Variety (May 1946)

Wednoday, May 1, 1946 hctubbs 17 1 Inside Stuff—Pktrares Tex McCrary, in an ad lib discussion with his wife, Jinx Falkenburg, via WV'Af C25) on the current "western" cycle in Hollywood production, com- i. v'ii- i on "Duel In the Sun" and said that it David, O. Selznick devoted 11-, same amount of time in making a film "showing people how to fight /•H-iriT. he probably could aave 100,000 lives." When Miss Falkenburg, a 4,,Mi>r Aim player, asked whether the reason for the heavy output of i>».!ern features was not due to the belief of producers that "people want to be entertained in the postwar era," McCrary confessed that "the • bos- oli'icc is against me." * 'McCrary, a former Army colonel and now executive editor of American Mercury magazine, listed a number of top. actors and producers who served with the armed forces and commented that it was their idea pictures.could and should be produced after the war "which will not only entertain but will have something to say." He indicated that the large number of boss operas-iiv the works, about a half dozen showed the idea was not at present receiving much attention. ' Among the principal factors enabling the film industry to maintain its high level of earnings is'the foresight of producers in building up inven- tories during the past several years, according to an article in the financial weekly; Barron's by Don Carle Gillette, of Warners' N. Y. publicity staff. C'liiiKit inventory of completed films' totals around 150 and costing about. J260.UOO.000; Cost of production of these same films now would amount to over IWOO.OOO.OOO. Producers have found, out. that the best way of protecting themselves in an era of rising costs and variable labor conditions is through the medium of comfortable backlogs. Ready supply of product would: tide over studios in eases of long strike stoppages. And in event of a sharp , do wn ward trend in the economic cycle, studios could step up releases of the most expensive pictures, and beat the depression influences wliich are usually not felt at the theatre b.o. until six months or a year after a crisis. Picture Grosses Continued from pace 12 DENVER 0 (RKO). "Adven- ; When..'Spyros. Skouras returned to. his desk 'Friday i201 after being hosted at a special party by industry leaders on his 53d birthday; his. inti- mates noticed how deeply touched he was by the proceedings. Skouras reportedly spent more than an hour looking over the long list of persons who had contributed $53,000 for him to turn over to the Greek War Relief Society. It's a particularly surprising total because of the general secrecy and no publicity. 201 h-Fox prexy was reported -especially touched by' the gesture of Barney Bakiban. who made up the difference between the $51,300 collected and the $53:000 aimed for. Idea of honoring' Skouras in this novel fashion stemmed from Jake Wilk; WB eastern studio rep. who felt that a man who'd given so much to charity should be so honored. Wilk went to Murray Silverslone with his idea and the two worked out plans for .raising the money and for the surprise luncheon. Library of Congress has under consideration a project Tor research on audience .reactions to motion pictures and kindred subjects, the plan de- pending upon how kindly Congress treats its appropriation request. If I he surveys are undertaken, they would be the first of their kind by the Federal government and would be similar to the surveys made by FCC on audience reaction to. radio broadcasts. . Capi. John Bradley, head of the expanded .film unit of the Library, testi- fied last week at a closed session of the House Appropriations Committee on funds needed for the Library's program. ■ Flagstaff, Ariz., is developing into a suburb ot Hollywood, as far as film locations are concerned. John Ford will lead a troupe of 200 there next nionlh Tor the 20th-Fo.