Variety (September 05, 1951)

PICTURES Vcdneidaf, September 5, 19S1 ‘My Boy August B.O. Champ; * 6031 ’ 2d Disney-Afice’ 3d, Capt Horatio’ 4th 4 - ' Comedies and musicals predom- inated among the boxofTice win- ners over the country last month, according to Vasiety correspond- ents in some 26 key cities. Break in the heatwaves and some cool weather helped biz in numerous localities. Indicative of how far the general upbeat at Aim theatres has carried, is the fact that the Ave biggest grossing pictures hit near- ly $5,000,000 gloss during August The two top Alms totalled above $2,600,000. “That’s My Boy” 'Par* took over the No. 1 spot nationally last month. The Martin-Lewis comedy romped to three Arst places in weekly totals, and never was out of the top four rankings except the initial week it was on release, wiien only opening in two thea- tres. Not only was the college com- edy a sensation on preem weeks, but it also held up much stronger than even the most optimistic dis- tributor had foreseen. “Show Boat" (M-G*, which was the champ in July, was a heavy- weight in second place, although in the Anal two weeks of the month the musical t inter was playing mainly on a few scattered extend- ed-run dates. Picture had nearly comp'eted a 1 1 Arst-run engage- ments in bigger keys by the close of August, but still managed to snag almost the same amount of coin as in July. “Alice in Wonderland” *RKO- Disnex * easily copped third money, with the fact that the Bunin for- eign version of “Alice” attempted to beat it into release, apparently only stirring up additional trade for the Disney opus. It held Arm in second place most of the weeks, adult t'*ud'» and upped prices in 'Continued on page 24) Theatre TV Into Public Service as Civil Defense Puts on Training Setup Washington. Sept. 4. , Theatre TV debuts in the Aeld of public service when Civil De- fense Administration puts on a two- hour training program on Satur- day, Sept. 15. Show, format of which has not yet been revealed, will originate from Washington and be carried over the coaxial cable on a closed circuit to all theatres equipped for the service. Time is set for 9 to 11 a.m. Use of large-screen TV in the civil defense training program has long been discussed here, but this will be Arst actual experiment. If successful, it opens the way for similar public service programs for specialized groups. Civil defense trainees and ofAcials will gather in equipped theatres In their respec- tive areas for the tratning-vla- video. In Washington program will both originate and be seen from RKO Keith's, sole theatre in this area with permanent theatre TV equip- ment. August’s Top 12 1. ‘That’s My Boy” (Par). 2. “Show Boat” <M-G>. 3. “Alice” (RKO-Disney). 4. “Capt.” Hornblower” «WB>. 5. “Moonlight Bay” (WB>. 6. “Meet Show” *(20th). 7. “Cyrano” (UA). 8. “Belvedere” «20th>. 9. “Francis” <U). 10. “Sirocco” <Col). 11. “Rich. Pretty” <M-G>. 12. “Tales Hoffmann” >Lopert>. Skouras to Check Developments On Eidophor System Spyros Skouras, 20th-Fox prexy, is expected to plane out of N. Y. for Zurich. Switzerland, within the next two or three weeks to check on the Anal developments of 20th’s new color theatre television sys- tem, Eidophor. The pic company hopes that the revolutionary process will be avail- able for a demonstration at the Oct. 4 meeting of the company stockholders, when they will hear reports on the pending consent de- cree divorcement. Eidophor in black and white could have been demonstrated two months ago, it was reported, but Skouras wanted to wait until Fox engineers, working with the Swiss Institute of Technology, adapted the new system for full color. The company already has made a deal with the Columbia Broad- casting System to use its color tele- vision process, and an agreement with General Electric to manufac- ture the theatre TV equipment. Chief points in favor of the Ei- dophor theatre TV projector, it was pointed out, is the distance from the screen is no handicap; that the equipment is no larger than stand- ard Aim projectors, and that It may be operated from the regular pro- jectionist's booth. A public demonstration of the Swiss-made theatre TV system is expected before the end of this year, most likely in N. Y. Yates, Grainger Prep • Rep Sales Campaigns Hollywood, Sept 4. . Herbert f. Yates and James R. Grainger opened a week of studio conferences at Republic to arrange sales campaigns for fix high-budget releases. Producers on 19 forthcoming pictures will also bo assigned. Par Stock Jumps Doubts Mount on UPT-ABC Merger Okay in FCC s Get-Tough Policy To 271/,, Paramount shares on the N. Y. Stock Exchange climbed to a new high for the year yesterday (Tues.l, closing at $27.50. That represents a jump of 2H points in the last two days of trading. Gain yesterday was $1 and followed a $1.37V$ leap last Friday. Both financial sources and Par execs professed lack of knowledge regarding cause of the upbeat. It was believed reports of Par's de- velopment of a new color tele- vision tube might have contributed to the interest in the company’s shares. However, neither previously de- flated price nor the TV tube re- port was immediately accepted by some of Wall St.’s money men as reason behind the stock spurt. They suspect Par might have some sort of deal