Variety (Jul 1945)

INTiSRNATIOMAL II Heat Wave Slows London Pix Pace; 1o Have 20G/O'Rourkel8& Both Big London, June 21, + Sudden heat wave h^"e is hurting ,ome flist-iiin pictures in the West tnd but the long-nm attractions, like' "Princess And Pirate" and '•Henry V," are holding up well., • To Have and Have Not" and "Salty 0\Ronike" lo* strongest of,_ new- comers currently, both being in big Current Estimates Carlton (Par) — "Bring on the GwU" (Par) (3d wk). Hurt by sud- den lioatwave. Despite this, still do- ing aiound $9,000, good. Staying an- other two weeks, with "Incendiary Blonde" (Par) replacing. Empire (Metro)—"Without Love' "(M-G)'" X3d~wlO~"Very"-satisfactorr three weeks, at around $28,000 per. Being pulled due to general relea.se, witii "National Velvet" (M-G) re- '''«»limoiit,(GB) - "Thunderhead" (20th), Picture has a following due to success of Tlicka," but on tlie ■whole disappointing with first week' barelv exceeding $10,000. Stays an- ' other week, with"I'U Be Youi- Sweetlieart" (Gainfeborough) vc- ■ 'Placing^ Leicester Square (GPP)—"Prin- cess and Pirate" (RKO) (5th wk). ■ One of West End's, smashes, being little afl'ected by heat. Doing .steadv $20,000, near capacity. This i? be.^l ■ the house has done since prewar. <a London Pavilion (UA)—"Tlie Way to Slars," (Two Cities-UA) (2d wk). Holding up well at around $14,000, which is good but below business oI: "If!. In Bag" (UA) ("Fifth Chair"), Surprise is that this is being han-; died by United Artists, since its a Two-Cities film, which should haj»e been handled by Eagle*Lion. Marble Arch Pavilion (GB> — "Henry V" (Two-Cities) (30th wk>. Still going strong, with lines at every performance. Now around $11,000. big, since thi.<i makes its 14th week here plus l(i weeks at the CarUon. New Callery (GB)—"S Caballeros ' -(RKO) ((>th wk), Doing steady $10,000. good going' for thi$ medium sized house. Here fot another lom' , weelt.s. f - Odcon (Odeon)—"Enchanted Cot- tage" (BKO) (3d wk). Ha,s. done laiily well, but on disappointnij; side'since crix acclaimed it an epic. Averaged around $16,000,' and now benig replaced by ."I'll Be Seeing You" (UA). Plaz« (Par)—"Salty G'Ronrlco" (Par) (2d wk). Looks. $18,000 per. which is stout. Staying five weeks alter which "Aflfairs of Susan'V (Par) is skedded. Tivoli (GB)—"Experiment Peril- ous" (RKO) (1st wk). Touted a.>; one of tlie best pictures this hou.se has had in long time. Good word-of- mouth helping first stanza to bcttoi than $9,000, good going here. . Warner (WB)—"Have and Have ■ Not" (WB). Dragging 'env in, with Lauren Bacall getting raves, bolli fronv-pi^si—and custonier-s,-HeaduLs; for $20,000 for first stanza, socko, and likely stays for eight weeks. HAL SMITH SAILS TO RESUME PARIS POST Harold Smith, associate manager o£ Hays office international: depart- ment since he returned to N. Y. from .Paris several, years ago. sailed' for Europe yesterday (Tues.) from Boston to take charge of the Paris office, ajjain. Philip R. Saltonstall. now on tlie Hays office international staff but unassigned, leaves London time to meet Smith in the French capital. Length of Smith's stay in Paris will depend largely on condi- ., tions and developments in Prance, . ■■ This is the first time since D-Day that political and economic condi- tions as affecting the film business arc considered sufficiently stabilized to take shape for the future Pur- pose of Smith and Saltonstail will be to re-establish long existing tie;; between the U. S. and France. Un- derstood that there is hope that this will be so well along by the end ot the year that Smith can return to N, Y. to resume consideration of va- rious additional mea.sure.s ti'ealies etc., that are cropping up 1 in all parts of the world since peace in Europe. Understood that the prcs-' ■enl intention is to leave Saltonstall '.nT .change of the . Paris office when .;:SlTlitli;..leayeiS.;': -A', ■■\;,:.--yC Q.ut.>iide Product Needed Wliije there has been considerabl talk about bans on importing .fi,lnis Jnio France, now it's understood that exhibitor interests in France are pointing the way to actual facts. Ihese facts are basically that France .niust have new product from out side for several years. Also these french exhibs lean towards Anier^ lean screen product since realizing It i,s the strongest boxofflce, at least cun-eiUly, Aussie Censors Make New Record, Ban No ^ix Sydney, Jime 1, Annual report of Commonwealth Film Censor Alexander showed that not one film viewed by. censors had beeii: finally rejected. A tew pic- tuies had cuts made, but this is the first: time on record since censorship began that aU product .was okayed tor showing. •' ' Of