Boxoffice-March.04.1950

Western
United
DuMont
General
QUESTION OF THEATRE VIDEO
DRAWS A RECORD FCC ENTRY
Exhibitor Interests Head
46 Groups With cm Eye
On Big-Screen TV
By SUMNER SMITH
NEW YORK—Forty-six groups interested
In theatre television have filed requests
with the Federal Communications commission
to appear at forthcoming hearings on
the allocations of frequencies. Many different
interests are represented, with the
field of motion picture theatre exhibition
leading all others by a wide margin.
The final total, reached when the FCC
deadline expired Monday (27) , with a number
filing at the last moment, is considered
amazing. This industry will be more
fully represented at the hearings than it
has been represented at any similar previous
occasion.
COLUMBIA BROADCASTING FILES
To the surprise of many, Columbia Broadcasting
System filed the last day. CBS was
the only broadcaster to file. It had been
believed that no television broadcasters would
try to appear at the hearings. The feeling
was that they would wait to learn public
reaction and the attitude of the commission,
and enter the picture only when the matter
of actual allocations came up and then only
if it appeared there would be interference
with their services. Others took the less kindly
view that they would work behind the
scenes.
Western Union filed late and in doing so
replied to earlier statements by exhibitor
groups saying common carrier service could
not be effective. The company said it had
not been officially approached by the industry
for information, and that if the industry
would state its requirements. Western
Union would provide an estimated cost of
supplying service. It said it is in a position
to supply intercity radio relay circuits tliat
will provide the best of service. It added it
has become a member of a subcommittee of
SMPTE so that all information collected by
that scientific group will be available to it.
AT&T IN THE RACE
American Telephone & Telegraph Co. told
the commission that it will be serving more
than 40 cities before the end of the year,
and it. too, said it is receiving SMPTE aid
in determining the industry's service needs.
"The Bell System," the document said, "will
cooperate fully in the proposed hearings in
the determination of the issues which have
a bearing on the methods by which theatre
television transmission service can best be
furnished, including the determination of
the extent to which it is in the public interest
that such service be furnished by common
carriers."
Skiatron said it will have ready for demonstration
early in the summer a "most reasonably
priced" projector providing light comparable
in brightness to that in the movies,
and inviting the FCC to witness the demonstration.
It argued that its inclusion in the
BOXOFFICE :: March 4. 1950
British Problem Is Taking
Johnston, Arnall Abroad
NEW YORK—What the American film industry
has to expect or to hope for from
Great Britain during coming months was
shrouded in a fog of uncertainties all during
the week as a result of the British elections.
A few days after the election Eric Johnston,
Motion Picture Ass'n of America president;
Spyros P. Skouras, 20th Century-Fox
president; Barney Balaban, Paramount president,
Nicholas M. Schenck, Loew's, Inc.,
president; Joseph M. Schenck: Harry M. and
Albert Warner; Jack Cohn, executive vicepresident
of Columbia; Joseph H. Seidelman.
foreign head of Universal-International; Phil
Reisman, vice-president of RKO in charge
of foreign distribution, and Joyce O'Hara,
executive assistant to Johnston, conferred at
Miami Beach. They agreed that the situation
was "confused."
Johnston returned to Washington Wednesday
(1) and immediately telephoned to Ellis
Arnall, president of the Society of Independent
Motion Picture Producers, at his home
in Georgia and suggested that they go to
London for exploratory talks with British
officials.
Arnall replied that he would make the trip
hearings would dispel any appearance of
monopoly in the field.
Thomas E. Corbett of Cherry Tree, Pa.,
who has a plan for metered television apparently
similar to that of Phonevision, struck
another note. He said he would appear and
ask the commission to refuse channels to theatre
television interests. He urged three-way
competition between commercial television,
meaning free programs, motion picture theatres
and pay-as-you-see television. He said
the larger motion picture theatre and production
interests are interested only in "preserving
their highly profitable investments in
theatre real estate."
The date of the theatre television hearings
now becomes a matter of prime interest,
but because of the length of the hearings
on color television and other matters
due to be considered by the commission, the
probabilities are that it will be late summer
or fall before they can be held. Various industry
television experts, however, feel that
the delay may prove to be in their interest.
There is a mass of data to be assembled for
the hearings and much time is needed for its
assembly.
At the same time that the FCC deadline
was reached, interest in what had been believed
to be a television survey being made
by MPAA hit bottom. It was learned that
no new survey is planned but that only a
compilation of existing material Is being
and join the MPAA in exploring prospects
for a new agreement.
While the conferences were underway in
Florida the Labor leaders conferred in London
and decided to continue key figures in
the cabinet. Sir Stafford Cripps. chief champion
of austerity, was continued as chancellor
of the exchequer. Harold Wilson again was
given the post of president of the Board of
Trade, a position somewhat similar to the
secretary of commerce in this country. Wilson
is an expert on the film business and
has been one ef the key figures in all the
negotiations between the American film industry
and the British Labor government
during the past four years.
Several men connected with the British
film industry were re-elected as members of
the House of Commons. They were: Tom
O'Brien, general secretary of the National
Ass'n of Theatrical and Kine Employes, a
sharp critic of American films and American
distributors; Eric Fletcher, director of Associated
British Cinemas ; John Diamond, who
is a director of the news theatre. Several
others more or less interested in films were
defeated.
made. The lineup of applicants follows:
,
Exhibitors:
Theatre Owners of America, including the following
members:
Interstate Circuit (Texas), Theatre Owners of Oklahoma,
American Theatres Corp. (Mass.), Lockwood
f- Gordon Enterprises (Mass.), Gamble Enterprises
(Ind), Wometco Theatres (Fla), Neighborhood
Theatre (Va), Comeriord Publix Theatres
Corp, (Pa), Metropolitan Thecftre Corp. (Calif.),
New Mexico Theatre Ass'n, Jefferson Amusement
Co. (Tex), Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi
and Tennessee, Rex-Your Family Theatre (Ark),
United Theatre OwTiers of Illinois, Kentucky Ass'n
of Theatre Owners, Tri-States Theatre Corp. (Iowa),
Malco Theatres (Tenn.), M. A. Connett Theatres
(Miss).
Tho following TOA members hied individually:
Fabian Theatres (N. Y), United Paramount Theatres,
including the following subsidiary circuits:
Balaban & Katz (111), Paramount Pictures Theatres
(Calif), New England Theatres (Mdss.), Minnesota
Amusement Co , Detroit Theatres Corp.
Allied Stales Ass'n of Motion Picture Exhibitors.
Me'ropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Ass'n (N.Y. ).
Loews, Inc.
Producers: MPAA, 20lh-Century-Fox, Paramount
Television Prod.
RCA,
Theatre teleTision equipment manufaciurars:
Paramount Television Prod Laboratories,
Precision
S'