Variety (August 22, 1951)

a. mi Bushman, Wilcoxon, Murphy Are Top Samples of Judicious Goodwilling The value of Hollywood person-♦ allties as public relations emis- saries depends greatly upon a care- fully prepared pitch and the avoid ance of personal appearance pit- falls, warn industrywise observers. All are agreed that the “meet- the-people” procedure is top-draw- er tactics in almost every situation, but they point out that in many Rep Gnu 4 Is Sept Hollywood, Aug. 21. Four Alms will go into work at Republic next month, starting Sept. 5. with “Captive of Billy the Kid,** starring Allen Lane, as lead off. U, Col Boy Up Sbres Universal has bought up an addi- tional 200 shares of its 4%% cumulative preferred stock, In- creasing its holdings .to 5,800 shares. In other activity. Columbia has acquired 100 shares of its $4-25 cumulative preferred, upping its own stock ownership to 2,500 shares. —- - v I Second starter will be “Hoodlum cases minimum results are obtained , Emp . re ., Qn the Kefauver because of bad scheduling of ap- i lnvestlgat j onl followed by “The hitting Improper «udi- , Musketeer,” .nother Lane pearances. ... ences. failure to brief stars on how to act and what to say. Apparently COMPO’s Movie- time U S A ” leaders are well aware of such pitfalls and are planning the tour of Hollywood personalities accordingly. The Screen Writers^ Guild is preparing “what tn **y and the tour committee is briefing them on “how to act.’* Just how manv stars, directors, producers and others wtH hit the road, fanning out from the 48 state capitals, Oct. 8 Is not known. It is estimated that at least 100 will be available and efforts will be , made to send out the 250 that , COMPO toppers declare will be needed. T *ut. as one observer with con- siderable e apoearanre tours declared, there is a lot more to a pa. than merely appearing in person He cited the current Francis X. Bushman tour, the Henry Wilcoxon taunt, and the George Murphy appearances as excellent patterns to follow. Bushman has been out for four weeks and has three more to go, ‘Continued on page 24) Govt. Upholds Bonuses Paid to Film Co. Execs But S*ns Anv Boosts oat.-r, and “The Girl from Pana- ma.” starring Estelita. U Sues to Void Sale Of Six Indie Pix Hollywood. Aug. 21. Universal filed a suit in federal court asking that the Bank of America’s foreclosure sale of six indie pix Saturday (18) be voided. Firm, which released the pix, also ne asked in a 63-page complaint, that xpenenc in personally ( . ourt d £ e ; mine lh , fjlms couldn't be taken away from its release, and that it wasn't liable for repayment of any of the bal- ances due on loans the bank made to the producers. Films are “Magnificent Doll,” Hallmark Pro- ductions ‘Skirbali-Manningl; “Se- cret Beyond the Door,” Diana Pro- ductions; “Lost Moment,” Wanger; “The Senator Was Indiscreet.” “Peabody and the Mermaid,” Inter- John. Inc.; “Letter From an Un- known Woman,” Rampart. Ci.se. assigned to Judge Williini t\ Mathes, asked a declaratory judgment in connection with the bank's efforts to recover approx- .matel: $2.000 000 still due ^ on loans *ctilng $5,500,000. Burk conducted * pledgee’s sale Satur- Washineton. Aug. 21. Bonuses paid to execs in pictures and other facets of show bit are covered under the new- regulation | day selling itself six pix for $545. 0J0. Order signed by Federal Judge James M. Carter seu Sep!. 24 for taking depositions from l ank • ffici ds. Just issued by th«* Salary Stab <, )~*- tion Board. SSB rules on indi- vidual big earners, as distinguished from the much larger grouD of earners under the Wage Stabiliza- tion Board Generally speaking. SSB endorses all existing bonuses or those new ones which follow an estimated format. SSB breaks these bonuses into three cate- gories. I 1. “Contractual bonus.” Paid in : accordance with a certificate of in- with Loew’s benefttting heavily corporation, by-law or similar cor-. by thc general pickup to film , he . Sl ,ra ' e ., dor r en ‘ atre attendance via some strong 25. 