Variety (April 1953)

«VA*11TY'J' LONDON OFFICE 8 ft. Martin** l»I>f/ Trafalgar 1 Iquara PBszTEty INUKVATIOML Number of Yank Pix Mowed Into Japan This Year Likely To Be Cut IS Tokyo, April 7. ■ The $3,500,000 allocated by the pse government, March 31, Ja p anef« S spending during for i° f half of the 1953 fiscal year ? 3 heen^divided among the dollar, has ,w n a nd ooen account areas as •g®* ’"dollar area, $2,990,000; follow s. *o 2 2 000: open accounts, ste . r innn This is a switch from last, 51 ''! D oi™ot^arding Import IV Ses to individual countries. cen . .u*,. talk between . Irving ,/r Motion Picture Assn, of jllaas, teepee and-Finance Min- officials is expected shortly 1 Lil the two remaining problems Sag UP final allocations of film holding “v _ wll j be y^nshei} "T These problems include the rlb«- oi fihns-per area and the rate of royalty remittance, and hinee on the final decision on dis- Son of yen accumulated by for- eign distributors. ; ■ After four sessions, the Maas-Fl- nance Ministry huddles remained stymied with Maas insisting on a. cubstantial increase in remittance rates from the current 30% in or- der to forestall further accumula- ♦inn of ven and the Finance Minis- “y holding to its contention that the present foreign currency situa- tion in Japan prevents such in- crease. Some observers here see the tKoo ooo Increase in film funds over the last year-as a step .taken m anticipation of increased boxoffice receipts expected from .the Jan. 1 reduction in ddmlssion tftxcs* Others see it as a % iheans to meet the growth of accumulated yen. Neither side expects any increase in the 30% remittance rate. New system is expected to re- duce the number of U. S. pix im- ported to Japan at the .expense of a gain in British films since the only important producer in the sterling bloc is Britain. U. S. producers may have to share dollar area allocations with the Soviet, the only other country in the dollar area seriously con- cerned with exporting to Japan and producing enough films to offer nu- merical competition. Some ob- servers expect U. S. film makers to lose as many as 50 import li- censes this year from last year’s « i*n Lack of Specs to Delay Aussie Preem of ‘Bwana’ Sydney, March 31. Shortage of Polaroid viewing glasses for Natural Vision is seen as possibly delaying Easter debut of “Bwana Devil”- at Hoyts’ Plaza, according to those behind the first major Aussie 3-D bid. Understood that the Polaroid company will shoot glasses across to its British unit for fitting into frames, which in turn will plane the finished product to this zone. Move is to overcome the prob- lem of dollars from here to the parent company, understanding be- ing that Aussie * Treasury officials will not okay heavy dollar outflow because of current monetary re- strictions. The British route, how- ever, looks okay for specs’ importa* tion. FESTIVAL BALLET MAY VISIT N.Y. AFTER CAN. London, April 7. The Festival Ballet, under the direction of and starring Anton Dolin, will tour Canada this spring. Ballet opens in Montreal June 4, for one week, with Toronto to fol- low, also for a week’s stand. Ballet then returns to England, to open July 1 for a 10-week season at Fes- tival Hall. Its local agent, M. Mitchell, left for New York to negotiate a Broad- way visit of the troupe either late fall or early next year. It might even visit N. Y. briefly after its Canadian dates. Mitchell is also interested in booking attractions for London niteries, including the Cafe de Paris, and is taking with him an English musical to sell for Broad- way. Tonchard Exits Comedie; Descaves Replacing Paris, April 7. Pierre-Aime Touchard exited as director of the two state-subsidized jegit rep houses here, the Comedie- rrancaisc, April 2. Touchard took iE staid old house April 5, him Plerre Dfescaves succeeds thD 0 ? c ^ ar ? a( *ded Shakespeare to duoflif P °, J he C ~ F to P P ro * £lp b X ®* o£ ‘' othell °“A Winter’s tteoA«^ S T Y i® U A Like Ir and “ Ro * bull/, d , J , uUet ” He also helped of th<w P -c? le weak sIster branch Salle Tn F °u the Left Bank » the Lu *embourg, Richilieu. ‘ Prod,S V ° s co , mes in with two new £ A. r s nl lready on the calen- D u V ,,n '“ °, bey s " Une Fille Pour Merim”’.