Variety (November 1954)

16 INTERNATIONAL Marie fr 'VARIBTY'i' LONDON DMICI. • ft. Martin'*. Place, Trafalgar Square London, Nov. 16; .. Despite a silght drop in admis- sions during the second quarter this year (March 28 to June 261, gross., boxoffice takings show a si iglit. improvemept.. The review t of; the three-month period compiled by Board, of Trade shows that total paid admissions were 322,000,000, which was only 1.1%’ below the first quarterthis year. In the same period, gross receipts were just short of $77,000,000. The survey is based fin returns submitted by 4,508 picture the- atres, ualling 99.6% of those op- erating in that period.. They had a combined seati capacity of 4,154,692. Admissions recorded. Were a shade below those in the corresponding quarter of 1953, when attendance received some stimulus from the. exhibition of coronation films. It was in that period last year when first signs appeared of an . arrest in the de- clining trend of admissions. [ Gross receipts, are slightly up as i mphred to the same three months last year, but 1% below the first quarter of this year'. Net tak- ings and the exhibitors’ share, however, exceeded, those for. the first quarter because of the re- duced rate of admission fax; Of; the total gross rentals charged in the first six months of the year (amounting to $33,367,000) ; about..! 32.7%, • $16,920,000,. was re-' ceived by British filnis. This is the best result for;British pix in recent years, the 1953 figure'being 30,3%. The.EOT analysis reports a “con- siderable fall” in the number of British and foreign pix registered during the third quarter, and the total is “well below” the quarterly average for previous years. In the quota year ended last Sept. 30, 140 British pix and 394 ’ f o r e i g n fils were, registered against 124 and 428. The report adds that the total of 4,237 persons employed in film distribution at the.end of June was the lowest figure so far recorded. 9 Winocour Cinemas In Scotland to Green, Ltd. Glasgow, Nov. 9. A deal involving fiver $600,000 was finalized here when .George Green . Ltd.; indie cinema group, took over the nine pix houses of . the late Harry YYihocour’s circuits This gives Greens, pioneers in the cinema trade, control of 23 film theatres, in, Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, Ayr and other parts of Scotland. Leading houses in tile takeover are; Cranston's, city-center cinema in Glasgow, and and La Scala, Dundee. The Green family already owns the 4,000-seat Playhouse; Glasgow,., and the Playhouse, Dun- dee. Deal, which lias been in ne- gotiation since April, ‘ one of the most important in the Scot cinema trade on London, Nov. r 16; As the government Was reassur- ing tlie House of Commons thaf the present studio situation gave no cause: for concern, figures released by. the Board of Trade showed, as of last Sept. «f0 that 25 of the 52 available stages were idle, They represented' 4(18% of the total studio space in the country. The issue had been raised in the 1 House of Cpi moris by Stephen Swingler, who sought an assurance that deals by commercial tv pro- ducers would not rob the British film. production of facilities for making first feature and support- ing program films to fill the quota. .. Speaking for the government, Henry Strauss, Parliamentary sec- retary to the Board of Trade, said the prexy understood some studios, had been bought or leased by com- ‘Pernicious’ Info to Kids Mexico City, Nov. ,9, The about 80% liquor dryness the new federal sanitary code, just enacted, stipulates for pic com- mercials and radio-tv, is figured by the air services operators to lose them around $800,000 yearly, in the form of. having "to drop more panics interested in production of Pir fW Ic I fin ShflWQ* i filnis £or television, but he was not lie tom IS LOp £UU JllUYVb, | aWape of any present shortage of 1 studio space or of any need for .government? action. Hie added that the transaction at Nettlefold would not lead to any contraction in film production facilities and he Under- stood there were no negotiations, for the take over of Shepperton Studios by Vickers* aircraft. Ac-i cordinig to the BOT returns, the 27 stages in use last September had LHC 11SLU1 Ul. IJUVUIK LU UiUi; 1UULC | n i* niA.n/\A e* a than 200 lucrative programs.- The i ,p, flo °. 