Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)

Thursday, November 4, 1954 Motion Picture Daily 5 People Arthur Rose will handle the sales activities of Buena Vista, the Walt Disne}' film distribution subsidiary, in the Albany and Buffalo exchange areas. Rose will be supervised by Herb Schaefer, Buena Vista, district manager for New England. n Jack Allender has been named manager of the Circle Theatre in Portland. Allender formerly operated theatres in California. n Norman Nadel, theatre editor of the Columbus, O., "Citizen," has been signed for two annual threeweek lecture tours of the U. S. and Canada by the Lee Keedick Agency, New York. Nadel is the second theatre critic to be signed by the Keedick agency, the other being John Mason Brown, drama critic of the "Saturday Review of Literature." n Charles A. Moses, European publicity supervisor for U.A., will be married some time during the next two weeks to Paola Toninato, whom he met at the recent Venice Film Festival. n Marty Blau, Columbia Pictures publicist, has announced his engagement to Cynthia Klein. n Howard J. Smidt, Paramount, is the new president of Albany Loge 24, Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen of America. n Irwin Germaine has been named supervisor of the art department at the 8th Army Headquarters in Seoul, Korea. Germaine is the son of Henry Germaine, Paramount exchange manager in New Haven. 'Desiree' to Bow Nov. 17 at Roxy Twentieth Century-Fox's CinemaScope production of Annemarie Selinko's novel "Desiree" will have its "command performance" world premiere at the Roxy Theatre here on Nov. 17. France's leading diplomatic representatives in the United States, dignitaries from many fields of American life and a host of personalities representing the entertainment world will join persons well-known in Old World monarchies for the premiere. Warner Sales in 2-Day Meet Here Warner Brothers home ofiice sales executives and district managers will attend a two day meeting at the company's home office today and tomorrow, at which Ben Kalmenson, vicepresident in charge of distribution, will preside. The Vv'arner executives will discuss forthcoming product, including national distribution of "A Star Is Born," ACLU Injects Self Into Action Over Col. Branch Pickets Sfccial to THE DAILY MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 3. — The Minnesota branch, American Civil Liberties Union, yesterday filed as intervener in Mmneapolis Federal court in the motion tor a temporary injunction brought by Columbia Pictures against North Central Allied and its 3<j-man board of directors. The 20-page brief, prepared by Lee Loevinger and Gerald Magnuson, Minneapolis attorneys, concerns itselt only with the free speech aspects of the injunctive action which arose out of the picketing of Columbia's Minneapolis exchange by the independent theatre owners in September. Picketing, according to the ACLU brief, is a means of free speech guaranteed by the First, Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The brief also opposes any "prior restraints" which might be interpreted as being imposed on the publication of comment critical to Columbia in the NCA membership bulletin. The ACLU brief was filed shortly after Stanley L. Kane, NCA executive counsel, submitted a lengthy memorandum to Judge Gunnar H. Nordbye in Federal court. Kane's memorandum defends Allied's right to picket on the grounds that "educational activities ol trade associations cannot and do not violate anii-trust laws" and that picketing is a constitutional right of free speech. Kane also claimed that under present film marketing conditions, the eight major companies selling to 18,000 theatres have a competitive advantage, leaving the small film buyers Review Stockholders to Vote On Cohn's New Pact Columbia Pictures stockholders will be asked to ratify president Harry Cohn's new five-year contract, agreed upon this week, at their annual meeting; in December. "The new contract," Cohn stated, "should dispel any rumors that I am in negotiation for the sale of my Columbia stock. Nor have I presently any intention of entering into such a negotiation." VistaVision Given Visual Inst. Award HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 3. — VistaVision, Paramount's wide-screen production and presentation techniques, has received a special award of merit from the Vision Conservation Institute, national non-profit educational and public service organization, the company announced yesterday. The award was accepted by Y. Frank Freeman, vice-president in charge of Paramount studios, from Dr. Lawrence H. Foster, president of the Institute. "at the mercy of the distributors." It was in an attempt to restore competitive balance for 800 exhibitors in the Minneapolis film market that the pxketing was undertaken, Kane added. In view of ACLU's entrance into the case, the court granted David Shearer, Minneapolis attorney for Columbia Pictures, an extension of time in which to answer the Kane and ACLU briefs. Col. Puts Up (Continued from page 1) plans, said that "our own studio will continue to deliver its full program of company-made pictures. We are planning an even greater number