Variety (November 1961)

Wednesday, November. 8, "1961. _ VARIETY. PICTURES 17 "(Editorial ‘Note: ° Film: referred *. ‘to herein ‘following is now. titled, ' “H, M.S. Defiant”.) ‘By HALSEY RAINES Denia, ‘Spain, Oct. 2A, When I was approached to work oh “The Mutineers,” I explained that. I couldn't swim.'|I had: once tried, in callow youthhood, but flunked out after: two weeks. at the ‘West Side YMCA, I got a look at. the instructor's. private’ notes ‘the. day I. finished and in-red ink was written: . “Incapable ‘of any. ‘form of marine mobility.” Nevertheless, -I was coaxed or hhoaxed into the job by the dual blandishments” of a Britishfilm -praducer-peer, | plained ‘glibly that although public .f¥elations liaison must’ be maintained with..the ship Defiant iconstructed on the lines of a 1786 British frigate, JIS HEI SII TI III I SETA IDOI TI TAI IO IA Sete § A Tub-Full of Press Sagonte ROHR RRB EO RHEE ERO H EERO HOR OER R ARORA E ABROAD mission from. Richard . Goodwin, 7 ‘the company manager, to go ‘out | with. him on ‘the pilot: boat: which. ‘Hate each. afternoon met the ‘De|} fant: just. outside the. -harbor to Lord © Brabourne, | ‘and a‘soulless Columbia executive: in London, Syd ‘Mirkin. Both. ex-. know. | escort: it back. ° "The: pilot boat that. day proved a late afternoon: squall had blown. up the harbor waters. The ‘boat. in ten minutes .was ‘skipping .ahout |. like a ‘sauped-upConey sland: Whip. : Cervantes, | We were only. going out in. the. harbor: to climb. on the -Dehant, Held: the boat. ‘down very solidly at One end. He weighs 305 pounds.. ‘He ‘started showing slight. tints of |. green. He wanted out. He. didn’t.) how | “much I: wanted’ _the ‘same thing. We ‘were two-thirds’ of. the: way dit was 125 feet: lta the ship, and Goodwin said it long, even-riding, and the Mediter| ‘ was. impossible to. turn back. All ranean in-August was.as calm as a; he could do, he said, would be to tub. of. bath~ w ater, writer's later footnote: Bath w ater, my aunt Enid‘) I explained I had become extra Sensitive: about Davy. Jones’ wil-. lies during ‘Guns :of Navarorie” | ‘and was a bit of a ‘dolt about how } to conduct miself:'on the water, I was.told the néwest super-dra-. mamine tablets were (no pun _in-: tended, one hopes) fool-proof. What “neither John Brabourne |”. “nor Mirkin told-me was. that ‘to “escort a member ‘of the. ‘visiting’ press to’the Defiant, nine miles out at sea,;.you had to make the: trip int an ancient wheezing, twitch-ing Spanish ‘on a vodka binge. ' After. 11-a.m. the ‘Mediterranean waters were ‘about. as‘ calm. as:a “Rejoin the Crown” rally might be in’ Dublin. I took’ dramamine before and after ‘each meal, but belatedly _Jearned that I had thus. overdosed myself and-. built up .an “allergy against protection. The Defiant. didn’t. want press except for brief intervals—it was too crowded, ‘so you. couldn't . go out in the morning and stay. ‘Worst of. all. to board the Defiant from. ‘the fishing sloopit was. necessary .-to transfer. to’ a. vertigo-here-Icome rowboat. w hich at any monient threatened to. make my John Hancock insurance ‘policy operative in favor of. my Wife. T met my ‘final. -nemesis; after |” “-‘s0me painful’ preliminary’ journeys, in the form of a. bland, deceptively personable Spanish: correspondent ; bearing the magic name of Cer vatites and credentials from Hank |. Werba. Dr. Henry Cervantes. serv| iced 76 papers throughout. South ' America. I had decided on no more | “sea press,” but was obvi iously desirable to take hini‘out to: -meet. Alec Guinness, Gilbert. -Steeling myself. for the ordeal, | I boarded the fishing boat with.a. :, flask of Fundador. brandy clutched ‘in one bony, bloodless hand. After’ _-Yeaching. the vicinity of the Defiant and ‘churning: around,.. semaphore signals: ‘were raised. which I. ‘with “My: somewhat mixed-up. Boy Scout recollections, Tead as: “Go. home, . Yank, ‘go home.”. was told: nothing so pungent was intended, but that. it just. meéant a ‘Bcene was under way and. no inter-' ruptions wanted. In any case, I. heaved. in profound relief, as well as ta comply with nature's de-. mands, when the ‘Spanish fishboat helmsman headed back for shore. -That.evening Cervantes and. I ‘drowned our frustrations in a game. of bridge which lasted until 4 A.M. I paid. him my four hundred ‘pesetas with great glee: it was.