Variety (Nov 1947)

Wed«e*da]r; IHcereaAee 5, 1947 TRAVEL BROADENS PIC BUDGETS Rl-Gs Rogers Leads Ksbib' Fight For Shorter Fifans to Boost Grosses Move to cut the running time of 4 pictures—first broached by studio i production chiefs as one method of paring production costs—has now I been taken up by distributors, but for a different reason. Shorter run- ning time means bigger grosses through more rapid audience tura- over. Distribs' side of the question is being primed by Metro sales veepec William F. Bodgers, who's currently mulling the possibility of trimming' 15 pr 20 min^tes oil "Green Dolphin Street." Film now runs 139. minr- . iites. If that 15 or 20 minutes were cutf according to Rodgers, it would be 'Possible for most exhibs to get in at least one more [Aowing of the feature every day. Gross should thus be boosted by that single extra show. Metro will make up its mind on the problem before the. picture . goes into general release Thanks- giving Day. Tie-in Of a picture's running time with the house gross was first sharply pointed up last spring by Gus Eysselli managing director of Radio City Music Hall, N. Y. Eyssell xeportedly complained to Metro about the 134 minutes of "Yearling " ftivoring a^cut to at least 120 min- utes. Metro refused, conceding only the elimination from the picture of : one short sequence showing a bloody fight between a bear and -sbme dogs, which Eyssell thought , was too gruesome. "Good News" Cited By the same tokcm, the MH chief is extremely well pleased with the running . time flf Metro's "Good News," which has been booked into the Hall for the Christmas and Kew Year's holidays. Film runs only 90 minutes, despite the fact that Metro expects it to be one of its top mu sicals of the year. With a big cast topped by June AUyson and Peter Lawford, Eyssell reportedly, believes the film has a good chance of out- grossing any - other M-G feature that's ever played the house; Most of his optimism is based on the run- ning time; which will permit at least one more show daily. \ ''One of the longest of tne big fea- . tures now in release is 20th-Fox's ''Forever Amber," 140 minutes. To get in six shows a day, the Roxy, fN. Y„ has been forced to run a late show every night starting at 12:30 a.m. Without the extra show, it's believed highly improbable that the house would have been able to hang . up its first week record gross of more than $180,000. If the film had been trimmed 15 Or 20 minutes it would have been possible to run six shows daily without the overtime to the house staS and projectionists. Producers long voiced the great- est opposition to trimming the length of features on the argument that a long novel or stage play can- not be trimmed if full justice is to be done the story. On "Dolphin Street," for example.producer Carey Wilson was averse to trimming for that reason. Metro exec produced, Al Lichtman, also objected to the move on the assiunqption that the film should have be«i booked as a two-a-.day roadshow. Really Circusing . RKO'.q reissue of "Bring 'Em Back Alive" will preem in Bal- timore with Clyde Beatty mak- ing a p.a; with bis lion and tiger circus act. Tieup was arranged by RKO exploiteer Tei-ry Turner. TL liberia First Country To Switch to 16m Only— For Its Solitary Theatre First country to switch its entire method of film exhibition from 35m -to 16m is the small republic of Liberia on the western coast of Africa!. Switch will not cause too great a disruption in the liiwrian industry, however, since the' cotm* 'iify, with a 2,500,000 populatiDnt presently has only one theatre—a 600-seater in Monrovia, the capital. Decision to make the change, ac- cording to Liberian Secretary of State Gabriel Dennis, was planned by the government for two reasons. First, it will enable the country to: establish a chrcuit of 16m theatres in the hinterlands, thereby giving many natives their first opportunity to see motion pictures: Government, Dennis declared, considers films a primary means of education, re- gardless of whether the films are educational or strictly entertain ment; Establishment of the 16m circuit, consequently> will tie in dl rectly with the government's plans to expand ; its educational oppor- tunities for the natives.' Second reason, Dennis pointed outv is' to enable the Liberian