The Exhibitor (1953)

6 EXHIBITOR CAN NEWS A guide to the headlines in EXHIBITOR this issue. Corporate 20th-Fox management wins in the stock battle and Spyros Skouras is reelected president (page 7). Dr. Kalmus reports on Technicolor progress (page 10). President Leonard Goldenson speaks to the PT-AB stockholders (page 17). Distribution Paramount is making 3-D cartoons (page 6). Allied Artists signs for a CinemaScope picture (page 10). Paramount reveals the winners in the drive (page 16). Exhibition Allied offers an equipment package with The Ballantyne Company (page 10). Western Pennsylvania exhibitors hold their annual convention (page 14). Financial Paramount shows a spurt in its profits (page 18). International The growth of 16mm. is shown in a Canadian report (page 12). U-I holds a meeting in Italy, restric¬ tions in Brazil are eased, wage increases are asked in Mexico, and the U-I foreign drive sets records (all on page 16). Legislative The trade is advised to push its fight against the federal tax (page 7). Mel Konecoff The shooting of “The Joe Louis Story”, the introduction of Republic’s C. Bruce Newbery to the trade, and other items are covered (pages 6 and 17). Organizations Jack Beresin is reelected International Chief Barker, Variety Clubs International and Dr. Selman A. Waksman receives the Humanitarian Award at the annual con¬ vention in Mexico City (page 14). Technical U-I’s wide-screen bows in New York City (page 10). A new “moving sound” process, A1 Pickus’ wide-screen in Stratford, Conn., wide-screen in England, MGM’s demon¬ stration, Dr. Fuller’s Naturescope, a new WB camera, and other items of technical interest are covered (all on page 18). Burton Robbins, formerly head, National Screen Service advertising accessories division, was re¬ cently promoted to the post of assistant to the president. He started with the company in 1940. Good Weather Hits Broadway Grosses New York — Broadway first-runs experi¬ enced a considerable drop in business over the weekend, and, with the exception of Radio City Music Hall and Loew’s State, most spots were hard hit by what was described as “ideal outdoor weather.” According to usually reliable sources reaching Exhibitor, the breakdown was as follows: “THE DESERT SONG” (WB). Para¬ mount, with stage show, expected the opening week to hit $60,000. “TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY” (WB). Roxy, with ice show, was down to $38,000 for Wednesday through Sunday, with the third, and last, week only expected to tally $45,000. “YOUNG BESS” (MGM) . Radio City Music Hall, with stage show, opened to $88,500 for Thursday through Sunday, with the first week anticipated at $137,000. “SPLIT SECOND” (RKO). Criterion was heading toward a $10,000 second week. “SALOME” (Col.). Rivoli expected the ninth week to reach $15,000. “TREASURE OF THE GOLDEN CON¬ DOR” (20th-Fox). Globe hoped the week would reach $10,000. “THE DESERT RATS” (20th-Fox). Mayfair reported that the third week would reach $12,000. “THE PRESIDENT’S LADY” (20thFox). Astor opened to an $18,000 first week. “THUNDER BAY” (U-I). Loew’s State, showing on a wide screen, claimed the opening week would exceed $42,000. “MOULIN ROUGE” (UA). Capitol dropped to $18,000 for the 15th, and last, week. “THE JUGGLER” (Col.). Victoria claimed the third week at $15,000. Paramount Making 3-D Cartoons New York — Paramount last week be¬ came the first company to announce pro¬ duction of cartoon short subjects in 3-D. Oscar A. Morgan, short subjects sales manager, disclosed that the company will start to deliver 3-D color cartoon shorts in September. The 3-D color shorts will not be dis¬ tributed as part of the 60 one-reel short subjects line-up which Morgan last month announced for release during the year beginning on Oct. 1. Paramount 3-D short subjects also will be available in conventional, or 2-D, prints, and the latter will be included in the coming year’s release lineup, Morgan said. New York News Letter By Mel Konecoff THE OTHER DAY, we drove out to Long Island City with Sterling Silliphant to watch shooting finish on his “The Joe Louis Story”, scheduled for release by United Artists in August. They were finishing up after 38 days of shooting, two more than was orig¬ inally scheduled. The film has been financed mostly outside the in¬ dustry, and the direct negative cost is in the neighborhood of $300,000. Heavyweight fighter Coley Wallace portrays Louis, and featured are Paul Stewart, Hilda Simms, and James Edwards. In addition to the regular production activities, we came across something new in the business, an outfit known as Motion Picture Techniques headed by Bill Joyce, serving as associate producer on the film. It furnishes all the technical and other needs of a producer who wants to make films in the east for theatrical distribution. Joyce expects to revive theatrical pro¬ duction in New York by providing skilled personnel and facilities at a low and real¬ istic budget. A lack of adequate studio space is no handicap because the organ¬ ization is primarily expert at location shooting. There’s said to be no other pro¬ duction outfit like it in the east. MPT consists essentially of people young in years, but not in experience, and they at one time worked for Louis de Rochemont on “Lost Boundaries”, “Walk East On Beacon”, and “Whistle At Eaton Falls”, and have made other subjects. Joyce thought that 1 the costs on the Louis film could have been considerably less except for long stretches of bad weather. MPT will next shoot four reels of a French film, “Public Enemy Number One”, in June, with the other half to be made in France, after which in July the organ¬ ization will film “The Killer Wore A Badge” for producer Phil Waxman, who will release through RKO. When we asked several production people what they thought of the MPT setup, they thought it really wonderful providing everything that was promised could be delivered, and that, indeed, it might make production here more attractive. MPT is headed by Joyce and his asso¬ ciates, Phil Donohue, business manager; Dorothy Bohen, production coordinator, and Tom Whitesell, production manager. Others who play an important part are Robert Gordon, director; Joseph Brun, ( Continued on page 17) May 27, 1953