Variety (May 16, 1951)

, May 1*. mi MAP “BIG PRODUCER COMBINE Time for Stability WhiUm the overtones that caused the Lurie-Warner to snaf. and the CBS-ABC ditto, this is a time for stability within two highly Important segments of show More than lip service becomes the order of the of both the film and the radio-TV corporations Involved Too vleld have been the manifestations to sell out Too evident, to the personnel, have been the sign posts that a sellout could also disrupt lifetime careers for many. Warners reallass that, with pronunclamentos about going back to business as usual Similar statements came yesterday (Tuss i from ABC Manpower and morale are too valuable, generally speaking, and In specialised Industries like pU and broadcast- ing even more so. It's no secret what the past fortnight’s stories on “deals.** mergers and or takeovers have done to rank-and- file as well as top-echelon personnel. When the business Is creative such confusion Is a costly conf i s c ation of enterprise. Initiative and the spark that go Into the excitement of show business. It is wide-open that, on the ABC front particularly, artists, agents, sponsors and packagers of programs were won- dering whether to stop negotiations with the network; wait until the CBS takeover, which looked so promising; or peddle their wares to another network. It is hoped that as soon as the concern and confusion of management flux ends that the old managements will give vivid evidence that their continuance of and desire to main- tain a going business, at the same old stand, will result In an assuaging of the fears and uncertainties engendered by the deals and merger negotiations. There Is need for stability for the welfare of all concerned, from the clerk to the stockholder Abel. d .. B TOPPIC MIKERS Salary Cuts for Top 20th Execs, Skouras Move to ‘Stabilize’ tie Co. REPORTED IN TIE By GENE AftfVIlL ■U Hollywood of of tly ere aligned with .ration the ♦ ion of a Plan for Spas old Back la N. Y. bg 120 ganiaation Ides has about far some time at informal labs and Is new due flsr early se way or Urn other. • an absence ef any ef- Aclal identities, hut Aim-maker* re- portedly linked with the plan in- clude Samuel Oeidwya. Walt Dis- ney. Charles K Feldman. William Wyler. Georgs Capra. It’s dearly Nate Spingnld. Columbia vp. stockholders In N. Y. ye ste r day to N Y today * Wed 1 fet- rTues* by proxy Spyras ef stud!# iont.«t»* an Designed as a stabilisation duct ion and releases, im with MMb Paul N. Luanu. Jr. homeoffica vM hln the company, rxe* checked hack In N. Y. #• I effect July 1 far s M Monday from the Const huddles 1 and-a-ha If years Salary Spingnld will hs off aa a two are expected to bring shout savings >th vaiat-oa la Buvep* la mid- of appr %; |a> to IM rare 4 k» „ lh . will , tab* in the Personal Indemnification for 6 Years Of Warners Key to Scuttled Lurie Deal By ABEL GREEN ♦ E. Lurie returns to his I native Saa Frontiers next week I Harry M Warner heads hark to Burbank the end ef this weak, and Jerk L Warmer Aew back to the studio over this past weekend, thus marking Ants to an abortive $25- SOO 000 deal for the Lurie syndl- reputation for wishful thinking or delay. TWy've unearth piue-fartors in the he expected to fel- low through eo It anno or abandon the whole idee short ly. The plan, roughly calls far an alliance of a limited number ef keneert. such as Liberty Pictures when formed by Capra. Stevens. Wyler and Sam Brtskia. The new would turn out six to It top year, with each retaining individual identity ownership ef his pAr subject to Religious Angle Key to ‘Miracle’ High Court Test Hr- far the year will amount to $4,000,000. Skouras said On salaries between $1,000 a week, there will he a 1P1 alftse; 28% an salaries bet’ $1,000 and $2,000 weekly, and an sa l a ris e of mars than $2.1 Salary slices will apply to fives and creative Bush I ducers. directors, et al », but net to players Ceiling of $128.