Variety (November 1961)

7 Wednesday, ‘November 1, ‘1961 Sacco-Vanzetti Cycle h Making? “Robert J. Clements. in. the ‘Columbia University Forum, a quarterly, reviews the revived interest in ‘Saeco and Vanzetti who were. _executed in 1927 for crimes, committed. in1920.. He enumerates a‘tv play by. Reginald Rose, .aproposed. theatrical film -to be made by. an Italian. producer, a New “York. music drama onthe two Anarchists, an opera by Marc Blitzstein, anda. book “Passion. of .Sacco and Vanzetti” by Ben Shahn, the artist. ‘Clements dwells in ‘detail upon the. “chronicle theatre” version current at the. Parioli “in “Rome and the suspected’ anti-Americanism which has been ~ ‘echoed: by the Italian-Communists although, the. writer points out, ‘Sacco and Vanzetti.as Anarchists. would not ‘be free. an hour ina. | has entered: an agreement with: ‘Miguel . Zacarias, Communist. state. . ‘Question of the ‘innoceiice and martyrdom of. the pair is by no means absolutely answered,” says” Clenients ‘and the Italian play. “drops: out significant, namely, -inconvenient, facts though posing . ‘as‘a documentary. For example, that. the men were packing pistols when pinched. . American Stars Refuse All Risks: Hollywood, “Oct. 31.. Foreign’ films: are making: head: | way in today’s market, as against | . American features having] many hard sledding, due. to a. more ‘realistic approach to: picture-making, aceording to Lawrence. Wein garten, just returned from a seven-| European exploitation, tour: for his two: latest’ Metro produc|. tions, “The Honey moon. Machine’ *" week -and “Ada.” Abroad, “he said. producers, writ| ‘ers and.stars band tegether and take the entire risk; while: ‘here |. stars . demand: both’ high ‘salaries and. a percentage but leave the.|. risk. to the. producer. Star ‘salaries are.responsible for . raising the | ‘costs..of filming today, he ‘added. ‘Producer pointed -out he'd: ‘like’ to see a‘cooperative venture in}. which stars. are willing to take “chances themselves. This would low ts. he said; and if: the’: Paul N. Lazarus Jr., ‘Colambia v.p., | lower costs, he. sai . esps ‘stated in an. address | before. the. picture is-a success theth ‘would make more money. “I'd | ‘rather: give’ larger percentages and , smaller salaries," he stated. . Weingarten :noted there ‘are two: ‘definite audiences for films both ; in’ ‘this: -country and. abroad and j that business ‘is the’same all over.. One is for-the foreign pic repping j vision. said. the exec, declaring tv. sociological ‘culture that : ‘plays art-‘has declined from “experimental,” creative: programming in its early |. Sees Weariness _ houses, the other for action and! “exploitation pix: “If it’s a hit here. | it's. ahit there,”. he. said. Producer ‘has. allocated $6, 000,000 for -his next two productions | at Metro: “Period of Adjustment,” | based: ‘on: Tennessee Williams. comedy, Pheeters,” ‘to follow, Malle $ “Lazie’ Gamble: » Directly Into. Paris, N.Y. ‘Dans Le Metro” directly ‘into: the .Paris Theatre. New York: artie, without: benefit. of .a local middle-|. — Film” will open. later this man, year. into a New. one. If the pic gets bad, or even ‘just mild reviews, producer will | “not ‘be able to make a distrib deal. ‘anywhere near as favorable asa}. pre-release deal. might have | ‘been. | If the pic clicks, he, of course, can]. hit. the jackpot, comparatively. “The; last..example of. the latter case. was British Lion's click . booking. of “Pm All Rjght Jaek” at the New York Guild. This. in turn; cued. ahe profitable deal with Colum; Malle has: just completed. directing Brigitte Bardot -in “La Vie. ‘Privee” “which Metro. will releas in the ‘States.: ‘repping the. director here on : “Zazie. ” PAR PICTURES PAYS’ 50c . is. budgeted at °$2,000,000..j = “The Adventures: of Jamie .Mc-.|’ $4, 000, 600. | Both will be:lensed in: this country. '. chief¢, Hi Martin. for: domés-. “ tie and Americo Aboaf for for-.. Sans “Distrib Link] Unable io get a satisfactory. deal with a local distrib, French. pro|. ducer-director Louis (“The Lov-: ers") Malle is booking: his: “Zazie | ‘While the’ booking” of an’ import. York -house by the} overseas. producer is not an. un‘known practice, it remains a risky: “Blowitz-Maskel is | Company fortunes, ‘Don't Tryto. Figure “How dig those title-changes? What Paramount had. ‘been -’ ¢alling “Easter Difiner” is. now > “Pigeon:That Took Rome.” It's Charlton Heston’ 's. first comedy. Lazarus Sees Pix. Choked by Costs: ‘And Censorship ‘Cengorship. and +high’ production costs ‘are. responsible for a. lessening of creativity in. pictvre making, ‘ Women’s Press Club in New York. last week. ‘He. said that. decisions jas to.what. goes on the screen are ! being: placed’ in. the. hands of. busi-. I nessmien instead of “forward-look ,ing independent creators. ” : This already has hapened to tele days to. its’ present sausage machine -| output,” ”. “Lazarus asked. the femme. fourth. estaters’ to. foster the growth of (Continued on page 16) _Rackmil’s Kickoff Aw first activity in connection with. Uniyersal’s 50th anni: was aluncheon