Variety (April 1953)

'VARIETY'** LONDON OFFICf 8 »h Martin'* Plae», Trafalgar Square psme’Ft BSXEBM AWOm IS Paris Legit Season Nears Climax; 'Medea/ Dial M’ Look Set for Runs Paris, April 7. 4 A healthy season, as far as num- ber of legit openings go, is coming to an end here, with a few more sporadic openings in the offing be- fore the legit season begliis its summer shutterings. Sacha Guitry’s 124 th play, “Palsambleu!” opened at the Varieties Theatre with luke- warm reviews here. Crix were agreed that first act was fresh and delightful with the old spirit of the Guitry quips and moralizing, but that in the next two acts the play fizzles out. Playing of Guitry, Lana Marconi and Jacques Morel was praised. It looks like a moderate run with the,backing of the usual Guitry boulevard public, but prob- ably will not get a comeback after the summer. The adaption of Frederic Knott’s “Dial M For Murdfer” at the Am- bassadeurs as “Crime Farfait” looks to be in for a nice end-season run with a probable reprise at an- other theatre for a longrun next season. Play was found to be in- triguing and absorbing with the fine work of Bernard Blier as the conniving husband, the savory act- ing of Pierre Destailles as the de- tective, and the engaging feminin- ity of Jacqueline Porel as the wife standout. Nice biz is in store for this. Jean Anouilh’s new play “Me- dee" (“Medea”),, which he almost yanked, got some split and non- ' committal reviews. Most of them found it to be interesting in con- ception with fine theatrical mo- ments, but with a tendency towards wordiness. It will probably have a run on Anouilh name. Doubling with “Medee” is a new Georges Neveux play, “Zamore,” which got fine crix appraisal though most felt it was a bit too long. This double billing of two short -plays makes for solid name appeal. Andre Frere opened at the off- the-main-stem Theatre De Quartier Latin for a limited number of reps fn his quick-changf one-man show. Crix found Frere’s gallery of types savory and benefltting, This will probably have a lucrative run with overhead and production costs at a minimum. ‘Folies’ No. 1 Grosser Influx of tourists, due to early spring weather, is underway. The show most in demand by visitors remains the Folies Bergere revue, “Une Vraie Folie” (Real Madness) which has entered its second year. Folies. after a recent slight decline, is back to capacity gross of $28,000 weekly. Roland Petit’s “Ballets de Paris” at Empire is a new money- maker, holding second place to Folies at $23,000 weekly. “Ballets” has heavy advance sale. * Mogador’s new show, “Belle of New York,” a new edition of two- year-old Casino de Paris show, “Une Revue du Tonfterre” (Thun- der Revue) and Chatelet’s “Singer of Mexico” with popular screen singer Luis Mariano in lead role are next, working between $18,000 and $20,000 on an average. This is also true of “3 Waltz,” revival at Gaite-Lyrlque. Of the legits, “Blinding Hour” is leader. The Henri Jeanson adap- tation of the Italian script by Anna Bonacci is getting top pix and foreign legit offers. Show now does capacity nightly and $17,000 weekly. Ealing Studios Obtains New Financial Backing London, April 7. New financial backing has been negotiated by Ealing Studios to replace the bankroll • provided by Stephen Courtauld, who exited the board recently. This news was given by Reginald P. Baker, pre- siding at the annual stockholders’ meeting. Baker claimed the suc- cess of Ealing productions over the last few years had been a decisive factor in finding the new coin. The new backing was conditional on operations at the studios continu- ing in the same hands, For some little time, Ealing Stu- dios has been raising some of Its production finance through the Na- tional Film Finance Corp., al- though it did not take advantage pi these borrowing facilities dur- ing the early days of the- film’s. bar \k. Sir Michael Balcon, who is studio production boss, is also tech- nical advisor to the NFFC, ‘ Coronation Day Layoff Asked by NATKE Exec London, April 7. As Coronation day (June 2) has been officially listed as a public holiday,, Tom O’Brien, general sec- retary of the National Assn, of Theatrical and Kine Employees, suggested to the industry that all picture theatres should be shut- tered that day to enable his mem- bers to take full advantage of’the day. Having received a cold reaction from the trade, 'O’Brien has coun- tered with an alternate proposal requesting that theatre workers should receive extra cash. In the event of objection by