Variety (April 1953)

r s Yn'r PICTURES I^Sa&rr Wednesday, April 15, 1953 Give Majors Run for Their Money Glasgow ‘Bwana’ Nix V! Indie element in the pic biz is| giving the majors a run for their j money. ! The little fellows in the industry, free of large overheads, unencum- bered by court decrees and less conservative in their policies, are stepping up, their activities and banding together to safeguard their interests here and abroad. Variety listing of the 12 top grossers for March saw indie pro? ducers walk away with the four top pix and take seven out of the whole dozen. Copping b.o. honors were “Peter Pan” (RKO), “Hans Christian Andersen” (RKO), “Mou- lin Rouge” (UA), and “Come. Back, Little Sheba” (Par). Indie, slate was rojmded out with “The Stooge,” **Bwana Devil” and “The Star.”. Added to this, Stanley Kramer’s ‘•High Noon” (UA) .brought its pro- ducer the Academy, Award for the best pic of the year. Indies also have latched on to TV, where most of the majors still take a standoffish attitude. Rental lots on the Coast are buzzing with activity to satisfy the insatiable TV appetite for celluloid fodder. Independent production for the- atrical release is on the upbeat, too. ‘ Situation is reflected in the continued strengthening of United Artists’ position. At least 30 or • more of UA’s 36 releases in '53 will carry the Hollywood label. Expansionist spirit is exempli- fied by Collier Young and Ida Lu- pino, who have formed Filmalcers Releasing Organization, with^ ex- change planned in 29 key cities. Hal Roach, who has been concen- trating on TV for some time, is back with a production program of theatrical release pix. . Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers is set for a mem- bership drive, and is currently (Continued on page 22) Starr on 20th , s TV Side Glasgow, April 14. “Bwana Devil,” in third week at the first-run Gaumont Theatre here, i failed to draw the crowds, follow- ing heavy press panning. Pic open- ed big, but demand fell away with- in days. Management cut out sep- arate showings and' reverted to normal “continuous houses” layout. « The 3-D pic was withdrawn Satur- If Theatres Protected ^ n < i 1 1 a ) nn ^ d lengthy season had •Alfred Starr; prexy of Theatre Metro is showing its .20-min- Owners of America, declared in ute 3-D shots at Regal and Ritz, New York Monday (13), that he has Edinburgh, from Monday (13). no objection to 20th-Fox releasing films to television — as long as the filmery plans to make them avail- able to video when the conven- tional pictures are obsolete for theatres. When sufficient product of the new type, whatever form it may take, is~on hand and all theatres are equipped to receive it, Starr said he could see. no reason to condemn the 20th action. “I have just seen the statement to stockholders,” Starr said, “and I’m delighted to learn that Fox is withholding the pictures for tele Teener $ SL25 for A.M. lax - Fisher Supports B.O. Tilts if Show Is ‘Right’ UA Ready For All Screens: Krim With the strongest product line- up in history, United Artists is now appraising its inventory with the view of adapting some of its films to largescreen or stereo sound vision until theatres are equipped techniques, Arthur B. Krim, presi- for the new-type produce. I’m glad dent, announced prior to his de- Fox is taking the precaution to pro- tect its present customers.” parture from New York yesterday (Tues.) for a swing of Europe.. He stressed, however, that in any event, all pix on the lineup will be available in 2-D, that these figure to number 65 productions over the next 18 months at the rate of four per month. Krim said he believes it will be at least a year and a half for the industry, domestically, to convert to whatever new system or systems The running battle between ex- ultimately are adopted. “In the hibs and RKO or Walt Disney on interim,” he states, “it would be sales terms on “Peter Pan” con- tragic if a single screen is lost to tinued unabated last week. As a the industry.” Show Biz Turnout For Judy Balaban Nuptials Total of. 450 persons, including theatre and film execs and many from the theatrical agency field, are on the list to attend the wed- ding today (Wed.) of Judy Bala- ban, daughter of Paramount