- the plan will he the tog Constitutionality of af a motion picture an religious to achieve the Make Pic h Korea Hollywood. May IE Marking the Arst time a Holly troupe will have actually Korean Story** Is expected to he shot on the Korean battleground cate to buy out the three Warner I Edmund Grainger who will pro- freres* 24 1 control in Warner dure the Milton Knows original far Brea Pictures. Inc . at $1S a share rko. la negotiating with the De The Anale to the deal Mill spells fense Department far an okay to a big deAnlte maybe according to take the company af 25 to Korea. It la believed that the wttli both producer and studio op- ts still open to Lurie A Co tmaistir shout getting to make a deal, should president | Harry M Warner again change his The brothers' affirmative U that a Lurie deal in the works, and H V that **11 , — representing the Hates decided to give affected time the matter has Ween give. t e such legalistic prominence this dure their salaries Incentive I# headed for a deci- ^ ^ by the U A Supreme Court Cam In volve s The m *. ^ . p luiua ptr wtitch cured l»ret*d Pic RifflM Eye battle en a variety af fronts whew W * M * ■ # It opened at the Paris theatre C UA Shows Profit. 1st Tme in Year is Y m during the winter Last the Appellate Division af the N Y Supreme Court unani- moualy affirmed a decision of the State Board af voked the film BrilnkGsvL Cbsfcs in Rdabofl Is Uxtry 7 ■ -- — . ^ 1 while still h opeful for a r am • » < ^ >,>> *7?. . plete elimlnatiou af all British it ursnsr on «' * Aim rest rid Iona. American tod un- it was tactiletioua ._ Ephraim E Linda# attorney for b|r rhanfr ^ p Jawpk Burrtyn. dlrtnbutor dtto U)u . (lan „ . a rreft Mn, told Vaaimr he k take the cam to the highest tn bu- rn the event there’s no Inter- shifts to British “3 $5^32.000 Loss For RKO Fix Co. During Last Yr. Fill United Artists in the sew ting the Arst such period « well over a year that the indie distrlb has Ml been operating at a deAcit April 27. when the af Eagle Lien Cl s stirs was added to the UA lineup, has been y.— *» «** ?——*» I fat rau rix to. 1 CV» * -lr * founders may still step out of their celluloid dynasty Back of the reversed Arid by the Warner* is. fundamentally, that | dvnaatic term Intra-family from two fronts, did more to tie. or at least cool, the deal than Anything elm It’s e ssen tially #f MU*. as *P* rt ■ ~ up ItAA enced H M. to request increasing I m 11 h M concesatona which Lone reported i ,0 ** o1 b5E2lJOOO Fipares *y met—until one Anal condition from official sources, although the Thia waa a demand for a aix-year* KKO annual report for Ascal 50 personal indemm Aral ion for all' b## F* *• be released three Warners on all’ possible Micit was Agured on the baai« I lmiie * to keep Ms at claims, that being the statute of •* tb * *** RKO Pwturr * Cot ? ered by Vaaimr very (Continued on page 20i having existed as a separate entity iku routt g Many key cities are last year, instead of integrated tn with lowest Agures to with the theatre outAt Divorce- rnoftt h>. with few bright spots ment of course, was completed the country The high last Dec 21. On the same hast* Q ( | iV ing loams as the a separate operation, film subaid showed looses of $4.218AM to ‘49 $SSBA154 to '48. and $1 787 417 la t waa of Miracle ! guaranteeing U S remittances af taken an appeal with theCourt of 9&ndm€ up u gn 000 000 plus Appeals and expects to present is hoous” considerations, there ap- argument the end af this month # Ukrllhood th4t England Hr “ ld S^td wmtU drof> 4,1 b*rnm probably will be handed .Continued on In July. | icationa art the court’s 4#d* either toe or against revoca- tion of the license, will rue a trek to the Supreme Court for an ulti- l. Spec 1 Ac amount has yet mate decision London • to he determined because af the la that he will automatically