Variety (Mar 1945)

Wednesday, March T, 1945 PICTURES FILMS CUED BY INTL COIN PLAN Rank Due in U. S. in May, Probably WOl Make Strong Pitch for U. S. Mart j, Arthur Rank, according to sources' close to his organization, ?>lans to press strongly for recogn|- lon for British films In tin U. S. market in. hit •ohaduled meetings with T). S. industry leaders in May. Rank, who will likely be accom- panied by his legal adviser, Wood- ham Smith, and theatre operating head John Davis as well as Barring- ton Gain, will hold out for important representation In the U. 3. market. $?e is reported planning negotiations looking to opening of a substantial slice of playing time in U. 3. thea- tres for British'films.. Understood, also, that Rank plans to meet with U.' i. Government of- ficials to make representations along these lines. and also seek raw film, stock allocations necessary for the release of his product in the U. S. Felt by British film interests that reciprocal film trade arrangements are necessary towards amicable Anglo-American relations; that by making U. S. screen as available to British product as British theatres are 'to American 'product, national viewpoints can be best exchanged and a better understanding fostered. Rank, from accounts, may con- ■summate a deal for the purchase or lease of a large showcase theatre in New York, possibly where stage shows can also be presented. Unpublished Novel May Garner 1500 In Paramount Deal Long stretch of inactivity so far, this season In the purchase of books for film rights was broken over the past weekend with deal by Para- mount for the screen rights to "Blaze of Noon," unpublished novel, which may net author, Ernest Gamm.as much as $150,000 under various esca- lator clauses. It is the most impor- tant book buy since "Forever Am- ber," which was purchased last sea- son by 20th-Fox. Understood that Paramount is tak- ing an option on "Noon," paying $19,000 on the basis of four com- pleted chapters and an outline. If exercising option Paramount will pay $35,000 more when book is com- pleted. Should novel become a selection of one of the major book clubs, author would receive $50,000 more, while an additional $50,000 is provided for if the book hits the best-seller cate- gory. Deal on this basis was under consideration by several major stu- dios, with Paramount reported win- ning put. "Cannery Row," by John Stein- beck,- is another property currently under consideration by some studios, although none is reported ready to meet the $200,000 asking price for the screen rights as yet. Some be- lieve that the high price would be justified only if the Steinbeck novel should hit the best-seller lists. SAG's Cob Claims Hollywood, March ft. Screen Actors Guild collected a total of $451,141 in claims for film extras during the eight years when atmosphere players. were Class B members, according to a flnal^ tabu- lation ending Feb. 1, when SPU be- came the extras' bargaining repre- sentative. Collections ranged from $14,375 in 1937 to $90,795 in 1945. SHEEHAN RECUPERATING Hollywood, March 6. Recuperating from two operations. Winfleld.She.ehan leaves the hospital this week and will return to 20lh- Fox in time for final details of "Cap- tain Eddie," his independent pro- duction. Filming of the picture during Sheehan's illness was carried. on by Darryl F. Zanuck and Lloyd Bacon, ft Is now in the cutting room. Saildrs Beat Up Producer San Diego, March 8. Man Alexander, film producer, U in terioui eondition in a* hospital here after an attack by two sailors whom he had offered to drive to Hollywood, He was thrown from his oar and found in a pool of blood be- side the highway. Alexander releases his produoMons through PRf. Selznick 8 Own London, March 8. While rumors persist that David O.. Selzniek plans .to start his own distribution organization in England after completing two more pictures for United Artists release, more likely that the producer will have a group of hie own distribution execs for a starter to supplement the regu- lar UA sales force. David .Griffiths, Selzhick's Lon- don Tep, will likely be in .charge of anticipated expansion in operations. Also reported here that Republic and Monogram plan to open ex- changes; WMC'KEYMAN' LIMIT HALTS STUDIOS'PLEAS Hollywood, Maroh 6. . Requests by film studios for defer- ments of employees under 30, on the plea that they are "key men," have ceased suddenly. Cessation Is the result of a recent ruling by the War Manpower Commission that nobody is a "key man" in any industry un- less he has had at least IB years' ex- perience. This ruling applies alike to techni- cians and front office men in execu- tive jobs, Deferment Regulation Washington, Maroh 8. Requests for draft deferment* for key men in.the amusement industry, must be filed no later than March 10, Maurice Green, head of th.j Rec- reation Section of the WPB Office of Civilian Requirements, has an- nounced. Under the new Federal plan, de- ferments for men under 30 In