Variety (February 1950)

nCTURBS vTT February 1, 1950 “Sands of Iwo (Rep) was-f* the boxoifice champ; 41 JaaUary despite some .. of the' tpii^iest . sort of competition not only front “On the Town” (M-G) but also ‘'Samson and Delilah,” (Par). Reports on bus- iness in some 24 represeptatiye key cities from yARiiEty coiresponderits show that the. U, S. Marine COrps opus .was a sensatibhal winner, landing jii first place two weeks ninning aftef capturing second po^ sitionv the other two weeks- Pic seems sure of being the biggest Republic grosser to date. War pic t u r e and spectacles I • roared to the front last month, w ith other type productions taking a back seat. Thisj however, did not preyent three. comedies from fin- ishing among the top eight busi- ness-getters, nation-wide. ‘‘On the Town” was one of these, taking sec^ ond place, though winning top laurels the first tW0 \yeeks in Jan- uary. One of these Weeks, of course, did $177,000, all-time high at the Music Hall, Picture then slipped off, / “Samson, which - gives every sign of soaring to boxoffice heights oriCe it gets Out On more extended disr ,1. “^ands of Iwo Jima” (Rep). 2. ‘^Oii Town’^ (M-G). 3. ‘'Sainsdn-Delilah” (Par). 4: >>The OUttaw’VXRkQ). , 5.^ “Inspector GeheralV (WB). 6. “Prince of Foxes” (20th j; “Battleground” (M-G). 8. ‘‘Great Lover” (Par), 0.“The Heiress” (Par). 10. “Adam’s Rib” (M-G). 11. ‘'AU King’s Men’? (Go'). 12. ‘'Holiday Affair” (RktW» /s Carrying through on its repewal I of dividend payments on preferred stock, Republic’s board has de- j dared a 50c. per share divvy on | the stock. .•Payment Will ie made ; April i to stockholders of record, March 10, issue calls for cumulative divb dends of $1.00 yearly at 25c. quar- terly, . Declaratioh of the current 50c. per-share melon leaves Rep j in the hole .for only 25c, per share on back payments. . Under Consent '1 ‘ ^ • . §tilt styrhied On its big partner^ ; ship interests, RKO theatre chain ■ this week took one more step to- wards carrying out the requ ire- ; ments of the consent decree when I it dosed . with Robert Libson and Maurice .. White for . the sale of two RKO: downtown [ houses in Cihdnnati. Duo arc j taking over the Shubert and Capi- tol theatres forthwith after inking i a deal with the major the ' purchase of. leaseholds' to the two Krpicler former • Vickeries for a Tepoiled figure in Kreisier, former neighborhood of $100,000. ; B. Bernard ; shorts sales manager fOr Universal, was named this week as exec di- tribution, climbed to third nationr j , a ally by dint of its showing for the the. Motion Picture Assn final two weeks of the month. In j of America’s new advisory unit for Meanwhile, RKO biggies, head- jed by Malcolm \Kingsberg, circuit ! tppper, are pushing talks with Wal- 'ten Reade, Jr., and George Skpu- ras iri ahpther attempt to hit on a Samuel. Goldwyn's knack for grabbing off space through his perennial forays'agaiiist exhibs Clicked on schedule again this year. - CelebratiUg hi$ arrival east last week, the indie producer cuffed the ears of exhibition in general and those of the Fox-West Coast chain in particular. While the Gpidwsm bid for attention was a reprise on his usual late-winter blasts against exhibition's “lack of cooperation and foresight,” it copped copious news stories and a lise-to-the-bait by Samuel Pinahski as prez of the Theatre Owners'of-America..' Pinanski issued a b^ast this week marveling at Goldwyn's “amaz- ing lack of an intimatie knowledge of existing conditions in th^^ industry”, and saw the assault as most untimely in view of the pres- ent attempt to present a uiiUed industry front to the public via the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. It Was .