Variety (Jul 1944)

Wednesday, July 26, 1944 Pft&IETY PICTURES B. 0. GROSSES TAKE SPURT Running Time Two much-heralded pictures opened in New York last week. Both are good pictures. Both are long pictures. Both would be better pictures, besides being able to do one more show daily, had they been properly cut. The pair are "Dragon Seed" iM-G-M >, 2:25 on the screen, and "Since You Went Away" (U.A.), 2:52 oh the screen. ' ■'■ ; a, Long pictures have been getting longer since the abnormal theatre prosperity due to the war. It hasn't made much differ- ence what Hollywood has turned out, money has flooded the -niationM-boxofflce. Eveii though it has been easing_.o_ff _some lately, the situation seems to have reached the point where only , a cold shower under the b.o. is apt to shake the Coast into remembering that cutting,improves pictures. ; . . > ' ' : There appears to be a vein of thought, running through the studios and distribution departments of the film companies, which dictates that long, pictures are automatically high-bracket pic- tures in selling. It's a long idea with a short view that will crum- ble with the first solid wallop. 'i',:;.. y Two hours is a long time on a screen for a. picture. Anything over that is very long. A picture must have a big subject, to ? 'justify 120 minutes of running time. How many recent two-hour pictures have had big subjects? Of course, "Gone With the Wind" remains the all-time champ with its 3 hours and 37 min- utes. Yet this is no reason to forget that "Cavalcade" ran just 1 hour and 50 minutes, and also was pretty good. Talk to studio heads about the extreme length of pictures and you'll find that they shake their heads, cluck their tongues and say, "Isn't it awful?" You'll also hear one remark, "Our studio " has never turned out a picture which has not been improved by cutting." Another says, "All our boys evidently want to make Academy winners." A third one will teU you, "The average script ought to reach me in 130 to 150 pages, but they're sending 'em in here in 200 pages and more." It s hard to understand, therefore, why none of the executives show any inclination to do a thing about it. ' \V;.'•'■.•v ; .'-.'--• '.- : '?';•'.• The peak of the long picture may have been reached last week, however, with the simultaneous opening of "Away" and "Seed." That is because so many people, in and out of the trade as well as the press, have, commented on their extreme length. Such unanimity of opinion figures to eventually make some sort of an impression in Hollywood. It is true that more long pictures are on the way, but these are completed films, some of which have waited months, and more, for release. The-point is that Metro's and Selznick's latest will probably be found to have marked the climax of that picture era which saw running time running wild, v ; L While long-term -picture' business j. prospects " will be determined by rapidity of reconversion from war to ' peacetime industrial operations, cur- rent grosses are reportedly higher i than last .year at the same time for i most major '..companies, both in .dis- tribution and in theatre operation. I : Following a dip last May, through I D-DaV (June. 6). and for a short pe- j riod subsequently, grosses climbed back to virtually the pqak estab- lished during the war boom era and have- : continued steady. Some I major film company execs expect a: further increase in business, next month. Bdxpfl'ice decline earlier this summer reached slump proportions in some sections of the country, with. many theatres sliding: back to de- pression era receipts. ' Full recovery in such instances has since been re- ported. ■ ;!'''•••:.'.!:' •;.■;. : !.