Variety (May 1946)

Wcdnewiay, May 29, 1946 PICTURES Unbridled optimism that marked" the dim industry a lew short months ago has given way to growing pessi- mism during the past aeveral weeks. Pownbeat feeling, of course, is a re- flection of the recent major strikes ,nd Tallinn off ot bo- takas - bl,t there ; s certainly uo room for tears on the basis of present business, ex- cept J" comparison with the terrific 'grosses »f the last months of 1945 and the first three months of the current year: Past reiv weeks have seen a gen- eral. boxofticc decline which is 'greater ; than it should be from a slricllv seasonal standpoint; It set in even before the* coal and rail strikes became... acute but was. of course, aggravated - by them. What 'precisely "caused the .slide in busi- ness has circuit operators and indie exhibs guessing. They don't know the answer. Although it may be indicative of 8 . trend toward leveling off of grosses, which has been anticipated for months by many observers in the industry, it must be. borne in mind thai the slump—if it can be called that—is merely a drop in biz from, super-sensational ,to . mildly terrific. No one looks for a real drop of meaningful proportions for at least a year or two. Should the current strike wave continue, of course, there very well could be a sharp falling off of busi- ness. It takes quite a few pay less paydays, however, betore results of strikes are seen in theatres. All pre- vious experience has been thai a town like Detroit, in. the midst of an .auto'strike.- will see a jump in b.o. receipts for a month or more, as workers, with time on their hands and coin remaining in their pockets, seek amusement. It's not until a strike runs into its second and third month and ready cash is used up by the workers -that the niiii houses really feel it. ■ Nothing to be pessimistic about either, of course, are those .tremen- dous profits statements which have come out during the past few months, such as Paramounl's and 20111-Fox's breathtaking reports on •list quarter of 1946. Par's Musical 'Rosebuds' Paramount has acquired a 90-day option on "Gather Ya Rosebuds," re- cently-published novel by Jeannelte Covert Nolan. If studio goes through with purchase of-screen rights, price will be around $25,000. Determining whether option is lifted or not will be writers' success in fashioning a musicomedy . script from the. book. It's about two sisters in a small town in Indiana early iii this century and the city slicker who conies along and tries to seduce them. VAL LEWTON EXITS RKO; WANTED CHOICER PIX ■ Hollywood. May 28. After live years as a producer with RKO. Val Lewlon asked for I release of his contract, which was ' granted by Ibe studio effective July 1. Although no explanation, was given. i| is understood that he want- ed to do top product Tor. the com- pany instead of the horror pix he has been producing. He had been working in the .lack Cross unit and just completed "Bedlam.'' When Charles Kocrncr niiule his deal (or RKO production with .1. Arthur Rank in London it was planned to have 'Lew-ton make 'the initial pictures. That plan was evidently changed, since Adrian • Scoli h».< been assigned to make the film which is now in preparation. The Theatre Guild has set a new policy in giving RKO a 10-year lease on the film rights to the Eugene O'Neill play. "Mourning Becomes Elcctra." Lawrence Langner. co-di- reelor of the Guild, said last week. Henceforth, in line with the RKO deal, the Guild will favor both association in the production of Alms based on its plays and a per- centage of the gross, Langner stated. Association in Him production, in- itiated for the' first time in the.RKO pact, would be. sought hereafter be- cause "it gives the Guild an oppor- tunity of benefiting the producer with its theatre experience." Policy w°uld be followed, when possible, with reference to any of the .23 properties now owned by the Guild. Because the Guild and O'Neill are co-owners of '"Mourning Becomes Electra"' they will , split equally the undisclosed percentage that RKO has granted. As associate producer, the Guild will be con suited on casting , and scripting the pic. . Dudley-Nichols, who will produce, direct and adapt the film, heads east in the next few days for huddles with O'Neill. Laugher and Theresa Helburn. other Guild co-director. Nichols will sojourn in Connecticut while working on the script so-as to be close at hand- to O'Neill. Pic lure will star Rosalind Russell and include prominent screen and tlie aire actors, according to Langner. Pix 'Teach' Kids How To Start Fires; Ask Ban Columbus. O.. May 28.. All pictures with arson themes may.be banned in Columbus, Mayor James Rhodes indicated, as steps were taken to reduce the number of false alarms and fires set by juve- niles. He has asked the Ohio Board or Censors (o ban such dims. So Tar this year 13 youngsters t .