Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

UNIVERSAL SETS ENTERPRISE DEAL To Distribute Product of Einfeld Loew Company at Rate of Six a Year Enterprise Productions, Inc., and Universal Pictures have signed a long term contract under which Universal will distribute, nationally and worldwide, at least six Enterprise pictures each year, it was announced in New York Tuesday. These six pictures are to be sold indidividually and apart from Universal's own product, and the deal calls for a minimum production expenditure of at least $1,000,000 on each picture. Blumberg Lauds Move Concurrent with the announcement, N. J. Blumberg, president of Universal, issued the following statement: "We believe that Universal is adding a progressive and vital producing organization to its family. The men who head Enterprise have proven their ability in every phase of the industry through their long years of experience." He went on to explain that the company felt fortunate in obtaining the distribution of the Enterprise product, "which we will market in the most equitable manner so that all exhibitors will have the opportunity to contract for them." Under the terms of the contract Universal will select a sales manager to take charge of the selling and launching of Enterprise product. He will function as liaison between the Universal sales force, exhibitors and the producing organization. In this way, it was announced Enterprise product would receive individual handling and each picture would be presented to the exhibitors individually. The six productions announced by Enterprise for the 1946-1947 season which will be released through Universal are: 1. Erich Maria Remarque's "Arch of Triumph," starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. Lewis Milestone, who directed Mr. Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front," will direct "Arch of Triumph." The picture is budgeted at $3,000,000. 2. Harry Sherman's production of "Ramrod," now shooting at Zion National Park in Utah. This Luke Short novel first appeared serially in the Saturday Evening Post, and the picture will star Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake and Donald Crisp. Andre De Toth is directing the film budgeted at $1,750,000. 3. Erich Maria Remarque's latest book, to be published this autumn, "The Other Love." The picture will go into production early in September and will star Barbara Stanwyck. Budgeted at $2,000,000, the story's locale is Switzerland, and camera crews will leave shortly for background material. 4. "The Burning Journey," a screen biography of the prize-fighter Barney Ross, which will star John Garfield. The expected budget for this picture is $2,000,000. 5. "Maggi July," starring Ginger Rogers, will start about November 1. Wolfgang Reinhardt will produce on a budget set at $2,400,000. 6. Joseph Kessel's novel, "Coup de Grace," will start production about September 1, with Anatole Litvak as producer-director. The production cost and stars have not yet been announced. Prepare Second Group A second group of Enetrprise productions now in preparation includes: "Wild Calendar," a novel by Libbie Block, which has been acquired as a vehicle for Ginger Rogers; "They Passed This Way," Eugene Manlove Rhodes' novel and Saturday Evening Post serial, which will star Joel McCrea; "The Snake Pit," a current best selling book on life in a mental institution ; and two original stories, one by Christopher Isherwood, the second. by Max Trell. David L. Loew is chairman of the board of Enterprise, Charles Einfeld is president, A. Pam Blumenthal, vice-president, and Joseph Gilpin, studio and production manager. 30 Arbitration Cases Are Filed In Six Months For the six months beginning December 1, 1945, and ending May 29, 1946, 30 arbitration cases were filed by exhibitors with the American Arbitration Association, it was reported in New York last week. This compares with a total of 32 cases filed during the previous 12 months. At the same time it was announced by the AAA that A. John Serino, arbitrator in the Boston tribunal, had made the following clearance award : the Capital theatre in Concord, N. H., shall continue to have 14 days' clearance over the Regal in Franklin, N.H., but should the Capital fail to play within 28 days of availability, then there shall be no clearance on such pictures. Also, the arbitrator ruled, there shall be no clearance by the Colonial, Laconia, N. H., over the Regal on any pictures with respect to which the Regal is subject to clearance by the Capital. On product which the Regal is not subject to clearance by the Capital, the former may play 14 days after the Colonial has played them but such pictures shall become available to the Regal not later than 28 days after the Colonial's availability. Samuel Kurson, operating the Regal, was the complainant against the five consenting companies. The Laconia Amusement Company and Concord Operating Company were intervenors. The arbitration appeal board has modified the award of the Los Angeles tribunal in the clearance complaint of Steven Chorak, operating the San Clemente theatre, San Clemente, Cal., against the five consenting companies. The board ruled maximum clearance of seven days over the San Clemente on product of the five consenting companies be granted to South Coast Theatres in Laguna Beach, Cal., for first run exhibition. The board further ruled clearance of theatres operated by Palomar Operating Company or Margo Operating Company in Oceanside, Cal., over the San Clemente theatre, be abolished. Fight Telecast to Capital By arrangement with the National Broadcasting Company, which is telecasting the Louis-Conn heavyweight championship bout at the Yankee Stadium, New York, June 19, Du Mont's Washington station W3XWT will bring the event to Washington by coaxial cable. David Loew 24 N. J. Blumberg Charles Einfeld Goldman Acquires Seville The William Goldman circuit has acquired another Philadelphia area theatre, the Seville, in Bryn Mawr, at an annual rental of $20,000 plus a percentage of the profits. The Seville was owned by the Harrison interests. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JUNE 8, 1946