Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

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SIUD 0 SIZt-UPS liiirtinn <iii tla ri'siilts of ilic economy wave tlial swept tliis plant about a year a^o. Paranuiunt, first of the major studios to give actual lifjiires on its savings, rejjorts a economies of ahntist ?3,6()(),00(), cutting the operating costs from almost 12 million to a little more than 8 njillion. L'nlike other studios, this one made -I concerted effort to clear the top ranks where s.ilaries were higliest. Fifty-one high priced people who remained (anyone earning more tlian yiO, ()()() per year) were slashed. Meanwhile, with the economy program still in effect and the hoxofifice still being as skittisli as a kitten, tlv studio is moving warily w'itii one picture in production, "The Heiress". Indication of how carefully the company is ni'.ving is the complete reversal within the past two weeks on the attitude toward inde producers. Up until that time. Paramount execs hid turned fishy eyes on any offers or pleas from producers on any basis. Now, it is repr)rted, there will be a wooing campaign on Paramount's part. The studio will listen to projiositions on either partial or complete financing and executives are hoi)ing to snare one or two top reals to bolster its present trio (DeMille, Wallis and Pine-Thomas). All the rumors about Hal Wallis leaving Paramount seem to have subsided and the producer is now in session with Paramount execs on his renewal deal. With three pictures ready for release and one more to go on his old schedule, Wallis is planning 12 more pictures Ui go into tlie new ' Paramount deal. He has not denided that there are other offers resting .on his desk, but at the moment it seems unI'kelv that he will leave the Parajiiount fold. He has been previously reported as displeased with the treatment given his product by tlie sales and advertising stafTs. While the production side may be living tlirougli a lull at the moment, the distribution half of Paramount is busier than usual during a summer period. President Henry Ginsberg snnounced last w-eek that there will be thirteen pictures released between now and the end of the year. The lineup is : July — "Dream Girl" (Betty Hutton MacDonald Carey) and "Big Town Scandal" (Phillip Reed Hilary Brooks). August— "So Evil My Love"' (Ray Milland Ann Todd) and "A Foreign Affair" (Jean Arthur John Lund Marlene Dietrich). September — "Beyond Glory" (Alan Ladd Donna Reed) and "Sorry, Wrong Number" (Barbara Stanwyck Burt Lancaster). October — "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" (Edward G. Robinson Gail RusselH and "Isn't It Romantic" (\'eronica Lake Billy DeWolfe). November — "Sealed Verdict" (Ray Milland .^udrev Totter) and "Tatlock Millions" (Wanda Hendrix John Lund). "Disaster" (Richard Denning Brenda Marshall) will lead off in December with "Paleface" (Bob Hope Jane Russell as the big one for holiday business. REPUBLIC Streamlined Republic Studio Plans 53 For '49 'yHIS is another studio that did a lot more than talk about economy measures. It was revealed here last week that the schedule for the next year's production is already set and the greatest care has been taken to trim every pf)ssible expense to the bone. The schedule cplls for 53 films, which break down to 28 features, 21 western and 4 serials. All scrips have been f)kayed and budgets have been set on .each production. The budgets, it is emphasized, are iron-clad and no luxuries will be tolerated. This lot has really been streamlined. At the inijnient there are sewn producers, three associate pro(hK'er-(Hrect()rs and fi\e directors under contract. It is this crew who will handle the .^o film.>. There are only 12 writers on the payroll as against a previous figure of 40. There are foiu' actresses under contract and 12 actors. .'\1! other departments have been cut accordingl\' and the studio is now running at its minimum force. This year-ahead planning is seen as a f.irther economy measure. .\nd the recent plan to accept indei)endent producers who make pictures for release through other companies is looked to as another source of money-saving. p-ive pictures go into release from this studio (hiring the next several weeks. Fir.st to come is "Moonrise" (Dane Clark Gail Russell), foil owed by "The (jallant Legion" (William I'.iliott Adrian Booth) Roy Ropers' 'Eyes of Texas," "Code of Scotland Yard", and "Daredevils of The Clouds" (Livingston Clark) winding up the list. Sixty-one days is the shooting schedule set fnr "Wake of The Red Witch," set to start lure this month. This is a record shooting scliednle on this lot where 21 days is allotted toj) pictures. However, I-'.dward Grainger is giving this one "the works" and. with John \\ ayne aijd Gail Russell in the star roles, it is set to be one of the "big" ones from Republic ft'K the coming year. RKO Personnel Off 75% As Huphes Realigns RKO Setup "^lll-.Rh'. has been a reduction ol ])ersonnel from an average 2501) to around 600 people. M;iny took the walk with Schary, while others were caught up in the new "broom" and in the summer