Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

July 24, 1943 Lyons Outlines Product Plan of New Company Producing Artists, Inc., the cooperative producing company set up by David Loew and Arthur Lyons, is a medium unique in its opportunities for writers, actors, directors and musicians to build not only revenue, but careers for themselves even outside the company. For Producing Artists, Inc., will not hold these artists under contract, Mr. Lyons, himself a talent agent, emphasized in a New York interview Monday, at the office of United Artists, which will release the pictures. "This company is for those people," he said, "and if they feel like going elsewhere after scoring success, we won't stop them. We feel that the artists contribute a lot more to a picture than mere performance in it ; and their success should be their own, not that of the picture company, which it usually is in cases where they are under contract with a studio. Furthermore, he added, "we intend to have our artists consulted before a picture is made. And we are not worried about temperament, or that stars will control the picture. There has been a great change in the people of Hollywood." Mr. Lyons is vice-president of Producing Artists, Inc., and will supervise production. David Loew is president, and will handle finances. Money already has been advanced by the Bank of America for the first six pictures, on a long term basis. The company's agreement with United Artists provides for a minimum of three pictures. Because the Jack Benny producing company, affiliated with Producing Artists, plans to make three, this will bring the total to six films for the 1943-44 season. The three PA pictures will include two musicals, Mr. Lyons said Monday. He was to see Irving Berlin this week, and other song and script writers on the making of one musical. The other will be a Jerome Kern piece. Mr. Kern, he said, would have his own company, in Producing Artists. "We are putting an accent on musicals," Mr. Lyons remarked, "because we feel the public wants entertainment. And we are welcoming newcomers, and the Hollywood free-lance players, because we feel the public wants new personalities." Hollywood now has more "free-lance big stars than ever before," Mr. Lyons asserted, adding, however, that in his own talent agency there are 300 people under percentage contract, which number is "itself more than we need." The pictures will be made at the General Service Studios, Mr. Lyons said, and each picture will be budgeted at $1,000,000 or more. Columbia Votes Dividend On Preferred Stock The board of directors of Columbia Pictures declared a dividend of 68^ cents per share on the $2.75 convertible preferred stock of the company at a meeting held in New York last Thursday. The dividend is payable to stockholders of record on August 2, 1942. Complete RKO Pathe Short Frst of the seven one-reel "Flicker Flashback" series which RKO Pathe will produce for RKO Radio release during the season of 1943-44, has been completed, it was announced by Harry Michalson, short subjects sales manager. Weiner Back at UA Job Louis Weiner, pronounced over-age by the Army, has received an honorable discharge and is back at his former job of publicist and exploiter with United Artists in the home office. MOTION PICTU RE HERALD ALLEY GETS 'WORD SHOT' OF SICILIAN BATTLE On Friday of last week, International wires carried an eyewitness account of the landing of American forces at Gela in southwestern Sicily, described to the world by Norman Alley, staff cameraman of MGM's News of the Day. Mr. Alley, covering the front as a member of the American Newsreel Pool, was responsible for the historic pictures aboard the U.S.S. Panay when the gunboat was sunk by Japs in the Yangtse River several years ago. Seeks Print of "North Star" For Moscow Showing Commander John S. Young, personal aide to Admiral William H. Standley, has requested a print of Samuel Goldwyn's "The North Star" for earliest possible showing to high Soviet officials at the American Embassy in Moscow, according to Morton Nathanson, Goldwyn representative on the east coast. Mr. Nathanson stated that Commander Young, recently in New York on Embassy business, contacted the Goldwyn office relative to obtaining a print of the picture depicting the Soviet resistance to the Nazis, to take back on his return to Moscow. In production for 22 weeks and still before the cameras, the Lillian Hellman story is expected to be shooting until about August 1st. The film will not be ready for release before autumn, at which time, according to Mr. Nathanson, a print will be made available to Ambassador Standley. Los Angeles Admission Tax Proposal Hit The proposed one per cent tax on theatre admissions in Los Angeles, a measure