Boxoffice-March.10.1951

I6th
MMPTA Is Opposing
Booth Standards Bill
ALBANY—Orrin Judd, counsel for the
Metropolitan Motion Pictures Ass'n. says that
organization Is strongly opposing the Condon-Roman
bill now pending at the state
legislature. Judd added, "it is not quite as
drastic as last year's proposal, because a provision
that the Board of Standards and Appeals
might fix the maximum number of
consecutive work hours has been eliminated."
The bill which Judd says is unnecessary
and costly, "would require theatre projection
booths to be equipped with facilities to
promote the health, convenience and comfort
of occupants." MMPTA feels that the
rules of New York City and the state code
already cover the proposed requirements of
the bill.
Supporting the measure is the lATSE and
the State Federation of Labor.
The MMPTA
is also turning thumbs down on the Mc-
Gowan bill which would require that reserved
seat tickets indicate if the holders
have only a partial or obstructed view of
the stage.
The Condon-Roman bill extending until
July 1, 1952 the moratorium on cities with
less than 25,000 population voting a 5 per
cent admission tax is favored by the MMPTA.
The present prohibition expires July! of this
year. Cities of more than 25,000 population
can impose such a levy.
Local H-63 Invades Third
Stronghold of SOPEG
NEW YORK—The Motion Picture Home
Office Employes Local H-63 has signed up
enough employes at the 20th Century-Fox
exchange here to entitle H-63 to call for a
collective bargaining election under National
Labor Relations Board auspices, according
to Russell Moss, executive vice-president.
The 20th-Fox exchange is the third
Screen Office and Professional Employes
Guild unit to be invaded by H-63 since the
start of 1951, the others being Loew's New
York exchange and the Paramount home
office. Local H-63 has already filed with
NLRB for elections at these two SOPEG
units. Moss said.
Representatives of NLRB, as well as representatives
of Paramount, Loew's, SOPEG
and Local H-63, will hold informal hearing
March 12 to decide on the jurisdictional matter
at the two companies.
Move to Curtail Power
Of New York Regents
NEW YORK—A move is under way to
curtail the New York Board of Regents'
power. The education commissioner says a
special state commission recommends overhauling
and transfer of administrative functions
to him, leaving the group that banned
"The Miracle" only a policy and planning
body.
UA Gets Gardner Feature
NEW YORK—"The Man With My Face,"
produced by Ed Gardner in Puerto Rico, has
been added to the United Artists release list.
Arthur B. Krim, president, signed contracts
with Gardner for the picture to be released
this spring.
'Storm Warning/ Josephine Baker
Are B'way Hit Despite Snow
NEW YORK—Despite the snow and rain
of the weekend, the aptly titled "Storm
Warning," with the widely heralded Josephine
Baker in her first American stage
appearance in a decide, gave the Strand its
best three-day weekend in three years and
the strongest week in a year. The only other
new stage-screen bill, "Three Guys Named
Mike" and Johnny Long and Georgia Gibbs
on the Capitol stage, was slightly affected
by mild reviews, but had a good opening
week. "Target Unknown" had a fair opening
week at the Criterion.
Many of the longer run films were more
affected by the Lenten slump, including
"Payment on Demand," in its third week at
the Radio City Music Hall; "U.S.S. Teakettle,"
in its second week at the Roxy with
the Ritz Bros, on the stage, and "Cry Danger,"
in its second week at the Paramount,
all of them just fair. Holding up better were
"No Orchids for Miss Blandish," which is
advertised and exploited in a sensational
fashion, in its second week at the Globe;
the twin reissues of "Dodge City" and "Virginia
City," with its six-star name value, in
its second week at the Mayfair, and "Born
Yesterday," in its 11th good week at the
Victoria. "Tomahawk" and "Of Men and
Music" also held up well in third weeks.
In addition to the Music Hall, which
opened "Royal Wedding" and its annual
"Glory of Easter" stage pageant March 8, 17
days before Easter, the other new films Included:
"Molly," "Fourteen Hours," which
had an invitation opening, and "Three Husbands."
(Avemae Is 100)
Astor—Harvey (U-Il, 6 days of Uth wk 75
Biiou—Cvrano de Bergerac (UA) ,
wk of
two-a-dav
•.
^'J
Cacitol—Thrpe Guys Named Mike (MGM), plus
stage shf^w lOR
Criterion Tnrat Un''n-