1951. These may be paid but Metro picture! WalI strcet finan ‘ Wall St. Sees Gain by Loew Same as Yr. Ago, at $1.53 Per Share, Dae to Good Pix Upbeat on Prod, TV Payoff, Seen By Wall St. Finn Wall Streeters servicing investors with market analyses continue to show an active Interest in the film uuaHK&a, with Ilayucfi, Stuur Ot Co., large brokerage house, the latest to come through with an up- beat report, but only so far as pro- duction in concerned. Financial outfit is optimistic on prospects for producers who, it's figured, have a big future in turn- ing out film fare for television. Also, Hayden believes the fllm companies have a strong revenue potential In sale of their inven- tories to TV. The view taken of exhibition, on the other hand, is plenty dismal. The Wall St. concern takes the po- sition home TV will prove too tough a competitor. “Maybe the theatre properties have g current value above book value which jus- tifies present market prices, but in the long run it seems to us that the remark appearing in a recent arti- cle to the effect that the exhibitors are marked for slaughter is very apt.” This presumably referred to Life's report on the business. Hay- den recommends Paramount and Walt Disney stock. In another analysis. Francis I. DuPont & Co. sees indications that the film business and television “are joining efforts rather than going their separate ways. Accord- ingly. the. time could be rapidly approaching when the market will take cognizance of the new alliance and the improved sales and earn- ings outlook for the motion picture companies.” it was stated. E..C. Grainger, head of James- town Amusement, sent a condensa- tion of the DuPont report to all of the chain's managers. He under- lined a portion of the report which referred to industry complacency brought about by the big business during the war years, as having contributed to the decline in in- come later. Amusement Stock Quotations Far the Week Ending Tmeaday, Aug. 21 Weekly Weekly Weekly > Tuaa. Net Vol. la High Low Close Change 100s for week N. Y. Stock Exchange ABC 114 12% 12% 12% — CBS. “A” 35 28% 27% 28% -f % CBS, “B” 22 28% 27% 28% +1 Col. Pic... 33 13% 12% 12% +% Loew’s 340 17% 16% 17% + % Paramount 143 25 24%* 24% — % RCA 1183 23 21% 22% +1 RKO Pictures 209 3% 3% 3% + % RKO Theatres 133 4 3% 3% — Republic 130 4% 4% 4% — % Rep., pfd 12 10% 10% 10% + % 20th-Fox 88 20% 20 20% — Un. Par. Th .192 20% 19% 20% +% Univ 56 , 10% 9% 9% — Unto., pfd 3 57% 56 57 -f 2 Warner Bros 787 14% 14% 14% + % N. X- Curb Exchange Monogram 176 3% 3% 3*4 -L % Technicolor 31 20 19% 19% ' — % Over-the-counter Securities Bid Ask Cinecolor 8% 4 Pafhe ...: 3% 3% 4- % UA Theatres 7 8 4 * % Walt Disney 8% 8% + % (Quotations furnished by DREYFUS A CO.) no increase may be paid due to any change In the method or form- ula effected subsequent to Jan. 25. 2. Bonuses pursuant to estab- lished plan of a discretionary na- ture, based on an established, writ- rial circles look for Loew’s earn- ings in the fiscal year ending Aug. 31 to come very close to the $1.53 per share shown in the previous fiscal year. Not only is the earn- ings statement expected to com- pare favorably with a year ago, but STOCK SHORTS ACTIVITY CURRENT IN UPT SHARES First important interest by shorts traders In film stocks in many months was registered dur- ing the 30-day period ending Aug. 15. New York Stock Exchange re- ported this week. Issue in which the shorts were active was United Paramount Theatres. Exchange tabulation showed a pickup of 4.690 short shares of UPT during the month. There were 7.895 shares as of Aug. 15 and 3,205 as of July 15. Only other recent interest in Aim shares by the traders who seJJ stock before they buy It—in the hope it will go down—was in Para- mount Pictures early this year. Shorts interest increased from 690 shares Jan. 15 to 4.386 * month la- ter and fell to 1,700 shares as of March 15. Amus. Shares Up ,026,459 in July FIVE MPLS. HOLDOVERS SET RECORD FOR YEAR ten plan in existence prior to Jan. there is no^ift ln meth^d afte^ V™**? 