“regrettabje,'-’^ Pihanski, said, that Goldwyh . should use . a dispute With One exhib oyer business terms as the basis for a broadside kttack.pii exhi- Paradoxically bhoiigh, the one man singled out by Goldwyh for Ills attack, Charles P; Skouras, National Theatres chief, sidestepped the publicity with a “no comment’? rejoinder to Goldwyn’s exhib .baiting. ’ ’ ‘^ actual money, it was quite a ways ; foreign films. He takes over today for dissolution of oartner- behind both ‘'Jima” arid ‘ Towri.” ; (AVed.) to work with MPAA for- However, the two January j eign yeepee^ John G. McCarthy i g^ec veepee of the %veeks were marked by some sen- j (he unit - which will function as_^a j,- ^ ^ ^ f B sation^ showings. . consultative service to foreign ^ liaicnn in th^ talk*? — 1 1 Vi* ’■ rT' ^ ‘ ■' . in the xTriieSs the confabs result in a fourth place, with launching of thev U. S. - — ~ “r: ~ Jarie Russell stafrer on widespread* j Detailii^ reasons for 'formation scale by RKO proving a boxoffice j of the unit . yesterday (Tues. ) , Mc- Hollywood, Jan. 31: Columbia will add^ 52,000 square feet of floor space and 82 new of- fices to its studios .with the ppen- irig of its new four-story adrriinis- tration building, now nearing com- pletion. In addition to offices, the iVashirigtoh, Jan. 31. am F. Myers, board chairniiui : of Natipnal A.lUed,: and Eric John- ston, prez of the Motion Picture , Assn, of America, will, pitch for a f repeal of the 20% Federal admis- sion tax when the House Ways & I Meatis cpmjnittee holds its. hear- i ings in Februaiy, Gaef Sullivan; ' exec director of the Theatre Owri- I ers of America, has been invited nomic issUes involved, explaining the U. S. must import more from phenomenon. Film had been around j Carthy referjped to the broad eco- fiii many keys, some places having had the pic twice previously. The Howard Hughes production wound debtor liMioris to ‘‘rectify the mal up in fourth, third 'and fifth slots during the month. In a majority of tContinued on page 18) SEE ASCAT CONSENT BAKRiNG EXHIB FEES ^ -When the new consent decree! cOmes down in the Government ; anti-trust case against the Ameri- j can Society of Composers, Authors ] & Publishers, it will bar the future j cpllcction of Ucehse fees from ex-| bibitors via seat . taxes or other ! direct rneans. Acepirdirig to an authoritative, source, any income derived by ASCAP from music used in films will come solely frprri adjustment In foreign trade, j is also expected to embody con- , siderable public relations aspects to help ease restrictions arid quota laws set up against Anierican films jin foreign markets. Many such re- istrictions originate with local pro- 1 ducers who, McCarthy said, ‘‘somq- I times think there is a Conspiracy I aflriat to exclude their films” from I American screens. New MPAA unit, in helping them gain a foot- (CohtinUed on page 20) peace pact ^thinThe next couple of weeks, it’s understood that RKO | off the lot. will probably file suits to dissolve the companies pperating the dis- puted .theatres. In the case of • Reade, chain Is the Trenton-New j Brunswick Theatres. Such an ac- tion calls for the appoiritment of a receiver, liquidation of all prop- erties and distribution of the ulti- mate cash prpceeds. Time for RKO to complete the dissolution Of all partnerships ex- pires Feb. 16. On that date, if the joint veritures are riot com- pletely broken up, RKO must have either brought the dissolution suits OF Come forward with some plan which would bring about the liqui- dation objective. building will contain two projec-: by Riyers to teMify^ and will prob- tion rooms in the basement. , ably do so. Ellis Afnall, head of New quarters will house all of j the Society of Independent Motion ColUHibia's studio operations, now j picture Producers, is also likely to being coridui^eir^m fentetr~space. put in ^iTappearah^ nrirdiiction end O^f busi ! Minority; stockholder suit brought | pree and the company has no plans I'Pi’Opagarida over last weekend, re- me pioduction end ot the b in N. .Y. Federal court last March ■ tpr their disposition. 