The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

26 THE EXHIBITOR PRODUCTION Hollywood — Alexander Korda will fol¬ low up “The Winslow Boy” with “The Last Days Of Dolwyn,” Emlyn Williams original. . . . Robert Preston and Pedro Armendariz were inked for the two top male roles in Walter Wanger’s Techni¬ color production for Eagle Lion, “Tulsa.” Susan Hayward handles the femme lead. . . . Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, and Doris Day were set in Warners’ “Two Guys Of The Nineties,” set to kick off in July. . . . RKO signed Fred Zinneman to meg “Battleground,” set as the studio’s biggest picture of the new season, with Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Victor Mature, and Bill Williams starring. The film will dramatize the Battle of Bastogne. Monogram will do “Pills, Inc.,” expose of the overdosage of sleeping pills. . . . Lon McCallister plays the top role in Eagle Lion’s Technicolor production, “The Big Cat.” . . . Paramount renewed John Lund’s option for a fourth year. . . . Monogram closed a releasing deal with Master Films, Inc., calling for three films, the first to be “Incident.” . . . Cornel Wilde and his wife, Patricia Knight, team on the screen for the first time in Columbia’s “The Lovers.” . . . Script writers for United Artists producer Harry Sherman, are working on a western with a Hawaiian background as a Joel McCrea starrer. Maureen O’Hara was tentatively as¬ signed to a leading role in the best-seller, “Britannia Mews,” which 20th CenturyFox plans to produce in England. . . . David O. Selznick nabbed the option on “The Long Walk,” novel which just came off the presses. . . . Robert Young stars in Eagle-Lion’s “Twelve Against The Under¬ world,” to be made under the Cavalier Productions banner. Young and producer Eugene B. Rodney head the inde. . . . Leading roles in 20th Century-tFoxfe “Sand” will be handled by Mark Stevens and Peggy Cummins. Universal-International assigned Max¬ well Shane to rein “The Amboy Dukes,” story of Brooklyn’s Brownsville section, with a fall camera date scheduled. . . . Otto Preminger will produce and direct the Jeanne Crain starrer “The Fan,” at 20th Century-Fox. . . . “Tuna Clipper” was set as Roddy McDowall’s next film at Monogram and will kick off on Aug. 1. . . . Thomas Gomez was added to Enter¬ prise’s “Tucker’s People,” starring John Garfield. . . . Warners placed Edmond O’Brien under a long term contract. . . . Duncan Renaldo plays “The Cisco Kid” in the United Artists series. The first two, “An Adventure Of The Cisco Kid” and “Robin Hood Of Sin City,” are already lensing. Censorship Measure Checked New York — Majority leader Joseph T. Sharkey indicated last week that the Cunningham censorship bill may die in committee. The bill was held over for a meeting of the City Council this week. Combining in protesting the bill are the MMPTA, Independent Theatres Association, League of New York Theatres, IATSE, and the Committee Against Censorship of the Entertainment Industry. The measure was originally supported by S. Samuel DiFalco, Frederick Schick, William Mc¬ Carthy, and Alfred J. Phillips, with Stan¬ ley M. Isaacs dissenting. "Man-Eater Of Kumaon" Theatremen generally are of the opinion that the time is ripe for a rebirth of showmanship of the oldfashioned variety, which is what makes the advent of “Man-Eater Of Kumaon” more important. This ex¬ ploitation show from Universal-Inter¬ national will probably start a cycle of animal films that should greatly im¬ prove many boxoffice records. This should start a new cycle of showmanship which the exhibitor should find not only profitable but enjoyable. Approaching the usual type of ani¬ mal thrill show from a new angle, with a slightly different human slant, “Man-Eater Of Kumaon” registers higher in the dramatic department without sacrificing anything in the hair-raising division, although adding a simple love story for the benefit of the women folk. While the man-eating tiger is the central character, special mention should be given Wendell Corey, Sabu, Joanne Page, and others who con¬ tribute capable performances. But the story is in the selling, and, from this angle, “Man-Eater” has what it takes, a natural exploitation picture that will hit the boxoffice bull’s eye. — J. E. "Not Guilty" Pleas Filed New York — Henry L. Brook and Joseph Albino last week pleaded not guilty in federal court, Brooklyn, before U. S. Judge