„ ln|)aMV havc been charged w ith turning in j |jk , j njs we , !k lalse alarms, and 2(1 have admitted selling fires, about twice as many as in the corresponding period of l.tMSi Five children told,Fire. Chief Kd P. Welch Ihcy got their ideas on how to start flics from pix and radio pro- grams. SELZNICK'S ILLNESS KEEPING HIM IN N.Y. David 0. Sciznick's slated depar- ture from New York for the Coast has been delayed by illness. Produ- cer, suffering from a respiratory ail- ment, has been; dosing with penicil- lin and confined to home of friends in Manhasscl. L. I. If given the okay by his medico, he'll plane out today (Wednesday) or tomorrow. Paul MacNaniara. Selznirk's chief flaCk. who has been, east on "Duel in the Sun" promotion, heads west Fri- day. Jennifer Jones. Sclz.niek con- tract player, who is also in Ncvv York, will remain east indefinitely. She's considering summer stock en- gagements and expects to be visited by her family in New York. American films can provide west- ern Europe's strongest bulwark against the encroachments of com- munism, a top-ranking U. S. State Department, attache, recently re^ turned from four years in Europe, declared in New York Monday (27). He asserted that American pro- ducers still don't seem to have .fully grasped' the political -'power of the medium they control. Hollywood product, if properly selected for export, he said, should run into no great difficulties in all the- western European countries, ex- cept Holland, and in middle Euro- pean nations not wholly within the Russian orbit: Reason for his op- timism, he slated, - was ;that rulers of the various nations are fully cognizant ot the role American pic- tures play in instilling the virtues of democracy, as against the appeal of communism. To take full advantage of this mar- ket that lies open to them. State Department rep declared, distribu- tors must be more selective of product-they export than they have been in the past. He pointed out that in a recent interview with the president of Switzerland that official was able to provide a complete • (Continued on page 63) Marlene's Postwar Film Hollywood, May 28. First postwar picture for Marlene Dietrich will be "Golden Earrings" at Paramount. Actress, who has been entertaining American troops in the European sector since the war ended, cabled from Paris to Paramount, ac- cepting the feniine. star role in the film version of the Yolenda Foldes prize winning novel. Miss Dietrich will play the part ot a gypsy girl, opposite Ray Milland as a British colonel. Mitchell Leisen will direct. LET'S-BOYCOTT-CHAPLIN EXHIBS PANNED IN 0. Some Ohio exhibs. self-tagged as a "I-Refuse-To-Play-The-New-Charlie Chaplin-Picture" organization were slugged for being "chauvinistic- idiots" by the Youngstown (O.) Vin- dicator's motion picture editor, Bill j „ . Fitzgerald. The exhibs' beef against |. and \\ s believed this probably had MG Drops Entire Play Dept. in N.Y. Metro'dropped Its entire play de- partment into the ashcan yesterday tTues.). indicating that it was no longer interested in participating in, or covering any more Broadway pro- ductions. Move resulted in the . dis- missal- of about 20 employees on one-day's notice, some of whom had been with the company for many years. Number includes 12 outside readers. Metro execs offered no explana- tion for the revolutionary decision. Company, in fact, had added new employees to its play department only two weeks ago. M-G had in- dicated to Vaisiktv several week's ago,-however, that it had made out poorly on some of its more recent pre-production deals on legit plays ♦ So far as can be discerned by tradesmen. , heavy attendance at baseball games and racetracks has not affected grosses though it is pointed out that, as people turn more and more to other forms of diversion (golfing, the country, beaches,: etc.); the film boxofrices may feel it somewhat. Up to now, however, it is noted that there appear to be enough peo- ple seeking amusement of all kinds and enough money being spent so that any loss for picture 'theatre* directly due to oppositional factors is negligible. Money ■ being ■ plentiful, fans who patronize ballgames, or races In tne afternoon, apparently get to see pic- lures at night. It may' be also that the entcrlainmeat-hungry public is cramming everything in that they can. with the cost not much of aii object. Over the weekend the Dept. of Commerce in Washington announced that the American public, including businesses as well as individuals, emerged from the war with a record accumulation of cash and Govern- ment.securities. Department listed $25,000,000,000 in currency, $75,000,000,000 in de- mand deposits, $50,000,000,000 in time . deposits and $100,000,000,000 in Gov- ernment securities. "Once the transition period i« past." this reserve should be bene- ficial in tending to exert downward pressure on longtertn interest rates and otherwise aid In the establish- ment of a full-production, full em- ployment economy," the D. C. state- ment said^ something to do with, the. about- face. Some employees who had been Chaplin, which popped up in-the bulletin of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, signed by P. J. . . .. . Wood, was based on Chaplin's much wlth tlle company up to 20 years were granted from $100-$200 as severance pay. Among those released were several w.k. Broadway person alities. including Howard Hoyt, who came to Metro from the A. 5: S. Lyons Agency: Harriet Kaplan, who left Mike Todd's office to join the company: and Julie Heme, who had been with the play department for many