Variety (Jan 1948)

WedneBday, January 7, I94g Fortysecond P^^S^ff Anniveraary PICTURES 43 My NOT So Favorite Story! It was a big night! Their Majesties, the King and Queen of England, had » message conveyed that they would attend a perform-, ance while I was playing Prince Danilo in "The Uferry Widow" in London. Naturally, I wished to do, and look nsy best. ^^^^ .M wife had just left my dressing;.room to go up to ' the box, opposite the Koy^l box, from which she Would pee the performance together with my cousin, Bernard, who had come from Copenhagen to visit us. I sat waiting for the last call to go on the stage. My pants were lying on a chair beside me, ready for me to put oh at the last moment so they would not be creased from sitting around^whioh is more or less customary. There was a tense feeling baclcstage and everyone • was on edge. There 1 was, ready to go on for the big event. But at tire very last moment I discovered that the presser from the wardrobe had sent me the wrong pants! Beau- tifully pressed—but'the wrong ones! •"» I tried to borrow a pair of pants from the gentlemen t>f the chorus, but as I am G feet 2 it was impossible to get my length. At the last second the only pair of dress irousers we could find were , those of the cofnediaHr- who was much shorter and nearly twice my size around . V the' middle. My dresser took in'the extra girth with safety -pins. That helped a littler-^but there was nothing I could do . about the length. V My cue was there. I had to get on the stage. To be careful to keep the pants on is not the word. But, .of course, I had to move and with every movemenVone of the Isafety pins would pull loose. At the same time I tried tO: do my best not to show that the pants were six ihches^oo riiort. Nerves made me perspire like a V miniature Niagara Falls. When were.they going to fall? My wife with her eagle eyes saw at once from her . box that something was wrong, and it took her only one glance to see-^the pants! ' In her bewilderment she looked at my cousin Bernard, a studious fellow With rim glasses, but just my height— and in tails! "Get off your pants!," she whispered, and before my astonished cousin had time to collect himself she had drawn ]iim back in the darkness of the box and begun to putt his pants otl, He thought that my wife had gone out of'her mind, but she got him back to hi&seat, ttom where only the upper part of him could be seen. At that moment all the safety pins had popped, but, fortunately, it was just when I had my first exit after the opening scene. When I came oil the stage I found : iny wife waiting there with the pants—and they fitted! V ' My cousin Bernard was out for another surprise when the curtain went down at the end of the show, and the orchestra started playing "God Save The King." Every- body in the theatre stood up except Bernard who had to sit down'—on the floor, so nobody could see him! •: —Carl Brisson. The HandwritiHi Is OH Ik WaU By ROBERT GESSNER (Prbfetsor.oS ATotton Pictures, N. Y. V.) Independent Producer Ranks Swelled Considerably During 1947 More Than 100 Companies Formed CaTrying Budgets Surpassing $400,000,000 in Production Costs By WHTTNEY WILLIAMS Hollywood. With some of the big boys in the indie deld running for cover in attempt to align themselves with majors while the going still is good—as witness Liberty, with its quartet of toppers moving in witii' Paramount,. Leo McCarey and his Rainbow Productions joining same.^ company, and William Gagney Productions' throwing in its lot with ■ Warners—it's a strange commentary that the year just past saw the great- est number of new indie production units come into being in history of Hollywood. ^ More than 100 companies were formed, slated to turn out iilms carrying budgets .up to and surpassing the $4,000,000 mark. Majority, however, were organized to .make pictures of under $500,000. Decision of most'major lots to film only,"A" product led to formation of many, of these outfits, which are slated to turn out strictly programmer or "B" films. Some, such as Frank Seltzer Productions and Belsam Productions, were organized after respective deals had been made with 20th- Fox to release concerns' product, to supplement company's laig-picture program. Others—and these are greatly in the ■ majority—filed articles;,of incorporation with no set release in sight. •- Number of these units were.started by oldtimers in the picture business, while still others were set up by men with little previous production experience. Group of stars, too, such as Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Robert Montgomery, Burt liancaster, Tony Martin and