1 ,, a,:ea f 246,909-square feet, code bans anything about liquor accoimted for a on screen and radio-tv between. Iuunei 17U,1 ^ U - 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. “Mexican children and youths i NeW UrUHE PlCtUrCS must be protected from such per- nicious information,” the code re- marks. “Sponsors of the. code, as well as the congressmen and senators who approved it, must believe that children and youths in Mexico are fast asleep, or at least not radio or television audiences after JO p.m,," comment the hardhit ra- cllo-tv station operators. Commercial, pic men are not com- menting. Probably, because their shorts . are being so. drastically pruned, due to violent protests against commercials by cinema audiences; they just don’t feel like aying anything.- All About Espionage Berlin, Nov. 9. Latest cycle the West German film industry going through seems to be the making of pix with espionage subjects. Apollo's “Ritt- meister Wronski,” scheduled for immediate release here, centers around a Polish officer acting as a spy against Germany. Faina's “Die Muecke,” another soon-due pic, concerns a female spy who wants to quit her job. but has to realize there is no way back. Another Fama production, tentatively en- titled; “Abwehr,” deajs with the wartime activities of. the contro- versial German Admiral Ganaris (portrayed by O. E. Hasse), " who German Film Depicts Yi tt Ci nn i uy \j. ju. Hd»sc;, wuu l*enei OUS LJ ,p. Lroops \ secretly.worked- against Hitler and Berlin, Nov. 9. Another German film about Americans, “The Golden Plague,” depicting how a. small- Teutonic tow is affected by U, S.. soldiers stationed nearby, is currently, in the production stage at Wiesbaden, j.master spy. Dr. Sbrge. Latter, in- John Brahm is directing ‘ the pic r i cidentally, is reportedly , also the which attempts to show how. dif- ficult it is to satisfy needs, of the soldiers and those of the town, at the - same time. Company asked Yank troops in the Wiesbaden area to. participate . in the film. Film’s title, incidentally, is derived , from the supposition that the American . dollar will buy anything.. Both Americans and Germans arc anxious to see how this pic tomes out; Last German effort along this line,, “Columbus Discov- ers Kraehwinkel,” which starred I Austrian ‘April’ Cost Taxpayers $200,000 Vienna, Nov. 9. The flop film, “April 1, 2,006,” produced by the Austrian govern- ment (in strict conformity with the coalition of 50% Conservatives and 50% Conservatives and 50% Social- ists), cost the taxpayers.$200,000, The net loss stems from the,high Cost of production and small in- come from play dates. Though the pic was in black, and white, $400,000 was spent; an amount that reportedly would coyer four ,to five pictures if made by a private en- terprise here. Yank Distribs Balk At Paying far Any Vaude Under New Arg. Scale Buenos Aires, Nov. 9. A) distribs have been huddling with exhibitors her in recent weeks over tlie outlay for obligatory vaude w that, cinema admission scales have been upped in,Argentina. . Some exhibs are de- manding that the distribs share all expenses in connection with the vaude acts, which, of course, lias been shunned by every distrib. To mat:e the situation more com- plicated, tii new admission scales have eliminated the extra ioo Which had been permitted by thorities (before the scales were upped), to cover fees to vaudeville talent, expense of hiring vaude turns, backstage Costs, etc. Now that the special vaude price is out, the cost of the stage, fare must be met out of general re- ceipts. U. S. distribs refused point blank to share in the cost of the vaude, citing that since exhibs pre- viously denied them a share of profits from the vaude (via the special vaudeville price), they cer- tainly can’t be expected to help, shoulder the expense of vaude. Na- tive pix producers also have, re- fused to. pay the vaude expense, too. While, som vaude is fairly good, the general standard is low and audiences still protest having to sit through the vaude portion of the show. The vaude union now is trying to get a special scale under the new setup at houses playing stageshows. Mex Station, Worth $800, Fined $2,400 by Govt. , Mexico City, Nov. 9 . A fine of $2,400 on a property worth only $806 is/a phase of a problem confronting radio station XESP at San Pedro Tlaquepapque, thriving Jalisco state pottery town. . The assessment, payable in three monthly installments, was imposed by the Ministry of Communications and Public Works, ruler of air Af- fairs down here, on Herminio Masias, XESP's owner, because he had sold the station; Which, violated Mexican radio law forbidding any sale or transfer of franchise within five