Monday :(30) _ for the trade’ press ‘publishers: ‘and editors. ‘The two sales. . eign; both spoke. after. Phil . Gerard's ‘silken. emceeing.. Cli-:. max. was. Milton “Rackmil's. own off-the-cuff. and® off-therecord talk. Suffice that he dropped that U had a $1, 000,000 gross week last week. All the speakers conceded that the trade. press has its own special importance to. the: film trade. The. ‘Universal Pictures’ brain | trust threw itself a luncheon Monp / day (30) at the Laurent ‘Restaurant |in Manhattan to spotlight prez Milton R. Rackmil and the: company's. “Golden Jubilee” mext year. Come | next June: 8, U ‘hits the 50-year | mark; making it fhe oldest U. S. ' producer still extant. This mile e} | stone’ combines with the revival of after the. slump some -yéars ago. | glow.. Rackmil’s ~personal © performance Paramount. Pictures .board deSince taking.command in, 1952. The clared the regular dividend of 50c confidence was. his;. ditto the een “per. share on the common stock. . It’s © payable: Dee: 15 to holders, of record on. ‘Noy. 30. . | nomic .acumen:: . Jubilee celebrations. will -high “wolves | {cess ° lately A lot of managerial ‘and produc-. |tiqn talent shares in’ the present. Notably. attention focuses on By GENE ARNEEL Nat : King: Cole is. moving into the -field of motion picture produc tion. His -Kell-Cole’ Productions. Mexican pro 4, ducer, calling for a partnership|-— lensing of two features in Mexico. ZZ -exec producer of} ‘Kell-Cole, disclosed the first prop-| ‘Ike Jones, | erty is to be “Last Rendezvous,” with Dorothy : Dandridge east as an Indiah girl. Second is to be.“Eng | lish Teacher,” starring Cole and One Reason Europe's s Doing Better| Mexican star “Maria Felix. _Jones. said Zacarias will provide | the financing and take Latin. mar | ket. rights. Filmmaker added that he. ‘prefers to await completion the -product : before considering American. distribution, _ He said he. hopes to see the films become established. in.key global | points, perhaps .via festival . show‘easing, ‘before hitting the United. | States market; Pencilled in for future KellCole production: is “Adam,” screenplay by’ Les Pine which. is. the story |. of .a Negro jazz musician. Cole -figures on taking. a supporting part withthe lead taken by Sammy Davis: Latter has. said he would ‘like the job, according .to Jones, but no commitments so far. Also. "ahead fs a coproduction with . ‘Millard Kaufman. This ini “denunciation” screenplay + an’ untitled which Kaufman also will. direct. Jones said. he obviously is mind| ful. of tthe “Negro problem” but ‘{s not bent on message pictures. His first concern is to ‘‘make en tertaining: pictures which will show a_ profit.” “While Negro casting is promi-! nent at the outset, the intent-is to hire. white performers,’ as ‘well, to be determined by the nature of: the scripts and” character parts. With Italo Specs Madrid, Oct. 24. ~Maleno Malenotti feels that the renaissance of. the Italian. motion -|picture ‘industry in the past few : years. merits a more analytic point | of view than the humorous refer-{ence’-to. Italy’s. monuments and -{monumental. stars recently attrib“luted. to . him” in a -front page VaRIETY, -box: (Sept. 20), “The. Italian’. producer’ went on {record to say that. Italo films suc-’ ‘was’ neither’ -achieved |. . by monuments, curvaceous stars nor old school directors, butby young-in-spirit. directors such as de Sica and Fellini, plus. the healthy | 4 challenge “of a determined new] generation. following in the neo (Continued on page 16) sales drive, next Jan. .1. through June 30, with U: ready to dispense a $100,000 largesse amongst its domestic. and foreign sales crews to spur bookings. of such upeoming product as “Flower Drum Song,” “Touch of Mink,” “Phantom of the Peas “The. Outsider” and “Cape ear.’ It’s-a point of some uniqueness and. pride to U that Rackmil ‘is ‘only the fourth man to. ‘serve .as president. -Founder Carl Laemmle built. up formidable tenure (19121936) ‘Robert Cochrane and: Nate Blumberg. 11938) reg:mes followed Laemmle. moved Universal -” Hollyw. ood (Sunset. and Gower). and. D0 “NAT KING GLE {Also the pop release of. “Spartacus,” though general. play-. off isn't in the works before’ ’63.) PICTURES § URSELF {Lawyer Argues Standards of Press, Rather Than Books, Wrongly Invoked i ey HGURE| Against Dirty Word in ‘Connection’ Adults in Drive-Ins As already. documented, share of drive-ins in domestic rentals is now considerable, nearing 25% of the industry’s annual U.S. take. But another, even more . vivid, statistical view: is :furnished by market analyst Albert . Sindlinger, who reports that ‘ozoners clocked 40.8% of adult. ‘theatre admissions in first nine ‘months of this year. That, of course, bespeaks the _ Seasonal surge of pasture biz—., the normal warm weather upcurve, and tapering In the waning calendar year. \Pain in Spain As Johnson Flies In Re Trade Entente Madrid, Oct. $1. ‘Motion Picture Export Assn. veepee Griff Johnson planed in from New York to join Mediterranean ; rep Leo Hochstetter for crucial ; talks with top