Variety (May 1950)

14 PICTimBS Wedn^Bday« May 10 , 1950 Nation’s film exhibitors ate still f pushing th^ir revitalized showman- ship drives, instituted oh an indus- , try-wide basis two months ago by 20th-Fo3c. Even though the cam - paign for more aggressive' film merchandising recently has hot rcr ceived the- fanfare it . drew when it teed 0It* 20th reported this week that Over 500 theatres have taken advantage: pf its cOTOp/ad. offer to vplug the “Movies Are Better Than Ever’* slogan, while at 1 e a s, t another 500 have inserted tlieir own i nsti tutiohal ads in the con- sum er.. press;, .... . In addition, the rush by exhibi- tors to obtain the ad slugs offered by 20th to pitch the slogan to the public has created aimost a sell- oiit at National Screen Service ex- changes.’ Also, over 1,000 exhibs have run the special trailer pro- diiced by NSS* which depicts an average American, family getting ready to attend their nabe filmery; -Material : hasused ' hy the. major affiliated and indm circuits- as well as the smalltown indie theatres.'’ ; Twentieth figures the co-op ads Cost the company about $25 each. Si nee the exhibs matched that fig- ure, the total investment for the plugs runs over $25,000 to date, eompany’s only stipulation in its original offer was that the .ads should carry, the titles of Some of 20th's upcomihg product.. . Since many cireuit. and indie theatres chose also to list the titles of other companies’ pix, they paid the total cost for their own institutional hewspaper copy, which aceOunts for' the other 500 Ads estimated by 2dth to have been placed. Some of .the major circuits,^ like the 20th-affiliated National Thea- tres and the Interstate chain have followed up bn 20th’s “Showman’s Guide to Better Business’ by issu- ing their own guides to their thea- tre managers .and other employees. In addition, a number of indie groups, including some regional Allied organizations, have worked but showmanship plans among themselves. Twentieth, for its part* is following through by pusii- ing the material offered at the original C h i c a g o showmanship meet and the subsequent regional 'conclaves. Company $pokesmch ^ declared they are.prepared to give the campaign another niajor hypo if it’s found that exhibs are starl- ing to slacken off again in their efforts. Answer, to the major problem^ whether the new emphasis on ex- ploitatipn and ballyhoo has paid off with increased grosses—is be- lieved to be unanswerable yet. Majority of exhibs agree that the showmanship canipaign must be a longterm. Venture aiid that the slight perk in boxofficje grosses is attributable more to a better run bf recent product than to public ^acceptance of the “MABTE’’ drive. Tit^ng No Chances The dovernment is taking no chances of any tieup be- tween the three Warner broth- ers and the .hew Warner chain. when the consent decree reach'-, ed by the parties goes Into ef- fect. With Harry, Jack and Major Albert Warner staying with the production-distribu- tion cbmpany but owhing sqm® $14,000,000 worth of deben-. tures vwhich . the circuit will issue, decree provides that the trip must sell their debenture hbldihgs within five years. Pecree requires the Warners to unload these debentures oh an installihent basis, with a quota to be met each year^ In addition, it incorporates a number of injunctive provi^ sipns^ to ;preyertt. any ’ discrini-^ ination in -favor of the chain by , the production-distribution epmpahy qr vice versa. Tn all. Some $56,000^000 worth of debentures Would be pro-rated to Warner stockhold-? ers under a financial plan ap- proved by the Government. Since the three Warner freres oWn approximately 26% Of all outstanding eqmmoh' stock, their debenture' holdings initi- ally woiild be about $14,000,000. No quick Ruling'Sixpected On 'WB Debentures Plan Washington, May 9. Warner Bros: and the Bureau of Internal Revenue are huddUng oh the major^s plan to Issue. $56,000,* 000 in debentures upon diyqrce- 'meht r but ho quick settlehient qf the tax problems is expected, poni- ple](: proposals such as that put forth by Warners hormaliy take tWo-to-three months, to clear. Iii some instances^ as long as six months must elapse bqfoi'® f th® bu- reau gives a ruling. . ■ When the revenooers have hand- ed down their tax ukase, the mat- ter must; then gb to the Treasury iTept. for study by general coun- sel; On big questions, he has the last word oh the subject. ; tOEW’S,2imi, WARNERS Washington, May 9, Loew’s, 20th and Warners make another pitch here Friday (12) in their running fight against the di- vorcement and divestiture features of the big anti-trust suit. , Counsel for the three Companies will apear before Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas to argue for stays from the trial court order on unloading their theatres. The N. Y. court set up a plan for beginning divorcement and di- yestiture in a series, of steps. The first deadline was to have been Feb. 8 but this was continued Until May 9 and now must take longer since nothing will happen until Justice Jacksbn rules, Government attorneys intend to oppose any extension. They will argue that two of the companies-^ Paramount and RKO —^ accepted decrees and haye moved ahead, and there is no reason why the three remBining members of the Big Five should get preferred treatment. jIVail St ftace Continued- from page S Press reaction and criticism on reissue of Charles Chaplin's *’City Lights’* has proved something of a surprise to both United Artists and the trade In general. . UA, pic's distrib, ahd most industry ebservers, had figured that widespread unpopUlarUy of Chaplin’s politics and personal life would find refiection in reviews and publicity on the film. (To the contrary, virtuaiiy all rtiag anjd n®wspaper writers have eschewed other angles and stuck strictly to the picture itself, Reviews have been tremendously favorable, most of them terming “City Lights’^ a film milestone. Life, in its current issue, for instance, chooses it as “Movie of the Week’’ and says: “You are never sure Whether any particular scene is the funniest or the most ppignant you have ever seem At any rate you caii be sure you are seeing the best film likely to be released in the U. S. this year.’’ The wide approbation for the picture is seen as having a strong effect in determining tor UA to reissue further of his films and should make selling much easier oh .the producer-comic’s hew picture if he goes ahead with plans to make It thft summer. the Securities & ExchangeV Com- mission on the proposed; divorce- ment plan; If the SEG approves and the Treasury Dept, gives a favorable ruling bn tax questions, stbckhplders would receive stock of the productipn-distribution and exhibition companies as well as debentures issued by the circuit. Further details of the plan are seeping out. One report indicates that a stockholder ymUld receive a ^700 'debenture for every 100 shares, of Warner common now held. With the Warner stock sell- ing oh the New York ex®fi®*'8® $15 per share or thereabbuts, the theatre end is generally evaluated at $10. This would bear put the belief that 7Q% of the theatre stock will be evidenced by deben- tures.- ; Understood that a total of $56,- 000,000 in these interest-bearing bonda will be issued in all, Since the Warner circuit is free of any sizeable longterm debts, the issue would undoubtedly have a high rating in the financial market. Set- tlement reports have : already stirred strong trading on the ex- change with WB common scoring several advances. Number of Investment houses are following an old practice with reference to Warner control. They are seeking to open negotiations with Harry, Jack and Major Albert Warner oh a possible deal while looking around simultanepusly for financial interests that Would come into the proposition. Banking house, of course, would collect its fee as agent if a deal could be closed. Possibility that an American remake of his picture can , gross more than the original: French version .has/Caused French pfoduCer Ray Ventura to hold back T®l®es® of his “Nous Irons a Pafis” (“We Shall Go to Paris’’) from all countries except France, Belgium and Switzer- land, Ventura, a bandleader and music publisher as well as film pro- ducer, has left for the U, S. to try to set a deal with some American studio to, ri^shoot the filhi; • ^ ^ ‘ “Paris” grossed about $100;0p0 in its. Paris first-run and another $80,6 oO from flrstrun houses in Rfussels and Antwerp. It also did top mz hi the French provinces. V \ \ ; Paramount^ Radio ' City Music HaU a>nd Loew’s State theatres: baye been quietly testihg' a revolutibnary form of pro|edtbr lens wbich throSvs greater light on the screen, gives it wider and more even diffusion with a colder effect bh the film itself. Loew’s State Used the lens in a recent invifation screening of “Annie Get Your Gun” and continued us- iiig it until this week. A few bugs have developed and will be unsnarled before the lens is thrown ppen for all exhibs. In the main’an industry project lens, it will be marketed by Bausch & Xionlb. a U’s N. Haven Junket Universal Is junketing the press Jime 1 in an all-day trip to New Haven where U’s “Winchester ’73’’ worid-preems at the Sbubert thea- tre. News scripters Will be partied in the town and then taken oh a tour of inspection through the fac- tory of the Winchester Arms Re- peating Co. Number of U’s thesps are exr pected tq attend. EL’S Life Breaks Eagle Lion is ringing the bell in national breaks given four of its pix by Life mag. Latest break is the cover and inside feature in the current Life issue devoted to “The Jackie Robinson Etory.” Cbmpariy also rode the gravy-train when the mag adveftised the Rob- jn.son feature |n sporting sections of a number of New York dailies; Company cbllected cuffo on the mention. Next issue of mag gi^es a photo.