the 383.feature films imported; the U. S. led with 335, B ritish had '367 and there "were 12 T>thers from various foreign sources. Long Feud Over Aussie Rentals on 'Bernadette' Ended by 20th, Indies Sydney, June 1. The feud between Auss'2 indie exhibs and 20th-Fox is oveT. It started when indies decided to put "Song of Bernadette" on ice unless 2Dlh removed high-rental heat for this film in nabes and country spots. Otto BoUe. 20th-Fox topper here, called a confab of the powerful indie group and laid his cards on the table. He told then that "Bernadette" had cost plenty, and hence could not be sold at ordinary rentals. BoUe said that he didn't want the film banned by the indies. Alter 'many huddles; it was decided that 20th- Fox could sell the picture at a rental suitable to each individual situation with the distrib giving a guarantee that the price would not deprive any independent of a reasonable return for his rental outlay^ ^ Hence, what had looked like de- veloping into a bitter battle between Aussie indie exhibs and a U. S. distnb wa.s ironed out frankly. Un- deistood that "Bernadette" now will land many playdates throughout this territory. ■ Current London Shows London, July 3. "Arsenic A Old Lace," Strand. "Blithe Spirit," Duchess, "Chicken Every Sunday/' Savoy. Comedie Francaise, New. "Duet For Two," Lyric. "Gaieties," Saville, . "Gay Bosalihda," Palace. "Happy & Glorious," Palladiuiii. "Honeymoon," York's, "Irene," His Majesty's. ^'.T«cobowsky-Col.," Piccadilly. "Lady Edlnbursh," Playhouse., "Lauffh Town Laagh/V StoU. "iVIadame Lotiise," (3arrick. "Night and Music," Coliseum. . . "Night Venice," Cambridge; ■ "No Medals," Vaudeville, "Perii-A-Boo Parents," Whitehall. "Perchance to Dream," Hipp. "Private Lives," Apollo. "See How They.Eun," Comedy. "Shop Sly Corner," St. Martins. "Skin of Our Teeth,''Phoenix. "Strike It Again," Wales. "Sweeter Lower,'^ Ajnbassadors, "Sweet Yesterday,". Adelphia. "Three's Family," Winter (Sdn. "three Waltzes," Princes. "Tomorrow World," Aldwych. "White Snn Shines," Globe. "Wind of Heaven," St, James. >» "Years Between," Wyndhams: SIR BEN FULLER'S AUSSIE TO U.S. TO USSR ROUTE Sydney, July 3. Sir Benjamin. Fuller plans to visit Russia after the U. S. and England on his forthcoming tour abroad. Re- ported that he plans to engage a complete Soviet opera company, in-.. (dudingloBiisiCian^jand Stagfil^^ foi' Aus.«ie playdates. Fuller is due to leave here as soon as transportation is. okayed. He is .loekini; revues, vaudeville. acts and lesit attractions. Albright Out as UA Aussie Chief; To 20th? Sydney, July 3. Syd Albright, Australia topper for United Artists, has resigned and un- derstood thai he will take a similar post with 20th-Fox here. Otto Bolle, Aussie 20th chief, now is in N. Y., It's known' that 20th is seeking an executive for the post loll vacant by Clav Hake to work under Bolle. Albright originally came here as a U:-Sr-radio -commentator-covering the Southwest Pacific, and stepped into the UA berth when Cecil Marks bowed out. It's believed that Clr\-c Arnot, now second in command to Albright, will move up to the top UA spot in N. Y. okay. •: ; . ^ . . Raps Salacious Trend In Mcx. Films, Songs Mexico City, July 3. Salacious trend in Mexican films and songs is panned in a statement by the Confederation of Chamber.', of Commerce; which has become one of Mexico's most prominent critics. . Statement says in part: ''Fgi'- . many yeats,, tlie ; leadmg ihr lelloCtuals of America have coni- meiited upon the ine.\plicable fact tliat the multitude of Mexican songs that havs „9 very agreeable melbdy on their popular level "have." af tlie same time, risque and sSlly words, plea.sing only to degenerate or un- cultured people. It is to be hoped that 0ppo.sition that has arisen in ■South America to our cinematogra- phic and mu.sical works in which vulgarity abounds, will correct our producers, morally and economic- ally." • Portugal Pix B.O. Is Very limited . Lisbon, June 15. With only, a limited population to draw from in t'ortugal since there are only' six Brstrrun theatres here and in'Oporto (only large cities in the country), native producers not. only are.watching budgets carefully but inspecting possibilities of other outside markets. These include, of course, the colonies of. Angola, Portuguese West Africa, and Mo- cambique, Portuguese East Africa, Brazil also now is considered a worthwhile market for Portuguese- language films -when they measure up in entertainment. Typical of how closely production costs must be. watched has been the experience of "Inez de Castro," re leased several weeks ago in Spain and Portugal. It's based on both countries' common interest in a king's love story. In order to get the picture into both Spanish, and Portu- guese, additional outlay was neces- sary. Final cost was around. $120,- 000. and this high budget may result m an actual loss after all distribution returns are in. , ' Two companies are most prominent n'mvT'Victoria Filmes ■u.'ied originality in the treatment o£ the. Spanish pro- duction, "Do7.e Luas a Mel," which was tlirected by the Hungarian direc- tor, Ladislaus Vajda. now a refugee from his native land. .Even with the inclusion of some sOngs in Portu- guese, the picture was completed for .slightly less than $7.'),000. It has !