presi- dent Barney Balaban, and Jay Ira •Kanter, member of Music Corp. of America, at the. Plaza Hotel, N. Y. Groom is the son of Mrs. Sidney Genser of Beverly Hills and the late Harry H. Kanter. Bride’s father will give her in marriage and Lois Campe is to be maid of honor. Mrs. Burt Balaban, the bride’s sister-in-law will be matron of honor and bride’s maids will a include Mrs. Leonard Bala- ban, Patricia Reuben, Rosemary .Clooney and Peggy Ann Garner. Marlon Brando will be best man. Other attendants wil be Leonard Balaban, Burt Balaban, Robert Brenner, Richard Shepherd, Ar- thur P. Jacobs and Wallace Ross. result, of a series of incidents per- taining to the rental of the picture to subsequent run houses, the rift between theatreinen and’ the dis- trib became .more pronounced, with exhib forces declaring that the most recent action on the part of RKO .would be presented to the Senate 40% Fox Income In Foreign Mkt. 20th-Planning to Cut 4 Officers from Board; Skouras Alone Stays Slate of directors proposed by 20th-Fox for stockholder approval at the annual meeting in N. Y. May 19 is expected to eliminate four of the fine officers of the companyi original “Pan” dates. Of *the upcoming releases, said the chief exec, the only features in 3-D will be- “I the Jury” and “Ring Around Saturn” in addition to the Marciano-Walcott fight pic. 1?A, said Krim, has responsibil- ity to exhibs and its indie film pro- Small Business • commit- ducers. On the first count, he said, the company wants to niake it known that theatres the world over can rely on a steady flow of prod- uct in conventional pattern. As for producers, he drew attention to UA’s liquidation system, which calls for a 75% playoff domesti- cally in the first six months and the major part of the balance over the next half year. tee. . Current hassle revolves around charges that RKO, after setting a verbal deal, pulled a last-minute switch, rejecting terms which it itself h%d offered. As a result of the RKO offer, exhibs claim they set dates, arranged advertising and alerted their communities for the picture. RKO’s llth-hour policy change, it’s charged, disrupted' bookings, cost exhibs unnecessary coin, and caused a s cramble for other product ta fill in for the -now on the board. Quartet includes Wilfred J. Ea- die, comptroller and assistant treasurer; Donald A. Henderson, treasurer and secretary; William C. Michel, exec v.p., and Murray Silverstone, v.p. in charge of for- eign operations. Prexy Spyros P. Exhibs declare that RKO of- fered the picture to sub runs at percentage terms, which although regarded high by exhibs, were ac- cepted. Company then rejected its own terms, it’s stated, and switched to a flat rental policy. Theatremen claim that the Skouras will, of course, continue j t erms we re offered “at prohibitive as a board member. 1 Board was cut from 10 to nine men with the death of Seton I. Porter. It’s understood that, while the board is likely to again be brought up to full strength, no ex- 3 Days, of Open Hearings For D.C. Small Biz Group On Indie Exhibs’ Beefs Washington, April 14. Sen. Edward J. Thye (R., Minn.), chairman of the Senate Small Busi- ness Committee, and Sen. Andrew flat | F. Schoeppel (R., Kans.), chairman of the monopoly sub-committee, announced today (14) that the sub- committee will resume hearings on the problems of independent mo- tion picture exhibitors here torrior- prices." As a result of the RKO switch, Wilbur Snaper, prexy of Allied States Assn., has wired all Allied units with the warning; “Be cautious in dealing with RKO on row morning (Wed.). . .. . ‘Peter Pan.’ Until you have ap- The monopoly sub-committee sat pansion is planned and the post provec i contract, don’t consider the for a week in Los Angeles recently of board chairman will remain p i c t ure bought. Picture now being to receive charges from Coast ex- vacant. offered at flat terms at prohibitive hibitors that trade practices of film Composition of the 20th board pr i ces< Your local RKO represent- distributors were bringing an in- has been attacked by Charles ative incl uding district managers dustry depression. mm °nty stockholder en- h aV e limited or no authority agement. Green ^as charged That, conflrm deals on this pictur e '" with a nine-men board, Skouras n i o T i a n gets a n “automatic” majority on it MUSCh & LOIND tO Sell by dint of the four officer-directors. Other directors include “L. Sher- man Adams, Robert L. Clarkson* Daniel O. Hastings and Robert Leh- man. Showdown between Green and management is due May 5. That’s Foreign market accounts for about 40% of 20th-Fox’s income, 20th-prexy Spyros P. Skouras told stockholders yesterday (Tues.) in his president’s message. The com- pany’s foreign film rentals in ’52 reached a record $35,737,000, com- pared with $32,171,000 in ’51. Skouras reported that 1952 dol- lar remittances came to $15,577,- 000 as against $16,003,000 in* 1951. Additional expenditures of foreign balances for film production, thea- tre acquisition, etc., came to $2,- 166,000 in ’52, a decrease from the $3,176,000 in ’51. Earnings of 20th, representing the corporation’s share of undis- tributed income of Hoyts and 'Amalgamated circuits in Australia and New Zealand, came to approx- imately $290,000. Whereas Hoyts showed an increase for the year ended June 30, '52, Amalgamated registered a drop for the 52 weeks ended March. 31, '52. Twentieth owns 94.4% of Hoyts in Australia and 75% of Amalgamated in New Zealand. Additionally, the com- pany has houses in Egypt, Holland L South Africa and Israel, and has a 27.4% voting interest in Britain’s Gaumont circuit. Skouras surveyed his trip to the Far East late last year and com mented that the area had become “acutely interested In the Ameri- can way of life, as reflected in the unrivalled popularity of Holly- wood productions.” 4- Sock b.o. combination of War- ners’ “House of Wax” and a stage- show headed by Eddie Fisher at N. Y.’s Paramount Theatre is ac- cepted by many in the trade as the clincher in the argument for boost- ed b.o. prices w t hen the show is “right.” Par flagship house, it’s pointed out, played largely to teenagers over the last weekend and there was no indication of rebellion among them because of the tariff. Par held to its regular $1.80 top but advanced the rate of admission boosts during the day. Last Friday (10), for example, he kids shelled out $1.25 in the orenoon, instead of the usual 95c, Theatre opened at 8:30 Friday morning and the b.o. queue extend- ed from Times Sq. all the way down 43d St. to Eighth Ave. Ad- mission price was up to the $1.80 maximum for the late afternoon shows over the Saturday-Sunday weekend and still there was no ap- parent balking on the part of the public. Par combo show, incidentally, has prompted a guessing game among film execs on which part of the program, stage or screen, is the big b.o. lure. Number of vocal youngsters in the audience, giving the Par the aura of the old Frank Sinatra stageshow days, makes it clear that Fisher Is not to be sluffed off as marquee bait. On the other hand, Warijer Bros, and other champions of 3-D, insist that the pic carries the most b.o. weight. Neutral observers cut through the middle, state that its the combined show that’s drawing the crowds. to Schoeppel said the monopoly sub-committee will receive addi- tional testimony from exhibitors in three days of open Hearings com- mencing tomorrow. f a l ■ A/v,i r* I The following witnesses are Lenses Only to 20th-Fqx s . che ^i ed: Wednesday usi—phm P J M I A. Sliman, Evangeline Theatre, Deal for the Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. in Rochester, N. Y., to supply 20th-Fox with large quan- tities of both camera .and projec- the date when the company has tion lenses for Cinemascope has called a special meeting of stock- been completed on a non-exclusive holders at Wilmington, Del., to basis, with 20th free to license vote on the • proposed elimination other optical manufacturers, but of cumulative voting from the by- Bausch & Lomb restricted to sell- laws. Motion carries if 51% or ing lenses only to 20th. more of the shares represented at the meet approve. Green, who with cumulative voting stands a chance of electing several directors to the 20th board, will fight the manage- ment proposal, which is seen as depriving him .of - his chances to get board representation. Cohn Asks Yacht Refund Los Angeles, April 14. Harry Cohn, Columbia Pictures prexy, filed suit against