Variety (September 1952)

Newsmen to Be Barred From Only One Session at TOA Conventioh in Wash. All sessions of the Theatre Own-^^ ers of America upcoming national convention will be out in the open, with no effort to bar reporters from the proceedings as had been done in past. . Last year attempts were made to block newsmen from a huddle on exhib-distrib relations. This led to some loud hassling and finally to a lifting of the barriers. Only private session on the agenda is one In which exhibs will discuss personal business experi- ences and generally exchange views. In this instance it’s felt that the presence of press reps would inhibit the theatremen, con- sequently the welcome mat will be taken in for all but TOA members. Convention, set for Sept. 14-18. at the Shoreham Hotel, Washing- ton, will have a meeting of the legal advisory committee, headed by Herman M. Levy, as the first order of business. Opening of the trade show and meetings of the exec and nominating committees also are set for the opening day. Board of directors meets Mon- day (15), with prexy Mitchell Wolf- son presiding. Showing of the 20th-Fox film, ‘'Snows of Kiliman- jaro,” is set for Monday night. First full convention business session begins Tuesday, with A. Julian Brylawski, convention chair- man. handling the gavel. Wolfson will deliver the opening address, Elmer C. Rhoden the keynote ad- dress and Levy will discuss the American Spciety of Composers, Authors & Publishers. ASCAP is now underway with a new program (Continued on page 15) Harry Sherman Forming Distrib Co. to Release 12 Action Fix Annually Chicago, Sept. 9. Harry Sherman, independent pro- ducer, is forming a distribution out- fit which he says will turn out a minimum of 12 action releases aimed not only for'U. S. but also for expert. Sherman met over this past weekend with nine tentative franchise-holders who will also* in- vest and own a piece of the com- pany, as yet unnamed. Shooting schedule will start about Dec. 1. A minimum of four of the releases will be in color. Prospective branch setups and their managers are: Max Roth and Charles Lindau, Chicago; N. P. Jacobs, San Francisco; John Fran- coni, Dallas; Dan Swartz, Milwau- kee and Minneapolis;^ Jack Zide, Detroit; Bernie Mills! New York and Washington, D. C.; Selma Mit- chell, Cincinnati, representing the Lee Goldberg estate; John Bohn, Indianapolis. Sam ' Seidelman, forfnerly of United Artists and Eagle-Lion, will be in charge on foreign distribution. Selznick, DeSica to Do Italo Pic With Jen Jones Hollywood, Sept. 9. David O. Selznick and Vittorio DeSica will Jointly produce “Ter- minal Station,” starring- Jennifer Jones, starting in Rome Oct. 10. DeSica will direct from Cesare Zavattini’s story and script ac- quired by Selznick. Wolfgang Reinhardt will be associate pro- ducer. DeSica is now here working with Selznick on script changes but leaves next week for Italy to work with Zavattinl. Selznick follows m a fortnight. ^ Snaper, Myers Attend West'Va, Allied Parley Wilbur Snaper, Allied States Pi'ez, and boai'd chairman Abram i*. Myers are attending the annual convention of Allied Tl.eatres of V est Virginia In Clarksburg. Two-day meeting gets underway It'day (Wed.). TOA^s Distrib Brush Looks like the distribution execs are being given the brush by Theatre Owners of America. In past years many of the sales toppers were in- vited to the theatre org’s sales conventions to discuss sales practices. At TOA’s Washington pow- wows Sept. 14-18, only Metro v.p. William F. Rodgers will get the spotlight, and his sub- ject will be arbitration. Cinerama to Prod. Future Pix in %m And 3-Dimension Cinerama, which unveils its demonstration film at the Broad- way Theatre, N. Y., on Sept. 30, will shoot its future productions in both conventional 35m film and in the new tri-dimensional-effect process. While its first effort, “This Is Cinerama,” is a travelog- documentary designed to illustrate the new film technique, future pro- ductions will contain a story line. Company’s- execs are currently muUing*several properties, but are withholding definite production plans until it receives a public re- action to the process at the preemj engagement. Dual shooting, company execs feel, will not add substantially to the budget They maintain that all it will require will be an additional camera crew, coin outlay for which will be small compared to the over- all production cost. While Cine- rama itself will handle the release of the new-process pix, it intends to make deals with established dis- tribs for the release of the 35m product. Outfit’s toppers opine, that they will not be competing with them- selves. As they envisioii the even- tual setup of Cinerama, they feel that there will be many areas with- out equipment to handle the Cine- rama films. They are weighing the possibility of setting up special Cinerama theatres in key cities. ’These would shew Cinerama prod- (Continued on page 15) ^ S C. F. Skouras to Forego TOA D.C. Convention Charles P. Skouras, National Theatres prez, will duck the Thea- tre Owners of America convention in Washington Sept. 14-18, though he’s TOA’s board chairman. It’s ! understood that Skouras is begging I’ off because-his son will be on leave from the Army at that time, and Skouras hasn’t seen 'him for some time. In addition to chairing a meet- ing of the board, Skouras also had been slated to deliver a report on a proposed industry research pro- gram. This chore now is to be taken over by R. J. Mc,Cullough, I National’s research and mainte- nance chief. i Despite Skouras’ absence. Na- tional will be well represented at the TOA sessions. In addition to McCullough, attending will be Dick Dickson, southern California divis- ion manager; Elmer C. Rhoden, president of Fex Midwest; Frank H. Ricketson, head of Fox Inter- Mountain; Harold J. Fitzgerald, prez of Fox Wisconsin Amus., and Rudy Krappman, head of National’s merchandising division. Metro^* 11 TiU/^ Metro has set 11 releases for the balance of the year, bringing the 1952 total to 37. That’s four less than the num- ber which M-G distributed in 1951. Film company execs this week all but shuddered over the grim possibility of a new flood of law suits paralleling the exhib anti- trust actions which have been plaguing the distribs over recent years. Fear is that operators in the 16m field may try their hand at litigation, charging illegal re- striction on exhibition outlets for the narrow-gauge films. First complaint of this nature was filed in Philadelphia Federal Court on Monday (8) by Carl Kunz, head of Kunz Motion Picture Serv- ice. Outfit, which has offices in Philly, Scranton and Baltimore, charges SeVen distribs • with “con-' spiring to restrain and monopolize the distribution and exhibition of motion picture films.” Kunz asks total damages of $3,135,000 for himself and companies, of which he is president and principal stock- holder. Film company legalftes say the Kunz action clearly was prompted by the Government’s suit against the majority of distribs, which seeks to force the distribs to sell their pix to TV. Strange aspect of the private case, say lawyers, is the rapidity with which it came to the fore. Some lawyers figured there would be such private suits brought to court but only, and if, the Gov- ernment appeared to be making some headway with its antitrust at- tack. In that way, it’s said, the 16m distribs might fe^l they could cash in on the Government’s progress. For example, it's said, if the Gov- ernment were successful in estab- lishing the existence of a con- spiracy, this could serve as a precedent upon which the 16m plaintiff could rely. Film company reps profess no fear of any court victories by the 16m ops for the reason, they say, there’s simply an absence of any justification for filing complaints in the first place. Cause for the distribs’ ire is that defending them- selves against any type-of law suit is expensive and time-consuming. RKO Decides to Slice 'Big Sky’ 20 Minutes To Speed Turnover Ber^s^ its 140 minutes of run- ning time was cutting into the b.o. receipts, RKO has decided to snip 20 minutes from “The Big Sky,*’ the Howard Hawks produc- tion currently playing the Cri- terion, N. Y. Cutting was done last week and the new print will be delivered to the theatre this week. Indications are that the company will also snip other prints of the film to avoid difficulties in double- feature territory. First sign that the lengthy run- ning time was hurting the film’s receipts occurred during the pic’s preem in Chicago. It opened to great biz, but receipts fell below expectations because of the neces- sity of cutting down on the number of shows per day. Wishing to keep the pic’s scope intact, RKO was at first reluctant to perform a snip- ping job. It'ch'i^ged its mind, how- ever, after the Labor Day weekend, which saw a substantial number of patrons turned away at the Cri- terion because of the long wait. Ref Balks Heller Co. From Selling Bogeaus Pic Los Angeles, Sept. 9. Benno M. Brink, U. S. referee- in-bankruptcy, issueld an order re- straining the Walter Heller Co. from selling the Benedict Bogeaus production, “My Outlaw Brother.” Picture was made in Mexico, with Mickey Rooney starring, for United Artists release, Heller Co., with coin invested in the picture, had threatened to sell it to get its money back. Disney’s Profitable British Production Stirs Plans for Permanent Setup SAG'i 16 m Move Hollywood, Sept. 9, Contingent of Screen Actors Guild execs will meet Sunday (14) with George Meany, sec- rej;ary-treasurer of the Amer- ican Federation of Labor, and the AFL national exec council to discuss strong action against the Government’s 16m anti- trust suit against the majority of film distribs. Resolution adopted at a re- cent state AFL convention seeking to halt the Department of Justice action will be strongly rewritten, it’s under- stood, for presentation to the national AFL conclave next week. Maas to Tokyo On (]ensor Plan Via Inti Board Effort by the Japanese govern- ment to get American pic compan- ies td serve on an international board that would censor all films imported into Nippon was one of the reasons'the Motion Picture Ex- port Assn, dispatched Irving Maas on an emergency mission to Tokyo over the weekend. Equally Important will be