production slump. The principal factor, of course, is the reorganization by the Tughes regime. With three RKf) pictures in work (one from Coldwxn and one from Sol T^esser are not in\()lved). almost all personnel not directly connected witli the trio will be out of work. The publicity department will lose in all about 15 of its people and that department, w'hich had Piways been one of the best in the business, will be run with a skeleton staff of about six. In addition to the big productions to be made by RKO itself, independent product will play a-i important role under the Hughes regime. At the board meeting following Schary's resignation, Hughes offered sales treatment of inde product on a par with RKO's own. He also irdicated that studio space and RKO financing were both available to the right guys. Although personal interviews and news releases insist that production will start "big" in September, no one is in a position to say just what that word "big" means. One thing is certain, the policies instituted by Dore Schary will be discarded and if past performances is any gauge you can look for Tughes to turn his studio's capacities to the kind of motion picture that will be completely commercial and a> spectacular as possible. \Miether any one will be appointed to fill the Schary spotand who it may be are still conjecture here. Hughes, in his typical fashion, is being very quiet about the whole situation and UHcioubtedly he is enjoying the tremor he has caused in this business and particularly am-^ng the top echelon where there are many men with whom he has an active disagreement. Follow ing close on the heels of the cancelling of the three pictures w-hich the Schary resignation, came news that all plans for filming ''The robe" had been dropped. This one, which has been in preparation, on and off, for five years has in it already an investment of S750,000. Apparentlv. Mr. Hughes will just write that one off. Frank Ross. who owns the film rights on this, and V^ictor Fleming who was tied in to direct are seeking another deal with a major for the production. But as it looks now, if the picture is to be made, Ross will probably have to d ) it indepenrlently with (jutsidc financing. "Interference" (N'ictor Mature Lucille Ball) which is the last picture that will roll here until September, got under wa\ last week. SRO Script OK Demanded By Selznick On Star Loan-Outs ■ ACiEXT" Selznick has run into a bit of trouble on one of his star loanouts. Hi had made a deal with producer William Bacher t'i loan him Louis jourdan and X'alli for "If This Be My Harvest", in which Robert Mitchuni was al.so to appear. Selznick demanded certain changes in the script and when Bacher refused to accede, DOS pulled ofT his two starsThe production is being held up and Mr. Bacher w ill propably realize, by the time you read this, (hat he has no choice. 20th CENTURY-FOX 20th Studio Running More Serenly Than Most W71TH five fictures in pnjduction, with e^ecutive cnferences ended and Darryl F. Zanuck off for a European trip, it would seem that the situation at this studio is under cont ol. In this era of confusion, tear and unexecutives are living on tenterhernks not knowcertainty in HollywwKl, most studio workers and ing what the next day or even the next hour may bring. But 20th seems to have established it; pattern quite firmly and prf)duction is rolling according to schedule. (Jne new starter here last week is "The Fan" (Jeanne Grain George Sanders Madeleine Carroll). Others continuing are: "Yellow Sky" (Gregory Peck Anne Baxter), "Three Wives" (Jeanne Grain Linda Darnell Jeffrey Lynn). "Chicken Every Sunday" (Dan Dailey Celeste Holm) and "Sand" (Mark Stevens Coleen Gray). The studio handed George Jessel a new fiveyear producing deal last week, a year before ills current contract was due to expire. The new pact calls fo rfull time from Jessel, instead of the former six-months-a-year operation. On the schedule now are four films "Oh, You Beautiful Doll," based on the life and songs of Fred Fisher. "I Don't Care." the life story of Eva Tanguay which will star Betty Grable. "Waltz Into Darkness" and "Call Me Mister." Jessel sailed for Europe with Zanuck and Howard Hawks. While there he will shoot background material for his "Call Me Mister" production. This company recently released some interesting figures on the savings that had been effected by the economy program instigated here about a year ago. A saving of Sl.400.000 was the result of the economy broadside against the payroll of 1946. This saving, according to the report, was effected in the over $20,000 a year bracket. An additional ten per cent saving was effected in the cutting of salaries and tightening of dpeartments throughout the general setup. Three top salaries for the year 1947 were received bv Darrvl Zanuck (S260.000). Spvros Skouras (.«;253.000') and Preston Sturges ($370.000). UNITED ARTISTS Pickford Plans Foreign Film To Melt Her Funds TT is reported that Mary Pickford is going: back into production this Fall, only this time it will be in Europe. The film Miss Pickford is 20 FILM BULLETIN'