Variety (December 1951)

V l»»t 4 « fc JHw i #f , ML Msi •* /igiivi; t *•„ *4 -v :■'*■ m*. <«.M4*.. M«4MW<*^| .«»*» j+dat* Washington, Dec, 18, 4 The National Production Author- ity this wrick fitted a double-bar- reled bart^ge fiwm the ftbn, Indus* try oh the recent Government order banning production of tele- vision equipment capable of receiv- ing color. Paramount has already died a protest in that the ban would prohibit manufacture’ bf its Law- rence Chromatic tube/which can pick up either tint dr black and white signals. The industry as a Whole is about to follow this up on the advice of counsel that the NPA order as now written would prevent Installation Of large-screentheatre equipment that could be adapted to color. It is feared that tills will greatly deter installation Of large-screen ''gear. . " Concerted action by the industry is being planned as a result , of an interpretation by James Lawrence Fly and Vincent Welch, attorneys ‘ for the Motion Picture Assn, of America, on television matters. They have followed the pattern of the Par protest in maintaining that the order as issued goes far beyond what was agreed upon at a meet- ing of manufacturing companies* reps; with Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson and NPA execs a /couple months ago. Fly, former chairman of the Federal CrimmUnieatiOns' Commis- sion, and Welch have informed the: MPA A that, the order "has not been well thought out,” since it was , not intended to prohibit in- stallation of theatre, equipment capable of picking up color, but it has that effect. At the Wilson meeting, attorneys said 'in memorandum to the MPA A, no mention of theatre tele was made. In any case, they point out, “the alleged purpose of the order seems to be defeated, since engineers Inform us that few if any more critical materials ! are required' for color, than for black and white;” Furthermore, Fly and Welch added, the Order appears to have been * issued without regard to conferring with those affected. Par in its letter takes the same (Continued oh page 18) MGM Catting Director , 4/ harks back to Mi Broadway aqaiit Inf days laor bright placa ‘ '‘SquareDeal’ Ingrate Barytone t Yanks May Enter State Dept Urging While bowing out of the Uru- guayan film festival next month and many of such fetes in general, the American/film industry may never theless; participate in the Bombay festival in January. Policy reversal now under consideration is at the request of the State Dept, on rep resentation of the Indian govern- ment. New Delhi officials have urgent- ly asked that the. Yank industry participate as an offset to the Russian entries, Soviet intends put- ting on a large show, as, it has done at other international festi- vals recently/ and the Indians, in their effort to play right down the East-West middle, want the U. S. there. State Dept.-S request was pre- sented to the board of the Motion Picture Export Assn, in New. York Monday (17). Directorate was i dined to view it favorably. How- ever, no final action was taken pending further discussion of the situation with the State Dept, by Eric: Johnston, prez of MPEA* Although the American com panies participated in the festival -at Punte del Estri, .Uruguay, last year* they voted against a repeat. While that means that the industry 6s an industry won’t take part, Individual companies may send entries. Several are now consider- ing such action as a publicity move for some of then’ pictures. Yank industry, as a member of the. International Federation of Producers, is supposed to recognize only two festivals as “interna* tiorial”—meaning ories which Hollywood takes part on an indus- try-wide basis. Theyvare Venice arid Cannes. otherwise, MPEA-member com- panies have been' steering clear of the fetes, since there’s such a plethora of them that they’ve be- come a headache. In most cases, there is no interest in films, per Se, but just use of new pix and presence of stars to promote tour- ist biz; an amwiaf byltaa foatara In Hit apconilng 46 th Anniversary Number *«• 1 of OUT SOON *ts ft Shorte lenMcncy Hollywood, Dae, lift U. S. State Dapartmentda raidy- ing a senes of jpx onereclcrs titled “Screen Newsweek” depicting the American way of life, for showing in foreign countries, particularly in Asia. With Gus Thayer as asso- ciate produeer. the pictures wiU toe dubbed in 15 langUfges. Department .rfejeoritly completed a 40-ihlnute' documentary on the Central Valley* pcpdqced by Ro- land Heed Productions on the-Hal Roach lot* ; . ’ 'i . i j ii i *i) i * i » 1 Rko Theatres, inc.,Ts'eyeing the. possibility of swinging into tele- casting via acquisition of one or two stations, However, the chain is showing no haste in such a move, preferring to hold off on it until much of the “Speculation” has been removed. In his Annual report to stock- holders early this month, prexy Sol A. Schwartz disclosed that, the com- pany had considered buying two TV stations recently “but it was felt that the