essen- tial activities must be made by ap- propriate Government agencies and Green's unit is handling it for show biz. Deferments for personnel 18 to 30 must be requested on Form 42-A Special, Green explained. Requests for ■ deferments of personnel 30-33 must be. filed on Form 42-A with the local draft boards. II is understood here that the newsreei and particularly the film laboratories will apply for a con- siderable, number of deferments. Up to this point, however, .the Holly- wood studios have not indicated whether they will seek to keep any- one under 30. Since most other branches of show biz are not rated "essential," they will not be able to apply for defer- ments. Hartman, Goldwyn Sever Hollywood, March 8. Don Hartman winds up his pro- ducer-writer pact with Samuel .Gold- wyn May 15. Contract : was abrogated by mutual consen t several weeks ago, but Hartman is remaining oil the job. long enough to complete his screenplay for the next Danny Kaye picture. Meariwhile Hartman is mulling a proposition to produce independently for Columbia release. VS. TRADE ill By MORI KBUSHEK Outbreak of international eco- nomic warfare, which V. S. Govern- ment officials and economists warn would follow failure to work out a formula along the lines of the Bret- ton Woods monetary plan, would quiokly engulf the vulnerable American : motion picture business, In the opinion of film toppers. Molding both a promise and a threat for the U. S. film industry's $1^3,000,000 annual export trade, final decision on the Bretton Woods monetary proposals for economic collaboration may spell either, main- tenance, possibly expansion ot-U. S. film trade abroad, or a dangerous 'constriction In both foreign and do- mestic film operations. That's the belief of industry execs watching for the outcome of the Bretton Woods' controversy for a clue to film in- dustry prospects ' at home and. abroad. Devaluation of foreign currencies alone could quickly, reduce Ameri- can film company revenues by $50,- 000,000 to $75,000,000 a year. (Film industry is considered more vul- nerable than any other' because the film is now recognized by foreign powers not merely as a commodity but as a communications medium which other nations are preparing to harness for their own respective propaganda and world trade needs;) A double threat would confront the U. S. foreign film trade on the economic front—the threat of blocked balances abroad combined with currency depreciation. .There's already talk of reducing the value of the English • pound sterling from $4 to $3. This would mean an auto- matic decline in the value of U. S. film exports to Britain of some $20,000,000 to $25,000,000 annually even if rental and British theatre-re- ceipts are maintained at wartime levels' in the postwar area. France, too, Is believed getting set for eventual devaluation of the franc. While officially valued at 2c, the franc has been bringing about He on the black or uncontrolled (Continued on page 52V WB Sets New Film Low, Only 25 Pix Reported that Warner Bros, will establish a new all-time low for ma- jor picture oompanles by delivering legs then 25 features this season (1944-45), taking it up to Sept. 1. This is likely to be revealed on Friday (9) when Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager for WB, holds a homeoffice sales conference to out- line distribution plans and sales pol- icy for the remainder of the season. In addition to company's field dis- trict managers, h.o. execs to attend will include Bort Blumenstock, Roy Haines, Jules Lapidus, Norman H. Moray, I. F. Dolid. Ed Hinchy and Stanley Hatch. VAN DRUTEN TO ADAPT TURTLE'PLAY FOR WB John van Druten has agreed to do the screenplay of his "Voice of the Turtle" when Warner Bros. Alms it in a couple of years. Tie playwright, allergic to Holly- wood scrivening, guested WB's N, Y„ story exec, Jake Wilk, at his (van Druten's) California ranch, and there the deal was consummated. Wilk just got back from a two-month Coast stay after huddling with J. L. War- ner on other story properties, . No Matter the Readjustments in Pix Operation, No Question the Curfew Cuts B O. in Keys; Figure 5-10% Dip 8 P. M. Changeovers Chicago, March 6. To make up for loss-of rev- enue caused by midnight curfew, Warner Bros, theatres have ad-, vanoed times, of price changes in its three top houses here on Sat- urday from 6 to 5 p.m. Move is cueing a trend in same direction on part of other clr-. cults. Leo Spitz's Checkup Hollywood, March 6. Leo Spitz (International Pictures) ':■: in the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital ••.here he went Sunday (4). He's in for a general checkup. Schaefer Sets Tomorrow' Deals . With George J. Schaefer on point of finalizing partnership deal with' Lester Cowan, United Artists has reportedly resumed distribution of "Tomorrow, the World," which had been temporarily held up. Schaefer has ironed out and approved many of some 400 contracts previously re- jected by the Cowan office which