Variety (December 1950)

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WecliieBday, December 13^ 1950 Incroased flexibility periods of neighborhood outlets • c<l-k<«T>iricr oc a nifl" booking of major circuits is shaping as a neuver to . bolster the bbxoffice. Instead of the automatic threerday- fpur-day week, or five and two, viiicfiever happens to be custo* ma)ry^ chains are. awaiting the tial returns oh a film before de- ciding the extent, of its playing tinie,'. While runs at the showcases al- most invariably are determined by the film’s income from day to day, nabe spots in past have been dis- in ciinecl to change their sched- iiles regardless of business. If they operated on a split week, they ad- kered to the timetable and. rarely extended a riin or cut it short. General feeling has been that the public had,grown to a pew show on a given day,- and any change in the .sked would be confusing and commercially detrimental. . New thinking, however, is in- clined to change in opening dates as dictated by business conditions. Specificallv. when the pic stands up at the b.o., it stays. Three or four-day booking is not likely to be .'Shortened if revenue is slight, but extensions of the , run are. on the increase where business is strong. . • Most recent evidence of the new exhibitor attitude came to the fore in N. Y.’s metropolitan area, where the RKO nabe spots held 20th- Fox’s “All About Eve” an extra day. This nieant opening the new show a day later, in violation of cu.stom. Additionally, the same circuit is considering full-week runs in some situations which are now operating on a five-day-two- day basis as an experiment. RKO has played pix for a full-week, but only .sporadically, such as with "Joan of Arc.” Independents in the area also are testing the. idea. If it works well, obviously it will become permanent policy. SoHfhern Callfornto Ixhibifor Sherrill Cl Corwin •numerotes Mvtral propoialt on how to Recapture Some of Those Former Film Dollars on oditorial footuro in tho fortheoming 45th Anniversary Number of P^fHETY ing company received or will re- ceive less than substantially all of the properties of its predecessor* the acquiring company would have the right to use the base period l earnings of its predecessor or an [ equitable allocation of apportidn- I rhent thereof.:. • • i I "Unfortunately the language is i ' not broad enough to include the i tvpefe of reorganization which have been or w'ill be affected by mem- bers of this industry,... It is there- : fore respectfully urged that the : sub-paragraph be enlarged' and , clarified in order to give effect to the intended and desired result.” Johnston then explained that ' many of the, film companies have their earnings blocked in foreign countries, and added: 1 *Tn, accordance .with . the lawv these eompahies have deferred the ! inclusion Of such foreign currency in their gross income until it be^ comes available in dollars. It would obviously be unfair to ex- clude this foreign blocked currency in computing the taxpayers’ base period earnings credit and at the same time include it in excess prof- its net income in aiiy excess profits I year when it may fortuitously be- : come available in dollars. I “The Ways and Means Coinmit- I tee, arid the House itself, recog- ' ^ nized the equity of our position. In : ! the bill, as it comes over to the . Senate, is a provision to deal! specifically with this vital problem * ; . How-I ever, additional language W'as add- ed which w'e feel might W'ell negate the primary purpose of the amend- ment.” Johnston asked clarification of this. At Least 6 Months Added life Tktpiiblic’f Sg1*f Y««pc« James R. Grainger . deplorcf Exhibs^ Slowdown on . Shoivmdnship on* of fho many editonor features In the forthcoming 45th Anniversary Nnmber of TOA' JERSEY AU,ID BACKS NSS IN TRUST SIHT Allied Theatre Owners of N. J. has come to the defense of Na- tional Screen Service in the lat- tcr’s antitrust battle with a group of Philaclelphia exhibs. Organiza- tional bulletin, signed by Wilbur Snaper, president, of the N. J. unit, declared the group’s general re- lation.ship with NSS has been “good.” Exhibs having difficulty with NSS were urged to visit the Allied unit’s ofl’ice whore adjustments would be sought. CoLBd.UptoI3 Proposal that Gplumbia Pictures’ board be increased to a maximum of 13 instead of the present top of , 11 was approved by stockholders iwho attended the company’s annual meeting held at the New York ' homeoffice Monday (11). Resolu- tion w’as okayed by proxyholders | of''biQ^]^ed ciut^ representing 550.971 shares. Those ; ■ holding only 21,390 shares dis-I : sented. Move to hike the board’s ; numerical size reportedly stems: from the management’s desire to ; broaden the panel’s scope by add- [ [ ing top businessmen from other ' industries. I AVhen steps to amend the firm’s certificate of incorporation are, • completed to enable the board in-, rrea.