\ production. "My Darling Clementine." and Raoul Walsh is convoying 150 to that towii for Warners' "Cheyenne." Meanwhile the Republic company. Aiming "The Angel and the Outlaw." is locationing just outside the city limits. Scouts for Cecil B. DeMille are looking over near Flagstaff for "Unconquered." although, most of that picture will be filmed irt Pennsylvania. In recent months the same area was used by iOtli-FOx for "Leave Her to Heaven" and by Paramount for "California." "Ding Dong Williams" Solid $16,000. Last week, ture" (M-G) (2d wk), $14,000. Paramoont (Fox) (2,200; 35-74)— "Tangier" (U) and "Man in Gray" (U). Mild $8,000. Last week, "Three Strangei-s" (WB) and "Arson Squad" (PRC), $9,000; Blalto (Fox) (878; 35-74)—"Sara- toga Trunk" (WB), after two weeks at Denver. Esquire^ Webber and week at Aladdin. Fine $4,000. Last week. "Walk in Sun" (20th) and "Johnny Flying Home" (20th) (m.o.), $3,000. . Webber (Fox) (750: 35-74 J— "Dragonwyck" (20th) and "Gay Blades" (Rep), also Denver. Esquire. Sturdy $4,000. Last week, "Seventh Veil" (U) and "God r s Country" (EC),'.also Denver. .Esquire. $3,000. 'STAIRCASE' RECORD $29,500 TOPS WASH. Washington. April ,30. Plenty of .rain and colder weather plus some solid fare is helping biz all along the line currently. "Spiral Staircase" has long lines at Keith's, with short screening time, of film making; possible .'eight'.extra shows on week. Weekend trade for "Soiral" hit new all-time high. "Ziegfeld Fol- lies" at the Palace also .is sock. Estimates for This Week Keith's (RKO) (1,838: 44-80)— "Spiral Staircase" (RKO). Colossal $29:500 or over.'newmark here. Lasi week. "Tangier." (U), mild S13.500.. Karle (WB) (2,154; 44-85)'—"Bandit Sherwood Forest" (Col i '.2d wk). Lusty $20.0.00 : -in four davs; Last week, sturdy $27,000. Capitol (Loew > (3,434: 44-80)— "Whistle Stop" (UA) plus vaude. Rousing $29,000. Last week. "Bad Byscomb" (M-G). $25,000. Metropolitan (WB) (1.503: 44-70)— "Saratoga Trunk" (WBi (3d wk). Sixth stanza downtown, good at $8,500. Last week. 000. Palace' (Loew) (2,370: "Ziegfeld Follies" (M-G). $30,000. and holds. Last week. "Vir giiiian" (Par), okay $14,000 for sec- ond week. Columbia (Loewl (1,263: 44-70)— "Virginian" (Par) (m.oj. Trim $7.- 000 for third downtown week. Last week. "Hoodlum Saint". (M-G)' (m.- o.), ditto. Shidio-AFM Deal Based on Upped 1 Living Costs of 33%, WOI Serve As Pattern for Other Union Pacts Deal of eight major companies with American Federation of Musi- cians- granting increase of 33% for most men in studios but Which will average around 25% when all AFM members are considered, will serve as pattern, from inside, in negotiation of new contracts with all other unions in the film producing plants in line with the 33^ upsurge in liv- ing costs since Jan. 1, 1941. Govern- ment labor statistics placing rise in living costs at this figure formed trie basis for agreement with on wage scale. ■ Understood that in working out new contracts with various studio unions, the producers will entertain deals calling for boosts representing the difference' between the 33';,' living-cost figure and the amount of increase- previously granted since Jan. 1, 1941.. In other words., if a union since then had received, salary decrease size of orchestras on various jobs as need for them reduced. Television Lesser conditions were previously agreed upon and reported, moat Im- portant among them being agree- ment by AFM that sound track could be transferred from 35m to 16m at no added cost. On television it was agreed that before any picture was to be videoed producers would sit down with union to discuss deal to coyer. In . sessions spasmodically since the AFM { April 9, final agreement between pro- ducers and AFM was reached late Friday (26) after three days of. lengthy confabs. Deal that early had not been anticipated, it being stressed that AFM exec committee finally dis- played very fair attitude. Estimated it will take greater part of this week to 1 :draft contract.in legal language. On conclusion three Coast representatives in east for meetings— r. raises -.amounting' to 20?;-. the ability^Fred. S. Meyer, in charge of. labor but. nice still $11.