Variety (December 1951)

13 vmmHAvnnAL xsmimsffim. Sydney, Dec. 18. 4 Aussie Theatre Managers Assn.; headed by Robert Cleland, and Hoyts' circuit, which operates some 180 cinemas, are presently in heavy battle over alleged under- payment to front-of-house men. Conflict may cause political reper- cussions if not settled soon. Cle- land, a former Hoyts’ cinema man- ager, was responsible for the birth of TMA which has grown into a powerful union. Ever since;, the for- mation of TMA, Cleland and Ern- est Turnbull have not seen eye-to- Oye on many points. . It is now alleged by TMA that Hoyles is not living up to a “gen- tlemen's agreement^ as set down bv the powerful ; Greater Union Theatres loop, headed by Normnh B. Rydge, and the Metro chain, headed; by Bernle Freeman, Un- der this, cinema managers were to receive double-time for all public holidays. TMA also alleges Hoyts is underpaying their managers in defiance of the official wages’ set- lip. Hoyts denies this. Under the -authority of Cleland, the TMA has begun a heavy cam- paign Via labor-controlled radio sta- tions and in suburban newspapers hitting at Hoyts and telling the public not to patronize a Hoyts’ Cinema... This stresses large un- distributed profits and that Hoyts is American controlled. Into Political Arena Belief is held here that if the present conflict between the TMA and' Hoyts: is not: quickly brought to a halt, it will be thrown by the former into the ; political ;arena with resultant airing of dirty linen harmful to the film industry in gen- eral. The TMA would tell the top politicians that Hoyts, via the stock sayso in the: link of 20th-Fox-Na tional Theatres, is an American controlled ; organization which, through the years, has gained con- trol of some 180 cinemas to the alleged detriment of independent exhibitors. Cleland might seek to have Parliament call for a breakup of any foreign (U.S.) monopoly in Australia. Major circuits playing in opposi- tion to Hoyts are trying to prevent the TMA-Hoyts conflict from ,being aired to the politicians. They want the whole thing Settled as quickly as possible within the industry’s own backyard. Up to the present, Hoyts has made no move to coun- ter-blast the TMA allegations. Industry insiders say that should the TMA, led by Cleland, press for political legislation against Hoyts, the entire local pic industry will come under a ..heavy.. govern- mental quiz. Hence, the hope that the TMA and Hoyts will settle the alleged ' underpayment conflict pronto. London, Dec, 25. Lew 1 & ^Leslie Grade currently have seven Christmas pantomimes, three of which are' being presented in the London areas. At the Lewisham Hippodrome, Tommy Trlnder is starred in Babes in. the Wood':” Bonar Col- leano and Susan Shaw> have top billing in “Jack & the Beanstalk” at Tooting Granada, and at the Croyden Empire they are staging “Robinson Crusoe.’’ * The Grade agency are also pre- senting pantomimes at two other Granada houses, one at Shrewsbury and the other at Rugby. In the north of England they have the Five Smith Bros, and Ralph Reader playing in “Dick Whitting- ton & His Cat’’ at the Sunderland Empire, while at the Opera House f Belfast, they are presenting “Alad- din.” Lew Grade is planning to leave London on a routine trip to New York and Hollywood around Jan. 28. LAUREL-HARDY SIGNED FOR TOUR OF BRITAIN London, Dec. 25. While in Hollywood recently, William Marsh, exec of Bernard Delfont office, closed a deal with Laurel and Hardy to play a season in England. Film Comics open provincial tour March 3 for six weeks, and come to the West End, at theatre yet to decide, in the middle of April for six to eight weeks. After that they resume their tour "in the provinces for Moss Empires and Stoll; Thea- tres. Delfont has also closed deal with Val Parnell to play a string of dates on Moss Empires with his last ’s Prince ' Of Wales Theatre success, “Touch and Go,” which opens in the provinces March 17 with Bonar Coileano starred. McEldowney Eyes Fbilowup to ‘River* With his Indian-made “The River” already in distribution, pro- ducer Ken McEldowney is looking over scripts, to select a second yarn suitable for shooting in India. Hurd Hatfield, it’s understood* will ssume a major role in the venture once it’s decided upon. Mcvitime, Hatfield has signed for a Cvatured part in the Theatre Guild’s presentation of the Chris- topher Fry play, “Venus Ob served.” Laurence Olivier prodtic tion, in which Rex Harrison and Lili Palmer are costarred, is slated to open at the Century, N. Y. # Feb. 13. Variety’s Veteran Paris Man i" •* Maxime De Bcii JrathlsuWfAuft af* The Parisian Idea as detailed fa several Jnuuarans ^anecdotes In Reft week's 46lh Anniversary Number ’Big Boss’ Halts Slump Of French Product At Paris B.O.; 4-House Hit Paris, Dec. 25. Recent boxoffice dip for French pix has been halted by the success of “The Big Boss” .