Variety (Dec 1947)

yfkOmdtift Pecwttbcr 8, 1947 JPICTUBBS 32 TUNERS 48 COLOR PIX IN '48 Brdlidowii of Color and Filnmskals Black »nd White Oiher Color JMIVSIcalft Cglpr Muslckls Filnis .Co1nmM» ^........ 2 .... 2 Flint ClamlcB 8 Metro f ■ 8 2 Paramount 113 BKO ; 1 3 1 Bepubllc' I 1 , 5 iSOth-Fox 3 2 8 Vnited ArtUta .\. 9 .... 4 .Universal ■...■•■•..> :-2„ , . ■ i- Warnera 1 1 1 ,'Totals ....-.•> 19 13 3iS KeDy in London to Represent UA In Rank s Move to Sell GCFC to Odeon London, Dec. 2. , Arthur W. Kelly, United Artists exec v.p., is expected here by air to- pibytow (Wednesday), for the pur- pose, It.ls understood, of registering -the company'is objection to J. Arthur JRauk's proposal for sale of his Gen- eral Cinema Finance Corp. to his Odeon Theatres circuit. UA owns a 27Vj% interest in Odeon and, like many other stockholders, is under- stood highly disturbed at Bank's Last • w.eek's announcement of the sale plan brought much bitter com- thent anept Hank' and his motives. It was alleged in film and financial ' circles that OCF, which finances the Bank. pix and is almost wholly owned by him, is not much of a moneymaker. On the other hand, Odeon, which is publicly owned, shows large profits, it was said. I^easohihg is, therefore, that Bank Is trying to hang the weak-sister Anance corporation, on the lusty the- atre chain, which would redound to his own profit but vrork against the Odeon stockholders. ■ Hank, in a pulilic statement, denied tlus, claim- ing the move is merely a simplifica- tion of his, operations and not of wide public interest. Financier and producer declared press comment on the deal wps "mis- chievous and misinformed." He said • shareholders oi 90.% of the Odeon stock were consulted and approved the move. It's reported about (Continued on page 18) EDDIE GOLDEN SETS B.R. FOR HIS NEXT UA niM Arrangements were completed in New York last week by Edward A. Golden for financing of his 'Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven," which he will produce for United Artists re- lease. He expects to return to the Coast at the end of this week or early next week and have the film in production by Feb. 1. ' Originally labeled "Eddie and the Archangel Mike,*' pic has been de» , layed lor months by difficulties of completing production financing. Combination of the crackup of the foreign market and melee in UA's internal affairs have made it all but impossible for indies distributing through the company to Obtain bank and second money. Gplden arranged for first money with the Continental Bank, N, Y., and l^rough personal sources for the remainder. Maurice Bergman (who cartatnly thowiii know aboHt tlMii« Hiinfl*) IM* a. f*w iMb^i t« *'Crisis h the . Backbone** in th« 42d Annivertary Number Out Soon UA Win Contest Cagney's life' Going Via WB United Artists will flght any at- tempt by James and William Cagney to give "Time of Your Life" to an- other distributor for release, but concedes presence 'of a clause in their UA pact whiclv might place the deal made with Warner Bros, last week beyond any court contest. Clause gives them the right to can- cel their UA release deal if they find it impossible to obtain production financing. They claim to have now reached that impasse. . Since "Time of Your Life" is com- pleted, UA : holds that it in no way can be affected by the cancellation .clause. Nevertheless, William Cag- ney has stated publicly he will not deliver it to UA and has held it several months since work on it was completed. UA has heard nothing officially about either the refusal to deliver "Life" or the WB deal,- so can take no legal action as yet. Can- cellation to go with Warners will be carefully scrutinized for legality, of course.'- ,-. ■. Agreement, with Warners covers .■ (Qonlinued on. page 16) STUDIOS S[[ 'EM ASSUREFIIIEBl Despite the high costs almost in- variably involved in producing large-scale musicals, film studios will offer at least 32 big song-and-dance films within the next year. .And, despite Technicolor production, being more costly. than ■ ever and no ap- parent easing in-the current logjam ' at the Techni processing • labs, the film companies Will nonetheless .have some 48 tinted films, utilizing Techni or some other process. Figures are incomplete, since few of the companies have announced their total number of releases for the forthcoming, year, but they rep- resent those films already scheduled or in various stages of production. Beason for the apparent paradox involved in turning out more: costly pix during a period of uncertain r.iarket conditions is merely an- at- tempt to establish some bulwark against a further dip in grosses. Musicals, even in the worst condi- tions, have always been- veritable guarantees of good earnings. "Color," by the same token, is always a magic marquee word. With the film .com- panies casting about for almost any means of bolstering sliding grosses^ (Continued, oil page 23) " Joel