Variety (May 1946)

1* INTERNATIONAL UTBOffFr •VAitiE-rvft' r.oNDON ornoi • M. Slartla'* rUr», Trafalgar Sou Cost No Object, Loew s Rolfing W'iih Locw-'s International already 1 Tolling on its foreign 16m distribu- tion program, RKO's similar opera- tion is currently bogged down by an acute shortage of projector equip- ment and shipping space. Us un- likely that any relief will be forth- coming for the next ..few months. Ex-GI's in Leads Of 1st U.S.-ItaIo Feature Whitmore to Atom Tests according lo R. C. Maroney, chief nf the RKO 16m program. RKO. it's believed, is'endeavoring lo run ils 16m operation on a strictly business basis and is therefore shop- Will Whitmore, exec of the West- ern Electric Co. homeofflee, has sailed from San Francisco en route to Pearl Harbor lind Bikini Island to' take part in the electronic".cnRir necring activities tied in with the a to ni bomb tests this summer. Whit- more is on the electronics si a If of , Capl. Christian L. Eiigleman, Joint j Aiiny-Navy Task Force One. which is responsible, for all electronic ac- i'tivilies tied in with atomic' bomb Rome. . May 1. j (ests. : After a longslrclch of bad wcal.h- '. Whitmore likely will not be; back f er. Foreign-'Films.■■'Inc.'.- is Hearing I ;l i ltis desk as ad rhic-r until next j f or the immediate future ! completion on its first film in Italy. ; September. Rank-Greater Union Setting Deals In Aussie for More Nabe Outlets Picture, .'tilled "Paisa." deals with i relations of American soldiers With the Italian people during; its advance i up the peninsula. ' I Cast includes several AnuM'jeafl [ I actors, brought from the U. S:-j ping around to get a good buy on ...Among them are Gar Moore. Atitho- Metro oh the other • ny LaPeniia. and Dale- Kdm.onds. Italian star.-!'. Aldo Fabri/i and Maria Michi also ''have-'prominent' roles, doesn't expect to make too much j oi lt . c |or is Roberto Rosscljini. who money on the operation for some] did "Open City." Rod Ucigcr. the time and it's likely that it is willing ■ company's piexy. was' the cntfitrpris-' j.-jjj"^ Yiddish ihealre.' Both arc Sydney, May 3. ... Big campaign to induce indepen- dent circuits and individual exhibs to join the ranks of J.'Arthur Rank- Greater Union Theatres combo is in full stride. Latest step likely London, May H. | win be the deal; Norman Rydge, .lack Hyllon has set a big lineup j Greater Union chief, has been con- • Contrary ' sidering with Frank. O'Coltins for , to ^porlsr -Can-Cui/- the musical.! "^'^orhood expansion. O'Collin, iu . i>|iwi»,, . ' ■■■ ; heads ■ the company leasing King Hylton Expects to Have 4 Shows in London Soon projectors. Metro, oh. hand, has already indicated that it Refugees Dominate Two London Yiddish Legits; One Plans Expansion .. London, May 3. The F.iist Side here boasts two Yiddish theatres, the Grand Palais •.London"■■Yiddish Folk theatre).- and Zanuck V Victory to pay more for projectors, instead | jug GI who took , a print '.of.. "Open of tryin« lo get a good buy on a : f jly" lo the .U. S. in his barracks mass purchase basis.. V ' bag. Delay in getting equipment is ' "Paisa" likely will be ready for making potential 1.6m exhibs in for- \ distribution this summer, ... eign countries wary of signing con- tracts, fearful that once they get stal led, they might not be able to get uninterrupted . service, .