Variety (May 23, 1951)

VrdM«il«y t May M, 1*51 1'XnTTtr THEATRE TV MAPS BIG PROGRAMS Never Save Gas Going Uphill No question about It—the picture business Is going through Its fourth Mg phase. Came the sllsnta. the talkers, then a 4e- presslon-era downbeat which saw banko. bingo and giveaways i from dishes to autos at their peak I, followed by the wartime upsurge, circa World War n. And now the readjustment. With wartime prosperity It was axiomatic that If you adver- tised Coming Toots Shor e Menu'* they wouldn't bother to In- quire what was the headline dish Nobody could make a "bad** picture, and from the creative artists' viewpoint the major wrong was the Inability "to keep a buck ** That's how capital-gains and Indie setups were born, unproductive as most of them were. The readjustment cues a fight to maintain the status quo. and new concepts for the picture business may well be In order There may be leaser theatres. Downtown traffic may give drive-Ins and nabes newer and greater 'values Top plx may more and more approach the boxoffice standards of hit plays —If they ting, they're real boffolas and draw huge monetary returns. If they're lemons the public doesn't want them The competition for the American people's leisure time Is the crux of the boxoffice situation. The four choice nighttime hours find sports. TV. AM. motoring, the weather (good or bed», eateries, hooferies. nltertes and Just-take-it-easy dlscurskms and diversions competing against plx. Somehow, unfortunately, the daytime appeal of “going to the movies**—that great market of the femme matinee trade—has suffered In like proportion, so there Is no cushion from the distaffers, who seemingly have found squally diverting Interests that militate against the film b jo. The new concept for the picture business will require the same derring-do that keynoted the pioneering spirit which made the film Industry great—In other words, the renewed application of genuine, showmanly aggressiveness In selling the public a great entertainment medium That showmanship doesn't mean penuriousness, bscause ex- ploitation. ballyhoo and merchandising are the essence of the picture business You never save gas going uphill Too often conservatism and retrenchment undermine the very purpose of selling. Abel. la their Report WB May Adopt Lurie Plan For Liquidation of Its Realty Holdings. c And May Enlist Han to Handle It By ABE1 GREEN get her to boxoffice to bankroll turn* heart, the eoa iparatively sports evs la s Vsstmr hibitors hove big ture for eotertsii which may outstrip to talent and . — ri'SE? TwSL*! Andy Smith Ne*otiatii»K I t* that they can t ds such shows until 20th-Fo* Ply Settlement to not 100% cold may take Cash settlement of Andy W form as the three brothers plan to Smith. Jr.'s contract with 20th Fox liquidate their theatre holdings A Is being negotiated bow wi*iaal Is rescued two week* ago by Harry M Jack I. ai pany s v p and gsosral sale*- J AMsvt Warner railing far t York p ro a Ir a to aatharWa them to sell flip ia same NO theatres and realty af the His rusting WB circuit af 441 theatre TV equi men alsa indicated that they contain video as the potential hypo so at the It was generally agreed that theatre TV. if M gets full sup- port from the entire industry, can do sa much to revive Bagging lo- ss the in- did la the late 1020a Exhiba far that 1 af the top circuits la the Conti sued on page IS la an elocution of I to liquidate the Sacks Denies Any NBC-RCA Plan To the Soa Franciaro realtor The necessity for s roll call of WB stockholders from the fact that the dlv split WB Iota two separate entitles. The bro ining with the £gg_._ Takeover H wood ' a PIX HOLD PRICE LINE ASS CHEAPEST’ AMUSEMENT I tl that A graph af price I 1045. to by G f. I af M< coats. i»n price line Pay Slashes at Oder Companies Uncertain in Wake of 20th Cutting to hold their i't cheapest During the p er iod Hollywood. May 22 RCA voepoe Mania Backs I It clem, during his local dies lost week as has NBC af Coast ooeratlosu Joha West, that "RCA-NBC Is oat interested lo any Hollywood talent-raiding, studio takeovers, or the like" This Is answer to an imaginative story in a Coast tradepaper ‘net Daily V uimr. along with the litters currently obtaining not .Mb UTS nit •• ,h * *»-*«•• front af living MJ'V; It was acreage intentions at Ua board meeting In aroood mo ooo «not April 4. when exeru- * . .. live director Gael Sullivan warned T * v* that If Hollywood dtdn t wake up ; ™ 1 •• <■* uro4 for own p.. nfMiu on poor SI) TOA Proceeds QndJy With Phi Is Supply Con for lade Filsu af America la going ahead quietly with its to underwrite “cor la order to TOA announced Ua Intentions at Ua board meeting in in exec circles Anticipation that the 20th-Fox ♦> to cut upper-bracket salaries U edly during the While officers af the Bis denied specific plant In that direction. It waa sand that some future board meetings within the trade doubtless wtU hear p r oposals for such cuts. Companies In the past few years is to nearly the minimum How much more they can go without impair- ing efficiency of operation It's agreed consideration la af rank-and-Bler variably has been stirring trouble with the Blm . Numerous ptc on the matter were unanimous ia their report that as the situation oow stands every expense Is being closely watched with the view of effecting