Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIifW, October 22, 1949 19 Studio Roundup LONDON OBSERVATIONS Films Aided by FFC Need Not Qualify for British Quota, Says Lawrie; Exhibitors Ask Entertainmertt Tax Reductions Among the nine new pictures starting this week are two comedies, Columbia's "Kill the Umpire," and 20th Century-Fox's "Cheaper by the Dozen." "Kill the Umpire' 'is the new William Bendix starrer that has beauteous Gloria Henry in the feminine lead. "Cheaper by the Dozen" stars Jeanne Crain, with Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy playing the parents of twelve children. Walter Lang directs. "Mr. Music," latest Bing Crosby vehicle at Paramount, features Dorothy Kirsten, hailed as one of the most beautiful members of the Metropolitan Opera Company. Miss Kirsten is the second "Met" feminine star to appear with Bing. Rise Stevens was the other in "Going My Way." ."King Solomon's Mines" rolled at Nairobi, Africa when Director Compton Bennett, Cameraman Robert Surtees and a staff of six assistants reached Nairobi after a safari in search of shooting sites. Stars Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger, and Richard Carlson arrived by plane from England. Technical Adviser Nipo Strong-heart, Yakima Indian scholar and collector, signed as technical advisor on Monogram's "Young Daniel Boone." In this drama, in Cinecolor, Strongheart also plays the role of the famous Indian chief. Walking Eagle. Reginald LeBorg directs for Producer James S. Burkett. "Outrage," modern-day mob violence drama starring Gail Russell and Macdonald Carey was started for Paramount by the "Dollar" Bills . . . Pine and Thomas. Underwater scenes for "Captive Girl," Sam Katzman's production for Columbia, has Johnny Weissmuller doing his stunts at the Columbia Ranch pool. Anita Lhoest lends African sarong interest. Jeffrey Bernerd's Cinecolor "Blue Grass of Kentucky" for Monogram is shooting in two units. Race sequences are being lensed at Northridge farms, while Director William Beaudine puts stars Bill Williams and Jane Nigh through interior scenes at the studio. Crawford's Model Pal Jacqueline DeWitt checked-in this week to start her role as Joan Crawford's model pal in Warners' "The Victim." Added to the cast were Ralph Sandford and David Leonard with Vincent Sherman directing for Producer Jerry Wald. At Lippert Productions they finished a picture that combines a group of feature variety acts. Film was handled by June Carr and Paul Schreibman, with Paul Landres directing. Acting as master of ceremonies and starring in the feature is Robert Alda, with the Hoosier Hotshots, Glenn Vernon and Eddie Ryan, Shawn & Lee, the DePina Troupe of acrobats and numerous others doing a stint. Two in Preparation Aubrey Schenck, now a Universal-International producer, has two pictures in preparation. One of them is an unpublished novel by Stephen Longstreet, while the other is "Undercover Girl," by Francis Rosenwald. Ames a 'Heavy' 'Leon Ames, veteran MGM character actor, has been set to play a "heavy" role in "Mystery Street," which starts next month. Ricardo Montalban and Marshall Thompson are starred. By JOCK MacGREGOR J. H. Lawrie of the Government-sponsored Film Finance Corporation .sprung several surprises at his press conference. He stated that employment within British studios was not one of their main objects and the pictures, aided by '^'^^'^j'^ "'^^ ^'^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ currency, they would probably not make the Jock MacGregor pictures anyway. I did not follow this argument, for several of the companies which are filming overseas would appear to have had no opportunity of accruing such balances. Such producers, he fears, may not be able to fulfill the requirements of the quota act through devaluation and the like. Contrary to general belief. FFC has not been created to find work for the idle technicians and studios but to help the independent producers, and apparently it matters little where they operate. It seems strange reasoning. Some twenty-six loans have been made to sponsor 44-odd pictures. The bulk appears to have been made to the Korda British Lion group. Most of the other pictures come under the supporting program category. Mr. Lawrie was evasive over details of the loans, but admitted he was keeping a strict eye on all companies receiving aid, deleting items of unnecessary expense and reading scripts. This substantiates the growing criticism of some producers who allege FFC officials have not the knowledge of box-office requirements to pass such judgment. The fact that FFC does not insist on the pictures it aids qualifying for British quota is, I think, significant. It suggests the 40 per cent set for this year will definitely be lowered. During the next few months the entertainment tax campaign should occupy the trade's major attention. Exhibitors are working for the elimination of all tax on seats below sevenpence and a reduction of one penny on all others below three shillings. This would cost the Exchequer approximately six-million pounds, my mathematical friends tell me. Bearing in mind that the legitimate theatre already gets a reduction and non-profit making plays of a cultural type get exemption, the producers wanted a reduction when British pictures were played. They now realize this would be discriminatory and have withdrawn it in favor of a straight state subsidiary for production. Incidentally, "A Street Car Named Defire" is the latest play to be presented in London to be exempted on cultural grounds. :'r: ^ * To clear the congestion of top-line product at the Empire and prepare for the introduction of longer seasons of films backed with stage presentations at Christmas, Sam Eckman, Jr. has reluctantly been forced to curtail the runs of current offerings. "Madame Bovary" has made way for "In the Good Old Summertime" after only seven days. * * ♦ J. Arthur Rank is trying an experiment at the 1,200-seat New Gallery by showing the GB instructional film ".Atomic Physics" as a top feature. This is an excellent classroom film. Speaking personally, I found it extremely interesting, but some of it was over my head. The results will be watched by the trade. '<■• ^ * Recently I was pulling Jimmy Hanley's leg to the effect that Sonia O'Shea, the rising young Irish actress, was Gene Tierney. Though many have made the mistake, he didn't. Now the laugh is on me. At the Variety Clubs Midnight Matinee, the photographers were also misled and an agency sent the picture direct to STR in New York. This was used, and is Jimmy laughing! * * * CMA Publicity Chief Charles Young is having a high time making London conscious of his namesake "Mighty Joe Young" and has had the first neon sign of its type erected in Piccadilly Circus for ten years. It features the ape. It has been musical chairs in publicity circles. Stephen Aliller and Paul Mills have left Rank for MGM British, Anthony Downing for destinations unrevealed and Morys Bruce for the BBC. Beryl Bamber will be leaving for India shortly. Betty Callaghan, back from Australia, landed a job immediately with Harry Reynolds. John Montgomery is leaving the Butchers Nettlefold group. Jimmy Hutchison after his long illness is working with Sidney Bernstein. John Ware has gone to Coronado. Took Phil Gersdorf, RKO publicist who is over here looking after the American end on Walt Disney's "Treasure Island," to Ascot to see an English race meeting on Saturday, and we really discovered where the trade vanishes to on weekends. Most fascinating sight were the producers trying to impersonate horses in the paddock and find backers. I shall long remember the look of bewilderment of one as he watched the totals go up on the tote. He just didn't seem to understand how even the outsiders got the money and he didn't. Monogram Lists Five Films Through November Five pictures on Monogram's production schedule through November include "Young Daniel Boone," which started last week; "Joe Palooka in Honeymoon for Five," Oct. 27; "Killer Shark," Nov. 7 ; "Fence Riders," Nov. 14 ; "The Bowery Boys on a Double Date," sometime during the last of the month. Location Scenes Made For 'Asphalt Jungle' Headed by Director John Huston and stars Stirling Hayden and Joan Hagen, an MGM company was in Lexington, Ky., and Cincinnati, O. recently, filming pre-production scenes for "The Asphalt Jungle." Actual production will get underway at the Culver City studios on Oct. 24.