■;.': Extent of layoffs in war'plants and, speed of absorption of labor into non-war plants,, after the European phase of the war ends, is expected to determine theatre business condi- tions for the next. 12 months. \ . Anticipated, however, that while there may be a dip in grosses in some areas, the expected shift of population to the west for war pro- duction needed for the Pacific will hypo business in those sectors. Important product, meantime, has been generally reported drawing'top coin regardless of weather or other conditions, with weaknesses appar- ent during the temporary decline early this summer, mainly involving lower grade pictures. •.-';.■••■,* .. WPB to Okay New Theatres Only If Real War Need and After Talks With Existing Operators; No Projectors Wallis Sets 'Lola Montez' Hollywood. July 25. '.'Hal Wallis: announced "The Loves J of Lola- Monte?,," a tale of amorous adventure, as one of his early pro- ductions for Paramount release. Picture, to besereenplayed by Ayn Rand, novelist, will be made in Tech- nicolor. \ :'- ■ Wallis has borrowed Joan Fon- taine from David' O. Selznick to star in • The Af!an - of Susan," for Par- amount release. Comedy, written by . Lazlo Gorog and Thomas Monroe, is slated for ah early .fail start. '". :. . •.. And it's about time. Sid. $300,000 Paid In RKO-Singer Deal Deal whereby RKO took over the Operation of the circuit of 18 Mprt Singer theatres recently, following Singer's death, involved a cash Out- lay of approximately only $300,000. Under the original operating deal between RKO and Singer, it is understood, the purchase of the latter interests was provided .for on a basis of 1 >,-!%' of the profits of the preceding year plus the book value of . the stock. ' Singer houses were : on .-leasehold, and property* purchases were not in- volved, simplifying the transaction. Payment by RKO, upon'taking over the full operation of.the Singer chain, was made to Singer heirs and some partners, from accounts, •-,:, Faber a U. Producer -:' Hollywood, July 25, Bob Faber upped from chief of trailer dept. to producer at Universal I yesterday (24 ). ■; . .: i Former mag writer and editor in [paramount's eastern flackery, Faber came to Coast for National Screen Service and has sold number of orig- inal yarns to major studios recently. New chores start immediately. \ Veepee Zinn, P.A. Harkins Resign From Selznick Hollywood. July 25. John Zinn officially checks- out of the Selznick organization Alig'. 15 as v,p„ but started his vacation' Sat- urday (22i, which keeps hinv.oFf the Ipl until departure date;. He volun- : tartly asked lor release tram con- tract, because certain functions orig- inally ■ planned for him had. not ■mate- rialized with the growth oi the i>oiri> pany. :■/' ■..--.^ '.-■■.W : 5' ; \.O.v'.i' John.Harkins, eastern p:a. fur Selz- nick since March, washed tip his pact last' Thursday (201. \ Russell. Bird well, meantime.- was signed by Selznick to' handle special: publicity and exploitation mi ''.Since Vou.WenfAvay." This is BHslwuil's second important lob for Selznick He was hired in a similar eapacilv tor "Gone With- the Wind."'. ' ■■Harkins. who resigned last . week. VMS assistant to Mitchell Rawsoii "'lien .'the- latter was chief of -the Selznick priiiscry'and..then iHoV'.e'd to •N. Y. upon strcCCsstfin ot Don King tp tire top publicity-posf. FILM GROUPS TO STUDY VIDEO EFFECT ON PIX Hollywood. July .25..: Future of television, as far as it affects lllm workers, will be studied by a group of eight guilds and tihionsi. represented by the Affiliated Committee for Television, with head- quarters recently opened here. Mike Kanin is temporary chairman of the committee and Estelle Foreman ex- ec, sec. '- - •-. •■/' ■'•... ., '■■'; Sponsors, are: the Screen Writers Guild, Radio Writers Guild, Screen Cartoonists Guild! . Radio Directors. American Federation of Radio Ac- tors. American Society of Cinemato- graphers,: Screen Directors Guild and Society of Motion Picture Film Edi- tors; ■. ' V :':.'