-a cheap price for not having to.run the sea gauntlet again. I apolo gized for his missing. the iriter-. views: which he so wanted, and he said he was leaving for Madrid later that morning. vantes had decided. to. remain an extra day. and would’. ‘hazard the tortuous ‘trip again... This time I conceived what: I joustereng pioneers of the motion thought a.shrewd idea. I got. per ing boat, which ‘whirled about like a looney Indian. Dirk Bogarde, Tony Quayle and director. ewis, | (Mournful !Jand us ‘temporarily ona kind of | harbor-buoy,. half-rock, half-ce|-ment."The. boat almost splintered when it: ‘pulled up there. The buoy. was about two by two. . Cervantes clambored up and took up most | ! of it. He tactfully pointed out, as we were left along that in another | hour the water -would probably’ be ‘splashing ‘over us; -itwas ‘rising : ‘| fast. . “ ‘Meantime “The: ‘Mutineers” unit | had decided to ‘doa’ night’ shat. | When no rescue boat returned: to pick -us. up; I pulled off. my shirt ! and waved it toward ‘shore, yelling. : Better I had stood in bed. We were too far.away and it. was almost dark. Cervantes didn’t. have either | ‘a deck of bridge cards or a prayer-. ‘book with him. He couldn't hum ‘Paramount Theatre's 26-unit: New | England: circuit, said the commit “sometimes unfair -criticism,” ‘to | oppose. tollvision, : Afterwards. I tional representative. reelected include: 2 Brown, ‘prexy ” Boston .Garden; oT reelected were: W. H. Elder’ and ‘tres; J. A. Totman and J. A. Brac ‘terstate. Theatre; Max I. Hoffman, : 'B & Q Theatres; ‘Winthrop S. Knox JP... Stanley. Summer and‘Frank, But I had. reckoned without the} ¢ Lydon. . reserve Castilian tenacity of myguest. To my: dismay I ‘received. ‘& message. at breakfast that Cer- enterprises, “Rock of Ages” either. Ww hen” I figured -our landing party’ had forgotten hs Pass. on the dope about our. little ‘seaside. hideaway, and got. moré and: more | who. didn’t bother} ‘with dramamine when. L. told him:| | MCA Can Pick Its Spot . SI don't. ‘mind. telling you,” a said one major studio topper, -.“J'd like to be. the. distributo. be a rowboat even smaller and |bouncier than the one thatusually | transferred press deep at sea. And |. tor for MCA’s theatrical films, duction. . They’ re in it. now, already, via their packages, | but. unlike Revue,. which pro duces,’ distributes. ‘and owns its. — ty. films,.in major production ' MCA has. been essentially the agent: ‘albeit: an. . -Important ‘packager. ” This is the: ‘answer ‘to Jules C. Stein, Lew .Wasserman & Co. undoubtedly “talking. to everybody.” “It. is. also . answer.to why almost every major film studio has been mentioned as becoming. a “partner’ of or being “taken over” -by MCA. -Latter has. a. year, under SAG waiver, ‘to get out of the agency: business or tele‘film production. The: ‘choice © _s obvious. Yank Pix Show «Big: Comeback In Italo Keys Rome, ‘Ort. 31.: Yank product” shows a_ sharp} ' comeback . ‘from last” year’s low totals in the just-released Septem‘ber. boxoffice figures for Italian key. cities. Percentage. slice copped | by Ametican ‘pix. this year was | over: 35° as against only about. 23° for ‘the. ‘previous September. The Italian.‘ ‘cut dropped from nearly 58° for 1960. to, about 49% for. this year. {including TtaloFrench coproductions). Contributing sfrongly .to this when. and if they go into: pro° How a 1960 Film’s Top B.0. | Differs in U.S. $ Value Compared With the ’30s Monterey, Cal. Editor, ‘VARIETY: As. I’m wont to do during the year after its issue, I was re-reading -your 55th Anniversary issue | last week; so doing I came upon -a pencil. mark I'd made at some earlier date. alongside the “All ‘Time Top ‘Grosses” compilation. This pencil * “mark of mine -was ‘| “dollar value????2”. I know I’m about to trample on lthe sensitive feelings of film producers, but I offer this suggestion jto VARIETY. sary-issue compilation of “All Time Top Grosses,” I suggest the gross “| figures: to a Standard dollar value. '|.The Department of Labor uses, I ; | believe, a 1949 dollar in its cost-ofliving comparisons, hence. dollar values since that time are readily available. Suitable extrapolation in the years before 1949 are certainly possible, too. In any case, whatever, the standard (using today’s dollar value might soothe the feelings of current producers}, I. believe that a truer picture of film popularity: might be .effected. Vartety’s files contain the playoff time’ of..all these films, and the dollar-discounting factor for this period could be applied to the -estimates. In the case of reissues, the dollar-discounting factor for the reissue periods could be applied to the reisue gross, Of course, there are. other factors buried in the gross figures -which don’t tell all the story. For example, 5,000,000 people. paying a dollar to see a film brings in $5,900,000 (I’m forgetting about taxes, etc., in this example); 10,000,000 | people paying half a buck brings soaked with the hurling: spray, 1 healthier: American showing were | in the same amount; but the “pull” debated whether it would be better} such pix as “Exodus” (UA), “'Sparof the latter film is obviously greatto wait or. jump in. Cervantes.; counselled. waiting.. Finally, out of | (WU), the blackness,’ some hours: later, a"| “Guns. of . Navarone” leaky rowboat appeared, and” we | “Ben-Hur” (M-G). (1961-62. season! dollar “standard” got towed home. (U), . “Come September” “Two Rode Together” (Col), (Col), and: facus” figures only) which shared the rep" Please, . no more sea -pictures. 