Variety (Feb 1949)

VcdheaJay, Fehrnaiy 2» 1949 I^oduction-Dbtrib Unit to Snare Most of RKO's $25,000,000 Cash Split Greater part of BKO's, current-f cash holdings of approximately $25,000,000 will land with the pro- vductioh-dlstribution outfit when the connpi^hy splits into two separate units under present plans of its management; Included in the hard cash which will find its way to the film-making unit will be a consid- erable part of the $3,000,000 which the company borrowed last month from the Equitable Life Assurance Co. on debentures floated by the theatre chain. With Paramount apparently head- ed for a similar settlement of the Government anti-trust action, and Taplinger Into Publicity Robert S. Taplinger has formed a national public relations, otttfit With offices in New York, Ghicagb and Los Angelas.. To be knowri ;as Robert S. Taplinger & Associates, firm is representing national indus- trial and entertainment accounts. Taplinger plans to divide his time between the three offices. He had his own public relations offices in these cities until 1937, when he was brought to Hollywood by . Warner's to head its publicity de- ether majors likely to follow, for-1 partment. Previously, he had been inula Of cash division hit on by BKO will likely set the pattern lor the rest of the industry. Pro- duction unit, it is noted, needs a far greater slice of ready coin to meet its current operating expenses than a theatre chain. Hence, other companies will undoubtedly brack- et the lion's share of liquid assets to that end, of the outfits in the throes of separation. In RKO's case, production out- fit haS a $7,500,000 loan outstand- ing which was borrowed for the company's production chores. Loan publicity manager for CBS. Bergman Italo Pic Lures Goldwyn ■ Samuel Goldwyn reportedly may have a stake in the Ingrid Berg- man film which Roberto Rossellini . . . will produce and direct in Rome is on a short-term basis requiring I starting about April 1. Goldwyn plenty of liquid assets to meet it has for more than a year evinced «s it falls due. Theatre unit, on the ] considerable interest in Ro$sellini's other hand, owes some $23,600,000 | ^ork, and the Italian producer- «n long-term debentures which are director aiid his partner in the amortized annually over a period j Bergman film, llya Lopert, were ef 20 years. Hence, the latter does | guests at Goldwyn's Palm Springs not require a substantial amount of i home over the past weekend, liquid assets for its loan structure.' Rosggllini and Lopert, New York Division of cash and other assets foreign pic importer and theatre lay RKO is viewed as comparatively i operator, have been in Hollywood Simple because the parent org is, for the past 10 days evolving the a holding company and the pro- Hgal with Miss Bergman and her duction-distribution unit is already | ^^^^^ Lawyers have been at work distinctly separated from the the-1 on the contracts for several days Jan. Golden Dozen The 12 boxoffice champs for „ January, in order of showing In representative key cities, ■ 'are: •■■ '■. • "Paleface" (Par).' "Words & Music" (M-l?). "Snake-Pit" (20th). "Every Girl Married" (RKO). "Yellow Sky" (20th). "Joan of Arc" (RKO). / "Hamlet" (U). "Wake of Witch" (Rep). "Don Juan" (WB). "Enchantment" (RKO). "Accused" (Par). "Red Shoes" (EL). Hop^'Paleface Tops B.O. for Jan., 'Words' 2d, 'Snake Pit' Cops 3d atre groui). So far as Par is con- cerned, problem is complicated by the fact that the company is bro- ken' up into a flock of theatre com- panies, with Paramount Pictures, ,the parent outfit, directly owning some of these outfits besides the production-distribution wing. RKO's proxies to stockiiolders,; . , . , Thk i< similar to jjhich will seek an okay for the , gf^^^^^^^ Italy, jms is si^^^^^^^^^ Government settlement,: will prob- ably be mailed between Feb. 15 and .SO. Understood the combined and it is hoped to have them signed so that Rossellini and Lopert will be able to train for New York to- day (Wednesday). Miss Bergman is understood to | . ' —^— - —^ have an interest of about 40%^—'II* T\* i 'L V 1 J the largest single share—in the HtS UlStriD KnOWleOge i company which will produce the ■ Rooney-Stiefei Split NipsUADeat Hollywood, Feb. 2. • Five-year association of Mickey Rooney and Sam Stiefel, who have been