Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

12 Motion Picture Daily Friday, March 25, 1955 Review "An Annapolis Story" (Allied Artists) Hollywood, March 24 THE color and the romance, the tradition and the glory, the straight-out, heads-up, spirit and purpose and dedication that are Annapolis, on the screen and off, are dramatized appropriately and with a proper respect for their standards by Walter Mirisch, Allied Artists executive producer, and his aides. Much of the picture was filmed at Annapolis — all of it is in color by Technicolor — and with the complete cooperation of the United States Navy. The production stars three young players whose names are money-in-thebank for theatregoers in the 16-30 age bracket, and it places them in a romantic triangle that plays more convincingly, without violating anybody's virtue, rather than less. Profit prospects for the production are bright. Foremost among the players are John Derek and Kevin McCarthy, seen as brothers, who are rivals, throughout most of the picture, for the hand of Diana Lynn, daughter of a Navy officer, and a young woman who has a good deal of trouble making up her mind as to which of the brothers she loves the better and prefers to marry. Meanwhile, the elder brother, McCarthy, thinking worse than he should of her conduct and Derek's during his service absence, gets stern and rugged about the whole matter and nearly loses the girl for his pains. Early in the action, which varies widely between drill-ground maneuvers and actual war over Korea, the elder brother does a helicopter rescue of the younger brother after the latter has dived his plane off the end of a carrier into the sea. Late in the picture, after many another complication, the younger brother returns the favor by doing a helicopter rescue of the elder brother after the latter's been shot down by a North Korean. These are highlights among many scenes of action and interest. Other players in the cast are Alvy Moore, doing comedy ; Pat Conway, I. Q. Jones, John Kirby, Barbara Brown, Betty Lou Gerson, Fran Bennett and Robert Osterloh. Direction is by Don Siegel, using a screen play by Dan Ullman and Geoffrey Homes, from a story by Ullman. Running time, 81 minutes. General classification. For release in April. WILLIAM R. WEAVER Rogers Fund (Continued from page 1) discretion of the individual exhibitor. Selection of mid-August was based on that period being the peak of the drive-in season. At a preliminary organizational meeting yesterday S. H. Fabian, genmeeting yesterday S. H. Fabian, chairman of the special collection drive, announced that the following had accepted chairmanships for this special Will Rogers Hospital activity ; Moe Silver, exhibitor committee; Eugene Picker, general fund raising ; Charles J. Feldman, distributor committee ; Chester Bahn, trade paper committee, and Ernie Emerling, publicity committee. Abe Montague, president of the Will Rogers Hospital, will lend his efforts in the all over coordination. Outside Aid Sought Expansion of the hospital's research activities, designed to benefit all tubercular institutions and patients, and increased demands upon the institution's facilities, have made it necessary to go outside of the industry for financial aid. A special appeal trailer is in production. Shortly, exchange area distributor and exhibitor committees, will begin an intensive solicitation of pledges from individual theatres, the committee announced. Anti-Trust Report (Continued from page 1) from a 60-man study committee headed by Assistant Attorney General Stanley Barnes and Prof. E. Chester Oppenheim. Reportedly, it recommends discretionary damages in private anti-trust suits, a four-year uniform Federal statute of limitations, and increased power for the anti-trust division to investigate anti-trust violations. Florida Retailers (Continued from page 1) integrated with important advertising programs which are definitely helpful to retail business." Action by the Florida merchants is expected to be followed by similar resolutions of various business organizations in the U. S., which have been investigating the economic implications of toll TV. 'Lady* Bow Plans HOLLYWOOD, March 24. — A five-city premiere of "Strange Lady in Town" will be staged by Warner Brothers in Texas in April with stars in attendance and a program linking the state in a festive schedule, Jack L. Warner, vice-president in charge of the studio, announced here yesterday. The kick-off premiere will be at the Paramount Theatre, Austin, on April 12. Selznick Re-release Of 'Sawyer' Set HOLLYWOOD, March 24.— David O. Selznick today announced plans for the re-release of his "Adventures of Tom Sawyer," which he produced in Technicolor in 1938. He will re-release the production through Selznick Releasing Organization and has earmarked a budget of $750,000 to publicize the picture, he said. Compo Ad Aimed at 'Stay-at-Homes' Newspapers should print more news to get people out of their homes, it is asserted in the 40th of the series of Council of Motion Picture Organization ads, which will appear in the Editor & Publisher tomorrow. Referring to a retail drygoods merchant who said that a theatre near his store had been of enormous help to his business, because the theatre attracted people to the neighborhood, the ad quotes him as saying: "That's what the papers should be doing. They should be influencing people to go out of their homes. They can do this by creating an atmosphere that there are a lot of interesting things going on