Maas’ attempt to get a favorable break from the Japs on division of import permits between the U.S. majors, whom he represents, and the in- dies. Japanese government at the end of last week agreed to hold off on making the divvy until Maas ar- rived yesterday (Tues.). Meantime, another MPEA rep in Japan, Col. Richa.rd T. McDon- nell, returned to Washington this week. He returned only for his daughter’s wedding and is expected to go back to Tokyo shortly. McDonnell was on a special mis- sion concerned with getting out frozen Yank coin. He was success- ful in negotiating an arrangement by which about $6,000,000 has been remitted, recently. He’ll continue (Continued on page 16) Lesser’s New Co. For Latin-American Fix Hollywood, Sept. 9. Sol Lesser organized a new com- pany, the W. H. Distributing Corp., to produce and release Latin Amer- ican pictures, starting with “Cave Girl.” Film will be made in Brazil with Harry Horner directing, a South American producer handling the reins and a Brazilian actress in the title role. Associated with Lesser on the board of directors of the new com- pany are Mike Rosenberg, Sam Grudin and Morris Pfaelzer, Marjorie Main Illness Forces Ind. Cancellations Fort Wayne, Ind., Sept. 9. Marjorie Main, film star, who was scheduled to appear in the Fort Wayne outdoor theatre Tues- day J9) with other filmites in a free program sponsored by the film ex- hibitors of that city, had to cancel this and other personal appear- ances in northern Indiana because of illness. She was at the Indiana State Fair, Indianapolis, which ended Friday (5) and had been making only one appearance there daily Instead of the four or five sched- uled. She entered an Indianapolis hospital for observation. Although reported not seriously 111, she was advised to cancel the northern In- diana tour, and flew home Friday night. .Designed originally as an ex- pedient to thaw his frozen coin, Walt Disney’s production in Eng- land has proved so profitable h« has set up an organization there to make at least three more pix and possibly to remain on a per- manent basis. » All the British product will be live-action. Tlrey. won’t interfere with his animated product being turned out in Hollywood, but their success has encouraged the pro- ducer to attempt another live- action pic in the U, S. Disney has made two films in Britain so far. They are “Treasure Island,” which was produced in 1950 at. a cost of $1,200,000 and grossed $2,300,000 in the U. S. and (I!anadian market alone, and “Robin Hood,” which was made in 1951 for $1,300,000 and which appears likely to earn $2,500,000 in U. S. and Can- ada rentals. First of the new group of three films went into production July 15. It is “The Sword and the Rose” (based on “When Knighthood Was In Flower”), with Richard Todd and Glynis Johns. Budget is $1,- 500,000. Script is now being com- pleted for the second pic, which is expected to go before the cameras next summer. It is “Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue.” It will also star Todd. Third film isn't set, but may be “King Arthur.” Disney's principal aim, on which he was working on the trip abroad from which he returned to the U. S. last week, is to keep a permanent organization of production men, writers and technicians in England. (Continued on page 18) Kramer Flans Day-Date Film-Legit London Run Of ‘The Fourposter’ Hollywood, Sept. 9. Stanley Kramer plans to* play his film version of “The Fourposter” in London day-and-date with the stage presentation thqr't. Both pic- ture and legiter are set to open in the British capital in late No- vember or early December. While in London recently, Kramer con- ferred with Max Thorpe, Colum- bia’s British topper, about the preem plans. Kramer feels that the simultane- ous runs will hurt neither version. It’s his contention that the pic will have a broader appeal and will snare the large audience who can’t afford the legit prices. Those Inter- ested in the theatre, he feels, will see the play and will not be turned away because of the availability of the film. Under Kramer’s deal with the Playwrights Co., producer of the play, he agreed to withhold the U. S. release of the picture until after Oct. 1, when the legit outfit plans to close down the N. Y. run. Betty Field and Burgess Meredith are currebtly starring in the two- character legit version on Broad- way. Rex Harrison and Lilli Palm- er are in the film. “Fourposter” film is set to preem in Gotham eariy in October, with day-and-date showings set for the Victoria Theatre on Broadway and at the Sutton, 57th St.^^art house. Deal with the Playwrights also called for the withholding of all national film publicity until after Oct. 1. 4 Directors to Handle Giant 'Masquers Revels’ Hollywood, Sept, 9. Four directors, Joe Manklewlcz, Leroy Prinz, Ralph Murphy and Nick Castle, will handle various sections of the"" “Masquers Revel,’* to be staged at the Hollywood Pan- tages Sept. 24 for the benefit of the Motion Picture Relief Fund. Ellen Drew, Joan Evans, Rhonda Fleming, Piper Laurie, Virginia Mayo, Ann Miller, Debra Paget and Elaine Stewart have volunteered to appear as Ziegfeld girls.