partnered in the Rooney- Stiefel Corp,, is understood ended. This • will . probably mean that Rooney will not make the film for United Artists release for which! R-S made a deal last week. Understood Rooney, on returning from esatern personals, was dissat- isfied with financial results he'd ^een getting from Rooney-Stiefel and decided to disassociate himself from Stiefel and the latter's part- ner, Mort Briskin, also a member of the corporation. Rooney was set in the ■ deal by Stiefel with United Artists to make "Quicksand." However, he's now negotiating with King Brothers to make a picture, with Lou Rantz, repping the Kings, putting together the package and dickering with RKO for release. Rooney reportedly had expected to make considerably more from R»S, than he did. It is understood he received $800,000 in four years and claims he has little to show for it. William Morris will con- tinue to agent Rooney. Home's Tele Buy-in Hollywood, Feb. 1. Hal Home, who : has been here from New York for the past three weeks with execs of Lion Tele- vision Corp., has made.definite ar- rangements during his stay to buy into and tecome an .active partner in the setup. LTC group has been viewing possible video product and making deals for production. Horne is slated to head east with the other execs Friday (4). In the contingent are Jules Levey, pro- duction chief; Robert Savini, whose states rights exchange setup will be used for distribution; Paul White and Charles Casanave. proxy-prospectus, will break down earnings of both units separately so. that stockholders will have an idea of the potential of each comr pany; her deal on "Joan of Arc,'; m which Walter Wanger and the late Victor Fleming shared the remain- ing 60%. Goldwyn was at one time inter- ested in bringing Rossellini to Hol- lywood to direct and had his for- eign chief, Alfred .Grown, see Disposition of cash holdings can i Rossellini in Rome several times conceivably affect the price of the ■ i? efforts to make an agreement. Btock on the N, Y. exchange when Rossellini refused to come over, the figures are aired. It will not, I however, and then-Goldwyn sound 'Negligible/ Admits Disney in Detroit Suit Detroit, Feb. 1; Walt Disney led a group of big- time Hollywood producers to De- troit yesterday (31) to testify in connection with their $8,750,000 anti-trust suit against two Detroit theatre chains. Disney and members of the So- ciety of Independent Motion PiC' however influence the overall val-' o" * ^^^^ for produc- ture Producers, in addition to dam' lie of what the stockholder gets since he takes shares from both units when the split is completed. Mull Moving Oscar Derby To Palladium Terpery Hollywood. Feb. 1. ■Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences Board of Governors meets tomorrow night (2) to con- sider a possible hew Site for- the annual Oscar Derby—the huge Pal- ladium terpery on Sunset Boule- vard, Special meeting has been called to discuss members' protests ever decision to hold. the affair In the Academy Awards theatre. tion in Italy, This fell through (ages, are seeking to break up what when Goldwyn, as did Miss Berg-1 they charge are the monopolies man, objected to RosSellini's inr sistence that he couldn't agree to stick to a script prepared in ad- vance. It is now believed that Rossellini has given limited as- maintained by the United Detroit Theatres and Cooperative Theatres of Michigan. In addition to the two chains the suit names as defend- ants Earl J; Hudson and James surances of his willingness to' Sharkey, managers of United and follow the approved screenplay. I Co-op, respectively. If Goldwyn fits into the new I Although the suit has not yet i deal. It will probably mean pro-1 been set for trial, Disney was sum- duction financing will be with his : moned to Detroit by defense coun- lira in Italy and that his office j ^^1 to testify on a deposition the will handle distribution via RKO,! defendants need to prepare their which releases his pix. i pre-trial answers to the plaintiffs' Putting up part of the dollar! ^^^^j^^es At a private hearing in financing for the Bergman film, i ^ /'"•"'neys in Na- incidentally, are two of New York's I P?""^ W^?- here, Disney said biggest real estate holders, Robert Dowling's City Investing Co., and which can seat only 950 people, less i Robert GOelet, Sr. They are in th.