Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

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4 Motion Picture Daily Friday, January 28, 1955 UN Salute {Continued from page 1) Cabot Lodge, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the UN; Balachandra Raj an, India's UN representative, and a message from Kaye via radio-telephone hookup from Hollywood will precede the showing of the film made in cooperation with Paramount Pictures. The film will be shown in the General Assembly Hall. The premiere will be followed by a reception for press, motion picture industry spokesmen and delegates of the United Nations. "Assignment Children" grew out of Dannv Kaye's tour of Asia as UNICEF Ambassador-at-large. It "co-stars" Danny with the children of six Asian countries — Burma, India, Korea, Japan, Thailand and the Island of Hong Kong. Photographed by Paramount cameramen, "Assignment Children" will be released on a non-profit basis throughout the world by Paramount's distribution staff. The narration is being translated from English into all languages. The first prints will be released in the United States and Canada about the middle of March, simultaneous with their release in Australia and New Zealand to help back UN appeals on behalf of the Children's Fund. Toll TV Story (Continued from page 1) mittee's operations from the Senate rules committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee has also indicated interest in studying subscription television. Magnuson wrote that many people are suggesting that the present system of financing television stations solely from advertising revenues is a poor one. Indicating some friendliness toward subscription television, he added that it "is already clear that many hundreds of American towns and cities will never have their own stations" under the present arrangements. As a result, he said, many solutions are advanced, including toll TV. "This toll television," he declared, "will require some study by this committee, since it is pertinent to the UHF problem in particular and since the economic health of the entire television industry is involved." Magnuson said his committee would also continue the investigations started Review Abbott & Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (UniversalInternational) HERE the title certainly tells the story, and what a story it is, one that should draw to the theatres the army of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello fans as well as a legion of others who will feel a nostalgic urge to enjoy once again the zany antics of that unique Hollywood gendarmerie of a generation ago which established itself in the hearts, and even in the language, of America as The Keystone Kops. Abbott and Costello, returning to the screen after an absence of 18 months, play the parts of frustrated Eastern film producers back in the flicker days who decide to go West in accordance with the general trend of the industry at that time. Needless to say, the Coast industry barely survives the impact of their arrival. Their meeting with the Keystone Kops is amusing and exciting. The usual amount of tomfoolery prevails, including the inevitable chase, pratfalls, doubletakes and general mishaps. Costello even plays straight man for his partner once or twice, but the results are still pure, though well-planned slapstick. The boys have invested money in an eastern studio only to learn they have been swindled by Fred Clark and his girl friend, Lynn Bari. They decide to try their luck in California. After a most eventful trip they become embroiled in a wild film chase which results in their being signed as stuntmen. The foreign director turns out to be a disguised Clark and he and Miss Bari do their utmost to dispose of the two suckers. The various methods used to kill off our heroes all boomerang, and in the end the villains are vanquished after one of the wildest chase sequences ever seen on celluloid. Involved in this free-for-all are a carload of Keystone Kops and a deliciously wild, old-fashioned ride that lets out all the well-known stops. Clark, Miss Bari and Maxie Rosenbloom, as Clark's henchmen, provide good support for the funnymen and such venerable screen personalities as Mack Sennett, Heinie Conklin and Hank Mann put in all-too-brief appearances. "Keystone Kops" is typical Abbott & Costello from beginning to end, but their fans should welcome them back with laughs galore. Howard Christie produced, Charles Lamont directed and John Grant wrote the screenplay from a story by Lee Loeb. Running time, 79 minutes. General audience classification. For February release. Toll-TV Report Ready Next Week A complete report of the two-day meeting of the joint exhibitor committee opposing toll-TV activities and discussions at the Hotel SheratonAstor here last week is being reviewed by top committee members prior to mailing the information to all exhibitor groups' memberships. The toll-TV report, which has been drawn up in letter form, is expected to be ready for mailing by next week. last year of problems of UHF broadcasters and of television networks. The rules committee approved $200,000 for the work outlined by the commerce committee, and this still must be approved by the Senate. Hakim in London on 'Man' Filming Plans LONDON, Jan. 27.— Andre Hakim has arrived here in connection with his plans to make a film in CinemaScope and colour of Ewen Montagu's novel "The Man Who Never Was," an authenticated account of the ditching from a submarine of a dead man with phony World War II invasion plans on his body. The story had been acquired by 20th Century-Fox, which sold the rights to Hakim. Purpose of the latter's visit here is to seek the cooperation of the Admiralty in the project. He is also looking for a studio, a top-flight British director and an internationally known cast. oooooooooooooooooooo or o o o o o|_ oooooooooooooooo STEREOPHONIC SOUND BY ALTEC LANSIN "Specialists in Motion Picture Sound' 9356 SANTA MONICA BLVD., BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. 161 SIXTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 13, N. Y. Today more theatres use Altec Lansing stereophonic speakers and amplifiers than all other makes combined, Proof enough that Altec "Voice of the Theatre' speaker systems and Altec amplifiers, and controls are the best for quality, dependability and economical operation. More films than ever have stereo sound. See your theatre supply dealer now for early delivery of the finest stereophonic equipment, Altec Lansing. ALTEC 'IP Report (Continued from page 1) it was reported, consolidated net earnings were $2,616,356 after provision of $3,863,000 for Federal taxes on income and $500,000 for contingent liabilities. These consolidated net earnings, it was stated, were equivalent to $2.35 per share on the 1,010,411 shares of common stock then outstanding at Oct. 31, 1953, after dividends on the preferred stock. Six Films in CinemaScope The annual report, signed by Milton R. Rackmil, president, and Nate J. Blumberg, chairman of the board, pointed out that at the present time Universal has completed six CinemaScope productions, which are also available in the conventional or standard ratio. "We anticipate that ultimately there will be a unification and simplifiication of technical advances," the report continued, "but until that point is reached we shall continue a production policy which will insure our attaining all sales potentials." Underlining the company's feeling of optimism, the report stated that "the motion picture has scope and dimension which cannot be approached by any other medium and therefore the competition from other media can no longer be regarded as foreboding the decline of the motion picture industry." "As a matter of fact," the report declared, "the effect of this competition has been as a stimulus to the industry, which has and will continue to attain greater heights." Television was called "an excellent medium to create interest" in Universal product and greater use of the medium for that purpose was forecast. Calculations in Dollars Only Stockholders were informed that the company continued the practice of reflecting in its accounts the operations of subsidiaries operating in foreign countries having exchange restrictions only to the extent that net earnings from such operations were realized in U. S. dollars, regardless of the periods in which such net earnings accrued. The report also noted that during the calendar year 1954, regular quarterly dividends of 25 cents per share and an extra dividend of 25 cents per share were paid on the common stock. 'IP Directors (Continued from page 1) following : Blumberg, Rackmil, Daft', O'Connor, Preston Davie, Albert A. Garthwaite, R. W. Lea, Budd Rogers, Daniel M. Sheaffer, Harold I. Thorp and Samuel H. Vallance. As of Dec. 31, 1954, it was stated, Decca Records was the owner of record and beneficially of 718,585 shares of Universal common, constituting approximately 68.1 per cent of the voting securities outstanding in the hands of the public on that date. To Film Goya Story Titanus Films has secured special permits from the government of Spain for the filming of its production based on the life of Goya and will begin actual filming in that country in June or July of this year, it was announced from Rome by Goffredo Lombardo. president of the company. Permission has also been granted to Titanus for the use of the original Goya paintings in the production.