0 ** for the 12-month and Minneapolis signifies a turn- MU I IlOn .liter r»r> ru>H 1 m rnnciH«rih1v KnM»r t i _. • : i_ 1 a i »_ a —u* Minneapolis, Aug. 21. Trade here is wondering if the I current holdover record in SL Paul Jan 25 which ups th<* amount of period loom considerably better. .. . Ja . Aside from “Great Caruso,” the bonus, and provided the alloca- Metro had several big money pic- tion conforms to the usual pi*ac- tures in the past year including tices of the employer “Father’s Little Dividend.” “Kim," 3 Discretionary bonuses Okay . Royal Wedding." "Go for Broke” If not larger than the highest dis-i an( j “Vengeance Valley.” Both cretionary bonus to the employee “Caruso*’ and “Show Boat” figure during calendar year of 19o0 Em- to ^ amon g the topgrossers of the ployer may split up a bonus fund, but amount must not exceed the base period bonus fund. Bob O’Donnell’s Bijc Pitch To Exhjbs on ‘Movietime’ Robert J. O'Donnell, national di- rector of “Movietime U S A.,’’ this week is continuing his tour of ex- hibitor meetings throughout the country, making a concentrated pitch for the nationwide boxoffice drive which opens Oct. 1 year, but receipts from the latter will go almost entirely into Loew s next fiscal year. Both films set records at the N. Y. Music Hall, “Caruso” hitting an all-time money high. Nearly all domestic receipts of “Caruso ing point in exhibition’s fight against TV. In St. Paul, where holdovers al- ways have been very rare, there are no less than three now. One picture. “Alice in Wonderland,” is in its third week and two others, "Show Boat” and “The Frogmen,” in their second, and all have been doing exceptionally big business. It’s certain that 'The Frogmen” will remain for a third week and may go even longer than -that M-G-M’s policy of not permitting any moveovers of its pictures is the only thing that keeps “Show Boat” from a third week. In St. fall into the fiscal year ending this month. Aside from the pickup in biz in Paul’s film history three-week runs this country during the next 12 have been very rare, if not entirely months, which is anticipated espe- non-existent. cially if quality of product holds up Here in * Minneapolis, “Show as well as Metro’s did in the past j Boat," “Alice in Wonderland” and year, considerable additional coin i “The Frogmen” are all in their Monday (20) O’Donnell spoke at 1* expected from the foreign mar- third weeks, with the first-named New Haven and Tuesday «21 > at ket. In many of these countries, having established a near record Boston. Today <Wed.' he will spe;^. ace Metro product has still to be at the 4.000-seat Radio City, which in Indianapolis and then to ex- hibitors in Cincinnati and other Ohio cities. Schedule of the rest of his tour follows. Aug. 23. Chica- go; Aug. 24. Denver; Aug. 25-28, Dallas; Aug. 27. Memphis: Aug. 28 Atlanta; Aug. ?9. Jacksonville; Aug. 30. New Orleans; Aug. 31. St. Louis. After the New Orleans date. O'Donnell will return to his N. Y. headquarters at the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. H° will speak at Albany Sept. 5 and will address a meeting of N. v . and N. J. exhibitors in N. Y. Sept. 6. Last city on his tour is Pitts- burgh, Sept. 7. released. Signing of the Japanese very infrequently has held a pic- peace treaty is expected to open up a market where films previously were sold on a restricted basis. Metro is expecting much from this market because for a long time the company's product has gone big there. Then, too, the corporation is ex- pected to benefit somewhat from the new pact signed with Great Britain. Metro is counting on both “Quo Vadis," which was filmed in Rome, and “American in Paris,” figured as measuring up to both “Caruso” and “Show Boat,” to be big gross- eis. ture that long. There also are two other current holdovers. “Kind Lady” and “The Wench.” in their second weeks at the sureseaters World and Pix. respectively. That makes five holdovers In all. a rec- ord numbers for the past year. Shorts Circuit San Antonio, Aug. 21. The marquee of the Broad- way Theatre here last week read: “Valentino,” the lover who was the idol of all, with shorts.” Iowa, Nebraska Exhibs Attack Bank Night Ban, Percentages in Confab Omaha, Aug. 