Bezahler New Aide To Rodgers; M-G Kicks Off 4-Day N.Y. Sales Meet Metro sales veeiiee William F. Bodgers teed off the company's di- vision" sales managers meet yester- day (Tuesday) at the Hotel Astor, N. Y., with the announcement that Joel Bezahler, heretofore homeoffice assistant to the midwest division sales chief, had been promoted to the post of executive assistant' to Itodg- ers.: . ■■• ■' '■■■■•■■■■//■:: With assistant general salesmana- gers Sddie Aari^n and fidwin M. Saunders aiding Bodgers currently at the homeoffice, Bezahler's ap-. pointment brings to four the num- ber of top homeoffice sales execs. He's the first member of the sales staff to assume that position, since Bodgers has operated heretofore without such an aide. Rodgers opened the four-day meet by briefing his field sales toppers, on the company's forthcoming prod- uct. It's believed unlikely that he'll reveal the total numbers of pictures to be released by Metro during 1948, as other companies have done pre- ferring instead to operate only a few months in advance: of current (Continued on page 16) ' . Producers ai^ Gnil^ Continue Parleys on Purging Pix of Reds .W. A. S. Douglas djeablt-lMtMrpi "A- Story From Phila- delphia and,a Title From London" • * '* an Editorial Mglili«M fa tlia fonlicomiag ' 42d Annivertary Number of Grant Resigns AsUABdardRep Arnold Grant has resigned as a representative of Mary Pickford on the United Artists board of direc- tors. His resignation was handed in two months ago, but he was asked not to mak^ the fact known, since it was feared announcement would upset banking negotiations pending at the time. While the board technically" re- fused to accept - the attorney's bow- out from the affairs of the company, he has not been attending directors' meetings. Besignation has now been accepted.' Grattt will continue, how- ever, as Miss Pickford's counsel, his Coast firm, Prinzmetal & Grant, rep* resentiiig her there and his eastern firm, Weisman, Grant, Nova & Dos- kow, representing her in New Yorki ' Grant said yesterday (Tuesday) that he felt his resig^Aation was ad- visable, since Ids frec(aent Ctiast trips made'it impossible to attend board meetings regularly. Occasional at- tendance, he added, did not make it possible to provide ' any "construe-' tive contribution.". Another Pickford. director re- signed a few weeks ago, although that was under somewhat strained circumstances without the amica- bility that has marked GranVs departure. Other dire'ctor was Franklin Colei -an. investment bank- : (Continue oil page 22) Hollywood, Dec. 2. Producers and guilds continued through today (Tuesday) the series of, meetings that began last Friday (28) with the returns of industry toppers from the New York sessions on ridding the industry of alleged Communists. Producers, at .their meetings in Louis B. Mayer's office, were trying to work out methods of carrying out last week's^ anti'-Bed decision, vtrhile the guilds w'ere '!b« tent on seeing that none of their members was unjustly harined.: - ; A: five-hour joint session was held - Friday between producers and the * guilds. It's understood that no satis- factory, conclusion was reached on the Communist issue and both sides then began' a series of separata meetings. Emergency session of the Screen Writers Guild boarjl, followed the genera] huddle, with'prexy Sheridan Gibney declaring thftt -because "of the gravity and complexity of the problem, that arose" in the meeting with the producers, the SWG board "is seeking to work out a program' with the actors and directors to pro- tect the rights of our members and the' industry as a whole." He said a joint statement by the SWG, the Screen 'Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild would be issued , as soon as they can formulate'«: common policy. " He denied that the ' SWG had acted as yet oh firinfe of three of itis members, as a result of the new industry policy. [Dalton Trumbo and Lester Cole are, as yet, not off Metro's payroll; see separate story.] The SWG membership met Mon» day (1) night for a long discussion (Continued on page 16) ; Rep to Reissue Jennifer's Pic When She Made $75 Hollywood, Dec. 2. Bepublic's "New Frontier," Jenni- fer Jones-John .Wayne starrer made in 1939, when she was known as Phyllis Isley, is up for reissue. Aside from a "Dick Tracy" serial, film was her only stint for Bep. Plans are to use the Jones mon- icker in reissuing film. She was mak- ing $75 weekly then and was dropped after, pic wound up, after which David O. Sclznick picked her up and loaned her to 20th-Fox for "Song of Bernadette," her first hit. When 20th wanted Miss Jones again for "Laura," he nixed it be- cause he didn't think the story was good enough for her, Gene Tierney made pic while Miss Jones went into "Cluny Brown" for 2011i. ROGART TERMS WASH. TRIP A TOOUSH' MOVE Characterizing his recent .appear- ance in Washington as a member of the .Committee for the Fir|it Amend- ment