exhibs, NATKE employees will be in- structed not to work, « - r French Writers Set Up New Society (ADEG) For Protection on Reprints Paris, April 7. The ADEG (Association Des Em- prients Graphiques) is a new or- ganization set up by authors and composers . here to protect their rights on reprints, both literary and musical. Authors and compos- ers have felt that such an outfit has been needed here a long time because these rights have never been adequately covered by the various other author’s organiza- tions. This org is primarily con- cerned with composers, authors and author’s heirs in protecting their rights in all contracts con- cerning new editions of works, and all the benefits accruing from these printings. Maurice Yvaln, prexy of ADEG, has stipulated that this new society will in no way interfere with the work of such organizations as SACEM (Societe Des Auteurs, Compositeurs), which only concerns itself with collecting on public per- formance of works, or the Societe Des Gens De Lettres, which only covers reprints in newspapers. The Society of Authors and Dramatic Composers also has a long wanted special unit to take charge of all graphic reprints of literary works, plays and operetta and operatic musical scores. . The ADEG will police all con- tracts in the literary and play fields to give an accounting of all income from these sources, and thus give the authoi* his just percentage. There has been no direct control in these* fields before. ADEG will handle all international copyright difficulties for authors and will be exceptionally beneficial to author’s heirs -who have to cppe with all sorts of legalities in establishing their tights to estates and royal- ties. - EDINBURGH PLAQUE IN C.B. COCHRAN’S MEMORY Edinburgh, April 7. Dedication of a panel in memory of impresario Sir Charles B. Coch- ran was held at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, last week before a large congregation of whom the majority were theatre people. St. Paul’s has long been known as the “actors’ church.” Cost of the plaque fot Sir Charles was defrayed by subscrip- tion among his friends. Placed adjacent to the church’s entrance, it reads in part: “In lovir^g.'mem- ory of Charles Blake Cochran, Kt., 1872-1951,” and is followed by a quotation from Shakespeare’s “Cor- iolanuS.” Legion ‘B’ Tag for 3 Pix National Legion of Decency last week placed two Hollywood films and an Italian import in its Class “B” (morally objectionable in part for all) category. Universal's “suggestive costuming” in “Abbott and Costello Go to Mars.” drew an objection from the group. Legion also rapped the “sug- gestive dancing,- costuming and situations” contained in Colum- bia’s “Serpent of the Nile.” Italian-made “Tormento” (IFE) elicited the comment: “suggestive sequence; tends to create sym- pathy for illicit actions,*'' UNEEF, New Export Unit, Handles Italian Films Rome, April 7. i The U.N.I.E.F., a new Na- tional Import-Export Union, has been set up here to handle and co- ordinate distrib and sales of Ital- ian pix in foreign countries, not including the .U.^S. A. Intent of organization is to bet- ter control foreign distribution of locally-made films, via a central unit, better equipped to control foreign grosses, release costs and publicity. Last-named will be co- ordinated with UNIT ALIA, which qlrqady handles general bally on Italian pix abroad. Japs to Defreeze $2,777,000 More Tokyo, April 14. Reliable sources report that the Finance Ministry has given con- sent to Irving Maas’ Motion Pic-’ ture Export Assn, veepee, to de- freeze another $2,777,000 of earn- ings accumulated by major U. S. motion picture producers during their 1952 operations here. De- cision is. understood to have been made during the seventh talk of current series between Maas and Finance Ministry officials held last Wednesday (8). New defreezing will match last August's bonanza of equal amount. Although Maas is ITelieved to have pressed for full remittance of the $7,000,000 in blocked coin. Finance Ministry officials remained firm in their contention that Jap- an’s current currency situation will not allow such action. Throughout the huddles, Maas has been asking for permission for U. S. firms to invest freely in Jap- anese stocks and bonds and that the number of U. S. films to be imported during the coming fiscal year be upped from last year’s 152 total. 