in work which would make the outfit's financial setup more attractive. There was no confirmation of this. Exhibg Low Fight Net Albany, Sept. 4. Number of theatre television exhibitors, forced to boost their ticket tabs lor tha up* coining Ray Robinson-Randy Turpin fight exclusive to $2 because of a hike in the righta fee. hate undertaken an inten- sive newspaper advertising campaign to apprise their cus- tomers of how little they net on the deal. Grand Theatre here, for example, took ad space in the local press to break down the $2 into Its components thusly: Federal tax. 24c; line charges, 37c.; cut to the boxers and promoters, 75c; theatre share, 54c. Highest nrevious tap for Al- bany was $1 for the recent Joe Louis-Jimmy Bivins fight. Other theatre TV exclusives went for 74c. ‘Palooka’ On TV As Mono Ends Series Hollywood. Sept. 4. Monogram prexy Steve Broidy’s disclosure that the studio deal with Ham Fisher on the “Joe Palooka” series has ended, and the series is being dropped, was followed by word that the Fisher character will wind up in television. Telepix producers Bernard Luber and Robert Maxwell have inked a deal with Fisher to produce a “Joe Palooka” vidpix series at RKO Pat he, where they are now making “Superman” videopix. Roger Car- lin, who is associated with them, has skied in from N. Y. for huddles on the upcoming scries. National Comics Publications is bankrolling. Six old Mono pix of the “Joe Palooka" series were included in the package of 26 sold recently to an eastern syndicate headed by El- liott Hyman. SMALL PREPS RELEASE OF 20-ODD PIX TO TV Hollywodd, Sept. 4. First step in a deal to release more than 20 of his old films to television has been taken by Ed- ward Small, who has applied to the American Federation of Musicians for a labor trustee agreement. AFM Local 47 execs here regard It as a 1 certainty that the deal will go through. Agreement is the one drawn up by AFM some time ago under which producers who release films to video turn over 5% of the gross of each film to the musicians* union.. Among the pix Small reportedly Is ready to throw onto television Screens are “Count of Monte Cristo.” “Man in the Iron Mask” ind “Last of the Mohicans.” Small already has talked to at least one local vidcoutlet about releasing his pix here. Wald-Krasna Due Fast Next Week to Ballyhoo Their First 2 Pictures Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna are due in New York next week on a personal ballyhoo tour in con- nection with their first two inde- pendents for RKO release. “Blue Veil” and “Behave Yourself.” They plan to cover 10 key cities on an intensive exploitation pitch (press, and radio interviews, etc ), and. coincidentally, “sell, Hollywood.” | The indie producers are enthused about b.o. prospects for the pic- ture business generally. Wald-Krasna join the episode film cycle with “Speak To Me of Love.” planning six episodes by as many diPTerent directors, all deal- ing with l’amour. Eddie Buzzell is bearing down on the USO-Camp Show’s story for which W-K have Tony Martin and Jack Benny (“de- spite reports of Benny's resistance, we have Jack.” says Wald). That's been retitled “Cheer Up.” with the j original “Stars and Stripes For- ever” idea abandoned on home- office Insistence the foreign market 'British as well as non-English- speaking) would resist the Amer- ican flagwaving motif whereas the entertainment - for - soldiers idea would have general appeal. Clare Boothe Luce is due on the Coast next week to work on “Pi- late’s Wife.” which Curtis Bern- hardt will direct, and ‘The Eliza- beth Browning Story” (working title) is also on the agenda. Ben Henry Due in U.S. Ben Henry, former sales head of Universal Pictures in Great Bri- tain, is due in N. Y. next Tuesday 'll), aboard the Queen Elizabeth, to pick up U. S. film product for the British market. He is being accompanied by Mrs. Henry, McEIdowueys Sore At SEP Yarn Title Switch Venice. Sept. 4. Mr. and Mrs. Ken McEldowney have issued a strong protest to the Saturday Evening Post because the mag changed the title of a forthcoming story on their experi- ences in India, authored by Mrs. McEldowney. They're here to pre- sent “The River.” which they lensed in India, at the Film Festi- val. Article by Mrs. McEldowney was written under the title “Mov- ies Are Made by Fools IJke Us.” Mag switched this to “We Made a Movie Without Hollywood.” The McEldowneys feel this is immod- est. is not justified by context of the story and has the effect of •' *ng their film-centre home- town. Selznicks to Europe After Walker Death Delays ’Em David O. Selznlck and his wife. Jennifer Jones, who were forced to I postpone their trip to Europe last I week just a few hours before their 1 scheduled takeoff, are leaving from New York today (Wed.). Sudden postponement was caused by the death In Hollywood of Robert Walker. Latter was Miss Jones’ former husband and father of her two children. The Selznicks and the children j flew’ back to the Coast last week. They returned to New York yester- day. Delay has caused them to can- cel out their visit to the Venice Film Festival, where the Golden Laurel Award, which Selznlck an- nually donates, was presented Sat- urday (1). He had planned to be on hand for the ceremonies, then vaca- tion in Italy and go on to business in Paris and London. Couple will be back In three or four weeks. 