Variety (March 1950)

PICTURES Wednesday, March 8 , 1958 Hollywood, March .7, Taking name ■ of Fidelity Pic- tures, Chester Erskine Productions l and Fidelity Pictures have been merged into an independent pro- ducing setup, with a five-film pro- y" r j m ' gram being prepared for this year. Lardner Haircut I Group is financed through Bank Hollywood, March 7. - of America and Joseph Justman Warners is dusting off the Bing.; interests. A. Pam Bliimenthal Is Lardner varn, “Haircut,” several i chairman of board and treasurer; Chicago, March 7. • Twentieth-Fox’s exhibitor Show- manship meeting kicks off at the Drake hotel here today (Wed,), with more than 300 delegates from all parts of the country -sitting down with 20th execs in an effort to line up a plan of action ta dra^v Jyears on the shelf, for early sum- Howard Welsch, president; Ers more people to the natipns^him , mer prpduc t ion by Jerry Wald. kine, exec veepee. Greg Bautzer boxoffices. Chief item on tne .a»en- ( stpry deal's with a smalltown gal and Lew Wasserman . (MCA) ban-; j whose reputation is blightedby, died the deal. One of the more obvious irritation techniques; concerning which the metropolitan New York theatres should be most sensitized, are the haphazard timetables on films’ starting times, as published in almost every metropolitan daily. The monotonous manner in which they are consistently awry would indicate an almost deliberate cam- paign on the part of the theatres to drive the customers away. Irate patrons have been heard to complain to the cashiers whose reply is usually a laconic, “You should call up before you come.” Told that the newspaper timetables are supposed to be the barom- eter for all theatres the Usually deadpan girls in the cashiers’ cages start"filingtheirnails,^ primping their colffs or, just as often; crack- ing wise. da of the two-day conclave Is the presentation by 20th of a plan; for more aggressive film merchandis- ing, embodied in a “Showfhan’s Guide to Better Business.” Company toppers, who arrived here today (Tues.) to set up the meet, declined to divulge the ex- act nature of the plan before the opening session tomorrow. It is be- lieved to involve general recom- mendations to exhibs for more ex- ploitation and ballyhoo on each picture they play. Twentieth execs ' will underscore the steadily-in- creasing quality of most product emanating from. Hollywood and emphasize that special merchandis- ing is needed to regain the audi- ence which has apparently lost the film-going • habit. Meet is to be chairmanned by 20th prez Spyros P.’ Skouras. . barbershop gossip. i Deal was signed Monday (6) for UI. to distribute first two pix Fi- delity makes. Films ; qn ’50 schedule . in- clude “Man on the Run,” Ann Sheridan-Dennis O’Keefe corstar- rer, with Norman Foster directing, to roll March 30 at Motion Picture Center; “Illegal Bride,”. Ginger Rogers starrer, rolling May 15; •? ‘-Life of Helen Morgan,” Paulette t fv, I Goddard starrer,’^ “‘My Wife, the In; the face of lecurrent ; Celebrity,” original screenplay by pf a ma:ss ;^^layoff, at the Warqei - Erskine, and "The Gentleman ! Bros, studios, WB exec veepee! fl m »• Jack LV Warner announced yester-. [ : - *•' day (Tues.) that the company, with four: major productions now be- fore the cameras, plans to roll some 20 more within the next four months. Schedule for spring and early ...... summer, Warner said, is designed Stress will also be laid on the ; to keep production “on an even onHibnpp .fircr * i •• .. i j urn so-called “found” audience, first defined by N. Y. Times film critic Bosley Crowther at 20th’s recent showmanship meet for theatre ad- publicity execs in N. Y. Crowther’s thesis is that the success of art keel.” He emphasized that WB plans “no slackening in our efforts to maintain a steady pace in the production of Warner pictures." Company will do “all in its power,” he added, “to stabilize both pro- paramount studio payroll. Warner '.some 35 angels on the pic, most veepee, however, scoffed ^aTthe 1'oT' wrionT"are eithereinployed by 50% rumors, claiming the “actual j EL or will work with the pic once reduction will be 5%,” which, he j it goes to the theatres. These back- said, reflects the company's inten-. ers have posted the film’s end } tion of maintaining the necessary ; money in return for a 40% slice ] . . , _ William J. Heineman, Eagle; pictures proves more filmgoers^are | dl iction and employment.” ; Lion’s distribution veepee, has hit readily, available for more adult Because of slackening grosses I on a fancy formula to win friends ] pictures. Since most bf thesepa- - both at home and in foreign mar-j and influence people for “The: trons are not regular customers ke ts, Warners last week was. re- Jackie Robinson Story,” filrtt biog they thus will represent a “found’ ported to have ordered axing 50% ! of the Negro baseball player that audience if the industry takes the , of its total studio personnel. These j Heineman is producing for EL dis- right steps to corral them. | Sports followed hefty cuts .in the j tribution. Heineman has taken in .. -. Twent ieth ha s a rranged fo r the fullest possible variance in points of view among the various guest speakers. Thus Samuel Pinanski, Theatre Owners of America .prez, and National Allied prexy True- man RembusCh will be among the f uest speakers, along with Motion icture Assn, of America prez Eric Johnston. In addition to Skouras, 20th veepees A1 Liclitman, Andy W. Smith, Jr.,, and Charles Einfeld will also address the group. Mitch- ell Wolf son of the Dometco cir- cuit will serve as moderator of the sessions. Twentieth division and branch managers gathered here today for a short sales meet to discuss the company’s forthcoming product, preliminary to the showmanship meet. They too will take part in the two-day conclave. Cowan Nips Gruen In $200,000 Suit Los Angeles, March 7. . .. Judge Leon K. Yankwich tossed but; Gruen- Watch’s $200,000 dam- age suit against Lester Cowan out of L. A. Federal court. Action charged Cowan, producer of the picture, “Love Happy,” with fail- ure to carry put an agreement to use a Gruen watch sign in one. of the scones in the film and \vith sub- stituting a Bulova sign. Court ruled that the Gruen con- tract Was optional and that the pro- ducer had a right to use Bulova if he saw fit. The watch sequence called for Groucho Marx to swing on a pendulum in a chase on Times - » re. number commensurate with pro- duction activity.” Warner added: “Employment in this studio, as in every other, follows the produc- tion seasons. There are times of more and times of less active pro- in the profits.. j Included are branch and district; managers, contract dept, employees, officers of the company and the Monroe Greenthal agency which, handles the EL account. Also in INDIE BUDGETS DOWN, SEZ BANKER GIANNINI Hollywood, March 7. Independent film producers are working on shorter budgets; about 15% less than those of last year, jccording to Bernard Gw.nnini, to ehal . les skoura B s „ -the man This means, he said, that the bank will back a greater number of in- die projects this year. duction in the motion picture in-j on the pic is Jay Emanuel, circuit j (Continued on page 22) j op and publisher. I Heineman takes 25% of the profits as the film’s producer. In j his first film venture, sales chief! nvrAfm . i has also gone on the completion i CHARLES SKOURAS i bond * Robinson ’ who pIays -wmseif ? vunniiiij jiwunnu in the film gets 10% of the profits ; Hollywood, March 7. I besides the right to name his char-; "We have heard in song and i ity 'for another 5%. Lansing Corp., | ’story about what might happen : financial syndicate headed by Rob-! When Greek meets Greek, and. now ; ert R- Young, which has backed ; we learn what happens when Jew '.other EL projects, has posted first [ meets Greek. We are honoring | money. Young is controlling stock-; him for his fine qualities of citizen- j holder of Pathe Industries, EL’s ' ship and humanity—for all of those Parent org. things which have made him a great American.” Those words, spoken by Mayor Fletcher Bowron of Los Angeles, thematically sum up a Beverly Hills B’nai B’rith din- ner Saturday (4) hight in tribute Film angels have chipped in (Continued pn page 27) Again in DOS Affairs: $30,000 for charity. Milton Kramer, who resigned ! , Black tie, $15-a-plate dinner y e » r a S° aS . 