1l

More documents

Recommendations

Info

A/EW ANTITRUST BATTLE LOOMS I AS DofJ ASKS EXPANSION STAY \^ Company Lawyers Ready To Oppose This Move In New York Court NEW YORK—A new battle in the antitrust suit strategy is expected within a few days before the expediting court which heard the case here. The Department of Justice intends to apply for an injunction to prevent the theatre-owning defendants from buying or selling theatres while the case is pending. Lawyers for the three companies are preparing to oppose this move. HEARING SET FOR JUNE 15 The Paramount case officially returned to the New York court upon receipt of the supreme court mandate June 3. The next step. scheduled for the weekend, is for the court to notify counsel for the government and defendants that the case has been remanded. The government will then file its proposed order for carrying out the supreme court decision. This order has already been drawn up and submitted to the defendants. Lawyers for the defendant probably will meet within the next week to draw up their own version of the order. The New York court will decide which order to accept after studying both proposals and hearing oral arguments scheduled for June 15. Justice Augustus N. Hand of the original three-judge court .said he will be available for hearings that day. Att'y Gen'l Tom Clark has pointed out that the supreme court eliminated all stays on expansion. He contends that the case cannot end in an effective divestiture judgment unless the lower court controls the theatre holdings of the defendants. Clark says the Schine and Paramount cases when read together requires that the majors should at least be equally restricted with respect to theatre purchases pending a new decree. BAN ON FRANCHISES SEEN The government also will ask for a temporary order against film franchises for affiliated theatres. Clark predicted that the final decree will bar franchises with any theatre retaining ties with a major. This prediction is based on the language of the supreme court opinion. The elimination of competitive bidding also makes it necessary, according to Clark, to prohibit discrimination against theatres competing with affiliated houses. The government has asked that the defendants submit a list of situations which they think involves an investor who is not "an actual or potential theatre operator." This list must be submitted 60 days after the government files its order with the lower court. These situations will be those regarded by the defendants as outside the supreme court definitions of monopoly. The government hopes to speed the formulation of a new decree by this method. Industry 'Monopoly' Probe Is Launched by House WASHINGTON—An inquiry into the motion picture industry from the antitrust angle was launched this week by the house small business committee. Starting on the basis of questionnaires to various segments of the industry, it will swing into hearings both in Hollywood and Washington within a few months, according to Chairman Walter C. Ploeser iR., Mo.i. Legislation to end blockbooking and to provide complete divorcement may result from the investigation, it was disclosed by Willis J. Ballinger, economic counsel for the committee. This would be in the next Congress, convening in January. Allied States Exhibitors and the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers have promised their support of the probe, in reply to the questionnaire which was sent to thousands of businessmen. Specifically, it asked them to outline their competitive problems, and to suggest means of strengthening the antitrust laws. Gunther Lessing, vice-president of SIMPP, pledged the .society's cooperation by phone, informing the committee that the SIMPP lawyers in Washington would be glad to give any information that was needed. Allied's reply came in the form of a telegram signed by General Counsel Abram F. Myers in Denver, where the Allied board was in session. It read: "Board of directors of this association, meeting here May 15. unanimously agreed survey by select committee on small business of effectiveness of antitrust laws would be in the public interest and of benefit to the independent motion picture theatres. "Board especially feels committee should inquire into need for strengthening these laws in their application to vertical integrations and to amending Robinson-Patman act to prevent discrimination in royalties and rentals under copyrights and patents. We will assist in every way we can." Myers wants a study of the possibOity of prohibiting ownership by one firm of production, distribution and retailing setups. "While this may not be necessary in the motion picture industry if the supreme court's Paramount decision is carried out in good faith," he stated, "it might still be necessary in other fields." Sullivan in Debut as TOA Director Calls on Theatres for Leadership LA SALLE, ILL.