Variety (Sep 1948)

«2 PICTURES Wednesday, September 29, 1948 Hughes Financing Nassers' UA Pix To Get His Own Trio Back for RKO Hollywood, Sept. 28. + Nearing the signature stage i.s a deal between Howard Hughes and the Nasser Bros, to finance one to three pictures for United Artists release. Hughes' idejl in the deal ts to regain control of his three films, "Vendetta," "Mad Wednes- day" and "The Outlaw" from UA and release them through RKO. Some time ago Hughes made fimilar offers to Edward Small and Bill Cagney, but both producers ■hied away when he demanded a guarantee that the second money he put up on the pictures be re- turned to him. Under the Nasser agreement, Hughes will put up $600j000 s e c 0 n d money. If $3,000,000 film is made, the entire 600,000 will go into that picture after the bank has furnished the Initial ' coin. If three lower budgeters are made, Hughes will put. up $200,000 second, money for each. Meanwhile United Artists is hanging onto the three Hughes pic- . tures' until the new contracts are signed. LA. Friars, Frisco Tent In Big Frolic, Oct. 22 San Francisco, Sept. 28. Friars Club of Los Angeles comes here Oct. 22 to join up with the San Francisco Variety: Club in a mammoth Frolic at San Francisco Civic Auditorium. Tentative list of show people expected in Frolic Includes George Jessel, Bob Hope, JBddie Cantor, Al Jolson,-. xTack Benny, Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra, George Burns^ Lou Holtz, Ed Wynn," Abbott & Costello, Mickey Booney and 20 songwriters. Pro- , ceeds will go to Los Angeles Friars Club House Fund and to San Srancisco Variety Club's Blind abies Fund. It is expected .that this Frolic, Which may become an annual pil- ;|^image of the Los Angeles Friars, Will raise upwards of $50,000. Danish Wrath' May Prove A B.O. Pastry After All Peculiar New York career of "Day of Wrath," Carl Dreyer's Danish-made film, is mystifying foreign pic distributors. Film, now m its 12th week at the 5th Avenue Playhouse, was a one-week ,flop at the Little Carnegie, N. Y., where it preemed. Dreyer, who was in the U. Si for the opening," went back to Denmark very disheart- .ened. ,■• ■ Alt llie daily newspaper critics flayed'the pic except Archer Win- ston of the Post, who wrote some bitter columns anent the lack^ of taste of his fellow-o.o.ers. "Wrath" did less than $2,500 at the Little Carnegie and was pulled. A few weeks later, largely as result of the enthusiasm of Winsten and of James Agee, of Time, and John MCCarten, of the New Yorker, whose reviews appeared later, it was booked into the Fifth Avenue as hot-weather filler. It Immediately; caught on and has been doing between $2,500; and $3,000 a week since. Its -ninth frame, which included the Labor Day weekend, accounted for the highest figure of the run, A Life mag "Movie of the Week" break, a couple issues ago gave it an- otlier spurt. Strangely enough, the picture had the same sort of iate in Den- mark; It is being distributed here by George J. Schaefer, Jr„ with Al Margolies handling the; flack chores. Vs Stories') for Lease JHoUvwood, Sept. 28. Universal-International is put- ting 3,000 unfllmed stories on the market for adaptation by networks or local stations. Properties, purchased prior to 1946, will be available for lease on a one-broadcast basis. McCiure Talks to AMPA Brig.-Oeneral Robert A. McClure, U.S. Army chief of the New York field office of the Civil Affairs Di- vision, will talk on the psychologi- cal impact of films on occupied ter- ritories tomorrow (Thurs.) at the meeting of the Assn. of Motion Pic- ture Advertisers. General McClure will also out- line to AMPA members the ways pix have been used by the Army m selling democracy to the Germans and Japs. SELZNiCK STALLING 'JENNir SIX MONTHS Selznick Releasing Organization will have a six month hiatus be-^ tween releases as result of decision not to send "Portrait of Jennie" into distribution until early next, year. Last SRO release was "Mr. Blandings: Biiilds His Dream House,','- which began widescale playdates last June after some earlier pre-release engagements. Dedsion on "Jennie" was dis^ closed "by Milton S. Kusell. SRO v.p. in charge of sales, in New Yoi:k last week. Kussell said that "Jennie" may have a few pre-release openings before Janu- ary.. : ■ ■ . Sales chief also declared at the sessions; that it was hoped to put two other Selznick films into dis- tribution during the first quarter of 1949. Since neither has actual- ly gone before the cameras yet, however, trade observers saw little likelihood Of their release early next year, in light of David O. Selznick's proclivity for lengthy editing. "Jennie," now in the; final stages of cutting, was started Jibout a year-and-a-half ago. The two pix coming up are "The Third Man," to be produced in England under Selznick's deal witli Sir Alexander Korda, land an un- titled Shirley Temple starrer ex- pected; to go Into production in about two months. British film will co-star Alida Valli and Joseph Gotten and be directed by Carol Reed. (3qis from Film Row ■'♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ M * »> « ♦«<>«♦»«♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦«< <>♦♦♦. ST. LOUIS Joseph Pcdrucci, manager of Frisina Amus. Co.'s Varsity, Deca- tur, 111., upped to manager of com- pany's two houses, in Effingham, 111. Dickin.son Operating Co., - in- vaded Illinois territory by purchas- ing the Star, 400-seater, Quincy, lU., from John C, Miller. John Mohrstadt. HayU, Mo., sold his Missouri. 