^ spread to “The Young: Loyers,” Ida Liipino-Collier Young film re- leased through EL. In past few weeks, Life aiso plugged Jimmy Durante in “The Great Rupert” and gave 1116. scientifie q.o. to “Des- tination Moon” . ” Metro-* 37 V 2 C Divvy Metro has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 37J/2C per share on the cqmpany’s outstand- ing commoii stock. Pie will be cut June 30 and paid to stockholders of record June 13. Continued from pa^e 3 Cinematograph Exliibitors Assn. Goodlatte has served notice on the GEA that he intends cutting the scales on matinee shows in a num- ber of. spots. In doing so, Good- latte is breaking “a gentlemen-s agreement” which the ciDcUlt head said “he is not satisfied with.” Move by ABC is aimed at re- trieving matinee business which has fallen off more sharply than the evening take. Action affects Grayesend and several other Iq- cales, ABC intends it as a test to determine whether price resistance is causing , the dwindling daylight ! business. ” Goodlatte has no doubt that the Jack of price-SCalihg between matr inee arid evening attendance in Britain is causing tlie; falling off. All theatres in England, with the exception of the Empire and Ritzi have enforced , a/uniform price, since the beginriihg of the war. GEA has beeri .using its influence to preserve the present structure. Metro put int^^^ effect a gradu- ated scale which climbs from a morning low to an evening high [ after it had introduced live enter- I lainment in the theatres. Company I turned to flesh in the form of a i Radio City Music Halt type ofpreS- : entation;. last Dec, 26; ;Its . price j scales were fixed in the face of a ! protest from the CEA, I So far as Britain is Coricerned; ; Goodlatte said, “it’s the same old I Story.” “A good British picture I still beats out a good American I filhfi,” exec declared.. Goodlatte headed forv the Coast Monday (8) with a stopover planned in Chicago.. He returns to New Vork, May 31, for a week’s stay be- fore sailing for'England;: ■'* I Turley’ Axed Continued from page 7 face of subsequent Supreme Court decisions. ' • Ih the “Curley” case, the appeal challenged the constitutionaUty; of censorship by cities arid states and made the pdfnt that films were cm titled to the protection of the first amendment on the same terms as the press. By refusing to hear the case, the High Court indirectly affirmed the authority of cities and states, to censor motion pictures, thus deny- ing films first amendment protec- tion. “Gurley” was barred in Mem- phis and Shelby county, Terinessee,, because it showed a Negro child playing on equal terms with white children. The Hal Roach studios and United Artists refused to ac- cept. the ban and appealed tq,'the ■ Tennessee oourts, ; Til® appeal, to the U. S. Supreme Court was; from the action of the Tennessee supreme court; in up- holdirig the trial court. The Teh- nessee high court refused, to rec- qgiiize this as a First Amendment case, insisting that the matter was decided on other grounds. RoaCh arid. UA argued that the Tennessee tribunaL had ducked the issue and Cp.iitinucd-from page arinouncedi by General MacArthur’s headquarters carry the sariie pro- vision as. the old ones . that the maximum riumber of films that can be imported yearly frqm any one country cannot exceed the number brought into Japan by that country in any one year in the 10 years be- fore the war, However, the new rule eases these terms somewhat by stating that the .mqtiqn pic in- dustry of any country that im- ported no films in Japan before the war may bring In up to three feature films a year. Rule Further Relaxed The rule is further relaxed by providing -that the adrriissiOn of foreign features in excess of the. abcive quota “will be considered provided that at least half of ; the films Which the national industry concerned, already bias .brought in during the calendar year Iri ques- tion have been regarded by this headquarters as having manifest reorientation value, as distin- guished from purely entertainment value, arid provided that all addi- tional films proposed for admis-. sion are recognized by this head- quarters as having reorientatiori value.” New regulation sets forth a cbm- |K®y® plc* plicated formula for pro