Variety (December 1950)

picnjiuBS BOOM A NEW KIND OF NEWSLETTER FROM THE Transportation ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 1 !• I WE CAN*T AFFORD 130 North Wells Street Chicago 6, Illinois December 15, 1950 Not many of us are going into the Christmas Season with much hope for *'Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.” But we*re sure of this: 1. We can*t afford to give up hope ... and each of us has to do everything he can to help find the answer. 2. We can*t afford to scatter our fire and our resources so that we fall victim either to the attacks of Reds or lio bankruptcy at home. 3. We can*t afford the Soviet scheme for America - by aggression, by in*^ filtration, or by the Creeping approach of Fabians, bureaucrats, or any other eager-beavers who don’t like what we have. WHY CAN 'T WE AFFORD IT ? BUDGET OF A SOVIET COAL MINER /Jt K t S MON T H L Y IN C 0 ME ■ 1200 RUIIES HiS MONTHLY EXPENSES Government Deductions take 195 rubles Rent and Food take 820 rubles He now has 185 rubles left... which is enough to buy a total of ] shoe 10 cigarettes \ packet of hairpins The graph alongside tells why . . . even if we didn't mind letting Big Government run our daily lives. The fact that our standard of living is ten times that of the Russian tells why . . . even if we didn't mind losing the right to say what we think. LET'S SPEAK UP If you have an idea about what should be done about Korea, or Russia, or taxes, or controls, or Socialism or freedom, speak your mind. Your representatives in Congress want to know what you think. > Your officials in government need to know what you - think. We are working all the time to keep America free - especially its transportation. We'd be glad to bear what you think. America will always need all ways of transportation! iniporiance as a film promotion niediuni, exoc said, the ban must eventually be lifted. Before that can be done, though, he averred, It will probably be necessary for each studio to set an exec or panel 01 discriminating execs to deter- fivine which stars have the talents necessary for video appearances and which have not. With the other problems currently confronting the studios, he pointed out, the majors think TV so- far is fiot worth the time and money that would necessarily be expended^ >> Uhout mentioning names, the exec declared that most stars are entirely unable to judge for them- n'x'nn^^y would appear on iheir agents, he noted, also eannot be counted on to be dis- ci'iminating. ^ ■ Chicago, Dee. 26, tiu» • * ^ Katz eircuit,. riding hvi-; the Xrtias sittendance reopened two of its five theatres. They are I ‘ 0-seat Iris and 871-seat tin-,,*' were darkened about c weeks ago because of the umr "^iehborhoocl biz drop, ann, Hollander, circuit veepee, the re-lighting th-.i experiment, -and thi» darken again after Hie year if business ‘'•'-s down. j f vwav aravVik v v Hypoed Prod. Activities; Contracts Flu in Gotham Metro production veepee Dore Schary contracted flu enroute to New York from the Coast last week, and as a result he has been con- fined to his hotel. He his been forced to delay his scheduled cour fabs at the homeoffice with LoeW’s prexy Nicholas M. Schenck and othex' execs. Schary plans to leave for a four^ week vacation in Florida tomorrow (Thurs.), where he'll probably hud- dle with Schenck. Latter is sched- uled to depart for his annual Flori- da Vacation immediately after New Yeai''s. Metro sales veepee William F. Rodgers* incidentally, left for Miami last Friday (22), so will also be available there to sit In on the talks. Schai'y revealed on his arrival ’ from the Coast that Metro has nine ; new pictui*es ready to roll aiid cOn- ^ firmed repoi’ts that the studio • would increase its output for 1951. ! While he did not specify the ttum- : her of pictures to be produced^ it's believed the company will up its feature production from the 36 turned out this year to 40 for the coming yeai\ Seven pictures are now before the camei’as, with another .20 in final phases of filming, editing or 1 release printing. pion, ^Heaven/ ^Harvey/ *Song* Next Strongest