The Exhibitor (1949)

PRODUCTION Hollywood — Dennie Moore has a fea¬ tured role in Columbia’s “Anna Lucasta.” . . . Raymond Walburn and Walter Cat¬ lett have been signed to team up again for the second “Henry” for Monogram, “Leave It To Henry.” . . . George Brent is together with Claudette Colbert in RKO’s “Love Is Big Business.” . . . Ramon Navarro, has a featured character role in RKO’s “The Big Steal.” . . . Paramount has brought another Sateve serial. While the original title was “Dishonored,” it will be called “After Midnight,” and stars Alan Ladd and Wanda Hendrix. WB has purchased an original story by Richard Ivar, “Unfair Weather,” and will star Jack Carson and Patricia Neal. . . . King Brothers will make two highbudgeters for AA. The first is based on eradication of the Black Hand Society in New York, and the second is “Unwanted,” a comedy about divorce. . . . Donna Martel has the femme lead in U-I’s “Abbott And Costello Meet The Killers.” FTC, Esper In Agreement Wilmington, Del. — The Federal Trade Commission last week announced that it has accepted a stipulation-agreement from Dwain A. Esper, Hollywood, to re¬ frain from certain representations con¬ cerning “Ingagi.” According to the stipu¬ lation, many of the scenes in the film were taken in and about the city of Los Angeles, and many of the purported natives pictured in the film are actors or other persons made-up to simulate African natives. Esper agrees to refrain from represent¬ ing that the picture was filmed in the African jungles unless the representation is expressly limited to such scenes as may actually have been filmed in the jungles. He also agrees to stop representing that actors and other persons made up to simulate natives of Africa are actual natives. The stipulation-agreement also provides that Esper cease and desist from representing that a picture containing unusual or strange creatures, events, and happenings in an authentic representation of such creatures, events, and happenings when some or all of such scenes are fictional. Bercholtz In From France New York — French producer Joseph Bercholtz arrived here last week for a short stay, bringing with him a print of his latest film, “Aux Yeux Du Souvenir,” starring Michele Morgan and Jean Marais, and also revealed tentative plans for undertaking a joint Franco-American venture with American interests. “Production costs have doubled in the last few years so that a big “A” produc¬ tion costs about $350,000 now,” Bercholtz stated, “and since we don’t get the nega¬ tive cost back in Europe, greater markets are necessary, and a nationwide distribu¬ tion of good French films in America is especially desirable.” During his visit, Bercholtz attended the gala charity premiere of his “Symphonic Pastorale” at the Playhouse, Washington. THE EXHIBITOR Brazilian Government Removes Rental Controls NEW YORK — The Brazilian govern¬ ment has removed controls on film rentals, according to telephonic advice received last week from Rio de Janeiro by John G. McCarthy, man¬ aging director, international division, Motion Picture Association of America. Theatre admission prices, however, are to remain frozen at present levels, pending further deliberations, it was reported. McCarthy credited the Brazilian government with arriving at its de¬ cision after an extensive study of the effect of price control on the Brazilian motion picture industry as a whole, and after carefully weighing the opinions of distributors and exhibitors. Treasury Releases More Trade Figures Washington — The Treasury Department last week released salary figures which showed once again that many in the in¬ dustry were among the highest paid people in the country for the fiscal year of 1947, which ended on Aug. 31, 1948. Humphrey Bogart was the best paid actor, receiving $467,361 from Warners, while the same company paid Bette Davis $328,000, making her the highest paid female star. The list was supplemental to the larger list issued last summer, with Charles P. Skouras’ $855,300 from National Theatres in the calendar year 1946 still the high¬ est of the figures listed in the current records. Another supplement is indicated to include payments by Loew’s and RKO. Deanna Durbin drew $323,478 from U-I. The earlier list showed Bing Crosby