Variety (December 1951)

21 ’52 RELEASES In N.Y, Averting Costly Control Fight EASES PRESSURE Of Grosses to Get Rebates—Lebedoff Temporary true* arrange,! frith* the aid of the New York State He dial km Board haa resulted In the calling off for the time being at lea*t of what might have been a costly jurUdtrtional dispute be tween twn rival group* of Aim pro- hvtln«Mi m the N V metropolitan area Armistice ha* prevented an outbreak of picketing and couttter- pM krting which threatened to efr- gulf eeOTf theatre H New Yech Chi Opponents in the labor battle are the powerful Projection lata Laical 30 « affiliated with the Internal ion at Alliance of Theatrical Stage Km- plovers and the Independent Mo- tion Picture Machine Operators and Television Employee*. Inc Dispute was precipitated when the Carver Theatre a Brooklyn nabe. changed ownership rec efrfly. Theatre, ac-; cording to Charles Axelrod. prriy of the Independent outAt, had. em- ployed members of hi* union for the pa*t IS years. New owner, who had part* frith Uf«l 309 for foiar Other theatre* dismissed the Inde- pehdeota and installed an lA crew Axelrod unfcoo^ immediately threw a picket tine around the theatre Loral 300 retaliated and sent pickets [ to Umt hi op Theatre. Brooklyn nabe controlled by the Independ- ent i I nde pendent* countered this move by picketing the Mth St. Grand Lor* 4 96th St . RKO 99th Si and Parts Theatre, all in the ' IV told At this point. State Me diatom Poard brought disputant* together and worked out the truce fcfthth*. caught m the middle of * Continued on page &B) No. Cestrsl Allied Urges Exhibs to Helo Bolster UA * New Leaders* Theatre TV for CD j In 2d Text Dee. 14 Washington. Dec 4 Theatre television a* a medium for training Civil Defense worker* will be trtied out again Dec 14 by tlH Federal Civil Defense Admin- istration. Facilities will be donat- ed by the Pilgrim Theatre. Boston Stanley. Philadelphia and the Na- tional Richmond where treineiet will watch a one-hour program transmitted from Washington via closed circuit over Mat too W MAG- TV 4 A previous tent wav rood uk tfd Sept 15 in theatre* in Washington, New York. Philadelphia and Balti- more SAC SEC Ask 4 As For Settlement Of t oiled Vrl 1st*, currently press- ing to wind up the year with a v profit, this week found it had the support of North Central Allied Theatre Owner*, which urged all exhtb* to help bolster the dis- t < »f* * position. Stanley Kane, rturf counsel for the VILied unit, stated in a mem- bership bulletin that UA Is under f * new young and vigorous leader- . >hip. is in the process of making f s terrific comeback and deserve* the unMinted support uf every in- dependent exhibitor ’’ Kane added: ‘Every time that an exhibitor helpa a so-called little, company he helpa himaelf It la only through keeping such com- panies as UA in business and suc- cessful (hat the exhibitor has any protection at all from the demands of the bigger companies It it true that when a Jittle' company be- come* big it can be Just as ex- orbitant in its demands a* any of>< the htg fellow* but that it beside the point and It is a problem that ran he handled when It arise* “ Mas Youngslein. UA*s ad-pub director, meanwhile, is continuing with his pitch to t beat reowners for * ‘ fair break In an address be- fore the convention of Independ- ent Exhibitor*. Inc. In Boston on M«»ndav 3 hc said U A Is seeking no favors’* as such but wants the- at remen to consider U*. dial rib’s lineup on it* merit. ! N.Y. 20th Story Analysts Eye Tie With Csast GsiM N. Y story analysts at 20th-Fox. whi» voted recently not to affiliate with any of the homeoffire white rollar unions, are seeking affili- ation with the Coast Story Ana- L d* Guild, which la affiliated with the Screen Writer* Guild T ait feels that tt la • profea- s»oual group and that white collar union* cannot adequately repre- sent or bargain for It,, Action of the staff readers to re- nu,B independent stemmed from a recent National Labor Relations SSMSL ^eyiyion establishing the •Torv analyst* as profes*ional em- ployee* within the meaning of the Labor Act. ^ Hollywood Dec 4 Screen Aotnr* and Screen Ex- tra* Guild* issued ultimatum* to the Associated Actors and An. .