(Discina), star- ring Pierre Fresnay. Fresnay is one of the top draws here but of late his films have not been'Up to par at the b.o. “Boss” got some smart bally emphasizing that his film unveiled the real Fresnay. Film is drawing big at four first run houses. . “La Poison,” new .Sacha Giiitry pic, is racking up a fine $45,000 at three big houses. An offbeat, ma- cabre comedy, is has the sharp Gallic wit, irony and impudence, and good reviews and word of Outh are boosting this; “Alone in Paris,” new Bourvil starrer, play- ing three spots, shapes mild at $i0,- 000. “La Maison Bonnadieu,” spot- ted in two houses, is doing a good $20,000 “Miracle in Milan,” after a big advance buildup and good crix ap- praisal, is not living up to expecta-r tions. In its second week, film is only $15,000, and stays only one more week. It makes way for “The River.” “Los OlvidadosT (Pan- cigers), Mexican festf prize win- ner, won boff reviews and is doing sock biz at a smallseater. Looks set for a long run, ’• Reviews of November receipts shows “Samson and Delilah” (Par) as the top grosser with $267,000 in Paris. Next was “King Solomon’s Mines” (M-G) with $183,000. French film, “The Savage Boy,” was third best with $129,000. Fourth is French pic, “Life in a Song,” with $111,000, Fifth grosser is also French, the last Louis Jouvet film, “A Love Story.” Provinces are giving the b.o. nod to such films as “Valen- tino” (Col), “Flame and Arrow” (WB)» “Savage Boy ’’(Bercholtz) and “Solomon’s Mines” (M-G). Mexico City, Dec. 18. Probably the top TV event„ in Mexico this year was the sudden cancellation by the Ministry of Communications and Public Works of its permit to' station' XEWTV here, which is owned-pperated by the. Emilio Azcarraga Syndicate, to telecast Mexico's biggest annual religious event. This pilgrimage of " nearly 1,000,000 . Roman Catho- lics to the shrine here of Our Lady, of . Guadalupe, national patron sauit, Is held bn the .Anniversary Of the saint’s apparition here in 1530. XEWTV had spent , much coin and time preparing for what Was to have been the first telecast of the event. Preparations featured 32 fop film-radio scripters to re- count the history of the pilgrimage and making ready (Television Cen- ter), swanky XEWTV . plant, for a four-hour telecast. Practically every TV set owner iir Mexico was tuned in. Just before the show was to start, a policeman commissioned by., the ministry ordered Othon Velez, XEWTV manager, to re- move cameras and other gear from the shrine. The ministry also sent a police sergeant and two cops to the Television Center to see that there , would be no telecast of the event' Azcarraga demanded to know the reason for the sudden ban. When told that somebody in the ministry had discovered that Mexican law forbids any kind of religious prop- aganda transmitted by public serv- ices, he ordered his men to pro- ceed with the show. Warned that if he persisted he faced a fine of up to $5,780, Azcarranga said he would pay the fine. But a swarm of cops carried out fne ban. /Written protest against the bah was made to President Miguel Ale- man by Luis Farias, prez of the National Radio Announcers Assn. Zurich, Dec. 18. Walt Disney Productions won its suit against a Zurich firm which used the name and reproductions of “Mickey Mouse” for a local tea- room bearing that tag. The car- toon figure was not only used on the marquee,-but also on the walls, tables, menus, plates, glasses, etc; Zurich Supreme .Court decided in favor of the plaintiff, forbidding further use of the “Mickey Mouse” as a tag as well as in sketches. The tearoom - filed -an appeal with the Swiss