Variety (August 1953)

VOL. 191 No. 9 Published WeeKly-at 1S4. West 46lh Street. New York 36, N. V,.. by Vairletr* Inc.» Annual subscription $10. Singlttoplea.25 cents. Entered a* second class matter December 23. 1905. at the Post Office at New York. . N. Y„ under the set, ot March 3. 1870. COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY VARIETY, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . . NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 5, 1953 PRICE 25 CENTS The American Society of Com- posers, Authors & Publishers looks set to hit a peak income of nearly $17,000,000 for this yeaT, markirig a gain of about $2,000,000 over 1052. ASCAP’s revenue has been steadily rising from year to year and the era of the $25,000,000 pay- off may now arrive by 1960 if the present paCe continues. For tire first six months of this year, ASCAP distributed slightly under $7,000,000 as against $6,000, r 000 dividend for the same period last year. ASGAP's quarterly, divi- dends are how running around the $3,500,000 marker, after some 20% of the total; revenue is deducted for administration expenses. Chief source for the rising inr come is television; The video in- dustry, Which only a few years ago was negligible as far as perform- ance coin Was concerned, is now gaining rapidly on radio as the most important source of ASCAP’s fake. TV will probably pay ASCAP fit the neighborhood of $5,000,000 this year or about $1,0,00.000 more 1 hah last year, Radio, meantime; is still holding, its own and will; like- ly be .responsible for some $9,000,- 000 of t he ASCAP. total:. A SC A P’s revenue is rising de- spile the ..cut in income from the film-industry. Under the old seat- tax program, in existence before 10f)0 When the courts ruled it ille- gal, ASCAP collected around $1,- 300.000 from the exhibitors. Un- der tire new procedure of direct deals With the Hollywood produc- ct'.-;. ASCAP is getting around $000,000 yearly.. Video.,; however, has more than made up for this income slice. Into Prod. same .Bv SfuART SCHUtBERG .1 Co Producer of *No. Way .Back':) ; W Berlin. July 30. . ract, and fiction .collided on the fitwis of West Berlin the other 1 W ^yhen. a feat-life Russian de- ler. still . breathing hard after hiv escape from; the big -Soviet ; ihU )( ,T ial Ppst.; ran - smack 10 .; in.* ;location where we were ..■viP0.img-.-..a. : /R US <5i a - n escape scene };!vV ! - film * “No Way Back:’". Vic- f-, 1 , ' i lca ' s ' .Russian-speaking Ameti- - i director of the picture (which ; p . ^‘h-Production. between .-' N. a - M , Trans-Bhein Film. in » n ldent * Fi,ni °f Cologne) had j.,/ -VhUed “Cull,” after watching ilia 11 if es .py> a Frenchman playing h ,.• Russian role, go through his .4,% under the hot arcs. . ion one. of the unit jeep driv- Micas' sleeve, and m n ( * d ,? nl ° tlie shadow's of the s '? r * 0,d • ^’--ssian buck; private, ]. !) , e "’ith red-starred, cap. 1 .blouse and eonulettes. Vic as /Continued on page 61) PALLADIUM TO EXTEND, . The Palladium, London; will ex- tend its variety -season until mid- October, or. longer, depending upon what headliners will be made available. As was previously . com stitufedY vaude session would, have ended; with the Bob Hope engage- ment, which Winds up Sept.. 28/ At present, -Palladium lineup has Abbott & Costello current; Kay Starr, Aug. 17; Frankit* La.ine, Aug. 31; and Bob ‘-Hope, Sept. 14. Fol- lowing the variety -season, Pal- la d turn sta i; ts : its pan to ni ime poll c y. . Washington, Aug. 4. Television broadcasting industry came out. $55,500,000 in the black, or $1.0,00.000 mote, than the pre- liminary estimate issued three months ago, according to- the- final report Last week by. the FCC on 1952 financial operations of sta- tions and networks. Industry’s eariiings (before Federal income tax) were 33% higher than 1951. Industry’s gross business (sale.of time. talent and program ;malerial to advertisers) totaled $324,200,000 or ,38% over 1951. (Preliminary, estimate was $336,300,000, or -43% oyer the previous year.) The four video networks, with their 15 owned and. operated stations., ac- counted; for; $180.200vP0Q. or 55% 1 of . total sales bu t. the webs’ share I of the profits Was . only. $9,900,000 ; or 18%. .. Although: network TV sales, were ; • (Continued on page 38» 1 By MIKE KAPLAN Hollywood) Aug, 4. Hollywood -him production, vir- tually counted out by the gloom guys for the last four: months, has staggered to one knee and appeal's to have . taken good advantage of the respite afforded by the. long count. 