>rossed around $25,000 already in Portugal, and looks likely to get an additional 15125.000 in Spain. What extra coin the picture gets in South America will be so much additional. Other active producer is Cinedi- tora, which j.s using the old Tobis Studios. Company is set to make"A Vara Largo." Tobis plant has other features lined up. - . ^' . ■ . There's a possibility that Charles K. Guttman, former manager lor Metro in Central E'urope, may. come -here-.40' supervi.se production ot '.'A Mafia;" a costly feature now in prep- aration. Expect Raidi to Set Up Own Ustrib, Theatre Outlets in Aus»e This Year Loew's French Film For S.A. But Mono's in U.S. "Lijperation of Paris," filmed by the French underground, has been set for distribution in South Amer- ica by Loew's, Inc. Deal, negotiated by Simon Shiffrin, of the film division of the French Ministry of Information, with Major Arthur Loew, calls for outright sale of the. Sv A. distribution rights to Loew's for, approximately' • 1,000,000 francs (around_$20,000) payable in France. U. S. distribution of ■ Liberation" is-slated to be handled by Monogram on a 50-50 basis. Argentine's Production Picks Up; Expect Rank In Buenos Aires Soon Montevideo,' June 15, Argentina^Sono-Films has post- poned work on its new picture "Frou Frou,'' set to be directed by Luis Cesar -Amadori, who has accepted an invitation from RKO to go to Holly- wood for a series of Latin-AmBrican films starting with ■ "Cornered." Sono-Film is glad to lend its ace director because it is felt he wiU learn U. S. methods. AAA (Artistas Argentinos Asocia- do.s). purchased a block of land in Ramos Mejia. suburb of Buenos Aires, where large studios are to be build, Prexy of this company, Joa- .quin Alberto Lautaret, goes to U. S. in search :of technical advice and equipment. Meanwhile AAA is pre- paring markets for its future prod- uct, and has appointed Senor Emilio Alfaro, currently here, as distributor in Spain.: British film interests are p,reparing to move in on the Argentine "market on a bigger scale, and representa- tives of J. Arthur Rank are shortly expected. Rank is no. stranger to Buenos Aires, which he has visited in the pa.St in connection with his fiour miUinterests. Parrtba Film has- started "El Viaje de, Retorno" ('"Return Journey") with Pierre Ghenal a.s director. EFA is to do an Adaptation of "Manon Lescaut" from the famous Abbe Prevost classic, directed ■ by Luis Bayon Herrera, with Gloria Bernal in the title role. - Fenton Set to Gander Far-East fie Markets Hollywood. Jlil.V 3. Leslie Fenton.' indie' producer, has applied 'tQi- clearances to visit Aus- tralia, New Zealand, India, China and the Philippines. Idea r is to study film trends and competitive angles in the Far Eastei'n market, Fenton declares that sector is be- ing o\erlooked while producer.-, and JronI office -esees—are—blocking—to E;:ropc. ■ GERMANY'SDEMOCRATIC REVIVAL' IS PRIMED - Washington, July 3. New "cultural association for Ger many's Democratic revival" has been set up in Berlin by a group of scientists and artists, including sev- eral persons in show biz. Among the. sponsors are Paul Wegener, preisident of the recently formed Artists Chamber; Ernst Le wald, director of the State Theatre: and Gustav Wangenheim, actor and director. Wangenheim was one of those who quit Germany immediate ly alter Hitler came into power. . 