Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1951)

Motion Picture daily Featurette "Nature's Half Acre" {Walt Disney— RKO Pictures) The days and ways of mother nature are recounted in this fascinating Technicolor subject. Like its Academy Award-winning predecessors, "Beaver Valley" and "Seal Island," "Nature s Half Acre" is another in the Walt Disney True-Life Adventure series. The half acre of the title is any plot of ground where the recurrent cycle of seasons leaves its passing mark The subject details the miracle of birth and struggle for existence of birds, bees and various insects. It is very apparent from the subject that nature in the wild has a distressing appetite. The strong feed on the weak, and they in turn become victims for the stronger. And so nature's system of balance goes on. The extraordinary weapons of offense and defense are provocatively caught by the cameras, and made all the more vivid by Technicolor. The subject informs and entertains exceptionally well. Under the production supervision of Ben Sharpsteen and the direction of James Algar, it is an adroit blending of music, visualization and narrative. The film is predominantly live action, although there are some cartoon sequences. Running time, 33 minutes. M. H. Review (6 The Hoodlum" (Jack Schwartz Productions— United Artists) (l-pHE HOODLUM," as the title would indicate, is certainly not light, 1 frothy entertainment, but for those who enjoy the sordid tale of a sordid gangster, there is much to be said for the production of Maurice Kosloff, direction of Max Nosseck and the Sam Neuman-Nat Tanchuck screen P With a reputation for having portrayed with vigor and conviction some of gangland's most vicious members, Lawrence Tierney has a vehicle in this one that is perfectly suited to his talents in this brooding tale of a neurotic thu° who brings grief, pain and death to his drab little world before he is killed in a city dump, it is not a pretty story. Moreover, director Nosseck has succeeded in creating a convincing atmosphere of impending doom. Tierney's hoodlum is a snarly, morose personality. Completely selfish, he brings disorder to the lives of his family from the moment his mother, played with feeling by Lisa Golm, gets him paroled from prison. Tierney steals his brother's (Edward Tierney) sweetheart, Allene Roberts. Ihen, he causes her suicide when he refuses to marry her although she is pregnant. He plans a bank robbery, and it is the robbery scene that provides the picture which proceeds slowly for most of its 61 minutes with the major share of its action The robbery is a success, but Tierney and his accomplices tight over the loot and the other gang members are killed when their car crashes. Tierney escapes the police only to be captured by his brother, who takes him symbolically, to the city dump to kill him. Tierney tries to escape, but the police arrive in time to cut him down with a hail of bullets. Others in the cast are Marjorie Riordan, Lisa Golm, Stuart Randall, Ann Zika, John De Simone, Tom Hubbard, Eddie Foster, O. Z. Whitehead, Richard Barron and Rudy Rama. Running time, 61 minutes. Adult audience classification. June release. Abelson, Nearly 40 Years in Theatres Minneapolis, July 8. — The death of Art Abelson, veteran exhibitor at Devil's Lake, N. D., on June 30, was reported here at the weekend. Abelson, nearly 40 years in Northwest exhibition and for the past 18 years associated with E. R. Ruben at Devil's Lake, died following a heart attack, the fourth he had suffered in the past two years. His age was 56. Abelson is survived by the widow, Erma, two sons, Arthur 2nd, William D., all of Devil's Lake, a sister Rae, Minneapolis, and a brother Robert, on the Paramount sales staff at Los Angeles. O'Neil, President of Coast Popcorn Firm San Francisco, July 8.— James O'Neil, popular associate of San Francisco theatre men, died suddenly at his home in Woodside Friday. Co-owner and president of the Coast Popcorn Supply Co., chief barker of the San Francisco Variety Club in 1949, head canvas man in 1950, he is survived by the widow Sylvia, daughters, Barbara O'Neil, Mrs. Donald Heitman, and son James O'Neil, Jr. Giant Pressbook For 20th's 'Giant' Nassours, Price and Merman in New Firm Monday, July 9, 1951 Ontario Drive-in Business Better Toronto, July 8.— Improved business is being reported by drive-in theatres in Ontario, generally, compared with last summer although considerable wet weather has been encountered in recent weeks. One reason for the improvement is attributed to the fact that relatively a large number of the open-air units have been acquired by circuit companies, particularly 20th Century Theatres, since last season. Grainger Presiding At Southern Meet An extra-large comprehensive exhibitor campaign book with special features will be published late this month by 20th Century-Fox for Darryl F. Zanuck's "David and Bathsheba." .,. The newspaper-size pressbook will contain three times as many cuts as usual, with new photographic features including door panels, story in pictures and a strip of highlights from the Technicolor film. In addition, the campaign book will