Federal Court. This federal court now has de- cided that Zurich tearoom will be permitted to ufee the name “Mickey Mouse” as a trademark of the spot but refusing td approve. reproduc- tion of sketches^ or drawings of the aniipal figure. It ruled this is an original idea created by Disney and subject to legally protected copyright. To Bolster Pix Trade Shows in Australia (Week Ending pec. 22 J SYDNEY “Brlgadoon” (Williamson) ,Royal. “Chez Paree” (Tivoli), Empire. . ; "Moon Is Blue” (Williamson), PillflC6» “IceFollie” (Tivoli), Tivoli. “Daphne Laureola” (Frittori), In- dependent. MELBOURNE “Aladdin” (Carroll), Princess. “Peep Show” (Tivoli), Tivoli. “King. Lear” (Williamson), Com- edy. Borovansky Ballet (Williamson), His Majestys. AflVI .A1TII? “Gay Fiesta” (Celebrity), Royal. BRISBANE “Worm's Eye, View” (William- son), His Majestys. Bill Richardson, stage manager of King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, emi- grating to Brisbane, Australia, af- ter. 50 years in show bit here. Nationalist Rules Put Damper on Arg. Niteries Buenos Aires, Dec. 18. Nationalist spirit has influenced the shuttering of a number of niteries this season for violation of the rule that they must play 50% music by native composers; It seems impossible to make those who sponsor these nationalist ten- dencies understand that in enter- tainment or . art people can’t be forced to accept What they don’t like. A* sample of spontaneous adop- tion by the people of a type music they like is the sensational success being enjoyed by Brazilian com- poser (until recently a garage me- chanic) Waldir Azevedo, currently performing on the local major radio outlet, Radio Mundo, and at the Gong nitery. Azevedo's baton rhythm has displaced the tango as a popular dance tune and no less than eight top dance-bands and vocalists have pressed recordings of his “Delicado,” this year’s hit tune. Odeon has jUst completed one recording of this tune by the Wash- ington-Bertolin unit. Odeon has also, pressed 35,000 records of this tube With Osvaldo Norton while Oscar Aleman's outfit is m a king another of it, RCA Victor has pressed 48,000 with Hector’s Jazz band and 40,000 of Victor Brun- elli’s. Washington, Dec. 25. Seven-point program to hypo the fiim industry of India has been recommended by the government of India’s Film- Inquiry Committee, reports Nathan D. Golden, director * of the National Production Author- ity, film division. Committee has spent the last two years, inquiring into the growth and organization of the film industry in India to de- termine lines for further develop- ment. In addition to circulating ques- tionnaires, committee toured 48 cities in India and its chairman visited the U, S., Western Europe and East ASla. Among the recom- mendations were: 1. An 18-member statutory Film Council to advise the central and states governments on various mat- ters connected with the industry. 2. Establishment of a Production Code Administration, along the lines of the one in the U. S., to en- force production standards and give positive guidance on film- themes and their treatment. 3. Establishment of a film finance corporation. 4. Adoption of a uniform enter- tainment tax. 5. Place imports of raw film up to 240;OOQ,OOQ feet per year on open general license and provide for importation of studio equip- ment up to 4,500,000 rupees ($945,- 000) per year. 6. Step jup production of chem- icals and give necessary encourage- ment for the manufacture of raw film and theatre equipment. 7. Establish an Export Corpora- tion to explore possibilities of mar- keting Indian films in English- speaking outlets. Current London Shows (Figures show, weeks of run) London, Dec. 25. “And So to Bed,” Strand (10). “Biggest Thief,” Fortune (19). “Blue for Boy,” Majesty’s (56). “Cl'destine M’riage,” Old Vic “Colotnbe,” New (2). “Day's Mischief,” Duke York (2). “Figure of Fun,” Aldwych (10). “Folles BergOre,” Hipp. (42), “Gay's 4he Word,” Seville (45). “Hollow,” Ambassadors (30). “Indian Summer,” Criterion (2). “Kiss Me, Kate,”. Coliseum (42). “Knight’s Madh's,” Vie. Pal, (93). “Little Hut,” Lyric (64). “London Melody,” Empress (30). “Love 4 Colonels,” W’ndh’m (32). “Lyric Revue,'* Globe (13). “Moment of Truth,” Adelphi (5). “Penny