Variety (March 1950)

Wednesday, March 15, 1950 Matty Fox, who failed of re-election to ^he Universal board last week as the result of the, surprise appearance of a stockholder with enough proxies to get himself elected, will be renamed to the directorate within a few weeks. Shareholder who supplanted Fox oh the board in a dramatic coup that had the management momentarily, non-plussed is John G. Eidell, a former U statistician, who is now associated with a California stock brokerage firm. Eidell’s success in electing himself to the board at the annual stockholders meeting in Wilmington. Del., last . Wednesday ( 8 ) is said to represent no criticism of the management. Eidell explained Afterward to several of the directors that his action was entirely a personal one and was in no sense an effort to unseat the present executive setup. It was for that reason that the action was particularly surprising in the election of directors of . a major corporation. Proxy fights, in which a group of shareholders attempt to get representation on a hoard, are not unusual. But; to have an unknown stockholder acting virtually on his own suddenly appear On the scene was particularly disconcerting. U got a brief hint of What , would happen in a phone call Eidell made to prexy Nate J. Blumberg in frew York the night before the meeting; He said as a courtesy he wanted to (Continued on page 25) ASCAP Decree ; Government , consent decree in the ASCAP anti-trust suit was handed down in N. Yv federal district court yesterday (Tttes.). Details on the decision's impact on the film industry on page i. Reduction of clearances by the CIJ n!A major film companies, designed Mfl bFdUnUU) DlOpiCi for a faster playoff Of feature prod? Sid Grauman Who died last h?,1 ■ week* may be the subject of ceh — — ■ .. ■■ . -f • Warner Bros, has reportedly set n* i i%« • n next Aug. 31 as the target date for Old brauman DlOPlCl : divorcement of its theatres, despito 0. • _ ' r . , the recent New : York court deci Sid Grauman, Who died last sion allowing it* three years to un^ tive costs as ranidlv as possible Te -j . y . .su 01 cei* load its circuit. Company is uu uve coses ^as rapiaiy as possipm, luloid immortalization. Two pro Herctond nuchin & ahead with tnlk« IS?? ducers, immediately after his dekth . SELZNICK Sir Alexander Korda is due in New York from London within the next two weeks. He’s coming to testify before special master Robert p. Patterson in his battle with David O. Selznick over /‘Gone to Earth,’' which Korda and Selznick produced in England. Judge Patterson last week viewed a rough black-and-white version of the film in New York in order to see whether or not it adhered to the screenplay. Points at issue are Selznick’s charge that Korda made unauthorized charges and his demand that switches be made in the pic. He claims, among other things, that his wife, Jennifer Jones, Who stars, will be damaged * professionally by the film as it stands. First hearings in the case will probably be held this week, but they will merely be with the lawyers to set procedural points and future dates. Michael Powell, who actually produced the film, will also likely come to New York to give testimony. His partner, Er meric Pressburger, will not make the trip. OK Now, vue aacK in n.i. next vvk. United Artists prexy Grad Sears expects to be. back in New York by next week, following a slight heart attack suffered in Palm Beach last Friday (10). Sears has been in a hospital since the attack and his wife flew south to join him. Hi$ condition, however, was said not to be serious. The UA topper has been in communication with his . office by phone since the^ attack. He has been having ticker trouble for the past several years and has been under doctor’s orders to take it easy. Eye Ricketson for Gov. Denver, March 14. Party leaders are urging Frank H. Ricketson, Jr., president of FoxIntermountain Theatres, to run for the Republican nomination for governor in the August primaries. Two years ago they tried to get Ricketson to run for the U. S. Senate, but he refused. Holly wood, March 14. Gone are the days when it was not: uncommon' for a picture to be shelved for a year, two or even three years. System which came into being, soon after the outbreak of World War II has been discarded ip favor, &f . the fast-order procedure of prep 'em shoot ’em and release .'em. While an approximate average of . 