popu' lace to see more contemporary pie tures. Because of the poor transpor tation system, most film distributors serviced the country only with ■prints of old pictures. Qy using 16m prints^ however, new pictures can be flown into the country at low air express charges and the people will thus get a chance to See much newer production. : -DenniS) who is chairman of the Liberian delegation to the United Nations general assembly, is also part owner and managing director of the Liberian Entertainment Co, which owns 'the Monrovia theatre. Hollywood, Nov. 4. Hollywood' this year will spend the greatest amount of coin in its expensive location history for film- ing of pictures in actual locale of their stories. Distant and extensive location jaimts are nothing; new for film colony, but this season they have taken on new meaning. Metro previ- ously went to Equatorial Africa for Trader Horn," to Italy for "Ben Hur" sent another company to the Arctic Circle for VEskimo," and others to South Pacific for "White Shadows of the South Seas" and "The Pagan." Plenty of other studios for years have used faraway sites for filming their product, but almost always spots were selected because of their scenic value or because they, resem- bled the terrain: demanded for story. All that has changed, nowy how- ever, and ' producers eye Iqcations with one view only—is it the exact locale of the picture? . 20(11 Started It Twentieth-Fox actually got ball rolling in this, direction when it dis- patched a complete troupe to New York, for "The House on 92nd Street," using a semi-documentary approach. Result proved so tas^ that other companies . immediately swung into line. Total of such on-rthe-spot filming will far exceed $25,000,000-this year, a hefty figure any way you look at it. This figure is exclusive of other types of locationing. Distances apparently mean nothk ing. Warners assigoed director Del ma'r Daves, to take his; "To the (CoQtintied on pag6 20) MPLS. (XffllBINE ENDS PARPRaDOCTBOLBeUT Minneapolis, Nov. 4» Independent Theatres, non-profit buying combine comprising most of Impoi'tant Twin City situations, after holding out against Paramount for nearly a year, finally has made a deal for the product. Casper Choui- nard, the combine's manager, in an- nouncing the deal, said "botli sides made concessions." Paramount pic- tures immediately will be dated into the combine's theatres,-starting with "Perils of Pauline" and ''"Variety Girl." A still bigger non-profit buying combine, Theatre Associates! includ- ing nearly all- of the large inde"- pendent theatre chains, however, is still continuing its virtual boycott of Paramount, also in effect for a year. It still refuses to buy at the terms oflei-ed and neither side in- dicates any willingness to give in. CALVERT ADDING TO EASTERN REP CHORES Producer Hunt Stromberg, who had been considering shutting down his eastdnii sales office, has decided to keep it open under a compromise arrangement whereby ' his rep, Lowell 'V. Calvert, is also taking on representation of other producers, Thus Calvert last week took over approval of sales made by RKO on Robert Riskin's "Magic Town" and is expecting likewise to rep Sam Bischoff, whose "Intrigue" will be handled by United Artists. . Stroml>erg's aim in shuttering his office was to reduce his expenses, This is now being accomplished by Calvert's taking on the other pro ducers: Calvert has personal con tracts with them, rather than their making deals via Stromberg, as is the case with some other producers who have similarly added to the duties of their eastern staffs. Move toward consolidation of sales representation is seen as a coming trend in light of the need of indie producers to economize. Formerly, almost every producer had his own man in New York to approve con- tracts and keep contact on all mat ters with the homeoftice and sales department of the company through which the producer was distributing, U-I Inks Schermer Hollywood, Nov. 4, Universal-International s i g n e d Jules Schermer to produce top-budg- et pictures under supervision of 'Wil liam Dozier. Schermer is shifting over from Columbia, where he produced "The Mali From Colorado" and "Framed. RKO HOLDING BACK ON DATING CHEVAUER PIC RKO is taking no dates until Jan- uary on its French-made Maurice