go to .Continued on page 511 'Continued on page 2D m v V m MAN “V. National Boxoffioe Survey vm a h 1 M t—«*— ** *« * ttZZE&ZSuXd'Z Pin Bis U«. in Met Key; Cerxxeo' New Chemp. [blam reported-| >— •* WJM 000 n»urM emmt | ‘Thing’ Climb* to Second; ‘Danger’ Seasonal factors and lack 11 Sea tsMtoss WCt IB s FI Flock of N.Y. Exhahiftors To Be Quzzd ky D. A Oi Fee Dept ‘Donations “Several doaen' exhibitors la Ike K Y. area will he called to for questioning by the N Y District Attorney's office to connection *>U» an Investigation into alleged payoffs to city firemen checking. . . on building compliance with the the parent RKO Cocp showed **Go For Broke’ l M-G». standout currently to weaklah L.A . hints strong potentUUtlea. Tokyo File 212** RKO>. given original bally, shapes Ane in Pittsburgh and neat to Phllly “Goodbye My < WBI looms mild on two damag Island** <U» is okay in Washing ae ton and C!nc1an#ti hut net to feed *47 ing factor generally . . ^ . cities are bring hurt by launching In two other keys Last Outpost of drive-tos within easy driving 1 Par*, nice to Cleveland is fairish of key spots Sol A RKO Theatres up to t h« initial in Washington and fetid in Cincy to Chatter Film Reviews prexy of the| Carp , disclosed the chain on it* j week, when it Anished own. would have had an estimated consolidated net of $1.1#A,577 *58 Consolidated opera! Great Caruso** <MG> is living “Apache Drums** 1 U 1 . i > t. th. lailUl prornu* of U«l | S * . U «n* la Manlreal aad Delilah ' <Par> la fire lamv Spokesman far Dlatrirt Attorney Frank Hogar said he expects to uncover aa “extortion racket' Allegedly operated by members of the Fire Department s Division of Public Assembly ( on page 151 14 .SOO.OOO MO CREDIT COOK TO W-l UNIT " .-“S District Attorney’s office Is aim- i RKO Pictures has established a -Rawhide" <20th» whipped tap fair to prove that the uniformed $4 500 000 revolving credit on from the rear to *■*■****; okay to St. Ln >*» week, when it Anished second It Samson and Delilah* (Par* la N b soaring way ahead of other pi* okay currently* to three keys on h to easily cop Arst place. Secood pop scale runs “Cyrano iL’Ai af position Is being captured by The continues stout to Chi “Five' • Thing** iRKOi. which moved up 1 C 0 D looms mild to Phllly **A. 4 , from sixth place Third money q. Meet Invisible Man (U» shapes I goes to “Appointment With Dan- f»«t to Phllly “New Mexico" ger“ »Par’, rated one of best iCoD. nice in Cincy. kooks fair to [ Alan Ladd starrers Denver “Royal Wedding** ’M-GI Forbidden Past" IRK Oi sl ays t, aturdy to Montreal “Nick Caia“ (20th* la doing is Afth QkMy |B Portland “Soldiers Three Inside Legit Inside Music Inside Piet Inside Radio International Legitimate Literati ... New Acts Night Club Reviews Obituaries Piet 1 | assigned tc theatres have illegally collecting fmm exhibs to the area, with the exhiba. af course, being unwilling parties to the alleged racket to Portland and 11| Recon Frank Scully oitb Bankers I-Fighting Coast Guard" 4Rep» pu^et X" lUAI Is tall to Chi but Trust Co N Y . and Mellon Na- managing to Iwmdl nmwmmtls place ^ M good to a couple Mother tional Bank Pittsburgh (“Father s UttJe '**1 spoto W It*s understood the fund will be Tales of Hoffmann 'l™ 1 *** “J* -Joan af Arc** IRKOi Mama fair to finance production of the “Valentino complete the Big 10 JT* Ust to that sequence "L", “Get It Wholesale" (20th) and Kid * t Par» are 11 * Frtaew fine in N. Y. and getting underway this Jerry Wald-Norman Krasaa unit neek. will continue for an todef It was disclosed this week the l*ite period Theatre operators to pic company already has borrowed ■■ ■■■ **1** . g'. (Complete B ar offk be questioned include tome mana^ $4 000 000 from the total fund lm- ! some » Psjrn EOiT."--!. mmc H ,turret reu DMIS. » *1 — *— Vaudeville 51 82 40 10 54 II 54 01 20 51 52 <3 2 23 28 41 •1 iu 0*1 T « a*>ITV (Fkl-S