Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

CinewnuScnpe Prints Due In Quantity A1 Lichtman, director of distribution for 20th Century-Fox, announced at the twoday sales meeting in New York last week that the current CinemaScope print bottleneck will be broken by March 15 and that a normal supply of prints will be available to exhibitors following that date. Stepped up production, said Mr. Lichtman, at the Technicolor Laboratories in California and DeLuxe Laboratories in New York will enable full servicing of prints by the middle of March. Also addressing the assembled sales chiefs were W. C. Gehring, executive assistant general sales manager; Edwin W. Aaron, western sales manager, and Arthur Silverstone, eastern sales manager. Finalization of merchandizing plans on three CinemaScope features, “Hell and High Water,” “Night People” and “Prince Valiant,” and three Panoramic Productions, “Three Young Texans,” “The Siege at Red River” and “Gorilla,” preceded debate on other upcoming CinemaScope attractions, including “River of No Return,” “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “New Faces,” “Garden of Evil” and “Demetrius and the Gladiators.” Darryl Zanuck’s production of “The Egyptian,” to have its world premiere in the fall, also was on the agenda. Mr. Lichtman told the salesmen increased print production also will be reflected in the greater array of available CinemaScope short subjects. At the same time he reported that “The Robe” currently is showing in 66 first situations in principal European, Near and Far Eastern cities and that 1,500 theatres in the U. S. and now are equipped for CinemaScope. He predicted that by the end of the year this figure will rise to 10,000 theatres. United Artists to Release Five Films in February United Artists has announced that it will release five films in February, three of which are in color. The films are: “The Man Between,” produced and directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason; “Personal Affair,” made in England arid starring Gene Tierney and Leo Genn; “Top Banana,” film adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring Phil Silvers and in color ; “Overland Pacific,” an outdoor action drama in color with Jack Mahoney and Peggie Castle, and “Beachhead,” war drama in color by Technicolor starring Tony Curtis and Frank Love joy. Film Group Adds $32,239 To Catholic Charities The motion pictures group of the Special Gifts Committee for the 1953 Appeal of New York Catholic Charities collected $32,239, according to the financial report of John J. CALL FOR MORE VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN ON TAX FRONT Although expressing encouragement as a result of talks last week with Treasury Secretary Humphrey and Congressional leaders, Col. H. A. Cole and Pat McGee, co-chairmen of the National Tax Repeal Campaign Committee, warned COMPO’s national tax campaign organization Monday that a continuation of the industry’s present lethargy toward the tax campaign “can defeat us.” In a letter sent to all state and Congressional district campaign committees, Mr. Cole and Mr. McGee called upon all exhibitors to interview at once all Senators and Congressmen who have not made new pledges to vote for tax repeal and to continue their contacts with their Members of Congress even if they have already given a pledge for help. The letter stated that there are grounds for encouragement for some measure of industry relief, but added that “this conclusion is conditioned upon a number of things happening, or not happening, as the case may be.” The letter continues : “These points are as follows : “(a) First and foremost, our Congressional strength must be increased, and it is imperative that those Congressmen and Senators not now re-committed be approached without delay, and their support obtained. “(b) Those Congressmen and Senators already re-committed should not be left alone. They should hear from their constituents frequently by letter or personal visit so that their enthusiasm will remain warm right down to the time of the action that is hoped for. “(c) Any continuation of the lethargy and complacency that is evident throughout the country on the part of industry men can defeat us. “(d) Any assumption that relief of any type will be automatically accorded the industry without the same painstaking work that was accomplished last year can defeat us. “(e) Any failure on the part of your committee to carefully guide the legislation affecting industry relief can defeat us. “(f) Our effort can be defeated by default if tax legislation becomes enmeshed in intra-Congressional controversy, such as was witnessed for a period last year. Such a controversy if sufficiently sharp, can defeat all tax legislation this year. “From the foregoing it may be seen that there are no grounds for over-confidence and that there is absolutely no reason for any assurance that the industry will be automatically granted tax relief consideration unless we all work at top pressure at home and in Washington.” O’Connor, Universal Pictures Co., Inc., chairman, it is announced by John A. Coleman, executive chairman of the Cardinal’s Committee of the Laity. L. Douglas Netter of Altec Service Corp., was vice-chairman of this group. George J. Schaefer, treasurer of the Cardinal’s Committee of the Laity, also served on the motion picture group. The Special Gifts Committee last year passed the million dollar mark for the first time in its historv, Mr. Coleman announced. This amount was in addition to nearlv one and a half million dollars raised in the New York Archdiocese by lay parish organizations. Women's Recruiting Film Shown Defense Secretary The ten-minute short, “The Price of Liberty,” produced by Andy Gold for Warner Pathe, was shown to Defense Secretary Charles Wilson at a special luncheon last week in the Pentagon, Washington, at which Mr. Wilson met with industry executives. Some of the latter were Mr. Gold ; Charles Boasberg, RKO Radio general sales manager and head of the distributors’ sales managers’ committee; and Sidney Kramer, RKO short subjects sales manager. The film is about recruiting of women into the armed services. Distributors will he asked to release it. Warners Report 3-Month Net Profit of $765,000 Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., this week reported for the three months ending November 28, 1953, a net profit of $765,000 after provision of $825,000 Federal taxes on income and $75,000 for contingent liabilities. Film rentals, sales, etc., amounted to $15,825,000. The corresponding operations of the old Warner Brothers Pictures Inc. after eliminating net profit on domestic theatre operations, for the three months ending November 29, 1952, resulted in a net profit of $741,000. Goldwyn's "Best Years" Has Gala Washington Premiere Samuel Goldwyn’s RKO Radio production, “The Best Years of Our Lives,” released originally in 1946 and winner of nine Academy Awards, received a gala premiere at Keith’s theatre in Washington Wednesday to rival any premiere of a new film. The invitational showing, sponsored by the White House Correspondents Association, was attended by White House aides, Cabinet members, ambassadors and stars of the film, including Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright and Cathy O’Donnell. TV and radio coverage were accorded the event by both NBC and CBS. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 6, 1954 19