Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1950)

Friday, August 4, 1950 Motion Picture Daily 9 Pre-Selling Pays Off for IV. B. Product Using personal appearance tours, special feature stories, civic figures and every phase of public relations, Warner Bros, has J^q" concentrating for many months o(jj 'ensive advance build-ups for its attractions. Results obtained are typified by "The flame and the Arrow," an outstanding grosser in almost every situation in which it has opened, and which has just concluded a fourweek engagement at the New York Strand Theatre. Typical of the Warner promotion activity is the Burt Lancaster personal appearance tour in behalf of "The Flame and the Arrow." The star covered Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Washington, Baltimore, Albany, Buffalo, Boston, New Haven, Detroit, Kansas City and Oklahoma City, doing a sensational aerial acrobatic act in each town, capturing headlines for the Norma-FR production and boosting the take in each situation. Author Aids 'Caged' Warner is winning press coverage currently, and consequent sales build-up, for Ruth Roman's latest film, "Three Secrets." The actress has just wound up a two-week press tour on behalf of the U. S. Pictures production, during which she captured space in newspapers in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Chicago. Another productive promotion job was that done for "Caged," a good grosser. Via advertising, publicity and exploitation, unusual audience interest in the picture was established. Virginia Kellogg, author of the story, made a tour of key cities over the country, being interviewed on the sources of her first-hand information of life in a woman's prison. Stories and art on her tour received Coast-to-Coast attention in newspapers, radio and national maga zines. New Faces Spark Varied W. B. New Warner Films lcheiu[e 5et For Release In line with Warner Bros.' policy of building new stellar names, J. L. Wa rner has set in operation a casting and production program which is expected to build many new stars of importance. Among performers for whom the studio envisions stardom in the near future are Charlton Heston, recently signed; Patrice Wymore, who will be seen in a dancing role in "Tea for Two" and a straight dramatic part opposite Errol Flynn in "Rocky Mountain," Barbara Payton, James Cagney's leading lady in Cagney Productions' "Kiss To morrow Goodbye and a featured performer with Gary Cooper in "Dallas"; Helen Carter, who is also in "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye"; Virginia Gibson, dancing in "Tea For Two"; Marlon Brando, who will be seen with Vivien Leigh in "A Streetcar Named Desire"; William Campbell, who appears in "Breakthrough"; Frank Lovejoy, who has a top role in the same picture; and also in the U. S. Pictures production, "Three Secrets"; Scott Forbes, who is in "Rocky Mountain" and Gene Nelson, who made a sensational debut as a dancer-actor in "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady" and is now working with James Cagney in "The West Point Story." Warner Bros, predict its new crop of talent will match the attainments of such recent stars as Doris Day, Ruth Roman, Virginia Mayo, Patricia Neal, Kirk Douglas, Richard Todd, Gordon MacRae, David Brian and Steve Cochran. The studio is maintaining its policy of emphasis on star personalities, with a talent list that includes James Cagney, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Betsy Drake, Errol Flynn, John Garfield, John Agar, Humphrey Bogart, Edmund Gwen, June Haver, Arthur Kennedy, Burt Lancaster, Gertrude Lawrence, Vivien Leigh, Dennis Morgan, Eleanor Parker, Gregory Peck, Ronald Reagan, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Zachary Scott, John Wayne and Jane Wyman, as well as Eve Arden, Billy De Wolfe, Juano Hernandez, Raymond Massey, Phyllis Thaxter, and S. Z. Sakall. More than forty stars are included in the company's current production program. Hits Drive-Ins' Free Policy for Children Tie-up for 'Pretty Baby' In addition to the "Three Secrets" campaign being spearheaded by the Roman tour, Warners is currently tied up with a nationwide contest being conducted by Libby baby food and Look magazine on behalf of "Pretty Baby" and is also participating in a coast-tocoast promotion in all media for "Tea | For Two" in cooperation with the Tea Bureau. Two chorines from the film, who will be given the titles Miss Hot Tea and Miss Iced Tea, are being sent on a nationwide press tour, tied up with the Tea Bureau's field public relations activities and also with a special "Tea For Two" dance devised by Gene Nelson which will be demonstrated over the country by the Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Local, regional and national radio coverage, special news events and features built around the "Tea For Two" girls are now starting to break, with a month-long tour of principal American cities due to start later in August. The