Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

4 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, February 1, 1951 Wallis Weighs RevietVS {Continued from page 1) nancing-releasing arrangements with Paramount. He is president of Wallis-Hazen, Inc., a partnership with Joseph Hazen. The company is under contract to deliver a series of pictures to Paramount over an extended period of years. This deal was recently renewed. The arrangement under discussion would parallel Wallis' long association with Warner Brothers where he was executive producer under Jack L. Warner, vice-president in charge of production. Says Briskin to Carry On Until Freeman Is Set Barney Balaban, Paramount president, at the East-West executive meeting here yesterday, expressed his regret that Sam Briskin's health will prevent him from continuing as assistant to Y. Freeman, studio head, a position he has held since July, 1950. Balaban said, "that Briskin will carry on until Freeman can relieve him of heavy duties and that Briskin will continue at the studio_ in ^ some capacity "less physcially taxing." Para. Product (Continued from page 1) Reports were also submitted at the meeting by George Weltner, president of Paramount International, and Fred E. Perkins, managing director for Great Britain. Both men expressed confidence that, barring a worsening of the international situation, the outlook for Paramount films in foreign markets was bright. "Singly and overall," Balaban said, "as a design for a varied and balanced diet of motion picture entertainment, our product schedule, in our opinion, meets every requirement for existing and foreseeable market conditions. "We on our part filled in the picture for Freeman on matters relative to public and exhibitor tastes and standards which he in turn applies to the production of pictures at the studio." Those who attended the meetings included Y. Freeman, Adolph Zukor, chairman of the board ; Paul Raibourn, vice-president in charge of budget and planning and television ; Austin Keough, vice-president, secretary and general counsel ; Russell Holman, Eastern production head ; Weltner, Perkins, A. W. Schwalberg, president, and E. K. O'Shea and Max E. Youngstein, vice-presidents of Paramount Film Distributing Corp. Cry Danger (Olym>pic-RKO Radio) MELODRAMATIC know-how and cleverly developed suspense do much to enhance a modest thriller in "Cry Danger." Dick Powell has the lead as one who is framed for a holdup and murder he never committed. Up front feminine-wise is Rhonda Fleming, while support comes from Richard Erdman, William Conrad and Regis Toomey. The production will provide a pleasing' 79 minutes to armchair sleuths. After languishing in jail for five years, Powell is finally pardoned when a friend returns from wartime service overseas to corroborate Powell's testimony. Thereupon Powell goes digging to find the real perpetrators of the crime so that his buddy, also believed to be innocent, may likewise be released from prison The wife of the buddy is Miss Fleming who presently falls in love with Powell. In the course of Powell's sleuthing adventures he is shot at so often that he takes on the aspects of a clay pigeon. Chief engineer of the skullduggery is fat, soft and oily Conrad. It takes considerable doing by Powell before he has his man pinned and squirming for mercy. At this point Toomey, a detective, steps in to see that justice is satisfied. By way of a novel twist, Powell does not get the girl m the end. She proves to be implicated in the crime along with her jailed husband. An Olympic Productions' picture, "Cry Danger" was produced by Sam Wiesenthal and W. R. Frank. Robert Parrish directed, from a screenplay by William Bowers. . _ Running time 79 minutes. General audience classification. February rejease Mandel Herbstman "Two Lost Worlds" (Eagle Lion Classics) AGAINST an Australian background this adventure drama portrays the exploits of a young American clipper-ship designer, Jim Arness, who is wounded in a running fight with pirates. His ensuing adventures while awaiting the return of his shipmates, form the basis of a routine drama, which is aided somewhat by scenes of a volcanic eruption dubbed m from a film of some years ago. . , ■ * ■ r\ Arness painfully wounded, is left with some friendly colonists in Queensland While recovering, he meets Laura Elliott, daughter of the local magistrate and the two fall in love despite the fact that Miss Elliott is about to announce her engagement to Bill Kennedy, a sheep rancher. A pirate raid results in Arness, Miss Elliott and some companions escaping to an island. Faced with starvation, the group on its way across the island encounter some rather unbelievable-looking giant lizards. Two of them engage in a spectacular fight to the death. To add to the dangers, an active volcano erupts. Then, just before the group is rescued by Arness' ship, Kennedy conveniently dies of his injuries. _ _ .. A stilted commentary runs through the entire picture, and what dialogue there is, is contrived and boring. Boris Petroff produced and Norman Dawn directed, from a screenplay by Norman Hubbard. Juvenile audiences especially may find this adventure yarn fairly interesting Others in the cast are : Gloria Petroff, Tom Hubbard, Jane Harlan, Pierre Watkin Bob Carson, Guy Bellis, James Guilfoyle, Fred Kohler, Jr., Tom Monroe', Tim Grahame, Richard Bartell, Charleen Hawks, Joey Ray and Herman Canton. Running time, 61 minutes. General audience classification. January release. Conciliation Boards Weighed in Canada Toronto, Jan. 31. — Executives