10 months elasped between windup of lensing and date of release for a film during the war years, time difference between canning and release is now down to a little under, five months. With plenty of money . to play around with during the plus war years, studios Were able to afford to throw a picture into a delayed backlog and wait for just, the opportune moment for its ; release. Policy was especially predominant at Warners, where such films as “Arsenic and Old Lace,’’ “Saratoga Trunk,” “The Horn Blows At Midnight,” “Cinderella Jones” and “Devotion" were held back from (Continued on page 61) H’wood Stars in Italy Angled for Cuffo Roles In Tourism Bally Shorts Washington, March 14. Enit, the official Italian tourist agency, is planning to make 10 two-reel entertainment shorts with Economic Cooperation Administration’s assistance and exhibit them in this country to promote tourist trade to Italy. Project has been quietly under way for several months, it was learned today. The proposed films would feature American name stars who would be approached to give their services gratis while they are in Italy. Production would be under the supervision of an emplolyee of the EC A Rome office who has produced documentaries in the past on the European recovery program for ECA. In addition, the films would be shipped to other countries, in each instance to make a profit which could be used by Enit to promote tourism.' The plan includes making a sample two-reeler which would be sent to the United States to show. American distributprs. what the series would be like. Then a contract would be made with one distributor for the entire series. Urir der the program, the Italian tourist agency would receive 20o,000,000 lira from the special technical assistance lira fund, with the shorts averaging 20,000,000 lira apiece in cost. At the present rate of exchange, the lira is 625 to the dollar. Trouble in Canada Toronto, March 14. The Canadian Cooperation Project, devised by U. S. film companies to stimulate tourism in this country, has become the storm (Continued on page 22) of Sid Grauman.' ing to some exhibitors, too mariy ^ TiSflcatlng ^they *?^ing ^ a c« onsent ki *{ films clear their territories so fast ^ j • s naicatinf. iny it hopes to have signed within 60 S S th£e TfKm* a™wmSn yarnS °" the Vet t Paramourits entry at the Motion picture Assn, of America title bm definitely to have agreed that they say, the majors may find they lose ^ au W!), HniivWnhd " whim a .Sniieiy }° .-nave.agreea max xpey more money by reducing Clear will remain on the same side of ances than they make upthrough and ‘^hP ^ e ^nc<v a1.1 sticking to Produ<> a faster playoff. X ' n? UiH rSman Tiie tion-distributing. That removes a Other exhibs, however, favor the stofy of Sld °rauman: , , major potential for long delays in system of clearances presently set -■ , _ # the decree talks with ^ie Dept, of do’thfneemaTpSfnaTob^n1 SkOHI*^ FlVlIHF " ■ Plan which the Warners envisage them ThTK was put" fortS i JIkUUI d* * 1 J U,5 is similar to that of the RKO deal the 20th-Fox showmanship meet . . _ > . . “-ee. Shares will be spin two for ing in Chicago last week by indie DaIaka DnM|. one ^ac!> stockholder will get circuit operator Harry Brandt. He VlSlt KfilOFfi KSHK “"a share. m ‘he p,ct“re declared he • could not go aldng f MU ItOim and one in the new theatre com with the idea of pictures clearing • pany. Other stockholders wiU.be a city too fast, as propounded by P »1 f— Jl_ &le both shares, but .the United Paramount Theatres prez NailC . f Alf . AlflPFtf 2) ^ar?ers ,?e11 • th?ir Leonard GoldensOn. But, he said, UflllO 1 VI rUIICI lltt theatre holdings. That’s similar the majors must concentrate on I „ ol : , J . *9 what Howard Hughes is forced pushing each’ film to the hilt prior Spyros Skouras jumped the gun to do m the RKO situation, to its release; In that way, he his colleagues by flying to Lon Freres Had .considered having nninted out word-of-mouth starts f don Sunday (12) for huddles with the company1 sell off the circuit and buildfng even before a picture ; J Arthur Rank. The British pic then issue a cash dividend to the tycoon leaves London for New stockholders out of the proceeds, (Continued on page 17) \ York today (Wednesday) arid the This, it was feared, however, might *“ : “ 20th-Fox topper reportedly wants to open them to a minority stock continued on page 17) cbnfab with him before Rank talks (Continued on page 25) • ..‘‘ i confab with him before Rank talks with other company chieftains in lhSkouras may also be on hand in WALLIS'HAZEN SELL ; London to greet Eric Johnston and ^DAVn’ 1 AA0/ TA DAD Ellis Arnall when they arrive for i mV 1UU^ 1U i All ‘ their exploratory talks OTth Harold Wallis-Hazen, Inc., in an unusual j Prez on the British B°ard deal recently consummated, trails tion was the moment by Mord Bogie, prexy neJ^^eek ■ , ^ ; lease this month, “stars Robert of Schroder Rockefeller, W a i l 20th prexy was , not certain Cummings and Lizabeth Scott, street investment house, yesterday how lopg be d be abroad, but his Film was “made for Paramount’s (Tuesday). It was disclosed on the (Continued on page 22) account” by producer Hal Wallis Coast Monday (13) by producer — • in lieu of a picture which was to Jack Wrather that he had tied up /i/\v fkiifi/Apn ht havebeerimadeabroadforthedis With the firm for production of (jULU W I N d IWUN I H IN trib. Wallis-Hazen was to have a series of films abroad. ■ mi ir hnnAnr fliirvii/i made two overseas and only did Bogie said in New York that the N Y KK|»()kE SAILING on® i Schroder Rockefeller group was • . 