years of obtaining that right. Macias, the Ministry said, had only run the station about a year. Macias must pay the fine, to pre^ vent losing, his rights to XESP (cancellation of franchise), the ministry insists. The. case is the first of its kind in Mexico. The ministry contends that the fine is justified. ‘IN TOWN’ ON AIR FOR 737th TIME FOR BBC London, Nov. 16. “In Town Tonight,” Britain’s only simulcast, celebrates its 21st anni next Saturday (20) when, it will be on the air for the 737th time. It became a combined radio-tv feature earlier this year. Program was first aired on sound radio Nov. 18, 1933, with A. RV. Hanson as its producer. Peter Dun- can, the present producer, assumed control in 1947. Program has featured' most of the visiting Broadway and Holly- wood celebrities, although Danny Kaye declined to participate this year as his contracts preclude tele appearances. was shot.- Still another local pic with an espionage theme is “Ver- rat an Deutschland,” In Japan, Veit Harlan is Shoot- ing a. GCrman-Japanese coproduc- ) ion based on ’ th' ‘life of Stalin’s' c.cfltral figure in another sched- uled German film. And there are rumors that still, more Teutonic spy pix in the prepping. Weiss in Vienna After 18 Yrs. Vienna, Nov. 9. Austro-American composer Ste- phan Weiss'is in his home town of Vienna after an 18-year absence. Weiss wars widely known here up to 1938 through many international hits, .... , , . - , Pubs and disk companies now are the Chaplin boys, turned out to be : competing to buy his latest songs disappointing. I plus reedited oldies. ‘Hill 24’ Israeli Pic, Set for ’55 Distrib Te Aviv, Nov. 9. “Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer,” pro- duced by the newly founded Sik- Or Film Co., is now in its latest stages of technical processing. Filming under the British- director Harold Dickinson was completed in September. “Hill,-' set. duri the Arab-jewish war of 1948, comes from a story by an Israel journalist, Zvi Kolik. Peter Frye of the He- brew Chamber TheatreJn Tel Aviv played an important part in the production of the film. Cast in- cludes Michael Wager, Edward Mulhara of Dublin’s Gate Theatre, .Aryeh.Lavie of the Hebrew Cham- ber Theatre (Tel Aviv), trip Yeme- nite singer Shoshajna Damari and the Yemenite dancer Margalit Ovcd. Dialog is predominantly in English. Various sections of Israel are used as background—the Negev desert, in tlie southern part of the country, Jerusalem, Haifa and a Galilean village, However, the scenes in the Old City section of Jerusalem could not be filmed, on ..the spot, as this area of the divided tovvn is now under Jordan adminis- tration. By ERIC GORRICK Colombo, Cgylon, Nov. 9. This city set in the Indian ocean | is probably the greatest show biz spot on either’side of the Equator, with more showmen to the square foot yet sighted by this Variety niugg with itchy feet on a global runaround.. On the road to Mount Lavinia, snake .charmers and magicians line the route to woo the rupees from the tourist, They have'their trade down pat, and likely would be a riot in any Broadway or London night spot. Their art is as old as Ceylon itself, handed down from generation to. generation, They work without benefit of stage ‘ settings, spotlights and the usual stage setup, squatting down oh the sun-baked earth with popeyed tourists forming a circle a few inches from each performer. Their selling spiel is a mixture of broken English, Yankee, and Ceylonese. And the boys certainly know how to rope in the rupees. The “Broadway” for the show- men, who work fr ni sunrise to sunset,. include the Buddhist and Hindu Temples, along the Pettah, Cinnamon and Peradenlya Gar- dens, Temple of the Tooth arid the Galle Road. Majority of the cinemas are op- erated along European lines, with patrons favoring the Yankee ac- tion product and sexy stuff simF- jar to “Miss Sadie Thompson” (Col), current at the time of our short stopover. There is also a good market for Indiari-made pix to cater to Ceylon’s 6,000,000 pop- ulation. Few Stageshows On Tour Few top stageshows visit Co- lombo because of the high trans- portation cost. Virgil, American magician, who did an Aussie run- around about three years ago;: was the only foreign performer spotted in the city. Despite solid native talent opposition, this magico looked, likely to take a load of profit- ut of the territory, Most fascinating spot for the visitor is the dative; quarter, where the Visitor keeps his pockets but- toned up and watches the dancing girls with his back against the nearest wall. Here for the right coinage, one can buy anything from a bottle of Scotch to the finest U. S.