526-seater, Campbell, Mo., to Nat Beiss, Memphis, Tenn. Jack Harris, eastern Missouri salesman for Warners St. Louis ex- change, escaped with cuts and bruises when his automobile went off of the road and overturned three times near Salem, Mo. . J. O. Jefferis. who witn his son operate Jefferies, Piedmont, Mo., celebrated his golden wedding anni. „. Donald R. ToUiver, Ciane, 111., purchased the Louise, 400-seater, Louisville, 111., from Elbert W. Butler. „, , The Gem, 400-seater, Chester, 111., operated by Turner-Farrar Circuit, shuttered for facelifting. Fanchon & Marco Service Corp., which recently obtained 25-year leases on Ambassador and Missouri theatres, has earmarked $400,000 for improvements at the two houses. J. Nathan Gould, Kansas City, will manage the Star, 400-seater, Quincy, 111., which he and Glen W. Dickinson recently purchased from John C. Miller. ALBANY Harry. A. Wiener resigned as manager of Smalley's Johnstown in Johnstown, N. Y.j to become manager of two Warner theatres In Batavia. The Regent, Cohoes, reopened Sept. 10 by Henry Marlowe and William Landgraf. New operators redecorated the theatre and in- stalled . new' sound. House was leased for some years' by Fabian interests. Jack; Gross, who has operated Kaydeross Park, near Saratoga, for several years, is new lessee of the Piilace, Schenectady. Gross is a former New York City projection- Here's a proved complexion care! In recent Lux Toilet Soap tests by skin ' specialists, actually 3 out of 4 com- plexions became lovelier in a short lime. "It's thrilling the way Lux Soap facials leave skin softer, smoother," says Barbara Stanwyck, "I work the creamy fragrant lather well in. As I rinse and then pat with a soft towel- to ; dry, skin takes on fresh new beauty!" Don't let neglect cheat you of romance; Take the screen stars' tip. See what Uiis beauty care can do iotyoa! starrina i istj the second ex^boothman from the metropolitis to take over a .; small theatre in this area, Henry Marlowe, who recently reopened the Regent (once a Fabian house), in Cohoes, worked in N. Y. booths. Harry Fendrick, who worked for Metro In Philadelphia zone for several years, is new Warner sales- man here; succeeded late George Goldberg. Burton Topal upped by Metro from student booker to booker here. DES MOINES Earl Manbeck, Jr. bought the Forest here, from Iowa United , Theatres and re-opened it after re-; modeling job. Manbeck owned Car- lisle at Carlisle, la., four years. At a three-day Lake Okoboji outing for theatre managers of Tristates Theatres, General Man- ager G; Ralph Branton announced: start of a circuit-wide courtesy ; campaign, calling for return of pre-war standard of patron-serv- ice. Patrons wiU be asked to vote in picking the most courteous theatre managers. DENVER Wolfberg Theatres, Inc. signed 80-year lease on 2,200-seat first- run Paramount, now operated by Fox mtermountain Theatres, with total rental of about $5,000,000 covering the theatre and building. Fox lease runs to 1952, by which time they hope to have another deluxe house here, Wolfberg ; Theatres is suing several distribu^ v tors in Delaware courts for large damages on charge of being unable to consistently get firstrun product.. NEW ORLEANS Harold F. Cohen, former Mono- gram district manager in Georgia, purchased a partnership in Screen . Guild's exchange here. He joins Ernest Landaich, who recently bought out Joy Houck's interest in the franchise: Richard Barnes to staff of Uni- versal as booker. Roy Lombardo bought the Laurel at Laurel, Miss., from Mrs. Ruth ; Weingren, TOLEDO Schwyn Circuit, which took over . the Paramount, 3,400-seater here, is spending $150,000 on improve- ment program on the house.. ■ Bids are to be opened soon on construction of new 2,500rseat Ualabi>n & Katz house in; Toledo;;: may cost over $2,000,000. OMAHA : District Manager William Mis-., kell of Tristates announced that ; circuit is going to use the local Orpheum for stageshows in this sector. Plan calls for a good test of bookings of standard acts and large local orchestra either in. pit or on stage. First show will open Oct. 8, with Jon and Sondra Steele and the Thre^ Stooges top- pin g it. Other "Clips jrom FiJm Roio" on page 34. Philly Robbers Thwarted Philadelphia, Sept. 28. The safe at Fans theatre, big We.st Philly indie, proved too rugged for cracksmen; who battered ; it , for. hour.s unsuccessfully and : then fled with a typewriter and an electric drill worth $150, Seven; blocks away at the Leader, thieves were frightened off the same night by a pa.siserby after they had smashed a large door pane. Police believe the altomptccV robberies were made by the same': gang, which stole $1,500 from the i office safe at the Grant, West. Piiiladelphia recently. 9 out of 10 Screen Stars use '^^/^X&/r^ ^re l^i^e//er/^ starring in a Hai Wctiii& Poramount Production ''SORRY, WRONG NUMBER" Nab Toronto Treas. for Theft Toronto, Sept. 28. Douglas Moffatt, treasurer ol Imperial, Toronto, flagship of Fa- mous Players (Canadian), wa.s ar- rested on charge of $4,300 thcl'f Irom theatre safe in Montreal. jMoffatt had $3,000 wlien caught. Alarm was sent out when Tom Daley, manager, found that the vault safe combination, known onl\ to two others, liad been left turned on and that $3,700 in bills and about $6Q0 in silver was missing Daley found vault door locked but inner safe door open. Moll'att w as appointed Imperial tre$s,urer la^t July.