contain special feature stories on the biblical background of the film and the costly effort expended to bring it to the screen. A special section in the pressbook will be devoted to selling the picture in small towns, including small-town ads and exploitation aids angled for grass-roots patronage. Gen. Valdes Pens Script Mexico City, July 8. — The trade's own bank, Banco Nacional Cinematografico, S.A., is financing production of a picture, the script of which was written by Gen. Juan C. Valdes, president Miguel Aleman's uncle and commander of the Presidential Guards. Mexican Film Deal Mexico City, July 8. — Jorge M. Dada, veteran distributor of independent U. S. and European pictures, has sold out to Gustavo Sameniegos, former Columbia assistant manager here, who last year joined Dada as sales manager. Dada is continuing as an associate. Confer Here July 13 On Writers' Rights Hollywood, July 8.— Screen Writers Guild president, Karl Tunberg, and two members of its television committee, John Larkin and Morgan Cox, will attend a meeting of the Authors League in New York, on July 13-14, at which they will recommend a new code of working rules and standards now being finally formulated by the guild to govern TV writers. The proposed code will deal^ with minimum rates of pay, separation of rights and other matters. Hollywood, July 8. — William and Edward Nassour, Will Price and L. B. Merman have formed NPM, Inc., a new independent producing company, which will make films exclusively in Technicolor. Their first feature will be "The Black Grandee," in which Maureen O'Hara, wife of Price, and John Payne will co-star. Price will direct and the script will be based on a story by Johnston McCulley. With Merman, a former production manager, as producer, the company plans to make four pictures in the coming 12 months. Price and Merman formed another independent company last June 1, with a present program of seven Technicolor features. The Nassours built their own studio here six years ago and operated it until recently when they sold it to the Los Angeles Times for use by the Times television station, KTTV. James R. Grainger, Republic executive vice-president in charge of sales and distribution, is presiding today and tomorrow at the second in a series of four Republic regional sales meetings, being held at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans. Southern district manager Walter L. Titus, Jr., and a group of seven branch managers are attending the sessions-, which include a discussion of the company's 1951-52 program. Branch Managers present are J. H. Dillon, Charlotte; E. H. Brauer, Atlanta; Harold E. Laird, Tampa; Nat Wyse, Memphis ; John J. Houlihan, Dallas ; David Hunt, Oklahoma City ; Leo V. Seicshnaydre, New Orleans. The third and fourth meetings will be held in San Francisco, July 12-13 and New York City, July 17-18. Holguin to Manage For U-I in Mexico Vincent Palmeri has resigned as general manager of Universal International in Mexico and is succeeded by Alfredo R. Holguin, it was disclosed by America Aboaf, foreign sales vice president of the company. Holguin joined Universal-Interna tional last year. Floods Rise, Fall In Kansas Area Kansas City, Mo., July 8.— Floods of the Kaw and Arkansas Rivers and tributaries in Kansas are subsiding, and along the Missouri River were near peak in the Eastern part of the state. It is estimated that 1,000,000 acres have been overflowed. Damage in towns is mostly in residence areas though water reached business sections of a few. So far no reports appear of any missouts in print delivery or performances. AA to Release Two Annually by Dunlap Hollywood, July 8. — A new longterm deal between Scott R. Dunlap, who will make two films annually for Allied. Artists release, and Steve Broidy, Allied Artists president, has been announced by the company. The Dunlap unit will start functioning immediately at the studio. $800,000 Lebedoff Suit Set for Fall Minneapolis, July 8.— The $800,000 triple damage anti-trust suit of Martin Lebedoff charging collusion between six film companies and Minnesota Amusement Co. in an alleged product "freeze-out" for his neighborhood Homewood and Brynwood theatres, Minneapolis, has been set for the September term of Federal Court in Minneapolis. Pre-trial hearings have been in progress before Federal Judge Nordbye. Lee Lovenger is attorney for Lebedorf; David Shearer, of Shearer, Byard, Trogner and Peters is representing the distributors, and Jos. W. Finley, St. Paul, is counsel for the theatre circuit. Helen Morgan to Coast Helen Morgan of Brenon and Morgan Associates, New York publicists, has gone to the Coast in the interests of "Pardon My French," new Peter Cusick production starring Merle Oberon and Paul Henreid, soon to be released by United Artists. In addition to the programs of Roosevelt Enterprises, Vivian Blane, Council of Motion Picture Organizations, and others, Brenon and Morgan Associates have signed with Phil Regan. Goldsmith Joins Radiant Chicago, July 8.— Donald R. Goldsmith has been appointed Midwest district ■ manager for Radiant Manufacturing Corp., Chicago producers of projection screens.