The Exhibitor (1952)

8 EXHIBITOR New York News Letter By Mel KonecoH OTTO PREMINGER, director-producer, was the object or subject of an inter¬ view last week. Ostensibly, we were summoned to discuss his making “The Murder” for RKO on loan from 20th-Fox, but we wound up discussing other mat¬ ters in between phone calls and visitors whom he directed into the bedroom of the hotel suite to await the conclusion of the conference. By the time we were through, there were a load of people in there, male and female. Getting back to “The Murder”, it seems that Howard Hughes called him, Prem¬ inger read it, and said it wasn’t bad but that the script needed rewriting. Hughes, in turn, said, “just do the picture.” Sev¬ eral days later, they were in production with such people as Jean Simmons, Rob¬ ert Mitchum, Mona Freeman, and Her¬ bert Marshall, with the script being writ¬ ten practically in time with the filming of each scene. Preminger moved out of his house and into a hotel close to the shooting, and, though much overtime was put in, it was less expensive than longplanned productions because decisions had to be made quickly. He refused to reveal the cost of the film. Preminger’s play, “The Moon Is Blue” is to be made into a film as an inde ven¬ ture, for UA release, and the only one set as yet is David Niven. Exteriors may be filmed in New York while the studio work will be done on the coast. Prem¬ inger, incidentally, is under contract to 20th-Fox to do three more yearly for the next three years. As for Hollywood, Preminger opined that people are breathing easier once again since grosses in theatres have im¬ proved. Everyone is pitching in, and, as a result, there has been made possible a reduction in production costs of about 25 per cent so that now a $1,200,000 pic¬ ture can be turned out for $900,000. Also Preminger thought that factory produc¬ tion methods were out as were name draws, if you have a good story. He paid high tribute to the crafts on the coast for their assistance during the period of stress, for they pitched in and helped by speeding up without loss in quality. He also said the actors proved more cooperative, salaries are lower, long term contracts are on the decline, and personal participation deals have lowered prices as have reduced executive ex¬ penses. As for the price of a film, he said that this should be determined by the needs of a picture. Morey Goldstein Honored By Monogram-AA Drive HOLLYWOOD— In recognition of the “tremendous job he has done and the inspiring leadership he has exercised,” Monogram has dedicated the month of November to the Morey “Razz” Goldstein Drive, Steve Broidy, president, announced last week. Goldstein, a veteran of 32 years in the industry, has been with Mono¬ gram since 1945 when he left Metro to become eastern sales manager. In 1946, he was appointed general sales manager, and two years later was elected a vice-president. As far as the production code is con¬ cerned, he thought that it was a good thing to have at the moment to satisfy a demand for some sort of censorship in some quarters but he also thought that it should be liberalized and modernized so that people should be able to see on the screen almost as much as what they can see on stage or read in some books. He did think that the industry should take a firm stand against censorship. An indi¬ vidual or two can’t do much but the united industry can accomplish much in this fight, he said. He may do a play in New York if he finds time, and if he ever got the people and their scripts untangled in the bed¬ room. ASIDE TO COLUMBIA: You recently sent me a letter asking whether I was a double bed devotee or a twin bed dev¬ otee. Aside from the fact that I think this has something to do with “The Fourposter”, I don’t think otherwise that it is any of your business. THE METROPOLITAN SCENE: Cy Eichman, advertising and publicity direc¬ tor, Astor, became the father of a nineand-a-half-pound boy with the aid of the Kew Gardens General Hospital. He was named Scott Frederick. . . . Ben Adler has completed the national adver¬ tising campaign for “High Treason” in¬ cluding ads, posters, and pressbooks. This had a premiere engagement of four months, and hits the Loew Circuit shortly. The Adler campaign was of great assistance. ... A good mailing piece is out on the new Pete Smith, “Pedestrian Safety.” . . . Ava Gardner is in for p.a.’s on “The Snows Of Kilimanjaro.” . . . The Roxy played host to French War Vets and zey zaw “What Price Glory.” . . . Voodoo displays and hunting implements will be in order at the Rivoli when “Snows” opens there shortly. Mono. -A. A. Sets Sept. 24 Meet Hollywood — A national sales conven¬ tion of Monogram-Allied Artists will be held in Chicago from Sept. 24-26, it was learned last week, to be attended by all company branch managers, salesmen, bookers, franchise holders, and home office, sales, and studio executives. Lamar Trotti Mourned Hollywood — Lamar Trotti, 51, producer and Academy Award winning screen writer for 20th-Fox, died of a heart attack last week. Surviving are his wife, a son, and a daughter. Holiday Helps Broadway Sector New York — The Broadway first-runs reported very good Labor Day weekend business, attributed to good product and inclement weather. According to usually reliable sources reaching Exhibitor, the breakdown was as follows: “THE CRIMSON PIRATE” (WB). Paramount, with stage show, expected the opening week to tally $102,000. “WHAT PRICE GLORY” (20th-Fox). Roxy, with stage show, garnered $73,000 for Friday through Monday, with the second, and last, week expected to hit $95,000. “IVANHOE” (MGM) . Radio City Music Hall, with stage show, reported $130,000 for Thursday through Monday, with the fifth week sure to hit $173,000. “THE BIG SKY” (RKO). Criterion ex¬ pected the second week to reach $29,000. “LES MISERABLE S” (20th-Fox) . Rivoli was heading toward a $17,000 third week. “THE DEVIL MAKES THREE” (MGM). Globe expected the opening week to gar¬ ner $22,000. “HIGH NOON” (UA). Mayfair was heading toward a $24,000 sixth week. “THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA” (WB). Astor claimed $40,000 for the second session. “SUDDEN FEAR” (RKO). Loews State was sure of $28,000 for the fourth week. “THE QUIET MAN” (Rep.). Capitol expected the second week to reach $72,000, more than the first stanza. “AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD” (Col.). Vic¬ toria claimed the fifth week would tally $24,000. Pioneers Dinner Nov. 25 New York — The Jubilee dinner of the Motion Picture Pioneers, the 13th annual, will be held on Nov. 25 in the Hotel Astor, it was announced last week by Jack Cohn, president. Dave Bader is acting as pub¬ licity director, in cooperation with secre¬ tary-treasurer Harry J. Takiff and vicepresident Mervin Kirsch. Blumenstock's Daughter Weds New York — Haidee “Bebe”, daughter of Mrs. Haidee Fried and Mort Blumenstock, Warners’ vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity, was married last week to Major Marvin Daniel Perskie, USMC. After a wedding trip, the couple will make their home in San Diego, Cal. Theatre TV Deal Set for Championship Bout NEW YORK — 'Theatre Network Television has acquired the exclusive theatre TV rights to the WalcottMarciano fight in Philadelphia on Sept. 23, it was revealed last week. It is understood that the terms of the deal set a new high, and it can be cancelled if the number of theatres do not reach a certain figure. Areas blacked out will include Philadelphia, Camden, N. J., Chester, Pa., Boston, and Providence, R. I. It was learned that RKO will dis¬ tribute the film version of the bout. Bidding had been heavy for the motion picture rights. September 3, 1952