Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1956)

Motion Picture Daily Friday, July 6, 195 REVIEW: As Long As You're Near Me Warner— N.D.F. This is a German-language picture dubbed in English. It co-stars O. W. Fischer, who's been hailed as a European sensation and who is being brought to this country by another studio to act in American films, with Maria Schell, another performer reportedly popular abroad. It tells a story about a motion picture director and a girl whose life he utilizes as story material for a film in which she plays herself. It is not an unusual or otherwise notable story and it is slowly and often awkwardly unfolded. It is not sordid enough to make a name for itself in the art houses, and the dubbing is not good enough to deceive general audiences into accepting it as domestic product. Uppermost among the problems presented is whether a general American audience will accept a dubbed version of any picture, from any source, at this point in box office history. (The last pertinent precedent was the Italian-made "Fabiola," released in 1951, which did a surprisingly nice business; but "Fabiola" was a historical subject massively produced, whereas the present import is entirely fictional and not massive. Secondarily, the attraction gives a showman nothing but a title to work with. Thirdly, its extreme length— 104 minutes— circumscribes its programming usefulness prohibitively. Add that it comes to market without extra-dimensional attributes or multi-coloration to feature in advertising and its business outlook appears dim indeed. The scene of the script by Jochen Huth is present-day Germany. Director Harold Braun paces his players slowly, and with steady resort to the cigarette-lighting-and-snuffing time-spanning technique that was popular in American pictures some years ago, through protracted dialogue and mainly unexciting events from a studio interior, where the director saves an extra girl from an accidental fire, to a picture location where the girl, now starring in her own life story, prefers her husband and probable poverty to the director and possible fame. Running time 104 minutes. General classification. Release in June. WILLIAM R. WEAVER SAG Letter ( Continued from page 1 ) should now give serious consideration to following objectives: first, employing strong executive personnel to broaden representation through the international; second, setting up machinery for the impartial settlement of jurisdictional problems between actor unions; third, simplification of the interchangeability agreement; fourth, amendment of the basic constitution if necessary to achieve the foregoing, and, fifth revision of the AAAA financial structure to achieve a stronger international organization." To Reach Other Enthusiasts Run-of-the-Paper Advertisements Pull Better, Says Indiana Allied Special to THE DAILY INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., July 5— Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana, following its study of a survey report which shows some of the ways in which people are spending their leisure time and money, points out that more "movie dollars should be spent in advertising off the theatre pages and in other sections of the newspaper in order to reach more of the public." ATOI said that with leisure activities increasing as box office competition, expenditures for advertising on the theatre pages of local newspapers should be increased to run-of-thepaper so that film advertisements could catch the eyes of readers interested in other activities. COMPO Berlin Victors Expenditures Itemized The ATOI report on the survey shows that 20 million people participated in bowling, spending $250,000,000 a year' for equipment, lane fees, etc.; 25 million hobbyists spent $100 million per year in amateur photography; 12 million philatelists spend $50 to $100 million on stamps; 25 million pleasure sailors spend a billion a year on boating; 30 million nimrods spend $150 million for fishing tackle alone; 40 million people dig up their yards spending $1.5 billion; three and a half million players spend close to $200 million for golf, green fees, equipment and club memberships; millions of new home owners spend seven billion for tools and materials for the do-it-yourself hobby; $325 million is being spent on backyard swimming pools, and television has 35 million set owners. Commenting on the survey report, ATOI says: "Although we have no answer, we again catalogue some of the box office competition on the theory that the first step in finding a solution to anything is to recognize the problem. It does look as though more of the movie dollars should be spent off the theatre pages in order to reach the above millions." Decision on ''Happiness'' Slated in Boston Today BOSTON, July 5-A decision as to whether or not the Swedish film "One Summer of Happiness" currently showing at the Beacon Hill Theatre is obscene will be rendered tomorrow by Municipal Court Judge John Fox. The judge was called on to render a decision on the film after Miss Beatrice Whelton, assistant city censor, and two detectives judged the