Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

REPORT FROM THE STUDIOS Hollytvootl Answering TV triih Higher Butigets Hollywood's record October production of 64 films, represent a total expenditure of slightly more than $38,000,000, according to a rough check of budgets, just completed by FILM BULLETIN'S Hollywood staff. This is an average of nearly $600,000 per picture. One well-informed authority on Hollywood production costs, who had previously estimated that the average cost-per-film this year would not exceed $400,000, interprets this cost upsurge as a trend toward bigger and better pictures. This, he now says, is the way Hollywood believes it can combat the inroads which television has been making. Certainly, it is one important part of the answer to TV ; another important factor is imagination. Among the more important productions now in front of the cameras are: Stanley Kramer's "The Juggler" ( Kirk Douglas-Milly Vitale), Warwick Productions "The Red Beret" (Alan Ladd-Leo Genn), Columbia's "L Song" (Jane Wyman-Ray Milland), Metro's "Drd Wife" (Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr) and "Young bJ (Jean Simmons-Stewart Granger-Deborah Kerr), Pi mount's "Little Boy Lost" (Bing Crosby) and "Foil Female" (Ginger Rogers-William Holden), Republ "Fair Wind to Java" (Fred MacMurray-Vera Ralstd 20th-Fox's "Call Me Madam" (Ethel Merman-Dod O'Connor), U-I's "Flame of Timberline" (Ann Sherid Sterling Hayden), Warner's "I Confess" (Montgon] Clift-Anne Baxter), and John Huston's "Moulin Rod (Jose Ferrer-Collette Marchand). Technicolor plays a very important role, also, in| current peak production. According to a spokesman' the Technicolor Corp., there are now 28 color pict shooting, 32 in preparation, 45 in release, and an ditional 45 in distribution backlogs. RKO's new owners will completely reverse the Howard Hughes policy of relying on outside production deals to make up the major portion of its releasing slate. Production is the order of the day for the company's own studios, with only Samuel Goldwyn Productions and Walt Disney scheduled to play an important part in the field of independently produced product. RKO's production program will include a minimum of 26 high-budgeted films for the coming year, with still further expansion allowable if the situation warrants. Ralph Stolkin, the company's new president, is displaying the blazing enthusiasm of youth in realigning the company. Sources close to him tell FILM BULLETIN that he is planning some radical departures from the long established policies of selling motion pictures, and, toward that end, he is shopping around for bright, young merchandising talent. One of Stolkin's first moves, after accepting the presidency of the company, was to dispatch Sherrill Corwin to Hollywood, to start screening studio personnel. Although few changes have as yet been made, it is understood that much of the old deadwood will be cleared out, to make room for a more progressive crew of young bloods. o o Don Hartman, Paramount's production chief, in a new move to cut down waste in picture-making, is instituting a new policy of closer editing of scripts, in order to eliminate excess film footage. Hartman describes his new policy as "a scientific method of fittiny the story to the desired length of the picture." "We have determined that 90 minutes is the desired running time for most pictures," Hartman says, "and every effort will be made to avoid overshooting, through the proper writing and editing of scripts. We believe this will result not only in great savings to the company, but also in tighter scripts and better pictures." No doubt about it, we say. 0 0 On the heels of Allied Artists' announcement that it will employ bigger names and higher budgets in turning out future product, company toppers have also started expanding the outlay on publicity and advertising of AA's product. With four top pictures going into release this fall, additional field men are being taken on to ballyhoo the product. Although most of this field force will be hired on a temporary basis, some of them will eventually become a part of Allied Artists' permanent staff. The four top fall releases, believed to be the strongest boxoffice lineup in the company's history, are: "Flat Top" (Sterling Hayden-Richard Carlson), "Torpedo Alley" (Mark Stevens-Dorothy Malone), "Battle Zone" (John Hodiak Stephen McNally Linda Christian), and Hiawatha" (Vincent Edwards-Yvette Dugay). 0 o Universal-International is currently sitting on its biggest backlog of pictures in more than three years, with 22 features either in the editing stage or awaiting release. Fourteen of the 22 are in Technicolor. In addition, five more pictures are presently before the cameras — all but one of them in Technicolor. The completed color films include: "Horizons West," "Against All Flags," "The Raiders," "The Lawless Breed," "City Beneath the Sea," "Meet Me at the Fair," "A Man's Country," "The Redhead from Wyoming," "Mississippi Gambler," "Seminole," "Desert Legion," "Column South," "Law and Order," and "Lone Hand." Black-andwhite features are: "Back at the Front," "Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Paris," "It Gnr Trees," "Abbott and Costello Go to "Because of You," "The Black Castle," and Pa Kettle at Waikiki," and "Fr Covers the Big Town". 0 o After five yaers of preparation, n mention innumerable postponements, public will finally launch production on Alamo" late in November. The pic1 which stars John Wayne, will also mar debut as a director. Ward Bond has set for a top role, and Montgomery CV available, will take over the other le male character. Filming will be done in Texas or Panama. The budget is exp to approach the two-million-dollar mar 0 0 20th Century-Fox has changed the on three of its up-coming releases, most startling switch is "Pick-up onl Street," as the new title for "Blaze of G (Richard Widmark-Jean Peters). TheJ two are: C. S. Forester's "Single Ha" now "Sailor of the King" (Jeffrey Hi! Michael Rennie), and "Gobi Outpost "Sixty Saddles for Gobi" (Richard mark). 0 0 For the first time since "Gone Wi Wind," MGM is investing capital in side production. The picture is "Main to Broadway," which is now being fil Cinema Productions, a new unit form some of the country's top exhibitors, film is being made in association wil Council of the Living Theater, and one of the most impressive casts tCf] any picture in recent years. Anion stars are Tallulah Bankhead, Marlon B Olivia de Havilland and Dana Andre mention but a few. Metro, naturall the release on the project, in return 50-50 budgeting of the $1,110,000 prod Paq* 10 FILM BULLETIN October 20, 1952