Variety (Apr 1948)

'VS. 50% PK Hwty Banks to INstrib 5 M-Fox Pix in Italy, Also Bidsering UA " I'dAner actoi>dlrector Monty Banks is goiiig into film difitribu- Hoh in his native Italy. He has made « deal during the past few v^eeks to'handle five 20th-Fox Alms there; including "Captain from Castile," jsiittd now has a pj^opoBi- ' .tion pe^dittH before United Artists' producers.' e«ehi case, Banks is ; iuar«|itik«dngr payment. for Hie . .product in dollars in the U. S. Banks' offer was laid before the producers' reps at UA last Friday ; (2) by exec v.p. and foreign chief . Arthur W. Kelly. Also presented ■<iw the producers'' consideration— and likely, of approval—was h scheme for opening UA's own of- fices for distribution in Holland. This marks a reversal from the > .company's recent trend' toward shuttering its own branches abroad and making franchise agreements ytith local distrlbs. . Banks' deal with 20th entails outright safe of the rights on the films: to hiih. As with the UA • product, his plan: is to give it to a Mitive distribution outfit for han- dling, as he has i^o setup of his own. Actually, his role is more or less that of a middleman.. UA negotiatlona do not call for outright puiidiase, but-would give danks a lleenslu^ arrangement for 411 the company's forthcomtag .product. Peal is highly unusual for. dollar-hungry Italy in the ■ utringent guarantees Banks is .oSarfisK 1^ assure payment in this ^<injiry. < Delllir Guaranty '0e']|a> promised to put |50,000 in ewrow as a warranty against the .monthly payment* he would be . committed to make, Any time the dollars are no|; foi^thcomhig in New York, UA Is entitled to withdravs^ the due amount.fro;a,tht fund and cu^ off further iSxnoista mm Banks has agath built the escioW kitty to ', Banks would receive 45% of the gross as his distribution fee. This . is higher than now being paid U A's present franchiseholder, but is con- • (Continued on page 18) KeDy Hits the Road to Dublin 00 UA Plan To Produce in Ireland Arthur W, Kelly, United Artists sexec v.p., heads for London arid Dublin next Wednesday (14) to con- tinue negotiations for United Art- ists production ill Ireland. Plan, which Kelly partially worked out in a previous trip a few months «go, calls for the making of seven ; plx a year for five years. ' ^ Group of DubAn financiers, who have never before been in pictures, te supposed to provide most of the financing and also to erect and .equip a studio to the Irish capital. Deal appears particularly attrac- tive now to UA, since the Hew Brit- im tax agreement will give it coin frozen in the United Kingdom to toss into the financing. Likewise, the shortage of studio space in Eng- land for todies would make the hew DuWto setup very desirable. J. he local group is supposed to be able to provide buUdtog materials and equipment despitt; the pres- ent shortage and government re- .strictions in England. „UA board last week authorized Itelly's trip. Aiding him in London and Dublin to get the deal together has been Montague Miarks, British film man. Kanturek 0£F to Prague ■i.^ouia Kanturek, supervisor for tne Motion Picture Export Assn. m Czechoslovakia and eastern Eu- rope, returned to Prague yester- day (Tues.) aboard the Nieuw Am- sterdam. He had been to the U. S. ™r the past five weeks. New York Kanturek huddled with MPEA veepee and general manager Irving Maas re- garding a possible renewal of the .^ai^^ll expired film agreement With the C:och Film Monopoly. W«?