Variety (December 1950)

PICTURES ^KIETY Wetliiesclay, December 20, 1950 ASCAP Near Pic Deal American Society of Com- posers, Authors and Publishers is nearing a windup of it ne- gotiations with the major Hol^ ly producers on performance feesv Rest of the majors are following the pattern set in the ASCAP deals with Metro and Columbia which were com- pleted several months ago* Per- forming rights society looks to collect about $800,000 from the majors and indie producers. , Details are on P. 35 in the Music section. Gamble, New RKO leatre Co. ly Op In Gamble, posers, Authors and Publishers m 1 i* MM ' 25 Suits TolaDing $71 j79,S0fl TOA-COMPO Truce; Bid for Myers . . . fees. Rest of the majors are ■ ■ ■ . . ^ ^ Copyright I From PUncJl tO ^ ^ little Julian T.Al,e)es ^ firs.7m™. o„.^ p»«5’Yw/or T/Kspi. 5 I. llOUl tte ..iu ^ , D,UII. Ir. ». P JS B 01. ; W ' ' iof B organizational papers, the theati’e TJtP Pvoof of 'tJlP Music section. . ■ __ , a i , rirMojoR ■ ^ ■+. * r lu • firm states many such cases figure iHe riOOf QJ me .. ,.... ... . . . , , , Harry Hersllfieltl COMPO committee tor the _sessipn. to be settled with Ihe plaiiitifts PuilAitt^ ' ' - ■ ' ^ ^ '■ ^ - Quick action is iinperatiye this receiving onlf a small frL^^^ Puttain ' C 1*1 A1a,«». I?* * * week, ance Gamble is_ planning to the amount of alleged damages, oi- ' Nllllt WPar F Or a-. • . S . • . 1 . leave New. York forfiis_W no cash consideration at all, one of the mony editorial feotures : UUlli 1 1 vUI • VI on editorial feature in the Portland, Ore., for the Christmas- >v Cl f',.rj 11 Kim !» pn I. 1 luL •- Ncw Ycar liolidays. Gamble ik the New RKO film 1 ^ _ . *, . ^ ■ ■ forfhcomi q sparkplug of the TOA group which actm^^^ These :45f/. ,<«MioerSory AumJicr , ^^$1316 ' ^iiititifirsfiry v^ora a W^ii^^i^e^ were not listed.^^ ■■ V ^ . V ^ ^ - mittee with him are exec director ^Toppmg tlie list of piaim p^filETY Dissolution of the United Para- ; Gael Sullivan and board member IVk ^ inn^riassics (hit Sooti ' mount Theatres partnership vvith J^f^IETY ; Simon. H. Fabian. \ fa : Kart Hoblitzelle in the. operation : ^ : • ■--—I;!- Gamble at the first session with J^w«SrfiPv^^Tf^’s^mdthedis-1 - i of Interstate Circuit, extensive ■ _ — ^ ^ trihQ iQ fipmflnflh ^ total damages ' M X f 1 i Texas chain, .is anticipated shortly 1 pi’exy a compromise formula on I IP I Q ^Pf inr Kf as a consequence of the new $45,-i ||AY^^ rilllfirCffinCV TOA's demand that,it be given oi $15,000,000.^ ^ _ Ul 1 5 lici t Vl idl : OOO.OGO UPT credit arrangement. j UU V li ^ on the ^ Pavtiallist^ffiller jfiaint^s and Well equipped with cash as a re- /. ^ ^^. COMPO board., The nine other the amount of alle^^ .11 ll/I C suit of the refinancing, UPT now jn,, constitiientgroups in the all-indus- ' l l IVlAQ Nifli/lirC in a strong PQsitipn to buy^ 0 ^^ ^PPII IVPV lO I lirt S public relations organization ’ \T v’ X X 111 Vvo V I its partners, with the yievy to sub- ^ would haye to agree to this to make $9,124,000; fieathcorp, Inc., N. Y., . i sequentVy divesting portions of the • , ^ ^ ^ Tii ^11 I^lill kii Unit With fOMPO'BSgs'KgLIii^ia sss: WiivhoukvV’ N * U «1UljOyU,UVU thfough as expected, it's likely that kiMln '' Willi V Allied States Assn. It is understood onn ^HoblitzeUo, 38 president, and gen-1 i- • ^ ,i,v ' thatniembers of the Depinet .Gom- United Paramount Theatres had j eraji manager-vice president Robert! ., Respite the^^ , mittee have been ; in touch with S3 648 000- Joseph Anthony N y” ! estimated consolidated earnings of J. O’Donnell, as well as others of it was clegr this. .Allied board chairman and-gcneral ||250:oSa -- ’ $2326,000 forfhe October dnd No^ i the .chain's execs^ w,mld^contin,m : ^v,mi^o™nca, 111^^^^ ' The Profit Rgnge : . Imbcr fiscal months, including ! S^e" “-P''"’ , pro forma statements show that capital gains of $167,000, and $597,- p'.vj'y.v of UPT orexv Leonard from Presi- i xi is hoped by the