Variety (September 05, 1951)

' •* i PHTIRK.S Wednectlay, September 5, 1951 'Arties’ Stress Films fontinurd from page 5 gory of what these execs have la- beled “TV-proof theatres." « Latter appellation arises from the conviction that the specialized houses get a discriininating-type audience that won’t be wooed by tele. These patrons are choosey almut what they go to see. even in the specialized theatres, but they’ll travel far out of their way to view a film they think they’ll like. They are not the casual cinemagoers who easily fall for substitute entertain- ment just because it is easier and cheaper to see. Students of both the aesthetic and the business side of pix have been anxious to see the specialized theatres develop. Interest of those whose worry is film quality see the new type houses opening the way to the end of attempts to make every picture please every type of audience. • This effort at planning every film to ho attractive to every theatre- goer no matter what his age. sex. interests or intellectual level, has long l>oen felt to be one of the hurd'es that has most hurt the quality of Hollywood’s output. On the other hand, every producer had to keep this aim of generaliza- tion in mind because he could hardly come out with a profit other- wise. Problem was—and still is, for that matter, since the overall num- ber of specialized house* is still small—that he hadn’t a large enough group of theatres that • would throw off sufAeient film rental for offbeat pix to make them pay. The answer is now just start- ing to be found in small houses with low' nuts that can keep a pic for a long run. They can give a specialized film tremendously more rental than many times their num- i her of big. expensively-operated houses. N. Y. as Example 1 Change in the artie field is best : evident in New York. On t he I quantitive side is the fact that there will be 13 art theatres first- runs in Manhattan this fall. •Call- ing them "art theatres" is more a convenient handle than an accurate description now. since most of the product is not "artie.’’ hut merely specialized.) With that number of houses, vir- tually every offbeat pic with any promise at all can find a showcase, if it proves it has the stuff in the initial run. it can go on to subse- quent* and similar houses in other cities, or ecen jump the line from ail houses to regular circuit book- ings. Evidence of the switch of the traditional artles to English-lan- guage Alms is best seen currently at the World. N. Y. After yean of exclusive showing of lingualers, theatre is now playing Columbia's "Pick-Up.” The Paris. N. Y.. which started out three years ago showing French Alms exclusively, opens next week with United Art- ists’ '"The River,’’ after recently running the same distrib’s "Four Men In a Jeep.’’ The 55th Street has recently had an Irish travelog and novr has a double-feature reissue. “Man of Aran" and “Edge of thd World both in English. Such recent ad- ditions to the art film field as the Trans-Lux houses at 52d St.. 60th ! St. and 72d St. and the Sutton are playing either British pix or for- eign-made films in F.nglish. Sutton, which closes a lengthy run of "Kon-Tiki” this week, re- places it with "The Medium,’’ pro- duced in Italy, but in English. Trans-Lux 60th. which recently wound up 16 weeks of the Czech puppet film with English commen- tary. "Empen»r*s Nightingale," opens United Artists' "Mr. Peek-A- Boo" soon. That was made in France, but in English. Cast was bilingual and two versions were made at the same time. A simi- larly-produced pic coming in a few months is "The Amazing Monsieur Fibre." An increasing number of such pix are in production in Italy and France, and undoubtedly will find their wav to the specialized circuit in the U.S. Yank Indies’ Coin Continued from pose t elusive Films in Britain are ac- counting for a number of Joint productions. Usually the Ameri- can indie provides the story and a couple of Yank stars in such arrangements, with Carreras con- tributing the studio facilities and technicians. Early this year Alexander Paal made "Cloudburst” with Exclusive, and Julian Lesser turned * out "Whispering Smith Investigates.” Robert L. Lippert recently com- pleted "Blonde Blackmail” and is committed to an annual program of co-productions with the Car- reras firm. Producer Mort Briskin leans toward Vienna as a film locale. He wrapped up ”No Time for Flow- ers.” Viveca Lindfors starrer, in the Austrian capital a few weeks ago and also made "The Magic Face’’ in the same area. Irving Allen is due to roll "The Gamma People” there shortly. Curiously, there are no Ameri- can or British co-productions un- derway in Italy this summer in contrast to the frenzied activity of previous summers. Sole Italian pic aimed for the Yank market at the moment, is "100 Little Moth- ers.” which Leonide Moguy is currently producing and directing with Columbia International back- ing. When Orson Welles returns from London, where he’s been finishing some chores on the soundtrack of “Othello,” It’s expected that he’ll start "Capt. Noah’’ at the Scalcra studios. Picture will he made by Orson Welles Productions and the star will write, direct and appear in the venture. Douglas Fairbanks’ Dougfair