Variety (December 1951)

Wednesday, Dfcwanfcar 12, 1951 PICTURES 15 Allied States Assn. 'board chairman' Abram F. Myers, who’s. usually an astute judge of his audience* got the chili treatment in a couple of instances When he addressed the .Independent Exhibitors, Inc., conven- tion in Boston last week, according, to some of those present. He failed to draw a chuckle, with references.to “the pure air of Boston, where a woman might wear her furcoat without suspicion,” and to “Diogenes looking for an honest Democrat.” Audience* silence prompted him to remark that the same quips “got a; big laugh last week iii Indiana, but I mUst be in a Democratic precinct today ,” Comment, by the Allied topper at the exhibs- • banquet similarly feB=f upon unsympathetic ears. Following a blood donation appeal by Capt. Raymond Harvey, Korean hero, Myers observed that a wounded sol- dier might well be comforted by the infusion of “the warm blbbd of an exhibitor/" and that a man burning up with high temperature could be relieved *■ by the ice cold blood of the distributors” Tb the flock Of film awards which customarily begin about this point in the season Is added this year's Holiday magazine trophy. It goes to “those movies and movie makers, that have, in < the past year,, made outstanding and honest contributions to the role of the American, movie as an ambassador abroad.” : Metro’s “Ah American Iri Paris” is announced in the January issue of the mag as the pic “which does most to present a pleasing picture of Americans to thp rest of the world.” It shares award honors with ‘‘The ■\Veli,” made by Clarence Greene and Russell Rouse for United Artists release, as the “low budget picture which best and most honestly reflects American life and ideals to the rest of the world,” Holiday also gives awards to Stephen Bosustow, of United Produciions, makers of the “Gerald McBolrig-Boing” and other cartoons; and to Shelley Winters. ■■ ” v r Jerry Wald this week interpreted as further indication of Life mag’s “anti-Hollywood attitude” the piece on him and his partner, Norman Krasnh, in the current issue. Picking up the industry’s familiar label for them, “The Whiz Kids,” mag pastes them for their proclivity to pub- licity releases and the fact that in more than a year they have come up with only two plx. They Were slated to do 12 in the first 18. months at RKO, but have been running Into trouble getting hfcays from studio topper Howard Hughes. They may be departing the lot at the end of the year. Wald said that Life researchers had spent two days with him, then; used relatively little qf the info they had learned. N. Y. Times advertising promotion piece sent to potential amuse- ment-space buyers is built around the. ads for “Tales of Hoffmann” and uses VARiETY^type headlines. Teaser lines on. front cover of mailing piece read: “Pix Clix/Crowd Flox, Good Box, Long Run, How Pone?” Copy inside says that “Tales of Hoffmann” settled down tb long run after rave reviews from critics. “But; it takes more than rave reviews at the opening” Times points out, “to keep the crowds coming to your theatre month after month.” Piece then plugs Times' amusement ad- vertising pull. t Continued ifrom pace 3 in Via Industry' Survey Survey made for the producers of the “What’s Playing?” TV show, a report circulated among film emcees, is seen as a pitch to win the cooperation of the major pie com- panies on tie-ins for their releases. Program* which . features Maggi McNeills, shows blips from new pictures and is telecast over WJZ- TV, N. Y., oil Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:45 p. m. for 15 minutes, pern by Co., producers of the show, has found that the film companies are willing to supply only a small amount'of their prod- uct.. Also, no major productions at all> have been made available. Demby now is aiming to lure the top product via its survey; report, which claims telecasting of the clip induces viewers to catch the entire films When playing at the- atres,-.. Dr. Ernst Dichter, who conduct ed the study for Demby, stated that the show: “provides TV with' a ve- hicle for a commercial sponsor who benefits from the glamorous asso- ciation with the film industry and provides the motion picture indus- try with a dynamic channel of com- munications on TV.