Variety (Feb 1948)

Wcdneadar* Fdinuny 4, 1948 fPRE-PRODlJCTIOIV WHEN'S A'B'FILM NOT A'B7 Par in Wider Spadng of Big Releases To Avoid Amortization Problem The terrific dent in profits caused by amortization of films made at a peak cost is now spelling a s,witch in releasing tqmpo, Psiramount, for instance, is now spacing its big films on the release chart 50 that the bite in writing off the costs of films won't be so deep as to obliterate profits for the quarter. Other majors are ex- pected to swing into the same sort of releasing technique. The new format for timing ship- ments to theatres is said to be be^- hind Par's pulling of "Dream Girl" from its previous scheduled release date in May and the substitution of "Hazard" in its place. By delaying release of "Dream Girl" until the latter part of the year, Par insures that it won't have to absorb costs of that expensive film while it's liqiudating, production costs of two othet top-lbudgeters, "tTnconquered't and "Emperor's Waltz." Amortization tables start running oirS film when it's first set for gen- eral release. Several companies re- cently, notably RKO and Metro, ran into diflficulties because they had ex- pensive films to. liquidate which •were bunched together^ Profit state- ments showed a sharp dip and earn- ings were accordingly bumpy, be- cause of the grouping of expensive pix. It's that sort of experience which Par is said to be avoiding. "Unconqueredt" turned out by Cecil B. i>e Mille, was made at a peak cost of close to $5,000,000. *Waltz" is also,' one of Par's costlier efforts since It's a Technicolor opus (Continued on page 2S) •■- Shortage of Product ^ Plenty Acute in Mpls.; Reissues Flood Town ' Minneapolis, Feb^ 3. Operating difficulties. that have cropped up for two downtown thea- tres here, the legitimate roadshow house Lyceum and the sure-seater r Pix, and the forthcoming film ad- vent of another loop spot, the Alvin, now devoted to burlesque, are. bring- ing into focus the current product shortage and the lack of actual bid- ding for pictures here. The Lyceum recently started a policy of playing pictures in between the comparatively infrequent legiti- mate road attractions, but it has only been able to obtain reissues and sub- sequent runs, and in the face of the theatre's high- nut most of these have proved unprofitable. The house did well with its initial film offering under the new policy, "Gone With the Wind," but since then the going bas been rough. It recently: tried to bring back ^'Best Years of Our Lives" as a roadshow for the 10th downtown week, but, because of poor business, had to yank it after four 3ays. It then hurriedly can- celled "Duel in the Sun," spotted in to follow" "Best Years" and which already has played four other down- town theatres. It is expected the theatre will abandon the fllmjjolicy, except for an occasional standout offering when it's obtainable. Handicapped by a small seating capacity, the Pix, formerly the News- reel, dropped its loop second-run policy after only a few weeks and now has returned to dual oldies. The high prices commanded by the reissues, however, makes profitable operations difficult. The Alvin was acquired from the W. A. Steffes' estate, along with the World, by a group headed by Ted (Continued on page 18) Danny Thomas Has 2 More Metro Pix Hollywood, Feb. 3. Danny Thomas will make two more pictures for : Metro, refuting reports of a break between actor and studio. Readjustment of the Cpnlrapt was made a-year ago, per* mitting Thomas to devote more time to radio and nightclubs. His latest picture, "The Big City," was made under those conditions. Two Thomas starrers lined up for future filming are "Hold Onto Your Hats" and "Special Delivery," to be produced by Joe Pasternak, 25G for 2 Days! Hollywood, Feb. 3. Here is one reason Ethel Barrymore prefers screen to stage work:* Actress drew $25,000 for a two-day chore in ''Moonrise" at Republic. Distrib-Exhib Roundtable Urged by Levy Charlotte, N. C, Feb. 3. Plea for creation of roundtable exhib-distrib forum, coupled with a drastic reduction of the current rash of litigation in the industry, was made this Week by Herman- Levy, general counsel for the Theatre Owners of