Corp. lensed its Bette Davis-Gary Merrill starrer, "Another Man’s Poison,” in England, and Fairbanks plans to Aim "Knights of the Roundtable” there around the end of the year. Peter Rathvonx Mo- tion Picture Capital Corp. partial'y financed Marcel Heilman's British- made "Happy Go Lovely.” Kaufman’s ’Pandora' Joseph Kaufman, in association with Albert Lewin and Romulus Productions, turned out "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman” in Spain. He and Romulus also did “Lucky Nick Cain" on the Italian Riviera for 20th-Fox release. Bc-nagoss Productions made "The Green Glove" on the French Riv- iera and expects to roll an un- titled yarn in France sometime this fall. Norma Productions currently has "The frimson Pirate" underway off the coast of Italy for Warner release. Burt Lancaster stars in the sea adventure. Peter Cusick, in cooperation wiUf French and British associates, made "Pardon My French” and "The Long Dark Hall” in England and France, re- spectively. Majors’ overseas Aim-making is relatively quiet as of the end of August. Metro has “Ivanhbe” be- fore the cameras irt England while Warners is rolling "Where's Charley?” in the same country. 20th-Fox recently completed “De- cision Before Dawn” in Germany and lensed scenes for “Five Fingers” in Turkey. Meanwhile, Metro is prepping “Sign of the Eagle.” which Haves Goetz is slated to produce in Eng- land. 20th, the most active of the top Hollywood lots in the past in point of pic-making abroad, has a location unit in Argentina for "Way of a Gaurho.” Company also has “Snows of Kilimanjaro” and "Dip- lomatic Courier” in work in France. RKO-Disney will soon launch “The Robin Hood Story.” live-action yarn, in Britain. Part of Republic's "The Quiet Man" was filmed in Ireland this summer, and prexy Herbert Yates recently disclosed that the com- pany will make a Judy Canova starrer In Britain as well as one in which John Wayne will have the top role. Monogram, although not lensing features entirely on its own abroad, may participate in joint ventures with Japanese and German companies. THE 1951 T.O.A. CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW is the most importanf gathering of theStremcn in many years. This will he a workin g conA-ntion. Every important topic relating to up-to-the-minute management, policy, operations and conces- sions will he discussed. An important feature of the convention will be the big Trade Show at which the manufacturers, dealers, con- cession merchandise and merchandising will be on display and where you can talk over, first-hand, your requirements and problems for the year ahead. A golden opportunity for both buyers and sellers. An elaborate program of entertainment has been arranged by the convention committee and will feature the T.O.A. Showboat trip up the historic Hudson River (hosted by Coca-Cola), lunches,‘rheatre parties, fashion show, broadcast studios, the big banquet and a special program for the Ijdies. ALL EXHIBITORS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND REGARDLESS OF AFFILIATION. THIS IS A CONVENTION TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF ALL EXHIBITORS AND THE BUSINESS AGENDA WILL COVER EVERY SUBJECT OF CURRENT AND COMING IMPORTANCE. IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR DISCISSION: • Know your industry • Distributor-exhibitor public relations. • Government regulations on supplies, shortages, etc. • TV and Theatre TV. • Legislation, national, state and local. • Concessions. • 16 inm. competition. • Theatre Equipment • Consent Decree. • And many other vital subjects! For information and reservations: T.O.A, CONVENTION COMMITTEE 1501 BROADWAY. HEW YORK CITY, N. Y. L Film Reviews Continued from page S Iter Verlorene write this offbeat picture of moral dilemma and punishment. Down- beat story, arty treatment and fine technical aspect* and thesping slant this for slotting in special U. S. situations. Expressionist ic handling plus a mixture of melo- dramatic make the Aim a bit im- plausible but Aim has the Lorre name to help sell it. Story concerns a German scien- tist during the war who learns that his fiancee has been selling the results of his secret research to the enemy. In a moment of tem- porary instability he murders her. It is hushed up and passed off as suicide due to his importance in the war effort. The scientist then goes into a psychosis in which he kills women reminding him of his dead fiancee He attempts to slay the Gestapo agents involved in the expose, hut fails. Declared dead in an air raid, he changes his name and becomes a doctor in a refugee camp. Meet- ing the surviving Nazi, he recounts the story’• judges himself, kills the Nazi nnd commits suicide. Lorre has directed in firm style with much care to detail which* at times obscures the character moti- vation. Film has a ponderous aifr of finality about it. Editing keeps a fine coherence between present and flashback in the telling of the story. Peter I .or re turns in a bril- lantly modulated acting chore as the tortured doctor who finally finds peace in murder and suicide. Remainder of cast turns in fine bits of acting though most of placers are relegated to cameo hits. Film will need some heavy ballv to nut It over. Most,-.