Variety (Nov 1946)

PICTURES March of Time Accents Films Stance On Tele; See Different Techniques March of Time is currently study-' ing ;meth'ods pi' produ.cing .; quality pix for tcieyision but won't. begin actual production im'til , 'ttiei'e'S enough money in tele 'to , mivlte it pay, according to Richard dc Rochr. emont, MOT producer. .Ghiel proWem, cte Rodhemont said, i^ producing pix of' adequate <iuality at prices that tele broad- casters can afltord. MOT, conse- quently, has been directing its ef- forts towards learning how to trim . cOsf:s vwithout ' "chiselihg" wliere it ,: V'ill hurt. Pointing out. that MOT operjites on a completply union shop, c!e Rochernont said it would be im- possible to produce any films that don't respect union agreemeifts so that it was inipossibje Iq :.cut eosts low enough yet to what broadcast- ers are willing to pay. ' Negotiations have already been- carried on with three of the top ad agencies but Solution of the problem has not yet been reached. MOT chief predicted that films' would subsequently mean as much tfl television as. transcriptions pres- ently mean to radio but declared that the present pix aired by tele broadcasters, which he termed "dis- tressed merchandise," were- doing much to hurt the new medium. Holly-wood is presently sitting back on telefilm production through un-; certainty of exactly " what video will mean. MOT, de Rochemont said, ■ will be prepared to make any type film broadcasters want, including documentaries, commercial pix, in- dustrial pix or dramatic films. If color film is needed, MOT can make that, too, he added. In its studies and tests, MOT has found that the usual film produced ' for large-screen theatres doesn't ■ show to good advantage oy\ tele / screens.: With video expected to be ..■ viewed most often -in homes, it doesn't need the spectacle that's in- cluded in" pix aimed for the lush set- ting of a flrst-class theatre. But telefilm does need more contrast and more use of closeups. de Roche- mont said.: ■ Adplx Abroad Europeans are also interested in ■ getting films with commercial U. S. .. advertising for tele transmission, the MOT producer .>?aid. Some Euro- . pean tele Chiefs have even been '. considering the transmission of film across the Atlantic by means of video, he said, adding that Euro- pean engineers had told him on his recent trip to'Europe that they're confident the distance problem -would soon be licked. System in . mind would be one similar to the Paramount intermediate film meth- od, with the film scanned by video cameras on this side of the Atlantic, transmitted via some method to Eu- rope and then photographed on raw stock from the receiving set for fu- ture transmission, or transmitted di- rectly as it comes over. Local Gal Makes Good When Metro's "Tili the piouds: Roll By" opens at the Music Hall, N. Y.'. 'uoxt month it \N'ill be in the nature of a return.- engagement for .LUcille Bremer, who-is featured in the .film. . Femme was a 111 ember of the house's famed' Rockettes^ line from about 1939 'to I9,'l,l;. She w-ettt from there iiitq Broad- way niteries and then to Metro. She's the first Rockette to re- turn to the, house in a feature film.- . Alvin Aides Nelson Hollywood, Nov. 8. Donald Nelson, president of the Society of Independent Motion Pic- ; lure Producers, appointed Joe: Aivin ! a.-i hi.s assistant, charged with the I haiKlling of public relations, and other duties. ;■' - '■ ■ Alvin, former newspaperman, was we.'ttern manager of news and special events for NBC during the vii,ar. Exhibs Continue Battling Spread Of Dog Tracb ^xhih organizations are currently waging a battle-T-succcssful, so far— against a threatened spread of dog tracks throughout the country Scrap is now under way in Los An,geles, where two syndicates have applied for licenses to open separate canine cinder paths with some of the chief opposition stemming from the South- ern GaUtornia Theatre 0\vners Assn. Indications of the wMde front in which the war is-being waged is the fact that the Pacific Coast .Conference of Theatre Owners Asisn. recently licked a similar application in San Francisco, while theatre Own- ers; in Dallas knocked out a request there. Exhib leaders say they will try to knock over the head applications wherever they may arise. Theatre men's distaste for the dog tracks is due to several factors, hot least of which is their view that the dogs have been a potent