Variety (May 1952)

Major Inventories in Face of Uncertain Mkt Hollywood, which looks forward} to a long-range production slow- ' appears to bejn for. a pro- fSd P rfege of layoffs with at S four of the majors fighting hrlng down their film inventor- ies Feeling is that they've piled Ip more than enough pix in the ace of an uncertain market • Companies principally affected are Paramount, BKO, 20th-Fox S Universal. All but 20th had more coin invested in completed but unreleased, pix at the end of their 1951 fiscal periods than the vear previous. Additional product has been completed and stowed away by most of the companies since the 1951 reports were made UP Total amount of studio-made product in the vaults of eight com- panies (Columbia, Metro, Para- mount, Republic, RKO, 20th, Uni- versal and Warner Bros.), accord- ing to 1951 reports—final one of which came out last week—was $93,705,000. That compares with $91,925,000 for the previous year. Total investment in pix before the cameras by the eight studios at the‘time the year-end state- ments came out was down from 1950. It amounted to, $78,169,000 in 1951 as compared with $80,100,- 000 for 1950. Totals in the two categories above do not give a complete pic- (Continued on page 16) Ferber. Won’t Allow H’wood Peek at Her New Novel; 'Giant’ Absolute prohibition imposed by Edna Ferber has prevented an ad- vance' Hollywood look-see at her forthcoming hovel, . “The Giant.” Book stands at the . top pf the agenda of all story departments as the prospect for a, film. There’s considerably less interest in the new Ernest Hemingway yarn, “The Old Man and The Sea,” which stu- dios also haven’t been able to gan- der yet. . Effort and intrigue to lay hands on a manuscript or galley proofs of the Ferber novel arise out of the writer’s rep for turning out profitable film fare. Among her ranking properties were “So Big,” which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1925 and was lensed by First National that year; “Cimarron” <BKO, 1931) and “Saratoga Trunk” **WB, 1945). There’s no explanation frojji Miss Ferber, her. agent or publisher for the reluctance about letting the studios have an advance jo.o.. She's always been tough, however, in deals for screen - rights. She’s in- (Continued on page 16) BIGGEST U-DECCA SNAG IS RANK’S STIFF PRICE Al ; thur Rank’s holdout for a stiff price continues to be biggest snag to consummating a merger of Universal and Decca, it was indi- cated yesterday (Tues.), following return to New York of Milton R. Jtackmil, prez of Decca. Latter is jargest single stockholder in U. ttackrmi returned Monday from n° , °n huddles with J. Arthur secon d largest U stockholder a , n °PP°uent of Rackmil’s mer- ger plan. i n P ecca has the alternative of buy- “VP bank’s 134,900 shares,,and ^hat basis was discussed thJt ft appears, however, i* British film tycoon is hold- thn« £ or suc h a Stiff price that f easFbie C laSe ’ 3060021 believes, is not J 1 is understood planning, fw/'keless, to continue his ef- t0 corn e to one form of agree- win V,°Jji anotIler with Rank and wit h his banker, Serge SS enko ’ of National of In? a n ’ ^ n ?. ot hcr advisers on find- slbip? , s ° lu tion. If that’s not pos- it nioiri+if 0 * * chance Decca may 304,000 U shares and tq U K’ wefe bought at the I 1 _ valent of $15 each. Goldstein, Goetz to Europe Hollywood, May 20.. *• William F. Goetz, Universal pro- duction chief, and Leonard Gold- stein, lot’s most active producer, both head for Europe in June. Goetz’s ‘ jaunt is mostly business, while Goldstein’s will be a pleasure junket. Goetz will leave for New York early in June and take off after a week of confabs there. He’ll be away about a month. Goldstein will leave later in June and expects to be gone six to eight weeks. 20th Eyes Wald, U s Goldstein As Prod. Unit Chief Hollywood,' May 20. Leonard Goldstein and Jerry Wald are said to be among the lead- ing candidates to head a new unit at 20th-Fox to make the bulk of the studio’s medium-budgeted pro- duction. Both Goldstein and Wald have current contractual commit- ments and it is not certain, in any case, whether they’ir accept the post or 20th will finally decide on either of them. Move in taking on Goldstein or Wald fits in with a plan which 20th has already instituted in part of having groups of pix made by units under the general supervision of Darryl F. Zanuck and with Joseph H. Moskowitz, now eastern studio rep, as a sort of' coordinator. Ju llan Blaustein and Sol C, Siegel head other units, Goldstein is currently producing at Universal, where he has made a (Continued on page 16) SOVIET CONTINUES TO PIRATE OLD U S. PIX Washington, May. 20. As Russia continues to pirate and screen old U. S. films, State Depart- ment has directed our embassy in Moscow to make another protest. Latest complaint is on