Variety (Jul 1945)

ncnnuH U. S. Film Distribution. Monetary Ootlooii in France Turns Brigiiter Neijotiations on monetary and> nuota regulations governing distri- bution of American films in France sre talcing a more favorable turn, according to some trade sources Indications are that, although- U. S libulion coin must be deposited Jot, .Joe Paslcrnalt, wlio is es- disti".- , in bloclted account in France, sub- stantial amounts for produetion- distiibution purposes in the country will likely be made available via the permit system. French authorities,-who have been planning severe restrictions on U. S. film distribution in recent months -.are,-tioiTi accounts, now considering less drastic measures. At the same time, it should be noted the French government is constantly shifting. Resignation of Jean Painleve as head ol the Ministry of Information, while not a powerful factor, is indicative of general uncertafiity. Film execs in the U. S. do not foresee any final. Ions-term stability until the French government assumes a more perniii- lienl form. • Robert Schless, European general manager for Paramount, expected in N. y. .shortly from Paris, has. been working on ; monetary -and quota plan."! over .there with /other U. S. foreign managers. Possibility is that he may present a more complete pic- ture of developments to Ui S. com- j pan.v tieads. ' Poinjed out by Frencii govern- inent repS; meantime, that regulation placing U.i S. distribution com in . blocfeed- account does not Beces> sarily denote an airtight freeze on -Mse oE such money within France; Money accruing to French nationals in the U. S. is frozen here under U. S. government regulations and can be withdrawn only following ap- proval by the U. S. Treasury.. Likelihood, also, of broad Franco- American . reciprocal trade agreec ments which would, when consum- mated, automatically lift or alleviate . internal-monetary restrictions^ Ex- . port of currency from France to the U. S. ia, of course, something else ■:,«ga(n.--, • . ■ . ■ ■' ■ French government reps in the .11, S. do not foresee possibility of an exhibition quota limiting showing of npnTPrench films to around one- third of available playing time. Chances are that, as previously re- ported in "Variety," the French quota s.vstem will be patterned much along the same lines as the British. French exhibitors would be re- quired to reserve from 15 to 20% of playing time for native films with the balance open to U. S., British, Russian, etc., product. Pasternak's Picture Peak Busiest Hollywood, July 3. ■ producer on the Metro ODEON'S CANADIAN THEATRE BLDG. PLANS Odeon Theatres of Canada, Ltd., IS awaiting government permits to proceed with the construction of the nist of its key theatres in the Do- minion in Toronto. As previously reported in "Va- riety." J. Arthur Rank is not plan- ning a building race in Canada, though he will likely build new tneatres in five or six locations for a start.' RKO to Hit Historic Aug. Production Peak L - Hollywood, Julv 3. August, will be top production motilh in RICO history, with a dozen wtiM-es m work, including seven starters and five overlapping from June and July. ^ Starlers will be "Master Minds." the Falcon's Alibi," "The Bamboo Blonde," "None So Blind," "Step b.\ ''top, "All Brides Are Beautiful' and an untitled musical to be pro- duced by John Auer. Overlappers are ''Cornered," "Heartbeat," "The i'le Detector," "Chamber of Horrors " and "Sunset Pass.'* talillahing a. record of seven pictures in one year, three completed, one in work and three ready to start within the next eight weeks. Finished are "Thrill of a Ro- mance," "Her Highne.s.s and the Bellboy" and "Anchor.s Aweigh." Before the lenses is ''Two Sisters from Boston." Prepai'ing are "Holi- day-in Mexico." "No Leave,-No Love" and'"The KisainP! Bandil." B'wayB.O. Unhurt By News Strike %hUe ■ buslhe.ss in the :Broadway film theatres has not been imrae- dialel> a fleeted b.v the Saturday (31)) midnight strike of the Newspaper & Mail Deliverers Union, paralyzing distribution of papers,- local theatre operators quickly - prepared against setbacks by scramming for radio time, bu.ving all the spot announce- ment space on the air available. While some advertising lineage was cut in 'advance in anticipation of the strike, with reduced space startins; in Sunday's papers, the i^. Y. Times carrying only, about one-third of a page of picture thea- tre business., there is no intention to cut out copy altogether. Circuits and leading Broadway houses ad-^ VGPtising regularly, are sending copy to the papers daily and will con- tinue to do so, not