  and  a  news- 
paper columnist  it  can  take  or  leave,  to  make  up  a  melodrama  admirably 
qualified  to  sell  a  lot  of  tickets  in  today's  or  any  market.  Aimed  directly 
at  the  womenfolk  in  the  plainer  walks  of  life,  of  whom  there  are  so  many 
and  who  so  largely  determine  attendance  patterns,  the  picture  has  more  than 
the  standard  equipment  for  conmmercial  success.  With  Anne  Baxter,  Ann 
Sothern,  Richard  Conte,  Raymond  Burr  and  Jeff  Donnell  in  principal  roles, 
it's  an  easy  show  to  bill,  but  producer  Gottlieb  has  also  supplied  Nat  (King) 
Cole  and  his  musical  accomplices  in  a  performance  of  a  song  named  for  the 
title  and  figuring  in  the  story.  Quite  a  packet  of  sales  points. 

Directing  in  a  leisurely  fashion  possibly  born  of  the  knowledge  that  he 
had  a  lot  to  work  with,  Fritz  Lang  has  squeezed  the  utmost  in  emotional 
impact  from  the  principal  role,  played  by  Miss  Baxter,  and  the  fullest 
measure  of  humorous  offset  provided  by  Miss  Sothern.  The  script  by  Charles 
Hoffman,  from  a  story  by  Vera  Caspary,  is  likewise  a  deliberate  document, 
although  as  evenly-paced  as  the  direction. 

In  the  story  the  Misses  Baxter,  Sothern  and  Donnell  are  telephone  oper- 
ators who  room  together,  Burr  is  a  calendar-artist  whom  they  meet  in  the 
course  of  the  day's  work,  and  Conte  is  a  newspaper  columnist  who  happens 
to  meet  the  girls  and  the  artist  at  the  'phone  exchange  the  day  before  Burr 
is  found  dead  in  his  apartment,  and  who  interests  himself  in  the  case  pro- 
fessionally. The  audience  knows  that  Miss  Baxter  has  been  with  Burr  at  his 
apartment  and  had  taken  a  drunken  swing  at  him  with  a  poker  which  detec- 
tives say  is  the  murder  weapon,  but  neither  the  audience  nor  Miss  Baxter 
know  for  sure  whether  she  connected  fatally.  Conte  writes  a  letter  in  his 
column,  addressed  to  the  unknown  murderess,  inviting  her  to  reveal  her 
identity  to  his  paper  in  exchange  for  expert  legal  defense,  and  she  does  so. 
What  happens  after  that  is  what  the  audience  pays  to  find  out. 

Running  time,  90  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  28.  W.  R.  W. 


"Desert  Legion" 


( U nivcrsal -International) 

CAPITALIZING  on  a  bare-chested  Alan  Ladd,  fiimsily-clad  beauties  such 
as  Arlene  Dahl  and  a  foreign  legion  atmosphere,  this  picture  moves  along 
at  a  fairly  fast  clip.  The  plot  itself  is  not  unusual,  but  it  adequately  serves 
as  a  vehicle  for  flashes  of  two-fisted  action. 

Ladd,  a  captain  in  the  French  Foreign  Legion,  leads  a  patrol  unknowingly 
to  annihilation.  He  is  rescued  by  Miss  Dahl  but  he  refuses  to  trust  her 
because  he  suspects  her  of  being  one  of  the  followers  of  an  Arab  bandit 
In  reality.  Miss  Dahl  is  an  Arabian  princess  who  lives  in  a  fertile  desert 
paradise.  Only  after  Ladd  is  released  and  allowed  to  be  saved  by  the  Legion, 
does  the  captain  begin  to  believe  the  beauty's  pleas  for  aid. 

Since  the  commadant  puts  little  faith  in  his  story,  Ladd  and  Akim  Tamiroff, 
an  enlisted  man,  go  AWOL  to  track  down  the  girl  and  endeavor  to  capture 
the  bandit  leader.  The  two  are  met  by  a  messenger  and  taken  to  an  exotic 
land  which  was  thought  to  exist  only  in  fairy  tales.  Here,  Ladd  discovers 
the  peace  of  the  inhabitants  is  threatened  by  lust  for  power  of  Richard  Conte, 
later  proven  to  be  the  bandit  leader.  After  a  number  of  stormy  sessions  in 
which  the  existence  of  the  Legion  battalion  is  threatened,  the  hero  proves 
his  mastery  over  evil  and  Miss  Dahl. 

As  usual,  Ladd  does  a  thoroughly  competent  job  in  the  lead.  He  fights, 
loves  and  accepts  his  victories  and  defeats  in  a  convincing  manner.  Miss  Dahl 
is  quite  a  handsome  individual  and  enhances  the  suroundings  with  her  gracefu1 
beauty.  Tamiroff  distributes  a  few  dashes  of  humor  in  the  proper  places  fo 
balance  the  production.  Although  he  seems  to  be  pressing  at  times,  Conte  is 
an  adequate  villian. 

Some  interesting  desert  photography  has  been  captured  by  director  Joseph 
Pevney  and  producer  Ted  Richmond. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Leon  Askin,  Oscar  Beregi,  Anthony  Caruso,  Don 
Blackman,  Dave  Sharpe.  Ted  Hecht,  Sujata  and  Asoka,  George  J.  Lewis, 
Henri  Latondal,  Peter  Coe. 

Running  time,  86  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


On  Top  of  Old  Smoky 

(Columbia) 

FLAVORED  with  a  few  songs,  gunplay  and  hard  riding,  "On  Top  of  Old 
Smoky"  is  an  up-to-par  Gene  Autry  Western  that  is  sure  to  please  Autry 
fans  and  all  others  who  like  action  pictures.  Gail  Davis  provides  the  feminine 
touch  and  Smiley  Burnette  delivers  the  comedy.  Autry  and  the  Cass  County 
Boys  give  out  with  the  music. 

It's  a  formula  theme  but  well  done,  centering  around  a  toll  road  operated 
by  Miss  Davis.  Forces  of  evil  sabotage  the  road  and  a  lot  of  skullduggery 
and  murder  breaks  out.  Autry  goes  to  work  digging  out  the  villainy  and 
finds  that  a  wily  old  doctor  is  behind  it  all.  His  purpose  is  to  get  Miss  Davis 
to  sell  the  property  because  it  contains  valuable  minerals.  Tustice  triumphs, 
but  along  the  way  there  are  some  occasional  injustices  and  frequent  fisticuffs. 
Sheila  Ryan  portrays  a  showgirl  villainess,  while  Grandon  Rhodes  is  the 
evil  doctor. 

Armand  Schaefer  produced,  George  Archainbaud  directed  and  George 
Geraghtv  _  wrote  the  screenplay.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Kenne  Duncan, 
Robert  Bice.  Zon  Murray,  Jerrv  Scoggins,  Bert  Dodson. 

Running  time,  59  minutes.  General  audience  classification.   March  release. 


it. 


1» 


Cry  of  the  Hunted' 

( M  etro-Goldwyn-M  oyer ) 

THIS  is  a  vigorous  drama  of  the  hunter  and  the  hunted  and  rates  well  as 
entertainment  fare.    Despite  a  few  isolated  moments  in  which  credulity  is 
strained,  the  picture  is  one  of  striking  realism  and  absorbing  interest. 

Vittorio  Gassman  plays  the  tight-lipped  young  man  serving  a  prison  term 
for  being  an  unwitting  accomplice  in  a  robbery.  He  makes  a  dashing  flight 
to  freedom  and  back  to  his  home  in  Louisiana.  Barry  Sullivan  is  the  officer 
assigned  to  bring  Gassman  back,  and  a  grim  cat  and  mouse  game  gets 
under  way. 

Touches  of  sentiment  relieve  the  more  somber  ingredients  in  the  Jack 
Leonard  screenplay.  Most  of  them  are  provided  by  pretty-featured  Polly 
Bergen,  Sullivan's  wife,  who  is  in  the  habit  of  cooking  bad  meat  loaf. 
Another  feminine  touch  is  provided  by  Mary  Zavian,  the  earthy,  sensual 
wife  of  Gassman. 

When  Sullivan  invades  Louisiana,  he  finds  some  unhappy  adventurers  await- 
ing him.  He  catches  up  with  his  quarry,  only  to  lose  him  again  and  wind 
up  with  swamp  fever.  Subsequently,  the  pursuit  is  continued  through  the 
bayous.  Sullivan  again  captures  Gassman,  but  finds  himself  the  captive  of 
the  bayous.  The  struggle  to  bring  his  prisoner  out  of  the  swampland  is  a 
hurculean  one,  marked  by  uncounted  setbacks,  such  as  alligators  and  quick- 
sands. Both  men,  confused  and  spent,  are  about  to  surrender  to  the  swamps 
when  help  arrives. 

William  Grady,  Jr.,  produced  and  Joseph  H.  Lewis  directed.  Others  in 
the  cast  are  William  Conrad,  Robert  Burton,  Harry  Shannon  and  Jonathan 
Cott. 

Running  time,  78  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May 
release. 


The  Bandits  of  Corsica" 

( Universal-International) 

S WORDPLAY,  knife-throwing  and  a  psychological  twist  provides  interest 
in  this  film  and  keeps  the  sketchy  plot  from  losing  its  grip  on  the 
audience. 

The  freedom-loving  people  of  Corsica  again  call  on  one  of  the  legendary 
Corsican  Brothers  to  overthrow  a  tyrannical  dictator  and  restore  just  rule 
to  the  people.  Richard  Greene  takes  the  role  of  the  liberator  and  seems 
well  on  his  way  toward  accomplishing  his  task  when  his  twin  brother,  who 
was  believed  to  be  dead,  stumbles  on  the  scene  and  disrupts  the  crusade. 
Greene,  in  his  dual  role,  emerges  as  a  convincing  fighter  and  champion  of  the 
oppressed,  but  his  British  approach  to  the  portrayal  leaves  much  to  be 
desired.  Paula  Raymond,  as  the  wife  of  the  patriotic  brother,  decorates  the 
production  nicely  and  does  an  adequate  acting  job  besides.  Raymond  Burr 
produces  the  desired  villainous  bearing  required  by  the  dictator  roie.  Director 
Ray  Nazzaro  and  producer  Edward  Small  keep  sufficient  tension  to  maintain 
the  adventure  pace. 

When  Greene's  twin  recovers  from  an  attack  of  amnesia  he  decides  to  kill 
his  brother  and  take  his  wife  for  his  own.  The  basis  for  his  great  hatred  is 
an  odd  psychological  twist  which  has  him  experience  all  the  joys  and  suffer- 
ings of  his  brother.  Even  though  the  wicked  brother  makes  the  proceedings 
uncertain  and  filled  with  danger,  the  noble  Corsican  saves  his  people.  When 
the  mentally  troubled  twin  tries  to  kill  his  brother  one  of  the  patriots  ends 
the  fight  by  killing  him. 

It  is  only  in  death  that  the  twin  can  escape  the  torturous  double  life  he 
has  been  leading.  He  asks  and  receives  his  brother's  forgiveness  and  knows 
that  now  his  soul  is  freed  of  its  torment. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Dona  Drake,  Raymond  Greenleaf,  Lee  Van  Cleef, 
Frank  Puglia  and  Nestor  Paiva. 

Running  time,  81  minutes.    General  audience  classification. 


Reade  Plans  Stage 
Attractions  for  '53-54 

Currently  in  the  process  of  lining 
up  a  complete  program  of  stage  at- 
tractions for  the  1953-54  season  in  his 
circuit's  motion  picture  houses  in  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  Walter  Reade 
has  announced  the  booking  of  a  musi- 
cal show  and  a  ballet. 

The  Ballet  Theatre  will  play  a  sin- 
gle performance  on  April  17  at  the 
Majestic  in  Perth  Amboy.  The  Lau- 
ritz  Melchior  show,  featuring  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  star,  has  been 
booked  for  single  performances  on 
March  27,  28  and  29  at  the  St.  James 
in  Asbury  Park,  the  Community  in 
Morristown  and  the  Oxford  in  Plain- 
field.  All  of  the  houses  are  in  New 
Jersey. 


W.  Pa.  Allied  Convention 

Pittsburgh,  March  12. — The  an- 
nual convention  of  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania Allied  has  been  set  for  May  4-5 
at  the  William  Penn  Hotel  here. 


Cincinnati  to  Stage 
Industry  Exhibit 

Cincinnati,  March  12. — A  metro- 
politan area  motion  picture  exhibit 
will  be  staged  by  Cincinnati  exhibitors 
starting  Monday  and  continuing 
through  April  9  in  the  Cincinnati  Gas 
&  Electric  Co.  building.  It  will  be 
patterned  after  the  successful  motion 
picture  exhibit  at  the  Ohio  State  Fair 
last  year. 

Paramount,  M-G-M,  20th  Century- 
Fox,  RKO  Radio,  Universal  and  Col- 
umbia have  contributed  display  items. 
Tie-ups  for  prize  contests,  advertising 
and  publicity  have  been  arranged  with 
the  Cincinnati  Post  and  the  Gas  & 
Electric  Co. 


London  Gets  'Pan'  Apr.  16 

Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  will 
have  its  European  premiere  at  the 
Leicester  Square  Theatre  in  London 
on  April  16,  it  was  announced  here 
by  RKO  Radio,  which  is  distributing 
the  all-cartoon  feature. 


1 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.    NO.  50 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  MARCH  16,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

T  AST  week's  report  by  television 
4— '  set  manufacturers  and  dealers 
of  a  continuing"  drop  in  sales  in 
six  of  the  nation's  largest  metro- 
politan markets  is  but  another  con- 
firmation of  the  evidence  that  has 
been  accumulating  for  some  time 
that  television's  hold  on  the  public 
lasts  only  until  its  novelty  stage 
has  passed  and  audiences  have  be- 
come sated. 

It  is  significant  that  the  six  mar- 
kets cited — New  York,  Chicago, 
Detroit,  Boston,  Philadelphia  and 
Cleveland — were  among  the  first  to 
accept  television  on  a  mass  scale 
and  with  the  most  telling  effect 
upon  theatre  attendance.  It  would 
now  appear  that  the  same  centers 
are  .to  be  among  the  first  to  weary 
of  the  miniature  screens  and  return 
to  the  theatres,  for  box-office 
grosses  in  every  one  of  those  cities 
have  been  showing  steady  improve- 
ment for  some  time,  continuing, 
even,  through  the  current  Lenten 
season.  It  might  well  be  that  the 
parade  has  begun. 

Los  Angeles,  the  other  major 
metropolitan  market  which  turned 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


QP  Annual  Awards 
To  Be  Judged  Today 


Judging  of  the  19th  annual  Quigley 
Showmanship  Awards,  conducted  by 
the  Managers'  Round  Table  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Herald,  gets  under 
way  today  at  Toots  Shor's  Restaurant 
here.  Forty  campaigns  selected  from 
the  four  quarterly  judgings  will  be  ex- 
amined by  the  panel  composed  of  ad- 
vertising-exploitation directors  of  dis- 
tributing companies,  circuits  and  ex- 
hibitors. 

Two  equal  grand  awards  will  be 
made  for  campaigns  in  large  and  small 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Urges  Big  Push  on 
Anti-tax  Drive  Now 


All  theatremen  were  urged  at  the 
weekend  to  intensify  their  drive  for 
the  repeal  of  the  20  per  cent  Federal 
admission  tax  in  a  special  bulletin  is- 
sued by  Pat  McGee,  Theatre  Owners 
of  America's  co-chairman  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  Motion  Picture  Organization's 
anti-tax  drive.  He  said,  "we  expect 
a  House  vote  sometime  in  April"  on 
the  Mason  Bill  to  repeal  the  tax. 

McGee  suggested  that  wires  and  let- 

(Contmned  on  page  2) 


Multiple  Problems  Facing 
3-D  in  Drive-in  Theatres 


By  AL  STEEN 

Conversion  of  drive-in  theatres  to  tri-dimensional  exhibition  is  still  an 
unsolved  problem  and,  because  of  a  variety  of  factors,  the  solution  is  not 
in  immediate  sight,  according  to  theatre  equipment  authorities.  Special- 
ists are  working  on  the  obstacles  and  it  is  believed  that  eventually  the 

wrinkles  will  be  ironed  out  but  the 
process  will  be  slow,  equipment  men 
say. 

One  drawback,  it  was  said,  is  the 
large  expense  even  if  conversion  were 
a  comparative  simple  process.  A  prin- 
cipal item  is  the  necessity  for  two 
large  generators.  Then,  too,  the  screen 
companies  are  not  equipped  to  make 
the  special  screens  of  the  size  needed 
for  drive-ins.  Currently,  the  largest 
screens  obtainable  are  24  by  32  feet 
on  special  order. 

Because  the  reflection  from  the 
screen  is  directional  to  the  projector, 
equipment  men  say  that  only  the  oc- 
cupants of  those  cars  down  the  ap- 
proximate center  of  the  area  will  be 
able  to  get  the  three  dimensional  ef- 
fect. It  is  estimated  that  the  passen- 
gers in  SO  per  cent  of  the  cars  will 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


20th  Foreign  Staff 
Joins  Others  For 
CinemaScope  Show 


A  large  contingent  of  20th  Century- 
Fox  foreign  executives  will  join  do- 
mestic and  home  office  officials,  in  ad- 
dition to  several  hundred  exhibitors, 
this  week  in  Hollywood  to  view  the 
debut  of  20th-Fox's  wide-screen 
CinemaScope  process. 

The  series  of  demonstrations  will 
commence  tomorrow  for  the  press  and 
continue  through  Saturday  for  ex- 
hibitors, studio  heads,  producers  and 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Series  on  TV  to 
Tlug^Oth'sProduct 


Widening  the  scope  of  its  national 
television  promotion  with  Ed  Sulli- 
van's "Toast  of  the  Town,"  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox is  arranging  for  the  show- 
ing of  specially-filmed  newsreel  clips 
on  the  CBS-TV  show,  in  addition  to 
the  regular  presentation  of  scene  high- 
lights from  its  upcoming  pictures. 

An  example  of  the  publicity  ap- 
proach will  see  a  clip  picturing  Ethel 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Lewis  and  Goldberg 
In  I.F.E.  Posts 


Continuing  to  step  up  its  expansion 
activities,  I.  F.  E.  Releasing  Corp. 
has  appointed  Bernard  Lewis  to  a  new 
executive  position  and  named  Fred 
Goldberg  publicity  manager,  it  was  re- 
ported here  at  the  weekend  by  Jonas 
Rosenfield,  Jr.,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  advertising,  publicity  and 
exploitation. 

Lewis,  publicity  and  promotion  man- 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


'Trouble  Along  the  Way' 

{Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  March  15 

THIS  is  one  of  the  big  money  pictures  of  the  year.  Maybe  the 
biggest  one  of  them.  Time  will  tell  about  that,  as  it  did  about 
the  directly  comparable  "Going  My  Way,"  but  it'll  be  big  enough, 
never  worry.  It  is  John  Wayne's  all-around  best  picture  to  date — which 
is  taking  in  a  lot  of  territory — and  it  contains  John  Wayne's  all-around 
best  performance,  a  pair  of  circumstances  that  augur  an  astronomical 
box  office  total.  More  than  that,  it  figures  to  make  a  great  many  mil- 
lions of  motion  picture  theatre-goers  very  happy  about  the  whole  thing, 
and  to  restore  confidence  in  the  old  truism  that  motion  pictures,  when 
they're  good,  are  the  best  entertainment  show  business  has  devised  so 
far.  This  is  a  picture  to  measure  your  theatre  with,  thus :  if  it  doesn't 
gross  capacity,  sell  the  joint.    But  it  will. 

Besides  Wayne,  who  never  had  a  more  congenial  casting,  goes  Charles 
Coburn,  who  could  start  a  new  career  from  here  if  he  cared  to,  and  a 
child  named  Sherry  Jackson  whose  acting  ability  is  the  kind  the  Academy 
has  in  mind  when  it  speaks  of  Oscars.  These  are  the  big  three  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


3-D  Gathering 
Momentum  In 
The  Northwest 


Expect  100  Theatres  to 
Be  Ready  by  June  1 

Minneapolis,  March  15. — Thea- 
tres in  the  Northwest  are  swinging 
to  three  dimensional  exhibition  on 
a  large  scale,  with  estimates  that 
more  than  100  houses  in  Minnesota 
and  North  and  South  Dakota  will  be 
equipped  by  June  1. 

Led  by  the  Minnesota  Amusement 
Co.,  other  circuits  and  a  large  number 
of  smaller  situations  have  placed 
orders  with  local  equipment  houses. 
Latest  to  join  the  parade  is  the  RKO 
Pantages  Theatre  here  which  will 
open  March  25  with  Sol  Lesser's  40- 
minute  Stereo-Techniques.  Accord- 
ing to  Harry  Wiess,  RKO  Theatres 
district  manager,  the  circuit's  other 
theatres  in  this  area  will  be  equipped 
for  3-D  as  quickly  as  screens  and 
other  equipment  become  available. 

Equipment  orders  have  been  placed 
by  Edward  Ruben's  Hollywood  Thea- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


WarnerPhonic  Set 
For  2  More  Houses 


Contracts  for  the  installation  and 
equipment  of  WarnerPhonic  sound,  to 
be  used  in  conjunction  with  Warner 
Brothers'  3-D  "House  of  Wax"  at  the 
Paramount  Theatre  in  Hollywood 
and  the  Fox  in  St.  Louis,  was-  dis- 
closed at  the  weekend  by  Altec. 

The  equipment  will  be  furnished  and 
installed  in  time  for  the  showing  of 
the  "House  of  Wax"  at  the  Paramount 
by  April  17  and  the  Fox  by  April  28. 
These  two  theatres  are  in  addition  to 
the  two  WarnerPhonic  sound  installa- 
tions which  Altec  is  completing  at  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


U-I  to  Intensify 
Campaigns  on  14 


An  intensification  of  national  pro- 
motional patterns  such  as  those  being 
used  during  Universal-International's 
current  "Charles  J.  Feldman  Silver 
Anniversary  Drive,"  was  announced 
at  the  weekend  by  David  A.  Lipton, 
vice-president  in  charge  of  advertis- 
ing and  publicity,  following  two  weeks 
of  meetings  with  home  office  execu- 
tives on  14  pictures  to  be  released 
during  the  late  spring  and  summer, 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  16,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

ROBERT  S.  BENJAMIN,  chair- 
man   of    the    board    of  United 
Artists,   and   Max   E.  Youngstein, 
vice-president,  will  leave  New  York 
today  by  plane  for  Hollywood. 
• 

Arnold  Picker,  United  Artists 
vice-president  in  charge  of  distribu- 
tion, returned  to  New  York  over  the 
weekend  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  after  a 
six-week  tour  of  England,  France, 
Germany  and  Brazil. 

• 

Robert  T.  Murphy,  general  man- 
ager of  the  Century  Theatre  in  Buf- 
falo, has  been  appointed  chairman  of 
the  theatres  division  for  the  current 
Red  Cross  drive  in  that  city. 

• 

Hugh  J.  Campbell  of  the  Central 
Theatre,  West  Hartford,  Conn.,  and 
Mrs.  Campbell  are  grandparents 
again  with  the  birth  of  a  girl  to  their 
daughter,  Mrs.  Walter  Pew. 
• 

James  Brigham,  Natural  Vision 
technical  expert,  will  address  the 
Radio-Television-Newsreel  Working 
Press  Association  of  New  York  on 
Wednesday  on  3-D  filming  techniques. 
• 

Walt  Disney  has  been  chosen 
"Prince  of  Laughter"  by  the  Junior 
Comedians  of  America  for  the  eighth 
annual  "National  Laugh  Week"  to  be 
celebrated  April  1-8. 

• 

Minna  Jackter,  daughter  of  Rube 
Jackter,  Columbia  assistant  general 
sales  manager,  and  Mrs.  Jackter, 
was  married  yesterday  to  Larry 
Kahn  at  the  Temple  Israel  here. 
• 

Arthur  Israel,  assistant  to  Bar- 
ney Balaban,  Paramount  president, 
will  return  to  New  York  today  from 
Salt  Lake  City. 

• 

Raymond  Keller,  Walt  Disney 
Productions  representative,  is  in  Mex- 
ico City  to  supervise  dubbing  of 
"Peter  Pan." 

Harry  Post,  owner  of  the  Astor 
Theatre,  East  Hartford,  Conn.,  has 
been  elected  a  director  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce. 

Meyer  Hutner,  20th  Century-Fox 
associate  publicity  manager,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  Florida. 
• 

Michael  Gould,  Paramount  sales- 
man, is  being  transferred  from  the 
Cincinnati  to  the  Cleveland  branch. 
• 

Joseph  Walsh,  manager  of  Para- 
mount's  branch  operations,  left  here 
yesterday  for  Buffalo. 

• 

Joseph  Giobbi,  manager  of  the 
Crown  Theatre,  Hartford,  was  mar- 
ried to  Loretta  Dominie. 

• 

Dean  Malcolm  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers in  San  Francisco,  announces  the 
birth  of  his  first  child,  a  son. 
• 

Victor  Saville,  producer,  is  in 
New  York  from  Hollywood. 


Directors  Guild  to 
Give  Award  to 
Best  Film  Critic 


Hollywood,  March  15. — An  annual 
award  to  the  professional  motion  pic- 
ture critic  who  writes  the  "most  en- 
lightened and  constructive  criticism" 
of  the  year  will  be  granted  by  the 
Screen  Directors  Guild. 

George  Sidney,  president  of  the 
guild,  explained  that  the  award  will 
be  given  to  the  critic  whose  writing 
displays  the  keenest  appraisal  of  all 
phases  of  a  motion  picture.  "His  point- 
ing out  the  faults  and  shortcomings 
of  a  film  we  consider  as  important  as 
his  praise  and  commendation  of  its 
virtues.  We  believe  that  honest  and 
wise  criticism  is  immensely  valuable 
both  to  the  men  who  create  pictures 
and  to  the  audiences  that  see  them." 

Testimonial  Tonight 
For  Earl  Hudson 

Detroit,  March  15. — Civic  leaders 
of  Detroit  and  industry  representatives 
from  all  over  the  country  will  attend 
the  banquet  honoring  Earl  J.  Hudson, 
prominent  Detroit  theatre  executive, 
tomorrow  night  at  the  Sheraton-Cadil- 
lac Hotel.  Spearheading  the  testi- 
monial is  the  Variety  Club  of  Detroit. 
James  Sharkey,  general  manager  of 
Co-Operative  Theatres  of  Michigan, 
is  chairman. 

Hudson  has  been  appointed  execu- 
tive vice-president  of  the  Western 
division  of  American  Broadcasting, 
including  the  television  and  radio  stu- 
dios in  Los  Angeles  and  the  television 
and  radio  stations  in  that  city  and  in 
San  Francisco.  Prior  to  the  new  ap- 
pointment, Hudson  served  for  many 
years  as  president  of  United  Detroit 
Theatres,  a  group  of  17  theatres  now 
affiliated  with  AB-PT. 


Lewis  and  Goldberg 

{Continued  from  page  1) 

ager,  has  been  named  to  head  a 
new  operation  which  will  coordinate 
I.  F.  E.'s  long-range  production  and 
personality  publicity  in  Rome  with 
publicity  operations  in  this  country. 
He  will  also  manage  expanded  exploi- 
tation and  exhibitor-relations  activi- 
ties. 

Goldberg  last  week  resigned  as  as- 
sistant publicity  manager  of  RKO 
Radio  here  and  will  assume  his  new 
duties  on  March  23.  Before  RKO, 
Goldberg  was  a  member  of  the  pub- 
city  department  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures, handling  New  York  news- 
papers, syndicates,  trade  papers,  pro- 
motions and  exploitation. 

'The  Goldwyn  Story9 
In  'Home  Companion* 

Frances  Goldwyn  has  written  a 
story  entitled  "I  Love  Making  Movies 
with  Sam,"  which  will  appear  in  the 
April  issue  of  Woman's  Home  Com- 
panion. It  is  a  behind-the-scenes  tale 
of  the  home  and  studio  life  of  Samuel 
and  Frances  Goldwyn.  Four-color 
pictures  taken  on  the  set  of  "Hans 
Christian  Andersen"  are  used  to  illus- 
trate. Five-and-one-half  pages  are  de- 
voted to  text  and  layout. 


Tradewise . . . 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

early  in  huge  numbers  from  thea- 
tres to  home  TV,  also  is  among  the 
great  exhibition  areas  which  has 
been  showing  heartening  improve- 
ment in  theatre  attendance  for 
some  time.  Although  no  softness 
in  TV  set  sales  was  reported  in  the 
Los  Angeles  area,  it  is  to  be  noted 
that  Charles  Skouras,  leading  ex- 
hibitor of  the  Southern  California 
territory,  who  twice  was  quoted  in 
national  publications  as  predicting 
that  television  would  close  one-half 
the  nation's  theatres,  lately  has  re- 
ported substantial  increases  in  the 
business  of  his  theatres  there.  It 
would  seem  that  that  in  itself  would 
prove  his  prophecy  in  error  and 
would  restrain  him  from  repeating 
it  today. 

• 

Not  only  have  TV  set  sales 
slumped  in  the  metropolitan  areas 
named  but  it  was  also  reported  that 
none  foresaw  improvement  in  the 
weeks  immediately  ahead.  Thus 
the  slump  might  well  approach  the 
summer  hibernation  season  of  TV's 
major  attractions,  extending  it, 
perhaps,  to  next  fall. 

In  passing,  let  it  be  noted  that 
there  is  no  publicized  jubilation  in 
the  motion  picture  industry  over 
television's  current  problems,  which 
are  not  limited  to  declining  set  sales 
but  include,  as  well,  skyrocketing 
program  costs.  Nor  are  there 
irresponsible  predictions  by  self- 
designated  "authorities"  that  the 
economic  demise  of  television  is 
near  at  hand,  as  there  were  in 
abundance  about  the  future  of  the 
motion  picture  theatre  over  the 
past  several  years. 

This  industry,  it  would  seem,  is 
content  for  the  moment  with  the 
rosy  promise  of  its  own  new,  tech- 
nological future,  and  television's 
place  in  it  as  a  paid  salesman  of 
motion  pictures  and  the  theatre. 


U-I  to  Intensify 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Lipton  returned  to  the  Coast  on  Fri- 
day. 

At  the  same  time,  Lipton  revealed 
that  "Thunder  Bay,"  new  James  Stew- 
art picture,  will  be  backed  by  "the 
greatest  promotional  effort  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  company."  It  is  scheduled 
for  a  series  of  July  pre-release  en- 
gagements and  an  August  release. 

Highlighting  the  campaigns  will  be 
an  increasing  use  of  television  where 
pictures  lend  themselves  and  a  con- 
tinuing use  of  stars,  featured  players 
and  studio  technical  personalities  for 
tours. 

Special  campaigns  are  being  devel- 
oped for  the  J.  Arthur  Rank  Organ- 
ization's "The  Cruel  Sea."  "It  Came 
from  Outer  Space,"  3-D  film,  is  also 
to  be  given  national  campaign. 

The  use  of  touring  personalities 
which  has  keyed  the  campaigns  on 
most  of  the  pictures  featured  in  the 


Picture  of  Spillane 
Novel  to  Be  First 
With  Dunning  3-D 


The  first  feature  to  utilize  the  new 
Dunning  three-dimensional  process 
will  be  "I,  the  Jury,"  the  first  of 
Mickey-Spillane's  best-sellers  to  be 
filmed,  it  was  announced  jointly  by 
Arthur  B.  Krim,  president  of  United 
Artists,  which  will  release  the  pic- 
ture, and  Victor  Saville,  the  producer. 

The  agreement  under  which  the 
Dunning  equipment  will  be  provided 
was  concluded  Friday  between  Saville 
and  Nat  Levine,  licensing  agent  for 
the  process.  Production  is  scheduled 
to  begin  in  Hollywood  about  April  1. 

The  Dunning  process  features  the 
use  of  a  single  camera  and  the  normal 
crew  employed  for  a  conventional  pro- 
duction. The  camera,  including  motor, 
weighs  about  68  pounds,  and  the 
"Blimp"  about  40  pounds,  "which 
gives  the  equipment  the  advantage  of 
considerable  portability,"  says  UA. 
The  patented  Dunning  finder  that 
combines  two  stereoptic  images  into 
a  single  composite  picture  also  will  be 
used  in  filming  "I,  the  Jury." 


3-D  and  Drive-ins 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

not  be  able  to  get  the  full  benefit  of 
the  projection  of  depth.  It  is  also 
believed  that  the  images  will  be  dis- 
torted by  weather  elements  such  as 
fog  and  rain.  Because  none  of  the 
drive-in  screens  have  more  than  six- 
foot  candles  of  reflected  light,  it  is 
believed  that  even  two-and-half  to 
three  times  that  amount  would  hardly 
be  enough  for  good  registration. 

Due  to  the  size  of  the  drive-in 
screens,  it  is  believed  by  some  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  coat  them  with 
a  metallic  paint  and  obtain  a  smooth 
surface.  Despite  these  obstacles,  a  few 
drive-ins  are  preparing  to  install 
equipment. 


Anti-tax  Drive 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ters  to  Congressmen  should  point  out 
that  some  theatres  are  staying  open 
on  borrowed  funds  with  the  hope  of 
early  relief  which,  if  not  granted  soon, 
may  force  them  to  close.  Other  points 
which  should  be  stressed,  McGee  pro- 
posed, are  that  quick  hearings  and  an 
early  vote  are  needed,  since  approxi- 
mately three  theatres  close  every  day. 
Landlords,  bankers  and  other  business 
men,  aware  of  conditions  in  the  indus- 
try, should  be  asked  also  to  write  their 
Congressmen  and  Senators,  McGee 
stressed. 


Feldman  drive,  is  being  continued  for 
the  two'  pictures  remaining  to  be  re- 
leased during  the  drive,  "Desert  Le- 
gion" and  "Abbott  and  Costello  Go  to 
Mars." 

"Lone  Hand"  will  be  given  a  Texas 
territorial  saturation  premiere  in  April 
with  a  group  of  U-I  starlets  scheduled 
to  participate  in  the  promotion  while 
Ronald  Reagan  and  Ruth  Hampton 
are  to  tour  key  cities  in  the  East  in 
connection  with  the  launching  of  "Law 
and  Order." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco, 
New  York."  Martin  Quig-ley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady. 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building. 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSa'de  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address.  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


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Closely  following  general  acceptance  of  the  sensational,  new  9mm 
"Suprex"  carbon,  National  Carbon  now  offers  greatly  improved 
screen  light  for  theatres  with  variable-feed,  mirror-type  lamps, 
using  7mm  high-intensity  carbons.  Specifically,  the  new  "Suprex" 
carbon  provides  the  following  advantages: 

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—  that  research  is  constantly  making  better— get  complete  informa- 
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of  Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 

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A  Division  of  Union  Carbide  and  Carbon  Corporation 
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Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  16,  1953 


CinemaScope 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


other  industry  officials.  As  the  con- 
tingent of  industry  representatives  left 
for  the  Coast,  20th-Fox  at  the  week- 
end disclosed  the  names  of  scores  of 
exhibitors  and  others  who  planned  to 
attend  the  demonstrations. 

Those  from  20th-Fox  foreign  de- 
partment are :  Murray  Silverstone, 
president  of  the  International  Corp., 
and  Albert  Cornfield,  managing  direc- 
tor for  Europe,  Scandinavia,  North 
Africa,  and  the  Middle-East,  and 
Leslie  F.  Whelan,  advertising,  pub- 
licity and  exploitation  director  of  the 
International  organization ;  Emanuel 
Silvertone,  vice-president  of  the  In- 
ternational Corp.;  William  J.  Kupper, 
managing  director,  England ;  Edward 
D.  Cohen,  supervisor  of  Central  and 
South  America ;  Edward  Ugast,  su- 
pervisor of  the  Far  East ;  Allen  Noye, 
managing  director,  Mexico ;  Spyros 
D.  Skouras,  Jr.,  head  of  Skouras 
Theatres,  Greece ;  Ernest  Turnbull, 
managing  director,  Hoyts  Theatres, 
Australia,  and  Michael  J.  Moodabe, 
governing  director  of  Amalgamated 
Theatres  Ltd.,  New  Zealand. 

Among-  theatremen  who  have  accepted  in- 
vitations are:  Louis  Schine,  Gloversville, 
N.  Y.;  E.  D.  Martin,  Columbus,  Ga.; 
Sonny  Shepherd  and  Harvey  Fleishman, 
Miami;  George  Stoney,  Nashville;  Sam 
Goldstein,  Springfield,  Mass. ;  David  B. 
Wallerstein  and  Jack  Rose,  Chicago. 

Exhibitors  attending  from  the  Chicago 
area  will  be  James  Coston,  Leo  Silver- 
stein,  Charles  flogan  and  S.  J.  Gregory. 

Also  R.  J.  O'Donnell,  Dallas;  Julius  Gor- 
don, Beaumont,  Tex.;  Fx!  Rowley,  Dallas; 
John  Long,  Bay  City,  Tex.;  A.  H.  Rey- 
nolds, Dallas;  M.  B.  Horwitz,  Cleveland; 
Pat  McGee,  Denver;  John  Wolfberg,  Den- 
ver; Monty  Gowthorpe,  Detroit. 

From  the  Los  Angeles  area  are  expected 


'Trouble  Along  the  Way 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


picture.  Along  with  them  go  Donna  Reed  and  Marie  Windsor,  in  the  maiden 
and  the  meanie  roles,  respectively,  but  the  distaff  side  of  this  story  is  the 
short  side. 

The  comparability  of  this  picture  to  "Going  My  Way,"  mentioned  above, 
is  a  matter  of  setting,  humour  and  tone,  rather  than  of  detail,  and  it  is  as 
comparable,  in  those  respects,  to  "The  Bells  of  St.  Mary's"  and  "Come 
to  the  Stable."  In  each  of  these  a  Catholic  institution  of  one  kind  or  another 
is  in  need  of  funds  and  the  story  revolves  around  the  procurement  of  same. 
In  "Trouble  Along  the  Way"  the  financially-distressed  institution  is  a  small 
Catholic  college  that  is  to  be  abandoned  in  consequence  of  being  $170,000 
in  debt  and  going  deeper  by  the  minute.  That  foundation  similarity  is  about 
the  only  one  of  moment,  and  if  it  didn't  limit  the  success  of  the  others  it 
doesn't  figure  to  foreshorten  the  destiny  of  this  one. 

Wayne  plays,  with  complete  naturalness,  a  discredited  football  coach  who  is 
about  to  have  his  10-year-old  daughter  taken  from  him  by  juvenile  authorities 
when  Coburn,  Father  Rector  of  impoverished  St.  Anthony's  College,  offers 
him  employment  as  coach  in  hope  of  earning,  through  football  receipts,  money 
needed  to  pay  off  the  school's  indebtednes  so  it  need  not  be  closed  down.  The 
ways  and  means  by  which  Wayne  and  Coburn  manage  to  come  up  with  a 
football  squad  capable  of  beating  the  best  sent  against  it  in  Yankee  Stadium 
(before  Coburn  learns  the  facts  of  football  life  and  cancels  the  deal)  are 
shown  in  tremendously  amusing,  and  also  informative,  fashion.  The  working 
out  of  the  problems  faced  by  the  school,  the  coach,  his  daughter,  and  the 
many  others  concerned,  is  accomplished  in  a  manner  too  entertaining  to  be 
flattened  out  in  a  stupid  synopsis. 

Melville  Shavelson,  who  became  a  producer  on  this  occasion,  wrote  the 
script,  with  Jack  Rose,  from  a  story  by  Douglas  Morrow  and  Robert  Hardy 
Andrews  that  may  or  may  not  have  worn  another  name  but  couldn't  stack  up 
better  than  as  handled  here. 

Michael  Curtiz,  the  most  versatile  director  on  this  or  any  continent,  di- 
rected the  picture  with  warm  understanding  of  its  human  values  as  well  as  of 
its  great  comedy  content. 

It's  a  fine,  strong,  completely  credible  and  yet  steadily  surprising  story.  It 
might  have  been  just  as  fine,  or  a  little  finer,  if  Wayne  hadn't  been  required 
to  comment  so  fluently  on  Miss  Reed's  legs  and  love  life,  but  the  character's 
intent  is  reputable  in  all  instances  and  the  fault  doubtless  will  be  overlooked 
by  the  otherwise  delighted  audiences. 

Running  time,  101  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  4.  William  R.  Weaver 


Charles  Skouras,  Mike  Rosenberg,  Gus 
Metzger,  Henry   M.   Lockart,  Al  Hanson, 


Ray  O'lmstead,  Floyd  Bernard,  Harry  Pop- 
kin;  Roy  Dickson  and  Gus  C.  Diamond. 

Also  M.  A.  Lightman,  Memphis;  L.  F. 
Gran,  Milwaukee;  Frank  Mantzke,  Minne- 
apolis; G.  L.  Dureau,  New  Orleans;  Joy  N. 
Houck,  New  Orleans. 

From  New  York  are  expected  Leonard 
Goldenson,  Harry  Brandt,  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.,  Russell  Downing,  Si  Fabian,  Sam 
Rosen,  Fred  Schwartz. 

Also  attending  will  be  Ralph  Drewery, 
Tulsa;  Henry  Griffing,  Oklahoma  City;  R.  D. 
Goldberg,  Omaha.  From  San  Francisco, 
Mike  Naify,  Joseph  Blumenfeld  and  R.  L. 
Lippert. 

Also  Mrs.  J.  J.  Parker,  Portland;  Frank 
Newman,  Seattle;  John  Danz,  Seattle; 
Will  J.  Conner,  Tacoma,  and  Maurice 
Saffle,  Seattle. 


Annual  Awards 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


situations.  A  third  award  will  be 
made  for  the  best  campaign  conducted 
in  a  foreign  country. 

At  the  annual  awards  luncheon  to- 
day, Maurice  Bergman,  director  of 
exhibitor  relations  of  Universal,  will 
be  the  principal  speaker.  Walter 
Reade,  Jr.,  who  originally  was  slated 
to  make  the  key  address,  will  be  un- 
able to  attend. 


3-D  Gathering 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

tre,  Montevideo,  Minn. ;  the  New  Ulm 
in  New  Ulm,  Minn. ;  Lake  at  Devil's 
Lake,  N.  D.,  and  the  Hollywood  in 
Sioux  Falls,  S.  D. 

List  Houses 

Smaller  houses  placing  equipment  orders 
with  either  National  Theatre  Supply  or 
Frosch  Theatre  Supply  include  the  follow- 
ing: Avon,  Hankinson,  N.  D.,  and  Wiley 
theatre,  Lidgerwood,  N.  D.,  owned  by 
S.  J.  Backer;  Gopher,  Wheaton,  Minn., 
Tom  Hetherington ;  Orpheum,  O'rtonville, 
Minn.,  Dr.  D.  T.  Dawson;  Beacon  theatre, 
Superior,  Wis.,  Roy  McMinn;  Doris  thea- 
tre, Duluth,  Clarence  Kaake;  Nicholas 
theatre,  Fairmont,  Minn.,  John  Branden- 
hoff;  World,  Duluth,  Cardinal  Theatres; 
Metro  theatre,  Pine  Island,  Minn.,  A.  L. 
Olson;  Lido  theatre,  Arlington,  Minn., 
Ehler  Bros.;  LeRoy,  LeRoy,  Mann.,  L.  L. 
Garnant ;  and  Cannon,  Cannon  Falls, 
Minn.,  Lawrence  Wisner.  Also,  Benjamin 
Berger's  Fergus  at  Fergus  Falls,  Minn.; 
Hopkins  at  Hopkins,  Minn.;  Marshall  at 
Marshall,  Minn. ;  Lake,  Moose  Lake, 
Minn. ;  Cavalier,  Cavalier,  N.  D.,  and  the 
Park  at  St.  Louis  Park,  Minn. 

Minnesota  Amusement  Co.  last  week  con- 
firmed play  dates  between  April  3  and 
May  22  for  "Bwana  Devil"  at  19  more  of 
its  outstate  theatres,  bringing  to  24  the 
number  at  which  Arch  Oboler-United 
Artists  film  will  have  played.  The  list 
includes,  Paramount,  St.  Cloud,  Minn. ; 
Fargo,  Fargo,  N.  D. ;  State,  Hibbing, 
Minn.;  Maco,  Virginia,  Minn.;  Chateau, 
Rochester,  Minn.;  State,  Winona,  Minn.; 
Paramount,  Austin,  Minn.;  State,  Mankato, 
Minn.;  State,  Minot,  N.  D. ;  Capitol,  Aber- 
deen, S.  D. ;  Dakota,  Grand  Forks,  N.  D. ; 
Palace,  Superior,  Wis.;  Grand,  Jamestown, 
N.  D.;  Plaza,  Watertown,  N.  D.;  State, 
Mitchell,  S.  D. ;  Lake,  Fairmont,  Minn.; 
Huron,  Huron,  S.  D.,  and  State,  Madison, 
Wis.  Maco  will  also  equip  the  Egyptian  at 
Sioux  Falls,  S.  D. 

Theatres  equipped  with  3-D  before 
or  by  June  1  will  have,  in  addition  to 
"Bwana  Devil"  and  "Stereo  Tech- 
niques," several  other  3-D  films  avail- 
able. United  Artists  is  accepting  bids 
for  3-D  film  of  the  forthcoming 
Marciano-Walcott  championship  fight. 
Warner  Brothers'  "House  of  Wax" 
opens  in  New  York  April  10,  has 
called  for  bids  on  first  run  in  Minne- 
apolis, St.  Paul,  and  Duluth.  Colum- 
bia's "Fort  Ti,"  scheduled  for  a  late 
April  release,  will  call  for  bids 
shortly. 


WarnerPhonic 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


New  York  Paramount  and  the  Para- 
mount in  Los  Angeles,  in  time  for 
their  "Wax"  openings. 

Despite  the  organization  of  Altec's 
engineering  personnel  and  plant  facili- 
ties for  full  WarnerPhonic  sound  pro- 
duction, it  will  be  possible  to  deliver 
multiple-track  sound  equipment  only 
to  a  very  limited  number  of  theatres 
in  time  for  the  "House  of  Wax"  open- 
ings, it  was  stated.  Altec  has  been 
working  with  Warner  Brothers  on 
the  Coast  in  conjunction  with  its  War- 
nerPhonic program. 


SENSATION  COMING  FROM  WARNER  BROS. 


Monday,  March  16,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

•   •  with  RAY  GALLO 


OVER  400  Walker  metallic  screens 
were  installed  during  the  last 
two  months  by  National  Theatre  Sup- 
ply, according  to  W.  J.  Turnbull, 
NTS  vice-president.  Only  part  of 
these  installations  were  in  theatres 
showing  third-dimensional  pictures,  for 
the  screen  is  also  suited  to  regular 
product  and  television,  Turnbull  said. 
"It  is  custom-coated  for  the  particular 
requirements  of  each  theatre,"  he 
added,  "considering  such  factors  as 
width  and  length  of  the  auditorium 
angle  of  projection  and  type  of  light 
sources  used." 

• 

Election  to  new  posts  on  the 
board  of  directors  of  Henry  Heide, 
Inc.,  New  York,  of  three  grandsons 
of  the  late  Henry  Heide,  Sr., 
founder  of  the  84-year-old  candy 
manufacturing  firm,  has  been  an- 
nounced by  Herman  L.  Heide,  presi- 
dent. Andrew  H.  Heide,  formerly 
vice-president,  was  named  execu- 
tive vice-president;  Victor  H.  Heide, 
formerly  assistant  vice  -  president, 
was  elected  vice-president  and  sec- 
retary, and  Vincent  H.  Heide,  for- 
merly assistant  vice-president,  is 
now  vice-president  and  secretary. 
• 

The  Camera  Equipment  Co.  of  New 
York  has  been  appointed  as  another 
distributor  for  the  Prestoseal  "butt- 
weld"  film  splicer,  known  by  the 
trade-name  of  "Presto-Splicer,"  and 
manufactured  by  the  Prestoseal  Man- 
ufacturing Corp.  of  Long  Island 
City,  N.  Y. 

• 

H.  J.  Foster  has  resigned  as  vice- 
president  of  Spacarb,  Inc.,  manufac- 
turers of  automatic  soft  drink  dis- 
pensers, according  to  an  announcement 
by  L.  H.  Houston,  president.  Foster's 
duties  in  the  fields  of  sales,  service 
and  advertising  will  be  assumed  by 
Howard  Richardson  with  the  tempo- 
rary assistance  of  Houston.  Foster, 
who  joined  Spacarb  in  1949,  has  not 
announced  his  plans  but  he  intends  to 
remain  in  the  vending  field. 

• 

For  the  prevention  of  injuries  to 
fingers  from  accidental  door  clos- 
ings the  Magic  Door  Division  of 
the  Stanley  W{)rks  of  New  Britain, 
Conn.,  has  developed  a  new  flexible 
plastic  stripping.  Called  "Stan- 
vard,"  it  runs  the  full  length  of  the 
door  at  the  door  jamb,  sealing  off 
the  danger  area  from  top  to  bot- 
tom. It  is  fastened  to  the  door 
frame  with  aluminum  anchor  mould- 
ings. 

• 

A  new.  automatic  hot  chocolate  dis- 
penser with  a  capacity  of  3  gallons,  is 
now  being  distributed,  by  the  Interstate 
Restaurant  Supply  Co.,  Los  Angeles. 
Called  the  "Excel  Dispenser,"  the  unit 
has  thermostatic  control,  designed  to 
keep  it  at  the  right  serving  tempera- 
ture and  a  motor-driven  agitator  which 
stirs  the  chocolate  constantly  to  pre- 
vent milk  scum. 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


A  NEW  series  of  half-hour  NBCluedunits,  "Eye  Witness,"  will 
bow  onto  the  TV  scene,  Monday,  March  30,  replacing  "Holly- 
wood Opening  Night"  in  the  9:00  to  9:30  P.M.  slot.  The  Neptune 
production  will  be  directed  by  Perry  Lafferty  and  will  be  sponsored 
on  alternate  weeks  by  Ennds.  .  .  .  The  music  goes  'round  and  around, 
.  history  repeats  itself,  life  itself  is  a  series  of  cycles  so  it  is  natural 
for  station  call  letters  to  make  with  the  gyrations.  Some  years  ago, 
NB  Chieftains  came  up  with  a  bright  idea  to  perpetuate  the  letters 
of  the  NBChain,  by  successfully  petitioning  the  FCC  to  permit  the 
change  from  WEAF  to  WNBC.  WABC,  the  CBS  N.  Y.  outlet, 
similarly  effected  a  change  to  WCBS.  Starting  March  1,  New  York 
again  began  hearing  WABC,  this  time,  belonging  to  American 
Broadcasting  Co.,  which  discarded  the  ancient  WJZ  call  letters.  .  .  . 
Oliver  A.  Unger  former  v.p.  for  Snader  Telescriptions  and  Harold 
Goldman,  ex  Eastern  sales  director  of  that  firm,  are  now  president 
and  general  sales  manager,  respectively,  for  Television  Exploitations, 
Inc.,  with  offices  located  in  29  key  cities,  guaranteeing  clients  and 
associated  sponsors  overall  saturation  coverage  on  filmed  TV  prop- 
erties. .  .  . 

ft       ft  ft 

The  Violin  Virtuoso  of  Waukegan,  111.,  has  been  the  nation's 
triple-threat  star  of  show  biz  for  so  many  years  that  it's  news 
when  he  DOESN'T  win.  With  his  monthly  TV  show  now  a 
regular  feature,  Jack  Benny  is  now  eligible  for  the  TV  crown 
and  though  we're  about  eight  months  from 
the  results  of  the  1953  television  editors 
Fame  poll,  we're  laying  odds  that  Roches- 
ter's boss  finishes  in  the  money.  .  .  .  Pro- 
ducer Walt  Framer,  stars  Bess  Myerson  and 
Randy  Merriman  and  two  regular  models  of 
"The  Big  Payoff"  will  head  for  the  Coast 
where  that  program  will  originate  for  two 
weeks  starting  Monday,  March  30.  .  .  . 
Modern  Screen  (Dell)  has  finally  recog- 
nized and  accepted  television.  They've  added 
a  new  regular  feature,  Paul  Denis'  gossip 
column.  .  .  .  Lakeside  TV  Co.  is  now  hand- 
ling national  distribution  of  the  popular 
western  filmed  TV  series,  "Oklahoma  Chuck 
Wagon  Boys."  .  .  .  Filmcraft  Productions, 
which  acquired  the  TV  rights  to  the  entire  Mark  Twain  works, 
is  currently  filming  a  new  video  series,  "Mark  Twain  TV 
Theatre."  Siegfried  M.  Herzig,  writer  of  numerous  Broadway 
plays  and  screenplays,  is  assisting  novelist  Robert  Nathan  in 
adapting  the  Twain  stories  for  TV.  Gene  Mann  has  just 
joined  Filmcraft  as  veepee  in  charge  of  creative  production 
and  sales.  .  .  . 

ft      ft  ft 

_  Starting  Thurs.,  April  2,  KHJ-TV  will  have  an  exclus  ive  two-year 
right  to  the  Lewis  Weiss  &  Co.  TV  film  series  (26  half-hours) 
"Craig  Kennedy,  Criminologist,"  which  has  been  enjoying  a  terrific 
listening  audience  the  past  few  months  in  Phila.  via  WCAU-TV.  .  .  . 
Lonny  Starr  has  been  hired  for  the  third  consecutive  year  by  Sunset 
Appliances  to  describe  the  wrestling  bouts,  Thurs.  nites  via  WOR- 
TV.  .  .  .  Leo  Israel  of  the  20th  Century-Fox  adv.  dep't.  visited  John 
Reed  King's  _  "What's  Your  Bid?"  TV  ABContest  last  week  and 
walked  off  with  several  thousand  dollars  worth  of  prizes.  (But  he's 
a  loyal  cineMAN.  Still  positive  "Movies  are  your  best  entertain- 
ment.") .  .  .  Memo  to  Dore  Senary: — Alton  Alexander,  who  was 
your  assistant  back  in  1927,  when  you  were  head  counsellor  at  Cedar 
Lake  Camp,  N.  Y.,  has  authored  over  500  TV  scripts  for  the  ABC- 
TV  "Hollywood  Screen  Test"  series.  .  .  .  Ralph  Paul,  announcer  of 
"Strike  It  Rich,"  is  now  a  real  drum-beater.  He  returned  from  a 
Haitian  vacation  (a  new  rhyme,  Fred  Norman)  with  a  Voodoo 
drum.  .  .  . 

ft        ft  ft 

LOTS  A  DOTS  .  .  .  Bob  Downing  (he  won  the  1952  Dr.  Christian 
award)  flies  to  Houston  where  his  3-act  play,  "Around  We  Go" 
premieres,  April  8.  .  .  .  Sid  Pink  Associates  will  handle  Western 
Hemisphere  distribution  filmed  TV  series,  "13  Tall  Tales,"  produced 
in  England  by  I.  G.  Goldsmith.  .  .  .  Walton  &  O'Rourke,  whose  pup- 
pets rate  a  rave  in  the  current  MGMasterpiece,  "Lili,"  are  currently 
in  Gotham  and  will  be  seen  pahlenty  on  TV  guestings.  .  .  .  Red 
Buttons  will  emcee  the  Nat'l  Press  Club's  shindig  for  Congressmen, 
March  31  in  Washington. 


Jack  Benny 


310  Video  Stations 
Approved  to  Date 

Washington,  March  15. — The 
Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission has  approved  29  ad- 
ditional television  stations, 
the  largest  batch  of  approvals 
issued  in  any  one  day  so  far. 
The  total  approved  since  the 
lifting  of  the  freeze  now 
stands  at  310. 


TV  Series 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

Merman,  star  of  "Call  Me  Madam," 
heading  a  motorcade  to  the  Miami 
premiere  of  the  musical  to  be  pre- 
sented on  the  March  22  show.  A 
teaser  trailer  for  the  March  29  pre- 
sentation of  scenes  from  the  Irving 
Berlin  musical  will  also  be  featured 
that  evening. 

The  two  "plugs"  will  be  followed 
on  the  April  5  telecast  by  a  six-min- 
ute program  devoted  to  "The  Presi- 
dent's Lady."  "Titanic"  will  be  on  the 
April  19  "Toast  of  the  Town"  and 
will  get  additional  publicizing  May  3. 


Hendricks,  McManus 
Promoted  by  Warner 

Hollywood,  March  15. — Bill  Hen- 
dricks has  been  appointed  by  Alex 
Evelove  as  assistant  publicity  director 
for  Warner  Brothers  studio.  Hen- 
dricks begins  his  new  duties  tomorrow. 
At  the  studio  for  the  past  five  years 
as  chief  exploitation  man,  Hendricks 
was  with  Warner  Theatres  in  the 
South,  Midwest  and  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  for  19  years  before  that. 

Stepping  up  into  Hendricks  former 
exploitation  spot  is  John  G.  McManus, 
former  district  and  publicity  manager 
for  Warner's  Pacific  Coast  theatres. 


Cinema  Lodge  Cites 
Liebowitz  Tonight 

Civic  and  religious  leaders  will  join 
Cinema  Lodge  B'nai  B'rith  officials  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  here  tonight  in  pay- 
ing tribute  to  Judge  Samuel  Liebowitz 
of  Kings  County  Court. 

U.  S.  Senator  Charles  W.  Tobey  of 
New  Hampshire,  will  present  the 
Cinema  Lodge  "Honor  Scroll"  to 
Judge  Liebowitz  and  will  be  the  prin- 
cipal speaker. 


Kaye  Drops  Monday 
Night  Performances 

After  81  consecutive  performances, 
without  a  night  off,  Danny  Kaye  will 
take  one  night's  rest  each  Monday, 
starting  tonight.  The  policy  will  be; in 
effect  for  the  rest  of  Kaye's  reserved 


'Corsica'  A  UA  Film 

"The  Bandits  of  Corsica"  is  being 
distributed  by  United  Artists  and  not 
by  Universal-International,  as  erro- 
neously stated  in  a  review  of  that 
production  which  appeared  in  Motion 
Picture  Daily  on  Friday.  


TELEVISION 
COMMERCIAL   •  THEATRICAL 

3  D 

Motion  Picture  Editorial  Service 

630  NINTH  AVENUE,  N.  Y.  36,  N.  Y. 
LUxemburg  2-2988 


(Ly9Ly  deepest  appreciation  to  the 
radio  editors  who  have  again 
selected  me  in  the  annual 
Fame  poll  as 

CHAMPION  OF  CHAMPIONS 

and 

BEST  COMEDIAN 

and  my  program  as 

BEST  PROGRAM 


Sincerely, 

JACK  BENNY 


FILM 

NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


VOL.  73.    NO.  51 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  17,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Para.  Moves 
Forward  on 
3-D  Problems 


Seeks  'Fusing'  of  3-D 
And  Wide  Screen  System 

Three-dimensional  and  wide 
screen  developments  by  Paramount 
Pictures  were  revealed  here  yester- 
day with  the  return  at  the  week- 
end from  the  Coast  of  Barney  Bala- 
ban,  president,  and  Paul  Raibourn, 
vice-president. 

The  developments  were  these : 

1.  Attempts  are  underway  to 
"fuse"  Paramount's  3-D  system 
with  a  process  similar  to  Cin- 
erama. 

2.  Solutions  are  being  found 
by  Paramount's  research  de- 
partment to  the  3-D  problems 
of  drive-in  theatres. 

3.  Paramount  has  begun  con- 
struction of  a  "proving  ground" 
at  its  studio  to  test  various 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


20th-Fox  Changes 
Production  Plans 
For  CinemaScope 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  stepped  up 
its  CinemaScope  activities  yesterday 
with  the  affirmation  that  the  company 
shortly  would  confine  its  entire  pro- 
duction schedule  to  the  new  wide- 
screen  process.  At  the  same  time, 
the  company  reported  from  the  Coast 
that,  in  line  with  the  policy  of  con- 
verting exclusively  to  CinemaScope, 
six  pictures  for  which  production 
dates  had  been  set  for  April,  June 
and  July  had  been  taken  off  its  sched- 
ule. 

Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  production  chief, 
(Continued  cm  page  4) 


New  Norwegian  Pact; 
Rentals  Up  33%% 

An  agreement  in  principle  between 
the  exhibitor's  association  in  Norway 
and  the  Motion  Picture  Export  As- 
sociation has  been  reached,  calling  for 
an  increase  in  rentals  for  American 
pictures  by  33  1/3  per  cent,  it  was 
announced  yesterday  by  Eric  John- 
ston, MPEA  president.  In  making 
the  announcement,  Johnston  said  that 
the  new  pact  covers  only  conventional 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Bergman  Favors  Expanding 
Quigley  Awards  Judging 

(Picture  on  page  4) 

The  suggestion  that  producers  and  distributors  join  in  the  judging  of 
picture  campaigns  by  theatre  managers  for  the  annual  Quigley  Show- 
manship awards  was  made  by  Maurice  Bergman,  Universal-Interna- 
tional public  relations  executive,  who  was  the  principal  speaker  at  the 
19th  annual  luncheon  at  Toots  Shor's 
restaurant  here  yesterday  for  the  ad- 
vertising-publicity executives  who 
comprised  the  panel  of  judges. 

"I  think  it  is  important  that  pro- 
ducers and  distributors  know  how 
their  product  is  being  sold,"  Bergman 
said.  "As  much  thought  should  go 
into  the  selling  of  pictures  as  into 
their  production." 

Bergman  was  introduced  by  Mar- 
tin Quigley,  who  presided  at  the 
luncheon.  After  welcoming-  the  ap- 
proximately 60  executives  guests  pres- 
ent, Quigley  introduced  two  visitors 
from  Canada,  Larry  Grabern,  adver- 
tising director  of  Odeon  Theatres, 
Ltd.,  and  James  Nairn,  advertising 
manager  of  the  Famous  Players  Ca- 


nadian circuit.  Also  introduced  were 
two  previous  Grand  Award  winners, 
Harry  Goldberg  of  Stanley-Warner 
Theatres  and  Charles  Hacker  of 
Radio  City  Music  Hall,  and  Walter 
Brooks,  editor  of  the  Managers  Round 
Table  section  of  Motion  Picture  Her- 
ald, which  conducts  the  annual  Show- 
manship Awards  contest. 

Quigley  reported  that  membership 
in  Managers  Round  Table  currently 
stands  at  4,483,  the  largest  in  its  his- 
tory. 

Bergman  later  pointed  out  that 
along  with  the  increase  in  member- 
ship, there  are  more  individual  show- 
manship   campaigns    entered    in  this 

(Continued  an  page  4) 


Cahill  Heads  WB 
Technical  Activities 


Frank  E.  Cahill,  Jr.,  formerly  of 
the  Warner  Brothers  Circuit  Manage- 
ment Corp.,  has  been  named  coordi- 
nator of  technical  activities  for  War- 
ner  Brothers 
Pictures,  effec- 
tive immedi- 
ately. 

Cahill,  well- 
known  motion 
picture  engi- 
neer, first  be- 
came associ- 
ated with  mo- 
tion pictures  in 
1925  when  he 
joined  First 
National  as  as- 
sistant to  the 
vice  -  president 
and  Treasurer. 
In  1926  he  became  assistant  to  the 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Frank  Cahill 


76  TV  Stations  to 
Promote  Hope  Film 

Seventy-six  television  stations  de- 
scribed as  blanketing  a  marketing 
area  of  500  cities  and  reaching  an  au- 
dience of  40,000,000  viewers  will  be 
used  in  a  cooperative  plan  to  promote 
Bob  Hope's  "Off  Limits,"  and  also 
the  Army's  new  recruiting  program. 

The  promotion  will  be  built  around 
Hope's  "Colgate  Comedy  Hour"  tele- 
vision show  of  Sunday,  March  29, 
which  is  carried  "live"  by  59  NBC- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Hospital  Coin  Boxes 
Collected  $25,210 


The  3,700  theatres  cooperating  in 
the  "coin  collection  box"  project  for 
the  Will  Rogers  Memorial  Hospital 
have  collected  and  sent  into  tne  Hos- 
pital fund  $25,210,  according  to  Joseph 
R.  Vogel,  chairman  of  the  project.  A 
total  of  $20,222  was  sent  in  by  2,866 
theatres  representing  113  circuits. 
Independent  theatres,  approximately 
840,  have  collected  $4,988. 

The  coin  collection  box  project  con- 
sists of  an  easel  display  and  is  used 
primarily  on  theatres'  concession 
counters.  National  Screen  Service, 
without  charge  to  the  committee,  re- 
places these  boxes  every  60  days  and 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


'Ike'  Likes  Trade 
Plan  by  Johnston 

Washington,  March  16. — A  sug- 
gestion by  Eric  Johnston,  president 
of  the  Motion  Picture  Association 
of  America,  that  a  roving  economic 
ambassador  be  appointed  to  try  to  im- 
prove private  trade  dealings  between 
the  United  States  and  foreign  nations 
is  reported  to  be  favored  by  Presi- 
dent Eisenhower. 

Johnston  made  the  proposal  to  the 
President  in  his  capacity  as  chairman 
of  the  International  Advisory  Board. 
The  MPAA  president  later  said  that 
President  Eisenhower  was  highly  in 
favor  of  the  idea. 


Supreme  Court 
Asked  to  Shift 
Bidding  Ruling 

Jackson  Park,  Towne 
Appeal  From  Verdict 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  16.  —  The 
Jackson  and  Milwaukee  Towne 
theatres  today  asked  the  Supreme 
Court  to  overturn  a  Circuit  Court 
ruling  that  they  must  outbid  compet- 
ing theatres  in  order  to  get  choice 
films. 

The  two  cases,  appealed  to  the  Su- 
preme Court  by  Chicago  attorney 
Thomas  C.  McConnell,  were  the  third 
and  fourth  trade  practice  cases  to  be 
dumped  into  the  Supreme  Court's  lap 
within  the  last  10  days. 

Although  the  Jackson  Park 
case  deals  with  the  Chicago 
theatre  situation  and  the  Mil- 
waukee Towne  case  with  the 
situation  in  Milwaukee,  both 
appeals   present   the  identical 

(Continued  cm  page  4) 


New  Altec  3-D  Deals 
As  Shortage  Looms 
On  Some  Equipment 


Altec  here  yesterday  accepted  addi- 
tional contracts  for  the  installation  of 
3-D  equipment  and  stereophonic 
sound  in  Paramount  and  Stanley- 
Warner  theatres  for  the  showing  of 
"House  of  Wax"  but,  because  of  a 
short  supply  of  some  items  of  equip- 
ment, the  company  is  not  committing 
itself  on  the  fulfillment  of  further 
orders.  Currently  there  is  a  shortage 
of  magnetic  heads  and  interlock 
motors.  An  Altec  spokesman  said 
there  was   no   definite  assurance  of 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2  More  Productions 
Started  by  RKO 


Hollywood,  March  16. — Increased 
production  activity  got  underway  to- 
day at  RKO  Radio  with  two  top-budg- 
eted pictures,  both  in  color,  going  be- 
fore the  cameras.  The  two  are  "Sec- 
ond Chance"  and  Edmund  Grainger's 
"Arizona  Outpost." 

"Second  Chance"  stars  Robert 
Mitchum  and  Linda  Darnell.  Pro- 
duced by  Sam  Wiesenthal  under  the 
supervision  of  Grainger,  the  film  is 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


Motion  Pic 


ture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  17,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

SOL  LESSER  has  arrived  in  New- 
York  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Mrs.  Robert  Newgard,  wife  of  the 
Interstate  Television  Corp.  sales  ex- 
ecutive and  daughter  of  G.  Ralph 
Branton,  Allied  Artists  vice-presi- 
dent, gave  birth  to  a  son,  Chris- 
topher Michael,  at  Queen  of  the 
Angels  Hospital  in  Los  Angeles  last 
Tuesday. 

o 

William  B.  Zoellner,  head  of  M- 
G-M  short  subject  and  newsreel  sales, 
will  arrive  in  Jacksonville  today  from 
New  York  for  a  two-day  visit.  He 
will  also  stop  in  Atlanta,  Charlotte 
and  Washington. 

• 

Suzanne  Marie  White,  secretary 
to  John  H.  Mitchell,  vice-president 
and  general  sales  manager  for  Screen 
Gems,  has  become  engaged  to  Edwin 
H.  Frank,  Jr.  and  will  be  married  in 
June. 

• 

Elmer  C.  Winegar,  an  official  of 
the  Buffalo  projectionists  union,  is 
director-general  of  the  annual  Shrine 
Circus  to  be  staged  Easter  week  in 
Memorial  Auditorium  there. 

• 

Emil  Velazco,  head  of  the  re- 
cording studio  bearing  his  name,  re- 
turned here  last  night  from  a  busi- 
ness trip  to  Florida. 

Allen  M.  Widem,  Hartford  Times 
motion  picture  editor,  is  in  Hollywood 
for  the  Academy  Awards  program  and 
will  fly  back  to  Hartford  on  Sunday. 
• 

Hugh  Owen,  Paramount  Eastern 
and  Southern  division  manager,  is  in 
Charlotte,  to  conduct  the  sixth  of  a 
series  of  branch  meetings. 

• 

Arthur  Freed,  M-G-M  producer, 
will  arrive  here  from  the  Coast  March 
30  and  will  head  abroad  three  days 
later. 

• 

Matt  Kennedy,  New  Haven  pro- 
jectionist, is  recuperating  at  home  fol- 
lowing surgery. 

• 

Nat  Liebeskind,  independent  dis- 
tributor, is  in  Fifth  Avenue  Hospital 
here  recuperating  from  surgery. 
• 

Harry  Stevens  of  Life  Magazine 
has  returned  here  from  the  Coast. 


Mexican  Motif  for 
V.C.  'Fiesta  Night' 

The  New  York  Variety  Club's 
'Fiesta"  tomorrow  night  at  the  Picca- 
dilly Hotel  is  getting  the  cooperation 
of  both  the  Mexico  City  Variety  Tent 
and  the  Mexican  government.  The 
Mexican  Tent  has  sent  -  flowers, 
tequilla  and  souvenirs  for  the  event, 
as  well  as  Mexican  hors  d'oeuvres. 

Mexican  music  and  talent  have  been 
booked  by  Carlos  Montalban.  Dec- 
orations will  have  a  south-of-the-bor- 
der  motif.  Four  Mexican  girl  "am- 
bassadors" are  being  sent  by  the  Mex- 
ican Tent.  The  party  will  start  at 
7  :30.  Max  Wolff  is  in  charge  of  the 
entertainment. 


Outlay  for  Theatres 
Drops  in  Canada 

Ottawa,  March  16.— Despite 
a  better  supply  situation  in 
labor  and  materials,  Canadian 
investments  in  capital,  repair 
and  maintenance  expenditures 
by  theatres  will  decline  to 
$2,800,000  during  1953,  com- 
pared with  $4,600,000  during 
1952  and  $6,500,000  during  1951. 

Construction  of  theatres 
will  account  for  only  $1,500,- 
000  in  1953,  compared  with 
$2,500,000  in  1952  and  $3,900,- 
000  in  1951,  while  equipment 
and  machinery  will  total  $1,- 
300,000  in  1953,  against  $2,100,- 
000  in  1952  and  $2,600,000  in 
1951. 


Buchman  Is  Fined 
$150  for  Contempt 

Washington,  March  16. — Producer 
Sidney  Buchman  was  fined  $150  and 
given  a  one-year  suspended  sentence 
for  having  been  convicted  of  contempt 
of  Congress  charges. 

Buchman  was  convicted  for  refus- 
ing to  appear  in  answer  to  a  sub- 
poena of  the  House  Un-American  Ac- 
tivities Committee  in  Jan.,  1952.  Fed- 
eral Judge  T.  Blake  Kennedy  an- 
nounced his  sentence  after  hearing 
Buchman  declare  that  he  had  "acted 
in  good  faith"  and  had  meant  no  con- 
tempt. 

Ankers-Loeb  Named 

Washington,  March  16. — Ankers- 
Loeb  Productions  has  been  named 
Washington  representative  of  Stanley 
Neal  Productions,  New  York  and 
Hollywood  firm  which  films  special 
documentaries  for  industrial  and  tele- 
vision distribution.  Ankers-Loeb  will 
concentrate  on  films  requiring  a 
Washington  setting,  according  to 
Leon  Loeb  of  the  Washington  com- 
pany. 


With  Succeeds  Sayles 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  16.— Wil- 
liam C.  (Bill)  With  has  been  pro- 
moted from  assistant  manager  to  man- 
ager of  Fabian's  Palace,  succeeding 
the  late  Alex  Sayles,  it  was  an- 
nounced by  Si  Fabian,  head  of  Fabian 
Theatres,  and  by  division  manager 
Saul  J.  Ullman. 

$35,000  for  'Madam' 

"Call  Me  Madam"  grossed  $35,000 
for  the  first  four  days  of  its  premiere 
showing  at  the  Carib,  Miami  and 
Miracle  theatres  of  the  Wometco  cir- 
cuit in  Miami,  and  was  said  to  have 
toppled  all  gross  marks  at  those 
houses.  A  first  week's  gross  of 
$56,000  is  estimated. 


Sam  Miller  on  His  Own 

Washington,  March  16.  — ■  Sam 
Miller,  formerly  with  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  and 
more  recently  with  Cohn  and  Marks, 
attorneys  for  the  National  Exhibitors 
Theatre  Television  Committee,  has 
opened  his  own  law  offices  here,  and 
will  specialize  in  communications 
cases. 


Set  Catholic 
Film  Festival 


The  first  Catholic  mission  film  festi- 
val in  the  United  States  will  be  held 
in  conjunction  with  the  Centenary 
Mission  Exhibit  at  the  69th  Regiment 
Armory  here,  from  May  31  to  June  6. 

Monsignor  Vincent  W.  Jeffers, 
Archdiocesan  director  of  the  Society 
for  the  Propogation  of  the  Faith,  is 
chairman  of  the  mission  exhibit  and 
the  festival.  Martin  Quigley  heads  the 
committee  which  will  evaluate  the 
films  submitted.  The  closing  date 
for  entries  is  April  15. 

Three  awards  will  be  made  by  the 
judges  for  the  best  films  entered  in 
the  festival.  In  addition,  outstanding 
films  will  be  shown  daily  during  the 
Centenary  Mission  Exhibit,  which 
marks  the  100th  anniversary  of  the 
establishment  of  the  Archdiocesan 
SPF  office  in  New  York. 

The  film  festival  is  scheduled  to 
become  an  annual  event. 

Ask  Dismissal  of 
Alliance  Trust  Case 

Chicago,  March  16. — A  brief  ask- 
ing the  Federal  District  Court  for 
Northern  Indiana  to  dismiss  the  Jus- 
tice Department's  anti-trust  suit 
against  the  Alliance  Circuit  on  the 
grounds  that  pooling  of  film  is  not 
an  illegal  trade  practice,  has  been 
filed  by  attorneys  Seymour  Simon  of 
this 'city  and  Henry  Stites  of  Louis- 
ville. 

The  government  action  charged 
pooling  of  pictures  by  two  Alliance 
theatres  and  two  other  theatres  in 
Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Settle  III.  Drive-in 
Suit  Out  of  Court 

Chicago,  March  16. — The  Illinois 
drive-in  suit  against  the  major  film 
companies  and  affiliated  film  circuits 
(charging  the  defendants  with  refus- 
ing to  sell  film  to  the  plaintiff  in  an 
early  run)  has  been  settled  out  of 
court  and  dismissed  by  Judge  Barnes 
of  the  Federal  District  Court  here. 
Thomas  C.  McConnell  represented  the 
plaintiff,  Bryson  Burnham  the  de- 
fendants. 

Services  Held  for 
Marcel  (Selly)  Kann 

Funeral  services  were  held  at  Riv- 
erside Chapel  here  yesterday  for  Mar- 
cel (Selly)  Kann,  New  York  theatre 
manager  and  brother  of  the  late 
Maurice  (Red)  Kann,  former  vice- 
president  of  Quigley  Publishing  Co. 
Kann  died  suddenly  in  New  York  last 
Saturday.  He  is  survived  by  a 
brother,  Benjamin,  of  Boston,  and  by 
a  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Frances  Kann. 


Edith  Prigozy  Resigns 

Edith  Prigozy,  who  has  been  asso- 
ciated with  20th  Century-Fox  Inter- 
national Corp.  for  the  last  11  years 
as  assistant  to  sales  promotion  direc- 
tor Leslie  Whelan,  has  resigned  to  do 
free-lance  writing.  She  will  leave  the 
company  at  the  end  of  this  month. 


'Strengthen'  Decca 
By  'U'  Investment 

Decca  Records  stockholders 
were  informed  yesterday  that 
Decca's  $5,980,181  invest- 
ment in  Universal  Pictures 
strengthens  Decca's  prospects 
for  1953. 

The  statement,  carried  in 
Decca's  1952  annual  report, 
continued :  "The  earnings  of 
that  company  (Universal)  are 
now  at  the  highest  rate  in  its 
recent  history.  Moreover,  the 
diversification  of  Decca's  in- 
terests, by  participation  in 
two  active  segments  of  the 
entertainment  world,  consti- 
tutes a  source  of  strength." 

Decca,  according  to  the  re- 
port, earned  $933,265  in  1952, 
after  provision  for  taxes  and 
all  other  charges,  compared 
to  $835,456  in  1951. 


Personalities  on  Dais 
For  Sullivan  Fete 

In  a  further  advance  in  the  plans 
for  the  Associated  Motion  Picture 
Advertisers  luncheon  salute  to  Ed 
Sullivan  on  Thursday  at  the  Hotel 
Picadilly  here,  AMPA  president 
Harry  K.  McWilliams  discloses  that 
the  following  will  be  among  the  guests 
on  the  dais :  Roberta  Peters,  Metro- 
politan Opera  star ;  Mario  Lewis,  co- 
producer  with  Sullivan  of  the  TV 
show,  "Toast  of  the  Town"  ;  Dwight 
Mills  of  the  Kenyon  Eckhardt  ad 
agency ;  Paul  Lazarus  of  Columbia 
Pictures,  and  Hubbell  Robinson,  vice- 
president  of  CBS-TV. 

Steve  Broidy  Heads 
Coast  Charity  Drive 

Hollywood,  March  16. — The  Per- 
manent Charities  Committee  has 
selected  Steve  Broidy,  retiring  presi- 
dent and  head  of  Allied  Artists,  to 
serve  as  campaign  chairman  of  PCC's 
1954  fund-raising  appeal.  Sam  Jaffee 
succeeds  Broidy  in  the  presidency. 


March  is  American  Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

—  ■■    Rockefeller  Center  -   —  — 

"THE  STORY  OF  THREE  LOVES" 

Kirk  James  Farley 

DOUGLAS  MASON  GRANGER 

PierANGELI   MoiraSHEARER  LeslieCARON 
An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Rarnsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


"Light  housekeeping  . .  •  a  necessity" 


Obvious  to  everyone  may  be  the  fact 
that  not  enough  light  is  getting  to 
the  screen;  or  that  the  sound  system 
is  not  functioning  properly. 
The  reasons,  however,  may  be  varied — 
equipment  failure,  inadequate  house- 
keeping, or  a  drop  in  power  output. 
Aid  in  this  type  of  trouble-shooting  may 
be  obtained  from  the  Eastman  Technical 
Service  for  Motion  Picture  Film  which 
Kodak  maintains  at  strategic  centers 
to  cooperate  with  producers,  processors, 
and  exchanges  and  exhibitors. 


Motion  P/cfvre  Film  Department 
EASTMAN  KODAK  COMPANY,  Rochester  4,  N.  Y. 


East  Coast  Division 
342  Madison  Avenue 
New  York  17,  N.  Y. 


Midwest  Division 

137  North  Wabash  Avenue 

Chicago  2,  Illinois 


W»st  Coast  Division 

6706  Santa  Monica  Blvd. 

Hollywood  38,  California 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  17,  1953 


April  15  New  Filing 
Date  in  16mm.  Suit 

Hollywood,  March  16.— 
Counsel  for  the  Government 
and  for  the  defendants  in  the 
16mm.  suit  case  have  signed 
a  stipulation  giving  the  latter 
until  April  15  to  file  objec- 
tions to  interrogatories  served 
the  week  before  last. 

The  defendants  claimed  the 
interrogatories  required  re- 
search too  burdensome  for 
completion  within  the  usual 
20-day  period. 


Supreme  Court 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


issue:  could  the  Circuit  Court 
change  provisions  of  earlier  de- 
crees, growing  out  of  private 
anti-trust  actions,  that  per- 
mitted the  theatres  to  get  first- 
run  films  without  competitive 
bidding,  and  only  on  payment 
of  a  "fair  and  reasonable 
rental"  ? 

The  original  decree  in  the  Jackson 
Park  case  said  the  theatre  could  get 
first-run  films  on  payment  of  such 
rentals.  In  July  1951,  however,  five 
distributors  —  20th  Century  -  Fox, 
Paramount,  RKO,  Loew's  and  War- 
ner Brothers — asked  the  District 
Court  to  amend  the  old  decree  by  de- 
claring that  the  Jackson  Park  must 
bid  against  other  theatres  in  the  same 
competitive  area. 

The  District  Court  refused  to 
make  this  change,  but  the  Seventh 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  approved  the 
distributors'  suggestion. 

In  the  Milwaukee  Towne  case,  the 
same  pattern  was  followed.  In 
March,  1952,  the  same  five  distrib- 
utors and  Columbia  asked  the  Dis- 
trict Court  to  change  the  earlier  Mil- 
waukee Towne  decree  to  require 
competitive  bidding.  Again  the  Dis- 
trict Court  refused  and  again  the 
Circuit  Court  approved. 

In  appealing  the  cases  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  McConnell  declared : 
"The  Court  of  Appeals,  under  the 
guise  of  construction,  has  changed  a 
decree  without  any  showing  of  any 
unforeseeable  change  in  conditions  ex- 
isting at  the  time  the  decree  was 
entered;  has  assumed  jurisdiction  to 
re-hear  an  issue  decided  against  re- 
spondent's (the  distributors')  conten- 
tion some  five  years  before,  and  under 
the  guise  of  construction  has  written 
into  a  decree  a  provision  for  com- 
petitive bidding  without  any  of  the 
safeguards  provided  for  in  the  gov- 
ernment decree  which  this  court 
struck  from  such  decree  in  the  Para- 
mount case." 


76  TV  Stations 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

TV  stations  and  affiliates,  and  as  a 
delayed  telecast  by  an  additional  17 
TV  outlets.  The  coverage  is  being 
keyed  to  the  Easter  Week  openings  of 
the  Paramount  comedy,  which  co- 
stars  Hope,  Mickey  Rooney  and 
Marilyn  Maxwell.  The  picture  will 
have  its  initial  runs  in  many  of  the 
cities  reached  by  the  March  29  tele- 
cast a  few  days  following  the  network 
show. 

Appearing  with  Hope  will  be  an  ar- 
ray of  Army  "brass"  to  discuss  the  re- 
cruiting drive  and  also  the  Military 
Police  background  of  the  film. 


Quigley  Publications  Photo 

MAURICE  A.  BERGMAN,  Universal-International  public  relations 
executive,  addressing  the  19th  Annual  Quigley  Showmanship 
Awards  luncheon  at  Toots  Shor's  restaurant  here  yesterday  for  indus- 
try advertising-publicity  executives  who  comprise  the  judges'  panel 
for  the  annual  awards.  Flanking  the  speaker,  shown  standing  at  the 
dais,  are,  from  left  to  right:  John  J.  O'Connor,  vice-president  of 
Universal;  James  A.  Mulvey,  president,  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions; 
Si  Seadler,  advertising  manager,  M-G-M;  Martin  Quigley  and  William 
J.  Heineman,  vice-president  of  United  Artists  in  charge  of  distribution. 