the Fed- eral Collector of Internal Revenue for a refund of $2,398 on his in- come taxes for 1945. Plaintiff claims he failed to de- duct that amount for depreciation of his yacht while it was in Govern- ment service. In the first phase, v the optical outfit will produce three types of units, one for taking cameras and two for projectors. Each lens will be stamped with the Cinemascope name. First deliveries are due June 1 and the output of projec- tion lenses will outnumber taking lenses by a large ratio at the start. News of the contract was an- nounced yesterday (Tues.) jointly by 20th prexy Spyros P. Skouras and Bausch & Lomb. Among the majors, Metro has already signed for Cinemascope leifses. Other studios and indie producers are in- terested in producing Cinemascope pix, according to 20th, and can ex- pect to be supplied shortly with the necessary units, known tech- nically as .ahamorphic adapters. New Iberia, La.; Abram F. Myers, general counsel and chairman of the board, Allied States Assn.; Wil- bur Snaper, president, Allied; Sid- ney E. Samuelson, president and general manager, Allied Independ- ent of Eastern Pennsylvania. Thursday (16)—L. Frank Stew- art, Stewart Enterprises, Inc., Dan- ville, 111.; Nathan Yamins, Boston; Col. H. A. Cole, Allied of Texas, Dallas; Beverly Miller, vice-presi- dent, Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Kansas and Missouri. Friday C17)—Hiram P. Holmes, chairman, Economic Committee, National Assn, of Real Estate Boards; Benjamin N. Berger, presi- dent, North Central Allied; Allen Johnson, Grand Rapids; A. C. My- rick, president, Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa and Ne- braska. The sub-committee Will hold three additional days of open hear- ings April 22, 23 and 24 to hear distributors and representatives of the Federal Trade Commission and the anti-trust division, Dept, of Justice. The names of next week’s witnesses will be announced °later. Paramount assigned Gene Barry to co-star with Rosemary Clooney, Joanne Gilbert, Anna Marla Alber- ghetti and Guy Mitchell in the Pat Duggan production, “Red Garters.” N. Y. to Europe Lex Barker Anne Baxter Earl Blackwell Richard Brooks Charles Boyer • Claudette Colbert Gary Cooper Olivia DeHavilland Jerry Devine Walt Disney Norman Elson Zsa Zsa Gabor Arthur B. Krim Efrem Kurtz Doreen Palmer Jay Palmer Les L. Persky Norman Reader George Sanders Lana Turner William Wyler R Y. to L. A. Marian Anderson Sir Michael Balcon Mort Blumenstock Alfred Crown Milton L. Gunzburg Hillard Elkins Joseph Kaufman Joseph L. Roberts Europo to N. Y* Jose Ifurbi Sol Hurok Wyler Prefers Sticking With Major Co. to Avoid Coin Worries, Biz Snarls Differing with indie producers, who claim they must have “free- dom,” producer William Wyler prefers to stick with a major com- pany. “This way I don’t have to worry about money and have no headaches over business entangle- ments as in independent opera- tion,” he states.- Wyler is committed to make one more pic for Paramount next year. He may lens one in Europe before this, with the production tieup to be determined by the sub- ject matter he chooses. He’d like to be affiliated With a major in the project, but if none of the companies likes the theme he se- lects he’ll make the pic as an in- die. Wyler returned to Rome over the past weekend to put the finish- ing touches on “When in Rome,” Gregory Peck-Audrey Hepburn co- starrer for Par release. He was in the States briefly, he said, to gauge American audience reaction to rough prints of the pic via sneak previews in N.Y. and L.A. After he “trims and polishes” the film, Wyler will spend the summer in Switzerland with his family* L. A, io N. Y. Mischa Auer Ben Blue Leighton Brill Sammy Cahn Rudy Cataldi John B. Clarke, Jr. J. V. Copeland Ray Crossett Dennis Day Kurt Frings Henry Ginsberg Z. Wayne Griffin Arthur Hornblow, Jr. Anthony Joachim Jimmy Johnston Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus Beii Kamsler Evelyn Keyes Frank Lovejoy Arthur S. Lyons Gordon MacRae Colin Miller Norman H. Moray Jeff Morrow William Mueller James A. Mulvey Robert Newton . Bill Pierce Hal Roach, Jr, Sol C. Siegal Earl I. Sponable - Jan Sterling George Stevens Gloria Swanson Robert Taylor Richard Thorpe