Variety (May 23, 1951)

• 4 IS « • *«'• WfJaftJafi M*? 23, 1M1 1 »' FILMS' STABILIZED ECONOMY PUSH COMPO Reaches Its Strength Peak SWEEPING SWITCH ^ rassroo,s ^ Prtch Discloses ‘But Not Yet Off Ground’: Mayer QM CIIPITffl IZING Each Locale Has Own B.O. Standards ryi tl of IMIun Pkturf Or ♦ ^■1 Troops in Korea Need mr v? . I While 3Qlb-Fox‘s announcement 1 a • ■■ ■« n r\ » jml' mIm chief for talmul. Al Doff w in Korea Need If voluniary rrMunum in huh- Nail I lleller ( O. Denied OK Km heen loiai one of the Moot More Fix, Projector* V* *rmr4 with To Remodel Bid*. for TV u mixed reaction, the measure hoe VT u . « And* tnpi probably in the at* HoHyxnod Mny S3 J‘^ rrri | u dramatize the fart a large . . .. ( ^ ^m^nLaS eelllnf It rails for a »« mor* pra>««1M>a ■»- u . (inral w )h , ilm Uj* Wlw h.l»»**k in N. T. >nd Ik* Mkrr and more Sima for the an- f(n . nnlif w.,. of Cleveland, ha* been denied per* Half-of-the-week In one or another n*M M art In Korea *aa 1* a44lltan i« ti„ ..brMwa "•“**— *> ,h » <**• l “ du * of th* U ruluttr mar Wow n lor Ferrer™ INS rorrr T* ."T"— . IrUI Krl.lion. Urporlmmi lo re-1 .--1 ' Mh ha* reached the Plea In It* to date. That * the rom m ent f— Arthur L. Mayer COMPO* e*ec _ 4 _ v.p. who ha* a reputation for re- • tmainmenl of Cl • in K a I let* appro Ha I a* afalnd what nt>Ar *7 Ferrers Ik he term* ' phoney optimism." •pondrnt. after eight Mover counseled again* draw- * *one. m In, I hr (owrhtaloo that thr orcaoi MoImm pclner* preeMe vln«all> ui too la rmaRMety •* Ik* oaaf ' «•* miy rMrrtaf and ready to Uke on any public re let In the In addition to the to htxtMltsrd of ing em- , . *w iln I % (A us. M ... , HrfDta ( Ferrero said There are no rear „a t JT. 4i _ u ^ The Pet It ho nr Ouh. in Geauga " to World War II .here ■** ■. * , H* m A^ A ** -*<?*^ OmMF. u no. ~h*m .* M*. fry rMtoa.JTHIa caadton -«»Q„ L ^ t t * r, 1 fXnaaat. Tllh (he dmpoll m earned ‘ r ^“* '^“woldmUn'^.d* ^ ary, k* d-rUrad Ikon am of «oa dm fond Martra- •*■*••• _oro.py thr ho.Id.M I which COMPO ha* Mt Incept I But the than two la that a lely Korea No hot at ill not 125 project In 47$. for hi* tion that COMPO I* stronger at | preaent than ever In the peat. Help- | Ing COMPO toward It* goal of In- 1. of director* of Allied at IU Kansas City me eting last week, hi eSert of COMPO m In the on the stale of the linois Allied Meets to Stem Price-Cut War by the Ohio State lodu» of the S3 exchange area* New trial Selauana Department lo re OrloL— I the Pet 11 hone Chib, former Oklahoma Che and Dallas Ming »p«d I rto qu arters u rams next week and the week lew are underway with nlm« pre*uma after change* In their coattail- '°T television. . _ The plan Is for I he Aim la to shrink mmim * ^ | ing problem* an a toral level. Daff I* committed to the Idea that he „ .. F ‘ r dill “dorsal want In learn any of ISM w dm M U dn -I ■■ . - -.—T r > in. nip I he »i n m I ■> ky tloo hy Paramount la* seek with Z j? 1 .r ”” . , »tiy preconceived Industry rule V m Mi vwsit on ind-onarter praSt In , * t a mmo rce Pepnrtmrm_ar gotM.** Me nixed r e g i o na l der to tear do*r~ — — to the cnrrrnt wear. \lthnngh the dollar earning* of tl.411.000 were the same a* In the rarrexpdhdlng In *M. per share earnings ed a hefty Inrreaae The rev- enue equalled «V per share In *S0 while the ‘SI prwdt was to glr. Thl*. of course, gem fi fad Par ha* in Franklin Connty G Court at Cohsmhu* Ik* building Tkr ttM> „ (trw W t^hlUd change area on Its own. He Ptcaw ed greater out In the held Chicago. May 33. of a price-cutting war • o« ‘ — I ■■■■ Chi nahe theatre* Mf *** 1 ** . Jack K track. Allied af llllnoi* .*b7 dmdKt Ik. aW- •rv -^ , c *?l rstss bring la. In It ,M ^^ of TOA out Sis ‘ Additl total In the fold the Of St. laouto. KaWera Missouri and Southern llllnos*. Ouners of North Una 1 N. Y.