-, “r , a £ eprise o£ Prosper S r - a Carrosse De Saipt Bo.b . "H. 1 Maria Cssarcs. Berihciii 1,0 d,re cted by Julien it t v? Jury Selecting Entries To Compete at Cannes Film Fete, April 15-29 Cannes, April 7. With the Cannes International Film Festival due to open April 15 (continues until April 29) the 18 members'of the jury chosen by the French government, with Jean Coc- teau as' prexy, are now making se- lection of the films to represent the various nations. This selecting is being done to get topflight pro- grams for the 14 gala night per- formances for the press and gen- eral public. It is figured that this may lure more cash customers and help reduce the financial outlay of the fete. *. In another move to encourage public interest, the committee has asked all the participating nations and film companies to invite, their leading stars to' visit Cannes dur- ing the show. Among the American stars who have accepted invitations, to attend are Olivia de Havillahd', Charles Boyer, Kirk Douglas, Ar- lene Dahl, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner and Feriiando Lamas*. The incomplete list of films sub-' mitted for selection follows: Ar- gentine: “Sala de Guardia”; Aus- tria: “April 1st, Year 2,000” *and “Maitres d’Aujourd’hui”; Belgium: “Bongolo” and “Marionette of Toone"; Burma: “Our ..Burma”; Brazil: “O Cangaceiro”; Canada: '‘Country of Days- Without- End,” “L’Abatis” and “Sports and Trans- ports”; Finland: “The White Rein- deer”; France: “Le* Salaire de la Peur?’ “Les Vacances de M. Hulot” and “Horizons Sans Fin”; Great Britain: .“Heart of Matter,” “Fig- urehead,” * v Royal Heritage,” “Glory of Renoir” and “Stranger Left No Card”; Holland: “Hoven 20” §nd “Vincent Van Gogh”; India: “Awara,” “Great Experiment,” “New Lands for Old” and “Ku- maon Hills”; Indonesia: “Voyage to Bali”. Italy: “StazionL Termini,” “La Provinciale,” “Magia Verde,” “Montagne di Cenera,” “Cristalli,” “II Pantano,”*“Immagini e Colore” and “Percatori di Laguna”; Japan: “Legend of Buddha,” “Those, of Today,” “The Children of Hiro- shima,” “Art Momoyama” and “The Whale”; Luxemburg:: “Luxemburg and its ‘ Industry”; Mexico: “Las Tres Perfectas Casadas,” “El” “La Red” and “La Peiptute Murale”; Morocco: “Salut Casa”; Peru: “Macchu Piccbu” and “Castilla Sol- dado de la Ley”; South Africa: “Siirvivants of Stone Age”; Spain: “Flamenco,” “Welcome Mr. Mar- shall” and “Dona Francisquita”; Sweden: “Barabbas,” “Pour les Ar- dentes Amours de ma Jeunesse,” “The Spring” and “Doderhultafn”; Switzerland: “Our Village” and “Pylone 138”; Tunis: “Le Voyage d’Abdallah”; U. S.: “Call Me Mad- am,” “Little Sheba,” “Peter Pan,” “Lily and nov^Miguel” and “Water Birds”; Venezuela: “Light on the Land”; Yugoslavia; “Equinoxe” and “Dubrovnik.” Jennifer Jones in Italo Entry ' Rome, April 7. . Of the Italo entries) at the Cannes Film Fete, “Terminal Sta- tion’* •*«! a* Jennifer Jones-Monlgom- erv ( ctarfer 'directed by Vit- ! to/ ?/cn. It opened in key Italian cities Saturday (4). . _ _ ‘Boccaccio’ Set For Vienna Music Festival rr,, .... Vienna, March 31. The title part of the operetta, Boccaccio,” by Franz von Suppe, will be given 11 nights on the float- ing stage -of Lake Constance at Bregenz, Vorarlberg, at the fes- tivals, July 25-Aug. 16. Hans Beir- er, of the Vienna State Opera, will sing the leading role while Esther Rethy will be the leading lady. Friedrich Schillers’ drama, “Die Verschwoerung des Fiesco zu Genua,” will be produced by Josef Gielen with an all-star cast of the Vienna Burg Theatre for the fetes, Clemens Krauss and Andreae will conduct symphonic music while a ballet evening has been addend to the program. Buenos Aires Pix B.O. Still Lags Buenos Aires, March 31. Grosses * during the first two weektf of March do not compare very favorably with those for the corresponding period a year ago,, and holdovers also are* getting much shorter runs. The weather is cooler, but the start of the fall season found sunny skies which made the lure of the outdoors still a factor with which exhibs had to contend. But biz may become brighter shortly because a number of ma- jor releases, chiefly “Father’s Lit- tle Dividend” (M-G), at the Opera and Roca; and RKO’s “My. For- bidden, Past” at the Monumental, are coming out, Metro released “The Sun Comes Up” at the Pre- mier and Suipacha, and Para- mount “My Favorite Spy” at the Broadway and Luxor. “Camille” (Sono) has been held over for a sixth week at the Gran Rex, having grossed $74,260 in the first five „weeks, satisfactory but not startling. This company now has “The Count of Monte Cristo” running at the Ocean, “The Secret of Mayerling” (In- dependiente), a French produc- tion directed by Jean Delanoy, held for three weeks at the Opera, grossing $33,120. “Wabash Avenue” (Fox) at the Ocean, held for 5 weeks with a gross of $45437 in the first four. “Kon-Tiki” (RKO) grossed $31,567 in the first two sessions of a four-week run. West End Soars; ‘Sea’ Wow $13,500, ‘Bwana’ 13G, ‘Rouge’ 12G, Both Sock in 2d Wks., legion’ Lusty JUG, 2d Shea’s Hipp iq Toronto' To Be Razed for Park Toronto, March 31. One-time top citadel of vaude- ville here, Shea’s Hippodrome, the 2,386-seater built by the late Mike and Jerry Shea (brothers) in 1915, is to be torn down in the plans for a new civic square, with the estate prepared to accept a ,$465,000 ex- propriation settlement for the building and’ land. Ornate structure, in the oldtime architectural motif of the golden days of vaude, Is'currently leased to Famous Players • (Canadian) as a first-run film house. In addition, ciyic appraisers have set the value on Shea’s Hippodrome equipment at ' $221,904 on a replacement basis. SCOTTISH LEGIT BIZ IS TURNING LIVELY Edinburgh, March 31. Scotland’s legit season is'lively, with many new plays, produced or in the offing. New play about Mary Queen of Scots, “Fother- ingay,'” by Scot playwright George Scott Moncrieff, is set to preem here during the forthcoming In- ternational Festival. Glasgow and Edinburgh drama- goers have been flocking to see Mary Hayley Bell’s new, piece, A‘The Uninvited Guest,” starring John Mills, Joan Greenwood and Cathleen Nesbitt. It is presented by Henry Sherek. Glasgow Citizens Theatre is reg- istering good business with new comedy by Robert Kemp, “What the Stars Foretell.” Plays lined up at this legit* house include a new comedy, “The World’s Wonder,” by Alexander Reid, and a Miles Malleson adaptation of Moliere’s “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.” Legit season will get .further up- lift at* the Edinburgh Festival with a world preem of new T. S. Eliot play, “The Confidential Clerk.” * It will star Margaret Leighton and Denholm Elliot. New Film Era for Mex Under Prexy Cortines Seen by Distrib Karol Administration of Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, who became president of Mexica last December, has touched off a new era for that country’s film industry. That’s the opinion of William Karol, general rep in Europe, Near East and North Af- rica for Peliculas Maxicanas, one of that nation’s largest producing organization.* The Cortines government, Karol recalled in N. Y. this week, holds that not only can national produc- tion be helped by legislation, but that the best road toward improve- ment is to produce better pictures. Karol, who sails for Europe to- day (Wed.) on the Queen Elizabeth after three months in Mexico City, emphasized that the Cortines ad- ministration has given the native industry a further lift through ap- pointments of “two capable men.” They are Lao de la Rea, as general director of the film industry, and Eduardo Garduno, (who also heads Peliculas), in a similar capacity with the Banco National Cinema- tpgrafico. Both de la Rea and Garduno reportedly are firmly com- mitted to enhancing the position of the Mexican film in the inter- national market through' foster- ing co-production with European companies. Another step designed to push Mexico’s picture wares in over- seas mart, Karol revealed, is a movement to arrange an interna- tional film festival in Mexico City In December, J954. First Franco-Mexican co-prod is now before the cameras. Tagged “Les Orguielleux,” it stars Michele Morgan- and Gerard Philipe. The Mexican industry is “greatly interested” in 3-D, Karol said. “I believe it is best,” he added, “to adopt a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude— let others do the experimenting. I saw 3-D in Vienna 32 years ago, and there is nothing basically new in the medium.. The public will balk at wearing glasses after the novelty wears off.” Italy’s First 3-D Film Prod. * Rome, March 31. : First three-D short, intended for commercial distribution, to be made in Italy has been completed by Guido Guerrasio, Color docu- mentary, titled “Rhythm in Three,” was shot in the Italian Alps. Previ- ous local dimensional wofk was confined to somb experimental shorts made some years ago but never exploited. . First announced feature pic to be shot here using both 3-D and normal techniques will be Lux Film’s “Ulysses” (formerly called “Odyssey*’). which G.. W. Pabst will tiirect with Kirk Douglas and Sil- vana Mangano in leads. Skedded j to roll April 25. . Govt. Nationalized Biz Pix