Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1950)

Friday, September 29, 1950 Motion Picture Daily 'Scheduled Showings' 'Daring': Zanuck The 20th Century Fox "scheduled performances" plan was called a "daring, courageous step forward" yesterday by Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th-Fox production vicepresident, who cited Spyros P. Skouras, Al Lichtman and Charles Einfield for devising the idea. Zanucl d acceptance of the plan / exhibitors and audiences could have "farreaching consequences" in production methods. "Once a producer knows that the audience is going to see his picture from the beginning, story problems and editing are greatly simplified," he said. Darryl Zanuck (Continued from page 1) nuck said that present 20th-Fox plans call for three pictures a year to be made in the U. K. The number of films to be produced in Continental Europe will depend upon the nature of story properties, Zanuck said. At the same time the company will increase its production in Hollywood, the producer said, providing material for good pictures is available. "I don't want to give any fabulous figure for our production plans," Zanuck said, "for we are only interested in making pictures which will bring a good response." Production of "Legion of the Damned" marks the first time since the war that an American company has used actual German studio facilities, Zanuck said. He spoke enthusiastically of Germany's recovery and1 said that its studios, though lacking'in equipment, are fine plants. Zanuck had high praise for current German product and predicted that within two years German-made films would be providing the U. S. with its greatest competition for the market in Germany and surrounding countries. He cited "Legion," which is being produced and directed by Anatole Litvak, with Frank McCarthy as associate producer, as an example of a film which must be filmed abroad. Based on the book, "Call It Treason," the film spans the last two weeks of the tottering Nazi regime. "Only in Germany could an authentic picture of these events be made," Zanuck said. The 20th-Fox production chief said that U. S. pictures, whose mass popularity is unquestioned throughout Europe, are gaining a "new respect" as "fine, intelligent and adult" productions in England. Rugoff Is Elected (Continued from page 1) viously was held by Fred J. Schwartz. Other officers elected yesterday are: Solomon M. Strausberg, first vicepresident ; Harry Goldberg, second vice-president ; Russell Downing, treasurer, and David T. Katz, assistant treasurer. In addition to chairman Brecher, the new board comprises : Oscar A. Doob, Downing, Goldberg, Julius Joelson, Katz, Sam Rinzler, Samuel Rosen, Rugoff, Fred J. Schwartz, Sol ! A. Schwartz, Strausberg and Robert M. Weitman. Organization's executive director is D. John Phillips. NCCJ 1951 Campaign (Continued from page 1) hotel, which was well-atended by members of the division. J. Robert Rubin, Loew's vice-president and general counsel, presiding at the NCCJ session, suggested plans for this year's observance of Brotherhood. Included is an all-industry luncheon to be held in New York on Dec. 12, anniversary of the Bill of Rights, at which citations would be presented for those having made distiguished contributions to Brotherhood ideals and accomplishments. The annual observance of Brotherhood Week, as has been the custom for the past 15 years, would begin with Lincoln's Birthday, Feb. 12, 1951. The meeting appointed Max E. Youngstein, vice-president and advertising-publicity director of Paramount Distributing Co., as director of advertising and publicity for this year's Brotherhood campaign. Youngstein served the campaign in the same capacity last year. An invitation was extended to George Skouras, head of Skouras Theatres here, to serve as this year's chairman of the amusement industry division. Skouras was out of town and his acceptance, consequently, was not immediately obtainable. In the absence also of Spyros P. Skouras, 20th Century-Fox president, a report on the NCCJ international conference in Paris last summer was given to the meeting by Dr. Everett R. Clinchy, NCCJ executive director. The NCCJ has completed links with religious groups in Europe to introduce and carry on its work there, Clinchy said. Ten chapters already have been formed in Germany and others are in process in other countries outside the Soviet sphere. Spyros Skouras has been named extension chairman of NCCJ, to carry out its international program. With the aid of Maurice Silverstone, 20th Century-Fox International president, initial steps will be taken to establish units in the 190 cities throughout the world in which the motion picture industry maintains branch offices, with personnel of those offices spearheading the organizational work. A suggestion by Max Cohen, chief barker of the New York Variety Tent, that NCCJ field work in this country might also be extended similarly through the 34 Variety tents was favorably regarded by those at the meeting and will be put before Variety International officers in the near future. Will H. Hays, former president of the Motion Picture Association, was a speaker at the meeting. Filming Activities Increase on Coast Hollywood, Sept. 28. — The production tally is up to a total of 34; eight pictures were started, while four were completed. Started were : "Gasoline Alley," Columbia; "Korean Patrol" and "The Kid from Mexico," Eagle Lion Classics ; "Bandit Queen," Lippert ; "Fangs of the North" and "Cavalry Scout," Monogram ; "On the Riviera" and "Legion of the Damned," 20th Century-Fox. Completed