Variety (July 1953)

PICTURES Wednesday, July 1, 1953 ; As part of the industry's. oyer-f- all"..''economy program* advertising J midgets- .are .being, subjected ; to :;: sharp trimming. Chief victim of i the slicing program is the average ;« picture, which- is .no longer backed % by a liefty. national campaign, :| g V’oin saving bas also resulted in a ft : r( -appraisal of media, with national ■ .'hiags.no longer receiving as.large a , ( chunk as during the.spending bey- * <lav KKO, for example, once one ol liic largest mag spenders, Is now t infrequently represented in the na- ft lional publications. Warner Bros,*,[ ( tooi seldom employs big magazine >,< . space. . . ■ (‘hanging pattern of .the method .. of release, with, more frequent use | of iftlwration bookings. has resulted in a channelling of coin to.TV and to local newspapers, with the aim at point-of-sale selling* Leu tain picUir.es, particularly, thb.se with -sensational exploitation, values,- have found radio - and I V potent I lies. .Total , of $250,000. has been ;;. - Skedded by ; 20th-J‘'ox for TV^bally j iilo tieimjy. he.SeouUnaslcr. - Warnn; er Bros, is spending the same IV j. coin for . “Beast ; from 20^00 : .. Fathoms.” - ' Recent |)it <■ li by 1 -eo^a t;.d Ciolde n- • son American.Broadcast!hg-lJnited paramount proxy, for:.more use; of radio and TV to promote film at- tend a nee, brought : a .sharp rebuke from magazine quarters. ,..Richard <■ :Av. Cook,. 1learst Ad vert isi ng Serv- ice topper, said he. was ‘‘just won- ; tiering if Mr. GblUcnson’s /Pitch • might riot have been .-a., little or) the : selfish side.” lie stressed that TV . did little, if anything, to.promote pictures in comparison to the solid ’•••editorial support the industry re- .ceived in a number ..of .'national pub* lrent ions. Notwithstanding the: TV-ifiag font roversy, Ii 1 merles are spendirig less to baily their , films. In com- parison to the 51500,000 per pic bud., ’gets of not loo long ago, it's a rare Current picture that is allotted any where near $250,000, .Although there is an overall decline in ad- vertising spending, a film company w i 11 occasionally go all out on a particular big picture,.. Treatment, • with an expenditure of .up to $1> ’ 000.000. is given a pre-release “spe- cial,” Metro’s “Quo ■ Vadis” being the outstanding example. A.L. Herman M, Lgvy,..general coun- sel. of Theatre Owners of America. 10ayes lor Europe today ft'.Wed;) aboard the Queen Elizabeth. While abroad, he’ll meet with directors and officers of -the-. Cinematograph; Exhibitors Assn, on mechanics^ of operation, public reaction to 3-D arid distrib-exHib relationships. .J.evy, Incident ally, was appointed, this week by Gov. John Lodge . of Conriecticut as a member of a state committee to study the problems, of the aged. ... : Chicago, .June 00. In a preliinihary hear i ng of. the Melbro case, Wherein the Roekne. Theat re is - seeking, the rezoning of r . hetitors for more equitable bid- V , Judge John Barnes of Chi Federal District Court said Bockrie attorneys would have to prove a nt'w - Conspiracy .has arisen:, since. 