-Maroiiey' said. RKO recently lined up 25 ex- hibs in the Philippines to handle the narrow-gauge product but cannot get the program rolling in the is- lands until the situation eases up.' Recent labor strikes are just be- ginning to hit projector manufact- urers. Maroney said.. He declared thsil all companies realized they cannot overlook the foreign market adaptation from Offenbach, opened-, Mc | b o urn e, freehold of'which was al the Adelphi last week.: Show, . bought last week by Rydge. This Which stars Clifford MollisoiV and | trend is logical sinceG.U.T. has a Pat Taylor.. .has been touring for I trying need for additional neighbor- i , • i' ' : hood theatres. - . . ..' .;■ ; several weeks. | Kings in Melbourne is sublet to |. "No Room at .the Inn," which HyU Warners just now, being that com- 'ton bought after its tryout at Swiss p a n y's ace show-window there. Two I Cottage,, looks set . for a run at the.!. more Melbourne cinemas now are (Winter Garden: It did well in the beinK spilRnt by Rank-G.U.T.. wiih provinces." » ; overtures to Maurice Slom'an. for- Max. Miller'has been booked to ! rocrly Victorian manager for Jloyts,- headline his. next vaudeville pro- who runs a small chain. Also over- gram at Victoria Palace for four "lures have been made Clias! Monro, wieks. Policy; of twi'ce.dai.ly will be rornier Hoyts circuit managing ex- changed to twice nightly/with no | rector, who operates a big chain in matinees. Contrary to reports,' Hyl- j Queensland, basis, any prolix going to improve the j ton denies that "Follow the Girls" is Also a bid has been made to in- thealre. Most of the company is - quitting His Majesty s ,theatre. Show duce Snider-Dean lo'quil the .indie refugees ' from Ger- Ms doing $16,000 per : week, which \ field and play ball with Rank-Ci.L'T, close to each other. The'most im- portant is the New Yiddish.. Al- though not under ihe Arts Council of Great Britain, it is relieved of tax liabilities, as operated on nonprofit — ' Continued'friini pate 3 struggle:" -leaves ihe, company still with a limited amount of B .product' for distribution under continuing contracts with Sol Wurtz.c) and Ed- die Alperson. they are both work- ilig as. independents, however, pro- composed of , . , many, Poland. Austria and CzeCho- ! gives him a good profll Slovakia during the Nazi regime. Present company is headed by A. T/.clniker. M. Tzelnikcr, P. Silber-, berg. M. Baum.- C; ■ Meisels. aug- mented by several locals .such as J, Sherman, M. Axelrad,' M.. Goldstein. Company, which is operated on co-. operative basis, ha.-, quite a surplus. Bible Society Continued from pagi 1 - which-, with the major distribs plan-i s(>m . (in ^ .. , viding their own studio space, financing, etc. • The Zanuck im- j'pianned to use this coin to rebuild primaleur. ol course, will not be, theatreand boost capacity from 300 although it ■ to 750, ^^/r^th^h^h^H^^n^ 1 ' n»Vt.Vali:v, 'carr7''the-''20l"hiFoi- ! It's further planned to institute ha how^el 1 J ^ ^ ^ ! /^Ti )T* 'will be renewed-appears question- ; here. Tormation of a school of dra- faclurcrs have prior commitments to furnish equipment to schools and other organizations in the U. S. and are therefore reluctant to make any commitments for the foreign markef as a whole. One company has prom- ised to allocate 10 projectors a Schwartz did in New York. able.' I malic art. giving local . talent a Alperson's deal with 20Uv as a - l chance. La/.ar Kahn. rctugee and mailer of-fact, is more or less.a lluke..l former editor of prominent Jewish He owned the rights to.-Somerset • newspaper in Berlin, will be in Mausham's •'Razor's Edge." which ' charge. _ ^ ^ i Zan'uck was very anxious to have.; Company is looking forward to monlh to lhe' foreign neW indTcat-j Ne S-' otialions were almost concluded : two cast additions. Leon Blumchson ing the problems confronting the , toy 201h s acquisition of the properly a „d Miriam Karalova > Mrs. Blum- majors. ' when Alperson threw in the demand j'onson. Organization boasts of fact RKO is also confronted with the ,hat a Provision or Ihe sale be dis- u,al it produced Abraham Goldfa- probleni of obtaining negatives tor ' H'ibulion. by Fox of six or his own ' den's "The Witch" before Maurice ils 16m product. Company didn't • '° b<i in?ldc »'" ,ri ' 1,11 intlic plan on 16m operations and, con- ! "talus. Zanuck was so set on hav- scquenlly. there's usually only one ! <be Maugham book thai he negative available in. 35m size for agreed. ^ reduction to 16m stock. 