11 has been badly battered, but there are increasing signs of a comeback and Holly wood starts the last five months of the year, usually about the niost productive period of the year for studios and independentsalike, With more vigor,than it has displayed since it suffered tire one-two punch of 3-D and widescreen around the begin- ning of the year. ; Thirteen, weeks ago, production was ll r (- below normal and the outlook waisn’l too bright. In the Jasi quarter-year, however, a -slight spurt, of activity lias increased: the overall pace and llolly wood’s out- put now is only 7)-a r *?i under Iasi year’s , tally for the corresponding period. Moreover, there’s been a speedup in the number of. scripts submitted to Hie Production Code Authority lor approval, indicating that the production pace will lm- (Continued on page 55) Makes Foe of • Steve Allen kicked up a tempest; in. Tin; Pan .Alley last' week, over j his WNBT, ,-N. Y... show with ' a j ‘‘reading"... of the lyrics lo one ot.. last season’s, click,;■‘■BeyMy. Life.s j j, .Companion.” . The ‘’reading// it s j been claimed by publisher R. H.; , Morris and lyricist Bob Hilliard, i ' held the tune up to ridicule : and ; I may .hurt a potential motion pm. j sale.. Publisher further.contended , {that'' Allen Used; t.he . lyric,'without j j ge ting clearance.; ; : i 4iPdtest^have^bMim=^^ :/i-• ■»£'/’* ivi.. t>nic.L Y Viin in it tee. i with' ASCAP’S Rules Ciimnittee. Allen used the lyric to “C ompan- ; . ion” to .snow that “gr ’ t poeti'i | vas going in'o current p /p.r An Easy; One to Copy The new: sound on wax can’t he heard; Ham O’Hara and Don Foster are issuing a disk. on the. Donham label for the jukebox trade which features hi a nk grooves on : each side. The record is. tagged “Three Minutes of Silence.” Juke p 1 ayers seeking sorae rest from current pops can buy three minutes of silence for 5c. _ O ’H a r a ^ a n d -iFosler.—CB.S^ sound engineers, lifted the idea.from jukes in Great Brit- ain where the. “silent : platter” is a big coin grabber. TOSCY SET TO DIRECT Arturo Toscanini will.be .making at least two television, appearances iii the fall,; • He’s now set to. direct a full- length opei'a on NBC-1’V r as he did "FatslafT" about three years ago,Opera has not yet.' b ee n selected. This is in addition to one simul- cast of the NBC Symphony broad- casts/' The “Ziegfeld Fotiies” is slated for a rebirth in cafes and video. The William Morris Agency is currently, negotiating with the Shuberls for the use of that label in all fields,; but itlikely that rights to niteries and Video are the most immediate prospects. Reason for, the closeness of 'the wrapup in these facets of show, biz lies in the fact that sales' are probably im- minent. ' In. night clubs;, fOr. example ; the Morris office would be .in a posi- tion to put the, Ziegfeld labei .into, any spot. With this kind; of packr age. would go some of. the most ex- (Continued on page 38) The diduisc of -.New York's 52d fit reel as a nitcry 'cent re is being hastened by the police. Policy wilI be foHovved'.froin lime to lime, ac- cording to Ciiic'f Police Inspector Janies R. Kennedy. First club tapped by five plalhclofhesmen was the Three Deuces, where, j( Was found, violations comprised enlei - tainers riiixing with customer's; in . an efi'oj'l to get them to buy'liquor, i improper ligblihg. absence of menus on tables .■■quoting price of I drinks, and solic iting customers by i the doorman. • ; The club’s books and licenses of the -performers'• were picked up by the police arid recommendation 'was'made that the club’s license be suspended or revoked. . The action on 52d Street comes at a tiine when a generaJ HtifTening of law enforccMTient is in the wind.. ! -In ’another case, police picked up owner of the bar at the William. (Continued on page 61) ; Oiil of t lie more Ilia it 65 t ryout s being done, on tlie strawhat circuit 11 1 is seasnii, approx lmate 1 y, 20 liave been earmarked for Broadway. Of tl.iat number,, lirobably hoi more Ilian a. handful will reach: the ■boards. There’s xT.lso a possibility that among tin* other preems there may be one oi .two that will jump ihe hurdle from summer slock'.'to. Broadway. ; ; .Among the^silo trail.’s moic ac- live tr,youPTioiises this .siimhier are tlie West port (Conn.) Playliotise and t he Sea .(’liff i L. I. ) Summer j’heatre. Former. has already in* troial (ive new. works, though scime of thein.. have . ulso -'played.- ot fun; st raw'liat. showeascrsi Tlie Westport operation lias/at least, two more try- outs liner) up for.the'.remainder of (lie scsison. S<»a CliiT lias alia'ady oli'i'red two -new •eiilrids. Theatre has I w o. .more originals 11 tied tip for Tutiir.e inesenlalion. • ..Not • included in Ihe West port, I ihiilalurn is. "A Ne.w School ibr ficandiil,’’ an adaptatioii of Richard" Bri.rvdev Sli.efidan/s comedy, which w as t heal re's 'inaugiiral prodncl um '.('rmt iniied'on r)a|;e 63) To Compose Musicals 'Die l'*on| Foundation will .■com- ml ■.sion lh(‘ Writing id'.,at leas! t wo original .miisicaj comedies' for 'present‘aiion ; oh (tie ‘‘.Junior. Om- nibus" series 'tentatively' entitled ‘ Kxeiir.sion ’• It will be tlie Jlrsf time Dial musicals have ht*en writ- ten speeilieaDy for video. 'top talent:'will-be- used- lor these showT> D< i als are already in the works for Harold Rome. A la ri Jay, I.erner and Arthur"Sellwart/./' .) . Musicals ;are being engineered by/ Jeroirn; St agg, ..producer, of I lie- , series, who is slated t o relufri jo . New 1 York. from the .Coast today - ( Wed.)/.