America, in an address before the Theatre Owners of North & South Carolina. In making his pitch. Levy asserted that bill for legal tiffs was passed on to exhibs by the much-sued distfibs. "I am not asking exhibitors to foregq litigation where it is neces- sary/' laevy.. told conventioneers. "Sometimes there is no alternative. There are, however, many wrongs, illnesses and problems on the sides of, both exhibition and distribution, which'cannot profitably be solved by litigation although litigation is resorted to." -•'Never in the history of the in- dustry," Levy said, "have the repre- sentatives of both sides taken time off to sit down with a conscientious desire and effort, by conciliation and roundtable discussion, to eliminate those obstacWs, problems, wroiigs and illnesses which are possible i of amicable adjustment. It is our hope -> (Continued on page 18 ^ SWISS HLM BOUGHT BY M-G IN LITIGATION Print of "Search," produced by Swiss filmmaker Lazar Wechsler, was freed of a court attachment last week when the producer posted bond of $9,700 covering the amount sought from him in N.Y; supreme court by Moritz Hamburger, former German distributor. Made by Wech- sler's Praesens Films, the picture was immediately bought outright by Metro for worldwide distribution. Last Wechsler film to be shown in the U. S., "Last Chanpe," was also distributed by : Metro and it's believed that the company's asso- ciation with the Swiss producer in that venture led it to invest some production money in "Marked." Film was directed by Fred Zinne- man on loan from the M-G studios. Ziimeioan, however, has since been axed from the Metro payroll. 'Search" may have its world preem in Radio • City Music Hall, N. Y. Music Hall's general manager Gus Eyssell viewed the film four times last week and M-G sales toppers are currently awaiting his decision. TOP IllLENT INTO LOfBUOGETERS By msWH GOIiDElsr A new era of B's that aren't B's may be at hand. , With the' pressure for greater quantity of production, the majors are turning to a new concept in pic- ture making. The aim, recently an- nounced, by at least three of them— Warner Bros., RKO and Metro—is to turn out a series of films on B budgets that are not pre-slotted for B handling and exhibition. Announcements of "the end of B's" have been customarily greeted with a yawn in the trade, but pres- ent efforts appear to have a bit more substance than the usual exer- cise at label-juggling. Such im- portant grossers as 20th-Fox's "Boomerang" and RKO's ','Crossflre" made it perfectly apparent last year that a B-size budget didn't have to mean a B-size picture. "Boomerang," as a matter of fact, has given rise to a whole new facet of low-budget producing. That's the semi-documentary type of film, made largely on location. Metro this week signed Louis de Rochembnt, 'who made "13 Rue Madeleine" and '■Boomerang," and set vp a whole new semi-documentary unit under Sam Marx to make around seven pix a year at $500,000 to $600,000 budgets. Warner Bros, plan is to make the lower-budgeters as exercises for their embryo talent, but Metro and RKO both aim to use generously (Continued on page 25) . Steinbedk, Milestone, - Meredith to Produce 12 Steinbeck Stories Hollywood, Feb. 3. New production unit was formed here by John Steinbeck, Lewis Mile- stone and Burgess Meredith to film a dozen Steinbeck stories, probably in conjunAion with Enterprise, for United Artists. Distribution deal is currently under discussion. Starter will be "Cannery Row," to be filmed among the fish canner- ies at Monterey, Cal,, with Steinbeck doing the screenplay, Milestone pro- ducing and Meredith directing. Say Mpls. Exbibs Seek Mwopoly In Blocking Theatre Building Realism Hollywood, Feb. 3. Warners really meant it when it started cutting production corners with a series of not-so- expensive pictures, beginning with "The Fighting Terror." Call sheet for the picture specified "Kxterior — Gblf Course." The scene was shot on the studio tennis court. Brandt Says Par Out to 'Destroy' Him in Suit on % Harry Brandt, defendant in a $563,265 percentage chiseling suit, lashed out ,at Paramount yesterday (Tues.) in an affidavit which charged the company with seeking to "de stroy" him