foreign film to be obscene in two specified sequences. Benjamin Sack, theatre owner, and Harry Harding, manager, were asked to delete the two scenes but they refused on grounds that the court should decide. The theatre was the subject of controversy last year when the French import "Game of Love" was shown and subsequently met with censorship troubles. The Massachusetts Supreme Court then rendered a decision calling pre-censorship of films both illegal and unconstitutional. ( Continued from page 1 ) to the Dance," for "originality, imagination and rhythm"; Silver Bear Award to "Richard III"; for direction, a Silver Bear to Robert Aldrich for "Autumn Leaves"; a Silver Bear to Burt Lancaster for his acting in "Trapeze"; Silver Bear to the British production of "The Long Arm"; Silver Bear to France's "Blond Witch," and a Silver Bear to the Japanese production of "Madame Whitesnake" and the Italian production of "Humor, Love and . . ." A Gold Bear Award was presented to the German documentary production of "No Space For Wild Beasts" and a Silver Bear Award ws presented to Walt Disney's "The African Lion." Short Subjects Honored Short subject documentary on culture winning a Gold Bear was the French production of a "Night in Paris" with Silver Bears being awarded to "Rhythmetics," Canada; "Spring Comes to Kashmir," India; "Hethite Sun," Turkey; the International Catholic Film Office award was given to Finland's "Unknown Soldier." Public voting favorites, in the feature film classification, were Germany's "Before Dusk"; Spain's "Pepote"; America's "Invitation to the Dance," and "Trapeze"; France's "Blond Witch"; "Unknown Soldier," Denmark's "Kispus"; Mexico's "Way to Life" and England's "The Long Arm" and "Richard III." Long documentary favorites were "No Space For Wild Beasts," "The African Lion," Germany's "Zauber Der Natur" and three other films. Short documentary winners were Walt Disney's "Men Against the Arctic," "Ernst Reuther," Germany; France's "Les Tres Riches Heures De L," "Afrique Romaine," "Sardinia," "Rhythmetics," "Spring Comes to Kashmir" and four others. Dominant Goes to NFS For Servicing of Films Film handling, billing and collection for Dominant Pictures Corp. will be provided by all 33 depots of National Film Service, it was announced yesterday by James P. Clark, NFS president. The 11th such major film distributor to use NFS, Dominant is currently engaged in the distribution of 52 Warner Bros, re-issues. Other distributors serviced by NFS include Buena Vista, United Artists, RKO, Paramount, Loew's, Warner Bros., Columbia, Universal-International, Republic and Allied Artists. (Continued from page 1) day on the new tax legislation. It believed that planning of the nc Audience Awards will get under wa, immediately upon his return to Ne' York. The Awards campaign this yei is expected to be streamlined and mo> effective than last year's in its assis; ance to the box office of the nation b< cause it will have last year's expen ences and admitted mistakes to prof by. Meanwhile, a new drive for co< lection of Compo dues from exhibitor based on seating capacity of individu; theatres, will be launched about Au; 1. Everything collected from exhibito will be matched by distributors, up 1 the $100,000 maximum. Officially, Allied States is not member of Compo and recommeno that its members refrain from coi tributing dues to the organizatio) However, it is known that some Allie members contributed to the last dui drive, proceeds from which were il tended in the main to finance the t£' repeal effort, and it is expected thi more of them will contribute to tf forthcoming dues drive because a sui cessful Audience Awards campaig will return the investment with intere at the box offices of the nation. 1 f Globe to Go 'Legit' ( Continued from page 1 ) negotiating with the Brandt circu since Sept. 1955, indicated the would spend an estimated $500,000 i renovating the 1,400-seat house. A spokesman for the productio firm said "Our problem was in pu: chasing a large theatre to give us sufficient seating capacity and tr, Globe was the only house answerin that description." Under the contract, William Zecl endorf, who financed the sale, wi receive rights to the Broadway ei trance which will be converted int a store. The old facade on 46th S will be remodelled as a theatre ei trance. Rosen Appointed ( Continued from page 1 ) and seasoned exhibitor is necessar We of TO A are very happy that I has accepted the appontment." Ros( is also one of five regional assistants the TOA president. The appointment of Rosen consur mates an already imposing steerii committee of experienced and positiv thinking exhibitors to direct the TO convention planning. This outstandir group of showmen, with preliminai plans already formulated, will guic the proceedings of exhibition's a] important meeting here, Blank sai Super scope in Argentina HOLLYWOOD, July 5-The neg tive for "Seccion Desaparecidos," tl first South American production in tl Superscope process, has arrived at tl North Hollywood Superscope labor tories for processing. The film was produced by Guara teed Pictures of Argentina.