1950. , :--;v •• Attorneys for film, distribs had asked the' Court to strike opt al- legations carried over from a pre- vious suit vvhich had a iwo-year settlement ' lasting until, July. 1; 1950; Judge Barnes denied this re- quest, ruling that these, allegations were riot irrelevant inasmuch as they pointed up a tendency to con- spire,- but he stated, that - a - more, recent' conspiracy ' against the Roekne, since 1950, would have to be proved. Petition by the RKO Grand The- atre to be relieved. of seeking court permission for extended runs has been granted by Judge Michael Igde, Chi Federal District Court, in another case. Judge Igpe had ruled previously that the theatre was still bound by the Jackson Park decree, like t he B&K circuit here, but the U. S. Seventh Appeals Court reversed this decision, acknowledging (lie divorcement of -RKO theatres from I RRO pictures. ■ • , N. Y., ft-' Possibility loomed tiiis week of Arthur L. Mayer, known as Broad- way's “Merchant of Menace,” re- turning to his old haunt by again taking over at the Rialto. Theatre, M; Y. Discussions are‘taking place between Mayer and James Mage, who in 1948 took over the Rialto ■ ...lease.- .. "-'ft ’ . Mayer operated the Rialto as a successful horror pix showcase for 15 years, starting' MaYcli 4, 1933— “the day the banks closed.’’ Should Mayer, return as Rialto owner-op, his* lease would have another two years and three months to run. Indie on Features, Vidpix Hollywood, June 30. After., 10 _;years aschief ..of,,the. TtKO short subjects department, George Bilson anklcd the lot to produce his own, theatrical and TV films under banner of George Bil- son Enterprises. , First picture, to be made in as- •Rociatiori with: Anthony Z. Landi, will be “Triple Jet Ace*” based on . t he st 0ry of Chpt. J oseph Mc.Conr nel.h leading jet ace, wvho account- ed for 16 C-.ommy. planes in Korea. RKO Skeds 12 Tinters For Remainder of ’53 ' Hollywood. Jime 30. James R (»rainger, RK0 proxy; announced the release of 12 Tech- nicolor lilius for the rest of this: ; year, tin' largest number of tVnjLed fcalures in the history of. the epni- pany. . . Lineup includes “Sea. Devils.” “Below the Saha^a^ , ‘The Sea • Around Us." . "Second . Chance,” - “Deyil^s Cainon." “The Sword and the Rose,” “Rage ill the Jungle,” “Son o f Sin-bad,”.' “Decameron Wights,” ‘-‘The French Line” and “The Silver Horde.", .'Hollywood, June 30. . projectiorii.sts Local 150, IATSE;, signed a working agreement with the SERQ. drive-in circuit, consist- ing of the Victory and Gilmore o/.onm’s. Circuit was the last major holdout on the new contract. Signing resulted in the removal of pickets Who h^d been walking in front of the drive-ins for , months; New pact Calls for two projection-, ists iii a booth when theatres are showing first-run films. . * r ~' 7- ;' *vh * Schary’s “SS Canopus’ : Hollywood, June 30. Dore Sehary’s next. personal production at Metro will be “U.S.S; Canopus,” a World War II yarn about the Navy, based on an origi- nal by Alan Brown, v - . udorstai's v.iil ’.be!'^ Robert Taylor, as commanding officer of a sub- tnarine tender, and Russ; Tamblyn, as a gob. L—^ Continued • from : page: 5 This was finally settled last week amd /paet. is expected to be signed. Bodthmen's union concluded an agreement for the screening rooms on the same basis, and is currently dickering with the Skouras .chain: Negotiations; are currently tak- ing. place between Para mount and the MotIon ■•■Picture' 1 Iomeoffice Em- ployees Union for a new pact for iiomeoffice white collar help. Al- though union had hoped to hold i joint negotrations with all the film- j cries at. once, it claims it was ! stymied by the companies in seek- ing ;v standard deal. Union gained ■!La_new^u.nj-t_las.t.3v.eek_as;N^o:e.W-S white eolljarites ..voted to affiliate 1 with the outfit following an elec- tion under- National Labor Rela- J lions Board supervision; Todd-AO Lineup Todd-AO is owned 75% by Magna Theatre Corp, and 25% by the American Optical Co. Magna, in turn, is owned 50% by Todd and 50% by United Artists Theatres Corp. Latter, in turn, is controlled by Joseph M. Scherick, George P. Skouras and Lee Shubert. All. the “A” stock in Magna is ; 100% owned . by Todd. Both UA Theatres . and Todd made room for Richard Rodgers and .Oscar Hamrner- . stein 2d, who have a $400,000 block. ■ ' r Magna Theatre. Corp, may . ; . be changed in corporate title, as it is feared (1) that .Magna- . , Scope can become a peryerted billing, thus militating against. Todd-AO; and (2), it is a mis-;; nomer. Magna Theatre Corp. : will actually do the producing and is not a theatre company; On the Magna board • are Sohenck, board chairman;;: Skouras, president; Rodgers & liammerstcin, ■■■ Shubert,', Todd, ; production veCpee Arthur Homblow, Jr., indie producer ..-Edward. Small, Prof, . Charles E. Seligson, dean of law at N. -Y. University, and Judge: ’ James M. Landis, ex-dean of Harvard Law School. Latter >.two represent 'the. Todd .and. American Optical legal inter-.; :• ;e'st;s.. '■;■ ■■■ , .'; Todd-AO board . comprises Skouras; as president, Todd, Sehenek, Frederick M. War- burg, of KuhnrLoeb; and a di- rector of American Optical; • Walter A. Stewart, prez of AO; : Brian O’Brien, v.p. of AO, and Henry Woodbridge, executive veepee of AO. No Trade Shuffle Contiiiued from page 3 Corp! which will make “Oklahoma.” ■ According to Joseph M. Schenck, Magna boai v d chairman, sale of “Oklahoma” was consummated after R&H bought out their .part- ners in the legit, property. Sehenek said R&H, although owning 60% of “Oklahoma,” paid out more in _ that deal than was due them as i their own share. Sehenek, who identified, himself , as the-. .largest Magna shareholder, further disclosed that Magna so far has poured $1,000,000 into the. : Todd-AO process. This money, as well as the coin to purchase the ■“Oklahoma” rights, were put up by himself, George Skouras, Lee Shubert ancl Todd, he said. Sehenek said there were no plans • for. letting the .public invest., in Magna, ile said that, while there had been no discussions yet. with any banks for “Oklahoma” financ- ing, he- expected no difficulties in raising the coin. Pic will be budget- ed at $2,000,000. Whether it can roll later this summer, for spring, 1954, release, hasn’t been decided yet. IThere is still a chance of indus- try brass previewing Tpdd-AO in Buffalo on July 7. Sclienck be- lieves the system should be un- veiled to a select group of toppers including his brother, Nicholas M. Sehenek, Loew’s pi'exy. Todd is all for holding off until Todd-AO is further perfected. Matter should be resolved* this week.] • Lensed Two Ways “Oklahoma” will be lensed in both the Todd-AO 65m system and in 35m widescreen for regular the- atre presentation. Todd-AO method employs only a single projector capable of handling both 65nv and’ 35m film. Whereas Cinerama fills its large screen via three project- ors, Todd-AO manages to do the same job with one strip of film on : a seamless screen. \ j Patents ^covering : the; Todd-AO lenses and projector head were is- sued a few weeks ago, but do not | cover the special screen invented by Dr. Brian O’Brien, research veepee. of. American Optical. Re- cent demonstration was. on a slightly curved .wooden: screen painted white; When the industry . gets its first glimpse of Todd-AO at the Rivoli, the O’Brien screen will , be installed. Sehenek said tha.t . when “Okla- , homa” is completed, it. \vill open [ [ as a roadshow in 35 to 40 houses. ; ! He indicated that Mngna intended i [ to license Tpdd-AO to. all comers, .but not until after "Oklahoma” I j had been released. R&H are writing ; * additional test s cenes for the film * and" will supervise the casting, Fie ■ will, eventually be done in Teehniy - j color, Sehenek asserted. Tests, so j i’jirhave been in Ansco Color. Todd Am mm (N.Y: Stock Exchange) 1578 '451.4 4514 i6>4 12lk 47 .'