Dick Haymnes? established their .own production units, either alone or with others. Anybody with a property—or even without any—apparently hit upon the idea of going into indie production during 1947, with the result that the town now abounds with the greatest aggrega- tion of new picture outfits the hamlet has ever seen. The worst thing that can be said about a woman, accord- ing to amateur philosophers, is to claim she's beautiful but dumb. That beauty and brains are not incompatible is but another manifestation of American innate optimism. Picture actresses have been studying French, I not as a beauty aid under the kleig lights, but to impress dinner guests. On - the basis of VABiEi'ir -Weekly tabs, the motion picture audience^wliich is the most patient, turn-the-other-cheek au- dience in the worldT-is ivear; of Wait- ing for taste and intelligence t;o catch up with Technicolor. The postwar product of the celhtloid rolling mills has served only to -vWden the breach. The hand'jrriting is off the I wall, It's on the ledger books. Costs ■ Anwt r '"rising and revenue falling mean some- • f »^essner jj^.^g ^^jth the product in any language or mdustry. "Where intuition ends there science begins," is. an adage that holds good today as much as when Aristotle, over 2,270' years ago, laid down the laws for drama^ which still influ- ence and inspire the plays of 1948. 'No one but a practicing typist or the female playwright in ■ "You Can't Take It With You" would sit down to work out «_ttu:ee-act play without considering the laws of dramaturgy. Likewise, when a Wall Street gambler or a casting couch addict adventures, into play producti<}n the resultunt flop is ' predictable. ' The Motion Picture Industry is the only large-scale free enterprise for profit which appears to: be operated on: the principles of the ouija board. My University Colleagues, Wall. Street consultants as experts in flnance; investments, , an^ industry, shake their collective heads sadly. The Industry ranks third in the country on the amount of money spent in advertising and promotion, although it is only lith in volume of business. The return on the budget dollar for production costs is one of the lowejst in any indus- try. What is wrong, obviously, lies in the quality of the pred- ict offered for sale. During the golden war days you could make money screen- ing blank celluloid. Today, as producers and exhibitors can testity, people are shopping for their pix. Saturated with the Jormula story, bored by repetitious triteness, the public, like the overburdened dray-horse straining for the elusive carrot on the fishing pole, seeks entertainment that is t/uly enter- winmg. Movies fail mainly from a single common ailment—false , or inadequate character motivation. The world of.malce- M as concocted in the dream factories is no longer so ■ i,^*"y sold. The names and faces of stars are now insuft'iciont. lie story must have sufficient reality, even as a musical or comedy, for an audience, to identify itself with the antics or 'nals_ and/or tribulations ol the actors. Audience Identillca- "on has been the touchstone of every story-telling art form smce Biblical times. p The eminent success of the best of the British, Italian and "■^"ch importations (the worst we won't even mention) lan be traced to their fresh and wholly believable character- «auons. They lack the Hollywood shine of face and cos- One-Pic Deals' Many of these new companies already have turned out start of their program, and others, of course, haven't yet got away with, theirs; but outlook is promising, insofar as actual camera turning is concerned. In certain instances, companies were formed apparently only for one picture, but these are so few that their number is negligible. Seltzer finished his first and is soon to start second for 20th-Fox, while Arpi Productions, teamed by Robert Pres- nell. Sr., and John Reinhardt, have completed two for Film Classics, with which outfit has four-picture deal. Rampart Productions, with WUliam Dozier and Joan Fontaine, too, have completed high-cost takeo£^ film for Universal-Inter- national, with others to follow for same distrib outfit. Albert S. Rogell and David Hersh formed Gibraltar Pro- ductions, and have a United ArtLsts release, following windup of their first picture together, made for Eagle Lion release under their previous Prudential Productions banner. One of most auspicious outfits is Independent Artists, headed by Frederick Brisson, Rosalind Ra^sell and Dudley 'Nichols. This company closed deal with RKO for release of high-budget productions, first of which is completed. Ken Murray and David