were : "Fort Savage Raiders," Columbia ; "Adventures of Skipalong Rosenbloom" Wally Kline Enterprises ; "Mr. Imperium" and "American in Paris," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. UV Ad Heads (Continued from page 1) world, attending the first worldwide advertising-publicity conference in the history of the company in connection with the global launching of U-I's "Harvey." The conference, called by Alfred E. Daff, head of foreign distribution for U-I, and David A. Lipton, national advertising-publicity director, will get underway in New York on the same day and will continue here and in Hollywood until Oct. 13. Leaders of the Conference; of Motion Picture Organizations, headed by Arthur L. Mayer, executive vicepresident, will join Cohen and Johnston and his aides, Francis Harmon and Joyce O'Hara, in welcoming the U-I representatives. Publishers and editors of the trade press are also scheduled to attend. N. J. Blumberg, U's president, will head the group of company executives attending the luncheon, including W. A. Scully, Daff, Adolph Schimel, Leon Goldberg, John J. O'Connor, Joseph H. Seidelman, A. J. O'Keefe, David A. Lipton, Maurice A. Bergman, and C. J. Feldman. NTFC Elects Jaeger, White, Lazar, Evans Election of National Television Film Council officers was announced at the regular fall quarterly forum and luncheon held at the Hotel Warwick here this week. They are : president, Andrew Jaeger, WABD-TV film director ; vice-president, Paul White, head of Paul White Productions ; secretary, Thomas Lazar, TV film director for Film Equities Corp. ; treasurer, Ed Evans, TV film consultant for RKO Pathe. Board members elected were Robert Pascow, Melvin L. Gold, Waldo Mayo, William Holland, Sally Perle, Ed Carroll, Joe Seiden, Elaine Phillips, Helen Buck, Eugene Scharin and Jacques Kopfstein. RKO-Reade Deal (Continued from page 1) decree in the government anti-trust suit against the industry, joint partnerships of defendant companies were ordered dissolved. In its efforts to comply with the order in this instance, RKO offered to buy Reade's interest or to sell its own interest to him at current market values. Reade insisted that RKO sell its interest to him at book value of the stock, considerably lower than market value. The^ negotiations continued ! for months with the Federal Court granting several extensions of the deadline for terminating the partnership. RKO eventually applied to the New Jersey court for an order either to terminate the partnership or appoint a trustee to carry out the dissolution. Hearings on the RKO action were completed last Friday and the court was prepared to set a date for entry of judgment when the agreement by which Reade will sell his interest to RKO was reached. The Trenton-New Brunswick company was formed by Reade in 1922, affiliated with B. F. Keith, and Storrs. Canadian Showmen Agree on 5 of 10 Hollywood, Sept. 28. — Canadian exhibitors agreed with U. S. showmen in five out of the 10 top selections for the Motion Picture Herald's " Star s-of -Tomorrow" poll but placed their selections in quite a different order. They voted this way: 1. Arlene Dahl 2. Joan Evans 3. Dean Jagger 4. Jeff Chandler 5. William Holden 10. David Brian 6. Vera-Ellen 7. Mercedes McCambridge 8. Mario Lanza 9. John Lund 4Stars-of -Tomorrow' (Continued from page 1) Dean Jagger, Joanne Dru and James Whitmore. The 10 selected by circuit exhibitors alone were named in this order : Martin and Lewis, Miss Roman, Holden, Miss Dahl, Vera-Ellen, Lund, Whitmore, Lundigan, Jagger and Miss Dru. The 10 selected by independent exhibitors alone were named in this order : Holden, Martin and Lewis, Miss Roman, Vera-Ellen, Lund, Lundigan, Miss Dahl, Miss Dru, Jagger and Joan Evans. The "Stars-of-Tomorrow" poll is Motion Picture Herald' s companion canvass to its 17-year-old "MoneyMaking Stars" poll, the industry's oldest and most universally accredited yardstick of talent values. Both polls are conducted annually by direct-mail sealed-ballot and present the findings of theatre operators, both independent and circuit, in intimate and constant contact with the public that speaks its mind in the crystal-clear language of the box office dollar. The search for fresh talent for the nation's screens, always of keen interest to exhibitors, has received added impetus in a proposal, initiated by Leonard Goldenson, United Paramount Theatres president, that the Council of Motion Picture Organizations sponsor a nationwide poll among motion picture patrons, who would vote for farovite new personalities. COMPO is expected to consider the plan at its next executive committee meeting. Last year's Top Ten in the "Starsof-Tomorrow" poll were Montgomery Clift, Kirk Douglas, Betty Garrett, Paul Douglas, Howard Duff, Pedro Armendariz, Dean Stockwell, Wanda Hendrix, Wendell Corey and Barbara Bel Geddes. RD-DR Claims Loss (Continued from page 1) Atlanta censors, in which the censors claimed that only Film Classics, original distributor of the film, had been denied the right to show the film in Atlanta and so were the only party who could legally challenge the censors' ruling in Federal Court. The producers told the high court that Film Classics had been dissolved and its distribution rights in the film terminated. The statement said that RD-DR is now the only company suffering a loss from the Atlanta ban and therefore it is clearly the party to bring the action to the high court. The case has been taken to the Supreme Court in the hope of getting a clear-cut ruling on the constitutionality of zonal censorship laws for the entire country.