policy of letting children into drive-in theatres for nothing was called "one of the worst things the industry has ever done," by James F. Sharkey general manager of Cooperative Theatres of Michigan, Inc. Sharkey has just arrived here for a brief visit to confer with industry executives and view new product. Sharkey asserted that the custom of giving youngsters free admission "gets them accustomed to expect to see films for nothing" and thus sets a bad habit as they grow up. Sharkey declared that all business in Detroit is now enjoying "its highest in history in terms of people employed, wages and job security." Yet at the same time, Sharkey observed, film business is disappointing. Although unable to give a complete answer to the paradox, Sharkey did say that television has hurt "appreciably." Sharkey returns to Detroit early next week. He'll Be Sorry Cleveland, Aug. 3. — L. C. Glaab has dismantled his New Broadway Theatre here and has converted it into a 20-lane bowling alley. He still has the Olympia here. Tax Ruling Halts Mexican Films Here Washington, Aug. 3. — Recent tax rulings of the U. S. Internal Revenue Bureau have brought about a situation under which no Mexican films have been distributed in the U. S. during the first half of 1950, according to Commerce Department film chief Nathan D. Golden. Golden said that in November the Bureau of Internal Revenue ruled that Mexican films shown here were subject to a 30 per cent withholding tax, and U. S. distributors of Mexican films refused to accept any more pictures. Mexican companies are currently negotiating with the Bureau to solve this problem, he stated. The Commerce report declared that a total of 109 feature films were produced in Mexico last year, the highest output on record. The most varied schedule of productions in Warner Bros.' history is currently awaiting release following the recent "see for yourself" meeting conducted at the company's Burbank studio. In September Warners will present the Tech nicolor musical "Tea For Two," which stars Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Eve Arden, Gene Nelson, Patrice Wymore, Billy De Wolfe, Virginia Gibson and S. Z. Sakall; "Pretty Baby," romantic comedy starring Dennis Morgan, Betsy Drake, Edmund Gwenn and Zachary Scott; and "The Breaking Point," based on a story by Ernest Hemingway, John Garfield starring with Patricia Neal, Juano Hernandez, Phyllis Thaxter and Wally Ford. The U. S. Pictures' production, "Three Secrets," starring Ruth Roman, Patricia Neal, Eleanor Parker, and Frank Lovejoy, follows in October. In the same month Warner will present the film version by Charles K. Feldman Group Productions, of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," starring Jane Wyman, Kirk Douglas, Gertrude Lawrence and Arthur Kennedy. The world premiere of "The Glass Menagerie" is slated for the near future at the Radio City Music Hall. November Slate Errol Flynn's latest Western action drama, "Rocky Mountain," with Patrice Wymore and newcomer Scott Forbes is listed on the Warner release schedule for early November. James Cagney returns to the song-and-dance world in an unusual musical co-starring Virginia Mayo, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae and Gene Nelson, "The West Point Story," which will be presented around Thanksgiving time. "Breakthrough," starring David Brian, John Agar and Frank Lovejoy, is next on the Warner list, followed at Christmastide by "Dallas," starring Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman, Steve Cochran and Raymond Massey with Barbara Payton. More than a dozen other properties are in various stages of production currently on the Warner lot. Temporary Shutdown Delaware, O., Aug. 3. — Star Theatre, owned by Ray Watts, closes Saturday until Sept. 1 for remodeling. Holdup Wave Alerts Boston Exhibitors Boston, Aug. 3. — Three Greater Boston motion picture theatre holdups during the past two weeks have alerted exhibitors and managers to remove cash from box-offices at more frequent intervals during the day and night. Cashier holdup victims report that the robberies were staged by young men in their teens and usually occurred at closing time. Theatres held up were the Broadway, Chelsea; Warren, Roxbury; and Capitol, Everett. WB-Pathe Shooting NY Thruway Film Albany, N. Y., Aug. 3.— -WarnerPathe is making a film for the New York Thruway Authority to "tell the story of the Thruway." It is being shot in various sections of the state where portions of the motor thruway are under construction or have been completed. The short, reported costing $34,000, will be available for screening in theatres and before civic and other organizations. To Reopen in September Hartford, Aug. 3.— The E. M. Loew's circuit has closed down the 1,200-seat Court Square Theatre, Springfield, Mass., for the remainder of the summer, intending to reopen the combination motion picturevaudeville house, managed by John Silverwatch, about Labor Day.