-in hara the Acad membership. I vestors in Lopert's firm, and Goe- Palladium normally seats 850 \ let has an additional personal in- pcople but if chairs and tables are; vestment in this film. placed on the big dancefloor, it can! ' accommodate about 2,500. This '■ / figure would just about cover Acad i UJgfgj, £5 Spjjt {^^Mk membership and the press corps which will cover the event on March 24. • ' William Dozier was appointed gcini-al director of the Oscar Derby,' replacing Don Hartman, who resigned that although he is chairman of Walt Disney Productions, Inc., his knowledge of distribution is "negli- gible." He added that his brother Roy,who has been president Of the company for the past three years, may be the one who can supply the information the defense wants. Roy Disney may he subpoenaed. Marvin Fads, executive-secretary of SIMPP, appeared before Federal 8 Indies Sign Up Agnew-Casanave Williiim Dieterle, Nassour broth- ers and the Maria Montez-Jean Pierre Aumont units are* among eight indie producers inked for representation by Motion Picture Sales Corp., new Neil Agnew- Ch^rles Casanave setup.. Flock of other indies are close to the sign- ing point and will be announced later in the week, it is understood. ^Dieterle will send "Rachel" before the cameras in France April 1. .It will be released by Eagle Lion and is the. first Dieterle pic on which Agnew and Casanave will rep the producer. Their initial job for William and Edward Nassour.. will be "Africa Screams," Abbott & Costello starrer being released by United Artists. Miss Drlontez and Aumont, her husband, are producing "Street of Fallen .Angels" in. Prance, with Miss Montez and Lilli Palmer: in the cast. Going in heavily for Eng- lish-language pix made abroad, which Agnew and Casanave see as an importantly developing field, they will also rep the Franchot Tone-Irving Allen unit on the Paris-made "Man on the Eiffel Tower." They had been previously signed to handle "Jig-Saw," star- ring Tone and produced by the Danziger' brothers In New York for UA release. Another deal concluded by MPSC gives the firm a 50% in- terest with Roland Brown in "White Shadows;" which will be made by Brown In Tahiti. A straight romance, it will be a com- panion picture to "Tabu," Robert Flaherty's South Seas documentary released by Paramount years ago; Brown owns the Tights to "Tabu"' and MPSC will reissue it. Distribu- tion of "White Shadows" and "Tabu" will be by Agnew and Casanave themselves, rather than by turning It over to a distributing company. Still another deal is with Frank Seltzer, who has recovered from (Continued on page 6) TL—iWiLD I >, 01. t>iMFF, appeared before Federal ilieatreS With rar, LoeW S [ Judge Arthur a? Kosciskl today ' iTAiiv..,«x,i 1 i'Tuesday) to give his'deposition;; ., ■ Hollywood, Feb. 1. I Defendants have until Feb. 28 t# United Artists Theatres circuit, file their formal ahswerS to charges . .. has fixed March 25 as tlie date i that they are maintaining a mo- Hartman pulled out because he . "^'^^^. chain will end its part-; nopoly in violation of the Sherman ©bjected to the switch of the cere- mony from the Warners stludio. McCormick to N.Y. Hollywood, Feb. 1. nership interests with Paramount and Loew's, according to Joseph M. Schenck, UA's principal stock- holder. Understood the dissolu- Anti-Trust Act, Disney arrived from New York Monday morning (31). He'll be fol- lowed by producers Sam Goldwyn, tion of joint holdings will pave the ' Walter Wanger and William Cag- •Ku?.^"'" ^'^henck's departure from ney. Disney left for Chicago Im- IS. Barret McCormick, RKO's r-^9''h-l''ox production post, although ! mediately after the hearing, pub-ad director, is leaving for New I his resignation has not been ac ' York Friday (4> after a two-week cepted to date, gander -at 14 upcoming RKO films In Hollywood for: same purpose Schenck personally engineered the dissolutions when he was in More Years for Freedom Train? Washington, Feb. 1. House PostoHice and Civil Serv Ned E. Depinet, RKO prez, andiNew York several weeks ago Thev'Committee is considering legis- io«w* ii/r„„w,„.„ „u:„f u.,.. became a must in vieW of the Gov-! i?!'