^° to ■ ■o.iivJ \\ith the CFM's tooal rep, Alois Fiaia, Russefl's hdie love' Hollywood, April 6. Rosalind BusseU's next starrer for her .own indie outfit, Indepen- dent Artists, wiU be "Madly in Love," comedy by Dudley Nichols, who will also direct. Plctui'e starts in December, with Frederick Brisson producing. Meanwhile, Miss Buss'ell has a commitment at Columbia. MPEAQabDntdi Operatbn Sept 1 Motion Picture Export A/ssnj is reportedly getting set to fold Its operation to Holland as of Sept. 1. After that date, each of the ntoe U. S. companies that comprise the MPEA will distribute independent- ly in the N]etherlands or make di- rect dealt with local distributorjs there. ■ ■ ^ '' Holland is the first country out of which the MPEA will pull. As- sociation was organized immediate'' ly following the war to service 13 countries, about half of them be- hand the Iron Curtain. It's frankly a monopoly and in Holland was en- gaged in combating the native Bioscoop 'Bond monopoly. Official decision on withdrawing from the Netherlands will he made by the MPEA directorate about mid-May. As thtogs now stand, however,, there appears to be little doubt about the result, since two companies have reportedly stated .they "have no liitentioa of conttou- ing with the brganizalion la Hol- land when the agreement covering that country expires Sept. 1. Reason for desire of s.ome com- panies to withdraw hinges on the fact that MPEA playing time and potential proceeds are being cut into by non-members. Thus Eagle Lion and a- number of U. S. indie producers have been making hay on their own. That's also true^ of course, of England's J.' Arthur Rank. As a result, certain of the U. S. dlstribs feel they can oper- (Continued on page 23) BELLER JOINS MPAA AS AIDE TO WAUER Larry Seller, of United Artists* homeofflce flackery, will join the Motion Picture Assn. of America shortly as aide to Tom Waller, New York press chief. Waller was Heller's boss when former was publicity topper for UA, prior to movtog to the MPAA last fall. New addition'to the MPAA staff is a step to hypo public relations activities of the Association. Wash- ington Staff, headed by Kenneth Clark, has already been enlarged as result of a recent appropriation by the MPAA board to step up the dual job of creating Improved pub- lic relations, as well as heading off bad publicity fo^ HoUywbod that's unjust or results from lack of knowledge. " , Beller makes the move April 19, following completion of the New York campaign for the opening of "Arch of Triumph" at the Globe, April 20. Resultant reshuffle at UA will move Caswell Adams from his present post as special'events di- rector to Seller's job as metropoli- tan newspaper contact. Lew Ba- rasch goes from trade press rep into Adams spot and Phil Cowan, of the sales promotion department, gets Baraseh's former duties. CiNSSEEMIQ BE LEIOl IT Quiet buytog strike led by some of the top circuits to the country is now spreading as result of the heaviest flock, of 50% jrental pix betog simultaneously grooved through exchanges to the history of the todustry. The battle lines formed last year over the rash of advanced-admisMon films, are re- aligning themselves currently with the usual exhibs-vs.-distrib Jbarrage expected to short order. What's likely to bring it on is a shift in the majors' policy which has re- sulted In brackettog as 50%ers all pix- previously penbiled to as road- -show possibilities. At the present moment, exhibs say, there ta>e at' least ntoe top films oh which fKe majors aire ask- ing 60% rental from the first dol- lar. Present crop consists of "Naked City" (U); "Unconqiiered" <Par); "State of the Union" (Metro); "I Remember Mama" (RKO); "Cap- tato From Castille" (20th); "All My Sons" (U); "Arch of Triumph" <UA- Ent); "Miracle of the Bells" (RKO); and "Oentleman's Agreement" (20th). - , . Exhibs are charging that all companies have -fixed their plans to deliberately go for 50% on every blg^ftlm emergtog from Hollywood, Stymied to their attempt to meet huge production costs by upptog admission prices, the drive is now being directed towards the even split on aU. grosses. . That was. the real decision made, by company (Conttoued on page 20). Eddie SniaD's Next I Set for DA Releasing Hollywood, April 6. On the heels of his dispute with Eagle Lion over .billtog 1^ Week, Edward Small concluded a new deal with United Artists. It calls for two films to be made and de- livered during 1948. Pix will both star George Montgomery and are guaranteed under terms of the contract to be budgeted at a mtai- mum of $600,000. Films are "War•'Path," which will go before the cameras