- 44-70)— Sockcroo When Charlie Schlaifer leaves for the Coasl the end of the'month-he'll take his entire exploitation staff with him to brief them on the marketing aspects of top new 20th-Fox.product, such as "Razor's Edge." "Forever Amber" and "Centennial Summer." Expected announcement of Schlatter's new contract with 20th will probably be made at that time, A special publicist is expected to be named by.20th execs to handle the^ chores on "Amber." Company execs are reportedly wary of running into j any Jane Rnssell-"Outlaw" type of tangles with censor boards and the , Production Code Administration. RKO Pathe's "This Is Ainpriea" two-recler series is under scrutiny of producing execs for revision of title and format. Revision will be made in direction of internationalizing the series for world consumption. Frederic Ullman. Jr.. RKO Pathe prez. is now overseas arranging wider distribution for the series in France. England and Ccimanv. Wartime film footage which played a heavy O.S.S. during the hostilities will be used Tor scenes in "13 Rue Madeleine, which Louis de Rochcmonl will produce for 2»Uh-Fox. Films were made in secret b.v the French underground, showing traitors doing their stuff in collaboration with the Nazis. ParamoiuYl's "Perils of Pauline'' has revived the good old cliff, where the heroine used to hang in serials from Saturday to Saturday. Now Sey- mour Nebcnznl is utilizing cliffs in "The Chase" and Comet is. doing same in j good' "Tlu- Adventures of Don.Cobble." " - ' .. . ♦—- Rank Wrangle . Coritimied from pate 3 • 'Follies' Sock $16,000, Indpls.; 'Journey' 13G Indianapolis. April 30. . Film biz is up all around town here this week, but is still less than expected because of weekend rains. "Col. Effingham's Raid." paced by Glen-Gray orch.. is top monev card at Circle. "Ziegfeld Folli-s." terrif at Loew's. is leading straight Aimers. Estimate! for This Week Circle (Katz-Dolle) (2.800: 55-70) —"Eff ingham's Raid"' (20th) plus Glen Grav orch.. Billv Gilbert, oth- ers, on stage. Nifty $17,500. Liist week. "Tarzan Leopard Woman" iRKO) and "Dick Tracy" (IIKO'. Heflv $13,000 at 35-55c seal". Indiana (Katz-Dolle) (3.300: 35-55) —"Sentimental Journey" (20llu. Strong $13,000. Last week. ''Little I Giant" (U) and "Terror by Night" part in the activities ot the i iu>. S10.000. j Keith's (Indie) (1.600: 35-<io >— "Behind City Lights" (Rep) plus ! vaude. Fair S4.250 on weekend run. I LaslwccK. "Song of Mexico" (Rep). I with Marquis, the magi-ian. on 'stage, sturdy $5,000. same time. . Loew's lLocw's) (2.450: 35-55)— Ziegfeld Follies'' IM-G'. Extra $16,000. and holdover likely. I Lasi week. "Bad Bascomb" ' (M-G» wind "Notorious Lone Woll" iCoIl line $14,300. „ Lyric (Katz-Dolle) (1.600: 35-55 •— | first to gel another 13% may be virtually automatic. Since a vast majority of AFM' members in the studios have had no increase in pay since 19.41, their, gain is'the. straight 33',;. The average un- der the new contract will approxi- mate 25?; . however, since some men employed by the producers had been given, some boosts. A two-week va- cation with pay will obtain for the first time. 1*4 Additional Musicians Deal agreed upon Friday (261 be- tween the producers and James C. Petrillo. president of AFM. and his executive board, is retroactive to April 1 last and runs to Sept. 1. 