‘;e. it’s expected that Lewis S. j Rosenstie.1, board chairman and prez of Schenley Industries, Ino.,, : will be named to the group. Other I new dmector has not as yet been : designated, but he’ll be "some out- i .standing personality, who will add strength and prestige” to the conv Existing nine-man Coluriibia board was unanimously re-elected. Of some 583.579 shares represented by proxy, at the session, 580,615 were voted in favor of another one-year term for the nominees,' Shares outstanding amount to 655,- ! 788. There were no ballots cast! {igainst, the candidates. Renamed; were prexy Harry Cohn, exec vee- ^ pee Jack Cohri, A. Schueicler, yee- • pee-lreasurer; Leo M. Blancke,! Nate B. Spingold. ad-pub veepee; ; Continued firom page S ter on hand especially so that Al- lied's views on a compromise ar- rangement would be obtainable on the spot. TOA’s proposal for extended COMPO board representation was given to Depinet a few weeks ago, it was said. The hope now is that Bogs Ai^. Deal v» Buenos Aires, ,Dec. 5. After almost two years of hard negotiating, any pact to permit the entry of new American pictures into Ai’gentiria now appears to be i definitely, bogged down by the in- sistence of the government’s En- tertainment Board that the U. S. must accept a specific number of ’ Argentine films for distribution by American companies. Twenty ' : pictures is the number most often , mentioned, this native product preferably to be at a fixed amount in dollars per picture. Actually, all the two years spent in confabs ; appears to have brought only an ' ■ agreement oh the economic basis ; "on which Yank pi.x were to enter ‘ Ar.gentina. i While the Argentine govern- ment months ago ; apparently okayed a pact to renew U, S. ini- ■ ports and a transfer of a substan- . tial part of film company earnings, it now appears that nobody repre-- senting the U. S. in the. huddles took into consideration objections orbit the two sides will be able to get. by the Entertainment Board or the Presidential press secretarist. Back ■f Uncertain war situation gave at least six months of additional .life to the Motion Picture Export Assn, yesterday (Tuesday). Metro, set to pull out of the co-op distribution agency in Japan, agreed to go along with the nine other member com- panies in extending MPEA opera- tions there until the end of 1951, thus assuring the organization’s continued exi.stence. Had Metro pulled put in Japarf at the conclusion of the present licensing period next June 30, other companies, would have been forced for competitive reasons to follow, as they did in Germany. Result would have left MPEA with so little territory remaining to it,^ its demise would have been yir- tually certain. Metro’s plan to strike out on its o\vn was given to the MPEA board, meeting under the chairmanship of Eric Johnston, in New York yester- day. Session was for the purpose of coming to a deci- sion as soon as possible on whether or not the companies would con- tinue under MPEA in Japan. They feel they need all the time possiblo to start setting Up their own or- ganizations in order to be prepared to operate on their own by next summer. MPEA was organized by the mii- jors immediately after the War to handle problem territories. That included seven-Iron Curtain coun- tries, four occupied countries and Holland, and the Netherland East Indies. Irving Maas was switched from aSvSistant foreign chief of 20th-Fox to general managership of ]MPEA, and has continued in that post ever since. Currency and political restric- tions have cleared lip more speedily than was originally ex- pected, except in the Iron Curtain lands, where, of course, they’re praclic.ally hopeless. Holland was the first to move out from under the MPEA' umbrella, follow'ed by Germany and Indonesia. .Since virtually nothing is coming or can be expected from the Soyiet lands, all that will be left few days the TOA togetfier within the next for a final showdown on plan. Reps of the alKbut TOA)-indus- try organization and tlie theatre outfit are said to be wary of dam- aging effects if the controversy is considerably prolonged beyond this point. TOA leaders want an early decision because any series of indecisive meetings might cause unrest among members in the field who’d be wondering "what’s going Abe Montague, sales veepee; Don- i on in N. Y.” ITOO Warns on NSS Suit Columbus, O., Dec. 12. Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio last week joined, several other exhibitor organizations in warning its membership of possi- ble pitfalls which would confront them if they intervene in a Phila- delpliia antitrust suit against Na- tional Screen Service. Action was bi'ought in Federal court last month by three exhibs who later formed the National Independent Motion Picture Exhibitors Pro- tective Committee. . .Secretary P. J. Wood cautions in the current ITOO bulletin that "it is riot generally regarded as sound po’icy to cpriirnit one’s affairs to the uncontrolied discretion of strangers’” Bulletin, also points out that until the suit is found to be legally and ethically sound "our members can afford to wait and observe.” Hundreds of independ- ent theatremen have been invited by the Protective Committee to Join in the litigation. aid S. Stralem. Henry Crown and Arnold M, Grant. Meet’s business was disposed of in a brisk 25 minutes after the con- clave was called to order at 10 a.m. by secretary Charles Schw'artz. Un- like some previous stockholder gatherings, there were no vitriolic, discussions from the floor although Schwartz repeatedly urged the shareholders on hand to speak up. Sole query came from a Mr. Roscnfeld, who wanted to know why prexy Harry Cohn never at- tened the company’s annual meet- ings. Schwartz explained that "Mr. ■ Cohn was very busy with produc- tion" and frequently was : Unable to spare the time. He added, how- ever, that it was untrue that Cohn "never attended”, for he has ap- peared at some in the past. Mr. Roserifeld seemed to be satisfied and had no further question. Before adjourning, firm of Price, : Waterhouse & Co. Was approved as Columbia’s auditors and outside ac- counlant.s. Vote was 577,908 with On the other hand, Depinet and his associates in COMPO will be handicapped in other organiza- tional matters until the TOA issue is decided and COMPO is free t6 set its course. Unrest among COMPO’s other members also is a possibility so long as the board representation persists as an is- sue. Sitting in with Depinet last Thursday Nvere William F. Rodg- . ers, Metro sales ycepee, who rep- resented the distributors; Robert of all this is an influential faction which owns a'heavy stake in the principal local film sUiidos. MPAA’s Slant This 20-picture guarantee situa- tion has been nixed from the out- set by the Motion Picture Assn, of America. The association’s at- titude has been that nobody should be foi'ced to buy what is not needed or can't be used. How- ever, the Entertainment Board in- sists this condition be made an underlying proviso. This insistence on 20-tilm arrangement can easily bog down the whole deal, Joaquin Rickard, MPPA rep for Latin- America, has had some sharp ses- sions with Ernesto cle Olivera. En- tertainment Board assistant direc- tor, with this guarantee the core of all debates. Another development may break up the whole settlement. Reports that Ministers of Finance, Treas- I ury and Economy were offering their re.signa,tions over a dispute W, Coyne, COMPO's general conn-, railway workers’ strike sel, and, Leo Brecher, repping Metropolitan Motion Picture The- atres Assn. Gamble was accom- panied by S. H. Fabian and Gael Sullivan. : French Settlement Continued from piigc 4 might moan starting all over again, if new men take over at the top level.' Rickard ri^^hlcd a report that Paramount vvas. .seeking a deal ' similar to the one , made recently Art i st s. alio w in g t h c m a limited number of . by United to import their pix; to MPEA after Japan will be Korea and Airstria. Decisions regarding Korea must obviously await war developments, but the country has always been included by the film companies in the Japanese opera- tion. Austria is also likely to leave the IMPEA stand ne.xt year. Member companies have granted licenses to the co-op to handle their product in Austria only until next Aug. 