Variety (Jan 1949)

y«5cii»eMlay, iMUuiiy M, 1949 ncnriJiiBS s PARAMOUNrS mY SPLIT Hhchcock-Bamtein Unit Reported Conadering Quitting Indie Prod. Hollywood, Jan. 11. ♦ Alfred Hitchcock-Sidney Bern- . stein indie unit, Tranprftlantic Pro- ductions, was reported this week • considering calling it quits, fol- lowing the finale of two other in- dependent production deals. Pair are Independent Artists, the Bosalind Bussell-Frederick Brisson- Diidlev Nichols unit, which ended its tie with RKO. and Michael Curtiz Productions, Warner Bros. ""Report on possibility of Trans- atlantic fade lound no official con- firmation, but definitely appeared to be under consideration, at least. Hitchcock has ditched plans for Immediate production of a third film for the unit and committed himself next to direct a picture for Warner Bros. It will be "Man ftunning,"-to be before the cameras in England in April, with Jane Wy- man'starred. Hitchcock was to have made "I Confess" next for Transatlantic. He and Bernstein had already made a pair, "Rope" and "Under. Capri- corn," for release by WB under the unit's banner. These fulfilled their two-picture contract with Warners, RKO Theatres' Net Hollywood, Jan. 11. Net earnings for the year by the RKO theatre chain was reported in financial circles to be $4,700,000. Tliese profits are of big interest to RKO stockliolders, in view of the split this summer of RKO produc- tion and corporation's theatres into separate companies, , The net Is considerably down from both 1947 and 1946. " Thorpe Slated As Co-Director In Britain for Col. Max 'Thorpe. Gplumbia's general manager in England, is expected to be uPPi# to cb-inana^iiig direc- . . tor for Britain following a series which, until very recently, it was { of home office conclaves next week planned to extend. by Col chieftains from all parts of "Rope" will gross close to $3,000,-1 the world. Thorpe, it is antici- 000 worldwide and is expected to ■ pated, will be raised to equal status show a profit. "Under Capricorn" hasn't gone in release yet, but cost $2,750,000 (in doUaris) to produce in England with Ingrtd Bergman stama. That means it .will have to (Continued on page 18) Hitchcock Sued For UMm Theft of 'Hamlet' Idea Charged Plagiarism suit, asking $1,- 230,000 damages, has been' slapped on Alfred Hitchcock. It charges hira with swiping an idea for a modern-day" version of "Hamlet"' \vhich Hitchcock claims to have abandoned almost as soon as he ; made the announcement of his plans for the film. Suit was brought by Irving • I'iske (nee Irving Louis Fishman, 9c«ordihg to the complaint) in New York Federal Court. It asks $250,000 damages on each of live counts. Since Hitchcock gave up the "Hamlet" idea even before Fiske's suit was filed, his attorney, 'Joseph Levine, revealed existence of the suit for the first time in planning to ask that the case be thrown out as lacldng a cause of action. Actually^suit w&s filed a year.ago. Fiske claims that he wrote a col- loquial version of the Shakespeare tragedy and a preface that were both copped by Hitchcock. His play was rehearsed but produced, according to Fiske Hitchcock's announced plan was for a modern story using the basic Hamlet" plot, not the original play In modem English, according to Iievine. in England with Joseph Friedman, company's vet British cliief and European supervisor. "Disclosure of plans to give Thorpe the co-managing director title immediately raised conjecture,- of course, to the possibility of Friedman's. retirement. It is un- derstood, however, that this is not contemplated, the promotion of Thorpe merely being in recognition of his service; as British sales chief. Friedman has restricted himself pretty, much' to matters of. policy in recent years, . with Thorpe handling most of the operational duties. Change in Thorpe's status came on the heels of reports that Metro's Sam Eckman, Jr., dean of the American film reps in London, was considering retirement in a year or 18 months, - although his; contract runs to 1954. This has been denied by Eckman and Metro but is known definitely to have (Continued on page 18) " TRUMBO LEADING 10^ BACK TO PIX FOLD? _ HollywoodtJan.il. ^_ Dalton Trumbo, one of the 10 unfriendly witnesses" ban-ed from Ih ^'^^ majors following "i« House un-American Activities i-ommittee probe, is authoritative- ly reported working on a script lor Samuel Goldwyn. Latter, how- ever, has denied the report. If ,V"?i"? has been taken on, he would be the first of the 10 hired ny an indie since the Society of independent Motion Picture Pro- recently disavowed the ban adopted by the Motion Picture Assn. of America. m!!,'"u'' which Trumbo thnL^? working is unknown, it's \f adaptation of tlie High Heaven," concerned with anti-Semitism. It is also reported that Howard Law- bn? LT'^^I'^ .