Variety (Apr 1949)

•VABnETT'S' tANDON OmCB INTERNATIOIVAL IS LONDON LEGIT LURES TOURISTS Pix Prodnction in Italy Marks Time, Awaiting Passage of New Govt. Setup Weltner Due in U. S. Genoa, March 29. Film production in Italy is still I marking time until the new cinema law is P««««*l,3'y/?* ^^'S'X^Sn^ G-^oree Weltner, Paramount In- Many plans have been to^^ prexy, is in Manila to- for Pf^fdXte staR^^ day (Wed.), preparatory to taking these are 1ft the defanlte stage une ^ ^ 5°^'""T,V?r "^Sref coLirred i Tokyo earlier this week, planing to Few .« oi^r ifaiUn ' Manila Monday (4). financally ^afts 'nvolve Italian completing a comprehen- comedians Macaco ^nd ioto k^ p.^^, ^^^^ territory, he s'h°il^s-7ho^Tflaied\o'"sta?f^ i - - N. Y. early next week, pictures starting in «ariy summer. { (Toto is slated for an Adam and ; Eve fantasv, while Macario will prohabh- do "How I Discovered America" for Lux Film). ; Shooting in Rome at the moment is Arx Film's "Cielo Sulla Palude" ("Heaven Over the Swamp"), while before the camera on loca- tion are: Major Film's "Rondini in Vole" ("Swallows in Plight" ) , Oro Film's "Antonio di Padova"; i ^. gchlesinger, who died several ("Story of the Saint"), Opel Films I njonths ago, has taken over the •'II Possesso" ("Possession >■ Lux | trfemendous Schlesinger empire, Film's "Lupo Delia Sila, on loca- including its widespread film in- tion in Calabria, has been waiting ' terests. Announcement to that ef- for the arrival of its star Amedeo , fpg^ j,as been made here by John. Nazzari from Argentina, mean- ^^^^^ ^^^^ j^^l^gj. tu^ed while shooting around him. (Jne ^^^^ ^j,,^ entire wealth dur- fllm is being made In Milan at the ■ j jifgiime. When making the moment: "Gente Cosi!' /"People , gjft the son waf Like That"). With Pirates oi ^^^^ ^j. certain charitable bequesl Capri" winding up its shooting last included in tlie Schlesinger hold U.S. PLAYS iOIG S British Relax on Dualling Ukase; Cinemas Can Now Use U.S. Twin-BiDs John Schlesinger In m% Control Capetown. April ."i. John Schlesinger, only son of By H.\RRY REGENSBERG London, March 29. West End legit biz, taken as a whole, is doing . extremely well. Managements are very optimistic, lining up a flock of new shows for the big influx of foreign visitors, who are . expected to top the 300,000 of last summer by at least another 100,000. Busiest of the produeer.s is un- doubtedly Henry Sherek, who has three plays in active rehearsal, with three more to follow. These ar Upon turn here of American actor John Europe's Pix Fesl List ' Genoa. March 29^ Checklist of probable dates of : this year's Europeian Filin Fe.Stivai merry-go-round: Milan: April 19 for two weeks, in cottneptloh .with' ]^ Fair; Lo- carno: ■ Jiiiy 'XK'-!. on; Marian$ke ; Lazne' (MarlenbadV (Gzechi)):.. ^uly j 23 to Aug. 7; Edinburgh (docu- j mentary only>: in August: Venice: Aug. 11 to 31: Cannes: Sept. 2 to e Tadwell Chapman's "Twice Snissels show has been called pon a Time." which marks re- ^^^^^.^ ^j,; ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ London. April ,=5. Two American companies can now combine to make one all- Anierican dual package for the British theatres under a new formula worked out by the com- panies. The formula, recently completed, provides for division of rentals on a double-bill when each company contributes one film. Heretofore, under the Yank-im- posed ban against niixing a British and American pic in a dualer, each' American; company had to make up its own packages. The new rule is also aimed to work to the advantage of British exhibs. In the. past, an exhib had Sweet with E™^^^^^^^ documentary festivals in Italy i to book both ends of a double-bill sweetj wiin aawdia unapman anu , .y,' „^,^^ai^ hii» >iat<><i and f..n,vv ^nvi Aivi^^i^.,^ \ta... Rank starlet Carol Marsh in sup' ! port. Show