21. Emerging from a session with distributors and other elements of show business, where they fell in line 100% to boost business with “Movietime U. S. A.,” more than 100 members of Iowa and Nebraska Allied retired to their private con- vention with a meeting last Tues- day afternoon (14). First, the exhibitors argued the idea of permitting legal horse rac- ing in Nebraska and barring bank night. Second, they revolted against the federal amusement tax, declaring that it was taking from them the profits they needed by holding down business. Third, they d-clared that flat rentals ought to take the place of percentages. Per- centage pictures 4 In the smaller towns and rural centres were just “all wrong.” While Tio action was taken officially, the exhibitors hauled a lot of projects over the coals. “I don’t see.” declared Chairman A1 Myrick of Lake Park. Ia., “why the Nebraska law permits horse racing and all the gambling that goes with it, and still forbids bank nights, bingo and things like that,. Many a theatre could get by nice- ly. if bank night were legal. In Iowa they Nave bank nights, and it’s a help.” At the general meeting attended by 400 showmen o? the area, Bob O’Donnell of Dallas told them to get up out of their armchairs, roll up their sleeves and use showman- ship and energy. He said that show business is sound and that it can never be beaten. Myrick pointed out that in his area, it was true, some theatres were closed, but addrd that ‘ the {additional new seats brought in by the drive-ins doubled the seats we lost.” After remaining almost station* ary during the months of May and June, the composite value of amusement shares registered on the big board rose $30,026,459 as of July 31. Figures released by the N. Y. Stock Exchange last week showed the shares' market value at the end of July was $1,106,276,771, compared to $1,076,250,312 at the close of the preceding month. Though the 30-day climb is con* siderable, nevertheless it’s far be- hind the 12-month increase of $116,- 835.418 over the closing total of $989,441,353 racked up July 31, 1950. In the one-year period the average price of shares climbed 19c from $17.59 in July, 1950, to $17.78 in July, 1951. Amusement industry bonds also showed sharp improvement last month, compared to the June 29 total. Aggregate market values of these securities came to $6,820,050 as of July 31, with an average price per bond of $95. End of June saw the figure at $6,604,680 and $92, respectively. Tally amounted to $6,550,836 and $91.25 as of July 31, 1950. CITE SEATTLE EXHIB IN 4 PERCENTAGE SUITS Seattle, Aug. 21. Walter T. Coy was named de- fendant in four separate boxoffice percentage suits filed here indi- vidually by United Artists, 20th- Pox, Warners and Loew’s. Under-reporting of receipts on percentage pix at the Center, White Center, Wash., and the Hi- Line Theatre, Evansvale, Wash., was alleged. Paul Fetterman. Seat- tle. and Sargoy & Stein, N. Y., rep the plaintiffs. Washington — Nearby Falls Church. Va., has removed the 2c admission tax on children’s tickets for film theatres there. Action was taken by the Falls Church City Council. Pix Divvies 1st Half ’51 In Drop to $15,065,000 Washington. Aug. 21. Pix dividends during the first half of this year were only $15.- 065.000, U. S. Dept, of Commerce reports. This is a dive from the $16,568,000 for the same period in 1950. During June, the dividends to* taled $4,671,000, which was close to the $4,873,000 paid out in June. 1950. Figures would have be*e about the same this year, txcet* for the diwie issued by Pars* mount. Thi* June ita stockholders received $1,152,000. Last Jbne it was $J,324.000. The decline is due mainly to the fact that Paramount has been buying a lot of its stock off the market, to reduce the num- ber of shares outstanding. Commerce Dept, says the public- ly reported dividends of an indus- try come to about 60 to 65% of all dividends paid in that indsutry. Syracuse Cancels Fix Tax Syracuse will cancel its 3% cl *Y tax on pix tickets on Jan. 1, l^ 2 - City Council repealed the tax and substituted a 2% tales tax.