194B. In addition lo the salary increases it calls for minimum employment of 104 additional musicians for a total of 339. Under the old agreement 20th-Fox,. Metro and Warner Bros, had minimum of 35' men, Paramount 30 and' RKO. Columbia.' Universal and Republic 25, a total of 235 AFM members at a minimum ot $100 weekly. New agreement calls for ad- dition of 15 men by Metro; 20th, WB and Par. 11 more for the other four companies. $7.t0»,0M-$8,«N,«M Music Bill Estimated that the added music bill for the studios will run less than $2,000,000 for a total of somewhere between $7,000,000 and $8,000,000 an- nually. Opinion i> that the producing group made a favorable deal, partic- ularly in view of Petrillo's original 1 demands and very importantly in j connection with the nbh-ac'cumula- wive clause. AFM wanted pay to apr ; ply weekly regardless of whether any work was performed, whereas under the new deal it's on an annual minimum guarantee of 520. hours ir- matters at 20th-Fpx; Charles Boron, in same post Paramount, and Milton Schwarzwald, head RKO music de- partment—return west. Others sitting in on negotiations with Petrillo were Nicholas Mi Schcnck, president of Loew's; Barney Balaban, Par president: Ned Depinet, RKO prexy: Nate Blumbers, presi- dent of Universal; W. C. Michel, v.p. of 20th: Sam Schneider, Warner v.p.; Jack Colin, v.p. Columbia and Abe. Schneider, treasurer; and J. E.. Mc- Malion, secretary of Republic. Rank's 16m Plan — — Continued from page s trjoution and where U is definitely against any lGm threatlcal distribu- tion at the present time. Javal is reported looking to France lo afford the initial big market for the program. More than 4.600 16m houses, developed during the war by the Germans, are presently op- erating in that country and one 16m film in the French market now re- turns close to 1,000,000 francs (about $8,000 at the present exchange rate;. Catholic Church owns one chain of 800 16m houses in France, which run entertainment Alms, as well as reli- gious pix and documentaries. New 16m house, the Melius, recently opened in Paris and .is reportedly doing a terrific biz on a daily basis. In their previous 16m venture, both Rank and Seidelman stressed that their narrow-gauge product would be aimed for the hon-lhcalri- cal trade alone in all countries out- side the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. At that time, however, the two film chiefs anticipated that in countries where the prcsem com- respective of w hen performed. On a . me ,. cial 35m outleUi wele iMSl , m . non-accumulative basis the added ! „:„„, ,„ \* n \»\*A »,-p:.< iKm thiiuijih Rank facilities: Another -possibility.'and-one considered jus 1 as likely, Is that he'll return to his unlive Italy to head-.up'the-entire film industry there. Del Guidice was forced (o ilee from Italy to England because of his antifascist beliefs uioit than 10 years ago: Two-Chics chief is considered the niiiM idealistic producer under the Rank banner. He's repeatedly stressed his conviction that a pro- ducer's job does 'hot.'include; the bending . of an actor's or .director's "natural talent" to fit the "usual fictional method, as many American producers do." . | rial. etc. Films concerned arc "Men • of Two Worlds." "Carnival." "Be- I ware' of ; Pit." and "The Way Vie i Live." representing some $4,000,000 ! production costs. - " Del Guidice maintain.--thai "Men of Two Worlds" will be an eye-I -. opener, justifying the delay aiid Ox- ' pe.iisc eslimaled at $2,000,000 Thi.- | has been in work over 18''months. • All four pictures, he claim 1 -', veil! he ready within the next few weeks; Meanwhile, he has a li:ie-up of.j sevi'ii or . eight iicw pictures sched- ' uled for production at an estimated | liutiget ol S7.500.000. First. "Top Scr crel." is currently in work al Den- liain. cient to cover isolated areas. 16m installations would be boosted lo fill the void. New company would probably be the answer lo . that i problem. Rank's B & II Moves Into High j The J. Arthur Rank deal lo man- | ufacturc Bell .& Howell projector also represented an im- i equiprrient^through Rank's ; British For many recording ^Acoustics Co, moved into hiah gi.