Quigley  Awards  Judging 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


year's  contest  than  ever  before.  The 
large  panel  of  judges  examined  the 
campaigns  yesterday  and  cast  their 
votes.  The  votes  are  now  being  tabu- 
lated and  the  results  will  be  an- 
nounced within  the  next  few  days. 

Commending  the  annual  Showman- 
ship Awards  for  the  encouragement 
they  give  to  "new  blood  in  the  indus- 
try" and  the  stimulus  they  provide  to 
better  picture  merchandising,  Berg- 
man said  the  awards  have  fostered 
and  nourished  showmanship  down 
through  the  years. 

Begun  in  1934 

Recalling  that  the  awards  were  be- 
gun in  1934,  Bergman  said  they  did 
much  in  that  depression  period  to  en- 
courage managers  to  extend  them- 
selves to  bring  in  additional  business ; 
and  that  the  awards,  in  the  industry's 
good  times  and  bad,  "have  been  a  plus 
factor  in  the  marketing  of  pictures, 
which  always  is  so  essential." 

Bergman  also  cited  the  re- 
cently published  results  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Herald's  Institute 
of  Industry  Opinion  on  motion 
picture  advertising,  which  re- 
vealed that  a  large  majority  of 
the  panel  favored  an  overhaul 
of  industry  advertising  in  the 
hope  of  creating  new  and  dis- 
tinctive types  of  film  campaigns. 

The  panel  results  were  termed  "in- 
teresting" and  evidence  that  "we  can't 
stand  still,"  according  to  Bergman. 

The  Universal-International  execu- 
tive spoke  in  place  of  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.,  independent  circuit  operator  and 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee 
of  Theatre  Owners  of  America,  who 
was  taken  ill  late  last  week  and  is 
still  undergoing  hospital  treatment  and 
who  was  unable  to  be  present. 

At  the  dais  were :  Grabern,  John  J. 
O'  Connor,  Universal  vice-president ; 
James  A.  Mulvey,  president  of  Sam- 
uel Goldwyn  Productions ;  Si  Seadler, 


M-G-M  advertising  manager ;  Berg- 
man, Quigley,  William  J.  Heineman, 
United  Artists  vice-president  and  head 
of  distribution ;  Jerome  Pickman,  vice- 
president  and  advertising-publicity  di- 
rector of  Paramount  Pictures  Dis- 
tributing; S.  Barret  McCormick,  mo- 
tion picture  advertising  executive,  and 
Nairn. 

Others  present  were : 

Paul  Ackekman,  Paramount  Interna- 
tional; Leon  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio  Pic- 
tures; Fortunat  Baron  at,  Universal;  David 
Blum,  Loew's  International:  Sid  Blumen- 
stock,  Paramount  Pictures;  Dennis  Carlin, 
Republic  Pictures;  Samuel  Cohen,  United 
Artists;  Oscar  A.  Doob,  Loew's  Theatres; 
Edward  C.  Dowden,  Loew's;  Steve  Ed- 
wards, Republic;  Ernest  Emerling,  Loew's; 
Ai.  Floersheimer,  Reade  Theatres;  Mel- 
vin  L.  Gold,  National  Screen  Service; 
Maurice  Goldstein,  Monogram  Pictures; 
David  Golding,  Samuel  Goldwyn  Produc- 
tions; Ben  H.  Grimm,  RKO  Radio  Pictures. 

Also,  Mervin  Houser,  RKO  Radio; 
Jerry  Keyser,  Warner  Brothers  Interna- 
tional; Ralph  Lager,  Century  Theatres; 
Henry  A.  Linet,  Universal;  Lawrence  H. 
Lipskin,  Columbia  Pictures  International; 
Jeff  Livingston,  Universal  Pictures; 
Fred  Lynch,  Radio  City  Music  Hall;  Harry 
K.  McWilliams,  Screen  Gems;  Harry 
Mandel,  RKO  Theatres;  Sidney  Mesieov, 
Paramount  Pictures;  Robert  Mochrie, 
Goldwyn  Productions;  Rutgers  Neilson, 
RKO  Radio;  Jack  O'Brien,  theatre  equip- 
ment sales  manager,  RCA;  Arthur  Pincus, 
Loew's  International;  Sid  Rechetnik, 
Warner  Brothers;  Herman  Robbins,  Na- 
tional Screen  Service;  Jonas  Rosenfield, 
Italian  Films  Export;  Montague  Salmon, 
Rivoli  Theatre;  Sidney  Sciiaefer,  Columbia 
Pictures;  Charles  Schlaifer;  Silas  F. 
Seadler,  Loew's;  Dan  Terrell,  Loew's; 
Mead  Walworth,  Westrex  Corp.;  Francis 
M.  Winikus,  United  Artists. 


Started  By  RKO 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


being  directed  by  Rudolph  Mate. 
Zachary  Gold  wrote  the  script. 

"Arizona  Outpost"  stars  Dale  Rob- 
ertson and  Arthur  Hunnicutt.  Pro- 
duced by  Grainger,  the  picture  is 
being  directed  by  Alfred  Werker  from 
a  script   by   William  Bowers. 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Queries  on  2nd-Hand 
3-D  Equipment! 

Chicago,  March  16.  —  The 
3-D  revolution  is  reaching  the 
sticks.  The  Movie  Supply  Co. 
here  received  a  query  from  a 
small-town  ehxibitor  in  South 
Dakota  about  the  possibility 
of  buying  second-hand  3-D 
equipment  for  his  theatre. 


20th-Fox  Production 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


stated  upon  the  arrival  of  Spyros  P. 
Skouras  and  Al  Lichtman  from  New 
York  that  the  last  two  pictures  to  be 
made  in  the  conventional  dimensions 
would  be  "Be  Prepared,"  starting 
April  6,  and  "Waterfront,"  slated  to 
roll  April  7. 

Initial  Demonstration 

Meanwhile,  the  initial  demonstra- 
tion of  CinemaScope  at  the  studio  will 
be  held  tomorrow  instead  of  today,  as 
originally  planned.  This  showing  will 
be  for  members  of  the  trade,  con- 
sumer and  international  press.  Demon- 
strations for  exhibitors,  studio  heads 
and  production  technicians  will  be  held 
later  in  the  week.  During  the  four 
days  of  showings,  CinemaScope  will 
be  viewed  by  executives  and  staffs 
of  Columbia,  Universal,  Paramount, 
RKO  Radio,  United  Artists,  Warner 
Brothers,  Republic,  Allied  Artists, 
Cinerama,  Production  Code  Adminis- 
tration and  by  Stanley  Kramer,  Cecil 
B.  DeMille,  Hal  Wallis,  Walt  Disney, 
Sol  Lesser,  Edward  Small,  Louis  B. 
Mayer  and  hundreds   of  exihibitors. 

The  six  pictures  that  were  taken 
off  the  production  chart  were  "Justice 
Brown,"  "Camp  Followers,"  "The  Big 
Fight,"  "The  Form  Divine,"  "The 
Black  Widow"  and  "The  Fifth  Rid- 
er." The  last  two  stories  eventually 
are  to  be  converted  to  CinemaScope. 

Charles  Einfeld,  20th-Fox  vice- 
president,  left  here  for  Hollywood 
yesterday  to  join  other  company  ex- 
ecutives who  departed  over  the  week- 
end. 


Altec  Deals 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


early  additional  equipment  delivery. 
Because  Warner  Brothers  will  have 
two  types  of  prints  for  "Wax," 
stereophonic  and  regular,  the  short- 
age of  equipment  will  not  delay  open- 
ings in  some  theatres. 

Altec  also  has  contracted  to  install 
the  stereophonic  sound  in  Darryl  Za- 
nuck's  preview  room  at  the  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox studios  and  the  preview  the- 
atres at  the  20th-Fox  home  office. 

Latest  theatres  to  contract  for  the 
Altec  _  installation  service  are  Para- 
mount's  Chicago  in  Chicago  and  War- 
ner's Mastbaum,  Philadelphia;  Stan- 
ley, Pittsburgh,  and  the  Warner, 
Washington.  Previous  deals  were 
made  for  the  Paramount  in  Holly- 
wood, Paramount  in  Los  Angeles, 
Fox  in  St.  Louis  and  the  Paramount 
in  New  York. 


Coin  Boxes 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


services  them  with  new  displays. 

The  project  committee  hopes  to 
build  the  number  of  participating 
theatres  to  5,000  during  the  next  few 
months. 


March  is  American  Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Tuesday,  March  17,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Review 


"Code  Two" 

(Metro-Goldzvyn-Mayer) 

ASUSPENSEFUL  film  aimed  at  less  sophisticated  audiences  has  been 
fashioned  by  M-G-M.  "Code  Two"  is  a  neat  little  story  along  formula 
lines  concerning  motorcycle  cops.  The  screenplay  by  Marcel  Klauber  dra- 
matizes the  lives  of  three  recruits  at  the  Los  Angeles  Police  Academy.  They 
are  Ralph  Meeker,  brash,  headstrong  and  something  of  a  wolf ;  Robert  Hor- 
ton,  quiet  and  unassuming  and  happily  married  to  Sally  Forrest,  and  Jeff 
Richards,  the  shy  "kid"  destined  to  meet  a  violent  end.  On  graduation  the 
three  join  the  motorcycle  corps — they  like  the  uniform,  the  adventure  and 
the  high  pay. 

When  Richard  is  murdered  by  black  marketeers  while  he  and  Meeker  are 
on  a  joint  patrol,  the  latter  vows  to  catch  the  culprits,  feeling,  as  he  does, 
responsible  for  Richards'  death.  This  involves  a  good  deal  of  humdrum  watch- 
ing and  waiting,  but  finally  pays  off  when  Meeker  spots  tire  marks  of  the 
truck  known  to  have  run  over  Richards.  The  trail  leads  to  the  hideout  of  a 
bunch  of  modern-day  cattle  rustlers,  who  hijack  local  steers  and  seil  the 
meat  at  today's  fancy  beef  prices.  The  climax  is  a  hair-raising  fight,  with  fist 
and  gun,  in  the  meat  processing  plant  with  a  vat  of  hot  lye  standing  by  to 
take  the  body  of  the  loser. 

The  film  is  nicely  paced  and  includes  some  interesting  sequences  on  the 
training  of  motorcycle  cops.  In  the  supporting  cast  are  Keenan  Wynn,  a 
mellow  police  sergeant ;  James  Craig,  and  Elaine  Stewart,  girl  friend  of  the 
ill-fated  Richards.  William  Grady,  Jr.,  produced  and  Fred  M.  Wilcox  directed. 

Running  time,  69  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


Para.  3-D 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

3-D  and  wide  screen  projection 
methods. 

These  disclosures  came  following  a 
week  of  discussions  of  top  studio 
executives,  headed  by  Y.  Frank  Free- 
man, vice-president  and  studio  head, 
and  Don  Hartman,  production  chief, 
with  Balaban,  Raibourn  and  George 
Weltner,  president  of  Paramount  In- 
ternational Films.  Also  taking  part 
in  the  talks  were  William  H.  Pine 
and  William  C.  Thomas,  who  have 
just  completed  Paramount's  first 
three-dimensional  film,  "Sangaree," 
and  Loren  L.  Ryder,  in  charge  of 
scientific  research  at  the  studio. 

The  "fusing"  of  Paramount's  3-D 
process  with  a  wide  screen  process 
similar  to  Cinerama  was  predicted  by 
Ryder  at  a  special  closed  meeting  on 
the  Coast  of  the  Motion  Picture  In- 
dustry Council,  it  was  revealed  here. 
The  screen  to  be  used  in  such  a 
"fusing,"  he  continued,  will  have  a 
2-to-l  aspect  ratial,  which  he  declared, 
is  a  "better"  aspect  ratial  than  the 
2.67-to-l  of  20th  Century-Fox^s 
CinemaScope.  (The  aspect  ratial  is 
the  ratio  of  the  screen's  width  and 
height. ) 

Studying  Other  Methods 

"Besides  3-D,"  Ryder  continued, 
"we  are  working  on  subjective  stereo- 
scopic methods  of  exhibiting  our  out- 
standing pictures  that  are  still  un- 
released.  Paramount  has  made 
numerous  models  of  special  screens 
which  have  been  partially  successful 
in  achieving  stereoscopy." 

Discussing  3-D  for  drive-ins,  which 
has  presented  special  problems,  Ryder 
foretold  the  elimination  of  one  of  the 
main  obstacles,  that  of  sufficient  light 
reflection  to  get  a  satisfactory  picture. 
He  said  that  solutions  to  the  drive-in 
problems  are  being  found  by  Para- 
mount researchers  and  will  be  aug- 
mented by  screens  such  as  the  Stable- 
ford  screen  by  Sol  Lesser. 

Regarding  the  setting  up  of  a 
"proving  ground"  at  the  studio,  a 
special  concave  plastic  screen  measur- 
ing 36  feet  wide  and  18  feet  high  is 
being  constructed  in  England  and  will 
be  installed  in  the  studio  viewing 
theatre.  The  screen  is  said  to  be  de- 
signed to  accommodate  all  3-D  and 
wide  screen  processes  and  will  be  in- 
stalled, in  addition  to  other  necessary 
alterations,  in  about  five-and-a-half 
weeks.  The  studio  is  now  testing 
various  lenses  and  light  sources  and 
new  sound  methods. 

Ryder,  in  his  MPIC  address, 
pointed  out  that  "no  way  has 
been  discovered  to  achieve  true 
3-D  stereoscopy  without  view- 
ing glasses"  despite  the  mil- 
lions of  dollars  spent  in  re- 
search by  the  motion  picture 
industry  and  others,  including 
the  Armed  Forces. 

"If  something  else  is  found  to  top 
Paramount's  process  for  3-D  in  public 
acceptance   at   the   box-office,  Para- 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 

WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING . . . 

FILMACK  GIVU  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

FILMACK    M  | 
|  TRAILERS  ftlSH) 

Donnenfeld  Appointed 

Bernard  Donnenfeld  has  been  named 
vice-president  and  a  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  Princess  Pic- 
tures and  will  act  as  legal  advisor, 
president  Burt  Balaban  announces. 
Donnenfeld  was  previously  employed 
by  Paramount  Pictures  from  Dec, 
1949,  through  Feb.,  1953,  as  a  member 
of  the  legal  department  assigned  to 
television  and  corporate  activities. 


Project  Honors  Sudekum 

Nashville,  March  16. — A  500-unit 
housing  project,  opened  here  for  public 
use  last  week,  is  known  as  "Tony 
Sudekum  Homes,"  honoring  the  late 
founder  and  president  of  Crescent 
Amusement  Co.  Sudekum,  among 
many  other  civic  interests,  served  for 
a  long  time  as  a  member  of  the  Nash- 
ville Housing  Authority. 


SMPTE  Meets  Tonight 

The  Atlantic  Coast  Section  of  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  and  Tele- 
vision Engineers  will  meet  tms  eve- 
ning in  the  auditorium  of  the  Engi- 
neering Societies  Building,  New  York. 
Scheduled  speakers  include  Arthur 
Linksz,  of  New  York  University,  and 
John  A.  Norling,  of  Loucks  and  Nor- 
ling  Studios. 


mount  will  be  most  willing  and  alert 
to  adopt  it,"  Ryder  added.  Jrte  con- 
tinued, however,  that  "all  possible 
methods  such  as  the  Anamorphosis 
lens  with  2.67  to  1  ratial  wmcn  was 
tried  by  Paramount  in  1937  have  been 
reviewed  with  a  decision  mat  toe 
Paramount  3-D  program  is  not  only 
technically  correct  but  is  correct  lor 
theatres  and  audience  acceptance." 

Ryder  contended  that  Cinerama  is 
not  only  too  elaborate  and  costly  for 
the  average  theatre,  but  it  lias  still 
to  prove  its  "capability  of  story  tell- 
ing." Color,  he  held,  is  almost  a  pre- 
requisite for  3-D,  ottering  greater 
realism  than  black  and  white.  ~ 

Pine,  in  a  brief  talk  at  the  same 
MPIC  meeting,  said  that  3-D  presents 
no  new  major  problems  in  production, 
with  no  difference  in  story  develop- 
ment or  acting.  He  said  in  the  pro- 
duction of  "Sangaree,"  which  will  be 
released  next  month,  "gimmick"  action 
was  avoided,  except  for  an  occasional 
special  effect. 


Cahill  Heads 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

managing  director  of  the  company's 
West  Coast  studios  and  in  1929  was 
appointed  head  of  the  sound  and  pro- 
jection department,  which  included 
sound  and  projection  purchasing  for 
Warner  Theatres.  He  was  also  in 
charge  of  theatre  television  activities 
for  the  circuit. 

During  World  War  II,  Cahill  was 
on  leave  from  the  company  from  1942 
to  1945  with  the  Army.  As  a  colonel 
with  the  Signal  Corps,  he  was  Execu- 
tive officer  of  the  Army  Pictorial 
Service,  and  was  also  contracting 
officer  for  the  equipment  and  super- 
vision of  the  installations  in  the  Sig- 
nal Corps  Photographic  Center. 


Norwegian  Pact 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

pictures  and  that  films  in  three  di- 
mensions will  be  covered  by  a  sep- 
arate arrangement. 

Under  the  terms  of  the  agreement, 
Johnston  said,  rentals  will  be  increased 
from  30  to  40  per  cent.  The  new 
pact  also  provides  for  special  price  ne- 
gotiations on  a  total  of  five  "super 
pictures"  annually. 

"The  new  agreement,"  Johnston 
said,  "marks  a  new  era  in  film  rela- 
tions with  our  Norwegian  friends  and 
customers.  It  is  an  equitable  arrange- 
ment which  will  assure  the  best  of 
American  motion  pictures  for  Nor- 
way and  will  have  an  important  im- 
pact on  the  film  industry's  entire  over- 
seas market." 


Form  New  3-D  Company 

Hollywood,  March  16.  —  Newly 
formed  3-D  Productions,  headed  by 
Berman  Swartz,  announced  they  have 
had  a  camera  crew,  using  a  Dunning 
3-D  camera  working  in  Las  Vegas 
since  last  week  filming  a  two-reel 
documentary  showing  the  effects  of 
the  atomic  bomb  blast  on  civilian 
watchers. 


Reilly  Joins  Jacobs 

Hollywood,  March  16.  —  Robert 
Reilly,  assistant  director  of  publicity 
at  Warner  Brothers  studio,  will  join 
the  Arthur  P.  Jacobs  public  relations 
office    as    an    associate    this  week. 

I  Reilly    has    been    with    the  studio 

'  since  1946. 


Second  Probe  Into 
Color  Television 


Washington,  March  16. — The  House 
Commerce  Committee  will  look  into 
the  color  television  situation,  Chair- 
man Wolverton  (R.,  N.  J.)  has  an- 
nounced. The  hearings  will  start  on 
March  24. 

This  will  make  the  second  Congres- 
sional color  TV  investigation.  The 
Senate  Commerce  Committee  an- 
nounced earlier  it  was  going  to  study 
the  subject. 

Wolverton  said  House  hearings 
would  go  into  why  color  sets  have 
not  been  marketed,  recent  develop- 
ments in  color  TV,  and  the  outlook 
for  when  color  TV  will  be  available. 

The  New  Jersey  Republican  made 
the  announcement  as  the  Committee 
resumed  questioning  of  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  Chairman 
Walker — questioning  that  started  in 
mid-February.  Two-  Commerce  Com- 
mittee members,  Representatives  Hin- 
shaw  (R„  Cal.),  and  Thornberry  (D., 
Tex.)  asked  questions  about  the  status 
of  the  theatre  television  proceedings, 
but  did  not  pursue  this  line  when 
Walker  said  hearings  had  been  held 
and  the  Commission  had  the  industry 
petition  for  theatre  TV  frequencies 
under  consideration. 

Walker  said  the  Commission  felt 
the  time  was  ripe  for  either  Congress 
or  the  FCC  to  study  the  advisability 
of  giving  the  FCC  power  to  regulate 
directly  television  networks — a  power 
it  does  not  now  have. 

At  another  point,  Wolverton  said 
that  under  certain  circumstances  it 
might  be  necessary  to  consider  radio 
and  television  stations  as  common  car- 
riers and  have  their  advertising  rates 
subject  to  government  regulation. 


Huston  Film  to  UA 

United  Artists  will  release  John 
Huston's  next  film,  "Beat  the  Devil," 
starring  Plumphrey  Bogart  and  Jen- 
nifer Jones,  according  to  UA  presi- 
dent Arthur  Krim.  The  film,  cur- 
rently in  production,  will  be  a  Santana 
Production  in  association  with  Romu- 
lus Films. 


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VOL.  73.    NO.  52 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.(S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  18,  1953 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


TEN  CENTS 


3-D  Spectacles 
A  Headache  to 
Warner,  Para. 

'Wax'  Bookings  Top 
Supply  of  Viewers  Now 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

Paramount  and  Warner  Brothers, 
with  upcoming-  3-D  feature  releases, 
have  acquired  the  polarizing  spec- 
tacle headache,  a  condition  which 
United  Artists  has  experienced  since 
its  purchase  of  Arch  Oboler's  "Bwana 
Devil." 

A  canvass  of  the  spectacle  sit- 
uation revealed  that  bookings 
of  Warner  Brothers'  "House  of 
Wax"  are  being  held  up  because 
WB  currently  cannot  assure 
many  theatres  of  an  adequate 
supply  of  viewers.  "House  of 
Wax,"  made  in  the  Natural  Vi- 
sion 3-D  process,  will  have  its 
New  York  opening  at  the  Para- 
mount on  April  10  and  is  set  for 
national  release  April  25. 

A  Paramount  spokesman  acknowl- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Film  Labs  Set 
Association  on 
National  Level 


Sixteen  film  laboratories  have 
formed  the  Association  of  Cinema 
Laboratories  and  will  take  steps  to 
expand  on  a  nationwide  scale,  it 
was  disclosed  here  yesterday  by  John 
Stott  of  Tri-Art  and  Duart  Labora- 
tories of  New  York,  who  is  chairman 
of  the  new  organization.  The  asso- 
ciation was  granted  a  corporate  cer- 
tificate this  week  in  Albany. 

Directors  of  the  ACL  are,  in  addi- 
tion to  Stott,  Russell  C.  Holslag,  of 
Precision  Film  Laboratory ;  Morris 
Rosensweig,  Quality  Laboratory  ; 
Paul  Guffanti,  Guffanti  Film  Labora- 
tories ;  Saul  Jaffe,  Movielab,  and 
Harry  Sale,  of  the  law  firm  of  Sale 
and  Sale,  all  of  New  York. 

The  purpose  of  the  association  is 
"to  improve  conditions  in  the  motion 
picture  laboratory  trade,  correct  trade 
abuses,  eliminate  waste,  establish  uni- 
form trade  customs  and  practices,  es- 
tablish and  enforce  the  use  of  uniform 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


SENATE  GROUP  EYES 
FILM  ARBITRATION 


Discuss  Pooling  3-D 
In  Small  Situations 

Minneapolis,  March  17. — A 
number  of  operators  of  small 
theatres  in  Southern  Minne- 
sota localities  discussed  the 
possibility  here  today  of  pool- 
ing 3-D  equipment  in  order 
to  make  early  introduction  of 
the  new  development  econom- 
ically feasible  in  their  limited 
grossing  situations. 

The  discussion  was  a  fea- 
ture of  a  meeting  of  more 
than  20  exhibitors  at  the 
Hotel  Nicollet,  at  which  Wil- 
liam C.  Carter  of  Plainview, 
Minn.,  presided. 


Name  20th,  Skouras 
In  N.Y.  Trust  Suit 


An  anti-trust  suit  asking  $1,500,000 
triple  damages  was  filed  in  Federal 
Court  here  yesterday  against  20th 
Century-Fox  and  Skouras  Theatres 
by  the  Westway  Operating  Co.,  oper- 
ating the  Symphony  Theatre  at  2531 
Broadway,  New  York. 

The  plaintiff  charges  that  it  asked 
{Continued  on  page  4) 


Eight  More  State 
Legislatures  Quit 

Washington,  March  17.  — 
Eight  more  state  legislatures 
have  adjourned  without  tak- 
ing action  harmful  to  the  film 
industry,  according  to  Jack 
Bryson,  legislative  represen- 
tative of  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America. 

Six  of  the  eight  have  quit 
for  keeps  for  this  year.  They 
are  Idaho,  Montana,  South 
Dakota,  Indiana,  Utah  and 
Wyoming.  A  seventh,  Wash- 
ington, has  already  gone  back 
into  special  session,  and  the 
eighth,  Georgia,  returns  in 
November. 


Exhibitors  Wrangle 
Over  Denver  TV 


Washington,  March  17. — A  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commissioner's 
proposed  decision  to  give  a  Denver 
television  station  to  Aladdin  Radio  and 
Television  was  appealed  today  to  the 
full  Commission. 

Both  the  FCC's  own  Broadcast  Bu- 
reau and  the  Denver  Television  Co., 
the  firm  competing  with  Aladdin  for 
the  Denver  channel,  filed  "exceptions" 
to  the  decision  by  examiner  James 
Cunningham.  Oral  argument  will 
probably  be  scheduled  before  the  full 
Commission. 

Aladdin  is  controlled  by  Frank  H. 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Texas  Interstate 
Prepares  for  'Wax' 

Hollywood,  March  17. — James 
Skinner,  chief  engineer  for  the  Texas 
Interstate  Circuit,  is  here  to  prepare 
for  the  mid-April  openings  of  Warner 
Brothers'  3-D  and  WarnerPhqnic 
"House  of  Wax"  in  the  Texas  the" 
atres.  Skinner  will  spend  10  days  at 
the  studio  conferring  with  William 
Mueller,  sound  department  chief,  and 
other  technicians,  studying  all  phases 
of  projection  and  sound. 

R.  J.  O'Donnell,  general  manager 
of  the  Texas  circuit,  and  Ray  Willie, 
his  associate,  also  are  here  to  see  the 
completed  version  of  "Wax." 


Grainger  as  RKO 
President  Gets 
750  Per  Week 


Washington,  March  17. — James 
R.  Grainger  as  president  of  RKO  Pic- 
tures receives  $1,750  per  week  under 
his  three-year  contract  with  the  com- 
pany, the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  was  informed  here  to- 
day. 

The  contract,  which  went  into  ef- 
fect Feb.  1,  contains  a  provision  which 
says  the  company  will  reimburse 
Grainger  weekly  for  "reasonable  en- 
tertainment and  other  business  ex- 
penses incurred  by  him." 

Grainger's  services  as  an  executive, 
according  to  the  contract,  shall  be 
"rendered   to   direction   by,   and  in- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Johnston,  Weltner 
To  Europe  Sunday 

Eric  Johnston,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
and  George  Weltner,  president  of 
Paramount  International  Corp.,  are 
slated  to  leave  here  Sunday  for 
Europe  in  connection  with  the  nego- 
tiations of  new  film  pacts.  Principal 
stops  will  be  in  Madrid,  Paris  and 
Rome. 

Weltner  was  designated  to  accom- 
pany Johnston  on  the  European  tour 
by  foreign  department  managers  of 
MPAA  member  companies  at  a  meet- 
ing in  February.  At  that  meeting, 
Weltner  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
foreign  managers  committee. 


Small  Business  Unit 
To  Probe  Reasons  for 
Negotiations  Stalemate 

The  Senate  Small  Business  Com- 
mittee is  delving  into  the  reasons 
why  negotiations  for  the  establish- 
ment of  an  industry  arbitration  sys- 
tem broke  down  and  there  is  some 
basis  for  belief  that  the  Senate  group 
will  recommend  the  setting  up  of  a 
system  to  settle  intra-industry  con- 
troversies. This  was  indicated  here 
yesterday  by  Charles  Noone,  counsel 
for  the  committee. 

Noone  said  that  arbitration 
would  be  the  key  subject  at  a 
meeting  today  between  himself 
and  a  group  of  distribution  rep- 
resentatives. The  attorney  said 
that  the  committee  was  inter- 
ested in  sifting  the  differences 
between  exhibitors  and  dis- 
butors  on  the  issue  of  arbitra- 
tion. He  said  that  the  position 
of  the  exhibitors  already  had 
been  ascertained  and  that  he 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


TNT  Hits  Industry 
FCC  TV  Petition 


A  bid  for  "a  full  and  fair  hearing" 
on  theatre  television  by  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  has  been 
submitted  by  Nathan  Halpern,  presi- 
dent of  Theatre  Network  Television,  it 
was  disclosed  here  yesterday. 

In  a  communication  to  the  FCC, 
sent  Monday,  Halpern  rejected  the 
(Continued  mi  page  4) 


World  Premiere  of 
CinemaScope  Today 

Hollywood,  March  17.— Cine- 
maScope will  be  world  pre- 
miered tomorrow  in  two  sep- 
arate 40-minute  demonstra- 
tions— one  in  the  afternoon, 
the  other  at  night — before  in- 
vited audiences  of  trade  and 
national  consumer  press  and 
the  wire  services,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox announced. 

The  program  showing  off 
the  panoramic  wide-screen 
system  will  consist  of  scenes 
from  the  "The  Robe,"  first 
CinemaScope  production,  now 
shooting,  and  other  specially- 
lensed  material. 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  18,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


SIMON  H.  FABIAN,  president  of 
Stanley  Warner  Theatres  ;  Samuel 
Rosen,  executive  vice-president,  and 
Harry  M.  Kalmine,  vice-president 
and  general  manager,  will  fly  to  the 
Coast  from  here  today  for  the  Cinema- 
Scope  demonstrations. 

• 

Louis  W.  Schine  of  Schine  Cir- 
cuit, Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  and  Charles 
A.  Smakwitz,  Warner  Brothers  zone 
manager  in  Albany,  represented  the 
industry  at  the  annual  dinner  and 
gridiron  show  of  the  Legislative 
Correspondents  Association  in  the  Ten 
Eyck  Hotel,  Albany. 

• 

Joseph  Walsh,  Paramount  branch 
operations  manager,  will  leave  Buffalo 
today  for  Albany,  and  will  also  visit 
the  Boston  and  New  Haven  ex- 
changes before  returning  to  New 
York  on  March  28. 

Nate  Winig,  retiring  chief  barker 
of  the  Albany  Variety  Club,  was  pre- 
sented with  a  luggage  set  at  the 
Tent's  11th  annual  dinner  dance  in 
the  Colonie  Country  Club  there. 
• 

A.  W.  Schwaleerg,  president  of 
Paramount  Film  Distributing  Corp., 
and  Jerry  Pickman,  advertising-pub- 
licity vice-president,  will  leave  here 
today  for  Hollywood. 

• 

Seward  Benjamin,  secretary  of 
United  Artists  Corp.,  announces  the 
birth  of  a  daughter,  Ann  Lesley,  to 
Mrs.  Benjamin  at  French  Hospital 
here  on  Monday. 

e 

J.  J.  Fitz  gibbon  S,  president  of 
Famous  Players  Canadian  Corp.,  is 
reported  making  good  recovery  from 
a  recent  illness. 

• 

Leon  Brandt,  director  of  exploita- 
tion for  Samuel  Goldwyn,  leaves  here 
today  for  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and 
Kansas  City. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  vice- 
president  and  sales  consultant,  is  due 
back  from  a  Florida  vacation  next 
week. 

• 

E.  K.  (Ted.)  O'Shea,  Paramount 
distribution  vice-president,  will  return 
to  New  York  today  from  the  Mid- 
west. 

John  C.  Flinn,  Allied  Artists  ad- 
vertising-publicity manager,  will  fly  to 
New  York  from  Hollywood  tomor- 
row. 

E.  S.  Gregg,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Westrex  Corp., 
is  in  Hollywood  from  New  York. 
• 

Alfred  Hitchcock,  director,  has 
returned  to  Hollywood  from  a  three- 
week  personal  appearance  tour. 
• 

Dave  Cantor,  RKO  Radio  home 
office  exploitation  director,  leaves  here 
for  Boston  today. 

• 

Sol  A.  Schwartz,  RKO  Theatres 
president,  will  leave  New  York  today 
for  the  Coast. 


Press  Books  Streamlined 
With  RKO  Shift  to  Coast 


RKO  Radio's  press  books  for  ex- 
hibitors have  been  re-designed  and 
modernized  with  the  shift  of  produc- 
tion of  them  to  Hollywood  from  New 
York,  as  part  of  the  recent  move  to 
center  all  of  the  company's  advertising 
and  publicity  on  the  Coast. 

First  campaign  manual  to  be 
turned  out  entirely  in  Hollywood  is 
for  "The  Hitch-Hiker,"  which  offers 
two  new  features — a  special  radio  and 
television  section  to  which  selling  sug- 


gestions have  been  contributed  by 
leaders  in  these  mediums;  and  an  ex- 
ploitation section  that  includes  ideas 
submitted  by  a  panel  of  prominent 
Coast  showmen. 

The  press  book  was  conceived  under 
the  supervision  of  Elliston  Vinson, 
head  of  the  motion  picture  division  of 
Foote,  Cone  and  Belding  advertising 
agency.  Copy  and  editorial  material 
was  prepared  by  Phil  Gersdorf  of 
RKO,  and  Mel  Riddle  of  the  agency. 


'American  Weekly' 
Award  to  Taylor 


For  having  performed  the  best  job 
of  retail  cooperative  tie-in  advertising 
in  connection  with  20th  Century-Fox's 
"The  Snows  of  Kilimanjaro,"  Charles 
B.  Taylor,  director  of  advertising- 
publicity  for  the  Center  Theatre, 
Buffalo,  is  first  prize  winner  in  the 
American  Weekly  $1,000  showman- 
ship contest. 

The  first  prize,  $500,  is  followed  by 
five  runner-up  awards  of  $100  each, 
won  by  Gerald  L.  Atkin,  advertising- 
publicity  manager,  Warner  Brothers 
Strand,  Albany ;  Mrs.  P.  M.  Thomas, 
Parker  Theatre,  Parkersburg,  W.  Va. ; 
Tony  Masella,  Loew's  Poli  Palace, 
Meriden,  Conn. ;  Morris  Rosenthal, 
manager,  Loew's  Poli,  New  Haven, 
and  Lou  Cohen  and  Norm  Levinson, 
Loew's  Poli,  Hartford. 

Assisting  Taylor  in  the  preparation 
of  the  winning  campaign  was  Leon 
Serin,  manager  of  the  Center,  with 
overall  supervision  from  Arthur  Kro- 
lick,  division  manager  of  AB-PT  in 
Buffalo. 

Judges  were  Walter  Brooks  of 
Motion  Picture  Herald  and  Chester 
Friedman  of  Boxoffice. 


Grainger  to  Chicago 
For  Sales  Meeting 

James  R.  Grainger,  president  of 
RKO  Radio,  and  other  top  home  office 
sales  executives  will  leave  New  York 
on  Friday  for  Chicago  where  they 
will  meet  with  the  company's  division 
and  district  managers  on  Saturday 
and  Sunday  at  the  Blackstone  Hotel. 

Grainger  will  report  on  the  results 
of  his  recent  visit  to  the  studio  and 
his  conferences  with  Howard  Hughes, 
chairman  of  the  board,  and  C.  J.  Tev- 
lin,  in  charge  of  studio  operations. 
The  sessions  will  mark  his  initial  of- 
ficial meeting  with  key  field  sales  ex- 
ecutives. He  will  be  accompanied  by 
Edward  L.  Walton,  his  executive 
assistant ;  Charles  Boasberg,  general 
sales  manager ;  Walter  Branson, 
assistant  general  sales  manager,  and 
Nat  Levy,  Eastern  division  manager. 


Preston  to  Leave  Jacobs 

Hollywood,  March  17. — Joel  Pres- 
ton will  leave  the  Arthur  P.  Jacobs 
public  relations  office  here,  where  he 
has  been  an  associate  for  the  past 
year,  to  go  into  business  on  his  own, 
effective  Friday. 


Video  Scientists 
At  NTFC  Meeting 


Dr.  Alfred  N.  Goldsmith,  chief  con- 
sultant to  RCA,  will  head  a  panel  of 
scientists  in  the  television  field  who 
will  address  the  National  Television 
Film  Council  at  the  Warwick  Hotel 
here  on  Thursday. 

Among  the  scientists  who  will  cover 
facets  of  TV  engineering  as  they 
apply  to  films  on  television  are  E.  M. 
Stifle,  Eastman  Kodak,  whose  sub- 
ject will  be  "The  Effect  of  Television 
on  Film  Manufacture" ;  E.  Schmidt, 
Reeves  Sound  Studios,  on  "Magnetic 
Striping  in  Television  Film" ;  John 
Stott,  Tri-Art  Color  Corp.,  on  "Labo- 
ratory Quality  Control  for  Films  for 
Television" ;  Dr.  Peter  C.  Goldmark, 
CBS  Laboratories,  "Films  in  Tele- 
vision— Today  and  Tomorrow" ;  C. 
Craydon  Lloyd,  General  Electric  of 
Syracuse,  "Television  Equipment  for 
Special  Effects,"  and  Frank  Marx, 
American  Broadcasting,  whose  sub- 
ject will  be  "Television  Film  Record- 
ing and  Reproduction." 


Theodore  Huff  Dead; 
Historian  of  Films 

Edmund  N.  Huff,  Jr.,  a  film  his- 
torian, better  known  as  Theodore 
Huff,  died  here  suddenly  on  Sunday 
night  of  a  cerebral  hemorrhage  at  the 
age  of  47.  He  was  assistant  casting 
director  at  the  Signal  Corps  Photo- 
graphic Center  in  Astoria,  Queens. 

The  author  of  a  biography  of 
Charles  Chaplin  and  at  his  death  en- 
gaged on  a  history  of  motion  pictures, 
Huff  was  assistant  curator  of  the 
Museum  of  Modern  Art  Film  Library 
from  1936  to  1940  and  had  taught  on 
film  history  at  various  universities. 
His  mother  and  a  brother  survive. 


South  American  Tour 
To  Promote  M-G-M 

M-G-M  has  organized  another 
South  American  tour  of  three  of  its 
young  personalities,  Debbie  Reynolds, 
Pier  Angeli  and  Carleton  Carpenter. 

Endorsed  by  the  U.  S.  State  De- 
partment, the  tour  will  get  under  way 
on  April  6  and  include  10  cities, 
Havana,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Sao  Paulo, 
Bogota,  Montevideo,  Santiago,  Val- 
pariso,  Buenos  Aires,  Lima  and 
Panama. 

The  troupe  will  exploit  M-G-M's 
"The  Story  of  Three  Loves,"  and 
other  M-G-M  product. 


To  Film  Industrials 
In  3-D  Process 

Formed  for  the  purpose  of 
making  three-dimensional  in- 
dustrial pictures,  Three  D 
Films,  Inc.,  has  been  incor- 
porated in  Albany.  The  com- 
pany will  have  its  headquar- 
ters at  the  Charter  Oaks 
Studio  in  New  York.  It  is 
headed  by  Lou  Cavrell. 


Paper  Holds  'Hans' 
Doesn't  Need  3-D 

Salt  Lake  City,  March  17. — 
Three-dimensional  films  will  add 
much  to  the  public's  enjoyment  but 
"quality"  entertainment,  "whether  it 
comes  in  two  dimensions  or  three," 
will  decide  the  industry's  future,  the 
Descret  News  &  Telegram  stated  in 
a  recent  editorial.  Samuel  Goldwyn's 
"Hans  Christian  Andersen"  was  cited 
as  an  example. 

"This  page  does  not  often  endorse 
a  motion  picture,"  the  editorial  states, 
"but  it  endorses  this  one  for  its  sheer 
beauty  and  delightfulness  as  well  as 
because  of  the  way  it  brings  to  life 
a  part  of  the  cultural  heritage  to 
which  every  child  is  entitled."  The 
editorial  also  lauds  "the  imaginative 
method"  of  selling  "Andersen"  fol- 
lowed in  its  advertising. 


Norling  Stresses 
3-D  Screen  Size 

It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that 
the  size  of  the  screen  be  known  in 
advance  when  taking  stereo  pictures, 
John  A.  Norling,  inventor  of  the  Nor- 
ling 3-D  camera,  told  a  meeting  here 
yesterday  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  sec- 
tion of  the  Society  of  Motion  Picture 
and  Television  Engineers. 

Norling's  address,  titled  "The  Prac- 
tical Application  of  Stereo  Principles 
to  Motion  Pictures,"  emphasized  that 
there  is  a  direct  relationship  between 
the  size  of  the  screen  upon  which  the 
stereoscopic  picture  is  to  be  projected 
and  the  way  the  stereo  picture  is 
photographed. 


'Good  Housekeeping* 
Plug  for  Cinerama 

Cinerama  is  given  an  enthusiastic 
"plug"  by  Herbert  R.  Mayes,  editor 
of  Good  Housekeeping,  in  the  April 
issue. 

"See  it  (Cinerama)  as  soon  as  you 
can,"  Mayes  writes.  "It  is  an  abso- 
lutely new  adventure  in  the  realm  of 
movies !  New  and  downright  aston- 
ishing. It's  different,  altogether  dif- 
ferent, from  anything  you've  ever  seen 
or  heard  in  a  movie  theatre,"  he  as- 
serts in  part. 


Alperson,  Jr.  to  Film 
In  New  3-D  Process 

Hollywood,  March  17. — A  new 
three-dimensional  mechanism,  Depth- 
O- Vision,  which  utilizes  two  standard 
cameras  and  requires  that  audiences 
wear  viewers,  is  to  be  used  on  an  un- 
named feature  Edward  L.  Alperson, 
Jr.,    has    scheduled    for  production. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily  except  Saturdays 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  .Company.  Inc..  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20.  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cabl :  addres "Qu  OTubco 
&£v \^lTlQruunJnIT,eSidT;  Qu#'T  JrVr  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.   Sullivan.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;   Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President!  Leo  j!  ^Brady! 

Secretary  James  P.  Cunningham.  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel.  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building 
F^JM  w'afc°  BTUrAaU'ri20  S°^-  ^i^  Street  Urten  Farley,  Advertising  Representative.  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative!  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J  A  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washing-ton,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq„  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup 
5 Mori™ ^  pIctie^Hirlld  MnHn0.'  fe?"don-  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  I?' times  fyear  as  ,S 
2f  Tl  1870  q^iriniin^  rit^^  °  an««  TeI«'ls'°n  Almanac ;  Fame .  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


BOGIE 
DOES 
IT 

AGAIN! 

(That  Academy  Award 
winner  for  "African  Queen 
is  terrific!) 

First  13 
Spots  Beat 

-G- 
Famed 
Above  And 
Beyond  ! 


M-G-M  presents 

HUMPHREY  BOGART 
JUNE  ALLYSON 


In 


BATTLE  CIRCUS 

With 

KEENAN  ROBERT 
WYNN  KEITH 

Screen  Play  by 

RICHARD  BROOKS 

Bated  on  a  Story  by  Allen  Rivlcin  and  Laura  Kerr 
Direeled  by 

RICHARD  BROOKS 

Produced  by 

PANDRO  S.  BERMAN 


OMAN 

V  CHESTNUT 


TODAY 


...  ssis*1 


mm 


BMTU 

CIRCUS 


®^  ..tv    WAR  -  DRM*A 

«RST  -f^E  "COMERS"  B 


From 


the 


Directed^ 


Directed  by 


^   Screen  Play  ^        a^-^  ^MRU*^^---  

^   Aini 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  18,  1953 


3-D  Spectacles 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

edged  that  a  bottleneck  exists  in  the 
spectacle  situation,  adding  that  the 
company  is  now  in  the  process  of 
negotiating  with  spectacle  manufac- 
turers. Paramount's  "Sangaree," 
filmed  in  its  own  3-D  process,  is  due 
for  national  release  in  May. 

A  Warner  official  stated  that 
"House  of  Wax"  bookings  would  be 
10  times  greater  if  a  sufficient  sup- 
ply of  polarizing  spectacles  were  on 
hand.  Warner,  which  made  its  film 
in  the  Natural  Vision  process,  will 
use  throw-away  viewers  supplied  by 
the  Polaroid  Corp.,  for  which  the 
Natural  Vision  Corp.  is  exclusive  dis- 
tributor. However,  it  may  use  viewers 
of  other  manufacturers  if  they  are 
available,  it  is  understood. 

The  WB  official  expressed  the  be- 
lief that  the  spectacle  situation  will 
change  markedly  for  the  better  within 
90  days,  maintaining  that  the  growing- 
demand  of  the  industry  will  spur  the 
manufacture  of  polarizing  viewers, 
with  many  new  companies  entering 
the  field  and  old  ones  expanding  pro- 
duction. He  added  that  film  companies 
currently  are  receiving  samples  and 
calls  from  firms  interested  in  entering 
or  expanding  the  market. 

Discussed  by  Balaban 

The  topic  of  spectacles  was  one  of 
the  items  discussed  by  Barney  Bala- 
ban, Paramount  president,  and  Paul 
Raibourn,  vice-president,  on  their  re- 
cent visit  to  the  Coast.  Asked  for 
comment  on  the  source  of  Paramount's 
supply,  a  company  spokesman  stated 
that  there  were  four  companies 
"promising"  viewers  for  sale  but  only 
one  really  supplying  the  bulk  of 
orders,  apparently  referring  to  the 
Polaroid  Corp.  Paramount  and  War- 
ner officials  were  quick  to  point  out 
that  the  spectacles  for  the  3-D  pic- 
tures would  be  purchased  by  the  ex- 
hibitor, but  the  distributor  could  not 
readily  book  a  3-D  picture  in  a  thea- 
tre without  assuring  the  exhibitor 
that  an  adequate  supply  of  viewers 
could  be  purchased. 

United  Artists,  while  it  cannot  meet 
the  demand  for  "Bwana  Devil"  book- 
ings, finds  that  the  spectacle  situation 
is  ,  easing,  according  to  a  spokesman. 
He  disclosed  that  UA  currently  is  as- 
sured of  1,300,000  spectacles  weekly 
from  the  Polaroid  Corp. 


Set  Ky.  Premiere  for 
'Every  Thursday' 

Universal's  "It  Happens  Every 
Thursday,"  dealing  with  the  experi- 
ence of  publishing  a  weekly  news- 
paper, will  have  its  world  premiere 
at  the  second  annual  "Country  Edi- 
tors Conference"  to  be  held  under  the 
sponsorship  of  John  Lair  in  Renfro 
Valley,  Ky.,  on  May  7,  serving  to 
launch  a  series  of  territorial  openings 
in  the  three-state  area  of  Kentucky, 
Ohio  and  Indiana.  Lair  conducts  a 
weekly  radio  show  over  CBS  called 
"Renfro  Valley  Sunday  Gatherin'." 

Del.  Sunday  Film  Bill 

Dover,  Del.,  March  17. — A  bill  to 
permit  the  showing  of  motion  pictures 
on  Sundays  outside  the  limits  of  in- 
corporated municipalities  in  the  state 
has  been  introduced  in  the  Delaware 
legislature.  Under  the  bill,  which 
would  benefit  drive-in  theatres,  no 
pictures  could  be  shown  on  Sundays 
before  12  noon  or  between  6:00 
and  8:00  P.M. 


Asides  &  Interludes 


-by  James  Cunningham 


Lament  of  A  Man  Who  Has  Been  Making 
Love    to    His     Lady     Friend    in  A 
Theatre  Balcony  for  Two  Decades 

Will  you  love  me  as  much  in  3-D,  as  you  did  in  the  days  of  sound? 

Or  when  the  pictures  were  silent,  and  just  shadows  were  moving  around? 
Will  our  love  be  just  as  platonic,  as  when  the  house  was  always  pitch  dark, 

Or  must  we  go  stereophonic,  with  a  high  intensity  arc? 
Our  nights  of  balcony  necking,  I  fear,  have  disappeared  with  the  years, 

For,  how  can  I  kiss  and  embrace  you 
If  I  have  to  hold  those  gosh  darned  polarized  glasses  on  my  eyes  and  ears? 

— Al  Steen 

ft     ft  ft 

How  honest  are  Detroiters? 

No  one  actually  knows,  but  the  following  ad  which  appeared  in  the 
Lost  column  of  the  Detroit  Free  Press  and  the  circumstances  leading 
to  its  placement  sheds  some  light  on  the  subject: 

Lost  or  Borrowed — Over  100  pairs  of  3-D  polaroid  glasses.  Not 
good  for  general  use.  Patrons  returning  same  in  person  or  by  mail 
will  receive  a  pass  for  any  future  program.  Telenews  Theatre. 

The  ad  was  inserted  in  the  Lost  column  by  Norman  Wheaton,  man- 
ager of  the  theatre.  But  it  does  not  tell  the  complete  story.  Wheaton, 
who  has  clung,  despite  all  the  vicissitudes  of  theatre  management,  to 
the  slogan,  "The  customer  is  always  right,"  has  been  somewhat  shaken 
in  his  faith. 

Art  Golasa  of  the  Detroit  Free  Press  tells  us  that  actually,  the  Tele- 
news  Theatre  in  his  town,  despite  careful  checking  on  outgoing  patrons, 
missed  500  polaroid  spectacles  during  its  three-dimensional  run. 

The  glasses  are  of  the  permanent  variety.  They  cost  $1.50  a  pair  and, 
with  the  current  demand  for  specs  to  unscramble  the  three-dimensional 
blur,  are  as  scarce  as  hens'  teeth. 

Wheaton  scratched  on  his  desk  pad,  and  groaned,  relates  Golasa.  "The 
net  loss  to  the  theatre  is  in  excess  of  $700." 

But  are  Detroiters  less  honest  than,  let's  say,  Chicagoans  or  Milwau- 
keeans?  Again  Wheaton  scribbled. 

The  same  three-dimensional  film  program  ran  six  weeks  in  the  Windy 
City.  Chicago  reports  as  lost,  strayed  or  stolen  only  300  pairs  of 
polaroids.  The  loss  in  Milwaukee  was  less  than  100  glasses. 

ft       ft  ft 
Astor  Pictures  Holds  A  Board  Meeting 


Left-to-Right :  Robert  M.  Savini,  Bob  Savini,  R.  Savini,  R.  M.  Savini, 

Mr.  Savini. 


ft  ft 


ft 


Have  you  made  your  reservation  to  attend  the  Variety  Clubs  International 
Convention  in  Mexico  City,  come  May  18,  running  through  the  2\st,  and  on 
into  the  final  corral?  Hot  Tamales!    \Bienvenidos  Amigos! 

Variety  Club  Press  Release:  "The  dancing,  music  and  costumes  of  sixteen 
different  provinces  will  be  shown,  and  the  lucky  observers  will  get  an  accurate 
and  thrilling  picture  of  the  native  sotd  and  mixed  blood  that  is  Mexico." 

Omigosh! 

^ft        ft  ft 

Nick  Matsoukas,  of  the  Greek  Matsoukases,  founder  and  executive  secre- 
tary of  the  National  Committee  of  13  Against  Superstition  and  Fear — 
"Organized  to  Disprove  Superstition,  Combat  Fear,  and  Record  the  Origin 
of  Omens" — has  organized  the  Salome  Chapter  No.  13  Against  Superstition, 
Prejudice  and  Fear. 

The  committee  of  13,  we  are  told — "all  intrepid  anti-triskedekaphobes — 
will  be  the  guests  of  Montague  Salmon  at  the  Rivoli  Theatre  in  New  York 
at  the  gala  world  premiere  of  Columbia  Pictures'  "Salome." 

On  the  opening  night,  each  member  of  the  "Salome  Committee  of  13"  will 
occupy  Seat  Number  13  of  the  first  13  rows  of  the  Rivoli  Theatre,  crossing 
under  a  ladder  before  entering,  after  discarding  all  rabbits'  feet,  four-leaf 
clovers,  horsehoes  and  battered  hats.  "Salome"  better  be  good. 


TNT  Hits 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


"compromise"  proposal  of  the  Na- 
tional Exhibitors  Theatre  Television 
Committee  and  the  Motion  Picture 
Association  of  America.  The  propo- 
sal, submitted  to  the  FCC  before  the 
agency  temporarily  .ended  its  open 
hearings,  sought  an  FCC  order  au- 
thorizing the  use  of  existing  fixed 
common  carrier  allocations  by  com- 
mon carriers  furnishing  only  a  theatre 
television  service. 

Alternative  Procedures 

Halpern's  petition  stated  that  "al- 
though the  common  carrier  theatre 
television  service  recommended  .  .  . 
deserves  Commission  consideration, 
TNT  feels  that  the  Commission 
should  consider  not  only  this  but  also 
alternative  procedures  to  meet  theatre 
television  service  requirements." 

TNT,  in  its  bid  for  "a  full  and 
fair"  hearing,  stated  that  the  com- 
mission has  heard  only  the  most  tech- 
nical phases  of  the  testimony.  "Mem- 
bers of  the  industry  are  prepared  to 
offer  evidence  that  will  support  a  find- 
ing that  exclusive  or  preferential  use 
of  frequencies  for  theatre  TV  would 
be  in  the  public  interest,"  Halpern 
stated.  He  claimed  that  TNT  is  the 
only  company  which  has  produced  and 
distributed  theatre  television  programs 
to  date  and  its  experience  should  be 
put  on  the  public  record. 

In  objecting  to  the  "common  ear- 
ner" approach,  Halpern  stated  that 
the  commission  should  be  made  aware 
of  the  "inadequate"  service  rendered 
by  the  present  common  carrier  system 
for  theatre  television,  calling  it  "the 
biggest  bottleneck"  to  the  development 
of  theatre  TV  as  an  additional  service 
to  the  public. 


Denver  TV 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


Ricketson,  Jr.,  president  of  Fox  In- 
termountain  Theatres;  Harry  Huff- 
man, former  Denver  city  manager  for 
Fox;  and  exhibitor  Ted  R.  Gamble. 
Denver  Television  is  controlled  by 
Denver  exhibitor  John  Wolfberg  and 
actor  James  Stewart. 

The  FCC's  Broadcast  Bureau  said 
it  was  not  objecting  so  much  to 
Cunningham's  decision  to  give  Alad- 
din the  channel  as  to  his  decision  that 
the  three-year  cut-off  rule  on  anti- 
trust violations,  first  enunciated  by  the 
Commission  itself  in  the  Paramount 
hearings,  applied  to  the  Aladdin  offi- 
cers. The  Broadcast  Bureau  said  the 
rule  might  have  been  perfectly  all 
right  in  the  Paramount  proceedings 
but  could  not  be  applied  in  a  com- 
parative channel  hearing  involving 
persons  who  were  not  yet  television 
licensees. 


Trust  Suit 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

20th-Fox  for  permission  to  bid  com- 
petitively for  20th-Fox  product  with 
the  Skouras  Riverside,  a  nearby  thea- 
tre, but  that  the  request  was  denied. 
Skouras  operated  the  Symphony 
from  1937  to  1943  and  had  a  full 
franchise  for  20th-Fox  pictures.  When 
Skouras  gave  up  the  Symphony,  the 
franchise  was  transferred  to  the  Riv- 
erside, which,  according  to  the  com- 
plaint, is  given  a  uniform  system  of 
clearance  and  run  by  the  distributor. 
It  is  claimed  that  20th-Fox  discrim- 
inates  against  the  Symphony  in  favor 
of  the  Riverside  and  three  other 
Skouras  theatres. 


RCA's  SALUTE 


to  the  Motion  Picture  Industry 

THE  FIRST  NATIONWIDE  PRESENTATION 
OF  THE  ACADEMY  AWARDS 

A.S  a  grand  climax  to  25  years'  creative  effort,  the 
motion  picture  industry  this  year  invites  the 
American  public  to  see  the  Academy  Awards  cere- 
mony. (NBC-TV,  Thursday,  March  19,  10:30  p.m. 
EST.)  For  the  first  time  ever,  the  entire  nation  will 
witness  this  most  glamorous  of  all  motion  picture 
events. 

WE,  AT  RCA,  ARE  PROUD  of  our  part  in 
this  important  undertaking.  We  take  pride  in  our 
long  association  with  the  motion  picture  industry. 
We  are  proud  to  be  the  first  to  join  with  the  Academy 
of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  as  it  opens  its 
doors  to  the  nation. 


THEATRE  EQUIPMENT 

RAD tO  CORPORATION  of  AMERICA 

ENGINEERING  PRODUCTS  DEPARTMENT.  CAMDEN.  N.J. 

In  Canada:  RCA  VICTOR  Company  Limited,  Montreal 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  18,  1953 


Review 


"Problem  Girls" 

(Columbia) 

SOME  unsavory  characters  suffering  from  psychopathic  ailments  provide 
the  motivation  for  this  unusual  production  which  was  written  and  pro- 
duced by  Aubrey  Wisberg  and  Jack  Pollexfen.  Even  though  the  settings  and 
characterizations  are  depressing,  the  film  should  have  appeal  to  those  who 
prefer  stories  that  have  an  air  of  mystery  and  intrigue.  There  is  an  over- 
abundance of  neurotic  misfits  in  the  picture ;  even  the  sympathetic  and  kindly 
professor  is  a  wife-murderer  who  has  served  20  years  in  a  penal  institution. 

Ross  Elliot,  a  young  psychology  instructor  awaiting  his  license  to  practice 
medicine,  provides  the  only  touch  of  the  normal  in  this  school  of  mentally 
deficient  young  girls.  Even  though  the  students  are  ill,  they  possess  a  strange 
hold  over  the  faculty  since  they  come  from  wealthy  families  who  pay  exor- 
bitant fees  to  the  school  rather  than  suffer  embarrassment  of  having  their 
daughters  committed  to  a  state  asylum.  A  senile  alcoholic  is  the  nominal  head 
of  a  faculty  of  equally  neurotic  and  abnormal  individuals  who  are  otherwise 
unemployables. 

Against  this  background,  we  find  the  young  instructor  attempting  to  care 
for  the  girls  and  decipher  the  reasons  for  the  school  mystery  concerning  the 
athletic  instructor's  wife.  When  he  stumbles  upon  the  nefarious  plot  of  the 
school  directors,  Elliot  suddenly  finds  himself  involved  in  a  case  of  murder, 
blackmail  and  a  million-dollar  inheritance.  The  means  by  which  he  solves 
the  mystery,  rescues  a  drugged  amnesia  victim  and  assures  the  triumph  of 
justice,  take  up  the  major  portion  of  the  film. 

Acting,  production  and  direction  values  are  adequate.  The  story  is  a  trifle 
uneven  but  there  is  sufficient  hysteria  to  manage  a  bit  of  interest. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Helen  Walker,  Susan  Morrow,  Anthony  Jochim, 
James  Seay,  Marjorie  Stapp,  Roy  Regnier,  Eileene  Stevens,  Tom  Charles- 
worth,  Beverly  Garland,  Joyce  Jameson,  Nan  Leslie,  Joyce  Jarvis,  Mara 
Corday  and  Tandra  Quinn. 

Running  time,  70  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


Hudson  Is  Cited 
At  Detroit  Dinner 


Detroit,  March  17. — -"Coast  to 
Coast  Theatre  Presents  'California 
Here  I  Come,'  an  Earl  Hudson  $35,- 
000,000  Production  With  an  All-Star 
Cast  of  Thousands  of  Friends." 

Those  words,  emblazoned  on  a  huge 
sign,  greeted  Earl  J.  Hudson  as  he 
stepped  into  the  ballroom  of  the 
Sheraton  Cadillac  Hotel  here  last 
night. 

Leaders  from  all  walks  of  life  in 
Detroit  joined  with  motion  picture 
executives  in  honoring  Hudson,  newly 
appointed  vice-president  of  ABC's 
Western  division,  at  a  banquet. 

Variety  of  Detroit  spearheaded  the 
testimonial  which  brought  film  ex- 
ecutives here  to  pay  tribute  to  Hud- 
son's many  years  of  service  to  De- 
troit, as  a  civic  leader  and  as  presi- 
dent of  United  Detroit  Theatres. 

Toastmaster  was  Robert  J.  O'Don- 
nell,  president  of.  Interstate  of  Dal- 
las and  past  chief  barker  of  Variety 
Clubs  International. 

Speakers  included  Leonard  H.  Gold- 
enson  of  New  York,  president  of 
ABC- Paramount  Theatres;  Harvey 
Campbell,  of  the  Detroit  Board  of 
Commerce  and  Dr.  A.  C.  Furstenberg, 
dean  of  the  Medical  School  at  the 
University  of  Michigan. 

The  United  Cerebral  Palsy  Associa- 
tion of  Michigan  presented  Hudson 
with  an  engrossed  scroll  which  read: 
"In  recognition  of  Earl  J.  Hudson's 
untiring  leadership  and  foresight  in  be- 
half of  those  unfortunate  persons  af- 
flicted with  cerebral  palsy." 

A  silver  plaque  which  praised  Hud- 
son's "outstanding  record  as  a  civic 
leader,  a  fine  theatre  executive,  whose 
contributions  to  humanity,  especially 
in  the  founding  of  Variety's  work 
for  those  afflicted  with  cerebral  palsy," 
was  presented  by  the  Variety  Club  of 
Detroit. 


Industry  Clear  of 
'Reds'  Says  an  'Ex' 

Hollywood,  March  17. — Screen- 
writer Martin  Berkeley,  former 
Communist  who  was  the  star  witness 
at  the  1951  hearings  of  the  House  Un- 
American  Activities  Committee  here, 
said  in  an  address  to  the  North  Hol- 
lywood Post  No.  405  of  the  American 
Legion,  "Those  of  you  who  have 
avoided  motion  picture  theatres  be- 
cause of  Red  infiltration  can  now  at- 
tend, knowing  that  your  fight  has 
been  won.  Maj  or  studios  do  not  have  a 
single  Red  working  for  them  who  has 
been  named  before  the  Congressional 
committee.  I  tell  you  there  isn't  an 
industry  in  the  entire  country  that  can 
match  that  record." 


Lawler  Heads  Circuit 

Hartford,  March  17. — Carroll  J. 
Lawler,  formerly  head  booker  for 
Jamestown  Amusement  Co.,  New 
York,  and  at  one  time  with  Para- 
mount-Publix,  has  been  named  general 
manager  of  Hartford  Theatres,  suc- 
ceeding the  late  Gus  Schaefer. 


Lamont  Opens  Drive-ins 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  17.— Harry 
Lamont  of  Albany  will  open  the  Over- 
look Drive-in  at  Poughkeepsie  on 
Friday.  The  Hyde  Park  Drive-in, 
near  Poughkeepsie,  will  start  its  sea- 
son on  the  same  date.  This  year's 
openings  are  several  weeks  earlier 
than  last  year's. 


Film  Labs 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

cost  finding  and  accounting  methods, 
collect  and  disseminate  trade  statistics 
and  data,  promote  and  assist  in  the  ex- 
change of  reliable  credit  information 
and  acquire  and  disseminate  accurate 
and  reliable  information  concerning 
the  producing,  shipping,  receiving, 
selling,  marketing  and  other  transac- 
tions pertinent  to  the  motion  picture 
laboratory  business." 

A  meeting  of  charter  members  will 
be  held  here  today  to  prepare  letters 
of  invitation  to  laboratories  through- 
out the  country.  It  is  planned  to  hold 
the  first  national  meeting  in  Holly- 
wood next  month  in  conjunction  with 
the  convention  of  the  Society  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  and  Television  Engineers. 
At  that  time  there  will  be  a  new  elec- 
tion of  officers  and  directors. 

Idea  for  the  founding  of  the  group 
was  conceived  by  a  group  of  labora- 
tory men  attending  the  SMPTE  con- 
vention in  Washington  last  October. 
A  subsequent  meeting  was  held  in 
Washington  and  another  in  _  New 
York  in  mid-January.  Active  in  the 
formation  of  the  association  were 
Neal  Kehn  of  the  Calvin  Co.,  Kansas 
City ;  Byron  Roudabush  of  Byron, 
Inc.,  Washington,  and  Stott. 


Arbitration  Probe 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

now  wanted  to  learn  the  dis- 
tributors' side  of  the  story. 

The  meeting  today  will  include  Aus- 
tin Keough,  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral counsel  of  Paramount  Pictures, 
and  others  who  participated  in  the 
various  arbitration  negotiations  last 
year. 

Noone  will  meet  tomorrow  with 
sales  executives  of  several  film  com- 
panies to  discuss  trade  practices  in 
general.  It  is  not  definite  whether  the 
sessions  will  extend  into  Friday. 
Noone  is  gathering  material  for  the 
committee's  investigation  and  hearings 
on  film  industry  operations  as  they 
relate  to  exhibitor-distributor  prob- 
lems. 


Grainger  Salary 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

struction  of,  the  chairman  of  the 
board.  .  .  ."  Howard  Hughes,  who 
has  reacquired  his  controlling  interest 
in  RKO  Pictures,  is  chairman  of  the 
board. 

Another  provision  states  that  if  at 
any  time  during  the  term  of  the  agree- 
ment, Grainger  shall  not  be  duly 
elected  president,  he  may,  at  any  time 
while  such  condition  continues,  termi- 
nate the  agreement  by  written  notice. 
According  to  the  contract  terms, 
Grainger  is  entitled  to  take  a  vacation 
of  two  weeks  during  each  year  with 
full  pay. 

Grainger,  who  recently  left  Repub- 
lic Pictures,  earned  $91,245  as  ex- 
ecutive vice-president  there.  His  $1,750 
weekly  at  RKO  Pictures  comes  to 
$91,000  yearly. 


'Pan'  Enters  Roxy  Select 

When  Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan" 
starts  its  sixth  and  final  week  at  the 
Roxy  Theatre  here  today  it  will  be 
the  seventh  film  in  the  26-year  history 
of  the  theatre  to  play  for  that  length 
of  time.  Other  films  which  attained 
the  six-week  record  runs  include 
"Wilson"  in  1944;  "A  Tree  Grows  in 
Brooklyn,"  1945  ;  "The  Dolly  Sisters," 
1945 ;  "Leave  Her  to  Heaven,"  1945 ; 
"The  Razor's  Edge,"  1946;  and  "All 
About  Eve"  in  1950. 


'52  Release  on  Chi.  TV 

Chicago,  March  17. — "The  Wide 
Boy,"  released  to  theatres  here  in 
February  by  Capitol  Films,  was 
shown  on  WGN-TV.  The  picture, 
made  in  England,  stars  Susan  Shaw, 
Sydney  Taffler,  and  Ronald  Howard; 
it  was  produced  in  1952. 


'Madam'  Grosses  $11,000 

Los  Angeles,  March  17.— "Call  Me 
Madam"  grossed  $11,000  for  the  first 
two  days  of  the  second  week  of  its 
run  at  the  Ritz  Theatre,  compared  to 
a  gross  of  $6,500  for  the  comparable 
period  of  "My  Cousin  Rachel"  during 
the  Christmas  holiday,  it  is  reported. 


National 


Pre-Selling 


PHILIP  T.  HARTUNG,  movie 
editor  of  Woman's  Home  Com- 
panion, recommends  "She's  Back  on 
Broadway,"  "Moulin  Rouge,"  "The 
Naked  Spur,"  "The  Jazz  Singer," 
"Jeopardy,"  and  "Tonight  We  Sing," 
in  the  April  issue. 

Appearing  in  the  same  issue  is  the 
Frances  Goldwyn  story,  "I  Love  Mak- 
ing Movies  with  Sam." 

Also  in  the  issue  is  a  table  of  con- 
tents page  ad  on  "Sombrero." 

Louis  Berg,  movie  editor  of  This 
Week  Magazine,  reported  on  Walt 
Disney's  "True  Life  Adventures" 
series  in  the  March  15  issue.  Berg 
says  "If  Hollywood  seems  to  con- 
centrate on  the  animal  side  of  hu- 
man nature,  Disney  is  bent  on  de- 
monstrating the  human  aspects  of 
animal  life."  Disney  says,  "Animals 
have  tender  feelings,  intelligence, 
and  even  a  sense  of  humor." 
• 

"Lili,"  the  M-G-M  picture  now  at 
the  52nd  St.  Trans  Lux  Theatre,  is 
reviewed  in  the  current  issue  of  Life. 

A  page  and  a  half  is  devoted  to 
photographs  taken  on  the  "Lili"  set 
which  features  Leslie  Car  on,  the  pic- 
ture's star. 

• 

A  Kapralik  caricature  in  full  color 
of  the  stars  in  United  Artists'  "Mou- 
lin Rouge"  will  appear  on  the  front 
cover  of  Pictorial  Review  on  March 
22nd. 

The  stars  portrayed  are  Jose  Ferrer, 
Zsa  Zsa  Gabor,  Suzanne  Flon  and 
Colette  Marchand. 

"Angel  Face,"  "The  Story  of  Three 
Loves,"  and  "The  Girls  of  Pleasure 
Island"  are  recommended  in  Mc- 
Call's  April  issue.  Each  picture  re- 
ceived space  in  "McCall's  Goes  to 
the  Movies"  guide. 

• 

Alfred  Hitchcock,  director  of  War- 
ner's "I  Confess,"  has  written  a  his- 
tory of  "The  Chloroform  Clue  Mur- 
der" which  took  place  in  1885,  for  the 
March  22  issue  of  American  Weekly. 
• 

Louella  Parsons  chose  "The  Stars 
are  Singing,"  for  the  "Movie  Citation 
of  the  month"  in  the  March  issue  of 
Cosmopolitan.  "Off  Limits"  was 
picked  as  the  best  comedy  and  "City 
Beneath  the  Sea"  as  the  best  adven- 
ture film  of  the  month. 

Also  in  the  issue  is  a  full  color  ad 
on  "Peter  Pan." 


"Battle  Circus,"  "The  Story  of 
Three  Loves"  and  "Justice  Is  Done" 
are  reviewed  in  the  current  issue  of 
Time  magazine.  Also  recommended 
are  "Lili,"  "Peter  Pan,"  "Don  Ca- 
millo,"  "Moulin  Rouge,"  "The  Mem- 
ber of  the  Wedding"  and  "Come 
Back  Little  Sheba." 

Walter  Haas 


'Hair  Show  Opens  Mar. 26 

Radio  City  Music  Hall's  three-part 
Easter  program,  highlighted  by  the 
world  premiere  of  Warner  Brothers' 
"By  the  Light  of  the  Silvery  Moon," 
will  open  on  March  26.  The  program 
will  also  include  the  Music  Hall's 
pageant,  "Glory  of  Easter,"  and  a 
new  extravaganza,  "Rainbow,"  pro- 
duced by  Leonidoff. 


I  love  watching  Sam 

make  movies!" 


by  Mrs.  Samuel  Goldwyn 


Want  to  read  something  good? 
Buy,  borrow,  or  swipe  a  copy  of  the  new 
April  Companion— on  the  stands  right 
now.  Settle  down  with  Frances  Goldwyn's 
who-should-know-better-than-I  story, 
/  Love  Watching  Sam  Make  Movies. 
Learn  how  Sam  Goldwyn  really  operates 
. . .  how  he  moved  heaven  and  earth 
turning  a  hunch  and  a  horde  of  impossible 
temperaments  into  a  tremendous 
success  called  Hans  Christian  Andersen. 

It's  a  fascinating  story  in  its  own  right, 
and  another  example  of  why  more  than 
4,300,000  readers  count  on  the 
Companion  for  movie  news  and 
guidance  every  month  ...  of  why 
Hollywood  has  invested  more  money 
in  the  Companion  during  the  past  seven 
years  than  in  any  other  monthly 
magazine.  * 

*Except,  oj  course,  the  fan  magazines. 


THE  C  R0WE  LL-C0  LLI  E  R  PUBLISHING  COMPANY- 640  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK  19,  N .  Y.-PU  B  LI  S  H  ER  S  OF  WOMAN'S  HOME  COMPANION,  COLLIER'S,  THE  AMERICAN  MAGAZINE 


REGARDING 

TV  SUPPORT 

FOR 


FOR  EASTER! 

On  Sunday,  March  29th,  the  top-rated  TV  show  ED 
SULLIVAN'S  "TOAST  OF  THE  TOWN"  will  pre-sell 
"CALL  ME  MADAM"  for  you  with  a  preview  of  high- 
light scenes  from  this  great  20th  Century-Fox  musical. 
This  tremendously  popular  program  is  viewed  in 
homes  coast-to-coast  via  CBS-TV  network  and  affiliates. 

CASH  IN  ON  THIS  GREAT  PROMOTION! 

Now  is  the  time  to  plan  and  pur- 
chase spots  just  before  and  after 
"Toast  of  the  Town"  when  it  pre-sells 
"Call  Me  Madam"  in  your  city!  Put  this 
hour-long  TV  show  to  work  for  you! 


THERE'LL  BE  NO  EASTER  LIKE  A 


$7/ 


CCNTURY-FOX  {ASTER! 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.   NO.  53 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  19,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


'Oscar'  Show 
Audience  Put 
At  60,000,000 

See  TV  Effect  Altering 
In  Each  Time  Zone 


Sixty-seven  television  stations 
and  190  radio  broadcasting  outlets 
of  the  National  Broadcasting  Co. 
will  carry  tonight's  "Oscar"  cere- 
monies of  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  to  a  poten- 
tial audience  of  an  estimated  60,000,000 
listeners  and  viewers. 

The  competitive  effect  of  the 
program,  which  gets  under  way 
on  the  Coast  at  7:30  P.M.(PST), 
on  theatre  attendance  is  ex- 
pected to  vary  in  each  time 
zone.  The  most  negligible  effect 
is  due  in  the  East,  where  the 
program  will  be  seen  and 
heard  between  the  hours  of 
10:30   and   12:00  P.M.  (EST), 

(Continued  on  page  4) 

House  Unit  Would 
Support  Five-Year 
Limitation  on  Suits 


Washington,  March  18 — A  House 
Judiciary  sub-committee  today  tenta- 
tively voted  to  support  legislation  set- 
ting up  a  uniform  five-year  Federal 
statute  of  limitations  on  private  treble 
damage  anti-trust  suits. 

The  Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  has  been  urging  a  statute 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Dedicate  Drive-ins 
'To  the  Family' 

Dallas,  March  18.  —  "Dedi- 
cated to  the  Entertainment 
of  the  Family"  is  the  creed 
of  the  new  International 
Drive  -  In  Theatre  Owners 
Association,  organized  by 
Claude  Ezell,  president  of 
Ezell  and  Associates,  drive-in 
circuit. 

"The  cardinal  principle  of 
the  drive-in  operation  is  en- 
tertainment for  the  family, 
and  it  is  for  this  reason," 
stated  Ezell,  "that  we  have 
accepted  the  suggestion  of 
Phil  Isley,  president  of  Phil 
Isley  Theatres,  for  the  drive- 
in  creed. 


CINEMASCOPE  IMPACT  IS 
IMPRESSIVE  TO  OBSERVER 

By  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 

Hollywood,  March  18. — On  a  screen  63  feet  wide  by  25  feet 
high,  with  a  horizontal  curvature  of  five  feet,  20th  Century-Fox 
today  demonstrated  the  CinemaScope  process  at  its  studio 
here  to  members  of  the  press  and  leading  industryites  in  five 
morning,  afternoon  and  evening  showings. 

The  material  screened  ranged  from  an  automobile  race,  pho- 
tographed experimentally  at  a  local  speedway  last  weekend,  to 
two  finished  sequences  of  "The  Robe,"  with  a  wide  variety  of 
scenes  that  had  been  shot  for  the  studio's  guidance  in  using 
the  CinemaScope  technique. 

Despite  the  fact  that  none  of  these  films  had  been  finally 
edited  or  scored,  all  were  powerfully  promiseful  that  Cinema- 
Scope will  be  a  great  factor  in  the  industry's  future.  Scenes 
from  "The  Robe"  and  "How  to  Marry  a  Millionaire,"  sharply 
different  subjects,  showed  with  impressive  impact  Cinema- 
Scope's  flexibility,  versatility  and  dramatic  capacity. 

Stereophonic  sound,  with  which  the  studio  screening  room 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


3  More  Showings  of 
CinemaScope  Today 

Hollywood,  March  18.— There  will 
be  three  separate  demonstrations  of 
the  CinemaScope  process  at  20th 
Century-Fox's  studios  here  tomorrow 
and  three  more  on  Friday,  with  one 
on  Saturday. 

RKO  Radio,  Samuel  Goldwyn  and 
Walt  Disney  studios  and  artists'  rep- 
resentatives will  see  it  at  10  :30  A.M. ; 
United  Artists,  Production  Code  Ad- 
ministration, and  independent  produc- 
ers, 2:30  P.M.;  and  Warner  Brothers, 
4:00  P.M. 

Republic  and  Allied  Artists  studios 
and  artists'  representatives  will  view 
CinemaScope  on  Friday,  10  :30  A.M. ; 
exhibitors  and  international  press, 
2 :30  P.M. ;  and  Southern  California 
exhibitors,  5:00  P.M. 

Another  exhibitor  demonstration 
will  be  held  Saturday,  at  10:30  A.M. 


Loeiv's  to  Film  in 
CinemaScope  Soon 

Loew's,  Inc.  soon  will  an- 
nounce plans  for  its  first  pic- 
ture in  20th  Century-Fox's 
CinemaScope  process,  accord- 
ing to  a  joint  announcement 
issued  here  by  Nicholas  M. 
Schenck,  president  of  Loew's, 
and  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  20th-Fox. 

The  announcement  stated 
that  previously  reported  ar- 
rangements now  have  been 
concluded  for  Loew's  "to 
move  forward  with  Cinema- 
Scope." Neither  company, 
however,  disclosed  how  many 
productions  are  involved  or 
any  other  details. 


AA  to  Make  23  in 
Next  Six  Months 

Hollywood,  March  18. — Allied  Art- 
ists executive  producer  Walter  Mirisch 
announced  today  that  23  pictures  will 
be  filmed  by  that  company  in  the  next 
six  months.  Believed  to  be  the  big- 
gest number  scheduled  by  any  studio 
for  that  period,  the  listed  attractions 
include  four  in  color  by  Technicolor, 
four  in  other  colors,  and  one  in  Nat- 
ural Vision  3-D. 

The  Technicolor  productions  are 
"Black  Knight,"  "Annapolis  'S3,"  and 
"Wichita,"  which  three  Mirisch  will 
produce  personally,  and  "Hajji,"  a 
Walter  Wanger  production.  The  three- 
dimensional  production  is  "Maze," 
with  Richard  Heermance  named  as 
producer. 


Seven  Get  New  UA 
Foreign  Dept.  Posts 


Arnold  M.  Picker,  vice-president  of 
United  Artists  in  charge  of  foreign 
distribution,  reports  seven  promotions 
and  key  appointments  involving  opera- 
tions in  Continental  Europe,  Latin 
America  and  South  Africa. 

Sain  Bekeris,  South  American 
supervisor,  has  been  named  supervisor 
of  all  of  Latin  America  and  will 
transfer  his  headquarters  from  Buenos 
Aires  to  Mexico  City. 

Alfred  Katz,  formerly  Caribbean 
supervisor,  has  been  promoted  to  the 
home  office  foreign  executive  staff. 

George  Kallman,  formerly  special 
representative  in  Mexico,  has  been 
appointed  manager  in  Panama,  suc- 
ceeding Paul  Wir,  resigned. 

Eric  Pleskow,  manager  in  South 
Africa,  has  been  named  special  repre- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Senate  Counsel 
Sifts  Data  On 
Arbitration 


Distributors'  Side  of 
Problem  Told  to  Noone 


The  distributors'  position  in  the 
efforts  to  set  up  a  system  of  arbi- 
tration for  the  film  industry  was 
placed  before  counsel  for  the  Sen- 
ate Small  Business  Committee  at  a 
meeting  here  yesterday  between 
Charles  Noone,  the  committee's  at- 
torney, and  legal  heads  of  three  major 
companies.  Austin  Keough  of  Para- 
mount, Adolph  Schimel  of  Universal 
and  Robert  Perkins  of  Warner 
Brothers,  who  were  active  in  the 
drafting  of  the  distributors'  proposals, 
reiterated  the  companies'  stand  against 
the  arbitration  of  film  rentals  and  ex- 
plained the  increased  costs  of  opera- 
tions. 

The    attorneys    told  Noone 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


RKO  Theatres  '52 
Net,  $1,025,913; 
Slight  Dip  from  '51 

A  net  profit  of  $1,025,913,  after  all 
taxes  and  charges,  including  a  loss 
of  $145,059  on  the  sale  of  capital 
assets,  was  reported  here  yesterday 
by  RKO  Theatres  Corp.  and  subsidi- 
aries for  1952.  This  compares  with 
a  consolidated  net  of  $1,322,069,  in- 
cluding a  profit  of  $381,840  on  the 
sale  of  capital  assets  before  taxes,  for 
the  previous  year. 

The  profit  on  operations  before  de- 
ductions, including  depreciation,  divi- 
dends, interest  and  taxes,  was  $3,- 
835,663,  compared  with  $4,350,610  in 
1951.  The  provision  for  estimated  in- 
come taxes  in  1952  amounted  to 
$675,000.  or  $550,000  less  than  1951 
taxes  which  totaled  $1,225,000. 


20th  -  Fox  Common 
Hits  Year's  High 

Twentieth  Century-Fox 
common  stock  climbed  to  a 
new  high  for  the  year  yes- 
terday when  it  closed  at  18'/s, 
after  a  record  17%  on  Tues- 
day. The  stock  price  has  al- 
most doubled  since  Nov.  30 
when  the  closing  was  10%. 
The  low  for  this  year  was  13'/2- 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  19,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


LEONARD  H.  GOLDENSON, 
AB-PT  president,  and  Robert  H. 
O'Brien  and  Robert  M.  Weitman, 
vice-presidents,  will  leave  here  today 
for  Chicago,  San  Francisco  and  Los 
Angeles. 

• 

Robert  Sternburg,  Boston  district 
manager  for  New  England  Theatres, 
Inc.,  has  again  been  named  production 
manager  for  the  fourth  annual  "Ce- 
lebrities Night"  show  to  be  held  at 
the  Boston  Garden  April  26  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Jewish  Memorial  Hos- 
pital's building  fund. 

• 

Hideo  Shiotsugu  and  Masatoyo 
Takano,  executives  of  the  Eiga 
Haikyu  Co.,  Ltd.,  which  handles  Al- 
lied Artists  distribution  in  Japan,  have 
left  here  for  England.  They  will  go 
to  France  and  Italy  before  returning 
to  Tokyo. 

• 

Dorothy  Lamour  has  accepted  the 
motion  picture  chairmanship  of  the 
forthcoming  ninth  annual  observance 
of  "National  Sunday  School  Week," 
April  13-19. 

• 

Charles  E.  Kurtzman,  Loew's 
Theatres  Northeastern  division  man- 
ager, has  been  named  general  chair- 
man of  the  Mental  Health  Fund  for 
Massachusetts. 

• 

Oliver  C.  Broughton,  maintenance 
supervisor  for  M-G-M  exchanges,  will 
leave  here  shortly  on  a  tour  of  New 
England  branches. 

• 

Charles  Reagan,  M-G-M  general 
sales  manager,  returned  to  New  York 
yesterday  from  a  Florida  vacation. 
• 

Gene  Picker  of  Loew's  Metropoli- 
tan New  York  circuit,  left  here  for 
the  Coast  yesterday. 