wanting to be caught in the event the strike is sud- denly settled. Advertising a.s;encies and the thea- tres they repre.senl were in huddles Monday : (2) to diiicuss the problem resulting from the newspaper de- liverers' strike but, though it was leported in some quarters that ad-; vertising - being run wouldn't be paid for in the face of no newsstand salesi the general opinion was that the papers would play fair about the situation. The last time there was a similar strike, around three years ago, the newspapers refunded on-ad- vertising which was run. ; . In addition to grabbing all avail- able time on WHN, Loew's own radio station^ Oscar Doob, in charge of publicity-advertising for the cir- cuit^as arranged to place blowups of iTT'Movie Guide in front Of all theatres and will mail this dope on shows to patrons </n its mailing list. Parainoiiiit has purchased 25 spot announcements on the air, while the Music Hall, Roxy and others are .scouting for as much as they can get to reach the filmgoing public. The Sunday fi) amusement edi- tion of the :N. Y. Times was indioa live ot what the strike, meant. Jn ad- dition to reduced space on pictures; legit business run less than two columns and there was no night club, radio or concert-recital line .age. On.Monday (2) the Evening Post suspended publication and the World-Telegram dropped all amuse ment advertising. Sun and Journal- American; however, cai'ried the amusement advertising sent. to them; Herald Tnbune yesterday (Tues- day > dropped all film theatre adver.. • tising, .■; '.'}'•■'■■ ■tl,:; HoUywoodj July 3. Lewis Milestone has postponed formation of his projected indie pro- duction set-up and will .direct the Hal Wallis picture, "Love . Lies. Bleeding," for Paramount release. Filming starts in September with Lizabeth Scott, as one of leads. Loew's Interoatl Takes More Space Recent rapid expansion, need for additional room for itS' foreign-lan- guage dubbing work and postwar operations, this week prompted Loew's International to purchase buildings on West 57th and 58th streets, ■ where a iS-story structure will be built as soon as conditions permit. Site, covers present build- ing at 217-219 West 57th street and abutting structure at 216-224 West 58th. Arthur M. Loew, ,prex.y, an- nounced deal. While price was not stated, it is understood to involve several million. New 12-story .structure will house the studio (the foreign language syn- chronization dapartment, a lab and titling divisions) as well as facilities for distribution and exhibition ac- tivities of Loew's International Films Corp. Later 'it will become the horaeofltice' of Loew^s International Corp.f. which distributes all- Lbew- Metro production in foreign market. At the present -time toew's Inter- national is :so crowded, in; Loew's State foldg. that main offices are on one' floor, but accounting and other branches are scattered over building. Company became so crowded for space it was necessary in recent months to move the ad-publicity de- partment to the Capitol Theatre bldg. In addition Loew's 'international now has its dubbing department in the building at .723. Seventh ave: Besides its exhibition activities via the company's extensive theatre- operating division in foreign lands, Loew's International entered a new phase of production this spring when it purchased two outstanding Mexi- can-mad^ features: for handling in this country. The two pictures now are being "dubbed into English for American audiences. Additional buys of this nature are in oft'ing. Loew's International already is feeling the upbeat from business resulting from distribution of dubbed versions of American pictures both in Latin-America and other foreign fields. Fact that foreign managing directors for principal world coun- tries, who formerly were stationed in the leading city of the.se nations, will have offices in N. Y. postwar al.so* will require added office space . here. Goldberg Trailerizing Own U'Released Film Lou Goldberg's first film produc- tion effort, "On Stage, Everybody," being released through Universal, nas teed off with 100 bookings in Key spots throughout the U.S. start- ing July 11. Goldberg, former man- - T^ajor Bowes, took to the "■oad i n connection, with sales and exploitation plans. 