Variety (April 1950)

Wednesday^ April' 1950 Considerable sdul^searching by- film men currently in \efforts to place a linger oh “what's Wrong with the b.o.'' has stirred some in- terest in a “Pick-Your-Picture’^ in- jstitutional campaigh suggested by Bosley Growther. New York Times Gritic, in two talks at recent 20thT Fox showmanship meetings, has pleaded that distribs drop their catch-all 'approach In advertising in order to give a better idea of what each picture is abdut. Simultaneously, he suggests, they should get together to sell in a series of institntional ads the idea that films should be chosen in the same Way a patron picks books, plays or a new necktie. Admen pretty; mUch agree that traditional-style campaigns which attempt to sCll every picture to every type theatregoer may be harmful in the long run. But they arfe of ho mind tp attempt anything more restrictive at the moment; Pressure for getting as much coin over the b.o, till for each film as it comes along is ;sp great, the ad execs say they haven’t much time to worry about long-range effects. Let someohe else try it is the gen- eral aUitudei. When broached to Leonard pold- ehson, prez of the United. Para- mduht circuit recently, he pointed out; however, that it is not entirely a visionary plan. He said there were evidences that audiences were already categorizing them^ selves and didn’t often cross boundary lines from.ohe type prod- uct to another; so that the “Pick- Your-Picture’’ advertising might (Gontinued. on page 22) RepV New M.O, HQ , Bepubiic- recently signed a iO-year lease to move its h.O; to the hew Mutual Life Insur- ance Go. •building now Under . construction on Broadway be- tween 55th and 56th streets. New York, it was disclosed at. yesterday’s (Tues;) /stockhold- er nieeting. Rental is $89,000 yearly represfenting a consid- erable boost ever, the present rate at Rep’s offices now lo- cated Several blocks further ■ north.;. Rep will take over two com- ;; plete fipofs in the new build- ing. Company moves within a few months; Disclosure of terms caused the only flurry at the stockholders’ conclave : when one dissident objected to the rental. Washington, April 4. Skiatron Cbrp., which has ac- quired certain patents formerly owned by Scophony, has advised the FCC that a reasonably priced theatre television projector is nec- essary if the average exhibitor is to be permitted to enter the field. Charging that RCA ' is attempt- ing to monopolize the development by Seeking to restrain operation of its competitive theatre TV pro-: jeetor, the company last week so- licited the Commission’s aid in . its effort “against heavy odds,’’ to bring competition to the field. In a memorandum filed with the agency, Skiatron declared that Charles R. Dehny, NBC veepee, is “intensively cultivating the motion picture theatre owner’’ to convince him that RCA has the only efficient equipment which will be available : in the near future. RCA promb- . tional literature, it added, is mak- ing inaccurate statemehts concern- ing Skiatron Supersonic theatre TV systems. Company claims that RCA is also using a report of SMPE, which “while seemingly Objective in its approach,’’ actually sets out to prove that only RCA equipment is practical. Fact that Skiatron Su- (Cpntinued on page 22) Bright prospects fpr both Re- public and the film business as a whole was predicted yesterday (Tees.) by James R. Grainger, dis- tribution chief, at the company’s annual stockholdeirt meet. Refus- ing to see a bugaboo in television, Grainger declared that a recently- completed swing through all ex- changes indicated that TV “gen- erally has not hurt, business,” Meet was a routine affair with none of the minority stockholder Clashes that had marked previous . con- ■claVes. / • For Rep^s first quarter of fiscal 1950 (November-January) profits “shape up as equal or a little better than a year ago,’’ company exec said. Comparative figure in ’49 Was $414,000 before taxes. Overseas front has' improved too, Grainger added> with both the sales and outlook brighter, Foreign returns are considerably ahead of 1949 and both the lira and fraiic “are firming up.’’ Grainger pooh-poohed television. He Contended that “in his personal opinion’’ he would not be surprised “if the film industry eventually (Continued on page 24) EXHIBS KEY TO HtH Ftr Siiiiiiiier B,0. Hollywood, April 4. Metro quartet 6f top musicals, with a total production cost out- lay topping $8,000,000, are aimed at beating the usual summer ^ox- ofCice luU. Quartet are “Annie Get Your Gun,’’ ‘^Duchess of Idaho,’’ “Three Little Words”^ arid “Summer Stock,” all in TechnicblOr. They boast talent lineup Including Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Betty Hut- ton, Fred^ Astaire, Vera-EIleri, Red Skelton, Van Johnspn, Esther Wil- liams, Eleanor Powell and Lena Horrie.. ' Rough cut of “Stock” was shown L B. Mayer before his departure ®a$t,. and will be one of top matters on agenda at homebffice talks. Washington, April 4. Keynote of motion picture’s role in the forthcoming Independence Loan cariipaign will be local exhibi- tor participation: Sam Pinanski, prominent Boston theatre topper, who heads the industry committee for the drive> outlined tentative plans for his program in an in^ formal meeting with Secretary of Treasury John Snyder past week. Pinanski, who attended Snyder’s dinner for campaigri leaders from all parts of the country, plans to crystallize the industry’s strategy at a meeting in New York around April 17. 