proposals were too speculative to justify the payment of the prices demanded.” The circuit still stands ready to branch out into telecasting, and. it’s financially equipped to dp so, pro- vided terms of any deal are accept-; able. RKO has about $8,000,000 in net working , capital which, Schwartz related, is sufficient to provide for alK. corporate require- ments plus some expansion. Since the circuit is enjoined from fur- ther theatre expansion under its antitrust consent decree, what other development is intended probably will be in TV. Three RKO theatres now ';■■ are equipped with large-screen TV equipment and others are awaiting delivery of facilities. This repre- sents, the extent of the company’s TV investment so far. DDE FOR N.Y. TALKS Future format of the Motion Picture Export Assn, came, in for considerable discussion at a meet- ing of the organization’s board in New York Monday (17). MPEA is slated to cease active . operation with the departure of vice- prez and general manager Irving Maas at the end: of this month, With Yugoslavia and Austria the only two countries into which MPEA will continue shipping films, its affairs will, be placed under the' direction of John G. McCarthy, director of the interna- tional division of the Motion Pic- ture Assn, of America. Work will primarily be liquida- tion, looking toward eventual complete discontinuance of MPEA except as a legal umbrella for the Amerioari companies in taking joint action on foreign problems, Size and nature of the staff that will be required in the interim are being discussed with that in mind; Herbert Erlanger, whe has been Maas' assistant, will continue as active head of the association. It is believe^ unlikely, however, that he Will toe given the v.p. and gen- oral manager 'title, as had been suggested by Maas in a report winding up his activities. Possibility that March of Time will resume making its pictorial journalism series for theatre dis- tribution was indicated this week when the company announced that it will reissue Its entire news series on a 'nationwide basis beginning early in 1952. Series, introduced In 1935, was discontinued last July when the Time maf subsidiary dis- closed that it would concentrate on news documentaries for video. Although there are no immediate plans to begin production on a new series, a MOT spokesman said that when the company decided to cease making the film series it had left the door ripen for reentry into the field. He further noted that MOT had received many requests from exhibs for resumption bf the series. , Decision to re-prrisent the entire series, starting Witji Volume I, No. 1, was'prompted by;the success achieved at the Guild theatres, N Y. Chain had contracted for the first 75 issues in November and it reportedly found them so suc- cessful that they have been play- irig them on a twice-a-week change, Deals . to date have been made with theatres in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Boston, San Francisco, Mobile, Biloxi, Tampa, Palm Beach, Miami and Portland, Me. To hypo the' bio,, theatres will bill films as March of Time's “History in the Making” series. Other contracts will follow in January, the com pany reports, when it. expects to hive an adequate supply of prints to service all theatres that have re quested the series. De Rochemofit Planning Prod, With Benoit-Levy - Richard de Rochemont, longtime March of Time producer Who left MOT when It ceased making its monthly reels, returned from a two-month trip to Europe last week in Which he closed down the'firm's London arid Paris offices. Al- though the company has discon- tinued one phase of its operations it will continue with Reissues as well as TV and commercial films. 1 ■ Meantime, de Rochemont expects to step into independent produc- tion in association with Jean Be- noit-Levy. Theytye bought film rights to “La Danseuse a la Rose,” novel by Auguste. Bailly, and plan to put it before the cameras some- time next year as a Franco-Italian production. Yarn has a .ballet theme. r.'U ■>«W » : 1 ft* **■ Alfred W. Schwalberg y f'.'t •«. Vatampunt BfarJk Cfdaf ( Admiti TV Competition, JtoatfFIvtl: JExterminadon 'A of the many odltoriol foaturoc 1 * ' 46th Anniversary Number of OUT SOON Wasbington,Dec.18. A substantial segment of the pic- ture industry petitioned the Fed- eral Communications Commission, yesterday; (Mori.), to. enlarge the issues of the corning theatre TV hearings to Consider the possibility of allowing theatres to use frequen- cies presently allocated for indus- trial radio .services, A previous petition for this purr pose had been filed by . 