Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)

8 Motion Picture Daily Friday, November 19, 1954 Review ''Cattle Queen of Montana'' {RKO-luHjcans) Hollytmod, Nov. 18 W]TH names as good as Barbara Stanwyck, Rciiiald Reagan, Gene Evans and Teclniicolor to spread across marquee, billboard and newspaper space, opening business for tliis Benedict Bogeaus production figures to be brisk, and in areas where action is the ijrincipal demand made upon the Western melodrama, the picture may very well sustain its initial draw. In communities where audiences are more exacting in their reciuirements, hovvever, the confusion that sets in on the story line at mid-picture and the difficulty of separating the good Indians from the bad Indians thereafter may mitigate against extended runs. In any and all areas and communities, regardless of story, plot, players or whatever, cinematographer John Alton's camera paints some of the most beautiful pictures of mountains, horses and cattle anybody'd ever want to see. The script used by the veteran and versatile Allan Dwan was written by Robert Blees and Howard Estabrook, a pair of long-experienced craftsmen, and is based on a story by Thomas Blackburn. The film takes its title, evidently, from a point somewhat beyond the end of the picture, when the heroine may have become the cattle queen of Montana, but the film takes her only up to the time when her enemies have been thwarted and her claim to certain land and cattle established. At the opening of the picture, she and her father have arrived in Montana fiom Texas at the head of a wagon train which bad Indians, in pay of a white man, ambush and destroy, killing everybody but her and an aged foreman. (The white man, bent on owning the entire Buffalo Valley at whatever cost, is played by Evans.) About now, Ronald Reagan shows up in the guise of an unemployed gunslinger and goes to work for Evans. Along about here it develops that all the Indians in the area are Blackfeet, but about half of them are bad Indians in white employ and the other half, under a collegeeducated chief, are good Indians. The good Indians string along with Miss Stanwyck, the bad Indians with Evans, and after many and many a bloody battle, and after Reagan has revealed that he's really an Army Intelligence officer, girl gets land, boy gets girl, and Alton gets a fine shot of a Montana sunset. Running time, 88 minutes. General classification. For release in November. WILLIAM R. WEAVER Local 306 (Coiiliiiiii'd from /fagc 1) "performances will not be as good as in the past," adding that tlie new tcchnic|ues require projectionists "to he on their toes at all times." In order to meet emergencies caused by breakdowns and maintain high eiliciency in tlie booth, theatres must have at least two men in the booth continuously, the Local 306 president said. Local 143, St. Louis, recently worked out a five-year agreement whereby theatres would have one projectionist in the booth. The agreement between the projectionists and the theatre owners necessitates an immediate repeal of the St. Louis city ordinance which requires the use of two projectionists in a booth. It is also reported that efforts are underway in Massachusetts to put through a state bill that would permit theatres to operate with only one projectionist. The St. Louis agreement, effective Sept. 1, 1955, will apply to 47 theatres in the area. International Policy Stands The international lATSE policy on the two-man-in-the-booth situation, as defined by president Richard Walsh during the August convention of the union in Cincinnati, still stands, it was said. Walsh, in his report to the lA delegates, stated : "In various parts of the U.S. and Canada, certain locals have gone to one man in a booth. Often this could not be avoided after the protection of state, provincial or munipical regulations was removed. On the other hand, manpower sometimes was cut without a battle — in return for large pay boosts. Such arrangements can be made with a clear conscience, I think, only when they do not create unemployment among the membership. "Otherwise I believe in battling to the last ditch. Although safety film is a fact we must face, I personally never have believed in selling manpower merely on the basis of decreasing the fire hazard. It takes two men, working together, to put on a dependably flawless show, and I still believe in the long-run wisdom of that type of service. So let us keep fighting, wherever possible, for an opportunity to provide it." George Schaefer (ConHnned from page 1) told Motion Pictuke Daily he will roadshow the attraction at advanced prices, with the first engagements probably starting Christmas Week. The picture is the first theatrical film production since 1927 (DeMille's "King of Kings") in which Christ has been portrayed by an actor, in this case Robert Wilson. Other players in cast include Lee J. Cobb, Joanne Dru, James Griffith, Ralph Freud, Tyler McVey, Everett Glass and Lowell Gilmore. Direction is by late Irving Pichel, who directed "Martin Luther." Schaefer has appointed the Meyer Beck Organization, New York, as national publicity representatives. $22,432 for 'Aida' "Aida," which is being released by IFF, begins its second week at the Little Carnegie here today, after registering a gross of $22,543 for the first week, IFF reported. This is said to be the largest gross recorded by the Little Carnegie. Form N.O. Firm to Make Films Abroad special to THE DAILY NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 18. — George M. Leppert, of this city, today announced that an independent producing company is being organized here which will specialize in Class A, low-budget features