Siegel got togeth<^r on *^Bni and Coo," feature with bird cast exclusively, which was made for Republic. Siegel became- so entranced, apparently, that he , straightway organized two other companies, David Siegel Productions and Triumph Pictures. Samuel BischofC, leaving Columbia to embarli: upon indie production, made a George Baft starrer for United Artists. UA- obviously was so pleased that it jnked five-year deal -inntfa producer, for him to deliver as many as 25 pictures to it during this period, BischOif has Raft with him on four more pictures, and Dick; Powell lor two. Players Active as Indies I Players were particularly active in lining up production deals. Randolph Scott tied in with Harry Joe Brown for Producers-Actors Corp. and made pair during year for Co- lumbia, and Franchot Tone associated himself with S. Sylvan Simon in Cornell Pictures, in making 'two for Columbia re- lease. Robert Young's Cavalier Jftroductions turned out singleton, too, for same company, and Gene Autry inked deal for release of eight over two-year period with Colum- bia, made by his own unit. Carl Krueger was another to set up his own company, making two'during year, with no release yet set, and Con- stance Bennett did one for Allied Artists. John Calvert and W. Lee- Wilder got together to form Falcon Productions, to make series of whodunits fpr Film Classics,. Sunset Carson started his own western unit and Lee Bonnell organized for a single, to be made in spring of 1948. Fairbanks and Montgomery have releasing deals with Uni- versal-International, latter calling his outfit Neptune Pro- ductions, and Tony Martin paired with agent Nat Goldstone to form Marston Productions for making of pictures for U-I. tume and overhead lighting, but somehow the good ones-^ grade B products are never consciously exported—bear a closer resemblance to people and events in life as it is lived. The makeup is never faultless, but the very mediocrity ol the characters conveys a naturalism that is convincing—and rewarding at the boxoffice. The curious unreality which standardizes the typical prod^ uct is all the more disturbing when you realize how many intelligent and creative people work in the Industry. These directors, camwamen, writers, actors and producers-without-. power are not unmindful of the slow pulse and low*blood pressure in the body beautitul. If Hollywood has the muscle and talent for a mature middle-age, why do the films persist in wearing the under- sized clothes of adolescence? After clo.se observation in and out of theatres and studios I am convinced the star system and the story system are responsible. Characters are un- believable because of type casting and type writing. Not until some semblance of a scientific approach and execution of character and Story values is introduced will the Indttstry be guided along lines which have proven profit- able in the older fields of drama and fiction. Too much is at stake to risk millions and reputations on the roulette wheel of intuition: Dick Haymes and his manager. Bill Burton, also teamed for indie production and probably will distribute through U-I. Abbott and Costello have their own unit for one picture at Eagle Lion, and Paul Henreid will produce as an mdie. too, Robert Cummings is in with Philip Ydrdan and Eugene Frenke in United California Productions, for high^wendi- ture product, and Ingrid Bergman joined np with Walter Wanger and Victor Fleming in Sierra Pictures, for Joan, to be released through RKO. Cost of this filin will far ex- ceed $4,000,000. , ,x - J „i Wanger, incidentally, also formed new unit, closing deal with Eagle Lion for production of four top-budget films annually. He also has contract for one more picture to be produced for Universal-Bnternational, and his, Joan Bennetts and Frite Lang's Diana Productions still is act ive. 1 Jonn Leslie, Too ~~ \ Joan Leslie is another player to enter indie setup, with her Culver Productions. For tax purposes, and also for income increases, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Bette Davis entered into deals with Paramount, for first two, and, Warners; lot Miss Davis, whereby they would participate in profits of certain pictures, which virtually reps an indie outfit for each, in addition to their other appearances for companies.. Still other thesps to form indie units include Burt Lan- caster, with his Norma Productions, and Sonja Henie, with hers and John Beck's Westwood Productions. John Garfield also has co-producing setup, in association with Bob Roberts, for another picture with Enterprise, to follow his "Body and Soul," turned out under same arrangement. Elliott Nugent, who during past few years has devoted him"- seU to directing for both screen and stage, recently organized his Niagara Productions, to produce both pictures and plays. Former Columbia producer Clifford Sanford set up Criterion Pictures and is dickering four-picture deal with UA. Rouben Mamoulian likewise is entering indie production for first timB.