downtown and that everybody should get out of the house and enjoy life." "Newspapers," the merchant said, "should wake up to the position television has put them in. For by keeping people at home, TV has greatly reduced the effectiveness of newspaper advertising. The living room is not the point of sale. "Obviously, our friend, the drygoods man," the ad continues, "had it in mind that newspapers should foster all legitimate activities that call for people to leave their homes. With that we are in complete agreement. Such a policy, in our view, would be helpful all around. Newspapers would be helping their readers especially women, by pointing the way to a fuller life. They would help themselves by creating a better selling mood for their advertising. And they would help their retail advertisers. "The 'legitimate activity' we are most concerned about is, of course, the motion picture theatre," the ad goes on to say. "A brighter, more exciting entertainment page, giving more news about the movies and the attractions at the local theatres, will help to get people out of their homes better than anything else we know of." Tax 'Bookkeeping' Bill Passes House WASHINGTON, March 24.— The House passed and sent to the Senate a bill repealing retroactively two key "bookkeeping" sections of last year's tax law. The provisions, which have been widely used by businesses operating on an accrual accounting system, deal with prepaid income and reserve funds for estimated future expenses. Use of the provisions meant sizable savings for business firms on their 1954 tax bills — savings which will be wiped out by the proposed retroactive repeal. The Treasury had asked for repeal on the ground that the two provisions were being used far more widely than expected and therefore would involve far greater revenue loss for the Treasury than originally anticipated. The House Ways and Means Committee estimated that if the provisions weren't repealed, the Treasury would lose— and businesses would have tax cuts of— about $1,000,000,000 in the current fiscal year. Air Force to Take 100 to SAC Party Two United States Air Force C-131 Convair transport planes, one from New York and one from Los Angeles, will take off today for Omaha, with James Stewart, Frank Lovejoy, producer Samuel Briskin. director Anthony Mann and 100 newspapermen, magazine writers and radio and television columnists who will be_ guests at a series of weekend events in celebration of the ninth anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Air Command. High on the schedule of events slated for the Omaha visitors is the anniversary invitational preview of Paramount Pictures' "Strategic Air Command," starring Stewart and June Allyson who also will be on Fox Earnings (Continued from page 1) quarter ended Dec. 25, 1954, was put at $2,312,461 as compared with net earnings of $3,127,850 for the fourth quarter of 1953. The net earnings for the third quarter of 1954 were $2,635,518, the statement continued. The statement added that amortization of film costs had been taken on the same basis as had been the case in previous years. The consolidated profit and loss statement showed income from film rentals of $106,355,068 in 1954 as compared to $105,662,266 the previous year. Total income for 1954 was put at $115,715,815 and total expenses listed at $100,171,291 against total income of $113,513,260 and total expenses of $105,302,373 in 1953. Provision for Federal taxes on income was $7,500,000 in 1954 against $3,650,000 in 1953. Tost' Theatres (Continued from page 1) ter outlining the tentative agreement, and after this was ratified by the distributors and exhibitors, it was sent to Swan. Indications at that time were that the individual armed services would speedily ratify the letter, putting it into effect for a one-year trial period. But the individual services indicated they wanted more facts and today's meeting was scheduled. One industry official said that the representatives of the Army, Air Force and Navy were obviously unhappy about the proposal, and indicated pretty clearly they would like something else that kept more of the military's present early release privileges. However, the military did not give a flat "no" to the industry's draft letter. Exhibitors estimate they are losing more than $1,500,000 a year as a result of the military competition, according to one exhibitor official. Top Defense Officials Present Representing the Pentagon at the meeting, held in the office of Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert B. Anderson, were Wilson, Swan, Air Force secretary Harold E. Talbott, Army Under-Secretary Charles C. Finucane, Navy Under Secretary Thomas S. Gates, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert T. Ross and Army and Air Force motion picture service chief Fred Bund. Representing the industry were Johnston, Clark, Morey Goldstein, chairman of the sales managers committee of MPAA, Walter Reade, Jr., and A. Julian Brylawski. VistaVision (Continued from page 1) Russell, will be made in VistaVision, the U-I picture will be the first by any major American company except Paramount to use the VistaVision process, Universal said. Muhl said the decision to use VistaVision for the picture which will carry the biggest budget ever allocated by the studio for a single feature is in keeping with U-I's policy of makingpictures for all types of theatres and all types of screens. hand for the weekend of activities. The preview will take place this evening at the Orpheum Theatre.