May Lose Eady Coin London, April 7. Films sponsored by government nationalized industries, which qualify for quota, are likely to lose their share of the Eady coin which they have been' quietly col- lecting during the past years. A proposal to this, effect is due for consideration at a meeting of the four trade associations which op- erate the distribution of the Eady subsidy. It is suggested, however, that industry-sponsored films, including those sometimes made on a 50-50 basis with a production unit, should continue to draw their Eady tribute despite opposition being voiced by ordinary commercial pro- ducers. Although the amount of levy paid over for sponsored‘ films is comparatively small because* of their limited playdates, producers are objecting to the fact that some of them qualify for their share, as do shorts, on the basis of two Jand-a-half times their gross. London, March 31. With three big winners current- ly on pre-release, there was a gen- eral air of .prosperity at West End theatres last week. Aided by con- tinued good weather,, the big crowds recalled some of postwar lush days. The three smash hits which have been setting the pace are “Bwana Devil,” the Ealing naval epic “The Cruel Sea” arid “Moulin Rouge.” The United Artists’ 3-D feature, “Devil” which opened day-date in London and three provincial centres, did a smash opening frame at Odeon, Marble Arch. It still is spek $13,000 in second week. “Sea” at Leicester Square Theatre is set for a giant $13,500 in first week. “Jtouge” continues to play to near-capacity, second round being smash $12,000—at the Carl- ton. The improved level of biz also was reflected in otheY flrst-runs. The Empire, Which? is preeming “Never Let Me Go” and Metro- seppix, on first stanza was solid ■$16,000 while Universal’s “Desert Legion” was. sock $7,500 in its second London Pavilion week- after great opener. Estimates for Last Week. Carlton (Par) (1,128; 70-$2.15)— “Moulin Rouge” (IFD) (2d wk). Holding up in great shape *and playing mainly to turnaway biz. This British-made opus was boffo $12,000 in second frame. Empire (M-G) ■ (3,099; 55-$1.70) —“Never Let Me Go” (M-G) and. Metroscopix (M-G) (2d wk). Ex- ploiting current 3-D trend, this double bill is giving Metro show- case one of its best sessions since beginning of year. Holding at pleasing $14,000 after . $16,000 opener. Stays on. Gaumont (CMA) (1,500; 50-$1.70) —“Desperate Moment” (GFD) (2d wk). Disappointing with only mod- erate $5,100 first frame; second week is lean $4,000 or near. Leicester Square Theatre (CMA) (1,7.53; 50-$1.70) — “Cruel Sea” (GFD) (1st wk). Proving to be one of best bets in theatre’s history. Hit a mammoth $5,900 in first* three days, first frame should be huge <$13,500. Stays, natch! London Pavilion (UA) (1,217; 50-$L70)—“Desert Legion” (U) (2d wk). Another big money maker with sock $7,500 for second frame after $9,200 opening week. “Final Test” (GFD) preems April 10. Odeon, Leicester Square (CMA) (2,200; 50-$1.70)—“Street Corner” (GFD) (3d wk). Below hopes with around $5,000 in third stanza after $5,500 in second. “Grand National Night” (Renown) opens April 2. * Odeon, Marble Arch (CMA) (2,200; 50-$l.70)—“Bwana Devil” (UA) (2d wk). Unaffected by all- around crix panning, 3-D feature has exceeded expectations. Open- ing week grossed powerful $16,000 and is expected to near $13,000 in its second frame. Polaroid viewer losses are 75%. Continues on. Plaza (Par) (1,902; 70-$ 1.70)— “Stars Are Singing” (Par). Despite strong advance campaign looks only light $6,200. Stays a second, with “War of Worlds” (Par) open- ing April 3. Ritz (M-G) (432; 90-$2.15)—“Quo Vadis” (M-G) (50th wk). No letup with a pleasing $3,200. Continues on. Warner (WB) (1,735; 50-$1.70)— “Stop You’re Killing Me” (WB) (2d wk). Mild $5,000 after $5,600 in first week. “Miracle of “Fatima” (WB) preems April 2. Nip ’52 Tourist Biz Up; Spending Soars Tokyo, March 31. x Tourism in Japan improved in 1952, according to figures released by the tourism Section of the Transportation Ministry. Exactly 64,453 foreigners spent $21,244,207 in this country during the year. Of the total. 26,766 came to stay for some time in the country, while 36,687 were transients. The num- ber of visitors topped 1951 by 4%. Of the total amount spent by for- eign visitors, $21,088,878 came out of the pockets of sojourning per- sons which was 43% more than in 1951 while $155,329 was spent by transients, showing an 11% in- crease over the previous year.