-mnde. wrist watch. The natives have the art of salesman- ship at. a, top level for this neek- pf-th woods. Along Chatham Street (Co- lombo’s Fifth Avenue) touts pounce on the tourist arid guaran- tee to complete a silk two-piece, suit within, four hours for around $25. Arid they make good! To this mugg, it would appear that shoivriianship was really born here ages before Hollywood was even thought of and Broadway was 1 still a dirt road used by the Dutch. Paris, Nov, 9 . Comedie Des Champs-Elysees Theatre is in an odd predicament with two; plays* now showing as a legit double bill, but getting a very; split review. Jean Anouilh’s one acter, “Cecile ou L’Ecple Des Peres” (Cecile or the School for Fathers), got unanimously rave re- views while* the main legiter, Anouilh’s adaptation of Oscar Wilde's “The Importance of Being Earnest,” received cool notices, “Cecile”*’(runs about an hour) is an engaging, brilliant and witty treatment of father and daughter relationships, and the vageries of love. Unlike his. other plays, this breathes joy and delight, and might be worth pairing, for pos- sible Broadway chances, with an- other short play. “Earnest” lacks the spirit of its original and it loses much in this translation. Besides it is already playing here in a fine! adaptation by the Theatre En Rond Co., which not only has a better version, but has the lettef or. its satirical over- tones in the theatre-in-the-round version. However, on the response to “Cecile,” the Comedie is doing a great biz byt a, change of the main piece in midstream might make it even more potent. Theatre Hebertpt has a heavy, bucolic drama of passion Maurice ClaveFs “Balmasedih” This story has a father, mother and daughter playing out a tragic. tri- angle at a high dramatic pitch. It is well handled by it's actors, Jacques Dumesnil, as the. step- father in love with' his daughter; Marguerite Jamois and Catheii Sellers. Top. downbeat and stilted for Broadway, it still is stamped with •nice attributes. Robert Rosseiri’s “Responsibil- ite Lirnite” deals with the touchy theme of. anti-semitism on the framework of a drama of murder and conscience. It is familiar in treatment and has already had its counterparts in the U- S. Play is uneven arid conventional in mood and atmosphere. It does have some good acting to recommend it either. Recent hoodlum attempts to mar the Fontaine Theatre where playing may help this gain, a good run. Crix were good, but it is riot of adequate calibre for export. Jean Vilar’s Rep Company Jean Vilar’s state-subsidized rep- ertory company, Theatre National Populaire, comes into its home spot, the Palais De Chaillot, this week for a fourmonth stint. Com- pany has just returned from, a tour of France, the Continent and Can- ada.. Paris will see only one new creation in Shakespeare's “Mac- beth” with Vilar arid newcomer Maria Casares. Since Vilar took over this languishing group in 1951, it has played to almost 2,000,- 000 patrons. The immense Chail- lot is usually packed for every per- formance, iriost Gallic culture groups having block bookings for the season. Plus its exemplary theatre, the TNP v has a solid trump in the presence of screen satellite Gerard Philipe, star of many of the plays. He also is director of some of them; TNP has given 739 shows since its inception and played in 87 dif- ferent places. Usually played without, scenery, except for such romantic or expressionistic plays like “Ruy Bias” or “Mere. Cour- age,” this concentrates On acting and text for fine results. Most of the rep is classical except for Ber- thold Brecht's “Courage.” This time it will have “Courage” with Gerrriaine Moritefo, Philipri . in “Lprenzaqcip,” “Richard II,” “L« Prince De Hambourg” and “Ruy Bias” plus Corneille’s “Cinna” in a new staging by Vilar, “Le Cid” and Moliere’s “Don Juan,” Sell 2 Mex Pix to Russia Mexico City,, Novi 9. Mexico got a slight break in the Russian market via the sale of two pix for $25,000 to Soviet Export’ Films, official Russo film firm, by Peliculas Nacionales, oldtime indi distributor. PN said the price is a basement bargain, but the deal is major as it promises to bow Mexi- can pix ini - Russia. Pix will be dubbed into Russian in Moscow. Films are “Rio Escondido” and “Masclavai.” Both feature Maria Felix, a top boxoffice champ here. She is currently topping the cast making “French Can Can” in Paris.