Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1954)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 75. NO. 64 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1954 TEN CENTS Tradewise . . . By SHERWIN KANE NOW that a wholly commendable job has been done by COMPO in obtaining vitally needed relief from the Federal admissions tax, it is a virtual certainty that the organization will not long want for suggestions from the rest of the industry as to what its attention should be turned to next. The governing triumvirate might well anticipate the flood of unbidden proposals sure to inundate the COMPO organization in the coming weeks and months and, perhaps, take action to divert it. A simple method of accomplishing the latter would be to issue a polite reminder to the industry that the tax campaign cost money, that any new project to be undertaken will cost more money, and that COMPO's funds are not limitless and, in fact, need replenishing now. • COMPO's treasury was depleted in waging a successful effort to help distressed theatres financially. Now, while the victory is fresh, while thousands of theatres are enjoying its first fruits, relieved of operating losses or, worse, of fears of closing, is the time to put on a new dues drive to replenish COMPO's funds. It would be not only an eloquent means by which the industry might express its appreciation of COMPO's achievement but would be eminently practical as well. It will be providing the first requisite, the essential tool, which the next COMPO assignment, whatever it may be, will require before ever it can be undertaken. This corner's advice to COMPO's leaders and staff is to go fishing, get a good rest, have some fun. You've all earned it. Maybe, when you get back, you might find that an appreciative and practical industry will have provided the wherewithal to finance at least a few of the scores of jobs sure to be proposed in the immediate future. COMPO, once more, has dem(Contimied on page 2) SET DISNEY -ABC VIDEO PROGRAM The deal whereby Walt Disney will produce a minimum of 26 one-hour TV programs for American Broadcasting Co. was announced formally at the weekend. Expressing his confidence in the "compatibility" of motion pictures and television, Walt Disney stated that his organization was fully conscious of its responsibilities to the two media and that "we have in work the three highest-budgeted pictures in our history." The TV program on film will consist of both liveaction and cartoon techniques and will be produced on the Disney lot in Burbank. In further expressing his confidence in the future of both fields, Disney said his screen program had been completed for the next five years and that it consisted of 25 features in addition to the customary short subjects, the heaviest production schedule in the company's 25-year history. The television program will start in October. Will Start Work Today Two Independents Launch RKO Studio Production HOLLYWOOD, April 4. — Two independents will launch the resumption of production at RKO Radio Pictures studio tomorrow, with starting dates for filming of five other pictures set. The announcement came shortly after the consummation of the Howard Hughes deal, under which Hughes purchased the assets of the company. Heading the production list, it was stated, is "The Conqueror," scheduled to roll April 15. Dick Powell will produce and direct, while John Wayne and Susan Hayward head the cast. Color will be by Technicolor. An early June start has been set for "The Girl Rush," to be made in Vista Vision and Technicolor, and to star Rosalind Russell. It will be produced by Frederick Brisson for Independent Artists. Production will start tomorrow on {Continued on page 3) Self -Regulation Code For Production Set By Italian Industry By ARGEO SANTUCCI ROME, April 4.— The Union of Producers, producing company division of the over-all trade association (Associazione Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche ed Affini.), has established a self-regulation system for Italian motion pictures. The announcement was made at the weekend by Eitel Monaco, ANICA president. Action was taken as a result of Italian government, local and foreign press criticism of Italian film industry on grounds of Communist infiltration and immorality of some productions. Henceforth, all scripts are to be reviewed in advance of filming by a committee of five prominent personalities to be named shortly. The stand(Continued on page 3) 28 from 20th in '54; 16 in CinemaScope Sixteen CinemaScope films with color in Technicolor will be released this year by 20th Century-Fox, it was disclosed at the weekend by the company, which also plans to produce at least 12 standard films during 1954, making a total of 28 features for the year. The CinemaScooe production, "De(Continued on page 3) VistaVision Open To All: Freeman HOLLYWOOD, April 4.— Paramount Pictures will continue to make all details about VistaVision and VistaVision cameras available freely to the motion picture industry and to camera manufacturers, Y. Frank Freeman, vice-president in charge of the Paramount studio, said here. Freeman, clarifying Paramount's policy, said that the company "is not in the equipment business ... we have announced repeatedly that anyone is free to build, or have built VistaVision cameras, with no compensation to Paramount in fees or royalties, direct or indirect." Complete data on VistaVision has been supplied to the Motion Picture Research Council, as far back as last October, Freeman added. Still Studying Mixed Policies In First Tax Cut Weekend Scales Unset; Exhibitors Watching Each Other First weekend under the revised admission tax schedule found many exhibitors undetermined as to what their permanent policies will be. A checkup in the field by Motion Picture Daily revealed a tendency by exhibitors to see what their competitors are doing before displaying their here-to-stay box office prices. In areas where television is a new rival, theatre operators are hestitant in reducing prices to conform with the scaled-down tax because TV has cut heavily into theatre grosses. There is a feeling that if they cut prices to lure the TV stay-at-homes, it will be difficult to hike prices again if the lower scales fail to draw them back. This is especially true in the vicinity of (Continued, on page 3) Johnston Calls on Foreign Countries To Cut Ticket Tax A call to foreign countries to follow the U. S. example in reducing the motion picture theatres admission tax was issued by Eric Johnston, Motion Picture Association president. Johnston's call was contained in a statement, issued here at MPAA headquarters before Johnston's scheduled departure from Paris yesterday for the U. S. The statement, which was relayed to all Motion Picture Export Association offices around the (Continued on page 3) Home Office Union Seeks 'A' Charter The Motion Picture Home Office Employees, H-63, after an executive board meeting tonight is expected to apply to Richard Walsh, president of the IATSE, for a Class A charter and more autonomy, it was learned at the weekend. Since joining the IATSE with a limited charter, H-63 has been considered a "special department" local and under supervision of an IATSE representative who approves the home office employees actions. If a Class "A" charter is awarded (Continued on page 3)