'The theatre exec, who headed the indtistry committee for the dramatic: “iwb Jima” driye, the ,7th’war loan in 1945, plans to call back as many of his staff of voluri- teer§ from that drive as are avail- able;. Pigney East, Levy Sails Roy b. Disney, prez of Walt Disriey Productions, arrives in New York tomorrow (Thursday) from the Coast for, honieOffice huddles ori distribution Of “Cinderella’’ and the company’s upcoming live-ac- tioner, “Treasure Island.” Meanwhile, the firm’s worldwide salbs supervisor, William B, Levy, sails Friday (7) On the Queen Mary to set . Up European distributioii plgns for “Island” and “Cindy/' Six-point plan which the film in- dustry can carry.out a$ an overall project to meet the threat of tele- vision is currently being proposed by Joiiepb H. Hazeh, iiidie film producer, who partriers Hal Wallis. Hazen sees ai need to concentrate on big quality pix even though it may mieari a boost in the level of prodUctiOri costs. At the same time the producer wants the big cir- cuits to play along so that the project becomes economically fea- sible.:; Hazen is corivlnced that ■ TV can- not turn out programs, comparable with big films. If the industry con- centrates on this quest, he asserts, it can take on television, cuffo en- tertairirtient though it . be, arid come oiit on top. Mediocre pix and programmers are gohers, he claims, because tele Can " equal them on that level. No plan is possible, Hazen con- tends, unless the circuits play along to make better films a good risk. Circuit cooperation is essen- tial even if it leads to higher rent- als. However, his main squawk is that the big chains do not give pix long enough playing time to warrant production, risks. . The Hazen plan is as follows: First: Provide that kind of film entertainment which TV can neither qualitatively hot physically produce. Overwhelmirigly superior entertairiment is the fundamental answer. Second: Films must be brought Within the economic reach of everyone. Gap must be narrowed between free (TV) films and pix fpr. which an admission is charged. Repeal of the 20 % admission tax (Continued on page 22) Kettle,’ ‘Samson’ Ne w epidemic of‘ blitz hookings In metropolitan New York, which junk traditional clearances be- tween houses in different nabes, is now springing up. Latest to get the mass-dating treatment is Uni- versal’s “Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town” which hits 32 RKb houses, day-and-date, AprU 16. Film will skirt an Ordinary first-run opening on Broadway for the faster form pf preem. Wide blitz dates are also slated for Paramount’s “Samson and De- lilah” With pic tenanting 47 Loew’s houses and 10 Ceritury fiickeries during the last week of April and the first of May. Ending its run at the RlvOli theatre, Broadway show- case, “Samson” kicks off at Loew’s Paradise, Bronx, and Valencia, Jamaica, April 26. Same sort of wide bookings was handed “Stroniboli” by RKO when it opened without Broadway pre- liminaries in almost every RKO house in the metropolitan area. Mri the case of “StromboU,” however, RKO Was intent on a fast payoff on the controversial Aspects of the •film.^:' To help “Kettle” along, Marjorie Main, P ere y Kilbride, Richard Long and Meg Randall, stars in the pic, will tour a dozen RKO bouses, April 16-17. “Kettle” is booked In a package with U’S “Womap in Hidi for four-day erigagements in thC metropolitah ; houses. LipiitU to Distribiute Indie Producers’ Output Hollywood, April 4> V Xlppbrt Productioris, hitherto confined to releasing its own prod- uct, is Opening its distribution fa- cilities, consisting of 34 exchanges, to outside producers. Robert L. Lippert announced that the com- pany can handle the product of six indies/' Last year Lippert turned Out 33 pictures; This year the program Will be increased by six high-bud- geters. TV BlRmed-^ga.iii Uleyeland> April 4, ' Further evidence of televi- siori’s out irito the film boxof- fice was revealed in a survey taken here by Merrll Gowarij: manager of the, Alharribra the- atre. Of 2,000 replies to an audience poll and a door^'to-. door check, 710 reported^ own- ing video /sets. - Of those, ihree-foUrtbs said they attend filmeries less than before they bought their sets, while 80% of the tion-set owners reported attending just as often as be- fore TV.; Cowan la?t year installed a TV lounge in thO: Alhambra. Poil sbowed 50% Of the''film- goers attending the theatre be- cause of the TV' availability. Although nq comments ’ were asked, many respondents said “poor movies’’ were responsi- ble foi, their drop in attend- ance,, while others indicated they have not left radio for TV viewing. Test Pk ‘Secret’ ■ t. ' Chicago, April 4. Corndr. Eugene F. McDonald, Jr., president of Zenith, today (Tuesdays disclosed that hri has promised producers with whom he^ has firm; commitments for use of their piX in Phoneyision tests