others in the RK.O circuit, if it fiad. operated I qoo, which, previously was reported Goidenson is to disclose new deals ; , CQMPO that TO A and Allied will Son‘^ LSr^iave'^^^'h^^^^^^^ ^s undistributed earnings of non- only after they have been consum-; coMP^fol^becausf om^^^ Iw “ « light of ihB ! consolidated, partly-owned compa- mated. For this reason there has i COMPO fold because ot dit^rences | the pr^ and piofit lange ovet the past five , .. nrofit. brines the been nn nmbial comment on Inter-'?” forget differences that Oiit Soon ! Dissolution of the United Para- mount Theatres partnership vvith ; Karl Hoblitzeile in the. pperatibii ! i of Interstate. Circuit, extensive i Texas chain, is anticipated shortly 1 as a consequence of the new $45,-1 000,000 UPT credit arrangement. Well equipped with cash as a re- sult of the Tefinancing, UP’T now j is in a strong position to buy but 1 I its partners, with the yievv: to sub-! I sequently divesting portions of the | properties to third parties. j If the I h t e r s t a t e deal goes j ’ through as expected, it’s likely that j i Hoblitzeile, as' president, and gen- .l From Punch to Punchlines; Pugs- Yen for Thespis by - Harry Herslifield dn editoriol footure in the ; forfliconilnq ' 4oih Ahnivorsary: Numhor of ► A second attempt of the com- mittees headed by Ted Gamble and Ned E, Depinet to settle the differ- ences between Theatre Owners of America and the CounciV of Mo- tiom.Picture Organizations will take place this week. Initial effort tvvo weeks ago was stymied by inability of Depinet to line up his full COMPO committee for the session. Quick action is Imperative this week, since Gamble is planning to leave New York for his home in Portland* Ore.^ for the Christmas- New Year hoiidaiys. Gamble is the sparkplug of the TOA group which, favors a compromise arrangement with COMPO. On the TOA com- mittee with him are exec director Gael Sullivan and board member Simon H. Fabian. ; \ Gamble at the first session . with i Depinet put before the COMPO. prexy a compromise formula on TOA's demand that ,it be given increased representation on the COMPO boards The nine other constituent groups in the all-indus- try public relations organization would have to agree to this to make ■ it operative. j .Principal hurdle is TOA’s com- petitor in the national exhib field, Allied States Assn. It is understood that members of the Depinet com- 'iqif Iififfin 24A been nooffibi.fi comment on Inter- financial 701 1044 B,.Ant N. Y. last Friday (15'.. H? said in its consent decree witli th. m^Drofit of $6 271 IsV^lbV'? 'loss i'’® anticipated some decline in tiie ernment. - . k"" However, on the more favorable Ileaking gene^^^^^ Goidenson ' I ShermaH PlaH foe ttewal of mflation and the various, . . 1 Actually, the state of emergency ; of tOA’s member groups are will- as proclaimed by Mr. Truman has to go—and that’s not too far. ; had the effect bf putting the pres- These groups want repre.sentatiori i sure on both TOA and COMPO of- on the COMPO board though it • fieials to reach an early compro- will mean little in view of the ' mise. Industry feeling, of course, is .system of voting by organizational that in order to do a complete job units. Mvers’ headache is to avoid in any Government assignment the making it appear he has bowed to trade must be fully unified. TOA’s demands. . However, if th; TOA group is COMPO committee which is unese include a studio overnead —— r ;**. — ThevTl be saeebrushers i narry crandt, itooert Coyne ar cut of $2,000,000 annually; ^^i^fgtt^VSd WOO. Xhere^^ first year’s progranr either com- Only, business enacted at the ):“ste.