'On Stage" was a Goldberg radio • rn'oductictn on the air for some 60 'Weeks, He has a piece of the film. 4 Fireciacli^er-Toting Juves Fined $100 in St. L. St. Louis. July 3. Four young boys were 'tined 16100 and co,-ts each last week by Police Judge Joseph B. CatanKaro after they had pleaded guilty to hav- ing fli.ecrackers in their posses.sion while attending the Ambassador. Fanchon & Marco's downtown de- luxev. The fines, were stayed and the young 'uns placed on probation for one year. A femme customer saw the boys passing the Explosives to one another and called the house manager, who ill turn summoned the cops. Wave ot .luvenile delinquency in and near flicker houses has sprung up in re- cent weeks and theatre owners and cops are worried about the Eitualioni Se\'eral weeks ago cannon crack- ers were exploded - outside the rear door of a North St. Louis indie nabe and alavmed.lhe customers. APRIL TAXES SHOW B.O. UPBUT^'WAY DIPPED Washington. July 3. The nation's admission taxes for April hit $31,923,364, Bureau of In- ternal Revenue announced last week. This figures contrasts with $28,617,078 for April, 1944, first month in -which the 20% ticket levy went into effect. At that time there was a bite of 30% on nitery tabs, since reduced to 20%. * Admissions taxes for March, 1945. were $29*076,970. About 90% Ot the admissions taxes come from picture houses, • Although the national swing was upward, unpredictable Broadway did not follow the trend. April taxes for-the 3rd N. Y. revenue district, all of Manhattan above 23d st.. amounted to $3,999,344. a dip from the $4,774,234 of the preceding month. However, in April, 1944, -the Broadway total was only $3,755,806. Niteries also fell ofl' in Manhattan, April collections amounted to $528,- 057, and the March figures were a lusty $778,983. RAY KATZ ON COL. CARTOONS Hollywood; July 3. Columbia has appointed Ray Katz general manager of Screen Gems Cartoons. He takes over post Aug. 1. Katz replacing Hugh Mc(!:ollum. who has been supervising two-reel com- edy output as well as heading the cartoon unit for studio. McCoIlum will doncenlrate entirely on comedy production. ' Katz wa.s formei'ly with Leon Schlesinger and then with Warneri. Nelson Sees Fihn Biz as Spearhead For All American Products Worldwide 3 Pix Pinked in Chi Chicago, July 3. Two features and a short were pinked by Chi Police Censors. in Jane, according to Lt. Timothy Lyne, head of the bureau. Fix are .''Metro's "Bewitched," . Universal's ■ '^Jungle Captive" and "Endmy in Your Blood," indie short. Only 19 cuts were made in the 93 pix (382,999 feet ot film) inspected during the month. . . ^ Rank Aide's U. S. Visit on Video Capl. A. G. D West, presi- dent of the British Kinemato- graph Society and technical duector for three television companies linked with the J. Arthur Rank organiza- tion, planed into N. Y. from London last week to survey television prog- ress in the U. S. Capt. West said that since the war television progress had been at a standstill and hoped that some tech- nical advances had been made in the U; S. He declared; that there were 20.000 receivers sold in England be- fore the war, of which an estimated 5.000 were lost in bombings. Six picture houses are equipped with 12 by 15 screens, and these, he re- ported, get good results televising special. events, such as boxing and racing. , , ..••.: ■ - , Captain West returns to London around the middle of this'month, when the consolidation of Bush Radio with Cinema Television will be consummated. The other two Rank companies are Baird^JTele- vision, Ltd.. and Societe . Interna- tionale de Television. OLD AIR-CONDITIONING KILLS MGR., CASHIER Detroit, July 2. A theatre manager and an em- ployee were killed and two other men taken to hospitals when the four were" over.come by hydrogeii sul- phide fumes, escaping from the air- conditioning system in the Iris, east side nabe here, last week. - ': George Spaeth, 65, the manager, and Charles L. Babcock, 22, the ticket-taker, went to the theatre basement to work on the cooling sys- tem after it went out of kilter. With- in a tew minutes after they went to the basement, Alice Singer, the cash- ier, sent an usher to summon Spaeth to the boxoffice. Alarmed when the pair failed to appear, Miss Singer went to the basement and found them unconscious. Her cries attracted two patrons, both of whom were overcome while trying to get the manager and Bab- cock out-of the basement. When fire- men arrived to aid the stricken men they ordered the 300 patrons, mostly women and children, to leave. As re.sult of the deaths, the police and fire commissions here are making a new check on cooling sys- tems, particularly in theatres and other: public places, to put a ban on the use ot those in which poisonous gases are uiied. The: deaths of the two theatre men revealed that pre- vtoLisly perisons had been overcome b.v the gas in the Iris but that there had been no deaths. The theatre's .system was described