Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

J-^eonle in D, L %w6 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Nationalism A Problem: Silverstone Fanatic nationalism is raging in the Far Eastern countries he visited and increasingly will become a serious problem for American film companies, Murray Silverstone, president of 20th-Fox International, reported in New York Tuesday, following his return from four months abroad. Mr. Silverstone logged 60,000 miles in 22 countries, and was able he said, to give a picture of the world situation. Like Native Product While “The Robe” and CinemaScope generally has built up tremendous interest, long runs and record grosses, which he recited in detail, the fact is that native product is doing the same because it is native, he warned. In the instance of 20thFox at least, the foreign business amounts to 65 per cent of the domestic business, with 1953 the best year, and 1954 because of the new technique expected to be the best ever. Apropos of this, Mr. Silverstone said “The Robe,” now playing ail over the world, will probably gross $25,000,000 during 1954, and that $15,000,000 of this, at least, would be the film rental. He also said “This industry in the foreign field owes a great debt to Spyros Skouras because of the superiority of CinemaScope and the tremendous interest generated in it. Mr. Skouras regenerated the foreign market.” Mr. Silverstone said that 600 theatres abroad now have the equipment, and 5,000 would have it before the year’s end, and that these were more important than the remainder of the approximately 20,000 theatres serviced. Exhibition in which the company also engages, is prospering wherever he visited, he said. The endeavor is, Mr. Silverstone said, to invest in local enterprises, the company receiving dividends as its return, and having as an ally the local forces which are wealthy and influential. In times of native nationalism, no amount of American intervention, whether from the government or the Motion Picture Association of America, has the voice of the local business man, Mr. Silverstone declared. “Robe” Strong The company has just completed arrangements with the Schlesinger South African theatre interests, he said, whereby for 20 years, 20 of the top first run houses will play only 20th-Fox product exclusively. Of these, 20th-Fox controls 12, and will build the others with the Schlesingers. The company also has theatres in conjunction with the Hoyts, Australia, Michael Moodabe, New Zealand, and Gaumont, England. “The Robe” has had some fantastically successful runs, he said. A basis of com Mort Blumenstock, Warner Bros, advertising and publicity vice-president, this week returned to Hollywood from New York after discussions on promotion plans for forthcoming product. Joel Hart, formerly with 20 Century-Fox’s foreign organization, has been appointed United Artists manager in Cuba, succeeding Jose Del Amo who died in November. Woolf Saunders, onetime manager and more recently exploiteer for the J. Arthur Rank Organization, has left London for a post with the organization in New Zealand. Phil Todaro, former manager of the Mercury, a Michaels circuit operation in Buffalo, has been named director of advertising and publicity for the Century theatre in Buffalo. Thomas G. Carroll has been promoted to office manager in the Republic Pictures branch in Albany. parison is with “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” hitherto the great record breaker. In Paris, “The Robe” did $600,000 in seven weeks, to “Snows” total of $90,701. There are similar records in England, Siam, India, Japan, Manila, Australia, and New Zealand. The picture and the process of CinemaScope have caused January business to be ahead of January last year by 10 per cent; and Mr. Silverstone added that returns now coming in show that February will probably by 20 per cent ahead. Screen Directors Awards to Zinnemann, Florey, Crowther The Screen Directors Guild annual award for best directorial achievement went last week at the annual dinner of that organization in Hollywood, to Fred Zinnemann, of “From Here to Eternity.” Robert Florey received an award for best direction in 1953 television; and Bosley Crowther, “New York Times” critic, was termed the “most constructive cinema critic.” John Ford received the D. W. Griffith Award for his contributions to the art of direction. Mr. Crowther, a dinner speaker, said press and screen had a fundamental alliance to preserve freedom of expression. Florida Showmen to Meet TAMPA: Horace Denning, president of Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida, has invited all exhibitors in the state to attend a special meeting of the organization at the Floridan Hotel in Tampa February 15. The general theme of the meeeting will he trade practices. Jules Livingston has been appointed Republic’s branch manager in Cleveland. He had been branch manager in St. Louis and that post now goes to Raymond J. McCafferty, former senior salesman in that branch. Fred Lutkin has been named business manager of the advertising, publicity and exploitation departments of RKO Radio. He succeeds Lou Gaudreau who resigned recently to join the Walt Disney organization. Steve Broidy, president of Allied Artists, was reelected president of Temple Israel of Hollywood following a meeting of the board of directors. Leon J. Bamberger, RKO Radio sales promotion manager, has been named assistant to the chairman of the sales managers committee of the Motion Picture Association of America, that post being occupied by Charles Boasberg, RKO general sales manager. Daft Reports Ranh , l -# on Good Terms Alfred Daff, Universal’s executive vicepresident, declared in New York last weekend that the relationship between Universal and the J. Arthur Rank Organization is on “good ground” and Universal constantly is trying to expand the distribution of Rank pictures. His statement stemmed from remarks made in London by John Davis, managing director of the Rank company, to the effect that his company’s product was not getting the play-off in this country that it deserves. Among other things Mr. Davis said that despite “many fine films” sent out, the hilling for 10 months was “only up by $10,000.” Mr. Daff said there was a great opportunity for the conventional theatres to play the Rank pictures profitably, as well as the so-called “art” houses. The wide acceptance of British pictures in the United States proves this, he said, and Universal is giving more attention to the sale of such product through the addition of two sales representatives who will concentrate on the sale of Rank productions. The Universal vice-president indicated that there was a completed understanding on the situation when Mr. Davis returned to England from the U. S. a week ago Friday. Mr. Daff pointed out that “their problem also is our problem.” MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 6, 1954 27