20th-Frix. Joining 20th in the new petition were the . Motion Picture*. A$sn. of America, Theatre Owners of Amer- ica and National Exhibitors Thea- tre Television Committee, The three organizations told the Com- mission enlargement of the issues Will give agency more alternatives to Consider and permit more com- plete findings with regard to pres- ently-planned theatre tele service. However, their petition asserted, separate frequencies are needed and should be assigned for the- atres. “Exclusive frequencies,” they said,, “are necessary if a truly (Continued on page 61) following A report to them by Arthur L. Mayerv exec v.p. of thi Comicfl ,#f MotioR Organ! [xatloa*^ Aim coiripany president! this week agreed to mull the re. centhf^jecltfa institutional ad campaftn Wltirthel^ respective ad- pttto director* tmd confab with May. er on the idea again shortly after Jan.I. Campaign,calls fox a full-page in- sertion in dally newspapers across the country at the rate of one « month. Companies would sponsor each ad on a rotating, Individual basis, rather than jointly/ Each company advertiser. In .Its copy, would pUy up a limited dumber of its own pix plus tlie industry Institutionally, Mayer outlined his thoughts on the project at a meeting of the Motion Picture Assn. of America’s executive committee, which is com- prised of the prexies. Earlier, he presented the plan to the. MPAA’s ad-pub committee. Original understanding was that the ads would appear in all dailies across the country* Now‘ the inser- tions are tentatively slated only for papers of 160,000 circulation or more. All dailies were used in the one- shot ad recently taken in behalf of the “Movietime, U.S.A.” push* This represented an expenditure of $350,000. Taking the space in the 100,000 circulation papers probably will cut the per-insertlon expense to around $140,000, or less. Finkel Heads Salesmen . Robert Finkel of Republic again will head N. Y. Loge of Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesman. Also reelected for another term at elec- tions held last week were Howard Levy (Metro), treasurer; Lee Mayer (Warner Bros.), secretary, and An- thony Ricci (Republic), sergeant-at- arms. ’ 1 Micharil Nuzzola of 20th-FoX. Stic-; ceeded Manny Meyers as yeepee. Group will hold its annual dinner- dance in Xieb Joins UA- Sidney Lieto has resigned as service and sales controller for the Motion Picture Export Assn, to join the * foreigh department of United Artists in a similar capa- city on Jan. 1. At UA; Lieb will supervise the physical handling of prints going off to the world market.* Europe to N. Y. Harry Andrews Irene Browne Humphrey Doulens Paul Henried .Dorothy. Kirsten Peter Lawford Janet Leigh : Patricia < Morison Pat Nye- Sir Ralph Richardson Artur Rubinstein Sam Spiegel Wilfrid Hyde; White W-K RKO CONTRACT Hollywood, Dec. 18. Final decision on the status of the Wald-Krasna production unit at RKO is likely to be made this week at a meeting of the two prriducers with, their,attorney, David Tannen- baum, and Lew, Wasserman, presi- dent of Music Corp. of America. Their option , date was Nov. 1, but was extended to Jan, 1. No matter what happens, the W-K unit will start shooting “This Mari Is Mine” on Thursday (20) as their fourth production for RKO release. Picture costars Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward* ff Orovm to Eye ^S. America Alfred Crown, sales v.p. for Samuel Goldwyn Productions, leaves N/Y, early in January for a month’s swing of South Ameri- can capitals. He plans to line up. deals ; for Goldwyri’s '.T Want You. N. Y. to L. A. Charles' Carpenter Linda Christian John R* • Clark; Jr. Roy Disney Carl Foreman Marcus Goodrich MerV Griffin Jascha Heifetz Paul Heriried Sol Hurok Burt Lancaster Lida Eiyingston Rouhen Mamoulian Irene Mdmiing Louis B. Mayer Harold C. Meyers Robert Newton Mike Nidprf. James Perkins Tyrone Power Thomas G* Rockwell Frederick C. Scharig David Shattuck Sam Spiegel Joseph A. Walsh .Bam Weisbord Fir Flo, ‘Faithfully’ IMer Pre-ProA Ool As a result of g pre-production deal, 20th-Fox has shelled out $45,- O00 for screen rights to “Faithfully Yours,” the short-lived L* Bush Fekete and Mary Helen Fay Broad- way stage comedy which starred Ann ' Sothern arid Robert Cum- mings. The Richard W* Krakeur presentation closed. Saturday (15) after 68 performances. Deal negotiated betweon authors and the film company Called for a $40,000 down payment plus a $1,000 i week after the third Week. Weekly payments were to continue during the run of the show until a cutoff point of $80,000. With clos- ing of show, weekly payments im- mediately halted. L. A. to N. Y. Judith Anderson Bert'Bernard ■’ George Bernard Jack Carson A1 Daff Denise Darcel Gloria DeHaven William Dieterlfc Jack Dunning Leo Durocher^ Charles Einfeld Vera-Ellen Charles Feldman Arthur Fellows Sylvia Fine Phil Gerard Robert Goldstein Paul Gregory Wanda Hendrix Henry Henigson Donna Lee Hickey. Dorothy Hirsch Nat Holt Harry Homer Paul Jones Danny Kaye A.l Llchtman Jack ijoyd Edmund Lowe J. P. McEvoy MortNathansori Edmond O'Brien Serge Petschnikriff jeriy Pickman Robert Pirosh Mary Scott Charles! SImorielli Spyros Skouras Mike Sloane Paula Stone N. Y. to Etnrbpe Glen Abbott Henry Henigson Ronald Howard Christopher Isherwood Barry Jones Serge Petgchriikoff Robert Taylor Sqm Zimbalist