Chevalier - starrer; "Man About Town," with the pic doing slow biz in its American preem at the Bijou on Broadway. Despite good' press notices and off-screen narration that makes -subtitles unnecessary, pic has failed to click as-expected and RKO is holding up while -it probes for the reason. ' . It was expected that the trick method of getting around the need for titles would widen the audi ence, bringing in both the people who normally patronize French films and the general public. Instead, it is appearing to make both types afraid of the film. Orie of the factors partly involved, it is thought, is that the pic is in a former legit house, just off Broad- way, which has never before played films. 'Foxes,' Unconqnordl''AnAer' Place No. 1-n in October RiK Swe^take& October's Golden Dozen 1. "Foxes of Harrow" (20th). 2. "Unconquered" (Par). S. "Forever Amber" (20th). 4. "Song Of Love" (M-G). 5. "Dark Passage" (WB). 8. "Fun, Fancy Free" (RKO). 7. "Walter Mitty" (RKO). 8. "Crossfire" (RKO). 9. "Ufe With Father" (WB). 10. "Variety Girl" (Par). 11. "Down To Earth" (Col). 12. "Welcome Stranger" (Par). Decree Forfends RKO Doing Own Roadshow Of 'Electra' a k 'Henry' RKO would have liked to follow the successful pattern laid down by United Artists in distributing its Shakespearian adaptation, "Henry V," by roadshowing"Mourning Be- comes E'lectra" on four--wall leases but the peculiar effect of the anti- trust decree makes that impossible. The company, as a member of the Big Five, is a target of the decree's freeze on theatre expansion. Hence, any leasing of showcases even on a solo-pic basis is barred to it as one form of theatre acquisitions. For this reason, RKO in .setting "Electra's" p r e e m at the Golden theatre (N.'Y.), closed with Marcella Gerosi who holds a sub-lease from the Shuberts. Gerosi will be the ex- hibitor, not RKO, when"Electra" opens Nov. 19 at the 'former legit house. He took the house some months ago to play Italian pix. "Electra" which Is being co-'pre- sented by RKO and the Theatre Guild will follow its .Gotham teeoffi by roadshowing in the 21 cities - in which the Guild has subscriptions lists: In each instance, ifU play at a $2.40 top with Guild subscribers given first crack at .the pic in the same manner as if the show was a regular Guild legit presentation. Ordinarily, four-wall deals would have been a natural since, the film will play two-a-day and • receive specialized treatment. UA employed that method for "Henry"' (Rank) and parlayed returns to the high point for any British pic screened in the U.S. Net take was particularly high in ratio because there was no need to cut in exhibs on a big slice. No rental policy will be set until after "Electra" shows what it can do at its New York initialer, RKOers say. Robert Hickey, Chicago field rep, has been brought to the home- oifice to handle the publicity <»m- paign. Briefs From the Lots Hollywood, Nov. 4. Metro optioned "Alexandra," novel by Gladys Schmidt, as a possible starrer for Elizabeth Taylor . . . 20tb-Fox signed Anstole Litvak to direct .another picture after his cur- rent chore, "The Snake " Pit.". Mmia Bsrrle drew a key role in "My Dog Rusty" at Columbia,. .Herald Pictures,, headed by Jack Goldberir, shifting its activities temporarily from New York to Hollywood to make an untitled picture for Screen Guild release, starting about Dec. 15- ...A, H. Fuller, the brusli man, checked in at Columbia to gander production of "The Fuller Brush Man:"... Herman Schlom^g next pro- duction at RKO will be "Gun Wrath," a Tim Holt starrer, starting Dec. 1. ' Heinle Conklin and Hank Mann, former Keystone Kops, become New York cops in "The Big City" at Metro ... 'Virginia Gregs shifted from radio to film in "Casbah" at Universal-International . . . Esther Howard draws an Apple Annie role in "The Velvet Touch" «t RKO... William Tracy signed for a featured role in "The Walls of Jericho" at 20th-Fox . 4 . Bal Beach completed construction on a dubbing stage, costing $150,000 and available to all producers on a rental basis ... Butch Jenkins, recovering: from sur- gery, draws the male moppet role opposite Margaret O'Brien in "The Big City."