Variety (Oct 1948)

Wednesday, OctQli«r'13, 1948 $45,000,000 FOREIGN B.O. IN '49 Johnston Seen Nixing Calnnet Job Eric Johnston's reported Presidential ambitions, or at least tliat ^of a statesman adviser comparable to a Bernard Baruch may b6 tiie key to the prexy of the Motion Picture Assn. of America not going into Gov. Thomas E. Dewey's cabinet, if and when the latter becomes president. Johnston has been mentioned for the GOP cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. The MPAA topper's associates reveal that he has frequently ex- pressed that "only Hoover went from a cabinet post to the White House," meaning in recent years. This is accepted as a keynote tliat Johnston would not necessarily resign from the MPAA at Dewey's behest. Johnston Plaifi Long Ifwood Confab At Month's-£nd to Report on Europe Mifltitude of problems now badg- ering the film industry are expect- ed to prolong the forthcoming big Hollywood meet into i two-to-three week affair.' The confabs, presided over by Eric Johnston, Motion Pic- ture Assn. of America chief, and attended by company prexies and their studio heads, will start al- most immediately after Johnston returns from his current trip through Europe. He is slated to fly from London today (Wed.). One of the big posers mulled will be the virtual declaration of war by J. Arthur , Rank, Britain's top industryite, in last week's conr. solidated statement to: Rank stock- holders. Johnston, who went to London via . Paris after leaving Madrid over the ^weekend,' is htldr dling: with Rank on the question of a possible convening of the An- .glo-American Film, council. Understood, that Rank would like to see the council called early next year for a possible unsnarling of Anglo-American difficulties. The . council was originally created dur- ing Rank's visit to the U. S. in 1947 :but has not convened since. In- tended to keep relations running smoothly, its British members con- sist of Rank, Sir Alexander Korda and Sir Henry French, head of the British Film Producers Assn; , Other Issues . : Besides considering calling of the council, Johnston and film company heads must range through a sizeable number of other posers at'the^Goast meet. Foreign situa- tion generaUy will be discussed andrthe MPAA prexy will report on results of his trip including (Continued on page 22) MARX BROS. AND HECHT GET % OF FIX PROHTS Chico and Harpo Marx, along with author Ben Hecht, will re- ceive 509o of the prpfits on "Love Happy," forthcoming " Marx Bros, film, produced by Lester Cowan for United Artists release, it was revealed in New York last :week by Chico. At the same time he disclosed that the comedians, im- mediately upon completion of "Happy,"' would begin work on their proposed biofilm, which will also probably be -; produced by Cowan.' ■ ■ .■ While in N. Y., Chico Marx did a spot on the Texaco Star Theatre vaudeo show. He also huddled on plans for his own series of telcr vision programs. Show would : mean,. however, that he would be forced to move to N. Y., at least until tele networking facilities are extended to the Coast, and this, Chico ; declared,, he's not i keen to do. He returned to the Coast Mon- day (11) for the final two days' shootinp! on "Happy," Reminiscing about the Mar.x ■Bros.'" start in film work, Chico revealed that it was the late Irving TThalberg, onetime Metro produc- tion exec, who had first permitted them to cut in on a percentage of the profits. Film was "A Night at the Opera," on which the broth- ers are still drawing royalties for Its reissue, They later got the same deal on "A Day at the Races," and have followed througli on the plan on every film they've made since then. Chico, Harpo and Hecht. who scripted "Happy," bought out Groucho's Interest in that picture, he said. Chico is set on a vaude tour throughout England, South Afirica and Australia. Protestant Council Offers Aid to Studios Hollywood, Oct. 12, The Protestant Film Commission is setting