*t Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Asan^ compr is ed of shout 300 theatres, b e c am e the (Continued on page It* Several indies during the pa* few weeks have tumbled tariffs to irt-kM •• . •«! mn, .. «wv, - . "J il ,K OOl. Among the late* to Sal*ban A •n<i >outn i.aro- who ^ Tower and Southtowa n . ... u .. theatres slashed prices to 42c and « Tilm JsMee’ Is Sapply COMPO With Its Top Test As Aid Jp Boxoffice Council of Motloo Picture Or- gaoiiationa sill undergo one of the severe* te*« la its controver- sial career with its *agmg of the theatres slashed prices to 43c and Ur for evening top. respodlvely. Week and a half ~ge Jarkaon Park In a Ur top All three h u n aes are an a dual policy, showing ffrst sub-run pix fresh from the Loop. Indies have sliced though few are on a market for well now held hy the poMtr total 2 - a year ago the amounted lo 3.173.176 It s expeded Par will contlone with the policy af capital- isation reduction rutting thr standing comm o n to 3 share* at lea* l r *s hoyup Cutting down an Its In structure Universal in the pa* two month* bought up an addition- al 330 share* af h* own 4'4*« cumulative preferred *ock. bring- ing lo S.ffOO the number af U now holds tot ha Ire On an*Her ffnonrial front. U also in Disney ‘Not Yet Ready’ for TV; Studies Medium and that New York | the held as much as K N. T. The answer to that ITs sales have hnamsi extraordinarily An*her 1 to that Daff 1 “fallen an his face.” which waa a friendly ham e dff e e bet In light af the Intenar Anting In-and- out of N. Y Daff tees bto plane hops ta the north we*. Chi. Now Orleans. At- lanta. St Louis. Denver, the Cnart and the like no different than what doing all hto life In Irons country tn he M South America. F.u- the Middle East or the Far ‘'Aim jubilee'’' this year. It was originally set for September but probably will be po*puned several weeks to allow for more planning lt‘t figured in lop iadu*ry quarters that COMPO probably will suffer ht mo* serious setback, or make ha greaie* gains, dependent on the outcome * the festival Reason so much Importance to at- tached tn the public relation* pro- ject to that h will preside exhib* with the fir* opportunity to evalu- ate COMPO In terms of ton. It s a w« I Ik now n fart that theat remen are remaining the COMPO fold until they're gi'en positive proof the mat At can a*»i* la boi*ering Income COMPO advocates question this line af reasoning feeling that the Garto May Retsrs Is Pix F*r M-G is Gmttor Yarn Hollywood. May 33. Greta Garbo la an the point of returning to Metro for the top role In Death Be N* Proud ** After conferences with the actress. Dor* Srttary signed John Gunther, au- thor * the story, to wrhe a While and Wall have In I h potential revenue f television (he cartoon outfit this The U. S to a might) k asade M Hoar M's o* ori “to tto only different to make the TV plunge. »hen I hop from the New England President Roy O IHsnev told Yankee* to the Dixie belt lo I be rtorkholderx In a statement that **«■» !*■ *UI hi this great big the com p a n y to continuing to *udv country of ours. Elsewhere l*d the medium with the view to for- "*** *toa# or. anyway. I'd he mutating a definite prtiev Hut m *•! national borders ** far “no final derisions have been I" f°*M out to (he we have no definite plan* it menu * this time " K'ooli 20 tbFsxs Fshire Prof. In LomIod to Be Dose ** ♦ lll !» »*; An Film-to-Film Rasts - ,w h **'» Ubr » r * I v" iWleiW NH of completed features and shorts no TV. He added that experience so far “leads us tn believe that tele- vision can he a mo* powerful sell- ing aid for ua. as well as a an the laral IB* $210,914 Profit For Dkaey is 6 Hostks Though Grow Ott turned to the screea last year for Walter Wanger s “Friends and but financial difficulties the project to be Ma y 32 by Npyro* Skouras to terminate the permanent *udio | organization la Britain will art af- fect Fred of the British principal both are _ It will, however, operate afMBfit |*AP»d op MtoMfflM of dips a . r lk- B»«er. II t , “AUc* in WmMmT ».rr ... ^-‘^^■■ *7- 'TUl wmu ■ww M.ttom LmI (VMiui Day. ‘ * * * ** ,,i ® Dianev also disclosed IKjI tlw I *** w*® mpg wao <wl*l rrTMUy b»,»n prod.MU.Mi oi uT* Uu **“ * ,fCl . I J “ I •* "• r.»„uuv«. «•- late the permanent *udlo «** “ • "*«* powerful sell .u. . . . , , ion in Britain will n* af- Ing aid for wa. as well as a sourer . — . ** I Fox. managing director °* revenue It util pmbaMv he «m I rtttoh oootfit. or Km Lgon. *Kto premise th* ore enter tele- i, production executive, as ^hea we do" Referenre to under long-term cuntrart* ** •• • promotional aserlium wa* ^ *TS (art or lor however, operate again* baaed an telecasting af clip* from Drarlng. ttSZLtZZJ* ~ Ur— la- elm IT I ” * ^ three- i(h trsrtme*. klet?o WuL**" 1 al1 other departmental relfitfd in 1041 tl,. alnuMi ro the permanent (eehnlcvl rttOOOM m INI. Me tl re ^ ^ loth-Fox for • dramatic shoU He said