■ ... 143 a -73 4 im 3814 3812 1 m 41% UVa. m 30% 2514 36% 28«4 1953 Vol, in High Low Clos< High Low 100s 15 7 8 13 r ^ Am Br-Par Th 107 14 3 4 : 14% 14 45 3 4 3814 CBS, “A” . . . 11 43% 43% 43 45 1 4 3812 . CBS; “B” ... 12 43% 42 3 4 43 1614 11 % ; Col; Pic. ; : :43 16 147-8 . 16 • 1 2lk 9% Decca . . . . . 486 - t 9% . 8 % . 9 47 41% Eastman.Kdk;-162 - 42% .4178 41 . 143a 1.1 3 4 Loew’s ; ... 128 12 11% ; 12 -734 •' 4% Nat. Thea, . 116 • 6% : 6%-■ ' • 6 303 ft 25 3 4 Paramount 40 26 3 4 26 . 26 36% 28 3 4 Phifco .. ; ... 49 307ft . 30 30 293ft , 22%. ■ RCA ,.. * . 199 , . 2402. 23% .24 43« .3 3 ft RKO Piets. . . 113 3% , 3% . 3 .. 4 ; )4 3% RKO. Thea:.,. 70 . 4 334 . 3 47ft 3% Republic 21 3 3 4 3% 3 11% 10 3 i Rep., pfd. '.. . . 4 :107ft 10% •••, 10 ■ 1214 97 ft . Stanley War. . 80 113ft; : 10% . 11 1974 13% 20tfi-Fox . ,214 16% 15% • 16 .17% 14 tlniv. Fix. . .. 55 . 1674 15% 16 687 ft 61 Univ., pfd. .. 100 63 63 • 63 : 17%: 137ft Warner Bros 105. .15% 137ft: : 14 84 6334 Zenith . . ... 108 ,707ft : 687ft 6S American Stock Exchange ^ _ 1734 J2 Du Mont V, .. 46 1234 123 ft 12 4 % : 2% Monogram . 65 . .. 37 a : 3 3, 4. , .3 171 ft 1474 Technicolor .. 96 16 15 3, 4 .. : 1.5 •• 374 .- 27ft Trans-Lux :., . 15 : - . ;3.% - ; 3% - • .2 6 ver-tlic-Counter Securities, , . . Color Corp. of. Amer* . V. v . • . . . . .. .... • 1% •; 1 -Cinerama.''//: •/:•;• •'• • •..• • •.<.» ^ ^ : Chesapeake Industries: (Pathe) .. 3 . ■*- .Polaroid,::. ..;*■ • ,• • • V • • • • •• • • • • ■ j ' tl; A, Theatre?: ..... .'. I • •. 1 Walt Disney ..;.........•... 7‘’'8 .- * , ■' FActual Sales; ' (Quotations furnished by Dreyfus & Co.) ,293ft 43 ft .434 47ft 11 %' : 1274.; 1974 .17% 63% / 17%. 84 ' 22 %. •3 3 ft 3% 37ft 107 ft •978 13% 14 61 ]3»ft . 6334 11 32 43 486 162 128 116 40 49 199 113 70 21 .:a- 80. 214 55 100 105. 108 Continued.- from page 3 Cart produce .on his owni or have 1 Under , produced by an indie,-pictures for with SW, the Cinerama medium.. He is not atres will obligated to make use of Cirierama rama in board chairman Louis B. Mayer’s goal of property, “Paint Your Wagon,” throughou which was listed for filming in have the Cinerama. Mayer, it’s indicated, ^ will not take an active part in the II m production program. Exact status- II M of. production chief Merian €.; IJ Cooper remains unclear.: con As soon as the deal is. completed, j sponso; Cinerama will operatewith a skele- p j c ^ u r ( ton .crew, with the possibility that Uj. om thrt some staffers will move over to the Used 0n € SW organization. Cinerama would a pp ea ranc only operate on a consulting basis* perS o na lit A Cinerama director said the com- c ] OS eouts paiiy would have story approval on- p^ production plans. On the Agreement, under discussion for -Y^ •several weeks, was ; apparently spurred by a stockholders resolu- h . tion last week, authorizing Ciner- vv arna officers to conclude a deal P^Yea with the theatre circuit. Deal calls . > for. SW, through a wholly-owned “ u 7^? ei > subsidiary, to assume operation of 1 the present and projected Ciner- r e ama theatres as well as to finance 371 future Cinerama features. - s Unanimous Okay gram an ' With a two-thirds vote rieces- kv-hich hi sary for. stockholder approval, a n a t the Cinerama indicated the vote for | J— ^^^ — the SW okay was unanimous, with " ““ 890.000 shares represented out of 984.000 outstanding approving transfer of the license rights; No rie\V stockholders meeting is antici- 1 ■ Co pa ted unless there is a substantial common change in the agreement as out- a il6cated lined