Harold  Wirthwein,  Allied  Artists 
Western  sales  manager,  has  left  Hol- 
lywood for  Salt  Lake  City. 

• 

George  D.  Burrows,  Allied  Artists 
executive  vice-president  and  treasurer, 
has  returned  to  Hollywood  from  here. 
• 

William  E.  Osborne,  assistant  ex- 
port manager  of  Monogram  Interna- 
tional Corp.,  has  left  New  York  for 
the  Far  East. 

• 

Rafael  G.  Marti,  distributor  of 
Allied  Artists  product  in  Puerto  Rico, 
is  in  New  York  from  there. 

• 

Russell  Downing,  president  of 
Radio  City  Music  Hall,  is  in  Holly- 
wood from  New  York. 

• 

Louis  Ratener,  Ohio  drive-in  owner, 
was  married  to  Yrma  Wade  of  Texas. 


$61,000  Cinerama  Sale 

Detroit,  March  18.— The  advance 
sale  for  Cinerama  at  the  Music  Hall 
Theatre  here  reached  $61,000  today, 
ranking  it  with  record-holding  attrac- 
tions which  have  played  this  city. 
The  figure  includes  advanced  price 
tickets  for  the  benefit  premiere  next 
Monday  night. 


12  Telethons  Netted  Palsy 
$2,287,612,  Says  Goldenson 


Twelve  telethons  conducted  for 
United  Cerebral  Palsy  in  as  many 
cities  in  1952  resulted  in  contributions 
totaling  $2,287,612,  it  was  announced 
yesterday  by  Leonard  H.  Goldenson, 
UCP  president,  and  also  head  of 
American  Broadcasting  -  Paramount 
Theatres. 

On  the  over-all  average,  actual  col- 
lections from  the  12  TV  marathons 
totaled  98  per  cent  of  the  amounts 
pledged  when  the  shows  went  off  the 
air,  according  to  a  tabulation  just 
made  by  the  Palsy  Fund. 

Top  moneymaker  of  all  the  tele- 
thons   was    the    18-hour    show  over 


Station  W ABC-TV,  New  York,  on 
Dec.  7-8,  which  was  opened  with  a 
filmed  appeal  by  then  President-elect 
Dwight  D.  Eisenhower.  The  show 
which  featured  200  stars  of  the  enter- 
tainment world  under  Robert  M. 
Weitman,  and  "emceed"  largely  by 
Dennis  James,  brought  in  $642,824,  or 
116  per  cent  of  the  $553,527  pledged. 

Three  other  cities  also  went  over  the 
top.  A  Los  Angeles  telethon  with  a 
cast  headed  by  Bob  Hope,  UCP  Life 
chairman,  set  the  pace  in  May,  1952, 
with  collections  of  112  per  cent.  Jack 
Webb  shared  the  "MC"  chores  in 
that  show  over  Station  KECA. 


Fiesta  Night  Opens 
New  V.C.  Clubrooms 

More  than  100  members  and  guests 
of  the  New  York  Variety  Club  for- 
mally initiated  the  Tent's  new  head- 
quarters in  the  Piccadilly  Hotel  last 
night  with  a  "fiesta."  In  cooperation 
with  the  Mexican  government's  tour- 
ist bureau,  represented  by  Carlos  Bas, 
the  party  was  conducted  along  "South 
of  the  border"  lines,  with  Mexican 
decorations  and  refreshments.  The 
Mexico  City  Variety  Tent  sent  boxes 
of  flowers  for  the  ladies.  Continuous 
entertainment  was  in  progress 
from  7  :30. 

In  addition  to  chief  barker  Ed 
Lachman,  others  who  handled  the 
affair  were  George  Waldman,  Si  Sey- 
mour and  Harry  Mansfield. 


Variety  Milk  Train 
Plan  Is  Abandoned 

Boston,  March  18. — Because  of  un- 
foreseen complications,  especially  the 
waiving  of  the  government  duty  which 
would  allow  Variety  Clubs  to  bring 
powdered  milk  into  Mexico  City  tax 
free,  after  a  conference  with  inter- 
national chief  barker  Jack  Beresin, 
and  Max  Gomez  of  Mexico  City, 
William  S.  Koster,  general  chairman 
of  the  milk  drive,  said  that  it  was 
decided  it  would  be  impractical  to 
carry  through  with  the  proposed  plan 
of  Variety's  "Goodwill  Milk  Train." 

Koster  has  so  notified  all  Variety 
Tents  and  also  said  that  "we  con- 
tinue to  be  thankful  to  the  trade  press 
for  their  interest  and  cooperation." 


Netter  West  for 
Stereophonic  Talks 

L.  D.  Netter,  Jr.,  general  sales  man- 
ager of  Altec,  has  left  here  for  the 
Coast  to  discuss  future  stereophonic 
sound  deliveries  and  activity  with  Al- 
tec officials. 

He  will  stop  in  Detroit  to  discuss 
first-run  stereophonic  sound  with 
Harold  Brown,  president  of  United 
Detroit  Theatres,  and  with  M.  F. 
Gowthorpe,  president  of  Butterfield 
Theatres.  Netter  will  also  stop  in 
Chicago  to  discuss  multiple-track 
sound  system  installation  with  Bala- 
ban  and  Katz.  This  equipment  has 
already  been  sold  and  will  be  installed 
by  May  for  "House  of  Wax." 


Snaper  to  Address 
Southern  Exhibitors 

Richmond,  Va.,  March  18. — Wilbur 
Snaper,  president  of  Allied  States 
Association,  will  speak  at  the  Virginia 
Motion  Picture  Theatre  Association 
annual  convention  on  Wednesday, 
May  6.  Announcement  was  made 
here  today  by  Syd  Gates  and  Leonard 
Gordon,  co-chairmen  of  the  conven- 
tion which  will  be  held  May  5-7  at 
the  Hotel  Chamberlin,  Old  Point 
Comfort. 

Exhibitors  from  Virginia,  Mary- 
land, the  District  of  Columbia  and 
the  Carolinas  have  been  invited  to 
attend. 


Lesser  Forms  New 
Roadshow  Company 

Hollywood,  March  18. — Formation 
of  Roadshow  Attractions,  a  distribu- 
tion organization  to  handle  the  release 
of  a  number  of  special  films  he  has 
acquired  or  produced,  was  announced 
by  Sol  Lesser.  The  new  organization 
will  have  headquarters  here  with 
Jack  Thomas  as  general  manager. 
Regional  offices  of  Roadshow  have 
been  set  up  in  Chicago,  New  York 
and  Dallas  with  Max  Roth,  Seymour 
Poe  and  Herman  Beiersdorf  as  re- 
spective sales  heads.  A  sales  chief  for 
Los  Angeles  is  still  to  be  named. 


Victor  Clarke  Dies 
On  Coast  at  72 

Hollywood,  March  18. — Victor  H. 
Clarke,  72,  industry  veteran  who  re- 
tired from  an  executive  post  with  the 
Association  of  Motion  Picture  Pro- 
ducers in  1948,  died  today  at  his  home 
in  Vista,  Cal.  Entering  the  industry 
in  1920,  as  manager  of  the  Famous 
Players-Lasky  studio  at  Astoria,  L.  I., 
he  came  West  in  1923  as  manager 
of  the  company's  Hollywood  studio, 
and  held  the  same  position  later  with 
M-G-M.  Clarke  joined  AMPP  in 
1937  as  assistant  to  Pat  Casey  in 
charge  of  labor  relations.  The  widow, 
a  daughter  and  two  sons,  survive.  The 
funeral  will  be  private. 


Defer  Variety  Meet 

The  luncheon-meeting  of  the  local 
Variety  Club  Foundation  scheduled 
for  today  at  the  Piccadilly  Hotel  has 
been  postponed  until  next  Thursday. 


To  Keep  US  Firms 
Out  of  Canadian  TV 

Ottawa,  March  18.— Televi- 
sion broadcasting  will  be  a 
public  development  in  Canada 
and  no  United  States  private 
broadcasters  will  be  allowed 
to  enter  the  field,  the  Cana- 
dian government  reports. 


Brigham  Tells  of 
NV's  3-D  Technique 

Natural  Vision's  acclaimed  success 
in  following  the  mechanics  of  the  eye 
in  its  three-dimensional  film  process 
was  highlighted  here  last  night  in  an 
address  by  James  Brigham,  NV's  field 
technician,  before  the  Radio-Tele- 
vision Newsreel  Working  Press  Asso- 
ciation of  New  York. 

Brigham  told  the  meeting,  held  at 
Paramount  News  headquarters,  about 
NV's  technique  in  shooting  3-D  films, 
stressing  the  dual  requirements  of 
possessing  the  needed  precision  camera 
and  skilled  cameramen. 


Winik  to  Head  3-D 
Fight  Filming 

Leslie  Winik,  veteran  sports  film- 
maker who  filmed  the  1920  bout  be- 
tween Jack  Dempsey  and  Georges 
Carpentier,  has  been  appointed  pro- 
duction manager  for  the  three- 
dimensional  fight  film  of  the  Rocky 
Marciano-Jersey  Joe  Walcott  heavy- 
weight championship  battle  at  Chicago 
Stadium  on  April  10,  it  was  disclosed 
by  Nathan  L.  Halpern,  who  is  super- 
vising production  of'  the  first  fight 
film  to  be  made  in  the  new  tri-dimen- 
sional  medium. 

Winik  has  been  in  charge  of  photog- 
raphy at  Madison  Square  Garden  for 
10  years  and  has  produced  many 
sports  pictures. 


Greenthal  Handling 
Polalite  Advertising 

Monroe  Greenthal  Co.  will  handle 
the  national  advertising  of  the  3-D 
division  of  Commerce  International 
Co.,  Inc.,  here,  which  produces  ad- 
justable Polalite  glasses  for  use  in 
motion  picture  theatres,  Matthew  Fox 
of  the  company  reports.  The  glasses 
will  be  distributed  through  the  affili- 
ated offices  of  National  Film  Service, 
which  are  now  taking  orders  for  May 
15  delivery. 

Bob  Ritchie  of  Commerce  Inter- 
national is  acting  as  coordinator  of 
the  3-D  division  in  its  theatre  owner 
relationships. 


Trudepth  Is  the 
Newest  in  3-D 

Hollywood,  March  18. — Trudepth 
3-D  system,  employing  a  single 
camera,  a  single  projector  and  a  new 
type  of  viewing  glasses,  is  to  be  used 
by  Phil  Tucker  on  "Robot  Monster," 
which  he  will  produce  and  direct,  in- 
dependently, with  Al  Zimbalist  as  ex- 
ecutive producer.  Tucker,  who  de- 
veloped Trudepth,  said  details  cannot 
be  divulged  until  certain  patents  have 
been  cleared. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley_  Publishing  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Ouigpubco, 
New  York.  Martm  Quig-ley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy,  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady 
?,r?iv  ry-£  -w"  i-"nnm^;a.m'  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  K.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  street,  DK  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
hxlitor;  cable  address,  Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
r  ?n,  ,o£reo  ,  •  :.  Motlon  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


HOT  OFF  THE  FRONT  PAGE  OF  M.  P.  DAILY! 


Hollywood,  March  15 
THIS  is  one  of  the  big  money  pictures  of  the  year.  Maybe  the 
biggest  one  of  them.  Time  will  tell  about  that,  as  it  did  about 
the  directly  comparable  "Going  My  Way,"  but  it'll  be  big  enough, 
never  worry.  It  is  John  Wayne's  all-around  best  picture  to  date — which 
is  taking  in  a  lot  of  territory — and  it  contains  John  Wayne's  all-around 
best  performance,  a  pair  of  circumstances  that  augur  an  astronomical 
box  office  total.  More  than  that,  it  figures  to  make  a  great  many  mil- 
lions of  motion  picture  theatre-goers  very  happy  about  the  whole  thing, 
and  to  restore  confidence  in  the  old  truism  that  motion  pictures,  when 
they're  good,  are  the  best  entertainment  show  business  has  devised  so 
far.  This  is  a  picture  to  measure  your  theatre  with,  thus:  if  it  doesn't 
gross  capacity,  sell  the  joint.   But  it  will. 

Michael  Curtiz,  the  most  versatile  director  on  this  or  any  continent,  di- 
rected the  picture  with  warm  understanding  of  its  human  values  as  well  as  of 
its  great  comedy  content. 


?  1  - ., 


■■■  \   '.   i  5  i  \         tV  S  VJ    1.5  V..  X 


JOHN 

Wayne 

m DONNA 

Reed 


CHARLES 

tOBURN 


TOM  TULLY- SHERRY  JACKSON- MARIE  WINDSOR-TOM  HELMORE  - DABBS  GREER 
IEIF  ERICKSON  •  DOUGLAS  SPENCER-LESTER  MATTHEWS  •  CHUCK  CONNORS 


WARNER  BROS. 

HAPPILY  PRESENT 
IT  ON  APRIL  4TH! 


SCREEN  PLAY  BY  PRODUCED  BY 

MELVILLE  SHAVELSON «  LACK  ROSE  •  MELVILLE  SHAVELSON 

MUSIC  8Y  MAX  STEINER 


MICHAEL  CURTIZ 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  19,  1953 


CinemaScope  Impressive 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

was  equipped,  manifestly  aided  the  realistic  effects  of  the  sys- 
tem although,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  optical  appeal  was  so 
strong  that  sound  seemed  incidental. 

Post-demonstration  comment  among  observers  sought  to 
compare  CinemaScope  effects  with  true  3-D,  but  achieved  no 
useful  results  inasmuch  as  the  two  are  totally  dissimilar  quan- 
tities. 

Spyros  Skouras,  20th-Fox  president;  Al  Lichtman,  Charles 
Einfeld  and  Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  studio  head,  who  addressed  the 
groups,  attended  the  demonstrations.  Among  film  leaders  at- 
tending were  executives  of  M-G-M,  Columbia,  Universal  and 
Paramount  studios,  and  Stanley  Kramer. 

Skouras  said  CinemaScope  will  greatly  reduce  production 
costs  through  reducing  the  number  of  camera  setups  required. 

Lichtman  said  all  leading  supply  dealers  are  preparing  rapidly 
to  furnish  exhibitors  with  CinemaScope  screens,  lenses  and 
stereophonic  equipment. 

Zanuck  stressed  the  point  that  closeups  are  made  unneces- 
sary, and  that  one  sequence  shown  was  filmed  in  half  a  day 
instead  of  four  days  as  would  have  been  required  in  standard 
procedure. 


'Oscar'  Show 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

allowing  patrons  time  to  both 
see  a  motion  picture  and  the 
Academy  program. 

NBC,  through  advertisements  in 
newspapers  and  other  media,  has  pub- 
licized throughout  the  country  the  first 
telecast  of  Academy  Award  ceremonies 
in  the  Academy's  25  year  history.  The 
domestic  audience,  it  was  learned,  will 
be  augmented  by  a  potential  foreign 
radio  audience  of  31,000,000  _  to  be 
reached  by  Armed  Forces  Radio  Ser- 
vice and  foreign  stations. 

While  it  was  acknowledged  in  trade 
quarters  that  the  telecast  may  impinge 
upon  theatre  attendance  in  some  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  other  trade 
sources  pointed  to  the  huge  audience 
which  will  be  reached  by  TV  and  its 
potential  benefit  to  the  industry. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  25  years  of 
Academy  Awards,  a  New  York  cere- 
mony at  NBC's  International  Theatre 
will  be  added  to  the  Hollywood  pre- 
sentations at  the  RKO  Pentages 
Theatre.  It  was  because  of  the  New 
York  angle,  it  was  learned,  that  the 
program  was  lengthened  to  a  one-and- 
a-half-hour  show  from  an  hour  per- 
formance. Many  of  the  top  contenders 
will  be  at  the  International  Theatre 
and  the  required  pick-up,  if  they  are 
selected,  required  more  programming 
time. 

In  Hollywood,  Bob  Hope  will 
"emcee"  the  presentations,  while  Paul 
Douglas  will  act  as  NBC  radio  com- 
mentator. Fredric  March  will  present 
any  awards  which  may  be  won  by 
nominees  in  New  York  at  the  Inter- 
national Theatre.  Conrad  Nagel,  a 
former  president  of  the  Academy,  will 
be  master  of  ceremonies  and  com- 
mentator for  those  portions  of  the 
NBC  telecast  and  radio  broadcast 
which  originate  from  New  York. 

The  broadcast  and  telecast 
is  being  sponsored  by  the  RCA 
Victor  division  of  the  Radio 
Corporation  of  America.  NBC 
paid  $100,000  for  the  radio  and 
TV  rights  to  this  year's  "Oscar" 
presentations,  according  to 
Charles  Brackett,  Academy 
president,  who  will  also  partic- 
ipate in  the  telecast. 

The  $100,000  paid  out  by  NBC  beat 
out  Theatre  Network  Television's  bid, 
which  hinged  on  getting  the  approval 
of  film  company's  for  a  theatre  tele- 
cast. 

The  Armed  Forces  Radio  Service, 
in  addition  to  carrying  the  event  to 
thousands  of  U.S.  servicemen  through- 
out the  world,  will  also  serve  as  the 
feeding  station  for  69  foreign  stations 
for  the  program.  The  foreign  countries 
which  will  carry  the  Academy  show 
via  local  stations  will  be  England, 
Japan,  Korea,  Australia,  South  Africa, 
India  and  Germany,  in  addition  to 
many  countries  in  South  America. 


Stop  4 Limelight*  Showing 

Milwaukee,  March  18.  ■ —  Merlin 
Hanson,  manager  of  the  Park  Theatre 
in  Waukesha,  Wis.,  in  co-operating 
with  the  local  Disabled  American 
Veterans,  will  not  show  "Limelight" 
in  his  theatre.  The  Warner  Theatre, 
in  Milwaukee,  is  still  scheduled  to 
show  the  film  on  March  25  despite 
protests  from  the  Milwaukee  County 
American  Legion. 


March  is  American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


5-Year  Limitation 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

of  only  two  years.  Exhibitors  have 
suggested  five  or  six  years.  At  pres- 
ent, private  anti-trust  suits  are  gov- 
erned by  state  statutes,  which  range 
anywhere  from  one  to  20  years. 

The  sub-committee,  headed  by  Rep. 
Reed  (R.,  111.)  did  not  finish  work 
on  the  bill,  bogging  down  under  tech- 
nical provisions.  Members  said,  how- 
ever, they  doubted  the  vote  to  set  the 
statute  at  five  years,  rather  than  some 
other  time  limit,  would  be  changed. 
They  indicated  they  would  probably 
finish  the  bill  at  their  next  meeting, 
in  about  a  week. 

Approved  Another  Bill 

The  sub-committee  did  approve  an- 
other bill  to  increase  from  $5,000  to 
$50,000  the  maximum  fine  for  violat- 
ing the  anti-trust  laws.  This  measure 
now  goes  to  the  full  committee. 

The  group  did  not  take  action  on 
proposals  by  Reed  to  give  Federal 
courts  discretion  to  award  less  than 
treble  damages  in  private  suits.  Courts 
must  now  award  three  times  the  dam- 
age, whenever  they  find  a  defendant 
guilty.  A  subcommittee  member  said 
the  lawmakers  felt  this  was  a  com- 
paratively new  idea,  and  that  it 
merited  hearings  by  the  Judiciary 
Committee's  regular  anti-trust  sub- 
committee headed  by  Rep.  Keating 
(R.,  N.Y.) 


7  Get  New  UA  Posts 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

sentative  in  Germany,  replacing  Her- 
bert Horn,  resigned.  Pleskow  will 
be  stationed  in  Frankfurt  and  will 
serve  as  liaison  with  Constantin 
Films,  UA's  distributor  in  Germany. 

Leonard  Pearlman,  formerly  man- 
ager in  Trinidad,  has  been  appointed 
manager  in  South  Africa.  Pearlman's 
successor  in  Trinidad  is  Ted  Rysfeld, 
a  newcomer  to  UA,  who  previously 
served  as  RKO  Radio  manager  in 
Poland. 

Rounding  out  the  new  appointments 
is  the  assignment  of  Daniel  Frankel 
as  manager  in  Belgium,  succeeding 
Albert  Steinhardt,  resigned.  Frankel 
was  at  one  time  foreign  sales  head  for 
Pathe  and  later  vice-president  of 
Four  Continents  Films. 


March   is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Arbitration  Data 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

that    they    were  disappointed 
over  the  failure  of  arbitration 
to  materialize  and,  while  not 
trying   to   put   the   blame  on 
anyone,  they  said  that  the  pre- 
text offered  by  some  industry 
segments  for  the  failure  was 
the  refusal  by  the  companies 
to  arbitrate  rentals. 
Noone  was  given  a  breakdown  on 
retrenchments   and   economies  which 
the  companies  have   been  trying  to 
effect  because  of  the  high  costs  of 
production  and  tne  increased  expenses 
in    delivering    their    pictures    to  the 
market.  They  told  him  that  despite 
high  costs,  exhibitors  still  want  the 
companies  to  sell  their  product  for 
less,  indicating  that  it  was  an  economic 
impossibility.  They  also  described  the 
"fierce"   competition  among  distribu- 
tors. 

Abreast  of  Situation 

The  information  given  to  Noone  was 
in  reply  to  questions.  Noone  appeared 
to  have  been  abreast  of  the  situation 
through  trade  press  reports  of  the 
arbitration  situation,  but  he  wanted 
confirmation  irom  the  distributors  on 
some  aspects  of  the  controversy.  While 
Noone's  function  was  only  to  collect 
information  for  the  Small  Business 
Committee  and  relay  the  data  he 
gathered,  it  was  indicated,  according 
to  the  lawyers,  that  Noone  was  im- 
pressed and  that  their  arguments 
"made  sense."  Noone  agreed  that  no 
one  could  be  forced  to  arbitrate  if  he 
did  not  want  to. 

Asked  if  the  Small  Business  Com- 
mittee could  recommend  that  the  in- 
dustry pursue  an  arbitration  system,  a 
spokesman  for  the  distributors  said 
that  the  committee  "could  do  what  it 
wanted."  Whether  arbitration  will  be 
advanced  as  a  result  of  the  commit- 
tee's interest  in  the  question  was  de- 
scribed as  "anybody's  guess." 

Noone  will  report  his  findings  to  the 
committee  which,  as  yet,  has  not  set 
a  date  for  its  first  hearing. 


Oklahoma  Tax  Measure 

Oklahoma  City,  March  18. — The 
Oklahoma  house  has  passed  and  sent 
to  the  senate  a  bill  to  exempt  motion 
pictures  from  the  state  sales  tax. 
Sponsors  of  the  measure  pointed  out 
that  theatre  patrons  already  pay  a 
sales  tax  on  tickets. 


Mexican  Production 
Costs  Set  A  Record 


Mexico  City,  March  18 — Total  pro- 
duction costs  last  year  were  $6,820,000, 
the  highest  in  the  history  of  the  Mex- 
ican industry,  and  an  average  of 
$69,300  per  picture.  The  high  pay  of 
stop  stars  was  cited  as  a  prominent 
factor  in  costlier  pictures.  Maria 
Felix,  top  actress,  commands  $52,000 
per  picture,  and  Arturo  de  Cordoba, 
$28,900. 

Feature  production  last  year  totaled 
99,  compared  to  102  in  1951  and  a 
record-high  of  125  in  1950. 

Of  the  96  Mexican  pictures  exhib- 
ited here  last  year,  only  18  were 
important  box-office,  official  gross 
reports  reveal.  Two  of  these,  each 
starring  "Cantinflas"  (Mario  Mor- 
eno), biggest  money-making  Mexican 
comedian,  were  the  box-office  cham- 
pions in  the  Mexican  division.  Both 
played  the  Cine  Roble,  first-run 
theatre.  The  top  one  was  "Were  I  A 
Congressman"  with  a  $138,000  gross 
in  six  weeks.  The  other,  "The  Atomic 
Fireman,"  garnered  $115,750  in  five 
weeks.  Third  best  was  "The  Right 
to  Be  Born"  which  took  in  $114,500 
in  seven  weeks  at  the  Cine  Orfeon, 
secondary  first-run.  But  this  picture 
was  unique  in  that  during  its  first 
three  weeks  at  the  Orfeon  it  grossed 
more  than  any  other  picture  exhibited 
in  Mexico  during  a  like  period  at  one 
theatre.  Fourth  place  was  captured  by 
"My  Wife  and  the  Other  Girl,"  with 
$99,300  grossed  in  seven  weeks  at 
the  Orfeon. 

Two  Mexican  pictures  were  the 
lowest  grossers  of  any  films  screened 
here  last  year.  They  only  played  one 
week  each.  They  were  "The  Night- 
ingale," $1,735  gross  at  the  Orfeon, 
and  "Uncle  of  My  Life,"  $1,625  at 
the  Cine  Palacio  Chino. 


Mexicans  Would 
Double  Production 


Mexico  City,  March  18. — Some  20 
domestic  producers  demand  doubling 
Mexico's  aimual  film  production  to 
more  than  200  yearly  to  solve  the  in- 
dustry's problems  and  improve  na- 
tional economy  by  exporting  more 
pictures  to  those  European  countries 
that  like  Mexican  films  but  see  few 
of  them.  That  was  what  the  produc- 
ers told  Angel  Carvajal,  Secretary  of 
the  Interior,  top  Government  depart- 
ment. 

But,  they  stressed,  that  requires 
much  money  and  they  look  to  the  gov- 
ernment to  furnish  the  funds.  That 
drew  the  comment,  "better  pictures 
must  be  produced  before  government 
money  can  be  provided,"  from  the 
presidents  of  the  Bank  of  Mexico, 
the  trade's  own  bank,  the  semi-offi- 
cial Banco  Nacional  Cinematografico, 
and  the  Nacional  Financiera,  S.A., 
the  government's  fiscal  agency. 


Sets  Negro  Talent  Film 

Yates  Pictures,  Inc.  will  release  for 
general  distribution  a  two  and  one- 
half-hour  film  featuring  top  Negro 
talent.  Called  "Jazz-O-Rama,"  the 
package  is  composed  of  a  full  length 
musical  and  several  shorts.  The  cast 
includes  Nat  King  Cole,  Marian  An- 
derson, Cab  Calloway,  Joe  Louis, 
Satchel  Paige,  Jackie  Robinson,  Duke 
Ellington,  and  others. 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Thursday,  March  19,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


Reviews 


Split  Second 

(RKO  Radio) 

THIS  is  Dick  Powell's  first  directorial  effort  and  the  results  are  outstand- 
ing. The  picture  is  intensely  exciting,  holding  the  interest  of  the  viewer 
from  the  opening  shot  to  the  spectacular  fadeout.  The  test  explosion  of  an 
atom  bomb  in  the  climactic  sequences,  in  which  a  ghost  town  in  the  Nevada 
desert  folds  up  like  cardboard  toy  houses,  is  one  that  will  long  be  remembered. 

A  flawless  cast  renders  exceptionally  fine  performances.  And  sprightly  dia- 
logue often  relieves  the  tenseness  of  the  situations.  "Split  Second"  is  the 
story  of  two  escaped  killers  from  Carson  City  prison,  Stephen  McNally  and 
Paul  Kelly,  who,  with  an  accomplice,  Frank  DeKova,  drag  four  unwilling 
persons  into  their  scheme  of  things  to  avoid  detection.  They  are  Keith  Andes, 
a  newspaper  reporter ;  Jan  Sterling,  a  hitch-hiker ;  Alexis  Smith,  the  faith- 
less wife  of  a  Pasadena  doctor,  who  is  running  away  with  her  lover,  Robert 
Paige.  The  four  become  the  hostages  of  the  killers  in  a  deserted  bar  in  the 
ghost  town  of  Lost  Hope  City  in  the  desert.  They  ultimately  are  joined  by 
the  doctor,  Richard  Egan,  who  had  been  summoned  to  treat  Kelly  who  had 
been  wounded  in  the  prison  break ;  and  by  Arthur  Hunnicutt,  an  old  prospec- 
tor, who  innocently  stumbles  onto  the  scene. 

The  dramatic  impact  of  the  situation  is  intensified  by  the  fact  that  the 
army  is  setting  off  an  atomic  bomb  at  6 :00  o'clock  the  next  morning  and 
the  ghost  town  is  in  the  center  of  the  explosion  area.  It  is  planned  to  have 
the  doctor  remove  the  bullet  from  Kelly  before  the  explosion  so  that  an 
escape  can  be  made  before  the  zero  hour.  But,  because  of  weather  conditions, 
the  explosion  is  moved  up  an  hour.  In  a  mad  rush  to  escape  the  blast, 
Miss  Smith,  McNally  and  Kelly  are  killed,  while  the  others  manage  to  find 
refuge  in  an  abandoned  mine  and  are  saved. 

McNally  as  the  ruthless  leader  of  the  killers  is  tops  in  his  role.  Miss  Smith 
does  a  fine  job  as  the  fickle  girl  who  tries  to  save  her  own  hide  by  making  a 
play  for  her  captor.  Miss  Sterling,  Kelly,  Andes,  Hunnicutt,  Paige  and  Egan 
give  convincing  portrayals  of  their  assignments.  And  DeKova,  who  plays  the 
role  of  a  mute,  is  adequate  without  benefit  of  speaking  lines. 

Produced  by  Edmund  Grainger,  Powell  directed  from  a 
William  Bowers  and  Irving  Wallace. 

Running  time,  85  minutes.   General  audience  classification. 
June  18. 


screenplay  by 


Release  date, 
Al  Steen 


The  System" 

(Warner  Brothers)  Hollywood,  March  18 

WHEN  the  good  Senator  Estes  Kefauver  explored  the  racket  industry 
on  unsponsored  television  under  the  shelter  of  Congressional  immunity, 
the  bottom  fell  completely  out  of  the  ancient  and  usually  profitable  business  of 
making  movies  about  rackets  and  racketeers.  Because  no  producer,  not  even 
the  experienced  and  resourceful  Sam  Bischoff,  can  be  expected  to  come  up 
with  a  fictional  representation  of  racketeering  remotely  competitive  with 
Kefauver's  factual  one.  So  the  picture  he  managed  to  put  together  here, 
working  within  limitations  and  restrictions  imposed  by  the  nature  of  the  sub- 
ject and  the  conventions  of  screen  entertainment,  is  no  challenge  to  the 
Kefauver  production  on  any  count. 

The  racketeer,  played  by  Frank  Lovejoy,  has  been  conducting  the  rackets 
in  his  unnamed  city  for  20  profitable  years,  with  everybody  knowing  all  about 
him  and  how  he  operates.  But  when  a  newspaper  reporter  who  has  been  the 
racketeer's  friend  since  boyhood,  and  whose  son  is  the  racketeer's  son's  pal, 
persuades  his  publisher  to  okay  a  series  of  articles  exposing  the  local  racket 
setup,  the  racketeer  tries  to  deal  his  way  out  of  the  situation  via  a  proposi- 
tion to  the  publisher,  whose  daughter  he  is  romancing  at  the  time.  After  this 
the  story  gets  more  and  more  complicated,  and  there's  a  murder,  a  suicide, 
a_  (state)  senate  investigation,  some  perjury  and  lesser  infractions,  before  the 
picture  ends  with  the  gangster  leaving  town  on  a  train  which  may  be  taking 
him  to  jail,  although  this  isn't  stated,  for  a  spell  which  the  publisher's 
daughter  says  she'll  wait  through  for  his  return. 

The  writers— screenplay  by  Jo  Eisinger,  story  by  Edith  and  Samuel  Graf- 
ton— appear  to  have  worked  in  mittens,  and  the  director,  Lewis  Seiler  blind- 
folded. 

Players  surrounding  Lovejoy  in  the  picture  are  Joan  Weldon,  Bob  Arthur, 
Paul  Picerni,  Donald  Beddoe,  Jerome  Cowan,  Dan  Seymour,  Sara  Selby,  Fay 
Roope,  Frank  Richards,  Victor  Perrin,  Henry  Corden,  Howard  Negley,  Al 
Gordon,  Bruno  Vesota  and  Richard  Garrick. 

Running  time.  87  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
April  18.  William  R.  Weaver 


34  Films  Before 
Cameras  on  Coast 


Hollywood,  March  18. — With  eight 
new  pictures  going  before  the  cameras, 
and  eight  pictures  finishing,  the  pro- 
duction chart  showed  a  total  of  34 
again  this  week. 

Started  were  :  "Bowery  Knights," 
Allied  Artists  ;  "The  Diamond  Queen" 
(Melford  Productions,  Warner  re- 
lease), Independent;  "The  Champ 
from  Brooklyn,"  Republic ;  "Vickie" 
and  "How  to  Marry  A  Millionaire" 
(CinemaScope).    20th  Century-Fox; 


"Brady's  Bunch"  and  "Three  Were 
Renegades,"  Universal-International ; 
"Riding  Shotgun,"  Warner  Brothers. 

Completed  were:  "The  3-D  Fol- 
lies" (Stereo-Cine),  "Donovan's 
Brain"  (Dowling  Productions), 
"Island  in  the  Sky"  (Wayne-Fellows, 
Warner  release),  and  "Jennifer" 
(Threefellows  Productions),  Indepen- 
dent ;  "All  the  Brothers  Were  Valiant" 
and  "Mogambo,"  Metro-Goldwyn- 
Mayer;  "The  Marines  Have  a  Word 
for  It"  and  "The  Eddie  Cantor  Story," 
Warner  Brothers. 


March  is  American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Money  in  the  bank  for  Lili- 

Seventeen's  April  Picture  of  the  Month 


Teens  want  musicals,  drama,  comedy.  So  when  a 
movie  like  Lili  comes  along  teens  move  quick.  And 
when  Seventeen  singles  it  out  they  doubletime  to 
the  box  office. 

Teen  business  is  big  business.  Teens  go  twice  as 
much  as  older  people  and  they  never  go  alone. 
Teens  with  their  dates,  their  "crowd"  or  families 
add  up  to  plenty  tickets  sold. 

Month  after  month  Seventeen  builds  admissions  with 
award  winners.  And  backs  exhibitors  with  free 
Seventeen  display  material.  We're  doing  it  in 
April  for 

starring 
Leslie  Caron 
Mel  Ferrer  •  Jean  Pierre  Aumont 
Zsa  Zsa  Gabor  •  Kurt  Kasznar 
An  MGM  Picture  •  Color  by  Technicolor 

seventeen 

Entertainment  Magazine  For  Young  Women  In  Their  Teens 


.  : : :::: : : 


SB 


^1 0  W you  #?n  get 

expendable  3-D  9"« 
that  are  adjustable! 


£  Form-fitting  adjustment  for  men, 
women  and  children  whether  they 
wear  eyeglasses  or  not.  No  more  jig- 
gling, fiddling  or  discomfort! 

||  Sensational  new  fabric-covered  ear- 
pieces! Eliminates  the  irritation  of  stiff 
paper  or  cardboard  around  the  ears! 


•  Large  polarized  lenses  with  light 
density  specified  by  studio  optical 
departments  as  ideal  for  better,  more 
comfortable  viewing! 

#  Huge  production  facilities  have 
been  set  up  to  take  care  of  all  industry 
requirements.  Delivery  will  commence 
on  May  15th. 


ORDER  NOW!  A  prompt  order  will  reserve  your 
POLALBTE  glasses  and  insure  delivery  for  your  future  dates! 


Orders  Now  Being  Taken  At 
All  Of  These  National  Film 
Service  Affiliates. 

CLARK  FILM  DISTRIBUTORS,  Inc. 
Albany  4,  N.  Y. 

BENTON  FILM  FORWARDING  Co. 

Atlanta  3,  Ga. 

FILM  EXCHANGE  TRANSFER  CO.,  INC. 
Boston  16,  Mass. 

CLARK  FILM  DISTRIBUTORS,  Inc. 
Buffalo  2,  N.  Y. 

CLARK  FILM  DISTRIBUTORS,  Inc. 
Butte,  Montana 

CAROLINA  DELIVERY  SERVICE,  INC. 

Charlotte  1 ,  N.  C. 

CLARK  FILM  DISTRIBUTORS,  Inc. 

Chicago  5,  III. 

STATES  FILM  SERVICE,  Inc. 

Cincinnati  1 0,  Ohio 

STATES  FILM  SERVICE,  Inc. 
Cleveland  14,  Ohio 

LIBERTY  FILM  SERVICE 

Dallas  1 ,  Texas 

DENVER  SHIPPING  &  INSPEC.  BUREAU 

Denver  1 ,  Colorado 

IOWA  FILM  DEPOT 
Des  Moines,  Iowa 

NATIONAL  FILM  SERVICE,  Inc. 
Detroit  1 ,  Michigan 

STATES  FILM  SERVICE,  Inc. 
Indianapolis  4,  Ind. 

BENTON  FILM  FORWARDING  Co. 

Jacksonville,  Fla. 

CENTRAL  SHIPPING  &  INSPEC.  BUREAU 

Kansas  City  8,  Mo. 

GILBOY  COMPANY  OF  LOS  ANGELES 

Los  Angeles  7,  Calif. 

MEMPHIS  FILM  SERVICE,  INC. 
Memphis,  Tenn. 

FILM  SERVICE,  INC. 
Milwaukee  3,  Wise. 

INDEPENDENT  FILM  SERVICE,  Inc. 

Minneapolis  3,  Minn. 

NEW  HAVEN  FILM  SERVICE 
New  Haven,  Conn. 

FILM  INSPECTION  SERVICE,  Inc. 
New  Orleans,  La. 

BONDED  FILM  DISTRIBUTORS,  Inc. 

New  York  36,  N.  Y. 

OKLA.  CITY  SHIPPING  &  INSPEC.  BUR. 

Oklahoma  City,  Okla. 

FILM  TRANSPORT  CO. 
Omaha  2,  Nebr. 

HIGHWAY  EXPRESS  LINES,  INC. 
Philadelphia  7,  Pa. 

PITTSBURGH  FILM  SERVICE 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

PORTLAND  NATIONAL  FILM  SERVICE 
Portland  9,  Oregon 

HARRY  KAHAN  FILM  DIST.  INC. 

St.  Louis  3,  Mo. 

CLARK  FILM  DISTRIBUTORS,  Inc. 
Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah 

GILBOY  COMPANY 

San  Francisco  9,  Calif. 

SEATTLE  NATIONAL  FILM  SERVICE 
Seattle  1,  Wash. 

HIGHWAY  EXPRESS  LINES,  INC. 
Washington  1,  D.  C. 


NATIONAL  FILM  SERVICE 

630  Ninth  Ave.,  New  York  36,  N.  Y. 


The  nation's  largest  deliverer  of  these  f^ii/^i  now  becomes  the  largest  deliverer  of  these 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  73.    NO.  54 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  20,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


700  Ordered 
CinemaScope 
Sight  Unseen 

1,500  Theatres  Will  Have 
It  in  '53:  Skouras 


By  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 

Hollywood,  March  19. — Nearly  700 
exhibitors,  none  of  whom  had  wit- 
nessed a  demonstration  of  Cinema- 
Scope,  have  placed  orders  for  equip- 
ment for  the  large  screen,  stereophonic 
sound  system,  Spyros  Skouras,  presi- 
dent of  20th  Century-Fox,  said  last 
night,  answering  questions  put  by  lay 
press  reporters  following  a  Cinema- 
Scope  demonstration. 

Leading  exhibitors  from  all  parts  of 
the  country  are  here  to  see  the  dem- 
onstration, being  given  for  them  today 
and  tomorrow. 

Skouras  said  he  expects  there  will 
be  enough  CinemaScope  equipment 
available  for  1,000  theatres  in  this 
country  and  500  abroad  by  the  end 
of  this  year,  and  that  it  should  be 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Ackery,  Harrison 
Again  Win  Top  QP 
Showmen  Awards 


(Pictures  on  page  6) 

The  domestic  winners  in  the  19th 
annual  Quigley  Grand  Awards  for 
showmanship  repeated  previous 
achievements  by  taking  the  top  honors 
for  a  second  time.  Ivan  Ackery,  man- 
ager of  the  Orpheum  Theatre  of  the 
Famous  Players-Canadian  circuit  in 
Vancouver,  13.  C,  is  the  recipient  of 
this  year's  award  for  large  situations. 
Ackery  won  the  plaque  also  in  1946. 
J.  P.  Harrison,  manager  of  the  Cam- 
pus Theatre  in  Denton,  Tex.,  for  the 
Interstate  Circuit,  won  this  year's 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Enter  Bill  to  Repeal 
Ohio  Censor  Statute 


Columbus,  March  19. — A  bill  call- 
ing for  the  repeal  in  its  entirety  of 
Ohio's  motion  picture  censorship 
statute  was  introduced  in  the  legis- 
lature here  today  bv  Senator  Charles 
A.  Mosher,  Republican  of  Overland. 
If  enacted,  the  repeal  would  be  effec- 
tive next  Oct.  2. 

It  is  expected  that  a  hearing  on  the 
bill  may  be  held  in  about  three  weeks. 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


A  cademy  A  wards  for  1 952 

BEST  PICTURE 

"The  Greatest  Show  on  Earth,"  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  producer,  Para- 
mount. 

BEST  PERFORMANCES 
Actor — Gary  Cooper  in  "High  Noon,"  Stanley  Kramer  Productions, 
United  Artists. 

Actress — Shirley  Booth  in  "Come  Back  Little  Sheba,"  Hal  Wallis, 
Paramount. 

Supporting  Actor — Anthony  Quinn  in  "Viva  Zapata!,"  20th  Century- 
Fox. 

Supporting  Actress — Gloria  Grahame  in  "The  Bad  and  the  Beauti- 
ful," M-G-M. 

BEST  DIRECTION 

"The  Quiet  Man,"  Argosy  Pictures  Corp.,  Republic.  John  Ford. 

BEST  WRITING 

Story—  "The  Greatest  Show  on  Earth,"  Frederic  M.  Frank,  Theodore 

St.  John  and  Frank  Cavett. 
Screenplay— 'The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  M-G-M.  Charles  Schnee. 
Story  and  Screenplay — "The  Lavender  Hill  Mob,"  a  J.  Arthur  Rank 

Presentation — Ealing  Studios,  Universal,  T.  E.  B.  Clarke. 

BEST  ART  DIRECTION 
Black-and-White— "The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  M-G-M.  Cedric 

Gibbons  and  Edward  Carfagno. 
Color — "Moulin   Rouge,"   Romulus    Films,   United   Artists.  Paul 
Sheriff. 

BEST  CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Black-and-White— "The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  M-G-M.  Robert 
Surtees. 

Color — "The  Quiet  Man,"  Argosy  Pictures  Corp.,  Republic.  Winton 
C.  Hoch  and  Archie  Stoute. 

BEST  COSTUME  DESIGNS 
Blcck-and-W lute— "The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  M-G-M.  Helen 
Rose. 

Color — "Moulin  Rouge,"  Romulus  Films.    Marcel  Vertes. 

BEST  FILM  EDITING 

"High  Noon,"  Stanley  Kramer  Productions.  Elmo  Williams  and 
Harry  Gerstad. 

BEST  SOUND 

'  Breaking  the  Sound  Barrier,"  London  Films,  United  Artists. 

BEST  MUSICAL  ACHIEVEMENTS 

Scoring  of  a  Musical— 'With  a  Song  in  My  Heart,"  20th  Century- 
Fox.  Alfred  Newman. 

Dramatic  or  Comedy  Film  Score — "High  Noon,"  Stanley  Kramer 
Productions.  Dimitri  Tiomkin. 

Song— "High  Noon  (Do  Not  Forsake  Me,  Oh,  My  Darlin')"  from 
"High  Noon,"  Stanley  Kramer  Productions.  Music  by  Dimitri 
Tiomkin.  Lyrics  by  Ned  Washington. 

BEST  SHORT  SUBIECTS 
Cartoon — "Johann  Mouse,"  M-G-M.  Fred  Quimby,  producer. 
One-Reel — "Light  in  the  Window,"  Art  Films  Productions,  20th 

Century-Fox.  Boris  Vermont,  producer. 
Two-Reel— "Water  Birds,"  Walt  Disney  Productions,  RKO  Radio. 

BEST  DOCUMENTARIES 
Short  Subjects — "Neighbours,"  National  Film  Board  of  Canada, 
Arthur  Mayer-Edward  Kingsley,  Inc.  Norman  McLaren,  producer. 
Feature — "The  Sea  Around  Us,"  RKO  Radio.  Irwin  Allen,  producer. 

SPECIAL  AWARDS 
Irving  G.  Thalberg  Memorial  Award:  To  Cecil  B.  DeMille. 
Special  Award  to  Bob  Hope. 

To  Harold  Lloyd  as  a  high  practitioner  of  comedy. 

To  Merian  C.  Cooper  as  an  industry  innovator. 

To  Joseph  M.  Schenck  as  a  production  pioneer. 

To  A.  Arnold  Gillespie  for  special  sets  on  "Plymouth  Adventure." 

To  George  Alfred  Mitchell  for  the  invention  of  the  Mitchell  Camera. 


Entertainment 
History  Made 
By  'Oscars'  TV 

Ceremonies  Seen,  Heard 
By  Estimated  60,000,000 

Hollywood,  March  19.  —  The 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts 
and  Sciences,  the  Radio  Corpora- 
tion of  America  and  the  National 
Broadcasting  Co.  tonight  largely 
levelled  barriers  between  the  motion 
picture,  television  and  radio  industries 
by  pooling  resources,  facilities  and 
talents  to  make  the  Academy's  25th 
annual  awards  presentation  available 
to  an  estimated  60,000,000  people. 

At  an  over-all  cost  expected  to  ex- 
ceed $250,000,  the  awards  presentation 
ceremonies  at  the  Pantages  Theatre 
here,  and-  at  the  International  Theatre 
in  New  York,  were  beamed  com- 
pletely and  in  detail  to  every  nook 
and  cranny  in  the  nation  that  is  wired 
for  sound  or  sight.    The  extent  to 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Academy  Aircasts 
Affected  the  West, 
Not  Eastern  Houses 


The  first  telecast  of  an  Academy 
Awards  presentation  ceremony,  on  67 
NBC-TV  stations  nationwide  last 
night,  as  expected,  affected  Western 
and  Midwestern  theatre  attendance 
mostly,  and  had  virtually  no  effect  on 
theatres  in  the  Eastern  time  zone 
where  it  was  not  on  the  air  until 
10:30  P.  M. 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  program 
was  available  on  190  radio  stations, 
as  well  as  TV,  for  a  potential  listen- 
ing and  viewing  audience  of  an  esti- 
(Contiuued  on  page  6) 


AmpaMakes  Sullivan 
A  'Life  Member' 


The  first  honorary  life  membership 
to  be  presented  in  11  years  by  Asso- 
ciated Motion  Picture  Advertisers  was 
bestowed  by  AM  PA  here  yesterday 
on  Ed  Sullivan  for  his  cooperation 
with  the  film  business  in  his  "Toast 
of  the  Town"  CBS-TV  program.  The 
New  York  Daily  News  columnist  was 
the  12th  person  to  receive  such  an 
honor  in  the  37  years  of  the  associa- 
tion's existence. 

The  luncheon  meeting  yesterday  at 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


2 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY 


Friday,  March  20,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


PDWARD  L.  HYMAN,  AB-PT 
vice-president,  accompanied  by 
Max  Fellerman,  will  be  in  Phila- 
delphia from  here  on  Wednesday  and 
Thursday. 

• 

B.  G.  Kranze,  United  Artists  gen- 
eral sales  manager,  became  a  grand- 
father again  with  the  birth  of  a  girl, 
Hillary  Jane,  to  Mrs.  Donald 
Kranze  at  Women's  Hospital  here 
on  Monday. 

• 

Neal  East,  Paramount  exchange 
manager  in  San  Francisco,  was  mar- 
ried Sunday  at  Virginia  City  to  Milda 
Major,  former  secretary  to  Fox  West 
Coast  head  booker,  George  Milner. 
• 

Jack  A.  Sanson,  Manchester, 
Conn.,  city  manager  for  Warner 
Brothers  Circuit  Management  Corp., 
has  been  elected  president  of  that 
city's  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
• 

Ira  Meinhardt  has  been  appointed 
by  the  New  York  Variety  Club  to 
represent  it  on  the  international  organ- 
ization's "On  to  the  Convention"  com- 
mittee. 

Roger  Langton  has  resigned  as 
publicity  chief  for  the  Florida  State 
Theatre  in  Jacksonville,  to  join 
WMBR-TV  in  that  city. 

• 

Joe  Longo,  RKO  Radio  exploita- 
tion man  in  Cleveland,  has  been  trans- 
ferred to  Boston. 

• 

William  Douglas  of  Benton  Film 
Express    in    Atlanta    announces  the 
birth  of  a  daughter  to  Mrs.  Douglas. 
• 

Max  Stepping,  M-G-M  booker  in 
Jacksonville,  announces  the  birth  of 
a  girl  to  Mrs.  Stepping. 

• 

James  V.  Frew,  Universal  South- 
ern district  manager,  has  returned  to 
Atlanta  from  Florida. 

• 

Richard  Thorpe,  M-G-M  director, 
will  arrive  here  from  the  Coast  on 
March  28. 


'XF  Quarterly  Gross 
Up  to  $15,526,975 

Washington,  March  19. — Consoli- 
dated world  gross  sales  of  Universal 
Pictures  for  the  first  quarter  of  the 
fiscal  year  ended  Jan.  31,  1953, 
amounted  to  $15,526,975,  according  to 
the  country's  report  to  the  Securities 
and  Exchange  Commission.  This 
compares  with  $13,426,766  for  the 
first  quarter  of  the  last  fiscal  year. 

The  report  points  out  that  gross 
sales  include  gross  revenue  from  for- 
eign countries  having  exchange  re- 
strictions only  to  the  extent  that  the 
net  earnings  resulting  therefrom  have 
been  or  can  be  realized  in  United 
States  dollars,  regardless  of  the  period 
or  periods  in  which  such  gross  rev- 
enue may  have  been  earned  in  those 
countries.  Excise  taxes  are  not  in- 
cluded in  gross  sales. 


Another  Test  of 
Theatre  TV  Held 

Another  test  for  Saturday's  off-hour 
educational  theatre  TV  program  was 
held  here  yesterday  in  the  New  York 
Paramount,  RKO  Fordham  and 
Fabian's  Fox  theatres. 

The  preparatory  test  was  seen  by  a 
group  of  technicians  and  circuit  TV 
executives  who  viewed  the  picture 
pattern  in  the  three  theatres.  Today, 
a  partial  dress  rehearsal  of  the  one- 
hour  show  will  be  conducted  from  the 
TV  studios  of  American  Broadcasting 
and  will  be  seen  in  the  Hudson  Thea- 
tre. The  show  will  be  seen  in  six 
New  York  theatres  and  one  New 
Jersey  house  beginning  at  10  :00  A..M. 


Industry  Hits  ATT's 
Position  Before  FCC 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  19. — The  Motion  Picture  Association  of  America 
and  the  National  Exhibitors  Theatre  Television  Committee  today  charged 
that  the  American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company's  opposition  to 
the  industry's  request  for  theatre  television  authority  stems  from  a  desire 
to  keep  all  the  business  for  itself. 

The  two  groups  filed  a  statement 
with  the  Federal  Communications 
Commission  in  answer  to  A.  T.  and 
T.'s  statement  opposing  the  industry  s 
proposed  compromise  solution  of  the 
theatre  television  proceedings.  MPAA 
and  NETTC  denied  A.  T.  and  T.'s 
charge  that  the  industry  was  seeking 
"preferential  ability  to  perform  the 
service  required  by  theatre  television 
interests." 

The  industry  compromise  suggested 
that  the  FCC  authorize  a  special 
theatre  TV  common  carrier,  using  the 
regular  common  carrier  frequencies, 
and  coupled  this  with  a  policy  state- 
ment that  existing  common  carriers 
cooperate  with  the  new  theatre  TV 
carrier  in  using  the  band.  A.  T.  and 
T.  opposed  this  suggestion  in  a  state- 
ment filed  last  week. 

There  has  been  no  indication  as  to 
when  the  Commission  may  rule  on 
the  matter,  but  a  decision  is  unlikely 
before  late  next  week  at  the  earliest. 

The  MPAA-NETTC  statement 
started  off  by  denying  the  A.  T.(and 
T.  charge  that  the  industry  seeks  '  pre- 
ferential treatment"  and  characterizing 
this  as  a  "straw  man"  set  up  by  the 
telephone  company.  The  industry 
groups  declared  that  there  is  nothing 
in  the  compromise  plan  or  in  the  hear- 
ings to  date  to  support  such  a  charge. 

The  MPAA-NETTC  statement 
also  denied  A.  T.  and  T.  claims 
that  the  phone  companies  can 
furnish  adequate  theatre  TV 
service  and  that  this  policy 
would  bring  economies  and  effi- 
ciencies to  the  public.  "The 
allegations  made  in  support  of 
the  above  argument,"  the  Com- 
mission was  told,  "do  reveal,  if 
there  has  been  any  doubt,  the 
philosophy  underlying  the  tele- 
phone company's  position,  name- 
ly, that  no  restricted  or  limited 
common  carrier,  or  for  that 
matter  no  carrier  of  any  de- 
scription, other  than  the  tele- 
phone company,  should  be  au- 
thorized to  furnish  a  theatre 
television  transmission  service." 

"The  telephone  companies  may  well 
be  qualified  to  furnish  a  theatre  tele- 
vision transmission  service,"  the 
MPAA-NETTC  statement  said.  "That 
is  not  the  basic  issue.  The  fact  is  that 
they  have  not  in  the  past  furnished, 
either  in  quantity  or  quality,  service 
sufficient  to  meet  the  industry's  mini- 
mum requirements.  The  fact  is  also 
that  it  was  not  until  the  pressures  of 
this  proceeding  forced  the  issue  that 
the  telephone  company  indicated,  even 
as  vaguely  as  it  now  speaks,  when, 
where  and  how  soon  it  could  furnish 
the  service  desired  in  any  quantity. 

"Moreover,  the  cost  information 
which  it  has  furnished  to  date  affords 
no  reliable  indication  of  what  charges 
will  be  proposed.  The  only  way  in 
which  the  record  now  shows  the  al-  industry's    compromise    proposal,  it 


leged  ability  of  the  telephone  com- 
pany to  furnish  the  required  service 
is  in  the  testimony  of  company  wit- 
nesses to  the  effect  that  they  know 
how  to  do  the  job  and  that  they  will 
do  it  if  requested. 

"This  testimony,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  is  entitled  to  little,  if 
any,  weight,  since  it  has  not 
been  subjected  to  cross-exami- 
nation and  rebuttal  testimony 
has  not  been  heard.  Likewise, 
the  alleged  advantages  of  the 
general  common  carriers  fur- 
nishing the  service  are  argu- 
mentative and  have  not  been 
tested  through  cross-examina- 
tion. 

"Finally,  it  must  be  pointed  out  in 
this  connection  that,  in  addition  to  its 
persistent  refusal  to  recognize  the  re- 
quirements of  the  theatre  television 
industry,  either  as  to  quantity  or  qual- 
ity of  facilities,  a  further  factor  bear- 
ing on  the  telephone  company's  in- 
ability currently  to  meet  theatre  tele- 
vision requirements,  even  with  the 
technically  inadequate  service  which 
it  offers,  is  the  demands  of  the  broad- 
cast _  industry  for  broadcast  network 
service.  Certainly,  in  view  of  the  large 
number  of  new  television  stations 
coming  on  the  air  and  the  consequent 
increased  network  requirements,  there 
is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  tele- 
phone company  can  provide  for  the 
development  of  a  theatre  television 
service  requiring  channels  of  more 
than  double  the  bandwidth  of  the 
broadcast  network  channels." 


See  TNT's  Position 
Aiding  Industry  Case 

The  recent  petition  filed  by  Nathan 
Halpern,  president  of  Theatre  Net- 
work Television  with  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  was  seen 
in  trade  quarters  yesterday  as 
strengthening  the  industry's  theatre 
TV  case. 

It  was  pointed  out  that  although 
TNT  stated  its  reservations  about  the 


'Better  Theatres 
Guide'  Published 

The  1953  Better  Theatres 
Guide  is  published  with  the 
current  issue  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Herald  as  Section  Two. 
It  makes  available  in  a  single 
volume,  facts,  ideas  and  data 
of  lasting  value  published  in 
the  preceding  12  regular 
monthly  issues  of  Better 
Theatres.  This  material  is 
presented  by  topical  classifi- 
cation for  convenient  refer- 
ence. 

Additionally,  the  Guide  con- 
tains Catalog  Data  pages  giv- 
ing model  types  and  other 
specifications  of  leading  lines 
of  equipment,  materials  and 
supplies  —  information  avail- 
able in  no  other  publication 
—  for  the  convenience  of 
theatre  owners,  circuit  execu- 
tives, their  purchasing  agents, 
and  others. 


Columbia  Directors 
Reelect  Officers 

All  officers  of  Columbia  Pictures 
were  reelected  at  a  recent  meeting  of 
the  board  of  directors. 

Reelected  were  Harry  Cohn,  presi- 
dent ;  Jack  Cohn,  executive  vice-presi- 
dent ;  A.  Schneider,  vice-president  and 
treasurer ;  A.  Montague,  N.  B.  Spin- 
gold,  B.  B.  Kahane,  J.  A.  McConville 
and  Louis  Barbano,  vice-presidents, 
and  Charles  Schwartz,  secretary. 


did  not  oppose  such  a  solution,  but 
urged  the  FCC  to  continue  hearings 
so  that  more  than  the  technical  phase 
of  the  industry's  petition  could  be 
heard. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


Rockefeller  Center 


"THE  STORY  OF  THREE  LOVES" 


James 
MASON 


Farley 
GRANGER 


Kirk 
DOUGLAS 

PierANGELI  MoiraSHEARER  LeslieCARON  |j 
An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


STARTS  TOMORROW 

I Alfred  Hitchcock's 
Confess 

MONTGOMERY  CLIFT 

anne  BAXTER  j 


Midnight  Featur* 


BECAUSE  WE 
KNOW  IT'S  SO 


WE  KEEP  ON 
SAYING  . . , 


FILMACK  GIVES  YOU  MORE  SHOW- 
MANSHIP PER  DOLLAR  AND  THE 
FASTEST  SPECIAL  TRAILER  SERVICE 
IN  THE  WORLD. 

r 


FILMACK  _ 
TRAILERS  £ 


630  NINTH  AVENUE.  HEW  YORK 


MOTION  PICTURE  DALLY.  Martin  Ouigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing- ' Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunning-ham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WT;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quig-pubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
pf  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


If  TAKES  P 


We  couldn't  have  done  it  without  you. 


"You"  are  the  15,000  exhibitors  who  helped 
the  Allied  Artists  sales  force  break  all  records  during 
our  13-week  MOREY  "RAZZ"  GOLDSTEIN  DRIVE. 

And  the  outstanding  results  on  pictures  like 
"Flat  Top,"  "Hiawatha,"  "Battle  Zone"  and  "Torpedo  Alley" 
are  proof  that  the  new  Allied  Artists  has  provided  showmen 
with  a  vital  source  of  boxoffice  product. 

We're  happy  to  report  that  newly  completed  films 
now  on  their  way  to  you  will  maintain  this  high  standard 
and  continue  our  profitable  partnership. 


It  takes  two  to  tango! 


Walter  Wanger's 

FORT 
VENGEANCE 

starring 

JAMES  CRAIG 

with   Keith  Larsen 
Rita  Moreno 


SON  OF 
BELLE  STARR 

starring 

KEITH  LARSEN 

with  Dona  Drake  •  Peggie  Castle 

Produced  by 
Peter  Scully 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  20,  1953 


1,422  U.K.  Theatres 
Failed  to  Meet 
'52  Feature  Quota 


London,  March  19. — The  Board  of 
Trade  report  on  exhibitors'  perform- 
ance of  1952  quota  requirements  re- 
veals that  1,422  theatres  were  given 
quota  relief  in  varying"  proportions  on 
lirst  features.  The  relief  granted 
brought  the  first  feature  quota  aver- 
age down  to  25.5  per  cent  from  the 
statutory  30  per  cent. 

The  nationwide  average  for  sup- 
porting programs  was  24  per  cent, 
compared  with  the  statutory  25  per 
cent  for  that  class. 

The  number  of  theatres  which  met 
or  exceeded  their  quota  for  first  fea- 
tures was  3,140,  or  75  per  cent.  The 
average  quotas  achieved  by  the  three 
major  circuits — Odeon,  Gaumont- 
British  and  Associated  British  Cine- 
mas— which  are  not  eligible  for  quota 
relief,  was  32.5  per  cent  for  first  fea- 
tures and  29.5  for  supporting  pro- 
grams. 


Jersey  Censor  Bill 
Passes  Assembly 

Trenton,  March  19. — The  bill  to 
give  New  Jersey  municipalities  the 
right  to  censor  films  has  been  passed 
by  the  Assembly  and  sent  to  the  Sen- 
ate. The  measure  would  allow  mu- 
nicipalities to  adopt  ordinances  gov- 
erning and  regulating  the  showing  of 
any  film,  exhibition  or  performance 
affecting  the  community's  welfare  and 
morals. 


Sullivan 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  Piccadilly  Hotel  was  sprayed  with 
good-natured  kidding  regarding  the 
alleged  competitive  factors  between 
the  two  media.  But  Sullivan  in  his 
speech  said  he  never  believed  there 
was  any  conflict  between  films  and  TV 
and  that  he  "never  subscribed  to  the 
belief  that  one  medium  would  kill  off 
another  if  they  both  worked  together." 

Paul  Lazarus,  Columbia  Pictures 
executive,  introduced  Sullivan  and  in 
his  preface  remarks  referred  to'  him 
as  the  man  who  had  "done  the  most 
to  kill  off  Sunday  night  movie  audi- 
ences." He  also  described  Sullivan  as 
the  person  who  had  gone  further  with 
a  straight  face  than  anyone  in  tele- 
vision. Lazarus  said  he  endorsed  the 
move  by  20th-Fox  and  M-G-M  in 
tying  in  with  the  Sullivan  show  be- 
cause the  idea  had  worked  very  well 
for  Columbia. 

George  Ettinger  of  Columbia  Pic- 
tures was  chairman  of  the  meeting. 
AMPA  president  Harry  McWilliams 
made  the  presentation  of  the  life  mem- 
bership scroll,  which  had  been  pre- 
pared by  Vincent  Trotta. 

Also  on  the  dais  were  Edgar  Goth, 
Fabian  Circuit ;  Hubbell  Robinson, 
Jr.,  CBS-TV;  Lige  Brien,  United 
Artists ;  Dwight  Mills,  Kenyon  and 
Eckhart  Advertising ;  Howard  Dietz, 
M-G-M ;  Joe  Lewis,  Lincoln-Mer- 
cury ;  Roberta  Peters  and  Trotta. 

McWilliams  announced  that  Arthur 
Mayer,  theatre  executive  and  author 
of  "Merely  Colossal,"  would  be  honor 
guest  at  AMPA's  next  luncheon-meet- 
ing on  April  9.  Si  Seadler  of  M-G-M 
will  be  chairman. 


23rd  III.  Allied  Meet 
In  Chicago  Tuesday 

Chicago,  March  19.— Allied 
Theatres  of  Illinois'  23rd 
annual  meeting  and  election 
of  officers  will  be  held  at  a 
luncheon  on  Tuesday  in  the 
Blackstone  Hotel  here.  Jack 
Kirsch,  Illinois  Allied  presi- 
dent, will  report  to  the  mem- 
bers on  the  CinemaScope 
demonstration,  as  well  as  on 
Allied  activities. 


Brandt  Cites  20% 
Tax  Hardships 

Washington,  March  19.  —  Rep. 
Celler  (D.,  N.  Y.)  today  put  into  the 
Congressional  Record  a  letter  from 
Harry  Brandt,  president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  Association 
of  New  York,  citing  "the  hardship 
placed  on  motion  picture  theatres  by 
the  20  per  cent  Federal  admission 
tax."  In  his  letter,  Brandt  said  that 
conditions  had  worsened  steadily  in 
recent  months. 


Ohio  Censor  Law 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


There  is  a  probability  that  it  will  be 
referred  to  the  state  education  com- 
mittee, of  which  Sen.  Mosher  is 
chairman. 

The  Ohio  legislature  will  continue 
in  session  for  perhaps  another  three 
months,  which  leaves  ample  time  for 
action  on  the  measure. 


Explains  Billings 
For  Trade  Shows 


Although  Theatre  Owners  of  Amer- 
ica's trade  show  will  be  combined  with 
that  of  the  Theatre  Equipment  and 
Supply  Manufacturers  Association  at 
TOA's  annual  convention  in  Novem- 
ber, neither  show  will  be  absorbed  by 
the  other.  Dick  Pitts  of  the  New  York 
TOA  office  yesterday  sought  to  clarify 
confusion  as  to  phraseology  over  the 
combine  by  making  the  following 
statement : 

"TOA  prefers  :  '1953  TOA  Conven- 
tion and  Trade  Show  combined  with 
the  annual  TESMA  Trade  Show.' 

"No  doubt  TESMA  will  prefer  its 
name  first,  'combined  with  the  annual 
TOA  Trade  Show'  in  its  releases. 

"Only  the  trade  shows  will  be  com- 
bined. The  conventions  will  be  held 
separately,  although  in  the  same  hotel, 
the  Conrad  Hilton,  in  Chicago,  Nov. 
1-5.  Neither  trade  show  is  being 
absorbed  by  the  other.  They  are 
merely  being  combined  into  what  we 
expect  will  be  the  greatest  trade  show 
in  the  history  of  exhibition." 

This  will  be  the  first  time  that 
TESMA  and  TOA  have  joined  in 
presenting  their  trade  shows. 


Paramount  Premiere 
In  Korea  Today 

Seoul,  Korea,  today  will  be  the 
scene  of  a  Hollywood-style  world  pre- 
miere when  Paramount's  "The  Girls 
of  Pleasure  Island"  is  shown  to  mem- 
bers of  the  United  National  Armed 
Forces  there  and  the  picture's  stars 
will  appear  in  person. 


Enthusiasm 


fills  10.500ii 


HAYWORTH 

STEWART 

GRANGER 


CHARLES  LAUGHTCl 

JUDITH  ANDERSON -SIR  CEDRIC  rlARDWIpi* 
BASIL  SYDNEY-  MAURICE  SCHWARTZ  j 
ARNOLD  MOSS  •  ALAN  BADEL 

AND  A  CAST  OF  THOUSANDS 


Salom 


it,  WILLIAM  OIEIERLE  •  a  seamen  cosrosm 


21 
111, 
str 


Americ4l\Weekli 


Friday,  March  20,  1953 


Motion  Picture  daily 


CinemaScope 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

possible  to  equip  1,000  a  month  there- 
after. 

Questioned  concerning  the  cost  of  in- 
stallations to  exhibitors,  Skouras  said 
that  would  vary  somewhat  in  accord- 
ance with  the  size  and  nature  of  in- 
dividual theatres,  but  that  mass  pro- 
duction will  make  it  possible  to  furnish 
all  equipment  in  each  case,  including 
stereophonic  sound,  for  less  than 
stereophonic  sound  alone  costs  now. 

Earl  I.  Sponable,  head  of  research 
for  20th-Fox,  told  a  questioner  that 
drive-ins  will  find  CinemaScope  not 
only  fully  practicable  but  vastly  bene- 
ficial. 

Most  rival  studio  executives  who 
viewed  CinemaScope  demonstrations 
here  yesterday  and  today  withheld 
comment,  in  many  cases  for  the  diplo- 
matic reason  that  their  own  studios 
are  working  on  other  processes. 
Among  those  who  did  comment  for 
publication,  and  their  reactions,  were : 

Milton  Gunzburg,  president  of 
Natural  Vision  Corp.,  declared,  "Cine- 
maScope offers  new  and  exciting  pos- 
sibilities in  film  entertainment.  It 
is  completely  compatible  with  3-D." 
Gunzburg  had  been  singled  out  from 
the  audience  at  this  afternoon's  dem- 
onstration of  CinemaScope  by  20th 
Century-Fox  president  Spyros 
Skouras,  who  introduced  him  as  the 
man  whose  efforts  had  started  the 
present  industry-wide  wave  of  tech- 
nological activity. 

Jerry  Wald,  executive  producer  for 
Columbia,  expressed  the  belief  that 
CinemaScope  represents  "the  greatest 


Approves  $50,000 
Trust  Law  Fine 

Washington,  March  19.— The 
full  House  Judiciary  Commit- 
tee today  approved  a  bill  to 
boost  from  $5,000  to  $50,000 
the  maximum  fine  for  violat- 
ing the  Sherman  anti-trust 
act. 


advancement  in  motion  pictures  since 
the  introduction  of  sound." 

Stanley  Kramer,  independent  pro- 
ducer, was  "very  impressed  and  very- 
excited  about  the  possibilities  of  this 
new  big  screen  medium." 

William  Goetz,  production  head  of 
Universal,  said :  "I  think  Cinema- 
Scope is  wonderful  and  that  it  will  be 
a  great  shot  in  the  arm  to  our  indus- 
try and  to  the  motion  picture  public. 
I  think  it  is  a  wonderful  form  for 
motion  pictures  even  though  some 
technical  problems  remain  to  be 
worked  out." 


Nearly  600  Exhibitors 

At  CinemaScope  Showings 

Hollywood,  March  19. — Nearly 
600  exhibitors  from  all  sections  of 
the  country  are  here  to  see  demonstra- 
tions of  20th  Century-Fox's  Cinema- 
Scope today  and  tomorrow.  Two 
showings  were  given  today,  at  2 :30 
and  5:00  P.M.  and  a  third  will  be- 
held tomorrow  at  10:30  A.M. 

In  addition  to  those  exhibitors 
whose  names  were  announced  earlier, 
the  following  also  are  here  for  the 
CinemaScope  unveiling : 

Kermit  Stengel,  Crescent  Amuse- 
ment Co.,  Nashville;  George  Stoney, 


12  Equipping  for 
WB's  House  of  Wax' 


Twelve  theatres  in  the  U.  S.  have 
already  begun  equipping  for  both 
three-dimension  projection  and  War- 
nerPhonic  sound  to  exhibit  Warner 
Brothers'  "House  of  Wax." 

Latest  to  start  installation  of  both 
3-D  projection  and  WarnerPhonic 
sound  is  the  Mastbaum,  Philadelphia. 
Others  in  process  of  being  equipped 
are  the  Paramount,  New  York;  War- 
ner, Washington ;  Stanley,  Pitts- 
burgh ;  Palace,  Fort  Worth ;  Texas, 
San  Antonio;  Majestic,  Houston; 
Majestic,  Dallas;  Paramount,  Los 
Angeles ;  Paramount,  Hollywood ; 
Balaban  and  Katz  Chicago,  Chicago; 
Fox,  St.  Louis. 

"House  of  Wax"  will  have  a  world 
premiere  at  the  New  York  Paramount 
on  April  10. 


Bijou  Amusement  Co.,  Nashville; 
Nash  Weil,  Wilby-Kincey  Circuit, 
Charlotte ;  Ed  Pettett,  Consolidated 
Theatres,  Charlotte ;  J.  C.  Tunstill 
and  W.  B.  Sockwell,  United  Theatres 
Corp.,  North  Little  Rock,  Arkansas ; 
and  C.  Hayward  Morgan,  Consoli- 
dated Theatres,  Greenville,  South 
Carolina. 

Also:  Otto  K.  Eitel,  Palace  The- 
atre, Chicago ;  Phil  Chakeres,  Cha- 
keres  Circuit,  Springfield,  Ohio ;  Jack 
Armstrong,  Carl  H.  Schwyn  Theatres, 
Bowling  Green,  Ohio ;  Studebaker  & 
Barnes,  Logan  Theatres,  Logansport, 
Indiana ;  Charlie  Wise,  Isley  Circuit, 
Dallas;  I.  B.  Adelman,  I.  B.  Adel- 
man  Theatres,  Dallas ;  and  Nathan 
Green,    Lensic   Theatres,    Santa  Fe, 


'Bwana'  Booked  at  2 
Chicago  Drive-ins 

Chicago,  March  19. — "Bwana 
Devil,"  which  starts  its  sub- 
sequent runs  here  March  27, 
has  been  booked  by  40  the- 
atres in  the  first  week.  Among 
those  scheduled  to  play  it  are 
the  Twin  and  Morton  Grove 
drive-ins,  the  first  outdoor 
theatres  in  this  section  of  the 
country  to  equip  for  3-D. 


New  Mexico. 

Also:  Charles  Gilmour,  Gibraltar 
Enterprises,  Denver;  John  J.  Hunter, 
Elko,  Nevada;  Frank  Wetsman  and 
Bill  Kaplan,  Cooperative  Theatres, 
Detroit;  Saul  Kornman,  Broadway 
Capitol  Theatre,  Detroit;  Gus  Metz- 
ger  and  William  Srere,  Metzger- 
Srere  Theatre,  Los  Angeles;  Harry 
L.  Rackin,  Exhibitors'  Service,  Los 
Angeles ;  Richard  Hamilton,  Alva- 
rado  Theatre,  Los  Angeles ;  M.  S. 
McCord,  United  Theatres  Corp., 
Memphis ;  Jack  Lovett,  Oregon  The- 
atre, Portland;  Clarence  Golder,  Civic 
Center  Theatre,  Great  Falls,  Mon- 
tana ;  Lee  Dibble,  Embassy  Theatre, 
San  Francisco;  Jerry  Zigmond,  San 
Francisco  Theatre,  San  Francisco ; 
Sherrill  Corwin,  United  Artists  The- 
atre, San  Francisco ;  J.  J.  Rosenfield, 
Favorite  Amusement  Co.,  Spokane ; 
Morris  Stein  and  K.  M.  Leach,  Fa- 
mous Players  Canadian  Corp.,  To- 
ronto ;  David  W.  Axler,  Premier  Op- 
erating Co.,  Toronto ;  J.  B.  Barron, 
Odeon  Circuit,  Calgary ;  and  E.  J. 
Chalub,  Carefree  Theatre,  West  Palm 
Beach,  Florida. 


Olivoli  Theatres  for  Columbia  Pictures! 


^ENTHUSIASM  is  interest  raised  to  a  buying  pitch. 
It's  the  unique  characteristic  of  The  AMERICAN 
WEEKLY  to  create  ENTHUSIASM  among  its  readers 


for  the  benefit  of  its  advertisers! 


'Salome"  premieres  at  the  Rivoli 
Theatre  on  March  24. 


cam  Weekly" 


21,000,000  enthusiastic  movie-goers  .  .  .  enough  to  fill  10,500 
theaters  as  large  as  the  Rivoli  in  New  York  City  .  .  .  will  see  this 
striking  ad  for  Columbia  Pictures'  magnificent  technicolor  pro- 
duction "Salome"  in  The  AMERICAN  WEEKLY,  March  22. 

'■^Enthusiasm! 


The  only  great 
national  magazine 
that  devotes  one 
complete  issue  each 
year  to  the  motion 
picture  industry,  in 
addition  to  regular 
editorial  coverage 
of  important  per- 
sonalities and  re- 
leases. 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  20,  1953 


Academy  Aircasts  Affected 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


History  Made 


{Continued  from  page  1) 

which  tonight's  cooperative  project 
may  reduce  the  competitive  antagon- 
ism between  the  theatrical  and  home 
media  remains  to  be  learned,  but  cer- 
tainly television  never  presented,  and 
never  can  present,  such  star-studded 
productions,  and  Hollywood  never 
played  before  to  such  an  enormous 
single  audience.  Entertainment  history 
was  made  tonight. 

All  the  awards  were  presented  in 
Hollywood  except  the  Best  Actress 
"Oscar,"  which  went  to  Shirley  Booth 
at  the  International  Theatre  in  N.  Y. 

In  addition  to  the  awards  listed  on 
the  front  page,  the  academy  made  the 
following  awards  for  scientific  and 
technical  achievements : 

Statuette  to  Eastman  Kodak  for 
Eastman  color  negative  and  Eastman 
color  print  films. 

Statuette  to  Ansco  Division,  Gen- 
eral Analine  and  Film  Corp.,  for 
Ansco  color  negative  and  Ansco  color 
print  film. 

Plaque  to  Technicolor  Motion  Pic- 
ture Corp.  for  improved  method  of 
color  motion  picture  photography 
under  incandescent  light. 

Honorable  Mention  —  Projection, 
research  and  still  departments  of 
M-G-M,  for  improved  method  of  pro- 
jecting photographic  backgrounds. 

Honorable  .  Mention  —  John  G. 
Frayne,  R.  R.  Scoville  and  Westrex 
Corp.  for  a  method  of  measuring  dis- 
tortion in  sound  reproduction. 

Honorable  Mention  —  Photo  Re- 
search Corp.  for  creating  a  spectra 
color  temperature  meter. 

Honorable  Mention — Gustav  Jirouch 
for  the  design  of  a  robot  automatic 
film  splicer. 

Honorable  Mention — Carlos  Rivas, 
M-G-M,  for  developing  a  sound  re- 
producer for  magnetic  film. 

Loew's  Managers  in 
N.  Y.  Area  Switched 

George  Powell,  formerly  of  Loew's 
Kameo,  Brooklyn,  has  been  trans- 
ferred to  the  Broadway,  Brooklyn. 
Paul  Swater,  formerly  of  the  Melba, 
recently  closed,  has  been  transferred 
to  the  Kameo.  Frank  Doherty,  for- 
merly of  the  Apollo,  also  closed,  is 
now  relieving  in  various  theatres. 

Mary  Chambers,  formerly  assistant 
manager  at  the  Coney  Island,  and 
Dorothy  Leavy,  former  assistant  at 
the  Warwick,  the  latter  closed,  are  re- 
lieving in  Brooklyn  theatres.  Angelina 
Spinella,  assistant,  who  has  been  re- 
lieving in  various  theatres,  has  re- 
turned to  the  Alpine,  Brooklyn.  Mar- 
guerite Lovering,  former  assistant  at 
the  Melba,  and  Mary  Hughes,  for- 
merly student  assistant  at  the  Apollo, 
will  relieve  in  Manhattan  and  Brook- 
lyn theatres. 


Adele  Weiss  Begins 
IFE  Division  Tour 

Adele  Weiss,  treasurer  of  the  I.F.E. 
Releasing  Corp.,  will  leave  here  today 
on  a  10-day  tour  of  the  company's 
division  offices  for  the  purpose  of 
inaugurating  a  uniform  system  of  re- 
ports and  records  especially  designed 
for  the  company. 

Miss  Weiss  will  be  in  the  Chicago 
office,  which  is  headed  by  Harry  Wal- 
ders,  from  tomorrow  through  Tues- 
day, and  will  spend  the  balance  of  next 
week  in  the  Cleveland  office  where 
Mark  Goldman  is  division  manager. 


mated  60,000,000,  the  overall  early  ef- 
fect on  theatre  business  nationally  was 
regarded  as  a  minor  one.  The  Far 
West,  where,  the  program  originated 
and  was  on  the  air  at  the  peak  thea- 
tre hours  of  7  :30  to  9:00  P.  M.,  nat- 
urally felt  the  competition  the  most, 
Motion  Picture  Daily  correspond- 
ents reported.  The  effects  were  pro- 
pressively  less  through  the  Midwest 
and  South  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 

In  New  York,  Broadway  and  neigh- 
borhood theatre  operators  reported  at- 
tendance about  normal  for  a  Thursday 
night  in  Lent — not  good  except  for 
outstanding  attractions  but  not  seri- 
ously off,  either. 

There  appeared  to  have  been  no 
organized  effort  by  theatres  anywhere 
to  promote  the  telecast  in  advance  as 
a  public  relations  contribution.  Neither 
was  there  any  noticeable  special  effort 
to  woo  the  public  away  from  the  TV 
program  and  into  theatres.  Promo- 
tional efforts  linked  to  the  Academy 
Awards  presentations  appeared  limited 
to  the  usual  advertising  and  exploita- 
tion of  contenders  for  Oscars,  whether 
picture,  actor  or  actress,  by  those  thea- 
tres which  happened  to  have  such  con- 
tenders on  their  programs. 

Some  areas  attributed  slow  business 
last  night  more  to  prevailing  adverse 
weather  than  to  the  Academy  telecast. 

Following  are  correspondents'  re- 
ports from  key  cities. 

Boston:  Due  to  a  sponsors'  con- 
flict, only  the  last  hour  of  the  hour 
and  one-half  Academy  Awards  pre- 
sentations program  was  brought  to 
this  area.  As  a  result,  the  program 
was  not  on  the  air  here  until  11 :00 
P.  M.,  (E.S.T.)  the  hour  at  which 
most  theatres  in  this  region  are 
emptied. 

Consequently,  though  first  runs 
were  below  average  in  most  spots 
with  the  exception  of  the  metropoli- 
tan first  night  of  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba,"  a  severe  rain  storm  which  de- 
serted the  streets  was  given  as  the 
reason  by  managers  rather  than  the 
academy  presentations. 

Milwaukee:  This  city's  only  TV 
channel,  WTMJ-TV,  did  not  carry 
the  telecast  of  the  Academy  Awards 
presentations  tonight.  The  program 
was  on  WTMJ  radio  from  9:30  to 
11:00  P.  M.  (C.S.T.)  and  had  no 
noticeable  effect  on  theatre  attendance 
in  the  area. 

Charlotte:  Theatres  here  ignored 
the  Academy  Awards  telecast  and 
broadcast  which  started  at  10  :30  P.  M. 
(E.S.T.)  and  consequently  had  no  ef- 
fect on  attendance.  The  Carolina 
Theatre,  at  which  "Come  Back  Little 
Sheba"  will  open  on  Monday,  adver- 
tised the  picture  as  an  Academy 
Award  contender. 

Cleveland:  Theatres  in  this  area 
and  throughout  most  of  Ohio  took  no 
cognizance  of  the  Academy  Awards 
television  and  radio  programs,  either 
to  contest  them  as  competition  or  to 
promote  them  as  public  relations 
boosters  for  the  industry. 

With  the  program  going  on  the 
air  at  10:30  P.  M.  (E.S.T.),  most 
exhibitors  felt  that  the  event  would 
have  only  a  limited  appeal  to  the 
minority  night-owl. 

Pittsburgh:  The  academy  awards 
ceremonies  had  little  effect  on  the 
Pittsburgh  box  offices  due  to  the 
three-hour  difference  in  time  between 
here  and  Los  Angeles.  Theatre  box- 
offices  closed  here  at  10  P.M.,  and 
radio  station  KDKA  didn't  start  the 


academy  show  until  10:30  P.M. 
WDTV,  Pittsburgh's  only  television 
station,  carried  only  a  portion  of  the 
show,  from  11:15  until  midnight. 
WJAC-TV  in  nearby  Johnstown  car- 
ried the  full  show,  but  most  Pitts- 
burghers  can't  get  good  reception. 

Local  theatres  have  done  nothing  to 
exploit  the  telecast. 

Kansas  City:  A  news  item  from 
Hollywood  in  the  morning  edition  of 
the  Kansas  City  Star  on  the  Academy 
Awards  was  followed  by  the  notice 
that  the  event  will  be  broadcast  by 
radio  station  WDAF  but  that  it  will 
not  be  seen  here  on  television.  No 
theatre  manager  or  operator,  so  far 
as  learned,  has  promoted  or  intends 
to  promote  the  award  event  tonight. 

Cincinnati:  There  was  no  theatre 
promotion  in  this  area  to  offset  the 
competition  of  the  "Oscar"  telecast, 
which  is  being  ignored  in  so  far  as 
theatres  are  concerned.  Business  was 
brisk  during  the  day  and  continued  so 
throughout  the  evening. 