influence in, dent- ing grosses. While in the forefront Of the fight, the exhibs' hand has been fortified by alliance with teacher-parent organizations, wom- en's clubs, churches, etc. Theatremen, a-long with civic groups, are allergic to the tracks be- cause they claim that operators, coutitenance bets, as low as 25c. Frequently aired beef at hearings is that kids beeline from school to the greyhounds to put their candy^and- movie pennies on a race. Moppet practice , is double-barrelled since it hurts the theatre owners as parents and businessmen. WctlneeJay, November 6, 1945 Qiicago Exhibs Reach Agrement With Ops After Series of lishaps COAST CABANA aUB BENT BUT NOT BROKE Hollywood, Nov 5. California Gabana Glub, launched with a bock of gilded Hollywood names as the swahkiest nitery. on the Coast, has run aground a flnaiiT, cial reef on the beach at - Santa Monica. Checkup of the club's monetary health discloses assets of ,$770,183 : and liabilities of $843,725. Ralph Meyer & Associates, business counsellors, have advised the officers and directors of the club, made up of film personages, to settle for 70c on . the dollar to keep out-of bank- ruptcy. Officers are listed as Frank Bor- ; zage, prexy; Johnny Wcissmuller, veepee; Bo C. Roos, secretary-treas- urer; Charles TrezOna, Jr., ii.s.^istant secretary; George A. Brooks, manag- ing director, and Martin C. Trapp, chairman of the membership.,board. Among the stockholders are Joan Crawford, Fred .Macf,Iurray, Edna Skelton Borzage. Leslie Fonton. Ann " Dvptak, Merle Oberon, Harriet Par- sons, J. Robert Jordan, Jo.=eph M. Schehck, George Scaton, Robert Walker, John Wayne, Herbert J. Yates and Red Skelton. Once it was known as the Deau- ville Club, taken over by the Army during the war. Bo Roos, agent and business manager for numerous film figures, was the activating motive for the Cabana, starting about six months ago. NCCJ to Honor Show Biz, Press, for Brotherhood Show biz, together with the news-, paper and advertising industries, will be honored for its work in the cause of tolerance in a special trib- ute tendered by the National Con- ference of Christians and Jews at the Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y,, Nov. 24. NCCJ, sponsors of the American Brotherhood, will present a special citation to each industry .at the banquet which is to be aired over the ABC net. James Sauter heads the over-all committee with assistance froi-n a special steering committee set ujp by J: Robert Rubin. Emil Friedlander and Bert Lytell will serve for the theatre; Robert Swezey, .Mutual vee- pee and g.m., for radio;. Max Cohen for films; and. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., for press and magazines. British Pix Breaking Down Major Network Resistance to Air 'Em Ma.]or network resistance to Brit- ish: fllmS, factor which has kept the anglo pix unaired on top broadcasts for -many years, has broken down in a flurry of radio offers currently fee- ing made to British producers. Swing in broadcasters' sentiment opens a now avenue of mass pix plugging previously closed by refu- .sal of bigger bankroUers to touch the overseas films. Claim has sl- w'ays been that AmericSn' audietices have no interest in them..: Back was broken when. Hedda Hopper, after a recent trip to Eng- land, pacted for six films of J. Arthur Rank foi* her current Camay Show., This Complete Innovation in American broadcasting brought "Seventh 'Veil" to the mike as the flr-st of the series iri- .a dramatization with' Ann Todd, star of the Briti.sh pie,, along with Ray Milland and Compton: Bennett, director of the film. Flood of letters to the British actress apparently has convinced major broadcasters that, Yank audi- ences can be brought around. : Snowballing interest has been evi- denced by both NBC and CBS with each proferring the New York Rank office a complete'.half^hbur on the air. Negotiations have so far been stymied by the fact: that: the nets, have been unable to . guarantee transmission over the Ocean because of changing weather coiiditions. Deal may be chilled by the five hours difference between New Yoi-k and London which made it early morn- ing in England for any nighttime airer here, British stars, canvassed on the idea, have not been too;cn-: tliuslastic about staying up all night to broadcast overseas. Spread of radio dramatizations of the British pix, however, is waxing in other quarters. Squibb's Academy