-'on his own. F&M's UA Deal I Following years of participation in theatrical biz, Fan- chon & Marco closed deal with UA for its Colony Pictures to produce five pictures within three-year period. Nat Holt, immediately he left producer spot at RKO> entered into negotiation^ with 20th-Fox for a high-budget picture release and will start his first for them this-year. Harry Brandt, the indie theatre owner formed Martithon Pictures and already has made his first "Close-up," for Eagle ' Lion release. E-dward Nassour, whose new studio in center of Hollywood has been open only a year but has beeji used by indies without loss of a single day, is another who hit upon idea of combining other efforts with production. Con- sequently, he formed Edward Nassour Productions and closed deal with Allied Artists for at least four a year. ■ Sons of industry highups make a group of-aew indie pro» ducers who may look forward to prosperity, JfAm Rogers^ son of Charles R., got off to a good start with "Spirit of West Point," on which he teamed with veteran Harry Joe Brown. He is now on his own. Bud Lesser (Sol Lesser) and Frank MeUord organized Windsor Pictures and have an Allied Artists release. Jerry Briskin (Sam Briskin) and Matthew Rapf <Harry Rapf) set up Crestview Productions and .already have completed their first. Bill Lasky (Jesse L. Laslcy) went in with Michel KrailSe for another unit. Bernard Small (Edward Small) and Ben Pivar's Reliance are making I<JWer-1)udget films for 20th-Fox. Wilshire Pictures Productions was s^t UP "by James Doane, radio package producer, who is prexy of outfit, and George McCall, former Daily ■Varibtt mUgg, will handle actual.'Pro- duction. Project calls' for six pictures in .first two years. C!eiger*8 Pic in Italy .Rod E; Geiger is another who established his own indie setup and will make picture in Rome early this year. Lou Bunin, middle of 1947, set lip own outfit to do "Alice in Wonderland" as a cartoon in Paris, taking over Hollywood technicians, and James Cassidy and Polan Banika igpt together on James Cassidy I>roductiong. They have' three-picturts contract with UA. Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers arc In for'ISliee of profits. Miss Pickford likewise entered into partnership with-Les- ter Cowan for Artists Alliance, new setupi and formed Triangle with Buddy Rogers and Ralph Cohn. ■Veterans forming their O'wn units in<duded Martin Mooney, formerly with Columbia on a Film Classics releasing»>deal: Albert J. Cohen, who Closed UA pact ,ior high-1>udgeters; Joe Gersbensen, fqrmer Universal exec, producer, who set up'Social Guidance Enterprises and has'completed his first. Herman Millakowsky is another, and sc are Irving Cum- mings, Columbia release; Ed Finney and Frank Wisbar with their Jlenith Pictures, with Screen Guild deal; Nat Finston and Barney Glazer, Symphony Films, Allied Artists release; plus Marshall Grant. Finney also is teamed with Morxi* Landres on Adventure Pictures. John Ford and Merian C. Cooper expanded their Argosy Productions with a new unit, Arko; and Michael Curtiz Pro- ductions came into being. Nunnally Johnson set up Inter- John, with U-I release, and for same company Garson and Michael Kanin formed Kanin Productions, for high-budget output. Alfred Hftchcock and Sidney Bernstein's Trans- Atlantic Pictures closed deal with Warners, and will pro- duce on both sides of Atlantic for this company's release. Edward L. Cahn, former Metro shorts director, and Jerry Rosenthal set up Box Office Productions;' Centennial Pic- tures was formed by group, including Oliver Drake, Rex Cole and attorney Martin Gang, to picturize Macfadden Pub- lication Stories; and Stanley Kramer Screen Plays is already one up on its production slate, this made for Enterprise, "So This Is New York." Monty Shaff set himself up,'too, to produce for U-I "Man-Eaters of Kumaon": agent Arthur Lyons' new Producing Artists made firm's first for Eagle Lion; and Herb Kline and Meyer Levin came up with picture filmed in Palestine, "My Father's House." Above are only the new outfits and do not include the oldtime indies or those who came up during 1946, such as Jack Wrather, Comet, Alson, Merit, United States Pictures, Lasky-MacEwen, Federal and Story Productions. And the' list of new indies is growing weekly.