made in foreign countries. Leppert, president of the new corporation, said it is organized on a nominal capital basis, with no stock sales offered to the public. The firm, titled Draw Poker Films, Inc., will have its legal headquarters in Houston. The New Orleans base of operations will be the office of the treasurer, George Wetzel. Robert L. Irvin, Long Beach, Cal., attorney and public relations counsel will head the West Coast center. Leander H. Perez, Jr., is the local vice president. First Is a Suspense Film A suspense film is the first production slated to be shot. The story, Leppert said, was co-authored by him and Edward Ainsworth, novelist and feature writer of the "Los Angeles Times." Advising Ainsworth in preparing the script are actors in the film, Morris Ankrum and Ollie Prickett. Leppert says he plans to leave for Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 1 to negotiate for the filming with a Spanish group for co-production, and will sell the show directly to them. If not, it will be made in Hollywood. Shooting is expected to start May 1. Present plans call for the film to be in black and white for wide screen. Americans on the production staff for the film in Spain will include three actors, a camera man and director. Each production will be financed on its own basis, said Leppert, either directly by New Orleans men or by subscription contracts with direct participation in the net. *Cattle Queen' Bows In Billings, Mont. BILLINGS, Mont., Nov. 18. — Crowds jammed Fox Theatre last night for the world premiere of RKO's "Cattle Queen of Montana." Before the Technicolor production was shown, state and local dignitaries selected a Cattle Queen from five contestants who had survived a state-wide search. Mrs. Susan Haughian, one of Montana's real cattle queens in the early days of the state, crowned the winner, who was 18-year-old Betty Lou Dahl, of Butte. Miss Dahl will visit Hollywood for a week as guest of RKO. Her transportation, and that of her chaperone, will be supplied by Frontier Airlines. Festivities Broadcast Station KOOK, a Columbia Broadcasting System outlet, broadcast the premiere festivities from the theatre. Cattle Queen contestants and celebrities were interviewed in the Fox lobby. Throughout the day, the girls and Mrs. Haughian were guests of the city of Billings and RKO. They attended a series of special events arranged by the women's committee of the local Chamber of Commerce. To Show Art The first annual art exhibition of paintings by employees of 20th Century-Fox will be launched at a cocktail party and preview this afternoon in the company's home office gallery. Lassen in New Post Kurt Lassen has been appointed to the newly-created post of promotion director of "Seventeen" Magazine, it was announced by Howard Bergman, general manager. Hyman (Continued from page 1) and "A Star Is Born," Hyman contended, are now being offered an uninterrupted playing time period without heavy competition. It shows, Hyman continued, that there are now no real "seasons" in this business. Big pictures do outstandingly well in any period of the year, he added. The AB-PT vice-president acknowledged, however, that although progress is being made in eliminating the so-called "seasonal" release pattern, "the battle has not been won." Regarding other trade problems, Hyman spoke glowingly of M-G-M's "Workshop," citing it as an example of how distributors and exhibitors can work together to their mutual advantage. Warner Brothers' efforts to ready the release of "Silver Chalice" for Christmas was also cited by Hyman. He told of how within a few weeks after seeing the picture on the Coast, a meeting of AB-PT field men and advertising and publicity men, under the supervision of WB advertising and publicity director Ben Kalmenson, was arranged to work out an exploitation campaign on the picture. CEA Resignations (Continued from page 1) latte, managing director, of the powerful ABC Circuit also attended. The meeting expressed "complete confidence in the general secretary" and approved a recommendation for a complete review of the somewhat antiquated and cumbersome constitution of the CEA. Immediately thereafter a resolution to this effect was endorsed at the full general council meeting. There has long been a bitter undercurrent of criticism of and opposition to the present control and guidance of the exhibitor organisation. The prolonged and embittered wrangle over the new Eady levy led to a further clash of personalities, with Fuller as the critics' main target. But Fuller is said to thrive on crises. He continues in office with the full support of his members. And whatever the outcome one thing is obvious, the CEA remains a united, albeit weakened, body. It may well be that all this will lead to a marked improvement in industry relations here. Coast Writers Elect (Continued from page 1) Dougall and Frank Nugent as trustees. Frances L. Inglis was unanimously approved as executive director. WGAW was created recently as the Western division of a national organization embracing the former Author's League of America, Screen Writers Guild, Radio Writers Guild and Television Writers Group. Ivan Goff was elected president of the screen writers branch ; David Franklin president of the radio writers branch ; Fenton Earnshaw president of the television writers branch. Other election results will be disclosed Monday following the tally. WGAW will not tabulate the votes on the constitutional amendment which would bar from membership Communists and writers who refused to answer questions on the loyalty issue until Dec. 15, at which time the W riters Guild of America East is scheduled to vote on this amendment.