Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1953)

VOL. 74. NO. 96 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1953 TEN CENTS Lisfs Motive $6,000,000 of Confidence in RKO Theatres New Controlling Owner Won't Liquidate Houses Albert A. List, new chairman of the board and controlling stockholder of RKO Theatres, told a press conference here yesterday that he is investing approximately $6,000,000 in the company because of his belief in the long-range prosperity of motion picture theatres and his confidence in the company's "gilt edge" management. His statement answered two questions on which there has been considerable conjecture since List purchased Howard Hughes' controlling stock interest 10 days ago and offered to purchase a minimum additional 400,000 shares up to Nov. 25 from minority RKO Theatres' stockholders. The questions were : Does List plan to liquidate RKO Theatres and does he contemplate any significant changes in management ? He said he believes "without qualification that theatres are here to stay and have a sound (Continued on page 4) Confabs Start on 111. Allied Group Buying Of Equipment Plan CHICAGO, Nov. 17.— Talks with equipment manufacturers with regard to the group purchasing project of Allied Theatres of Illinois have started. Several representataives of sound service and projector companies have conferred with Jack Kirsch, president of Illinois Allied, for the (Continued on page 4) 'Robe' into 30 RKO Spots for Holidays RKO Theatres expects to play "The Robe" in CinemaScope in all of its 30 New York Metropolitan area theatres starting around the year-end holidays, Sol A. Schwartz, president, said yesterday. All of those theatres are equipped for CinemaScope now, he said. This would presuppose close of the run at the Roxy before the holidays. 12 to 14 in CinemaScope From 20th in '54: Zanuck Twentieth Century-Fox plans to produce from 12 to 14 pictures, all in CinemaScope, next year, Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th-Fox vice-president in charge of production, disclosed here yesterday on his arrival from Europe. Zanuck said that although the number of company productions in 1954 would be smaller in comparison to the 33 turned out by the studio in 1952, there would be no comparable decrease in the over-all production cost . He said that because of the size and caliber of the projected 12-to-14 CinemaScope productions, their cost would be approximately 70 to 75 per cent of the total cost of the 33 films produced in 1952, the last year the studio produced solely conventional films. Darryl Zanuck The 20th-Fox executive said that the company, in order to (Continued on page 7) Hearten Producers And Independents, Reade Urges MPEF JACKSONVILLE, Nov. 17.— Encouragement and support of film companies and independent producers who already have announced an imposing list of pictures for the coming year was voiced here today by Walter Reade, Jr., president of the Theatre Owners of America, at the closing day of the convention held by the Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida at the Roosevelt Hotel. "Our fear of a shortage of product should be somewhat allayed by the quantity and the quality of upcoming product, despite the fact that some companies have reported a curtailment of product," Reade stated, and (Continued on page 4) Talk 'Indiscretion' Release Deal Soon Prints of David O. Selznick's "Indiscretion of an American Wife" are due in New York next week and negotiations for the distribution of the production will get under way shortly thereafter, Selznick said here yesterday. The American language picture was produced in Italy by Vittorio De (Continued on page 4) More 'Robe' Films Would End Product Shortage: Zanuck "There would be no product shortage if the industry could make 10 pictures per year and the pictures were the equivalent of 'The Robe,' " Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th CenturyFox vicepresident in charge of production, declared here yesterday. Zanuck drew this parallel when asked to comment on exhibitors' complaints of a product shortage. "I've seen 'The Robe' play seven weeks in a town that never played a picture 10 days before," Zanuck said by way of an example. "All I know," he stated, "is that when we made a lot of pictures we had difficulty staying in business and no one came to our rescue." Zanuck, (Continued on page 7) Myers Asks 20th to Halt Restrictions On CinemaScope WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.— Allied States Association general counsel Abram F. Myers today renewed his organization's demand that 20th Century-Fox "immediately abandon the restrictions it has imposed" on the type of equipment to be used with CinemaScope pictures. Myers did this in commenting on the company's announcement that it would be ready to make nationwide tests, starting Jan. 15, of CinemaScope prints of "The Robe" with single sound track, rather than with stereophonic sound. A telegram from 20th-Fox (Continued on page 7) Johnston to Return To the Near East WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.— Motion Picture Association of America president Eric A. Johnston will return to the Near East "in the near future" to follow up on his earlier Presidential mission there, the White House announced. Johnston said he probably would re(Continued on page 4) All in Color WB to Produce 16 Pictures in CinemaScope Five Already in Work, 9 Others Preparing HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 17.— Sixteen story properties which W a r n e r Brothers asserts are the most important ever to be presented by that company are being made in CinemaScope in color by either WarnerC o 1 o r or Technicolor. This was revealed here today by execut i v e producer Jack L. Warn e r following several days of con ferences with Ben Kalmenson, vicepresident in Jack Warner charge of distribution. "Right now," Warner said, "we are in actual CinemaScope production (Continued on page 6) Snaper Warns Allied Product Shortage May Hit 'Thousands' "Whether a product shortage is intentional or not is of little import. The results are the same," Wilbur Snaper, Allied States president, asserts in a bulletin issued to members yesterday in which he warns that "thousands of theatres will find them(Continued on page 4) Schwartz Concerned Over Film Shortage Concern about a product shortage was expressed here yesterday by Sol A. Schwartz, president of RKO Theatres. Schwartz attributed a slackening in production and releases largely to uncertainties caused by introduction of the new techniques. He expressed the belief that the product supply problem "will be worked out" as technical questions are resolved.