'On both these points the Japanese have been firm. While they are willing to allow somewhat freer investment regulations, they want such transactions to be con- fined to the film industry. On the matter of increased quotas the Finance Ministry is expected to re- duce to 146 the number of U. S, films. Present indications are that the final signing of the U. S.-Japan agreement will take place on or about April 20. LONDON ‘STALAG’ FOLDS IN 7 DAYS; ‘BLONDE’ OK London, April 14. Postponed for a week because of the death of Queen Mary, the London production of “Stalag 17” preemed at the Princes Theatre April 4 under the aegis of Jack Hylton and Sam Byrd. First- nighters warmly commended the cast’s acting but reviewers consid- ered the Donald Bevan-Edmund Trozinski comedy melodrama as an unhappy mixture of both. Show closed Saturday (11) after seven days. Jack de Leon and John Wildberg presented “Red Headed Blonde,” a new farcical comedy by Val Guest, at the Vaudeville Theatre Wednesday, April 1, starring Yo- lande Donlan and Naunton Wayne. It is a bright amusing story of film star brought from Holljfwood to star in London musical when she can neither sing nor dance. Role is tailormade for Yolande Donlan, who achieved personal success. Piece looks like winner here on stars’ marquee value. Sole n£w legit entry in the west end last week was Peter Daubeny’s presentation, in association with Gordon Latta and Cy Endfield, of “The Teddy Bear,” which preemed at St. Martin’s Theatre last Wed- nesday (8). Authored by James Warren and starring Roger Livesey ahd Ursula Jeans, play is distin- guished by a topnotch juve per- formance by Margaret McCourt, who collared most of the notices. Drama is a slow meller, with only a modicum of suspense, and has only a fair chance in current conditions. Fact that it is housed at an intimate theatre with modest overheads may prove. a saving factor. Other Foreign New* , ojn. Pages 18 tu'A 39 British Mall Legal Test of Quotas Given to U.S.-Snbsidized London Pix $1,150,000 in 1 Vr. Makes ‘Born’ Mex Pic B. 0. Champ Mexico City, April 14. Champ boxoffice Mexican pic is “The Right to Be Bom,” released here last year with ’ immediate boffo results. Pedro Galindo, its producer, says film has garnered $1,150,000 on the world market. No other Mexican pic, claim is made, has done nearly as well in so short a time. ^ “Born” grossed more in* a like period, and at one stand, during the first three weeks of its seven- week bow at the Cine Orfeon here last year, than any other pic screened in this country in that time and at one house. Pic is film version of the novel of the same name by Felix B. Caig- net, Cuban author. “Right’s” pic success inspired him to become a film producer. He now has in work here 'his first production, film ver- sion of his latest novel “Those Who Should Not Be Born.” Pic is a tinter and is skedded, for fall release. BBC Show Band Blows Up Controversial Storm In Brit., Gets More Time London, April 7. Most controversial dance combo in Britain just now is the BBC Show Band, directed by Cyril Sta- pleton. Formed five months ago by the BBC as a house band, the outfit numbers 18 musicians and 20 sing- ers, including a choir. The combo was launched with a fanfare of publicity in October last year and took some time settling down. With three airings a week, it tried an entertainment policy with a res- ident comedian but finally realized that its metier was playing popular music, without too many trim- miTfgs. Jonah Barrington, of the Daily Sketch, who happens to be doing a weekly disk-jockey show on the BBC now, lashed out at the Show Band, saying that 90% of his read- ers, in a poll, decided that the band “does not earn its keep” and criticized its “nOise, bombast, bras- siness and unoriginality.” He add- ed that the cost of the band is £40,000 ($110,000) annually. The musical papers, saying that Mr.-Barrington’^attack is “bad not only for the Show Band, but for dance music as a whole,” have jumped in to point out that the cost is only £30,000 a year, and that BBC listening figures* prove that 10,000,000 people tune in to the Show Band. In the meantime, the BBC has increased the Show Band’s airtime from 45 minutes to an hour, three times a week, as of last Thurs- day (2), and has exchanged Jean Campbell, who has been with it since the inception of the Band, for Julie Dawn, Columbia record- ing singer. Only 2 Arg. Major Prods. After Guthmann Foldo Buenos Aires, April 7. All the efforts to stave off bank- ruptcy for the former powerful Cinematografica - Interamericana (Guthmann) * distribution - produc- tion outfit in Buenos Aires having failed, the courts have summoned a creditors