Boxoffice-November.24.1951

Virginia Exhibitors
Plan Theatre Clinic
RICHMOND—A comprehensive clinic dealing
with theatre problems of the various
costs of operation and new methods of improving
them will be the theme of the midwinter
meeting of the Virginia Motion Picture
Theatre Ass'n. A. Frank O'Brien, Fabian
city manager, was appointed chairman of the
meeting at the Virginia MPTA board of
directors meeting held in the John Marshall
hotel, and he will select a date later.
The recent Movietime campaign was discussed
at the board meeting, and it was decided
that although COMPO failed to deliver
the Hollywood personalities as planned
to the entire state, making it necessary to
leave out one tour of 16 cities and towns
where newspapers and radio stations had
already advised the public of the scheduled
appearance of John Ford, the COMPO campagn
was highly successful.
Present at
the meeting were Hunter Perry,
Charlottesville; Jack Rumsey, Covington; T.
I. Martin, Culpeper; D. F. Aleshire, Luray;
F. M. Westfall, Martinsville; Leonard Gordon,
Newport News; Herman and Howard
Rubin, Petersburg; Robert T. Barton jr., Sam
Bendheim jr., Dan Browning, Carlton Duffus,
Seymour Hoffman, O'Brien, Morton G. Thalhimer
sr. and jr.. Harold Wood, all of Richmond;
Ellison Loth, Waynesboro, and John
A. Lester, Wytheville.
Gordon and Aleshire, second and third
vice-presidents, presided in the absence of
President William F. Crockett and Benjamin
T. Pitts, first vice-president.
Albany Regional TOA
Is Being Reorganized
ALBANY—Reactivation of the Albany TOA
unit was expected to follow a meeting in
New York this week between Harry Lamont,
temporary chairman during the two years
the organization functioned in this exchange
district, and Gael Sullivan, national executive
director. Lamont planned to submit suggestions
for consideration by Sullivan, who
may come here soon. Saul J. Ullman, upstate
general manager for Fabian and an
active figure in the group when it operated,
is working with Lamont on the revival.
A series of regional meetings probably will
be held. Lamont believes them to be most
effective in organizational and programming
efforts. He hopes to have the unit in action
before the 1952 session of the legislature,
which convenes January 2. The Albany TOA
did an excellent job on legislation in 1949-
50.
UPT-ABC Merger Hearings
May Last Three Weeks
WASHINGTON—The proposed United
Paramount Theatres-American Broadcasting
Co. merger hearings, set for January 15,
probably will run three weeks and may take
much longer, according to estimates made at
a special pre-hearing conference held by the
Federal Communications Commi.s.sion on
Tuesday (20). The first order of business at
the hearings will concern the relationship of
DuMont Laboratories to the proceedings.
The conference was held lor the announced
purpose of clearing up procedural matters and
hitting on methods of cutting down the time
required to complete the hearings. Very little
progress was made toward that end, however,
and further pre-hearing conferences
have been promised for the future.
Counsel for DuMont, William A. Roberts,
contended that his firm had little to do with
the proceedings, other than its alleged "domination"
by Paramount, and that it was unfair
to tie up other DuMont proceedings
before the Commission (license applications)
during long-drawn-out hearings. Roberts
asked that the phases of the "consolidated"
hearings in which DuMont had been included
be disposed of first.
Arthur Schmidt Resigns
From Columbia Ad Post
NEW YORK—Arthur Schmidt, director of
publicity, advertising and exploitation for Columbia
Pictures, has resigned effective December
31. Announcement to this effect was
made Friday (23) by Nate B. Spingold. vicepresident
in charge of the company's general
public relations.
"Mr. Schmidt's resignation is a matter of
great personal regret to me and to the other
executives of the company," Spingold stated.
"We have treasured his association with us,
and his stated position that his services would
not be available to Columbia after the conclusion
of his present contract at the end of
December came as a complete surprise."
Schmidt joined Columbia in 1945 after leaving
the navy, in which he held the rank of
commander and for three years held the position
of advertising consultant at the company's
studio in Hollywood. He joined Columbia's
home office in 1948 as the head of
the department he is about to leave.
The successor to Schmidt has not yet been
considered by the company. Schmidt will announce
his future activity later.
'Arbitration Depends
On Even Partnership'
NEW YORK— "Theatre Owners of America
is now, as it and Its predec&s.sors have been,
in favor of an industry system of arbitration
operated on an efficient and Inexpensive
basis," according to Herman M. Levy, general
couasel. He made the statement following a
meeting of the executive committee November
16 at which Wesley A. Sturges, dean of the
Yale Law school, outlined various arbitration
procedures. Sturges is also chairman of
the board of the American Arbitration Ass'n.
but it was said he spoke only as an individual.
He has been called "the father of arbitration."
"TOA is still willing at any time," Levy said,
"to sit around the conference table, without
pride of authorship, to work out the mechanics
of such a system, and thereafter to seek
Department of Justice approval and to work
for the inclusion of the system in the final
decree of U.S. vs. Paramount, et al.
"A system of industry arbitration will be
achieved only by an equal partnership of
men and minds between production, distribution
and exhibition—each with a full and
respected voice. TOA has a vital stake in that
equal partnership and wants to fulfill every
obligation that will insure a swift determination
of the basic principles formulated for
a sound system of arbitration."
Spyros P. Skouras to Coast
For Product Conferences
NEW YORK—Spyros P. Skouras, 20th Century-Fox
president, is scheduled to leave November
28 with Al Lichtman, vice-president,
and Charles Einfeld, director of advertising,
publicity and exploitation, for Hollywood, to
confer on product with Darryl F. Zanuck and
other studio heads on forthcoming films.
Film Exposition Postponed
NEW YORK—The film exposition scheduled
for March has been postponed. The
New York exhibitor group, headed by Fred
Schwartz, will notify the Grand Central
Palace of a later date and may tie in with
the 1952 Movietime campaign. The promoters
are awaiting a call to the west coast
for planning sessions.
Harold Blumenthal Dies;
Was Fabian Executive
NEW YORK—Funeral services were held
for Harold Blumenthal at 11 a. m. Wednesday
(21) at the Temple Emanuel, Passaic, N. J.
The 52-year-old general manager of the New
Jersey division of Fabian Theatres died Tuesday
(20) of a heart attack.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Beatrice
Blumenthal; his mother. Mrs. Max Blumenthal;
three daughters. Maxine, Lillian and
Bernice, and two sisters, Mrs. Miriam Weintraub
and Mrs. Helen Rosen. Burial was at
Riverside cemetery, Rochelle Park, N. J.
ATTEND PIONEERS ANNUAL DINNER—The above persons were among thoNe
who attended the Motion Picture Pioneers 12th annual dinner at the Waldorf Astoria
hotel in New York City November 15 in honor of the Warner brothers. Left to right:
Colonel Johnson, Harry M. Kalmine, Ben Kalmenson, INIoc Silver, Dr. Nathan S. Hiatt,
Sidney Rechetnik, Mort Blumenstock, Peter Perakos, Ted Schlanger, I. J. Hoffman
and Harold Rodner.
BOXOFFICE November 24, 1951 N 31