Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1950)

Motion picture daily Wednesday, December 20, 19501 Wolf Inducts Variety Officers at 8 Tents Marc J. Wolf, international chief barker of Variety Clubs, has embarked upon an extensive tour that will take him into eight Variety Club tents as honor guest to induct 1951 officers. On Dec. 16, he was in Charlotte, and on Jan. 8 he will preside over the induction of officers and crew of the Philadelphia tent, in which he will be assisted by Chick: Lewis, international press guy. On January 10, Wolf and Lewis will attend the New Haven tent induction when Herman Levy, general counsel for the TOA, takes over as chief barker. Shortly after Jan. 15, Wolf will leave Indianapolis to officiate in San Francisco and Los Angeles to induct officers and crews in those tents and will then journey to Las Vegas, where he will present the charter and induct officers, crew and barkers of the new "baby" tent whose charter application was granted at the mid-year meeting in Pittsburgh, last October. Babb Sees Lack Of Showmanship Chicago, Dec. 19. — "The lack of showmanship and selling has put the film industry in the mess its in today," Kroger Babb, president of Hallmark Productions, told his employees today at their sixth annual convention at the Stevens Hotel. "However," he added, "we have no quarrel with this mess. We've done all right. And we'll do even better if we practice finer showmanship and Review "Pagan Love Song" (Meiro-Goldwyn-Mayer) THE PICTURESQUE, tropical island of Tahiti provides the background for this diverting Technicolor confection from M-G-M. With Esther Williams heading the cast and Howard Keel, remembered for "Annie Get Your Gun," as her leading man, the musical drama shapes up as popular family fare. . „ . The story moves along leisurely, interspersed with songs from -Keel and Miss Williams. There also are several production numbers of size and scope, most of them centering around Miss William's aquatic ability. With these qualities, one scarcely will mind the fact that the story is not one of too much strength or originality. Almost immediately upon arriving on the Pacific island to take possession of an inherited coconut plantation, Keel is attracted to Miss Williams,_ a half-American half-Tahitian. There is a little matter of mistaken identity which presently is cleared and in time the couple is on the way to matrimony. Unexpectedly, however, a misunderstanding breaks out and Miss Williams thinks Keel's' a heel. Just as unexpectedly however, the couple is reunited and everything is tied together in a nice, bright bow in the finale. There are running gags throughout and interesting displays of native customs and costumes. One of the customs is for natives with plenty of children to share them with those who have none. Thus Keel finds himself with a brood of three disarming youngsters. Among others in the cast are Charles Mauu and Rita Moreno, as brother and sister housekeepers for Keel. The whole of Arthur Freed's production is bathed in a lazy, enchanting atmosphere. Robert Alton directed, from a screenplay by Robert Nathan and Jerry Davis. Runnino time, 76 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, Dec 29. " Mandel Herbstman salesmanship." Babb had few kind words for the exhibitors of America, saying that too many of them expect Hollywood ' to turn out a picture, sell it for them, and give it to them for almost nothing. "Protection for the exhibitor began the day they stopped selling pictures," Babb said. America's Funniest Comedy Team In Their Newest Hi/arify Hit/ DEAN MARTIN and JERRY LEWIS At War With The Army Get In Touch With Your PARAMOUNT Branch Manager Now! II Handsome Profit At Boxoffice! ■ — V ariety Price Freeze Issue (Continued from page 1) at December or lower levels if the ceilings were not observed voluntarily. Naturally, this threat has no meaning for the film industry, since the law specifically frees admissions and rentals from control. ESA officials admitted they weren't sure whether they meant the voluntary freeze to apply to exempt industries, and that in any event they weren't too optimistic about it being observed by such industries. Nonetheless, for a publicrelations conscious industry such as the motion picture industry the problem is very real. Stern Sues (Continued from page 1) he was "wrongly and fraudently induced by the defendants to sell 250 shares of Essaness capital stock to the corporation for less than its fair value." He received $583,000 for the stock. The plaintiff charges that in 1945 when the stock was sold, the defendants were, without his knowledge, carrying on negotiations for, and subsequently purchased, a substantial interest in the Oriental Theatre, thereby making the value of the stock worth more than what it was sold for. Eady Tax Plan (Continued from page 1) gestion would necessitate raising admission prices a penny and it believes exhibitors are overwhelmingly opposed to an increase at this time. It believes, also, that any increase in prices would result in an increased cut for the Treasury in the entertainment tax. Dana Is Promoted (Continued from page 1) bany in 1935, Buffalo in 1938, and in Pittsburgh in 1940. In 1946 he was named district manager. Dana will move from his present office in Pittsburgh to the home office. U.S. Reports (Continued from page 1) ported receipts including taxes of $1,569,000,000 in 1948, a 133 per cent jump over the 1939 figure of $673,000,000, the Bureau reported. Total number of theatres increased 17 per cent — from 15,115 in 1939 to 17,689 in 1948, said the Bureau^* veraged out, individual r tres doubled their dollar volume, with the average theatre taking $88,693 in 1948, against $44,528 in 1939. The Bureau said increases in dollar volume of receipts were reported in every state, and a larger number of theatres were recorded in most states. Iowa, Montana, Maine, Idaho, Nebraska, Minnesota and Vermont werei among states with from one to 48 fewer theatres. Employment in theatres increased from 128,857 to 181,322 for the workweek ended nearest to Nov. 15 in each census year. The total annual payroll in theatres rose from $132,000,000 in 1939 to $295,000,000 in 1948, with the average annual wage increasing from $1,021 to $1,625. Largest Receipts The largest increases in receipts were reported by theatres in Florida (251 per cent), Alabama (208 per cent), and Arkansas (205 per cent). The Bureau said that Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama led the nation in the number of theatres for 1948 over 1939, reporting increases of 69, 68 and 58 per cent respectively. New York, California, Pennsylvania and Illinois accounted for 25 per cent of the number of establishments of the entire country, against 26 per cent a decade earlier; 39 per cent of dollar volume, a slight drop from the 41 per cent accounted for by these four states in 1939; and 42 per cent of the payroll, the same percentage as the earlier year. Each state had receipts of over $100,000,000 in 1948. New York had the most theatres in 1948 — 1,241. Texas was close behind with 1,224, followed by Pennsylvania with 1,134, California with 1..060 and Illinois with 903. On the basis of 1948 receipts, New York again ranked first with receipts, including taxes, of $237,108,000. California was second with $151,840,000, Pennsylvania, third, with $114,611,000 and Illinois, fourth, with $110,988,000. Additional data may be issued later breaking the figures down by cities. Slate Pension Talks Hollywood, Dec. 19. — Proposals for the establishment of a pension fund and a group-insurance plan to be administered by a joint commission, representing labor and management, are tentatively scheduled for discussion by major studio and AFL Film Council negotiators Jan. 3, according to Council chairman Roy Brewer. FOR QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP Look For This Label PHOTOGRAPHED MCMB6RS OF LOCAL 644