ii) May, and "Leather Stocktog "Tales," from the James Fenimore Cooper, classic. Distribution terms are the sti^ndard ones UA is now charging, givtog the company 27W% of the domestic gross and varytag amounts abroad. UA has no finan- cial participation to the production. Deal marks a return for Small to his origtoal distrib, followmg sallies with EL, Columbia and 20th-Fox. He sUll has films to be released by all of those companies. Also completed, but with no re- leastog arrangement set yet, is, "Cagliostroi" recently made for Small by Gregory. Ratoff to Italy, with Orson Welles starred. Still More Anti-Trnst Suits By Indies; $5a.m(i) Worth So Far Feb/s Studio Downbeat Hollywood, Aprjl 6. " All studio employment continued on the downgrade during Febru- ary, according to a California La^ bor Statistics 1)ulletto. The employuettt index dropped to 70. At^GovLtoLend Producers 70% Buenos Aires, March 29. Government has decided to ■boost local film; production by ad- vandttg major studios up to 70% of tha^ir estimated production costs, .the loans to .be. made through the Industrial Credit Berak.' Move stem from jiarleys held between the producers, who have been agitattog for a>-quota system or restrictions on the importation of foreign pix, and the Entertato- ment Board. Miguel Machinondi' arena, of San Miguel Studios, and Angel Luis Mentasti and Cesar Guerrico of Sono Film, represented the producers. In return for. these loans, pro- ducers must undeetake ito turn out a specified number of fUll-length pix, and the com will be extended only to studios which already have over two pix to their credit and are securely established and to sound working order. Simultaneous with announce- ment of this loan system, the gov- ernment stated that it would en- force the decree obligmg exhibitors to show .:a mtoimum number of full-length Argentine pix each year.^ Additionally it is knoAvn to the in- dustry that Steps will be taken to end the supposed monopoly of ex- hibition circuits allegedly enjoyed by Hollywood distribs in^^Argenttoai ' A condition of these loans, of course; will be that the government has a say (through ratertamment czar Martinez Paiva, who is also a playwright) on what sort of story material should be used in maktog pix. t Filing of two more exhih anti-. trust actions In the past week to- cluding a heavy treble-damager for $2,436,000-brings the total of new actions slapped against distribs ( Since the. first of the year to , $7,356,000. In all, there are now 46 actions waittog trial with the I big sum of $56,000,000 depending on- the outcome. Of that' number, biggest action is still the suit of William Goldman fa Philadelphia, which asks $8,400,000 to triple balm. Past three months has seen two actions disposed of, suit of Bor- danaro Bros, to Buffalo which re- sulted to a verdict of $85,000 for the plaifitiffs, and the Raymond J. Syufy suit in San Francisco which was settled for $60,000, Another action, to Dallas, was tossed out but is cumntly on appeal'.^ Aetn^hr«' seven actions brought since ImSi starte4 its run repre- sents a fairly , slow quarter, legal- Ites note. Most exhibs^ it'a thought, are biding their time until the U. S. Supreme Court renders a decision in the Government's mata suit. In the past, two trials, that to Buffalo and- Dallas, courtroom was jammed wifii eschlbs who carefully followed, all. {]te testimony and copiously took notes. It's felt to be the signal for what's tp qome. Big action was brought this week by I. B. Adelman, owner .of Del- man . theatre, Houston, - Tex. He ■fiV.'Jd "in Delaware; federal - court namtog the eight majors, Inter- state circuit and Texas Consoli- (Conttoued on page 18) More WB Cartoons Hollywood, April 6. Total of 34 cartoons will be turned out by Warners this year, a gain of eight over last year's program. Of these, 26 will be in Technicolor and eight in Cinecolor. There will be 12 "Bugs Bunnies" in the lineup, compared with eight i to 1947. I Levin's'The Illegals' Seeks National Distrib "The Illegals," six-reeler docu- mentary