10 positions in national key city b.o. Even if they. are Aones, like. this | Such Italo items as “Il Federale” one.: Stanley Donen,. are’ ‘you: li {ening and. is all forgiven? Ca Foreman, . are, you thinking about’ doing any. movie set. in a. junele!.: desert, golf. course or supermarket?, STERNBURG PROJECTS © A VIGOROUS REGIME Boston, Nov. 7. tres of New England at its annual; meeting held at Hotel Touraine in: ‘Boston.. He immediately appointed | committees to activate an aggres-. sive public relations program. ternburg, who ‘is president of tees. will work: out: programs designed to improve ‘and: -increase the. flow of product to ‘theatres; to. combat “negative factors,’ and censorship: and. other threats. “Also reelected were John di: Ford, Maine &.N:.-H. Theatres, chairman of the: ‘board; ‘and Samuel. Pinanski,. American Theatres, . ma Other officers and directors Walter A, Richard J... Dobbyn, Edward ‘S: Canter and Chester Stoddard. ‘Also. James E:. Tibbetts: of’ Loew's Theaken,. Stanley-Warner Theatre; Jay. Golden and. Ben Domingo; RKO Theatres;. Theodore. Fleisher, ‘In-| Richard A Smith, presidént of General Drive-In. Theatres, Smith Management Co., Richards DriveIn Restaurants ‘and: several other was elected to the Directoraté replacing — his late father, Philip: J. Smith, one of.the’ Picture industry: DeLaurentii Ss. Robert: M. Sternburg | was.. aE ‘elected ‘president ofAllied ‘Thea {Regional),, “I. Love, You Love”. ‘| (DeLaurentiis), “Ol Sarabiniere a | Cavallo” (DeLaurentlis? and “Toto ‘Tru Ha’ (Regional) also were. in the top. 10. Universal, ‘thanks.. to ‘the fast ising . “Come September” and its | | particularly strong showing in Milan plus the. holdover “Spartacus,” led“ all other distribs here. ‘It was followed by. Dear Films. and Current Yank trend is’ up, with indications : that: October totals will | ra US. product cop a dominant.; 0: of Key pb. 0, . DES MOINES WRITING -AN‘AD-CONTROL’ LAW: Des Moines, Nov.7 The: City Council | has. ordered ‘a. measure drawn for its. consideta~ ‘tion for regulation of. motion ‘pic tures shown: -here, ‘and. advertise “ments of them, on the basis of standards of ‘decency. The measure | would. create a theatre permit ‘board to’. investigate ‘complaints: against ‘city-licensed ‘theatres and make recommendations to the council and. also empower ‘the ‘| council. to revoke | a. theatre license ‘on specific grounds relating to ay film or: an. advertisement. _Des Moines has 11 elty-licensed | motion picture theatres but its li| censing authority does not extend ‘to drive-ins outside the corporate area. The council recognizes that a | regulatory. ordinance would not ‘apply to all theatres having ‘Des Moines patrons so it was recom aiended that Gov. Norman A. Erbe asked to take the lead in bring ding about a program of co-operative: enforcement.. ‘Corporation Counsel Leonard C. Abels said a voluntary ‘censorship ‘program by the film distributors -would. be even more effective than regulation by the city council since ‘“enforcement of regulations by Des Moines alone. would simply. enrich theatre operators across the | -cornorate limits at the exnense of : theatre operators within the city.” er, assuming the dollar value constant. in my example. ; Nevertheless, the introduction of would help in part to place your compilation in a more realistic focus; it might also cause quite a few raised eye-|. brows among those who feel that. | money alone is enough to make a j film worthy of “all-time” status. As an example {and a poor one inasmuch. as there have been re liscuwe of it) consider “Snow White,” | i listed at. $7,650,000. 