Variety (Jun 1947)

Wednesday, June 4, 1947 PICTURES BIDS SET SALES POLICIES ON EAR Ted O'Shea to Bear Down on Selling Paramount More Expensive Items New system is being mapped byf Paramount with the blessings of' Barney' Balaban, Par's prexy, for both the sale and exploitation of the company's heavy-budget pix. Novel technique kicks off within two to three weeks when Ted O'Shea, for- mer sales manager for Liberty Pics which Par recently acquired, moves over to direct the operations under Charles M. Reagan, Par's sales veepee. In a parallel move which aims to coordinate publicity with the selling method, Mort Nathanson, Liberty's eastern pub-ad chief, has been tagged by Curtis Mitchell, Par's pub-ad head, to supervise the ex- ploitation end as special publicity and exploitation director. With some $50,000,000 of the com- pany's cash planked into 12 top pix, scheme was hit upon to push the expensive product. That's all the more urgent because Par is releasing the Alms during a session of dwind- ling business. O'Shea's job will be to handle the selling end of each big film from the time it. first goes into the can until the pic has been thoroughly milked while Nathan- son has the exploitation chores. Concentrating only on one pic at a time, the new Paramount exec will line up a cross-section of test en- gagements for each Him to probe (Continued on page 49) RKO s Air Disk Series On'Long Night'Bally Technique for Preems Hollywood, June 3. RKO's forthcoming "The Long Night" is) being put on transcription in a specially-treated dramatic form for use on radio stations as advance ballyhoo for premieras. Series of six quarter-hour disks, composed of film dialog, lines spe- cially written for the ether, plus original new music, will have stars of the film in leading roles on wax also. Henry Fonda, Vincent Price, Barbara Bel Geddes and Ann Dvorak are being used in the dra- matic series, which Don Thompson wrote and is producing under the supervision of Terry Turner, visit- ing RKO exploitation chief. Dick Aurandt wrote the original score and is conducting an 18-piece orchestra backgrounding the narra- tion and dramatios. Studio has kept the idea under wraps while quietly making platters at International Recordings. It will use them six nights running preced- ing preems in key cities. Initial usage will be in Boston for the spe- cial 200 theatre preem late this month. PRC Rents Studio For Oater Filming Hollywood, June 3. PRC closed a long-term rental deal on the Highland Studio, to be used for interior filming of west- erns, starting this week with "Re- turn of the Lash." Studio is a reconverted war plant in the heart of Hollywood, with one sound stage. Lease was taken over from Filmusic, Inc. : U Scraps Special Field Staffers For British Pix Universal has junked its system of special field handling for J. Arthur Rank pix and will henceforth book the British product through com- pany exchanges in the same man- ner as its Hollywood films. In a sudden move last week, which close- ly followed Rank's arrival in the U. S., company let out four of its five field reps and discontinued the system. Fifth staffer, Jules Weil, was switched back to the Prestige unit of Universal. Action was reportedly taken for two reasons. U found the technique of having field men peddle the pix separately from the exchanges un- workable because considerable toe- steppitiig developed and resultant friction between the two forces. Additionally, while Rank's pix did well in certain keys, U found that the field men were unable to push sales in the hinterlands to a suf- ficient degree. ^_ William Hc neman, Rank's sales head, and Bernard Kranze, his top aide, will push the big circuit deals but the smaller bookings will now be the concern of the exchanges. At the outset of organizing the Rank unit of Universal, Heineman planned 12 to 20 field men but never wid- ened his personnel beyond the quin- tet named. START FEUDS Competitive selling, limited though it is under the decree's stay, is scrambling the distribution setup to a point of unprecedented flux. Plethora of backbiting among the majors is now under way with more than one affiliate chain losing out on what was previously assured prod- uct. Result has been a rising mer- cury on tempers of both theatre and distribution execs and the threat of reprisals by one major against an- other. Things are such that one exhib leader last week expressed his re- action and that of his confreres- as one of "utter amazement at what's $oing on." "When we see the sort o f deals that are being put through now," he added, "we feel as though we're standing on our ears. Never before has the industry seen the unpredictable and inexplicable book- ings that have been made recently." Other indie exhibs and officials of theatre units seconded the senti- ment in one way or another. It's not only that majors are selling away from old customers in a flock of instances, even when the theatre is an affiliate, but that small houses have, more than once, grabbed off choice product from under the noses of the plush showcases. Whether it's been because the larger theatre has been unwilling to meet terms de- manded or for