— Gael Sullivan in his first address as executive director of Theatre Owners of America told the United Theatre Owners of Illinois convention that "the motion 'picture theatre is one of the vital classrooms of the nation's communities." Stressing the need of all-out unity and sound planning in meeting problems of an atomic age, he said: "To have validity, motion pictures must have a cultural as well as a pleasure value. They must be aimed at the head as well as the heart." Quality production, he said, .sells on any market. It does not know a depression. "In depicting our history, in pointing up our political and social shortcomings, in stressing hygiene and health, in helping our youngsters toward better citizenship, in showing the futility of war, in screening the dangers of our failure to learn how to live with our fellow men, the films have a mighty task to face," he said. He pledged that theatre owners will not try to escape the rightful demands of filmgoers in regard to the types of pictures they want to see. and he enumerated coming films as examples of the new reali.stic trend. He cited the theatre-sponsored "Youth Month" as an example of an ever widening participation in the public service endeavors. Sullivan spoke at the opening session. Others scheduled to speak later in the week were Herman Levy, TOA general counsel; Sam Shain, of 20th Century-Fox; Dave Jones. Springfield, state youth chairman; Dave Palfreyman of MPAA; Edwin Levin. Chicago member of the youth committee; Ed Zorn. UTO president; and Frank Stewart, convention chairman. Minor Victory for Schine WASHINGTON—The Schme Chain Theatres, Inc.. won a minor victory this week as the U.S. supreme court rejected a government appeal for clarification of its recent decision in the case. The government's petition asked the court to make plain whether the "further proceedings" ordered in the decision on May 3 unsold under applied to the five theatres still the 1942 consent decree. Schine had contended in its reply to the petition that there was no question the five houses were to be included in the district court proceedings. 10 BOXOFFICE :: June 5, 1948
M^ t Storm Over Hollywood? ..... Who says so? The Official Forecast is: "The Greatest Motion Pictures in Years Are Coming from ^//Studios." And the Most Persuasive Proof of All Is Coming From the Pannnount Studio on the Crest of
Page 1 and 2: TOTAL NET PAID CIRCULATION OF THIS
Page 3 and 4: " f LUCKY! about "THE PIRATE" LUCKY
Page 5 and 6: 150 THEATRE SILVER-COUNTRY JUBILEE
Page 7 and 8: I Mr. 1 ! "We i Thus I NBC Will Sue
Page 9: 1 'eased i I j ! Grass I I (20-Fox)
Page 13 and 14: ! I between July Fourth and Labor D
Page 15 and 16: . ! iFrom Any Company in Any 2-Mont
Page 17 and 18: IF See For Yourself How Great These
Page 19 and 20: - The '. First Run Reports on Seaso
Page 21 and 22: Heavy Theatre Losses In Vanport Flo
Page 23 and 24: I ir and Timelier Tiian Ever llâin
Page 25 and 26: I ger j \ Caballero," i first j BOX
Page 27 and 28: America* ^ , mmsandomi ^Gala screen
Page 29 and 30: s IE WALLS OF JERICHO MARTIN ROME |
Page 31 and 32: ; trio , pendent ^ Bacher ! elation
Page 33 and 34: THE WALLS OF JERICHO MARTIN ROME ;7
Page 35 and 36: 20th Century-Fox Helps Andy Smith O
Page 37 and 38: AN EDWARD SMALL PRODUCTION Screenpl
Page 39 and 40: oO rn. ôc LVt^^ >\\ wftXV pit-. am
Page 41 and 42: CHESTER FRIEDMAN EDITOR HUGH E. FRA
Page 43 and 44: I Solid ! When I Buildup Landed for
Page 45 and 46: OVERSEAS BALLYHOO Bonus Winner Clic
Page 47 and 48: i I Letters, Radio Game Spark 'My H
Page 49 and 50: Adv. A THOUGHT OR TWO FROM HYGIENIC
Page 51 and 52: , Charles ; ALBANY—Charles * bany
Page 53 and 54: , ' — 4 S8i She remembers Mama...
Page 55 and 56: . . Bob Allied and TOA Sei Fight on
Page 57 and 58: . . Elmer . . Harry . . . . Bob . .
Page 59 and 60: VIEWS OF THE (Hollywood Office— S
Page 61 and 62:
— She remembers Mama... _ NOTHING
Page 63 and 64:
1 miered I theatres I Robinson ' 1
Page 65 and 66:
. . Another Petition for Changes In
Page 67 and 68:
. . H. . . Tony jid DENVER T E. "Bi
Page 69 and 70:
I . . . Graham . . . Graduation . .
Page 71 and 72:
. . cooperated 3,000 See 'Miracle'
Page 73 and 74:
NOW BOOKING THE BAHLE OF A CENTURY
Page 75 and 76:
! . . . Sam . . . Mort . . Len . .
Page 77 and 78:
1 . . Elaine . . Beatrice . . H. .
Page 79 and 80:
I Andy Smith Receives Plaudits of B
Page 81 and 82:
Three ' j ; i down i , continued '
Page 83 and 84:
. . H. - . . From the BOXOFFICE FIL
Page 85 and 86:
. ! BOXOFFICE . . Spike . . MGM Boy
Page 87 and 88:
' I I I I Pennsylvania's I and I I
Page 89 and 90:
.li Who -,,;„ • High ' ' 'Brush
Page 91 and 92:
. . . The I Lancaster Thronged For
Page 93 and 94:
. Donn . Chased . . . Joe . . Russ
Page 95 and 96:
I BOXOFFICE . . First . . Barney .
Page 97 and 98:
. . Dickey — . . Ben HARTFORD . 1
Page 99 and 100:
I BOXOFFfCE . . many — ATTENTION
Page 101 and 102:
^HE modern trend towârd building a
Page 103 and 104:
JiNNO UNCEMENT ! We are proud to an
Page 105 and 106:
; when ' H. rescission of the sales
Page 107 and 108:
1 ' f Ed Williamson Heads Variety o
Page 109 and 110:
I I ! Nat 1 BOXOFFICE Itlli Ttellir
Page 111 and 112:
I BOXOFFICE . . Awây . . The . . .
Page 113 and 114:
^^bXOFFICE BAROMETER • EXHIBITOR
Page 115 and 116:
Rose — TClear and cool.—J. E. R
Page 117 and 118:
CHECK RUNNING TIME WITH LOCAL EXCHA
Page 119 and 120:
I I I I I T CHECK RUNNING TIME WITH
Page 121 and 122:
I T CHECK RUNNING TIME WITH LOCAL E
Page 123 and 124:
1 7 An interpretative analysis of o
Page 125 and 126:
1)5 ,.M ^ This ' T 20th Century-Fox
Page 127 and 128:
Op/m'ons on Current Productioas; Ex
Page 129 and 130:
; Ini 1 |iQ>vatt ' ' "tevite. ' $10
show all

1l

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?