aibie But there's no other overhauling of presently in view In line with this. RKO. which Nos been hit hardest, earnings- Oise. reportedly Is fearful of any (Continued on Page 1S» on U. B Bureau of RCA-NBC Labor statistics. Is being made tl.000.000) Is available by COMPO to theatres future” for posting in lobbi es "so that the kayo to the existing NBC radio-TV public." COMPO paints ant. may studios at Sunset and Vine that anr Industry, far from Nor dues it mean that NBC Is an expedition as regards facilities Sol Schwartz Sign* 3-Year RKO Pact Sol A. Schwarts, prexy af RKO adding to the i aflat ton spiral, has ] any foraging Theatres Carp, has Inked s three bept Jta prices at s reasonable picture stud year employment contract with the It was disclosed la N. Y. Tues ». following ap- proval of the deal by the board of Ckl Folds Up !• lit Five mors Chi theatre slated lo bu> ale within a _____ Srhvaru bro bro. .Uh It* rtr hl ., M »ro r »|| tot.) thu oro. thro tTLST "•f” l “ v “5 «• H* darkened bouro. fort started as assistant manager af New lroup lo the Alhambra Theatre. “ * p Series of with his appointment to the *• T : the Mars. Vic was rap|>ed am . a I to give of the buslnem As evidence of the of bis Coast trip, other talent relations. Is the that NBC president Joe Me- te come mittee has been appointed to delve into all the ramifications af (Continued on page 21» li Hriety and , lo Hollywood thia theatre company from RKO pro- duction-distribution last Jan. 1 See Johnston Back at MPAA By September ‘Sabstiadar Probed Always Cones to Rescue Of H wood—Pasternak Eric A J _ Economic SUbilUslion Director. Is ■ expected to return to of the Motion Picture I National Boxoffice Survey Biz Still SlugfitH; ‘Caruso Continues No. 1 Five By Big Margin, ‘Fancy/ ‘Thing* Next Best Returns la key cities this week | *RKO). "Tales of Hoffmann Im range from sluggish to big geoer die and Communist For FBI” 1 ally with man> exhibitors blaming <WB> round out the Big 10 list product and persistent offish bit Best runner-up ptx are "Fight- lone Despite all obstacles, re- lag Coast Guard” (Rcp> "Air ports from VAaimr-cocrespon- Cadet tU». Kon-Tlkl RKO), dents la representative keys show The Scarf* <UA* and ' Follow that stronger product is msnag- Sun •20th>. ia that sequence mg to make favorable showings in Aside from the new Blms that Exhiba will be landed In the ratings list this how much Blm week, fresh product Just being with the usual fa- launched does not shape too prom- upawing Memorial Day Ising Tops saaong new entries Is of week In the face of all adverse far- L.A. Great Caruso* iM-G» con- ting | "Go For Broke” M-Gi. okay in in Washington, hit PtwUy. "Half Highly-placed Blm execs while to'raclT up nice ta big or Angel” '20th* Is mild in Minneapo- aaserting they have had no definite unash bu It is way ahead of Mt and Cleveland but okay in Bel- ( Ptouly bolltoh on pic Industry . rommilmcnl from Johnston be- other dims «uh a »rest 000 *!"'''"■ A ‘“ "JJ: Jjgg , “ i prospects. Metro producer Joseph lieve bell ankle the Government ha tfr. b a*u-d on r« urn» f om ^ j 2!? °T^ UOn i My 111' Upo “ * %t * ruikm hU «i*Tent ft P rs V pu” for^the w£k "Mr Imperium” «M-G». with one U*4 th._ tr.ros Mrtroy ho. bron mm t k „ ttaeBc . fnm <* I ro-ro .rob rod snotber r.ted .. repeatedly marked with crises of . " • - f AlI ^ ^ shape too well INDfX Bills Chatter Film Reviews ... House Review * .. Inside Legit Inside Music .... Pictures .. 1 sort or another and in every MPAA Johnston took the national i "Goodbye. Ms Fancy” <WB», ^^ntuA <W* ~onom, assignment last January. Just Marling last week Is push along as the rescuing (actor leaving the MPAA reins in the mg up to second spot although Pasternak Is fullv confident ores- b*nds of his exec side. Joyce inclined to be uneven The ent dropoff in busmen will bTr£ O'Hara Thing” RKO» again is near the \ creed and professes no alarm over Contributing lo the belief he's lop in third position, well ahead * — *- —* —— of Its next strongest File 212” RKO) . to fair ia Providence but good la Boston T Was American Spy” Mono*, moderate la D C . to brisk la Balto M Col) looks strong u> Philly to Inside Internati Legitimate Literal i Music New Acts Night Club Reviews Obituaries Pictures the industry's general economic looking to return to the industry | of its next strongest competitor . ' l I ro WMm Film maker Is on o NT. ‘P°« »**' *»" to th* (art bo is told fourt h mouey Is (om( to llman Ap^boDru^J- •VHIR vtsR from Culver Citv to scout new bour to be re-acquslating himself Drop Kid iPar* while fifth goes IS rather s Little 1,1 i.j.'s ssrf&fiFS s i ■■«■■■>■ i » u !w i ^' I xs, w«8Br *. i’.t:" lines at the Music Hall • where ’ Johnston discussed pic conditiom also from Paramount his latest The Great Caruso ” *s at an Informal luncheon meeting * Smnggler s Island just out ^ with execs in N Y. last Friday last week to grabbing off MB po- X )LA» is fair ia CM mild la D C "Man F Reviews i Frank Scully Television Vaudeville Reviews IS 41 40 12 57 •I 43 SB 52 B3 3 27 M 45 il 25 37 51 drawing top returns _ .. . Pasternak said he's considering and probably will be sitting m at aition. ultb (Continued on Page 151 • other such sesatono Noin now on. .‘seventh slot. •Rawhide” ‘20th! in (Complete "forbidden Po4C*| • — Boioficf Reports om . OAILV VAIIITI •IS I year asa . • • : i: ! t