R * the la* three or four years, *«* »»dy to evaluate progm* lo The compaav's lease ao Denham this endeavor, or to predirl it* studio* expires la September, and future. will not be renewed Inking of the agn—rnl «Mh J Arthur Rank la« Frank Nufrnt Inked nawi u — i By KKO to Hypo Breed* .wm. bin, had Hrtlywwod. May 23 been shuttered for some months RKO has inked senpter Frank It to not known currently whether ta build up “The Half the dudua* will remain op e n after Brisk. I, Make 2 Pii la Antra nit Year .VS.i. ” did share mi Aim unted la f I Md 313 en features, pared wiffi gPUd Ml In tbe pre- reding slz-month p eri od Dianev a take from short* reached POi 044 in the recent period, a* agafta*i MMMJ In tbe ux I Total $2X51 444 in the earlier Job ahead to n* something to be Breed.'* Robert Young Jams Car- the ending af the 30ih-Fox tenancy accomplished overnight and the ter-Jack Brule I starrer supposedly Invent nvent hy (he company in bo results * the Jubilee shouldn't finished six weeks ago British an page IS* CARUSO’ TO ALL-TIME RECORD M LONDON Execs gandered rough Irving Starr I elded it was far too short for a lop- budget film Nugent was called in lo go over the original script, re- write of | start is) It ahead af the total A Light pix made si nes 1947 14 for Par Rest of ’SI Hollywood. May 22 even features tot colas SO in black-and-white, s af 14. will be turned art by Para and its ft during the May 33 Erasing a mark that had since 1A3A. “Great C K« first week at Metros Empire with a new all-time hou«e Metre’s operatic musical to In its second day af Initial rtama after chalking up not including any taxes., iMI Hi Arm! .l.m. , * 41 K ““ m Ih^pTra* ."3! » UILD CUITIJ mean* that the house get* In only Universal-International to fuur shows daily. “Broadway all art to launch two new M'ludy." another M-G picture Piper 1 marie and Tony Curtis via which huwg up the previous record ! a Id-city tour, during which they | ao e r M c on $15 000 000 that total, the compaay carried substantial overhead hy retaining permanent headquarters in Picca- dilly as well as at the studios Two 30th-Fox pix recently co m pleted *111 await screening, arc No (! ,•>. > . ' *i«rnn< lene Dh trick and James Stewart, and “The House an the Square."* with Tyrone Power and \aw Blvth .Their la* British presentation, i “The Mudlark was honored at the waa cut to $770,140 an feature* in the new period, down from II.- 107.043 to (he earlier half-year. 21 tedar of ttooj B ntish select loo for the Royal Command Performance It waa *atrd here last week that further British productions will be made hy the company, but nothing definite has yrt been lined op In futun however, the romnoov will a pictM 21 year s ago, had the advantage of will ma ke TV qnd radio doing six shows "dally. lances and give press interviews. s»‘- '• cuns |i% * 4 ff Ion tho-e ten Vienna May 15 . Mart Bnvkia. Ilolly wood pendent who shot the fir-1 U. Si feature film In Au*ria la* vear when he made “The Magic Face" with Luther Adler. Patricia Knight and local discovery Ilka WiadiNch. planed hark here last week to *art preparations for two ptx to this summer Associate r Maurte M Ssew came with him being Joined in Pari* by Swiss cameraman Tony Braun and a s si st ant dirartor Larzi Raaay. Director Don Siegel u due in mw* to be followed In a lew days by- his wife. Vtveca Lindforv She will *ar In the fir* Bnskia film this year. “Na Time for Flower*** play hy Ladt«la» Vad- llan* Wilhelm The W mdisrh girl to In support Se c o nd Briskia project lor thin year to tilled “The Legend " with script hy Robert Smith, who wrote «tudio goes TV. l^dd will he in “Magic ►are " li s slated to start along with everybody else Lou in August, also under Siegel's dl- W ss a rrm sa pros of Music Carp of rertioo. but Undfors to not «i~m d America, to slated to Iroo art the lor this one "Magic Face * is ban- matter with Warners lor Ladd this died hy Columbia t«< TELE CLAUSE DELAYS LADD’S WARNER PALI Hollywood. May 33 Alan Ladd ha« delayed signing a non-exrlwsik e part with Warners because the studio to reported un- willing to grant him television rights Contract to far one pirtuie yearly for Ifi years The deal may hr okay with I .add if other Warner players deal have the rights but if s om e da have them—as M's eiaioied Doris Day has—Ladd wants them. Ion. Warner* pointed art that if the