of the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario have taken up with trade interests here the question of co-operation in the establishment of conciliation and arbitration boards for the industry in this Province. The president of the association is Stan Gosnell, manager of the Uptown Theatre, Toronto. Tri-States TOA (Continued from page 1) Theatre Owners of America, asking that TOA set up a code of bad trade practices and report violations of the projected code to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Other officers elected, besides K. K. ("Deacon") King of Searcy, Ark., as president, as reported here yesterday in conjunction with other selections, were : Arkansas vice-president, Gordon Hutchins, Corning; Mississippi vice-president, R. B. Cox, Batesville ; Tennessee vice president, Nathan Flexer, Waverly. Arkansas directors : Sam Kirby, Little Rock; Don Landers, Harrisburg ; Roy Cochran, North Little Rock ; and Mrs. Jessie Howe, Hot Springs. Mississippi director: Leon Rountree, Holly Springs ; E. W. Clinton, Monticello ; E. Williams, Clarksdale ; and Earl Elkins, Aberdeen. Tennessee directors : Ed Cullins, Memphis; Mrs. H. A. Fitch, Erin; Mrs. Louise Mask, Bolivar ; and Edward O. Sapinsley, Memphis. W. E. Ruffin, Jr., Covington, was selected as national representative to TOA. The resolution on COMPO, passed after delegates listened to addresses by Gael Sullivan, executive director of TOA, and Robert W. Coyne, special counsel of COMPO, warning against the possibility of an increased Federal admission tax, called upon COMPO to serve as the spokesman for the industry on such industry-wide problems as taxation, in addition to public relations and coersive legislation. Tax Rise Doubted (Continued from page 1) increase of about $10,000,000,000 a year, and then later in the session he will submit further plans for another $6,000,000,000, or more. The $10,000,000,000 bill, it is expected, will propose a $4,000,000,000 increase in indi vidual income taxes by a four-point boost in all tax brackets ; another $3,000,000,000 from corporations by increasing the top corporate rate from the present 47 per cent to 55 per cent ; and about $3,000,000,000 from more and higher excises and "loophole plugging." The Ways and Means Committee is expected to open tax hearings on Monday, with Treasury Secretary Snyder as the lead-off witness. SWG, Studios Meet Saturday on Pact Hollywood, Jan. 31.— Studio negotiators will meet with the Screen Writers Guild board on Saturday to discuss the situation which has arisen since negotiations for a new contract broke down three months ago, prompting SWG to take a strike vote which can become effective on Feb. 15. The board will then meet on Sunday to discuss Saturday's developments. AFM TV Bid (Continued from page 1) Film Wages (Continued from page 1) and stipulate that a "repeat fee" shall be paid to musicians whose performances are reproduced on film during "live" telecasts. Where programs are broadcast simultaneously over radio and TV, the musicians shall be paid in addition to their radio payment, 50 per cent of such payment, it was proposed. The network negotiators and Petrillo "recognized" at yesterday's meeting that any wage increases which would be embodied in new pacts would have to be ratified by the government under the wage freeze. The next negotiation session will be held on Monday afternoon at Petrillo's office. 25, but not effective before Jan. 25 — the freeze date — would be allowed if it went into effect before Feb. 9. Another interpretation made it clear that such items as bonuses, holiday payments, welfare benefits, overtime, pension fund contributions and similar items are all subject to the freeze. It is believed possible that a few option contracts might barely be affected by the first order. In the last war, the government refused to allow any increases under option contracts when the contract increases were to take place after the freeze order, no matter when the contracts were made. Meanwhile, from New York, it was reported that film company officials were trying to decide whether to seek special exemption for members of tal ent guilds, should the government rule that all industry wages are indefinitely frozen. Such an attempt was made in the last war, the industry arguing that such employes were really "independ ent contractors." There is some feeling that the industrv can hardly ask an exemption for better-paid talent employes and allow the freeze to continue on craft workers and other industry employes. Rosen Urges be anxious to employ in the future new technics, such as the polaroid threedimensional process. Si H. Fabian, president of Fabian Theatres, is a member of the Cinema Productions board of directors. The establishment of a "Motion Picture Research Institute with a fund of perhaps $2,000,000, to conduct certain experimental projects," has been proposed by Elmer C. Rhoden, president of Fox Midwest Theatres. Rhoden's proposal has been in preparation for some time and is contained in a brochure which the Council of Motion Picture Organizations has under study. Emphasizing that he was speaking only for himself, Rosen pointed out that other large industries such as steel carry on highly organized research activities and as a result progress steadily in the technological sphere. In Rosen's opinion the film industry unquestionably has as much use for technological research as have other industries. Fie believes the possibilities inherent in such research, on an industry-wide basis, would be unlimited for motion pictures.