had held out for higher terms and better dates. Also under consideration is plan to tie "Tomorrow, the World" in with Cowan's forthcoming "GI Joe," with both pictures to be sold on a single contract if the proposal is adopted by Cowan. Though deals on "Tomorrow" do not bear the Schaefer signature, since he had not formally joined the Cowan organization at last reports, understood that the distribution exec handled the' deals on "Tomorrow" on which objections had been raised by the Cowan office. Schaefer's deal. with Cowan, first reported in "Variety" several weeks ago, when consummated, would call for. a salary and profit-participation. Sohaefer had planned to leave N. Y. next week for the Coast to huddle .with Cowan and gander "GI Joe." He may postpone trip, however. His deal with Cowan, it was stated last week by sources close to Schaefer, is still under discussion and; no agreement has been signed. EDDIE MANNIX HEADS H'WOOD PRODUCERS Hollywood, March 8. B. J. Mannix of Metro was elected president of Producers Association, yesterday (5) to succeed Y. Frank Freeman. Paramount studio head, who held tlie-post for four years. B. B. Kahane. of Columbia, was'named first vice-president, and Cliff Work, of Universal, second veepee. Fred W. Beetson was i named executive y.p. James Howie was given post of sec.-tre.as., job formerly held by Beetson. Latter has been ill for more than a year and has spent only a few days at his desk. Beetson was also reelected presi- dent of Central Gasting Corp., with Howard * Philbrick elected v-p.,- at same time retaining his post as gen. mgr. Howie was-named sec.-trcas. of Central. All members of board were re- elected with exception of Col. Jay- son Joy, who was replaced by Joseph M. Schenck, former prexy of Association'. Other directors named are Freeman, Samuel Goldwyn, Kahane, Charles Koerner, Mannix, Work, H. M. Warner and Allen Wil- son.' Worrier was reelected director without comment, although Warners have, served notice . that they will withdraw from Producers Associa- tion,' as well as Motion Picture Pro- ducers and Distributors of America, upon six months' notice effective May 1. +- Midnight curfew is taking a sub- stantial slice out of motion picture theatre receipts' in many sectors throughout the' U. S., according to N. Y. home office execs. It's con* sidered an automatic reduction in weekly b.o. (predicated on shorter running time), which in some in- stances Is estimated as high as 10% although this. percentage will likely be offset by revamped methods of operation. Major, execs, point out that from 66 to 75% of the total national gross is earned by around 20% of the total number of theatres in the country; that these key the- atres are located in large cities where the curfew is mainly felt. Reduction In weekly take, during first week of curfew, of such thea- tres as the Roxy, Music Hall, Para- mount, Capitol, in N. Y., is esti- mated ranging from $10,000 upwards due to earlier closing hour, with boxofflces. being closed by around 10 p.m. and In some -cases earlier. . Regardless of the strong grosses many instances, that is the amount which execs calculate would have been taken in additionally without - curfew.' Thus, the curfew need not necessarily result in a large reduction in ..the national gross, since war con- ditions continue the dominant factor. It may serve as a brake, however, to any further climb iii receipts find is being felt. Cut in attendance is being com- puted in terms of large cities rather (Continued, on page 54) REISMAN'S PARIS TRIP PRELUDES U.S. ENTREE Heads or ■ foreign departments of American film companies may soon. be enabled to enter France for busi- ness purposes, paving v)ay.for mora, amicable Franco-American ,film in- dustry relations. Phil Reisman, RKO v.p. in charge of foreign distribution, reportedly ar- rived in Paris over the weekend. H«' is the first U. S. film com pany f ore-,' ign .department head to be given, permission to visit France. Difficulty in getting visas to go into France in recent months has. been a sore point with U. S. major companies, particularly in view of the entries okayed for British film reps. " Trade Morlt RcelMPrinl 1'OIWDKD BY SI.ME SII.VBKMAN FnhlMinl WfeWy l>jr VAMKTi. Im> yltJ .Silverman. I'rcnult'nt in Wr-m 4011) St.. New York 19. N. Y HimM'RlPTION An/in.it.. . :. .iiO Foreign til siiiBli' Copies 26 Crnu Vol.157 dgSSSS!^ NO. 13 INDEX Bills 49 Chatter ....' 55 Film Reviews . 20 House Reviews 25 Inside Legit ;... ... .'•';• 50 Inside Music 44 Inside Orchestras . 44 Insirje Pictures . ....... 27 Inside Radio 37 Legitimate 50 Literati . ■... 55 Music 42 New Acts .................. 49 Night Club Reviews. 43 Obituary .,... 48 Orchestras ...... ../..'.. 42 Pictures .... — ■ • • 3 Radio 30 Radio Reviews ...... ... 38 Frank Scully ........ — ... 2 Unit Reviews ... 49 Vaudeville. . ......... .... 47 War Activities ■..-..• 4 DAILY VAB.'CTT (Published In Hollywood or Dally Variety. Ltd.) 110 • Year—111 Panic*