Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1948)

I Hollywood ojjice — nuiie ziif at 6404 Hollywood Blvd.: Ivan Spear, Western Manager) Legal Battle Looms On 'Harvest' Script HOLLYWOOD — Probability of a legal battle loomed with the sudden schism developing between Trinity Films, independent unit headed by William Bacher, and the Selznick Releasing Organization, which cancelled plans for participating in the filming of Bacher’s “If This Be My Harvest” for SRO release, and withdrew the services of three SRO stars, Valli, Robert Mitchum and Louis Jourdan. The trio had been set on a loanout to topline the Bacher film. SRO and Vanguard officials declared in an official statement that the negotiations had never been concluded and that Bacher’s script “had not yet been rewritten in accordance with assurances given during the negotiations to us and our artists, consistent with our policy of jealousy guarding the roles for the stars whom we have developed.” The Selznick communique added that Bacher had stated his intentions of rewriting the script “in order to meet the criticisms of it” by Selznick and the players, and that on the other hand the Trinity topper “had presented the script as final for purposes of the financing of the film. We could not accept this inconsistency ...” Bacher retaliated with the declaration that the matter had been placed in the hands of his attorneys, that Selznick had approved the “Harvest” script on its merits, and that “we have met every condition and fulfilled every requirement of our agreement ...” Meantime production on the film has been indefinitely postponed. Film The Nisei Story' For Orient Showings HOLLYWOOD — As a contribution to the winning of the peace in occupied areas and under war department sponsorship, production was launched at Enterprise on “The Nisei Story,” a documentary short dealing with the reintegration of Japanese-Americans into U.S. civilian life following World War II. It is being produced by Bob Joseph, former Enterprise blurber now with the war department’s information service. Albert Band, Enterprise story editor, will direct. Cooperating in the filming are the Nisei Veterans’ Ass’n and the Japanese-American Citizen’s league. Koenig Contract Renewed HOLLYWOOD — Lester Koenig’s contract as an associate producer with Liberty Films, sharecropping unit affiliated with Paramount, was renewed for another year. He is currently working with producer-director William Wyler on “The Heiress.” Future of Video Debated At Ad Club Gathering HOLLYWOOD — Television and its place in the entertainment world was subjected to another thorough discussion at a meeting of the video panel of the Hollywood Advertising dug, attended toy such industry representatives as Ronald Reagan, president of the Screen Actors Guild; Rodney Pantages, first run exhibitor; Phil Booth of Paramount’s local video outlet, KTLA; and William Lasky, independent motion picture and television producer. Reagan opined that television’s rapid growth will force film producers to improve the quality of standard theatre fare and predicted video will bring a boom to the acting profession. Pantages echoed the sentiments of other members of the exhibition field when he told the assemblage that nobody yet knows exactly what the final relationship will be between television and motion picture theatre operation. New Sensitized Film Cuts Lighting Costs HOLLYWOOD — Lighting costs on films shot in Cinecolor will be reduced by “at least 50 per cent” with adoption of a new development in hypersensitizing film, it was predicted by Cinecolor’s board chairman, A. Pam Blumenthal, at a demonstration staged for more than 100 members of the Society of Motion Picture Art Directors. Use of the new process, it was said, in conjunction with Cinecolor’s new 1,000-foot camera magazines, will allow pictures to be shot in that tint for approximately 10 per cent more than the cost of black and white. INDUSTRY TEAMWORK — Such was the keynote of the huddles between William Ferrari (left), president of the Society of Motion Picture Art Directors, and A. Pam Blumenthal, Cinecolor board chairman, when they met at Cinecolor’s Burbank plant with more than 100 members of the SMPAD to discuss new developments in the color processing field. Fairbanks Also Puis Democrats on Video HOLLYWOOD — As was the case with the Republican convention in Philadelphia, comprehensive video film coverage also was given to the Democratic conclave which was held there this week. Representing NBC was Jerry Fairbanks Productions, with Paul Alley, head of the Fairbanks-operated NBC newsreel, on hand to supervise and narrate. Jesse Cabin, news editor, directed shooting on the convention floor. Camera crews were slated to film daily 15-minute resumes of convention highlights and three ten-minute special newsreels featuring assembly “color.” Daily 25-minute kinscope recordings also were planned. As with GOP coverage, film shot up to as late as 11:15 p. m. was scheduled for telecasting at 10:15 a.m. the following morning, while special 16mm prints were rushed by auto stations in Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo and Los Angeles. * ♦ * Local video experts got their first glimpse of the new kinescope recording system Tuesday (13) when the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences held a demonstration session. James Nicholson, operator of the Picfair Theatre here and organizer of the Television Relay Corp., addressed the meeting and demonstarted his recently-developed system. Also on the program was Don MacNamara of Telefilm, Inc., who discussed the new rapid processing technique now used by his organization on film shot for television. 4c « >)c Video contracts with International Telefilms, a New York organization, were signed by Budd Schulberg, novelist and screen writer, and John Kieran, radio personality and sports authority. Schulberg will script and direct a sports and physical fitness series, while Kieran is set to star in a series called “Kieran’s Kaleidoscope.” * * * Inaugurating a policy of making special television trailers for all future releases, Paramount delivered a video exploitation trailer for “Dream Girl” to Station KTLA here for telecasting during the film’s engagement at the Hollywood and Downtown Paramount theatres. The two-minute plug was being broadcast twice daily. Howard Hawks Signed by 20th -Fox HOLLYWOOD — Howard Hawks has signed with 20th-Fox to direct four pictures to be made at the rate of one a year. First on the docket will be “I Was a Male War Bride” for Producer Sol Siegel. Hawks’ last assignment was “Red River,” for United Artists release. BOXOFFICE :: July 17, 1948 43