Variety (December 1954)

December 22, 19S4 11 PICTURES INDIE IMPORTERS’ TIGHT RACE Smaller Importers Squeezed; R May Hare to Buy European ‘In’ Competitive squeeze put on the| small indie importers today!* such that the only way in which they cm expect to insure themselves of continuing supply of P ro< }^ is to invest in overseas production. That’s the opinion of Arthur L Mayer, vet indie operator and long- time partner of the late Joseph Burstyn and also °< Edward R. Kin^<tl6v Mflyfcr said in w. *• fas? week that he was investigat- ing various film investment possi- bilities abroad. « Mayer and others in his field are complaining that guarantees asked by foreign producers, and in some instances given by some importers, are beyond their eco- nomic reach. Example cited is the latest Alec Guinness pic, “To Paris With Love.” which was acquired bv Walter Reade and Frank Kass- ler’s Continental Distributing Corp. for a reported guarantee of $400,000. Figure includes prints and other expenses. Asking price for ‘‘Wages of Fear,” the French film, went to the $100,000 mark. Additionally, many of the top Italo pix aren’t available to the indies, and bidding for some Brit- ish films is driving up their price too. J. Arthur Rank’s “Young Lovers” recently brought $50,000 from Pacemaker Pictures. Top bids put in by several of the indies fell a good deal short of that amount. One of the main problems of sinking coin into foreign produc- tions is distance and the Ameri- can partner’s inability to control any part of the film. Some of the circuits are going in for coproduc- tion. too. Trans-Lux has a tie with George Minter’s Renown Pictures, in return for which the chain gets a cut of the U. S. take and distri- bution rights. It's pointed out that the entry of monied outside interests, thea- tre or otherwise, into the bidding for foreign product is making the situation doubly difficult for the indies since they feel it is giving producers abroad an exaggerated notion of the value of their films in the U. S. market. Narrow Gauge Suit Set; Issue of 16m for Video Joined for Trial Sept 6 Hollywood, Dec. 21. Federal Judge Harry C. West- over has been informed that both sides in the Government’s 16m an- titrust suit designed to get narrow gauge film released for television have reached agreement to proceed with trial Sept. 6, as planned. United states Attorney James McGrath reveals a stipulation agreement has been drawn up un- der which various aspects of the case are to be packaged for pres- entation together. This stipulation will be submitted to Judge West- over for his approval within next few days. HOW TAX REDUCTION ’ THINS REVENUE $ $ $ Washington, Dec. 21. The admissions tax brought Uncle Sam a thin $28,380,000 for the first quarter of the new Fed- eral fiscal year—July-August-Sep- tember—far below the $48,377,000 for same period of 1953. However, this year’s figures represent the new 10% bite on admissions and with motion picture tickets costing 50 cents or less completely tax ex- empt. Last year, the bite was 20% across the board. Actually business at the nation’s boxoffices was better this year than last. In the night club field, where Congress did not reduce the 20% levy on tabs, the Federal tax take was $9,556,000 for the quar- ter, compared with only $6,935,000 for the same period of last year. STATUS QUO IN BOOTHS Minneapolis Projectionists Working Temporarily Sans Contract Asks Producers By-Pass Festival In Johannesburg Members of the International Federation of Film Producers Assns. have been asked not to participate in the proposed inter- national film fete in Johannes- burg. S. Africa. Letter from Enrico Giannelli, the Federation’s secretary, states that the only South African festi- val authorized by the Federation is the one set for Durban Aug. 8 to 20, 1955. The Johannesburg event, which is competitive, hasn’t been recognized by the Federation. Giannelli also has informed Federation members that the Lo- carno festival is now skedded July 9 to 19, 1955. King Bros. Add Directors Hollywood, Dec. 21. King Bros. Productions, Inc, has held its annual stockholders meet- mg, reelected all the company’s oi ficers and increased the member- ship of the board of director^ from three to five. Oi ficers elected for another year \me Frank King, president; Mau- i..e K ‘ng, executive veepee; Henry King Paul Weiden, Lionel C. K ernberger and Charles Steete, i J^aLu barles p. Weeks, secre- n , ’ ^ r ^bur Stannard, treasurer, ?"* ? Neill, assistant treas- r"; M^rice and Frank King and board G , u 5f enhelm remain on the board o. directors, with two others 10 be named later. Minneapolis, Dec. 21. Union projectionists are still on the job and theatres here remain open as efforts continue to bring the two sides together on the terms of new three-year contracts. Strike notice was filed Dec. 7 and became effective 10 days later, or last Fri- day. However, the actual walkout has been deferred in compliance with the state law requiring ap- pearances first before the state labor conciliator. Also, the union here must have International Al- liance of Theatrical Stage Em- ployes’ approval for the strike, and 1A has not yet spoken. Minnesota Amusement Co. (Unit- ed Paramount Theatres) and RKO Theatres have a contract separate from that of independent exhib- itors. Both pacts have expired, however, and the boothmen now are working without any contract. Editors Nominate 8 Hollywood, Dec. 