Salt  Lake  City:  Intermountain 
Theatres,  Inc.,  bought  all  available 
time  on  both  sides  and  in  the  middle 
of  the  Academy  Award  telecast  on 
KDYL-TV  and  radio  tonight  and  has 
scheduled  "High  Noon"  with  "African 
Queen"  in  the  Capitol  Theatre  to- 
morrow regardless  of  the  "Oscar" 
outcome.  It  has  "Come  Back,  Little 
Sheba"  in  the  Centre  starting  Satur- 
day. Lawrence  Theatres  has  "The 
Quiet  Man"  in  the  Rialto,  but  has  no 
time  on  television. 

Washington:  The  awards  telecast 
had  no  effect  whatsoever  upon  theatre 
business  in  this  city,  inasmuch  as  the 
show  on  TV  didn't  start  until  10:30. 
This  was  particularly  so  because 
Washington  is  an  early-to-bed  city, 
with  most  late  shows  letting  out  at 
11  and  11 :15.  Also,  no  promotional 
attention  was  paid  to  the  awards  by 
the  theatres. 

Columbus:  Theatremen  here  gen- 
erally ignored  the  Academy  telecast 
and  did  not  experience  any  special  de- 
cline from  normal  Thursday  business 
because  of  the  late  hour  of  the  tele- 
cast which  was  plugged  heavily  by 
the  local  NBC  outlet.  RCA  ran  ads 
on  local  TV  and  radio  pages. 

New  Orleans:  The  big  circuits 
here  ignored  the  TV  of  the  awards 
ceremonies,  though  business  was  slow 
in  the  neighborhood  theatres.  "High 
Noon"  was  opened  here  yesterday  by 
the  Globe  Slidell  Theatre  Corp.  and 
there  was  no  mention  of  an  "Oscar" 
possibility  in  the  ads. 

Denver:  Business  was  reported  off 
25  to  50  per  cent  because  of  the 
academy  awards  on  TV,  with  neigh- 
borhood theatres  suffering  most. 
Paramount  was  hurt  the  least  because 
they  used  their  large  screen  television 
to  show  the  event. 

Albany,  N.  Y.:  Business  here  was 
off  this  evening,  due  to  the  fact  that 
it  was  a  shopping  night  and  was  rain- 
ing hard.  Managers  did  not  believe 
the  telecasting  and  broadcasting  of 
the  academy  award  presentations  had 
any  effect.  They  thought  the  starting 
hour  for  the  Hollywood  originations 
—10:30  E.S.T.— was  so  late  that  it 
would  not  interfere. 

Harrisburg:  Little,  if  any,  effect 
on  theatre  attendance  was  reported  by 
Harrisburg's  leading  houses  as  a  result 
of  telecasts  of  the  academy  awards 
presentations. 


QP  Awards  Winners 


IVAN  ACKEBY     J.  P.  HARBISON 


Ackery,  Harrison 

{Continued,  from  page  1) 

award  in  the  smaller  situation  cate- 
gory. He  won  the  same  honor  in 
1950.  Oswaldo  Leite  Rocha,  publicity 
and  exploitation  representative  for 
Paramount  in  Brazil,  won  the  Over- 
seas Grand  Award. 

More  than  50  experts  in  advertis- 
ing, exploitation  and  publicity  from 
the  ranks  of  distribution  and  exhibi- 
tion and  home  office  executives  exam- 
ined the  prize  campaigns,  selected 
from  those  submitted  during  the  last 
year  by  the  nearly  5,000  members  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Herald  Managers 
Round  Table. 

At  a  luncheon  on  Monday  following 
the  judging  of  the  campaigns,  Maurice 
Bergman,  public  relations  director  of 
Universal  Pictures,  emphasized  the 
importance  of  the  awards  at  this  point 
in  the  industry's  history,  recalling 
that  the  competition  was  inaugurated 
in  1934  at  the  height  of  the  depression. 
Bergman  was  the  principal  speaker  at 
the  Awards  luncheon. 

"Certainly,"  he  said,  "if  showman- 
ship could  be  stimulated  when  business 
was  at  the  nadir,  then  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  idea  of  the  Annual 
Showmanship  Awards  could  endure 
and  serve  well  when  things  improved." 

Bergman  called  the  Round  Table  a 
"clinic  of  showmanship  that,  over  the 
years,  has  done  a  very  great  deal  to 
inspire  the  manager  to  go  out  and  do 
that_  'plus'  type  of  job  that  is  so  es- 
sential." 

The  speaker  was  introduced  by 
Martin  Quigley,  who  also  recalled 
the  long  history  of  the  awards  compe- 
tition and  spoke  of  its  present  stand- 
ing. He  introduced  two  previous 
Grand  Awards  winners  who  were 
among  the  judges,  Harry  Goldberg, 
director  of  advertising  and  publicity 
for  Stanley  Warner  Theatres,  and 
Charles  Hacker  of  Radio  City  Music 
Hall. 

Ackery  frequently  sets  the  pace  for 
the  high  standard  of  showmanship 
maintained  by  the  Famous  Players 
circuit  across  Canada.  He  is  said  to 
be  especially  adept  at  obtaining  local 
newspaper  and  merchant  cooperation. 

Harrison  makes  good  use  of  the 
campus  in  his  college  town  in  his  ex- 
ploitation. 

Whelan  Appointed 
To  WIPE  A  Post 

Leslie  Whelan,  sales  promotion 
director  of  20th  Century-Fox  Inter- 
national Corp.,  has  been  appointed 
chairman  of  the  international  films 
relations  committee  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Export  Association.  Whelan 
succeeds  Lawrence  Lipskin  of  Colum- 
bit  International.  Chairmen  are 
named  for  one  year  on  a  company 
rotation  basis. 


THE  W.  J.  GERMAN  ORGANIZATION 

Extends  Congratulations 
to  all  of  the 


W.  J.  GERMAN,  Inc. 

FORT  LEE       —       CHICAGO       —  HOLLYWOOD 


f  Picture  That 


This  Business  Great! 
t  Will  Make  Your  Business  Great 


because  it  has  scope,  spectacle,  heroism 
and  all  those  extra  values  needed  today! 


Directed  by- JERRY  HOPPER 

Screenplay  by 

CHARLES  , MARQUIS  WARREN 

Based  on  a  Story  by  Frank:  Gruber 
Produced  by  Nat  Hoit 


;ets, 


each  tied  to  local  engagement,  and  reaching  total  circulation  in  excess 
of  16  million.  Watch  the  trade  papers  for  important  announcement  of 
continent-spanning  exploitation  that  will  penetrate  every  boxofflce  area... 


VOL.  73.    NO.  55 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  MONDAY,  MARCH  23,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


The  Academy 
Awards  on  TV 


NATIONWIDE  reports  from 
Motion  Picture  Daily  cor- 
respondents on  the  effects  on  thea- 
tre attendance  of  the  first  telecast 
in  the  25-year  history  of  the  Acad- 
emy Awards  presentations  in  Hol- 
lywood last  Thursday  night  indi- 
cated a  business  loss  in  many 
situations  west  of  the  Mississippi 
of  from  10  to  25  per  cent. 

Against  that  loss  in  attendance, 
after  allowing  for  circumstances 
such  as  adverse  weather  and  other 
regional  factors  unnrelated  to  the 
Awards  telecast,  must  be  weighed 
all  the  tangible  and  intangible 
values  accruing  to  the  industry 
from  the  dignified,  entertaining 
and  smoothly-run  program,  served 
to  an  international  audience  of 
many  millions,  before  any  accurate, 
economic  appraisal  of  the  event  can 
be  made. 

An  offhand  opinion  might  read- 
ily be  that  the  production  compa- 
nies were  guilty  of  a  business  mis- 
take in  discontinuing  the  financial 
underwriting  of  the  Awards  pres- 
entations when  only  a  few  thousand 
dollars  per  company  was  involved. 
By  so  doing  they  opened  the  door 
to  the  televising  of  the  event  by  a 
commercial  sponsor,  RCA-NBC, 
and,  it  is  virtually  certain,  lost 
more  in  distribution  revenue  from 
the  affected  theatres  than  was  in- 
volved in  cash,  in  the  first  place. 


However,  it  is  well  known  that 
more  than  the  expense  of  the 
Awards  presentations  entered  into 
the  decisions  of  some  of  the  com- 
panies to  withdraw  their  financial 
support.  And  whether  they  counted 
upon  it  or  not,  the  televising  of  the 
Awards  presentations,  so  well  was 
it  done,  certainly  will  redound  to 
the  benefit  of  the  industry  in  the 
weeks  and  months  to  come.  It  was 
a  selling  job — for  Hollywood,  for 
the  institution  of  the  motion  pic- 
ture, and  inevitably,  for  the  theatre. 

Designedly  or  not,  the  ability  of 
TV  to  sell  motion  pictures  was 
demonstrated  very  impressively. 

Sherwin  Kane 


Exhibitors  Full  of  Praise 
For  CinemaScope  Process 

By  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 

Hollywood,  March  22. — Exhibitor  reaction  to  the  20th  Century-Fox 
wide-screen  CinemaScope  system  so  far  is  altogether  enthusiastic  and 
full  of  praise.  Meanwhile,  the  demonstrations  of  the  process  will  con- 
tinue through  Wednesday  to  accom- 


JackWarnerDefends 
Glasses  for  3-D 


Hollywood,  March  22. — Jack  L. 
Warner  urged  producers  to  let  the 
public  decide  in  the  matters  of  merit 
and  material  of  three-dimensional 
films,  decrying 
what  he  termed 
i  rrespon- 
sible  comments 
and  criticism.  In 
a  weekend  ad- 
dress to  more 
than  400  visit- 
ing exhibitors, 
he  took  a  slap 
at  those  who 
assertedly  have 
been  beclouding 
the  facts  of  ste- 
reoscopic film 
p  h  o  t  o  g  - 
raphy.  Warner 
said  it  was  time  for  exhibitors  and 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


Jack  Wnrner 


modate  more  exhibitors  and  trade 
groups. 

Among  the  first  exhibitors  to  wit- 
ness the  demonstrations  and  their 
comments  on  the  process  follow  : 

Si  Fabian  of  Fabian  Enterprises : 
"CinemaScope  is  the  greatest  standard 
for  motion  picture  entertainment  on 
the  market.    It  is  terrific." 

Harry  Brandt  of  Brandt  Thea- 
tres :  "This  is  what  the  entertain- 
ment buyer  will  buy  in  droves.  As 
for  me,  I  have  already  put  in  my 
order  for  CinemaScope  installations." 

Louis  Schine  of  the  Schine  Cir- 
cuit, Gloversville  :  "I  have  seen  many 
great  changes  and  improvements  in 
the  motion  picture  business,  but  to  me 
CinemaScope  is  the  greatest  since  the 
coming  of  sound." 

M.  A.  Lightman  of  Lightman 
Theatres,  Nashville :  "I  like  it  so 
well  that  I  have  ordered  4,000  shares 
of  20th  Century-Fox  stock." 

Frank  Mantzke  of  Northwest 
Theatres,  Indianapolis :  "I  am 
thrilled.    It  is  the  coming  thing." 

John   Harris   of   Harris  Amuse- 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


Neighborhoods  Mainly  Felt 
Effect  of  'Oscar'  Telecast 

Further  reports  from  the  field  on  the  effect  of  the  Academy  Awards 
telecast  from  Hollywood  Thursday  night  revealed  at  the  weekend  that 
neighborhood  theatres  felt  the  impact  more  than  the  first-run  houses. 
In  most  cases,  however,  reported  slumps  in  the  neighborhoods  were  not 
traced  entirely  to  the  "Oscar"  pro 


gram,  other  factors  as  well  having 
contributed  to  the  dip  in  theatre  at- 
tendance. Sporting  events,  weather 
and  late  closings  of  department  stores, 
a  Thursday  night  custom  in  many 
cities,  were  said  to  have  been  some 
of  the  reasons.  As  revealed  in  Mo- 
tion Picture  Daily  on  Friday, 
theatres  in  the  Eastern  time  belt  were 
less  affected  than  those  in  the  other 
three  time  zones.  This  was  due  to 
the  lateness  of  the  telecast,  10_:30 
o'clock  in  the  EST  areas. 

Minneapolis:   Theatre  attendance 
{Continued  on  page  7) 


New  Roach,  Jr.  Firm; 
Astor  to  Distribute 

Hollywood,  March  22. — Hal  Roach, 
Jr.,  announced  the  formation  of  Lin- 
coln Productions,  Inc.,  to  make  six  or 
more  features  annually,  with  the  first 
starting  next  month.  Associated  with 
president  Roach  are  Jack  Rieger,  as 
vice-president,  and  E.  H.  Goldstein, 
general  production  manager.  Astor 
Pictures  will  distribute. 

In  making  the  announcement,  Roach 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


RKO  Theatres 
Buy  of  Hughes 
Stock  Weighed 

Board  Had  Plan  Under 
Consideration  Recently 

The  formulation  of  a  plan  look: 
ing  toward  the  purchase  of  Howard 
Hughes'  controlling  stock  interest 
in  RKO  Theatres,  now  trusteed,  is 
being  considered  by  the  RKO  Thea- 
tres board  of  directors,  it  was  re- 
ported at  the  weekend. 

It  was  stated  that  the  board, 
for  the  past  few  weeks,  has 
been  mulling  the  possibility  of 
buying  out  Hughes'  approxi- 
mately 24  per  cent  stock  inter- 
est in  the  theatre  company.  It 
was  added  that  many  details 
still  have  to  be  worked  out  be- 
fore the  plan  can  be  put  into 
final  shape  for  a  decision  by  the 
board. 

The    stock    price    premium  which 
(Continued  on  page  10) 


COMPO  Ends 
'Movietime ' 


"Movietime,  U.S.A.,"  sponsored  by 
the  Council  of  Motion  Picture  Organ- 
izations, will  suspend  operations  until 
such  time  as  the  need  and  demand  for 
its  renewal  asserts  itself,  national 
"Movietime"  chairman  Robert  J. 
O'Donnell  has  disclosed. 

O'Donnell,  who  arrived  in  New 
York  from  Dallas  at  the  weekend, 
said  the  campaign  has  fullfiled '  its 
obligations  and  commitments  to  ex- 
hibitors and  the  industry.   He  stated 

{Continued  on  page  10) 


Sign  11  Houses  for 
3-D  Fight  Film 

The  signing  of  the  first  11  key-city 
contracts  for  theatrical  presentation 
of  the  3-D  fight  film  of  the  Rocky 
Marciano-Jersey  Joe  Walcott  heavy- 
weight championship  bout,  slated  for 
April  10,  was  disclosed  here  at  the 
weekend  by  William  J.  Heineman, 
{Continued  on  page  10) 


1952  ACADEMY  AWARDS  ISSUE 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  23,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


JOSEPH  M.  SCHENCK  has  ar- 
rived in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 
• 

Charles  Schlaifer,  president  of 
Charles  Schlaifer  and  Co.  and  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  governors  of  the 
Menninger  Foundation,  has  left  here 
for  Chicago  to  address  the  meeting  of 
the  Menninger  Foundation  board  of 
directors  on  "Mental  Health  vs.  Men- 
tal Illness." 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  head  of 
M-G-M  shorts  and  newsreel  sales,  is 
due  to  arrive  today  in  Charlotte  from 
Atlanta,  for  a  two-day  visit  before 
proceeding  to  Washington  and  New 
York. 

• 

H.  M.  Richey,  exhibitor  relations 
head  for  M-G-M,  will  leave  here  to- 
day for  Milwaukee  to  attend  the  com- 
bined convention  of  drive-in  theatres 
and  the  Allied  unit  of  Wisconsin. 
• 

Bing  Crosby,  his  son,  Linsay  ; 
Charles  Boyer  and  David  Niven 
and  his  wife  left  here  at  the  weekend 
for  Europe  aboard  the  5.5".  Queen 
Elizabeth. 

• 

Mort  Blumenstock,  Warner  Broth- 
ers' advertising-publicity  vice-presi- 
dent, is  due  in  New  York  today  from 
Hollywood. 

• 

Edward  L.  Walton,  executive  as- 
sistant to  James  R.  Grainger,  RKO 
Pictures  president,  will  return  to  New 
York  from  Hollywood  today. 

• 

James  R.  Grainger,  RKO  Pictures 
president,  will  return  to  New  York 
from  Chicago  today. 


Notables  at  'Salome* 
Premiere  Tommorrow 

Bennet  Cerf,  Judge  Ferdinand  Pe- 
cora,  William  Zeckendorf  and  Adolph 
Zukor  are  among  the  leaders  of  varied 
aspects  of  New  York  life  who  will 
attend  the  world  premiere  of  "Salome" 
at  the  Rivoli  tomorrow  evening. 

The  theatre  is  also  selling  a  limited 
number  of  first  night  seats  to  the  gen- 
eral public  at  a  special  desk  in  the 
lobby.  The  regular  run  of  the  film 
will  begin  on  Wednesday. 

Rita  Hayworth  has  arrived  in  New 
York  from  Hollywood  to  attend  the 
premiere  of  her  new  film.  It  stars 
Stewart  Granger  with  Miss  Hay- 
worth  ;  Charles  Laughton  is  co- 
starred. 


Okla.  T.  0.  Convention 

Oklahoma  City,  March  22. — The 
annual  convention  of  Oklahoma  Thea- 
tre Owners  has  been  scheduled  for 
May  11-12  at  the  Biltmore  Hotel  here, 
Morris  Loewenstein,  president,  has  an- 
nounced. A  record  turnout  is  expected. 


Advance  Sunday  Bill 

Montpelier,  Vt,  March  22. — A  bill 
to  permit  Sunday  afternoon  film 
shows  in  Vermont  has  been  passed 
by  the  lower  branch  of  the  state  legis- 
lature and  sent  to  the  senate. 


Detroit  City  Council  Cuts  Taxes  of 
76  Theatres  Hard  Hit  Economically 

Detroit,  March  22. — Seventy-six  theatres  here  received  tax  deduc- 
tions because  their  business  had  been  hard  hit,  as  the  Common 
Council,  sitting  as  a  board  of  review,  ended  its  1953  session. 

In  addition,  the  board  granted  tax  relief  to  105  club  and  social 
organizations  by  cutting  their  assessments  two-thirds. 

Fifty  theatres  receiving  reductions  are  now  closed,  their  patron- 
age cut  so  deeply  by  television  and  other  factors  that  they  could 
no  longer  operate.  Another  23  operated  "in  the  red"  last  year. 

Closed  theatres  received  a  35  per  cent  reduction  in  building 
assessments;  theatres  losing  money  received  20  per  cent  reductions, 
and  the  other  three  got  five  or  ten  per  cent  cuts  as  hardship  cases. 


Cimerama  Opens  in 
Detroit  Tonight 


Detroit,  March  22/ — Cinerama  ex- 
ecutives from  New  York  and  Holly- 
wood are  converging  on  Detroit  for 
the  premiere  tomorrow  night  at  the 
Music  Hall  of  "This  Is  Cinerama," 
to  be  given  its  first  inspection  by  the 
public  outside  of  New  York.  Holly- 
wood will  see  it  on  April  29. 

Among  those  planning  to  attend  is 
Lowell  Thomas,  vice-chairman  of  the 
board  of  Cinerama  Productions  Corp., 
who  co-produced  with  Merian  C.  Coo- 
per. 

Merian  C.  Cooper  is  flying  in  from 
Hollywood.  He  is  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction for  Cinerama.  Dudley  Ro- 
berts, Jr.,  president  of  Cinerama  Pro- 
ductions, is  coming  from  New  York, 
along  with  Frank  M.  Smith,  vice- 
president,  and  Joseph  Kaufman,  di- 
rector of  exhibition.  Other  executives 
will  include  Walter  Thompson,  who 
supervised  the  prologue ;  William  La- 
tody,  vice-president  of  Cinerama,  Inc. ; 
Lester  Isaac,  assistant  general  man- 
ager of  theatre  operations  ;  Zeb  Epstin, 
executive  assistant  to  the  director  of 
exhibition ;  also,  Lynn  Farnol,  public 
relations  consultant  to  the  company. 

Vernon  Myers,  publisher  of  Look 
Magazine,  will  be  a  guest  at  the  pre- 
miere to  present  the  publication's  spe- 
cial award  to  Fred  Waller  and  Cooper 
for  achieving  "a  new  milestone  in 
movie  history." 


Don  Mersereau 
Joins  'Box  Office' 

Hollywood,  March  23. — Ben  Shlyen, 
publisher  of  Box  Office,  announced 
here  at  the  weekend  the  appointment 
of  Don  Mersereau,  veteran  trade  jour- 
nalist, as  associate  publisher  and  gen- 
eral manager.  Mersereau,  who  re- 
cently resigned  a  similar  post  with 
Film  Daily,  will  visit  the  publication's 
plant  in  Kansas  City  en  route  to  New 
York,  where  he  will  make  his  head- 
quarters. 


Jack  Raymond  Dead 

London,  March  22.  —  Jack  Ray- 
mond, producer,  director  and  former 
actor,  died  in  Westminster  Hospital 
here  Friday  following  a  long  illness. 


Services  for  Mrs.  Becker 

Molly  Becker,  mother  of  Joe  Becker 
of  RKO  Theatres'  film  booking  office 
here,  died  Thursday  evening.  Services 
were  held  yesterday  at  Westminster 
Chapel,  Brooklyn. 


'Paris  Express'  1st 
MacDonald  Release 


Georges  Simenon's  "The  Paris  Ex- 
press" is  the  first  importation  of  the 
newly  formed  MacDonald  Enterprises 
which  currently  is  negotiating  for  a 
number  of  other  foreign  pictures. 
"The  Paris  Express"  stars  Claude 
Rains  and  Marta  Toren  and  was  pro- 
duced in  Holland  and  France  in  color 
by  Technicolor.  George  J.  Schaefer 
is  sales  representative  for  the  picture 
and  will  handle  distribution  until  it  is 
acquired  by  a  major  company.  Sev- 
eral companies  are  bidding  for  it,  ac- 
cording to  Ben  Schrift,  president  of 
MacDonald.  Schrift  is  a  former 
banker. 

Other  officers  of  the  new  company 
are  Irwin  Margolies  and  Daniel  Mc- 
Donald, vice-presidents ;  K.  J.  Mac- 
Donald, secretary,  and  State  Senator 
Fred  G.  Moritt,  treasurer. 

"The  Paris  Express"  was  released 
in  England  under  the  title  of  "The 
Man  Who  Watched  the  Trains 
Go  By." 


20th-Fox  Heads  Due 
From  Coast  Today 

Leading  a  contingent  of  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox home  office  executives  re- 
turning from  California  following  last 
week's  demonstrations  of  Cinema- 
Scope,  vice-president  Charles  Einfeld 
and  sales  chiefs  are  due  back  in  New 
York  today. 

Scheduled  to  arrive  by  plane  with 
Einfeld  are:  W.  C.  Gehring,  Edwin 
W.  Aaron,  Arthur  Silverstone,  A.  W. 
Harrison  and  Roger  Ferri. 

Murray  Silverstone,  president  of 
20th  Century-Fox  International,  and 
Emanuel  Silverstone,  vice-president, 
returned  to  New  York  over  the  week- 
end. 


Mrs.  Alice  Bannon,  50 

Mrs.  Alice  C.  Bannon,  50,  of  War- 
ner Brothers  home  office  print  de- 
partment, died  Friday  at  Lawrence 
Memorial  Hospital,  New  London, 
Conn.,  of  a  heart  condition.  Mrs. 
Bannon  had  been  with  Warners  25 
years. 


Grainger  to  Meet  Press 

J.  R.  Grainger,  president  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  will  hold  his  first  gen- 
eral press  conference  tomorrow  since 
he  was  elected  to  his  present  post  last 
month.  He  will  discuss  the  present 
status  and  future  plans  for  the  com- 
pany. 


House  Group  4Red" 
Hearings  to  Resume 
On  Coast  Today 


Washington,  March  22.  —  The 
House  Un-American  Activities  Com- 
mittee tomorrow  is  scheduled  to  re- 
sume in  Los  Angeles  its  investigation 
of  Communist  activities  on  the  West 
Coast. 

The  hearings,  which  will  go  on  a 
week  or  more  and  include  some  60 
witnesses,  will  cover  television  and 
other  fields  as  well  as  the  film  in- 
dustry. The  hearings  will  be  tele- 
vised. 

Meanwhile,  Rep.  Jackson  (R., 
Calif.),  a  committee  member,  revealed 
replies  he's  received  so  far  to  his 
query  to  government  agencies  and  in- 
dustry officials  as  to  whether  anything 
can  be  done  to  stop  the  export  of 
the  film  made  recently  in  Silver  City 
N.  M. 

Both  the  Commerce  and  State  De- 
partments indicated  there  are  laws 
which  can  handle  the  situation,  but 
expressed  some  reservations  about 
whether  the  government  should  un- 
dertake such  censorship. 

Howard  Hughes  suggested  the  way 
to  prevent  showing  of  the  film  was 
to  have  film  laboratories,  musicians 
and  recording  technicians,  film  sup- 
pliers, cutters  and  positive  and  nega- 
tive editors,  laboratories  and  other 
persons  and  firms  who  must  process 
the  film  refuse  to  do  so. 

Roy  M.  Brewer,  chairman  of  the 
Hollywood  AFL  Council,  said  his 
group  would  do  everything  it  could 
to  prevent  the  completion  of  the  film 
but  that  an  investigation  indicated  no 
work  was  being  done  on  it  in  Holly- 
wood. The  best  information  indicates, 
he  said,  that  final  shots  and  processing 
will  take  place  in  Mexico. 


'Titanic'  Premiere  at 
Norfolk  Naval  Base 

The  world  premiere  of  20th 
Century-Fox's  "Titanic"  will  be  held 
at  the  Norfolk  Navy  Base,  Virginia, 
as  the  highlight  of  a  two-day  pro- 
gram April  11-12. 

Hollywood  stars,  journalists,  radio 
commentators  and  magazine  writers 
will  be  guests  at  the  premiere,  a  bene- 
fit ball  for  the  Navy  Relief  Fund  and 
the  staging  of  an  amphibious  assault 
landing  by  a  unit  of  the  Amphibious 
Force,  U.  S.  Atlantic  Fleet.  Admiral 
I.  N.  Kiland,  commandant  of  the 
Fifth  Naval  District,  will  be  host.  The 
picture  stars  Clifton  Webb  and 
Barbara  Stanwyck. 


Stone  Gets  MPEA 
Post  in  Brazil 

Harry  Stone  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Export  Association's  international  de- 
partment, has  been  assigned  to  a  post 
in  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

Stone,  who  will  leave  for  his  new 
post  tomorrow,  joined  the  interna- 
tional department  following  his  gradu- 
ation from  Georgetown  University's 
Foreign  Service  School  in  1949.  He 
represented  the  association  at  the  film 
festival  in  India  last  year.  While 
abroad  he  worked  out  a  film  agree- 
ment with  Afghanistan. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane.  Editor:  Terry  Ramsaye  Consulting  Editor  Published  dailv  mmt  ^t„rA^ 
Sundays  and  holidays  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc..  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20  N  Y  Telephone  Circle  ^lOO  clble  address-  '^^w' 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley.  Jr  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan.  Vice-Presidem  and  T^^^M^^r^cTP^S^l^^rW 
Secretary;  James  P  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca -VinVBuUdrng' 
William  R  Weaver .  Ed.tor  Ch.cago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative.  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz.  Editorial  Representative  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843  Washington,  J  A .  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  DC  London  Bureau.  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burn  up 
Editor;  cable  address,    Qu^bco.  London."  Other  Quigley  Publ.cat.ons:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  !  year  afa  se™Jn' 

°f  ^otT,PiCS™recIiera'di-MotT  P'CtUre  antTeIerS1°.n  A1.raanac:  F?™e-  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21.  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N?  Y,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  m  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c.  ' 


THANK 


YOU 


Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences 


for  the 


OSCAR 


for  Technical  Achievement  in  Recognition  of  the 
ANSCO  NEGATIVE-POSITIVE  COLOR  PROCESS 

The  Ansco  Negative-Positive  color  products  are  now 
available  to  all  theatrical  and  non-theatrical  producers. 


ANSCO 


New  York,  Hollywood,  Chicago,  Binghamton 


A  Division  of  General  Aniline  &  Film  Corporation.    "From  Research  to  Reality' 


Oscar  Is  Now  You 
Paramount's  Two 


ACADEMY  AWARD  FOR 


ill* 


CE 


The  G  reatc 


-climaxing  over  20  major  worldwide 
awards  plus  thousands  of  never 
equalled  records,  heading  it  toward 
being  the  biggest  grosser  of  all  time!  v 


ACADEMY  AWARD  FORI! 

SHIRLEY  90 

Come  Ba 


-widely  honored  during  its  special  pre- 
release engagements,  this  big  picture's 
mass  dating  breaks  at  the  precise 
moment  of  the  "Oscar"  headlines!^ 


treatest  Ticket-Seller  For 
feat  Academy  Award  Pictures!! 

•  BEST  PICTURE  OF  THE  YEAR"  Is  Won  by 
I.  B.  DeMILLE'S 

t  Show  On  Earth 

Color  by  Technicolor 

Paramount  Congratulates 

Cecil  B.  DeMille,  winner  of  The  Irving 
Thalberg  Award  for  Meritorious  Production 

and  Fredric  M.  Frank,  Theodore  St.  John 
and  Frank  Cavett,  winners  of  the  "Oscar" 
for  The  Best  Motion  Picture  Story. 

IE  BEST  ACTRESS"  Is  Won  by 

IOTH  in  HAL  WALLIS' 

k,  Little  Sheba 

Paramount  Congratulates 

Shirley  Booth,  whose  first  screen  role 
has  won  her  the  highest  screen  honor 

and  Hal  Wallis  Productions,  whose 
showmanship  made  an  all-time  great 
play  into  an  all-time  great  picture. 


Get 


Pla 


°n  the 


e  he*dlia  cash 


ere  I 


fo, 


■Ucky  r 

' this  Prol    you  are  Sef  ' 
hono<-edhio  Scar"- 


Herbert  J.  Yates 

and 

Republic  Pictures 

gratefully  acknowledge  the  honor  conferred  by 
the  Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and  Sciences 

in  selecting 

JOHN  FORD'S 


FOR  BEST  DIRECTION 
JOHN  FORD 


HERBERT  J.  YATES  presents 
JOHN  FORD'S  GREATEST  TRIUMPH 


the  Quiet  man 

starring 


JOHN  WAYNE -MAUREEN  OHARA  BARRY  FITZGERALD 

with  WARD  BOND  •  VICTOR  McLAGLEN  •  MILDRED  NATWICK  •  FRANCIS  FORD 

ARTHUR  SHIELDS  and  ABBEY  THEATRE  PLAYERS 

ift li Li  rnnn  Screen  Play  by  FRANK  s- NUGENT  • From  the  story  by  maurice  walsh 

JUmN    rUKU  Produced  by  MERIAN  C.  COOPER  •  an  ARGOSY  PRODUCTION 


Directed  by 


A  REPUBLIC  PICTURE 


Monday,  March  23,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


TOP  WINNERS  OF  1952  A  WARDS 


BEST  ACTRESS.  Shirley  Booth,  for  BEST  ACTOR.  Gary  Cooper,  for  his  BEST  DIRECTOR.  John  Ford,  for  the 

her  role  in  the  Hal  Wallis-Paramount  role  in  the  Stanley   Kramer-United  Argosy-Republic  "The  Quiet  Man". 

Pictures  "Come  Back,  Little  Sheba".  Artists  "High  Noon".  First  director  to  win  four  Oscars. 


'Oscar'  Telecast 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

in  the  Minneapolis  Loop  was  normal 
to  strong  Thursday  night,  but  badly 
off  in  suburban  houses.  The  trade 
attributed  the  unusual  situation  more 
to  the  state  basketball  tournament 
than  to  the  telecast  of  the  Academy 
Awards.  With  downtown  streets 
crowded  with  teen-agers  and  older 
male  sports  fans  who  were  unable  to 
get  seats  in  the  University  of  Minne- 
sota arena,  all  first-run  houses  said 
that  business  was  better  than  usual.  In 
the  suburbs  the  situation  was  reversed. 

Los  Angeles:  Although  down- 
town and  Hollywood  Boulevard'  thea- 
tres suffered  up  to  a  SO  per  cent  drop- 
off in  attendance  last  night,  exhibitors 
said  they  could  not  attribute  the  de- 
crease to  the  academy  awards  func- 
tion at  Pantages  and  on  the  radio  and 
TV  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  area- 
wide  rain  which  fell  at  the  same  time 
probably  would  have  cut  into  patron- 
age as  deeply  alone.  Some  exhibitors 
remarked  that  the  long-range  prestige 
effect  of  televising  the  awards  cere- 
monies can  be  expected  to  more  than 
repair  any  momentary  box  office  dam- 
age due  to  the  telecast. 

Chicago:  The  box  office  here  was 
virtually  unaffected  by  the  telecast  of 
the  annual  academy  awards  presenta- 
tion, with  business  ranging  from 
slightly  above  normal  for  a  Thursday 
night  in  some  houses  to  a  bit  under 
the  usual  figures  in  others.  Although 
many  theatres  booked  "High  Noon" 
and  "The  Quiet  Man"  as  a  combina- 


Academy  Honor  to 
'Forbidden  Games' 

"Forbidden  Games,"  a  French  im- 
portation being  distributed  here  by 
Times  Pictures,  was  given  an  hon- 
orary award  by  the  Academy  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Arts  and  Sciences,  as 
the  best  foreign  film  in  the  U.  S.  last 
year.  The  award  was  voted  by  the 
Academy's  board  of  governors. 


tion  in  an  attempt  to  anticipate  and 
cash  in  on  the  award  winners,  there 
was  no  effort  here  by  any  theatre  to 
combat  a  possible  loss  of  business  last 
night  as  a  result  of  the  telecast. 

Salt  Lake  City:  Theatre  business 
here  was  off  30  to  40  per  cent  and 
exhibitors  blamed  the  Academy 
Awards  telecast  for  the  slump.  One 
theatre  reported  attendance  as  bad  as 
it  usually  is  on  Christmas  Eve. 

Omaha:  A  spot  check  of  local 
theatres  revealed  that  downtown 
houses  were  affected  slightly  by  the 
"Oscar"  telecast,  but  a  majority  of 
neighborhood  exhibitors  indicated 
there  was  a  decided  slump  over  the 
usual  Thursday  night  receipts.  One 
exhibitor  who  has  adopted  a  first-run 
policy  at  his  two  deluxe  neighborhood 
situations  said  that  business  was  off 
25  per  cent. 

Baltimore:  The  Hollywood  tele- 
cast failed  to  make  any  noticeable 
dent  in  downtown  first-runs,  hut 
neighborhood  houses  admitted  a  slight 
recession  which  even  affected  their 
earlier  showings.  Manager  Jack 
Sidney  of  the  first-run  Century  said 


he  had  a  strong  opening  for 
'Jeopardy"  despite  the  TV  program. 
Other  managers  reported  average 
business  where  attractions  were  strong 
enough  to  merit  attention.  They 
stated  that  Thursday  nights  when 
stores  are  open  late  has  never  been 
too  prosperous. 

San  Francisco:  Business  here 
was  off,  but  the  blame  was  placed  on 
cold  weather,  wind  and  rain  and  not 
on  the  Hollywood  telecast.  Showmen 
on  the  whole  were  indifferent  to  the 
awards,  although  John  Parsons, 
Western  division  manager  for  the 
Telenews  Theatre,  publicized  the 
event  by  changing  the  marquee  and 
front  just  before  6:00  o'clock  to  get 
the  attention  of  home-going  traffic. 
Portions  of  the  program  were  flashed 
on  the  large  TV  screen,  while  the 
complete  performance  was  available 
on  the  lounge  set.  Telenews  credited 
the  awards  for  the  business  done  be- 
cause the  TV  lounge  was  crowded. 

Kansas  City:  Early  attendance 
was  a  little  below  expectations  Thurs- 
day night.  The  local  TV  station  did 
not  pick  up  the  telecast,  but  it  was 
reported  that  many  persons  would 
have  stayed  home  to  watch  the  "Os- 
car" awards  if  the  programs  had  been 
available. 

Cleveland:  Neighborhood  houses 
here  reported  that  attendance  was  de- 
cidedly off  for  the  second  show,  indi- 
cating patronage  of  home  sets  from 
10:30  o'clock  on. 

Indianapolis:  Downtown  theatres 
reported  business  was  average  or  bet- 
ter    Thursday     night,     despite  the 


Cite  'Greatest  Show' 
$18-Million  Gross 

Cecil  B.  DeMille's  Academy 
Award  winning  "The  Great- 
est Show  on  Earth,"  has 
grossed  to  date  more  than 
$18,000,000  and  played  at  8,- 
500  theatres  in  the  U.S.  alone 
since  it  was  released  early 
last  year,  according  to  Para- 
mount. 


Academy  telecast.  Three  houses 
sought  tie-ins  with  the  first  run  book- 
ings of  "Come  Back,  Little  Sheba," 
"The  Quiet  Man"  and  "High  Noon." 

Detroit:  No  drop  in  attendance 
was  reported  as  a  result  of  the  Holly- 
wood broadcast  because  of  the  late- 
ness of  the  program.  No  publicity  or 
advertising  was  needed  to  offset  pos- 
sible loss  of  attendance. 

Atlanta:  There  was  no  loss  in 
attendance  here  as  a  result  of  the 
Awards  telecast.  Only  the  TV  sta- 
tion plugged  the  event  in  the  news- 
papers. 

Memphis:  All  five  first-runs  here 
reported  attendance  started  to  drop 
off  an  hour  before  the  "Oscar"  awards 
program.  The  drop  was  estimated  at 
from  10  to  25  per  cent. 

Buffalo:  Box-office  receipts  here 
dropped  40  to  60  per  cent  Thursday 
night  as  a  result  of  the  Academy 
Award  simulcast.  One  manager  said 
it  was  the  worst  sock  at  his  box- 
office  by  any  nationwide  telecast. 


beginning 


?Se  Gay  Ways  !  A  Womdehfuu-y  Wa*W 


WITH 


LEON  AMES -ROSEMARY  DeCAMP  •  BILLY  GRAY  ■  MARY  WICKES  RUSSELL  ARMS  •  MARIA  PALME 

WRITTEN  BY 

ROBERT  O'BRIEN  andIRVINGELINSON 


PRODUCED  BY  DIRECTED  BY 

b vu r'a yA h ei no o r f° N  WILLIAM  JACOBS  -  DAVID  BUTLEE 


WARNER  BROS'.  TRADE  SHOW  MARCH  25 


ALBANY 

Warner  Screening  Room 
HON. .Pearl  St  •  8  00  P.M. 
ATLANTA 


BOSTON 
RKO  Screening  Room 
122  Arlington  SI.  ■  2:30  P.M. 
BUFFALO 


CHARLOTTE 

20lh  Cenlury-Fox  Screening  Room 
308  S.  Church  Si.  •  2:00  P.M. 
CHICAGO 


20th  Cenlury-fai  Screening  Room      20th  Century  Fox  Screening  Room       Worner  Screening  Room 
197  Walton  St.  N.W.  •  2:00PM.       290  Franklin  Street  8  00  P.M.  1307  So.  Wobosh  Ave.  •  130PM. 


CINCINNATI 

RKO  Palace  Th.  Screening  Room 

Polace  Th  8ldg.  E.  6th  •  8:00  P.M. 

CLEVELAND 

Warner  Screening  Room 

2300  Payne  Ave  •  8:30  P.M 


DALLAS 

20th  Century-Foi  Screening  Room 
1803  Wood  SI.  •  2  00  P.M. 
DENVER 

Paramount  Screening  Room 
2100  Stout  SI.  •  2:00  P.M 


DES  MOINES 
Paramount  Screening  Room 
U25HighSt.  •  12:45P.M. 
DETROIT 

Film  Exchange  Building 
2310  Cass  Ave.  •  2  00  P  M. 


INDIANAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room 

326  No.  Illinois  St.  •  1  00  P.M 

JACKSONVILLE 

Florida  Ihealre  8ldg.  Sc.  Rm. 

128  E.Forsyth  SI.  •  2  00  P.M. 


KANSAS  CITY 
20th  Century-Fox  Scret 
1720  Wyandotte  St. 
LOS  ANGELES 
Worner  Screening  Roon 
2025  S.  Vermont  Ave. 


KWaijki 


MEMPHIS  MINNEAPOLIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room  Worner  Screening  Room 

ISlVonceAve.  •  1215  P.M.  1000  Currie  Ave.  •  2  00  P.M 

MILWAUKEE  NEW  HAVEN 

Warner  Iheatre  Screening  Room  Warner  Theatre  Projection  Room     Home  Office 

212  W.Wisconsin  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M.  70  College  St.  •  2:00  P.M.  321  W.  44th  St.  •  2:15  P.M 


NEW  ORLEANS  OKLAHOMA  PHILADELPHIA  PORTLAND  SAN  FRANCISCO  ST.  LOUIS 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room    20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room  Worner  Screening  Room  Star  Sc.  Rm.  Paramount  Screening  Room  S  renco  Screening  Room 

200  S.Liberty  St.  •  130  P.M.        10  North  Lee  St.  •  1:30  P.M.  230  No.  13th  St.  •  2:00  P.M.  925  N.  W  19th  Ave.  •  2:00  P.M.  205  Golden  Gate  Ave.  •  1:30  P.M.  3143  Olive  St.  •  100  P.M. 

NEW  YORK  OMAHA  PITTSBURGH  SALT  LAKE  SEATTLE  WASHINGTON 

20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room  20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room  20th  Century-Fox  Screening  Room  Modern  Iheatre  Worner  Theatre  Building 

1502  Davenport  St.  •  1.30P.M.  1715  Blvd.  of  Allies  •  1:30P.M.  314  East  1st  South  •  1:00P.M.  2400  Third  Ave.  •  10:30A.M.  13th  8  E.Sts.  N.W.  •  7:30PM. 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  23,  1953 


Warner 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

public  to  be  informed  of  the  scien- 
tific facts  of  three  dimensions  on  the 
screen.  , 
Warner  said,  in  part: 
"The  most  important  fact,  and  I 
stress  the  word  'fact,'  is  that  Polaroid 
viewers  are  a  comfortable  part  of  view- 
ing a  properly  photographed  three- 
dimensional  motion  picture.  Physi- 
cists and  physiologists,  with  all  the 
facts  of  optical  science  in  their  pos- 
session, as  yet  are  unable  to  conceive 
of  the  possibility  of  true  three-dimen- 
sional  film  viewing  without   an  ac- 
cessory.     We   have   proved   to  our 
own  satisfaction  that  there  is  no  in- 
convenience of  any  kind  in  wearing 
Polaroid  viewers.    We  are  convinced 
that  the  public  will  wear  such  viewers 
as   effortlessly   as   they    wear  wrist 
watches  or  carry  fountain  pens. 
"Those  who  have  not  yet  had 
our   experience   with  three-di- 
mensional film  production,  as  in 
Warner's  'House  of  Wax,'  are 
prone  to  say  they  have  a  three- 
dimensional  film  which  may  be 
seen  without  glasses.  It  is  true 
that  you   can   see   it  without 
glasses  but  it  isn't  three-dimen- 
sional film.     There  are  some 
effects  or  illusions  possible  in 
some  small  degree  but  science 
and  our  experience  prove  to  us 
that  the  only  real  thing  in  third 
dimension  is  the  method  we  are 
using  to   photograph,  project 
and  see. 

"We  know  the  hazards  of  prophecy 
and  pioneering  from  the  days  when 
we  began  to  introduce  sound  in  the 
midst  of  derision  from  our  own  fellow 
producers.  One  prophet  even  said 
sound  would  keep  awake  those  who 
went  to  film  theatres  to  sleep.  There 
were  prophecies,  later  embarrassing 
to  those  who  made  them,  that  sound 
was  a  brief  wonder,  merely  a  quick 
circus  attraction  that  .wouldn't  last 
30  days.  We  worked  it  out  any- 
way, believing  public,  press  and  ex- 
hibitors would  justify  our  hopes  for 
it.  They  did.  We  hear  the  same 
type  of  anti-third  dimension  talk 
within  production  circles.  Many  who 
foretell  doom  for  third  dimension  did 
the  same  with  sound." 


'Movietime' 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


that  Lou  Smith,  who  has  been  acting 
as  executive  director  of  the  "Movie- 
time"  tours  for  the  past  year,  will 
close  the.Hollywood  office  and  termi- 
nate his'' services  to  the  organization 
during  this  month. 

"Since  its  inception  in  Oct.,  1951," 
O'Donnell  said,  "  'Movietime'  has  sent 
some  400  stars  and  personalities  into 
more  than  1,500  cities  and  towns 
throughout  the  48  states,  most  of 
which  had  never  before  had  a  Holly- 
wood personality  visit  them.  Exhibi- 
tor enthusiasm  and  reaction  indicated 
that  'Movietime'  tours  provided  one 
of  the  greatest  public  relations  accom- 
plishments, at  a  time  when  the  indus- 
try most  needed  a  'shot  in  the  arm'. 
COMPO  will  be  ready  and  willing  to 
provide  this  support  again  should  the 
need  arise." 

O'Donnell  expressed  thanks  on  be- 
half of  COMPO  to  all  who  gave  of 
their  time  and  talents  from  all 
branches  of  the  industry  to  make  the 
tours  a  success. 


March   is   American   Bed  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


New  Tinted  Windshields 
Threatening  Drive- ins 

Dallas,  March  22. — Tinted  windshields,  which  will  appear  on  ap- 
proximately 5,000,000  cars  in  the  next  18  months,  may  have  a  disastrous 
effect  on  drive-in  theatres  because  of  their  distortion  of  pictures.  This 
was  disclosed  in  a  survey  just  completed  by  Paul  Short,  National  Screen 

Service  executive,  for  the  new  Inter- 
national   Drive-in    Theatre  Owners 


To  Lift  Color  TV 
Set  Ban  in  10  Days 

Washington,  March  22.— National 
Production  Authority  officials  said  the 
agency  would  revoke  its  tight  con- 
trols on  color  television  set  production 
in  the  next  week  or  10  days. 

However,  they  added,  they  do  not 
expect  to  see  any  early  large-scale 
production  of'  color  sets.  They  indi- 
cated their  belief  was  that  most  manu- 
facturers are  waiting  to  see  whether 
a  compatible  color  system  can  be  pro- 
duced and  approved  by  the  industry 
and  the  government. 

House  Commerce  Committee  chair- 
man Wolverton  said  he  had  asked  the 
NPA  to  revoke  immediately  its  order 
banning  the  manufacture  of  color  tele- 
vision sets. 

The  order  was  originally  a  com- 
plete ban  on  all  commercial  color 
apparatus,  including  large-screen. 
Last  year,  NPA  relaxed  it  to  permit 
large-screen  color  equipment  and  also 
to  permit  home  color  sets  to  be  pro- 
duced under  certain  restrictions.  Set- 
makers  have  claimed  that  the  restric- 
tions are  so  tight  as  to  amount  vir- 
tually to  a  complete  ban. 

Wolverton  said  he  felt  the  con- 
ditions existing  at  the  time  the  NPA 
order  was  originally  issued  had 
changed  sufficiently  to  warrant  ending 
the  order. 

The  New  Jersey  Republican  also 
announced  the  witnesses  who  will 
testify  this  week  when  the  House 
Committee  begins  its  hearing  on  the 
outlook  for  making  color  TV  avail- 
able to  the  public.  Opening  the  hear- 
ings on  Tuesday  will  be  RCA  vice- 
president  E.  W.  Engstrom.  On 
Wednesday,  the  witness  will  be  CBS 
president  Frank  Stanton.  On  Thurs- 
day, there  will  be  Richard  Hodgson, 
president  of  Chromatic  Television 
Laboratories;  Dr.  E.  O.  Lawrence, 
inventor  of  the  Tricolor  tube,  and  Dr. 
Allen  B.  DuMont,  president  of  Du- 
Mont  Laboratories.  Dr.  W.  R.  G. 
Baker,  vice-president  of  General 
Electric,  and  chairman  of  the  National 
Television  System  Committee,  will 
testify  next  Friday. 


3-D  Fight  Film 

(Continued  from  page 


1) 


vice-president  of  United  Artists  in 
charge  of  distribution. 

The  first  11  are:  Embassy,  New 
York ;  Newsreel,  Newark ;  Palace, 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. ;  State,  Albu- 
querque ;  Orpheum,  Downtown  and 
Hawaii,  Los  Angeles ;  Mission,  San 
Diego ;  Rialto,  Denver ;  Nile,  Bakers- 
field,  Cal. 

Filming  will  be  done  by  techni- 
cians and  cameras  of  the  Stereo-Cine 
Co.  in  association  with  Hollywood 
motion  picture  executives  Sol  Lesser, 
Raphael  Wolf  and  Sherrill  Corvvin. 
Production  will  be  supervised  by  Na- 
than Halpern,  while  Leslie  Winik  will 
be  production  manager. 


Association.  As  a  result,  seven  mem- 
bers of  the  association  who  were 
planning  to  build  new  drive-ins 
ordered  preparations  stopped  until 
further  information  was  available. 

It  was  found  that  the  tinted  wind- 
shield reduced  vision  approximately 
34  per  cent  and,  therefore,  was 
branded  as  a  safety  hazard.  The  60- 
day  survey  was  made  for  Claude 
Ezell,  president  of  the  drive-in  asso- 
ciation. 

The  survey  disclosed  that  a  great 
portion  of  automobile  accidents  in 
Texas  happened  at  night  as  a  result 
of  tinted  windshields.  Tests  proved 
that  a  person  driving  at  the  rate  of 
50  miles  per  hour  in  the  day  time 
found  his  eyes  began  to  tire  after  two 
hours  behind  a  tinted  windshield, 
while  at  night  his  eyes  started  to  tire 
after  only  36  minutes,  with  a  greater 
acceleration  of  fatigue  driving  behind 
this  _  new  type  of  windshield,  thus 
causing  a  loss  of  a  certain  amount  of 
control  over  the  reflexes. 

As  a  result  of  these  facts,  Short  is 
formulating  a  plan  to  present  to  the 
automobile,  steel,  tire  and  petroleum 
industries  regarding  the  disastrous 
effect  the  tinted  windshield  is  having 
on  the  drive-in  theatres. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  Short  that  these 
industries  are  compatible  with  the 
motion  picture  industry,  since  the  pub- 
lic wears  out  a  large  number  of  cars 
to  use  the  facilities  of  drive-in  thea- 
tres, and  that  the  automobile  industry 
will  be  cooperative  to  the  program 
which  is  being  devised  by  the  unit. 


Kan.  Censor  Repeal 
Measure  Killed 

Topeka,  March  22.— A  bill 
to  abolish  the  Kansas  motion 
picture  censor  board  was 
killed  by  the  state  affairs 
committee  of  the  lower 
branch  of  the  legislature,  to 
which  it  had  been  referred. 


CinemaScope 


(Continued,  from  page  1) 


ment  Co.,  Pittsburgh :  "This  is  the 
answer  to  television.  It  makes  you 
feel  you  are  there.  It  is  not  a  nov- 
elty. I  was  as  enthusiastic  over  the 
intimate  scenes  as  over  the  spec- 
tacular." 

Mac  Krim,  Detroit :  "I  think  we 
are  back  in  business.  What  we  are 
doing  is  making  TV  smaller  and 
smaller.  I  think  we  can't  miss.  The 
contrast  will  be  so  great  that  TV  will 
be  as  obsolete  as  silent  movies." 

"  Sam  Landrum  of  Jefferson  Amuse- 
ment Co.,  Beaumont,  Texas :  "I  have 
seen  CinemaScope  and  3-D  and  this 
is  the  best  for  us.    It  is  just  great." 

Frank  Robertson,  Cooper  Founda- 
tion Theatres,  Nebraska :  "This  is 
the  salvation  of  the  industry." 


New  Roach,  Jr.,  Firm 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


referred  to  the  slowdown  of  produc- 
tion in  several  quarters  due  to  uncer- 
tainty about  technological  develop- 
ments, and  said,  "I  believe  motion 
pictures  are  here  to  stay  and  that  good 
stories,  good  production,  good  players 
and  good  direction  will  create  product 
that  will  do  nothing  but  make  money 
for  everybody." 


Mixed  Reactions  to 
'Bwana'  in  South 

Charlotte,  March  22. — Some  5,000 
persons  saw  "Bwana  Devil"  at  the 
Carolina  Theatre  here,  where  it  will 
continue  indefinitely. 

Audience  reaction  was  varied.  Some 
were  enthusiastic  about  the  Natural 
Vision  process,  others  were  lukewarm. 
Still  others  professed  disappointment. 

Most  of  the  persons  who  saw  the 
show,  including  many  exhibitors,  were 
of  the  opinion  that  3-D  will  have  to 
show  a  great  deal  of  improvement. 


So.  Dak.  Ticket  Tax 

Pierre,  So.  Dak,  March  22.— A 
new  law  enacted  by  the  recently  ad- 
journed South  Dakota  legislature  per- 
mits school  districts  to  levy  a  10  per 
cent  admission  tax  where  cities,  coun- 
ties or  districts  maintain  auditorium 
facilities.  The  money  must  be  used  to 
build  or  remodel  buildings  or  be  in- 
vested in  interest-bearing  bonds. 


Hughes  Stock 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


would  be  sought  by  Hughes  is  an  un- 
known factor.  The  market  price  of 
RKO  Theatres  is  about  4l/s.  The 
usual  procedure  which  a  company  fol- 
lows in  purchasing  the  stock  interest 
of  a  stockholder  is  to  offer  the  same 
price  to  all  stockholders,  a  procedure 
which  might  make  the  projected  RKO 
Theatres'  plan  economically  prohibi- 
tive. 

Sol  Schwartz,  president  of  RKO 
Theatres,  is  on  the  Coast  for  a  view 
of  20th  Century-Fox's  CinemaScope 
demonstration,  according  to  a  com- 
pany spokesman  who  declined  com- 
ment on  the  reported  plan.  Schwartz, 
who  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  is 
expected  to  stay  on  the  Coast  for  a 
week's  vacation,  it  was  said. 

Hughes  had  to  trustee  his  theatre 
stock,  in  compliance  with  a  Depart- 
ment of  Justice  order,  following  his 
reacquisition  of  his  holdings  in  RKO 
Pictures  Corp.  and  his  reassumption 
of  management  control  as  board  chair- 
man of  that  company.  Hughes'  hold- 
ings were  split  between  the  theatre 
and  production-distribution  company 
in  consequence  of  the  divorcement  of 
the  company  in  accordance  with  its 
consent  decree. 

It  was  also  reported  that  a  number 
of  other  groups,  outside  RKO  Thea- 
tres, are  actively  interested  in  pur- 
chasing Hughes'  stock  interest  in  the 
theatre  company.  According  to  one 
report,  an  offer  of  5%  per  share  has 
been  made  to  Hughes  for  his  holdings 
by  one  group,  principal  of  which  is 
reportedly  slated  to  confer  with 
Hughes  in  Las  Vegas  shortly. 


Bellamy  to  Aid  Hospital 

The  work  and  research  program  of 
the  Will  Rogers  Hospital  will  be 
highlighted  by  Ralph  Bellamy,  presi- 
dent of  Actor's  Equity,  on  the 
WABC-TV  show,  "What's  Your 
Bid,"  tonight.  The  show  will  be  seen 
in  40  cities.  The  Will  Rogers  Hos- 
pital will  get  all  funds  "bid  in"  during 
the  program. 


Great  pictures  built  LIFE's  great  audience! 


Fourteen  years  ago,  Hansel  Mieth's  famous 
picture  of  a  misanthropic  monkey  appeared 
in  LIFE.  Ever  since  then,  the  sullen  bachelor 
has  signified  to  thousands  of  people  the  wry 
borderline  that  lies  between  man  and  monkey, 
between  human  comedy  and  tragedy. 


LIFE's  great  audience  can  build  your  pictures! 


The  LIFE  audience  is  big  enough  to  more  than  fill  all  the  theatres  in 
cities  and  towns  like  yours  all  across  the  country.  For  example: 


Market  Areas 

No.  of  Theafresf 

Seating  Capacitiesf 

LIFE's  Audience 

(single  issue) 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

289 

274,052 

743,150 

Tulsa,  Oklahoma 

31 

19,439 

43,530 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

105 

129,165 

321,320 

Denver,  Colorado 

49 

40,530 

105,090 

LIFE 


tFrom  1952  Year  Book  of  Motion  Pictures. 

*From  A  Study  of  the  Accumulative  Audience  of  LIFE  (1952),  by  Alfred  Politz  Research,  Inc. 


FIRST 

in  circulation 
FIRST 

in  readership 
FIRST 

in  advertising  revenue 


9  Rockefeller  Plaza, 
New  York  20,  N.  Y. 


VOL.  73.    NO.  56 


NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  24,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


TOA-Allied 

Meeting  Now 
A  Possibility 

Subject  May  Get  Okay 
At  Directors'  Session 


While  neither  arbitration  nor  the 
bid  by  the  Theatre  Owners  of 
America  for  a  joint  Allied-TOA 
meeting  is  on  the  official  agenda  of 
the  Allied  board  meeting  slated  for 
late  this  week  in  Milwaukee,  it  was 
reported  here  yesterday  that  both 
items  will  be  taken  up  by  the  direc- 
tors. Although  Allied  apparently  side- 
stepped a  joint  session  proposed  by 
TOA  president  Alfred  Starr  before 
his  departure  for  Europe  on  March 
10,  the  organization  did  so  only  be- 
cause it  could  not  enter  into  such  an 
arrangement  without  the  full  sanction 
of  the  entire  board. 

Some  Allied  leaders  have  admitted 
frankly  that  they  see  little  chance  of 
accomplishing  anything  concrete  by  a 
joint  conference  unless  the  distribu- 
tors change  their  tactics  on  some  trade 
{Continued  on  page  6) 


Wis.  Allied,  Drive-in 
Meet  Starts  Today 

Milwaukee,  March  23. — The  an- 
nual convention  of  the  Allied  Theatre 
Owners  of  Wisconsin,  to  be  held  in 
conjunction  with  the  convention  and 
equipment  show  of  the  National 
Drive-in  Theatres  Association,  will 
get  under  way  here  tomorrow  with 
representatives  attending  from  more 
than  40  states.  The  convention  and 
trade  show  will  continue  through 
Thursday,  following  which  the  na- 
tional Allied's  directors  are  sched- 
uled to  convene  on  Friday  and  Sat- 
urday. 

The  first  busfness  session  will  start 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Grainger  to  Conduct 
Series  of  Regionals 

J.  R.  Grainger,  president  of  RKO 
Radio,  will  conduct  a  series  of  re- 
gional meetings  with  his  field  sales 
force  in  the  near  future. 

"It  is  my  intention,"  said  Grainger, 
"to  get  to  know  personally  all  key 
members  of  the  RKO  organization. 
It  has  been  my  experience  that  more 
problems  can  be  solved  and  more 
plans  set  in  a  few  hours  of  informal 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


20th-Fox  Lists  16 
For  Release  from 
April  to  August 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  is  readying 
for  release  between  April  and  August 
a  line-up  of  16  attractions,  six  of 
which  are  in  color  by  Technicolor, 
one  in  Cinecolor,  and  one  color  pola- 
roid, the  company  announced  here 
yesterday. 

The  roster  will  be  led  off  next 
month  by  Irving  Berlin's  "Call  Me 
Madam,"  starring  Ethel  Merman, 
Donald  O'Connor,  Vera-Ellen  and 
George  Sanders.  The  Technicolor 
musical  will  be  followed  by  "The 
Presidents'  Lady,"  starring  Susan 
Hayward  and  Charlton  Heston,  and 
"Tonight  We  Sing." 

For  May,  the  releases  are  "Ti- 
.anic,"  starring  Clifton  Webb  and 
Barbara    Stanwyck ;    "Man    on  A 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Cinerama  Opens  to 
Big  Advance  Sale 

Detroit,  March  23. — "This  Is 
Cinerama"  opened  tonight  at  the  re- 
decorated and  remodeled  Music  Hall 
to  one  of  Detroit's  largest  advance 
theatre  sales,  with  $70,000  already 
taken  in  at  the  box-office  which  was 
flooded  by  11,000  pieces  of  mail  from 
11  states  before  tonight's  opening. 

The  opening  marked  the  first  in- 
stallation of  the  new  semi-portable 
Cinerama  projection  booth  and  giant 
screen,  hung  on  aluminum  pipe  scaf- 
folding. An  improvement  in  blending 
the  three  projectors  on  the  giant 
screen  was  claimed  due  to  automatic 

(Continued  on  page  10) 


Enterprise  Group 
Honors  Brandt 

Harry  Brandt,  New  York 
circuit  operator,  was  among 
the  eight  persons  who  re- 
ceived awards  from  the  Free 
Enterprise  Awards  Associa- 
tion. Scrolls,  presented  to 
the  winners  in  a  poll  con- 
ducted by  Certified  Reports, 
an  opinion  research  agency, 
stated  that  the  men  had  "won 
an  enduring  place  in  the  his- 
tory of  American  endeavor  by 
achieving  success  despite  ad- 
versity." The  association  is  a 
non-profit  agency  designed  to 
champion  the  cause  of  free 
enterprise. 


Trade  Practice 
Hearings  Start 
In  L.A.  Mar.  31 


'Wax'  Bringing  New 
Era:  Blumenstock 


Mort  Blumenstock,  Warner  Broth- 
ers vice-president  in  charge  of  adver- 
tising and  pub- 
licity, has  ar- 
rived in  New 
York  from  Hol- 
lywood to  set 
up  the  world 
premiere  o  f 
''House  of 
Wax,"  three- 
dimensional  film 
in  Natural 
Vision  and 
Warn  erCdlor, 
at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre 
on  April  10. 
Asked  about 
the   series  of 


Mort  Blumenstock 


Senate  Probe  to  Shift 
To  Washington  April  13 

By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

I  Washington,  March  23.  —  A 
Small  Business  sub-committee  will 
open  public  hearings  on  exhibitor 
complaints  against  film  distributors 
in  Los  Angeles  on  March  31,  Sena- 
tor Thye  (R.,  Minn.),  chairman  of 
the  full  committee,  discloses. 

The  hearings  will  be  con- 
ducted by  the  monopoly  sub- 
committee, headed  by  Senator 
Schoeppel  (R.,  Kans.)  The  latter 
estimated  that  the  West  Coast 
hearings  would  run  about  three 
days,  and  that  those  hearings 
would  be  followed  by  about  a 
week  of  hearings  in  Washing- 
ton, starting  April  13.  Names  of 
witnesses  at  both  hearings  will 
be  announced  later,  Schoeppel 
said. 

Committee  staff  members  have  been 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


exhibitor   reaction  to 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


Educational  Theatre  TV 
Wins  Sponsors 9  Acclaim 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

A  strong  recommendation  that  another  theatre  telecast,  similar  to  the 
educational  program  viewed  by  high  school  students  in  New  York  on 
Saturday,  be  held  again  next  year  will  be  made  to  the  Technical  Societies 
Council  of  New  York,  Inc.,  sponsor  of  the  event. 
This  was  disclosed  here  yesterday 


by  John  Kotrady,  chairman  of  the 
"First  Greater  New  York  Scientific 
and  Engineering  Career  Conference," 
the  title  of  the  telecast.  He  said  that 
he  would  recommend,  in  addition,  that 
next  year's  telecast  be  extended  to 
other  areas,  possibly  as  far  West  as 
Chicago. 

The  one-hour  telecast  which  began 
at  10 :00  A.M.  and  which  was  seen 
by  about  3,000  students  scattered  in 
the    New    York    Paramount,  Fox's 


Fabian  and  RKO  Fordham,  was  ac- 
claimed by  all  participating  parties, 
Kotrady  reported.  He  said  the  10 
leading  commercial  companies  which 
footed  the  estimated  $8,000  bill  for  the 
public  service  event  were  highly  satis- 
fied with  the  results.  The  $8,000  cost, 
it  was  pointed  out,  was  paid  out  for 
production  and  line  charges.  The  three 
theatres  donated  their  seats. 
The   favorable   reaction   from  the 

(Continued  on  page  11) 


More  Exhibitors 
Laud  CinemaScope 


Hollywood,  March  23. — Scores  of 
exhibitors  who  witnessed  the  Cinema- 
Scope  showings  staged  here  last  week 
by  20th  Century-Fox  still  were  sing- 
ing the  praises  of  the  new  large 
dimension,  stereophonic  sound  system 
over  the  weekend. 

Virtually  all  were  agreed  that  it 
opens  up  a  new  era  of  theatre  busi- 
ness and  that  its  long-range  prospects 
are  tremendous. 

Following  are  typical  comments  of 
exhibitors  representing  a  wide  variety 
of  theatre  operations. 

William  Elson  (Cloquet  Amuse- 

(Continued  on  page  8) 


London  Reaction  to 
First  3-D  Is  Cold 


London,  March  23. — 3-D  got  off  to 
an  inauspicious  start  here. 

A  few  days  before  "Bwana  Devil" 
opened  at  J.  Arthur  Rank's  Marble 
Arch  Odeon,  M-G-M  took  off  its 
shelf  the  17-year-old  Pete  Smith 
Audioscopics,  which  made  no  particu- 
lar impression  here  originally,  and 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


2 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Tuesday,  March  24,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


FJ.  A.  MCCARTHY,  Universal 
•  Southern  and  Canadian  sales 
manager,  will  leave  New  York  today 
for  New  Orleans. 

Leon  J.  Bamberger,  RKO  Radio 
sales  promotion  manager,  and  Mrs. 
Bamberger  have  become  grandparents 
for  the  third  time  with  the  birth  of  a 
girl  to  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Sheldon 
Kaplan  of  Minneapolis. 

• 

Jerome  Wechsler,  Warner  Broth- 
ers Cleveland  branch  manager,  be- 
came a  grandfather  for  the  third  time 
when  his  daughter-in-law,  Mrs. 
Harry  Wechsler,  gave  birth  to  a 
son,  Richard  Louis. 

• 

Robert    Cravenne,    president  of 
UniFrance,  handling  French  film  in- 
dustry public  relations,  arrived  here 
yesterday   from   France   aboard  the 
Liberte. 

Arthur  Freed,  M-G-M  producer, 
will  arrive  here  from  Hollywood  on 
Monday    en    route    to    London  on 
April  2  aboard  the  5.5".  He  dc  France. 
• 

Lee  Koken,  RKO  Theatres  vend- 
ing  machine  manager,   has  returned 
here  from  Detroit  and  Cleveland. 
• 

Jean  Benoit-Levy,  film  producer, 
spoke  at  the  New  School  for  Social 
Research  here  last  night. 

Allen  M.  Widem,  Hartford  Times 
motion  picture  editor,  has  returned 
there  from  Los  Angeles. 

• 

Joel  Preston,  publicist,  has  joined 
the  Blowitz-Maskel  publicity  firm  as 
an  associate. 


Macy's  Tying  in  on 
'Madam'  Premiere 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  "Call  Me 
Madam"  will  receive  a  welcome  to 
New  York  and  its  Roxy  Theatre 
engagement  starting  tomorrow  by 
Macy's  in  a  double-page  advertising- 
series. 

The  greeting  will  have  nearly  all  of 
Gotham's  daily  newspapers  presenting 
insertions,  with  the  campaign  starting 
in  this  afternoon's  World-Telegram 
and  Sun,  Journal- American  and  the 
Post.  Tomorrow  the  Tiuics,  Herald- 
Tribune  and  the  Mirror  will  carry 
the  ads. 

Format  of  the  ads  spotlights  display 
art  of  the  musical's  starring  quartet, 
Ethel  Merman,  Donald  O'Connor, 
Vera-Ellen  and  George  Sanders,  as 
they  appear  in  a  group  of  production 
numbers. 


Steve  Strassberg 
Joins  Alter  Group 

Steve  Strassberg,  film  publicist,  has 
joined  David  O.  Alber  Associates  as 
an  account  executive.  Strassberg  for- 
merly was  publicity  director  of  Eagle 
Lion  Films,  prior  to  which  he  was  a 
publicist  for  Loew's  and  Republic 
Pictures. 


NPA  Finally  Lifts  the  Lid 
On  Bldg.  and  Equipment 

Washington,  March  23. — The  National  Production  Authority  today 
finally  issued  the  long-awaited  formal  order  ending  production  and  con- 
struction controls  on  June  30. 

After  that  date,  theatre  projects  and  production  of  theatre  and  film 
equipment  can  go  ahead  without  any 


interference  from  the  government. 
Also,  of  course,  they  will  no  longer 
get  any  government  assistance  unless 
they  happen  to  be  directly  on  military 
or  atomic  energy  programs. 

Effective  July  1,  the  present  con- 
trolled materials  plan  and  construc- 
tion control  orders  will  end.  A  new 
program,  the  Defense  Materials  Sys- 
tem, will  channel  steel,  copper  and 
aluminum  to  essential  military  and 
atomic  production  and  construction. 
All  other  production  and  construction 
will  have  to  scramble  for  the  mate- 
rials left  over— but  they  will  be  free 
to  use  whatever  they  can  get  in  what- 
ever way  they  want. 

Non-priority  orders  can  be  placed 
immediately  for  delivery  after  June 
30  of  steel,  copper  and  aluminum,  the 
NPA  said. 

Producers  of  film  or  theatre  equip- 
ment for  military  orders  would  be 
eligible  for  the  priority  assistance 
under  the  new  DMS  program. 

The  new  program  is  outlined  in 
two  orders,  DMS  Reg.  No.  1,  gov- 
erning production,  and  DMS  Reg. 
No.  2,  governing  construction. 


'Tonight  We  Sing9 
Strong  in  Canada 

Twentieth  Century-Fox's  "Tonight 
We  Sing"  is  outgrossing  "Stars  and 
Stripes  Forever"  in  Canada,  it  is  un- 
derstood. 

It  was  said  that  on  the  opening  day 
of  "Tonight  We  Sing"  at  the  Uptown 
Theatre,  Calgary,  the  gross  was 
$1,600,  whereas  "Stars  and  Stripes" 
took  in  $1,200  at  the  same  house  on 
its  first  day.  At  the  Vogue  in  Van- 
couver, "Stars  and  Stripes"  grossed 
$1,000  in  its  opener,  while  "Tonight 
We  Sing"  took  in  $1,500  on  the  first 
day  in  the  same  house. 


Andre  Hakim  Forms 
His  Own  Company 

Producer  Andre  Hakim,  who  re- 
cently left  20th  Century-Fox,  has  re- 
turned from  Europe  and  formed  his 
own  motion  picture  corporation  in 
which  he  will  act  as  special  produc- 
tion coordinator  with  offices  in  New 
York  and  Europe.  Hakim,  who  re- 
cently established  European  headquar- 
ters in  Paris,  is  now  setting  up  his 
organization  in  New  York.  _  Next 
week,  he  will  return  to  California 
to  close  a  deal  for  two  French  prop- 
erties. 


Earl  Carpenter  Dead 

Cleveland,  March  23. — Earl  Car- 
penter, head  and  founder  of  Escar 
Motion  Pictures,  industrial  producers, 
is  dead  here.  Since  1948  Carpenter 
also  operated  the  Carpenter  Visual 
Service,  Inc.  Surviving  are  the  wi- 
dow and  a  brother,  Ernest  S.,  with 
whom  he  was  associated  in  the  Escar. 


No  New  Names  in 
Coast  'Red'  Probe 


Hollywood,  March  23. — The  House 
Un-American  Activities  Committee 
opened  televised  hearings  here  with 
Danny  Dare,  who  in  1951  disputed 
charges  by  a  committee  witness  that 
he  had  been  a  Communist,  and  who 
today  reversed  that  testimony,  giving 
extensive  details  of  his  membership. 
He  revealed  no  names  not  previously 
mentioned  as  Communists.  Formerly 
active  in  the  stage  and  films  as  a 
dance  director,  Dare  recently  has 
been  in  television. 

In  the  afternoon  session  Harold 
Hecht,  former  agent  and  in  recent 
years  an  independent  producer,  testi- 
fied he  has  been  misled  into  joining 
the  party  in  about  1940  and  withdrew 
in  1942  after  becoming  disillusioned. 


AA,  ABPC  to  Make 
Film  in  England 

Hollywood,  March  23. — Following 
conferences  here  with  Robert  Clark, 
managing  director  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction for  Associated  British  Pic- 
tures Corp.,  Steve  Broidy,  president 
of  Allied  Artists,  has  announced  the 
companies  jointly  will  produce  "The 
Black  Knight"  in  England  with 
June  5  set  as  the  starting  date  for  the 
color  in  Technicolor  production. 

Walter  Mirisch,  Allied  Artists  ex- 
ecutive producer,  will  go  to  England 
to  take  charge  of  production.  Par- 
ticipating in  the  conferences  at  the 
studio  with  Broidy  and  Clark  were 
Harold  Mirisch  and  G.  Ralph  Bran- 
ton,  Allied  Artists  vice-presidents,  and 
the  executive  producer. 


Nathan  V.  Steinberg 
Dies  in  New  Rochelle 

New  Rochelle,  N.  Y.,  March  23. 
— Nathan  Victor  Steinberg,  owner  of 
theatres  in  Connecticut,  New  York 
and  New  Jersey,  died  in  New  Ro- 
chelle Hospital  here  of  a  heart  ail- 
ment on  Friday  at  the  age  of  42. 

He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  two 
daughters,  two  sons,  a  brother  and  a 
sister. 


Michael  Lesnick  Rites 

Cleveland,  March  23.  —  Services 
will  be  held  here  tomorrow  for  Mi- 
chael Lesnick,  65,  auditor  for  the  past 
eight  years  for  Associated  Circuit, 
who  died  yesterday  in  the  Cleveland 
Clinic. 


Farnol  Anniversary 

The  Lynn  Farnol  public  relations 
organization  will  observe  its  third  an- 
niversary on  Thursday  with  an  "open 
house"  for  friends. 


Sharp  Rise  in  AA 
26-Weeks  Net  Profit 

Hollywood,  March  23.— The 
operations  of  Allied  Artists 
and  its  wholly  owned  subsi- 
diaries for  26  weeks  ended 
Dec.  27,  1952,  resulted  in  a  net 
profit  of  $309,771,  before  Fed- 
eral income  taxes,  which  com- 
pares with  $235,582  for  the 
same  period  in  the  previous 
year,  president  Steve  Broidy 
reports.  A  reserve  of  $88,000 
was  set  up  for  Federal  income 
taxes;  no  corresponding  re- 
serve was  set  up  the  year  be- 
fore because  of  loss-carry- 
forward credits.  Gross  income 
for  the  specified  period  was 
$4,540,684,  which  compares 
with  $4,330,861  for  the  year 
before. 


New  Sterilizer  for 
3-D  Glasses  Ready 

Herman  Goldstein  of  Electroaire 
Corp.,  in  partnership  with  Joseph  P. 
Kennedy,  former  U.  S.  Ambassador 
to  Great  Britain,  and  I.  M.  Rappaport, 
Baltimore  theatre  owner,  has  formed 
a  new  company,  Steriloptics,  Inc., 
which  will  distribute  a  new  machine 
to  sterilize  polaroid  glasses  on  theatre 
premises.  The  sterilizing  process  was 
perfected  by  Goldstein's  company. 


'U'  Sets  Another 
3-Dimensional  Film 

Hollywood,  March  23. — Universal- 
International  disclosed  here  today  that 
the  top-budget  "Wings  of  Hawk," 
with  Van  Heflin  and  Julia  Adams, 
will  be  shot  in  3-D  in  color  by  Tech- 
nicolor with  stereophonic  sound. 

The  company  recently  completed 
"It  Came  from  Outer  Space"  as  its 
first  3-D  film. 


Menzies  to  Direct  'Maze' 

Hollywood,  March  23. — William 
Cameron  Menzies  has  been  set  to  di- 
rect "The  Maze,"  Allied  Artists'  first 
three-dimensional  production. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 

RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 

— ——— —   Rockefeller  Center   


"THE  STORY  OF  THREE  LOVES" 

Kirk  James  Farley 

DOUGLAS  MASON  GRANGER 

PierANGELI  MoiraSHEARER  Leslie CARON 
An  M-G-M  Picture 
plus  Spectacular  STAGE  PRESENTATION 


I Alfred  Hitchcock's 
Confess 

MONTGOMERY  CLI  FT 

anne  BAXTER  \ 


Midnight  F«otur» 


MOTION  PICTURE  DALLY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye  Consulting  Editor.  Pubhshed  daily  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center.  New  York  20  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circ  e  7-3100,  Cable  address:  O^bco. 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  J.  Sullivan,  Vice-Pres.dent  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy  Vice- President,  Leo  J-  -,j  '  ^' 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor ;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  R  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building 
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Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup^ 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  pubhshed  U >  times  a  yearas  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  <sl,  1938.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  JM.  i .,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


Tuesday,  March  24,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


N.  C.  Bill  Aimed  at 
Used  3-D  Glasses 

Raleigh,  March  23.— A  bill 
to  prevent  polaroid  glasses 
from  being  reissued  by  thea- 
tres in  North  Carolina  show- 
ing three  -  dimensional  films 
after  the  glasses  have  been 
worn  once  has  been  intro- 
duced in  the  state  legislature 
by  Senator  Hamilton  Hob- 
good  of  Franklin. 

The  bill  would  make  it  a 
misdemeanor  for  theatres  to 
reissue  used  glasses,  with  the 
maximum  punishment  a  fine 
of  $50  or  30  days  in  jail. 


Claim  Para.  System 
Is  Now  Practical 


The  Paramount  wide-screen  process 
for  conventional  films  is  a  practicality 
today,  but  depends  on  exhibitor  ac- 
ceptance for  its  adoption,  a  Para- 
mount spokesman  claimed  here. 

The  spokesman  commented  on  the 
weekend  demonstration  of  the  Para- 
mount system  held  at  the  company's 
Coast  studios  and  attended  by  some 
300  exhibitors  and  management  ex- 
ecutives, the  majority  of  whom  were 
on  the  Coast  to  view  20th  Century- 
Fox's  CinemaScope  system. 

The  company  executive  claimed  that 
the  needed  wide-angle  lens  and  con- 
cave screen  could  be  supplied  by 
present-day  manufacturers  if  the  ex- 
hibitor market  was  present.  Unlike 
CinemaScope,  the  Paramount  process 
is  designed  to  give  greater  scope  and 
illusion  of  depth  to  films  made  in 
the  conventional  form. 

This  factor  was  highlighted  by  Y. 
Frank  Freeman,  Paramount  vice- 
president,  on  the  Coast  in  an  address 
to  exhibitors.  He  urged  exhibitors 
not  to  discard  the  conventional  film 
"too  hastily,"  despite  all  of  the  ex- 
citement about  3-D  and  other  means 
of  broadening  the  picture.  He 
acknowledged  that  3-D  and  other  re- 
cent developments  meant  added  busi- 
ness, but  cautioned  "let's  do  it  by 
gradual  merger,  not  by  revolution — 
for  in  the  revolution,  too  many  of  us 
will  get  hurt." 

Freeman  pointed  out  that  major 
studios  had  an  investment  of  approxi- 
mately $325,000,000  in  their  current 
inventory  of  pictures  and  that  if  a 
"practical"  means  of  enhancing  the 
exhibition  value  of  that  product  could 
be  found,  then  it  might  easily  repre- 
sent to  the  industry  an  "income  value 
of  nearly  $800,000,000." 

The  Paramount  system  for  conven- 
tional films,  it  was  explained,  permits 
any  picture  to  grow  in  size  by  spread- 
ing the  image  over  a  larger  area. 
Freeman  estimated  the  cost  upwards 
of  $600,  depending  on  the  size  of  the 
theatre. 


Review 


"Abbott  and  Costello  Go  to  Mars 

{Universal-International) 

FANTASTIC  can  best  describe  the  setting  of  "Bud  Abbott  and  Lou 
Costello  Go  to  Mars."  The  pair  ride  around  in  a  rocket-ship,  not  with 
the  greatest  of  ease,  and  therein  comes  the  tummy-ticklers.  Of  which,  there 
are  many. 

Bud  and  Lou  stumble  into  a  contraption  with  a  lot  of  gadgets  and  gears, 
much  like  a  submarine  control  room.  Buffoon  Costello  touches  one  of  the 
gadgets,  and,  zoom,  off  they  go  to  Mars,  shivering  all  the  while  the  missile 
climbs,  zig-zaggedly.  The  ship  lands  in  a  strange  place,  inhabited  by  strange 
people.  But  not  on  the  planet  of  Mars,  as  Bud  and  Lou  believe ;  rather,  it 
dropped  them  at  New  Orleans,  right  in  dead  center  of  a  Mardi  Gras  with  all 
of  its  color  and  distortions  of  human  faces  and  figures — men  and  women 
of  Mars,  thought  Bud  and  Lou.  Their  reactions  to  the  funny,  fancy  and 
freakish  behaviour  of  the  carnival  celebrants  will  give  any  and  all  Abbott 
and  Costello  adherents  all  of  A-C  they  desire.  Some  will  complain,  and 
with  them,  we  will  agree,  that  there  are  in  this  production,  many  moments 
of  over-tilled  corn. 

A  mighty  important  merchandising  approach  should  be  pointed  in  the 
direction  of  the  almost  countless  magazines  and  comic  strips  which  daily 
take  little  Johnny  and  Jane  traveling  to  Mars,  even  as  Bud  and  Lou.  , 

Howard  Christie  produced ;  Charles  Lamont  directed,  from  a  screenplay 
which  D.  D.  Beauchamp  and  John  Grant  wrote  from  a  story  by  Christie  and 
Beauchamp.  , 

Photography,  by  Clifford  Stine,  ASC,  was  particularly  keen.  And  bravos 
for  the  animation  which  sent  the  rocket-ship  zooming  through  the  Holland 
Tunnel,  over  and  under  New  York  bridges,  and  around  this  city's  sky- 
scrapers. 

The  cast  in  support  of  the  always-walloping  Bud  Abbott,  and  the  always- 
wallopped  Lou  Costello  is  quite  capable,  especially  Robert  Paige,  Mary 
Blanchard,  Martha  Hyer,  Horace  McMahon,  Jack  Tesler,  Hal  Forrest, 
Harold  Goodwin,  Joe  Kirk,  Jack  Kruschen  and  Jean  Willis. 

No  review  of  "Abbott  and  Costello  Go  to  Mars"  is  complete  without  men- 
tion of  Bud  Abbott  and  Lou  Costello  also  going  to  Venus,  which  they  do, 
on  this  same  excursion,  much  to  their  surprise  and  delight,  for  here  is  where 
they  meet  Miss  Universe  Beauties.   All  of  them  are. 

Running  time,  76^  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release.  James  Cunningham 


Cohn  Will  Be  Host 
Tonight  at  'Salome' 
Premiere  at  Rivoli 


Leaders  of  the  industry  and  cele- 
brities will  gather  at  the  Rivoli  The- 
atre here  tonight  for  the  world 
premiere  of  Columbia's  "Salome."  A 
formal  dress,  Klieg  light,  Hollywood- 
style  affair,  the  festivities  will  be 
telecast  by  Station  WPIX,  beginning 
at  8:30  P.M. 