*” Among the films named in the audience analysis were “The Mob,” “Lost Continent,” “Young Scar- face,” “The Well,” “Reunion in Reno,” “Thunder On the Hill,” /’The River,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “Tarzan’s Peril,” /The Medium,” “The Browning Versi Jtt,” “M,” “Kon Tiki” and “Saturday’s Hero.” Slow RKO Ballot Count Continued from pag* 5 with the purpose of talking to lead- ing citizens and government. offi- cials and of making some public speeches, explained that he’d be in each country two pr . three days and “try to do a selling job for American motion pictures?.” His assistant, Joyce O’Hara, will* accom- pany him. Alsb Joaquim Rickard, the Association’s Latin American rep. ■ Only two Latino ilatids are 'prob- lems at the moment. Argentina; is a chronic oiie, brought about by the nature of the Perofi regime, and Brazil is a - potential one. Neither presents a case which the foreign managers feel can* be solved in less than months of spadework. Argentina has just recently re- opened its doors to new Hollywood product, but is not allowing any (monetary remittances. Brasil has "passed a decree requiring compa- nies sending in shorts and news- tccIs to export 10% as mrch foot- age of shorts; documentaries and lewsreels. Decree also requires one out of eight weeks in Brazilian the- atres to be given over to domestic product. However, neither angle of the decree has been enforced. One top industry exec opined that world-touring was somewhat more glamorous than sitting be- mnd a desk. He enumerated a se- f les domestic problems which he said called for leadership. Generally Enthusiastic . P/exies, however. Were fairly en- thusiastic about having, a traveling ambassador. One declared: “We need such ambassadors. If we had had more of them long ago, we wouldn’t have gone through the /'^bles • abroad that we did in 1947 and 194fl. I think John Mc- Carthy (director of the MPAA’s in- ternational division) has made a htie. start toward putting the in- dustry on a decent plane, of rela- tionship With foreign governments and industries, and I think Johns- toh can make a real contribution, too. Johnston,: at -a press conference tollpwing the board meet, cbn- nritied numerous, changes previous- ly reported in MPA A operation and Personnel. They 7 included Ralph D; Hetzel’s, appointment to head the New York office end George G. Yietheer’s to head the Washington branch. The MPAAprez said he’ll trans- fer the focus of his activity to New York, while O’Hara would remain in Washington to concentrate on special assignments, particularly foreign. In addition, Norman Kuhne has been named to the Washington publicity department. All the new appointees are former Government workers. Johnston also confirmed that the Motion Picture Export ASsn. will start liquidating its overseas activ- ities following resignation of v.p. and general manager Irving Maas at the end of the year. Herbert Erlanger, Maas's assistant, will con- tinue on to supervise the liquida- tion. MPEA, will continue to . exist corporately for purposes pf Unified action by American companies abroad Under terms of the Webb- Pomerene Act. UA in Black Continued from pan 3 Arthur.B, Kriiri and his pards upon the year’s profit statement. Treasury-field shares, according to trade observers; might figure in a deal for establishing a UA pro- duction unit. One report. is that the block of 4,000 Shares would go to Louis B. Mayerlif an arrange- ment is worked out Whereby he heads a film-making setup for the distrib. In any event, such a deal Could not be consummated until the Krim alliance actually take? possession of its 8,000 shares, and; this is not seen until February .or March. Price, Waterhouse & Go., auditors; will not have completed their job on the UA books before that time. Continued from page 5 fully, Wouk said, when he has an official confab with the Navy. Wouk feels that the tions of the Navy are-the same as my bwn.” He said he was careful to point out both in; the book and the screenplay that mutiny is un- justified. Authorized relief of a cbmmanding officer as described, m the story is acceptable, Wouk ex- plained, if it can be justified at a courtmartial.' Film Is skedded to be made by Stanley Kramer for Columbia re- lease. Crowther Heads Critics Bosley Crowther, N. Y.’ Times film critic, is the new head of the N. Y. Filih Critics group, moving ufi automatically from vice-chair- man. Leo Mfshkin of N. Y. Morning Telegraph was elected to the post vacated by Crowther. • Howard Thompson, of the Times, Was named secretary. New mem- bers admitted to the group were James Barstow, Jr., N. Y, Herald Tribune, arid Thompson. Critics •will meet Dec. 27 to ballot on best pix of year. Continued from page ! the Egyptian industry turns out around 50 features annually less than a third of these are shipped to America. Rashid brings in about seven or eight annually H’wood Pic on Samia Yank audiences, who are currently getting an intro to Egyptian belly-dancer. Samia Gamal ‘-via two features dug out but of Cairo vaults; are apparently going to get a Hollywood Version of the femme’s Cinderella yarn, She became, a tabloid sensation a few Weeks ago by marrying Sheppard King, young Texas oil scion, American Pictures, RKO unit, has registered the titles “The Texan and the Dancer,” “The King’s Dancer,” “Egyp- tian Dancer” and “Egyptian Incident.” Oriental’s acquisitions run around the; same number. Best U. S. markets for Arabic- language films are in Brooklyn (where all three distribs. are locat- ed), Boston and Detroit, In these areas are a large number of Syrians and Egyptians. Mrs. Goryeb and Rashid usually arrange! for special screenings in habe houses through lodges, fraternal organizations, etc. Occasionally, exhib with an Arabic-speaking clientele will book an Egyptian feature for one or two nights. J Miss Gamal, incidentally, is said to be a top b.o. star throughout the Arab countries. Her . “Little Miss Devil” stars her with Lebanese crooner: Farid El Attache (credited with producing the entry). Actress’ forte is her belly dance, Which the N. V. State censor board passed with bnly minor deletions. These concerned a scene Where the cam- era moyed in for a closeup of the undulating lower abdomen. of composition of the new RKO Theatres board, Group of dissi- dent stockholders headed by Wall Streeter David J, Greene is at- tempting to unseat the present board, which is running for re- election. It appears likely that the Greene committee will he able to elect’ at least two directors out of the board of five, and, perhaps even three out of six, if the size of the directorate is increased by one member, as is being considered. If Gi eerie were- successful in winning a >^ard ma- jority, his group could urise&t prexy Sol. Av Schwartz and the other offi- cers. Thursday’s Due) Last Thursday’s session In Do- ver, Del,, turned into a duel of strategists, It took, more than five hours of scrapping and an offstage •conferencebefore the Greene con- tingent. agreed tq turn its proxies in for counting; " Their objection—-ostensibly, at least—-was baiSed on the fact that two employees of the Irving Trust Co. were appointed by Schwartz as election fellers. . They were L. P. Christehsbn arid A. E. Fuller. Inasmuch as Irving has been trustee for Hughes’ 929,020 shares court-ordered divorcement took place last, Jan. 1 and had a rep, Who Was up for re-election, on the. board,’Greene group contend-, ed the ballot^counters were not impartial; Dissidents wanted One man named' by the management and one by the Greene committee to tally the proxies. As the dispute became more heated, it became evident that top strategy’was involved in the choice of tellers. Arthur F. Driscoll, of O’Brien; Driscoll & Raftery, spe- cial counsel to the management, charged that Greene’s effort to name a teller was devised to delay the final deadline on acceptance of proxies. Driscoll told newsmen he expect- ed any Greene-named teller would keep challenging the validity of so many proxies that it would delay the final count by several weeks. During that time it could be round- ing up more proxies. It Was disclosed on the floor that Greene had only the previous night sent out the latest iii the barrage of literature mailed to stockholders by. both sides in pleas for their votes; Isidor J. Kre$el, attorney for the Greene committee; ap- peared to infer that, in effect, When during the floor argument he de- ciared: *if We had six weeks more, you couldn’t; even elect one direc- tor.” He thereupon asked that the deadline on proxy submissions be set five days hence. Krcssel Asks Deadline Suggestion When Schwartz arid Driscoll ob- jected, Kresel ask ed fox their sug- gestion on a deadline. They re- fused to name onje, but said that, since they* had Only just discovered this Greene strategy, they needed time to consider the question. As a result, the meeting was recessed for three hours, during which they held a council of war; Giteene men contended that was merely to give them time to “phone Noah Dietrich.” . Dietrich is Hughes’ chief adviser in California. When the session reconvened, a new aura of peace , prevailed. Greene immediately accepted the two Irving Trust men as tellers and a deadline of. 10 minutes hence on submission of proxies. He explained later that he had no alternative regarding the tellers under Delaware la\v- As for the quick deadline, he declared that was just: what he wanted. He said, the previous night’s letter to stock- holders was in the nature of a