4 Unit releases through Par, primarily interested in providing Samuel.Gold wyn is due back in . dollar financing for pix to be shot New York next Sunday (19). He’ll* in England and on . the Continent, remain for a month or so, pending It won’t even consider, he declared, his departure for Europe, where the possibility of Hollywood pro he’ll look into foreign production duction until it is assured that possibilities. : . account” by producer Hal Wallis in lieu of a picture which was to have been made abroad for the distrib. Wallis-Hazen was to have made two overseas and only did one. Unit releases through Par, iwutai . until it aoouicu uiat' ri i 7 .• filmmaking abroad is not satisfac . Goldwyn was recently east for tory. about a month, returning to the 0^jj Coast to supervise final editing on Financier said that his firm 0£ poom »v which has now (Continued on page 25) beep completed. (Continued On page 25) Seasonal Slump Hits Biz ; ‘Cinderella’ Again Champ, ‘Francis’ Strong Second; ‘Rio,’ ‘Samson’ Next Trade Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY, Inc. Sid SUverman, President 154 West 46th St., New York 19, N. Y Hollywood 28 6511 Yucca Street Washington 4 1292 National Press Building Chicago 1 360 No. Michigan Avo. London WC2 8 St. Martin's PI.. Trafalgar Sq. SUBSCRIPTION Annua! ; . $10 Foreign $11 Single Copies. 25 Cents Influence of Lent, Federal ’income tax deadline and stormy ; weather all are being felt at the | boxoffice this week. In some key | cities covered by Variety, slow , economic conditions also are being , reflected in dwindling biz. “Cinderella” (RKO l1, which was , national champ, last week, again : is finishing first with every spot big to smash. Despite adverse con-; ditions, the Walt Disney opus will roll up better than $120,000 in keys covered, currently . by Variety; Ability of color cartoon feature to hold up on extended-runs and do remarkably fine night trade marks its . dates this week. “Francis” ( Ul is a strong second with excellent to great biz in a majority of some 13 spots where current, Strength of this comedy is all the more unusual because not having benefit of major circuit outlets. “Nartcy Goes to Rio” . ( M-G ) is pushing up to. third position while “Samson and Delilah” ( Par ) is wiridirig up fourth. Latter is being hurt by lack of many new playdates this round. Fifth money goes to “Young Man With Horn” ( WB ) , same as last week. “12 O’clock High” (20th ) is down to sixth while “Key to City” is showing sustained stability to take over seventh slot. “Outlaw” (RKO ) is eighth, with “Willie Comes Marching Home” , (20th) rounding out Big Nine list. : Because biz is so evenly split up among a record number of firstruns this session, there are more . than usual number of runner-up i pictures; In order of strength } these are: “Heiress” ( Par ) , “Red Shoes” (EL); “Love Happy” (UA J , • “East Side” (M-G > , “Malaya” (M-G) , “AmbUsh” .-( M.-G) , • “Dakota Lii” (20th) and . “Montana” (WB). : . “j8ucdaneei’,s Girl” . ( U > . and “Singing Guns” (Rep) shape as brightest newcomers on basis of showings this frame. “Girl” shapes fast in Chi, fine In Detroit and good in Minneapolis. “Guns” : preem in St. Loui^ gave the Fox its greatest week in months. .“Perfect Strangers”. ( WB ) / “Outriders” (M-G) and “Black Hand” (M-G) , were hurt by desultory biz condiditions in N. Y., where teed off this round. “Sundowners” ( EL) is nice in 1 Buffalo. “Foolish Heart” ( RKO ) , | neat in Boston, looks sturdy in ; Montreal. “Paid in Full” (Par) j shapes fair in. Philly and Frisco. | j “I wo Jima” (Rep), nice in De • • troit, looms great in Montreal. ■ (Complete Boxoffice Reports on , ! Pages 10-U) 1 INDEX Bills ... 55 Chatter 62 Film Reviews 12 House Reviews . t -, .... 56 Inside Legit , . . . . . 58 Inside Music . . . 50 Inside Pictures ... * . . , , ,17 Inside Radio 38 . Iriside Television . ... . ... 42 International . . . . . 17 Legitimate 57 Literati . . ..... .v.;. , . . 61 Music . . . . . , . . ... . . 44 New Acts .... . . . . . . . . . .> 56 .Night Clubs Reviews . . ; . 55 Obituaries . . ;. ...... .... 63 Pictures . .... . ; ... . ; ... : . . . 3 Radio •. ; . . . . 26 Radio Reviews . . v.. ..... 34 Records , . . . . . > . . . . . . v . 44 Frank Scully . ; . , , . 61 Television . . . . . . . . . . 31 Television Reviews 35 Vaudeville . ....... .... . , 53 DAILY VARIETY (Published in Hollywood by Daily Variety, Ltd,) $15 a Year— $20 Foreign