21. Motion Picture Sound Editors nominated eight films for the best sound effects production during 1954. Winner will be picked early in January after special screenings. Nominees are: “Knights of the Round Table,” Metro; “Broken Lance,” 20th-Fox; “Human Desire.” Columbia; “Carnival Story,” RKO; “Johnny Dark,” UI; “Them,” War- ners; “Cease Fire,” Paramount; “Apache,” United Artists. Burr’s 7th Xmas Junket Hollywood, Dec. 21. Starting his seventh consecutive Christmas junket, Raymond Burr heads a Hollywood troupe that left today for a two-week tour of serv- ice hospitals in Arizona, Califor- nia, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. % In addition to Burr, the group includes Evelyn Russell, Sean Meany, Jacqueline Aires, Bungle Hedley, Frank Vitti, Donna Per- cey, Fran Lansing and Bud Russell. SET DISTRIB POOL #- Co-op buying and booking plan for foreign films, worked out by Walter Reade Jr. and Frank Kass- ler and involving at the moment about a dozen exhibs, is seen cuing a hot race among indie importers for the scant crop of still available top releases from abroad. It’s also believed certain that the Reade move will bring about intensified efforts on the part of American interests to buy into foreign productions in advance to secure the U. S. distribution rights. There is a feeling that, in the light ot the recent erratic quality of foreign films, this involves a more than ordinary risk. Producers abroad frequently will sell regional rights prior to actual making of a pic since they have an idea of what these markets are worth. In the case of U. S. this becomes more difficult since there is little precedent to go by and the pattern of foreign film perform- ance has varied so greatly.. The Reade-Kassler plan—they’re partnered in Continental Distribu- tors—involves investment in pro- duction abroad as well as the joint acquisition of foreign product. Scheme works something like this: The participating exhib is asked to put up a certain amount of money so the film can be obtained. He then gets its firstrun in his area and also sells it there. In the long run, he’ll share in the profits in proportion to his briginal invest- ment. At a press confab coincidental with an “open house” at the chain’s Oakhurst, N. J., headquar- ters, Reade cited the following hypothetical example: Assuming the Chicago exchange area con- tributes 10% of the national gross. The participating Chicago exhib would then put up 10% of the total capitalization of the film How It Works In return, Reade explained, “not only is he guaranteed firstrun in Chicago, but he gets the whole western hemisphere for his invest- ment—he has the whole country, so to speak, to recoup from.” Reade described the plan as “great” for the producer who gets “preferred playing time and a maximum potential gross.” Quite apart from this, he opined, the scheme is to everyone’s advantage since an exhib logically puts more effort into a film in which he has an interest. First pic acquired under this plan was J. Arthur Rank’s “To Paris With Love,” starring Alec Guinness. Continental Distributors put up a $500,000 guarantee prior to actual production an,d in return got the western hemisphere'rights to the film, but not including Canada. Coin to be actually put up comes to $300,000 and is to be paid partly upon delivery of the print, which should be in about two months, and partly out of first monies received. Remaining $200,- 000 go for Technicolor prints, dis- tribution fee, advertising costs, etc. Take over and above $500,000 is split 60% to Reade and 40% to Rank. Three other pix acquired by Continental include two French ones—“The Snow is Black” and “Dominica”—and the Japanese “Hiroshima.” According to Kass- ler. Continental will handle “at ' least” three or four major pix in the coming year. He said that by “major” he meant pix of the quality of a “To Paris With i Love” (which he hasn’t seen as yet). Reade and Kassler have been working on their “Continental Plan” of distribution for over a year and the indies in N. Y. are ready to acknowledge that the com- petition for the top foreign prod- uct is getting a lot stiffer, particu- larly since the number of b.o. pix imported , from abroad is surpris- ingly small. It’s pointed out that the only really new facet of the Reade scheme is the distribution end of it since quite a few exhibs are privately interested in foreign (Continued on pace 20) Apold, Argentine Entertainment Czar, Reneges on Promised 'Courtesies Canada Exhibs Resent ‘Star’ Cut; WB Dilemma: How to Please ’em AD Warner Bros, reportedly is run- ning into difficulty peddling “A j Star Is Born” in the Canadian I market. Dominion exhibs are j beefing about the 30-minute cut in the picture’s running time, and ' are said to want the picture—on)y | if it’s offered in its original uncut form. * The running time of “Star” has plagued WB’s since the day the picture was issued. The company just can’t figure out what exhibs want. It was largely at the urg- ing of theatremen (who complained of the slow turnover) that Warners sliced a half-hour from the film. No sooqer did the company elimi- nate the footage when it was sub- ject to attacks from both critics and exhibitors. The sharpest film critic’attack came from the N. Y. Times’ Bosley Crowther who flatly stated that it just wasn’t the same picture. Crowther added that it posed a problem for him in making his selections for the year’s best. How does