double-reverse strategy. He said it was aimed at getting as quick a count. as possible, since he expect- ed the RKO reaction and knew it would cause the management to want to immediately close, the bal- lotting. . . . ., Tb newsmen suspicious of- the sudden silken sweetness between the groups following, the off-scene meeting, both sides vehemently de- nied any deal had been made be- yorid that announced on the floor; They declared there was absolutely Irving Trust’s,, rep on the; board. They came up with the agreement that enabled the count to get un- derway at once. Jockeying Basic to the strategy of both sides was unwillingness to disclose how many proxies they ha,d until the other group exposed; it's hand. That resulted from the cumulative voting system called for in the company’s bylaws. Under this sys- tem, any stockholders' votes .may be spread among all directors or bunched for one or more. Until each side finds out how many the other side pad, it can’t do the nec^ essary arithmetic to determine how to: spread its votes. This was further; complicated by the RKO management strategy of calling for a vote on exparision of the board from five tp six mem- bers. Greene crowd bad. no way of knowing whether it could afford to vote approval of the enlarge- ment until it knew ; how many proxies each side had. y Session got under w;ay in a tiny room which legally constitutes the •‘principal offices” of RKO Thea- tres, a Delaware corporation. Since the heated contest drew more, than 25 stockholders (company has about 15,000 in all)., ; the meeting had. to be moved to a club across, the street, Schwartz had hardly brought down the opening gavel before the fireworks started; H. B. Spring, of Ungerleider & Co,, New York brokerage house, and brother-in- law of Greene, Immediately sprang to-his feet and registered objection to', the management’s insistence-on holding the session spine 190 miles from New York^ Greene group had charged, previously that this was management. Strategy to keep indie stockholders. frOth making an ap- pearance. Schwartz, as he repeat- edly did throughout the meeting, refused to allow discussion of the issue, shutting it off with “Your remarks have been noted. ’* One of the provisions in the cer- tificate incorporation that permits the board to issue rights or options lip to 4,000,000 shares without per- mission of the. stockholders was a principal campaign target of Greene. Schwartz met the chal- lenge in his report to the stock- holders by stating; the manage- ment was willing to amend the cer- tificate to require stockholder ap- proval of options. Balaban Options Continued from page 3 the two issues at $800,000 less than market value. Stock options stemmed from a $2,000,000 loan which the. topper made to the old Paramount parent corporation some years ago. This was in the form of 2%% con- vertible notes issued to him by the outfit, Notes were; prepaid in January, 1950, with the arrangement provid- ing for issuance of the 40,000- share. options for Par stock and UPT certificates. Agreement also called upon Balaban to simultane- ously exercise the options by Dec, 28* of this year or not at all. In the case of the newly a quired UPT holdings, Balaban ha his. choice of either unloading the Block of. certificates or receiving only 50% Of UPT dividends with the balance held in trust for him. He’d collect the trusteed divvy payments only upon future, sale of the UPT certificates or dropping his ’Par shares and ceasing to be a Par officer.. These restrictions are contained in the Par antitrust con- a as^ sent decree with the Government. Rob N.Y. Artie of $2,668 Two armed men robbed the. Paris Theatre on West 58th St., New York, last week of $2,668, re- ported as most of the .night’s re- ceipts. The thugs, who were com- pletely covered with hoods; bound and gagged John Breu, assistant manager of the house, and then calmly walked: off with; the money, including $900 they removed from the office safe after forcing Breu no agreement on the number of di-1 to open it, rectors each would get. It was disclosed later that while Driscoll and Kfesel were engaged in a spectacular duel of strategy and wit at the.meetirig, the peace was being arranged by a couple of fellows off in a corner* They were A. Louis Oresman, of the Greehe On the phance that the robbers had remained iri the cineina after the holdup, the police Watched all exits as tb e audience filed out after the night show.' However, Breu was not able to make any ideutificatiori. . The Paris currently is playing cohorts* and Ben-Fleriiing Sessel, * “The River ” in its 14th week.