Variety (August 1950)

VOL. 179 No. 10 Published Weekly at 154 West 46th Street, New York 19, N. Y., by Variety, Inc. Annua] subscription, $10. Single copies, 25 cents. Entered as second class matter December 22, 1905, at the Post Office at New. York, N. Y„ under the act of March 3, 1879. COPYRIGHT, 1950, BY VARIETY, INC* ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1950 PRICE 25 CENTS London, Aug. 8. A novel method of using TV as a tryout medium for production is being considered by the Associated British Picture Corp. A special video studio is planned from which selected scripts will be produced, and if the corporation's execs give the greenlight, full-scale film pro- duction will follow. It is' estimated that the cost Of telecasting each individual idea will be over $3,000, apart from the initial outlay for apparatus. But this represents a* comparatively small addition to the average film budget, which ranges from $400,- 000 to $700,000. Limitations of a studio TV pro- duction without exteriors or elabo- rate sets are appreciated, but ABPC production execs figure that this will provide a quick guide as to suitability, and will give a clear- er indication of the potentialities of a script than existing methods. Decision of the corporation to use TV as a production aid is in line with their earlier plan to use the medium to boost the activities of ail branches of the organization. Original idea to have a central transmitting station from which programs could be broadcast to their circuit of picture theatres has been stymied by the resistance of the government. Until there is a two-way cooperation between films and TV, the government's determined to keep a tight hold on its present monopoly, and licenses are being refused for private trans- missions. Philharmonic Booking NBC’s Counter-Soviet ‘Malice in Wonderland’ NBC is wrapping up a “Malice in Wonderland” series of four broadcasts to counteract Soviet propaganda. Wade Arnold, the web’s special events chief, is get- ting monitors here and abroad to record samples of Russian short- wave programs, ‘which will be translated and then answered by American experts. Feature will kick off around Labor Day, with a comparison of working conditions in the U. S. and the USSR, The “Malice” broadcasts may take over the “Living—1950” pe- riod for the month or another slot may be cleared for it. 1 on Booking of the N. Y. Philhar- monic-Symphony into the Roxy, N. Y., for two weeks, starting Sept. 1, is regarded in the trade frankly as an experiment, with no one quite clear as to extent of the draw. Theatre is gambling on the novelty of a major symphony in a film palace — the Philharmonic, in its 109th season, is the country’s old- est symph, as well as probably its best known via its Sunday after- noon CBS broadcasts. The orch management, was in- terested in giving the men a couple of extra weeks’ work in be- tween tfife al fresco Lewisohn Sta- dium, N. Y., and the regular Car- negie Hall seasons, and also be- lieved (despite some outside criti- cism) that it wouldn’t be beneath the orch’s dignity arid stature to play a presentation house. Spyros Skouras and Dimitri Mitropoulos, it’s felt, Were also sincere in their aim to bring good symph music at low prices to a new audience. Skouras, prez of 20th-Fox, which operates the Roxy, is also a mem- (Continued on page 46) Washington, Aug. 15. The American film industry must be careful about What kind of pic- tures it sends overseas at this time, • ^ to prevent a false impression of the U. S. from circulating abroad, Eric Johnston said today (Tues.). The Motion Picture Assn, of Amer- ica prexy saw newsmen at the White House immediately after a huddle with President Truman, during which Johnston reported on the recent Anglo-American film negotiations, which were helped by the State Dept. “All media of communications,” said Johnston, “have a great re- sponsibility in the way in which they represent the U. S. overseas. Our motion pictures must be more careful in the selection of what is serit abroad. We don’t want to, export films which give a false impression of our country.”^ Reference was to the fact that the Communists have falsely point- ed to some American pictures in Europe and Asia as describing typi- cal life in America, when, actually, the pictures did nothing of the sort. Crosby, Mrs, FDR As Pic Envoys For EGA Hollywood, Aug. 15. Birig Crosby, Eleanor Roosevelt and the 4-H farm clubs will par- ticipate in three of four document- ary shorts now being made abroad by the March of Time for the Eco- nomic Cooperation Administration. Fourth short is to be a comedy about Yank tourists in Europe. Camera work on the Crosby sub- ject was done during his recent trip to Paris. Voice recording is to be handled on the Coast. It will be a recap of his European experi- ences. Mrs. Roosevelt’s short will follow a similar narrative pattern. The 4-H film will depict a tour of American couritries by members of that youth organization. French comedy will point up the vital part that tourists play in European recovery. Overall theme of the entire four subjects will im- press upon audiences the scope and impact the Marshall Plan has had upon reviving western Europe's economy.