this fall that producer, distributor, or picture Would not bri named until a week prior to film’s showirig on test. He made this statehient fol- lowing meeting last night between himself arid British producer J. Arthur Rank. Phorieyisiori tests are scheduled for early fall, ■White meeting was psterisibly to discuss Raularid Co., Zeiiith TV tube manufacturing subsidiary for which Rank has European outlet, McDonald said the two did discuss Phoneyision and its possibilities in England and Canada. But to query on whether Rank had decided to sell him pix for tests, he gave what is now his stock answer: “Ask Gael (Continued on page 26) TOWNS UNtOUCflED BY TV ALSO NTT AT B.O. Minneapolis, April 4. The boxoffice experience 6f Ha- waiian exhibitors. Whose business is off although there’s no TV, is being duplicated in this territory, at least as far as the Minnesota Amus. Go. (Paramount theatre cir- cuit) situations are concerned. Harry B. French, the circuit’s president, has revealed that grosses are as much off in towns untouched by television as they are in the Twin City and surrounding areas where there are now more than ' 100,000 sets, not counting those in taverns; fed by two Minneapplis- St. Paul stations. Iri fact, some of the towns riot getting teievlsiori show a larger decline than the Twin Cities. On the other hand, in Stillwater, Miriri., a town of 10,000 population iO miles east of, St; Paul, E. L. Peaslee, cp-owrier of the two the- atres there, largely blariies televi- sion, particulariy the TV of Minne- apolis Lakers' professional basket- ball team: games, for a 20% drpp in his theatres’ Sunday business. Sunday,, which fprmerly was the week’s best fbr the showhouses, is now among the poorest, he says. W, F. Rpdgets, Metro distribu- tipn veepee queried by Vari6ty regarding his TV views upon his recent return from Honolulu, called attentiori to what’s happen- ing in Hawaii without TV. 4,: Famouji: Artists CPrp, /and Gen- eral Amus; Cprp. have coriibined manpower arid resources which coordinate the talent rosters of both organizations into one big list. Deal, revealed by FA prexy Charles K. • Feldman arid GAG topper Thomas G. Rockwell, has FA mak- ing its film agenting facilities avail-; able to GAG, with latter providing services for FA clients in personal appearances, radio and television.. Combination places the two pr- ganizatibris high iri theagency field, with possibility they may be on par with both Music Gorp; pf Atrierica MGA and William Mor- ris on talent pools. GAG, strongly entrenched .in New York for many years, i obviously will attempt to hypo A. prestige while the Feld- man office will spearhead a similar drive in the motion: picture field on behalf of GAC talent. . Both agencies have grown rapidly iri last two years, with GAG expanding its barid bookings to a point Where, last year, it reaped more billings for work than MCA. Latter has been downbeatirig in the band field for some time, concentrating on other fields.'Feldman also has grown no- ticeably, especially in “bread-and- biitter” clients such as cameramen, directors, character aetprs, etc*. Previously it leaned more to top star names. Although FA has a N. Y. office, it has never done any vaude or other' flesh bookings, chiefly servicing its people on ra- dio and television. Arrangement is believed to be a split commission deal. If Feldman gets GAC clients any film deals they’ll divvy commissions, ditto if GAC cracks live jobs for Feldman names. Some of the top showbiz names are involved in this deal. Feld- man’s clients include Tyrone Pow- er, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Jour- dan, Fred , MacMurray, Milton Krlms, Randolph Scott, Ida Lu- pino, Howard Hawks, Bruce Man- ning, Ediriund Gbulding, Sam Marx, George /Raft, Seton Miller, (Continued on page 22) Address EasterD P.A.’s On Better Press Co-op Fast and "West Coast publicity chiefs for the major companies will coordinate practices regard- ing reviews arid other matters at a session in New Yprk tomorrow (Thursday). Meeting was sched- uled to take advantage of the pres- ence in the east of Norman Siegel, chairman of the studio publicity directors’ committee and Para- in punt’s# top Coast flack, and Howard Sirickliiig, Metro’s Holly- wood publicity chief. The p:a. toppers have put on paper a body of : practices to' gen- erally improve; press relatioris. Among the items is one guarantee- ing that tradepapers will get first crack at reviewirig pix. Another is that every company will make every film available for review. Some have been showing only those they want seen. All studios will adopt the same practices, as well as having these practices parallel on thri two coasts. Siegel, who arrived in New York Monday (3l with Bing Grpsby, returns to. the Coast; at the end of the Week. He has been confabbing with Par pub-ad topper Max E. youngstein and other Par execs on “Sunset Boulevard” cam- paign. Hollywood, April 4; Ethel. Barrymore wins top-star billihg for ; tlie first time in her talking picture career In Metro’s “Kind Lady.» Although A top name for years, ber best previous credit has been third except for solo starring stint in A silent film some 30 years ago.