1 port that an average of seven out I NeffnflatihnN: between ASCAP I agairist Hairy Cohn, . Jack Cohn, I Libson and White operate 10 j sighing the lobby ! Columbia Pictures Corp. arid its ! iheatres in W Ohio territory. : petitions and agreeing to mail post-; Negotlatidns betvveen ASCAP and the Dept; of Justice are now nearing their end and a decree will be iriked Within the next couple of weeks, it is understood. Horse- trading has been going on now for the past six months. Gets Star Radio Bally Columbia Pictures Corp. arid its .board of directors by David Cohn (no relation) was discontinued last we A: at the request Of the plain- tiff’s attorney, Sol A. Rosenblatt. In tossing out the action, Federal Judge Sidney Sugarman diismissed it without prejudice to renewal. Explanation for the suit's with- drawal, according to Rosenblatt, is that David Cohn’s complaint will be consolidated with actions to be filed shortly by other minority stockholders. Original proceeding protested a $3()0,00() insurance benefit which pfexy Harry CJohn was awarded by the company In all, probably a haU-dozeri. in- dustry leaders will take thO stand. Current strategy Is to limit the ! number to sbf or seven rather than flood the committee with witnesses. One company prez; possibly Spyros . P. Skouras; 20th-Fox skipper, and one studio biggie will be drafted ! for the added witness chores; Meanwhile, Sullivan intends (0 poll about 200'exhib members of TOA within the next week, to de- termiue whether they would be . . willing to pass on any tax-saving With the fight against the Fed-; to the public. That is one of (he eral admission tax getting under-: questions which the solons will no way oh the customer level this • doubt shoot at those appearing be- . . week industry leaders have been j fore the House committee. By selling its Shubert and Capi- j heartened by the widespread pub-1 Hearings are slated to begin lie response to the moves made Thursday (2) but it is riiore than by the tax committee of the Conn- likely that they, will be postponed cil of Motion Picture Organiza-for some time later in the month lions. New York exhibs, who were ! ’ ' ■ - the first tp distribnte COMPO's i Mo>Illtoois 20%. Flehi St. Louis, Jan. 31. More than lOQ members of (he . Motion Picture Theatre Ownei's of Eastern Missourr and Southern Illinois, last .week,- at a regional meeting at P’oplar Bluff, Mo... were urged by Tom Edwards, prez of (Continued on piee 54) tol in Cincy, RKO is left with four downtown theatres arid three ft m /I I i\ f J ! nabes. Three of these, are owned Suit vs. tol. Deterred j outright by the compatiy. NoneO these must be sold under the de- Film stars with their own radio airei's have b^en lined up by Ted Gamble, film division chairman of the Brotherhood Week drive, to pitch for observance of the yearly . ^ i. event, Feb. 19-26. Already cor- ! hoard allegedly as an inducement railed to plug the week on their to renew his contract.^ w . programs are Bing Croshy, Bob By handing Harry .Cohn the in- Hope; Edward Arnold. Imcille ] suranee policy, stockholder Cohn Ball, Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, ] charged, the board ^ membeirs Dennis Day* arid.'. Groucho Marx, | ”abused their trust” arid “violated Aiiditionally, pic star.s will talk up j their fiduciary duties by permitting the w(6ek in guest, appearances on [themselves to be dominated by outside shows. : Harry Cohn.’; Move toward bring: New York Advertising Agency I log a . consolidated suit comes as Ad council is ; also making time 1 no surprise since a number of dis- availabie on such radio shows as i si<lent shaireholders have threatenr As Roach Rep. to Solo Grace Rosenfieid has resigned as eastern rep for Hal Roach after 18 years’ associ^ion with the pro- ducer. She is planning to open her own office in New York to handle sales and publicity for indie.s. 1 petitions and agreeing to mail post cards to their Congressional rep. . The unexpected and . unprece- dented response caught many the- j atres with shortages of the printed i .