Award Theatre of the Air is now dickering with Rank execs in an ef- fort to obtain a number of the Brit- ish films. Lux also moved in imme- diately and is asking for an. in- creased batch of the British proper- ties while other b.r.s have been flirt- ing with Anglo producers. Should the Bing Crosby platter network show be extended. Rank's flacks intend to pu.sh their advan- tage by offering British films, with actual British stars, in transcriptions made in England under American radio supervisors. Plans in this re- gard, it was said, need further work- ing over and programs would not be available until next fall. $1,000 for Courtesy San Antonio, Nov. 5. Byron L. Speckels has been left $1,000 in the will of Mrs. Corne- lia Cooke Smith, curator of the O. Henry Museum in Austin. Speckels was a former theatre aisher while . attending tlie Uni- ■ versify of Texas and managed to find Mrs. . Cooke a good scat when she attended. The money was left to him tor being so courteous. > ■ ' Studio Strike Settlement Now ' As Cold as Ever ■Hollywood, Nov. 5, Studio labor , difficulties, expected to be settled this week, look, no closer to solving than in weeks pre- vious, with studio , painters now joining in. demands for pay. increases and shorter work week. Screen Set Designers, Local 1421-, also- has re- uu-ned to the centre of the-labor pic-- ture with a registered letter demand sent yesterday t4) to producers ask- ing for reopening of contract nego- tiations and reinstatemehi pf. ■mem-, ber.s in all jobs. Meanwhile, Film Technicians Lo- cal 683 is still the centre of strife, tying up labor here.- , Although.: settleimerit: :;- of : ..la.ttei^ problem was expected sometime this week with arrival of lA Interna- tional .prexy Richard Walsh; Joseph Keenaii, the man slated .for appoint- ment to the. post as impartial labor chairman for the film industry, is 1-iolding up his arrival here from Chicago for a week in order to give, leaders an opportunity to iron: Oiit all problems. Conference of Studio Unions is charged with "had faith" in revising the arliitration agreement by Roy (Continued on page 29; Lassie the Dog Named In Master's Divorce Hollywood, Nov. 5. After playing heroic roles in many .a canine, picture,: Lassie, the four-legged star, was cast as a heavy in the divorce case lost by his owner and trainer, Frank Weatherwax. Mrs. Wcatherwax testified that her hu.sband spent more time and con- .sideratlon.: on tasisie: than he did on his family. . Vincent Left Over lOOG ,. ,: Los Angeles, Nov. 5. Estate of the late Frank Vincent, estimated in excess of $100,000, was placed in charge of three executors, Gary Grant, Joel McCrea and the Bank of America. Simon & Garbus, film attorneys, will file the will for probata next week. : Maj. Bowes' Art Treasures Bring $103,498 at Sale The late Maj. Edward J. Bowes, who during his lifetime' realized a fortune from amateur :unit produc- tions, is' posthuinousiy hitting tall coin as an amateur art , collector. Collection, last :week was: atictioned off at the Kende galleries of Gimbel Bros., N.. Y., and was bringing, prices far in excess of what the late show- man paid. In one instance Gilbert Miller, legit producer, bid $5,000 for Renoir's Environs de Caghe-S a landscape, while Bowes acquired it In 1943 for $4,000.. One small work by Fan'tin- Latour. which Bowes bought in 1926' for $200 was peddled for $i.60.0. :A Renoir which was bought in ,.;1:942 for $13,500 went for $20,000.. . • ■Total realized in :ihe .tw6 day- sale was $103,498.: 240G'Rin Tin Tin'Suit Los Angeles, Nov, 5, Damage suit for $240,000 was filed ■in Superior court by. Wally Kline against Romay Pictures and PRC, involving the picture, "The Return of Rin Tin Tiii." Kline charges he was frozen out of the production after he had writ- ten the film story under the title. '*A Miracle At Midnight." L. A. to N. Y. Nan Bennett , :,. . William Boyd /. ■ Leslie Brooks Ned Brown ' : ' ': ■;. Lloyd Brqwnfield Karen Coiiver.se,, Humphrey Doulens Marvyn Ezell ■ , : John Fulton Arthur Freed Cedric Gibbons Jesse J. Goldburg Samuel Goldwyn Steve Hannigan Joan Harrison June Haver Col. Orten Hicks Lena Horne Andre Kostelanetz Charles Laughtpn , Lew Lauria ,;, Irving Lazar John Loder : Ella Logan Virginia Mayo Frank McCarthy S. Barret McCormiek Larry Parks Marion Parsonnet Lily Pons :' Maybelle Prindaville : Lewis Rachmil Mark Stevens Arnold StoHz James Taggart Lawrence Tibbett Robert Vogel ■ ■ : '. Hai Wallis-:' . : ■...'':■:.:' ,: '- .:.':- ■. A. P. Waxman ;.Lillian Wells.: . :: .'