?",^*' continue the Freedom Kobert-Mochrie, sales chief, have already planed back to N. Y. Terry Turner, exploitation di ernment ' anti-trust case. Para- mount and UA are partners in a rector, trained to Dallas to set up; number of theatres located in De- machinery for preem of Glenn Mc- ; troit, Chicago and N. Y. Loew's-UA Carthy's production, "The Green I partnership houses are in Balti- j>roiiiise.";.»i»,<.^ (n; f i • Imoi'e, Pittsburgh and Columjbunj - Train for two additional years. The train, which has completed its transcontinental tours with historic documents, was largely isupported by the picture industry. The Government would provide the mone^ uqder the iWij- ' / N. Y. to L. A.' Burtis Bishop, Jr. Eddie Carrier Monty Collins - Herbert Crooker Alfred Crown Howard Dietz - Ernest Emerling William R. Ferguson Ted Gould Lew Grady Irving Helfont: John Huston Michael Kanin Moe Kerman Arthur Krim Arthur M. Loew Ernest Martin Glenn McCarthy John Murphy Edwin Claude Mills Gar Moore Elliott Nugent William Omstein Robert Paige Margaret Phillips . Eugene Picker Cole Porter H. M. Ritchey William F. Rodgers Silas F. Seadler Edward M. Saunders Mike Simons Morton Spring Europe to N. Y. Hans Busch Percy Grainger ^ John B. Nathan Robert Taylor f Bob Hope's "Paleface" (Par) was the boxoffice champion in January, according to reports re* ceived from Variety correspond- ents in 22 representative key cities during the past month. After fin- ishlng first the final week in De- cember and hinting strong future boxoffice draw, the Hope comedy copped first place in Variety's • compilations for three successive weeks, landed fifth later in the month and? still was racking up coin as January ended, "Paleface'' not only was more than $ioo,O00 ahead of its nearest rival but was uniformly hig to smash in virtu- ally every key, winning extended- runs and moveover dates In nearly every situation. "Words and Music" (M-G) was second-place winner last month, being helped of course, by its sijt big weeks at the Radio City Music Hall. Third spot was cap- tured by "Snake Pit" (20th), based on its smash showings in the rather limited number of spots where launched. "Every Girl Should Be Married" (RKO), actually grossing more money than "Pit" during January, - was a strong fourth-place winner. "Yellow Sky" (20th) copped fifth although never rising above second in the weekly showings, "Hamlet" (U) was nosed out of sixth position by the upcoming "Joan of Arc" (RKO). "Joan," only out on a sizable number of play- dates near the end, of the month, was big to sock in all opening weeks, and showing sustained strength. "Hamlet," third in De- cember, managed to gross close to ■ $500,000 during the month to make . it a solid seventli-place occupant. "Wake of Red Witch" (Rep), a heavyweight right from teeoft' play- . date in N. Y., roared ahead to land': eighth money. "Don Juan" (WB),' getting under way just as month ; ended, pushed up to ninth. "Enchantment" (RKO) wound up 10th while "Accused" (Par) was nth. "Red Shoes" (EL) rounded out the Golden Dozen boxoffice winners for January; .Best runneru'p -films were "Walked by Night" (EL), "Rogues' Regiment" (U), "Wonderful Urge" (20th), "Man from Colorado" (Col), : "Blood on Moon" (RKO), "Gotta Stay Happy" (U), "Mexican H.iy- ride" (U) and "Three Musketeers" (M-G), in that order. Large array of newcomers was being launched: as the month ended. "Command Decision" (M-G) shapes as one of the best, of these. "So Dear to My Heart" (RKO), given a four-state preem in: some 150 theatres late in January, also shapes up as a potentially big grosser. "My Own True Love" (Par) opened okay in one spot, "Griss Cross" (U) did well on (Continued on page 6) .: L. A. to N. Y. Lex Barker Clarence Brown David Butler Michael Carr John Claar Sam Dembow Ned E. Depinet Charles Einfeld Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Melchior Ferrer Irving Fromer fionita Granville Abel Green ■ Mitchell Hamilburg ■ " - - Maxwell Hamilton ■ : . Henry Henigson Marsha Hunt Donald Hyde Kay Kyser Howard Le Sieur llya Lopert Rudolph Mate Somerset Maugham ' j; S. Barret McCormick Jimmy McHugh, Jr. Hobert Mochrie Phil Moore Abe Olman Ezio Pinza Robert Presnell, Jr. Harry M. Popkin Manning Post Roberto Rossellini . Zachary Scott George Seaton' Joshua Shelley Lee Sholem Rudy Solmsch Lionel Stander Paul Stewart : Franchot Tone Terry Turner Charles Vidor John Wlldberg Howard Young ''