'RKO's 16m . Wurtzel was .brought- in when the department has just instructed its pressure rrom Ih^.east was still great print department to make 16m , 10 «et B product: Idea was to try 'making- it olT the 20th lot. as it couldn't feasibly be produced in the studio, inasmuch as there Was a 40% overhead charge, plus about.a 10% producer's fee. immediately lacked on. Result was that-too little got on the screen for the coin ' invested. In spile of the delays; RKO is Thais what happened wigi the priming ils narrow-gauge operation Aubrey Schenck productions on the for an early kickofT. Ramon Ycaza. "'<>»• The, outside. production plan company's Latin American rep, 'flew was 'then proposed for trial. Com- lo Colombia April 27 to arrange for . P» nv is said lo be. well satisfied wjlh the installation of 16m equipment ' Wurlzel's initial pair nf films, but and E. Tolcdano is scheduled to nevertheless the .determination of leave for Europe within the next ' Zanuck to disassociate ihe. company month lo handle operations there. \ from any B product may prevail A. C. Bolhnerby has already, gone to 'when Wul/.cl's pad is up. ... * ~ ~ TmiT T -tvl China to interest .exhibs in that | Bryan Foy. who had been produc- Vlenna S LaH 1 nCatre, Hit- country in 16m operations. RKO ! ing low-budgeters on the lot for; d v \V-j, p t n Cnm* llnivii plans eventually to have one man in ; 2lllh. was the most recent departure. ' * to vuiiie < each or the world's major areas. He tesigned a few weeks ago lo be- 1 Vienna. May I. Sales will be handled by the regular -come production chief for Palhe- The housing committee or Vienna RKO roreign sales-start and the 16m Eagle-Lion. , l,:ls decided that Ihe building Rraler Sam Snider operates a chain wiih • Douglas Walt since the bowoul fif. [.'former partner Dean several. years • ago. ■ ■ | There's a feeling here I hat Pain- Jmount niay link with the Fullers on ' circuit operation, ' It's reported that 'mining'' material which could be I approaches were made in this direc- labelled as unfit tor children .will be • (j) , n . ,,,,.^,1^.. Paramount, ils be- lieved, would welcome loop opera- tion in order to secure an adrled out- let for product. Fullers'-may be able to withstand opposition pjvssure on this setup. When .Rank-G.U.T. bought the omitted: The first thiee stories on the production agenda will-be de- voted to The Nativity; ihe Woman or Samaria, and the Parable of ihe Sower. With 5.000 churches already equipped for- 16m screenings and ^ King's, Sydney nabe circuit, a few 75,000 others, having 16m projectors ■ weeks ago. the. Him scene certainly on order, the filmed Bible stories | changed. Circuit operated on prod- will reach an audience through this | u( .i inainly from Metro and. Paia- . medium almost as wide as for com- | niount. It was really formed when mercial pict.ures. Chinches, of all | p H1 -. ; ,nd Metro films were shin- out denominations have expressed their . hy major loops during a' film war. willingness to exhibit the , series' : j The Rank-G.U.T^ buy gives This cir- which will be made available • at ; ( . u ji n, e nabe. outlet, needed. It also about $10 per feature. The Proles- ; m ~ clin $ |h a t Universal, hooked with lant Film Commis-ion in Hollywood ! Rank-G.U.T.. likely will sw ing away has also given the project ils ap- froin nabe release via Hoyts and .go provai Anson Bond into the nabe spots of Rank-O.U.T. recently wiih the This means U will take the place of Army's motion-picture division, will Paramount product on the King's produce the series with. H. H. Ragatz r chain, with tlic -possibility, thai Par prints of 40 different films, however, so that the company-will be ready lo begin operations as soon as pos- sible. About 75% of the films -ear- marked for early 16m distribution will be two lo three y.ears old. Own I6m Circuit. Dramatist • A. Meisels, refugee- from Vienmi. is responsible for most of company's adaptation. He is now . working on a translation of Shake- . speare's "Mcrcha.nl of Venice.'' from 1 siipei Vising in behalf of Ihe Bible l may seek a nabe outlet via lloyis. German"-inlo Yiddish. ' '-- Strike Bopped Mexico's Production for March Mexico Qity. May 10. Mexican pictures released (luring the first four' months this year to- taled 27. only three beiny finished- in March, w hen a nlin labor conflict ! Nojspoken continuity w ill be used hailed wink in the studios for 10 | oilier than Ihe exact lexl of Ihe days. I King .lames Version which will be Despite a big production pickup in used as Ihe background narration April, only three are doing well al | Tor the dramulizcd stories. Ihe bo.solfice. Society.The series is being under-! Metro. it> understo«d. signed a written for Ihe Bible Society by Ihe r three-year pact with Rank-G.U.T. for Charles Anson Bond Memorial Trust" dates on King's circxiil. Fund. Presumption is that Warner Bros. Due to'the Tacl that Ihe Society's". will not sil, idly by and watch the charier prohibits giving any- inter- ! parade pass.' WB owns a iTviicc site prctalion to Ihe Bible, the. produc- : here, and if permission is granted, lion is being raced w ith Ihe unique may erect a show-window , and also problem of giving.the text a literal , go out after other spots-. ' . iranslalion into the visual medium: There's no question but I ha I Ernest GIs Overseas ; Continued from pa ice 1 , rep will spend as much time in each country as the local salesrnanagcr 1 deems necessary. | Possibility exists that RKO might : start ils own J6ni circuit abroad, if ' the pJan proves commercially [ sound. It's also possible that the '' weru reV'.scd. because the rail lines company might go into partnership ! ,0 Boston, first stand out. are elcc- wilh foreign circuits for 16m ex- trified pari of the way. oil-burning | Circus Lake Continued from. jiMjce 1 slrasse :il must be torn clown. Prat- erstrasse 31 was known lo theatrical and a' great opportunity for young actresses wiih real talent and some professional experience." Last year there were 85 CATs Turnbull, Hoyts' chief, will take ac- tion to protect that, circuit. Turnbull has expansion ideas, loo. Hoyts chain has some 180 cinemas Down Under. Rank-Rydge will have plenty nf •playiitg time available on the CI.U.T. circuit for U. S. product, especially companies like Universal and Co- lumbia, which helped fill the G.U.T. product larder when it was. low dur- ing'the battle with Hoyts. hibilion. RKO -execs have- decided that for the time beings it's un- feasible lo make plans for setting up a siring of prefabricated theatres, since Ihe Civilian Production Ad-, ministration has restricted the ex- people as the > Carl theatre. The sent to ; the American zone in the building had suffered heavily from European theatre of occupation but bbmbing raids. When ihe Russians it- appears'that a majority failed to occupied. Vienna, there was heavy j I've up to expectations. Pointed out: fighting in the second-district; Carl jlhat the type of actresses desired theatre being destroyed by tire. j "must be emotionally stable and able II was in 1781 that Karl von j to retain Iheir perspective under all Diesel locomotives haiiljng trains J M.'irinelli asked permission lo build* I con'dit-ido's;" • Need for more CATs thereafter. After Boston the RBB ; a theatre on the site. After his death is due to fact thai some of those en- outfit goes to Phi I a.': which trip can \m a n a gc r Karl von Benibrunn be "made 'without, using coal-burning bought it. naming the house: ihe locomotives, and if. is hoped Ihe f "Royal Carl Theatre.'' That the strike will have- been setlled by j Viennese classical operetta became dier show schedule gaged returned home-for one. reason or another. Others had contracts expire in face of an expanding sol- port of any building materials. With. I that time. 