Rita  Hayworth,  who  has  the  title 
role  in  the  production,  came  to  New 
York  for  the  opening.  Hosts  for 
the  show  will  be  Jack  Cohn,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  and  A.  Montague, 
general  sales  manager,  for  Columbia, 
and  Montague  Salmon,  Rivoli  man- 
aging director.  Faye  Emerson  and 
radios'  Art  Ford  will  serve  as  mas- 
ters of  ceremonies  for  the  telecast  in 
front  of  the  Rivoli. 


Isley  to  Tie  Theatres 
To  Academy  Awards 


Dallas,  March  23.  —  Phil  Isley, 
president  of  Isley  Theatres,  observed 
that  the  televised  Academy  Award 
showing  proved  unmistakably  to  be 
one  of  the  finest  public  relations 
efforts  the  industry  has  ever  under- 
taken and  will  undoubtedly  reflect  as 
much  as  the  box-office.  He  stated 
that  his  theatres  will  stage  a  cam- 
paign to  precede  the  Academy  Awards 
next  year  based  upon  $10,000  in  prizes 
to  be  given  to  patrons  polling  most 
nearly  the  actual  "Oscar"  Awards. 
The  campaign  will  get  under  way  im- 
mediately following  the  nominations 
for  the  awards. 

Isley  also  stated  that  he  would  meet 
with  the  executive  board  of  Texas 
COMPO  and  make  the  project  avail- 
able for  a  statewide  campaign  capi- 
talizing on  the  Academy  Awards.  He 
added  that  exhibitors  had  constantly 
overlooked  the  value  of  the  awards 
and  will  henceforth  design  campaigns 
in  connection  with  this  affair  to  boost 
box-office  receipts,  especially  if  the 
event  is  to  be  televised. 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Davis  and  Lurie 
Form  New  Firm 

L.-D.  Pictures  Co.  has  been  formed 
to  distribute  foreign  language  films 
with  English  subtitles  in  the  United 
States.  Arthur  Davis  is  president  and 
Walter  Lurie  is  vice-president.  Lurie 
recently  retired  as  vice-president  of 
Mutual  Broadcasting  and  is  finan- 
cially interested  in  several  filmed  tele- 
vision programs.  Davis  also  is  presi- 
dent of  Arthur  Davis  Associates, 
which  has  no  connection  with  L.-D. 
Pictures. 

Davis  will  leave  here  for  abroad 
shortly  to  scan  product  for  the  new 
set-up. 


'Knock  on  Wood'  to  Be 
Filmed  by  Para,  in  U.  S. 

Hollywood,  March  23.— "Knock  on 
Wood,"  Danny  Kaye's  next  starring 
comedy,  will  be  filmed  at  Paramount's 
studios,  here  in  combination  3-D  and 
the  large  screen  process  which  Para- 
mount is  now  developing,  the  studio 
disclosed  today.  The  picture  was 
originally  planned  to  be  made  in 
England. 

To  be  produced  independently  by 
Kaye,  in  collaboration  with  Norman 


$10,500  for  'Hitch-Hiker' 

Boston,  March  23.— "The  Hitch- 
Hiker,"  which  opened  at  the  RKO 
Boston  Theatre  here  over  the  week- 
end, has  hit  a  three-day  gross  of  $10,- 
500,  reportedly  the  best  business  in 
the  past  18  months  at  the  house  and 
indicating  a  new  record  for  the  initial 
week. 


Panama  and  Melvin  Frank,  witl 
financing  and  distribution  by  Para- 
mount, the  picture  goes  before  the 
cameras  early  this  summer.  Color 
will  be  by  Technicolor. 


THE  JeRFORMANCE 


AT  THE 

lVOU  THEATRE 


NEW  YORK 


COLUMBIA  PICTURES  presents 


HAYWORTH 


STEWART 


6RAN6ER 


COLOR  BY 


CO-STARRING 


CHARLES  LAUGHTON  *"«™  • 

Screen  Play  by  HARRY  KLEINER  •  Produced  by  BUDDY  ADLER  •  Directed  by  WILLIAM  DIETERLE  •  A  BECKWORTH  CORPORATION  Product 


SIR  CEDRIC     BASIL     MAURICE  ARNOLD  ALAN 
HARDW1CKE  •  SYDNEY-  SCHWARTZ  •  MOSS  •  BADEL  OF  THOUSANDS 


6 


Motion  Picture  daily 


Tuesday,  March  24,  1953 


16  from  Fox 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Tightrope,"  starring  Fredfic  March, 
Terry  Moore  and  Gloria;  Grahame, 
produced  by  Robert  L.  Jacks  and 
directed  by  Elia  Kazan ;  "Invaders 
from  Mars,7'  a  science-fiction  film  in 
Cinecolor,  produced  by  Edward  L. 
Alpersoh,  and  "The  Desert  Rats," 
starring  Richard  Burton,  James 
Mason  and  Robert  Newton. 

June  Releases 

June  releases  are  "The  Girl  Next 
Door,"  Technicolor  musical  starring 
Dan  Dailey,  June  Haver  and  Den- 
nis Day;  "Powder  River,"  Techni- 
color Western  starring-  Rory  Cal- 
houn, Corinne  Calvet  and  Cameron 
Mitchell,  and  "Pickup  on  South 
Street,"  starring  Richard  Widmark, 
Jean  Peters  and  Thelma  Ritter. 

July  releases  are  "White  Witch 
Doctor,"  Technicolor,  starring  Susan 
Hayvvard  and  Robert  Mitchum  ;  "The 
Glory  Brigade,"  Korean  war  narra- 
tive, with  Victor  Mature,  and  "The 
Kid  from  Left  Field,"  starring  Dan 
Dailey  and  Anne  Bancroft. 

August  releases  are  "Gentlemen 
Prefer  Blondes,"  Technicolor  musi- 
cal based  on  the  Broadway  play,  star- 
ring Marilyn  Monroe  and  Jane  Rus- 
sell;  C.  S.  Forrester's  "Sailor  of  the 
King,"  starring  Jeffrey  Hunter,  Mi- 
chael Rennie  and  Wendy  Hiller,  and 
"Inferno,"  first  3-D  release  from  20th 
Century-Fox,  starring  Robert  Ryan, 
Rhonda  Fleming,  and  William  Lun- 
digan. 


March   is   American   Reel  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Trade  Practice  Hearings 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


doing  considerable  investigation  of  ex 
hibitor  complaints  about  current  in 
dustry  trade  practices,  and  have  talked 
to  spokesmen  both  for  distribution  and 
exhibition.  However,  these  will  be 
the  first  public  hearings  since  the  in- 
vestigation started. 

In  announcing  the  hearings,  Sen. 
Thye  said  the  committee  had  re- 
ceived many  complaints  from  inde- 
pendent theatre  owners  who  claim 
injury  from  certain  distribution  prac- 
tices. 

"They  say  that  such  matters  as 
clearances,  availabilities  and  competi- 
tive bidding  are  being  handled  by  the 
distributors  in  a  manner  which  is 
bringing  increasing  hardship  upon  the 
exhibitors,"  Thye  said.  "The  full  com- 
mittee has  agreed  to  grant  the  request 
of  exhibitors  for  an  opportunity  to 
present  their  problems  to  the  commit- 
tee, and  has  assigned  to  the  monopoly 
sub-committee  the  responsibility  for 
arranging  the  hearings." 

Sen.  Schoeppel  emphasized  the  sub- 
committee has  "no  preconceived  no- 
tions as  to  the  ultimate  facts  to  be 
established  by  the  hearings."  He  said 
the  sole  purpose  of  the  sub-committee 
would  be  to  attempt  to  receive  prob- 
lems confronting  exhibitors,  "most  of 
whom  are  small,  independent  busi- 
nessmen." 

"We  shall  welcome  the  com- 
ments and  recommendations  of 
all  parties  who  may  have  an  in- 
terest in  this  matter,"  he  de- 
clared. "We  are  particularly 
anxious  to  receive  the  views  of 
distributors  and  spokesmen  for 


The 

clinch  and  ? 
kill  girl 
they  called 

lli&UE  ARDENIA 


SENSATION  COMING  FROM 

Warner  Bros/ 


the  agencies  of  the  government 
having  responsibilities  in  the 
motion  picture  field." 

The  sub-committee  which  will  con- 
duct the  hearings  consists  of  Senators 
Tobey  (R.,  N.  H.),  Ferguson  (R., 
Mich.),  Long  (D.,  La.)  and  Gillette 
(D.,  Ia.)  in  addition  to  Schoeppel. 

Committee  officials  said  most  of  the 
witnesses  at  the  West  Coast  hearings 
will  be  from  Los  Angeles,  San  Diego 
and  other  Southern  California  areas, 
but  that  there  would  be  some  wit- 
nesses from  San  Francisco  and  other 
West  Coast  cities.  The  hearings  will 
get  under  way  at  10:00  A.M.  in  the 
Federal  Building. 

Committee  investigator  William  D. 
Amis  is  in  California  now  and  will 
remain  there  until  the  hearings  start, 
lining  up  witnesses. 


Wis.  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


at  1 :00  P.M.,  with  all  branches  of 
the  industry  invited  to  participate.  Ex- 
hibitor group  discussions,  broken  up 
into  panels  of  large  towns,  small 
towns,  subsequent  runs  and  drive- 
ins,  are  on  the  agenda  for  the  late 
afternoon. 

Business  sessions,  along  with  social 
activities,  will  continue  through  Wed- 
nesday. Speakers  for  the  afternoon 
include  Allied  leaders  Abram  F. 
Myers,  Wilbur  Snaper,  Ben  Marcus 
and  Col.  H.  A.  Cole  and  Herbert 
Barnett,  president  of  the  Society  of 
Motion  Picture  and  Television  En- 
gineers. The  convention  will  wind 
up  Thursday  night  with  an  all-in- 
dustry banquet  and  floor  show. 


TOA-Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


practices  and  modify  their  stand  on 
their  opposition  to  the  arbitration  of 
film  rentals. 

It  was  pointed  out  that  Allied  may 
give  TOA  a  "polite  no"  to  the  sug- 
gestion for  a  meeting,  but  some  ob- 
servers believe  that  the  board  will 
authorize  its  leaders  to  meet  with 
TOA  executives  for  the  purpose  of 
exploring  ways  and  means  of  curbing 
high  film  rentals,  pre-releases  and  ad- 
vanced admission  prices.  The  possi- 
bility has  become  more  plausible  in 
the  last  30  days  inasmuch  as  TOA 
has  been  blasting  distributing  policies 
almost  on  a  par  with  that  of  Allied, 
even  going  so  far  as  to  say  officially 
that  unless  certain  abuses  are  cor- 
rected, exhibitors  have  no  choice  ex- 
cept to  seek  relief  via  the  Department 
of  Justice. 


Grainger  to  Conduct 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


iace-to-face  conversation  than  in  an 
ntire  month  of  letter-writing. 
"My  aim  has  always  been  to  accom- 
plish effectively  the  greatest  amount 
.a  the  shortest  possible  time.  I  be- 
ieve  these  regional  meetings  will  be 
i  step  in  that  direction." 


III.  Allied  Meet  Thursday 

Chicago,  March  23. — Allied  Thea- 
tres of  Illinois'  23rd  annual  luncheon 
and  election  of  officers  has  been  post- 
poned from  tomorrow  to  Thursday, 
because  Jack  Kirsch,  Illinois  Allied 
president,  has  stayed  over  on  the  Coast. 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 


a  • 


with  RAY  GALLO 


DELEGATES  to  the  three-day 
National  Drive-in  convention  at 
Milwaukee  starting  today  will  find 
on  display  at  the  booth  of  Cre- 
tors  Corp.,  Nashville,  the  company's 
new  "Olympic"  over-the-counter  model 
popcorn  machine.  The  new  unit  has  a 
number  of  features  especially  designed 
to  meet  the  problems  of  outdoor  oper- 
ation. One  of  them  is  a  new  forced- 
air  heat  circulation  system  for  keep- 
ing the  popped  corn  fresh  and  crisp, 
regardless  of  weather  or  moisture  con- 
ditions. Two  three-cubic  feet  elevator 
wells  give  the  machine  heated  storage 
capacity  for  the  equivalent  of  200 
boxes  of  popped  corn,  in  addition  to 
the  storage  capacity  of  the  popper  it- 
self. 

• 

The  appointment  of  Paul  Hirsch- 
berg  of  Chicago  as  area  manager 
for  D.  W.  Moor  Co.,  Toledo,  manu- 
facturer of  floor  matting,  has  been 
announced  by  D.  W.  Moor,  presi- 
dent. Hirschberg  will  cover  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Minnesota,  Wisconsin  and 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

• 

Promotion  of  two  of  its  executives 
has  been  announced  by  Mills  Indus- 
tries, Inc.,  Chicago,  mamnifacturers  of 
beverage  coolers  and  dispensers,  ice 
cream  and  frozen  custard  equipment 
and  related  products.  Fred  L.  Mills, 
Jr.,  has  been  named  vice-president  in 
charge  of  engineering  and  Walter  F. 
Herman,  vice-president  in  charge  of 
manufacturing. 

• 

The  Breuer  Electric  Mfg.  Co.,  Chi- 
cago, has  acquired  additional  plant 
facilities  to  expand  production  of  its 
line  of  Tornado  industrial  vacuum 
cleaners,  portable  electric  blowers  and 
floor  scrubbing  machines.  The  new 
plant  adjoins  the  company's  present 
one  at  5100  North  Ravenswood  Ave., 
according  to  A.  A.  Breuer,  president. 
• 

Celebrating  31  years  with  the 
Coca  Cola  Company  and  a  30th  wed- 
ding anniversary  is  Charles  Okun, 
shown  below  with  his  wife  at  the 
recent  Adolph  Zukor  Golden  Jubilee 
dinner  at  the  Waldorf  Astoria  in 
New  York.  Okun  is  theatre  repre- 
sentative for  Coca  Cola  in  the  foun- 
tain sales  department. 


Technicolor  Congratulates 

Academy  Award  Winners  1952 


•  Best  Motion  Picture 

"THE  GREATEST  SHOW  ON  EARTH" 

CECIL  B.  De M I LLE-PAR AMOUNT 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Irving  G.  Thalberg  Memorial  Award 
CECIL  B.  DeMILLE 

PRODUCER  OF  "THE  GREATEST  SHOW  ON  EARTH" 

{Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Direction 

JOHN  FORD 

"THE  OUIET  MAN" 
ARGOSY-REPUBLIC 

{Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Cinematography — Color 
"THE  QUIET  MAN" 

ARGOSY-REPUBLIC 
WINTON  C.  HOCH  AND  ARCHIE  STOUT 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 


'  Best  Original  Film  Story 
THE  GREATEST  SHOW  ON  EARTH" 

CECIL  B.  DeMILLE-PARAMOUNT 
FREDRIC  M.  FRANK,  THEODORE  ST.  JOHN, 
FRANK  CAVETT 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Scoring  of  a  Musical  Picture 
"WITH  A  SONG  IN  MY  HEART** 

20TH  CENTURY-FOX  ft 
ALFRED  NEWMAN  JSM 
(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Art  Direction — Color 


"MOULIN  ROUGE" 

ROMULUS  FILMS-UNITED  ARTISTS 
PAUL  SHERIFF 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 


•  Best  Set  Direction — Color 
"MOULIN  ROUGE" 

ROMULUS  FILMS-UNITED  ARTISTS 
MARCEL  VERTES 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Costume  Designing — Color 
"MOULIN  ROUGE" 

ROMULUS  FILMS-UNITED  ARTISTS 
MARCEL  VERTES 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Special  Effects 

"PLYMOUTH  ADVENTURE" 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 
A.  ARNOLD  GILLESPIE,  DEPT  HEAD 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Short  Subject-— One-Reel 
"LIGHT  IN  THE  WINDOW" 

ART  FILMS  PRODUCTIONS-20TH  CENTURY-FOX 
BORIS  VERMONT,  PRODUCER 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Short  Subject — Two-Reel 
"WATER  BIRDS" 

WALT  DISNEY-RKO 

(Print  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Short  Subject — Cartoon 
"JOHANN  MOUSE" 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 
FRED  OUIMBY,  PRODUCER 

(Color  by  TECHNICOLOR) 

•  Best  Documentary — Feature 

"THE  SEA  AROUND  US" 

RKO 

IRWIN  ALLEN,  PRODUCER 

(Print  by  TECHNICOLOR) 


TECHNICOLOR 

IS    THE    TRADE-MARK  OF 

TECHNICOLOR  MOTION  PICTURE  CORPORATION 


HERBERT  T.  KALMUS,  PRESIDENT  AND  GENERAL  MANAGER 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  24,  1953 


150  CinemaScope 
Installations  for  NT 

Hollywood,  March  23.— The 
National  Theatres  circuit  has 
ordered  150  CinemaScope  in- 
stallations, 20th  Century-Fox 
distribution  director  Al  Licht- 
man  revealed  today,  with  the 
Brandt  circuit,  New  York, 
and  Balaban  and  Katz,  Chi- 
cago, taking  100  each. 

Other  orders  include  Schine 
Theatres,  200;  Wometco,  60; 
United  Artists  Circuit,  40,  and 
Malco,  40. 


London  Reaction 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


booked  it  into  the  Leicester  Square 
Empire.  Press  and  audience  reaction 
was  unfavorable. 

The  opening  of  "Bwana  Devil"  was 
followed  by  equally  adverse  press  and 
public  comment.  Many  thought  that 
the  first  3-D  advertising  film,  boost- 
ing a  popular  brand  of  cigarettes, 
which  was  made  by  Rank's  ad  film 
department  and  ran  on  the  same  pro- 
gram, stole  the  show.  At  least,  it 
was  widely  agreed,  the  ad  film  did 
more  to  suggest  the  shape  of  things 
to  come  than  did  the  feature. 

M-G-M  has  announced  that  "The 
Knights  of  the  Round  Table,"  shoot- 
ing on  which  is  scheduled  to  start  at 
Elstree  in  May,  will  be  made  in  one 
of  the  new  technical  systems,  which 
one  was  not  specified.  It  is  generally 
believed  here  it  will  be  20th  Century- 
Fox's  CinemaScope. 


CinemaScope  Is  Lauded 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


ment  Co.  and  Detroit  Lakes  Theatres, 
Minneapolis)  :  "Very  good,  and  in  a 
year  it  will  be  even  better.  Another 
good  thing,  it  doesn't  look  too  expen- 
sive to  install." 

Jack  Goldberg  (Eastland  Theatres 
Los  Angeles)  :  "CinemaScope  is  a 
great  spectacle  and  it  should  revolu- 
tionize our  business — we  need  it!" 

Augusta  Kessler  (booker,  West 
Coast,  for  United  Artists  Theatres)  : 
"Particularly  from  a  woman's  point  of 
view,  it's  wonderful.  I  was  greatly 
impressed  by  the  music,  especially.  It 
was  as  if  the  orchestra  was  actually 
in  the  room,  it  was  that  close." 

I.  H.  Harris  (exhibitor,  Burley, 
Ida.)  :  "It's  marvelous.  What  would 
the  perspective  be  in  a  small  theatre? 
If  we  could  have  the  same  perspective 
on  a  smaller  screen  for  our  rural 
theatres  it  would  be  ideal,  and  would 
mean  big  business." 

Fred  Schwartz  (Century  Theatres, 
New  York)  :  "How  many  Cinema- 
Scopes  can  I  get,  and  how  fast?" 

Ray  Synfy  (Vallejo,  Cal.)  : 
"Something  different,  startling. 
CinemaScope  has  a  great  future." 

Al  Hanson  (South  Lynn  Theatres, 
Los  Angeles)  :  "It's  wonderful.  A 
tremendous  improvement." 

Jack  Blumenfeld  ( Blumenfeld 
Theatres,  San  Francisco)  :  "I  think 
the  scone  of  CinemaScope  is  tremen- 
dous. The  public  will  take  to  it  ter- 
rifically." 

Ray  A.  Grombacher  (Esquire 
Theatre,  Portland,  Ore.)  :  "Ter- 
rific !  I  was  in  Hollywood  when 
sound  came  in  and  CinemaScope  has 


* 


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"LOVE  ISLAND" 
"BORN  TO  THE  SADDLE" 

(BOTH  IN  COLOR) 

"THE  HIDDEN  ROOM" 
"THE  BLUE  LAMP" 

Now  Playing 

NEW  YORK™ 

"THIEF  IN  SILK" 


ASTOR  PICTURES  CORPORATION 

130  W.  46th  St.,  N.Y.  36,  N.  Y.,  R.  M.  Savini,  Pres. 
NEW  YORK  DISTRIBUTOR«FAMOUS»630  NinthAve. 


THE 


the  same  magnitude.  Take  it  from  an 
oldtimer,  this  is  it!" 

George  Mann  (Redwood  Theatres, 
San  Francisco  area)  :  "All  I  can  say 
is  that  the  new  process  will  increase 
seats  25  to  100  per  cent.  We  have 
built  three  or  four  theatres  in  the  last 
few  years  that  would  be  ideal  for 
CinemaScope." 

George  Dunlap  (MGM  Theatres, 
Buenos  Aires):  "Wonderful!  Really 
wonderful !" 

Larry  Bearg  (Famous  Players 
Theatres,  Canada)  :  "I  saw  Cine- 
rama, and  CinemaScope  gives  the 
same  effect.  It  will  sell  just  as  many 
tickets  at  the  box  office  and  is  cheaper 
than  Cinerama.  CinemaScope  is  more 
practical,  and  is  a  revolutionary  step 
in  our  business." 

Seymour  Peiser  (Metropolitan 
Theatres,  Los  Angeles )  :  "Tremen- 
dously impressive.  Has  the  potenti- 
alities of  recreating  interest  in  our 
business." 

Bill  Connors  (John  Hamrick)  : 
"Wonderful.  Enjoyed  it  more  than 
Cinerama.  In  Cinerama  the  picture 
bothered  me.  This  is  smooth — plus 
less  expensive.  It  was  well  worth 
coming  from  Seattle  to  see." 

Lowell  Skilliter  (Toledo  World 
Theatre):  "Marvelous.  I'm  going 
to  get  back  into  the  stock  market." 

Sid  Cohen  (Film  Service  Circuit, 
Salt  Lake  City  )  :  "This  will  bring 
people  back  to  the  theatre." 

'Wonderful  Job' 

David  Flexer  (Flexer  Theatres, 
Memphis):  "It's  a  wonderful  job! 
I'm  glad  to  see  that  it's  in  the  hands 
of  Spyros  Skouras.  He  knows  the 
problems  of  the  exhibitor  because  he 
was  one.  I'm  buying"  six  Cinema- 
Scope systems  for  my  tneatres  as  soon 
as  they  are  ready  to  take  the  order." 

Frank  Mantzke  (Northwest  Thea- 
tres, Minneapolis):  "I  am  thrilled! 
It's  breath-taking !  It's  revolution- 
ary !  It's  the  coming  thing!  I  just 
hope  they  can  get  lenses  for  all  thea- 
tres at  the  same  time." 

Roy  Brown  (booking  and  buying 
service,  Portland,  Oregon)  :  "Excel- 
lent !    I  like  it  better  than  3-D." 

Mac  Krim  (Detroit  exhibitor)  :  "I 
think  we're  back  in  business.  What 
we're  actually  doing  is  making  TV 
smaller  and  smaller.  With  this  dy- 
namic screen  I  think  we  can't  miss. 
When  we  sit  at  home  and  see  the 
postage  stamp  picture  the  contrast  is 
going  to  be  so  great,  that  TV  is  going 
to  be  obsolete  like  the  silent  movie." 

Patrick  J.  Dee  (Gregory  circuit, 
Chicago)  :  "Mr.  Skouras  is  to  be 
congratulated.  CinemaScope  is  a  boon 
to  the  industry.    It's  wonderful !" 

S.  L.  Oakley  (Jefferson  Amuse- 
ment Co.,  Beaumont,  Tex.)  :  "It's 
great !  Better  than  anything  I've  seen 
and  I've  seen  them  all.  We  can  in- 
stall this  in  our  theatres  as  well  as 
in  our  drive-ins." 

Joy  Houcks  (Joy  Theatres,  New 
Orleans):  "It's  greater  than  when 
sound  came." 

John  H.  Harris  (Harris  Amuse- 
ment Co.,  Pittsburgh)  :  This  is  the 
answer  to  TV.  It  makes  you  feel  you 
are  there.  It's  not  a  novelty.  I  was 
as  enthused  over  the  intimate  scenes 
as  I  was  the  spectacular." 

Mario  Bachechi  (Albuquerque 
Exhibitors,  Inc.)  :  "It  adds  much 
more  than  what  we're  showing  now. 
It'll  be  great  for  drive-ins,  too." 

Moe  Horowitz  (Cleveland  circuit)  : 
"It  will  be  a  shot  in  the  arm  for  our 
circuit." 


New  Era 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


screenings  of  "House  of  Wax," 
held  at  the  Coast  studio  last 
week,  attended  by  over  500  of  the 
country's  showmen,  Blumenstock  said, 
"From  everything  that  was  said  to 
J.  L.  Warner  by  our  exhibitor  guests, 
I  can  assure  you  that  the  world  pre- 
miere of  'House  of  Wax'  at  the  Para- 
mount on  April  1Q  is  more  than  the 
official  opening  of  an  important  pic- 
ture: it  is  the  world  premiere  of  a 
new  era  in  our  business." 

In  addition  to  the  premiere  activi- 
ties on  "House  of  Wax,"  Blumenstock 
will  also  set  up  trade  and  consumer 
WarnerPhonic  sound  shows  and  the 
forthcoming  release  of  "Trouble 
Along  the  Way,"  "Plunder  of  the 
Sun"  and  "The  Desert  Song." 

New-style  Premiere 

Meanwhile,  what  Warner  described 
as  the  world's  first  around-the-clock 
motion  picture  premiere,  highlighting 
24  hours  of  "high  voltage"  showman- 
ship and  12  "spectacular  opening  cere- 
monies," will  launch  "House  of  Wax" 
in  Los  Angeles  next  month.  Plans 
for  the  marathon  opening  are  being 
worked  out  by  the  studio  press  de- 
partment, in  collaboration  with  Jerry 
Zigmond,  West  Coast  division  man- 
ager for  AP-PT. 

A  midnight  "spook  premiere"  will 
launch  the  24-hour  show  at  the  Para- 
mount Downtown  Theatre  on  Thurs- 
day night,  April  16.  Every  two  hours 
thereafter  another  "opening  spec- 
tacle" will  be  staged,  with  the  final 
show  of  the  12  scheduled  for  10  P.M. 
April  17. 


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wishes  to  thank 

Herbert  J.  Yates  and  Republic  Pictures 
for  their  cooperation  Sp  the  production  of 


THE  QUIET  MAN" 

and  to  all  the  men  aind  women  whose  efforts  in 
behalf  of  "THE  QUIET  MAN"  contributed  to 

II  m 

JOHN  FORD 

/  m 

winning  the  Academy  Award  for  best  direction 


and  Winton  C.  I  loch.  A.S.€.  and  Archie  Stout, 
A.S.C.  winning  Academy  Awards  for  best  Color 
C  inematography. 


"THE  QUIET  MAN"  ACADEMY  NOMINATIONS 

Best  Picture — Produced  by  John  Ford  and  Merian  C.  Cooper 

Best  Director — John  Ford 

Best  Screenplay — Frank  S.  Nugent 

Best  Supporting  Actor — Victor  McLaglen 

Color  Photography — Winton  C.  Hoch,  A.S.C. 
and  Archie  Stout,  A.S.C. 

Art  Direction — Frank  Hotaling 

Set  Direction — John  McCarthy,  Jr.  and  Charles  Thompson 


10 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  24,  1953 


TV  cr  net  TV 

This  may  be  the 
answer  to  — 

"YOUR  CAREER  IN 
TELEVISION" 

By  William  I.  Kaufman 
and  Robert  Colodzin 

With  Preface  by 

David  Sarnoff 

Chairman  of  the  Board  of  RCA 


THE 
KEY 
TO 

YOUR 
SUCCESS 

IN  TV- 


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THE  THIRD  OF  THE 
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Edited  by  Wm.  I.  Kaufman 
—  COVERING  1952  — 

Get  your  order  in 
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PLAYS  OF  THE  YEAiT 

Vol.  1  (1949-50)  $4.50 
Vol.  2  (1950-51)  5.00 

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and  reference  library 
up  to  date! 

Order  from  your  dealer 
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220  West  42nd  St.,  N.  Y.  36 


Reviews 


"Glory  at  Sea" 


(Souvaine  Selective) 

HAVING  turned  the  sea  to  their  own  economic  and  military  advantage, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the.  British  should  be  able  to  make  good  sea  pic- 
tures. "Glory  at  Sea"  is  a  saga  of  one  of  the  old,  mothballed  American 
four-stack  destroyers  which  were  left  over  from  the  first  World  War  and 
which  were  turned  over  to  the  British  in  the  early,  desperate  days  of  World 

War  II.  •       ,  • 

The  film  is  not  comparable  to  "In  Which  We  Serve,"  a  British  classic 
in  a  similar  vein,  but  it  is  made  of  that  combination  of  heroic  action  and 
noble  understatement  which  so  effectively  tell  the  lot  of  the  wartime  sailor. 
In  this  case  the  sailors  are  saddled  with  an  overage  "gift  horse"  given  to 
mechanical  tantrums  and  complete  engine  failure  in  moments  of  high  crisis. 
It's  an  appealing  story,  nicely  acted  by  Trevor  Howard  as  the  worried  skip- 
per, and  Sonny  Tufts  as  an  American  enlistee,  among  others.  Joan  Rice,  the 
Maid  Marian  of  Disney's  "Robin  Hood,"  also  is  on  hand  as  one  of  the  women 
waiting  on  shore. 

The  screenplay  by  Bill  Fairchild,  Hugh  Hastings  and  William  Rose  is 
based  on  an  original  story  by  Ivan  Goff  and  Ben  Roberts.  It  follows  the 
adventures  of  the  British  crew  from  the  time  they  take  command  of  the  "gift 
horse"  in  Halifax  till  the  last,  heart-breaking  night  when  they  scuttle  their 
ship  in  a  German-held  French  harbor.  Enroute  there  are  vignettes  telling  of 
brushes  with  enemy  subs  and  aircraft  and  revealing  moments  of  the  private 
lives  of  some  of  the  crew.  This  episodic  method  of  telling  the  story,  although 
briskly  done,  accounts  for  a  loss  of  a  good  deal  of  suspense. 

The  film  is  a  Molton  Films  Production,  distributed  in  the  United  States 
by  Souvaine  Selective  Pictures,  and  directed  by  Compton  Bennett. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Richard  Attenborough,  James  Donald,  Bernard  Lee, 
Hugh  Williams,  Meredith  Edwards,  Patric  Doonan,  Dora  Bryan,  Robin 
Bailey,  John  Forrest,  Tony  Quinn  and  Sidney  James. 

Running  time,  88  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  10. 


"The  Big  Frame" 

(RKO  Radio  Pictures) 

A FAIRLY  suspenseful  film  has  been  fashioned  in  this  Julian  Lesser  pro- 
duction. Made  in  England,  Mark  Stevens  stars  in  the  role  of  a  hunted 
man  attempting  to  prove  his  innocence  of  a  murder  he  did  not  commit.  The 
remainder  of  the  cast  is  British. 

The  plot,  although  it  runs  according  to  formula  lines,  has  its  moments  of 
surprise  and  tenseness.  However,  it  is  weakened  by  many  static  scenes  and 
lack  of  production  polish.  Nevertheless,  the  picture  does  contain  many  of  the 
ingredients  of  a  good  thriller  and  should  be  sold  as  such. 

Stevens,  a  Yank  and  former  RAF  pilot,  is  framed  for  the  murder  of  an 
unpleasant  colleague,  another  ex-RAF  man.  The  murderer,  in  an  attempt  to 
hide  his  crime,  commits  other  killings  before  he  is  apprehended.  Interwoven 
in  the  crime  story  is  a  romance  and  a  shaft  of  interest  in  aviation. 

Robert  S.  Baker  and  Monty  Berman  produced,  while  David  MacDonald 
directed,  from  a  screenplay  by  Steve  Fisher  and  John  Gilling.  Others  in  the 
cast  are  Jean  Kent,  Garry  Marsh,  John  Bentley,  Dianne  Foster,  Bryan 
Coleman  and  John  Harvey. 

Running  time,  67  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
Apiil  25.  Murray  Horowitz 


N.  F.  Assembly  Kills 
2  Pertinent  Bills 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  23. — Assem- 
bly committees  killed  two  bills  affect- 
ing tneatres.  fhe  Judiciary  Commit- 
tee deteated  a  measure  which  proposed 
to  make  owners,  operators,  agents  and 
employes  in  control  of  places  of  public 
resort  or  amusement  liable  for  dis- 
crimination because  of  race,  creed, 
color  or  national  origin,  and  to  in- 
crease from  $500  to  $1,000  the  maxi- 
mum recoverable  in  a  civil  action. 

The  Cities  Committee  voted  against 
reporting  a  bill  which  required  estab- 
lishments operating"  under  a  license 
from  a  municipality  and  charging  pub- 
lic admission  fees,  to  secure  and  main- 
tain minimum  liability  insurance  of 
$25,000  for  personal  injuries  to  one 
person  in  an  accident,  and  $50,000  for 
more  than  one  person  in  one  accident. 


SMPTE  Adds  300 

The  Society  of  Motion  Picture  and 
Television  Engineers  has  added  300 
new  members  since  Jan.  1  in  its  drive 
for  1,000,  according-  to  Ray  Gallo, 
general  chairman  of  the  membership 
and  subscription  committee.  Many  of 
the  new  members  are  from  television 
and  from  studios  in  Hollywood. 


Stanley -Warner  Files 
N.  Y.  Certificate 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  23.  —  The 
Staniey-Warner  Corp.  of  Delaware 
nas  registered  a  certificate  with  the 
Secretary  of  State  here,  disclosing 
that  its  New  York  offices  will  con- 
duct a  motion  picture  and  theatrical 
business  and  that  its  capital  stock  is 
$^5,000,000,  consisting  of  5,000,000 
shares  of  common  at  $5  par  value. 

.tiarry  M.  Kalmine,  as  vice-presi- 
dent, executed  the  certificate,  on  order 
of  the  board  of  directors.  The  cor- 
poration is  authorized  to  conduct  a 
wide  variety  of  enterprises  in  the  mo- 
tion picture,  theatrical,  broadcasting 
and  television  fields. 


Cincinnati  Promotes 
Industry  Exhibit 

Cincinnati,  March  23. — The  Thea- 
tre Owners  of  Greater  Cincinnati  and 
the  Independent  Theatre  Owners  of 
Ohio  are  responsible  for  bringing 
$50,000  worth  of  theatrical  equipment 
to  Cincinnati  and  displaying  it  for  a 
comprehensive  exhibit  of  props  and 
costumes  which  were  used  in  produc- 
ing some  key  pictures. 

The  display  lists  the  50  independent 
theatre  owners  who  have  cooperated 
on  the  exhibit  and  identifies  the 
props  and  costumes  with  still  photos 
of  films  which  will  be  exhibited  in 
Cincinnati. 

Theatres  also  cooperated  in  pub- 
licizing the  exhibit  by  showing  a  two- 
minute  trailer  which  was  made  up 
especially  for  the  event.  The  trailer 
calls  attention  to  the  exhibit.  A  con- 
test being  sponsored  by  the  Cincin- 
nati Post  and  the  fact  that  the  inde- 
pendent theatre  owners  are  cooperat- 
ing will  be  promoted  by  the  Post. 


More  Chi.  Court  Actions 

Chicago,  March  23. — Judge  Phillip 
Sullivan  of  Federal  District  Court 
here  refused  a  motion  to  strike  Essa- 
ne..s  from  the  Armitage  Theatre  anti- 
crust  suit. 

In  another  action,  attorney  Sam 
Block  has  asked  for  summary  judg- 
ment dismissing  the  Clinton  Drive-in 
equity  suit,  claiming  that  the  drive-in 
has  suffered  no  damage  from  not 
showing  first-run  pictures. 


Ike'  Still  Strong 
Against  Tax  Cuts 

Washington,  March  23. — President 
Eisenhower  threw  some  more  cold 
water  on  the  outlook  for  an  admis- 
sion tax  cut  this  year  by  making  his 
strongest  statement  yet  against  tax 
reduction  before  budget  balancing. 

If  the  excess  profits  tax  ends  this 
year  and  individual  income  taxes  are 
cut,  the  President  told  a  press  con- 
ference, he  definitely  wants  some  sub- 
stitute tax  revenue.  He  reiterated 
that  a  balanced  budget  must  be  in 
sight  before  tax  revenues  are  lowered. 

Meanwhile,  House  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  Chairman  Reed 
(R.,  N.  Y.)  abandoned  his  plans  to 
force  an  early  House  vote  on  his  tax- 
reduction  bill. 


Cinerama 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


adjustors  which  were  said  to  aid  the 
quality  of  the  color-matching  print. 
The  cost  of  remodeling  the  theatre, 
which  now  seats  1,150,  was  put  at 
$40,000. 

Cinerama  was  represented  at  the 
opening  by  Lowell  Thomas,  vice- 
chairman  of  the  board,  who,  in  ac- 
cepting a  Look  Magazine  special 
achievement  award,  promised  that 
Cinerama's  growth  has  just  begun. 

Attending  the  premiere  were  many 
of  the  city's  civic  and  industrial  lead- 
ers, including  K.  T.  Keller  of  the 
Chrysler  Corp.,  members  of  the  Ford 
family,  Governor  Williams,  Mayor 
Cobo,  along  with  social  leaders  inter- 
ested in  the  Women's  Association  of 
the  Detroit  Symphony  Orchestra, 
which  sponsored  the  premiere. 


Coast  Janitors  Get  Raise 

San  Francisco,  March  23. — Thea- 
tre janitors  in  Northern  California 
won  a  two  and  one-half  cents  hourly 
pay  raise,  retroactive  to  last  Feb.  15 
and  another  seven  and  one-half  cents 
an  hour  raise  will  apply  next  Feb.  15. 
In  addition,  employers  will  contribute 
five  cents  more  an  hour  to  a  joint 
pension  trust  fund,  to  which  they  have 
been  paying  $6.00  per  man  per  month. 
Prior  to  the  increase  janitors  received 
$7275  for  a  five-day  week  consisting, 
of  40  hours. 


Tuesday,  March  24,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


ii 


NARTB  Hits  AFM 
Restraints  on  Sale 
Of  Films  to  Video 

Washington,  March  23. — The  Na- 
tional Association  of  Radio  and  Tele- 
vision Broadcasters  today  attacked, 
before  the  House  Labor  Committee, 
the  agreement  between  the  Associa- 
tion of  Motion  Picture  Producers 
and  the  American  Federation  of  Mu- 
sicians prohibiting"  the  sale  to  tele- 
vision of  films  on  which  the  services 
of  live  musicians  were  used. 

It  said  this  was  a  type  of  "sec- 
ondary boycott"  which  Congress 
should  forbid. 

Richard  P.  Doherty,  vice-president 
of  the  NARTB,  gave  the  labor  com- 
mittee the  association's  views  on 
needed  changes  in  the  Taft-Hartley 
law.  He  outlined  various  situations 
which  he  thought  should  be  changed, 
and  finally  came  to  agreements  be- 
tween a  union  and  an  employer. 

"The  now  famous  Allen  A.  Bradley 
case  highlights  the  irreparable  dam- 
age to  the  public  arising  from  col- 
lective bargaining  provisions  which 
erect  rigid  trade  barriers  against  the 
free  flow  of  goods  and  services,"  he 
declared. 

"The  American  Federation  of  Mu- 
sicians has  a  contractual  provision  in 
its  agreement  with  the  motion  picture 
producers  which  prohibits  the  sale 
or  lease  of  any  motion  picture  film 
(on  which  the  services  of  live  musi- 
cians were  used)  to  television  sta- 
tions. In  some  form,  as  background 
music  or  otherwise,  music  is  incor- 
porated into  virtually  every  film.  The 
result  is  an  effectively  tight  blockade 
against  the  use  of  all  motion  picture 
films  produced  by  the  signatory  pro- 
ducers, in  television." 

Congress  tailored  the  secondary 
boycott  provisions  of  the  Taft-Hartley 
law  to  deal  with  the  main  abuses, 
Doherty  said.  "Largely  through  board 
decisions  a  new  highway  has  been 
constructed  to  by-pass  the  intent  of 
Congress,"  he  declared.  "This  high- 
way is  labeled  'freeway  for  secondary 
boycotts  riding  on  employer-union 
agreements.'  It  is  imperative  that 
Congress  now  take  proper  steps  to 
regulate  the  secondary  traffic  on  this 
new  highway." 

Doherty  outlined  language  to  ban 
similar  contracts  in  the  future.  The 
NARTB  spokesman  also  attacked  the 
National  Labor  Relations  Board's  de- 
cision in  the  Gamble  Enterprises  case, 
in  which  the  board  said  the  AFM 
had  not  engaged  in  illegal  feather- 
bedding.  He  said  the  law  should  be 
rewritten  to  make  clearly  illegal  any 
such  practices  as  used  by  the  AFM 
in  that  case. 


Says  Chromatic  Tube 
Ready  Now  for  Use 

Chromatic  Television  Laboratories, 
Inc.,  an  affiliate  of  Paramount  Pic- 
tures Corp.,  is  ready  to  offer  to  set 
manufacturers  for  production  imme- 
diately its  three-color  home  television 
tube,  Richard  Hodgson,  Chromatic 
president,  disclosed  here  yesterday. 

"We  welcome  the  report  that  the 
National  Production  Authority  will 
rescind  its  order  M-90  restricting  the 
production  of  color  television  receiv- 
ers," he  added.  Hodgson  predicted 
that  with  the  pending  Congressional 
investigation  of  the  color  TV  situa- 
tion, additional  impetus  can  be  antici- 
pated in  making  home  color  television 
a  reality  in  the  immediate  future. 


Television-Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


A  FTER  two  years  of  "going-  steady,"  the  expected  wedding  of 
motion  pictures  and  TV  was  consummated  Thursday  night  when 
the  RCA-sponsored  telecast  of  the  "Oscar  Awards"  (until  now  a 
most  EXCLUSIVE  Hollywood  enterprise)  was  beamed  via  the 
entire  NBChain.  The  instantaneous  shifting  to  and  from  the  Pan- 
tages  Theatre  in  Hollywood  where  Bob  Hope  emceed  and  the  Inter- 
national Theatre  in  N.  Y.  where  Conrad  Nagel  did  the  honors,  plus 
the  smooth  coordination  of  the  conversations  between  the  two,  was 
in  itself  an  engineering  feat  and  in  our  book  NBC  rates  an  Oscar 
for  Ingenuity.  .  .  .  Jim  Morgan,  producer  of  "Queen  for  a  Day" 
and  author  of  several  text  books  on  radio,  is  adding  another  chapter, 
exclusively  dealing  with  3-D  and  color  to  his  latest  tome,  "Encyclo- 
pedia of  TV."  .  .  .  Add  June  Brides:  Suzanne  Marie  White,  Exec. 
Sec'y  at  Screen  Gems,  and  Barbara  Barnes,  daughter  and  partner 
of  WOR's  popular  Patt.  .  .  .  More  Romance :  Too  busy  to  take  a 
honeymoon  when  they  were  married  15  years  ago,  Andre  Baruch 
and  Bea  Wain,  left  over  the  weekend  on  a  five-week  flight  to  Europe, 
Africa  and  South  America.  .  .  .  Leo  (20th  Century-Fox)  Israel 
recently  won  $9,000  on  "What's  Your  Bid,"  ABContest.  Sooo  last 
Wednesday,  Leo  visited  the  "Here  Comes  Mr.  Jordan"  show  on 
WPIX,  and  again  copped  some  prizes.  .  .  .  Bob  VanDeventer  ("20 
Questions")  panelist  and  Ed  Mayer  have  co-authored  a  musical 
comedy,  "All's  Fair  in  Love,"  .  .  .  Songstress  Georgia  Gibbs  will 
guestrill  on  the  "Perry  Como  CBShow"  Friday  and  on  "Toast  of 
the  Town,"  April  19. 

-fr       Tftr  ■     Tftr  . 

The  Hit  Parade  was  never  intended  as  an  exclusive  show- 
case for  Tin  Pan  Alley's  wares.  With  that  in  mind  Vincent 
Andrews  and  Dennis  James  have  collaborated  on  a  ballad, 
"Why  Should  I  Want  You?"  which  to  our  ears  sounds  like  a 
sure  hit.  Eugene  Baird's  Vinrob  Record- 
ing is  loaded  with  Deejay  appeal  and  will 
spend  lots  of  time  on  the  turntables, 
(wanna  bet?.  .  .  .  With  the  Sunday,  April  5 
program,  "Fred  Waring  CBShow"  begins 
his  fifth  year  of  telecasts  for  General  Elec- 
tric. .  .  .  Stibra  Productions  has  completed 
the  filming  of  a  new  children's  series  of  13 
marionette  TV  films,  "Don  Q.'  Dick  &  Alad- 
din," which  will  be  nationally  syndicated  by 
Lakeside  TV  Co.  .  .  .  Economy-minded  TV 
producers  are  using  same  settings  and  props 
they  used  for  'Harbor  Lights'  when  pro- 
gramming the  latest  ditty,  "Lighthouse  in 
the  Harbor.'  Sammy  Kaye's  Columbia  wax- 
ing is  zooming  the  ballad  to  top  spot.  .  .  . 
Edgar  Bergen  has  CBSigned  to  continue  his  Sunday  Nite 
radio  series  and  will  also  do  a  series  of  exclusive  CBS-TVehi- 
cles  starting  in  the  fall.  .  .  .  Paul  Gregory,  producer  of  the 
"This  Is  Charles  Laughton"  TV  series,  is  a  dead-ringer  for 
another  Gregory — Gregory  Peck.  .  .  .  Kathi  Norris'  "Woman's 
Edition"  portion  on  Garroway's  "Today"  NBTelecasts,  is 
five  minutes  of  beauty,  grace  and  charm.  ...  A  new  variety 
series,  "Inside  Times  Square,"  will  bow  into  the  WOR-TV 
scene  Monday,  March  30,  emceed  by  Ray  Heatherton.  Pro- 
gram will  be  seen  five  nights  weekly  in  the  11 : 00  to  11 :30  P.M. 
slot.  Hank  Leeds  is  the  producer-director.  .  .  .  When  the  new 
Knickerbocker  Beer  WABCommercial  "hops"  into  the  TV 
firmament  starting  Monday,  April  27  (11:00  to  12:00  mid- 
night) this  five-nights-a-waak,  solo-sponsored  series,  will  rep- 
resent one  of  the  highest  expenditures  on  a  local  station. 
Format  will  feature  "Father  Knickerbocker"  as  host  of  a 
variety  show. 

#  ^ 

_  DEE  J  aT\  (walking).  .  .  .  Bill  Silbert's  easy-goin'  WABDisk 
jockey  series  nitely  at  11  is  plenty  cool.  .  .  .  Slim  Bryant  and 
hisWildKDKAts  are  nozv  seen  by  Pittsburghers  every  Saturday 
at  7  AS  P.M.  over  WDTV,  sponsored  by  Duquesne  Brewers.  .  .  '. 
Dick  (Stop  the  Music)  Brown  has  been  doing  a  bang-up  pinch-hit 
role  at  WTAM  (Cleveland)  for  Johnny  And)  'ews,  zfhose  recent 
triple  ^  AFTRAzvards  "Best  Radio  Program,"  "Best  Musical 
Show"  and  "Best  TV  Performer,"  earned  Johnny  a  month's  South 
American  cruise.  .  .  .  Bill  Taylor's  "Sunrise  Serenade,"  featured 
early  Sunday  mornings,  rates  WORchids.  .  .  .  Former  Mono- 
gram singing  star  Phil  Brito,  currently  winning  new  friends  and 
influencing  people  to  buy  music  via  his  new  series  of  platter- 
chatter  programs  heard  every  night  via-  WKAT,  Miami  Beach. 


Eugenie  Baird 


Theatre  TV 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


companies  which  paid  the  bill  was 
viewed  as  gaining-  wider  acceptance 
for  the  medium.  Among  the  sponsor- 
ing companies  were  Allied  Chemical 
and  Dye  Corp.,  General  Electric  Co., 
Grumman  Aircraft  Engineering  Corp., 
Standard  Oil  Co.  and  the  Texas  Co. 

From  a  technical  viewpoint,  the  tele- 
cast, aimed  at  attracting  students  to 
the  engineering  fields,  was  considered 
successful.  The  picture  at  the  New 
York  Paramount  was  on  the  whole 
regarded  as  excellent  and  at  the  Ford- 
ham  it  was  said  to  be  perfect.  At  the 
Fox,  it  varied  from  excellent  to  poor 
due  to  line  trouble.  Circuit  executives, 
however,  felt  that  technical  informa- 
tion was  achieved  by  Saturday's  tele- 
cast and  previous  tests  to  obtain  an 
excellent  picture  in  the  future. 


Wage  Increases  to 
Extras  in  TV  Films 

Hollywood,  March  23. — Leading 
television  film  producers  here  and  the 
Screen  Extras  Guild  have  reached  an 
agreement  on  the  terms  of  a  collective 
bargaining  contract  setting  increased 
salary  minimums  and  improved  con- 
ditions for  extra  players  in  television 
films,  according  to  a  joint  announce- 
ment by  Roland  Reed  Productions, 
Hal  Roach  Productions,  the  Alliance 
of  Television  Film  Producers,  through 
its  attorney,  Dean  Johnson,  and  SEG 
president  Richard  H.  Gordon. 

All  increases  in  the  basic  wage  rates 
are  retroactive  to  Sept.  17,  1952,  and 
the  contract  runs  to  Jan.  2,  1958. 

Gordon  said  the  contract  has  been 
approved  unanimously  by  the  SEG 
board  of  directors  and  is  being  sub- 
mitted immediately  for  ratification  by 
the  Guild  membership  in  a  mail  refer- 
endum. 


Manley  Names  Seley 
To  N.E.  Division 

Boston,  March  23.  —  Lyman  O. 
Seley,  formerly  of  Seattle,  has  been 
appointed  New  England  district  man- 
ager of  the  Manley  Popcorn  Machine 
Corp. 

He  replaces  Sam  Horenstein  who 
assumed  the  position  of  advisor  and 
"goodwill  ambassador"  for  the  com- 
pany. Seley's  territory  will  embrace 
not  only  the  six  New  England  states, 
but  also  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and 
Pennsylvania.  His  headquarters  will 
be  in  Boston. 


Spanish  Film  Trust 
Suit  Filed  Here 

An  anti-trust  suit  seeking  $1,267,500 
in  damages  was  filed  in  New  York 
Federal  District  Court  by  Anho  Corp., 
which  operates  the  Spanish  language 
Prospect  Theatre  here.  Named  as  de- 
fendants were  Clasa  Mohme,  Inc.  and 
Harry  A.  Harris  who  operates  five 
Spanish  language  theatres  in  New 
York. 

The  complaint  charges  that  the  de- 
fendants conspired  to  deprive  the  Pro- 
spect of  first-run  Spanish  language 
pictures. 


Howard  to  CBS-TV  Post 

Hollywood,  March  23.— The  ap- 
pointment of  Henry  Howard,  Jr.  as 
CBS  television  director  of  business 
affairs  here,  effective  immediately, 
was  announced  by  W.  Spencer  Har- 
rison, CBS-TV  vice-president  in 
charge  of  legal  and  business  affairs. 


RAY  COLLINS  BODIL  MILLER  in  by  CMS  tAMONI :  written  by  JO  HENLEY-  produced  by  LEHRO  GOiDSffl  •  ihmhm 

ffi3  Stakes  the  Money  Make*/ 


FIRS' 


.M 
NEWS 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 


VOL.  73.    NO.  57 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  25,  1953 

TEN  CENTS 

All  Para.  Films 
Set  for  3  to  5 
Aspect  Ratio 

Films  from  Now  on  Made 
Only  for  New  Screen 

By  WILLIAM  R.  WEAVER 

Hollywood,  March  24.  —  All 
Paramount  pictures  from  today  for- 
ward will  be  photographed  for  pro- 
jection on  screens  conforming  to 
the  company's  new  three  to  five  aspect 
ratio,  vice-president  Y.  Frank  Free- 
man told  guests  here  this  afternoon  at 
a  studio  demonstration. 

This  will  not  limit  in  any  way  their 
projection  on  the  standard  screen's 
four  to  five  ratio,  it  was  said.  The 
screen  demonstrated  is  still  experi- 
mental, is  nameless,  is  unpatented  and 
can  be  duplicated  by  any  exhibitor  by 
his  own  resources.  Paramount  will 
not  sell  screens,  Freeman  said. 

The  screen  consists  of  a  muslin  base 
with  a  beaded  surface  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  frame  which,  it  was 
pointed  out,  is  not  an  integral  or  nec- 
essary part.  The  screen  curves  for- 
ward at  the  sides  and  bottom. 

Picture  measures  20  feet  high  by  33 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Theatre  Defendants 
Win  D'Arcy  Action 

St.  Louis,  March  24. — Federal 
Judge  Roy  W.  Harper  of  the  U.  S. 
District  Court  here  ruled  yesterday 
in  favor  of  defendants  Fanchon  and 
Marco,  St.  Louis  Amusement  Co.  and 
affiliated  companies  and  officers,  in 
the  Martin  W.  D'Arcy  Shubert 
Theatre  $750,000  damage  suit  which 
was  originally  filed  here  Dec.  19, 
1946. 

Judge  Harper^  ruled  that  there  had 
been  no  monopoly  or  conspiracy  and 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


Amprex  Shows  Its 
3-D  Sound  System 

The  Amprex  Electric  Corp.  of  Red- 
wood City,  Cal.,  demonstrated  here 
yesterday  its  three-dimensional  sound 
recording  system,  for  which,  ac- 
cording to  spokesmen,  several  Holly- 
wood studios  are  negotiating. 

The  private  demonstration,  held  at 
the  Hotel  Lexington,  consisted  of 
three  sound  speakers  over  which 
music,  a  woman's  voice  and  the  sound 
(Continued  on  page  6) 


Industry  Vitalized 
By  New  Processes 
Downing  Reports 

By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

The  activity  of  all  Hollywood  film 
studios  in  endeavoring  to  devise  new 
and   exciting  methods    of  exhibition 
was   hailed  here  yesterday  by  Rus- 
sell   V.  Down- 
ing, president 
and  managing 
director 
of    Radio  City 
Music  Hall, 
who    just  re- 
turned   from  a 
week's    trip  to 
the  Coast. 

Downing  said 
that  such  proc- 
esses as  20th 
Century  -  F  ox's 
CinemaScope, 
which  he  saw 
while  on  the 
Coast,  and  the  wide  screen  and  3-D 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Russell  Downing: 


Can  Sterilize  3-D 
Viewers  Odorlessly 

"A  machine  has  been  devised  which 
is  capable  of  sterilizing  and  deodoriz- 
ing any  of  the  various  kinds  of  glasses 
used  for  viewing  three-dimensional 
movies  by  exposure  to  high  concentra- 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


E.  F.  Howrey  Named 
Chairman  of  FTC 

Washington,  March  24.  — 
President  Eisenhower  named 
Edward  F.  Howrey  to  be 
chairman  of  the  Federal  Trade 
Commission. 

Howrey,  a  Washington  law- 
yer, was  confirmed  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Commission  only 
yesterday.  He  will  replace 
James  M.  Mead  as  chairman. 
Mead  remains  as  a  member  of 
the  Commission. 


Rentals,  3-D,  Tax 
Top  Agenda  As  Wis. 
Allied  Meet  Opens 


By  BRUCE  TRINZ 

Milwaukee,  March  24. — Repeal  of 
the  20  per  cent  Federal  admission 
tax,  3-D  developments,  and  high  film 
rentals  will  be  the  chief  topics  of 
discussion  at  the  National  Drive-in 
and  Wisconsin  Allied  conventions, 
Sig  Goldberg,  president  of  Wisconsin 
Allied,  disclosed  here  today  at  the 
opening  meeting  of  the  three-day 
session. 

Regarding  film  rentals,  Goldberg 
charged  that  "distribution  is  know- 
ingly and  willingly  trying  to  drive 
the  small  exhibitor  out  of  business." 
He  also  attacked  pre-releases,  declar- 
(Continued  on  page  2) 


Product  Delays  and  16mm. 
Deals  Hit  by  N.J.  Allied 

Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey  is  aroused  over  the  delay  in 
releasing  product  to  some  New  Jersey  situations  and  the  allied  solicitation 
by  RKO  Radio  for  16mm.  playoffs  in  schools.  The  board  of  directors  of 
the  New  Jersey  unit  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  a  contributing  factor 

to  bad  business  in  many  New  Jersey 


Heavy  Spurt  for 
Feldman  Drive 

Exhibitors  from  Coast  to 
Coast  are  booking  Universal- 
International  pictures  solidly 
for  a  25-day  period  starting 
April  8  as  a  tribute  to  Charles 
J.  Feldman,  general  sales  man- 
ager, in  a  windup  of  the 
company's  current  18-week 
"Charles  J.  Feldman  Silver 
Anniversary  Drive,"  the  com- 
pany reports. 

Feldman  is  marking  25  years 
with  the  company. 


cases  is  the  present  releasing  system, 
according  to  an  association  bulletin. 

"The  delay  of  many  pictures  because 
of  an  antiquated  and  wholly  unneces- 
sary clearance  of  New  York  City  over 
some  areas  is  most  harmful,"  the  or- 
ganization contends.  "As  an  example, 
the  clearance  maintained  over  Newark- 
affects  theatres  at  the  box-office  and 
exhibitors  find  themselves  playing  pic- 
tures months  after  the  New  York  re- 
lease. A  prime  example  is  the  playoff 
of  'Above  and  Beyond,'  which  has  been 
doing  business  up  to  this  date.  The 
picture  is  still  not  available  in  the 
Newark,  Elizabeth  and  surrounding 
areas.  It  is  the  intention  of  Allied  to 
seek  relief  for  its  effected  members, 

(Continued  on  page  2) 


Says  RKO  Does 
Not  Set  Tan,' 
'Hans'  Terms 


Grainger  Answer  s  Kirsch, 
Snaper  on  Two  Films 

Sales  terms  for  Samuel  Gold- 
wyn's  "Hans  Christian  Andersen" 
and  Walt  Disney's  "Peter  Pan"  are 
not  set  by  RKO  Radio  Pictures, 
but  by  the  in- 
dependent pro- 
ducers them- 
selves, James 
R.  Grainger, 
RKO  Radio 
Pictures  presi- 
dent, declared 
here  yesterday. 
RKO  Radio 
Pictures,  h  e 
claimed,  simply 
acts  as  the  dis- 
tribution or- 
ganization. 

RKO's  role 
in     respect  to 

the  two  films  was  outlined  by  Grain- 
ger at  his  first  trade  press  conference 
since  assuming  the  presidency  about 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


J.  R.  Grainger 


'Oscars'  Up  Takes 
Of  Four  Pictures 


The  Academy  Awards  to  "High 
Noon,"  "Moulin  Rouge"  and  "Come 
Back,  Little  Sheba"  have  been  re- 
flected in  good  business  for  all  three 
in  the  five  days  since  the  awards  were 
made,  the  pictures'  distributors,  United 
Artists  and  Paramount,  reported  yes- 
terday. 

Loew's  Theatres  confirmed  the  re- 
port locally.  "Moulin  Rouge"  in  its 
current  and  sixth  week  at  tbe  Capitol 
here  is  running  ahead  of  its  fifth  week, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


A.  A.  World  Conclave 
In  Miami  May  18-20 


Hollywood,  March  24. — Allied  Art- 
ists' first  international  sales  conven- 
tion will  be  held  at  the  Roney  Plaza 
Hotel  in  Miami,  Fla.,  May  18-20,  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by 
president  Steve  Broidy.  More  than 
150  sales  executives  from  branch  of- 
fices throughout  the  world  are  sched- 
uled to  attend. 

The  company's  entire  British  sales 
force,  including  executives,  managers 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  25,  1953 


House  Committee  Opens 
Hearings  on  Color  TV 


Personal 
Mention 

BERNARD  JACON,  vice-president 
in  charge  of  sales  of  Italian  Films 
Export,  arrived  in  Atlanta  from  New 
York  yesterday  for  a  week's  stay. 
• 

Mrs.  James  E.  Perkins,  wife  of 
Paramount  International's  managing 
director  in  Great  Britain,  will  leave 
New  York  for  England  on  Friday 
aboard  the  S.S.  Queen  Mary. 
• 

James  Auten,  manager  for  Fox 
Inter-Mountain  Theatres  in  Long- 
mont,  Colo.,  was  selected  as  "Citizen 
of  the  Year''  there  for  his  philan- 
thropic and  civic  endeavors. 

• 

Pejrcy  D.  Cornwell,  secretary  of 
Paramount  International  in  Great  Bri- 
tain, will  arrive  in  New  York  tomor- 
row from  London  aboard  the 
Queen  Mary. 

• 

Charles  Yates,  president  of  Yates 
Pictures  Co.,  became  a  grandfather 
again  yesterday  with  the  birth  of  a 
daughter  to  his  daughter,  wife  of  Dr. 
Jack  Barsh. 

• 

Hiller  Innes,  assistant  to  Russell 
Holman,  Paramount  Eastern  produc- 
tion manager,  has  returned  here  from 
a  two-week  vacation  in  Jamaica, 
B.W.I. 

• 

Henry  Kogel,  staff  engineer  of  the 
SMPTE,  and  Mrs.  Kogel  became 
the  parents  of  a  boy,  born  at  Mt.  Sinai 
Hospital  here  on  Monday. 

• 

E.  S.  Gregg,  Westrex  Corp.  vice- 
president  and  general  manager,  has 
returned  to  New  York  from  Holly- 
wood. 

e 

Seymour  Schussell,  Italian  Films 
Export  Eastern  division  manager,  will 
arrive  in  Boston  today  from  New 
York. 

• 

William  F.  Rodgers,  M-G-M  vice- 
president  and  sales  consultant,  will  re- 
turn here  today  from  a  Florida  vaca- 
tion. 

Reiner  Abroad  to 
Set  'Hans'  Deals 

Manny  Reiner,  foreign  sales  mana- 
ger for  Samuel  Goldwyn  Productions, 
will  leave  New  York  tomorrow  by 
air  for  the  Philippines  on  the  first 
leg  of  an  eight-week  tour  of  Near  East 
and  Far  East  countries  where  he  will 
set  distribution  plans  for  "Hans  Chris- 
tian Andersen."  In  addition  to  the 
Philippines  he  will  visit  Hong  Kong, 
Australia,  Indonesia,  Singapore,  Thai- 
land, Burma,  India,  Pakistan,  Egypt, 
Israel  and  Greece. 

Following  his  return  to  New  York 
for  a  brief  stay,  Reiner  will  depart 
for  Paris  and  a  four-month  tour  of 
the  Continent. 


To  Permit  Sunday  Films 

Wilmington,  Del.,  March  24.— The 
Delaware  House  of  Representatives 
has  passed  a  bill  to  permit  Sunday 
films  in  certain  unincorporated  areas. 


Washington,  March  24. — House 
Commerce  committee  hearings  on 
color  television  got  under  way  here 
today  with  RCA  vice-president  E.  W. 
Engstrom  urging  that  the  Federal 
Communications  Commission  author- 
ize immediately  commercial  broad- 
casts of  compatible  color  television,  in 
addition  to  broadcasts  of  the  CBS 
non-compatible  system. 

Engstrom  said  RCA  felt  the  Com- 
mission could  and  should  authorize 
this  immediately,  even  without  hear- 
ings. FCC  spokesmen  said  they 
doubted  the  FCC  would  ever  take  so 
momentous  a  step  without  hearings. 

NBC  stands  ready  to  start  com- 
patible color  broadcasting  immedi- 
ately, although  on  a  very  limited  ser- 
vice, Engstrom  said.  He  also  prom- 
ised that  RCA  would  step  up 
production  of  color  sets. 

Committee  chairman  Wolverton  (R., 
N.  J.)  disclosed  a  letter  from  the 
National  Production  Authority  indi- 


Wis.  Allied 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

ing  that  Wisconsin  Allied  is  whole- 
heartedly behind  national  Allied  in  its 
stand  against  pre-releases. 

Goldberg  sounded  a  note  of  caution 
on  3-D,  claiming  that  "most  of  us  are 
too  small  to  go  at  it  too  fast." 

Col.  William  McCraw  of  Variety 
Clubs  International,  in  addressing  the 
convention,  said  he  was  very  proud 
of  Variety  Tent  No.  14  of  Milwaukee 
in  its  work  for  the  heart  clinic  at 
Marquette  University. 

Henderson  Richey  of  M-G-M  said 
his  company  will  try  to  prevent  any 
theatre  from  closing  if  possible. 
"Our  field  men,"  he  told  the  meeting, 
"are  instructed  to  give  particular  con- 
sideration to  the  smaller  theatres." 
Richey  also  struck  a  note  of  caution 
on  3-D,  saying  there  will  be  a  lot  of 
experiments  and  improvements. 

Closed  meeting  group  discussions 
were  led  by  Floyd  Albert  for  small 
town  situations ;  John  Schulyer,  large 
towns ;  Arnold  Brumm,  subsequent- 
runs  ;  and  Ben  Marcus,  drive-ins. 

The  national  Allied  board  of  direc- 
tors will  open  a  two-day  meeting  here 
Friday. 

'Off  Limits'  Bows 
Tonight  in  Wash. 

Washington,  March  24.  —  "Off 
Limits,"  Paramount's  new  Bob  Hope 
comedy,  will  have  its  world  premiere 
here  tomorrow  night  at  the  Warner 
and  Ambassador  Theatres,  with  full 
army  cooperation. 

Top  military  and  civilian  personnel 
are  expected  to  be  on  hand  as  a 
tribute  to  Hope  for  his  global  con- 
tributions as  an  entertainer  for  the 
armed  forces. 


Quigley  to  Speak 

Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  editor  of 
Motion  Pictivre  Herald,  is  scheduled 
to  be  one  of  the  speakers  at  the 
annual  convention  of  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio,  to  be  held 


eating  that  its  ban  on  color  set  pro- 
duction would  be  repealed  tomorrow 
or  Thursday. 

By  and  large,  Engstrom's  statement 
was  a  reaffirmation  of  the  position 
taken  by  the  company  during  the  long 
FCC  color  TV  hearings — that  a  non- 
compatible  system  would  not  work 
and  that  a  compatible  system  should 
be  authorized  and  the  final  decision 
left  to  the  public.  The  implication 
was  also  there  that  even  if  the  FCC 
reversed  its  stand  tomorrow,  it  would 
be  quite  some  while  before  color  tele- 
vision would  be  broadcast  or  received 
on  any  wide  basis. 

Engstrom  said  RCA  has  "completed 
the  basic  work"  on  a  tri-color  tube 
for  use  in  a  color  television  camera, 
making  it  possible  to  eliminate  the 
present  three-tube  camera  required 
for  compatible  color  TV. 

Tomorrow  CBS  president  Frank 
Stanton  will  give  his  company's  side 
of  the  controversy. 


N.  J.  Allied 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

taking  what  action  may  be  necessary. 
This  again  is  an  example  of  a  24-year 
old  practice  that  long  ago  should  have 
been  discarded.  Failure  of  distribu- 
tion to  recognize  changes  until  forced 
to  do  so  again  injures  the  box-office." 

The  New  Jersey  unit  charges  that 
RKO's  solicitation  of  16  mm.  accounts 
in  schools  takes  place  in  communities 
where  it  is  trying  to  sell  "Peter 
Pan"  at  "confiscatory  deals."  The 
board  claims  that  the  New  York  ex- 
change informed  a  certain  school 
which  is  surrounded  by  potential 
theatre  accounts  that  it  could  not  only 
buy  Walt  Disney  subjects  that  are 
not  available  to  theatres,  but  at  a 
lower  cost. 

"In  view  of  Disney's  deal  for  ex- 
hibitors," the  bulletin  asserts,  "it  is 
curious  to  note  that  he  favors  non- 
theatricals  as  against  men  who  have 
made  it  possible  for  him  to  turn  out 
cartoons." 

New  Jersey  Allied  also  charges  that 
RKO  is  soliciting  16mm.  accounts  for 
reissues. 

Four  Astor  Releases 
Playing  RKO  Circuit 

Astor  Pictures  has  four  releases  on 
dual  bills  currently  playing  the  RKO 
circuit  in  the  New  York  area. 

"Love  Island,"  starring  Eva  Gabor 
and  Paul  Valentine,  and  "Born  to  the 
Saddle,"  featuring  Leif  Erickson  and 
Donald  Woods,  opened  yesterday  in 
RKO  houses  in  Manhattan  and  the 
Bronx.  Another  Astor  double  bill 
also  opened  yesterday  on  the  RKO 
circuit  in  Brooklyn  and  Queens.  "The 
Hidden  Room,"  featuring  Robert 
Newton  and  Sally  Gray,  and  "The 
Blue  Lamp,"  with  Jack  Warner  and 
Peggy  Evans. 


at  the  Deshler-Wallick  Hotel  in  Co- 
lumbus, April  7  and  8.  His  topic 
will  be  "There  Is  a  Future  for  Inde- 
pendent Exhibitors." 


11  Buffalo  Area 
Drive-ins  to  Open 

Buffalo,  March  24.  —  All 
drive-ins  in  this  area  will 
open  on  Saturday,  April  4,  for 
the  season.  The  list  includes 
the  Buffalo,  Broadway,  Park, 
Star,  Skyway  Lakeshore,  Sky- 
way Niagara,  Delaware,  Sheri- 
dan and  Aero. 


VC  Foundation  Joins 
With  Epilepsy  Group 


Merger  of  the  Committee  for  the 
Public  Understanding  of  Epilepsy  and 
the  New  York  City  Variety  Club 
Foundation  to  Combat  Epilepsy  was 
disclosed  here  yesterday  by  William 
J.  German,  board  chairman  of  the 
Foundation.  The  Variety  Club  Foun- 
dation recently  was  organized  to  raise 
funds  and  develop  an  integrated  pro- 
gram to  aid  all  phases  in  the  treat- 
ment of  epilepsy,  including  clinical 
treatment,  research  and  public  infor- 
mation. 

The  Committee,  headed  by  Frederic 
F.  Greenman,  New  York  attorney, 
conducted  an  extensive  public  infor- 
mation program  to  provide  facts  about 
the  disease.  Upon  merging  with  the 
Variety  Club  Foundation,  the  CPUE 
will  contribute  $10,000  to  it,  adding 
an  additional  $10,000  when  the  foun- 
dation has  raised  $20,000.  Thereafter, 
annual  gifts  will  be  made  in  accord- 
ance with  the  developing  needs  of  the 
Foundation. 

The  newly-designated  board  mem- 
bers of  the  Variety  Club  Foundation 
are  George  Brandt,  Edward  Fabian, 
Albert  G.  Gorson,  Martin  Kornbluth, 
Edward  Lachman,  Ira  Meinhardt,  Dr. 
H.  Houston  Merritt,  Walter  Reade, 
Jr.,  Herman  Robbins,  Fred  Schwartz, 
Richard  Walsh  and  German.  Joining 
the  Foundation  board  from  the  Com- 
mittee are  Dr.  Benjamin  Fine  and 
Mrs.  Arthur  Rosenthal. 

New  WB  Firm  Pays 
First  Dividend:  30c 

The  board  of  directors  of  the  new 
Warner  Brothers  Pictures,  Inc.,  yes- 
terday declared  its  initial  dividend,  30 
cents  a  share,  payable  May  5  to  stock- 
holders of  record  on  April  15. 

The  company  pointed  out  here  that 
the  dividends  cannot  be  paid  to  stock- 
holders of  the  old  Warner  company 
until  they  exchange  their  old  certifi- 
cates for  the  stock  of  the  new  picture 
company  and  Stanley-Warner  Thea- 
tres. 

Luncheon  to  Honor 
Levine,  Robbins 

Alfred  W.  Schwalberg,  president 
of  Paramount  Film  Distributing 
Corp.,  has  been  named  chairman-  of 
the  presidents'  luncheon  committee  of 
Cinema  Lodge,  B'nai  B'rith.  The 
luncheon,  honoring  Martin  Levine, 
retiring  president  and  serving  to  in- 
duct Burton  E.  Robbins,  newly- 
elected  president,  will  be  held  at  the 
Hotel  Astor  on  Wednesday,  April  8 
with  industry  leaders  participating. 


MOTION  PICTURE  DALLY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Ch:ef  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing" Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSa'.le  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  Fl  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  Wl;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c, 


if* 


MG-MUSICS  /#r. 

M-G-M  gaily  presents 

I  LOVE  MELVIN" 

The  Showmanship  Musical! 

TECHNICOLOR! 


Take  advantage  of  the  big  LOOK  Magazine  tie- 
up.  See  press- book  for  details.  Launched  on  Ed 
Sullivan's  nationwide  TV  "Toast  of  the  Town" 
program.  M-G-M  Records  get  constant  Disc 
Jockey  promotion.  Debbie  Reynolds'  personal 
appearances  and  Donald  O'Connor's  plugs  keep 
America  saying  "I  LOVE  MELVIN.'' 


M-G-M  presents  "I  LOVE  MEL  VIN"  starring  Donald  O'Connor 
Debbie  Reynolds  •  with  Una  Merkel  •  Richard  Anderson  •  Allyn 
Joslyn  ♦  Color  by  Technicolor  •  Screen  Play  by  George  Wells 
Additional  Dialogue  by  Ruth  Brooks  Flippen  •  Story  by  Laslo 
Vadnay  •  Directed  by  Don  Weis  •  Produced  by  George  Wells 


M-G-M  merrily  offers 

SMALL  TOWN  GIRL 

The  Big  Time  Musical! 

TECHNICOLOR! 

"Entertainment  as  fine  as  you  will  play  this  year." 

—  Showmen's  Trade  Review.  "Excellent!  For  all  age 
and  audience  groups."— Variety.  "Definitely  BIG." 

—  Boxoff/ce.  "Typical  M-G-M  lavish  production, 
talent  tremendous."— M.  P.  Herald.  "Gay,  sprightly 
entertainment,  spectacular  dancing,  laughs 
continuous."— Hollywood  Reporter. 


M-G-M  presents  Jane  Powell  •  Farley  Granger  in  "SMALL 
TOWN  GIRL"  •  with  Ann  Miller  •  S.  Z.  Sakall  .  Robert  Keith 
Nat  King  Cole  •  Billie  Burke  •  Bobby  Van  •  Color  by  Technicolor 
Screen  Play  by  Dorothy  Cooper  and  Dorothy  Kingsley  •  Story  by 
Dorothy  Cooper  •  Music  by  Nicholas  Brodszky  •  Lyrics  by  Leo 
Robin  •  Directed  by  Leslie  Kardos  •  Produced  by  Joe  Pasternak 


if 


I  //  ■ 


I 


The  shocking  science  chiller... filmed  behind  closed  door; 


COLOR  BY 


TECHNI 


PHOTOGRAPHED    IN    NATURAL  VISI 


01 


he  first  great  outdoor  epic  of  America  in  3  Dimensions! 


MM 


m  m  « 

s    iiii  n 

m   ws  m 
IB   91  91 
11 


•     ...  v 


V 


ISi,  m 

IS  ill 


1 


OR  EVERY 


Motion  picture  Daily 


Wednesday,  March  25,  1953 


Downing 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


systems  of  other  companies  gave  him 
a,  great  feeling  of  optimism  regard- 
ing the  future  of  the  industry.  "Out 
of  it  all,"  he  declared,  "will  come  a 
great  rainbow"  for  the  business. 

He  said  he  was  tremendously  im- 
pressed by  CinemaScope  and  certainly 
could  visualize  what  it  would  be  in 
the  Radio  City  Music  Hall,  which  has 
one  of  the  largest  stages  for  a  screen 
in  the  country.  Roughly,  he  ex- 
plained, CinemaScope  would  offer  the 
Hall  a  picture  96  feet  long  and  36 
feet  high. 

Downing  said  that  the  Hall  has 
made  no  commitment  for  Cinema- 
Scope, but  is  considering  that  process 
along  with  other  systems.  His  aim,  he 
explained,  is  to  make  the  Hall  flexible 
so  that  it  can  be  adopted  for  any  kind 
of  picture  that  comes  along. 

The  Music  Hall  president  said  that 
everyone  in  Hollywood  was  too  busy 
with  new  developments  to  worry  about 
home  television.  Downing,  summariz- 
ing the  thinking  of  studio  executives, 
said  that  if  the  industry  can  give  the 
people  something  TV  cannot,  the  in- 
dustry need  not  worry  about  home 
television.  TV,  he  added,  certainly 
has  its  place  and  can  be  utilized  to  the 
mutual  benefit  of  both  mediums  as  ex- 
emplified by  the  awards  telecast. 

Hollywood,  he  stressed,  is  alive  with 
enthusiasm,  hard  work  and  a  t  fine 
spirit.  While  there  is  some  confusion 
in  the  light  of  all  the  new  technical 
developments,  the  studios  in  this 
transition  period  are  all  working  to- 
ward solutions,  Downing  said. 

Downing  said  that  he  has  set  meet- 
ings with  the  Hall's  research  and  en- 
gineering staff  to  take  stock  of  exist- 
ing facilities  so  that  a  change-over 
to  make  the  Hall  flexible  for  any 
process  can  be  effected  shortly.  Re- 
garding the  use  of  polarizing  glasses 
for  patrons  of  the  Hall,  Downing 
said  that  he  will  not  make  a  decision 
for  the  public.  He  said  he  agreed 
with  the  sentiments  voiced  by  Adolph 
Zukor,  Paramount  board  chairman, 
recently  to  the  effect  that  "the  public 
educates  us.  We  don't  educate  the 
public." 

Certainly,  he  added,  the  Music  Hall 
will  give  the  public  what  it  wants,  re- 
ferring to  3-D  which  requires  the  use 
of  spectacles  or  the  many  wide  screen 
processes  either  on  the  market  or 
under  development.  "We're  not  turn- 
ing our  back  on  any  method." 


11  ^  HRS.  ONESTOP 

TO  LOS  ANGELES 

ON 

UNITED  AIR  LINES! 

De  luxe  service  aloft,  including 
delicious  Mainliner  meals  at  no 
extra  cost.  Leave  at  12:05  a.m., 
arrive  the  next  morning.  United's 
famous  DC-6  flight,  "the  Holly- 
wood," leaves  at  noon,  arrives  at 
8:15  p.m.  Another  onestop  DC-6 
at  9  a.m. 

UNITED  AIR  LINES 

COMPARE  THE  FARE  AND 
YOU'LL  GO  BY  AIR 

•from  New  York 


Warner  and  White 
In  3-D  Promotion 


Warner  Brothers  and  David  White 
Co.,  manufacturers  of  the  Stereo- 
Realist  three-dimension  still  camera, 
have  set  up  a  national  promotion  cam- 
paign to  coincide  with  the  national 
distribution  date  of  the  studio's  3-D 
WarnerColor  motion  picture,  "House 
of  Wax."  This  supplements  an  exten- 
sive Warner  advertising  and  publicity 
campaign  for  the  film. 

David  White  will  break  four-color 
black  and  white  ads  in  the  following 
national  and  trade  magazines,  to  hit 
the  stands  coincidental^  with  the  re- 
lease date  of  the  film :  Holiday,  Bet- 
ter Homes  &  Gardens,  Newsweek, 
Time,  Neiv  Yorker,  Modem  Photog- 
raphy, U.  S.  Camera,  P.  S.  A.  Jour- 
nal, Photo  Dealer,  Photo  Develop- 
ments and  Photographic  Trade  News. 
The  ads  will  also  be  used  in  counter 
display  pieces  to  be  distributed  to 
camera  dealers  throughout  the  coun- 
try. In  addition,  David  White  has 
prepared  a  three-dimensional  counter 
piece  in  full  color,  featuring  Vincent 
Price,  Frank  Lovejoy  and  Phyllis 
Kirk  on  the  set  of  "House  of  Wax." 
Camera  dealers  will  be  notified  of 
local  playdates  so  they  can  co-operate 
with  local  theatres  on  mutual  displays 
in  store  windows  and  theatre  lobbies. 


Brooks  Writes  About 
3-D  for  the  Legion 

The  race  among  film  producers  to 
reach  screens  first  with  the  best  in 
three-dimensional  entertainment  is 
embodied  in  the  April  issue  of  The 
American  Legion  Magazine,  written 
by  Walter  Brooks,  director  of  the 
Managers  Round  Table  of  Motion 
Picture  Herald. 

The  article  explains  in  lay-man's 
language  the  progress  of  Cinerama, 
the  various  3-D  processes  and  Cine- 
maScope with  a  peek  into  the  future 
as  to  what  the  public  may  expect  on 
local  theatre  screens. 


Amprex  Shows 

{Continued,  from  page  1) 


of  a  railroad  train  approaching  a 
station  were  reproduced  trom  a  mag- 
netic tape  having  three  sound  tracks. 
This  gave  both  distance  and  direction 
to  the  sounds. 

The  results  were  effective  and  gave 
the  impression  that  the  musicians, 
woman  and  train  were  present  in 
front  of  the  viewers,  as  the  sounds 
emanated  from  speakers  stationed  at 
three  points.  It  is  expected  that  the 
system  will  be  available  to  theatres 
requiring  stereophonic  sound  in  con- 
nection with  both  panoramic  and 
three-dimensional  pictures. 

A.  S. 


RCA  Introduces  New 
3-D  Theatre  Screen 

Camden,  N.  J.,  March  24. — A  new 
theatre  screen  featuring  a  silvered  sur- 
face designed  to  meet  requirements  of 
3-D  and  wide-screen  systems  was  an- 
nounced here  by  the  theatre  equip- 
ment section  of  the  RCA  Victor  Divi- 
sion, Radio  Corporation  of  America. 
It  is  suitable,  the  company  said,  for 
use  with  all  such  systems. 


All  Para.  Films 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


feet  wide,  instead  of  20  by  27  as  in 
projection   normally.   The  additional 


3-D  Viewers 


{Continued  from  page  1) 


tions  of  ozone  (a  form  of  oxygen)," 
it  was  disclosed  here  jointly  yester- 
day by  Paul  Raibourn,  Paramount 
Picture  vice-president,  and  Dr.  Leon 
J.  Warshaw,  Paramount  medical  di- 
rector. The  treatment  was  said  to 
take  only  30  minutes  and  to  leave  no 
chemical  odor. 

The  tests  were  made  with  an  ap- 
paratus designed  by  Dr.  Warshaw  and 
built  by  Electro-Aire  Corp.  of  Long 
Island  City.  Paramount  has  no  in- 
vestment in  or  control  over  distribu- 
tion of  the  machine,  but  was  only 
interested  in  arriving  at  a  quick  and 
effective  sterilizing  method  which 
could  be  put  at  the  industry's  service, 
according  to  Raibourn.  The  distribu- 
tion company  is  Steriloptics,  Inc., 
formed  by  a  partnership  of  Herman 
Goldstein  of  Electro-Aire,  Joseph  P. 
Kennedy,  former  U.  S.  Ambassador 
to  Great  Britain,  and  I.  M.  Rappaport, 
Baltimore  exhibitor. 

