Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

yt S smart and showmanlike a piece r\ of promotion effort as has been seen in many a day was that achieved for the opening at the Broadway Paramount of Warner Brothers’ “The Eddie Cantor Story,” Thursday night of last week. At about the time the film was opening in New York, Cantor appeared on the Ralph Edwards TV show, “This Is Your Life,” with an obvious direct tieup with the opening. The show is a coast-to-coast hookup enjoying high popularity. On Sunday on the TV Colgate program, Cantor, star of the show, plugged “The Eddie Cantor Story” all the way down the line. It was a case, indeed, of using the TV medium for all it was worth to promote a new film — and in this case, it was quite apparently worth plenty. ► “Show Biz,” lively history of Broadway in its great years, written in the vernacular by Abel Green and Joe Laurie, Jr., has had reasonably successful sales as a book. Now its authors, the editor and a columnist on “Variety,” have produced a record album — RCA Victor LOC-1011 and EOD-1011 — of their half-century review. It is narrated by George Jessel and features songs and bands popular through the whole flamboyant era. WHAT PRICE LAP? Ernest Kassebaum, owner of the Rivoli theatre, Seward, Nebraska, reports that the other day he received 50 cents in the mail from an anonymous patron who praised a recent screen attraction at the theatre. The note then added, "We found that one of our girls was too big to hold on our lap." Hence the 50 cents. tures be increased to 16 per cent. The Association says foreign films in Italy the past year amounted to $10,000,000 less than the previous year ; and that twice as many Italian films were exported as during the previous year. ► Almost 60 per cent of American homes now have television receivers, David Sarnoff, chairman of the board of Radio Corporation of America, said this week in his annual report on the state of the business. Mr. Sarnoff cited the great variety of applications of radio, television and electronics which his company is developing for use in many fields, and he especially was jubilant about the imminence of color television. The magnetic recording of pictures, recently demonstrated by RCA, he called a development of great significance for the motion picture world. ► The Ford Motor Company has concluded a deal with Box Office Television for the most extensive off-hour theatre television show in the history of the medium. The closed circuit program, for Ford dealers and executives will be shown in 31 theatres in as many cities January 28. ► The Supreme Court on January 6 or 7 hears crucial arguments on the constitutionality of state film censorship. For three hours, lawyers will debate whether the states of Ohio and New York were within their constitutional rights in banning the films. “M” and “La Ronde.” .‘’Ti’ fv 'v rcj ^ FOR THE RECORD Motion Picture Herald Presents ► The Italian film producers want more screen time in their own country, and more money from their government. They put it baldly the other day in the considerable talk going around about Italy’s projected new film law. The Italian Association of Producers wants special licensing of producers and distributors, which would have the effect of raising the number of days on which native films must be shown from 80 to 120 days yearly. They also suggest the government subsidy of 10 per cent of the gross income of pic The Box Office Hits of 1953 From Here to Eternity (Col.) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (20th-Fox) Hans Christian Andersen (Goldwyn-RKO) House of Wax (W.B.) Moulin Rouge (U.A.) Peter Pan (Disney-RKO) The Robe (20th-Fox) Shane (Para.) [The pictures above are listed alphabetically by title.] MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address, "Quigpubco, New York", Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Martin Quigley, Jr., Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Floyd E. Stone, Photo Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, Yucca-Vine Building, Telephone HOIlywood 7-2145; Chicago, 120 So. LaSalle St., Urben Farley, advertising representative, Telephone, Financial 6-3074; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, .manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4 Golden Square. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Quigley Publications:' Better Theatres, published thirteen times a year as Section II of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture and Television Almanac and Fame. a '.zirmm MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 2, 1954 9