to the investors. Commissi Deal calls for the transfer of proceedir Cinerama production and eihibi- public dc tion rights to SW, which would ity of su- finance the opening* equipping of demic.” all new Cinerama, theati^s._as well | _ Regard as four theatres where Cinerama q Ues t f 0 i is currently being shown or. about on i n ter< to be exhibited. These include ror ;flicts New York, Los Angeles, Detroit 0 f arid , Chicago. SW would also fi- \ v ij| ’ he nance the next two productions. A mon carr Cinerama source said additional rnnflicts talks would be held- regardirig pro-.^'J Ume to ductiori beyond the initial two. 0 r where SW will receive a larger portion pf %nteri of the b.o. receipts until opera- s ho U ld b tion,. equipping, arid production These pi costs are recouped. Thereafter, the pr i a tely theatre circuit and Cinerama will thev mic share . equally in the exhibition mobs ” y. proceeds, —1- .. * '_ ] ... No stock in Cinerama Prodtic- \l/R* j tions, a closed .corporation, will. YY ^ 8 [change l>nds, but SW will buy Arthui j 700,000 shares of Cinerama,- Inc., managin ' ! now owned by Cinerama Froduc- ain, arr r tions. A board member of latter, iTues.) although declining to reveal the beth. [ sale price; said Cinerama Produc- Exec KjJion s wo u ld receive “a slight prof- U. S. Joj : j ai.sa indicated that agree- t’bmed b • [•ment had been reached on an ex- He’ll ho 1 i tension of the licensing agreement internal: l with Cinerama, Inc., until 1958* 1 and oth Under . terms of the agreement with SW, up to 26 additional the- atres will be equipped for Cine- rama in the near future, with a goal of 50 ultimately planned throughout the worldi $W Would have the global rights. I MPAA Vidpix | Continued from page 3 a sponsor, going to the Motion Picture Relief Fund. Excerpts from three feature pix would be used On each airer along with the appearances of one or two screen personalities and introductions and closeouts by Eric A- Johnston, MPAA president. , On the basis Of films being se- lected so far for the. programs, at least one of three is a musical which when originally made, enk ployed about 100 m u s i c i a n s . Dramas, corhedies, etc., bad lesser numbers. A single program of clips from threg pix, roughly figured, might represent the work of 150 music men. At. $25. per, under Petrillo!s reported demands, this amounts to $3,750 for each pro- gratri and a source, of expense which hadn’t been figured on at all at the start, . Continued from page 4 . - 3 common carrier ...facilities already .allocated for this purpose*, the Commission said in terminating the proceedings, “evidence to show the public demand, need, or desirabil- ity of such, a service becomes aca- demic.”.; - -Regarding the film ind.ustry s re- quest for a “statement of policy On interconnection and frequency conflicts* the Commission said: “We, of course, expect that there [will be cooperation among com- mon carriers in resolving frequency conflicts. We see no need at this time to determine whether, whefi* - or where interconnection, might, be necessary, or the type .or, / of interconnection ' service • whicq., should be furnished. in that, event. These problems may more .appro* priately be resolved if and w hen they might arise upon specific peti- tions.” WB’s Abeles’ N.Y. Gabs Arthur S. Abeles, Warner - Bros, managing director for Great /B 1 ’ 11- ain, arrived in N. Y. yesterday iTues.) abroad the Queen Eliza- Exec is slated to remain m. tne U. S. for a bbut a. month, o n a cum- bmej business and vacaTitm^rip.- He’ll hold.a series of confabs, wiin international topper Woiie Cent and other homeoffice execs.