Boxoffice-December.25.1948

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New Television Plan
Cuts Interference
NEW YORK—A new method of extending
television coverage by reducing interference
between stations on the same channel has
been put in operation betw'een the New York
and Washington stations of NBC, according
to David Sarnoff, president and chairman
of the board of the RCA.
Known as television carrier synchronization,
it is said to permit closer spacing of
stations on the same channel and to enlarge
the service area, reaching rural sections
not now well covered.
Reduction of interference became an objective
of engineers after the Federal Communications
Commission "froze" processing
of applications for new stations in September.
Chairman Wayne Coy of the FCC has
been given the details on the method.
Theatre Tele Screen Can
Show Some Exclusives
NEW YORK—If exhibitors with large theatre
television screens want to show local
events piped to them exclusively over local
telephone coaxial cables, the Federal Communications
Commission will not object
though the program will not be available to
home screens.
That is what Wayne Coy, FCC chairman,
has told Mitchell Wolfson, co-chairman of
the TOA television committee. In other words,
local programs not carried over the air do
not interest the FCC and the exhibitor may
arrange for exclusive rights to them without
fear of government disapproval.
Both the American Telephone & Telegraph
Co. and the New York Telephone Co. said
they have not heard of any such programs
to date. They said such programs could be
easily worked out on a local basis.
Musical Films for Tele
NEW YORK—Teleconcert, Inc., has been
formed to produce and distribute musical
fUms for television, film theatres and 16mm
use in the home. Leopold Stokowski. conductor
of the New York Philharmonic orchestra,
will select the music, conduct the orchestra
and appear on the screen. Henri Leiser.
music publisher, Is executive vice-president.
Offices are at Steinway Hall.
Skouras to Discuss Tele
NEW YORK—Spyros P. Skouras. president
of 20th Century-Fox, will be the principal
speaker at the third television seminar of
the Radio Executives club December 30 in
the Hendrik Hudson room of the Hotel Roosevelt.
His topic will be "What the movies
can do for television, and what television
can do for the movies." Richard W. Hubbell
will be moderator.
'Champion' to Buchanan
NEW YORK—Buchanan & Co. will
handle
the advertising on "Champion," to be released
by United Artists. The film is being
produced by Stanley Kramer and George
Glass of Screen Plays, Inc.. and is based on
the short story by Ring Lardner. Kirk Douglas
and Marilyn Maxwell star.
Along New York's Film
T OCAL theatre men are wondering about
George Skouras' recent trip to North
Carolina . Lachman will become a
familiar personality to the several million
readers of the January 2 issue of Parade
magazine, which is distributed as a Sunday
supplement by 25 newspapers throughout the
country . issue will devote three
pages of text and photographs under the
general heading of "Movie-House Man," subtitled:
"To the independent exhibitor, each
movie represents a new gamble for profit."
The story highlights Lachman's activities
as operator of the 1,020-seat State Theatre,
Boonton, N. J., and also his work as president
of Allied Tlieatre Owners of New Jersey .
Photographs were taken of Lashman at the
State and also as he was making his Filmrow
rounds. Shown with him in some of the pictures
will be Sam Rifkin, UA salesman; Lou
Kutinsky. PhU Hodes, Charles Dacey and
Charles Penser, sitting with Lachman in the
RKO screening room, and Virginia Aarons,
New Jersey booker for MGM . also
will be shots of Lachman at home with his
wife and three children, and as a local business
man and Boonton booster.
This has been a week of Christmas parties:
The 20th-Fox exchange held its annual
.
affair Wednesday, and Ray Moon, eastern
division manager, came down from the home
office to help celebrate . . . Seymour Florin,
branch manager, was the host. Herb Gillis assisted
. . . Florin was proud of the new desk
Among
clock he received as a present
the guests were: Irving
.
Kaplan
.
of Randforce,
Nat Harris of the Island circuit and
Irving DoHinger of Independent Theatre
Service.
. . . Seymour
Skouras Theatres had a more formal celebration
at the Hotel Astor . . . There were
place cards and a Itmcheon in addition to the
traditional Christmas liquor and melody .
William A. White and Nick J. Matsoukas
were on the reception committee . . . The
Eagle Lion Family club held its annual shindig
at the Hotel Warwick Friday
Schussel and Bob Finkel headed the
exchange delegation.
The New York committee for the Will Rogers
Memorial Hospital drive has set January
20 as the date for prize drawings. The
date had been moved back from December
15 to allow additional time for fund raising
Clarence Eiseman, Nat Cohn and Nat Furst
are members of the committee.
Joe Felder and Moe Kerman of Astor Film
Exchange have been busy traveling. Felder
returned from California December 18 and
left for Detroit December 23. Kerman left
for Palm Beach December 23 for a winter
vacation . . . Bernard Goldfluss of the United
Artists Theatre circuit legal department is
vacationing at Miami Beach. So is Walter
Reade sr.
James Bradley has been appointed manager
of the Park Plaza. He was formerly
manager of the Valentine. Both houses are
in the Bronx. Russ Banks has replaced
WALTER WALDMAN .
Row
Bradley at the Valentine . Bass of
the Donahue & Coe theatre department is
abel to compare television with film entertainment,
now that he has become a video
set owner.
Sol A. Schwartz is scheduled to be in
Hollywood soon ... He will also visit RKO
theatres in San Francisco and Los Angeles
while he is on the coast . . Best Wishes
.
for a Happy Holiday and Prosperous New-
Year.
NCCJ Luncheon to Mark
20th Birthday Feb. 4.
NEW YORK—The National Conference o:
Christians and Jews will celebrate its 20th
anniversary February 4 with a luncheon at
the Waldorf-Astoria.
Approximately 1,000 persons will attend.
Awards will be made for the outstanding
contributions in the fight against bigotry.
Louis Nizer is chairman of the luncheon
committee.
UA District Manager
NEW YORK—Jack Ellis,
New York district
manager for United Artists since 1946, has
resigned, effective January 1. No successor
has been selected as yet, according to Gradwell
L. Sears, president. Before taking his
present post, Ellis was New York manager for
UA for three years. He was with RKO in
New York for 20 years previous to that. He
has been a four-term president of the Motion
Picture Associates and was recently
elected president of the Film Board of Trade.
Ellis will make no announcement of his
plans until after the first of the year, he
said.
Debate Realism of Films
NEW YORK—Frederick Lewis Allen, editor
of Harper's magazine, criticized film interpretations
of American life and Francis
S. Harmon, MPAA vice-president, and Walter
Abel, actor, defended in a television program
Thursday evening (9) over WJZ-TV
and the eastern video network of ABC. John
Mason Brown was moderator. The program
was "Critic-at-Large."
Commonwealth Expands
NEW YORK—Commonwealth Pictui-es
Corp., distributors of 16mm films, will take
over the entire second floor of 723 Seventh
Ave. shortly after January 1, according to
Sam Goldstein, president. Tire company was
formed 15 years ago and now has a television
department under the supervision of
Jerry Hyams. general sales manager.
f SX CLASS DISTRIBUTION FOR
* THE ENTIRE SOUTH — thru
ATLANTA: Astor, W. M. Richardson
(3) 163 Walton St.. NW
DALLAS: Jenkins & Bourgeois, Astor
(1) Harwood & Jackson Streets
NEW ORLEANS: Dixie, R. A. (Bob) Kelly
BOXOFFICE December 25, 1948 45