is being tried out at i Liverpool, April 11. coming to St. 1 Martin's theatre. April 21i This is followed by Noel Coward's "Pri- vate Lives" revival, opening at ^ Southsea, April 18, with Margaret i Lockwood in star part created by! Tallulah Bankhead, for extensive provincial tour. Even more important is Ronald j Millar's play, "Delilah." which, stars Google Withers. NigelJ Patrick; Irene Worth and Ghristo- during the summer, but dates apd ftom one American company. Now places have not been announced he can buy a single film from a yet. Bjll. Grosses H^b WithU.S.PixHypo .' ■ ^ Bue ■on'was "V<l]iZria^t\'kl i Pber Kane, and is financed 50% by 1 f"^""^,, tain char.tabk"bequesrs:' H^^I^'^d S. Cullman. Show opens i the limited Saturday (26), that is the sum —i V. I- »u~ ings are the ownership of 150 total of production activity at the g^^^^jj ^^^^..^^^ theatres: booking mioment Buenos Aires. March 29. Buenos Aires pix grosses are as well as ever despite at Leeds, MaJ- 2, and comes to limited number of releases in New theatre June 8. replacing the "'e past tortnight. Old Vic Co. which closes June 4., "Sitting Pretty" f20th) has ^ , Show is also Skedded for Broadway I grossed $130,000 (U.S.) since its Yank distrib if he agrees that the ] second pic will come from another I American Outfit. ! Formula for a split of rentals i has proved necessary to overcome i the fact that a top American film, | pla.ying alone, can pull down an ; average of 30% while a double- bill di-aws only 5% or so additional. I Distrib supplying lower end of the ■ program would naturally hold out . for better than the 5% difference. ' Understood, formula give."! the tail- end feature a better break. New rule went into effect last week. It is expected to help the companies speed up their release of pix in Britain since a number rights to another 150; distribution' ° j , aU-American cast.! first release' at the Ambassador "f them were hampered by an in tacillties and studio properties i° * .' . ■* i. ^ .. . ., . • „ i:ok.i,f»f<. Mot^K <^i.„:..— .j New Italo Studio Rome, March 29. Plans are set for a modern mo- tion picture studio to be built near Florence, called the Studio St. An- gelo. Architectural work was done by Italo Gamberini and includes six sound stages. An electrical power plant nearby will help to •void the breakdpwns suffered by U.S. Hit Tunes in Ireland Radio Disk Ban; Too Hot/ 'Too Noisy' Songs Nixed Sherek then concentrates on last October. The picture ran five . abihty to match up their own prod- •oduction of "Background," by, weeks at that 1,800-seat theatre, i Majors will be able to swing arren Chetham Strode: new i and li more at the 700-seat Luxor. |n"''e top films into dua ers. They H6bert Donat, "The | Subsequently it went to the smaller i'i«ve suffered from a shortage of by Nobel Prize' iguazu and is still running at the | second-half product while a num- - ' ■ . = - .. I ber ol minor Yank outfits have • had lesser product back up because ' of a lack: of tbp fllrtis. production war starrer for Cocktail Party I vvinner T. S. Eliot; and new Doro-1 Gran palace, Avith no .sighs pf dlrti: thy Parker-Ross Evans play star-1 inishing returns^ Flora Hobson. "Coast of , "johnny Belinda" (WB) grossed . ria." to be. known here as; ij^jggOOiaj jjjg Qpgra in its^^fi^^^ Dublin, March 25. i "Mary Is From Home." [six. Sveekr. Radio sponsors here are beefing I Tpiineiit's Six i <i/-.a„„ *ui wi.^,!" f\itM,T.\ studios in Rome and those furthe. at bans impend on disks submit- ■ ^J^^ ,^„, ' whirharbeU'^ruSg ^^^L ^ J^^J^^Z \^ti7hlTf\r^^^^ Apollo. Globe, St. James's,, at the 600-seat Radar, has grossed reSecr a lLr4 ba^^^^^^^^ Criterion. Aldwych, and Hay- $56,400 to datfe in reissue, and is l~rJ)\Htv Hi«u« fm?,rivP,tKins 1 market-and imerests m shows at expected to Continue at the same celebrity dibkb f n adveiUsing pui- ^ and Prince ot poses, and Radio Eiroann station' tjhe^^uruu^^ Tennent, Ltd., ha-sn't Next south. Olello Pagliai is president of the corporation comprising 30 busi- ness men. and Radio Eiroann station' '^•"'■> execs are imposing strict censor-1 Wales,.