and his business asso ciates, Asking the court to strike out parts of "Par's complaint,as "scanda-. lous and improper," the New York circuit operator-claims that the dis- trib is using the suit as a device to hack away at Brandt's "effectiveness as a, leader in the fight against plain- tiff's monopolistic practices." Brandt, who's being sued alohg" with Louis, Bernard B. and William Brandt, plus a large number of other individuals and theatre companies, attacks Paramount for what he claims is its wide publicizing of the action ,in both trade and general publications. "Under the guise of the privilege afforded by the in- clusion of this scandalous and evi- dentiary matter," his peeve runs, "the plaintiff has achieved a license to destroy me by a campaign of vilification conducted and to be con- ducted through the press." The wide dissemination of evi- dentiary matter put into the com- plaint, Brandt declares, "has caused and will continue to cause people to (Continued on page 24) Andrews'Ent Comedy Hollywood, Feb. 3. Dana Andrews will star in comedy at Enterprise on co-production deal, with Lewis Milestone directing. Scheduled to start April 1. Untitled screenplay by Arnold Manoff has two otlier principals, neither set. Andrews moves over on loanout from 20th - Fox and Sam Goldwyn, with whom he has deal to make two outside pix during the next two years. Prior to the com- edy, Andrews and cameraman Ar- thur Arling leave for Mexico Feb. 15 to make Iwo-reeler, "The For- gotten Gulf," in which he'll star as well as produce and direct. Goldwyn has option on the short, which'll be blown up from 16m commercial Kodachrome to 35m for RKO' re- lease as travelog. ■ ■ ■ • Briefs From the Lots Hollywood, Feb. 3. Argosy closed a deal for Techni- color process on four adventure films to be produced, abroad, by Lee Van Atta on an overall, budget :of $1,000,000 . . . John 0'De» signed to script "Limahong," a tale of a Chi- nese pirate, to be filmed by United Philippine Artists in South Pacific Ivaters with one version in English and, another in native language for the Philippine market . . . Ann Bax- ter shifted from 20th-Fox to Metro for one day of added scenes for "Homecoming," • the Clark Gable- Lana Turner co-starrer . . . Armand Deutsch was assigned as associate producer on "Mr. Music," dealing with Tin Pan Alley, under supervi- sion of Oore Schary at RKO .. . . Joseph Losey, director of *'The Boy With Green Hair," started a week of rehearsals before the actual shooting of the picture, which Ste- phen Ames is producing. Harry Sherman will film his next picture, "Tennessee's Partner," in Northern Califorhia, starting May 3 ... Carmen Miranda draws one of the top roles in "Ambassador to Bra- zil;" a filmusical to be produced by Joe Pasternak at Metro ... Sam Bischoff's "Outpost Morocco" troupe headed by George Baft, recently on location in North Africa, will resume shooting at General Service late this month . . . Tom Conway drew a top role in "One Touch of Venus" at Universal-International. Frederick de Cordova signed with U-I to direct "Washington Girl," Deanna Durbin starrer . . Michel Kraike will produce "The Invisible Man Strikes Back" at U-I, when he completes his current job; "The Gay Goddess" . . . Republic borrowed Gail Bussell, currently in "Moon- rise," for top femme spot in "Wake of the Red Witch," on loanout from Paramount.. . Mark Bobson bought screen rights to "The Birth of the Movies," authored by Clmrlfes Mar- quis Warren, for Indie production . .'. Edward Small will follow his "T-Man" with "FBI vs. Scotland Yard," with Dennis O'Keefe .and Loui* Hay ward in top roles .. . Mar- shall Grant ' Productions bought "The Trimming of Goosie," a fan- tastic yarn by James Edward Hop- per . . . Irving Berlin will appear briefly in the song title sequence of "Easter Parade" at'Metro. Jack Donohue shifts from dance directing to handle . acrobatic rou- tines in "Julia Misbehaves" at Metro ...Heather Angel returns to the screen in "The Saxon Charm" at Universal - International;. .Neptune's first production, "Come Be My Love," gets under way late^in April with Robert Montgomery producing, di- recting and starring.. .Jane Ran- dolph and Charles Bradstreet