-n^ in color to cost around i L. A. to N Y pleted and awaiting release or in stockholder conclave was approval c^oo 000 o'lch Meanwhile, COMPO spokesmen • • the process of cutting and editing, bf the UPT stock option plan for sherman nartnered in the deal i Y. this Week that the Of these, 10 were brought in at I key personnel. Under the program, ...ifb Neil Aenew former Para-! budgets less than $500,000; seven ’ Goidenson and others are entitled 'nd <lSznick Releasing Or- Government, were in the $500,000-$!,000,000 to buy the treasury-held stock at ^.nization sales toDoer has a^deal Group has individual representa- range, and the remaining six cost 95% of the market value as of last in all key cities in addi- $1.000;000 to $1,500,000. . Friday, which was 17^8. Golden- fk,Aoov rfJn?for tion to numerous regional units range, and the remaining six cost 95% of the market value as of last j, -. Lion Classics for dis- in all key cities in addi $1.000,.. ^as BOB HOPE IN SURPRISE fnoloX" ru^alftei I all that is now awaited is a specific I assignment. L. A, to N. Y. Tallulah Bankhead Saul Bourne Eddie Cantor Valerie Cardew Charles Coburn Jerry Colonna Gary Cooper Marlene Dietrich Clark Gable Greta Gynt Reuben R, Kaufman William Keighley DAD IIADr IM CITDDDTCC . ^P^^e 75,000 shares at that price, . the ‘TIashknife” series each Pohii ' ' BOB HOPE IN SURPRISE land options for 12,500 shares “ Hashkmte senes eaui ^ and ready to roll, and Gable w . m ^ ....vwTl^^ch to go to vicepresidents ^ ^ ^ . ! all that is now awaited is a specific /• P A AT FFTF FftR IMPY l Gross, Robert M. Weit- Sherman After Com | assignment. t *n. ni i Lii iJ l Vii * niari Edward L. Hyman and secre- At the moment, Sherman is at-j Any production activity, as called William_ Keighley Bob Hope made a surprise ap- tary-treasurer Robert H. O’Brien, tempting to ai'range financing for ■ for by any Government agency, will ' Robert L. Lippert pearance at the film industry testi- About 50 other members of the or- the first half-dozen, which would | be supervised by the Motion Pic- Jeffrey Lynn' inonial for Mayor Vincent R. Im- ganization will be given similar include two biggies and four little : tUre Industry Council on the Coast. . Macready pellitteri at the Hotel Astor, N. Y,, I privileges for lesser numbers of ones. He has a commitment from ——— .. Marilyn Maxwell Monday night (18). Hope’s cue to shares. The others to be covered by Bankers Trust, N. Y., for initial | j iif • r li* Johnny Meyer bow on was an announcembht by the plan have yet to be determined, financing on four to six pix if he jQflgP W0l0hc rjiraPY Bruce Millholland Impellitteri that he brought along —-——^— can arrange , the second money. ® /nr.i ^ * n* Mulvey a substitute to handle the emcee n ■ D| • He‘s trying to arrange for about Slllf.nn 'WlKnil^ Pw* Robert Newton chores. Comedian thereupon took DlirStVll llSinninfi $400,000 in the latter category front uuiiuu iiiiOUll I iv Howard St. John the gavel..in hand; r n* lAri n i I wholesalers and manufacturers. Judge Samuel Kaufman reserved Dorothy Sarnoff Close to 1,000 of the area’s thea- 5"rlG 1951 K0l62ISG i ® and strong decision Friday (15) after a two- Schary tre operators and reps of all other I gimmick for its protection in its day trial in New York federal court Martha Scott Impellitteri that he brought along —-——^— can arrange , the second money. /iir.i * i\* 1 a substitute to handle the emcee n i Dl * He‘s trying to arrange for about Silif.nn 'WlKnil^ Pw* i chores. Comedian thereupon took DlirStVll rmUllIlfi $ 400,000 in the latter category front uuii uu iiiiouii * ■v | the gavel ,in hand; r n* lAn Fi 1 i wholesalers and manufacturers. Judge Samuel Kaufman reserved Close to 1,000 of the area’s thea- 5"llC 1951 Kcl021SC ^ ® ^*^1^’^® nfid strong decision Friday (15) after a two- tre operators and reps of all other . . . gimmick for its protection in its day trial in New York federal court branches of the business joinedi in Foreign film distrib Joseph Bur- deal, which is undoubtedly making of a $500,000 piracy suit brought the salute to the city’s new first, styn, who has restricted his re- ^ even tougher than normal to by Anthony R. pinci against 20th- Citizen. Event of the evening was a leases to two a year in the past, is line up secondary money. And i Fox. Pjnei, who claims he wrote presenfation of“Mayor and the send out five in 195!. that is, that all the pix it finarices a play called “Woodrow Wilson” in Movie-r-r-Sb-Year Cavalcade,” which “Ways of Love,’ j in the initial group will be con- 1929,, chairges that the film com- depieted Im^^ climb to the ®P®?