200G Guarantee By RKO on Pic Key To Ray-Randy TV Ray Robinson-Randy Turpin mid- dleweight title fight next Wednes- day night (12) might have been un«> available to theatre television and home TV both, under the deal set : up for rights to the event by the j International Boxing Club. IBC made the theatre TV rights con- tingent on RKO’s guarantee of $200,000. plus percentage, for its 20-minute film. That figure has been met, Insuring the fight for the theatres. But if the theatres had not been able to get it, it’s revealed that the fight might not have gone I to home video either. Pabst Beer, which sponsors a weekly series of Wednesday night fights over the CBS radio and TV networks, would have had first crack at the bout for home video. But. according to a spokesman for Warwick k Legler. the Pabst ad agency, the brewery was interested in the fight but had never turned in an official bid. He explained that Pabst would be virtually forced to steer clear of any fights staged in outdoor arenas. Since the Robinson-Turpin fight is scheduled for the Polo Grounds, N. Y., Pabst might not have been able to take it even if it had been available to home TV. WAL exec pointed out that with video network time as tight as it is today, the sponsor would have been licked if the fight had been rained out and postponed to another night. If that happened. Pabst would have (Continued on page 20) 14 SCRIBES BUSY AT BEP Hollywood, Sept. 4. Fourteen screen writers, double the usual number, are working on 1 13 scripts at Republic in the busi- est summer season in the history of the studio’i literary milL N. Y. to L. A. Dave Golding Cynda Grasse Burton Lane Beverly Linet Jeff Livingston Jeanette MacDonald Morty Palitz Gene Raymond Billy Shaw Charles Simonelli N. Y. to Europe Tallulah Bankhead Jean Dalrymple Linda. Darnell Peter Davis Barry Fitzgerald Cynda Glenn Celeste Holm Rouben Mamoulian Devid E. Rose Arthur Shields Max Youngstein Europe to N. Y. Jessica Dragonette Madge Elliott Ruth Gordon Earle H. Hammons Ted Howard Barry Jones John Robert Lloyd Garson Kanin Irene Manning Buddy Pepper Cyril Rltchsrd William Satorl Henry Souvaine Eve Turner Darryl F. Zanuek Washington, Sept. 4. The FCC made doubly clear the past weekend that the proposed United Paramount Theatre-Ameri- can Broadcasting Co. merger must run a rugged gauntlet and be slugged with all the anti-trust sins of pre-consent decree Paramount Pictures, Inc. Whether the merger will ever get the FCC nod was left exceedingly doubtful. FCC ordered a consolidated hear- ing of the proposed merger with renewal of various Paramount-held licenses and applications; this means all the anti-trust angles will be thoroughly aired as well as Par’s alleged control of DuMont. And finally, there will be the ques- tion -of whether such a powerful combination at a" major theatre chain and radio-TV network might not work against the public in- terest by creating new monopoly. FCC set no date for the hearings. Only objector to the consolidated donny brook was Commissioner Robert F. Jones. Hia stand was taken not because he wanted to go easy on United Par but because he wanted separate hearings so that he could be rough in each one of them. This he left no doubt about. Public doesn’t realize it, but Baramount has been in trouble with the FCC since It put the anti-trust decree into effect more than a year ago. Operation of this decree involved transferring cer- tain radio and TV properties to the successor companies of the old Par. FCC has never given its consent to these transfers although the properties have been operating under new management for 20 months. Some FCC officials feel that Paramount should lose its Radio-TV licenses. Among bigtime insiders in broadcasting there is considerable predicting that, for this and other reasons, the radio commission will never give the nod to the UP-ABC deal. In its order last weekend. FCC explained that the principal pur- pose of the consolidated proceed- ing was; 1. To obtain full information with respect to the participation of any of t^e applicants, their officers, directors, stockholders, employees, or agents, in any viola- tion of either Federal or State antitrust laws, the extent and character of such participation.” especially to determine whether the antitrust violations also vio- lated sections 311 and 313 of the Communications Act. 2. To determine policies to be pursued in operating the broad- cast facilities of the merged com- pany; obtain information about plans for exclusive theatre TV; and restrictions to be imposed on (Continued on page 24) L. A. to N. Y. Gilbert Adrian Lois Andrews Brian Aherne Lex Rarker Nate J. Blumberg Clarence Brown George Cukor Robert Cummings Nick'Dennis Paul Douglas Sharman Douglas Benny Fields Barry Fitzgerald Henry Fonda Paul F. Heard Lena Horne Anne Jeffreys Joseph Kaufman Mickey Knox Sonya Levien Rouben Mamoulian Raymond Massey J. Graves McDonald Roddy McDowall Leo Morrison Charles Moskowitz Odette Myrtil James Nicholson H. C. Potter Otto Preminger Noel Preston Mikhail Razumny Edward G. Robinson Cesar Romero Blossom Seeley Arthur Shields George Slaff Ann Sothern Bob Sterling Jean Wallace Test Williams Charles Winning* r Robert Wise