Raibourn  and  Warshaw  pointed  out 
that,  with  the  current  shortage  of 
viewers,  it  was  necessary  to  be  able 
to  reissue  them,  but  that  up  to  now 
sterilizing  methods  had  not  been  ef- 
fective against  infections,  had  left  ob- 
jectionable odors  from  germicidal 
solutions,  or  "interference  with  op- 
tical properties  of  the  lenses  in  con- 
sequence of  repeated  deposition  of 
chemicals  on  lens  surfaces."  These 
drawbacks,  it  was  said,  have  been 
eliminated. 

"The  machine,"  Raibourn  and  War- 
shaw said,  "is  intended  to  be  placed 
in  the  lobbies  of  theatres  where  pa- 
trons may  see  it  in  operation.  The 
glasses  which  have  been  collected 
from  the  patrons  leaving  the  theatre 
are  placed  in  one  of  20  trays,  each 
of  which  holds  from  50  to  100  pairs. 
The  tray  is  placed  in  the  machine  and 
the  automatic  time  switch  turned  on. 
When  the  switch  is  on  the  large  sign 
on  top  of  the  machine  lights  up  an- 
nouncing :  "Viewers  are  now  being- 
sterilized."  At  the  end  of  30  min- 
utes the  machine  shuts  off  automat- 
ically and  the  sterilized  and  deodorized 
glasses  are  ready  for  redistribution. 
Depending  upon  the  kind  of  frames 
used,  between  1,000  and  2,000  pairs  of 
3-D  glasses  can  be  treated  every  30 
minutes." 


3-D  Fight  Film  To 
Be  Ready  April  13 

',  The  3-D  fight  film  of  the  Rocky 
Marciano-Joe  Walcott  title  bout  in 
Chicago  on  April  10  will  be  ready  for 
showings  in  major  cities  on  April  13, 
producer  Nathan  Halpern  announced 
here  yesterday.  The  Embassy  Thea- 
tre in  New  York  already  has  booked 
the  showing.  1  On  the  West  Coast, 
the  first  theatres  to  show  the  film 
will  be  the  Orpheum  and  Downtown 
in  Los  Angeles  and  the  Hawaii  in 
Hollywood. 

Halpern  also  announced  yesterday 
that  John  W.  Boyle,  veteran  Holly- 
wood cameraman,  had  been  engaged 
to  shoot  the  fight. 


width  is  achieved  by  reducing  the 
aperture-plate  opening  10  per  cent  at 
the  top  and  10  per  cent  at  the  bottom 
for  a  total  of  20  per  cent.  Freeman 
said  nearly  all  standard  films  in  the 
industry's  backlog  can  stand  that  much 
reduction  without  loss.  The  only  ad- 
ditional requirement  is  the  substitution 
of  a  wider  angle  lens,  which  is  easily 
and  reasonably  obtainable. 


National 
Pre-Selling 

tpLAINE  STEWART,  the  starlet 
■'—'who  played  a  three-minute  role  in 
"The  Bad  and  the  Beautiful,"  and 
who  thereby  earned  star  billing  in  her 
next  picture,  "Take  the  High  Ground" 
is  on  the  front  cover  of  Life's  cur- 
rent issue. 

In  a  three-page  story  covering  a 
visit  to  her  family  in  her  home  town, 
Montclair,  N.  J.,  Life  reports  that 
her  bosses  are  publicizing  her  as  their 
answer  to  Marilyn  Monroe.  She 
worked  as  an  usherette  and  cashier 
at  a  theatre  in  Montclair. 

Also  in  the  issue  is  a  profile  of 
Sam  Katzman,  independent  producer, 
whose  films — "though  all  despised  by 
the  critics — have  never  lost  money." 
The  author  reports  that  Katzman  is 
readying  his  first  3-D  film,  "Fort  Ti," 
for  early  release. 


Paramount  has  placed  a  full  page 
ad  on  "The  Girls  of  Pleasure 
Island"  in  the  April  issue  of  Seven- 
teen. 

In  this  same  issue,  Ed  Miller, 
motion  picture  editor  of  Seventeen, 
reviewed  "I  Love  Melvin,"  "The 
Magnetic  Monster,"  "Salome," 
"She's  Back  on  Broadway,"  and 
"City  Beneath  the  Sea."  He  chose 
"Lili"  as  his  favorite  picture  of  the 
month. 

• 

"I  Love  Melvin"  receives  full  treat- 
ment in  the  current  issue  of  Look. 
Debbie  Reynolds,  the  star,  decorates 
the  front  cover  in  full  color.  A  three- 
p'age  story  on  "I  Love  Melvin"  is 
illustrated  by  scenes  taken  on  the 
Hollyivood  set  and  on  location  here 
in  Central  Park. 

• 

Frances  Goldwyn's  story,  "I  Love 
Watching  Sam  Make  Movies,"  which 
appears  in  the  April  issue  of  "Wom- 
an's Home  Companion,"  was  pro- 
moted by  the  use  of  page  ads  in 
the  N.  Y.  Times,  Chicago  Tribune, 
Philadelphia  Bulletin,  Los  Angeles 
Times,  Cleveland  Press  and  San 
Francisco  Call  Bulletin. 

• 

"The  Desert  Song"  campaign  is 
being     inaugurated     by  Warner 
Brothers  with  a  full  page  ad  in  the 
April  issue  of  Good  Housekeeping. 
• 

A  fxdl  color  ad  on  "Desert  Legion," 
the  new  Universal-International  pic- 
ture, appears  in  the  April  issue  of 
Redbook. 

Also  in  the  issue  are  color  drawings 
of  "Peter  Pan's"  Tinker  Bell  as  she 
appeared  on  Walt  Disney's  drazving 
board  from  1939  thru  1953. 

• 

Columbia's  "Salome,"  now  at  the 
Rivoli  Theatre,  is  represented  with  a 
page  ad  in  color  in  the  current  issue 
of  Collier's. 

• 

A  full  page  ad  on  Warners'  "The 
Blue  Gardenia"  appears  in  the  cur- 
rent issue  of  Quick  Magazine. 
• 

Clarence  Brown,  Hollywood  direc- 
otr,  Coronet's  guest  reviewer  for 
April,  picked  "Call  Me  Madam"  and 
"The  Glass  Wall"  air  his  choice  for 
the  best  pictures  of  the  month. 

Walter  Haas 


March 


is  American  Bed  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Wednesday,  March  25,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


RKO  Does  Not  Set  Terms 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


AA  Conclave 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

and  salesmen  of  Associated  British- 
Pathe,  the  company's  distributors,  will 
be  brought  over  for  the  sessions, 
marking  the  first  time,  according  to 
Broidy,  that  any  film  company  has 
included  its  full  British  sales  staff  in 
a  convention  here.  The  British  con- 
tingent will  be  headed  by  MacGregor 
Scott,  general  sales  manager,  and 
Ken  Murray,  secretary.  V.  Comer 
and  P.  Giles  will  attend  as  executive 
delegates  from  the  ABC  Theatre  cir- 
cuit. Allied  Artists  representatives 
from  50  countries  will  attend,  Broidy 
said. 

Norton  V.  Ritchey,  president  of  the 
company's  foreign  subsidiary,  will 
preside  at  the  overseas  sessions.  The 
Latin-America  group  will  be  headed 
by  Bernard  J.  Gates.  Others  from 
overseas  will  be  C.  G.  Dickinson, 
United  Kingdom  representative,  and 
Ernest  Wettstein,  Continental  repre- 
sentative. 

The  domestic  distribution  meetings 
will  be  conducted  by  M.  R.  Gold- 
stein, vice-president  and  general  sales 
manager.  Winners  of  the  recent 
Morey  "Razz"  Goldstein  13-week 
billing  drive  will  be  announced  at  the 
convention.  Thirty-one  branch  mana- 
gers and  three  division  managers  will 
be  on  hand.  The  latter  are  Harold 
Wirthwein,  Western;  L.  E.  Gold- 
hammer,  Eastern,  and  James  A.  Prich- 
ard.  Southwestern. 

Studio  executives  who  will  attend 
include  Harold  Mirisch  and  G.  Ralph 
Branton,  vice  -  presidents  ;  Walter 
Mirisch,  executive  producer ;  John  C. 
Flinn,  director  of  advertising-publicity, 
and  Broidy. 

The  Eastern  contingent  will  be  com- 
prised of  Ed  Morey,  vice-president ; 
Lloyd  Lind,  manager  of  exchange  op- 
erations ;  William  Satori,  executive 
assistant  to  Ritchey;  Harry  Goldstein, 
Eastern  publicity  head;  Victor  Vol- 
mar,  Latin-America  manager;  Wil- 
liam K.  Everson,  foreign  publicity 
director,  Ritchey  and  Morey  Gold- 
stein. 


'Oscars'  Up  Takes 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

the  spurt  occurring  after  announce- 
ment of  awards,  and  the  "High 
Noon"-"African  Queen"  combination 
booking  in  31  Loew's  houses  was  re- 
ported drawing  exceptional  business, 
despite  adverse  weather  locally. 

Meanwhile,  sensational  business  was 
being  done  at  theatres  in  Chicago  by 
"High  Noon"  and  "The  Quiet  Man" 
as  a  combination. 

Five  Balaban  and  Katz  houses  (the 
Lakeside,  Covent,  Maryland,  Luna, 
and  suburban  Valencia),  Warner 
Brothers'  Cosmas,  and  the  H.  and  E. 
Balaban  Bryn  Mawr  all  had  holdouts 
every  day  over  the  weekend,  and  one 
house  did  more  in  the  three  days  with 
the  combination  than  it  ordinarily  does 
in  two  weeks. 

In  all  situations,  most  of  which  the 
pictures  had  played  before,  business 
was  at  least  twice  as  good  as  normal. 
An  1100-seat  house  in  one  circuit  did 
more  business  last  night  than  two  out- 
lying first  neighborhood  run  houses  in 
the  circuit  with  a  combined  capacity 
of  5000  seats.  On  the  strength  of  the 
week-end's  business  and  the  continuing 
strong  response  last  night,  the  H.  and 
E.  Balaban  circuit  is  booking  the  com- 
bination into  another  of  its  theatres, 
the  Milford,  extending  the  run  for  a 
second  week  at  the  Bryn  Mawr,  and 
has  booked  "High  Noon"  into  the 
near  north  side  Carnegie. 


seven  weeks  ago.  Grainger  also  out- 
lined the  company's  present  policy  on 
3-D,  production  and  releasing  plans 
and  his  schedule  to  confer  with  studio 
and  sales  executives. 

The  RKO  president  said  he  had 
received  complaints  on  "Hans  Chris- 
tian Andersen"  and  "Peter  Pan"  from 
Wilbur  Snaper,  president  of  Allied, 
and  Jack  Kirsch,  president  of  Illinois 
Allied.  Grainger  said  he  informed 
Snaper  and  Kirsch  that  RKO  acts 
as  a  distributing  agency  for  these 
pictures  and  has  nothing  to  do  with 
sales  policy,  which  is  set  by  Goldwyn 
and  Disney  for  their  respective  pic- 
tures. Questioned  whether  RKO  as 
a  distributing  company  is  responsible 
for  advanced  admission  prices  advo- 
cated for  "Hans  Christian  Andersen" 
by  Goldwyn,  Grainger  said  "I  won't 
get  involved  in  any  legal  questions." 

Defends  Goldwyn,  Disney 

The  RKO  president  defended  Gold- 
wyn and  Disney's  right  to  spell  out 
sales  terms  for  their  pictures,  main- 
taining that  "if  a  man  puts  his  money 
into  anything,  he  should  have  the 
right  to  sell"  as  he  sees  fit.  He 
stressed  that  he  had  no  bone  to  pick 
with  exhibitors,  but  pointed  out  that 
he  thought  it  was  better  if  an  ex- 
hibitor got  40  per  cent  of  a  good 
amount  than  70  per  cent  of  a  much 
smaller  box-office  take.  "This  is  a 
pretty  good  business,"  he  added.  "I 
don't  see  any  exhibitors  starving." 

Turning  to  3-D  and  wide-screen 
developments,  Grainger  said  that 
RKO  is  watching  the  situation  care- 
fully, but  has  not  drawn  any  conclu- 
sions. Nevertheless,  he  disclosed 
that  RKO  is  set  to  get  on  the  3-D 
bandwagon  with  three  pictures  cur- 
rently in  production  and  three  others 
slated  to  go  before  the  cameras.  The 
six  films,  all  to  be  made  in  the  East- 
man color  process,  will  also  be  avail- 
able in  the  conventional  form,  it  was 
added.  RKO's  3-D  process  will  be 
used  for  the  six  films,  he  added, 
pointing  out  that  discussions  are  still 
going  on  for  the  use  by  the  com- 
pany of  the  new  Norling  3-D  camera. 

"Louisiana  Territory,"  an  RKO 
Pathe  documentary  in  3-D,  he  said, 
has  been  completed.  The  three  now 
in  production  are :  "Arizona  Out- 
post," "Son  of  Sinbad,"  and  "Second 
Chance."  The  films  set  for  produc- 
tion beginning  April  15  are:  "White 
Swamp,"  "French  Line,"  and  "Thun- 
der in  the  North." 

"Shot  in  the  Arm" 

Grainger  called  all  the  3-D  excite- 
ment "a  shot  in  the  arm  for  the  in- 
dustry" and  said  he  will  strive  to  re- 
appraise the  situation  when  he  goes 
to  the  Coast  for  studio  conferences  in 
a  week  or  10  days.  While  on  the 
Coast,  he  said  he  expects  to  see  20th 
Century-Fox's  CinemaScope  wide- 
screen  process. 

From  now  until  the  end  of  the  year, 
RKO'  plans  to  produce  18  features, 
Grainger  said,  adding  that  he  did  not 
know  at  this  time  whether  all  will  be 
made  in  the  3-D  process.  The  com- 
pany has  for  release  from  now  until 
October,  he  added,  22  films,  some  of 
which  are  reissues. 

Grainger  saw  his  immediate  role  as 
president  of  the  company  to  build 
enthusiasm  in  the  organization  and  to 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


obtain  pictures.  RKO,  he  explained, 
has  gone  through  a  period  of  turmoil, 
referring  to  the  results  of  the  sale 
and  reacquisition  of  Howard  Hughes' 
controlling  stock  interest. 

Regarding  any  contemplated 
changes  in  personnel,  Grainger  said 
it  was  too  early  to  tell,  pointing  out 
that  he  is  still  in  the  process  of  "get- 
ting acquainted."  The  RKO  presi- 
dent said  that  he  and  major  sales  ex- 
ecutives plan  to  do  a  lot  of  travelling. 
Charles  Boasberg,  general  sales  man- 
ager, and  Edward  Walton,  assistant 
to  Grainger,  will  begin  a  tour  of  ex- 
changes around  the  country  in  about 
10  days,  he  said.  Alfred  Crown,  for- 
eign sales  manager,  and  Robert  Wolff, 
managing  director  for  the  United 
Kingdom,  he  added,  are  due  here 
Thursday  for  a  three  to  four-week 
visit.  Grainger  said  he  expects  to 
visit  London  and  Paris  this  summer. 

Regarding  other  touring  plans, 
Grainger  said  that  Crown  is  expected 
to  make  a  trip  to  the  Far  East  soon 
and  a  visit  to  South  America  is  con- 
templated by  R.  H.  Hawkinson,  for- 
eign administration  manager.  Grain- 
ger said  that  he  plans  to  confer  with 
Michael  Havas,  Latin  American  su- 
pervisor, in  Dallas,  before  returning 
from  his  next  Coast  visit. 

In  response  to  a  question,  Grainger 
said  that  RKO  is  not  contemplating 
any  sale  of  its  films  to  television.  As 
to  outside  product,  Grainger  said 
that  RKO  is  interested  in  distributing 
"pictures  of  quality"  made  by  inde- 
pendent producers. 


Basic  equipment  needs 
for  3-D  showings 
in  RCA's  3-D  Kit 

Now,  in  a  single,  low-cost,  quick- 
conversion  kit,  RCA  supplies 
everything  you  need  for  easy  con- 
version to  3-D  films. 

I.  Two  selsyn  motors,  the  most  depend- 
able interlocking  method— (with  mount- 
ing plates). 

3.  Blowers  for  port  filters. 


D'Arcy  Case 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

that  failure  of  the  theatre  under 
D'Arcy  management  was  due  to  his 
"mode  of  operation."  He  added  that 
at  the  time  D'Arcy  leased  the  theatre 
it  had  been  closed  for  years,  was  run 
down  and  its  projection  equipment 
unsatisfactory.  He  said  further  that 
success  of  the  venture  depended  on 
quality  of  the  pictures,  exploitation, 
theatre  condition  and  finances,  and 
that  D'Arcy  lacked  the  finances  to 
carry  out  the  venture. 

Harry  C.  Arthur,  Jr.,  president  of 
Fanchon  and  Marco,  stated  that  the 
decision  of  Judge  Harper  fully  vin- 
dicates the  exhibitor  defendants  who 
refused  throughout  the  long  period 
from  the  filing  of  the  case  to  the 
trial  in  September,  1951,  to  settle  the 
suit.  The  major  companies  settled 
with  D'Arcy  for  a  sum  believed  to  be 
$30,000.  Shortly  before  trial,  Arthur 
persisted  in  his  refusal  to  join  in  any 
settlement  and  insisted  on  going  to 
trial.  He  said  he  feels  the  decision  of 
Judge  Harper  has  confirmed  that  no 
violation  had  been  committed. 


Liberalize  Sunday  Vote 

Harsisburg,  Pa.,  March  24. — Local 
option  referenda  on  the  showing  of 
motion  pictures  on  Sunday  in  Penn- 
sylvania would  be  permitted  every 
two  years  under  the  provisions  of 
House  Bill  No.  668,  introduced  in  the 
Legislature  by  Rep.  Raymond  C. 
Kratz.  Under  the  present  law,  local 
option  on  the  issue  can  be  held  only 
once  every  four  years  in  a  community. 


These  few  simple  items  equip  your 
present  projectors  to  handle  all 
three-dimension  systems  now  in 
production: 

2.  Silent  chain  and  sprockets  for  connect- 
ing motors. 

4.  Upper  and  lower  5500-foot  film  maga- 
zines. 


Ask  your  RCA  Dealer  about  RCA's  3-D  Kit— and  — for  flawless 
3-D  presentations  — ask  him  about  RCA's  seamless  silver  screen. 


THEATRE  EQUIPMENT 

RADIO  CORPORATION  of  AMERICA 

ENGINEERING  PRODUCTS  DEPARTMENT.  CAMDEN.  N.J. 


FAST  3-D  CONVERSION 


(four  Boxofftco  Can  Count 
On  Count  the  Hours/ 


"Engrossing  entertain- 
ment !  The  names  of  Teresa 
Wright  and  Macdonald 
Carey  are  as  persuasive  as 
any  a  showman  might  want 
for  his  marquee !" 
—  Motion  Picture  Herald 


"Taut,  absorbing  melo- 
drama highlighted  by  fine 
acting  and  direction!" 
—  Hollywood  Reporter 


"Praiseworthy  on  every 
count !  Tensely  exciting ! 
Will  pay  off  handsomely 
if  shrewdly  sold !" 

—  Boxoffice 


PICTURES 


Produced  by  BENEDICT  BOGEAUS  •  Directed  by  DON  SIEGEL  *  Screenplay  by  DOANE  R.  HOAG-  KAREN  DeWOLF  V 


MOTION  PICTURE 


VOL.  73.   NO.  58 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  THURSDAY,  MARCH  26,  1953 

TEN  CENTS 

CBS  Plans  to 
Mark  Time 
On  Color  TV 


Virtually  Gives  U p  Fight 
For  Own  Color  Process 


Washington,  March  25. — CBS 
president  Frank  Stanton  indicated 
to  the  House  Commerce  Committee 
today  that  his  firm  would  do  nothing 
more  to  push  its  own  color  television 
system  until  there  is  a  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  decision  on 
the  compatible  color  system  now  being 
developed  by  an  intra-industry  com- 
mittee. 

He  promised  CBS  would  adopt  any 
workable,  practical  color  system,  even 
if  developed  by  a  competitor. 

CBS  thereby  virtually  gave  up  its 
long  fight  to  make  its  non-compatible 
process  a  commercial  reality.  Stan- 
ton had  always  contended  that  his 
company's  color  television  system  was 
superior  to  RCA's,  which  is  com- 
patible with  present  black  and  white 
receivers. 

Manufacturers  will  not  produce  and 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Upward  Trend  in 
Cleveland  Prices 


Cleveland,  March  25. — There  is  a 
general  move  to  boost  downtown  top 
theatre  prices  to  90  cents  from  the 
present  85-cent  top.  First  to  adopt 
this  policy  was  the  Stanley-Warner 
Allen.  The  theatre  is  also  eliminating 
the  morning  55-cent  price.  The  scale 
will  be  60  cents  from  opening  to  1 :00 
o'clock,  80  cents  to  5:00  P.M.  and  85 
cents  to  closing  on  weekdays  and  90 
cents  on  Saturdays.  The  Sunday  price 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Cite  Possibility  of 
N.Y.C.  Ticket  Tax 

A  New  York  City  tax  on 
admissions  is  one  of  the  nui- 
sance taxes  being  considered 
by  Mayor  Impellitteri  and  the 
city  administration,  plagued 
with  financial  difficulties,  it 
was  disclosed  yesterday. 

Other  nuisance  taxes  sug- 
gested to  raise  needed  funds 
are  a  charge  of  $60  a  year  for 
nighttime  parking  in  the 
streets  and  a  tax  of  one  cent 
a  glass  on  beer. 


Strong  Support  for 
Ticket  Tax  Repeal 

Washington,  March  25.  — 
Rep.  Louis  B.  Heller  (D., 
N.  Y.)  told  the  House  that 
the  Federal  admission  tax  is 
having  a  "disastrous  effect" 
on  motion  picture  theatres 
throughout  the  country,  forc- 
ing about  3,200  to  close  during 
the  last  five  years  and  requir- 
ing many  others  to  operate  at 
a  loss. 

Urging  repeal  of  the  20  per 
cent  tax,  Heller  said  "we 
must  do  everything  possible 
to  encourage  the  industry,  to 
help  it  survive  its  present 
difficulties  and  to  maintain 
its  position  in  the  American 
economy." 


Treasury  Against 
Tax  Cuts  Now 


Washington,  March  25.  —  The 
Treasury  Department  today  told  Con- 
gress it  does  not  want  "at  this  time  to 
get  less  revenue  from  excise  taxes." 

The  statement  came  from  Under- 
secretary Marion  B.  Folsom  as  he 
testified  before  the  House  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  on  a  bill  to  give 
economy  brand  cigarettes  a  lower  tax 
rate. 

Folsom  repeatedly,  under  question- 
ing, said  the  Treasury  would  prefer 
to  avoid  taking  any  stand  on  major 
tax  reduction  bills  until  it  had  a 
chance  to  study  further  the  possibili- 
ties of  cutting  Federal  spending.  But 
he  finally  did  come  out  against  any 
excise  cuts  "at  this  time"  that  would 
involve  a  revenue  loss.  He  did  not 
indicate  what  the  outlook  was  for  a 
change  in  this  viewpoint  later. 


To  Honor  Cole  and 
McGeeforTaxWork 


Dallas,  March  25. — At  the  forth- 
coming Texas  COMPO  Conference, 
Sept.  28-30,  a  special  luncheon  will 
be  held  honoring  Col.  H.  A.  Cole 
and  Pat  McGee,  "for  the  results  al- 
ready accomplished  by  their  special 
attention  and  untiring  services  in  the 
campaign  to  eliminate  the  20  pef~cent 
admission  tax,"  R.  J.  O'Donnell, 
executive  chairman  of  the  Conference, 
announced. 

O'Donnell  added,  "I  feel  that  the 
entire  industry,  and  especially  exhibi- 
tion, will  want  to  take  this  opportunity 
to  honor  these  two  men  and  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  accordingly." 

"This  will  be  a  resplendent  affair 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Demands  Fight  on 
Bidding  'Trap'  at 
Wis.  Allied  Meet 


By  BRUCE  TRINZ 

Milwaukee,  March  25. — Ben  Mar- 
cus, national  director  of  Wisconsin 
Allied,  voiced  a  plea  at  the  organiza- 
tion's convention,  held  here  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  National  Drive-in  meet, 
for  theatre  owners,  both  indoor  and 
outdoor,  to  bend  every  effort  toward 
working  out  some  method  of  sharing 
film  rather  than  being  "trapped"  into 
bidding  situations. 

He  also  expressed  the  opinion  that 
there  should  be  no  discrimination  by 
any  branch  of  the  industry  against 
drive-ins,  inasmuch  as  every  legitimate 
businessman  deserves  an  opportunity 
to  operate  his  business  free  from  un- 
fair or  illegal  restraint.  He  said  that 
exhibition  "has  won  a  victory  (in  the 
courts),  but  the  shoe  fits  both  ways," 
and  exhibitors  must  be  prepared  to 
give  up  certain  unfair  advantages  over 
their  competitors  to  comply  with  the 
law  of  the  land.   He  concluded  with 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Loewenstein  Quits 
As  Okla.  T.O.  Head 


Oklahoma  City,  March  25. — Mor- 
ris Loewenstein,  long-time  president 
of  Theatre  Owners  of  Oklahoma,  sub- 
mitted his  resignation  from  that  post 
to  members  of  the  board  of  the  or- 
ganization yesterday. 

Loewenstein's  resignation  was  an 
aftermath  of  the  action  of  Video  In- 
dependent Theatres  becoming  mem- 
bers of  the  recently  organized  Allied 
Theatre  Owners  of  Oklahoma.  The 
Video  circuit  of  about  107  theatres 
comprised  almost  one-half  the  mem- 
bership of  Theatre  Owners  of  Okla- 
homa.    The  latter  is  affiliated  with 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Chromatic  to  Color 
TV  Coronation 


Washington,  March  25.  —  The 
coronation  of  Queen  Elizabeth  will  be 
televised  in  color  in  Great  Britain 
this  summer  through  the  facilities  of 
Chromatic  Television  Laboratories, 
Inc.,  and  Pye,  Ltd.,  it  was  disclosed 
jointly  by  the  two  organizations.  The 
Lawrence  color  television  tube  devel- 
oped by  Chromatic,  an  affiliate  of 
Paramount  Pictures  Corp.,  will  be 
used  to  display  the  special  color  tele- 
vision cameras  developed  by  Pye. 

Color  television  receivers  incorpo- 
rating the  Lawrence  color  tube  will 
be  located  in  British  hospitals  and 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Tells  Drive-ins 
To  Be  Cautious 
On  3-D  Systems 

SMPTE  President  Cites 
Light,  Screen  Problems 

Milwaukee,  March  25. — Drive- 
in  theatre  owners  were  warned  here 
today  to  proceed  with  caution  in 
adopting   any   new   3-D   or  wide 
screen  system 
of   motion  pic- 
ture proj  ection. 
The  warning 
was  sounded  by 
Herbert  Bar- 
nett,  president 
of   the  Society 
of  Motion  Pic- 
ture and  Tele- 
vision Engi- 
neers,   at  the 
National  Drive- 
in  Convention, 
currently  under 
way  at  the  Ho- 
tel Schroeder. 
The  processes  currently  on  the  mar- 
ket,   Barnett   stressed,   are    still  not 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Herbert  Barnett 


Schenck  to  Explain 
IN lewMagnaCo.Today 


Joseph  M.  Schenck  today  will  ex- 
plain operational  details  of  the  newly- 
formed  Magna  Theatre  Corp.  at  a 
press  conference  here  at  the  Sherry 
Netherland  Hotel.  Headed  by  Schenck, 
George  Skouras,  Arthur  Hornblow, 
Jr.,  Richard  Rodgers,  Oscar  Hammer- 
stein,  Lee  Shubert  and  Mike  Todd, 
the  organization  will  combine  the 
scientific  knowledge  and  resources  of 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Chas.  Green  Named 
To  Hoffman  Board 

Charles  Green,  who  is  con- 
testing the  management  of 
20th  Century-Fox,  has  been 
placed  on  the  expanded  board 
of  directors  of  the  United 
States  Hoffman  Machinery 
Co.  U.  S.  Hoffman,  at  its  an- 
nual meeting,  increased  the 
board  from  11  to  15  members 
which  forestalled  an  expected 
proxy  fight,  and  the  broad- 
ened directorate  includes  six 
representatives  of  a  dissident 
minority  group. 


2 


motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  26,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 

HOWARD  DIETZ,  M-G-M  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  advertis- 
ing-publicity, left  here  last  night  for 
the  Coast  and  is  due  back  on  Monday. 
• 

A.  W.  Schwalberc,  president  of 
Paramount  Film  Distributing  Corp., 
and  Jerry  Pickman,  advertising- 
publicity  vice-president,  returned  to 
New  York  yesterday  from  Hollywood. 
• 

Mrs.  Antoinette  Capo,  secretary 
to  Milt  Livingston,  Universal  trade 
press  contact,  has  resigned  and  will 
leave  her  post  tomorrow  in  prepara- 
tion for  motherhood. 

• 

William  B.  Zoellner,  M-G-M 
sales  head  for  shorts  and  newsreels, 
arrived  in  Washington  yesterday  from 
Charlotte  and  scheduled  to  return  to 
New  York  Monday. 

• 

Arthur  Mayer  will  discuss  his  re- 
cent book,  "Merely  Colossal,"  at  a 
joint  meeting  of  the  New  York  Uni- 
versity book  and  motion  picture  clubs 
here  today. 

Herman  Levy,  general  counsel  of 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  and  Mrs. 
Levy  will  celebrate  their  22nd  wed- 
ding anniversary  on  Saturday. 

Another  Award  for 
Adolph  Zukor 

Adolph  Zukor,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Paramount  Pictures,  who 
this  year  celebrates  his  50th  anniver- 
sary in  motion  pictures,  has  been 
named  to  receive  a  "Horatio  Alger 
Award"  from  the  American  Schools 
and  Colleges  Association,  it  has  been 
announced  by  Kenneth  J.  Beebe,  presi- 
dent of  the  Alger  Awards  Committee. 

Zukor  will  be  honored  with  10  other 
outstanding"  Americans  whose  life 
stories  typify  the  Horatio  Alger 
legend  of  opportunities  in  the  United 
States.  Bronze  plaques  will  be 
awarded  in  a  ceremony  on  April  8 
at  the  Rainbow  Room  lounge  at 
Rockefeller  Center. 


McCarthy  on  Survey 

John  J.  McCarthy,  former  MPAA 
vice-president,  has  accepted  a  tempo- 
rary assignment  with  the  U.  S.  State 
Department  to  make  a  survey  of  the 
government's  film  activities  in  foreign 
countries.  The  survey  is  similar  to 
that  being  made  in  the  radio  field  by 
Ted  Streibert  of  Station  WOR  here. 
Upon  his  return  to  New  York  in  early 
June,  McCarthy  will  announce  a  per- 
manent connection. 


Honor  Anna  Ellmer 

A  testimonial  luncheon  to  Anna  D. 
Ellmer,  secretary  of  Loews'  advertis- 
ing and  publicity  department  for 
nearly  40  years,  who  is  retiring  this 
week,  was  given  yesterday  by  her  co- 
workers and  associates  in  the  organ- 
ization and  elsewhere.  A.  U.  S.  Sav- 
ings Bond,  a  testimonial  scroll,  and  a 
memory  book  of  personal  photographs 
were  presented.  Greetings  were  ex- 
tended by  Loew's  executives. 


Young,  Lupino  Set 
Up  New  Releasing 
Company  on  Coast 


Hollywood,  March  25.  —  Collier 
Young  and  Ida  Lupino  today  an- 
nounced the  formation  of  a  "new  na- 
tional releasing  setup  to  be  known  as 
Filmakers  Releasing  Organization,"  in 
which  they  are  sole  stockholders  and 
have  elected  Irving  H.  Levin  presi- 
dent. 

They  say  they  have  a  four-picture 
program  projected,  with  the  first  to 
start  July  1,  and  will  have  29  ex- 
changes headed  by  individuals  who 
will  be  partners  and  investors.  Other 
independent  product  will  be  handled 
also,  the  announcement  stated. 


Honor  Sarnoff 

David  Sarnoff,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  RCA,  was  honored  last 
night  as  the  first  recipient  of  the 
Founders  Award  of  the  Institute  of 
Radio  Engineers  at  the  annual  IRE 
banquet  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria.  He 
was  cited  for  "outstanding  contribu- 
tions to  the  radio  engineering  pro- 
fession." 


IFE's  Magnani  Coming 

Anna  Magnani,  Italian  film  star, 
will  pay  her  first  visit  to  this  country 
next  month  when  she  comes  to  New 
York  on  April  11  for  the  American 
premiere  of  her  new  film,  "Bellissima." 


Lippert  Gets  'Bandit' 

Hollywood,  March  25.  —  Robert 
Lippert  has  acquired  distribution 
rights  to  "Bandit  Island." 


Screenwriters  Go 
BeforeHouse  Group; 
Tell  No  New  Names 


Los  Angeles,  March  25.  —  Sylvia 
Richards,  screenwriter,  told  the  Un- 
American  Affairs  Committee  she  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Communist 
Party  from  1937  to  1946  and  had  lent 
her  Santa  Monica  home  to  party  mem- 
bers for  meetings  which  she  some- 
times attended.  The  witness,  who  had 
written  radio  programs  as  well  as  pic- 
tures for  several  major  studios,  said 
she  resigned  from  the  party  when  she 
became  convinced  its  ideas  were 
wrong. 

Earlier,  former  screenwriter  Bart 
Lytton,  who  has  been  a  realtor  since 
1948,  gave  an  extensive  account  of  his 
experiences  as  a  writer  prior  to 
changing  professions,  naming  several 
names  previously  named  as  party 
members. 

Edward  Huebsch  and  Joseph  Sprin- 
ger refused  to  cooperate. 

Pix  of  Norfolk,  Va., 
Files  Trust  Suit 

An  anti-trust  suit  seeking  $780,000 
in  damages  has  been  filed  in  Federal 
Court  here  on  behalf  of  the  Pix 
Theatre  of  Norfolk,  Va.,  against  the 
eight  majors.  Operators  of  the  Pix 
Theatre  Corp.  are  Samuel  Cummins, 
Max  Cummins.  Faith  Cummins,  Celia 
B.  Cohen  and  Rose  Chatkin. 

The  suit  charged  that  in  the  period 
from  May,  1945,  to  June,  1948,  the 
Pix  Theatre  of  Norfolk  was  dis- 
criminated against  on  first  and  subse- 
quent-run product. 


Film  Shares  Touch 
New  Highs  for  Year 

Amusement  stocks  con- 
tinued to  show  sustained 
strength  yesterday  with  Para- 
mount Pictures  and  Universal 
touching  new  highs  for  the 
year  on  fractional  gains. 
Loew's,  with  a  turnover  for 
the  day  of  35,300  shares,  was 
the  fourth  most  active  issue 
on  the  New  York  Stock  Ex- 
change but  closed  without  a 
gain  to  remain  at  its  high  for 
this  year,  14. 

United  Artists  Theatre  Cir- 
cuit, on  the  strength  of  the 
announcement  of  formation 
of  Magna  Theatre  Corp.  to 
distribute  the  new  wide 
screen  production  and  ex- 
hibition process  of  Todd-AO, 
with  which  UATC  heads  are 
associated,  rose  $2.25  per 
share  yesterday  to  $12  bid 
and  $13  asked. 


Kass  to  Supervise 
'U's'  Field  Men 

Herman  Kass  of  Universal  Pic- 
tures' Eastern  advertising-publicity 
department,  has  been  promoted  to  su- 
pervise and  coordinate  the  activities 
of  field  exploitation  representatives,  it 
was  announced  here  yesterday  by 
Charles  Simonelli,  manager  of  the 
Eastern  advertising-publicity  depart- 
ment. 

Kass  will  be  under  the  direction  of 
Universal's  Eastern  advertising-pub- 
licity department  cabinet,  consisting 
of  Simonelli,  Philip  Gerard,  East- 
ern publicity  manager,  and  Jeff  Liv- 
ingston, Eastern  advertising  man- 
ager. 

U.A,  to  Release  6 
During  April-May 

Four  new  productions — "The  Assas- 
sin," "That  Man  from  Tangiers," 
"Rough  Shoot"  and  "Raiders  of  the 
Seven  Seas" — and  a  comedy  reissue 
twin  bill  of  the  Marx  Brothers  and 
Marilyn  Monroe  in  "Love  Happy"  and 
Abbott  and  Costello  in  "Africa 
Screams"  will  be  released  by  United 
Artists  during  April  and  May,  Wil- 
liam J.  Heineman,  vice-president  in 
charge  of  distribution,  announced  yes- 
terday. 

Johansen  Manager 
Of  A  A  in  Japan 

E.  F.  Johansen  has  been  named 
manager  of  Allied  Artists  of  Japan, 
Inc.,  a  subsidy  formed  last  April, 
Norton  V.  Ritchey,  president  of 
Monogram  International,  reports. 

Johansen,  who  will  maintain  head- 
quarters in  Tokyo,  is  an  industry  vet- 
eran in  the  Far  East. 


Youngman  Named 

Hollywood,  March  25. — The  board 
of  directors  of  Walt  Disney  Produc- 
tions today  announced  the  election 
Gordon  E.  Youngman,  attorney  and 
former  director  of  RKO  Radio  Pic- 
tures board,  to  succeed  Jonathon  B. 
Lovelace,  resigned,  on  the  board. 


Report  on 

CinemaScope . . . 

Continuing  its  unparalleled  coverage  of 
newest  developments  in  the  dimensional 
processes  for  motion  picture  exhibition — 
and  particularly  their  practical  significance 
— the  HERALD  now  reports  and  com- 
ments further  on  CinemaScope  .  .  . 

in  this  week's  issue  of 

MOTION  PICTURE 

HERALD 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising-  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca-Vine  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau,  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative,  11  North 
Clark  Street.  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  So..,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  N.  Y„  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c 


Another  History-Making  FIRST  from 


From  the  studios  that  first  successfully  introduced 
sound  to  the  motion  picture  screens  of  the  world... 

WarnerPhonk 

Heard  for  the  first  time  by  500  of  the  nation's  leading 
exhibitors  in  a  series  of  screenings  now  being  held  in 
WARNER  BROS.  3-DIMENSION  STUDIO  AUDITORIUM,  in 
Burbank,  the  astounding  revolutionary  audio  complement 


to 


"WNISE  OF  WAX" 


in 


WarnerColor 


THE  FIRST  ALL 
3-DIMENSION  FEATURE 
PRODUCED  BY 
A  MAJOR  STUDIO 


MUSIC!      DIALOGUE!  IfFtClS! 

The  richest  beauty  of  sound  comes  to  you  in  the  screen's  first  complete 
electronic  merger  of  dimension -camera  and  dimension -microphone  in 
their  most  fully  dreamed-of  relations. 


WarnerPhonk 


is  the 
wedding  march 
of  Sound  and 
3-Dimension. 


4 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Thursday,  March  26,  1953 


Bidding  'Trap' 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Review 


By  the  Light  of  the  Silvery  Moon 

(Warner  Brothers) 

WARNER  BROTHERS  has  combined  the  box-office  formula  of  "On 
Moonlight  Bay"  to  bring  forth  a  sentimental  musical  which  should  sell 
as  many  tickets  as  its  highly  successful  predecessor. 

Booth  Tarkington's  "Penrod"  stories,  with  the  hero,  heroine  and  pesky 
little  brother  carrying  on  their  wholesome,  unsophisticated  lives  in  that  small 
town  atmosphere  that  everyone  would  like  to  have  been  raised  in.  The  char- 
acterizations and  the  names  of  the  characters  are  the  same  as  those  in  "On 
Moonlight  Bay."  Although  the  company  states  this  is  not  a  sequel,  "Silvery 
Moon"  appears  to  be  directly  fashioned  from  "Bay."  Of  course  none  of  this 
comparison  can  be  considered  derogatory  in  view  of  the  success  of  the  first 
picture. 

Like  so  many  nostalgic  musicals,  it  is  filled  with  a  lot  of  good  old  corn. 
Moon  and  June,  girl  and  boy,  love  and  sorrow,  all  come  in  for  their  share 
of  treatment  in  this  Technicolor  charmer.  It's  the  type  of  picture  that  allows 
your  audience  to  just  sit  back,  relax  and  enjoy  the  proceedings. 

When  Doris  Day  and  Gordon  MacRae  begin  to  croon  those  familiar  old 
tunes,  it  proves  contagious.  Even  most  of  the  audience  at  the  New  York 
trade  showing  were  humming  and  swaying  during  the  musical  section  of  the 
film.  ? 

On  the  debit  side  there  is  the  slight  fact  that  the  vehicle  does  not  quite 
carry  the  weight  of  its  length ;  William  Jacobs,  the  producer,  has  provided 
a  few  obviously  unrealistic  sets  for  some  of  the  numbers,  and  director  David 
Butler,  in  what  appears  to  be  an  attempt  to  maintain  the  "Penrod"  atmos- 
phere, adds  a  dream  sequence  by  the  young  brother  which  is  highly  contrived. 

But  all  in  all,  Miss  Day,  as  the  girl  next  door  who  is  forced  to  delay  her 
marriage  to  the  boy  next  door,  MacRae  (who  has  returned  from  World 
War  I  with  a  sense  of  responsibility)  and  the  entire  family  are  quite  enter- 
taining. The  obstacles  of  young  love,  the  suspicions  of  the  family,  and  the 
overactive  imagination  of  a  12-year-old  take  up  most  of  the  time  in  a  pleasant, 
unassuming  way. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Leon  Ames,  Rosemary  DeCamp,  Billy  Gray,  Mary 
Wickes,  Russell  Arms,  Maria  Palmer,  Howard  Wendell,  Walter  Flannery, 
Geraldine  Wall,  John  Maxwell  and  Carol  Forman. 

Running  time,  102  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
May  2. 


a  warning  that  the  continuation  of 
competitive  bidding  "could  put  us  out 
of  business." 

Wilbur  Snaper,  president  of  national 
Allied,  followed  Marcus'  speech  at  the 
afternoon  session  with  a  slashing  at- 
tack against  the  distributors  for  what 
he  termed  their  "arrogance  and  stupid- 
ity" in  failing  to  realize  that  their  al- 
leged illegal  practices  would  drive  ex- 
hibitors to  "extreme  measures"  to  cor- 
rect an  "intolerable  situation,"  refer- 
ring to  the  remark  last  fall  by  the 
sales  manager  of  a  distributing  com- 
pany that  Snaper  was  trying  to  drum 
up  publicity  for  the  national  Allied 
convention  in  Chicago  with  his  bitter 
denunciation  of  distribution  policies. 

Snaper  pointed  out  that  two 
of  the  things  he  predicted  would 
come  about  unless  these  policies 
were  modified  have  material- 
ized: 1.  The  Senate  Small  Busi- 
ness Committee  is  going  to  in- 
vestigate motion  picture  trade 
practices  within  the  next  couple 
of  weeks;  2.  The  Attorney  Gen- 
eral has  been  provided  with 
enough  factual  information  to 
warrant  a  full-scale  investiga- 
tion of  the  distributors'  trade 
practices. 

With  biting  sarcasm  he  accused  the 
distributors  of  resorting  to  subterfuge 
in  placing  certain  pictures  in  the  "pre- 
release" category  and  "suggesting" 
admission  prices  for  the  runs  of  those 
pictures.  Warning  the  distributors  that 
continuation  of  their  present  policies 
could  very  well  force  exhibition  to  go 
to  the  public  for  support  in  this  fight 
instead  of  "washing  our  dirty  linen  in 
private,  where  it  apparently  achieves 
no  results,"  he  concluded  by  express- 
ing the  hope  that  "a  year  from  now 
we  can  give  distribution  a  pat  on  the 
back  for  trying  to  work  with  us  in- 
stead of  against  us." 

Pet  Projects 

The  morning  session  of  the  National 
Drive-in  Theatres  and  Allied  Thea- 
tres of  Wisconsin  convention  dealt 
mainly  with  two  of  Wisconsin  Allied's 
pet  projects,  the  state  screening  re- 
port and  the  performance  report.  After 
a  heated  discussion,  during  which  some 
members,  notably  Mrs.  Eric  Brown  of 
Plymouth,  Wis.,  complained  that  the 
reports  were  too  expensive  and  were 
not  achieving  the  purposes  for  which 
they  were  designed,  the  membership 
voted  to  go  along  with  the  projects 
for  another  year. 

Highly  instrumental  in  the  decision 
to  continue  with  the  plan  for  another 
year  was  Marcus'  argument  point- 
ing out  the  advantage  of  local  (state) 
evaluation  of  a  picture's  potential 
rather  than  evaluation  on  a  national 
scale.  He  also  defended  the  perform- 
ance report,  through  which  exhibitors 
are  able  to  exchange  information  on 
how  pictures  are  doing  in  other  thea- 
tres, on  the  ground  that  it  gives  the 
exhibitor  a  better  idea  of  what  a  pic- 
ture is  worth  to  him,  as  well  as  pro- 
viding him  with  ammunition  to  rebut 
film  salesmen's  claims  about  business 
pictures  allegedly  are  doing  in  far- 
flung  sections  of  the  country. 

The  session  concluded  with  a  sum- 
mation by  John  Schuyler,  Delft  and 
Affiliated  Theatres,  of  the  Wisconsin 
group  meetings  held  yesterday.  Schuy- 
ler reported  Wisconsin  Allied  as  be- 
ing opposed  to  all  "pre-release"  and 
"special  term"  pictures  and  avowed 
that  the  organization  will  fight  all  at- 


Color  TV 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

the  public  will  not  buy  sets  for  CBS 
color  so  long  as  there  is  a  possibility 
of  early  approval  of  a  compatible 
color  system,  Stanton  said.  For  CBS 
to  go  ahead  with  broadcasting  its 
color  system  or  producing  sets  for  its 
system  would,  under  these  circum- 
stances, be  "tilting  at  windmills,"  the 
Committee  was  told. 

Stanton  urged  the  persons  working 
on  the  new  system  to  take  their  plan 
to  the  FCC  as  soon  as  possible,  so 
that  "the  air  can  be  cleared  at  the 
earliest  possible  date." 

Meanwhile,  a  government  inter- 
agency committe  approved  today  a 
recommendation  to  end  the  govern- 
ment's materials  controls  over  color 
TV  set  production.  The  formal  order 
lifting  the  color  set  ban  is  expected 
tomorrow  or  Friday. 


tempts  by  distributors  to  place  films 
in  those  categories. 

The  address,  by  Herbert  Barnett, 
SMPTE  president,  on  3-D,  Cinerama, 
CinemaScope,  and  other  new  methods 
of  film  presentation,  elicited  many 
questions  from  the  assemblage  that 
indicated  the  confusion  that  reigns  in 
the  industry  over  new  technological 
developments  and  their  practical  ap- 
plication. 

The  meeting  concluded  with  a  prog- 
ress report  by  H.  A.  Cole,  national 
co-chairman  of  the  admissions  tax 
repeal  committee,  on  the  campaign  to 
repeal  the  Federal  theatre  admissions 
tax.  Although  guardedly  optimistic 
over  prospects  of  repeal,  he  warned 
that  many  states  and  cities  are  hoping 
to  impose  local  admissions  taxes  if  the 
Federal  tax  is  reduced  or  repealed. 

The  convention  will  wind  up  to- 
morrow with  committee  reports,  elec- 
tion of  officers  of  Wisconsin  Allied, 
a  full  convention  session,  and  an  all- 
industry  banquet. 


Loewenstein 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

the  Tbeatre  Owners  of  America  and 
Loewenstein  is  a  member  of  the  TOA 
executive  board.  The  new  Oklahoma 
Allied  is  affiliated  with  Allied  States 
Association. 

Exhibitor  Veteran 

Loewenstein,  who  operates  the  Ma- 
jestic Theatre  here,  is  a  veteran  in 
exhibitor  organization  work  and  has 
been  active  in  opposing  theatre  taxa- 
tion measures  locally  and  nationally. 
The  annual  convention  of  TOO  is 
scheduled  for  May  11  and  12,  at  which 
time,  it  is  expected,  a  successor  to 
Loewenstein  will  be  elected  if  his  res- 
ignation is  accepted  by  the  board. 


Coronation 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

other  public  places  for  the  event.  It 
will  be  the  first  showing  of  the  Law- 
rence tube  in  Great  Britain.  The  tube 
already  has  been  widely  demonstrated 
in  New  York  and  at  Chromatic's 
laboratory  in  Oakland,  Cal.,  it  was 
stated  by  Richard  Hodgson,  president. 

Pye,  Ltd.,  which  joined  with 
Chromatic  in  this  demonstration,  is 
one  of  the  leading  television  manu- 
facturers in  Great  Britain.  Its  black 
and  white  television  cameras  and  stu- 
dio equipment  are  used  by  both  U.  S. 
television  broadcasters  and  the  B.B.C. 


Tennessee  Lops  Tax 

Nashville,  March  25. — Senate  Bill 
No.  58  and  a  companion  House  bill, 
providing  for  the  exemption  of  film 
rentals  and  transcriptions  from  the 
two  per  cent  Tennessee  state  sales 
tax  has  been  passed. 


March  Is  American  Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


Tells  Drive-ins 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

fully  developed  and  their  adaptability 
to  drive-in  operation  poses  complex 
problems.  "It's  still  the  difference 
between  the  engineer's  model  and  the 
automobile  in  production.  In  between 
there  must  always  be  a  vital  try-out 
on  the  proving  grounds,"  he  main- 
tained. 

However,  Barnett  welcomed  the 
advent  of  the  new  3-D  and  wide- 
screen  systems  as  "a  good  sign  of 
rejuvenation  in  the  film  business." 
The  public,  which  has  been  seeing 
a  lot  of  small-screen  television,  bas 
reacted  in  a  mildly  crazy  way  at  the 
prospect  of  something  visually  new 
and  big  and  exciting,"  the  SMPTE 
president  observed. 

The  practical  limitations  to  the  use 
of  3-D  in  the  large  drive-in  theatre 
were  enumerated  as  follows  by  Bar- 
nett :  Metallizing  the  present  out- 
door screen  without  obtaining  a 
checkerboard  appearance  and  the 
effective  area  of  viewing  would  be 
reduced  markedly  due  to  lighting  and 
other  problems.  As  to  wide-screen 
processes  such  as  Cinerama,  Barnett 
said  the  cost  of  installing  Cinerama 
and  the  re-vamping  of  the  car  area 
would  seem  to  warrant  the  building 
of  special  drive-ins  for  this  system. 
Twentieth  Century-Fox's  Cinema- 
Scope  process,  he  said,  is  an  unknown 
potential  for  drive-ins  due  to  what  he 
called  a  scarcity  of  information  on 
such  aspects  as  light  output  and  screen 
brightness. 

Hearty  Acceptance 

Barnett  credited  the  public's  hearty 
acceptance  of  3-D  and  wide-screen 
processes  to  factors  of  time,  technical 
advances  since  the  war  and  the  nov- 
elty of  home  television  wearing  thin. 

Declared  Barnett :  "Millions  of 
wandering  theatre  customers  are 
showing  a  willingness  to  return  and 
be  forgiven."  He  warned,  however, 
that  the  business  of  showing  good 
programs  in  good  theatres  was  always 
basically  sound,  adding  that  no  one 
should  dream  that  "3-D  will  long  sup- 
port just  any  kind  of  picture  in  just 
any  kind  of  theatre." 

The  SMPTE  president  also  out- 
lined the  principles  and  some  techni- 
cal limitations  of  many  3-D  and 
wide-screen  systems.  He  informed 
his  audience  that  the  SMPTE  is 
working  hard  on  standards  for  stereo 
projection.  A  draft  of  such  stand- 
ards, he  added,  has  already  been  com- 
pleted and  instructions  for  projection- 
ists are  being  written.  Nearing  com- 
pletion is  an  illustrated  report  on  the 
basic  principles  and  applications  of 
the  new  processes,  he  stated. 

Barnett  said  he  could  safely  predict 
that  3-D  films  without  polarizing 
viewers  are  too  far  away  to  concern 
those  attending  the  convention,  point- 
ing out  that  the  obstacles  to  be  over- 
come are  enormously  complex. 


Upward  Trend 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

will  be  90  cents  at  all  times. 

It  is  understood  that  the  Hippo- 
drome will  initiate  the  same  scale  at 
the  close  of  the  present  advanced 
price  engagement  of  "Hans  Christian 
Andersen,"  and  Loew's  houses  will 
fall  in  line  after  the  run  of  "Moulin 
Rouge"  at  the  State,  now  playing  at 
$1.25  top.  The  RKO  Palace  and 
Tower  are  also  considering  the  five- 
cent  boost. 


Thursday,  March  26,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


5 


New  3-D  Glasses  to 
Be  Handled  by  NTS 

National  Theatre  Supply  has  been 
appointed  country-wide  dealer  for 
Magic- Vuers,  a  new  type  of  patented 
polarized  glasses  for  three-dimensional 
motion  pictures.  The  announcement 
was  made  here  by  Arch  Oboler,  whose 
"Bwana  Devil"  was  the  first  feature 
in  3-D.  Oboler,  the  main  stockholder 
in  Magic- Vuers,  Inc.,  has  exclusive 
distribution  rights  to  the  polarized 
glasses,  which  the  Polacoat  Company 
of  Cincinnati  manufactures  for  Depth 
Viewers,  Inc. 

John  Dreyer,  president  of  Depth 
Viewers  and  Polacoat,  is  the  inventor 
of  the  polarizing  material  used  in 
making  Magic-Vuers.  The  product 
will  soon  be  available  through  the  29 
branches  of  National  Theatre  Supply 
throughout  the  United  States,  accord- 
ing to  president  W.  E.  Green  and 
vice-president  W.  J.  Turnbull,  who 
concluded  the  deal  with  Oboler. 


New  Magna  Co. 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


the  American  Optical  Co.  with  a 
group  of  Hollywood  and  Broadway 
showmen. 

This  alliance  has  resulted  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  Todd-AO  process, 
which  employs  only  one  strip  of  film 
and  one  projector,  without  the  nec- 
essity of  extensive  theatre  alterations 
or  the  use  of  glasses,  the  company  an- 
nounced. It  was  developed  by  Dr. 
Brian  O'Brien,  director  of  the  Insti- 
tute of  Optics  at  the  University  of 
Rochester. 

The  board  of  directors  includes 
Schenck,  Rodgers,  Hammerstein,  Ed- 
ward Small,  Charles  Seiigson  and 
Judge  James  M.  Landis.  Skouras  is 
president  and  Schenck  is  chairman  of 
the  board.  Hornblow  is  vice-president 
in  charge  of  production. 

A  limited  number  of  musicals  will 
be  produced,  of  which  two  or  three 
will  be  distributed  by  Magna. 


Geo.  Waldman  Heads 
Polalite  Sales  Here 

George  J.  Waldman  has  been 
named  Metropolitan  sales  manager 
for  the  Polalite  3-D  glasses  by 
Bonded  Film  Distributors,  affiliate  of 
National  Film  Service  and  distributor 
of  the  viewers  in  the  New  York  ex- 
change area. 


'GianV  Three  -D 
Display  for  'Wax9 

In  line  with  its  expanded  national 
promotion  plans  on  "House  of  Wax," 
three-dimensional  film  in  Natural 
Vision,  Warner  Brothers  has  made 
available  a  "giant"  lobby  set-piece 
which  is  said  to  present  an  actual 
three-dimensional  effect.  The  display 
is  seven  feet  high  and  five  feet  wide. 


Col.  Sets  Film  in 
3-D,  Standard 

Hollywood,  March  25.  —  Columbia 
today  announced  "Renegade  Canyon," 
in _  Technicolor,  which  starts  April  1, 
will  be  filmed  in  both  standard  and 
3-D  form,  with  the  standard  form 
containing  a  "number  of  additional 
closeups"  and  the  "studio  expects  in 
this  manner  to  be  able  to  service  the 
whole  exhibition  field  while  the  critical 
period  of  conversion  is  in  progress." 


Asides  &  Interludes 


— by  James  Cunningham 


COMPARATIVELY  FEW  gadgets  have  done  more  to  promote  the  ulcer 
business  in  this  business  than  the  recent  appearance  of  3-D.   Ask  Spyros 
Skouras. 

The  industry's  "Minute-Men"  heard  about  Smell-A-Scope,  Vice-Arama, 
Pin-O-Fore,  Depth- A-Rama,  Smokey-Scope,  Usual  Vision,  etc.,  and  im- 
mediately started  roaring  like  Si  Seadler's  pugnacious  Leo  the  Lion,  for 
standardization. 

_  The  "Minute-Men"  believe  they  have  a  problem,  what  with  half-a-dozen 
different  3-D'ers  distracting,  disrupting  and  disturbing  the  otherwise  tranquil 
(???)  affairs  of  the  conduct  of  office.    "Standardization  of  3-D!"  is  the  cry. 

Remember  when,  in  the  late  1920's  Warners  insisted  that  sound  on  a  record 
— a  platter  or  disc — was  best  for  the  new  sound  movies  ?  And  other 
companies,  led  by  Fox  Film,  held  out  for  a  sound  track  on  the  film?  To 
make  it  more  confusing,  the  industry  was  invaded  by  non-synchronous  devices 
— turn  tables — which  provided  fine  music  for  the  otherwise  silent  pictures. 
Well,  the  stampede  was  on  and  there  were  more  devices — synchronous  and 
non-synchronous — than  you  could  shake  an  ulcer  at.  And  the  "Minute  Men" 
of  those  days  had  such  a  conglomeration  of  different  systems  to  choose  from 
that  they  were  whirling  faster  than  the  turntables.  Now  you  have  only  a 
few  3-D  systems.  Here's  what  were  advertised  in  the  trade  papers  back  in 
early  sound  days  :  , 

AMPLION,  AMPLIPHONE,  AMPLITONE,  AUD1PHONE,  AUDI- 
TONE,  BELTONE,  BESTOPHONE,  BIOPHONE,  BRISTOLPHONE, 
CREATONE,  DRAMAPHONE,  ELEC-TRO-FONE,  ELECTONE, 
ELECTRA-PHONE,  FETTIFONE,  FILM-FONE,  FILM-O-FONE, 
FILM  SPEAKER,  FONOFON,  FOTO-VOICE,  GENNET  SYNCHRO- 
NIZER, GOETZ  MOVIEPHONE,  HALGROPHONE,  KEYSTONE, 
KINOPLAY,  KINETONE,  LIFETONE,  LINCROPHONE,  MAGNA- 
PHONE  MELLAPHONE,  MILTON,  MOTIO-TONE,  MOVIEPHONE, 
MOVIETONE,  MULTIPHONE,  MUSICTONE,  NEW  MERRITT- 
TONE,  NOROPHONE,  OLIVER  REPRODUCER,  ORCHESTRA- 
PHONE,  ORCHESTROPE,  ORO'-TONE,  PEERLESS-TONE,  PER- 
FECTONE,  PHONODISC,  PHONOFILM,  PHOTO-TAKER,  PHOTO- 
PHONE,  PHOTOTONE,  PICTURE-FONE,  PORTELL  -  PHONE, 
POWERS  CINEMAPHONE,  Q-PHONE,  RADIOPHONE,  RADIO- 
TONE,  RENIER,  RESCO,  ROYAL  AMPLITONE,  ROYALTONE, 
SIMPLIMUS,  SPEAK-O-PHONE,  STAMPER,  STAN-A-PHONE, 
SUPER  SOUND,  SUPERTONE,  SYNCRODISK,  SYNCHROPHONE, 
SYNCROTONE,  TALK-A-PHONE,  TALKAFILM,  TONE-O-GRAPH, 
TRUTONE,  ULTRAPHONE,  VITAPHONE,  VITATONE,  VOCA- 
PHONE,  WESTERN  ELECTRIC,  W1LVERPHONE.  and— we're  all  out 
of  breath,  WONDERPHONE. 


it  it 


it 


Two  theatre  audiences  had  thrilling  experiences  that  were  not  on  the 
screen  Sunday  night  during  tornadoes  in  the  Memphis  area. 

More  than  150  patrons  in  the  Palace  Theatre,  Newberen,  Tenn.,  were 
thrown  into  a  near-panic  when  the  roof  of  a  nearby  building  was  blown 
across  the  Palace  Entrance.  The  marquee  crashed  down  and  the  roof  was 
partly  destroyed.  Patrons  found  other  exits,  but  quickly. 

Patrons  at  the  Bessemer  Drive-in,  near  Florence,  Ala.,  saw  a  tiny  but 
powerful  twister  dip  between  them  and  the  movie  screen  before  it  bat- 
tered a  nearby  airport. 

■k     it.  it 

An  upstart,  one  David  Wark  Griffith,  was  having  salary  and  contract 
trouble  with  J.  J.  Kennedy  and  the  old  Biograph  outfit  in  the  early  years 
of  The  Cinema.  Griffith,  it  seems,  wanted  10  per  cent  of  Biograph's  profits. 
Kennedy  would  not  agree,  but  promised  Griffith  that  he  would  be  the  man 
to  make  "big  $50,000  pictures,"  in  the  time  to  come.  In  one  reel. 

Gossip  of  Griffith's  discontent  got  about.  Adolph  Zukor,  the  feature-minded, 
was  enthusiastically  interested  in  Griffith's  ideas.  He  offered  "D.W."  a 
salary  of  $50,000  a  year  to  direct  for  Famous  Players. 

To  the  amazement  of  Daniel  Frohman  and  Zukor's  other  associates,  Grif- 
fith had  the  colossal  nerve  to  reject  the  offer.  To  the  relief  of  Daniel  Frohman 
and  Zukor's  associates,  Griffith  rejected  an  offer  which  Famous  Players  could 
not  meet.  Famous  Players  then  did  not  have  $50,000. 


it  # 


i? 


Wall  Street  Journal  reports  a  Loew's,  Inc.  stockholder  wrote  management : 
"It  appears  strange  that  our  company  requires  the  services  of  12  vice-presi- 
dents,, whereas  the  United  States  seems  to  survive  with  but  one." 

That's  carrying  criticism  of  vice-presidents  too  far.  Almost  as  far  as  that 
John  O'Brien,  reportedly  an  Irishman,  who,  the  other  day,  wrote  an  article 
in  The  Sign,  quoting  John  Nance  Garner  as  describing  a  vice-president  as 
being  "a  figure  of  slight  importance  with  a  title  of  great  impressiveness — 
a  spare  tire." 

O'Brien,  the  old  meany,  got  real  rough  when  he  put  into  print  the  words 
of  ol'  Thomas  Marshall,  a  U.  S.  "veepee,"  who  said,  "The  vice-president  is 
like  a  man  in  a  cataleptic  state;  he  cannot  speak;  he  cannot  move;  he  suffers 
no  pain ;  and  yet  he  is  perfectly  conscious  of  everything  that  is  going  on 
around  him." 

We  know  some  film  company  vice-presidents  who  are  not  in  a  cataleptic 
state,  who  can  speak,  who  can  move,  who  suffer  no  pain  (well,  not  much), 
and  who  are  nearly  conscious  of  everything  that  is  going  on  around  them. 


Harold  L.  Groves,  49 
Copyright  Prober 

Harold  L.  Groves,  49,  died  at  Uni- 
versity Hospital  here  Tuesday  night 
after  a  lingering  illness. 

Groves  had  been  identified  with 
copyright  and  fraud  investigations  for 
the  motion  picture  industry  since  he 
first  entered  the  service  of  the  New 
York  Film  Board  of  Trade  27  years 
ago.  In  1927  he  joined  the  Copy- 
right Protection  Bureau,  handling- 
copyright  infringement  investigations 
for  major  distributors.  There  he  was 
associated  until  1945  with  Edward  A. 
Sargoy  and  Joseph  L.  Stein,  dis- 
tributor attorneys,  and  with  Jack  H. 
Levin,  who  directed  investigational 
operations. 

Groves  left  with  Levin  in  1945  to 
organize  Confidential  Reports,  Inc., 
becoming  national  field  director. 
Groves  was  made  executive  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  its  entire  op- 
eration in  1951.  Over  a  year  ago,  he 
became  president  and  general  man- 
ager of  Hargroves  National  Service 
System,  Inc.,  and  All  States  Field 
Service,  Inc. 

Groves  is  survived  by  his  widow, 
Florence ;  a  daughter,  Linda ;  a  son, 
Sandy ;  his  mother,  barah ;  a  brother 
and  five  sisters. 

Services  will  be  held  at  Riverside 
Memorial  Chapel  at  2:15  today. 


Cole  and  McGee 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

with  approximately  2,000  in  attend- 
ance, in  a  joint  conclave  with  the 
International  Drive-in  Theatre  Own- 
ers Association.  Both  national  TOA 
and  Allied  will  be  asked  to  partici- 
pate in  this  honoring  event,"  a  Texas 
COMPO  statement  disclosed. 

O'Donnell  has  agreed  to  serve  as 
toastmaster  for  the  Conference  ban- 
quet, master-of-ceremonies  for  the 
luncheons,  and  to  preside  at  all  meet- 
ings for  the  three-day  sessions. 

Edward  H.  Rowley,  president,  Row- 
ley United  Theatres;  H.  J.  Griffith, 
president,  Theatre  Enterprises  ;  Claude 
Ezell,  president,  Ezell  and  Associates ; 
Phil  Isley,  president,  Isley  Theatres, 
and  Julius  Gordon,  president,  Jefferson 
Amusement  Co.,  each  will  preside  for 
half  an  hour  as  relief  for  O'Donnell 
during  the  sessions. 

All  circuits  in  the  Southwest  will 
hold  their  managers'  conventions  in 
conjunction  with  the  COMPO  Con- 
ference. 


Ramsdell  to  M  eet 
Press  Here  Monday 

Worcester,  Mass.,  March  25. — 
Floyd  A.  Ramsdell,  president  of 
Stereo  Corp.,  manufacturer  of  stereo- 
scopic motion  picture  equipment,  will 
hold  a  screening  and  press  conference 
at  the  Hotel  Gotham  in  New  York 
on  Monday,  at  which  he  will  demon- 
strate some  problems  in  the  making 
of  3-D  films  and  their  relation  to 
equipment  developed  by  his  company. 


Rites  for  Mrs.  Dervin 

Boston,  March  25. — Services  were 
held  for  Mrs.  Bridget  J.  Dervin  of 
Dedham,  mother  of  John  J.  Dervin 
of  Stratford  Pictures  in  New  York 
and  Francis  Dervin,  Republic  Pic- 
tures district  manager  here,  at  St. 
Mary's  Church  in  that  city.  She  died 
on  Sunday. 


March  is   American   Red  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


...The  PRESIDENTS 


LADY  IS  SWEEPING 
HE  SOLID  SOUTH! 

LANDSLIDE  IN  NASH- 
VILLE WORLD  PREMIERE 


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AND  EVERYWHERE  IN 


00 -THEATRE  SOUTHERN 
SATURATION  BOOKING! 


SUSAN  CHARLTON 

HAYWARD  HESTON 


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with  JOHN  MclNTIRE  •  FAY  BAINTER 


r  SOLC.SIEGELDir  HENRY  LEVIN  "r'lOHN  PATRICK 


CENTURY -FOX  BUSINESS! 


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Vide, 
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aid 


VOL.  73.    NO.  59 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  FRIDAY,  MARCH  27,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Set  Roadshow 
Policy  for 
Magna  Process 

UATC  Houses  to  Be  Used; 
Select  Rivoli  for  N.  Y. 


By  MURRAY  HOROWITZ 

Plans  to  roadshow  the  new 
Magna  65  mm.  wide  screen  film 
process  in  the  New  York  Rivoli 
and  from  24  to  28  situations 
throughout  the 
country  in  1954 
were  outlined 
here  yesterday 
by  Joseph  M. 
Schenck  and 
Michael  Todd, 
two  of  the 
principals  in  the 
Magna  Theatre 
Corp. 

The  system, 
as  described  by 
the  principals, 
will  initially 
use  special  65 
mm.  wide  angle 
cameras  and 
projectors,  em- 
ploying a  single  film  strip  in  one  pro- 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Joseph  Schenck 


WarnerPhonic  in 
Fox  Coast  Houses 


Los  Angeles,  March  26.  —  Fox 
West  Coast  Theatres  has  acquired 
;  WarnerPhonic  sound  equipment  for 
all  of  its  Coast-girdling  houses  and  is 
rushing  installations  to  permit  the 
earliest  possible  playing  of  "House  of 
j  Wax,"  Warner's  Natural  Vision 
three-dimensional  film  in  Warner- 
Color  and  WarnerPhonic. 

Because  West^  Coast  Theatres  has 
been  able  to  obtain   only   12  repro- 
ducers to  date,  the  circuit  will  relay 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


Video  Circuit  to 
Remain  in  T.O.O. 


Oklahoma  City,  March  26. — De- 
spite its  membership  in  the  new  Allied 
Theatre  Owners  of  Oklahoma,  the 
Video  Independent  circuit  has  pledged 
its  continued  support  to  Theatre 
Owners  of  Oklahoma. 

Nevertheless,  Morris  Loewenstein 
said  today  his  resignation  as  presi- 
dent of  T.O.O.  still  stands  because  he 
(Continued  on  page  7) 


'Ike'  to  Move  on 
Double  Taxation 

Washington,  March  26.  — 
President  Eisenhower  said  he 
would  send  to  Congress  in 
the  next  day  or  so  a  proposal 
for  a  Presidential  commission 
to  study  Federal-state  rela- 
tions in  taxation  and  other 
fields.  The  idea  of  the  study 
commission  was  agreed  on  at 
a  recent  White  House  con- 
ference of  Administration  of- 
ficials, state  governors  and 
Congressional  leaders. 


Reelect  Goldberg 
Wis.  Allied  Head 


Milwaukee,  March  26. — At  the 
morning  session  of  the  third  and  last 
day  of  the  Wisconsin  Allied  conven- 
tion here  today  S.  J.  Goldberg  of  this 
city  was  reelected  president  for  1953. 

Others  reelected  were:  Oliver 
Trampe,  Cudahy,  treasurer,  and  Ben 
Marcus,  Milwaukee,  representative  to 
national  Allied.  Russell  Leddy,  Green 
Bay,  and  Ed  Johnson,  Milwaukee, 
were  elected  vice-president  and  secre- 
tary, respectively. 

The  board  of  directors,  increased 
from  13  to  14  to  give  representation 
to  several  Northern  Wisconsin  Coun- 
ties recently  transferred  into  the  Mil- 
waukee exchange  area,  includes  J. 
Goderski,  A.  Provinzano,  F.  J.  Mc- 
Williams,  Russell  Leddy,  John  P. 
Adler,  Floyd  Albert,  John  O'Connor, 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


'52  UPT  Earnings 
Put  at  $6,961,113; 
Current  Profits  Up 


United  Paramount  Theatres'  con- 
solidated net  profit  for  1952  was 
$6,961,113,  including  earnings  of  $5,- 
613,626  from  operations  and  $1,347,- 
487  from  capital  gains,  Leonard  H. 
Goldenson,  president  of  American 
Broadcasting  -  Paramount  Theatres, 
Inc.,  disclosed  to  stockholders  yester- 
day in  his  annual  report. 

These  earnings,  it  was  stated,  com- 
pare with  earnings  in  1951  of  $10,705,- 
011,  consisting-  of  $6,702,421  from  op- 
erations and  $4,002,590  from  capital 
gains. 

However,  an  upturn  in  revenues 
was  noted  in  the  current  fourth  quar- 
ter. For  the  first  time  in  over  three 
years  of  operations,  Goldenson  re- 
ported, profits  in  the  current  quarter 
exceeded  those  for  the  same  quarter 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


Bill  Would  Tighten 
Md.  Censorship  Law 

Baltimore,  March  26. — A  bill  to 
extend  authority  of  the  three-member 
Maryland  Board  of  Censors  and  to 
tighten  the  censorship  law  is  ready 
for  introduction  in  the  Maryland  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  now  in  session. 

The  tighter  censorship  bill  has  the 
approval  of  the  censor  board  chair- 
man, Sydney  Traub. 

The  word  "profane"  would  be  added 
(Continued  on  page  8) 


Green  Puts  His  2 Oth -Fox 
Proxy  Battle  in  the  Open 

By  AL  STEEN 

What  started  out  to  be  a  conventional  and  professional  speech  on  the 
"Whys  and  Wherefores  of  Proxy  Fights"  in  g-eneral  resulted  in  a  con- 
centrated symposium  on  20th  Century-Fox  in  particular  at  the  regular 
meeting  of  the  Customers  Brokers  Association  here  yesterday,  with 
Charles  Green  the  key  figure  in  the 


lively,  and  sometimes  heated,  discus 
sions. 

Green,  who  is  known  to  be  blue- 
printing a  proxy  fight  for  the  control 
of  20th-Fox,  declared  at  the  outset  of 
the  meeting,  which  was  held—  at 
Schwartz'  Restaurant  on  Broad  St., 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  enter  into 
that  subject  at  any  time.  But  before 
the  meeting  broke  up,  Green  revealed, 
among  other  things,  (1)  that  a  proxy 
letter  outlining  his  attack  on  the  com- 
pany would  be  filed  with  the  Securi- 
ties and  Exchange  Commission  next 
week,  (2)  that  he  has  prepared  a  list 
(Continued  on  page  3) 


MP  A  A  Meet  Off  Till 
Johnston  Returns 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  board  of 
Motion  Picture  Association  of  Amer- 
ica, originally  scheduled  to  be  held 
here  on  Monday,  will  be  postponed  to 
late  April  because  of  the  absence  of 
Eric  Johnston,  MPAA  president, 
from  the  country.  Johnston  is  ex- 
pected back  from  his  current  Euro- 
pean trip  about  April  20.  New  date 
for  the  annual  meeting  is  expected  to 
be  about  that  time. 


RevenueTrend 
Of  20th-Fox 
Upward  in  '53 

Skouras  Tells  'Holders 
'Future  Very  Promising' 

Citing  a  17.6  per  cent  increase  in 
film  rentals  during  the  first  10 
weeks  of  1953  over  the  correspond- 
ing period  a  year  ago,  together  with 
the  impending- 
advent  of  Cine- 
maScope,  Spy- 
ros  P.  Skouras, 
20th  Century- 
Fox  president, 
told  company 
stockholders  in 
a  message  re- 
leased yester- 
day: 'We  feel 
that  we  are  on 
the  threshold  of 
a  new  era." 

The  increase 
in  early  1953  re- 
ceipts, Skouras's 
message  disclosed,  continues  a  trend 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Spyros  Skouras 


20th-Fox  1952  Net 
Profit  $4,747,587 


Consolidated  net  earnings  of  20th 
Century-Fox  and  subsidiaries  for  1952 
amounted  to  $4,747,587,  included  in 
which  is  $1,491,715  of  net  earnings  of 
domestic  theatre  subsidiaries  for  the 
39  weeks  prior  to  their  divorcement 
last  Sept.  27. 

Also  included  is  a  special  credit  of 
$1,077,755  arising  from  a  change  of 
accounting  procedure  at  the  time  of 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


New  Lab.  Association 
Meets  on  April  20 

The  newly-formed  Associa- 
tion of  Cinema  Laboratories 
will  have  its  first  meeting  of 
charter  members  and  other 
laboratory  men  on  April  20  in 
the  conference  room  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Association  of 
America  headquarters  here. 

Plans  will  be  set  for  a  na- 
tional meeting  which  will  be 
held  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  and 
Television  Engineers  conven- 
tion in  Hollywood  during  the 
week  of  April  27. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  27,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


WILLIAM     GOETZ,  Universal 
production  head,  will  arrive  here 
from  the  Coast  on  Monday. 

Hal  Bokar,  son  of  Bill  Bokar, 
manager  of  the  University  Theatre  in 
Cleveland,  and  recently  returned  from 
Army  service,  has  gone  to  the  Coast 
to  continue  pre-induction  film  activi- 
ties there. 

Herman  Levine,  Philadelphia  real 
estate  head  of  Stanley-Warner  Thea- 
tres, became  a  grandfather  for  the 
second  time  when  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Ernest  Pinter,  gave  birth  to  a  girl. 
• 

Leonard  Spinrad,  motion  picture 
business  advisor,  has  been  appointed 
consultant  on  entertainment  motion 
pictures  to  the  Bicentennial  Commit- 
tee of  Columbia  University. 

• 

Irving  Sochin,  Universal  short 
subject  sales  manager,  is  in  Washing- 
ton and  will  return  to  New  York 
today.  On  Monday  he  will  be  in 
Boston. 

• 

Dr.    Leandro   Forno,   director  of 
Italian-language  publicity  for  Italian 
Films  Export,  will  fly  to  Rome  from 
here  tomorrow  for  an  extended  stay. 
• 

Ned  Clark,  Walt  Disney  Produc- 
tions foreign  sales  manager,  returned 
to  New  York  yesterday  from  an 
eight-week  European  tour. 

o 

William  Wyler,  Paramount  pro- 
ducer, and  Robert  Swink,  film  editor, 
have  arrived  in  New  York  from  Italy 
en  route  to  the  Coast  tomorrow. 
• 

Robert  Dorfman,  Walt  Disney 
Productions  exploitation  representa- 
tive, has  returned  to  New  York  after 
10  weeks  in  the  field. 

Bernard  Lewis,  Italian  Films  Ex- 
port manager  of  exploitation  and  ex- 
hibitor relations,  is  in  Philadelphia 
from  here. 


Spyros  Skouras,  20th  Century-Fox 
president,  and  Al  Lictttman,  head  of 
distribution,  will  arrive  here  from  the 
Coast  today. 

Ike  Katz,   president  of  the  Kay 
Exchange,  Atlanta,  has  returned  there 
from  his  New  Orleans  branch, 
e 

Jerome  M.  Evans,  Universal  home 
office  promotion  representative,  is  in 
Cincinnati  from  New  York. 


Arthur  C.  Bromberg,  president  of 
Monogram  Southern  exchanges,  has 
left  Atlanta  for  Mobile. 


$9,800  for  'Salome' 

Despite  severely  inclement  weather, 
the  first  day's  gross  of  "Salome"  at 
the  New  York  Rivoli  Theatre  hit  a 
very  high  $9,800,  it  is  understood. 


Overseas  Problems  on 
'Bwana 9  Solved:  Picker 


The  many  problems  involving  the  showing  of  "Bwana  Devil"  over- 
seas have  been  "licked"  and  the  picture  is  breaking  all  records  in  those 
places  where  it  is  now  showing,  according  to  Arnold  Picker,  vice- 
president  of  United  Artists  in  charge  of  foreign  distribution.  Picker 

recently  returned  from  Europe  on  a   

trip    in    connection    with   the  three- 
dimensional  picture. 

Picker  explained  here  yesterday  that 
exhibitors  abroad  had  the  same  prob- 
lems as  those  in  this  country  in  re- 
gard to  equipment  and  projection,  plus 
other  "headaches,"  such  as  import 
obstacles,  licenses  and  the  funds  to 
pay  for  them.  Permanent  type  glasses 
are  being  used  in  England  and  Scot- 
land, while  both  throwaways  and  per- 
manents  are  utilized  on  the  Continent, 
he  said.  Rental  prices  on  the  per- 
manents  average  seven  cents  per  show 
per  patron  in  U.  S,  money.  In  some 
places,  the  cost  of  the  viewers  is 
added  to  the  admission  price,  he  said. 

Superimposed  titles  for  "Bwana 
Devil"  in  various  languages  were  pre- 
pared by  the  Titra  company  in  New- 
York.  Picker  said  that  the  titles  had 
to  be  printed  on  both  film  strips,  as 
it  was  found  that  they  could  not  be 
read  when  printed  on  only  one  copy. 
All  prints  for  overseas  distribution  are 
being  shipped  from  New  York  be- 
cause overseas  laboratories  are  not  yet 
equipped  to  handle  them. 

The  first  foreign  exhibition  of 
"Bwana"  was  in  San  Juan,  P.  R.,  on 
March  16,  followed  by  four  openings 
in  London,  Leeds,  Birmingham  and 
Glasgow.  In  each  place,  Picker  said, 
attendance    records    were  shattered. 


The  film  also  has  opened  in  Johannes- 
burg, South  Africa,  where,  according 
to  Picker,  all  records  in  the  history 
of  the  city  were  broken.  Exhibitors 
from  all  parts  of  Europe  flew  to  Lon- 
don for  the  premiere. 

During  April,  "Bwana  Devil"  is 
slated  to  open  in  Belgium,  France, 
Switzerland,  Sweden,  Holland,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand,  Mexico,  Vene- 
zuela, Peru,  Panama,  Uruguay,  Co- 
lombia, Cuba,  Hongkong  and  Singa- 
pore. Subsequent  openings  have  been 
set  for  Germany,  Italy,  Norway, 
Syria,  Spain,  Portugal,  Denmark, 
India  and  Japan.  Picker  said  that 
distribution  throughout  the  world 
would  be  complete  by  mid-May. 

Picker  declared  that  the  interest 
in  3-D  by  both  public  and  exhibitors 
was  as  great  overseas  as  it  is  here 
and,  like  the  situation  here,  there  is 
just  as  much  confusion.  Glasses  for 
overseas  exhibition,  he  said,  come 
from  Polarizer,  Ltd.,  a  franchised 
company  of  the  Polaroid  Corp.  of 
America.  The  glasses  now  are  in 
short  supply,  but  there  are  enough  to 
meet  current  bookings,  he  said. 

Charles  Chaplin's  "Limelight," 
Picker  said,  is  proving  to  be  one  of 
the  biggest  American  grossing  pic- 
tures of  all  time  in  the  foreign  market. 


Sun  Visors  on  Cars  Cut 
75%  of  Drive-in  Vision 

Dallas,  March  26. — Sun  visors  on  automobiles  cut  off  75  per  cent  of 
the  screen  to  drive-in  patrons  sitting  in  the  back  seat  of  a  car  when  they 
are  not  the  adjustable  type. 

This  was  reported  by  Claude  Ezell,  president  of  Ezell  and  Associates 
and  founder  and  organizer  of  the  In-  


ternational  Drive-in  Theatre  Owners 
Association,  in  announcing  the  results 
of  a  second  drive-in  survey  conducted 
by  Paul  Short  for  the  Drive-in  Asso- 
ciation. The  first  survey  dealt  with 
the  tinted  windshield  problem. 

The  visor  problem  is  becoming  in- 
creasingly burdensome  to  drive-in 
theatre  managers,  the  survey  revealed. 
Patrons,  visor  manufacturers  and  car 
dealers  were  tabulated  in  the  survey. 

It  is  also  disclosed  that  only  two 
of  seven  major  manufacturers  of  sun 
visors  make  them  adjustable;  the 
other  five  are  of  the  stationary,  non- 
adjustable  type. 

Short  stated  that  he  felt  reasonably 
certain  there  would  not  be  too  much 
difficulty  in  persuading  the  five  manu- 
facturers to  change  their  equipment  so 
that  it  will  be  adjustable. 

Ezell  stated  that  drive-in  theatre 
problems  in  the  Southwest  are  mount- 
ing. "Good  public  relations  programs 
and  good  advertising  and  publicity 
campaigns  can  be  of  inestimable 
value,"  he  said. 

The  entire  project  of  the  sun  visor 


Tribute  to  Holland 
On  His  Retirement 

Representatives  of  local  theatres, 
distributing  companies,  newspapers, 
advertising  agencies,  and  the  Lambs 
Club  gave  a  testimonial  dinner  last 
night  to  Joseph  Holland,  amusements 
advertising  manager  of  the  New  York 
Journal-American,  on  the  occasion  of 
his  retirement  after  20  years  on  the 
publication.  The  affair  was  held  in 
the  Hotel  Warwick. 