the showing of two pre-World War II “Tarzan" films. No reply- has been received yet and it may be some time before the Reds answer. The latest American protest follows four previous ones that Moscow theatres were showing American-made films without pay ing royalties or without permission of the American studios. In each case, prewar films, which the Rus sians seized in Berlin immediately after, the armistice, have been in- volved. It was only recently that the Rus sians acknowledged the first four protests. Soviet Government con- tended that since it seized prints in Berlin they were was booty and no payment would be made to the American owners. Philly Exhibs Gang Up On Col’s Montague Philadelphia, May 20. Appearance of Abe Montague veepee and general sales manager of Columbia Pictures, before a mass meeting of exhibitors at the Broadway Hotel here yesterday (Tues.) touched off a verbal slug- fest over the company's sales prac- tices. • “It’s the first time I ever had a group gang up on me," h said, “and I don’t think it’s right. Montague showed up at the con- clave 'in response to an invitation sent by Sidney E. Samutfson, prez and general manager of Allied Theatre Owners of Eastern Penn sylvania, after his company was voted the most “unpopular distnb at a previous Allied meet. On hand for the session were some 45 ex- 1 hibs. Sufficiently 'forge. propoHIon'.*■■fo.'j cash of a $6,000,000 total sum will nduce Howard Hughes to part with bis controlling interest in RKO Pic- ures, according to well-informed New York financial circles. Sam Dembow, Jr., who has been acting as middleman between Hughes and an eastern syndicate for the past month, is now endeavoring to get the group to up its cash ante. HugheS’ earnest interest in ped- dling his RKO shares is seen in the fact that he has financed Dembow’s efforts to the extent of a Coast visit several weeks ago. The’ for- mer distribution and exhibition exec may return to Hollywood for further confabs with Hughes in the next few weeks. The RKO topper reportedly wants $6 '-per share for his stock and holds slightly more than 1,000,- 000 shares. Dembow has put to- gether a syndicate that is ready to buy the production-distribution company. Hitch, however, is under- stood to be the quantity of cash Hughes js asking and terms of pay- ment of notes representing the re- mainder. Dembow has consistently refused to identify, even to close business associates, the composition of the (Continued on page 63) Everybody Loves C0MP0, No One Will Marry Her; Pinanski TOA’s Choice Council of Motion Picture Or- ganizations finds itself in the un- enviable league- of the gal. every- one loves but no one will marry. There seems to be more deepdown desir- now for the all-industry pub- lic relations organization than there ever was, yet no one is will- ing to take the time or the trouble to make a bride of the .gaL. • Let alone take on a- fulltime marriage in the guise, of president of COMPO, there has been diffi- culty finding men to accept even one-third of that berth. Theatre Owners of America yesterday (Tues.) finally gfoti Sam' Pinanski to take the post ' of ? its’ rep on the triumvirate that is : thought to be the solution to COMPO’s presi- dency problem since a single ac- (CpntihUed on page 61) * War s Uncertainty Motion Pictupre Assn, of America title registration re- ports indicate that Columbia is determined to,make a war picture, but hasn’t quite made up its mind where to put it. It has registered “Anzlo,” “Saipan,” “El Alamein” and “Wings Over Korea,” Average Citizen Needs Education On H’wood-Coyne The average citizen simply isnft hep to the workings and physical makeup of the film industry, Rob- ert W. Coyne, special counsel for the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, declared in N. Y. this week. He feels a thorough-go- ing job of “educating” the public would result in substantially im- proved goodwill fob the business. Coyne and Maurice Bergman, Universal exec, both returned from hinterland lecture tours carrying the COMPO banner, Coyne having had dates across Virginia and Berg- man having covered Ohio. JThere’s a big need for many more such visits.to Rotary, Kiwanis and other similar groups by industryites, they stressed. “‘It’s imperative that the pub- lic is acquainted with the facts concerning the industry,” Coyne told Variety. He said his audi- (Continued on page 16) Daff. Lipton to Coast Hollywood, May 20. Folio wing, conclusion of a three- day. .sales palaver in Chicago, Al- fred E. Daff, Universal’s world sales chief, and, David A. Lipton, pub-ad v.p., arrived here yesterday (Mon.) for a' series of meetings with production execs Leo Spitz and William Goetz. Daff and Lipton will be joined' later in the week by Charles J; Feldman, domestic sales manager. Twentieth-Fox is in the mar- ket to sell