Harold M. Kennedy to a six count indictment charging them with criminal infringement of copyrights in four motion pictures. The indictment handed down on May 27 by a Grand Jury in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York charged the defendants with wil¬ fully renting these pictures for a fee for the purpose of the exhibitions which were given to them. Columbia’s “Gilda” and 20th Century-Fox’s “Leave Her To Heaven” were each named in two counts. MGM’s “Bad Bascomb” and Republic’s “Murder In The Music Hall” were each named in one count. Assistant U. S. Attorney George W. Percy, Jr., Eastern District of New York, is handling the prosecution for U. S. At¬ torney Keogh’s office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been conducting an intensive drive against unauthorized 16mm. motion picture showings during the past two years, particularly with regard to 16mm. prints donated by the motion pic¬ ture industry to entertain the armed services overseas. British Assist Visual Aids New York — The use of films and other visual aids will be developed on a very large scale by the new Educational Foun¬ dation for Visual Aids, which has recently been set up by the British Ministry of Education, it was revealed last week. Its function will be to promote the prepara¬ tion, distribution, maintenance, and use of visual aids as a medium of education. Its goal is the equipping of every school with a projector and other visual appa¬ ratus. TELEVISION New York — Melvin L. Gold, director of advertising and publicity, National Screen Service, and temporary chairman, National Television Film Council, announced last week the appointment of temporary com¬ mittees to function until the permanent election of officers. Committee chairmen, are as follows: By-laws committee, chair¬ man, Irwin Shane, executive director, Television Workshop; film distribution committee, chairman, Myron Mills, in charge of television for Equity Film Ex¬ changes; television stations committee, chairman, Robert Paskow, film director, WATV, Newark; program committee, chairman, Jay Williams, television di¬ rector, Film Equities Corporation, and press relations committee, Sally Perle, Mesal Organization. Four more construction permits for new TV stations were granted by the FCC; Florida Broadcasting Company, Jackson¬ ville, Fla., Channel Four; Copper City Broadcasting Corporation, WKAL, Rome, N. Y., Channel 13; The Utica Observer Dispatch, Utica, N. Y., Channel Three, and Southland Industries, Inc., San Antonio, Tex., Channel Four. Exclusive rights to televise the pre¬ performance activities of opening nights outside all Shubert theatres during the 1948-49 season has been granted to the New York Daily Sun station, WPIX. A series of Paris-made films featuring creations of all the major French fashion designers have been purchased for ex¬ clusive showing on the NBC television network. The televised screen, as yet embryonic and experimental in San Francisco, is now receiving more attention from the public there than ever before. The big television kick-off for the area will boom on July 2 as the city’s first great teleshow is slated for premiere at the Civic Auditorium. General Electric mobile units will function throughout the city transmitting pick-up telecasts to the Auditorium, and giving most San Franciscans their first view of video. After extensive local hearings be¬ fore a federal examiner, in which the five contestants made strong bids for Bay Area outlets, the Commission’s response is ex¬ pected soon from Washington, D. C. Among the contestants are Edwin W. Pauley’s Television, California; Paramount Television Production Company, Los An¬ geles; CBS, KROW of Oakland, and 20th Century-Fox, Inc. Three groups in San Francisco already hold construction per¬ mits from the FCC, and have been as¬ signed channels. They are San Francisco Chronicle, associated with NBC; KGO, ABC, which promises to be operating by December, and KSFO, Associated Broad¬ casters. A fourth channel has been re¬ served for the Don Lee-Mutual Broad¬ casting Company pending outcome of an additional hearing. Television’s most ambitious project to date is the coverage of the major political conventions, starting with the Republican convention in Philadelphia this week. Alabama House Burns Fort Deposit, Ala. — John Moffitt’s New Fort was ravaged by fire last fortnight. Loss was estimated at around $10,000. June 23, 1948