up a permanent organiza- tion to assist and encourage studios in production of films with reli- gious or other constructive themes. Committee; of religious leaders and laymen is being established to stimulate pic production and supply technical experts where requested; to provide a sample of cross-s6ction reaction of protestant audiences to proposed pic scripts. Wallis-Par Renewal Looks Set; Will Be Wrapped Up on Coast , Talks on a new releasing tieup [ between Paramount and Hal Wallis Productions, which strung through last week and this, are being shunt- ed to the Coast where final sign- ing of a pact is expected. Both Wallis and his partner, Joseph Hazen, on one side and Barney Balaban, Par's prexy, on the other, decided for Coast continuation since the trio are heading west. Balaban is expected at the Para- mount lot within two weeks wlien he will re-meet with the producing duo. Wallis treks to Hollywood to- morrow (Thurs.) and Hazen fol- lows over the weekend; Tentative understanding between the negotiators makes the chances better than even that the Wallis unit will turn out a larger quan- tity of product for Par than in its last deal which covered 12 films. All films; indications are, will be made on the Paramount lot. . It is expected that Wallis' unit's indie position will be stressed even fur- ther by the outfit securing all its' bankrolling saus Paramount col- laboration. Last , pic to be made by Wallis under his old ticket with Par will be "Bitter Victory." Mayer Huddles Schenck On Production Budgets Metro prexy Nicholas M. Schenck I and production chief Louis B. I-Mayer, in top-drawer New York 1 huddles this week, have ruled out I slappin.? a production ceiling on I forthcoming product. In contrast to the policy established recently by other major studios of clamp- ing a. maximum budget.on features, tlie two M-G execs decided against a budget limitation policy. Instead, the company will be more careful I in tlie type of pictures it selects I for shooting and will then appar- ition money to each fihri as required. Mayer arrived m N. Y. Thursday (7), accompanied by studio public- ; ity chief Howard Strickling, for ' his annual budget discussions with 1 Schenck and Metro vcepee-treas- urer Charles C. ■ Mosltowitz. Dore ' Schary, his production a.ssociate, ! did notmako the trip biit remained on tire Coast to continue his per- sonal supervision of studio activ- itics. Both Strickling and Mayer al.so I held intensive huddles over the j weekend with sales cliief William I F. Rodgers and ad-publicity veepee ! Howard Dietz, lining up sales and ' promotion campaigns on tlie new ! season'.? product. Coast execs are I slated to return to the studio Fri- day (15). E Facing a stabilized world market for the first time since the end of the war, the U. S. film industry Is firmly counting on tapping a mini- mum of $43,000,000 in hard cash from Its pix exports during 1949. "While the total take will be ap- proximately one-half of the amount garnered in 1947, industry execs are happy at least' that the long "lost weekend" of fidgety' quotas, restrictions, and currency manipu- lations in the major markets is more or less over.; The. end of the global whirligig Is giving a needed anchor to domestic production planning. Industry topper^ are viewing the comingiyear with restrained optim- ism due to the .steady climb in gen- eral interaational trade over the last nine months. Reports from the U. S. Department of Commerce reveal that industrial exports from western European countries to the V. S. are; slowly but surely equal- izing their import .schedules. Bar- ring breakout of another war/ this process , is expected to continue alongside the recovery of Europe's productivity to pre-war levels.; : Narrowing of the import-export gap will mean more dollars avail- able for U.S. pix payments. This is one of the long-range factors in the industry's calculation of the cost of Us present sacrifices in working