Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

SIODIO SIZf-UPS MONOGRAM Special Campaign For Song T O'UIS S. L,I1<' I'ON, uiiccLoi o. a.. ...g . i-u.jucity, has set a special ad campaign for Allied Artists' "Song of My Heart." With $200,000 budgeted for the campaign, Litton is going out after special music magazines and papers as well as the regular run of national books to garner the "'•lass" trade for this ftlm. With two new ones started here and five more scheduled to go before the end of the year, there will be no holiday lull at this shop. In work now are: "Overland Trails," a Johnny Mack Brown western, "Angels' Alley" (Bowery Boys) and "Charlie Chan In New Orleans." Set to come befoie the year's end are: King Brothers' "The Tenderfoot," Jeffrey Bernard's "Stage Struck," Jack Wrather'.s "Night Without Morning," "I Wouldn't Be In Your Shoes" and one more in the teen-age series. There was a rumor around lasi week that the King Brothcis had been conferencing over at Columbia. But running it down, we found that it was just that old perennial which pops up au omatically every few months. At this writing, it looks like t.ie producing brothers ai c happy with AA. Monarch Films Corp. Lid. in Britain has taken over distribution rights on 30 old Monogram pictures. Films rclca ed between 1938 and 1944 are included In the deal. No financial details on this ariangement have been disclosed. PARAMOUNT Balaban Promises 40 Features 'Y'HE GENERAL TREND among major .s^tudios towaid increa.sed output has taken hold here, it was made cleai last week by president Barney Balaban, who announced a program of 40 Paramount features for the 1917-48 season. The company head came to the coast with a g-oup ol other Paramount officials for discussions with studio boss Henry Ginsberg. Balaban stated that of the 40 features only 8 from Pine-Thomas will be programmers, the other 32 to be high-budgetcrs. This was taken with a grain of salt by veteran tradesters, who can't see any studio actually turning out that much first-rate product within one .season. The product will include three from the Liberty unit and four from Hal Wallis. Accompanying Balaban on the studio visit were sales chief Charles M. Reagan, Y. Frank Freeman, head studio executive who was in the east, and several of the company's financial expert:;, including treasurer Fred Mchrhardt. The money men were along presumably to devise additional plans for cutting expenditures PROr>UCTION HUMMING With a half dozen pictures in various stages of production here, it looks as though prexy Balaban's promise of 40 features for the year might be fulfilled. The Pine-Thomas unit '.vound up "Hard To Kill ' and is about lo go with "Waterfront at Midnight," their seventh and eighth fcitures for the year. Thi.? bu.'^iness-like outfit really goes about the business of turning its program product out. REPUBLIC Three New Ones Start PRODUCTION PICKED UP here a bit last week as three films went into production .John Auer, as associate producer, started i, Jane Doe" (Ruth Hus.sey-John Carroll-A^era Ralston) a Rocky ' Lane western, "Oklahoma Badlands," went under Gordon Kay .s production and "Under California Skies," a Roy Rogers musical-western also got started. . & ■ The latter picture started just as the Rogers-Republic controversy came to a head. Rogers claimed that his co.ntract ^vith Revear ^imftLTn "I f ^'A^' state's seven IZlr Tontrro'^ /if ''"'^ ""^'^ Havilland voided the r contracts on th,s argument) ruled out anv contrsrt terms as invalid; secondly, Re,,ublic. Rogers sav.s, failed to pick up Ss Rogers, however, finally decided to make "Under California Skies" with the clear stipulation that his work in it would in no way effect the status of the contract row. He plans to continue his fight against the studio. Hi has made about 75 pictures fo.' the studio in 10 years. He wanted to make fewer at higher budget, but the studio said no. He is also fighting, because, he claims, in spite of the fact that he has been one of the big money-makers of the entire industry, has received a small salary for his film work. RKO 21 In Backlog AS THE OLD year winds to y.n end, inventory at RKO indicates that this stiidio is in the strongest position in its history with 21 new films and one re-issue ready to go. Ten of the films are from independent producers, indication of the result of the policy begun two years ago to open the RKO doors to good independents. Among the inde films to com.e are: two from Samuel Goldwyn, "The Bishop's Wife" and "A Song Is Born;" two from John Ford, "The Fugitive" and 'War Party;" Sierra'.s production of "Joan;" "The Miracle of The Bells" from Jesse Lasky and Walter MacEwen; Sol Lessor's "Trazan and The Mermaid;" Leo McCarey's "Good Sam;" "The Velvet Touch" from Fred Brifson and Rosalind Russell, and Walt Disney's "Hov/ Dear To My Heart." RKO's own product includes "I Remember Mama," "If You Knew Susie," "So Well Remembered," "Night Song," "Berlin Express," "Fighting Father Punnt," "Your Red Wagon," "Roughshod," "Race Street," "Rachel," and "The Harder They Fall." Walt Disney's "Bambi" will go into re-release. "Joan" (Ingrid Bergman) is set at a bud2:et of $4,000 000 and has a shooting schedule of j02 days. Sierra is still dickering with Relznick on a title for this one since that produce; owns the one they would like to use. SCHARY ON THE SPOT The gang who have been hSving s-ach -port tagging ^s "red" everybody with a liberal viewpoint are after RKO's pro-^uction chief Dore Schary. Leader of the mob, and determined to get what he can in the backwash of publicity is Californ'a's S'a'^'* Senator Jack Tenney. He runs a little Un-American in"estifi'a''''"' committee of his own locally and he is trying hard to break into "big time." Teennev's gimmick was accusing Dore Sch^rv of as=-l"ring a "100 percent Communist controlled" writers group to whip up speeches for Governor Earl Warren and others at a HoUywoo'l memorial for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, on April 23, 1945." Scharv ridiculed the al!ep9*-irn. H's point was tv>"t -r^p^r^ v/as certainlv stale and that Tennev had bpon more tbT obvious in pickinc: up te.stimony he had given at the Wasbinetoi bPT-ing and trying to whip up a frenzy over it. As he further no'nted o"t. the maioritv of the writers who were aske-l to (contribute material to the memorial were not even called to Washinrr^on b" Thomas. To the credit of RKO executives, a strong vote o*' confidence was handed Dore Scha' v. The board of direotois meetlnT here with Chief Flovd Odium made it clear that while thev and Scha'->' were unalterably opposed to Communism, they did not intend to be carried away by wild ?nd hv.'rterlcal name-calling. In a potent letter to a stockholder who had queried what RKO inten'ied to do about Schary. the board pointed out that th° studTo chief rad stated forcefully and completely at the Thorra^; hearinc bis att'tude on Communism. It further stated that RKO afrreed with this attitude and would continue to support Schar" in the mp'-iT' of pictures which would project the American wav of life again t the very same evil which the Un-American ganir sav they are fighting. SCREEN GUILD **Cross*' Wins And Loses '-THE CIRCUIT COURT of the state of Virginia reversed the decision of the lower court against "Burning Cross." The picture was given a complete clearance and will be shown without restriction throughout the entire state of Virginia. This is a rca' vctory for the producers of "Burning Cros-"" and thye are to be congratulated on fighting the good faith. . However, the cen.sor board of Ohio banned the film in that state. It will be fought out in the courts there, too. IS FILM BULLETIN