* By ARTHUR BRONSON Business around the strawhat circuit this season has been like the , weather, variable and unpre- dictable. It’s been much better than last year in some spots, and worse in others. Managers have been carrying on in the face of war clouds, rationing threats, higher operating costs and assorted star, royalty and Equity probleiris. Package shows, and the new threat f^om tent or musical circuses, have been fresh headaches. But foldings this year are less than last, and very few operators are inclined to call it quits. What emerges chiefly from a canvass Of representative strawhat producers is the feeling that the star system has become a Franken- stein and needs remedying. Some operators insist it’s a need, while joining others in calling it a; menace. Feeling is growing, though, that the star system has gotten completely Out of hand and may have to be entirely eliminated. One or two barns have already Started weeding out. Third annual Variety sur- vey of the strawhat scene, based on a questionnaire sent to about 20 representative barn operators in the east, reveals some interest- ing figures. Although it’s been a general understanding that Straw- hat business, on the average, has been way off, survey indicates otherwise. Of the three summer spots operated by Richard Aldrich, for instance, grosses at the Cape .(Continued on page 50) CHEESECAKE COMES 1ST, EVEN IN SYMPH CIRCLES Washington, Aug. 15. Cheesecake is cheesecake and symphonic drama is symphonic drama and never the twain should meet. At least, that is the Way Paul Green felt about it, but he was convinced riot to press the point too hard. Which is why the finals of the contest to select Miss Wash- ington for the Atlantic City beauty Contest were held last night (14) at the New Rock Creek Park Am- phitheatre. The 4,000-seat amphitheatre was completed a couple of weeks ago as the permanent home of “Faith of Our Fathers,” the Paul Green symphonic drama on the founding of this nation, which is a feature of the Sesquicentennial of Wash- ington. The play isn’t given on Monday nights and when the amphitheatre was booked for the finals of the Miss Washington con- test, Green balked. However, they got him in a huddle with officials of radio station WWDC and the Junior Chamber of Commerce, joint sponsors of the contest. Pres- ent also were other Sesqui leaders. Green finally agreed to give beau- ty its fling. Once more; all's quiet along the Potomac. •* Stoky to Beam Globally In 6, Languages Via UN Leopold Stokowski, currently do- ing a series of four broadcasts as a Bach jockey on WNBC, N. Y„ will become the first jnulti-lingual platter-spinner doing shows in six languages for the United Nations and UNESCO. He’ll spiel in Eng- lish, French, Spanish, Italian, Ger- man and Russian, with the broad- casts to be beamed by the Voice of America and stations around the world which carry UN programs. Deal was set with Benjamin Cohen, assistant UN secretary-gen- eral, by WNBC general manager Ted Cott. Airer will be aimed at children and will avoid propagan- da. The symphonic conductor speaks some of the six tongues fluently arid will read the other languages with UN linguists help- ing him prepare the scripts. Betty Field will replace Jean Arthur in the title role of “Peter Pan,” at the Imperial, N. Y. She will take over the starring assign- ment in the Sir James Barrie fan- tasy next Tuesday night (22), with a run-oLthe-play contract and on the same terms of 10% of the gross against a $2,500 guarantee. Per- mission for the deal was given yes- terday (Tues.) by the Actors Equity council. Miss Arthur has been out of the show since Friday night (11), hav- ing notified the management just a few hours before that evening’s performance that she had laryn- gitis and would be unable to go on. Barbara Baxley, her under- study, substituted that night, at both performances Saturday (12) and is continuing in the part this week, with Miss Field rehearsing to go in next week. Miss Arthur’s $25,000-investment in the $100,000- production Is, not affected by her withdrawal. „ The question of engaging Miss Field as permanent replacement involved interpretation of. the Equity rules. The actress could (Continued on page 46) The Korean war crisis nipped in the bud an ambitious theatrical enterprise, which the Radio Corp. of America was ready to under- write to the tune of $53,000,000, thus making it one of the most heavily-financed adjuncts of show biz. It’s anticipated that, when and if the wartime pressure is off> RCA will reactivate the idea. Major facet of operational ac- tivity would be in TV production, having as its nucleus, of course, the programming roster of the NBC subsidiary company. While 'it’s anticipated that all phases of show biz would be em- braced, the recent RCA financing of the new Irving Berlin musical, “Call Me Madam,’ was an entirely separate deal. Lotsa Yank Tourists' In Korea—But Not Much By LT. COL. BARNEY OLDFIELD Taegu, Korea, Aug. 8, This is an interesting town: no radio except between planes and the control tower, no movie except the one at the airstrip, which is a portable screen on which is thrown a sound film without sound* It is a town in which a dog scratch- ing himself for a flea can attract a good crowd. ; There is a considerable flood of American “tourists” on hand, so many that the newspapers and ra- dio nets back in the U. S, have -turned out some unacclimated former war correspondents to cover the activities. Nearly everytime a planeload goes over, the Tokyo radio seems to be playing “Put Another Nickel In,” or “Sometimes I Get to Won- 1 (Continued on page 53)