^^ activities. Yanks Yen Some of That Chinese Coin; Billions Mean Less Than IG Now selected.i arajalv ol Magador." although lal ter had been aired a couple of Linnit & Dunlee Cage Me a Peacock." Cambridge British Lion Racks Up 463G Net Profit in 10 Months; Gets 2d Loan London, April 5. British Lion Studio Co. has been granted 'a second loan ol an un- speeified sum from the Film; blacklisted. ...i,.,,..,,-.- . tip-^'n revue Finance Corp., according to the | ceasor system lias no clearly de-''-ano""..^^^Oat. " doing company's annual report. Author-■'• ' " » 1,„ rtoiu i>), v.' ity to increase its borrowing pow- ers to .$26,000,000 Will be sought from stockholders at a meeting to be held April 26. Statement also placed the book value of the firm's ^current films at $9,000,000. . Board chairman Hugh Quennell is bearisiv on future operations, estimating an ultimate loss of $2,800,000 on present product. Cpmpany, however, racked up a net profit of $463,416 over a 10- month period on a gi*oss trading gain of $836,000. I rate for months to come. "Immigrant" (Guaranteed) lo- cal production directed. ter iiaa oeen a.ieu - theatre skedded to shut sometime times from station before pttngj healre sKeaae ^^^.^ = Sponsors say that the . in api". ..c:.,,,,,„ T nt iic " V, hnt nn f. p-irlv de-' Laudcau s revue, bdute-J aiiait, ,j.a.^m has no tieaiij ac ^ q^, „ j,y,„g Lomond" are first three in top tunes list here currently. FOREIGN TALENT IN MEX FILMS CAUSING BEEFS Mexico City, April 5. Foreigners who are regular top piC players in Mexican films out- Earnings statement is the first number similar natives .five to. one, to be issued by any studio since: survey shows. Most,of the aliens the crisis in British production. Di-' are Cubans, Spaniards and Argen- rectors recommended payment of tinians. ^ the usual 15% dividend on ordi- Situation prompted Andres Serra nary s»ock, while a &% divvy on' Rojas. prez of the pic trade's preferred was also voted. If these melon cuts are approved by'share- holders at the April 26 conclave payments will be made the follow- ing day. own bahk. Banco Nacional Cine- iriatogtaficO, to urge producers t<> give preference to Mexican play-; fers over foreign whenever possible. He stressed .thai there's no dis- crimination in this, merely that it's $11,000,000 British Pix breaks in their own homeland, r • r ai II >rA Banker said that foreigners loin frozen Abroad bV 5U blocked move than 200 Mexicans from pic pla.ving .iobs last .vear. and looks an assured London hit wlien it opens at His Majesty's April 14. Meanwhile, his other American hit. "Oklahoma!," at Drurv Lane, is still in the big money, despite completing two years run shortly, and looks like staying through 1949. ^ Brother Emile Littler has notii- ing new imminent for the West End. but is thriving on "Annie Get Your Gun." winch is nearing two petgn^y jjaHa Lancet, as Mama: years at Coliseum, but stiU raaKing . p,.„f„,, ao K-.itiim-inp and money: "Latin Quarter" at London Casino (in Inroads of inflation in China have reached such fantastic heights scripted : that the billions of Chinese dollars years less ; dollars of pix • in feature. "Don Juan Tenorio," a survey made by Yank foreign preemed at the Gran Rex Feb. 18,, dept. execs. It resulted in a de- and grossed $40,800 In its first two; cision not to ship any more pix ^gglts I into China until thfe' import duty ; on films is lifted. . * .