®v York run at the ■ sidered as a package. Bank must pany wrongfully Used his work in top, along with the development of week. It grossed almost get its coin back on the entire pack- its 1944 release, “Wilson.” . pix theatres in the city. CAst of ^^3,500, very good. . ' age, rather than ph each iridivid- Pinci asserts that in 1936, at 65 persons, headed by Walter Abel, . ,®^®^^l®^. pic, before the second-money 20th’s requestv he turned his play chacted the pageant. Show ran 110 ®i®/t ^®® ■ From the investors begin to participate. to the late Earl Carroll, then minutes, as written md staged by Manufacturers as Angels : acting as the fi Coast agent. Paramount s Justin Herman. Rob- lecenlly' k-vc Kogir, af*omr,fincr Script was returned In 1937, accord- ert M. Weitman supervised. sainted. Pic, in Italian, won best . Sheiman has been attempting to j^g . to the complaint, but three O (BvirA ni at the Venice FestivM and was ulty prepayment angeling plan for ^ to the Acad Pays $450 To handed a silver ribbon for best months and has discovered it to jn^ the of ^ Save Graiimaii Ociear film of the year by the Italian gov-i be a long and tedious process. Be - uscar ^ emment V After that Burstyn will i hopes to achieve success in time to ^nd A , Hollywood; Dec. 19. release “Wozzeck,” based . on the ' start production in March. He’s i S, ^ , P. .®^^®®r Academy of Motion Picture Arts book for the Opera pf the same j been selling the potential m- _ . .- .vP fho/ fW spent $450 Monday name by George Buechner, but hot I vestors, of course, on the fact that night to keep an Oscar from falling on the opera itself. It has no mu-; the commercial licensing rights on into outside hands.. Exec secretary sic. i the “Hoppy” series, for instance, ^ JJrs. vMargaret Herrick yodeled Also.on Burstyn’s spring slate is ; have proved much more valuable the winning bid at a Roy J. Golden- ^‘Berliner Ballade,” a German-| thaft. the pix themselves, so here’s E , while berg auction of effects of late Sid made satire with music on pvesent-' a cliahee to. get in on the ground- ^^PHi authored the scieenplay. Graumah. day Germany. It was produced by floor. . .. ^Tlow jiigh Academy planh Alf Teichs. To be released next Bankers Trust is being very Lurope tO N. Y* bid isnt known, but it is known winter is “Prison of Parma,” based patient regarding its GOrnmitment, Alicia Alonzo inat Acad was determined, ever on Stendahrs “House of Parniia.’' giving Sherman all the time he Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Hummel since It became known that Oscar It stars Gerard Phillipe and was needs tb line up Other money. It’s Burl lves given Grauman in 1948 would be made by Christian Jacque and intrigued by his Ingenious method Nora Kaye auctioned, to keep it from falling Scalera Films with a combo of 1 of financing and anxious to see how Mr. & Mrs. Bert Stahl into hands of outsiders. Italian and French actors. U pans out. Alida Valll Marilyn Maxwell Johnny Meyer Bruce Millholland James A. Mulvey Robert Newton Howard St. John Dorothy Sarnoff Dore Schary Martha Scott Sam Shayon Walter Slezak Mary Statz ^ Bill Watters N, Y. to Li A. Paul Benson Ed Gashman Dan Fish Florencd GershWin Walter Gould Renee Jeanmaire Lawrence Kent Abe Lastfogei Lqu Levy Diana Lynii Golette Marchand Roland Petit Catherine Turney Max Weinberg . N. Y. to Europe Roy Boulting ' Maurice Carrere Ed Gruskin Irene Hilda David Niven Anna Neagle Spyros Skouras Earl I. Sponable Polyna Stoska Louis'Vaudable Herbert Wilcox