Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1954)

Monday, April 5, 1954 Motion Picture daily 3 Italian Industry Code (Continued. from page 1) RKO Studio (Continued from page 1) Allan Dowling's "Night Music," and Benedict Bogeaus' "Where the Wind Dies." "Night Music" stars Linda Darnell and Dan Duryea. Hugh Brooke, who wrote the original story, is also producer, while Stuart Heisler directs. "Where the Wind Dies," which will be filmed in color for wide screen projection, stars Cornel Wilde. Harmon Jones is director. The film will be photographed in the High Sierra country. Dowling's second film for RKO release is "The Sea Is a Woman," the starting date for which will be May 7. Tom Gries will produce while Walter Doniger will direct. 'Cattle Queen' Starts June 1 On June 1, Bogeaus will start "Cattle Queen of Montana," starring Barbara Stanwyck. The film will be made in color for wide screen projection. Also scheduled to get under way shortly is "Americano," starring Glenn Ford, Cesar Romero, Arthur Kennedy and Ursula Thies. RKO is currently negotiating for a director for this picture, it was stated. Meanwhile, the company is readying for release several pictures, already completed. They are, according to RKO, the following, in addition to "Son of Sinbad" ; "Susan Slept Here," in SuperScope and Technicolor, "Jet Pilot," in Technicolor, "Silver Lode," in SuperScope and Technicolor, and "The Big _ Rainbow," in SuperScope and Technicolor. 'Genevieve' Scores ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 4.— Playing its first non-art house engagement, Universal's "Genevieve" grossed $10,300 in eight days at the Michigan Theatre here, according to the distributor. This is reported to be the biggest gross on a Universal picture, with the exception of "The Glenn Miller Story," at this house. Salem, Ore., where several new television outlets are bidding for the customers' attention. In Detroit, major circuit houses are holding prices at the regular level, but executives are worried over the fact that publicity on reductions in luxury commodities may boomerang, especially because theatres there asked patrons to sign petitions for the tax reduction. As of the weekend, Milwaukee circuits had not set definite policies, but, temporarily, at least, will absorb the tax exemption and not reduce prices. Small neighborhood houses, however, are adjusting to the nearest nickel, while drive-ins are raising prices from 74 cents, including tax, to 85 cents, tax included. First-run Indianapolis theatres are splitting the tax cut with the patrons at most price levels, but the subsequent-run situation still is fluid. Indications are that most of the 28-day theatres will cut from 60 cents to 50 cents for competitive reasons. These include drive-ins. Deeper sub-runs are expected to try to hold to the estab RKO Plans Release Of Seal-less 'Son' HOLLYWOOD, April 4. — RKO Pictures' "Son of Sinbad," which has failed to gain a Production Code Seal, is being readied for release, according to a company announcement here. The picture, minus a Code Seal, has been submitted to the state censor boards of New York and Ohio and in both instances was rejected because of "objectionable" scenes. 28 from 20th (Continued from page 1) metrius and the Gladiators," sequel to "The Robe," will open in mid-June following "Three Coins in the Fountain" and "The River of No Return," both of which will be issued in May. "Garden of Evil" is scheduled for July, and "Broken Lance" for August, while for autumn the company has slated "The Egyptian," Darryl F. Zanuck's first production in CinemaScope. The four CinemaScope features scheduled for the last quarter of 1954 are "A Woman's World," "Ice Capades," "The Man Who Never Was," "The Racers" and "There's No Business Like Show Business." CinemaScope films from 20th-Fox already in release are "Prince Valiant," "Night People," "King of the Khyber Rifles," "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" and "The Robe." Standard films produced by Panoramic Productions scheduled for release later this year are "The Rocket Man," "The Siege at Red River," "Gorilla at Large," "Princess of the Nile," "The Raid," "The Gambler From Natchez," and "Hawk of the Desert." Standard films already in release are "Three Young Texans," "Miss Robin Crusoe," and "Racing Blood." lished 44-cent to 50-cent prices. Dale McFarland, general manager of the Greater Indianapolis circuit, which operates four first-runs, announced that the scale in the 60-cent to 85-cent theatres would be revised to 50 cents before 1 :00 P.M., 60 cents until 6 o'clock and 80 cents thereafter. One theatre will charge 35 cents before 1 o'clock, then drop from 50 cents to 45 cents until 6 o'clock and from 76 cents to 70 cents until closing. Goldstein Passes It On Samuel Goldstein, head of Western Massachusettes Theatres, announced that his circuit was passing the taxsaving to the public in its smaller theatres. Similarly, in Chattanooga, Term., most of the local theatres are reducing prices immediately, with most of the undecided situations expected to follow suit. On the West Coast, Robert A. Riddell, Internal Revenue director, estimated that the excise tax reduction would save Southern California citizens approximately $6,500,000, pegging the savings on admission taxes at $2,500,000. His