■ Actually, tax now levied ^ againstv each print' comes vto some $800. Surtax which amounted to another $400 has just been lifted by the Chinese government, Dept. heads of the majors, hoWever, have de- cided that tlie $800 , represehts much more; tfaiin ati^y one print can possibly earn. The $1,000 or less balances for the companies come after a remit-^ tance freeze which has been in force for more than 10 years, i Nonetheless, companies are con-: tinuing to distribute old prints : which entered the country befpre ■ ' the iniport tax y/ai iihpQ.Sed. I interference froitt^^he GomthU^ go'\'^rned portions ■ of the cpuhtrys are reported. IAMA; 'GUARDSMEN' IN TEL AVIV LEGIT BOWS reception. Prince Littler's only new one IS "Brigadoon." already proving a' Tel Aviv, March 29. smash on its Manchester tryout,' chamber theatre is presenting a Hebrew adaptation of "I Remem- ber Mama," while the Ohel has a new play about the fall of the old city ot Jerusalem, "The Guards- men of the Walls." "Mama" has a universal quality that makes the immigrant mother as endearing to Israelites as she Was to Americans. Tuvia Greeii- baum, making his directorial debut, handles the job com- a.ssociation with Tom Irena Proter. as Katherine. and Joseph Sukenik, as the blustering uncle, give engaging performances. UA's Ornstein b Rome On ^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1^ Rome, March 29. George "Bud" OrhStein, United " '^""^ ! ' «JeX (Ky SelroiS Arnold > which overcome baci outstanding success of the opening press and grossed $30,000 in nist j\v\va Kirshenbaum, who por- stanxa, top for West End musicals; . „ . and revival of "Lilac Time." which has proved such a hit at His Majesty's that it's being trans- trayed yuung Dagmar. "Guardsman of the Walls" deals With the fanatical devotion of pious Jerusalem Jews to their wailing London, March 22. By the end ot this year, British producers anticipate that upwards of $11,000,000 of frozen coin will be locked in various foreign coun^ trios, recovery of which would as- sist in revival of studio activity. for ' Brigadoon. ; ^g^g purpose of the descendants Tonif Arnold has one show, ice-, ^.j^ ^^^^ ^j^g Cascades," at the Stoll. besides his; ^^ dpfpnri thp ritv. One e btoii. pesiaes 11 H J, ^^^^^^ ^^e city. One I joint venture at the London Casing .^^^.^ ^^^^ p^j^^^ ^ ^^^^ ^g,.. I "Cascades'; closes early May. being ^.^j^^ Production was by I replaced by six weeks oi Jaj j^j^j^^, Halevy, with an impressive Pomero.v's Italian opera season, al- . . setting by Yitzchak Frankel. Hollywood after conference with Mary Pickford regarding a three picture production deal here in Italy, in collaboration with Fer- rucio Caramelli of Rome. Pictures will be in the English language with American top. billers «nd mixed Italo-American casts.: Cast, ^ Loiiijim Gets London. April 5. "The Queen Came By," a Vic torian department Store comedy-; ter which Arnold stages a n«w ._ . drama, which had been put on at ice revue. t:n „i„„c «,r.in J^bn lason, longtime producer l "ij^j "'"^^ Government has been asked by the the Embassy theatre last Septem- Charles Cochran sti" Plays solo Longford Productions, Dublin, l^be a^nwd at a later date Brill.], Film Producers Assn. for ber. opened at the Yorks, March (Continued on page 60) , ^ows out soon to beconie lecturer j wilj^be^announced ajj^^^awi oate ■;its aid., ' 30. -v. ■ I. Bulk of the frozen coin is blocked Although splendidly acted and 1 in J.ipan and Germany, but there well received, play has no, marquee , are also subistanttal holdings in appeal and a lengthy run is un-, Italy and Poland. ' likely. ' Lu- — 1 Other Foreign New» on Page 17 in drama at London Univ._with' Starting ^^^{^.^^.^J^f^,''^'^ several London productions on the I availability of Mus Pickford who slate as well. His last chore for,« now busy with a legal suit Longford's will be Oscar Wilde's, against Samuel Goldwyn and in A Woman of No Importance." I sale of United Artists.