'Tents and outdoor j world famous stems from the ex labor as. cheap as it is in most for- | equipment are due - by steam train ■ cellcut performances'given there. I Peter Loire was on the last, pro- gram starling his career here, ' eign countries. Maroney pointed out, ' from' Sarasota for Ihe Philly dale, it would be just as inexpensive to build new theatres. Kennebeck to India for UA Frank V. Kennebeck has been named by United Artists to succeed' J. J. Lawlor as general'manager-in' India. Lawlor has resigned after many years service with the comv pany. Kennebeck comes to UA from Paramount,; With Which he has been associated since 1928. He was the company's manager iti India for B',i years, and also represented it. in Australasia, the Caribbean and in various domestic' posts. C'hanre of AIrI, Just after Ihe RBB show opened there w as a change in control. James W: Haley being iiamed president in place of Robert Ringling: and John Ringling North becoming - llr.-l vice pres. Ringling charged that the stock was improperly " voted and threatened, court proceedings but no such action is known to have been started. After the last performance there was difficulty in gelling the gorilla , be. Qargantua's cage, up Ihe ranip from The picture packs a nolTSO-hiddcn the basement, even with elephants I punch for Ihe regime in Argentina, pushing Ihe heavy air-conditioned | and its approval -Wilhoul any ciils steel and glass cage. When the cage hrs everyone guessing. Crix. were, slipped-a. bit., a workman's shoulder rinvit'ed lo a preview of the picture Was.'fractured. I recently. ' '■ ' Argent. Okays 'Cornered' '.Montevideo, May 1. Green light has been given to RKO's "Cornered'' by Ihe Argt-ntine' censors; Because jhe picture's locale is Buenos Aires .with a hunl for a- Nazi and F'ench collaborationists as the plot for ii; there was some doubt as to what the official altitude would Pointed oul. however; that many hardships are lb be faced and those considering going overseas should be aware of conditions in Germany. Believed that the salary paid is com British Equity Reports Sharp Rise in War Years London. May li. British Equity Actors' Trade .U'n- , ion saw a rise in membership from . 714 in 1940 to 5,395 in 1945. accord- ' ing to report by l)ie English'actors' j union just released. During the war, K'quily. arl'ilialed to Trade Union Cmigre.*, set up security macliineiy I for rcgulaling conditions in llicaires ! in the provinces as well as in l.on- ' don. It arranged for managers to' ! deposit with .Council monies guar- | anteeingWage payments on shows. I Discussions are now taking place I on proposals tor a standard contract for minimum salaries and payment parable lo double ihe amount hi Ihe. j ror rehearsals. A • subcommittee. U. S. Only expenses lo CATs are discussing standard - contracts ror S180 per year ror ■ billets; 75 ceiils I film studios, while agreements to per day for food, plus cost of uni- j cover opera and ballet companies forms .which approximates $100, - me also being negotiated. Soldier 'units, are made tip in three J — workshops in as nlanv areas and V- Smp^r^S^e^ - Brit fix Aussie Upbeat aiidilioned by the Arniy's Sj)ecial Sydney. May .3. Service division , in New. York. British pictures are smashing b"ox> USO is currently louring. 35 shows oll'icc records in Aussie presently, over here. 25 of them playing'Army topping the . U. S. fare soiiif time hospitals, and 10 olhers louring ihe where in,opposition. Victory Circuit- of 'forts and camps. Toppers arc "Henry \"' 'GBRi. Cost of transporting niost 'of Ihe "This Happy Breed" i"G.BD>. and units, is taken care of by the Army,. ''Madoiiiia of Seven MoonS" iCiBDJ.