as, "ill-advised and even foolish," Humprey Bogart issued the following statement y e s t e i" d a y (Tuesday) in explanation: "My recent trip to Washington, where I appeared with a group of motion picture people, has become the subject of such confused and erroVieous interpretations that. I feel the Situation should be clarified. "I am not a Communist. "I am not a Communist sympathizer. "I detest Gommimism just as any other decent American does. "I have never in my life been identified with any group which was even Sympathetic to Communism. f'My name will not be found' on any Communist front organization (Continued on page 18) National Boxoffice Survey Thanksgiving Week Upbeat — 'Dolphin/ 'Life/ 'Mitty/ 'Body/ 'Unconquered,' Tun' Make Big Six With very few exceptions, business at flVstruns throughout the country is forging ahead this w^ek with a healthy boost from Thanksgiving week holiday crowds and upped scales for the occasion. Only a few key cities indicated early Christmas shopping was hurting the usual Twc- key Day upbeat. ■ "Green Dolphin Street" (M-G), with playdates in .some 19 keys, is soaring to national boxoffice peak this stanza. It's way ahead of near- est b.o. rivals currently.: Even in the offish cities such as Louisville, it's a leader, even though not as socko as elsewhere. ' Bob Hope's "Where There's Life" (Par) is in second groove by a healthy margin with about 15 new playdates. Also up in the big coin of the week are "Walter Mitty" (BKO) and "Body and Soul" (UA) in that order. "Unconquered" (Par) and "Fun, Fancy Free" (BKO) round out the list of Big Six money-getters. Bunners-up are topped by "Wist- ful Widow" (U) and "This Time for Keeps" (M-G). The former, Abbott- Gostello comedy, shapes solid in Providence and big on second week in N. Y.. besides doing okay in Cin' cinnati and Minneapolis. Of the newcomers launched this week, "Daisy Kenyon" (20th), "Out of Past" (BKO), and "Exile" .(U) shape up as having greatest possibil- ities. "Whispering . City" .. (EIj), backed by a good stage layout; looks nice in San Francisco, while "liove From Stranger," from the" same dis- tributor, is solid on preem in N Y. "Fabulous Texan" (Bep) is doing well in Denver in two houses. "Ha- gen Girl" (WB), while disappointing in Baltimore and Washington, is okay this week in Chicago and In- dianapolis. "Thunder in 'Valley" (20th) is. making such a mild show- ing in initial week at N. Y. Boxy , that it may not be held over two stanzas. Picture was disappointing when released several months ago under original title, "Bob, Son. of Battle," in a couple of test dates. "Had to Be You" (Col) shapes Ht nicely this round in Balto and, Pitts- burgh. "Escape Me Never" Cfr'B) is doing mildly in Cincy, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Louisville. Huge biz that's being racked iip this week by "Mitty" in such keys as Washington, Providence, Minneapolis, Boston, Cleve., Balto. and L.A. is in line with the strong showing in N. Y. where film is in :16th week. (Complete Boxoffice Reports on Pages 8-9) NEW HIGH REACHED ON PICTURE LOANS Hollywood, Dec. 2. While other banks were showing a strong tendency to lay off loans.for picture-making, a new high for sucb loans was reached (1) by the Bank of America here. Becord scored waa : both for iimount and number of such deals,'according to-Bernard Giannini, v.p., in "charge of film financing. Previous high was reached June 1. Giannini declared that .producers are generally cutting budgets. The last few to submit propositions for financing had costs 15%, to 20% un- der what they were six months ago* he said.. ' The past three weeks has seen a slight easing in the number of ap- plications, Bank of America exec said, and a drop' is .anticipated dur- ing- the next few months, then a pickup again. He judged the-present high may be d,ue to producers' an-- ticipation of the first Monday Marph, when all.exposed negative regularly comes in for a levy by the state, 1^'anker said 1947 had been a ban- ner year for pic loans, with eacK month seeing increased business. Loans have been made mostly to established 'production units rather than many new firms. Bank still wrote the ticket, Giannini declared, and sjuck to it always, so there-Were no losses, and there's no anticipation of any despite unsettled situation in the film business, . 'Good News' Brevity Cues M-G Sales Policy • Hollywood, Dec. 2. With "Good News," Metro adopti a sales policy that William Rodgers, sales head, has been advocating for years: shorter running time.for big budgeters. ' . Firstrun exhibs have been com^ plaining they eaji't get good turn- overs with pix that run two houra or more. Even "Dolphin Street," which ran 138 minutes, cut five min- utes, not much but something. Ex- cept for specials like Paramount'g "Unconquered" and RKO's "Electra," exhibs are .demanding films- under 100 minutes. "News" runs 93, and is first of Metro's toppers tomeet demand.