years. litigated private life and his political coloration which they term is "red." Fitzgerald, in flaying the outfit, said, the charges - "make about as much sense as the verbal gems ut- tered by Congressman Rankin and his friends. What it amounts to is a shameful persecution of a complex and gifted artist. This snapping and yapping of the pack is patently cruel when directed against Chaplin who has done so much for films." Chaplin, whose forthcoming production, "Comedy of Murders." will be his first in six yfars. wired Fitzgerald his thanks and stated: "It is my pol- icy never to answer my critics, for (hey are so biased: it seems'to me a sheer waste of time. It might inter- est you to know thai although I have been quite open in my admiration for the heroic part Russia played in the late war. I have absolutely no I clared today (Tues.) communistic tendencies." I Pictures. LONG WEEKENDS All film companies' homeoffices are taking a long holiday weekend, shutting down from tonight (Wednesday) to Monday (3) morn- ing. Rep's 25c Divvy A regular 25c quarterly on the preftred. payable July 1 to stock- holders of record June 10. was de- by Republic National Boxoffice Survey Many Keys Still Feel Rail Strike Effects—'Love Me,' 'Kitty,' 'Dahlia,' 'Postman' Leaders HUSBAND-WIFE PACKAGE IDEA NOW HITS FILMS Hollywood, May 28. New independent production firm, composed of Merle Oberon and her hu.sband. Lucien Ballard, and Ve- ronica Lake and hubby Andre de Toth was announced Monday (271. Under their present plans, actress, es will co-star in a story currently being written by their husbands. Latter, in turn, will co-produce, with de Toth directing and Ballard lens- ing. Articles of incorporation are being drawn up. JOAN'S PSYCHO PIC Hollywood. May 2B. Leslie's first film following See Raftery Continuing Indefinitely as UA Prez With United Artists' owners .still al a loss on locating a successor to Edward C. Raftery as prexy of the company.' it appears.more-and more that Rarteiy may be compelled to continue in (lie job. Annual stockholders' meeting, al- ready once postponed to'give the owners additional lime to find a successor to Raftery. is now set for June 11. less .than two weeks away. Reliirn to the Coast early last week of UA partner Mary Pickford i shifted atlention from New: York to Hollywood on the search for presi- •loaii Leslie's first film foilov.'inx J denlial timber. Miss Pkkford had her release from Warners will be ) been actively huddling in Hie ea.-l "Personal Column." on the question of possible succe.-- 'Indie production bv James Nasser | sors -or the -installation of an as- indllairv-Kessler is'a psychological ! sislant to Raftery to handle admin- mystery,' I islration of the company. Many key cities Mill are feeling the ; effects of the two-day national railroad strike, with numerous the- atres coasting along rather than launching new pictures during the past week. Sudden hot weather and bad rains also have hurt. As a re- sult, the overall total- will be down from receiit weeks. Los Angeles 'biz will be a bit better as a result of the train strike there 1 eing settled. There was a general re-shiilTUn-.' of the top )0 this week. Session's li.-l finds "Do You Love Me" (20th i. ■Kitty" CPar', "Blue-Dahlia" (Pari. • Postman Rings Twice" IM-G>. "De- votion" (WBi. "To Each His Own" iPar). "One More Tomorrow" tWB.i. "Ziegl'eld Follies" (M-UV 'So Go(-s My Love" tU) and ' Dragonwyck" i2tlthi as the must active and (jet- ting the biggest coin: Others in (lie money, judging by current playdatcs. include "Bride Wore Boots" iPn.n. "Gilda" (Col), VBadmans Territory" <RKO>, "Two Sisters From Boston" Qt-.G > . "The Outlaw' (UAi ar.d "R*n«-.{adeV, : lCol>. Biz being done by glorified Tmdo Murk nrslslerefl t'OUN'l'Kn BY HI MB Slf.VKKM AN I'uIiIIkIii-iI \Vfrkl> liy VAHIKTY. Inr: Sid SIK-crnirin. PreHlflenl I *.-• (I'm <fi(b St.. New Yolk 10. N. T SUnSCl'.IPTION Anmlfll 110 SiiiKlrt Coih'-h Foixlirn Ill 2C Cor.: ■ Vol. ir.2 No. 12 INDEX westerns and other outdoor epics ' tips the popularity of this' type of; fare. Besides these. "Hoodlum Saint" i (M-G) also showed a spurt, play- ing in five keys to nice 'takings. | "Abilene Town" (UA) and- "Bad'! jBascomb" (M-Gl also appeared in] (several spots, doing well. i ',■ "Each His Own." at the huge N. V. : Music Hall, will hit a giant $120,000 ! despite spotty biz in Manhattan. ' "Renegades" opened, in three Don-; I v'cr theatres, and will do nice $23,000."' ■ Warner's "Tomorrow" ' looks to hit around $100,000 in four houses where ' starling this stanza; including L. A. '. and New York: ; "Breakfast In Hollywood" lUA) is ;'j perking up this jiussidn.. pacing the i] , lield in Indianapolis and hitting |i 523.000 in Washington. "Deadline ai i | I Dawn" iRKO) is rated great $20,000 . |1 , in St.. Louis. "Murder Is My Eusi- nes>" iPKC'i is sock $<)O,00U"in De- . troit with a band o;i stage. "Night | In Casablanca" (UA) i$ holding up well al $40,000 on second week in J.Chicaao; "Her K'ind of Man" l\VB> looks >lout S8.000 in Louisville. It.rcoiimen^cd I-'rank Scully Television ... Vaudeville .. Records. Ii2 M 53 li.iil.f v.»t:ii'.«v (l'iil>ll.<'i»<l in ll«ll>v.i.i.il b>. . Hall-- Vallf IV. 1 ' • sI•• it Yc:n -SI.- .r..ic°a«