Among  the  speakers  were  William 
Randolph  Hearst,  Jr. ;  Paul  Schoen- 
stein,  city  editor  of  the  Journal- 
American;  Ernest  Emerling  of 
Loew's;  Paul  Lazarus,  Jr.,  of  Colum- 
bia; Si  Seadler  of  M-G-M,  and 
Maurice  Bergman  of  Universal.  Hol- 
land was  presented  with  a  Rolliflex 
camera. 


will  be  included  by  Ezell  in  his  key- 
note address  before  the  forthcoming 
Texas  Drive-in  Theatre  Owners  As- 
sociation convention,  April  14-15. 


$2,733,915  from 
Canada  in  1952 

Ottawa,  March  26.  —  The 
Canadian  government  reports 
$2,733,915  was  paid  out  for 
film  imports  from  the  U.S. 
last  year,  of  which  $1,776,940 
was  paid  for  film  prints,  and 
some  $257,935  for  film  rentals. 
The  nature  of  the  balance  of 
expenditures  was  not  identi- 
fied. 


Name  Fund-raising 
Group  for  Epilepsy 

A  film  industry  fund-raising  com- 
mittee of  the  Variety  Club  Foundation 
to  Combat  Epilepsy  was  announced 
yesterday  at  a  meeting  of  the  New 
York  Tent  at  the  Hotel  Piccadilly. 
The  committee  includes :  Leon  Bam- 
berger, Robert  S.  Benjamin,  Alfred 
Daff,  Emil  Friedlander,  Leonard 
Goldenson,  Sidney  Kramer,  Jack 
Mara,  Burt  Robbins  and  Max  Young- 
stein.  On  Tuesday  William  J.  German, 
board  chairman  of  the  foundation,  an- 
nounced the  merger  of  his  group  with 
the  Committee  for  the  Public  Under- 
standing of  Epilepsy. 


I.F.E,  Production 
At  N.Y.  Bryant 

The  recently  remodelled  Bryant 
Theatre  here,  will  inaugurate  a  new 
first-run  policy  of  presenting  special- 
ized motion  pictures  with  the  pre- 
miere on  Saturday,  April  4,  of  the 
Italian  version  of  "The  Little  World 
of  Don  Camillo."  The  picture  will  be 
shown  with  English  sub-titles.  I.F.E. 
Releasing  Corp.  is  the  distributor. 


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Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco. 
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Friday,  March  27,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


20th-Fox  Proxy  Battle 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


CinemaScope  Set 
For  Key  Cities 

Hollywood,  March  26.  — 
Completion  of  arrangements 
for  getting  CinemaScope 
equipment  ready  for  shipment 
to  key  cities  for  demonstra- 
tions for  exhibitors  who  were 
unable  to  attend  the  showings 
here  last  week  were  an- 
nounced by  Spyros  P.  Skouras, 
20th  Century-Fox  president, 
on  his  departure  for  New 
York  today. 

New  shipments  of  Cinema- 
Scope lenses  are  arriving 
from  France,  where  their  pro- 
duction is  being  supervised 
by  Prof.  Henri  Chretien,  in- 
ventor of  the  process,  it  was 
stated.  Lenses  are  now  being 
calibrated  here  by  studio 
technicians  under  Sol  Hal- 
prin,  director  of  photography. 


Ban  on  Color 
Television 
Lifted  by  NPA 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  26.  —  The 
National  Production  Authority  to- 
day officially  ended  its  ban  on  color 
television  set  production  for  home 
use. 

NPA  Administrator  McCoy  an- 
nounced the  action  in  a  letter  to  House 
Commerce  Committee  Chairman  Wol- 
verton  (R.,  N.  J.).  Wolverton  read 
the  letter  as  the  Committee  continued 
its  hearings  on  color  television. 

Richard  Hodgson,  president  of 
Chromatic  Television  Laboratories,  a 
Paramount  affiliate,  agreed  with  Wol- 
verton that  the  NPA  action  brought 
nearer  the  day  when  color  TV  would 
be  available,  but  that  this  possibility 
still  must  wait  on  action  by  the  Fed- 
eral Communications  Commission  on 
the  new  compatible  color  system  be- 
ing developed  by  the  National  Tele- 
vision System  Committee. 

Hodgson  told  the  Committee  he  felt 
the  FCC  should  not  approve  the  new 
system  without  hearings,  but  that  he 
hoped  that  hearings  could  be  held  and 
a  decision  made  by  the  end  of  the 
year. 

Chromatic's  Lawrence  tri-color  tube 
has  now  been  developed  to  the  point 
where  it  receives  high  quality  black- 
and-white  signals  and  also  color  on 
either  the  CBS  or  NTSC  systems, 
Hodgson  said.  He  stated  the  company 
was  ready  to  mass-produce  the  tubes 
and  believed  that  the  tube  could  be 
mass-produced  and  sold  to  set  manu- 
facturers "for  only  about  $25  to  $35 
more  than  the  cost  of  a  black-and- 
white  tube  of  equal  size." 

Later,  Dr.  Allen  B.  Dumont,  presi- 
dent of  DuMont  Laboratories,  told 
the  Commerce  Committee  that  he  felt 
no  good,  marketable  color  television 
system  was  ready  and  that  "it  will  be 
many  years  before  the  industry  will 
be  in  a  position  to  broadcast  color 
TV." 

He  said  he  believed  the  system  now 
being  developed  by  the  industry  com- 
mittee did  not  produce  a  clear  enough 
picture,  was  not  simple  enough,  and 
was  not  cheap  enough. 


See  CinemaScope 
On  Any  Size  Screen 

Hollywood,  March  26.  —  Robert 
O'Donnell  of  the  Interstate  Circuit 
and  John  Balaban,  head  of  Balaban 
and  Katz,  Chicago,  after  witnessing  a 
demonstration  of  CinemaScope  on  a 
21-foot  wide  screen  in  Darryl  Zanuck' s 
private  projection  room  at  the  studio, 
pronounced  the  system  fully  practica- 
ble for  all  size  theatres.  This  was  the 
first  showing  on  a  screen  smaller  than 
the  65-foot  installation  on  the  studio 
sound  stage  where,  according  to  the 
company,  nearly  12,000  people  have 
seen  the  process  in  37  demonstrations 
in  the  past  nine  days. 

Balaban  said  in  part,  "This  was 
proof  that  spectacular  elements  are 
just  as  intense  on  this  comparatively 
minute  screen  as  on  a  screen  thai 
covers  the  wall  of  a  giant  sound  stage, 
and  that  CinemaScope  is  adaptable  to 
any  size  screen."  O'Donnell  said, 
"This  is  ultimate  proof  that  Cinema- 
Scope is  adaptable  to  any  size  thea- 
tre." 


of  new  directors  for  the  company  if 
he  should  get  control,  (3)  that  the 
presidency  had  been  offered  to  Darryl 
Zanuck  if  control  is  obtained  and  (4) 
that  he  had  had  several  meetings  with 
Spyros  Skouras,  president,  here  and 
with  Zanuck  on  the  Coast. 

Green  was  more  or  less  drawn  into 
his  revelations  by  his  audience.  In  the 
beginning,  he  traced  his  experiences  in 
gaining  control  of  the  Twin  City 
Rapid  Transit  Co.,  which  he  later  re- 
linquished through  the  sale  of  his 
stock,  and  the  Whelan-United  Cigar 
Stores  Corp.  But  his  listeners,  who 
had  been  attracted  to  the  session  solely 
in  the  belief  that  Green  would  "tell 
all"  on  his  reported  contest  with  the 
20th-Fox  management,  insisted  that 
he  answer  questions.  Before  going  in- 
to his  address  on  the  subject  assigned 
to  him,  Green  asserted  that  he  never 
officially  had  said  he  was  planning  a 
proxy  fight  with  20th.  He  said  all 
such  information  had  emanated  from 
the  press.  And  he  added  that  he  still 
would  make  no  official  statement.  But 
a  few  minutes  later  he  said  there 
definitely  would  be  a  proxy  fight.  He 
pointed  out  that  in  the  Whelan-United 
Cigar  controversy  he  had  not  looked 
for  a  proxy  fight  but  had  preferred 
a  compromise.  When  asked  if  he  had 
tried  to  compromise  with  the  20th-Fox 
management,  Green  replied  that  he 
had  tried  many  times  but  added  he 
wanted  to  make  no  further  comment. 

Green  was  asked  if  there  was  any 
justification  for  his  attack  on  the  film 
company,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  20th- 
Fox  had  paid  dividends  regularly  and 
that  the  stock  had  risen  from  approxi- 
mately Wyi  to  19  in  a  matter  of 
months,  with  Green  profiting  on  his 
holdings  to  that  extent.    He  replied 


20th-Fox  Trend 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

begun  last  year  when  film  rentals  ag- 
gregated $93,166,603,  compared  with 
$92,489,357  for  1951. 

The  20th-Fox  president's  message 
accompanied  a  quarterly  dividend  pay- 
ment of  25  cents  per  share  which,  he 
pointed  out,  represented  an  uninter- 
rupted dividend  paying  policy  begun 
in  1942  when  the  present  management 
took  office.  In  that  time,  Skouras  re- 
ported, the  company  has  earned  more 
than  $126,000,000*  and  has  paid  out  to 
its  stockholders  in  excess  of  $68,000,- 
000  in  cash  dividends.  Dividends  on 
the  common  stock  aggregated  $24.25 
a  share. 

The  message  also  recalls  that  on 
divorcement  of  the  company's  theatre 
operations  last  Sept.  27,  the  common 
stock  of  National  Theatres— 2,769,486 
shares  with  a  current  market  value 
of  $6.25  per  share — was  distributed  to 
the  common  stockholders  of  20th-Fox. 

Skouras  informed  the  shareholders 
that  the  management  "is  not  very  hap- 
py with  the  results  for  the  last  two 
years  and  is  constantly  striving  to  im- 
prove both  volume  and  profits."  After 
citing-  the  company's  increasing  dis- 
tribution revenue  he  pointed  out  that 
company  executives  earning  over  $500 
weekly  have  accepted  50  per  cent— sal- 
ary cuts  in  1953  under  a  voluntary 
salary  reduction  plan  which  are  not 
repayable  unless  earnings  are  in  ex- 
cess of  $1  per  share,  in  which  case 
only  the  excess  will  apply  to  such 
restoration. 

Commenting  on  the  introduction  of 
CinemaScope,  Skouras  told  the  share- 
holders that  it  offers  "great  opportuni- 


that  all  such  questions  would  be  an- 
swered in  his  proxy  letter.  He  said 
he  had  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
stock  rise,  despite  reports  that  he  had. 
He  criticized  the  company  manage- 
ment in  regard  to  the  financial  state- 
ment which,  he  said,  did  not  include 
the  consolidated  foreign  earnings. 
Even  though  the  foreign  revenue  may 
not  have  been  sent  over,  he  said  the 
money  was  still  on  the  other  side  of 
the  ocean  and  that  information  about 
it  should  be  included. 

Pressed  on  Details 

When  pressed  further  on  details  of 
his  plans,  Green  said  his  audience 
could  expect  many  surprises.  He  ad- 
mitted he  had  been  buying  20th-Fox 
stock  this  year  but  declined  to  tell 
how  much  he  owned  or  controlled. 

One  questioner  asked  Green  why  he 
was  starting  this  battle  now  when  the 
entire  industry  was  making  a  strong- 
comeback.  Green  said  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  new  wide  screen  and 
3-D  developments  were  a  shot  in  the 
arm,  but  that  his  plan  had  to  do  with 
the  condition  as  a  whole.  He  denied 
one  questioner's  allegation  that  the 
public  was  fed  up  with  television,  de- 
claring that  TV  was  here  to  stay  for 
a  long  time.  At  this  point  he  com- 
mended Barney  Balaban,  Paramount 
president,  for  having  foresight  and  vi- 
sion in  tying  in  his  company  with 
television  companies  in  the  early  stages 
of  TV. 

Green  compared  proxy  fights  with 
the  Presidential  election  of  last  Nov- 
ember, referring  to  the  citizens  as 
stockholders  who  wanted  new  manage- 
ment. While  not  saying  so  in  exact 
words,  Green  expressed  confidence  of 
victory  in  his  campaign. 


20th-Fox  Net 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

divorcement  which  resulted  in  the 
bringing  of  foreign  operations  to  the 
same  date  as  domestic  operations. 
Previously,  they  were  five  weeks 
behind. 

The  result  for  1952  compares  with 
consolidated  net  in  1951  of  $4,308,431, 
which  included  $2,180,192  from  domes- 
tic theatre  subsidiaries.  Earnings  per 
share  last  year  were  $1.71,  compared 
with  $1.47  for  the  preceding  year. 

The  company's  gross  income  for 
1952  amounted  to  $99,820,492,  of 
which  $93,166,603  was  in  film  rentals. 
This  compares  with  1951  income  of 
$97,292,384,  of  which  $92,489,357  was 
film  rentals. 

Distribution  and  administration  ex- 
penses i  last  year  amounted  to  $27,- 
753,0^4,  compared  with  $24,656,726  in 
the  preceding  year.  Film  amortiza- 
tion was  $62,748,581  last  year,  com- 
pared with  $02,766,079  in  1951.  The 
company's  detailed  annual  report,  now 
being  printed,  will  be  mailed  to  stock- 
holders shortly,  the  company  stated. 


ties  for  entertainment  and  profits.  We 
at  20th  Century-Fox,"  he  said,  "feel 
that  prospects  for  the  future  of  your 
company  are  very  promising." 


Leon  Back  Reelected 

Baltimore,  March  26. — Leon  Back 
has  been  reelected  president  of  Allied 
of  Maryland.  Other  officers  are 
Lauritz  Garman,  vice-president,  and 
C.  Elmer  Nolte,  Jr.,  treasurer. 


20th  CinemaScope 
Productions  All 
With  Technicolor 


Hollywood,  March  26.— All  20th 
Century-Fox  CinemaScope  produc- 
tions will  be  filmed  in  color  by  Tech- 
nicolor. The  company  reached  this 
policy  as  a  result  of  conferences  held 
between  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  president, 
and  Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  production 
chief. 

It  was  said  that  although  Cinema- 
Scope lends  itself  to  black-and-white 
photography,  it  would  be  the  com- 
pany's policy  to  "enhance  Cinema- 
Scope productions  in  every  possible 
way — from  the  standpoint  of  decor, 
costuming  and  the  latest  developments 
in  scientific  lighting"  said  a  20th-Fox 
statement. 

Whether  these  same  conditions  will 
be  demanded  from  producers  who  ac- 
quire the  right  to  use  CinemaScope 
was  not  made  known  today,  although 
it  is  generally  felt  that  20th  Century- 
Fox  will  not  restrict  those  acquiring 
the  rights  to  produce  in  CinemaScope 
to  any  set  pattern  of  production. 

NFTC  Forum  on  TV 
Film  Techniques 

Latest  developments  in  the  techni- 
cal aspects  of  producing  films  for  tele- 
vision were  revealed  here  yesterday 
at  a  forum  conducted  by  the  National 
Television  Film  Council  in  the  War- 
wick Hotel.  With  Dr.  Alfred  N. 
Goldsmith  serving  as  moderator,  nu- 
merous phases  of  the  medium  were 
discussed  by  experts  in  their  particu- 
lar fields. 

Speakers  were  John  Trott,  E. 
Schmidt,  C.  Graydon  Lloyd,  E.  M. 
Stifle,  G.  Edward  Hamilton,  Vernon 
Duke  and  Dr.  Peter  Goldmark. 


Correction 

Due  to  an  inadvertent  error  in  a 
United  Artists  press  release,  published 
in  Motion  Picture  Daily  of  March 
25,  the  Downtown  Theatre,  Los  An- 
geles, was  listed  as  scheduled  to  play 
the  3-D  film  of  the  Marciano-W-alcott 
heavyweight  bout.  The  release  was  in- 
tended to  refer  to  the  Orpheum  in 
downtown  Los  Angeles,  and  not  to  the 
Stanley-Warner  Downtown  Theatre 
there. 


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Friday,  March  27,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


Burton  Jones  Called 
In  Monopoly  Probe 


Roadshow  Policy  for  Magna 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Milwaukee,  March  26. — Burton  I. 
Jones,  president  of  the  Independent 
"Theatre  Owners  of  San  Diego 
County,  who  is  here  for  the  national 
drive-in  convention,  today  disclosed 
that  he  has  been  asked  to  appear  Mon- 
day in  Los  Angeles  before  Senator 
Andrew  F.  Schoeppel,  who  will  con- 
duct hearings  for  the  sub-committee 
on  monopolies  of  the  Senate  Small 
Business  Committee. 

Also  scheduled  to  appear,  said 
Jones,  are  Al  Hanson  and  Cecil  Vin- 
nicoff,  both  California  exhibitors. 

Jones  broke  into  the  news  some 
time  back  by  closing  one  of  his  San 
Diego  theatres  as  a  protest  against 
distribution  policies  and  putting  copy 
on  his  "coming  attraction"  boards 
reading:  "The  Distributors  Have 
Forced  Us  To  Close." 


Wis.  Allied  Meet 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

CM.,  Fred  Miner  and  Lucille  Fowler. 

This  afternoon's  convention  session, 
devoted  to  drive-in  operation,  opened 
with  talks  on  concessions  (from  which 
the  press  was  barred)  by  S.  J. 
Papas,  Milwaukee,  and  Dean  D.  Fitz- 
gerald, Madison. 

After  a  speech  by  Elmer  Brennan, 
Green  Bay,  Wis.,  on  drive-in  adver- 
tising and  exploitation,  Henry  Toi- 
lette, general  manager  of  S.  and  M. 
Theatres,  discussed  drive-in  mainte- 
nance, warning  that  "charging  all  the 
traffic  will  bear"  would  result  in  the 
closing  of  many  drive-ins  and  pre- 
dicted that  within  a  few  years  virtu- 
ally all  owners  would  have  indoor 
seating  in  addition  to  their  present 
set-up.  He  also  urged  drive-in  own- 
ers to  set  aside  a  fixed  percentage 
of  their  receipts  for  maintenance  in 
order  to  keep  their  property  in  top 
condition  and  cautioned  them  to  "stop 
treating  their  drive-ins  like  carnivals." 

The  convention,  which  attracted 
over  600  registered  guests,  wound  up 
tonight  with  an  all-industry  banquet. 


Allied  Board  Meet  to  Hear 
Complaints  on  Practices  Today 

Milwaukee,  March  26. — National 
State  Association's  board  meeting 
which  gets  under  way  here  tomorrow 
will  be  devoted  almost  exclusively  to 
a  discussion  of  complaints  against 
current  film  prices  and  distributor 
trade  practices,  general  counsel 
Abram  F.  Myers  predicted. 

The  meeting  will  be  held  tomorrow 
and  Saturday  at  the  Hotel  Schroeder. 
Myers  said  there  is  no  formal  agenda 
for  the  meeting,  but  that  every  single 
board  member  who  has  submitted 
suggestions  for  discussion  included 
complaints  against  distributors  on  ad- 
vanced prices,  delayed  availability  and 
other  practices. 

Myers  said  the  board  would  prob- 
ably spend  some  time  discussing  the 
testimony  to  be  presented  by  Allied 
officials  at  the  Senate  Small  Business 
Committee  hearings  in  Washington 
next  month  and  also  to  working  up 
specific  information  to  be  given  to  the 
Department  of  Justice.  He  indicated 
some  concern  that  the  President  lias 
not  yet  found  anyone  to  fill  the  job  of 
head  of  the  Department's  anti-trust 
division,  and  predicted  there  would  be 
considerable  Allied  contact  with  the 
new  anti-trust  head  when  he  is  ap- 
pointed. There  are  no  present  plans 
for  discussing  arbitration  at  the  board 
meeting,  Myers  said. 


jector  for  exhibition.  It  utilizes  a 
special  concave  screen  52  feet  wide 
and  24.3  feet  high,  which  can  be 
adapted  in  smaller  dimensions  with 
the  same  aspect  ratio  maintained. 

It  was  made  clear  that  wher- 
ever possible  theatres  of  the 
United  Artists  Theatre  Circuit, 
or  houses  in  which  UATC  has 
an  interest,  about  360  in  all, 
would  be  selected  for  the 
Magna  process.  UATC,  it  was 
disclosed,  has  a  40  per  cent  in- 
terest in  the  Magna  Theatre 
Corp.,  parent  company  of  the 
Todd-AO  Corp.,  which  will  make 
and  lease  the  equipment. 

According  to  present  plans,  the  first 
Magna  production  is  expected  to  be  a 
musical  in  color  and  is  due  to  go  be- 
fore the  cameras  this  July.  Schenck 
and  Todd  said  it  was  hoped  to  open 
the  picture  at  the  Rivoli  Theatre  here 
in  February,  1954.  No  press  demon- 
stration of  the  new  process  has  been 
set,  but  Todd  indicated  that  a  demon- 
stration may  be  held  some  time  in 
July.  The  site  of  the  demonstration, 
it  was  said,  will  not  be  New  York 
but  a  place  convenient  for  the  scien- 
tists of  the  American  Optical  Co.,  the 
firm  which  will  manufacture  all  of 
the  equipment  and  which  holds  a 
financial  interest  in  the  Todd-AO  sub- 
sidiary. 

Investment  Plans 

Todd  said  that  approximately 
$1,125,000  has  already  been  invested 
in  the  project  and  that  from  $4,000,000 
to  $5,000,000  will  be  invested  in  the 
next  few  weeks.  Schenck  added  that 
as  much  money  will  be  invested  in  the 
first  picture  as  required.  Both  the 
Magna  Theatre  Corp.  and  Todd-AO, 
it  was  explained,  are  closed  corpora- 
tions and  at  this  time  no  public  stock 
issue  for  either  corporation  is  planned. 

Todd  said  that  14  special  projectors 
are  on  hand  now  and  that  24  are  ex- 
pected next  year,  all  to  be  manufac- 
tured by  the  instrument  division  of 
the  American  Optical  Co.,  in  Buffalo. 
As  to  cameras,  Todd  said  that  four 
special  65  mm.  cameras  are  on  hand 
and  two  35  mm.  cameras,  one  a  Mit- 
chel  camera  specially  adapted  for  the 
Magna  process. 

Present  plans  call  for  the 
simultaneous  35  mm.  filming  of 
Magna  productions.  The  35 
mm.  films,  it  was  stated,  could 
be  used  on  conventional  screen 
and  would  be  utilized  by  Magna 
following  the  saturation  road- 
show bookings  of  its  regular  65 
mm.  wide  screen  process  in 
theatres,  in  addition  to  exhi- 
bition in  the  foreign  market. 

Many  of  the  technical  questions  re- 
garding lighting  and  the  material  of 
the  special  screen  were  left  un- 
answered. Other  questions  brought 
varying  responses  from  Schenck,  who 
is  board  chairman  of  Magna,  and 
Todd,  also  on  the  Magna  board. 

Schenck,  in  response  to  a  question, 
said  that  Magna  would  have  no  ob- 
jection to  utilizing  20th  Century-Fox's 
CinemaScope  screen  for  a  Magna  35 
mm.  picture,  while  Todd  voiced  an 
objection. 

Schenck  said  that  the  projected 
first  Magna  picture  would  be  made  in 
color  by  Technicolor,  while  Todd  was 
hesitant  to  name  a  process. 

The  varying  responses  indi- 


cated that  a  wide  area  of  policy 
matters  have  yet  to  be  ironed 
out  among  the  principals. 

Schenck  voiced  the  opinion  that 
Magna  represents  the  ultimate  in 
screen  entertainment  and  expressed 
the  hope  that  Magna  would  be  adopted 
as  the  standard  for  the  entire  indus- 
try. Neither  principal  would  estimate 
the  installation  and  conversion  cost 
required  of  a  theatre,  indicating  it 
was  too  early  to  make  such  an  esti- 
mate. Schenck,  asked  when  he  ex- 
pected wide-spread  adoption  of  the 
Magna  system,  observed  that  it  will 
take  at  least  three  months  to  make 
the  first  Magna  screen. 

It  was  stated  that  Magna  "pos- 
sibly" would  permit  other  companies 
to  produce  Magna  pictures,  or  that 
there  might  be  some  licensing 
arrangement.  Todd  emphasized, 
though,  that  Magna  would  get  "first 
crack"  at  the  market. 

The  sense  of  audience  partici- 
paton  in  the  Magna  process  was 
said  to  be  electrifying  and  the 
Magna  process  was  said  to  be 
more  comparable  to  Cinerama 
than  CinemaScope. 

Todd  disclosed  that  the  system  em- 
ploys six-channel  stereophonic  sound 
on  magnetic  tape,  adding  that  Magna 
has  just  signed  an  exclusive  contract 
with  the  Amprex  Co.  for  the  produc- 
tion of  its  sound  equipment.  The  six- 
channel  recorders,  it  was  explained, 
do  not  prevent  Magna  going  to  a 
three-channel  process. 

The  depth  of  the  continuous  curved 
screen  was  said  to  be  11  feet. 

Under  the  corporate  set-up, 
Magna  owns  75  per  cent  of 
Todd-AO.  The  separate  func- 
tions of  the  two  corporations 
were  not  clearly  defined, 
although  it  was  indicated  that 
Magna  would  act  as  the  produc- 
tion and  distribution  agency 
for  the  films,  while  Todd-AO 
would  function  as  the  licensee 
of  the  equipment,  with  Todd-AO 
holding  all  patent  rights. 
George  Skouras,  president  of 
UATC,  also  heads  the  Magna 
Theatre  Corp. 

The  Broadway  team  of  Oscar  Ham- 
merstein  and  Richard  Rodgers,  it  was 
disclosed,  has  an  exclusive  agreement 
with  Magna  prohibiting  them  from 
selling  their  productions  to  any  other 
firm  but  Magna.  That  agreement,  it 
was  explained,  does  not  preclude  pro- 
duction for  which  rights  have  already 
been  purchased.  Hammerstein  and 
Rodgers  are  members  of  the  Magna 
board. 

Todd  disclosed  that  George  Skouras 
also  is  slated  to  be  president  of  the 
Todd-AO  Corp. 

Schenck,  who  owns  a  large  stock 
interest  in  UATC,  said  that  he  would 
devote  the  majority  of  his  time  to 
Magna  and  probably  would  continue 
to  headquarter  on  the  Coast.  He  and 
Todd  plan  to  leave  for  Hollywood 
today. 


Series  of  Health  Shorts 

Six  Health  Information  Foundation 
half-hour  short  subjects  edited  by 
Larry  Sherman's  Motion  Picture  Edi- 
torial Service  have  been  completed 
and  are  being  shown  on  network  and 
independent  television  stations  through- 
out the  country. 


House  to  Ignore 
Coast  Subpoenas 


Washington,  March  26.  —  The 
House  today  ordered  members  and 
employes  of  the  House  Un-American 
Activities  Committee  to  ignore  sub- 
poenas served  on  them  by  a  group  of 
former  film  workers  who  are  suing 
the  studios  and  the  committee  mem- 
bers for  damages. 

The  suit  was  filed  by  23  individuals 
on  the  Coast,  claiming  a  conspiracy  to 
deprive  them  of  employment  both  in- 
side and  outside  the  industry.  Named 
as  defendants  in  the  $51,750,000  suit 
were  17  film  companies,  the  Motion 
Picture  Association  of  America,  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers,  members  of  the 
House  committee  and  others. 

The  members,  former  members  and 
staff  workers  named  in  the  suit  were 
subpoenaed  to  appear  in  court  in 
California  next  Monday  and  Tuesday. 
Most  of  them  are  now  on  the  Coast 
holding  hearings. 


Producer  of  Silver  City  Film 
Before  House  Un-American  Unit 

Los  Angeles,  March  26.  —  Simon 
N.  Lazarus',  independent  exhibitor 
who  has  been  in  the  news  recently  as 
president  of  Independent  Productions 
Corp.,  which  filmed  "Salt  of  the  Earth" 
at  Silver  City,  New  Mexico,  was  the 
principal  witness  today  before  the 
House  Un-American  Activities  Com- 
mittee. Although  confronted  by  many 
recent  documents  bearing  his  signa- 
ture, and  by  records  from  other  busi- 
ness institutions,  Lazarus  pleaded  the 
Fifth  Amendment  and  refused  to  an- 
swer committee  questions. 


Fox  Coast  Houses 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

of  those  units  from  house  to  house  to 
show  "House  of  Wax"  with  Warner- 
Phonic.  The  12  available  reproducers 
are  being  installed  in  key  first-run 
theatres.  They  will  later  be  "bi- 
cycled" to  second-runs. 

In  the  meantime  all  other  phases  of 
WarnerPhonic  installation  are  being 
completed  throughout  the  West  Coast 
circuit. 

The  picture  will  open  at  the  Fox 
Theatre  in  Phoenix  on  April  17,  co- 
incident with  its  dual  24-hour  pre- 
miere in  Los  Angeles  and  Hollywood. 
Immediately  thereafter  it  is  set  to 
open  at  the  Fox  in  Tucson,  the  Fox 
in  El  Centro,  the  West  Coast  in  Long 
Beach,  Fox- Paramount  in  Oakland, 
Fox  Senator  in  Sacramento,  Fox 
California  in  Stockton  and  the  Fox 
in  Spokane. 


Video  Circuit 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

is  personally  opposed"  to  the  principle 
of  a  "divided  allegiance"  within  the 
membership  of  the  organization. 

The  board  of  directors  of  T.O.O.,  a 
Theatre  Owners  of  America  affiliate, 
has  called  a  special  meeting  for  Mon- 
day to  consider  Loewenstein's  resigna- 
tion. Indications  are  that  a  strong 
effort  will  be  made  to  induce  him  to 
reconsider.  Loewenstein  has  been 
identified  with  the  organization  for  30 
years. 

T.O.O.  has  championed  a  bill  which 
appears  likely  to  clear  the  state  legis- 
lature soon  which  would  exempt  mo- 
tion pictures  from  the  state  two  per 
cent  sales  tax.  If  enacted,  the  bill 
will  save  Oklahoma  exchanges  and 
exhibitors  thousands  of  dollars. 


8 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Friday,  March  27,  1953 


L  PT  Earns 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Review 


it 


Never  Let  Me  Go 

(Metro-Goldwyn-L  layer ) 

A  LL  CONCERNED  in  the  production  of  this  beautifully  constructed  film — 
the  stars,  Clark  Gable  and  Gene  Tierney,  producer  Clarence  Brown  and 
director  Delmer  Daves — deserve  the  highest  praise,  for,  in  this  vehicle  espe- 
cially tailored  to  the  talents  and  reputation  of  Gable,  there  is  an  object  lesson 
in  the  making  of  a  good  motion  picture. 

There  are  no  frills  here  but  there  is  a  substantial  story,  a  handy  and  topical 
villain,  good  dialogue,  a  touch  of  comedy  in  the  right  places,  tender  love,  sus- 
pense, a  chase  and  a  smash  finish,  all  wrapped  up  in  a  plain  but  solid  package 
designed  to  make  any  audience  feel  they  have  been  entertained. 

The  story  is  as  topical  as  today's  headlines,  entirely  fictional  but  based  on 
and  duplicated  by  hundreds  of  parallel  experiences  involving  the  "Iron  Cur- 
tain." Gable,  an  American  correspondent  in  Moscow  during-  the  war,  falls  in 
love  with  and  marries  Miss  Tierney,  a  member  of  the  state  ballet  company. 
When  his  dispatches  displease  the  Kremlin  he  is  forced  to  leave  without  his 
wife.  When  diplomatic  pressures  and  press  influences  fail  to  free  her,  Gable 
takes  matters  into  his  own  hands,  embarks  on  a  dangerous  small  boat  trip  to 
kidnap  her,  and  snatches  her  from  under  the  eyes  and  guns  of  the  NKVD 
and  the  Soviet  Army. 

There  is  slight  contrivance  in  the  plot  device  which  leads  to  the  successful 
kidnapping  but  it  is  excusable  in  view  of  the  overall  tautness  of  the  story. 

Top  credits  are  due  to  all  concerned  but  especially  to  Miss  Tierney  who 
here  appears  in  a  warm  and  appealing  role  to  which  she  does  full  justice. 
Also,  the  screen  play  by  Ronald  Miller  and  George  Froeschel  is  noteworthy 
for  its  authenticity  and  pyschologically  truthful  portrayal  of  post-war  Russia 
and  the  Russians. 

Others  in  the  cast  are :  Richard  Hayden,  Belita,  Kenneth  More,  Karel 
Stepanek,  Thedore  Bikel,  Anna  Valentina,  Frederick  Valk,  Peter  Illing, 
Robert  Henderson,  Stanley  Maxted,  Meinhart  Maur  and  Alexis  Chesnakov. 

Running  time,  94  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
May  1. 


of  the  previous  year.  Operating  earn- 
ings for  the  fourth  quarter  of  $1,644,- 
000,  or  50  cents  per  share,  compare 
with  earnings  for  the  fourth  quarter  of 
1951  of  $1,056,000,  or  32  cents  per 
share,  after  eliminating  that  portion 
of  the  retroactive  tax  increase  picked 
up  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  1951,  it 
was  stated. 

Goldenson  added  that  "the  rebound 
in  attendance  in  television-saturated 
areas,  anticipated  in  1951,  has  begun 
to  make  itself  felt  in  certain  larger 
cities,  such  as  Chicago  and  Detroit." 

The  $6,961,113  earned  in  1952, 
it  was  stated,  are  equal  to  $2.11 
per  share,  of  which  $1.70  is 
from  operations  and  41  cents 
from  capital  gains,  compared  to 
the  $3.24  per  share  earned  in 
1951,  of  which  $2.03  is  from  op- 
erations and  $1.21  from  capital 
gains. 

Goldenson,  in  his  report,  also 
discussed  the  merger  with  ABC 
which  took  effect  on  Feb.  9. 
ABC,  it  was  pointed  out,  is  now 
operating  as  a  self-contained 
division  within  the  merged 
company. 

With  1952  theatre  receipts  and  ren- 
tals of  $115,627,000'  practically  the 
same  as  in  1951,  it  was  stated,  oper- 
ating earnings  were  reduced  largely 
because  of  increased  film  rentals,  par- 
ticularly for  pre-release  pictures.  The 
decline  in  capital  gains  realized  on 
sales  of  theatre  properties  and  inter- 
ests, it  was  pointed  out,  reflects  the 
approaching  end  of  the  company's  di- 
vestiture program. 

All  branches  of  the  motion  picture 
industry,  Goldenson  said,  have  been 
greatly  heartened  by  the  success  of 
three  -  dimensional  films.  "Bwana 
Devil,"  the  first  feature  length  3-D 
film,_  has  produced  grosses  equal  to 
receipts  of  the  top  post-war  films  from 
extended  engagements  across  the 
country  in  United  Paramount  theatres 
in  key  cities. 

"The  best  assurance  that  the 
creative  possibilities  of  the  new 
medium  will  be  effectively  used 
is  provided  by  the  entry  of  all 
the  leading  Hollywood  studios 
into  this  field,"  Goldenson  said. 
Several  leading  companies  plan 
to  have  3-D  features  ready  for 
release  in  the  spring  and  early 
summer  of  1953,  he  reported. 
He  expressed  great  interest  in 
CinemaScope,  the  wide  screen 
process  adopted  by  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox and  M-G-M  for  some 
of  their  major  1953  productions. 

Summarizing  the  success  of  3-D 
films,  Goldenson  stated,  "Many  ex- 
perienced observers,  both  within  and 
outside  of  our  industry,  feel  that  this 
exciting  new  medium  can  stimulate 
our  business  enormously,  as  did  the 
advent  of  sound  in  the  late  '20s.  .  .  . 
We  believe  that  the  public,  in  its  great 
desire  for  new  and  better  entertain- 
ment, will  patronize  3-D  movies  while 
technical  improvements  are  being- 
made  and  creative  people  are  learning- 
how  to  use  this  new  dimension  to  its 
best  advantage." 

The  results  of  a  survey  of  theatre 
patrons  in  a  large  Metropolitan  area 
in  which  AB-PT  has  theatre  inter- 
ests were  reported  by  Goldenson  in  a 
discussion  of  the  effect  of  the  present 
system  of  runs  and  clearances  on  the- 
atre attendance.  The  survey  found 
that  in  the  case  of  "Quo  Vadis,"  as 


many  as  200,000  people  were  still 
waiting  for  the  attraction  to  play  in 
suburban  theatres,  although  it  had  al- 
ready played  and  gone,  due  to  what 
he  called  the  present  system  of  mul- 
tiple runs,  or  simultaneous  showing 
of  a  picture  in  a  larger  number  of 
theatres  in  a  given  city.  Goldenson 
concluded,  "Sooner  or  later  the  in- 
dustry will  realize  that  improved  rev- 
enues for  both  exhibitors  and  produc- 
ers will  result  when  a  better  method 
of  release  of  pictures,  based  upon 
proper  and  lawful  runs  and  clearances, 
is  substituted  for  the  present  practice 
of  multiple  runs." 

Dividends  of  $4,126,747  paid  during 
1952  reflect  the  reduced  dividend  rate 
of  25c  per  quarter  voted  by  the  board 
of  directors  beginning  in  the  second 
quarter  of  1952,  it  was  stated.  This 
decision  to  reduce  the  dividend,  Gold- 
enson explained,  was  impelled  by  the 
decline  in  operating  earnings  and  the 
need  to  conserve  cash  to  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  the  company  upon  con- 
summation of  the  merger  with  ABC. 
Under  the  company's  loan  agreement, 
dividends  may  be  paid  only  from 
earned  surplus  arising  from  operations 
since  Jan.  1,  1950. 

In  1952  the  company  collected  for 
Federal,  state  and  local  tax  authori- 
ties approximately  $21 ,505,000  in  the- 
atre admission  taxes,  it  was  stated. 
The  consolidated  balance 
sheet  shows  current  assets  of 
$36,328,000,  including  cash  and 
government  securities  of  $32,- 
554,000,  and  $9,294,000  in  current 
liabilities.  Net  working  capital 
of  $27,034,000  represents  an  in- 
crease of  $2,483,000  over  1951 
due  primarily  to  operating 
earnings  and  to  capital  gains 
realized  on  the  sales  of  thea- 
tre interests.  Long  term  debt 
amounted  to  $40,052,780,  a  de- 
crease of  $1,949,533  compared 
with  1951  The  company  has 
continued  to  stay  one  year 
ahead  of  maturities  under  its 
loan  agreement,  Goldenson  re- 
ported. 

Consolidated  fixed  assets,  after  re- 
serve for  depreciation,   amounted  to 


$68,630,000  as  compared  with  $70,- 
565,000  in  1951.  Goldenson  said  that 
the  amounts  charged  for  depreciation 
in  the  past  three  years  have  been  re- 
invested in  theatre  improvements  and 
properties.  From  now  on,  it  should 
be  somewhat  less  expensive  to  main- 
tain the  theatres,  although  the  de- 
velopment of  three-dimensional  movies 
may  require  substantial  capital  out- 
lays for  equipment  as  the  medium  de- 
velops, he  added. 

Excellent  progress  was  reported  by 
Goldenson  in  the  company's  theatre 
divestiture  program  under  the  consent 
judgment  of  March  3,  1949.  During 
the  year,  the  company  disposed  of  its 
interests  in  159  theatres,  leaving  it 
with  a  whole  or  partial  interest  in 
708  theatres  at  the.  year  end.  The 
company  is  permitted  to  retain  a 
maximum  of  651  theatres,  wholly 
owned  or  owned  with  investors.  Gold- 
enson stated  that  the  company  hopes 
to  complete  its  divestiture  program 
this  year. 

Upon  the  merger,  common 
stock  of  ABC  was  exchanged 
for  a  combination  of  preferred 
and  common  stock  of  the 
merged  company.  The  common 
stock  held  by  stockholders  of 
United  Paramount  continues 
unchanged  as  common  stock  of 
the  merged  company.  Golden- 
son reported  that  the  merged 
company  has  met  the  first 
year's  sinking  fund  require- 
ments on  the  $20  par  preferred 
stock  through  purchases  in  the 
open  market  at  an  average 
price  of  $16.01  per  share.  The 
board  has  authorized  the  fur- 
ther purchase  of  preferred  stock 
as  such  purchases  appear  to  be 
advantageous. 

"The  structure,  of  American  Broad- 
casting-Paramount Theatres,  Inc.  pro- 
vides solid  support  on  which  to  build 
a  profitable  future,"  Goldenson  said. 
Goldenson  reported  that  the  merged 
company  is  starting  in  a  strong  finan- 
cial condition,  with  cash  and  govern- 
ment securities  of  $32,573,000,  work- 
ing capital  of  $27,644,000  and  total 
assets    of   $141,101,000.    Term  debt 


Ohio  Anti  -  Censor 
Bill  Up  on  April  7 

Columbus,  March  26.  — The 
bill  introduced  by  Senator 
Charles  Mosher  of  the  Ohio 
State  Senate  calling  for  re- 
peal of  the  Ohio  censorship 
la*  probably  will  come  up 
for  hearing  on  April  7  by  the 
Senate  Education  and  Health 
Committee,  of  which  Mosher 
is  chairman. 

The  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer 
carried  a  strong  editorial  urg- 
ing passage  of  the  bill,  as  did 
the  weekly  Oberlin  (Ohio) 
News. 


Md.  Censorship  Law 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  the  list  of  reasons  why  a  film  could 
be  disapproved.  The  other  such 
words  in  that  particular  part  of  the 
law  as  it  now  stands  are  "obscene,  in- 
decent, inhuman,  immoral." 

The  word  "sacriligious"  would  b; 
eliminated  from  the  list  of  censorables 
because  of  the  Supreme  Court  de- 
cision that  films  may  not  be  cut  on 
those  grounds. 

Proposals  to  alter  Maryland's  cen- 
sorship code  to  cover  educational  and 
scientific  films  drew  a  sharp  retort 
from  Baltimore's  public  library  of- 
ficials. Such  a  move,  they  said, 
would  be  a  step  backward  at  a  time 
when  court  decisions  are  further 
establishing  the  equality  of  film  with 
speech  and  press. 

The  proposed  bill  also  urges  the 
censor  board  chairman's  salary  be  in- 
creased from  $3,200  annually  to  $6,000 
and  the  other  two  members  from 
$2,750  to  $4,500  per  year. 

Levin  and  Dealers 
Confer  on  Equipment 

Milwaukee,  March  26.  —  Jack 
Levin,  head  of  the  National  Theatre 
Institute,  when  queried  regarding  a 
meeting  he  had  with  a  group  of  equip- 
ment dealers  here,  yesterday,  revealed 
that  the  Institute  has  been  commis- 
sioned to  establish  liaison  between  the 
"progressive  film  producers"  on  one 
hand  and  equipment  manufacturers 
and  dealers  on  the  other  to  assure  a 
smooth  flow  of  new  type  equipment 
unhampered  by  "loose  talk  and 
rumors"  about  technological  changes 
in  the  industry. 

At  present,  Levin  said,  the.  manufac- 
turers are  restrained  from  re-tooling 
to  make  new  equipment  by  confusion 
on  the  West  Coast.  He  said  many 
equipment  people  feel  that  the  pro- 
ducers should  shoulder  some  of  the 
costs  of  re-tooling  at  least  by  under- 
writing a  portion  of  it  in  case  a  sud- 
den change  in  production  methods 
should  render  the  equipment  obsolete 
almost  before  it  hits  the  market. 


amounts  to  $42,881,000.  These  figures 
give  effect  to  the  retirement  of  $7,- 
662,000  of  ABC's  term  debt  on  Febru- 
ary 13,  1953,  as  well  as  to  the  pro- 
ceeds from  the  sale  of  WBKB,  Chi- 
cago, to  Columbia  Broadcasting  Sys- 
tem  for  $6,000,000.  (ABC's  former 
station  in  Chicago  has  assumed  the 
WBKB  call  letters.) 

The  sum  of  $2,000,000  has  been  ear- 
marked for  the  purchase  of  equipment 
to  increase  the  transmitting  power  of 
the  ABC-owned  television  stations  in 
New  York,  Chicago,  Los  Angeles  and 
San  Francisco,  Mr.  Goldenson  said. 


VOL.  73,    NO.  60 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.  S.  A.,  MONDAY,  MARCH  30,  1953 


TEN  CENTS 


Tradewise . . . 

By  SHERWIN  KANE 

T>  Y  SHEER  coincidence,  Charles 
Green,  the  dissident  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox stockholder  and  old  "pro" 
at  the  game  of  altering  the  com- 
plexions of  corporate  directorates 
and  managements,  brought  into  the 
open  his  intention  to  wage  a  proxy 
fight  at  the  May  meeting  of  20th- 
Fox  stockholders  on  the  same  day 
last  week  that  Spyros  Skouras 
made  an  interim  report  to  the 
company's  stockholders. 

Skouras'  report  accompanied 
dividend  checks  mailed  to  20th-Fox 
common  stockholders,  continuing 
the  regular  dividend  payments 
maintained  since  the  inception  of 
his  management  in  1942.  His  mes- 
sage, expressing  management's  dis- 
satisfaction with  results  achieved 
during  the  past  two  troubled  years 
for  motion  pictures,  spoke  of  the 
"very  promising"  future  and  his 
reasons  for  so  regarding  it. 

Not  content  to  rest  and  await  the 
realization  of  the  promises  held  out 
by  CinemaScope  and  other  techno- 
logical innovations,  nor  satisfied 
with  an  upward  trend  in  the  com- 
pany's distribution  revenue  evi- 
denced over  a  62  weeks'  period, 
Skouras  pointed  to  voluntary  salary 
reductions  of  50  per  cent  by  top 
flight  executives  of  20th-Fox  and 
to  other  policies  designed  to  effect 
continuing  improvement  in  the 
company's  earnings  position  and  in 
the  long-range  strengthening  of  the 
company. 


It  will  be  interesting  to  compare 
with  that  whatever  program  for 
20th-Fox  Green  may  offer  to  the 
company  stockholders  in  the  next 
six  weeks.  And  to  match,  too, 
whatever  slate  of  directors  and  offi- 
cers— and  their  records — he  may 
propose,  with  the  incumbents. 

Green  said  his  program  will  be 
disclosed  this  week.  The  pattern 
of  his  earlier  proxy  fights  else- 
where has  been  to  base  his  bid  for 
stockholder  support  largely  on  what 
he  brands  as  the  overly  conserva- 
tive policies  of  management  as 
opposed  to  the  natural  and  often 
'  insatiable  appetite  of  a  stockholder 
for  more  and  bigger  dividends. 

It  is,  presumably,  to  be  left  to 
the  judgment  of  the  uninitiated 
stockholder  to  determine  whether  a 
corporation  can  safely  follow  an 
implied  liberal  dividend  policy,  and 
for  how  long,  without  imperiling 
his  investment. 


16  Witne  S  S  e  S 
For  Senate 
Probe  in  L.A. 


By  J.  A.  OTTEN 

Washington,  March  29. — The 
Senate  Small  Business  Committee 
has  revealed  the  names  of  16  Cali- 
fornia theatre  owners  who  will  tes- 
tify at  hearings  which  will  get  under 
way  Tuesday  in  Los  Angeles  on  dis- 
tributor trade  practices. 

A  Committee  official  said  that 
exchange  managers  or  other 
distributor  spokesmen  would  be 
given  a  chance  to  answer  the 
complaints  after  the  theatre 
owners  finish  their  testimony. 

The  hearings,  the  first  to  be  held 
in  public  by  the  Committee  since  it 
started  its  investigation  of  exhibitor 
complaints  about  clearances,  competi- 
tive bidding,  print  availabilities  and 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


UA  Retains  Gordon 
As  A  Consultant 


The  retaining  of  Milton  A.  Gordon 
as  financial  consultant  to  United  Art- 
ists on  a  part-time  basis  was  an- 
nounced here  at  the  weekend  by  Ar- 
thur Krim,  UA  president.  Gordon 
will  serve  the  company  while  continu- 
ing the  management  of  his  own  in- 
vestment firm,  Gordon  Enterprises, 
Inc. 

Before   organizing   his   own  com- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


Schwartz  Reports 
RKO  Theatres' 
Receipts  Increase 


RKO  Theatres  box-office  receipts 
for  the  first  two  months  of  1953  have 
shown  an  improvement  over  the  same 
months  of  1952,  Sol  Schwartz,  presi- 
dent, disclosed  here  at  the  weekend  in 
his  annual  report  to  stockholders. 
Schwartz  attributed  the  improvement 
largely  to  better  pictures. 

The  report,  which  welcomed  the  ad- 
vent of  3-D  and  wide-screen  processes, 
also  cited  20th  Century-Fox's  Cinema- 
Scope  system.  "Your  management  and 
its  technical  staff,"  the  report  stated, 
"are  giving  serious  consideration  to 
this  new  process." 

Box-office  receipts  in  1952  amounted 
to  $26,954,800,  against  $29,550,300  in 
1951,  it  was  stated.  The  report  stated 
that  the  decline  for  comparable  thea- 
tres and  for  comparable  periods  was 
eight  per  cent,  attributing  the  drop  to 
home  television,  the  high  cost  of  liv- 
ing, and  the  increase  in  taxes.  Net 
profits  for  the  year,  as  reported  in 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


3-D,  Wide-screen 
Top  SMPTE  Meet 

Three-dimensional,  wide-screen  pic- 
tures and  stereophonic  sound  head  the 
program  of  61  technical  papers  and 
demonstrations  on  the  agenda  of  the 
Society  of  Motion  Picture  and  Tele- 
vision Engineers'  five-day  convention 
starting  April  27  at  the  Los  Angeles 
Statler  Hotel. 

Jack  Servies,  SMPTE  convention 
vice-president   and   vice-president  of 

(Continued  on  page  7) 


New  U.S. -Italian  Film  Pact 
Cuts  U.S.  Aid,  Ups  Profits 

A  six  point  pact  set  to  run  for  14  months  was  signed  in  Rome  by  the 
United  States  and  Italian  film  industries  reducing  U.  S.  financial  aid  to 
the  Italian  industry  and  increasing  the  American  "take  home  pay,"  Eric 
Johnston,  Motion  Picture  Association  of  America  president,  disclosed 

there  at  the  weekend,  according  to 


'Mef  Circuit  'Holders 
Seek  Examination 

Application  for  an  examination  be- 
fore trial  in  the  suit  brought  by  a 
group  of  stockholders  against  Metro- 
politan Playhouses  here  will  be  made 
shortly  by  Abraham  Marcus,  attorney, 
for  the  shareholders. 

The  suit,  filed  last  May,  seeks  to 
force  the  declaration  of  dividends  and 
an  accounting  of  the  circuit's  opera- 
tions. The  stockholders  meet  April  15. 


reports  reaching  here. 

Terms  of  the  pact,  which  replaces 
an  agreement  that  had  been  in  effect 
since  1951,  cut  U.  S.  financial  help  to 
the  Italian  industry  by  20  per  cent  and 
allow  the  American  industry  to  take 
home  40  rather  than  37J4  per  cent  of 
the  total  profits.  Under  the  old  agree- 
ment, profits  were  split  into  three 
groups :  50  per  cent  kept  in  Italy  for 
production  of  new  films  and  other  pur- 
poses, 37J/2  per  cent  returning  to  the 
U.  S.,  and  12%  per  cent  allotted  for 

(Continued  on  page  6) 


Sees  Para.  '52 
Profit  About 
Same  as  in  '51 


Balaban  Cites  Optimism 
For  Future,  Based  on  3-D 

Operating  profits  of  Paramount 
Pictures  Corp.  for  1952  (not  in- 
cluding capital  gains)  was  esti- 
mated by  Barney  Balaban,  presi- 
dent, at  about 
the  same  as 
that  of  1951,  in 
a  letter  mailed 
to  Paramount 
stockholders  at 
the  weekend. 
In  1951,  Para- 
mount reported " 
a  profit  of  $5,- 
459,274,  after 
provision  for 
taxes. 

The  letter 
was  included 
with  Para- 
mount's  first 
quarterly   dividend   of   50   cents  per 
share  of  common  stock.    In  his  letter, 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


R.R.  Young  Has  14% 
Of  American  Optical 


Detroit,  March  29. — Robert  D. 
Young,  who  owns  Chesapeake  (for- 
merly Pathe)  Industries  in  addition  to 
his  numerous  other  enterprises,  is 
the  owner  of  14  per  cent  of  American 
Optical  Co.'s  813,674  outstanding 
shares  of  common  stock,  James  Boyn- 
ton,  financial  editor  of  the  Detroit 
Times,  stated  in  a  recent  column. 

American  Optical  will  have  a  25 
per  cent  interest  in  the  new  Magna 
65mm.  wide  screen  process  being  in- 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


CinemaScope  Order 
Blanks  Available 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  reported 
here  at  the  weekend  that  application 
forms  for  the  CinemaScope  wide 
screen  process  had  been  shipped  to  all 
exchanges.  Exhibitors  will  be  able  to 
contact  their  local  20th-Fox  branches 
for  the  applications.  It  also  noted 
that  the  Roxy  Theatre  here  will  be 
the  first  on  Broadway  to  install  the 
process. 

The  order  for  the  Roxy  screen  and 
equipment  was  the  first  to  be  received 

(Continued  on  page  3) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  30,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


MILTON  R.  RACKMIL,  presi- 
dent ;  Alfred  E.  Daff,  execu- 
tive vice-president,  and  Charles  Feld- 
man,  general  sales  manager,  of  Uni- 
versal, returned  here  over  the  week- 
end from  Hollywood. 

Mildred  Kelly,  assistant  to  M-G-M 
Coast  publicity  executive  Howard 
Strickling,  was  married  Saturday  to 
Charles  Packer.  The  couple  left  for 
a  Honolulu  honeymoon. 

• 

Ralph  Crabill,  former  division 
manager  for  Warner  Brothers  in 
Southern  New  York,  was  here  over 
the  weekend  from  Elmira. 

• 

Emery  Austin,  exploitation  assist- 
ant to  Dan  S.  Terrell  at  M-G-M, 
will  leave  here  for  Boston  today  and 
will  return  tomorrow. 

• 

Louis  Phillips,  Paramount  legal 
department   executive,   returns  April 
10  from  a  two-month  European  trip. 
• 

Frank    Peterman    has    been  ap- 
pointed special  sales  representative  for 
Wil-Kin  Theatre  Supply  Co.,  Atlanta. 
• 

Walter  L.  Titus,  Jr.,  Republic 
sales  executive,  left  here  over  the 
weekend  for  Tampa,  Fla. 

• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  returned  here  at  the 
weekend  from  Milwaukee. 

William  Goetz,  Universal  produc- 
tion head,  will  arrive  here  tonight 
from  the  Coast. 

• 

Jules  Levey  left  over  the  weekend 
for  Toronto. 


RKO  Radio  NY  Ad 
Department  Reduced 

The  jobs  of  eight  members  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures'  advertising  and  art 
department  here  were  discontinued  at 
the  weekend  as  the  company  trans- 
ferred most  of  the  balance  of  the  ad- 
vertising department's  operations  to 
the  Coast. 

Those  affected  were :  Carl  Moss, 
Jack  McCarter,  Mrs.  Lucy  Robinson, 
Vivian  Moses,  Hal  Sloan,  Stanley 
Sherwin,  Frank  Samfelippo  and  Mu- 
riel James.  Remaining  in  their  posts 
are  Ben  H.  Grim,  Eastern  advertising 
manager,  and  Lou  Gaudreau,  business 
executive  of  the  department. 


Name  Mohr  to  RKO 
Publicity  Post 

_  Milton  Mohr  has  been  named  as- 
sistant publicity  manager  for  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  effective  April  6, 
Mervin  Hauser,  Eastern  publicity  di- 
rector, disclosed  here  at  the  weekend. 

Mohr  will  succeed  Fred  Goldberg, 
who  resigned  to  join  the  Italian  Film 
Export  Releasing  Organization  as 
publicity  manager.  Mohr  will  join 
RKO  directly  from  Paramount  Pic- 
tures where  he  served  as  New  York 
newspaper  representative. 


Kirsch  Warns  III.  Allied  to 
Go  Slow  on  3-D  Installations 


Chicago,  March  29. — Jack  Kirsch, 
president  of  Allied  Theatres  of  Illi- 
nois, in  his  address  to  the  organiza- 
tion at  its  23rd  annual  luncheon  meet- 
ing and  election  of  officers  at  the 
Blackstone  Hotel  here,  reporting  on 
Allied  activities  during  the  past  year, 
warned  members  to  proceed  with 
caution  on  the  installation  of  3-D 
equipment  in  view  of  the  confusion 
existing  in  Hollywood  over  the  course 
of  production  in  the  next  few  months. 

He  also  stated  that  hopes  for  the 
eventual  establishment  of  an  all-inclu- 
sive system  of  industry  arbitration  are 
"very  dim"  because  distribution  has 
refused  to  include  film  rentals  as  part 
of  any  such  system,  and  compared 
Allied's  positive  stand  against  exorbi- 
tant film  rentals  with  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  America's  statement  that  if  a 
friendly  approach  to  the  problem  fails 
the  matter  will  be  referred  to  TOA's 
board  of  directors  for  action. 

Continuing  his  running  battle  with 
Herbert  Yates  and  Republic  Pictures, 
Kirsch  decried  the  sale  of  pictures  to 
TV  by  Republic  and  criticized  the 
company  sharply  for  enlarging  its  16 
mm.  distribution  setup  into  territories 
where  their  pictures  are  being  sold  to 
motion  picture  theatres,  and  pledged 
that  Allied  of  Illinois  will  continue  to 
fight  against  the  sale  of  pictures 
to  TV. 

In  the  legislative  field,  he  touched 
on  a  bill  recently  introduced  in  the 
state  house  of  representatives  which 
would  prohibit  the  exhibition  in  Illi- 
nois of  any  film  in  which  a  player 
convicted  of  violation  of  a  state  or 


Federal  narcotic  act  appears ;  stating 
that  Allied  is  exerting  every  possible 
effort  to  prevent  this  bill  and  any 
future  bills  which  might  be  inimical 
to  the  industry  from  being  passed. 

He  also  touched  on  other  Allied 
activities,  such  as  helping  to  gain  a 
reduction  in  real  estate  taxes  for 
theatre  owners  here;  charitable  activi- 
ties, including  the  $10,000  raised  by 
Allied  theatres  toward  the  total  of 
almost  $75,000  collected  in  theatres 
here  for  La  Rabida  Sanitarium ;  the 
fight  against  the  20  per  cent  tax;  and 
the  highly  successful  national  Allied 
convention  here  last  November.  He 
further  stated  that  he  hopes,  with  the 
approval  of  the  Illinois  Allied  board 
of  directors,  to  ask  the  national  to  join 
in  the  silver  anniversary  celebration 
of  Allied  of  Illinois  by  bringing  the 
convention  here  again  in  1955. 

In  the  election  of  officers  and  direc- 
tors, Donald  Knapp,  Lucas  Theatres, 
and  Sam  C.  Myers,  Commonwealth 
Theatres,  were  elected  to  the  board  of 
directors  for  the  first  time,  Van 
Nomikos  and  Ben  Banowitz  were  re- 
elected as  vice-president  and  secre- 
tary-treasurer, and  board  members 
Basil  Charuhas,  Jack  Clark,  James 
Gregory,  Robert  V.  Harrison,  Verne 
Langdon,  Charles  Lindau,  Howard 
Lubliner,  Richard  B.  Salkin,  Arthur 
Sass,  Arthur  Schoenstadt,  Joseph 
Stern,  and  Bruce  Trinz  were  reelected 
for  another  year.  Harry  Nepo  was 
reappointed  sergeant  -  at  -  arms  by 
Kirsch,  who  is  in  the  second  year  of  a 
three-year  term  as  president  of  Allied 
of  Illinois. 


Stars  and  'Seventeen9 
To  Aid  Palsy  Drive 

Wednesday  evening's  opening  of  the 
Barnum  and  Bailey  Circus  at  New 
York's  Madison  Square  Garden  will 
feature  performances  by  numerous 
stars,  among  them  Marlene  Dietrich, 
Danny  Thomas,  Gaby  Hayes,  Imogene 
Coca,  Sid  Caesar,  Herb  Shriner,  and 
others,  for  the  benefit  of  United  Cere- 
bral Palsy.  Proceeds  of  the  perform- 
ance will  go  to  the  palsy  drive. 

Additionally,  Sez>eiitecn  Magazine 
will  present  its  own  "circus  within  a 
circus"  for  the  benefit.  A  miniature 
parade  will  present  five  groups  of 
fashions  featured  in  the  April  issue 
of  the  magazine,  which  has  a  circus 
theme  throughout. 


Cinerama  Off  to 
Big  Detroit  Start 

Joseph  Kaufman,  in  charge  of  ex- 
hibition for  Cinerama,  reported  on  his 
return  here  from  Detroit  that  the 
opening  at  the  Music  Hall  Theatre 
there  last  week  was  a  bigger  success 
than  the  New  York  opening. 

An  advance  sale  of  $100,000  already 
is  claimed  for  the  Detroit  engagement, 
with  mail  and  phone  orders  from  all 
parts  of  Michigan  and  neighboring 
states,  including  Illinois,  where  the 
Chicago  installation  has  been  indefi- 
nitely delayed  because  of  demands 
made  by  the  projectionists  union  there. 


Myers  Urges  Unity 
At  Wis.  Banquet 

Milwaukee,  March  29. — Drive-ins 
should  be  considered  a  theatre  on  an 
equal  footing  with  the  indoor  theatre, 
Abram  F.  Myers,  Allied  general 
counsel,  said  here  at  the  banquet 
which  climaxed  the  Wisconsin  Allied 
and  National  Drive-in  conventions  late 
last  week. 

"There  is  a  great  commodity  that 
combines  all  theatres  in  a  common 
bond,"  Myers  stated.  "Whether  you're 
big  or  small,  from  a  large  or  small 
town,  your  biggest  problem  is  film. 
I  leave  it  to  your  common  sense 
whether  you  can  work  together  or 
draw  apart." 

Myers  predicted  a  brighter  future 
for  drive-ins,  as  evidenced  by  the 
enthusiasm  at  the  convention. 

In  accepting  a  certificate  for  a  mo- 
tion picture  camera  as  a  gift,  Sig 
Goldberg,  president  of  Wisconsin  Al- 
lied, said  that  the'  Allied  board  should 
do  something  about  admitting  the 
drive-in  group  to  national  Allied. 
Harold  Pearson,  executive  secretary, 
was  also  presented  with  a  gift. 


500  Playdates  for 
3-D  'Bwana  Devil' 

"Bwana  Devil"  has  been  set  for 
more  than  500  plavdates  during  April 
and  May,  it  was  disclosed  by  William 
J.  Heineman,  vice-president  of  United 
Artists  in  charge  of  distribution. 


RKO  3rd  Major  to 
Use  NV  3-D  System 

Hollywood  March  29.— RKO 
Radio  will  become  the  third 
major  studio  using  Natural 
Vision  3-D  with  the  start  of 
production  on  "Arizona  Out- 
post" tomorrow.  The  three- 
dimensional  camera  already 
in  use  on  the  company's  "Sec- 
ond Chance"  is  reliably  re- 
ported to  be  the  studio's  own 
development,  employing  twin 
cameras  placed  at  right  angles 
to  each  other,  similar  to  the 
M-G-M  and  20th  Century-Fox 
3-D  systems. 

The  Norling  camera  ac- 
quired by  RKO  in  New  York 
has  not  yet  been  brought  to 
the  studio  for  use. 


Yates  Says  Republic 
Will  Not  Go  for  3-D 


By  T.  J.  M.  SHEEHY 

Dublin,  March  25  (By  Airmail). 
— Herbert  J.  Yates,  president  of  Re- 
public Pictures,  believes  that  three- 
dimensional  pictures  were  "born  of 
hope  and  wishful  thinking"  and  de- 
clares that  "until  something  practical 
is  developed,  Republic  will  not  pro- 
duce 3-D  films  that  are  presently  and 
primarily,  in  our  opinion,  a  temporary 
novelty  which  will  not  be  successful 
as  screen  entertainment." 

Speaking  at  a  luncheon  here,  Yates 
said  it  was  not  his  intention  to  strike 
a  discordant  note  but  that  he  was 
obliged  to  reveal  the  results  of  a 
study  made  by  his  company  over  a 
period  of  years. 

"Some  20  years  ago,"  Yates  said, 
"three-dimensional  pictures  were  made 
in  America  and  were  not  successful 
and  will  not  in  our  opinion  be  accept- 
able with  any  degree  of  permanency 
now  or  in  the  future.  We  do  not  be- 
lieve that  any  presently  known  me- 
chanical method  used  to  bring  about 
the  illusion  of  three-dimensional  pic- 
tures is  practical.  We  do  not  believe 
that  the  public  will  wear  colored 
spectacles  to  see  motion  pictures." 

Yates  said  that  the  present  method 
in  making  3-D  films  will  not  make  a 
bad  picture  good.  On  the  other  hand, 
he  added,  a  good  picture  produced  in 
the  conventional  manner  with  color,  a 
fine  cast  and  an  interesting  story  does 
not  require  any  help  from  three-di- 
mensions. 

"What  the  motion  picture  industry 
needs  to  do  is  to  concentrate  on  an 
additional  supply  of  bigger  and  better 
pictures  and  stop  deluding  themselves 
that  third  dimension  adds  entertain- 
ment value  to  the  screen,"  Yates  de- 
clared. 

Turning  to  television,  Yates  said  1 
Republic  had  been  a  pioneer  in  recent 
TV  development  and  that  in  his  opin- 
ion "there  is  room  for  both  indus- 
tries." He  asserted  that  television  in 
the  future  will  help  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry  to  develop  great  box- 
office  personalities  for  the  theatres. 

The  luncheon  was  attended  by  the 
Lord  Mayor  of  Dublin,  exhibitors  and 
Maurice  Walsh,  author  of  "The  Quiet 
Man." 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley,  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher:  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor:  Terry  Rarnsaye,  Consulting  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays. 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing  Company.  Inc.,  1270  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20.  N.  Y.  Telephone  Circle  7-3100.  Cable  address:  "Quigpubco 
New  York."  Martin  Quigley,  President;  Martin  Quigley,  Jr.,  Vice-President;  Theo.  T.  Sullivan.  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Raymond  Levy.  Vice-President;  Leo  J.  Brady' 
Secretary;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  Fausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau.  Yucca-Vine  Building" 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  LaSalle  Street,  Urben  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074;  Bruce  Trinz,  Editorial  Representative.  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  So..,  London  WI;  Hope  Burnup,  Manager;  Peter  Burnup. 
Editor;_  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  1938,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York.  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
t}{  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year.  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies.  10c 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


3 


See  Para.  Profit 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


Balaban  stated  that  he  was  enthusi- 
astically optimistic  for  the  future, 
based  on  the  intense  public  interest  in 
3-D  films  and  the  various  approaches 
to  it  under  consideration. 

Balaban  disclosed  that  Para- 
mount is  conducting  a  survey 
of  theatres  and  its  own  exist- 
ing pictures  to  find  the  proper 
approach  to  3-D  and  wide- 
screen  processes.  Paramount's 
efforts,  recently  demonstrated 
on  the  Coast,  employing  a  new 
screen  to  give  the  illusion  of 
depth  to  conventional  films,  was 
described  as  highly  successful. 

Balaban  reported  that  Paramount 
will  soon  have  completed  in  3-D, 
"Sangaree,"  which  is  in  color  by 
Technicolor,  and  has  slated  three 
other  3-D  pictures  for  production, 
"Red  Garters,"  "Those  Sisters  from 
Seattle"  and  a  Danny  Kaye  film,  as 
yet  untitled. 

Stockholders  were  informed  that 
the  annual  meeting  would  be  held  here 
on  June  2.  Paramount,  in  the  wake 
of  the  Federal  Communications  Com- 
mission ruling,  has  made  no  decision 
on  the  acquisition  of  another  TV  sta- 
tion, it  was  stated.  The  FCC  found 
that  Paramount  "controlled"  DuMont, 
which  permits  either  company  to  ac- 
quire one  more  TV  station,  both  now 
owning  four  between  them. 

Within  the  next  few  months,  Bala- 
ban stated  that  sufficient  installations 
on  the  Coast  are  expected  to  enable 
an  experiment  of  Telemeter,  the  sub- 
scription TV  system  affiliated  with 
Paramount. 

A  report  of  progress  was  also  ren- 
dered on  Chromatic,  Inc.,  another 
affiliate  of  Paramount,  which  recently 
demonstrated  its  tri-color  tube.  Said 
Balaban :  "We  have  ample  reason  to 
believe  that  the  Chromatic  tube  repre- 
sents the  most  practical,  effective  and 
economical  answer  to  the  color  tele- 
vision situation." 


Grainger  to  Coast 
For  Studio  Confabs 

J.  R.  Grainger,  president  of  RKO 
Radio  Pictures,  will  leave  here  to- 
morrow evening  for  Hollywood  to 
confer  on  future  production  and  dis- 
tribution plans  with  Howard  Hughes, 
chairman  of  the  board ;  C.  J.  Tevlin, 
in  charge  of  studio  operations,  and 
other  studio  executives. 

Grainger  will  see  completed  portions 
of  three  pictures  currently  in  produc- 
tion. These  are  Edmund  Grainger's 
"Second  Chance,"  "Arizona  Outpost" 
and  "Son  of  Sinbad,"  which  Robert 
Sparks  is  producing. 

The  RKO  president  will  remain  at 
the  studio  for  approximately  two 
weeks. 


Henderson  'Lab'  to 
Handle  WarnerColor 

Hollywood,  March  29. — The  Hen- 
derson laboratory  in  London  will  be 
equipped  in  the  near  future  for  han- 
dling WarnerColor  processing  in  En- 
gland, Warner  Brothers  here  discloses. 

The  laboratory  will  be  the  third  to 
be  converted  to  supplying  the  grow- 
ing requirements  of  WarnerColor. 
The  Warner  Brooklyn  laboratory  is 
remodeling  for  WarnerColor,  with 
completion  due  in  July.  Facilities  at 
the  Warner  studio  laboratory  in  Bur- 
bank  have  already  been  enlarged. 


Review 


"Down  Among  the  Sheltering  Palms" 

(20th  Century-Fox) 

FOR  THE  FILMGOER  who  wants  to  lose  himself  on  a  South  Sea  island, 
richly  colored  in  Technicolor,  and  watch  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  a 
group  of  U.  S.  Army  men  tempted  by  women,  "Down  Among  the  Sheltering 
Palms"  should  fill  the  bill.  This  Fred  Kohlmar  production,  while  weak  on 
story  line,  does  offer  fairly  good  entertainment  in  the  light,  frothy  vein. 

William  Lundigan,  Jane  Greer,  Mitzi  Gaynor,  David  Wayne  and  Gloria  de 
Haven  head  the  competent  cast.  At  war's  end,  Lundigan  as  captain  of  a 
contingent  of  U.  S.  Army  troops,  is  ordered  to  occupy  an  island  in  the  South 
Pacific.  The  Army  men  arrive  and  are  immediately  surrounded  by  beautiful, 
eager  native  girls.  The  welcome  surprise  comes  to  an  abrupt  end  when  orders 
are  received  from  Washington  imposing  a  non-fraternization  policy. 

The  agony  Lundigan  must  go  through  to  uphold  the  non-fraternization 
policy  is  given  a  humorous  twist.  He,  himself,  is  pursued  by  Jane  Greer,  the 
daughter  of  a  missionary,  Mitzi  Gaynor,  a  native  girl  given  to  him  by  the 
island  king,  and  Gloria  De  Haven,  a  spoiled,  rich,  comely  newspaper  woman. 
The  comic  aspects  are  aided  and  abetted  by  David  Wayne,  who  is  a  lieutenant 
in  Lundigan's  outfit. 

Interspersed  in  this  rather  mechanical  story  line  are  a  number  of  pleasant 
tunes  and  an  exciting  dance  number.  Billy  Gilbert,  as  king  of  the  island,  does 
an  excellent  job. 

Edmund  Goulding  directed,  from  a  screenplay  by  Claude  Binyon,  Albert 
Lewin  and  Burt  Styler,  based  on  a  story  by  Edward  Hope.  Others  in  the 
cast  are  Gene  Lockhart,  Jack  Paar,  Alvin  Greenman  and  Henry  Kulky. 

Running  time,  87  minutes.   General  audience  classification.   March  release. 

Murray  Horowitz 


R.  R.  Young 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


troduced  by  Joseph  M.  Schenck, 
George  Skouras  and  their  associates. 

Still  another  large  investor  in 
American  Optical  is  the  Detroit  and 
Cleveland  Navigation  Co.,  which  owns 
150,000  shares  or  18.4  per  cent  of  the 
total,  Boynton  said.  D.  and  C.  stock 
moved  up  last  week  with  the  an- 
nouncement of  Magna  from  $8  to 
$11 J4,  the  highest  price  paid  in  more 
than  a  decade.  Its  rise  was  in  line 
with  the  increase  in  American  Optical 
from  $29  to  $39,  giving  D.  and  C. 
a  paper  profit  of  $1,516,000  on  the 
investment  it  made  a  little  more  than 
a  year  ago.  Young's  purchase  of 
American  Optical  followed  shortly 
after  that  by  D.  and  C,  Boynton 
said. 

Kuhn,  Loeb  &  Co.  is  reported  to 
have  a  10  per  cent  interest  in  Ameri- 
can Optical.  Young's  interest  was 
said  to  have  been  purchased  through 
his   Diversified   Investors  Syndicate. 

Order  Blanks 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


by  the  company  and  had  been  placed 
sometime  ago,  it  was  said.  Prepara- 
tory installation  work  is  under  way. 
The  Roxy  also  has  ordered  other  es- 
sential equipment  to  handle  3-D 
films.  When  installed,  the  new 
CinemaScope  screen  and  picture  will 
measure  approximately  80  feet  in 
width. 

Meanwhile,  CinemaSeope's  adapt- 
ability to  theatres  of  all  sizes  was  in- 
dicated at  a  special  demonstration 
before  industry  executives  in  Darryl 
Zanuck's  private  projection  room  at 
the  Coast  studio.  They  saw  the  dem- 
onstration on  a  screen  7-by-ll  feet. 
Attending  the  showing  were  Leonard 
Goldenson,  president  of  AB-PT  ;  Rob- 
ert J.  O'Donnell,  of  Texas  Inter- 
state, and  John  Balaban,  head-  of 
Balaban  and  Katz. 


Premiere  Film  on  Queen 

The  world  premiere  of  "Royal  Des- 
tiny," a  20-minute  pictorial  history  of 
Britain's  Queen  Elizabeth  II,  will  be 
held  at  the  Guild  Theatre  here  to- 
morrow, British  Information  Services 
has  disclosed. 


UA  Retains  Gordon 

(Continued  from  page  1) 


pany,  Gordon  was  a  senior  officer  of 
Walter  Heller  &  Co.,  from  which  he 
recently  resigned.  The  Heller  com- 
pany is  the  Chicago  banking  concern 
which  has  figured  prominently  in  UA 
financial  affairs  since  the  assumption 
of  management  by  Krim,  board  chair- 
man Robert  Benjamin  and  their  ex- 
ecutives. 


$1,338,000  Drop 
In  February  Tax 

Washington,  March  29.  — 
General  admission  tax  collec- 
tions in  February,  reflecting 
January  box-office  business, 
hit  the  lowest  point  since  col- 
lections last  March,  the  Bu- 
reau of  Internal  Revenue 
reported. 

February  collections 
amounted  to  $20,636,600,  com- 
pared to  $21,974,853  in  January 
and  $23,891,495  in  Feb.,  1952. 
Last  March  collections  were 
totaled  $19,863,941. 


Pickford  to  Launch 
Bond  Tour  in  D.C. 

Washington,  March  29.  —  House 
speaker  Martin  announced  that  Mary 
Pickford  would  start  her  nation-wide 
savings  bond  tour  tomorrow  from 
the  steps  of  the  Capitol,  the  spot 
where  35  years  ago  she  began  a  World 
War  I  speaking  tour  to  sell  Liberty 
bonds. 

Martin  announced  plans  for  a 
luncheon  and  campaign  rally  at  the 
Capitol,  starring  Miss  Pickford.  The 
tour  will  cover  a  dozen  cities  and  last 
about  six  weeks.  Miss  Pickford  is 
associate  national  chairman  of  the 
campaign  of  woman  volunteers  to  sign 
up  additional  bond-a-month  investors. 
Meanwhile,  it  was  reported  that  she 
will  speak  at  a  luncheon  of  the  Atlanta 
Womens  Club  on  April  10  and  will 
appear  before  other  civic  groups  there. 


March  is   American   Bed  Cross 
Month.  GIVE! 


GREAT  ADVENTURE! 


.  *  .from  the 
Flaming  History  of  the 
Famed  French  Foreign 
Legion. .  .and  the  bullet 
scarred  legends  that  have 
inspired  so  many  fabulous 
box-office  successes  [ 


O.S| 


PICTURE 


CAMPAIGN 

with  Full  Color 
National  Ads  in 
the  Nation's 
Leading  Magazines 


ARLENE  DAHL 


TifrM?  MAKES  TfifE  MOA/EV-  MAKERS  / 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Monday,  March  30,  1953 


TV  cr  not  TV 

This  may  be  the 
answer  to  — 

"YOUR  CAREER  IN 
TELEVISION" 

By  William  I.  Kaufman 
and  Robert  Colodzin 

With  Preface  by 

David  Sarnoff 

Chairman  of  the  Board  of  RCA 


Acting 
Directing 
Producing 
Writing 

Stage-Managing 
Scene  Designing 
Lighting 

Operation  of  the 
Television  Station 

and 
Parallel 
Only $3.50  [Professions 


THE 
KEY 
TO 

YOUR 
SUCCESS 
TV... 


ON  THE  PRESSES 
THE  THIRD  OF  THE 
ANNUAL  SERIES— 

EST  TELEVISION 
PLAYS" 

Edited  by  Wm.  I.  Kaufman 

—  COVERING  1952  — 

Get  your  order  in 
for  prompt  delivery. 

  $5.00   


"THE  BEST  TELEVISION 
PLAYS  OF  THE  YEAR" 

Vol.  1  (1949-50)  $4.50 
Vol.  2  (1950-51)  5.00 

Bring  your  professional 
and  reference  library 
up  to  date! 

Order  from  your  dealer 
or  directly  from: 

Monarch  Editions,  Ltd. 

220  West  42nd  St.,  N.  Y.  36 


Television  —  Radio 


with  Pinky  Herman, 


HP  HERE'S  a  sub  rosa  buzz-buzz  in  the  TVicinity  of  Rockefeller 
^  Plaza  that  ABC  is  quietly  making  a  strong  pitch  to  corral  future 
"Oscar  Award"  presentations.  .  .  .  Their  fine  work  in  the  Warner 
Bros,  musical,  "By  the  Light  of  the  Silvery  Moon,"  supporting 
Doris  Day  and  Gordon  McRae,  may  reward  Leon  Ames  and  Rose- 
mary deCamp  with  a  TV  film  series  of  their  own,  a  "Mr.  &  Missus" 
situation  comedy.  .  .  .  Elliot  Kaplan's  new  TV  Reporter  mag,  due 
on  the  news  stands  late  next  month,  will  feature  Ethel  Thorsen  as 
fashion  editor  with  Sid  White  doing  a  radio-TV  column.  .  . .  If 
her  hubby  will  permit,  Shirley  Temple  can  have  her  own  TVehicle, 
breaking  in  as  a  summer-replacement.  .  .  .  It's  an  ill-wind  that 
blows,  etc.,  etc.  Last  week  when  Colgate  Comedy  Hour,  NBCele- 
brating  its  100th  telecast,  utilized  heavyweights  like  Martin  &  Lewis, 
Bob  Hope,  Eddie  Cantor  and  Abbott  &  Costello,  to  cut  down  CBS' 
"Toast  of  the  Town"  audience,  two  of  the  throw-a-way  lines  men- 
tioned Ed  Sullivan's  sponsors,  namely  Ford  &  Lincoln.  ...  19  years 
ago  a  musical  played  at  the  Adelphi  Theatre  titled,  "The  Lord 
Blesses  the  Bishop."  Today,  DuMont's  very  popular  series,  "Life  Is 
Worth  Living,"  featuring  Bishop  Fulton  J.  Sheen,  originates  from 
the  Adelphi,  now  a  DuMont  teletheatre.  .  .  .  Producers  of  "Amer- 
ican Inventory"  will  film  portions  of  the  fifth  annual  Alfred  P.  Sloan 
radio-TV  awards  for  highway  safety  and  the  film  will  be  telecast 
later  that  evening  so  guests,  assembled  on  Tuesday,  May  26,  at  the 
Hotel  Plaze  will  see  themselves. 

ft      .  ft  ft 
The  Kenneth  Banghart-Diana  Green  production  "A  Date 

with  April,"  starring  Constance  Bennett,  will  open  on  Broad- 
way April  13.  Play  was  written  by  George  Batson,  who  wrote 
"Ramshackle  Inn."  Reginald  Denham  will  direct.  ...  A 
new  record  and  live  musical  radio  series, 
featuring  John  Conte,  will  WABCommence 
April  13.  Program,  a  Gerry  Gross-Norman 
Baer  production,  will  be  aired  across  the 
board  in  the  5:15  to  6:00  P.M.  slot  and  will 
feature  five  minutes  of  baseball  news,  scores 
and  data.  .  .  .  The  Ed  Wolf  package, 
"Break  the  Bank,"  which  NBTees  off  today 
at  3:00  P.M.,  will  be  partially  co-op.  Mean- 
while, from  here  it  appears  that  this  pro- 
gram will  be  the  summer-replacement,  start- 
ing Tuesday,  June  23,  for  Milton  Berle's 
"Texaco  Theatre"  in  the  Tuesday  nite  at 
8:30  to  9:00  slot  with  5-Day  Deodorant 
Kenneth  Bangrhart  pads  picking  up  the  tab.  Jack  Rubin  and 
Herb  Wolf  are  co-producers  of  the  pro- 
gram. .  .  .  Tunesmith  Vic  Mizzy  writes  from  London  that 
Mary  Small  is  a  "sensation"  at  the  Palladium  and  though  she's 
been  offered  two  musicals,  commitments  here  require  her 
return.  (Couldn't  happen  to  a  nicer  pair  of  love  birds.)  .  .  . 
Lambs  Club  will  fete  Charles  Coburn  on  April  20,  his  75th 
birthday.  Celebration  will  carry  over  to  the  "Luncheon  at 
Sardi's,"  where  he'll  be  given  a  WORchid.  .  .  .  Immediately 
following  his  discharge  from  the  Army,  Eddie  Fisher  will  star 
in  a  new  radio  &  TV  series  for  NBCoca  Cola.  The  TV  pro- 
gram will  be  seen  Weds.  &  Fri.  at  7:30  P.M.,  starting  April  29 
and  the  radio  show  will  be  aired  Tues.  &  Fri.  at  8:00  P.M., 
starting  May  5. 

ft  ft  ft 
DEEJAY  (walking)  .  .  .  Platter  stars,  visiting  or  playing 
Philadelphia,  are  making  it  a  MUST  to  drop  in  for  some  live  jive 
with  Grady  &  Hurst  on  that  platter  duo's  TV  series  via  WPTZ. 
.  .  .  Out  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  deejay  Tom  Finn  is  identified  with  his 
station's  call  letters,  thusly:  the  lad  W-ith  S-mooth  P-latter 
D-elivery.  .  .  .  A  WEBRilliant  way  to  combat  juvenile  delin- 
quency is  the  weekly  series  of  teen  dances  co-produced  in  Buffalo 
by  Bob  Wells  and  program  mgr.  Bill  Switcer. 

ft       ft  ft 

LOTSA  DOTS.  .  .  .  Music  business'  Clef  Award,  TV's  out- 
standing and  most  versatile  conductor  of  1953  goes  to  Charles 
Sanford,  conductor  of  "Your  Show  of  Shows"  orchestra  on  the 
program  Saturday.  .  .  .  Aside  to  Henry  Morgan:  Give  yourself  a 
break  and  take  a  vacation.  .  .  .  Packaged  by  Louis  Weiss,  100  two- 
reel  and  26  one-reel  comedies,  starring  Ben  Turpin,  Snub  Pollard, 
Jimmie  Aubrey  and  Poodles  Hanneford,  are  currently  telecast  over 
WBBM-TV,  Chicago.  .  .  .  Oddity — Little  Kerry,  who  portrayed 
the  "grandson"  of  Merrill  E.  Joels  in  yesterday's  "Passover  Seder" 
play  over  WPIX,  is  Merrill's  son  in  real  life. 