'Sydney, May 31. Reported here that J. Arthur Rank: will crash this market in a bid for British pictures before the end ot the year. Known that moves. hav« been mad^ in political circles cov- ering the upbeat in .British films Via the Rank interests and 'it's generally - admitted that becatlse Australia is a member of the British Empire and because Rank is British, the way would be .made easier for him to enter this field tinhindered by-' of- . ficialdom. Rank is said to. have three major plans in mind for tKis market. Firi^t' would cover his own theatre opera>^:' tions. Second .is to have distribUr' tion setup on his product, thus , breaking away from 20th-Fox, and Gaumont -British - Dominions, now- tied in with the U. S. distribs. Third, envisions setting up his own pro- duction unit here. Final proposal seems the most unlikel.y. It has been suggested that Rank ; may try for theatre break-in via deal with Aussie-owned Greater Union Theatre.s, but "Variety" hears t h a t Norman B. Rydge, Greater Union head, who brought this unit out on top financially in the last five years, would nix' any attempt by outside interests to come into his fiourishing' setup. It has al- ways been Rydge's idea to keep his.' circuit independent, Rydge recently ; had offers from a major U. S. distrib' for a buy-in, but ofl:er was rejected just as was the one from the Max- ; well . group sometime ago. "Va- riety'' knows that the Fullers have : been in contact with Rank covering . an Aussie deal, but expected that when Rank-, is ready to crash this market in the theatre field, he will do it solo. Hoyts, of course, is con- trolled b.y 20th-Fox. (National Thea- tres). However, the Rank product IS played by certain Hoyts' houses via that distrib deal with 20th-Fox- GBO. Bank Beps Due Soon : As reported by "Variety" some time ago. Edward Carr or John Davis will plane here soon: for « looksee for Bank. Rank is sending, a personal rep to handle the selling ■ of "Henry V," - with high rental ; figure asked. His personal rep also win extensively cover the zone as prelude to the. Rank break-in On ' theatre operation, distribution and production. Hank is ; already in Canada, India, Ceylon, and Middle ' East, and local industry says that Rank's next • move :will ■ he to Aus- tralia, Recent deal whereby Rank takes over distribution of all product from Ealing Studios, starting with "John- ; ny Frenchman," does '«iot cover Aus- , ti alia, where Ealing films -are han- dled by British Empire FilmSi; »■ Greater Union subsid, Ealing con- tract recently was renewed by Nor- man Rydge for a long term. MONO'S DUJB PLANS Norton V. Ritchey. Monogram In- temational' proxy, -shoves -ofl - -for Mo.sico City today (Wed.) for con- fabs with Jaclc Lamont. manager for com.pany ill Mexico. He- will discuss the possibilit.v of dubbing company;s produei into Spanish in Mexico. Mono lias dubbed.its product in N. Y., and shortly will release two or its synchronized, vci'sions in iMexico. Jimmy Grainger Also Has Fofeign Rep. Sales Worry To allow a freer exchange of sales and distribution ideas and personnel between the domestic and foreign maj-kets. Republic's worldwide sales and distribution will be coordinated under James R, Grainger, general sales rnaiiagoi: and prexy ot Republic Pictures. Announcement of new setup wan. made last week before Herbert J. Yalea left on Friday (29) lov the Coast; New alignment makes Grainger head of both domes- tic and . foreign distribution. It was felt that Grainger, because in touch witli new product, and sales ideas sirice' he .spends about one^third of Ills time at the studio, could .best supervise" both foreign and domestic sales problems., ' . .'-■:: Under new setup. Morris Good: man. foi-eign saies head; .will work under Grainger, ,it least for the time fbejtig,-. - Graiiiger- -will head the' Re-- public International companies in Argentina,: Brazil,: Central America. Chile, Mexico. Peru,- Puerto Rico, Trinidad: and Cslombia.- as well as the main Republic International Co. As such, he will visit Mexico City and other Latin-American key, cities, being .due to arrive in Mexi- co's capital early ,in. August.. HYLTON-BUCHANAN'S mr A LONDON HIT London, July 3. . "Duet, for Two." which opened June 27 at the Lyric, was splendidly received. Jack Hylton and Jack Buchanan, co-producers, have a hit on their hand.St Two Broadway producers and three picture companies, including Warner Bros., are known to be bid-* ding already for film rights. Comedie Francaise, which opened July 2 at the New theatre in Mbliere's "L'Impromptu. de Versail- les" and Beaumarchaiss' "Le Barbier De Saville," was splendidly received. Company is in for two weeks and. likely to-esttend-its run-if a theatre- is available, Alstock's Commuting Hollywood, July 3. • Frai-icis Alstock, coordinator ot Inter-American Affairs, alter having missed his plane -Friday night, left Saturday (30) for Mexico City, Trip is for 48 hour.s to eheck raw stock requirements and payments for equipment sold by us to Mexico City film studios. ' Alstock will be in ' 'Washington Wednesday (4i. GRACIA'S EKO COLOMBIA Phil Rcisman, RKO Radio v.p. in charge of foreign distribution, has appointed Antonio Gracia manager of the new RKO branch in Bogota, Colombia. Sub-offlces: .in Colombia will b« opened! quickly, Reilsman announces.