Variety (Sep 1946)

Wednesday, September 25, .1946 PICTURES 'NOT HOARDING PIXVBALABAN Telecasts of 'Jolson' Spot, 'Razor's Preem Presage More Tele-Pix Tieins Indications of a closer and more -t amicable relationship between tele- visioil and the film industry were seen this week as Columbia Pictures took- advantage of the supposedly lar^e audience tuned into the Louis- Miuriello light telecast to run a trailer on "The Jolson Story" over WNBT (NBC, N. Y.), and NBC an- nounced it would televise the cerer monies at the Broadway world preem of 20th-Fo3i;'s "Razor's Edge." slated for the Hoxy theatre on Nov.Hlflv— ■- . , Relations between the two mdus- tries heretofore hav . heen practically staleihated, with the major film pro- ducers apparently not knowing what video would mean in the Way of potential competition and, conse- quently, easting a skeptical glance at any proposals for cooperation. With 20th-Fox and Metro having withdrawn their applications for tele station permits, Paramount is the only one of the majors retaining a working interest in the new medi- um. Par, besides its affiliation with DuMont, also operates an experi- mental station on the Coast and cur- rently has applications pending for a tele network under Television ■i Productions, a Par subsidiary. RKO Television, an RKO-Pathe subsid, is currently engaged in .the production of films for tele. Video proponents have long claimed that television would be a natural ad medium for films but, so (Continued on 9age: 31) NickSchenck,lichbnaii And Mayer Deny Those Metro Studio Rumors " Reports persisted last week that "important" changes in Metro's top production personnel were impend- ing. They included rumors that Louis B. Mayer would resign his post as production chief. Both Mayer and Nicholas Schenck, Metro prexy, went on record to declare the reports untrue. Upping of Sam Katz a ■ couple weeks ago to join Al Lichtman and Moe Siegel as Mayer's immediate assistants apparently had something to do with setting off the new round of rumors. Latest talk has had Lichtman or Katz slated to fill Mayer's spot, although there's no logical explanation being heard on why Mayer should quit. All the talk started following an announce- ment issued by Schenck, after his recent trip to the Coast, to the ef^ feet that the company was taking steps to pare production costs. Mayer was vehement in his denials when questioned in Holly- Wood. "There isn't a shred or par- ticle or iota, or whatever is smaller than that, of truth in that report," he said. ''As long as Nicholas (Continued on page 29) Buchman's 10% Bonus ; Sidney Buciunan, head of his- own indie unit via Columbia Pictures, did such a pitch-in on "The Jolson Story," as general factotum to Sidney Skolsky, the producer, that he was honused in spades. . Harry Gohn> on behalf of Col, gave Buchman a Q% slice in the pic and Al Jolson gave him an extra 5% from His share. The star, whose biog was produced as a package by Skolsky, nature ally gave the latter a fancy cut on the biopic, as did Harry Cohn, prez of Col. Tliey were not ob- ligated to do so as Skolsky re- ceived special recommendation as producer. Johnston's Party of 4 To 0.0. Europe 6-7 Weeks Eric Johnston, who was slated to leave for -Europe Monday (23), has delayed his departure until next Wednesday (2). It was believed in some quarters that mention of the ■ Motion Picture Association prexy as « possible suceessoit to Henry Wal- lace in the Secretary of Commerce post had led to the" postponement. JJelay had actually been decided on, however, before Wallace's bowout, ■ « has been learned. . Accompanying Johnston abroad ,TO the six or seven-week toUr of i-urope will be Joyce O'Hara, his assistant; Gerald Mayer, his aide on iweign affairs, and Gerald Movius, M nis Washington staff, who assists on writing his speeches and other matters, , Although John.ston was named as ^0. 2 choice for the Commerce post i Washington handicappers after ■ We Wallace blowup last week, an- oiner flim exec was also being men^ "f'"^—Donald Nelson. Former head w the War Production Board is now »jexy of the Society of Independent i MoUon Picture Producers. Par Adding To Prod. Bacid(M[ With a schedule that calls for re- lease of only two pix from now to tho end of the year while its studios hum with heavy production activi- ties. Paramount will have the great- est backlog of films on its shelves by Jan. I, '47, in the history of the company. Pile-up of Par pix which stems from a combo of wartime stu- dio conditions plus recent slow^sell- ing dictated by decree's new meth- ods will act as a cushion for current labor unrest though not a. result of long-term crystal-ball gazing. Par has at hand 22 completed and unreleased films. Currently before the cameras and nearing windup are six more while 21 added pix are being readied for the cameras, In- dicating how long some of these pix have been in the cans; "Two Years Before the Mast," a major Par opus, which only preems this week has been gathering dust for the past three years. Another top opus, the Technicolor "California," is already eiglit months old, with no indications as to release date. During wartime, order of the day was to make as many pix as pos- sible regardless of releasing slate requirements. With availability of rawstock and labor hi." ly uncertain. Par toppers wanted to reap while they could. War pix, as topical, were set for release immediately after completition while films such as "Two Years," without topical, slants were stored high up on the shelves. Consequently, with only "Two Years" and "Blue Skies" set for '46 release. Par officials estimate that the company will have minimum of 33 pix racked by the end, of the year. Two pix in four months pace com- pares with ordinary rate of release of five films every two montlis. Slow rate is being adopted so that sales execs can feel their way ahead care- fully with test sales in the unfamil- iar auction selling territory. SAM BISCHOFFS FOUR PIX FOR UA RELEASE United Artists' board of directors, meeting in New York yesterday (Tuesday), approved deal by which Sam Bischoff will produce four pic- tures for UA release. Long-term pact for the former Columbia pro- ducer calls for three George Raft starrers, pliis a film version of "The Pitfall," novel by Jay Dratler, which will be published this fall. UA board meeting was a continua- tion of: the previous Tuesday's ses- sion. Number of other minor mat- ters were discuissed, but directors skipped all discussion of UA's re- joining Motion Picture Association. There was also no mention of "The Outlaw," company execs taking the attitude that UA would continue distribution despite withdrawal of Production Code Administration seaL' Oif[fll1[llD CUES T Charge that major company pro- ducers are creating an artificial product shortage by a slowdown of the releasing tempo of pictures was scouted this week by Barney Bal- aban, Paramount prexy, who termed any such practice as "hurting the affiliated theatres more than the in- dependent exhibitors." Replying to the assertion made by Abram S. Myers, general counsel of Allied States Exhibitors, and other Allied members, Balaban declared that re-i quirements of studio overhead, for- eign markets and affiliated theatres of the majors negated a product pinch policy and made such indie claims totally unfounded. At the same time, Balaban dis- counted arguments that a product shortage had been planned to open the door to the release of a fiock of reissues at high rentals in the near future. Sounding a warning to the entire industry, Balaban said "in view of the uncertain lahor condi- tions at the studios today, it would be folly to release a large number of reissues now when we may have to fall back on them later on to keep the theatres open.'' It is conceivable, he explained, that Paramount may exhaust its backlog of pix because (Continued on page 20) Robt Benjamin^s Law Firm Partnered in Many Interlocking Pix Cos. Election of Robert Benjamin to the board of Universal Pictures last week marks the eighth executive position the attorney holds in the complicated a.ssociations in this country of British film magnate J. Arthur Rank. It is also the 10th exec post in affiliates of the Rank empire held by a member of Benjamin's law firm, Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin & Krim. Firm, which has long been active in representing film industry clients, is now among the most active in the country in that field. As with most other firms, partners in Phillips, Ni- zer, Benjamin & Krim turn in all of their earnings as execs of out- side companies to the firm's treas- ury and draw a stipulated weekly sum from, it as each individual's share of the take. Titles in the Rank taffiliates held (Continued on page 18) Par, Dietrich Ink Pact Hollywood, Sept. 24. Paramount inked Marlene Dietrich to a contract calling for one picture annually for seven years. Star signed her first Paramount pact in 1930, when she was brought here from Europe for ^Morocco," but has been a fi-eelance since 1937. Currently she is playing in "Golden Earrings" on the same lot. Mary I^kford Charges Prod. Code Favors Big 5 at Expense of Indies Color Only—^Pickford ; Black-and-^white. pictures will be as obsolete as silents as soon as Technicolor and other tint outfits can increase processing facilities sufficiently to meet the domatid, Mary Pickford prophe- sied in New York (Monday 23). Oft-made point that some films lend themselves better to b,-:and-w. than chromo treat- ment brought the reminder from Miss Pickford that the same thing was claimed about silent pictures when the talkers .started to make inroads. .Action pix were said at the time to be better suited for silence than sound, but how many action films are made silent today?t Miss Pickford queried. • Pitt Power Strike Stems Biz Pittsburgh, Sept. 24. Paralyzing strike today (Tues.) by utility i workers against the Du- quesne Power Co., which services the entire Pittsburgh area with elec- tricity, is grinding the wheels of city life to a dead stop with a disastrous effect upon show business. With the strike only a few hours old, 50 of