PONDERS TAFT-HARTLEY WAL

known
Charge Fraud Against
John Marlow Firms
EAST ST. LOUIS. ILL— Separate percentage
fraud suits hape been filed in the U.S.
district court for the eastern district of
Illinois, by Columbia. Universal. Paramount.
Warners. RKO. 20th-Fox and Loew's against
John Marlow. the Grand Opera Co. and the
Murphysboro Opera Co.
The Grand Opera Co. owns the Annex
and Marlow theatres. Herrin. 111. The Murphysboro
Opera Co. owns the Liberty and
Marlow theatres, Murphysboro. 111., and Marlow
is named in the complaint as the controlling
stockholder of the two companies
and general manager and director of theatre
operations.
The complaints state that the defendants
conspired to defraud the plaintiffs by submitting
allegedly false statements regarding
the admission receipts received from the
plaintiffs' pictures. As a result of these statements,
the plaintiffs claim they were damaged
because they received smaller payments
than they should have received and also
granted lower rates on subsequent percentage
and flat rental pictures.
WB English Release". Set
From July to December 1
LONDON— Warner Bros, will release eight
features In Great Britain during the fivemonth
period starting in July, according to
Max Milder, managing director. All the pictures
win play at the Warner Theatre in
London before going Into general distribution.
The release dates are as follows: "Humoresque."
July 7; "Stallion Road." July 28;
"Royal Plush." i in America as "Two
Guys From Milwaukee"! August 18; "Nora
Prentiss." September 1; "The Two Mrs. Carroll.,"
September 29; "Pursued." October 20:
"Deception." November 10, and "Love and
Learn," December 1.
Aileen Brenon to Assist
Gillham at SRO in N. Y.
NEW YORK— Aileen Brenon, after 15
years service with Paramount, will function
as publicity assistant to Robert M. Gillham.
eastern advertising and publicity manager of
the Selznlck Releasing Organization, and
double as national and fan magazine contact
under the new publicity setup in the e.-.sl.
Nick Mamula will continue as New York
dally and trade press contact with extr.i
duties as unit publicity man on "Portrait of
Jennie." now shooting In New York, Mel
Strauss win handle foreign and radio publicity.
Picture Division of PCA
To Sponsor Preview
NEW YORK—The film division of the
Pr()gri',s.slve Citizens of America sponsored
a preview of "Shoe Shine." an Italianlanguage
film, at the Avenue Playhouse
June 25. The showing marked the beginning
of a summer campaign by the motion
picture unit to rally support for the PCA
program.
Forums, cocktail parties and boat rides
are among other activities being prepared by
the film dlvl.slon to Increase and consolidate
Its ranks during the coming months.
UA Film to Open July 2
NEW YORK Kun on u Weekend." Andrew
Stone production for United Artist*
release, opens at Loew's Metropolitan in
Brooklyn July 2.
IN FOR PRK.MIEKE—Joan Leslie,
star of "Repeat Performance." Eagle-Lion
film, arrives in New York with her mother,
.Mrs. John Brodcl, for the opening
uf the picture at the Kivoli Theatre July 1.
Discount Tickets Issued
For 'Barber,' 'Henry'
NEW YORK— Special two-for-one coupons,
good for a 50 per cent reduction in the boxoffice
price, are being issued to colleges,
high schools and the Catholic parochial
schools in the New York district by Excelsior
Pictures, distributors of "The Barber of
Seville." now in its second month of a twoa-day
run at the Golden Theatre. The picture
is an Italian-language film version of
the Rossini opera with English commentary
by Deems Taylor.
Approximately 200,000 special student discount
coupons for "Henry V" w.:re also
mailed recently to the diocesan superintendents
of 200 Manhattan and Brooklyn parochial
schools, Father John J. Voight and
Monsignor Joseph V. McClancy, respectively,
as part of United Artists' program in the
servicing of school children and college
students. "Henry V" started the third weel:
of its popular-price engagement at the
Broadway June 20 after playing 47 weeks of
a two-a-day run In 1946 and 1947.