•;•.. ■::' • "■.■?■ .:■ Only U Received Any Spanish Coin .■■ With .exception of Universal Pic- tures, which for a time sold product outright in Spain on a dollar basis with invoice attached, none of the major film companies, according to informed foreign department sources, will receive any additional coin as a result of the "unfreezing" of Spanish money: . .■■:,■■■■./'"• The Spanish Government's decision to pay its dollar- debts, originally made known in June. 1943, applies only to dollar debts incurred before December., 1936. ■'.; ■• It is pointed: out. however, that normal film deals, are not considered dollar, but '•financial" debts, in the nature of, royalty payments. The dollar 'debt payment will be consid- ered only, where money is due for goods delivered..against invoice. Few film sales are made oilman outright basis,'. .'.•■'•■'-:■■•": ' .; . :.-'■■ ■' v. ' ••; Some-of the majors ha\'e been re- ceiving rentals on Spanish distribu- tion through other arrangements, however. " v U Finds Ghouls Pay Off in Gold .'■,-••, Hollywood, July 25. It pays to horrify, according to sta- tisticians at Universal where ap^ proximately $10,000,000 in profits have been made by th» company's chiller-dillers in the 13 years since "Frankenstein" started thd goose- flesh cycle. Goulish films, including "Dracula," "The Wolf Man," "The Invisible Man," "The Mummy" and others, have been netting around $750,000 annually over a period of years, and the schedule for 1944-45 calls for at least six of the same ghostly brood. . Steady profits have accrued in spite of foreign regulations which have confined horror pictures large- ly .to the American continent.. They have been barred for the duration in England on the theory that the British public has enough real horror On its hands, but the market will be reopened as soon-as the war is set- tled. ■ ■"'-.' ••■'■ •■' ..'•"'■'■'::;'.-":'" . Washington. July 2:5 Barring a sudden collapse by Ilia German Army, in which. ease all.' befs are off, here is, the way tha. WPB Office of Civilian Requirements* sees the situation for film, and other theatres. Situation was lain nut l.ist Thursday (20> at, a meeting of WP3 biggies and the-new Theatre Owners . Industry. Advisory ■Committee. • • 'T.: Priorities will be granted for'' the construction of new. film houses wherever necessary, but real wai- need will have to be shown first.- ' \ Military requirements for elec- tronic equipment are so great thai only 312 new theatre sound: system*, have been authorized for manufac- ture during the last half of this:year' for civilian use. Because of the shortage of some parts, the manufav'- turers will have difficulty in com- pleting tins order, 3. Production of new projectors which, use specialized bearings is de- layed because of the shortage of. tbi bearings, . *.'..'■,".: 4. Sufficient repair parts are be;-, ing produced for existing projection and sound equipment. At preset',-, all restrictions are removed from the manufacture and, distribution of these parts. V 5. There is difficulty in obtaining flashlight batteries for emergen::.-" lighting and kettles for the popcorn machines'installed-in many theatres. : 6. The shortage of carpeting h caused by the fact that the looms which formerly turned it out are ' now making military: tenting,-, How- ' (Continued on page 341— 20th's Regional Sales Meets; Tees Off With 2 , : Twentieth-Fox, .which is planning. regional: sales .meetings, same, as last summc-i. will probably open the first in N. Y:"either Aug. 2 or 3 to co- incide with the opening of "Wilson"- Aug 1 at' the Boxy, N Y ■' Likelihood is that two other . re* gioual's will : be held imri-iediately .ftfter, the. N.'Y. get-together, second iii Chicago anrl third in Los Angeles. . points at which held, last year. A block oi only two: picture,- tees off the new 11944-45 i season -for .2t)tli,..which begins its strason Aug. l, as agi.ic.