out trade deals. ..With (Continued on page 22) Peak Volume of Theatres to Change Hands as Circuits Prepare Sales Allege Hocus-Focus By Pro-Soviet Newsreelers Snafus Marshall, Bevin Paris, Oct. 12. Soviet propaganda during the current session of the United Na- tions general assembly here has gone overboard to promote France's economic quagmire, as compared to the U. S. press campaign. Amer-. leans have very limited -means on hand to press their line; hence can- not subsidize the press - as do the Soviets. Newsreels have protested that a Soviet electrician assigned to the Palais Chaillot lighting crew pre- vented proper lighting of ; British foreign minister Ernest Bevin and U. S. secretary of state George C. Marshall. This assertedly- ham^ No LaG. Biopic Deal—Yet Newbold Morris, former New York City council president' and member of the Wall Street firm. of Post, Morris & Lovejoy, denies that the screen rights to "The Little Flower," Fiorello. H. LaGuardia's life story, had been sold to Fred De Piano. He also avers that he is not executor of the LaGuardia; estate and that no one has any au- thority to speak for the LaGuardia family with regard to a filmization of the late mayor's life. Morris stated that there have been numerous requests for the film rights to the LaGuardia story, but to date no deal has been Inked. U. S. Sees $3,300,000 In Remittances in '48 From Aussie Market Washington, Oct. 12. U. S. film remittances from Aus- tralia should be about $3,300,000 yearly under the 50% limit on earnings now permitted out of Down Under; U. S. Commerce De- partment reports in a survey of Aussie, picture industry, The 50% restriction Is considered the most serious imposed on Hollywood. Australia also has a quota system but this merely requires that 3% of tlie screentime shall go to Aus- sie pix and 15% to British pror ducti remaindO^ of field being wide open. Report says in part: films are extremely well received and are preferred to domestic ones. There is a difference of opinion as to the relative "values of U. S. and British films; a eonsiderable seg- ment of population seems to prefer British films. If the supply of the latter increases considerably^ it is conceivable that they might be a real competitive threat. • "Almost everyone.questioned on U. S. films objected, to their fre- quent; lack of reality. Sumptuous (Continued on page 22) ♦ Sighting along the barrel, in- dustry insiders see the next 18 months bringing on a peak volum« ' of theatre sales and purehases re- sulting in a total of transactions higher than at any time in the past 20 years. Theatre market i» already swinging into a terrifia state of flux, according to a num^' ber- of exhibs recently shopping for promising deals, with all th« signs pointing to a steady growtli - in transactions during 1949. From their feeler^-in the market, they see a big number of circuit ■operators; oldtime standbys in th* industry^ now making overture* "to shave off" some of the fat in realty which has accumulated in ' the past lush years. These circuit , ops, it's said, regard 1949 as th» high point for theatre values. . Volume, of transactions, of course, will get a tremendous hyp* from the Government , anti-trust action. Already affected are some 1,400 partnership-held theatres by the Big Five and plenty of fancy deals will result. Moreover, num-;! ber of the majors have been -cau> tiously sounding out prospective buyers for other houses with the idea .of opening closed situations. The flock of theatres heading toward the block has been ac> (Continued on page 22) ROBERT HANNEGAN IN MPLS. THEATRE BUYS Minneapolis, Oct. 12. Another ex - cabinet member, Robert Hannegan, former Post- master General, has entered show business via a $2,000,000 syndicate buyout of two of Minneapolis' top firstrun theatres—^the Tower and Oriental. Theatres, formerly leased to the Warner Bros, circuit, were purchased outright from a real estate combine. ; Coin for the purchase