Variety (December 1953)

pimmKs Wednesday, December 2 , 1953 Washington, Dec 1. A lecture and motion picture exhibition, even when all proceeds are for the benefit of an educational or charitable institution, is -ubject to the 20 r o admissions tax. Bureau of Internal Revenue has ruled. However, if the lecture was illustrated by slides rather than mo- tion pictures, it would be tax exempt. Odd gimmick, it is pointed out. is due to a provision of the law which provides that exemptions from the admissions tax law do not apply to ‘‘any motion picture exhibition." Motion Picture K\|h*iI Assn was warned last week not to enter into an.ye .Frenc h - film deal that might involve the subsidized distribution ol French |>ix m the l' S Reminder that any such agree- ment, oi even *i ile. 1 1 calling for the subsidized promotion of French dims 1 hat are being re- leased through a subsidized agency, would be contrary to assurances given by MPICA prey F.ric John- ston. was contained in a wire from the Independent Motion Picture Distributors Assn, ot America. IMPDA in which a good many oi the indie distnlis in the IP S. are represented, is worried over tlie possibility that, loi practical reason/., the MPKA may enter into a French deal patterned alter the original Italian film part I.alter gave Hie Italian industry I'J'j'e of the American dislnhs' earnings in Italy Part ot the money was used lo set up Italian Films Kxport in the l! S for the announced pur- pose ot promoting Halo pix l.aler, (Continued on page 7 1» By GENE AKNEEI. Wall Street is Riving the film business its heaviest play in years Stock issues ot the major picture and theatre companies have been traded in unusually heavy volume over the past three months, reflect- ing* a new interest on the part of investors. Variously over that time span one or more film stocks have topped the jist of N Y. Stock Ex- change trading. As shown in an accompanying table, six companies have gained ground hi Rig Hoard valuations ot their respective issues Two dropped fractionally, one was ot! more than a full point and two re- mained even On the basis of closing prices last Wednesday < 12 f> 1 . the issued stocks ol II outfits had a total cal uation of $.'150,11(5,900 This repre- sents a jump of $12,208.(550 over the quotations of Aug 25 Columbia soared to a new high for the year last Wednesday, reaching S17 f*2 1 •«*. It closed the day at $17 50 for a gain of $1 12'_< RKO Theatres closed at $4 75. its high mark for tin* year National Theatres closed at $(5 75. which is down $1 from its high for the year but still is well over its low point of $4 12 1 ;• Comeback by 20lh-Fox has been unique This stock sold as low 'Continued on page 4' The Big Yen - Los Angeles, Dec 1, F.iga Haikyu Co.. Ltd . Japa nese distribution linn, tiled suit in Superioi Court againd Shochiku Film Enterprises. Ltd., demanding 2 000.000 yen. plus interest of 210,0000 yen It sounds like a lot of money but it really amounts to $5,555, plus $583 interest - Argentina Outlook Slightly Eased Restraint of Ideas The American Civil Liber- ties Union has denounced the Motion Picture Production Code as "agreements to re- strain trade in ideas." This appellation followed the recent withholding from Hal Wallis’ "Cease Fire" of the Code seal unless and until the picture deleted from the realistic dia- log of Korean GI’s two "hells" and three "damns." ACLU eJTpresses itself as "admiring” of the MPPA fight against the censorships im- posed in several individual \meriean film companies had reason to cheer last week in the v iko of a statement by Brazil's Finance Minister, Oswaldo Aran- I i. that the country intends to ( Vinp’etely liquidate its debts to l S importers by the end of this year In that event, it would mean a whopping $11,000,000 remittance during December. — In Argentina, the government told American film reps that it was lifting all limitations and bars on l S pix imports and that the 1951 agreement between Motion Picture Export Assn, prexy Eric Johnston and the Argentines would now be fully