« of America demanding positive ac- tion ta settle once and for alt the television jurisdictional dispute Guild* declared this dispute, in- volving Television Authority's con- trol over actors m televised pic- ture* a* well a* in live television. I* blocking reactivation of a strong international union of actor* RAG expressed a willingness to return to Four A s board meetings but not until Four A* ’’can bring itself to a clear recognition of the principle of separation of bargain- ing units between' live (rtrviuia and television film*,’’ Boiled down, the SAG demands arc <ti limit the jurisdiction of TV A to live tele- vision plus entertainment dim in- serts and kinescope* incidental to live television; '2* affirm the basic jurisdiction of SAG over actor* in the motion picture Arid as Mated in the Guild charter. SKG also called on the Four Vs to limit TV A jurt'dtction to live television and to affirm the him guilds jurisdiction in pictures. Whim this is done, both guilds a Continued on page 54 > 10 EVERY 3M0NTHS IS M-G RELEASE SUED Metro this week disclosed plans to maintain its releasing rate of about 10 pix every three monlhs at leaat through next February. However, the sked beyond that time appears uncertain in view of pos- sible changes in future production M-G toppers have shown concern over the poor bo. performance of modest budget era. and these next year may be further cut down on the tensing lineup Along with the announcement of his resignation as sales v.p. as of Jan. I. William F. Rodgers an- nounced that M-G will have three releases this month, three in Jan- uary and four in February. January group includes ’ Pandora and the Flying Dutchman.’’ independent pic made by Albert Lew In and Joseph Kaufman in England and Spam M-G is handling the Atm on a distribution percentage deal, SAG LM Drops 1300 In lint Four Yean Hollywood. Dec 4 Total of 1.900 members of the Screen Actors Guild have ceased paying dues in the last four years, according to the annual report by Georgs Chandler, treasurer Paid- up membership is 7.300. compared with 9.200 in 1947. Regardless of the decrease la revenue, the report says. SAG has not increased its dues since U was organised An 1923. Schedule of 2i *:AV which RKO has slated for dlMribUtla* during the first «ix month* of 1052 marks a Anal bieak in the logjam on re- lease* Imposed bv controlling Work holder Howard Hughes Decision to let the product AoW in normal quant tty is understood to bav e re- sulted from considerable pctxua- vive pressure imposed nfi Hughes by ptevv Ned F Depute* and other businessmen associated with the operation. Ilughe* 4 ever uncf taking control in t he spr ing of 1949. has b»eg chary of r« te.««mg pix Company has St limes lw»*n extremely wan for lark of product doling ibrougti its .distribution veins ah bough quantities were in studio vault* awaiting release One id the reasons l*»r the delay* was Hughes* dissatisfaction with the pti lie ha* as * matter of fact during the past year had Jerry Wald and Nor than Kiavna doing a doctoring job on m.»m of them Beyond that it ha* alwavs been a mystery to ilie exec staff rn New York a* to his reasons for dclaving produrt -when; .' it . w*» .so badly needed ’ Hughes' tightA-ifd policy on re-, lease* while the company was stif- fs ung Iomnp* that an v pis at all going through the mill SOM Id have allevlaied ha- been 'highly irksome to Depmet and other RKO of Acral* a* well as. to stockholder* Report- edly, hank* with which Hughes <toes bu«»mS> a)-a protested al- though his credit certainly never was in doubt Feeling of these men was that if wa* unbusinesslike to maintain up to 940 00(1 ODD