district extends from Fresno South to the Mexican border. ards to be met will be established by the new committee. All producing companies which are members of the Union of Producers are bound to comply with the decisions of the control system. Approved pictures will carry a distinguishing seal. Pictures without the seal will not be eligible for Italian government subsidies nor for distribution abroad by Italian Films Export. The project of an Italian production regulation system, on a voluntary basis, was sponsored originally by Martin Quigley, Jr., editor of "Motion Picture Herald." The first Italian film code, II Codice per la Cinematografia, was drafted by Eitel Monaco, then general counsel Johnston Calls on (Continued from page 1) world and film councils of foreign countries, was aimed at more than 30 countries which have some form of an admissions tax. Johnston, on the eve of his departure, had nothing to say on the status of the French pact, according to an MPAA spokesman here. The MPAA president went to France last week for a fresh attempt to settle a number of issues blocking French sanction of the pact, initialed last summer. In his statement on the admission tax, Johnston said "the wise action of the American government in completely exempting all motion picture admissions on 50 cents and under from the tax and halving a tax on higher admissions should meet cordial reception all over the world. I hope that every country with amusement taxes will consider the U. S. action a sound precedent for reducing such taxes." Chicago Theatre Tax For Feb. Exceeds '53 CHICAGO, April 4.— The theatre business here continues to run ahead of last year, according to figures released on Friday by the city collectors office, showing that the "three per cent collections on February theatre receipts were $96,939.31 against $90,575.11 for the same month in 1953, although the collections were down from the previous month's $99,554.62 for January receipts: < Total collections so far this year are $285,983.72, compared with last year's $267,678.36, an increase of roughly six per cent. With the elimination of Federal taxes up to 50 cents and reductions of 10 per cent on higher prices, city officials are expecting an increased "take" from theatres, inasmuch as in most cases the reduction will not be passed on to the public. 2 RCA Dividends A quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share on the common stock of the RCA, payable May 24, to holders of record April 15, 1954, was announced at the weekend. A dividend of 87^2 cents per share was also declared on the first preferred stock for the period April 1 to June 30, payable July 1 to holders of record at the close of business on June 14. and now president of ANICA. It was based on the American code as modified by Quigley and Monaco following discussions with a score of Italian film experts. Although the code was accepted individually by a majority of the producing-distributing companies and formally endorsed by ANICA in 1945, no administration system was established. Principal opposition to the Codice per la Cinematografia — or any selfregulation system — during the past eight years is said to have come from the Italian Communist Party. The new industry production control committee is not bound by the code but may use it as a frame of reference in establishing its principles, according to reports from Rome. Home Office Union (Continued from page 1) to the Home Office Employees, under the IATSE constitution the per capita dues will jump from 75 cents per quarter per member, as now in effect for special departments, to $3.75 per quarter per member. A spokesman for H-63 said that while full autonomy is being sought from IATSE, the executive council at the Home Office Employees is mulling an offer from the "white collar" Office Workers International, AFL, which contends that H-63 should be under its jurisdiction instead of a craft union. No immediate action is foreseen, the union man said, because the general membership would have to vote on the issue. Russell M. Moss, executive vicepresident of H-63, has asked Walsh to step into the negotiations between the union and Paramount publicists and newsreel personnel. An IATSE representative stated that no action has yet been announced by Walsh as to this request. Contract negotiations between the home office workers and distributors are not yet completed, it was learned. H-63 is stalled at Paramount and has yet to begin talks at RKO Pictures. An agreement has been reached with Loew's, Inc., but the contract hasn't been signed, it was reported. 'Valiant' Tomorrow Over 300 film industry leaders will attend the premiere of 20th CenturyFox's CinemaScope production "Prince Valiant" tomorrow night at the Roxy Theatre here. Sees Industry Pilot TV Film by April 15 By April 15 the pilot film promoting the motion picture industry should be ready, Robert Weitman, vice president of American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres, said at the weekend. Weitman said that ABC, a division of AB-PT, is now setting the personalities. The long delayed pilot film will be submitted for approval to the Motion Picture Association of America, the agency which reached a tentative agreement with the network for the series. Mixed Policies on Prices (Continued from page 1)