-l. Sept.' 1 for other distribii- kii\s, The pictures are ' Wing and- a Prayer'' and "Take .It' or Leave If." Twei'itletli's fitwi-r-bloek-oii tho—1-943-. 44 season colj.-i-ted'.Of "five pictures. 5 P.M. NIGHT SCALE UPS PITTS AVERAGES . Pittsburgh, July 25. Although flrst-run houses here didn't up admission Scale's, -.-move participated in by all the theatres practically, .amounts* to same thing. Atierhoon prh-fs now end at 5 p.m. .instead.-of S ji;m; in- the past, which permits.up to three complete turn- oveis now ,at t.h> higher evenin'cf taiid instead of only tv/o, and le>y, as in the past,- , Hoip is (teci to if s-jlt in gen- eral inciease o(: .several thousands weekly among dow!)toi-,n-spots. The shift wei.it into' cfTect last week and -»o far there have been no com- ■plaitUs, although the eyoning-seale-. at-6 policy has -beeii :l-n eftect here - for years.'... >'•, ' ; . y. : ". '■..-.: , :. RAFT TO BE 'ANGEL' • Hollywood. July 23 • TtKO signed Cicorge Raft to star jn ""J-ohnuy A.ni'ol, to be produceci. by Jack Gi'iKv vfill Kay Kiiright -lyti'd a.- nirfit-.-i-. ■ Piciuro will bo based <m' ".Mr Angel C;- "n'c- Ahfia'rdy - . Mention Rodgers Or Depinet to Head 6th WarDriveNov.ll-Dec.7 For the Sixth: War Loan drive, to j extend . from Nov. . 11. ( Armistice Day > to Dec. 1, anniversary of the attack upon Pearl Harbor, it is like- ly a distribufjoii man. will be chosen as industry chiiiri'. an. -. :,-,..:, r -'-• Sentiment in this direction is ex- \ pressed in the trade, in view of the '■ fact that . previous loan, campaigns | ' have been chairmanecl by exhibitors. ] f Si .Fabian, eastern circuit head. Was i I chairman of 'the first: R. K. Griffith. Southwestern "chain tycoon, headed - '! the third: Charles P. Skouras. head ' of Fox-West .Coast, the fourth and ft, . J: . O'Donnell, v.p. . and' genera! manager of Interstate the: fifth. In- dustry took- no particular direct ac- j Uvity in connection with the second : Wai: Loan drive. . ■■'■;: \ 'J. William F. Rodgers. v.p. of Metro i .over sales, and Ned, K. Depinet; y.p; over distribution for RKO, are men-, i tioncd as. strong contenders for ! .chairmanship' of the Noyembcr- I December campaign. , ' '■■ Decision will be reached shortly !.since- the War Activities Conunitle'e Pwanfs" to lay plans farther in ad- :■ Vance this time -, 0B0LER WILL FILM OWN RADIO PLAY FOR METRO -Hollywood: July 25. "Alter. Ego" psvchologicai mys- tery ririgliialiy, wtitten: ' as a radio p'.iiy s'.-irrij g B'-:'.e Davis,, was- pii.r- eha~(d by Metro and will be pr'i- dur-ed a- teaturc. Arch Oboler, au- thor and prodiHC! "oT tlte broadcast.- was signed by Metro to prepare the- i.' ij)t ana ' •:•(.'( I pictlirjc Jen V Bres»ier. present. In/ad of stu- dio shoil.- lnodni iion, will produce film av hi-- lir.-t ellorti .i/i- fcature- h-ngih Held, ■•■:■; , PAR ADDS MONTREAL % SEWS UP TOWN 100% Famous Players-Canadian, Para- mount subsid in Canada, has pur- chased the Orphcum and Gayety theatres. Montreal, for $515,000, price including both land and buiH- ings. :•-'■' ",;. ' :■■:: ,;;■; ' ■:.?;' Acquisition of the. two theatres gives FP-C control of all first-rutis in Montreal. In addition to th? Orpheum and Gayety. the Par af- filiate, in a pooling arrangement with Consolidated Theatres, operates the' Palace, Capitol, Loew's. Princess, Imperial and His Majesty's theatres. ■:':.'•■• Trade Mark B«gtst»i»l • I'OU-NDTiU RY SIM.K-. 8l«.V'K.liJ^S I'illlllsliril Hci'ldv. I>>- VAKIl:i V. Inc. - Kill . hlWrrin.-fti; t'rt'fitU-n. \%\ \Yrr\ 4«> S(.. K> w Ydli li>. N T St'IiHUlilPTtds