Variety (September 1953)

W*><lneiwlay, Sept^MiilM-r 30 , v ouhl in rli^ti iJnilion ♦ on filin'^ Ml addition to eain* lias on tlnij' li.iMC llnain* opi-ra- tion was jointly dai losod this wfi k h', W,liter U< ;tdc .Ii . pie-ifh nt of j U. dli r Itrade 'I In id 11 ■'-, iiinl M.aii y ' A S< hwai7 In .id of St liwai/. 'J’lie* ain s in San I'l.mcisio. One of tin* fii'^t lioiae*, to he Miiolled in Die '-|ie< i;di/ed |oo]i is tlie Mildi'e 'llie.ilie. Sail Kranri.seo, V. Iiieli liei oines a joint Kead**- .Siliwai/ opeiaiion as ol tonioirou’ I'l hiirid.i.x ' Site is a 4h0-.se.der. Meaiitiine. rn-eollations an* iinder- \'.a\ to Inin*.' tln-.iires in sneli key Miles as ( 'liK .'I'll, J,r»s Ant;el"s, Cleveland, St, Louis, i'lilladelpliia anil Mo ton into the told. Miilk ol the prodiiel tor the naw rhaiii, Meade s; id. will he .siipidieil hy Continental Di'lrihiilors, Ine., in vvliieh Meiide 'I’lieatres has .m interest. I-irst film for tin* Miid^^e' tinder tfie new policy will he "'rne ' Cruel ,Sea'’ 'IJi. Ainon}» others to follow will he ‘'roriipht at H.Hd” • • Contineiitali and “'I'lie Ca|»lain’s J'aradise” iLopf‘itt. ; Lxhihitoi s will reeeivr a eiit ' from (listrihiition profits, it vv.is explained, after hasie eost.s of tnit-' tint; the tiictiire info release havi* ' , heen |)ald Heaile 'I heatrrs, inei-! ilenlaliy, has had I'onsiderahir j perieiiee with the ‘ art” film in i's ■ more than 40 conventional and drive-in sites in New •fer'-ey and upstate New York, (’hain's joint takeover of the Hrul;;e marks its Initial step into Coast exhibition. nuic luiis. I ina. Ill luiii, iiua iney rcacn lOr Ine moon Ti « the squeeze on foreign attractions . inal price quoted for ‘ The that ordinarily would play these World of Don Camillo'>-, I guarantee of $160,000 and h British films have also managed Ihe profits from the firM to chalk up con.siderahU* advances II'K eventually ended up u. in the U. S. market and here again the foreign language product has been pushed out. Result of all this has heen a re- orientation among foreign produc- ers. They now want their films dubbed to permit wider eireula- tion. Spectacular success of some of the pictures that were given the lip-.synch treatment has fur- thered the Impression that the fu- ture is in dubbing, even though it’s argued that only a fraction of the nims made abroad lend themselves to this approach. Coat of Dubbing Co.st of dubbing runs anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 but when a picture is a hit, like tlie Italian Films Export entry, “Anna,” it more than pays off. English sound- track also va.stly incrca.ses the po- tential In terms of bookings sinc*e a dubbed film has a chance for Near $15,000 IVemiere For ‘Robe,’ San Francisco San Kram is< o, Sejd. 29 I’sliered in tmiight >29i h> lug ballyhoo, “The Rohe” opens regu- lar run tomorrow <Wed.» at’the Fox. Hacked h\ lu*a\y exploitation the 4.320-s('.’it Fox West Co.ist house is .i virtual sell-out and the premiere should gross near $1.1.090. with seats sealed fiom $2.40 to $.5. San Francisco’s .Mayor Hohinson guesting inay<HS Ironi Itt Calilor- nia cities and Frisco newspaper puhli.sficrs. will have a large hhtek of tiikets. Ollier emiijis go to the Naify, Hlunicnfeld and Nasser cir- cuits, Charles IV .Skoiiras and Frank Ross head I lie Hollywood (niilin- gent . Herman Wohher, 20lh’s W cst- j ern Division cliicf. and financier l.ouis Lurie are also due. Localite Ha/cl McCann, to whom the hook, “'Hie Rohe,” was dedi- cated, will also attend. 1 Regul.'ir jirice schedule vvliicli | will start loiiiorrow has house i sialed from $1 to $2 week days,! and $1.25 to $2.40 week-ends. i ( ontinued from page 4 firsts in motion picture techniques, “ I'lie Rohe” is a polished, finished jiroduet, lie declared. Jle admitted there are a few flaws, but believes Hicy are so minor tfiey do not dis- tiact. He is hoprful that further development of the CinemaScope Icnse will give It arlded height to go with its great width. The chief criticism to date seems to have been against the process’ present profiortions. • Critics for the .six Lo.s Angeles pajier.s quarreled little with the technicals that have not yet reached perfection and were iinaniinou.s in hailing the picture as entertainment and CinemaScope as opening a new era In picture- making. The comments that were adverse, but not strongly so, were mostly leveled against the sound volume, asserting it was turned too high in some Kccn4‘s. Both before the preem and as a news story after the opening, the dailies de- voted much space to the 20th-Fox offering. Editions after the preem used color stories as well as re- views, plus a page of jiictures, in most sheets. ISSSS Continued from piixe 4 Cinemascope’s “lack of licixlii * Feeling at 20th is that the snuiiux’ natural resentment again.M vicing 20th lead the field in so iinponant a change also has something Oi do with the general attitude. Scvii;.! studios, like Metro, Columhi.n ;,nd Universal, have announced they will make CinemaScope pi.