Eastman Will Construct
Huge Refrigeration Unit
ROCHESTER—The largest refrigeration
system of its kind in the world is being constructed
by Eastman Kodak Co. for use in
the production of photographic materials.
The new million-dollar plant which would
provide temperatures of 85 degrees below
zero will be used at Kodak park, the company's
largest manufacturing plant and producer
of photographic paper, film, pl-tes and
chemicals.
Besides the new system the plant operates
others at these levels: a minus 36-degree .system
circulating 14.000 gallons of calcium
chloride a minute; two separate 9-degree
systems, each pumping 4.000 to 5.000 gallons
of calcium chloride a minute, and four 35 40-
degree water .systems, each running at from
200 to 7.000 gallons a minute.
New SRO Posts Given
Kusell and Lawrence
NEW YORK-Two new appointments at
the Selznlck Releasing Organization were
announced Friday by Neil Agnew. president.
Milton S. Kusell, general sales manager, was
named vice-president In charge of domestic
and Canadian sales. Laudy Lawrence will
supervise foreign sales.
Urge Congress Extend
Tele License Period
NEW YORK— Richard W. Hubbell. New
York television, radio and film consultant,
has urged Congress to extend television
licensing to a 17-year period in order to encourage
the capital investment needed for
the development of television.
Hubbell told a senate commerce subcommittee,
wliich has been holding hearings on
the White bill to reorganize the Federal Communications
act, that the short three-year
license Is an implicit hazard to long-range
investment. Television development now depends
on the construction and operation of
television transmitters and the formation of
television networks and the "investment of
dollars" is the crux of the entire :ltuation.
he said.
Second NBC Video Station
Started in Washington
WASHINGTON—The National
Broadcasting
Co. started commercial broadcasting from
its second television station Friday (June 27'
A three-way network program between Ne»
York. Philadelphia and Washington was
broadcast. The Washington television station
is WNBW. The fu-st NBC television
station in New York started commercial operation
July 1. 1941.
Charles R. Denny, chairman of the Federal
Communications
David Sarnoff,
commission;
RCA president,
Brig.
and
Gen.
Niles
i
j
Trammell. NBC president, were the principal
speakers from the Washington television sta- I
tion. Other speakers from the Washington
!
station were Frank M. Russell, NBC vicepresident
in charge of the Washington office,
and Carleton D. Smith, manager of WNBW.
The program from the New York station,
WNBT, featured stage, screen and radio stars
lelecon to Start Installing
Master Tele Antennas
NEW YORK—Telccon Corp. expects to
start installing its new- master televlstonj,
antenna system In several New York City'
apartment houses within 90 days.
The master antenna can service up to 1001
television and radio sets in an apartment
house through a single antenna, according to
Telecon. It can pick up signals from as many
as seven stations. Any standard commercial
.set can be hooked up to the master antenna.
The Telecon system, as described by com-,
pany executives is a boon to realtors, prospective
television set owners and manufac-;
turers, and overcomes some objections raised:
recently by New York City realtors who said;
they didn't want their apartment house roofsdotted
with television antennas. They
claimed it was a fire hazard.
Press Attends Reception
For Roy Rogers in N.Y.
NEW YORK -Representatives of the news-(
paper, magazine and trade press attendedi
a Republic reception in honor of Roy Rogers'
at the Sherry Netherlands hotel. Bob Nolan
and the Sons of the Pioneers, singing group.
also were present. The group came In from
the coast for appearances at the Roy Rogers,
thrill circus at the Polo Grounds.
Republic executives present included James
R. Grainger and Mrs. Grainger, Sidney
Myers. Louis Goldsmith and Mrs. Goldsmith.
Richard W. Altschuler, Dennis Carlin. Steve
Edwards, Evelyn Koleman, William P. Murphy,
Nick de Manczuk, John Petrauskas Jr.
Beatrice Ross, Marian Sapp. Milton SUvei
and Douglas T. Yates.
Also present were Phllo Harvey, Art Rusr
and Dorothea McAvoy.
j
54 BOXOFFICE :: June 28, 1»*'