some more obscure reason has exhibs wondering. Cited as an example is the recent (Continued on page 47) Metro Plans $125,000,000 Outlay For 10-Year Production Sked in England Metro Sets Montalban As Iturbi's'Only Son' Hollywood, June 3. Metro's latest pitch for the Latin- American market is "His Only Son," in which Jose Iturbi and Ricardo Montalban will play father and son roles. Joe Pasternak will produce the picture, slated to start in September when Iturbi returns from his con- cert tour. STARS SOUTH OF BORDER ON MEX CHARITY TREK Hollywood, June'3. Hollywood sent a good neighbor expedition to Mexico City for a four-day charity festival for the benefit of underprivileged children, sponsored by the Mexican govern- ment. In the party were Ann Blyth, Joan Qaulfield, Gloria De Haven, Brian Donlevy, Betty Garrett, Jane Greer, Danny Kaye, Dorothy Ma- lone, Virginia Mayo, Marie McDon- ald, Ann Miller, Cathy O'Donnell, Larry Parks, John Payne, Olga San Juan, Alexis Smith, Craig Stevens and Robert Walker. New Indie Specializes In Oaters; to Film in Texas Hollywood, June 3. Western Adventure Productions Corp., new indie outfit specializing in oaters, was formed hereby Paul WiUet with a program calling for six pictures annually. Films will be shot in San Antonio. Officials of the company include John Mangham, John Franconi and J. Francis White, Jr., all holders of Screen Guild franchises. DOS to Repeat 'Duel' Multiple Run System On 'Paradine Case' Hollywood, June 3. David O. Selznick's multiple-.run system, employed in the showing of "Duel in the Sun," will be repeated on "The Paradine Case," to be re- leased in autumn. Total of 300 prints will be re- leased simultaneously, as in the case with "Duel." but Selznick repre- sentatives figure the job will be easier. "Paradine" is a black-and- white production, while "Duel" was in Technicolor, which required more time for processing. Prof. Gessner's Summer Film Courses at USG Robert Gessner, prof, of motion pictures at New York University, heads for the Coast this week to conduct a special 6-week summer course at the University of South- ern California on pix. While west Prof. Gessner will also line up con- tributing authors for a textbook on "The History and Technique of the Motion Picture" since there is no such schoolbook available. With NYU and USC already having film courses, and Columbia University and other campuses planning same, the need for such a book is urgent. Gessner is also a practical scenarist having scripted for War- ner Bros., among others. While west he will occupy Lester Cohen's Malibu Beach house and work on his novel. "Our Bed Is Green," which Simon & Schuster will pub- lish although Harpers has been Gessner's publisher until now. Philly's Wide-Open Bidding for Films Philadelphia, June 3. The Fox theatre, showcase for 20th-Fox here, which traditionally limited its bookings to first-run product from the home studio, has notified all major distribs that it wants a chance to bid for their films. Dwindling biz is behind the move. Tapering of extended runs caused a dearth' of first-run 20th product and the house was unable to fill its play- ing time with 52 weeks of its own company's pix. With the Fox in the arena, four operators are now vying for opening weeks on films. Other three are the Warner Bros, chain, the Goldman theatre and Pix theatre. . Decree governing Philly, result of the Gold- man anti-trust suit, requires pix to be peddled competitively in this locale. British Waste No Time Aiding German Films Washington, June 3. British are wasting no time in getting the German film industry in their zone of occupation reactivated, according to a British report on the subject released last week by the War Department's Civil Affairs Division. The U. S. Army has ap- parently released this as a rebuke to Americans who have objected to the German pix biz getting started again in the U.S. zone. Situation in the American territory is snafued temporarily pending the return of Assistant Secretary of War Howard C. Peterson, who has just gone to Germany to investigate several mat- ters. The report on the British situation declared in part: "Film production is limited by the amount of rawstock, studio space and equipment available. Efforts are being made to build and equip stu- (Continued on page 18) ENTERPRISE'S 8-WEEK SHUTDOWN; 5 IN '46-47 Hollywood,: June 3. Paralleling announcements of a production cutback from six to five pix for 1946-47, Enterprise is elmi- nating all departments at its studio with exception of a skeleton staff. Axe will fall when Harry Sherman's "They Passed This Way" winds up in the middle of this month. All hands will get about an eight-week layoff until production resumes in September. With "Passed This Way" winding up 1946-47 fiscal year as the fifth production instead of the six origi- nally planned, Enterprise announces a total of six features for the 1947-48 season. Next year's output will in- clude "Proud Destiny," by Lion Feuchtwanger, to be produced-di- rected by Lewis Milestone; David Lewis' production of "Pursuit of Love;" Ginger Rogers' "Wild Calen- dar;" Bulwer-Lytton's "The Passion of Eugene Aram," Ladislas Fodor's "Cairo Incident," and an untitled film set as a Barbara Stanwyck starrer. Curtsy to Rank Vancouver. June 3. J. Arthur Rank arrived here last week, and to bring attention to his visit all the major houses in town played "J. Arthur Rank Presents" pictures. Si Fabian Continuing Talks With Att'y Grant (Pickford) for UA Buy Si Fabian's bid for United Artists continues in the talking stage this week. Circuit operator, who wants to buy UA control with the support of Serge Semenenko's First National Bank of Boston, will needle the project at continued powwows with Arnold Grant, attorney for co-own- er Mary Pickford, and Charles Schwartz, repping for Charles Chap- lin. Grant will take all details with him on his trip to the Coast July 1, for Pickford-Chaplin inspection. The film attorney plans to summer in California, where he'll open his Delmar track Aug. 5. Get-together of all interested par- ties was staged at Grant's Rye, N. Y., home last Wednesday (28). Some progress was made at the huddle, one participant said, but there's still a long road ahead. Negotiators, for instance, haven't yet reached agreement on whether Fabian will buy out UA, Jock-stock-and-barrel, or a slice of the company sufficient to give him control. Meet had its suburban setting be- cause Grant was confined to home as a convalescent from an appen- dectomy. Future confabs will be held in the New York offices of either Grant or Schwartz. It's re- ported that Miss Pickford and Chap- lin would ' be willing to accept $2,750,000 each as down payment with an unfixed balance on time. Asking price is $15,000,000. Boyd Abandons 'Hoppy' For 1 Feature for UA Hollywood. June 3. For the first time in 13 years Wil- liam Boyd will step out of the Hop- along Cassidy character this year to make one feature, costing $500,000, for United Artists release. Picture will be made in associa- tion with Lewis Rachmil. who co- produces the Hopalong westerns, six of which will be delivered to UA for the 1947-48 season. Hollywood, June 3. Metro will spend $125,000,000 on a 10-year production schedule in its new studios at Elstree, England. Newest overseas plant, comprising 122 acres, already has five stages ready for production and two more now are being readied. Studio is ex- pected to be In full production by early fall, with an additional 100 acres purchased for future expan- sion. Top outlay, running $12,500,000 a year, will be spent in Metro's first wholly-owned British production setup. Company rented space pre- viously, making "Yank at Oxford," "The Citadel," "Goodbye Mr. Chips" and "Busman's Honeymoon" before the war, plus "Adventures of Tartu" and "Vacation from Marriage" dur- ing the war. New layout, which will cost $8,000,000 when finished, is a consummation of Metro's original plans to build -ts own studio in Eng- land, which the war interrupted. "Young Bess," Deborah Kerr starrer, is slated as the first film to go. Planned to follow is "Secret Garden," co-starring Margaret O'Brien and Claude Jarman, Jr. Cur- rently in Hollywood discussing the production schedule for next year with Louis B. Mayer, Eddie Manriix (Continued on page 18) MPEA Expects to Take Over Distrib of U. S. Pix in Germany Soon Final decision on the date when the Motion Picture Export Assn. takes over distribution of U.S. prod- uct in Germany is expected to be made within the next couple of weeks. MPEA is still awaiting word from the Allied Military Govern- ment to the effect that it will com- ply with the stipulations laid down by MPEA general manager Irving Maas. Organization, meanwhile, is proceeding with its plans under the assumption that the AMG will co- operate. Noel Jordan, named recently to take over MPEA distribution acti- vities in Germany, left Thursday (29) for Paris. After several days in the French capital, he's slated to go on to Berlin. If the AMG hasn't made up its mind by the time he reaches Berlin, according to an MPEA spokesman, Jordan is expect- ed to file a report on the situation to Maas, which the latter will take to Washington for a final showdown with the Army. s If the MPEA does take over, dis- tribution plans won't be ready by July 1, originally announced date for the MPEA to move in. Organ- ization will probably not be ready to begin operations in Germany until at least late summer, it was said. FILM BI0G SLATED ON MAYOR 0'DWYER Hollywood, June 3. New York's Mayor O'Dwyer has given Marathon Pictures permission to frame a -biopic around his ca- reer, Harry Brandt, Marathon chief, hopes to get Pat O'Brien to under- take the lead. Film will be largely lensed in Brooklyn, production to start around mid-summer. Film as yet untitled, will be re- leased through PRC. Galsworthy Play For Brit. Filming by 20th Hollywood, June 3. Plans for 20th-Fox filming John Galsworthy's play, "Escape," en- tirely in England, has been an- nounced by Darryl Zanuck. William Perlbcrg will produce, Rex Harri- son starring, Joseph Mankicwicz directing. Production manager F rederic ' t Fox leaves this week for London- to set production staff and prep for arrival of Perlberg and Mankiewicz I in July. Zanuck himself will go to i England in August and remain long | enough to tee off filing.