Plain,” St. Mart. (26); “Rainbow Square/' Stoll. (14). “Relative Values,” Savoy (3). “Reluctant Heroes,” Wt'th (77). “Seagulls Sorrento,” Apollo (77). “South Pacific,” Drury (8), . “To Dorothy, a Son,” Gar’i’k (57). “Waters of Moon,” H’ym’k’t (56). “White Sheep Family,” Pic. (11). “Winter's Tale/' Phoenix (26). “Women of Twilight'' Vaude (10). “Zip Goes Million,” Palace (10). CLOSED LAST WEEK “Cl'destine M'riage” Old Vic (3), OPENING THIS WEEK (Figure denotes opening date) “M'sunimer Dream” Ola Vic (26). ' Budapest; Dec. 18. Budapest's most renowned legit theatre, the Vigszinhfis /Gaiety Theatre), whereFerenc Molnar's plays staked on theirWorld tourg of success, will be reopened this month as the Theatre of the Hun- garian Peoples* Army, it was offi- cially announced here. Announce- ment. thus put to an end one of the highest traditions of the Hungarian legit world, transforming into a •Communist house of propaganda tfie theatre Which once was a syno- nym to Budapest cosmopolitanism from the early 1900s through the end of the '30s. Alinbsi all of Molnar's plays had their premieres here, plays like “Liliom,” “The Guardsman",” "The Play’s the Thing,” and others, which now rate among the best all over the world. While there were many other legit houses in Buda- pest, like the National Theatre, the Vigszinhaz. had a special rating of its own. It was the theatre of the liberal intelligentsia and middle class, its opening nights, were al- ways events of the season, and their actors ; ahd actresses were al- ways the most beloved stars of Budapest. The Vigszinhaz tyas owned .by Ben Blumenthal of N. Y. It was heavily damaged during the siege of Budapest in World War II both by air raids and artillery ‘Shelling. When the war was over, the ensem- ble moved to. the Radius, a pic house bn NagymezoUtca, postwar Budapest’s Broadway. Blumenthal visited Budapest several times dur- ing the early postwar years to moke a deal with the government for compensation and for rebuild- ing of the theatre, Each time he left empty-handed. The ensemble tried " to maintain the Vigszinhaz’s high standard at the Radius by presenting such plays as William Saroyan's “Time of YoUr Life” and Rose Franken's “Claudia,” as well as Molnar plays. It became apparent, however, that these efforts were but nostalgic gestures, with the effort Condemned to death. This dying-actually started in the late '30s, when the pro-Nazi Hun- garian governments decreed their first ariti-Jewish laws, thereby ban- ning many of the top artists from the Vigszinhaz's and other stages. Those who stayed on continued trying to carry the torch; but its light was fading rapidly; Both actors and patrons of the Vigszin- haz were later herded off to Nazi concentratioii camps, and thou- sands never returned. £mong those killed was Arpad Horvath, a non-Jew and one. Of the theatre’s best directors and an active mem- ber of the resistance movement* After the war, many-found out that the Communists' rule wasnot much different from the Nazi terror, either physically or spiritually. Some left the country disillusioned, others got on the Reds* bandwag- gon, not at all voluntarily. By 1949 the Commies complete- ly consolidated their power in Hun- gary, and the Vigszinhaz was re- named Theatre of the Youth. Pro- grams were streamlined In accord- ance with the party line, and Mol- nar’s plays were banned as “de- cadent, bourgeois art.” ‘ Some of the remaining patrons faded into oblivion, others escaped the Country, and many who still survived were deported from Buda- pest' this year to concentration camps and forced labor. The Vigs- zinhaz's biggest stars, like Gyula Csortos, who was the first “Liliom ” and Arthur Somlay and Ella Gom- baszoglhave died. NOW that Hun- gary’s Red Army is moving into the rebuilt theatre, the Vigszinhaz has finally died, too. Brazil’s 3d TV Station Rio de Janeiro, Dec. 25. Brazil’s third television station went on the air yesterday (Mon.) in Sao Paulo.. Station, second in that city, is owned by Radio. Tele- visao Paulista and has been trans- mitting test patterns since Nov. 23. Preem show was highlighted by a pickup of the midnight, mass from one of the City’s cathedrals. It's estimated the new fetation will reach 20,000 receivers in the Sap Paulo area.