meeting for May 26. Declared assets are around $3,000,- 0Q0 against liabilities of $3,200,000, but it Is doubtful whether the as- sets are realizable, at their declared values. This leaves Argentina-Sono-Film and Artistas Argentlnos Asociados in almost undisputed command of the production field here, but does not discourage local producers from continuing their artful prac- tice of stimulating better boxoffice results than: the facts warrant. These tricks force postponement of American film releases, such as “A Street Car Named Desire” (War- ner), “Detective Story” (Par), “Born to Be Bad” (RKO) and “Groom Wore Spurs” (U), which can only be released in. April. Grosses continue weak as a conse- quence. London, April 7. The law decrees that a British film must be produced by a “Brit- ish filmmaker.” Is the Board of Trade justified, then, in granting a quota ticket to a picture pro- duced by the London subsidiary of a Hollywood major—even if all policy decisions are determined in the U. S., and American person- nel have the major starring and technical credits? This question, provoked by a recent High Court decision, may have to be resolved by a test case,- The controversy came to the fore* when the British distributors of “Monsoon,” filmed in India, chal- lenged the BOT rejection of their application for quota registration. The High Court upheld the BOT’s decision, and, in amplification of the Films Act, declared that a nec- essary qualification for a quota label was that the film should be made either by a British subject or a British company. They argued that the'setup in connection with “Monsoon” was a device to cir- cumvent „the safeguards provided under the Films Act. In trade and political circles it’s considered that the main reason for the more stringent application” of the letter of the law is due to the condition that only pix quali- fying for quota are entitled to col- lect their proportion of the Eady levy. There is a strong feeling that this subsidy — which is equal to more than 40% of the domestic gross — should be reserved for v strictly native product. A number of indie filmmakers are waiting to see what the BOT registrations will be for upcoming product financed by- British off- shoots of the U. S. majors. As many of the Yank-sponsored British films have been among the top local grossers, they would, if registered as quota, be entitled to a substan- tial slice Qf the Eady coin. It is the [ view of some independents that, if the letter of the law is to be strictly applied, the producers of these pictures could not accurately be labeled .as British. Therefore, they feel, the BOT has no right to allow them to draw their share of the Eady money to the disadvan- tage of British filmmakers. Some producers, who feel strongly on the issue, have intimat- ed that to get the issue • straight once and for all, they will be forced into a position of having to issue a writ against the BOT, asking them to show cause why a quota certificate was granted, in view of the “Monsoon” ruling. SR0 U. S. Show Biz Tours, Press Reels, Needle Tokyo To Map $3,000,000 Hall Tokyo, April 7. With virtually every appearance of a foreign artist in Tokyo SRO even before the star arrives in Japan, and with more and more U. S. and European musicians and dancers prepping Japan appear- ances, Tokyo has finally gotten around to planning a hall large enough to accommodate part of the throngs who want to view the visitors. Rep. of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce, Tokyo Metropolitan government, and Japan Broadcast* ing Corp. met to plan construction of a $3,000,000, 4,000-seat music center in downtown Tokyo. Larg- est hall at present is the 2,500 ca- pacity Hibiya Hall. Hall will hardly be ready in time to alleviate this year’s seating problem, which has been so seri- ous for the current Geiseking and Szigeti concerts, that the public is finally rising agi’n ticket scalp- ers and penning Indignant squawks to the editors of local shimbuns. Marian Anderson is due in May, and tickets for all her some 20 concerts are long gone, having sold out completely two hours after they went on sale. At the end of May, German violincellist Ludwig Hoelscher ’arrives for a tour. Au- tumn schedule Includes tours by Jaques Thibaud, French violinist; Solomon, British ’ single-monick* ered pianist, and Gerhard Huesch, German baritone returning for a repeat of last year’s successful tour. Negotiations are also report- edly underway to bring pianist Ar- tur Rubenstein to Japan this fall.