Spanish film authori| ties, with deadline for renewal or of current SpainMPEA accord now dangling. ' Both the Spanish negotiating commission composed of Informa‘tion Ministry undersecretary Vilar Palasi.. director general for cinema Jesus Suevos, and secretary general for cinema Alfredo Timmermann—as well as MPEA bargain' ers, met last week in a friendly Continued on page 16) a ‘Uncle Carl’ Reigned Universal's retrospec_ tive year, 1962, will throw ' the floodlight of memory upon “CUnele Carl” Laemmle, the _producer whose achievements were sometimes greater. than _he knew or intended. ° In King Baggott he had one of the original swoon kings. Probably the industry's first woman producer, previously an actress and.writer, was his employe. She was.Loise Weber. Hiring himself a private secretary at $35 aweek, it just happened to be Irving Thalberg. Eric.. von. Stroheim made “Foolish “Wives” and _ thereby conferred upon Laemmle the honor of making, to his own anguish, the first $1,000,000 production. _ ‘Universal crashed through with “All Quiet On The Western Front.” still regarded as one of the greatest films ever " made. Founded June 8, 1912, Universal Readying A Gala Golden Jubilee the current San Fernando Valley (381 acres in all). Laemmle was one of the pioneers who got the credit (or blame?) for creating the star system. His star: “Biograph Girl’ Florence Lawrence. Actor anonymity had been .the semi-rule in the early one and two reel days. Laemmle convinced Miss Lawrence to stick with him by-the promise of screen credit and. beaucoup attendant publicity as a “star.” Laemmle, a schmaltzy personality much given to trips back to his native Germany, had another large check-mark in Hollywood history: he contributed his brightest em o ployee to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lad by the name of Irying Thal “light a worldwide “presidential” Jthen established Universal City in j berg. ‘{definition of obscenity + The legal battle for a New York State exhibition license for the -|New York-made dope addict film, “The Connection” continues. The director of the state’s film licensing division in Albany, in a letter td the Board of Regents ‘which must review his turndown of the picture) upholds his action by charging that the Shirley Clarke picture is “obscene” as origina'ly ruled. Attorney Ephraim London, acting for Films Around The World, has claimed that the state's is “too vague” and thus unconstitutional The film licensing chief now says that use (28 times: of the “word” in the picture “offends community standards” and makes the picture obscene “in part. " He also notes that newspapers in carrying stories about the hassle have gone to. great, euphemistic lengths to avoid repeating the word which is causing all the trouble. _ London answers that the attempt to impose the standards of newspapers on another medium of expression is capricious and arbitrary. The licensing division might just as well impose the standards of book pubiishing, where the word appears frequentiy and causes little disturbance. The Board of Regents, acting on an appeal filed by Films Around ‘etc., isexpected to appoint a committee to view the picture in New York sometime this month, Columbia Studio Puffers Put on Piece-Work Sked: Plant Idle, They Are, Too Hollywood, Oct. 31. Columbia Pictures tossed «6 bomb in the film colony's publicity ranks by decision not to carry unit publicists on payroll between pix, However, it was stressed by a ctudio spokesman, “the door wiil he open for each of ther tu rejoin the department as soon as production ‘Dicks up.’ , Latter statement was in re!-;. ence to three publicity men +49 have been notifed they will de dropped from pavroll up9Nn Clie plétion of the films to which ther chave been assigned. Trio include Bob Yaeger, with Col for past 15 years. and currently winding on “Experiment in Terror”: Ed J. Fisher, on salar: for past 19 vears, now on “Advise and Consent’: and Mac St. John, with studio for about a year and set for “The. Interns,” starting today :31). New policy, said to have hen decided upon some months ago at top echelon meetings. EMBASSY RELEASING 1947-8 BERGMAN PAIR Embassy Pictures, extending its art film’ catalog, has -picked up a couple of vintage Ingmar Bergman pictures that have been kicking around. the Manhattan marts for some, time. The pix, being readied for release next year, are Prison,” made in 1948, and “Music in the Dark,” completed a year earlier. They were acqilired by ._Embassy from actors’ agent Archer King. Most of the Bergman output has been handled in the U. S. by Janus though some of the producer-director’s lesser-ranked efforts are distributed by other indies. “Prison” is concerned with contemporary morality, a pet Bersman theme. while “Music” is about a war-blinded pianist. This one may benefit from the recognitive value of Mai Zetterling’ $ Name on marquees. et ee ee eee ee oe STANLEY COMMON PAYS 3%e Stanley Warner circuit has <eiclared a 30¢ per share diivy otts cammon_ stock. | Melon is pavable Nov. 24 to hoid ers of record as of Nov. 8. 8