as ' the deep well" type and the gas rated as one of the most poisonous' after the cyanides. One bad factor in such cooling systems, which the State has taken under investigation, is that in areas where mineral wa- ters aie pumped in, dangerous gases licquciitly are created. Renoir Sketches Used For 'Chambermaid' Pic ; Hollywood, July 3. Private sketches of Pierre Auguste Renoir, noted French painter of the 19th Century, will be used as guides in the costuming of tlie Paulette Goddard starrer, "Diary of a Cham- bermaid." Sketches Ijave .been loaned by Jean Renoir, son of the" painter'and director of the film. They will Show what the well dressed Paris femmes wore in 1883. Hollywood^ July 3. The American film industry can, either fight over the present markets or: step out and increase, these mar- kets'by expanding^ This is belief of Donald M. Nelson, new prexy of the Society of Independent Motion Pic- ture Producers. Nelson, labels him* self as "expan.sionist" and says he:; believes the latter method is the real- way to go ahead. Because of the war. screening ot films all over the world by and for all the armed forces have built new audiences tor U. S. films.. Through this medium, patrons can best be educated to - become patrons of American products. It is Nelson's idea that American, ability and know-how. gives this , countiy the ed.ije in international competition:, providing standards are maintained, because : where U. S. . films go. other products naturally follow. Therefore, he states. America : must make sure its . products are most desirable. Films will be a. major factor in helping American industry maintain its world leader- ship established in waitime, when shooting ends. Nelson states SIMPP is a forward- looking group of producers and the : part films will play in future World trade figured in some of the reasons for his accepting: his new post."l felt there was a job I could do and a .iob I would enjoy doing," the forme'r WPB chief .stated in relerring to his new job with SIMPP. Claiming ,he lacks knowledge of many phases of film industry, Nelson said he plans a series of huddles with individual members of SIMPP to acquaint him- self with the problems he will en- counter. In his press conference Nelson made clear SIMPP is not seeking to supplant established in- dustry organizations, but -will seek to woyk with both major and inde--' pendent groups for the best inter- ests of the industry : as a whole.. Present membership, he states, is not limited strictly to indie producers but that major studios might join, inasmuch as industry is too closely allied to bar any one particular group. Huddled Vim Will Hays In N. Y. Nelson said he huddled with Will Hays while east and the latter told I him the MPPDA "would cooperate in every way possible" with SIMPP. Nelson plans to headquarter both here and in New York, depending ori the problems that have to be met. He will stay here for 30 days, con- ferring with members and laying groundwork for SIMPP activities in world markets.. Nelson replaces Loyd Wright in the presidency, latter retiring be- cause of pressure of legal duties, biit will remain as general counsel for organization. Davis M. Noyes comes in with Nelson as a veepee, and John C. Flinn continues as executive • secretary. SSIMPP's members include George Bagnall, Benedict Bogaus, William Cagney, Charles Chaplin^ ^ Walt Disney, Edward A. Golden, Samuel Goldwyn. International Pic- tures, Jes.se L. Lasky, Sol Lesser, Jules Levey, David L. Loew, Mary^ Pickford, Arnold Presssburger, Rain- bow Productions, Charles R. Rogers, David O. Selznick, Harty Sherman, Jack Skirball & Bruce Manning, Edward Small, Andrew Stone, Hunt Sti-omberg, United Artists, Walter Wanger aiid Olson Welles. 5 N. Y. MAJORS OK WfllTECOLLAR PACT Following lengthy negotiations, five ma.ior homeoffices have finally agreed to a deal with Screen Oflice 6 Professional Employees Guild, CIO affilijite, covering approximately 2,000 whitecdlar workers. Contract agreed upon, calling for various re- classifications, is retroactive to last September and extends to July, 1946. Homeoffices involved are Loew's, Paramount, RKO. 20th-Fox, and Co- lumbia. : A meeting of . the membership of SOPEG has been called for next Tuesday (10) io vote on ratification of the agreement. Mono's Chi Confab Monogram has pushed back its re- . gionaf sales meeting to be held In Chicago until July .21-22. Confabs will start there: the week following NeW; York and Hollywood huddles. Edward Morey and Morey Gold- stein, who top the New York meet, will go to Chicago to run the Mid- dle West sales confabs.