reissue rights to 600 of its old films, and a flock of New York film attorneys, representing various syndicates, are endeavoring to, put deals together, Edward L. Alperson, who had the inside track and came closest to the inking stage, fifially gave up after three weeks of negotiation and returned to the Coast over trie weekend. The films involved are those re- leased in the 15-year period from 1933-34 to 1948-49. Alperson deal entailed a.payment of $3,000,000 against 35% of proceeds of the pix, but other amounts and percentages are being-* talked, by the other groups. Reissues will be for sale to the-** atres only. The^e is no TV angle involved. Rights would be given by 20th for five years. Figures now being talked vary from $2,000,000 to $3,500,000, The percentages, which 20th .would get go from 30% to 40%, hinging on the size of the front money. Some of the deals also have complicated arrangements revolving about the (Continued on page 63) 1938 ‘Snow White’ Grabs 750G on 2d Reissue Run To Date; Eye $2,000,000 One of the reasons Walt Disney finds no difficulty resisting the fabulous bait held out to him for old pix by TV is evidenced in the current reissue of “Snow White,” The 1938 pic was started into its second re-release by RKO last Feb- ruary and has already . amassed about $750,000, with approximately 2,000 contracts played off. Since it has been doing- Very well in drive-ins and never 'fails to click heavily d’hen kids are out of school big summer take' Is looked for With about $2,008,000 gross realized from the current reissue. , “Snow White”, is by far Disney’s greatest financial success: It had $10,600,000 in the till from world- wide release as of the end of last (Continued on page 15) National Boxoffice Survey Key City Biz Still Sluggish; 'Express’ New Champ, 'Carbine 7 2d,*'Belles 7 3d, 'Marrying 7 4th Biz in key cities covered by Variety this week continues slug- gish with even the stronger com- munities reporting trade very spot- ty. Lukewarm product is taking the rap for the downbeat this ses- sion, although seasonal influences undoubtedly are hurting. Keys which had rainy weather for the most part noted a brisk pickup in trndc* “Red Ball Express” (U), story of the Army transportation system in Europe during the last war, t is spurting ahead to No. 1 .spot, with a batch of okay to fine sessions among the 12 spots currently play- ing. “Carbine Williams” (M-G), another newcomer, is catching on sufficiently well to take second place. “Belles on Toes” (20th), which was champ last week, is a strong third position winner. “Marrying Kind” . (CoB is finishing fourth while “African Queen” (UA) will be fifth. “RaiicHo Notorious” (RKO) shows enough to cop sixth, with “Six Conyicts” (Col) seventh. “Man in White Suit”. (U), helped by some fresh dates, is edging up to eighth. “Sniper” (Col) and “Deadline-U.S.A.” (20th) round out the Big 10 list. “Anything Can Happen” (Par) and “Encore” (Par) are runner-up pix. One of best new entries, just starting out, looks to be “Thief of Damascus” (Col), but even it is en- countering some soft spots. “San Francisco Story” (WB) this week looms mostly mild. “Outcast of Islands” (UA), also new, is mild at N. Y. Astor but sturdy in Fine Arts, another N. Y. house where playing day-date. “Wait ’Til Sun Shines Nelly” (20th) ranges from fair to okay currently. “Patda” (Col) is rated nice in Washington. “Kangaroo” (20th) looms slug- gish on preem week in N. Y.‘while “Red Mountain” (Par) ranges fair to dull this stanza. “Battle At Apache Pass” (U) is rated fine in St. Louis. “Greatest Show” (Par), which has '‘played most of its dates first time around, is okay in Chi and L.A. “Singin’ In Rain” (M-G) is sock in Montreal. “Girl in White” (M-G) is oke in Denver but fair in K.C. “Wild North” (M-G) shapes nice in Cleve- land, “Pride of St. Louis” (20th) looks light in Boston. “Scara- mouche” (M-G), rated’ fairish in second N. Y. Music Hall week, bolds a third round there. “Macao” (RKO) looms mildish in Cincy. “Steel Town” (U) shapes okay in Chi. “Love Better Than Ever” (M-G) looks big in Omaha. “Song In Heart” (20th) is fine in Boston. “Brave Warrior” (Col) looks lean in Louisville. “Green Glove” (UA) is fair in Pittsburgh. “Outcasts of Poker Flat” (20th) is very disappointing this round. “Scandal Sheet” (Col) shapes nice in Seattle. (Complete,J3arp//Lcc Reports, on . | Pages 6-9) Trade Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SUtc SILVERMAN Published Weakly by VARIETY, INC Harold Enchi, President 154 Wait 46th St. New York 36, N. V Hellyweed 31 6311 Yucca Street Washington 4 1392 National Press Building Chicago 11 612 No.* Michigan Av«. London WC2 8 St. Martin'* PI., Trafalgar Sq. SUBSCRIPTION .Annual $10 Foreign .. $11 Single Copies 25 Cents ABEL GREEN, Editor (Published to Hollywood by Dally Variety^ Ltd,) Hi