^''^ Walter Wanger, • ha this, saying he no writers «t present on the DOS'UNIQUE ADMISH POLICY FOR »r Selznick Releasing Organization has started to seU "Portrait of Jennie" on an unusual policy of increased-admission exhibitioh. It is not asking theatre^owners. to hilke the scale to a specific figure, such as the $1.20 or $1.50 which is usual with roadshows, but is asking them never i to tilt tlie price just sliglitly to give the connotation to tlie public tlvat this is an out-of-the-ordinaiy pic- ture. It is suggested that if the regular b.o. fee is 60c the exliib up it to perhaps 80c. After sitting around with nothing new to sell for months^ tlie SHO sales force, headed' by Sidney Deneau, was finally given tlie go- ahead on "Jennie" last weeki bates may be accepted, however, on order of • David O. Selznick, only in houses which agree to make- the tilt in scale and to install, a- 40-fo(>t' cycloramic screen and' multi-sdund equipment, which is used to giye greater eifect to the hurricane witti which the film finales. "Jennie" opened at the Carthay Circle, Los Angeles; Christmas Day and will go into release in aboiit 10 keys next month if Deneau ckn set up the dates under the terms set. ' Rental of 50% is being asked; Complete separation %i Para- mount into two companies^ne giant theatre chain and the other Further Cost-Cutting Schemes Seen On Agenda of Prexies Miami Meet > Prexies of the nine member companies of the Motion Plctur* I Assn. of America are slajted to I hold a conclave in Miami next Johnston Back in DX; a nurplv nmrinntmn rt!of,.iK„n„„ Eric Johnston, Motion Picture I Tuesday and Wednesday (18-19). outCs cu??enHv rt'hi^^^^^^^^^ I Assn. of America prexy, is back at Eric Johnston, MPAA proxy, has aw i^sSS'ti^S GovernmeS^ Washington headquarters this se„t_ out the invitations, but, re- anti-trust case, it is reliably re- , T'^nnV^np'^'^lrt^! "r^if^^J^r ported. Barney Balaban, company ^"./P"'^^."^^!^"; ^'^^ Christmas- president, according to one persist- ent rumors will surrender his Over- all supervision to direct the for- tunes of the production-distrib unit. Leonard Goldenson, present theatre chief, would head up the new circuit as company prez. For the past week, it is reported. Par's board of directors has been huddling over the knotty question of top personnel for the two new companies. The Balaban-Gol den- son joint presidencies is believed to he the outcome of the series of meets which has had the boai-d burning the lamps overtime In puzzling out management, opera- tional tactics and other details. It is believed another possible outcome of the protracted huddles would be the resignation of Adoljph Zukor as board chairman, with Balaban stepping up to that spot to guide the company through the dif- ficult reorganization course pre- liminary to a breakup into two companies. Another report singles out y. Frank Freeman, company yeepee who is sitting in on the (Continued on page 18) MPAA boss goes to Florida next week for two days _of meets with company prexies an'd is scheduled to be on the Coast Jan. 26; to ad- dress the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He'll be out there about a week, during. which : tinie he will huddle with studio execs. Johnston is slated to meet with State Dept. officials today. (Wednes- day) on film problems abroad. He is said to be considerably closer to plies have not yet been received from all tlie company chieftains. It is expected, however, that all will be present or will have top echelon reps on hand. Johnston, who will chairman tha meet, said in New York, Monday (10), that the British and South African situations would be fore- most on the agenda. It is antici- pated, however, that the two-day session will see a wide variety of topics covered, probably including further steps on cost-cutting. Confab will take the place of; Dean Acheson; new Secretary of i the sessions scheduled for tlia. State, than he was to General i Coast Jan. 26-27-28. Those have Marshall, which may bode good' been cancelled, one of the rea.sona for the industry. TOA Head Asks AO-Indnstry Meet To End Feuding . Boston, Jan. 11. Bewailing the cross-purposes of different elements of the film in- dustry, Arthur Lockwood, presi- dent of Theatre Owners of Amer- ica, today (Tues.) asked that an I all-industry meeting be called to work out iiarmony among dissident factionsi Lockwood L^sued his call at a testimonial dinner tendered liim by the New England Variety club. "It seems to me," he said. being the anticipated absence of several of the prexies, including; Metro's Nick Schenck and Para- mount's Barney Balaban. who were to be vacationing in Florida at tliat time. y The Coast sessions were to be- much; broader tlian. those to be; held in Florida. Reps of unions and guilds,' as well as e:thibitor ort ganizations, had been invited to the Hollywood assembly.; They will not attend the Florida meet. One of tiie behind-the-scenes rea* ; (Continued on page 13) down and have a'talk; and I for one am willing to recommend such (Continued;on page 19) Yanks Win, Lose In'Curtain Areas While the Yank picture industry is