Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

That Little Man From Mars Is Back Waving His Antenna Across 1956 by VINCENT CANBY Etaoin Shrdlu had returned in his fashion. Early this week, on a warm and misty morning, he had slowly materialized all blue and purple atop a basket marked with simple eloquence: in-coming. “Here I am again,” he said cheerfully, “trapped in time and bathed in the sweat of interplanetary travel.” His small metallic space suit was knicked and scratched in several spots, but he himself showed no signs of age. How was he? “Aside from being the near miss of one of your pesky runaway missiles, I’m tip-top. A-l. Came through the Pleiades. They’re lovely this time of year with the calla lilies in bloom. However, for publication, you can just say that I’m indifferent to everything except the Life Force as manifested in the motion picture industry in 1956.” It was Etaoin, all right, Herald correspondent extraordinary. Although all Martians look alike, Etaoin can always be identified by his remarkable ear. It allows him to capture a cliche, distill its original meaning, then pass it off so that it seems as bright and shiny as a new dime. “Getting down to the business at hand,” ->aid Etaoin, turning off his landing lights, -I think I might say without fear of contradiction that 1956 has been a truly historic year on several counts. Let’s look at the record. . . .” The small translucent window in the middle of his forehead suddenly flashed with words in a strange and graceful script. “Oops!” He adjusted the nob on his stomach. “One picture is worth a thousand words, especially if the words are written in Vedic Sanskrit, eh?” Has His Little Joke Allowed his little academic joke, he continued: “First off, this was the year the feature film libraries were turned over — lock, stock and barrel — to television. Once Matty Fox had engineered the purchase of the RKO library, just a year ago, the bars went down, the gates were opened and the dam burst. Next Columbia turned over 104 features for rental through Screen Gems. Paramount sold over 1,000 shorts outright. In March Warners unloaded approximately 815 features and shorts to Louis Chesler and Eliot Hyman; in May 20th-Fox dipped its feet in that initial 52-picture package to National Telefilm Associates; in June MGM made its first, precedental deal with KTTV, Los Angeles. “Before the year is even out, MGM has picked up a 25 per cent interest in three television stations and 20th-Fox is 50 per cent owner of a television film network; and no less than 2,871 major feature films have been made available (in less than 12 months’ time) to the opposition. “The reasons for the moves are all economic. Nevertheless, I’m not entirely convinced of the economic wisdom in the old ac’age: if you can’t beat them, help them in every way possible. Of course, and I add this parenthetically, this flow of top-flight films into their studios is going to nave a rather interesting effect on the television men themselves, who may find it increasingly difficult to sell new grape juice to a public that prefers old wine. “In addition, the myth established by the post-television, theatrical success of Walt Di ney’s 'Davy Crockett’ was quite neatly destroyed by first, the box office reception for Sir Laurence’s ‘Richard III’ in late spring, and then for the Davy Crockett sequel in the summer. The 19th Century rule-of-thumb still holds: you cannot get rich selling what has already been given away free. Cairnes, I believe. “If I regard these 1956 events with only tempered pessimism, it’s because of certain specific contributions for which I thank Heaven and George Stevens, Michael Todd, Marilyn Monroe, Rodgers & Hammerstein, C. V. Whitney, Elvis Presley, Ponti-diLaurentiis, Sam Katzman, Leonard Goldenson, Harold Hecht, Josh Logan, C. B. DeMille, Ranier III, and the late Henry Ford, Sr. Seems a Dead Duck “And, speaking adjacently, I must say subscription television seemed a particularly dead duck this year — if not dead, then at least in a state of suspended animation. Which reminds me, no matter what you say or think about Robert E. Lee, and some of his recent statements, he still is one of the greatest generals the world has ever known.” Etaoin paused. A puzzled look came over his saucer-like face. Then, with a shrug, he rushed on. Ideas came and went, suggested other ideas in such rapid progression that he could be spared the occasional telescoping of fact and figure. “Trade practice problems of the motion picture industry continue to amaze and fascinate me. The chronology of the ups and downs of intra-industry relations reads like a script for 'The Perils of Pauline.’ As 1955 was drawing to its close, for instance, Allied States and Theatre Owners of America had just had a fresh blow-up and each was preparing a ‘white paper’ which would name names and cite chapter and verse on the other’s misconduct. Within three weeks, however, those not so strange bed-fellows were back in the four-poster together. Compromise was the order of the day. TOA was backing the demand for film rentals arbitration and Allied was petitioning Justice to approve production with preemptive rights by the divorced circuits. “Alors and oodly-do! The honeymoon weathered the spring of Senator Humphrey’s hearings and an autumn of discontent! The rapport was strengthened at the respective conventions and now, as we ring out the old, raise a wassail, make the welkin, or whatever it is you people insist on doing, both organizations are pledged to seek an arbitration plan as recommended in the SBC report released in August! Things Looking Up “Things are definitely looking up in this quarter. Thus my ultra-violet best wishes go to Ernest Stellings, Herman Levy, Rube Shor, Trueman Rembusch, Benny Berger and, of course, Abram Myers. Apropos of the latter, let’s just hope things don’t go too smoothly. Your world would be a gloomy place without his frequent bulletins and periodic definitions of clearance. “Who’s my choice for man-of-the-year? That is a knotty problem. Consideration must be given to such as Serge Semenenko, who led the Warner company into a new era; to the aforementioned Senator Humphrey; to Representative King; also to Bob O’Donnell, Colonel Cole, and to Sam Pinanski, who has been making brave attempts to integrate the industry into the over-all financial community of the nation. However, my choice undoubtedly would be Bob Coyne. “You might say that out of the ashes of indifference the COMPO special counsel sparked that remarkable tax campaign, the success of which even some of his greatest admirers doubted. Success is hard to oppose and Mr. Coyne’s success happily has reduced a good deal of the criticism which had been levelled at COMPO generally in the preceding months. As a result, COMPO stands today greatly strengthened. Allied seems hard put to think up reasons to stay out of the fold and the coming year should see ( Continued on page 16) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 29, 1956 13