1937 was a low | point in'the Depression, yet it saw “Snow White” a success. The next {film listed’ is “The Glen Miller ovat ” ‘at $7,500,000. Now 1954 was not exactly a boom year (al | though the Korean War boom still: {had some momentum), but it was -a far ery from 1937. A common dollar. denominator applied to these | films. tseveral, in fact, to “Snow”) might change the order of listing. On the other hand; admission ; ‘Prices have advanced over fthe' j years, and there is merit to the ; argument. that (in any particular j year). a higher gross (assuming ! equal. admission prices) means a more popular film. But in different years, and/or. at different prices, such comparisons fail to indicate true popularity. I do not suggest that the compilation as it currently stands should. be omitted; rather, a sepa‘rate listing incorporating the dollar-standardization. feature would be invaluable for comparison purposes, — In any case, someone should do it; why: not VaRtety? A. D. Murphy. _Atlanta’s 5 Holdovers Atlanta, Nov. 7. ‘Unusual ‘of late, Atlanta’s five first-rua theatres (not including two art houses) are holding over. Involved are Paramount's “Break‘fast at Tiffany’s” at Wilby-Kincey’s 4,400-seat Fox, 20th-Fox’s “The. Hustler” at the same chain’s ‘Roxy; Astor’s “La Dolce Vita” at the Rialto (fourth week); Universal’s “Back Street’. at Loew's Grand, “A. Weekend With Lulu” (Columbia). at Rhodes. Showing at two art houses are Art and “Blood and Roses” at: Fine Art Cinema. Starting with your next Anniver-. -“Ballad of a Soldier” at Peachtree }sceond group will be ‘See Surge of Untired Plasma Via MCA _ Becoming a Major Maker of Films + By GENE ARNEEL Rarely has the anticipation of a news development captured the imagination of veteran officials in the film business as has the pra.pect of Music Corp of America’s segue into a major role in the pruduction-distribution business. No one is saying authoritatively that MC.A indeed will become a major theatrical. picture corporation. But many oldline pic execs privately ‘say this very likely will come about and. as it does, it could revolutionize the industry. A -v.p. and important financial figure of a very long-established major outfit put it this way: “Those people at MCA are modern and forward thinking. Also, there have been .striking gains in communications and travel, and yet we f{hayent been able to really chanze our basie pattern of operation for 50 vears.” This topnotch citizen of cinama land said frankly he would welcome MCA into the theatrical feature trade because “they undoubtedly would bring new ideas. They're not bound to any kind of tradition. Ideas need only to be, introduced and we can copy them, But we don’t innovate on our own, because this would be radical and put us in a bad light. “ “I'm talking mainly about distribution, but production is a big concern, too. When an old company such as ours starts something new, like in trying to streamline our business behaviour, we find that exhibitors and other companies, as well, get mad. The old way of doing business is not right today because costs are too high. But too many people rebel when we try to ‘change things.” Exec said he -looks to MCA to set the precedents. These comments from this one source, as quoted, and other high sources, go.a long way in reflecting the curiousness of the film business. The major companies recoznize the need for change but no one wants to start the ball rolling. Author Drury's Not Unhappy Re Prem's Script Hollywood, Nov. 7. Claiming “I have a few reservations about the final script but they're not enough to make me unhappy” Allen Drury, former N. Y, Times Capitol Hill correspondent and author of best seller “Advise and Consent” has been reporting daily on the Otto Preminger set at Columbia as tech adviser. “On the whole,” he averred, “the | Wendell Mayes script is faithful to the book and characters.” Yet, explaining his assignment, i Drury told Varrety “I have some ' obligation to help make the fiim as authentic as it can be to the | Senate and Washington.” After a siesta he'll get to a third novel, also political, for same publisher. He hasn’t figured out a title or outline as yet. Author of Pulitzer Prize award -| feels taxes will eat up buJk of his share. . Despite quitting N.Y. Times, Drury will continue interest in newspaperdom. He is prexy of Drukill Co... which owns two Florida weeklies about 20 mi‘es from Miami. Papers are in Groveland and Clermont. His father is secretary-treasurer, brother-in-law Donald Killiany veepee. TWO MILGRAM FAMILY — BOOKING OPERATIO:.'S Philadelphia, Nov. 7 Milgram Booking Service (Co. which handles 95 theatres in the area, has dissolved into two companies. This will facilitate the handling of situations on more in-dividualized hasis. The new booking units went into operation Oct. 28. One group of film. houses will be repped bv Milgran Theatres Inc. through 1!)-vid, William and Henry Milgr « ‘ne handled ‘throeth Nathan Milera' + S* °-ices, iby Nathan and Alvan Milgram.