... liou Brock will produce •'Prison Train" at Republic , , Yakima Canntt drew the director stint on Republic's "Oklahoina Bad lands," starting Nov. 11. Orson Welles Will direct and star in Sir Alexander Korda's "Cyrano in Italy when he completes his stint in Edward Small's "Cagliostro" over there ... Martin Mooney bought "Daughter of Ramona," a novel by Robert E. Callahan, for indie pro- duction . . . Boris Ingster will write and direct "The Time Is Now" for Cavalier Prodnctiotts, headed by Robert Young and Eugene B. Rod ney .. . Monty Shaft borrowed Wen- dell Corey from Hal Wallls for,the top role in-"Man IBaters of Kumaon.' . . . Maria Toren, recently imported Swedish actress, will co-star with Jacques Francois, recently imported French thesp, in "The Tin Flute," to be produced by Jerry Dresler at Universal'International. "Poxes of Harrow" (20th) walkiea away with national boxofilce laurelis- ' in October, according to, weekly. boxoffice reports from Variett cor- respondents in some 22 representa- tive key cities over the U. S. Pic- ture finished first for two weeks in succession last month, with' busi- ness in each far ahead of competi- tors, and. finished, fourth and sixth the other two 'weeks. Ability of the film to hold up fairly well in hold- • over sessions also contributed to its fine showing. Actual coin it grossed during October also was consider- ably ahead of its nearest rivals. "Unconquered" (Par) landed in second place mainly because it racked up big to smash trade wherever it opened daring the four weeks, being in the money each of - ■ them. Showing was made although only launched in a few key spots, two new dates being added each week after being preemed in Pitts- burgh. "Forever Amber" (20th) hit third although only being started out in ■ the final week of-October. Climbed that high mainly via weight of busi- ' nes's done in some 17 theatres that opening stanza. These 17 houses irt keys covered by VABiErr gave the picture over .$700,000 in that single week alone. Fourth' place goes to "Sqng of - Love" (M-G) which was s'econd and third during the month besides be- ing in the coin other weeks. It was helped naturally by its big opening sessions at the N. Y. Music Hall, but likewise was excellent in other keys. "Dark Passage' (WB), which was starting to forge ahead in Septem- ber, copped No. 5. position, being consistently up in the high brackets . throughout October. "Fun and Fancy Free" (RKO) placed No. 6, and is measuring up to the best Walt Disney cartoon fea- tures to date at the wickets. "Wal- ter Mitty" (RKO), which is just now getting around in the keys to any real: extent, landed in seventh slot. It forged ahead in the final week to land fifth position but had been showing promise previously by soar- ing to top money in every city in which it teed Off. "Crossfire" (RKO) managed to land in'eighth spot, this film-being among the top nine in September. It did best in bigger cities; Ninth place went to "Life With Father^' (WB) although not having as many new playdates as in the previous month. Picture was big to record in most spots on these upped-scale en-> gageraents. "Variety Girl" (Par) riianaged to snag lo'th position large- ly because of additional dates given it. Eleventh place was captured by "Down To Earth" (Col) and 12th by "Welcome Stranger" (P&r). Abil- ity of latter to still place among the month's big coin-getters was all thp more remarkable in view ofthe fact that it was August boxoffice champ and finished third in September. Showing tipped just how much of a moneymaker it is proving for Para- mount. Top runners-up for October were "Unsuspected" (WB), "Desert Fury" (Par) and ''Singapore" (U). Besides "Amber,", which appar- ently is going at such a clip that it seems sure of being this month's boxoffice champion, "It Had To Be You" (Col), "Spirit Of West Point" (FC), "This Time For Keeps" (M-G) and -"Ride Pink Horse" (U) look best among the newcomers. These were just starting out, for the most part, as October ended but biz registered hints future solid potentialities. SEG PREPS BAHLE TO KEEP GUILD SHOPS Hollywood^ Nov. 4. Screen Extras Guild is lining up signed membership cards to notify the National Labor Relations Board that the extras want to retain the guiid shop in the flfm studios under the Taft-Hartley law. SEG officers have filed non- Communist affidavits, an annual financial, report and other dat^ re- quired by the new law.