of top-quality hiras than in the past. But we intend to supplement the studio's prof;ram with a lineup of ti e best independently made films we can attract." Announcement of the Columbia plan came just one day after TO A proposed to go to the government and seek an amtndment to the consent decrees allowing divorced circuits to engage in production. Another plan, proposed by TOA, was to aid in the financing of independent production, a project similar to the Makelim plan, fostered by Allied with TOA cooperation. Columbia, it was stated, made the announcement foliowing a series of top-level management meetings attended by Columbia studio and home office executives. Columbia, it was pointed out in trade circles, has been emerging as an important factor in the independent market, handling such pictures as "On the Waterfront," "Paratrooper" and "Hell Below Zero." The $10,000,000 fund, it was explained, will be open to independent producers both here and abroad. Meanwhile, it was disclosed that several importanr deals are currently under discussion at Columbia and will be made pub.ic m the near future. Independent productions still to be released by Columbia, it was added, include "Ena of the Affair." starring Deborah Kerr and Van Johnson, and "A Prize of Gold," starring Richard Widmark and Mai Zettering. uition, two Alec Guiness films are on Jeffers vs. SEG Suit Will Be Re-Tried HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 3.— Superior Judge Allen W. Ashburn today granted a defense motion for re-trial of Michael Jeffers' $200,000 libel su.t against the Screen Extras Guild i.i which, two months ago, Jeffers was awarded $33, COO damages following ti jury trial. The suit was an outgrowtii of a labor dispute during which, Jeffers charged, he had been hbelously alluded to as having "Red" leaningj or connections. Judge Ashburn today indicated that he considered the damages affixed b. the jury were "excessive," althougli he believed Jeffers was entitled to "some recovery." File Percentage Suits in Chicago CHICAGO, Nov. 3.— Six distributor percentage actions were filed here j'esterday in U.S. District Court. Loew's, Warner Brothers, Paramount. Universal, RKO Radio Pictures an ! United Artists filed a separate action against Arthur Hernrich, Bernar 1 Wright and the Manor Theatre Corp., operating the Manor Theatre, Chicago. Miles G. Seeley, Bryson P. Burnham and Richard Hart of the Chicago law firm of Mayer, Meyer, Austrian and Piatt signed the complaint, wi.h Sargoy and Stein of New York named as of counsel in each case. '*The Last Time I Saw Paris'' (M-G-M ) Holiywood, Nov. 3 v^AME-POWER and title-appeal are a showman's best guarantee of good i ^ business with this elaborate and expensive updating in color by Technicolor .of the late F. Scott Fitzgerald's one-time best-selhng boolv, "Babylon Revisited," which was a popular as well as a literary ssnsaaon m its era. The names — Elizabeth Taylor, van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Reed, Eva Gabor — give an exhibitor a good deal to work with on marquee and in newsprint, and most of the performances provided by the bearers of those names are very good indeed, but the story that was regarded as ultra-sophisticated and stimulating in the giddy 'Twenties didn't survive intact the attempted updating to the post-World War II era in which it is told here. The production, lavish in the extreme and leisurely as to tempo, stacks up, under its inviting new title, as likely to sell better than it satisfies. Van Johnson, acting well over his past best, portrays with conviction a former newspaper man and soldier who, at picture s opening returns to Paris, a successful novelist, to regain custody of his daughter, who has been in care of his sister-in-law since his wife's death. A flashback then takes the audience to Paris at the ending of the European phase of World War II and to the meeting of the then soldier and Miss Taylor, daughter of a proud wastrel played smartly by Pidgeon, on the day when Paris turns on its lights for the first time. The script, the work of Julius and Philip G. Epstein and director Richard Brooks then carries forward the account of the couple's romance, marriage, joys and troubles, in the hysterically frivolous circumstances and surroundings of the Fitzgerald original, which culminate in the death of Miss Taylor, in Johnson's return to the United States, and in their daughter's adoption by her aunt. Miss Reed. In an attenuated final section, after the flashback is over, the child is restored to a reformed and repentant Johnson. The production by Jack Cummings contains many settings and sequences of individual excellence, notably the street scenes during the celebration of the war's ending, and the sports-car racing. The direction by Richard Brooks is at its best in the intimate scenes, where it goes far toward overcoming the basic artificiality of the updated narrative. The title song by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II is played steadily throughout as a background theme which smooths out rough spots in the continuity. Running time, 116 minutes. Adult audience classification. Release date, Nov. 19. WILLIAM R. WEAVER