Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

^X/o Kit wood Sc » cene Taps Cites "Title” Song Sales Value HOLLYWOOD : The most important exploitation value a film can offer is in the “title” song, selected or composed for a feature, which can garner invaluable exposure via the “disc jockey network,” according to Jonie Taps, producer at Columbia. “The forming of Columbia Pictures Music Corporation over a year ago has put us in the enviable position of being able to dictate policy on the exploitation of title songs and others featured in our films, whereas other film producers are at the mercy of outside publishers on evaluation and efforts made to sell the songs,” Mr. Taps said. The producer, who came to Columbia 12 years ago as head of the music department, after spending 17 years with Shapiro-Bernstein Music as general manager, and has been producing films for the past five years, with a dozen pictures to his credit, offered proud testimony to the success of Columbia’s new music company, which he helped to form. The “Picnic” title song did more business for the film in the secondary multiple runs, with the teenage trade attracted to the Number One hit song than normally, and the record album sales were Number One in the country for 12 weeks. The “Eddie Duchin Story” theme song topped the hit parade, and its album sales were tops for eight weeks. Disc jockey cooperation on “Solid Gold Cadillac” has paid off. Now “You Can’t Run Away from It,” title song of the musical remake of “It Happened One Night,” is making the rounds. Mr. Taps, also credited with delivering a number of program musicals that effected the film debut of such recording artists as Nat “King” Cole, Frankie Laine, Billy Daniels and the Mills Brothers, as well as the supervision and selection of 70 songs integrated in the all-important Jolson films, is currently preparing “The Mark Hellinger Story” and a science-fiction film titled, “Don’t Make a Sound.” Disney Plans Feature Walt Disney announces that he has chosen Victor Herbert’s musical play, “Babes in Toyland” for production next year. Bill Walsh will produce and Sidney Miller will direct the fantasy as a top-budget, liveaction Technicolor production. HOLLYWOOD BUREAU The production load slumped slightly, to 40 at the weekend from 42 the week before, on the start of five pictures and completion of seven others. Paramount began shooting “The Tin Star,” a Perlberg-Seaton production directed by Anthony Mann, with Henry Fonda, Anthony Perkins, Betsy Palmer, Michel Ray and Neville Brand in principal roles. Republic producer-direetor Joe Kane began filming “Spoilers of the Forest,” in Naturama and Trucolor, with Rod Cameron, Vera Ralston, Ray Collins and Edgar Buchanan. Galahad Productions, releasing through RKO, started “The Violators,” shooting in New York, with Hiram Brown as executive producer, Mende Brown as associate producer, and with John Newland directing. Grand Productions, releasing through United Artists, launched “The Trial of Benjie Galt,” with Sterling Hayden, Darryl Hickman, Peter Miller and Walter Sande. Jerome C. Robinson is producer and Sidney Salkow is directing. Producer-director William Wellman began shooting “Lafayette Escadrille” for Warner Brothers. It has Tab Hunter, Etchika Choreau, J. Carrol Naish, Marcela Dalio, William Wellman, Jr., and Jodie McCrea in the cast. Gottschalk, MGM Close Panavision Lens Deal HOLLYWOOD: Robert E. Gottschalk, president of Panavision, Inc., has announced completion of a quarter-milliondollar agreement with MGM whereby the latter will acquire the first of Panavision’s new photographic lenses and allied optical equipment for use in 65mm photography. “Raintree County,” an MGM special for 1957 release, has been photographed with these lenses, loaned from Panavision, while attorneys have been working out details of the transaction completed last week. The Panavision lenses are not restricted to MGM use, but are made available to the industry generally, Mr. Gottschalk disclosed. Dragon Productions Steps Up Schedule HOLLYWOOD: Pamela Woolworth, 26year-old chain store heiress and major stockholder in the recently-formed Dragon Productions, plans to step up the company’s production activities, using its initial independent production, “The Silken Affair,” which RKO acquired for worldwide distribution, as the proving ground THIS WEEK in PRODUCTION . . . Started — 5 Paramount — The Tin Star (VistaVision). Republic — Spoilers of the Forest (Naturama). RKO Radio — The Violators (Gallahad Prod.). United Artists — The Trial of Benjie Galt (Grand Prod.). Warner Bros. — Lafayette Escadrille. . . . Completed — 7 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Harvest Thunder (CinemaScope; MetroColor); Something of Value; Raintree County (65mm; Color). Paramount — The Delicate Delinquent (VistaVision). 20th Century-Fox — Three Brave Men (CinemaScope); The Lonesome Gun (Regal Prods.). Universal-International — Man Afraid (CinemaScope). . . . Shooting — 35 Allied Artists — Gun for a Town (Jerold Zukor Prod.); Love in the Afternoon; Jennie (CinemaScope; Color). Columbia — Garment Center; The Man Who Turned to Stone; The Cunning and the Haunted; The Bridge on the River Kwai (Horizon-American); The Admirable Crichton (London Films); Fortune Is a Women (Launder-Gilliat Prod.); The Story of Esther Costello (Valiant Films); Interpol (Warwick Prods.); A Town on Trial (Marksman Films). Independent — Crime Beneath the Sea (Nacirema Prods.); Kill Me Tomorrow (Amalgamated Prod.); One Man's Secret (Amalgamated Prod.). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Designing Woman (CinemaScope; Color); Ten Thousand Bedrooms (CinemaScope; Color). Paramount — The Joker Is Wild; Flamenca (VistaVision; Color). RKO Radio — Escapade in Japan (Color); The Girl Most Likely (Eastman Color); The Lady and the Prowler (Color). 20th Century-Fox — Man from Abilene (BradyGlasser Prod.); Island in the Sun (Zanuck; CinemaScope; DeLuxe Color); Boy on a Dolphin (CinemaScope; Color); The Girl Can't Help It (CinemaScope; DeLuxe Color); The True Story of Jesse James (CinemaScope; DeLuxe Color); Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (CinemaScope; DeLuxe Color). United Artists — Bail Out at 43,000 (Pine-Thomas). Universal-International — Pay the Devil (CinemaScope); The Land Unknown (CinemaScope); Night Passage (Technirama). Warnsr Bros. — Melville Goodwin, U.S.A.; A Face in the Crowd (Newton Prods.); The Sleeping Prince (LOP Prods.). for future operation of the company, it is announced. Roy Kellino was director of the film, which stars David Niven and Genevieve Page and was completely financed by Dragon and produced under an Anglo-American arrangement with Fred Feldkamp and Richard Coit. Jonie Taps MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 27, 1956 23