will play romantic leads in Abbott and Costello's "The Brain of Franken- stein" at U-I...Bobert Byan signed to co-star with Pat O'Brien in "The Boy With Green Hair" at RKO. Allan Lane checked in at Republic after a horse-buying tour of Texas to resume his Famous Western series, fifth of which will be titled "Carson City Raiders," with Gordon Kay producing and Yakima Canuti directing. . .Ted Biehmoud's ne xt production at Columbia wiU be "Son of the Jungle," based on a script by Carol Young...Dlok Hogan is the last actor signed for the cast of "Rope," which Alfred Hitchcock is directing for Transatlantic Produc- tions with a total cast of nine—six males, three femmes and no extras. ■♦• Minneapolis. Feb. 3. Minneapolis exhibitors are trying to monopolize the business, and their eflforts, through North Central Al- lied, to keep out additional competir>; tion runs counter to the free enter" prise system. That charge was made last week by John Goldie, counsel for Roy Secrest, an exhibitor, at a hearing before the city council U-" cense committee. After 90 minutes of argument, the committee deferred action on Se- crest's application to convert a for- mer highschool building into a the- atre as part of a project involving a $300,000 expenditure. North Central Allied, fighting all new theatre con- struction here, opposed the appli- cation. The school building is located a ■few blocks away from the Princess, a neighborho_gd theatre > now beitig operated by secrest, on which .his ■ lease soon expires. The house has V been bought by a brother and em- ployee of Ted Man, theatre circuit owner, who plan to take over them- selves. Favorable action by the ■ council would involve a transfer of the Princess license to the new the« atre. Goldie claimed that unlesS' the ° transfer was granted, the .license would be taken by one of the chains. Another application for a new theatre license also is being held . up by the license committee. The applicant, not now in the business, has been trying unsuccessfully for more than 10 years to get the permit " , (Continue^ on page 18) Currency Exchange Key to Wallis' Spec On British Production After dropping the idea of con- tinning British production, Hal Wal- lis ,may make "House of Mist" in England this year. He's been con- sulting via the long-distance wires with his partner in Hal Wallis Pro- ductions, Joseph Hazent . The poser presented is whether it pays to spend dollars on a British* made film, Hazen said this week. Under present restrictions of th« British-Treasury, overseas revenues , of a film made in that country must be returned to England if pounds are used to pay the production nut. However, if pounds convertible to dollars are spent, the film escapes those restrictions. Added advantage in the latter case, is that the pic is not subject to the 75% ad valorem tax since it's treated as. British* made. Hazen believes other companies would continue producing in Britain if studio space were available. How- ever, that's Out of the question since there's terrific demand by native, film-makers. With four pix slated to roll this year, production costs per-film' will be between 25% and 35% higher than previously spent by the Wallis , outfit, Hazen said. First of the quar- tet, "Sorry, Wrong Number,'' is now before the cameras. Second, "Be- Still, My Love," is nearing lenslng. Third is, "House" or "Paid in Full," and the last will be "Rope Of Sand,'', being propped for fall production. . -Wallis pact with. Paramount, unit's distrib, will be fulfilled with deliv- ery of first three pix. It called for 12 films, nine of which have already been turned over to the company. Ent Makes Special Reel On Big-Budgeter Prep Hollywood, Feb. 3. Special reel showing the prepara- tion necessary for a high-budget fea- ture is being prepped by Enterprise, which will offer it as a re'gular short.' One-reeler actually plugs "Arch of Triumph," although the film won't be mentioned. Footage will consist of the camera junket to France for background scenes, tests, set construction and a couple of scenes from the film. Same practice followed by Metro years ago proved successful, netting the firm revenue in.adiUtion to being • valuable plug. I