1, o a r d , ch ?' 1 rn l an ! drew over 1,000 to Ambassador ' co . un ®. e ^ P f Selzmck Re-, ... I hotel with show featuring Georce ■ ■ ®^ng Oiganization, has begun to . The average indie budget today, j e s ge l Phil Silvers Danny Kave resume an active interest in the Giannini declared, is somewhere Andrews Sisters Mario Y Lanza’ aff P irs °f the company. Interest is' between $500,000 and $700,000, a Dahiels PatU S entirely in legal matters, however, i healthy sign because the produ- and Ben 1^^and it is believed that Kramer will■ cers are cutting expenses tp coin-1 4 vvleie^ros, not again accept an executive post SN cide with the general Deduction in ! Skoiuas was given plaque by or- with SRQ or ahy of the other David ! I. boxoffice returns,. / ganization s new president, William O. Selznick affiliates. ^ ——— ! ^0PP’j Rogell, outgoing ; Earner, who went to England In : prexy, ^d Mrs. George Taussig, December in connection with Selz- 1 ; head of Women s Auxiliary. Plaque nick’s battle with Sir Alexander ' , j was symbol of the sacred.Torah. and Korda, returned to London by air ' 1 cited Skouras for his extraordi- last Thursday (2). Trip is - said to ? nary achievements in promoting have ho connection with the Korda ! the basic principles of B nai B’rith: matter, but to sew up the legal benevolence, brotherly love and . papers on a production deal DOS . •, , „ is planning in England. Kramer, Ned Depinet and Henry Gins- is expected to be abroad a week * berg also spoke. Skouras intro-, or two. duced his wife, two daughters, son Selznick, who Is in New York and brothers George land Spyros. leaves March 18 for Puerto Rico’ JesseLsurnmed up the evening where he’ll vacation with his sons! with: If there were more Ameri- Selznick exec Daniel T. O’Shea is Arthur Sachson, former general salesmanager for Samuel Goldwyn Productions, has been named sales rep for A1 Rogell. The indie pro- ducer is now completing the edit- ing of his first film for United Art- ists release, “The Admiral Was a. Lady.” It stars Wanda Hendrix. Sachson, who was assistant gen- oral salesmanager for Warper Bros, for many years prior to join* In the wake of booking cancella- tions on the Italian pic, “Bicycle Thief,” due to withholding of the Production. Code Seal, indie foreign distribs will form an organization in the next couple of days to buck the Motion Picture Assn, of America. New outfit will aim at liberalizing application of the code to foreign pix in the manner of many state censor boards which recognize that such films play to a different type audience. Row between Joseph Burstyri, distrib of “Bicycle Thief,” and the MPA A Was climaxed this week with >the cancellation of the pic at Warner Bros.’ Princess theatre, Philadelphia, and the Comerford circuit’s Little Art theatre in Scranton. Burstyn, who Is checking with his lawyers on a counteraction, said that Warners had originally booked the pic into 70 theatres. Withholding of the seal, he claimed, would severely cut into the pic’s grossing potential through dates outside the art house circuit. Charges by Burstyn that the MPAA was trying to ■‘sabotage” foreign language pix in the U. S. were flatly denied by Joseph L Breen, Production Code adminis- trator. Pointing to flock of foreign pix okayed for the seal, Breen said the PC A is “not concerned in any way ->Vith the distribution or ex- hibition of motion pictures of any kihd:” He said the Code Authority only asked for the removal of two brief sequences in “Bicycle Thief” find' would] then readily gfanTThe seal. Burstyn’s next step will be to appeal the PCA decision to the MPAA board of directors, com- posed of the major companies’ proxies. If that move fails* he may (Continued on page 24) "We’ll go to the Court -of Ap- peals just as soon as we can get the papers ready*”] Judge Samuel Bosenman’s office in