produced overseas which dramatizes story of Jewish im- migration from Europe to Pales- tine, is being readied for release in the middle of May. Sponsors of the film, Americans For Haganah, are currently dickering with major companies for national distribution. Meyer Levin, producer of the Palestinian film, "My Father's House,". completed work on "Ille- gals" recently after being held up in Europe by. various governments. After reaching Palestine, Levin and his assistants were arrested by the British and then deported. . Keough's Par Stock Gift Washington, April 6. Austin C: Keough, Paramount veepee and general counsel, has gifted 1,000 shares of Paramount common. As a result, Keough's ■'oldir" ■ vi^ down to 500 shares. K"c:- only recently sold a block of 500 sliares. GAMBLrS COAST HOP TO HUDDLE NIKE NAIFY Ted" Gamble, prexy of the Thea- tre Owners of America, planed to *is home town, Portland, Ore., Fri- day (2) for a two-week stopover before he returns again to New York. While in the- west. Gamble will meet with,Mike ^aify on his propbsal to buy a half-interest in United California "Corp. for $6,- 730,000. He plans to visit Naify in San Francisco. Naify has reportedly balked on the deal because of a de- sire to turn the 115-thoatre circuit over intact to his sons. Gamble will also inspect his own chain .of houses located in Oregon. 1st of 125-200G Indies Tees Off for FC Release Gregory - Cook - Griffiths Films, new indie production outfit, has set "Strange Case of Malcolm Craig," a whodunit, to tee off its program of low-budgeters. Group, tocor- porated last week in New York, will use the General Service Stu- dio lot in Hollywood and release through Film Classics. Outfit, accordtog to board chair- man John Gregory, is set now for three films and plans eventually to turn out 12 a year. All will be budgeted at $135,000 to $200,000. Execs of the company, to addition to Gregory, todude Ken Cook, prez; Robert E. Griffiilis, veepee, and Dick Brown, technical musical director. ■ All have bad previous experience with various Hollywood studios. Van^Sehenck Fdm Next for ftddstone, MiHtin.as Gns Van Nat Goldstone who, with Tony Martin, as his star and production associate, is currently get* tig "Cas- bah"' into national release, will next do a filmusical based on the careers of Van & Schenck, yester- year vaudeville greats. «. Jerry Horwin and Doris Gilbert (daughter of songsmith L. Wolfe Gilbert) are doing a screenplay treatment. Production will start in July. Martin will personate' Gus 'Van, and a comparable name will be cast as the late Joe Schenck. \an will act "as technical advisor and will play a role in the film', presenting a fi]:$t4ime.to'a filmu- sical where the dUfbiec^ of a biopic will appear in a picture about him- sell but will not play himself. (In a, very once-over-lightly, Al Jolson played himself in a long- shot in "Jolson Story"). Goldstone, Hollywood agent turned indie producer,' has been east on "Casb^," which Universal is releasing. It opens Thursday (8) at the RKO Bcston, with Mar- tin, who flew to the Hub from Miami Beach, where he just closed at the Beachcomber nitery, doing a one-day personal. Martin also did a charity pitch, for a Catholic orphanage to Boston over the weekend, with Maick Millar han- dling the buildup. Similar stunt will tee off "Casbah" in Chicago at the Oriental, this time linked to a midnight one-nighter at $10 top on behalf of the Heart Fund, a la "Naked City" hookup when it preemed at the Capitol on Broad- way. Martin, thereafter, plays two weeks of personals with his film in the same house. I WB Slate Reelected Warners' board of directors meeting, held at the home aSlmp last week, reelected all current of- ficers including Harry M. Warner, prez; Albert Warner, Jack L. Warner, Herman Starr, Stanleigh P. Friedman, Samuel Schneider, Herbert Freston, Ben Kalmenson, Harry M. Kalmine,. Mort Blumen- stock and Robert W. Perkins, all veepees. Albert Warner continues as treasurer; Perkins as secretary and general counsel, and Samuel Car>' sle as controller.