it in 21 Months roposed Decree; Washington, Dec. 26, Divorcement of the Warners’ the- atre chain within 21 months is pro- vided in the proposed antitrust de- cree which will be submitted to the Nexv York trial court for ap- proval on Jan. 4. However, submis- sion depends Upon formal appi'ovat of certain tax and fiscal features befoi’e then by the U. S. Treasury Department. Exemption from the corporate reorganization levy is sought by WB. Two successor corporations—one to opei’ate the theatres; and the other to run the stiidios and dis- tribution end of the business—will be created, with stockholders in the present WB obtaining shares of ; stock in both the new firms. In addition to divorcement, the big exhibition circuit must diyest a minimum of 52 of its theatres, with another 21 or more subject to di- vestiture depending upon competi- tive conditions in the future. Half of the 52 divestitures must be com- pleted within one year afid all must be disposed of within two j years. ; In the splitup, the three Warners f —Harry, Jack and Albert-—are all ; required to remain on the same I side of the fence, either exhibition I (Continued on page 14) Swanson Cavalcade ' Being Assembled By N.Y^ Film Museum Film library of the Museum of Modem Art, N. Y,, is assembling clips from various of her old films for a 45-minute Gloria Swanson Cavalcade. It’s been facetiously dubbed by the Museum staff “Swanson Through the Ages.” Composite, being assembled un- der supervision of Richard Griffith, assistant to the director of the li- brary, will have its initial showing (Continued on page 7) Biz is perking up in most key cities covered by Variety this week, with end of pre-Christmas influences. However, some spdts still reflect the downbeat that pre- ceded arrival of Dec. 25 while oth- ers ai'e being hurt by snow and ex- tremely cold weathei’. Also, the current session will not reflect now, stronger product as much as next week, since many theatres opened their new bills well before Xmas day. “Mx*. Music” (Par) is taking over first place by a healthy margin, with over $310,000 amassed in some 12 key cities. New Bing Crosby starrer is uniformly nice to smash, being tops or ..tandout film in three cities, “For Heaven’s Sake” (20th) is finishing second, although jiist okay in several keys and good in some ether dates. “Harvey” (Ui is shvwing enough on its initial batch of playdates to capture third position with a ma- jority of dates sock to wow, Fourth spot is being taken by “Pagan Love Song*' (M-G ), also new* while “Dal- las” (WB) is landing fifth money. “Never a Dull Moment” (RKO) will place sixth,. with “Watch Birdie” M-Q) seventh. “West Point Story” (WB), “Solo- mon’s Mines” (M-G) and “2 Weeks With Love” (M-GL) round out the week’s Big 10. “Kansas Raiders” (U), “Let’s Dance” (Par), “I’ll Get By” (20th) and “Breakthrough” (WB) are top runner up pix. Besides such films as “Harvey,” “Music,” “Song” and “Dallas,” of the new pix “Kim” (M-G), “Mud- lark” (20th) and “Frenchic” (U) show perhaps the greatest poten- tials. “Kim,” in third big week at N. Y. Music Hall, opened this stanza with sock -otal in Philly. “Frenchie” (XJ), neat in Chicago, is smash in San Francisco. -Mudlark” looms smash in first. N, Y. week “Magnificent Yankee” (M - G) shapes sturdy in D. A. srnall-seater. “Vendetta” (RKO) is doing well in three spots, “Branded” (Par), also new, looms strong in Frisco* but “Flying Missile” (Col) is not so good oh initial date in N. Y. “American Guerrilla” (20th) is stout in K. C. “Mystery Subma- rine” (U) looks okay in Philly and L.;A. ■ ^ ■ “Mad Wednesday” (RKO) shapes nice in Seattle but not so sti’ong in Louisville and Indianapolis. “All About Eve” (20th) is big in St. Louis. “Miniver Story” (M-G) shapes oke in St. Louis. “Right Cross” (M-G) is fair iri Boston. “Two Flags West” (20th) is do^ng nicely in St. Louis, but is mild in Philly. (Complete Boxoffice Reports on Pages 8-9.) Trade Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY, Inc Harold Erichs, President 134 West 46th St., New York 19, N. 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