Boxoffice-October.27.1951

Boxoffice Article Used
To Sell MPAA Service
NEW YORK—An article published in
BOXOFFICE telling how the "green
sheet" estimates of films are prepared by
the Motion Picture Ass'n of America is
being used as an effective public relations
piece by the association to inform
hundreds of organizations and individuals
on how its rating service operates.
Since the article was published a year
ago, reprints have gone out to more than
2,000 schools, civic groups and community
organizations interested in better better
films.
The "green sheet" which is officially
known as Joint Estimates of Current Motion
Pictures is published twice monthly
and provides composite estimates of pictures
by more than a dozen organizations.
When there are dissenting opinions to
the general estimate, they also are published.
Carl Foreman Forms
His Own Company
HOLLYWOOD—Almost immediately after
the disclosure that he had withdrawn as
a shareholder and director of both Stanley
Kramer Productions, Inc., and the Stanley
Kramer Co., Carl Foreman announced formation
of his own company and consummation
of a financing and releasing deal with Robert
L. Lippert.
Foreman will write, direct and produce,
with his initial venture to be armounced
after he has returned from a brief vacation
and a business trip to New York. Shooting
on the first film will begin early next year.
A brief announcement by the Kramer organization
declared that Foreman's withdrawal
therefrom was accompanied by a "satisfactory
financial settlement." Termination
of the Foreman-Kramer association was an
outgrowth of the recent Hollywood hearings
by the house un-American activities committee,
at which Foreman was a witness.
The scenarist and production executive denied
at that time that he is now a Communist,
but declined to answer other questions.
Lippert, in commenting upon the new
liaison, emphasized that there "is not the
slightest doubt in my mind as to his loyal
Americanism," and said Foreman's pictures
will "speak for themselves."
Foreman has filed incorporation papers
in Sacramento, listing Gary Cooper, I. H.
Prinzmetal, Sidney Cohn and Publicist Henry
C. Rogers as stockholders in his new company.
While with the Kramer company. Foreman
wrote the screenplays for "The Men," "Cyrano
de Bergerac," "Champion," "Home of the
Brave" and "High Noon," all produced by
Kramer for United Artists release.
Universal Declares Dividend
NEW YORK—The board of directors of
Universal Pictures Co., Inc., has declared a
dividend of $1.06% cents per share on the
4'1 cumulative preferred stock of the company,
payable December 1 to stockholders of
record November 15.
MATERIALS SHORTAGE MAY CAUSE DELAY
Theatre, Color Television
May Run Into Roadblock
NEW YORK—Television may be heading
for a roadblock that could last two years
or more. Color television is the first casualty.
Manufacture of theatre television
apparatus may be the next, and some restrictions
may be applied to the manufacture
of home receivers.
On top of this it is practically certain that
there will be no new television stations so
long as war preparations remain in high gear,
even if the Federal Communications Commission
ends the construction freeze.
These are the considered opinions of several
men both inside and outside the television
and film industries.
WARNING FROM GOLDEN
Nathan D. Golden warned members of
the
Theatre Owners of America at their recent
New York convention that materials scarcities
were going to grow. Both before and
since that time others have predicted that
the arms program will not reach its peak
until 1953. So when Charles E. WUson, defense
mobilizer, asked Columbia Broadcasting
System to suspend further experimentation
on its color system and the proposed
manufacture of color sets there was mild
surprise, but no severe shock. CBS agreed
to stop work.
Dr. Allen B. DuMont objected, but no organized
opposition is expected because some
of the companies experimenting with color,
including Paramount and CBS, are doing defense
work. What they learn in behalf of
the armed forces will be available for civilian
use after the war emergency has passed. That
is what happened during World War II when
the scientific advances on radar and tube
making were swift.
One of the reasons that motivated Wilson's
request to CBS is said to have been his belief
that the widespread controversy over
color television might stimulate a demand for
color receivers and thereby increase materials
scarcities.
The meeting of interested manufacturers
and government officials in Washington on
Thursday was intended to clear up misunderstandings
and agree on a policy.
AS MANY AS 2,000 STATIONS
Theoretically, it will be possible to build
more than 2,000 television stations after the
FCC freeze is lifted. The same thing was
.said about frequency modulation a few years
ago. The FM stations were never built.
When the freeze has been lifted and the ultrahigh
frequencies have become available for
use it will still be some time before they are
used.
Materials will not be available.
There are about 30 TV projectors Installed
in theatres and about 85 under order. If
restrictions on materials spread, it will be
impossible to forecast how many of these
will be delivered.
Paramount recently
acquired a tube factory
at Stamford. Conn., and is getting ready to
turn out color tubes for television there.
Nobody will talk about the details, but the
impression prevails that Paramount is doing
important work on radar for the armed
Color TV Officially Off
During the Emergency
WASHINGTON—Color television is
officially
out for the duration of materials
shortages following a Thursday (25)
meeting between top defense officials and
leaders of the television industry.
Charles E. Wilson, defense mobilizer
and Manly Pleischmann, defense production
administrator, told executives representing
21 major manufacturers of television
sets that the scarcity of electronics
equipment and electronics engineers made
it necessary to halt mass production of
color receivers, and the manufacturers
unanimously agreed to cooperate.
Research and development of color TV
will not be affected. Theatre TV was not
mentioned at the meeting, but top National
Production Authority officials say
that the halt to color set manufacturing
will apply to color theatre TV as well.
forces and that it will turn out these tubes
for the government.
Just where RCA and the engineering committee
which is working on color for several
manufacturers and the Eidophor system
which 20th Century-Fox intends to import
this year for the purpose of having the apparatus
manufactured under license by General
Electric will fit into the changing situation
is nothing more than a matter of
speculation. None of the men cormected with
these companies want to commit themselves
at present.
National Theatres Plan
Roxy Acquisition
NEW YORK—National Theatres probably
will take over the Roxy Theatre, local showcase,
soon after A. J. Balaban retires as its
manager at the end of the year. That seemed
apparent during the week although no statement
was forthcoming from Charles Skouras,
NT head, here from Los Angeles. Spyros P.
Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox,
which owns the theatre, was abroad. He
recently told stockholders he wanted divestiture
of theatres under the consent decree to
proceed as rapidly as possible.
David Idzal, manager of the Fox Theatre
in Detroit, has been mentioned as a likely
possibility to succeed Balaban. He is managing
the second most important theatre in
the NT chain.
The consent decree effected June 7 provided
that the Roxy be sold or leased within two
years, that 20th-Fox could not share in its
profits or control, and that National Theatres
could acquire it. Observers said the theatre
circuit would naturally want to take over the
valuable property.
BOXOFFICE :
: October 27, 1951 11