showing slight signs of progress on breaking into two previously shuttered Iron Curtain countries, it has retrogressed to a standstill on getting back Into two others which suddenly called it quits last fall. Advances are being made on the Soviet Union and Yugoslav: deals which Eric Johnston, Motion Picture Assn. of America prexy, initiated during the summer, while Hollywood product on the other hand, appears to have no chance at the moment of returning to the screens of Hmigary and Rumania. On the positive side, best results are being made on Yugo.slavia's deal to acquire 25 films. State monopoly there has been screening I It was the second time in a week a large number of subjects which | that Arnall had come to D. C, and the Motion. Picture Export Assn. | he will be back for several days already had in Europe, and has next week in connection with the (Continued on page 19) Truman inauguration celebration. Loew's Int'l May Help Finance Palestine Film; Metro Would Distrihute ' Jj(ieSv's International prez Arthur : M. Loew may help fitii^iee the fortlicoihihg pileture 'Which director' Fred Zinneman plans to turn, out "tliat now is the time for all rfr^ ■ in Palestine, similar to the way in sponsible industry leaders to sit i which he brought Metro money in- Arnall Visit. D.C. ' Washington, Jan. 11. Ellis Arnall, prez of the So- ciety of Independent Motion Pic- ture Producers, checked in for a few hours today (Tues.), accom- panied byi^ndie producer Seymour Nebenzal, for whom Arnall was straightening out a European busi- ness matter with the Government National Boxoffice Survey Bad Weather, H.O.'t Hurt Biz—'Paleface,' 'Words,' •Married,' 'Pit,' 'Sky,' ^Hamlet,' 'By Night' Toppers Post-holiday dip, following a | films are "Joan of Arc" (RKO), smash New Year's week, is less I "Red Shoes" (EL) and "The Ac severe than anticinated this ses- to "Search," Swiss-made film which Zinneman directed. If the deal goes through) Metro will automati- cally < assume .worldwide distribU'- tion rights to the Palestinian film, which iS: as yet untitled. Metro,; at Loew's instigation, re* ; (Continued on page 18) ' sion* especially in view of western storms and record cold and snow in California. In many key cities cused" (Par), last-named opening this week at N. Y. Paramount. Long string of new pictures are being launched currently. "Don .luan" (WB)j on basis of three covered by Variety, firstruns are : j ... , ', mntipv-makw in fhPi.. <hir.i Kroniro """a* uatcs, looKS a money-maKer. in their third : weeks : with ace product which, of course, is denting the overall total. "The Paleface" (Pai-) continues "Command Decision" (M-ti), due I at N. Y. State next, slipped off in third L. A. session after big openv j ing week: "Wake Of Red Witch"] Rank's Long U.S. Visit London; Jan^ 11. British team to take part in tlu- Anglo-American film talks in New York at the end of March, J.;Ar- thur Rank, Sir Alexander Korda, and Sir Henry L. French, are plan- ning to sail from here March 18. It's understood that Rank will be on an extended visit to the states and: isn't proposing to return im- mediately' '«ft< tlie' end of tbe talks: national boxoffice leader for the , (Rep) shapes as a potentially big | fourth week in succession even boxoffice bet, judging from its sock i though on third rounds in a major- initial week in N. Y. "Whiplash" '. ity of ke.vs. "Words and Music" kwb), disappointing in N. Y., is I (M-G), also on extended-run in stout in L. A. "Unknown Island" i most spots, is a strong second. (i,'C), heading fpr a new house high ' Every Girt Should Be Married" in N. Y.. is strong etiough to win a (RKO) I'S third-place winner despite Chi holdover. i its elongated title. "Snake Pit" "Boy With' Green Hair" (RKO),! (20th), living up to its early-pla.v- opening in N. Y. today (Wed\ is i date promise, is soaring to fourth , enjoving a nice Balto week. "Scott 1 spot although sagging sharply in of Antarctic" (EL) shapes huge in • third L. A. week. Toronto. "Men From Colorado" ! Fifth po.sition is taken by "Yel- (Col) looks nice in St. Louis and i low Sky" (20th) while "Hamlet" (U) Buffalo. "Act of Murder" (U), also ; is copping sixth moneyi "Enchant-1 fairly new, is very mild in L. A. j ment" (RKO) is climbing up into "Angel on Amazon" (Rep) is in for I seventh slot, with ''He Walked By a brisk Cincinnati session. ''Won-i Night" (EL) in eighth."Gotta Stay derful Urge" (20th), barely okay i Happy" (U), just getting extensive in third N. Y^ week, is doing just bookings, is a solid nintht-placc . fair in Seattle and Portland, Ore. wiiineri "Blood, on Moon" (RKO) is j (Complete Boxq/jSce Reports ort loth on the list. Top runner-up ■ Posierif-iS.) v.- Trade Mark Reeiiitered : FOTNDKD BY SIMB SIIiVERMAN I'Ubllshml Weekly by VARIKTY, Inc. Sid Silverman, President 154 West 4Ctlv St., New Torlt l»i N. T. Hollywood «8 *3ll Tuooa Stre»t Waahlngton 4 1S92 mtional Pren-Buildlni . 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