one judge the picture? he asked. On the basis of the original uncut film or on the version currently being shown in theatres? The Independent Theatres Own- ers of Ohio also blasted Warners for making the cut. The ITOO suggested that WB make both ver- sions available and allowing the exhibitor to take his choice. JOE McCONVILLE INTO LESS ARDUOUS POST Joseph A. McConville, president of Columbia International, whose retirement at the end of this year had been suspected in trade quar- ters, will remain with the company but in a new capacity. He was elected board chairman of the for- eign operation at a board meeting in N. Y. Friday (17). McConville has been wanting to set a less demanding pace for him- self tor some time, it’s said, and for this reason Lacy Kastncr was groomed for the chief exec’s spot. Kastner was elected both president and board member of Col Interna- tional at the Friday session. Within the last couple of years Kastner progressed from v.p. in charge of Europe and the Near East, headquartering in Paris, to assistant to the president in N. Y. and, last June, to exec v.p. Film companies in N. Y. are con- siderably disturbed over reports from their representatives in Ar- gentina, indicating that their local offices are once again suffering from the displeasure of Raul Apold. Argentina’s press and enter- tainment czar, who recently re- turned to Buenos Aires from a Eu- ropean junket. While few details are available, it’s indicated, too, that Peron’s cur- rent battle with the Roman Cath- olic Church also is affecting the U. S. film distrihs. At least one pic with a Catholic theme. Warner Bros.’ “Our Lady of Fatima,” has been banned as a result. Exact reason for Apold’s gripe against the American companies isn’t known, although it’s under- stood from Buenos Aires that he was displeased by the lack of newsreel coverage of his European jaunt. There had been considerable pressure on the reels to include lootage of the Argentine entertain- ment chief’s tour of Europe and his reception there. There have been several in- stances of punitive actions against American companies that are trace- able back to Apold. Among them is his refusal to allow an American Film Week or a Metro Film Week. He has also gone back on an earlier promise to the U. S. distribs that he would allow them special higher prices for important fea- tures preemed during the Mar del Plata season. His explanation, ap- parently, is that a number of Eu- ropean productions are available for Mar del Plata screening. At Metro it’s said that Apold at one point allowed the Company to charge a special admission price for “Knights of the Roundtable.” a concession that had been extended to 20th-Fox’s “The Robe.’* How- ever, he has now gone back on his word, and “Knights” has to open at the normal low price. What’s puzzling execs in N. Y. is that Apold was a visitor in N. Y. earlier this year, at the invite of the Motion Picture Export Assn. Subsequently there has been an easing in the remittance situation. However, it’s held, Apold’s current attitude isn’t consistent with the hospitality shown him bv the Amer- icans during his -U. S. trip. DIG IN FOR DAFF U’s Drive Overesas Runs Jan. 3 Through April 30. Running from Jan. 3 to April 30. the annual 1955 Daff Drive for Universal’s international field sales force has again been set by Americo Aboaf, U’s foreign gen- eral manager. Drive will be captained by Ben M. Cohn, assistant foreign general manager, and will take in 39 of U’s branch and distribs around the world. Latin America and the Philippines will compete in a drive-within-a-drive on J. Arthur Rank pix in addition to the regu- lar U releases. The 17-week push will see the field playing off two U Cincma- Scopers—“Black Shield of Fel- mouth” and “Sign of the Pagan.” Shapiro's Saranac Party Robert K. Shapiro, managing director of the N. Y. Paramount Theatre, had charge of the New' York Cinema Lodge of the B’nai B’rith’s annual Christmas enter- tainment program at Saranac Lake yesterday (Tues.). Shapiro was chairman of the committee which obtained the necessary acts and other entertainment. The program was held at the film industry’s Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Saranac Lake. Metro Sleuthing For What’s What In'Art Centers Metro branch managers have been asked to check bookings of 16m and 35m films which are go- ing to film societies, art centers, festivals and other organizations. The locals reps have been re- quested to make certain that pic- tures go only to educational groups. Request is based on oc- casional beefs from exhibs that so- called educational groups are show- ing pix in competition with regu- lar theatres. Bookings are made through the Museum of Modern Art. N. Y., and it’s stressed that under no cir- cumstances does the arrangement permit the Museum to furnish any one with M-G pictures for enter- tainment. Deal is definite in that it. does not permit boxoffice col- lection before a performance. Fee if there is any, must be collected in one unit for the cost of the course and not for individual per- formances. In addi^on, there are to be no signs or advertising in any of the areas other than in classrooms or where educational notices of classes are published. Use of major company films for educational study purposes is ap- parently on the upbeat. The most recent Metro list alone has 54 prints going to as many study groups, film societies, and uni- j versities.