nr more in inventory and not. liquidate it and amort ue < ( out inued on page 19» See Teds’ 18-Weeks At Astor oi Broadway, :• Maintains 20G Advance (juo Vadts” la being counted on bv Maui lie Maurer, operator uf the Astor N Y . to tun until ahriil March 15 Pie Is now tn ti» fourth week That would mean a total run of about 19 weeks Colum- bia’* Judy Hollid*v-starter The M.imtnj Kind " is tvwatixely* set to follow **Vadis.” Pic is on a reserved-seat policy at the Astor It is also playing on Broadway at the Capitol on a grind bast* ' INid-holiday business wilt determine the length of the Capi- tol stay “Gone With the Wind." which played on the same policies at the two houses. got 4G weeks at the Astor and 11 at the Capitol . “Vadts** has maintained an ad- vance sale of close to 920000 at the Astor, It represents almost entirely Weekend Ini The Friday night, three Saturday and two Sundav performances have been consistentIv SRO Midweek mat- inee* have naturally been, the toughest to sell on a hard-ticket basis, since the Cap offers plenty of seats at a lower scale City Investing, which owns the Astor and Its sister house the Vic- toria. is well-stocked with product as a result of Us first-call deal with Columbia Vic will get almost i Continued on page IS > (Juii < It- Kin von 90G Suit by ( hi Nub* V*. Majors Theatre Chain Chicago Dec 4 A 990 000 triple damage suit against all the majors except Cm vrrsbl and Rchoenst adt The.n ie* was filed today *Tmr* » in Cht Fed era! Court. ; They were charged w ilh rod spiring from September 1947; to February 30. to prevent the V|id town, a southwest nabe from oh taining product at live same time a* Sc hoenxtadf's Radio Theatre. by H-63 1 WB.C 0 I Written Are for the Hint* • • • byiaa p iata la «ba 44>4k «New pac ts for w hite collarite* • ailing for wage increases cvf 93 W to 99 were rwfr r luded this week bv laical H h .1 International Alliance af TlMgf 111 .tl Stage RHiptov * • 4 with Warner Bros and Columbia Earlier the union had icac bed •ffMkhcnt* with i mv «1 s^i <*( d Republic. In addition to wagr hike*. twes- year contracts call for automatic ,n. «raws ,.1 the . ml «»t on, . , r hasc-cf on the New York fitv in ing cost index overtime to take effect after daily 7* t hours in- stead of after 27'tt-howr. week union shop* and the appointment of the American Aildtiatioo Assn as arbiter in all dispute* In additkm |n cconpante* al- ready signed. H-H3 is the bargain mg agent fen the office help at f'a* amount KKO Picture* and Theatres^ 29th Fox the Lo« w » Untied A 1 list* and Moitugiain es- changes, having taking over some of Ihrse companies in recent N.« tlonal l^ahor Hoard Kelatom^ elec - tion- IriHii IM 11 m i »vDisti iIhiIivc ^C ontinued «*n page 19> ' ,. • . 1 .. ■ '. .* .' • . ’ . ■ .'.■»• . • 11 ■■■ m i 1 ■ , »a ~ ii. 1 . CLEARANCES BALKING 20TH S BIOG OF HUROK Holly w<*»d Dec 4 Progres* in being made, accord- ing to Gvtugc JeSael, on a deal for purchase by, 20 th. to* «f Im presarto ’ blog of Sol Ifutok Dtf ficulty said Jr^scl. who would pro- duce the pu. I* not in making the necessary arrangements with the concert agent but in getting clear- ances from the many people who flit through the story of his life Among Jessel * ptar> in t«> use Nome of the lonvha'i tclcbs axNO- Claird with Huiok 40 Film Thealro Shut [>;•;>In Fhilly in 1051 . Philadelphia Dec 4 Survey here shows pi Aim thea- tres closed during 1951 with a* many, more slated to go brfure end of 1952 C ity now has 197 li- censed theatres operating com- pared with 300 in the 1930* Realty men have approximately 30 theatres listed on their book* "for sale.’’ among them several ol the larger midtown houses, no- tably the 4.300-seat Mavtbautu built in the late 1920s at * f|M re- ported to Moe been 95 OUO.OQ9. Coupled with the decline in bnx- ofAce receipt* brought on by tele- vision and other causes is the real estate men * feeling that a number of theatre propertie* ran