New York de- clared yesterday (Tuesday),. fol-, lowing the opinion of a Federal district court in Atlanta the pi ; e-. vious day on the censorship suit brought by. Louis de Rdchemont on “Lost Boundaries.” Judge M. Neil Andrews ruled there that films are not part of the press and thus are subject to censorship. While the decisibn has the im- mediate effect of keeping the; pic- ture out of Atlanta, Ambrose Dos- kow, Judge Rosenman’s aide as counsel for de Rochemont, de- clared the court’s action was heart- ening. Judge Andrews, he : said, practically invited an appeal to the Supreme court. That would not have been as- sured had the City of Atlanta lost Monday’s decision and is regarded as highly important, the Rosen- man aide declared. It will provide a definitive ahd encompassing opinion on the all-important ques- tion to the film industry of its right to freedom from censorship under 4he--Gonst-itutional---guaron- I tees accorded the press. I On the basis Of the High Court’s j obiter dictum (supplementary- re- j marks) in the Paramount all-in- I dustry anti trust case, Doskow 'as- | serted, the de Rochemont attor- i neys feel certain that they will get j a favorable opinion. The Supreme | court stated in handing down its ! decision in the Par case in 1948: | “We have no doubt that motion i pictures, like newspaper and radio, are included in the press, whose freedom is guaranteed by the First Amendment (to the Constitu- tion).” Since this was dictum and not (Continued on page 22) ADDED ‘PIHPERNEl’ SCENES David Niven, who sailed from New York Saturday (4) on the Queen Mary, will make added scenes for Sir Alexander Korda’s “Return of, the Pimpernel’’ upon his arrival in Britain. Also aboard were Nunnally Johnson and Jean . Negulesco, producer and director, respectively, of 20th-Fox’s “Mud- lark,” which rolls in England this month now that the Ministry of Labor has given the pair its of- ficial sanction to work there. Passenger slate, in addition, in- cluded Grade Fields, who is bound ' for Europe to cut several record- ings for Radio Luxembourg; the Don Cossack Chorus, “Holiday On Ice” company of 65; Vienna Boys Choir, ' returning" abroad after a U, S. concert tour, and the Mack Triplets, vaude turn. # g J ? ?i dW r« n, in cans like Charlie Skouras we in New York confabbing with him from the Coast tomorrow (Thuvs-; wouldn’t need the H-bomb. We on a number of points but narl 1 f ay) - He has been there about; could do it with goodwiirarid pop- ticularJy in regard to the Korda three weeks confabbing with van- ” •. • 6 • u u,e AU1UB , je to N Y. Margaret Burke-Sheridan Madeleine Carroll Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Canada Lee Edward R. Murrow Dorothy Rodgers L» Arnold Weissberger three weeks confabbing with vari-: corn, bus indie filmmakers. He plans opening an office in New York to rep a group of them, Zamick Vacations Hollywood; March 7. Darryl F. Zanuck trained Mon- bay (6) for two-week vacation at Bun Valley. He was accompanied By his wife. arbitration. Hollywood, Match. 7. erV Hollywood, March 7. Gary Cooper’s next starrer will Lee Cobb obtained a release from be Warners’ “Dallas/’ .Jack War- -i his 20th-Fox contract, which had • ner also has assigned two fethme three years to run. j leads, Jane Wyman for “Ethan Thesp traded the pact for an : Frome,” and Virginia Mayo opno- H« returns to studio March 21,! duced this year. ] option on one picture^ to be pro- j site James Cagney in “The West ! dneeri this Vi»ar • . I Point Story.” i N.Y. to Europe .Peter Ashmore Moiram Capiat Rosalie Crutchley Basil Dean }."■ Raymond Duncan Grade Fields Alfredo Guarini A va Gardner Peter 1 fling. Serge Jaroff. David Niven Leah Salisbury N.Y. to L.A. Benedict Bogeaus Jane Cowl Howard Dietz James R. Grainger Jessie Kalmar Arthur W. Kelly Charles Korvin Burgess Meredith Dolores Moran William Saal Herbert J. Yates L.A. to N.Y. James Archer Janet Blair Niven Busch Paul Douglas Michael Gordon Bill Hendrix Charles Kemper Dorothy Kirsten Nicholas Nayfack William Osborne Fred Polangin Arthur Sachson. Niles Trammell