credited with $325,000 from Paramount in the calendar year of 1946, with Fred MacMurray drawing $150,000. MacMurray, it was revealed, also drew $175,000 from U-I. Other executives earning more than $75,000 in the fiscal year of 1947 were Steve Broidy, Monogram, $100,148; Irving Briskin, Columbia, $78,000; Harry Cohn, Columbia, $197,600; Jack Cohn, Columbia, $145,600; Helen Deutsch, Columbia, $118,250; Don Hartman, Columbia, $103,000; A1 Hall, Columbia, $143,000; B. B. Kahane, $96,500; ‘A. Montague, Columbia, $130,000; Casey Robinson, Columbia, $150,000; Abe Schneider, $93,600; N. B. Spingold, Co¬ lumbia, $83,200; William A. Scully, U-I, $91,000; Joseph H. Seidelman, U-I, $75,400; Compton Bennett, U-I, $84,667; Claude Bin yon, U-I, $77,885; N. J. Blumberg, U-I, $188,785; J. Cheever Cowdin, U-I, $188,785; William M. Dozier, U-I, $127,500; Chester Erskine, U-I, $157,364; Fred Finklehoffe, U-I, $118,614; Matthew Fox, U-I, $126,606; William Goetz, U-I, $284,000; W. J. Heineman, U-I, $84,058; Zoltan Korda, U-I, $100,000; Rufus Lemaire, U-I, $76,500; Irving Pichel, U-I, $127,500; C. D. Prutzman, U-I, $111,006; Walter Reisch, U-I, $79,000; William Seiter, U-I, $80,000; Robert Siodmak, U-I, $142,158; Joseph Sistrom, U-I, $102,000; Samuel Spiegel, U-I, $116,500; Leo Spitz, U-I, $132,000; Karl Tunberg, U-I, $114,750; Walter Wanger, $224,127; J. E. Coston, Warner Brothers Circuit Management, $107,900; 13 TELEVISION New York — Television Broadcasters As¬ sociation, Inc., last week launched a greatly expanded schedule of activity which, it is expected, will increase the services and staff on a considerable basis before the end of the year. Included will be a monthly program exchange service, quarterly surveys on the status of the industry, monthly reports from Washing¬ ton, and the creation of new committees including a legal committee. Dan Regan has been appointed to a public relations post. Rudy Vallee told the American Tele¬ vision Society Film Forum at the Museum of Modern Art last week, “You can take away my meg and mike. From here on in, it’s me for television, and I’m going to produce television films.” Vallee, secre¬ tary, Producers Television Association of Hollywood, and president, Vallee-Video, Inc., showed one of his latest TV films, and spoke on problems presented by tele¬ vision to Hollywood. Other speakers were George Bonwick, president, Pathe-Pictoria Films, Inc., who sounded a warning on liability, saying, “Rental, lease, or sale of a film for television usage is a potential atomic bomb of liability, unless proper legal clearances have been established all along the line”; Paul Alley, director, CBS newsreel, and Emerson Yorke, ATS secretary-chairman, film committee, who was forum moderator. Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc.’s engineering department and model shop facilities of the instrument division at Clifton, N. J., are now available, and are offered to the industry for the develop¬ ment, design, and construction of special cathode-ray instruments. WB, 20th-Fox Salaries Listed Washington — The Securities And Ex¬ change Commission last week revealed that Warner star Bette Davis was paid $364,000 salary in 1948, making her the top -salaried employe of that company. Other reports showed Warners paid Den¬ nis Morgan $315,476 and Henry Blanke $244,667 in the year ended last August, while 20th Century-Fox paid Preston Sturges $370,650 during the calendar year 1947. Darryl F. Zanuck received $260,000, and Spyros P. Skouras $253,200 for the same period. I. J. Hoffman, Warner Brothers Circuit Management, $81,900; H. Kalmine, Warner Brothers Circuit Management, $112,700; Leo Forbstein, Warner Brothers Pictures, $91,000; Alex Gottlieb, Warner Brothers Pictures, $99,500; William Jacobs, Warner Brothers Pictures, $78,000; R. W. Perkins, Warner Brothers Pictures, $87,000; S. Schneider, $91,350; H. Starr, Warner Brothers Pictures, $78,000; Max Steiner, Warner Brothers Pictures, $104,000; S. B. Trilling, Warner Brothers Pictures, $78,000; Albert Warner, Warner Brothers Pictures, $104,300; H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers Pictures, $182,050; J. L. Warner, Warner Brothers Pictures, $182,150, and Ben Kalmenson, Warner Brothers Distributing Corporation, $112,700. February 23, 1949