• ,■ Dame May Whitty . ■ Sidney ^fright' ' ■; : ,'■;: William Wyler N. Y. to L. A. Dave Franklin Jack Kapp "; ■: ' Russell. Holman .:. "::V::''. j^-' 'Peggy Le: Boutillier ., -■ Edward C. Raftery Charles M. Reagan Irene Sharaff Eddie Sherman N. Y. to Europe Jack Hylion London to N. Y. Oscar Berlin Joseph Friedman Michael Powell Elsa Snelley • Chicago, Nov.:5, .Feud between Motion Picture' Operators Union and local exhibs over unionizinig front-of-the-house theatre employees was climaxed last week with a series of "aoeidenls" in approximately 40 houses, which sud- denly went soundless or had screens black out at intervals for two days. Exhibs tlien came out of confab with union heads agreeing to a five- year contract with the laborites. Action began Thursday night .(31) when all Loop houses and several outlying theatres lost sound lor period up to a half hour. Coin- oidentally, trouble arose in all houses aft; same time; Several loop houses were forced to rriake : wholesale.. refunds after / : payees' demands. Following day found screens blacked out for long periods with same situation prevail- ing: ., ■ . Gene, Atkinson, union organizer,'' di-^claimed any knijwledge of the "sabotage," as it was termed by en-i- .■. bittered exhibitors. Atkinson, (br.'\ several months, has been behind an' • intensive drive to have front-ofrlhe- house employees come into the:i. union. These employees consist of ushers, doormen, candy girls and tickelsoUers. Theatreowners have steadfastly refused to back the move.. ■ In spite of high feeling among theatre chain brasshats, an amicable Settlement w-as reached Saturday 'af- , ' ter four hours of conferring at the : Sherman hotel. Present at the meet were Richard Walsh, prexy of the . International:'Alliance; of Theatrical • Stage Employees, who planed in from New York for the emergency, ; ,ahd:Atldnson,:repfesenti'lS t^'e union. Among exhibs present wore Moriis Leonard, corporation covmsel for Balaban & Katz, hit hai'deSt; Eddie, Silverman, proxy of Essaness;;James Coston, Warners' zone manager, and Arthur Schoenstadt, prez of Si-hocn- stadt theatres. NegotiiJtions on, the. contract: are lo begin immediately. lATSE told oxhibs it w-Ould not ask ah ineroa'se; in the amount of employees and . allow owners complete freedom of action. This brings about a fini.sh to drive originally begun in 1937 when a charter -was, granted Which- created Local B-46 for frontrof-the- house employes. Although details as -to wage have not been made available as yet. At- kinson a few weeks ago said he would demand $1 an hour .for ushers in . class "A" houses, with Sihaller.' tlieatres paying proportionate to seating capacities. CHAS. D. KEENAN EYES H'WOOD LABOR POST Hollywood, Nov. .'). Charles D. Keenan, secretary of the Chicago Federation of La'bor, is due here this week to study the de- tails of his recent appointment to the new po.st of Permanent Impartial: Chairman of the Motion Picture Jurisdictional Disputes Arbitration Board. Before accepting the job as studio labor czar, he will go into the question of salary and other i-natters. Unde-rstood his acceptance of the post is practically aiisui-ed. , Prbposal for the establishment of permanent:machinery for the settle- ment of jurisdictional disputes will be laid before all studio unions, and: little or no opposition' is expected. Chiefly .responsible for thi.s impor- tant step toward labor peace are Herbert Sorreli: and Matthew Mat^ tison, of the Conference of Studio.- Unions; Roy M. Brewer and Carl Cooper, of the International Alli- ance of T*heatrical Stage Emplnyccp; Joseph Touhy, international rfpre--: sentiitive of the Teamsters Union, and John Dales, Jr., of the Screen Actors Guild,: KcCnan had charge of labor pi'O^ duction for the War 'Department- during, tlie wHrfare, and reccnU.V completed a survey of the Gormw labor situ.niion for the; U, S. Gnv- eniment. Hi.<i nomination , for the Hollywood job wa.s unaiiimous. Meanwhile, the question of tracts and Film Tcchnieiaris Local, 683 remains to .be settled before WW production returns to nonnali .SOr:- rell Bfid the CSU officials will l>ioy« .shortly into negotiations for con-- tracts with:the: studibs.. Brewer a"" lATSE leaders-will take care of i-.o- cal 683. rebellious mombrrs of w,":cn are demanding local autonomy »»" a new contract.