rating the number of yearly imports, among licensed companies in cases Whe^e there are two or more licensees from the same country. Occupa-' tion headquarters will assign to each participating compiiny the number of filnis it proposes to bring in during the year which are recognized as hayirig “reorienta- tion value.” The total number of ^'reorientation” films is then sub- tracted from the yearly quota for the entire industry of that coun- try. Balance, which presumably includes films of “entertainmerit value,” will b® divided among par- ticipating companies “in propbr- tion to their releases of new fea- ture films in the cquritry of origin in the last caleridar year for which statistics are available.” Stipula- : tion obviously will favor the ma- jbr studiqs in filling the annual U.S. quota with npn-reorientatibn features.- To avoid Iriequities, the regula- tion states that arty com party uhr able tb bring in a single filirt under the above' forrhula will be permi^^^ brought in during the caleridar ■year.” Each participating company un- der the new plai\ must obtain an iniport license frbrii SCAP and niust. submit to the army headquar- ters in Tokyo a list of all films which it proposes; to iirtport. The firm must also supply a positive print of eaich pic before; final de- terminatibn will be made as to the film’s reorientation value. . First U. S. indie to’take advan- tage of the relaxed rule bn im- ports will be Walt Disney and Samuel Goldwyn. They have come tq terms with Daiei Motion Picr ture Co. for distribution of their product. SCAP licertse for the two producers is expected to call for release this year pf eight Goldwyn pix and three Disney features, plus 24 Disney shorts. First Disney pic earmarked for release here is “SrioW .White,” which industry observers predict will have one of the strongest b.o. pufls of any film released in Japan since the war, Goldwyn features tentatively set fbr local screening are“The Westerner,” “Wuthering Heights,” “The Princess and the Pirate,’’ “Hurricane,” “The Bish- op’s Wife” and at least ope Danny Pine-Thomas CoiitiiiuelL from pa^c 5 Romberg to Play Self In Mtetro Filin Biog will be ‘‘The Romberg Story,” with Bigmund Romberg himself appear- ing in the Arthur Freed produc- tion.'• Metro has made numerous films glorifying songwriters in the laist 10 years, but this is the fir.st time a .cbmposer ha.s consented to ap- pear in his own life stbry. asked the Federal Supreme Court to considejr it a test suit of censor- ! Iq bring in as many nbn-re shij). 1 brientation.; films as the^^.^ with; the lowest number of such films, “provided that the total of non-reorientatiori filrns :fOr -the country coricerned is large enough ^to permit this to he done without Hollywood, May 9. j altering subsUntialiy the ratios to Next musical biography at Metro ’ whiGh other coinpariles otherwise wquld be entitled;” The rule also adds that ‘In any •situation in which this formula either does not apply or seems to I inflict hardships, sympathetic con- sideration will be given tq any ad- justmerit which Is acceptable to all companies cf the country com cerned and requires no increase in the number of films to be '' '' «■ - 4 ' 4 - <> M * 'It ^ ' iv ^ c ^ ‘ ^ 9' 9. • M i where his latest pic, “The Eagle arid the Hawk ” preemed last \veek.. Pine, is convinced “that ail pic- ture costs are still but of line. There is nothing wrong with the present market. It is only bad because costs are too high.” As an instartce, Pine hoted that a film which he does today budgets $900.- 0()0, w'here the price w'as $600,000 five years ago. producer cannot see salary cuts, whether they bfe of a star or grip, as the answer. “Until I cut mv q^n salary, which I WoUld hate to do,’ .1 don’t see how I can appibach ai star. The'grip n®®ds”w’hat he gets now to live, Salary slashing just isn’t the answer^’’ 'TWo objectives working out.bbst in Hollywood* he said, are a .sharp decrease in shooting time and get- ting the right scripts “so that we will shoot only what .gets; oh the; screen. ' Citing; chapter and verse, ' Pin® said . that ‘-Lawless’ look^ qnlv .18 days. His ^‘Tripolii” a Techni- color opus, came in at 33 days, - while the Par lot macle “Union Station,’* big-cast film, in 31 days. “The Writer Is; the most impbiv tant guy in Hollywood,” Pirie de- clared. “Producers and directors Won’t like me for saying this. hut. it is the truth, with the right script, you cart do wonders.” . P&T will make .six more films before the end Of ’51, when their pacit with Par expires. Films will Lrun from $600,000-$LOOb,000. Al- most all will be in Technicolor be- cause ‘Ihe studio estimaite.s the difference in domestic take to be $§()Q,Q00”