(material. tHp itiifiai nr; The initial printing of 20,000,000 patrons cards., were rapidly exhausted by demands of exhibs in New York and outlying areas. Herman Robbins, National Screen Service prexy, who is han- dling distribution. of the COMPO matter, ordered an additional run The only fenime sales rep in the ; of 10,000,000 cards to fill national biz. Miss Ros(Bnfield got her start [ requirements. with*nenry Ginsberg, now Para- ; Among the most unUsual fea- mount v.p. in charge 6f production, I tures of the tax repeal fight is that ^ and joined Roach when Ginsberg j it is being carried on without a i became associated with him. Roach j “slush fund.” COMPO itself ; is i has made no new films in recent [ spearheading'the whole fight bn tiie I ‘'Cavalcade df Airierica,” ‘'Theatre Guild of the Ail” “The Greatest Story Ever Told” arid “The Cath- oHc H6Ur.”. Commeritators and disk jockeys will plug, the week With spot annouiiceriierits. . ed to test the validity of. pfexy Cohn’s pact in the courts; years, and Miss Rosenfieid has been handling reissues and subsid- iary rights. Rodgers Due Rack Metro sales. veepee William F. Rodgers is scheduleii to return to the liomeoffice next Monday (6) after vacaitioning iti Flprida since m id-December. M-G prez Nicholas M. Schenck; meanwhile, left New ^York over the weekend for his an- nual Florida vacation. Rodgers will spend only about a week at his desk before heading [ $e1znick. Detieau In j ‘3d Stan’ Coast Huddle j Sidney Deneau, general sales- manager of Selznick Releasing Or- ganization, planed to the Coast over the weekend to confab there with David O. oSelznick on release plans fbr“The Third Man.” He wilt also see Fox West Coast of- ficials on a. deal for the pic, re- lurnirig at the end of thi.s week/ Paul MacNamara,: former Selz- nlck publicity-advertising chief. for the Coast. There he’ll look at new product and plan-.M-G’s re- j now handling special pfomotion on leasing schedule for the three months stai-tirig May 1. .Company's releases for .the first four inonths of 1950; ha^ previously been an- nounced. “Man,” arrived in New York frotn the Coast last week for huddles with pub-ad topper Robert Gill- ham. .He’ll be east for a fev/ more days.' Film Coinpanies Aiiioiig War-Loss Claimants Washington,. Jan. .31. Film conipanies whose' foreign branches Were lost, seized or dam- aged durlrig the war are expected to be among the businesses supply- ing information to the War Claims Commission. The Commission has begun, to distribute questionnaires; about losses of pfoperty as well as personal injury arid detention aris- ing out Of the war in Europe and the Pacific. WGC Is gathering in- formation for S report to the Presi- dent and Congress. “The questiohnairies,” it was ex- plained, ‘'are not claims, but the iriforriiation obtainisd from them will serve as the; basis for recom- mendations foir amendmqnts to the present law. The WCG has no au- thority at this time to accept per- sonal V injury or property lo.ss. claims, or claims from American civilians interned ini Europe or on the mainland of Asia.” Claims will eventually be paid frpni liqui- dated enemy assets. 1 Continued on pege 24) Eurbpe to N. V. William Andrew Blackett Rosalie Crutchley John Dodswortb Peter Jones E. J. Kennedy Alison Leiggatt Tove Maes Emil Oswald 'Sam Seidelriian N. to ^ Ethel Barrymore. Joseph Bernhard . Steve Broidy N. A. Brpristen Kitty Carlisle Sidney Deneau Angus Duncan Rolif GCrai’d Arnold Grant Moss Hart Tom Hinks Bob Hope Lisa Kirk Ken Kling Harold Mirisch Jackie Robinson David Saxon Frederick B. P, Weill Robe i t Wells John Wildberg L. A. to N/Y« J/M., Alkow (jJa by Andre Edna Best Sid Blumenstock Allan Chase Broderick Crawford Lee Eastman Sylvia Fine Mona Freemaii Edmund Grainger Arthur Greenblatt Z. Wayne Griffin Paul Jarrico Burt Lancaster Buddy Morris (George Murphy Stanley Neal Philip Ober y Val Parnell Mary Pickford BUI Pine William M. Pizpr .Arnpld Pressbiirger RenZp Rossellini Max Shagrin : Michael Sloane Bill Thomas Vivian Vance . DaVid Wayne Ralph Wheelwright Frank Whitbeck W. Lee Wildei* Jane Wyatt Max Yourigstein N; Y* to Europe James A. Fitzpatrick Mary Garden Sol Hurok Mervyii Le Roy Virginia Mayo Gilbert Miller Michael O’Shea Arnold Pressburger Moe Rotmah Victor Saville