implemented. There was no mention, however, of any remit- tance of blocked coin. The Argentine move followed the visit to the U S. recently of Raul Apold, Argentine information services topper, who came at the Invitation of MPEA. Robert Cork- ers'. assistant to MPEA exec v.p. Ralph Hetzel and in charge of Latin America for MPEA, is cur- icntiy in Buenos Aires to discuss Iutlire film relations with the Ar- gentine government. When Apold was in the U S , he made it known that he wanted the American distribs to participate in a projected Buenos Aires film fete in '54 The companies made it clear that they couldn’t undertake such expense until enough coin (Continued on page 20) Public but umlffirinl overtures and trial balloons set oil by officials of Theatre Owners of America re latmg to a merger between TOA and Allied States Assn has been met with utter indillerence by lead ers of the latter exhibitor organiza tion "The only merger we re in terested in,” said Allied topper Wilbur Snaper. "is a merger he tween the public and om theatre . " Meanwhile. TOA, usually con servative in denouncing industry trade practices, has raised iK voice almost as loudly as that of Allied Roth oi'gs see eye to eye on current problems taring exhibitors, espe dally those brought on by the hi trod net ion of new protection nielli oils They have both denounced 2<Hh Fox’s insistence that stereo phonic sound lie a mil l" for the presentation ol CinemaScope pie lures Roth groups have expressed equal concern about the product shortage Allied has suggested that the problem can he alleviated via exhib stock interest in the pro' durer distributor Companies. TOA is weighing production by exliibs to meet the product shortage Important omen ol TOY's ro manring ol Allied i, (he former's sudden interest in the plight ol the small theatreowner .VI airily the 1 ('out limed on page 22 » finds it a contradic states hut tion that the Association should itself practice the very censorship it otherwise vigor- ously condemns.” llollvwood is slowly blit surely working it ell up into another of ds 'periodic cycles of aviation dramas Korean war. with its heavy emphasis on living, has spa i ked m vv interest .no) the. ac- cent is piiiiiaiilv on the speedy jet lighters Practically every one of the studios 1 1 .is smile* kind id living vain mi its production kid. and some aie sponging hcsivv coin lo c 0 ( 1111 * up with Hu* ili ued values. The lieu IiIiiis make smh oldie rllur I , as Win ; and I Idls Angel look and mild like- pik- Vel Circuit Operator KoIhtI J. O'Donnell decries today'* Slovrnly Tlwntro Mrthods on intnreiting editorial feature in the forthcoming llllli innirrrsttrv \untUrr Warner Corp., holder of the exhi- bition and production rights to ihe medium. Pitch was made by Nathaniel Lapkin. SW veepee and prexy S. II 'Sp Fabian’s trouble- shooter. who returned from ses- sions on the Coast last week. Lap- kin talked to other film companies and indie producei s. but concen- trated Ills efforts at the Warner studio. Lapkin returned to N 5’ without any deal or commitments and is scheduled to return to the Coast shortly to continue the'exploratory talks Warners had previously t.yed with the idea of doing a Cinerama picture. This was prior to SW's takeover of the lights 1 i .vie* M,u k II* i’i ,1 i i I'd MirMII.ll MV SIMK Sll V l.!t\| \N Pu(>li\H#m Weekly by VACIFTV INC II.II 'll'i I I II ll , |*l *■ 1 .1 W i-.sl 4i.Ui SI V w Veil k .lb. N V Hollywood ?B c,'; ii y m • ,i so •••• i W.ivhin*|lon 4 i:*a? Viiiufi.ii I’n/vy mulling Chlcaqo II til'/ No Vln liiil.ifi Avo London WCI II Si M.iriin ■ 1*1 'lr if*!f*;u S<| National Boxoffice Sit rvey Thanksgiving Week Biz Soars; ‘Marry’ New Champ Robe’ 2d, ‘Kate,’ ‘Cinerama,’ ‘H ondo,’ Next I’tvO. heretofore on the side- 1 m s product-wise and dormant during the dimensional revolution, may surprise the industry with a t-~r- inexpensive anamorphic lens. A ording to Coast reports, lens, which can be marketed for $200. (’■ui be attached to present theatre l>: Hectors and is capable of show- ing