-ar : cost to the studios could have meant $5,000,000 more, it is estimated. Since Petrillo also wanted a mini- mum number of 90 men per studio ; and a 100'; increase in salary, it was i tell that the agreement calling for IS13.33 per hour increase, instead of |$20. and guarantee of 339 men,- as against 720. also represented an im port ant victory ot any appreciable size since Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (UA) | sound came in. Petrillo's demand for and "Prisoner of Zenda" iUA) tie issues'. Dalidv $7,500. L»>t' week. •Saratoga Trunk " (WBi. else Sli.000 on third week downtown. Bloom Back at Col Hollywood. A >i il 30 Bloom inked a producer .budgeted pictures, long in production : conlraei with Columbia and dievv Delayed release ot four highly William by Two Cities Films, has been atlrib- uied by del Guidice. recently back, from the U. S.. to outdated equip:' mem.,delays through-lack oi' single: conirnl, difficulty in getting through.; DcnluiifiV one recording studio, la- bor iroiiblc.- and shortage ot mate-' •Millie's Danghler" as hi.- lirsl ven- ture. . Bloiiin i- oack on the lot after five ycaVs in llu- Army. He was lormorly a.-si.-(anl slory editor. '"'Daughlei" will be'-.produced''under ge.ieral su- pervision of Ben F: Zcidmuu. Ida Lupino's Loanout Hollywood. April 30. Benedict Bogcaus 'borrowed Ida L'ipino from Warners lor the star fcnime role in "The Affair of the Diamond Necklace." a ■■French cos- tume picture, dated during the reign ot Louis XVI. Bpgcaus is negotiating wild Briaii A'hc-rne and Charles Lauehlon for lop male roles. musicians, il was pointed out, the , last week with the arrival here ot new increases' granted become' the ! H. W. Martin. British Acoustics e.i- gir^ering topper, Martin will inspect methods and technique of the B & H plant in Chicugo preparatory to the British company : s retooling lo ; adopt American mclhods. Plan calls for the return of E. C. i Johnson, one of the chief B &; H en- jginccrs. with Martin, to .'England to i lend a hand in revamping the Rank i plant. A Rank official disclosed that : the deal between the two companies , divides the world market and grants ■Rank the right to manufacture B St \ H equipment and sell it in the Brit- '.Isli empire.. Additional proviso calls for the distribution ot B & H 16u\ non-theatrical film by Rank in the UK with B Si H, in return, dis- ' tribnting Rank's similar pix in: tlie . IU. S. ■ • 'KATIE' BALLOT BOOST Hollywood. April :t0. Starting date on "Katie tor Con- gre>.-" al RKO ha.- been advanced- to May 13 wilh the idea of releasing the picture in time for the Congres- sional elections, ii'cxi November.. Film has : a humorous |>o-i ! .i<:al angle, with Loreila Young. ,lo>.ph, Col'.en and Ethel Barrymore in'lop roles. use ot additional men in the studios is poiiited out (by some) as not being loo. unreasonable in view of the 'fact that AFM's Los Angeles local has approximately 11.500 members."only, a minority oPwhich are.employed in I llie studios. Concession.- to studios by AFM in- cludes withdrawal ot demand that recorded music on any film be re- stricted to two. minutes'for any one ■ hour's work, a very important one. 'Amount of recorded sound track will remain untimiied. So far as sideline or:pari-lime musicians are concerned they will receive an.increase of 23<i , j for eight hour> of work, with over- ; | time after that. }' I'nstuad of a guarantee of not les.- ■thiin S15.R00 annually for musical ..contractor!- on engagements utilizing: two or more recording musicians ; playing ensemble, it was agreed they j would remain on a straight JEAN GILLIE FOR 'DECOY' Hollywood. April 30. Jean Gillie. British film actress, hourly 1 draws' her first Hollywood starring . ! role in "Decoy." to be produced in- 'basis as in the past. Another im „. _ r . , Vrlaut viciorv for the sludio.- .con-' depcndenlly by B&B P.ctuie.-. corn.- the breakdown sheet which Jack Bernhard direcls. a casl I'eirillo ,-uu ;!il to prohibit and which eluding Eduurdo C'iauello, i would not lia\c permitlcd studios lu. Rudl'cy ln- 1 lerbert and Sheldon Leonard.