brought before the City Council last week, has drawn opposition from four quarters, it has been reported. Exhibitors gathering at a meeting at the Fox West Coast headquarters this week discussed the measure, although not reaching an agreement on ways of combating it. Councilman Lloyd E. Davies of Hollywood and Judge Harland G. Palmer, publisher of the Hollywood Citizen-News, also voiced disapproval of the measure. John B. Kingsley, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said the tax was "inequitable." City budget officials expect the tax to provide approximately $1,000,000 annually, the revenue to be appropriated to the financing of sewer system repair. "Boys from Chicago" to Go To Trial September 7 Judge Murray Hulbert on Monday in New York Federal Court set September 7th as the date for the trial of the six men from Chicago under indictment for alleged extortion of money from motion picture companies. Judge Hulbert denied three motions of defense counsel, including one seeking a bill of particulars. J. D. C. Murray is the attorney for the defendants. Fox May Get Alcazar Theatre Fox West Coast Theatres currently is working on a deal for the acquisition in San Francisco of the Alcazar theatre, according to B. V. Sturdivant, division manager. Plans said Mr. Sturdivant, are for a roadshow picture policy with a $1.65 top. 53 Majors Acquire New Theatres in Foreign Capitals Development of one phase of major companies' post-war plans, theatre acquisition in foreign territories, has gained momentum in recent weeks. Warner Bros, announced that it had made a long-term product deal with the Park theatre in Stockholm, Sweden, following its recent acquisition of the Opera theatre in Cairo, Egypt. Twentieth Century-Fox is understood to be considering extension of theatre property abroad, and that objective will be explored during the forthcoming visit to England of Spyros Skouras, president, and Murray Silverstone, vice-president in charge of foreign distribution. Motion Picture Herald in April and May reported that distributors were giving serious attention to theatre acquistion in foreign countries, particularly in South America, in addition to other post-war considerations of the foreign market. At that time, Warner Bros, announced it had acquired the Central theatre in Lima, Peru, and was said to be lining up properties in Sydney, and other Australian cities as well as Mexico City, as part of a program to insure post-war screen time for Warner product in strategic capitals throughout the world. Warners said the Park theatre in Stockholm was a "local deluxe house with a policy of long run engagements," and added that as a result of the new tieup, the company's product would be used exclusively beginning with the new season in August. The Opera in Cairo is a 1,650-seat house and with the Metro, a Loew theatre in that city, ranks as one of the largest first run theatres in Cairo. In South America, home office foreign department executives predict a post-war boom in native theatre construction and renovation of existing houses. Development of the Mexican and Argentine film industries already has resulted in opening of new theatres. Whether or not American distributors will rush into large-scale investment of theatre properties or exhibition tieups in Europe after the war as they did following World War I, depends largely on the political and economic factors which govern the making of the peace, in the opinion of most foreign managers. It has been admitted, however, that at least three of the major companies are considering theatre acquisitions in European capitals if post-war conditions permit. The entire post-war picture of foreign distribution of Hollywood product presents a complexity of difficult problems which cannot be solved until the defeat of the Axis. One thing is certain, however, according to recent reports, major companies will seek representation, among other American industries, in any postwar reconstruction-economic plan which the U. S. Government projects for aid to liberated European countries. With the British Government's recent moves to work closely with the British industry in helping to establish a wider European and foreign market for British product after the war, it has been indicated that the American film industry may seek like collaboration with the Treasury Department or other Government agencies for a similar objective. "Ice-Capades" for Seattle Al Wilson and Frank Hixon, reporting maximum business with their "Ice Follies" in Seattle through a three-week run during June, announce they are scheduling a 13-day engagement of "Ice-Capades of 1943" at the Civic Ice Arena beginning July 27th. According to the announcement, a price scale of $1.15 to $2.88 will prevail.