31, and there’s a good chance that ,will be the end'. MPEA operates physical service organizations for the jnember com- panies in Germany. Holland and Indonesia. It is possible that it will continue on some such abbreviat d basis, although it wouldn’t in that case need the highlycompetent exec staff that Maas has developed. . Metro’s desire ,to got on its own results from the feeling that the iMPEA wa.s only a temporary post- war expedient and that the com- panies should enter- into regular commcreiel competition as quickly as possible. For the moment, at least, the change away from MPEA will not mean any added coin. All t hat is now being obtained from Germany and Japan are grants troip the Economic Cooperation Administration and the Dept, of Defense, respectively. It. is not ex- pect ed that conversion marks and yen wi 11 be years. was organized of 'earned permitted Aides Set due on the back payments, ol onw'qOT^har^a^l^srj^C^hm^^^^^^ ; cleat otinis iana n, i ^eeu paid at the time of the agree- ; out by Eagle Lion covering presided kt the conclave although ber of British; films. iSchwaidz to all practical purpp^s I xvoc fo U ■ i20th-Fox de^l with , conducted the affair. Those on the ! ?-oe pie-1947 com Mas to be , ^ . nrnrinpiinTi !dais, were Schneider, Montague -Paid in 16 quarterl^^ installments as. capital investment, for s,6me • This means that earnings from MPEA was organized under the , such films would stay in Argentina W.cbb-Pomercne act, which permits for re-invcstmcht as capital. A y. S. firms to join tocether for deal of this kind has been worked I Local publicity chairmen for Brotherhood Week, Feb. 18-25, covering seven additional areas, have been named by Max E. Yoiingstcin, in charge of promot- ing the observance. A ppointed were Frank La Falce, W )rner Bros., Washington; Charles M. Pincus, Intermountain Thea- tre.«. Salt Lake City; John Hesse, "WB, New Haven; 'rhornton Sar- gent. National Theatres, Los An- gele.s; Bob Moscow, Rialto Thea- tres, Atlanta; Jack Matlack, J. J. Parker Theatres,- Portland, Ore., and William T. Hastings, RKO Qrpheum Thentre.s, Denver. and Spingold. About 40,‘:Odd indivi- duals attended. Following the stockholders’ meet, the directors convened and re-elected the entile present slate of officers. They are: Harry Cohn, prez.: Jack Cohn, exec veepee; Schneider, ' veepee - treasurer; Scinvartz. secretary, and Montague, B. B Kahane, Spingold. J. A. McConville, Louis J. Barbano and Lester Roth, veepees. ! Following a meeting held in I New York last w-eek. Technicolor’s , board declared a 50c per share j dividend payable Dec. 27 to stock- I holder.s on record Dec. 15, at the rate of 119 francs to the dollar. French government per- mitted seven of these payments to be made and then blocked any further remittances to all com* panics except Universal, RKO and Warner Bros. It maintained that the others I had already exceeded their per- mitted . remittances by various means, pistribs imiiiediiTtely pro- j tested this interpretation. Mc- i Carthy’s trip resulted. The $500,000 differential left iii . France under the new McCarthy deal will be Iran.smittable later at _ the less favorable present rate of [350 francs to the dollar. local studios of films in still bogged down. However, the company lias at la.st got the greenlight, for release Cf "Iron Curtain,” Argentina: being the last country Outside the “cur- tain” to lift a ban on the pic. U'nited-.Arti.'jt.s also has had the ban lifted on "Monsieur Verdoux.” join together for i Operations outside of the country, a num- , U e.\empts these activities from the anti-trust laws. Par Joihs Ballyhoo In Crosby ‘20th Year’ Fete Paramount is joining Columbia Broadcasting, Decca R e c o r d s , Famous, Music and Chesterfield cigarets in plugging January as "Bing Crosby Moi.th,” in obsery- ance of thje singer’s 20th year in shoiv businc.s.s. CBS plans include a special one- hOur program in tribute to Crosby* with performer.^- vvlio have made recordings With him to participate. These include the Andrews Sistcr.s, Louis Jordan and Ella Fitzgerald. Bang-Up Trend Hollywood, Dec. 12, Universal-International started a fu.sillade when it shot "Winchester ’73.” the tale of a repeating rifle. Noy^Warners is coming out with "Springfield Rifle” and Columbia Special campaign is being set by has registered "Remington Rifle” .Chesterfield, the perfonner’s radio and "Remington Gun.” sponsor.