Sharp  Rise  Reported 
In  '52  TV  Income 


Washington,  March  29.  —  Gross  1 
receipts  of  television  stations  and  net- 
works in  1952  were  43  per  cent 
higher  than  in  1951  and  earnings  be- 
fore Federal  income  taxes  were  up  31 
per  cent,  the  Federal  Communications  ; 
Commission  reports. 

The  figures  were  for  the  four  net- 
works and  the  108  stations  operating 
during  all  of  1952.  The  FCC  said 
total  broadcast  revenues  amounted  to 
$336,300,000,  up  43  per  cent  from 
$235,700,000  in  1951.  Earnings  before 
taxes  amounted  to  $54,500,000. 

The  four  networks,  including  their 
15  owned  stations,  grossed  $191,- 
900,000  last  year,  up  50  per  cent 
from  1951,  but  income  before  taxes 
was  down  to  $9,000,000  in  '52,  com- 
pared to  $11,000,000  a  year  earlier. 
Expenses  increased  56  per  cent  dur- 
ing the  year,  the  FCC  said. 

The  Commission  said  that  94  sta- 
tions in  1952  showed  a  profit  before 
taxes,  ,  averaging  $435,000,  while  14 
reported  losses. 


Theatre  Changes  in 
Chicago  Heavy 

Chicago,  March  29. — The  rush  of 
activity  in  Hollywood  is  being  re- 
flected by  many  changes  in  theatre 
status  in  the  Chicago  exchange  area. 
Here  in  Chicago  Jones,  Linick,  and 
Schaffer  have  bought  Balaban  and 
Katz's  interest  in  the  Downtown  Mc- 
Vickers  and  now  are  sole  owners  of 
the  theatre ;  Warner  Brother's  Strat- 
ford, which  has  been  closed  since  last 
June,  is  scheduled  to  reopen  April  24 ; 
and  Carl  Farber  is  taking  over  the 
Normal  from  Steve  Toth  on  April  3. 

Outside  Chicago  the  new  Belmar 
drive-in,  Belvidere,  111.,  owned  by  H. 
Lindroth,  who  operates  Lind's  Air 
Drive-in,  Rockford,  111.,  is  opening 
early  next  month ;  and  R.  L.  Farber 
has  sold  his  Princess,  Cullom,  111., 
to  Ed  Samet. 


Film  Pact 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 

financial  help  to  Italian  films. 

The  new  agreement  cuts  assistance 
to  10  per  cent  of  the  total  profits. 
Johnston  said  this  would  mean  an 
over-all  20  per  cent  drop  in  the  aid. 

Under  another  point  of  the  agree- 
ment, the  U.  S.  still  would  be  allowed 
to  export  225  films  a  year  to  Italy, 
plus  an  extra  export  from  independent 
American  producers  to  go  to  inde- 
pendent Italian  distributors. 


Gardiner  Retires 

Boston,  March  29. — After  40  years 
in  the  motion  picture  business,  Wil- 
liam H.  (Larry)  Gardiner,  sales 
manager  here  for  RKO  Pictures,  has 
decided  to  retire,  effective  April  11. 
He  has  been  with  RKO  for  27  years. 


Favorite  Sets  Crime  Dual 

Favorite  Films  here  is  now  readying 
"Crimes  of  Dr.  Mabuse"  and  "Crime 
City"  to  be  released  in  April  as  a 
combination  bill. 


'Madam'  Set  for  Easter 

"Call  Me  Madam"  is  set  to  open 
in  more  than  450  first-run  situations 
around  the  country  during  Easter 
week,  20th  Century-Fox  reports.  An 
initial  order  of  422  prints,  said  to  be 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  company's 
history,  will  be  utilized. 


Monday,  March  30,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


7 


In  the  THEATRE 

Equipment 
World  .  .  . 

•   •  with  RAY  GALLO 


NEW  odorless  paints,  called 
"Staize-Clene,"  having  a  special 
wax  base  designed  to  give  them  dirt 
and  water  repellent  qualities,  have 
been  placed  on  the  market  by  the 
Enterprise  Paint  Mfg.  Co.,  Chicago. 
This  special  treatment,  trade-named 
"Syncon,"  enables  the  paints  to  stay 
clean  longer,  according  to  the  com- 
pany, and  also  makes  them  more 
readibly  washable  The  new  product 
comes  in  39  colors  and  is  available 
in  flat  enamel,  semi-gloss  and  high 
gloss  enamel. 

• 

The  appointment  of  Frank  O.  Hein- 
shon  as  branch  manager  for  the  Los 
Angeles  office 
of  American 
Seating  Co., 
with  headquar- 
ters in  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich., 
has  been  an- 
nounced by 
James  M.  Ver- 
Meulen,  vice- 
president  and 
general  sales 
manager  of  the 
company.  Hcin- 
shon,  who  joined 
American  i  n 
1949  as  a  sales 
representative  in  Philadelphia,  fills  the 
position  vacated  by  George  W.  Peter- 
son, who  recently  retired. 

A  new  line  of  drinking  water  cool- 
ers, including  three  pressure-type  and 
two  bottle-type  models,  has  been  in- 
troduced by  the  Frigidaire  Division  of 
General  Motors  Corp.,  Dayton,  Ohio. 
All  are  self-contained  and  powered  by 
the  Frigidaire  "Meter-Miser''  refriger- 
ating compressor.  The  pressure-type 
models  have  a  capacity  for  cooling  6, 
12  or  18  gallons  of  water  per  hour, 
while  the  bottle-types  have  a  capacity 
of  up  to  two  gallons. 

• 

A  national  advertising  campaign 
to  publicize  its  lighting  service  to 
theatres,  consisting  of  installation 
of  feature  displays  and  rental  of 
equipment,  has  been  launched  by 
the  Jack  A.  Frost  Electrical  Con- 
tracting Co.,  Detroit.  Among  the 
publications  in  which  ads  have  ap- 
peared are  the  Motion  Picture  Her- 
ald and  Better  Theatres.  Ruse  & 
Urban,  Inc.  also  in  Detroit,  is  now 
conducting  all  advertising  and  pub- 
lic relations  for  the  Frost  organ- 
ization. 

• 

Technical  data  to  simplify  the  choice 
of  proper  air  diff users  in  air  condi- 
tioning systems  is  contained  in  a  new 
64-page  selection  manual  issued  by  the 
Anemostat  Corp.,  New  York,  avail- 
able upon  request.  Now  in  a  third 
revised  edition,  the  manual  has  a  nezv 
section  on  duct  take-off  design.  It  is 
illustrated  with  photographs,  tables  on 
performance  data  and  case  examples, 
showing  how  proper  locations  and  the 
correct  number  of  required  units  are 
determined. 


Frank  Heinshon 


Commercial  Color  Television  Is  A 
Long  Way  Off,  Says  Baker  of  NTSC 

Washington,  March  29. — Commercial  color  television  is  still  a 
long  way  off,  according  to  W.  R.  G.  Baker,  head  of  the  National 
Television  System  Committee,  the  television  industry  group 
developing  the  new  "compatible"  color  television  system. 

He  told  the  House  Commerce  Committee  Friday  that  he  would 
guess  that  it  would  be  at  least  nine  to  15  months  before  his  group 
finishes  field  tests  on  its  new  color  system  and  gets  approval  from 
the  Federal  Communications  Commission.  After  that,  he  pointed 
out,  there  must  be  another  wait  while  the  manufacturers  tool 
up  for  mass  production  of  the  new  color  receivers  and  while  the 
cost  of  the  new  sets  is  brought  within  the  reach  of  the  general 
public. 

However,  Dr.  Baker  made  it  plain  that  experimental  color 
broadcasting  was  well  advanced.  "The  NTSC  is  unanimously 
convinced,"  he  said,  "that  under  its  supervision  there  has  been 
prepared  a  set  of  standards  capable  of  producing  a  superlative 
system  of  color  television — a  system  which  is  completely  compati- 
ble with  the  receivers  now  in  the  hands  of  the  public.  In  fact, 
produces  a  superior  monochrome  picture  as  well  as  a  superior 
color  image." 

He  suggested  that  the  FCC  formally  recognize  and  support  the 
NTSC  program,  and  that  it  relax  its  restrictions  to  permit  wider 
experimental  use  of  the  NTSC  system. 

FCC  chairman  Paul  Walker  is  scheduled  to  testify  before  the 
House  Committee  on  Tuesday. 


SMPTE  Meet 


(Continued,  from  page  1) 


National  Theatre  Supply  disclosed  in 
New  York  at  the  weekend  that  at- 
tendance of  1,000  film  and  television 
technicians  are  expected. 

The  advance  program,  shows  tele- 
vision papers  set  to  accommodate  tele- 
vision engineers  who  will  meet  the 
same  week  at  the  Los  Angeles  Bilt- 
more  Hotel  with  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Radio  and  Television  Broad- 
casters. 

Mitchell  Wolfson,  Florida  theatre 
owner,  will  give  the  engineers  an  ex- 
perienced exhibitor's  eye-view  of  3-D, 
wide-screen  pictures,  theatre  television 
and  drive-ins,  as  guest  speaker  at  the 
opening  luncheon  on  Monday,  April 
27. 

Technical  session  schedules  include 
addresses  by  Dr.  Harvey  Fletcher, 
authority  on  sound  and  hearing;  R.  A. 
Sherman  of  Bausch  &  Lomb  on  stereo 
vision ;  a  tour  of  CBS  Television  City ; 
an  engineering  symposium  on  stereo 
motion  pictures,  with  J.  A.  Norling, 
R.  J.  Spottiswoode  and  A.  J.  Hill  con- 
ducting a  panel  discussion  of  stereo 
production  and  exhibition. 

A  screen  brightness  symposium  and 
papers  on  drive-ins  will  be  featured, 
particularly  a  report  by  R.  L.  Estes 
of  Eastman  Kodak  on  "Effects  of 
Stray  Light  on  Projected  Picture 
Quality." 


Blumofe  Setting 
UA's  Coast  Unit 

Hollywood,  March  29. — Robert  F. 
Blumofe,  recently  appointed  West 
Coast  representative  of  United  Art- 
ists, tomorrow  begins  setting  up  the 
company's  new  Hollywood  organiza- 
tion at  offices  in  the  Samuel  Goldwyn 
Studios. 

Blumofe  returned  here  over  the 
weekend  from  a  four-week  visit  to 
United  Artists'  New  York  headquar- 
ters. During  his  stay  there,  Blumofe 
conferred  with  UA  president  Arthur 
B.  Krim,  board  chairman  Robert  S. 
Benjamin  and  other  executives. 

As  West  Coast  representative, 
Blumofe  will  represent  United  Artists 
in  negotiations  for  new  pictures  with 
independent  producers  and  serve  as 
the  company's  liaison  with  producers 
whose  films  are  released  by  UA. 


Schwartz  Reports 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


Motion  Picture  Daily  on  March  19, 
was  $1,025,000  compared  to  $1,322,069 
in  1951. 

Based  upon  the  3,914,913  shares  out- 
standing, the  earnings  for  1952  were 
equal  to  26  cents  a  share.  Virtually 
all  RKO  Theatres  will  be  equipped 
for  three-dimensional  motion  pictures 
in  the  near  future,  it  was  stated  by 
the  circuit's  head. 


16  Witnesses 


(Continued  from  page  1) 


other  trade  practices,  will  open  at  10 
A.M.  Tuesday  in  court  room  No.  9 
of  the  Los  Angeles  Federal  Building. 

Senator  Schoeppel  ( R.,  Kans. ) ,  as 
chairman  of  the  monopoly  sub-com- 
mittee, will  preside,  and  sub-commit- 
tee members  Gillette  (D.,  Iowa)  and 
Smathers  (D.,  Fla.)  will  attend. 

Senator  Schoeppel  said  the  hearings 
would  probably  last  through  Thurs- 
day. Later,  hearings  are  planned  in 
Washington,  probably  during  the  week 
of  April  13. 

Exhibitor  witnesses  scheduled  to 
testify  are :  Albert  and  Wayne  Han- 
son, president  and  general  manager, 
respectively,  of  South-Lyn  Theatres, 
South  Gate  ;  Cecil  Vinnicoff ,  chairman 
of  the  trade  relations  committee  of 
the  Southern  California  Theatre  Own- 
ers Association,  Los  Angeles ;  Bur- 
ton I.  Jones,  president  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Theatre  Owners  of  San  Diego 
County,  La  Mesa;  Milton  B.  Arthur, 
president  of  Cabart  Theatres  Corp., 
Long  Beach ;  Jack  Y.  Berman,  Los 
Angeles ;  Edward  S.  Calvi,  Haw- 
thorne;  Mrs.  Bess  Mednick,  Trojan 
Theatre,  Los  Angeles ;  Alfred  J.  Olan- 
der,  Montebello ;  Alex  Schreiber, 
Beverly  Hills ;  Earl  Strebe,  Palm 
Springs ;  Guy  W.  Meek,  Atherton ; 
Ben  Levin  and  Homer  Tegmeier,  rep- 
resenting the  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Northern  California,  San 
Francisco;  Paul  Swickard,  San  Mo- 
rino,  and  Jack  Goldman,  Los  Angeles. 

Sen.  Schoeppel  said  the  names  of 
distributor  witnesses,  who  will  follow 
the  theatre  owners,  will  be  announced 
after  the  hearings  open. 


Mow  Available 


VERSATILE  RCA  SOUND  HEAD 

adaptable  for  magnetic-photographic-standard 


TO  keep  pace  with  today's  new 
methods  in  sound  presentation, 
RCA  engineers  have  designed  a 
sound  head  so  versatile  it  can  be 
adapted  for  use  with  virtually  all 
currently  proposed  sound-on-film 
techniques. 

With  this  latest  sound  head,  you'll 
be  ready  to  show,  to  their  best  ad- 


vantage, the  finest  of  the  new  film 
attractions  whether  they  be  3-D,  or 
standard ;  stereophonic,  or  single- 
track  film.  Yes,  if  you  buy  RCA's 
latest  sound  head,  you  will  be  pre- 
pared, through  an  equipment  adapta- 
tion, to  provide  your  patrons  with 
quality  sound  reproduction  for  any 
of  these  film  recording  methods: 


#  3-D  conventional  photographic  sound  track 

9  3-D  stereophonic  triple  magnetic  sound  track 

•  2-D  conventional  photographic  sound  track 
©  Sound  effects  track 


Best  of  all,  you'll  be  getting  a  sound 
head  designed  for  rugged  day-in  and 
day-out  theatre  operation.  You'll  be 
assured  of  true  equipment  economy 
— long  life  with  negligible  mainte- 
nance expense  and  readily  available 
replacement  parts  when  necessary. 
Furthermore,  you  can  arrange  for 
dependable  service  from  the  RCA 
Service  Company.    Make  sure  your 


show  has  uninterrupted  sound — pro- 
tect yourself  by  buying  the  latest 
RCA  sound  head. 

Ask  your  RCA  Dealer  also  about 
the  new  theatre  sound  system  RCA 
is  readying  for  the  latest  film  tech- 
niques— brilliant,  new  speakers,  new 
amplifiers  of  greatly  advanced  de- 
sign, powerful  auditorium  speaker 
units. 


Here's  news  for  users  of  late-model  RCA  sound  heads. 

RCA  is  now  making  available  a  kit  to  convert  your  late-model 
RCA  sound  head  right  on  the  spot.  Ask  your  RCA  Dealer 
about  fast,  low-cost  conversion. 


THEATRE  EQUIPMENT 

RADIO  CORPORATION  of  AMERICA 

ENGINEERING  PRODUCTS  DEPARTMENT.  CAMDEN.  N.J. 

In  Canada:  RCA  VICTOR  Company  Limited,  Montreal 


otout 


If  your  temperature  has  been  rising 
along  with  soaring  prices  . . .  you'll  find  the 
answer  in  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics' 
revelation  that  the  Cost  of  Living  has  in- 
creased 90.8%  since  1939.  FOOD  has  soared 
133.2%  . ...  HOUSE  FURNISHINGS,  105%  . . . 
APPAREL,  102.3%  . . .  FUEL,  47.6%  . .  .  RENT, 
42.4%.  And  while  this  has  been  happening, 
the  cost  of  YOUR  theatre's  equipment  and 
supplies  has  taken  an  average  98.9%  jump 
since  1940  (according  to  The  Exhibitors 
Digest). 

But  here's  a  COOL,  comforting  thought 
in  the  midst  of  this  high-price  inferno.  Just 
compare  these  rising  expenses  with  the 
negligible  increase,  IF  ANY,  you've  given 
NSS  during  all  these  years  of  skyrocketing 
increase. 

Yes,  Compare  ALL  your  costs  with  the 
LOW  COST,  Service-With-A-Smile  Policy  of 
The  Prize  Baby! 


mmmLt\(yi€€n  service 

\J  PtH.rt  Boer  or  mt  mousmr 


VOL.  73.    NO.  61 


MOTION  PICTURE 

DAILY 

NEW  YORK,  U.S.A.,  TUESDAY,  MARCH  31,  1953 


Accurate 

Concise 

and 
Impartial 


TEN  CENTS 


New  3-D  Flurry 
In  the  U.S. 
And  in  Canada 


Field  Reports  Several 
Large  Circuit  Orders 

A  new  flurry  of  3-D  installations 
across  the  country  was  reported 
from  field  correspondents. 

Blumenfeld  Theatres  of  Northern 
California  has  ordered  screens  and 
equipment  for  14  theatres  in  prepara- 
tion for  the  showing  of  3-D  films. 
Meanwhile,  it  was  disclosed  that  RCA 
stereophonic  sound  systems  are  being 
installed  in  four  Texas  theatres  of 
the  Interstate  Circuit  in  time  for  the 
April  14  premiere  of  Warner  Broth- 
ers' 3-D  "House  of  Wax."  The  Tex- 
as houses  are:  Majestic,  Dallas,  Tex- 
as, San  Antonio  ;  Palace,  Fort  Worth ; 
Majestic,  Houston. 

RCA,  at  the  same  time,  disclosed 
that  several  large  theatres  will  soon 
install  two  additional  RCA  projectors 
in  their  booths  to  make  possible  an 
uninterrupted  3-D  program.  Two  of 
the  theatres,  it  was  reported,  are  the 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


Ramsdell  Exhibits 
Stereo  Equipment 

Floyd  A.  Ramsdell,  president  of  the 
Stereo  Corp.,  who  is  said  to  have 
spent  13  years  in  three-dimensional 
research,  yesterday  demonstrated  his 
stereo  films  and  equipment  for  the 
press  at  the  •  Hotel  Gotham  here. 
Ramsdell  revealed  that  he  had  been 
issued  a  patent  on  Dec.  10,  1952,  and 
that  a  patent  on  his  35mm.  stereo 
camera  had  been  granted  him  on 
March  10  of  this  year. 

Ramsdell  demonstrated  the  prob- 
lems of  determining  correct  interocu- 
lar  for  the  making  of  long  shots, 
medium  shots  and  close-ups,  using  an 
{.Continued  on  pane  5) 

O'Connor  Names  55 
Charity  Drive  Aides 

A  motion  picture  industry  commit- 
tee of  55  to  serve  as  part  of  the  Car- 
dinal's Committee  of  the  Laity  in  the 
1953  Catholic  Charities  drive  of  the 
Archdiocese  of  New  York,  which 
seeks  $2,500,000  in  gifts  through  50 
businessmen's  committees,  was  an- 
nounced here  yesterday  by  John  J. 
O'Connor,  vice-president  of  Universal 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Start  Independent 
U.K.  Theatre  Unit 

London,  March  30. — A  group 
of  independent  exhibitors 
headed  by  Frank  Gardner, 
who  operates  a  530-seater  at 
Walton-on-Thames,  have 
formed  the  Association  of  In- 
dependent Cinemas  here. 
Membership  is  open  to  any 
exhibitor  without  production 
or  distribution  ties. 

Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association,  which  includes 
affiliated  theatres  in  its  mem- 
bership, heretofore  has  had 
the  exhibitor  organization 
field  to  itself.  There  have 
been  other  attempts  in  the 
past  to  form  breakaway  fac- 
tions but  all  have  failed. 


5-Year  Statute  of 
Limitations  on 
Trust  Suits  Okayed 

Washington,  March  30.— A  House 
Judiciary  sub-committee  has  approved 
legislation  to  set  up  a  uniform  five- 
year  Federal  Statute  of  Limitations 
on  private  treble  damage  anti-trust 
suits. 

The  bill  has  been  favorably 
reported  to  the  full  committee, 
which  may  act  on  the  measure 
Thursday. 

At  present,  the  time  limit  on  private 
anti-trust  suits  is  set  by  state  statutes, 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


G.P.E.  Profit,  Sales 
Up  Sharply  in  1952 

General  Precision  Equipment  Corp. 
yesterday  reported  consolidated  net  in- 
come for  1952  of  $1,255,278,  after  pro- 
vision of  $1,700,000  for  Federal  taxes. 
In  1951  the  company  had  consolidated 
net  earnings  of  $596,546  after  provid- 
ing $460,000  for  Federal  taxes. 

Consolidated  net  sales  of  G.  P.  E. 
and  subsidiaries  reached  a  new  high 
of  $54,326,849  last  year,  an  82  per 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Reject  Resignation 
Of  Loewenstein 

Oklahoma  City,  March  30. — The 
board  of  directors  of  the  Theatre 
Owners  of  Oklahoma,  at  a  meeting 
here  today,  unanimously  rejected  Mor- 
ris Loewenstein's  resignation  from  the 
presidency,  which  arose  out  of  the 
(Continued  on  page  4) 


Italy  Seeks  More 
Co-production  As 
Result  of  New  Pact 


Rome,  March  30.— The  Italian  film 
industry  hopes  that  the  American- 
Ital  ian  co-production  projects  can  be 
developed  further  by  using  blocked 
money,  according  to  Eitel  Monaco, 
president  of  the  Italian  Producer-Dis- 
tributor Association,  who  represented 
his  industry  in  the  new  Italian-Amer- 
ican film  accord  confabs.  Monaco 
said  that  the  Italians  also  hoped  that 
American  funds  that  were  granted  to 
the  Italian  Films  Export  Company 
would  result  in  U.  S.  companies  re- 
ceiving $3,000,000  by  June  and  that 
the  amount  would  surpass  $5,000,000 
by  Aug.,  1954.  This  would  mean,  he 
said,  that  the  American  companies 
could  expect  remittances  of  approxi- 
mately $10,000,000  next  season. 

Film  industry  sources  here  said  that 
the  Italian-American  agreement  had 
been  reached  quickly  and  easily  after 
Eric  Johnston,  president  of  the 
MPAA,  here  from  New  York,  had  re- 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


SIMPP  to  Demand 
Italian  Bank  Balance 


The  Society  of  Independent  Motion 
Pictures  Producers  will  not  accept  a 
new  Italian  film  pact  with  U.  S.  dis- 
tributors unless  it  includes  a  provision 
to  permit  its  members  to  have  their 
own  bank  accounts  in  Italy,  Ellis 
Arnall,  president  of  the  SIMPP,  said 
here  yesterday.  Arnall  said  he  would 
go  to  W ashington  today  to  discuss  the 
issue  with  representatives  of  the  State 
Department.  Modification  of  the  agree- 
ment also  will  be  sought,  but  the  exact 
changes  to  be  asked  for  have  not  been 
determined,  Arnall  said. 

Arnall  pointed  out  that  the  agree- 
ment still  had  to  be  approved  by  the 

(Continued  on  page  4) 


Local  H-63  Awaits 
Mediator's  Action 


Louis  Stone,  Federal  Mediation  and 
Conciliation  commissioner,  has  con- 
ferred with  both  the  distributors  and 
Local  No.  H-63  of  the  Film  Exchange 
Employes  Union  in  regard  to  the  im- 
passe in  the  negotiations  for  a  new 
contract  here,  but  he  will  not  be  able 
to  delve  deeper  into  the  controversy 
until  he  completes  current  hearings  in 
Paterson  in  a  New  Jersey  Telephone 
Co.  labor  deadlock. 

Meanwhile,  Russell  Moss,  executive 
vice-president  of  Local  H-63,  is  await- 
ing Stone's  availability  and  the  return 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Hearing  on  the 
Mason  BUI  Set 
For  April  20 

Industry  Experts  Feel 
They  Have  A  Good  Case 

Washington,  March  30.  —  The 
House  Ways  and  Means  Committee 
today  scheduled  hearings  for  one 
day,  on  April  20,  on  the  Mason 
Bill  to  exempt  motion  picture  theatres 
from  the  20  per  cent  Federal  admis- 
sion tax. 

Members  were  quick  to  em- 
phasize that  this  was  no  guar- 
antee that  the  Committee  would 
vote  to  lift  the  tax.  Several  said 
they  felt  in  view  of  the  revenue 
loss  involved  that  action  should 
be  delayed  at  least  until  the 
next  session. 

Committee  Chairman  Reed  ( R., 
N.  Y.)  said,  however,  that  he  thought 
his  Committee  would  report  out  the 
M  ason  bill.  He  stated  that  the  rea- 
son for  holding  the  ticket  tax  hear- 
ings now,  before  and  separate  from 
hearings  on  excise  reductions  gener- 
(Continued  on  page  5) 


Goldwyn  Says  Story, 
Not  Process,  Counts 


Any  new  system  of  producing  and 
exhibiting  motion  pictures  can  serve 
only  to  enhance  them  in  a  technical 
sense  and  the  best  pictures  will  con- 
tinue to  be  those  with  the  best  stories 
and  best  casts,  Samuel  Goldwyn  told 
a  group  of  New  York  film  critics  at 
a  luncheon  at  the  Sherry  Netherland 
Hotel  here  yesterday. 

Goldwyn  said  that  he  expects  the 
novelty  of  3-D  pictures  to  wear  off 
in  about  a  year,  but  that  the  future 
will  bring  a  new  type  of  screen  which 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


6Go  Slow  on  3-D,' 
U.K.  Theatres  Told 


London,  March  30. — A  strong  warn- 
ing to  exhibitors  against  rushing  into 
3-D  experiments  is  contained  in  a  re- 
port by  Leslie  Knopp,  technical  ad- 
viser to  the  Cinematograph  Exhibitors 
Association. 

The  report  emphasizes  that  unless 
C.  E.  A.  takes  immediate  measures  to 
insure  standardization  of  3-D  and 
large  screen  systems,  the  British  in- 

(Continued  on  page  5) 


2 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  31,  1953 


Personal 
Mention 


SIR  MICHAEL  BALCON,  British 
producer,  will  leave  England  for 
New  York  on  the  i'.S.  Queen  Eliza- 
beth tomorrow. 

• 

Bernard  J.  Prockter,  president  of 
Prockter  Television  Enterprises,  has 
been  appointed  chairman  of  the  radio- 
TV  and  stage  artists  division  of 
United  Jewish  Appeal. 

• 

John  C.  Flinn,  Allied  Artists  di- 
rector of  advertising-publicity,  is  in 
Miami  from  New  York,  accompanied 
by  Harry  Goldstein,  Eastern  pub- 
licity head. 

• 

Rudolph  Jellinek,  general  mana- 
ger of  the  Paramount  International 
office  in   Germany,   will   leave  New 
York  today  by  plane  for  Frankfurt. 
• 

Russell    Holman,  Paramount 
Eastern  production  manager,  will  leave 
New  York  on  Thursday  for  a  10- 
day  vacation  in  Pinehurst,  N.  C. 
• 

William  E.  Osborne,  assistant  ex- 
port manager  of  Allied  Artists'  for- 
eign subsidiary,  has  left  Hollywood 
for  New  Zealand  and  Australia. 
• 

Robert  L.  Jacks,  20th  Century-Fox 
producer,  and  Henry  Hathaway,  di- 
rector, will  leave  Hollywood  for  Eng- 
land on  April  11. 

• 

H.  M.  Richey,  M-G-M  exhibitor 
relations  head,  is  at  White  Plains 
Hospital,  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  for  a 
checkup. 

• 

Reg  Whitley,  London  Daily  Mir- 
ror film  critic,  is  visiting  at  the  Para- 
mount studio  in  Hollywood. 

• 

Howard  Dietz,  M-G-M  advertis- 
ing-publicity head,  returned  here  from 
the  Coast  yesterday. 

• 

Norman  Panama  Paramount  pro- 
ducer, is  in  New  York  from  the  Coast. 


'Rouge*  in  Capitol 
'Golden  Circle* 

"Moulin  Rouge"  will  enter  the 
"golden  circle"  of  the  longest  runs  at 
the  Capitol  Theatre  tomorrow  when 
the  United  Artists  release  begins  the 
eighth  week  of  its  New  York  premiere 
engagement. 

Only  three  films  have  exceeded 
eight  weeks  at  the  Capitol :  "Gone 
With  the  Wind"  played  11  weeks  and 
two  days  in  1939,  "Since  You  Went 
Away"  played  10  weeks  in  1944  and 
"Anchors  Aweigh"  played  10  in  1945. 


To  Honor  Gardiner 

Boston,  March  30.  —  The  Variety 
Club  of  New  England  will  be  host  at 
a  testimonial  luncheon  at  the  Hotel 
Bradford  Roof  Garden  on  April  7  to 
William  H.  Gardiner,  RKO  Radio 
sales  manager  here,  who  is  retiring 
after  40  years  in  the  industry,  27  of 
them  with  RKO.  Arthur  Lockwood 
will  be  toastmaster,  and  William  S. 
Koster,  executive  director  of  the  tent, 
is  in  charge  of  arrangements. 


Leaders  on  Dais  at 
B'nai  B'rith  Affair 


EK  Reports  Improvements 
In  Processes,  Products 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  March  30. — Improvements  in  professional  motion 
picture  and  television  products  and  processes  were  cited  here  by 
Eastman  Kodak  in  the  company's  annual  report  by  Thomas  J.  Hargrave, 
chairman,  and  Dr.  Albert  K.  Chapman,  president. 

A  new  type  of  color  negative  film 
for  professional  motion  pictures  has 
been  developed  for  use  with  tungsten 
rather  than  the  customary  arc  lights. 
This  was  done  at  the  request  of  the 
industry  which  has  sought  cooler  as 
well  as  cheaper,  simpler  ways  to  make 
color  pictures. 

An  experimental  continuous  film 
projector  system  will  make  use  of  an 
entirely  different  method  of  projecting 
films  into  a  TV  transmitter.  Lab- 
oratory tests  are  expected  in  1953. 

A  project  "of  great  future  public 
interest"  is  color  television.  Though 
widespread  color  TV  is  still  in  the 
future,  Kodak  said  it  has  been  experi- 
menting with  photo  materials  for 
color  telecasts.  As  part  of  this  pro- 
gram, the  company  has  installed  an 
experimental  color  TV  "network"  in 
its  laboratories  here.  , 

Kodak  said  sales  of  professional 
films  are  running  at  a  good  level.  "De- 
mand in  this  market  for  color  film 
was  strong,  and  the  television  film 
market  continued  to  grow.  It  was  still, 
however,  a  moderate  part  of  Kodak's 
motion-picture  film  sales,"  it  was 
s  t  cited 

Television  used  400,000,000  feet  of 
film  from  all  sources,  including  Kodak, 
in  1952,  a  gain  of  some  50,000,000  feet 
over  1951. 

Research  may  improve  the  quality 
of  televised  films.  One  development, 
a  continuous  film  projector,  gives  some 
promise  of  making  TV  films  clearer 
and  more  pleasing  to  the  eye  than 
many  live  telecasts,  the  report  dis- 
closed. 


Distribution  and  exhibition  leaders 
have  accepted  the  invitation  of  Cinema 
Lodge,  B'nai  B'rith  to  occupy  the  dais 
at  the  Lodge's  presidents'  luncheon  at 
the  Hotel  Astor  here  on  Wednesday, 
April  8,  at  which  Martin  Levine,  retir- 
ing president,  will  be  honored  and  at 
which  Burt  Robbins,  newly-elected 
president,  will  be  installed,  reports  A. 
W.  Schwalberg,  chairman  of  the 
luncheon  committee. 

Among  those  who  have  already  ac- 
cepted invitations  to  participate  are 
Harry  Brandt,  Alfred  E.  Daff,  George 
Dembow,  Ned  E,  Depinet,  S.  H. 
Fabian,  Charles  J.  Feldman,  Emanuel 
Frisch,  William  German,  Arthur 
Krim,  Edward  Lachman,  Walter 
Reade,  Jr.,  Charles  M.  Reagan,  Sam 
Rinzler,  Herman  Robbins,  Sam  Rosen 
and  Fred  Schwartz. 


Boasberg,  Walton 
Touring  Exchanges 

Charles  Boasberg,  general  sales 
manager  for  RKO  Radio,  and  Edward 
L.  Walton,  executive  assistant  to  J. 
R.  Grainger,  president  of  the  company, 
will  leave  New  York  tomorrow  on  a 
three-week  tour  of  the  company's 
branches  in  Minneapolis,  Seattle,  Port- 
land, San  Francisco  and  Los  Angeles. 

They  will  discuss  distribution  plans 
for  Edmund  Grainger's  "Split  Sec- 
ond," David  E.  Rose's  "Sea  Devils," 
Sol  Lesser's  "The  3-D  Follies,"  RKO- 
Pathe's  "Louisiana  Territory,"  filmed 
in  3-D  with  the  Norling  camera,  and 
"Below  the  Sahara,"  "The  Big  Frame" 
and  "Count  the  Hours." 

On  April  13  Boasberg  and  Walton 
will  join  Grainger  in  Hollywood  for 
meetings  with  Howard  Hughes,  chair- 
man of  the  board,  and  C.  J.  Tevlin,  in 
charge  of  studio  operations. 


Services  Tomorrow 
For  Wm.  Engelhardt 

Funeral  services  for  William  L.  En- 
gelhardt, 61,  for  31  years  a  tax  ac- 
countant with  Loew's,  Inc.,  who  died 
on  Saturday  at  his  home,  in  Rocke- 
ville  Centre,  L.  I.,  after  a  long  illness, 
will  be  held  tomorrow  from  the  Wei- 
gand  Funeral  Home,  Baldwin,  L.  I. 
Burial  will  be  in  Pinelawn  National 
Cemetary.  His  widow  and  two  chil- 
dren survive. 


Theatres  Close  for  Queen 

London,  March  30.  —  Theatres 
throughout  the  country  will  remain 
closed  until  5  :00  P.M.  tomorrow  fol- 
lowing funeral  services  for  Queen 
Mary.  Her  Majesty  was  an  enthusi- 
astic film  "fan"  and  was  regarded  as 
a  faithful  friend  and  patron. 


A.  E.  Chadick  Dies 
In  Ohio  Train  Wreck 

A.  E.  Chadick,  executive  vice- 
president  of  Motion  Picture  Advertis- 
ing Service  of  New  Orleans,  was  one 
of  the  fatalities  in  the  wreck  of  three 
New  York  Central  railroad  trains  in 
Ohio  last  weekend.  Chadick,  who 
was  52  years  old,  had  been  with  the 
company  for  25  years  and  was  well 
known  as  a  host  at  many  exhibitor 
conventions  in  his  post  as  director  of 
theatre  relations. 

Before  joining  MP  AS,  Chadick 
had  been  manager  of  the  Saenger 
Theatre  in  New  Orleans.  His  broth- 
er, Joseph  Chadick  of  Dallas,  made 
the  identification  and  arranged  for 
funeral  services  in  New  Orleans. 

Other  survivors  are  his  widow, 
Doris,  and  a  daughter,  in  New  Or- 
leans. 


'Ike*  Asks  Congress 
For  Tax  Commission 

Washington,  March  30.  —  Presi- 
dent Eisenhower  today  asked  Con- 
gress to  set  up  a  commission  to  study 
overlapping  taxes  and  other  Federal- 
state-local  relations. 

He  urged  prompt  action  so  the  com- 
mission could  have  its  report  ready 
for  the  next  session  of  Congress. 


Bell  TV  Network 
Has  126  Stations 

Two  more  television  sta- 
tions have  been  added  to  the 
Bell  Telephone  System's  na- 
tionwide network  of  televi- 
sion facilities.  The  two  sta- 
tions are  WICC-TV,  Bridge- 
port, Conn,  and  KVTV,  Sioux 
City,  la. 

Network  programs  are  fed 
to  Bridgeport  from  the  New 
York-Boston  radio-relay  route 
and  to  Sioux  City  from  the 
transcontinental  radio  relay 
system  at  Omaha.  With  the 
addition  of  the  two  stations, 
inter-city  network  programs 
are  now  available  to  126  tele- 
vision stations  in  81  cities  in 
the  United  States. 


Chretien  Hopes  to 
Adapt  for  Video 


Professor  Henri  Chretien,  the  in- 
ventor of  20th  Century  Fox's  Cinema- 
Scope  wide  screen  process,  is  now  in- 
volved in  adapting  his  system  to  give 
depth  to  home  television  programs, 
according  to  dispatches  from  Paris. 

The  74-year-old  scientist  said  that 
his  process  was  available  to  the  film 
industry  years  ago,  but  there  was  no 
response  then.  He  finds  his  system  in 
demand  by  the  film  industry  when  he 
hopes  to  apply  it  to  television. 


Eastman  Resignation 
Brings  WB  Changes 

With  the  resignation  of  Clayton 
Eastman  as  branch  manager  for  War- 
ner Brothers  in  Buffalo  to  go  into 
business  for  himself,  Ben  Kalmenson, 
Warner  vice-president  in  charge  of 
distribution,  has  effected  the  follow- 
ing changes  : 

James  S.  Abrose  is  appointed  branch 
manager  in  Cincinnati ;  Ralph  H.  Dun- 
bar, Cincinnati  branch  manager,  has 
been  made  branch  manager  in  Mil- 
waukee ;  Nat  Marcus.  Milwaukee 
branch  manager,  is  appointed  branch 
manager  in  Buffalo. 


NEW  YORK  THEATRES 


RADIO  CITY  MUSIC  HALL 


— «— — —    Rockefeller  Center  — 

DORIS  DAY  •  GORDON  MacRAE 

"BY  THE  LIGHT  OF 
THE  SILVERY  MOON" 

Color  by  Technicolor  —  A  Warner  Bros.  Picture  J 
Plus   The  Music  Hall's  Great  Easter  Stage  Show  ! 


"w  Alfred  Hitchcock's 

1  Confess 

MONTGOMERY  CLIFT 

anne  BAXTER  f 


Midnight  Ftalvr* 


MOTION  PICTURE  DAILY.  Martin  Quigley  Editor-in-Chief  and  Publisher;  Sherwin  Kane,  Editor;  Terry  Ramsaye,  Consulting-  Editor.  Published  daily,  except  Saturdays, 
Sundays  and  holidays,  by  Quigley  Publishing-  Company,  Inc.,  12/0  Sixth  Avenue,  Rockefeller  Center,  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  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;  James  P.  Cunningham,  News  Editor;  Herbert  V.  Fecke,  Advertising  Manager;  Gus  H.  F'ausel,  Production  Manager;  Hollywood  Bureau,  Yucca- Vine  "  Building, 
William  R.  Weaver,  Editor.  Chicago  Bureau.  120  South  LaSalle  Street.  Urhen  Farley,  Advertising  Representative,  FI  6-3074-  Bruce  Trinz  Editorial  Representative  11  North 
Clark  Street,  FR  2-2843.  Washington,  J.  A.  Otten,  National  Press  Club,  Washington,  D.  C.  London  Bureau,  4  Golden  Sq.,  London  WT  Hope  Burnup  Manager;  Peter  Burnvp, 
Editor;  cable  address,  "Quigpubco,  London."  Other  Quigley  Publications:  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Better  Theatres  and  Theatre  Sales,  each  published  13  times  a  year  as  a  section 
of  Motion  Picture  Herald;  Motion  Picture  and  Television  Almanac;  Fame.  Entered  as  second-class  matter,  Sept.  21,  193S  at  the  post  office  at  New  York  N.  Y.,  under  the  act 
of  March  3,  1879.  Subscription  rates  per  year,  $6  in  the  Americas  and  $12  foreign;  single  copies,  10c. 


MAGIC  CARPET.. 

from  here 
• . .  to  there! 


By  the  reel,  it's  just  so  much  film.  On  the  screen,  it's 
freedom  ...  a  magic  carpet— from  here—to  there. 

Actually,  there's  nothing  in  the  world  quite  like  a 
good  show. . .  nothing  so  relaxing  . .  .  nothing  so  rewarding. 

That's  why  it's  so  important  that  all  details  be  precisely 
attended  to.  That's  why  the  industry  is  so  keenly  interested 
in  latest  technics;  why  the  Eastman  Technical  Service  for 
Motion  Picture  Film,  in  turn,  is  so  earnest  in  its  co-operation, 
with  every  phase  of  the  industry. 

Branches  at  strategic  centers.  Inquiries  invited. 
Address:  Motion  Picture  Film  Department, 

EASTMAN  KODAK  COMPANY,  Rochester  4,  N.  Y. 


£asf  Coast  Division, 
342  Madison  Avenue, 
New  York  1 7,  N.  Y. 


Midwest  Division, 

1 37  North  Wabash  Avenue, 

Chicago  2,  Illinois. 


West  Coast  Division, 
6706  Santa  Monka  Blvd., 
Hollywood  38,  California. 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  31,  1953 


Trust  Suits 


{Continued  from-  page  1) 

which  range  from  one  to  20  years. 
Exhibitors  had  urged  a  Federal  statute 
of  at  least  five  or  six  years ;  pro- 
ducers had  sought  a  much  shorter 
time  limit. 

Under  the  sub-committee  bill,  the 
new  statute  would  not  go  into  effect 
until  six  months  after  the  bill  becomes 
law.  It  would  not  be  retroactive, 
either — that  is,  if,  at  the  time  the  bill 
becomes  law,  a  private  suit  arising 
out  of  past  damages  were  barred  by 
a  two  or  three  or  four-year  statute, 
it  would  not  be  revived  by  the  longer 
Federal  statute.  This  is  a  vctory  for 
film  producers,  who  had  feared  that  a 
long  Federal  statute  might  revive 
many  claims  barred  under  state  laws. 

However,  any  case  which,  six 
months  after  enactment,  still  would  not 
be  banned  by  the  state  statute  would 
get  the  full  five  years  of  the  Federal 
law. 

The  bill  would  also  change  the  pres- 
ent law's  provision  on  the  effect  a 
government  anti-trust  suit  has  on  ex- 
tending the  time  limit  for  private 
cases.  At  present,  the  statute  of  lim- 
itations is  "tolled"  or  "extended" 
while  a  government  anti-trust  suit  is 
pending.  Under  the  pending  bill,  if 
the  five-year  period  had  expired  while 
the  government  suit  was  pending,  the 
private  parties  would  have  one  year 
after  the  end  of  the  government  suit 
in  which  to  bring  their  suits. 

The  bill  would  also  give  the  gov- 
ernment power  to  sue  for  actual — 
rather  than  treble — damages  when  it  is 
directly  injured  by  an  anti-trust  vio- 
lation. 


SIMPP  Demands 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Italian  government  and  signed  by  the 
companies  before  the  accord  becomes 
effective,  indicating  that  changes  may 
be  made  before  the  pact  becomes  a 
fact. 

Eric  Johnston,  president  of  the  Mo- 
tion Picture  Association  of  America, 
who  now  is  in  Rome,  cabled  the 
AIPAA  office  here  yesterday,  asking 
for  recommendations  which  will  lead 
to  a  final  agreement.  Arnall  said  that 
there  were  many  points  that  were  not 
clear  and  that  SIMPP's  position  could 
not  be  stated  officially  until  the  terms 
of  the  pact  had  been  given  further 
study. 


G.P.E.  Profits 


{Continued,  from  page  1) 


Italians  Hope 

( Continued  from  page  1 ) 

ceived  reports  from  the  U.  S.  on  the 
necessity  of  breaking  the  present 
predominance  of  Italian  exhibitors 
who  practically  controlled  the  Italian 
market  owing  to  the  protective  bill 
which  expires  in  August.  This  meas- 
ure forbids  guaranteed  minimums  and 
establishes  film  rentals  and  percent- 
ages. 

Monaco  is  reported  to  have  told 
Johnston  that  he  would  urge  the  Ital- 
ian government  not  to  extend  those 
protective  regulations. 


cent  gain  over  the  previous  year's 
$29,872,429.  However,  sales  of  motion 
picture  equipment  and  supplies,  an  im- 
portant phase  of  the  company's  opera- 
tions, were  slightly  lower  last  year. 
Hermann  Place,  G.  P.  E.  board  chair- 
man and  president,  attributed  the  de- 
cline to  restrictions  on  theatre  con- 
struction, particularly  drive-ins,  and 
to  the  generally  unsatisfactory  box- 
office   condition   last  year. 

Place  told  stockholders  that  the 
ending  of  construction  restrictions  and 
the  advent  of  3-D  processes  should 
"substantially  stimulate  the  company's 
sales." 


In  Fabian  Drive-in  Post 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  30.— Phil 
Rapp,  manager  of  the  State,  Schenec- 
tady, has  been  named  supervisor  of 
the  Mohawk  and  Saratoga  drive-ins 
by  Saul  J.  Ullman,  Fabian  division 
manager.  During  his  absence  from  the 
State,  Rapp's  brother,  Lou,  will  have 
charge  of  that  theatre,  as  well  as  the 
Erie. 


Says  Md.  Censor  Bill 
Would  Hit  Schools 

Baltimore,  March  30.  —  Dr.  John 
H.  Fischer,  Baltimore  public  schools 
superintendent,  declares  any  bill  to 
tighten  film  censorship  in  Maryland 
would  bring  the  censor's  stamp  in  the 
classroom  or  public  schools. 

He  declares  the  proposal  to  expand 
censorship  as  now  before  the  General 
Assembly  would  rob  school  officials  of 
their  traditional  right  to  choose  films 
as  they  have  text  books.  An  amended 
bill  concerning  censorship  laws  has 
been  prepared  by  Sydney  Traub,  chair- 
man of  Maryland's  three-man  censor 
board. 


F  &  M  Wins  Point  in 
Suit  vs.  Paramount 

The  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals 
here  yesterday  ruled  for  Fanchon  & 
Marco  in  an  appeal  as  to  its  right 
as  a  stockholder  to  bring  suit  in  the 
name  of  the  Paramount  Hollywood 
Theatre  Corp.,  which  is  50  per  cent 
owned  by  F.  &  M.  and  50  per  cent 
by  Paramount  Pictures. 

Paramount  had  declined  to  join  with 
F.  &  M.  in  bringing  an  anti-trust  suit 
on  behalf  of  the  Hollywood  Para- 
mount against  Paramount  Pictures. 
Harry  C.  Arthur,  Jr.,  F.  &  M.  presi- 
dent, said  the  court's  ruling  means 
that  "Paramount  Hollywood  Theatre 
Corp.  shall  be  entitled  to  a  trial  of 
the  anti-trust  suit  against  Paramount 
Pictures." 


NEWS 

in  Brief 


Yankee  Network  to 
Map  MGM  Campaign 

Representatives  of  the  Yankee  Net- 
work throughout  New  England  will 
meet  in  Boston  today  to  discuss  the 
television  and  radio  campaign  on  M- 
G-M-'s  re-issue  of  "Trader  Horn," 
which  starts  250  New  England  dates 
on  April  18.  This  will  be  one  of  the 
biggest  air  medium  saturation  cam- 
paigns yet  attempted  by  Metro,  with 
concentration  on  TV,  the  company 
reports. 

Attending  the  sessions  from  New 
York  will  be  Ernest  Emerling  and 
Emery  Austin  of  M-G-M,  and  Terry 
Turner,  representing  Mutual  Broad- 
casting System,  of  which  the  Yankee 
Network  is  an  affiliate. 


H.  M.  Warner  Adds  to 
Stock  Holdings 

Washington,  March  30.  —  Harry 
M.  Warner,  president  of  Warner 
Bros.,  bought  2,200  shares  of  his  com- 
pany's common  stock  in  February,  in- 
creasing his  holdings  to  245,200  shares, 
according  to  a  report  to  the  Securi- 


London,  March  30. —  J.  Arthur 
Rank  has  directed  that  400  of  his 
Odeon  and  Gaumont  theatres  be  made 
available  to  Methodist  ministers  who 
wish  to  speak  to  audiences  from  the 
stage  during  the  Easter  period. 

In  addition,  Rank,  a  devoted  church- 
man, has  arranged  for  25  of  his  thea- 
tres, which  normally  would  be  closed 
on  Good  Friday  in  accordance  with 
local  ordinances,  to  open  for  religious 
services  and  film  shows  arranged  in 
conjunction  with  the  Methodist 
Church  Home  Mission. 

Special  Easter  services  and  the 
showing  of  a  45-minute  film,  "Which 
Will  Ye  Have?",  made  to  the  order 
of  Rank's  Religious  Films,  Ltd.,  have 
been  arranged  at  the  25  theatres  ordi- 
narily closed  on  that  day.  No  admis- 
sion charge  will  be  made. 

0 

Because  the  Edison  Electric  In- 
stitute is  planning  a  75th  anniversary 
jubilee  commemorating  Thomas  A. 
Edison's  introduction  of  electric  light, 
Jules  Levey,  currently  producing  "The 
Story  of  Edison,"  may  hold  up  the 
release  of  his  picture  in  order  to  tie 
in  with  the  celebration.  The  Insti- 
tute, which  represents  various  Edison 
companies,  is  planning  the  observance 
for  late  this  year  and  has  contacted 
Levey  on  cooperating  in  the  promo- 
tion. 

• 

Portland,  Ore.,  March  30. — 
Thomas  J.  Walsh,  veteran  exhibitor 
and  distributor,  will  succeed  Jack 
Matlack  as  executive  assistant  to  Mrs. 
J.  J.  Parker  of  the  Parker  Theatres. 
Matlack  has  resigned  after  eight  years 
with  the  company  to  operate  a 
drive-in. 

• 

Philadelphia,  March  30.  —  A 
Stanley- Warner  Theatres-Philadel- 
phia Daily  News  $25,000  "Dream 
Home"  contest  opened  here  last  week 
and  has  so  far  drawn  a  record  re- 
sponse, according  to  Ted  Schlanger, 
S-W  zone  manager. 

Part  of  a  "Showmanship  Crusade" 
said  to  be  the  biggest  promotional 
campaign  ever  embarked  on  by  a 
group  of  theatres,  the  house — as  well 
as  furnishings  and  a  1953  Chevrolet — 
will  go  to  a  patron  of  an  S-W  house 
in  Philadelphia. 

e 

Hollywood,  March  30.  —  Jack  L. 
Warner,  executive  producer,  leaves 
next  weekend  to  attend  the  world 
premiere  of  Warner  Brothers'  "House 
of  Wax"  in  New  York  at  the  Para- 
mount Theatre  on  April  10. 


Reject  Resignation 

{Continued  from  page  1) 


Video  Independent  Theatres  taking 
membership  in  the  newly  formed  Okla- 
homa Allied  unit  as  well  as  Loewen- 
stein's  TOA  group. 

The  board  also  changed  the  conven- 
tion date  from  May  to  September, 
feeling-  that  by  the  latter  month  there 
will  be  more  definite  information  on 
the  questions  of  3-D  development  and 
admission  tax  exemption. 

ties  &  Exchange  Commission.  Warner 
also  has  a  beneficiary  interest  in  a 
trust  of  16,000  shares. 

Also  reported  was  the  purchase  of 
2,500  shares  of  20th  Century-Fox  com- 
mon in  February  by  Robert  Lehman, 
a  director,  bringing  his  holdings  to 
10,000  shares. 


Charity  Drive 


{Continued,  from  page  1) 

Pictures,  who  is  chairman  of  the  mo- 
tion pictures  committee. 

George  J.  Schaefer  is  treasurer  of 
the  drive  and  L.  Douglas  Netter,  Jr., 
of  Altec  Service  Corp.,  is  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  committee. 

The  committee  includes  the  fol- 
lowing: Frank  J.  Alford,  Motion  Pic- 
ture Export  Association;  Charles  A. 
and  John  W.  Alicoate,  Film  Daily; 
William  E.  Barry,  Shea  Enterprises ; 
Frank  E.  Cahill,  Jr.,  Warner  Broth- 
ers ;  Francis  X.  Carroll,  20th  Cen- 
tury-Fox ;  Patrick  Casey,  Casey  En- 
terprises ;  Thomas  J.  Connors ;  Robert 
W.  Coyne,  COMPO ;  Thomas  Crehan, 
RKO  Theatres ;  William  Gronin, 
Comerford  Theatres ;  John  Dervin, 
Allied  Artists. 

Also,  Russell  V.  Downing,  Radio 
City  Music  Hall ;  Al  Duryea,  Pathe 
Laboratories ;  Joseph  Eagan,  and  Si 
Fabian,  Fabian  Theatres;  James  M. 
Franey,  United  World  Films ;  James 
M.  Geoghan,  Century  Theatres ;  Ed- 
mund C.  Grainger,  RKO  Theatres ; 
James  R.  Grainger,  RKO  Pictures ; 
William  J.  Heineman,  United  Artists ; 
Walter  F.  J.  Higgins,  Prudential 
Theatres ;  William  W.  Howard,  RKO 
Theatres;  John  Hughes,  United  Art- 
ists. 

Also,  John  Kane,  Columbia ;  Sher- 
win  Kane,  Motion  Picture  Daily; 
Austin  C.  Keough,  Paramount ;  Frank 
J.  Kiernan,  Stanley- Warner ;  Fred 
Lynch,  Radio  City  Music  Hall ; 
Thomas  J.  Martin,  Warner  Brothers ; 
Paul  C.  Mooney,  Sr.,  National  Screen 
Service;  Peter  J.  Mooney,  Audio 
Productions ;  James  Mulvey,  Samuel 
Goldwyn  Productions ;  John  F.  Mur- 
phy, Loew's ;  William  P.  Murphy, 
Republic ;  Joseph  A.  McConville,  Col- 
umbia ;  Joseph  E.  McMahon,  Repub- 
lic;  William  J.  McShea,  RKO  Pic- 
tures ;  Paul  D.  O'Brien,  O'Brien, 
Driscoll  &  Raftery;  Robert  H. 
O'Brien,  American  Broadcasting- 
Paramount  Theatres. 

Also,  Thomas  F.  O'Connor,  RKO 
Theatres;  Charles  L.  O'Reilly,  ABC 
Vending  Corp. ;  Edward  K.  O'Shea, 
Paramount  Film  Distributing  Co. ; 
Martin  Quigley;  Charles  M.  Reagan, 
M-G-M;  Phil  Reisman,  Joseph  P. 
Kennedy  Industries ;  Herman  Rob- 
bins,  National  Screen  Service ;  George 
J.  Schaefer ;  George  Skouras,  Skouras 
Theatres;  Spyros  P.  Skouras,  20th 
Century-Fox ;  Edward  J.  Smith,  Jr., 
RKO  Pictures;  Nick  Tronolone; 
Frank  C.  Walker,  Comerford  The- 
atres;  Richard  F.  Walsh,  IATSE, 
and  William  A.  White. 


Amusement  Unit  for 
N.  Y.  Catholic  Appeal 

A  radio,  television  and  theatre 
committee  has  been  organized  to  work 
in  behalf  of  the  1953  New  York 
Catholic  Charities  Appeal.  Eugene  J. 
McCarthy  of  Columbia  Broadcasting 
is  chairman,  assisted  by  these  vice- 
chairmen  :  William  D.  Gargan, 
William  Gargan  Productions  ;  "Uncle 
Jim"  Harkins,  of  National  Broadcast- 
ing ;  Thomas  J.  McDermott,  N.  W. 
Ayer  and  Son,  and  James  McGarry, 
of  Batten,  Barton,  Durstine  & 
Osborn. 

The  group  will  serve  as  a  unit  of 
the  special  gifts  committee  of  the  Car- 
dinal's committee  of  the  laity,  of 
which  John  A.  Coleman  is  executive 
chairman.  The  goal  of  the  Catholic 
Charities  Appeal  this  year  is  $2,- 
477,138,  of  which  the  special  gifts 
committee  has  accepted  a  quota  of 
$1,000,000. 


Tuesday,  March  31,  1953 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


New  3-D  Flurry 


(Continued  from  page  1) 

Randolph.  Philadelphia,  and  Para- 
mount, New  York. 

In  Northern  Ohio,  70  theatres  or 
an  estimated  17  per  cent  of  the  total 
number  in  that  section  have  contracts 
for  3-D  equipment  installations  with 
National  Theatre  Supply  Co.,  NTS 
branch  manager  Frank  Masek  dis- 
closed. 

In  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  the  Riveria 
Theatre  plans  to  be  the  first  house  in 
that  city  to  put  in  3-D  projection 
equipment. 

Meanwhile  in  Canada,  46  the- 
atres in  key  cities,  representing 
most  of  the  major  circuits,  plan 
to  present  United  Artists'  3-D 
"Bwana  Devil"  beginning  to- 
morrow. At  the  same  time, 
Canadian  general  manager  for 
Warner  Brothers,  H.  M.  Mas- 
ters, announced  in  Toronto  that 
the  Canadian  premiere  of  WB's 
3-D  "House  of  Wax"  will  be 
held  at  10  Famous  Players'  the- 
atres across  the  country  on 
April  23  or  24. 

In  Portland,  Ore.,  13  CinemaScope 
installations  have  been  ordered  by 
Pacific  Northwest  Theatres,  accord- 
ing to  Frank  L.  Newman,  Sr.,  presi- 
dent of  Evergreen  Theatres  in  Ore- 
gon and  Washington.  William  Thed- 
ford,  Evergreen  vice-president,  said 
the  CinemaScope  screens  have  been 
ordered  for  installation  by  Oct.  1. 

Sterophonic  sound  and  3-D  screens 
are  slated  for  11  of  the  J.  J.  Parker 
Theatres  in  Washington  and  Oregon, 
Mrs.  J.  J.  Parker,  disclosed. 

In  Nashville,  Kermit  Stengel,  ex- 
ecutive vice-president  of  Crescent 
Amusement  Co.,  announced  plans  for 
equipping  Crescent  houses  with  the 
20th  Century-Fox  wide  screen  proc- 
ess. The  Tennessee,  Paramount  and 
Knickerbocker,  Nashville,  are  the 
houses  to  which  first  installations  are 
likely  to  be  made. 


'Go  Slow  on  3-D' 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


dustry  may  be  plunged  into  invest- 
ments which  it  cannot  afford  and 
which  might  damage  future  patronage 
through  the  exploitation  of  inferior  or 
unsatisfactory  systems. 

Analyzing  the  various  American 
systems,  Knopp's  report  comments  that 
"They  have  lain  dormant  for  many 
years  and  it  seems  that  they  have  only 
recently  been  brought  forward,  par- 
ticularly in  America,  as  a  means  of 
arresting  decline  in  cinema  audiences." 

Meanwhile,  "Bwana  Devil,"  which 
was  given  an  acid  reception  by  critics 
here,  continues  to  play  to  outstanding 
business  at  J.  Arthur  Rank  houses 
here  and  in  Leeds,  Birmingham  and 
Glasgow. 

Sir  Alexander  King,  Scottish  ex- 
hibitor, said  :  "It  puts  back  the  indus- 
try 20  years.  I  went  to  be  entertained. 
I  cam.e  out  with  a  headache." 

There  are  indications  here  that  a 


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Short 
Subject 


"The  Alaska  Eskimo" 

(Disney-RKO  Radio) 

This  is  the  first  in  a  new  series  of 
Walt  Disney  films  portraying  "inter- 
esting people  and  places"  and  it  shapes 
up  as  one  of  the  most  interesting  fea- 
turettes  to  come  along  in  quite  a  spell. 
Filmed  in  color  by  Technicolor  with 
the  cooperation  of  the  U.  S.  Depart- 
ment of  the  Interior's  Alaska  Native 
Service,  the  picture  traces  the  daily 
life  of  a  hardy  Eskimo  family  through 
the  four  seasons  of  the  year,  depict- 
ing the  preparations  that  must  be  made 
in  the  summer  for  the  long  and  diffi- 
cult winter. 

Hunting,  fishing,  playing,  prepara- 
tion of  food  from  a  captured  whale, 
gathering  of  drift  wood,  the  making 
of  clothes — all  are  in  the  day's  work 
in  the  typical  Eskimo  village.  The  fine 
photography  is  embellished  by  excel- 
lent descriptive  commentary.  The  pic- 
ture is  deserving  of  marquee  billing 
and  some  extra  advertising. 

Alfred  G.  Milotte  photographed  the 
subject,  which  is  narrated  by  Winston 
Hibler.  Running  time,  27  minutes. 


Stereo  Showing 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


identical  scene  in  each  instance.  He 
also  presented  a  formula  for  deter- 
mining in  advance  the  locating  of  each 
sequence  in  relation  to  the  screen. 
The  interocular  of  his  camera  can 
he  moved  to  zero,  whereas  others 
have  a  minimum  of  three-quarters  of 
an   inch,    he  explained. 

The  Ramsdell  35mm.  cameras  are 
placed  at  right  angles  to  each  other, 
with  the  "left  eye"  camera  photo- 
graphing in  conventional  two  dimen- 
sions, while  the  lens  of  the  second 
camera  photographs  the  images  re- 
flected on  a  mirror  in  front  of  the 
first  camera. 

The  demonstrations  included  both 
slides  and  motion  pictures.  The  re- 
sults were  outstanding,  giving  vivid 
depth  and  clear  images  in  long  and 
medium  shots  and  close-ups.  Polar- 
ized glasses  are  necessary,  but,  as 
Ramsdell  pointed  out,  the  viewers 
should  not  be  difficult  on  the  eyes 
if  mathematical  precision  has  been 
achieved  in  both  production  and  ex- 
hibition. 

Ramsdell  said  that  he  had  shown 
the  equipment  to  some  Hollywood 
producers  and,  while  no  deals  were 
set,  prospective  contracts  were  in 
the  "talking  stage."  A.S. 


subtle  attack  by  interests  concerned 
may  be  made  on  polarized  glasses  on 
the  ground  of  public  risk  from  imper- 
fectly sterilized  viewers. 


3-D  Used  to  Lower 
Texas  Ticket  Tax 


Local  H-63 

(Continued  from  page  1) 

to  New  York  of  Richard  Walsh, 
IATSE  president,  before  proceeding 
on  the  next  step  in  breaking  the"  im- 
passe. Walsh  is  due  back  from  an  out- 
of-town  trip  tomorrow  and  he  will  be 
consulted  on  the  question  of  whether 
the  "IA"  will  step  into  the  contro- 
versy. 

To  date,  distributors  have  rejected 
the  union's  demands  for  a  number  of 
points  including  a  25  per  cent  wage 
increase,  a  re-scaling  of  the  work- 
week and  other  proposals. 


Austin,  Tex.,  March  30.— The  ex- 
pected increased  revenues  from  three- 
dimensional  films  were  used  with  suc- 
cess in  lowering  the  Texas  tax  on 
admission  taxes. 

The  Texas  Legislature  approved 
and  sent  to  Gov.  Allan  Shivers  a  bill 
slashing  state  taxes  on  theatre  tickets 
— exempting  all  tickets  selling  for  less 
than  80  cents.  The  tax  rate  on 
all  tickets  from  80  cents  to  $1  would 
be  lower,  but  the  state  would  con- 
tinue to  take  10  per  cent  of  higher 
price  tickets.  It  now  levies  a  flat  10 
per  cent  on  all  tickets  costing  over 
50  cents. 

One  reason  for  the  legislative  nod : 
Sponsors  of  the  bill  claim  revenues 
from  ticket  tax  collections  would  not 
decline  as  a  result  of  the  tax  cut. 
They  pointed  to  3-D,  saying  it  would 
help  assure  tax  payments  during  1953 
to  exceed  1952's. 


Mason  Bill 

(Continued,  from  page  1) 


ally,  was  because  "this  industry  is  an 
emergency  case.  We  want  to  save 
the  theatres  in  our  small  towns." 

In  any  event,  industry  officials  have 
always  felt  that  getting  hearings  was 
the  first  necessary  step,  and  have  been 
confident  that  they  can  present  a  good 
enough  case  at  the  hearings  to  get 
favorable  action  at  this  session. 

A  good  part  of  the  industry's  pres- 
entation will  be  built  around  the  22- 
minute  film,  "The  Case  Against  the 
Admission  Tax."  Theatre  owner  wit- 
nesses will  argue  that  the  tax  is  forc- 
ing theatres  to  close  at  the  rate  of 
three  to  five  a  day.  They  will  em- 
phasize that  4,500  theatres  have  closed 
during  the  last  five  years,  and  predict 
that  another  1,500  will  close  in  the 
next  year  if  the  tax  is  not  lifted. 


Rathner  Gets  Rights 
To  3-D  Attachment 

Harry  Rathner  disclosed  here  yes- 
terday that  he  had  obtained  sales  and 
distribution  rights  to  an  attachment 
to  the  presently-used  projector,  de- 
veloped by  the  Nord  Co.,  which  en- 
ables a  3-D  film  made  with  two  cam- 
eras to  be  projected.  The  Nord  Co., 
which  manufactures  optical  and  mo- 
tion picture  equipment,  has  also  de- 
veloped a  single-camera  3-D  system, 
Rathner  revealed. 

Rathner  is  currently  negotiating 
with  distributors  here  to  get  samples 
of  two-camera  3-D  films  in  order  to 
give  a  demonstration  of  the  attach- 
ment. 


Zimbalist  to  Head 
New  3-D  Company 

Hollywood,  March  30. — The  form- 
ation of  Tru- Stereo  Corp.,  which  will 
supply  3-D,  photographing  equipment 
and  technical  staffs  to  independent 
producers,  was  announced  here  today. 
Al  Zimbalist,  who  last  week  com- 
pleted filming  on  "Robot  Monster" 
in  Tru-Stereo  3-D,  is  president  and 
chairman  of  the  board. 

The  base  terms  to  producers  for  the 
feature  use  of  Tru-Stereo  is  $15,000 
plus  2J4  per  cent  of  the  picture's 
gross;  or  $30,000  outright.  The  terms 
are  sharply  below  those  announced 
heretofore  by  other  companies  offer- 
ing a  similar  service. 


Goldwyn 


(Continued,  from  page  1) 


will  add  an  illusion  of  greater  depth. 
He  indicated  he  didn't  think  screen 
processes  requiring  the  use  of  pola- 
road  glasses  would  be  successful  for 
long  because  of  the  practical  prob- 
lems involved. 

Goldwyn  said  he  hopes  to  obtain 
film  production  rights  to  "Guys  and 
Dolls"  and,  rejecting  reports  that  he 
might  retire,  said  he  will  continue 
making  motion  pictures  "as  long  as 
I  live." 

He  noted  that  he  is  a  stockholder 
in  United  Artists  Theatres  and 
through  that  organization  a  stock- 
holder in  the  new  Magna  Theatre 
Corp.,  which  has  developed  a  65mm. 
wide  screen  film  process  which  Gold- 
wyn believes  could  very  well  be  the 
system   for   the  future. 

Queried  about  the  effect  of  adver- 
tising, publicity  and  exploitation  on 
the  grosses  of  a  picture,  Goldwyn 
said  that  if  a  picture  doesn't  do 
well  on  opening  day  all  the  publicity 
and  advertising  in  the  world  won't 
help  it.  "People  recommend  to  others 
pictures  they  like,  not  pictures  they 
don't  like." 


sBwana'  Hot  in  Chi. 
1st  Outlying  Runs 

Chicago,  March  30.  —  "Bwana 
Devil,"  which  broke  in  its  first  out- 
lying run  in  and  around  Chicago  this 
past  Friday,  is  racking  up  top  grosses 
in  most  situations,  it  is  reported,  with 
a  total  of  over  $260,000  having  been 
taken  in  by  37  houses  over  the  week- 
end and  three  downstate  houses  for  a 
full  seven  days  last  week. 

Reports  from  the  drive-ins,  among 
the  first  in  the  country  to  run  a  3-D 
piciture  outdoors,  indidate  that  the 
picture  was  satisfactory. 

Most  theatres  raised  their  prices  for 
the  showing,  with  many  going  to  74 
cents  for  matinees,  98  cents  at  night, 
and  50  cents  for  kids  in  houses  where 
the  top  price  ordinarily  is  74  cents  for 
adults  with  kids  20  or  25  cents  at  all 
times. 


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service.  Delicious  compli- 
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except  Sky  Tourist  service 
in  the  U.  S. 

See  your  travel  agent  or  call 
TWA,  Trans  World  Airlines 


6 


Motion  Picture  Daily 


Tuesday,  March  31,  1953 


Mo  Hon  Pictu  re  Da  ilyFeatu  re  Re  vie  ws 


ft 


Kansas  Pacific 

(Allied  Artists)  Hollywood,  March  30 

IN  view  of  the  fact  that  films  have  neglected  that  exciting  period  of 
American  development  just  before  the  Civil  War,  this  story  about  the 
building  of  a  railroad  which  the  Union  Army  is  to  need  if  war  comes,  and 
the  efforts  of  Southern  sympathizers  to  prevent  its  construction,  has  a  basic 
advantage  which  it  maintains  to  the  end.  This  is  due  to  some  unhesitant 
exercising  of  imaginative  invention.  The  picture  is  helped  by  such  names  as 
Sterling  Hayden  and  Barton  MacLane,  plus  Cinecolor,  and  is  backed  by  the 
happy  precedent  that  railroad  films  have  always  commanded  a  large  and 
enthusiastic  following. 

The  production  is  by  Walter  Wanger,  with  Edward  Morey,  Jr.,  in  asso- 
ciation, the  direction  is  by  Ray  Nazarro,  and  the  writing  by  Dan  Ullman, 
a  prolific  scrivener  who  is  not  afraid  to  let  his  fancy  take  a  small  flier  in 
the  interests  of  the  cash  customer.  Thus,  in  this  case,  he  identifies  his  fic- 
tional hero's  chief  adversary  as  the  William  Quantrill  whose  savage  raiders 
(but  not  in  this  picture)  shamed  both  the  Union  and  the  Confederacy  before 
being  disposed  of.  He  obtains  a  powerfully  dramatic  effect  by  having  Quan- 
trill and  his  pals  shell  a  Kansas  Pacific  train  with  cannon  mounted  on  an 
overlooking  mountain.  Then  he  tops  this  ingenious  plot  device  by  having  the 
Union  sympathizers  mount  a  cannon  on  a  camouflaged  flat  car  and  fire  back 
at  the  artillery-men  on  the  mountain,  fatally.  It  sounds  fairly  preposterous, 
but  it  plays  extremely  well. 

_  Hayden  plays  a  Union  Army  officer  assigned  to  aid  MacLane,  a  construc- 
tion boss,  in  the  building  of  a  railroad  that  is  being  sabotaged  by  persons  of 
opposite  political  views  and  of  no  principles  whatever.  Eve  Miller  is  seen 
as  MacLane's  marriageable  daughter,  party  of  the  second  part,  in  a  routine 
romance  with  Hayden  and  Harry  Shannon.  Reed  Hadley  is  a  suitably 
sinister  Quantrill. 

Others  in  the  cast  are  Tom  Fadden,  Johnathan  Hale,  Douglas  Fowley, 
Bob  Keys,  Irving  Bacon,  Myron  Healey,  James  Griffith  and  Clayton  Moore. 
Running  time,  73  minutes.   General  audience  classification. 


Lone  Hand 

(  Universal-International) 

AGAINST  AN  ATTRACTIVE  color  by  Technicolor  outdoor  background, 
this  definitely  merchandisable  large-scale  Western  unwinds  to  the  tune 
of  ample  action  and  gunplay,  little  marred  by  story  improbabilities.  Starring 
Joel  McCrea  and  Barbara  Hale,  the  film  is  essentially  about  a  relationship 
between  father  and  son. 

McCrea,  following  the  death  of  his  wife,  decides  to  settle  down  on  a  farm 
with  his  young  son,  Jimmy  Hunt.  Unfortunately,  the  territory  is  being  con- 
stantly harassed  by  a  band  of  outlaws.  At  first  McCrea,  insists  upon  steering 
clear  from  any  attempt  to  combat  the  outlaws,  all  of  which  has  a  disheartening 
effect  upon  his  son.  Eventually,  in  an  effort  to  make  some  easy  money, 
McCrea  joins  up^with  the  outlaws  in  some  of  their  raids.  Upon  discovering 
this,  the  youngster  is  completely  broken.  Woven  into  the  Joseph  Hoffman 
screenplay  is  McCrea's  romance  and  marriage  with  Miss  Hale.  Soon  she 
learns  about  McCrea's  surreptitious  missions  and  friction  develops  to  a  point 
that  imperils  their  marriage. 

As  the  story  proceeds  to  its  climax  it  is  disclosed  that  McCrea  is  a  Pinker- 
ton  detective.  The  showdown  sees  his  scheme  to  snare  the  outlaw  leader 
backfire.  It  is  a  close  call  but  luck  pulls  McCrea  out  of  it.  The  inevitable 
hero-villain  fist  fight  .concludes  the  story  happily. 

Others  in  the  cast  of  this  Howard  Christie  production,  which  was  directed 
by  George  Sherman,  are  Alex  Nicol  and  Charlie  Drake,  both  villains. 

Running  time,  80  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  May  release. 


"Jack  McCall,  Desperado" 

(Columbia) 

FILMED  in  color  by  Technicolor,  this  picture  proves  that  justice's  road 
to  triumph  can  be  a  long  and  circuitous  one.  Some  interesting  variations 
are  given  to  the  standard  Western  pattern  and  the  over-all  result  should 
prove  to  be  an  easy  winner  among  outdoor  action  fans.  "Jack  McCall"  was 
made  on  a  large  scale. 

Pure  Western  fare  is  interrupted  for  a  brisk  interlude  depicting  the  war 
between  the  North  and  the  South  in  the  screenplay  by  John  O'Dea.  George 
Montgomery  has  the  title  role  as  a  strapping,  quick-triggered  victim  of  cir- 
cumstance and  villainy,  while  Angela  Stevens  provides  feminine  charm  and 
the  romantic  touch. 

The  story  opens  as  Montgomery  strides  into  a  saloon  and  kills  Douglas 
Kennedy  in  a  showdown  gun  duel.  Next  is  the  trial  and  the  flashback  to 
the  beginning  of  things.  It  seems  that  Montgomery,  though  Southern  born, 
fought  in  the  Union  Army  along  with  his  cousin  James  Seay.  Montgomery 
proves  heroic  in  a  mission,  but  through  connivance  and  ill-luck,  he  is  branded 
a  spy  and  has  to  take  to  his  heels  for  safety.  The  task  of  proving  that  he 
was  not  a  spy  is  a  bitter  one  laden  with  hardships.  His  parents  are  killed 
as  a  result  of  the  treachery  of  his  cousin  and  Kennedy,  both  of  whom  team 
up.  When  Montgomery  finally  catches  up  with  witness  who  can  prove  him 
innocent,  the  former  is  bribed.  Enroute  to  the  establishment  of  Montgomery's 
innocence,  there  are  several  Indian  battles,  outbreaks  of  skullduggery  and 
some  romantic  involvements  with  Miss  Stevens.  With  her  he  forms  a  part- 
nership that  braves  many  dangers. 

Sam  Katzman  produced  and  Sidney  Salkow  directed.  Others  in  the  cast 
are  Eugene  Iglesias,  William  Tannen,  Jay  Silverwheels,  John  Hamilton, 
Selmar  Jackson,  Stanley  Blystone,  Gene  Roth,  Alva  Lacy  and  Joe  McGuinn. 

Running  time,  76  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  For  April 
release. 


"The  Lady  Wants  Mink" 


(Republic  Pictures) 

\  HAPPY,  LIGHT-HEARTED  picture  which  occasionally  flies  off  into 
Jr\.  the  realm  of  absurd  whimsy  but  which  is  always  bright  and  fresh  is  herein 
forged  from  a  woman's  desire  to  own  a  mink  coat — surely  as  basic  and  topical 
a  theme  as  can  be  found  these  days !  The  film  is  played  at  breakneck  speed 
by  stars  Ruth  Hussey,  Dennis  O'Keefe,  Eve  Arden  and  William  Demarest. 
all  capably  portraying  attractive,  believable  people. 

Trouble  starts  when  Miss  Arden  is  given  a  gen-n-ine  $7,000  silver  blue 
mink  coat  by  her  husband,  Demarest,  a  used  car  dealer  who  has  made  a 
fortune  by  giving  his  product  away — somewhat  like  Madman  Muntz.  The 
mink  immediately  turns  a  next  door  neighbor,  Miss  Hussey,  green  (the  pic- 
ture is  shot  in  Trucolor)  with  envy  and  makes  her  husband,  O'Keefe,  even 
more  insecure  in  his  dull  job  in  the  credit  department  of  a  huge  department 
store. 

Thereupon  Miss  Hussey  decides  to  grow  minks  for  her  own  coat,  against 
the  better  judgment  of  everybody.  As  a  result  her  husband  loses  his  job,  her 
children  are  accused  of  having  a  crazy  mother  and  lastly,  as  a  crowning  blow, 
the  family  is  evicted  from  their  house  for  having  broken  city  zoning  laws.  In 
desperation  they  move  to  the  country  where,  unexpectedly,  the  minks  as  well 
as  husband  and  children  find  new  joy  in  outdoor  living  and  the  television  set, 
previously  the  pivot  around  which  the  household  moved,  gathers  dust  in  the 
corner.  The  coat  itself  is  forgotten  in  a  life  of  bucolic  charm. 

In  telling  this  story,  associate  producer-director  William  A.  Seiter  was 
aided  considerably  by  the  comic  dialogue  supplied  by  screenplay  authors  Dane 
Lussier  and  Richard  Alan  Simmons.  It  is  delivered  with  zest  by  old  hands 
Demarest  and  Arden  as  well  as  by  Hope  Emerson,  seen  as  a  dedicated  mink 
breeder  given  to  wearing  dirty  blue  jeans  and  wilted  cartwheel  hats. 

Miss  Hussey  and  O'Keefe  handle  their  hectic  chores  nicely,  never  becoming 
shrill  enough  to  alienate  the  affections  of  the  audience  or  their  children,  the 
latter  roles  played  with  restraint  and  naturally  by  Tommy  Rettig  and  Earl 
Robie.  The  color  is  good.  Leonard  Neubauer  and  Lou  Senior  are  authors  of 
the  original  story. 

Running  time,  92  minutes.   General  audience  classification. 


"The  Homesteaders" 


(Allied  Artists)  Hollywood,  March  30 

WILD  Bill  Elliott  plays  an  Oregon  farmer  in  this  Vincent  Fennelly  pro- 
duction, a  role  somewhat  different  from  Elliott's  previous  assignments. 
The  results  are  fair  and  should  please  action  fans  who  are  not  too  critical. 

The  story  is  by  Sid  Theil  and  Milton  Raison.  Elliott  is  an  Oregon  home- 
steader who,  in  1870,  gets  the  War  Department  to  supply  him  with  dynamite 
which  he  needs  to  blast  rocks  out  of  his  land.  Robert  Lowry,  his  neighbor 
and  friend,  goes  along  with  him  to  get  the  explosives.  But  Lowry  has  made 
a  deal  with  James  Seay,  a  land-grabber,  whereby  Elliott's  dynamite  is  to 
be  hijacked.  There's  a  nominal  amount  of  skullduggery  as  the  wagon  train 
crosses  the  plains,  manned  by  ex-soldiers  released  from  service  and  jail  at 
the  same  time.  It's  all  quite  perfunctory  and  unconvincing,  with  Elliott 
knocking  out  or  shooting  somebody  now  and  then,  but  never  really  getting  up 
steam. 

Lewis  D.  Collins  directed.  Others  in  the  cast  are  Emmett  Lynn,  George 
Wallace,  Buzz  Henry,  Stanley  Price,  Rick  Vallin,  William  Fawcett,  Tom 
Monroe,  Barbara  Allen  and  Ray  Walker. 

Running  time,  62  minutes.  General  audience  classification.  Release  date, 
March  22. 


"Penny  Princess" 


( Rank-U  niversal) 

C  ET  in  a  mythical  European  country,  known  as  Lampidorra,  this  J.  Arthur 
^  Rank  production  is  a  light  excursion  into  whimsy.  It  frolics  along  in- 
nocuously, striving  to  be  humorous  and  succeeeding  occasionally.  Much  to  the 
picture's  credit  are  some  striking  country  vistas  caught  in  color  by  Techni- 
color. 

The  story,  fashioned  by  Val  Guest,  has  a  struggling  New  York  sales  girl, 
Yolande  Donlan,  suddenly  inherit  the  little  European  country  of  Lampidorra. 
Now  a  princess,  she  ventures  forth  into  the  new  country  to  become  embroiled 
in  its  problems  and  also  to  fall  in  love  with  a  young  Englishman,  Dirk 
Bogarde.  The  national  industry  of  Lampidorra  is  smuggling.  But  the  new 
princess  forthwith  puts  a  stop  to  that.  In  the  shadow  of  national  bankruptcy, 
the  princess  starts  producing  and  marketing  the  country's  unique,  intoxicating 
cheese  and  the  venture  becomes  a  huge  success.  Presently,  however,  other 
countries,  fearing  the  fall  of  their  own  cheese  industries,  institute  a  pro- 
hibitive import  tax.  And  thus,  once  again,  smuggling  is  made  legal  in  Lam- 
pidorra. 

Incident  piles  upon  incident  in  a  whirl  that  finally  settles  down  to  the  happy 
ending,  both  romantically  and  nationally.  A  Conquest  production,  released 
through  Universal-International,  it  was  also  produced  and  directed  by  Val 
Guest. 

The  cast  includes  Fletcher  Lightfoot,  Edwin  Styles,  Reginald  Beckwith, 
Kynaston  Reeves,  Peter  Butterworth,  Desmond  Walter-Ellis,  Lawrence  Nai- 
smlth  and  others. 

Running  time,  91  minutes.   General  audience  classification.    March  release. 


Heads  MPIC  for  a  Year 

Hollywood,  March  30. — President 
Arthur  Freed  will  hold  the  Motion 


for  a  full  year,  instead  of  six  months 
as  has  been  the  organization's  policy, 
under  by-law  revisions  adopted  at  a 


Picture   Industry   Council   presidency    regular  monthly  meeting. 


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