\. aiui M-G already has len.scd two. Ijut none have gone as far as 2otli in converting their entire outjnit to the anamorphic w i d e s < 1 c e n proce.ss. Question frequently avKeil is; What would happen If all corneii- ed to CinemaScope? The nn^wcr depends on the Impres.sion gained from the “Robe” b.o. Some be- lieve CinemaScope should he ap- plied to only a few spectacle t\pe film.s. Others hold lt*s good for everything. Third group is in- clined to believe that, a complete switch to CinemaScope would have tragic results. “In a year or so we would be right back where we started from,” one »*xec opined. “Every hou.se will advertise huge wide .screens and the public will be bored with it all. You can’t save the industry with a gadgit. It s good films that are needed, imiii- ing else.” At 20lh, impression is gaining that something of a deiamaimv campaign Is afoot to belittle Cm- einaScope accomplishment.^i. K\c<« have picked up rumors to the ef- fect that the Roxy take ha.s been exaggerated and that public reac- tion has not been as lavoiahle as indicated by the company, i his is strenuously denied with the iniu- ment that much of the negative re- action sounds like sour graive'^. . ^ •••••• mm f playing regular release houses that Cop Cracked Theatre On | His Beat; Gets Year In ! Jail, Denied Probation | St. Louis. Sept. 29. } .4 one year jolt In the City i Wvnkhouse was imded out last week to Pldvvard F. Mueller, a for- mer ((ip for his participation in an $1,100 burglary nf the safe In the Congress theatre, whieh was on his he.nt. Originally charged, w ith burglary and larceny, Mueller | pleaded gviilty la.st May to a petit j larceny charge and sought proha- j tion. This was denied by Circuit 1 Judge Michael J. .Scott. \ Mueller’s confed<*rate in the rob- j bery, George DeFlippo, who turned state’s evidence and said he had been per.^uaded by Mueller ; to break open the safe on June 24. j 1951, was permitted to plead guilty to a petit larceny charge and re- ceived the same senteme as the cop. I Burglary clnu ge could earn 15 ^ years. I French So-What? European producers “are nut meeting the needs of the American market,” Jules I.evey reported last week in N. Y. following his return from an extended trip to the Con- tinent. Levey indicated he was di.sappointed with what he had seen in Europe and indicated that, where the Italians are eager to break into the U. S. in particular, the French seem to have lost interest In whether or not their films play here. Full Treatment for *Robc* Minneapolis, Sept. 20. Paramount Circuit here goes all- out in advertising and exploitation for “The Robe.” It’s figured good for three or four weeks at the Ra- dio City where it opens Oet. 8. In addition to extra heavy news- paper advertising backed up bV radio and TV spots, the circuit’s tliealres throughout the territory are starting immediately to carry screen trailers. Displays in 24, six and three sheets in a radius of 50 miles will al.«n be used. Special exploitation is aimed at churches and .school.s. Scale for Radio City during “’riie Robe’* will be $1.20 from opening to 5 p.rn. and $1..50 there- after for adults, including tax. Theatre seats 4.000. AI I.icht- Issss Continurd from page S | ecord for wider distribution vpt ctiir. account for good coin, include 7 aeeocd- Stranger Wore A Gun.” Ran- rinc 2nth Scott staiTer in 3-D: “Sa- les mana- i Hayworth money- When the M”^*^*^*’* “Cruisin’ Down the „ River.” “China Venture” and! "ments ot‘ Korea.” 1 ional day- I" the first of the two tall rev- ntlemen’s' ^*'***^ weeks, seven field exchanges j engaged in what they designated II bv the'**** “extra effort" billing.s push, lan drive ! of the other branches set the ‘ek. (lehr-1 ^*'fond week for their sales drive. [)ur w eeks, “ eft’orl” week is a special | ek return ' pitch devised by Abe Mon-1 tg the old Htgue. Col’g distribution v.p. ; 1 weeks of { Over a recent period, three other ! distrih.s racked up record income' lated do-] from the domestic market. In a| ' fir.vt 39 two week span Paramount reeled] 16'r over in $4,600,000, Univer.‘;al went over' nding pe- $2,000,000 in a single week and 1 I Septrm- United Artists surpas.sed the $1.-, jumping tXMl.OOO mark in tlie greatest seven -1 four-week day period on its hooks. Continued from CECIL BERNSTEIN HERE Cheiks ('inerama, ('inema.Scope For British .\ngle 9 Criminal Conlempt