was put up by Hannegan, Sidney Solomon, St. Louis. insurance man; Harvey Newins, St. Loo realtor; and Arn- old Grant, film attorney. Grant ne- gotiated tl)c sale Monday (11). MAJOR WAENEE'S WB BUY Major Albert Waroer, veepee and treasurer of Warner Bros., has picked hp , ah ; additional 1,0Q0 , ^ shares of WB common on the stock pered proper newsreel coverage of exchange. their speeches. Lighting of Soviet deputy foreign minister Andrei Y, Vishinsky, on the other hand, was reportedly handled well. Warner's stock. holdinys now total 436,200 shares in his own name and : ' an . additional 21,000 shares held in trust. National Boxoffice Survey World Series Hurts Biz—'Number,' *Rope,' 'Carmen,' 'River,' 'Belinda,' 'Peggy' the Big Six Interest In the World Series, rain and added interest in football all are cutting into biz at firstruns over the nation this week. Uabid interest by midwest baseball fans because Cleveland was in the championship i-ace kept tliousands tuned in and hurt : matinees so much in some cities that the. week's overall total was slashed. . Despite these, handicaps, the stronger films kept right on rack- ing up higli grosses. Facing the field for the second week in a row is "Sorry, Wrong Number" (Par), which is nicely out in the lead. Also for tlie second successive ses- sion "Rope" (WBi is nailing down second -money with great showings in some lO keys; Third place goes to "Loves of Carmen" (Col);- although not unU formly sock this rounds "Red River" (UA) edges up into fourth place ■ with two big showings. "Belinda" (WBi is in much the s4me category, being so smash on its two dales it cops in fifth posi- tion. Sixth best coin getter is "Apartment for Peggy" (20th>, do- ing much better than in previous stanza. Ace runner-up pictures are "Rachel and Stranger" (RKO), "Luck of Irish" (20th), "Oood Sam" (RKO), "Innocent Affair" I (UA) and "Touch of Venus" (U) I winding up in that order, j Best prospect among newcomers I appears to be ".Julia Misbehaves" I (iVI-G). which is landing one. of the j bigger weeks at the N. Tf. Music iHaU. Clever advance campaign I went far in getting this off on the I right foot at the Hall. Despite i harsh crix. appraisal ■, in ;Boston, , "Macbeth" (Rep) is doing surpris- I ingly well there on teeofl. I "Cry of City" (20th) is a third I promising newcomer although not ' around in many spots yet. "Sa^con Charm" (U) shapes fine in San 1 Francisco but n.s.g. elsewhere. I "Walk a Crooked Mile", (Col), , which opened yesterday (Tues.) iin N. Y., is okay this round in Providence. "Texas, Brooklyn" : (UA) is disappointing in L.A. "Velvet Touch" (RKO) looks • neat in, second Philly frame."Isn't ' It; Romantic?" (Par) is uniformly I thin this session, being tepid in I Minneapolis, fair in Boston and very mild in N. Y. i "Forever Amber" (20th) is do- I ing sturdily in Providence and fine in Buffalo. "Four Faces West" (UA) shapes moderate in Boston. "Race Street" (RKO) is brisk in Cleveland. (CojTiplete Boxoffice Reports oii Page* 8-9.) Trade M.irk .Eeslstored FOy.XDEX BY SlilK SILVERMAN PuliUitlifil tv«ebl.v bjr' .VAKIKintf, Inc. Sid Silverman, Presitletit: 134 Vl'csl 4Clli St., New York IJ, N. r . IfollyHtfod %R . . . : 6311 Vucctt Slri>ot ■ ; Wa.«liliirtoli 4 ■. 1^52 .\'.itlojiiil l'm,a Bnlldlni 'Cli'VaKft-1 ; ■ ■ 560 'Np. ,:M|clilirnn Avi. ;:. ■ : ■'fjontlon W<"! ■■ ■ » -Sti ' Martiii'a I'l.; 'I'ratalffar Smp .", SniSCIiTPTION' •y.nnual »10 Foj-oldn $11 Wiislo Coulca 25 Cento Vol. 172 ^'■■^■S^'" No. 6 INDEX Bills . . 47 Chatter , 54 Film Reviews 11 House Reviews 48 Inside Legit 50 Inside Radio .....,.,....; 37 International 13 Legitimate 49 Literati 18 Music 39 New Acts , 48 Night Club Reviews 47 Obituaries Orchestras 39 Pictures 2 Radio ...,..»,,,. 24 Radio Reviews 26 Records ..... .. . ...... .. 41 Frank Scully 18 Televi.'iion 30 Television Reviews 32 Vaudeville 45 n*II,Y VARIKTy (Pulillsilril In liolb'wood bir' Dilly Varl*t>'. l.ta.> ♦ 15 » Yeai —»20 Forelcn