CinemaScope pictures as well a> films in five different aspects l itio up to 3 to 1 "if need be." Lens, the brainchild of Joe Tu- Alun.sky. an RKO technician, was cMiionstrated last week to Wall Disney and to Metro. Report ot an industry official who witnessed Ha* demonstration on the Coast w is enthusiastic. He said the lens v as particularly effective for car- 1 ''»ns. noting tiiat Disney product n eie for conventional projection i in be shown in the CinemaScope ; ' * without noticeable distortion f » convert live-action films to Continued on page 29) Thanksgiving week is boosting! "Botany Ray" I’u am hi/ in most key cities lliis si uiz.a i Iain's I'aiadi a*" 1 1' \ toi several spots leporlllig the bigge.l | the Golden Do/en fn llii trade for this holiday: in sevei al j "Take High (hound" \ years and nearly all were higher j par ing the runner-up filn than last year Eavo'alile vvealhet j "Joe Lout's’ Story" 'C,\ and new. strong product naturally LuMi(*i I nr J i«-» anil loir'l figure in this upswing. ’ M-G also in this r ategon For In t time in two month-. Beside, Hondo which j The Rohe" 20t|) Is being pushed to he heard from .. < 1 * 1 1 1IOI out of tlist place And anothei ihe futuie C’ea e Foe ('ineinaScopA pie, "How To Marry loom, a > one Hi'* po'ent a Millionaiie ' t'20Hip is turning neyveriniei ft ,o< k on the trick "Marry" is soaring to week m N Y Big.ui.i t" the top with a gross of mole than is rated bn k on I -1 men $530,000 m spun* 21 keys covered "Fighter Ytt.ek \\ ■ha hv VvutKTY Film i> playing in 15 in L \ ’ leiee S.uloi , ami main k‘\v spots, with hiz ranging < WB i. dmng tv.o .week )' from solid to terrific oi new highs \ y |»ai air'mont hid mix ’. ft "Robe," which m dipping lo a V ‘‘L V kind i 'paltry" $ 148.01)0. is a .slrong sec. Moon I, Blue" L A • la t.. mid, being largely on extended- in I dully and S'd*'e n run Third pla ,- e i> going to ' Kiss Opera"- WB- looms fir e in , .Me ,Kate"' AI - f i being shown in a Big Heat Co! . bn ght \ ft no ;i I Siftpl** * INDEX Coyne of COMPO Tells Parks, Pools, Beach Assn Of Fight Versus 20' Musical Prolog Plus Offscreen Credits Mark Metro s ‘Round Table’ Hollywood. Dec. L. F dlowing the example set in its ■Julius Cagsar," Metro will filni m eight-minute musical prologue ’ • ' Knights of the Round Table." As an added novelty, all credits for the picture will be announced by an off-screen voice instead of being printed on the Screen. Selection for the musical pro- logue will be Otto Nicolai’s "The Merry Wives of Windsor," played by the 91-piece M-G-M Symphony Orchestra with Johnny Green con- ducting. Circus and earny oper other outdoor showmen brought up to date on I trade’s campaign to wip 20' - admissions tax in C day ( Wed.?. Although rei fields have no close interest in they have been sympathetic lo ’h. pic industry’s position so fai a Hu 20'' levy is concerned Robert W Coyne, special coin sel for the Council of Motion Pic ture Organizations, will address Co is mi'd iti Mirin* tnoR "De/arneaon N'fglit RKO still(ly in \ V and < o look fancy m Kn o an*l S' f ;oir "Jat k Slade" \ \ t ill in. Chi i big in De'ioR "Cruet Sc,i ' good in I. \ loom-, fun* in F:i ao Ii i' k 'L- God’s C«juntry," al-o fiom Cni'.et- sal i-, nice m Toronto. 'Satire Jet" '• t’A okay in Fti-co, i-< fan in Deliver "99 River Street if \ shapes brisk in Hlnlly "So Big" WB looks fine in Omaha and Toronto (Complete Bo.ro//in* Reports on i'ayi’s 8 9 ) vast rira jonf y of >po's in 3-D Ciiiei am.i ’ Imlim is toultb "Hondo" WB , atHiough out for first time this stanza, is copping !ifth money, b *ing uniformly hefty tirf temfii f’ahuiiity Jane,” an- other from WB is copping ix'h position. Mo '.aniiio" M-(i , long high on Hie list, is winding up in seventh, with "War of Worlds Par taking eighth. All Unitlicrs Valiant ’ M-G is finishing ninth while ‘ Eternity" Col slipped to 10th. first time it iia- dipped this low Latter has been at top or among the leaders lfor many weeks. DAILY VARIETY q’tihlishna in Mollv' a<><** 1 by llarh Variety, 1.1*1 ) *15 » \>*r *20 Kfirnan