the 65 theatres in the city have been forced to close due to a power lack. Remaining 15 houses, mostly in the downtown area, are remaining open with electricity be- ing supplied from own generators installed last year. Town's only legit theatre, the Nixon, where "Fol- low The Girls" is playing, also is operating with an auxiliary power (Continued on page 31) FLOCK OF H'WOODIANS CONVERGING ON N.Y. New York is topheavy this week with Hollywood players and execs and promised to bo even more so had the crucial strike situation on the Coast not held many production toppers close to their desks. Among those east are Joe Mankiewicz, Walter Wanger and Joan Bennett, Al Jolson, Lester Cowan, Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers, Ralph Cohn, Mr. and Mrs. Al Lichtman, and Mr. and Mrs. Lew Schreiber. Ben Piazza arrives tomorrow (Thurs.). Also Charles Laughton, Sidney Skolsky, Gene Autry, Brian Don- levy, Mr. and Mrs. Pandro Berman, Jerry Horwin and Robert Mont- gomery. William Perlberg had, been east for two weeks and returned to the Coast Sunday (22). National Boxoffice Survey Heat and Holdovers Slow Pace—'Notorious,' 'Sleep,' 'Beaucaire,' 'Mexico' Lead Big Grossers Late heat wave plus prevalence of holdovers and continued runs in many key cities covered by VAniErr are taking the wind out of some of the formerly high-sailing grossers this week. Again "biz is badly split up outside bf the first four toppers. These are "Notorious" (RKO), "Big Sleep" (WB), "Monsieur Beau- caire" (Par) and "Holiday in Mexi- co" (M-G) in about that order. "No- torious" is leading "Big Sleep" for biggest coin, but ' Beaueuaire" is not far away in third slot. Others in the first 12 are "Canyon Passage" (U) "Caesar" WA), "Claudia and David" (20th), "If I'm Lucky" (20th), "Killers" (U), "Mar- tha Ivers" (Par), "Courage of Las- sie" (M-G) and "To Each His Own" (Par). "Passage," "Cleo," "Claud- ia" and "Lucky" are In the bigger money in order named. "Searching Wind" (Par) continues a major disappointment^ being !iniid or slow in nearly every spot re- ported this week. Although . in seven cities, it looks to do less biz than several others playing in only three or four spots. For instance, "Night and Day" (WB).is nearly as strong although currently ■' just in three towns. "Tlie Stranger" (RKO), which had additional bookings this stanza, came close to getting into the first 12 lists. "Lucky," which is rated slow in Los Angeles and moderate in San Fran« Cisco, is territ $34^000 in its initial week on Broadway at the Victoria. "Gallant Journey" (Col) isn't shap- ing up well on showings made this frame, "Scandal in Paris" (UA) also looks to be another disappoint- cr, being light in Minneapolis' and N. Y., and mild in Boston. "Black Angel" (U), which opens in N. Y. today,, looks a modest entry in Boston and Baltimore. (Complete Boxoffice Reports on Pages 14-15). Administration of the Motion Pic- ture Association's Production Code is loaded in favor of the Big Five and. is hurting the indies, Mary Pick>^ ford charged in New York yester- day (Tuesday). She said she was planning to canvass independent producers on her return to the Coast next week with a view toward get- ting changes made which would give . indies equal voice with the majors in judgment on PCA-ordered dele- tions and alterations. "As things stand now," Miss Pick^ ford told Variety, "the Bit; Five are both Congress and the Supreme Court. They not only make the rules, but they sit in judgment on ' the operation of them, so that an independent has no recourse. Inas- much as we must live under the Code, we want some say in its con- tent and administration." Miss Pickford, a one-third owner of United Artists, madT dear that "The Outlaw," which UA is dis- tributing, had nothing to do with her resentment. Sh(. said she felt qualified to talk on the subject of the Code since her nam; had always been a-ssociated with nothing but. the cleanest of pictures. The Code is administered one way for the Big Five members, who con- trol its administration, and another way for indiei^,. Miss Pickford de- clared. Tills echoes a charge made by British producers recently that (Continued on page 29) Danny Kaye's Indie May Be With Armand Deutsch Yon by Danny Kaye to join the indie producer ranks when his cur- rent pact with Samuel Goldwyn is up may result in an association with Armand Deutsch, prez of Story Pro- ductions. Deutsch and Kaye are close friends and have discussed possibil- ity of the SP topper and heir to the Rosonwald estate giving financial baclcing to the comic for his own unit. Deutsch's association with Kaye hinges on: latter locating a suitable story'for himself. He has one more' .picture_.to. go for Goldwyn. SP; in which Deutsch is partnered with Hal Horne, just closed a deal with United Artists for. release of its initial picj "This Side of Innocence." Trade Alarls ilcsistorcd FOUNDED BT SIMB SILVERMAN Fiil>1iNli«<l Weckl.i b7 VAKIETX, Inc. Sit) Silverman. President 154 West 40th St., Now rorli 19. N. 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