The Film Daily (1948)

We? Tuesday March 23. 1948 * Indies See Drive-in Expansion as Threat Minneapolis — The threat of an increased activity in the construction of drive-in theaters throughout Minnesota this Summer is beginning to concern state exhibitors who see the drive-in as a potential threat to existing indie situations. ' Many new inquiries and surveys' are being made in the Minneapolis film zone area, particularly .in college towns with some properties already optioned by interested parties. Meanwhile in the Twin Cities area at least four new drive-ins are reported to be in the planning stage by Minnesota Amusement Enterprises and others. Area indie exhibitors are believed to be mapping plans to fight any and all proposed construction that threatens their territories and will seek protective measures locally and possibly through the legislature. Standard Planning Five Drive-ins, one a Double Milwaukee — Standard Theaters circuit, headed by L. F. Gran, is constructing a double-drive-in just beyond the city limits on Milwaukee's Northside. Outdoor' house is first of five drive-ins planned by Standard circuit and is planned to be in operation May 15. Project is on 70-acre tract and will cost over $300,000. First drive-in will have 900-car capacity and "overflow" theater will handle 600 cars. Transcription-on-Film Technic Urged for Tele Paradoxical plea of television sponsors for high quality pix at low cost can be achieved to some extent, Leslie Roush, head of Leslie Roush Prods, told The Film Daily yesterday. Production costs can be cut by using a different approach in photography, Roush said. More specifically, he suggested transcription-on-film technic, rather than the standard production methods used in theatrical films. He pointed out that since cerT tain qualities are often lost in telecasting, there would be no advantage in putting more into the production of a tele film than the video screen brings out. The veteran producer made it clear that while he suggests this economy as a compromise to the tele sponsor, the latter should not intend to use the film for non-video purposes, as such a production would suffer by comparison with regular film fare. French Start Red Cross Film Paris (By Air Mail) — Christian J&epie has started production of ■"From Man to Men," the story of Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, for Franco-Suis.se Productions. All international Red Gross organizations are expected to utilize the film. HOLLVUJOOD-f IDE VfiBD By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD LJCLLYWOOfJ is very baseball-happy just now, since out at M-G-M Producer Jack Cummings is getting ready to roll his ball diamond epic, "The Life Of Monte Stratton.' This was the Chicago White Sox player who refused to let the loss of a limb in a hunting accident get him down. . . . Roy Rowland, who will direct, is currently conferring with Monte Stratton, now here and who will be heading back for his West Texas ranch before long. ... As the latest addition to the cast, which is headed by Van Johnson in the role of Monte Stratton, Director Rowland has just assigned Frank Morgan the job of characterizing a broken-down ballplayer who discovers Stratton. ... It is a very sympathetic role and Morgan is expected to steeV toward an Academy supporting character role with it. . . . The Chicago White Sox, incidentally, are doing their Spring training here and Rowland has arranged to shoot Stratton as well as Van Johnson with the team French Approve Move to Renegotiate Film Pact Paris (By Cable)— A Press Committee resolution to ask the Government to start negotiations looking <o revision of the Bium-Byrnes financial agreement restricting the time reserved for the showing of P'rench' films in France, was approved in the Assembly by a show 01 hands. Robert Lacoste, Minister of Industry and Commerce, pointed out that the Government haa requested such negotiations in January. Industry spokesmen here were uncertain at tne weekend as to just what the French seek in the way of additional compulsory playing time for their own pictures. One observer pointed out that distributors here, take the position that any country's films will find their own level. In the event they were willing to discuss a greater quota for French product in France, companies here would want to discuss tne inequitability of*the distribution o#'raw stock in France, and seek a modification of) the present prohibition on the -dubbing into French of American -films more than two years old. Monogram to Start Six In the Next Six Weeks IVcst Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY' Hollywood — Monogram has set six films to go before tfie c.neras in the> next six weeks, Scott R. Dunlap, assistant to Steve Broidy, president, announced. Schedule includes "Smugglers' Cove" and "Arizona Sunset," to.be started March 22; "A Palooka Named Joe," April 1; an untitled Jimmy Wakely, April 12; "Passport to Freedom," April 15, and "Bury Me Not," later that monthL ieei Poor Foreign Imports as Danger Despite the ever-widening acceptance of imported pictures there's e danger the foreign film distributor might murder the gold-laying -?ose with product indiscnminatelyi.L^en Such is the opinion of many Tn.portars, among whom is Jack Barnstyn. an old-timer in the business. Barnstyn is a distributor's distrib-j utor, preferring to deal with others who will deal with the exhibs. Banu styn does not sell his imports to ex1 hibitors, for he prefers a quick return on his investment instead o: involving himself with long-rangt.i plans and keeping track of the 5' features and 47 shorts which he ha: available to distributors in the Amer ican market. As head of tV Franco-Londoi , Film Export, Barnstyn also finance: : foreign production. A case in poin is his partial bankrolling of threi Italian pix currently in production In return for his backing, Barnstyi gets the world rights with the ex : ception of Italy and France. He thei sells the rights to each picture country by country. Though he does not pretend tha I all his pictures are top product ! Barnstyn still maintains: "Then will be a better market for foreigi films in the United States, Sees Tele Serving Forms Chicago — "A new era of information and interest for the farmer" will be opened with the televising of next Fall's International Livestock Exposition here, according to Frank E. Mullen, NBC exec, vice-prexy. Estimating that between 750,0ut> and 1,000,000 television sets will be in use by the end of the year, Mullen said a "substantial" number of them will be in farm homes. Garnett-McCarey Producing West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood— "Heart to Heart," an] original comedy by Lionel Houser, has been purchased by Tay Garnett and Ray McCarey for an undisclosed sum. The two directors plan an independent production, with Garnett as producer and McCarey as director of the film. Negotiations are now under way for stars and a releasing date. softy "...great boxoffice potential... has every earmark for successful runs." *FILM DAILY stars GLENN FORD • EVELYN KEYES A COLUMBIA PICTURE