bring bigger returna converted into other businesses. A notable in- stance of thi* is the Great North- ern Theatre, at the busy Intersec- tion of Broad St 1 Erie Are., in North Philadelphia, which changed hands last week at a price of 91- 000,999 Building is being changed Into additional store*, etc, * f: ^ Minneapolis Dec 4 i Romrwtiat of a l*M«h*h<}| was cxphidcd by Martini I rftctioff in .Federal' Court here when,, durtnk the lua) ui Inx Horiirfrond netgh- borhiHid Ihealie s cm nil, he testi- Aed lie had be** a advtsed by a branch manager W II Workman of Ml# m»e of the defendants to '. report gnavae* of errf ai n M-G gin -, tures ' false lx s« that W orkman ; ■'•'enuld '.bhtaih ' Af.--. niil * 4 ! h 1 rtienls fur Lebed*id Workman Will lake the stand to '.deux am su c h advue■ w.a* given by him or that any xm fi i nitver «atIma mi utred fw* sav> it n n-rn niiHi is > Workman \n out and mil lie W hat kind of « r«»mpanx w«Mitd ihe ct»ur 1 think u harking, ffrr,'* Besides the iruxMi repeffted by l>hedoff at the Outset were n»» R»w that ff Ihey - w<•!'«' m r*b’ low* 1 ihc ic d he plac fb ally nothing left ’ DdrRM' Had inlfodured l» |**Mtx ,,1 1 liter I mil Ii M Ifioxxes wlin b slli Mnlh w *•» *• Ktnfei rep**rt- i d W h« n adpidiMeiiiN were *<K>ght '■;404. ';'idl4mfi: He« ailed fer ihr WitncNN n| tiled , ladw-iKiff was •'ked hx defendant rikiMrl if he;, had cm reetly repor ted ibe grosses in qii«‘sttrn an«l hr answered be < oiildul If, ill Huf test 1 Aed Lrbcdnff "Mr. W H W'iM kmari frhu wasi MG H branch manager . igfvised nw to write 1 teller asking fig the id just merit s I sought and to under- rei*c»rt the gfhawse* on (tie picturea S4» that he ••mid obfata ttio ad|ust- tnents f«»i me front his furnicoffhe ** It wa» mdu ai»*d hx tire remit thaf the fda ntid "s aiiegftl 1 hrseiiug on I (Continued on page I9< Par Would Adjust : . Rental If Gross Falls Below Expectations Pti.tnwMjni will cniNider lower* mif the amount of irntal an nhth |mv* lot a film if the grows falls bertoxi tsf#rtalkni»i arrocding fo Wilbur Seyoorr riixwit up and brad •»f Altfed Theatre Osneh »»f New Jei 4 H«' had i*xque*led tfir P*rf I* dli v ’ !|i ifi« at|tO tW c au-e the « « rypufry w ix hat rrpresmted bv a iIcn fXec’ «l the recent Allied Sti n*A*sn % Y. mn vent Man. (Hum ntfr red no direct slafement on it* vale* pracf n ex Nn •p**r in a rcporl to other Al- lied-rtcN red. 1 ted th.d Par intends i«> price d*. |ttx in relatuiaPlo their grif-N »n<t not theatre overhead lie further Miatad Tb *5 T n • intend using certain key ptrftires for the h.i-jN of arriving at split A purrs so they max obtain m- errkard revenue on btgbei 'grosses. Paramount doe* not have tlw same formula for evefx theairr Tlua- Ifxs are to he *adcl on anmdi\:d- ual; ,.ba>js with the usual maletid facts ronreining the I herd re fn be taken in *, cigniikhitim Hegardlevs nf the original terms,; •1 |o, . • do iv,* wan ,tu' 'it~ i>*>rfoiiiwm e. the terms of ibe signed deal Ihe d*U*r of Ihr Para- mount to uric b or horneoffu e 1 * not cJoM-d They wilt reduce a pic ture, if necessary to a pro e Dial is equitable for exhitiitoi and di*>trib- uttir alike. They have established no minimuu a* the adjualnd deal might demand However there il a cnnwlonable bfdtoiu ax both ex- hibitor and distributor would agiea, on any pretufr, UeaU are Nubject to horneoffue approval ' Com pi.ont repeatedly voiced i| cthib circles in recent months was that some diathhs set the same per- centage formula for all theafro*. Without regard to rcgtonal or in- dividual theatre circumstance*: Par's de< la rat ton ‘that it will n*-|| theatres on an individual basis is expected to win cxhlbs' favor. Sm ■■■M. pe • ■ 1 ' I * ■— 1 . 4 " ■ rm, .\\i Eep’» 25c Dttrry „ Follow log a board meet at the company * h o—aa ff lc c lad seek Republic Pictures declared a div'i- 1 dend of 25c per share cm preferred stork Melon la payable Jan 2 ta rtuck- | holders of record of Dec 14. . ..