Variety (December 1953)

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W nlnrftday, De4*rml>er 2, 1953 \ press agent’s nightmare—no plug despite the expenditure of considerable coin and effort—was experienced momentarily bv Metro staffers on Thanksgiving Day. With a float and knights on prancing steeds in the Macy’s parade in New York. M-G anticipated a TV plug for "Knights of the Round Table." iks first Cinemascope picture. When the float came into view, however. Merle Mueler. the NBC- T\ announcer, merely stated "there goes the knights of the round table," No picture mention, no Metro connection, that’s all Staff- ers who had arranged the deal, at considerable cost to Metro felt tlieir ulcers erupt as they prepared explanations to their'bosses. However, just before the Metro float disappeared from camera view Mueller heroically came through with a lavish mention of the pic- ture and the studio. The day was saved and the M-G thicks re- turned to their Thanksgiving dinners. — i in v i>i's;«t has picked its first A M i r L 9 CinemnScoper It's to tie ’Men of Uzoners [fleet ret). L Iron based on the Howard Pvh* I' 11 st convention of the Villon.il novel which is laid against medi- AILied Drivein Tlieatre \ssn is set eval Britain lwo moie properties for the Ncthcrluiid Plaza llolej ayf* ..under cousider.ition lot Cine* ( incmnat i. Feb 2 1 w ith the i aoaptab 1 1 1 1v ot new screen tech niipu's fm jhe o/oiicrs a pioini lieu! part irt Hie agenda ’ Huhcn Slior is convention < ban man and an advisory (oiiimiltce includes Abram F Mvci s and \\ il bur Snapcr. boat d chaiini.m and president respectively ot -Allied States Assn Here lA the season where par- ents give the kids a thrill bv tak- ing ein downtown to see a mov ie I in niaiiv a moppet the Christmas si.rn^a serve's as intro- duet ion to the wonders o| a lug downtown Ihhcc In previous .'cars, there's h<*en a Walt Disney special avail.ible or a film similar lo Samuel (ioldvv y ti s Hat’.s Chris- tian Andersen liven companies witlnmt films read' lor general release ate mak- ing attempts to be represented in several situations with their upconi ing Whig" film's. terming the en- gagements as test pre-release runs I'mted \ 1 1 1 -1s for example, is still hoping to line up a Broadway date tor tin* John Huston production. ’•'Beal the Devil.'' starring Jciiiiilet ('dmp.any’s product ion sked calls for the leu ing ot Hi pix during the total ot 22 ' til be in prior l is icleasing seven o.l ils features six in TcchnUolor ;oul one in it It between December and Felon arv Stalling with tin* January re* let- es all ol l \ pi \ Will lie Mill - • able Io.i xcieefimg in i.dios up lo 2 lo 1 Milton It li e kind. I prexy. and \ It i ed lx I tail, exec \ p will go lo the Coast hater this week lor dis- co ion pi eliiiiin.o v lo the l sale s met I at I lie si mini I )ec 7 11 At that lime, a linal decision will lo* made on what two other films an* to be ('iiiemaScopcd It 's believed et il.oti lli.il I he Galileans" will lie one ol them I is expected to make duplicate standard versions >il all ol • I *. CineniiiSeopers. Snaider Says He Hasn’t Sold Any Portable Theatre TV Gear as Yet Kxpansion of theatre TV facili- ties via the rental of portable cipiipmcnt to small theatres struck a serious snag this week as a re- sult ol a hassle between Box Office Television. Inc., promoters of closed-circuit events, and Snaider Television Corp., manufacturers of 1 he portable units. According to Joseph Snaider. proxy of the equi|v- nieni company, bis company will not do business with BOTV until the theatre TV firm comes through 'with the green stuff.” Snaider charged that BOTV had reneged on ns promise to purchase equip- ment. lias stalled and stalled, has Used us tor numerous demonstra- tions. tint still hasn't bought a single set.'* A spokesman for BOTV said ti ere is no conflict with Snaider. * We w ant exhibitors to see what the equipment is like first," he .said. ' As soon as an exhibitor in- dicates that he wants the Snaider tint well buy it from him and lent it to theatres. So far nobody who has seen the equipment lias 'Continued on page 22> Earle Lyon’s New Indie Hollywood. Dec. 1. New indie company, Enterprise Cinema Productions, has been formed vvitli Earle Lyon as presi- dent. Richard Bart fell as veepee and David Kovar as treasurer. Outfit lias already made one pic- ture. "Dieppe Raid." with Lyon producing and Bartlett doubling as writer-director. Next production will he “Calliope." Schedule calls for three films a vear. I Itimploev KK< > hn-mess v uluiiic abroad and dollar remittance-. In tin* I S are greater current In IImii '" Hu* pa-.) two veals, act Milling hi \l tied W Crown foreign department bead lie's luck in \ N loltow trig a III meek global bo |>1 mclud mg eight weeks in Hie Fai lit As for product supply. Hie ever staled the company has a new line ii|) already set for the next six months, lie's "looking forward tu an accelerated piodml mu pro’ gram" and president James It Grainger has given him a -to ones of a foreign depaitmenl rele.i ,e sked for a lull I2 month Bolstering the RKO itu;ition m the global market, Crown leporl ed, were a variety ol f.nlois \n economy pingram has cut STaiHlOO yearly from I he cost ol loieign operations, greatei autonomy given by Grainger to company managers m foreign capitals exhibitor (<> operalmn, spirited work bv the RKO per sonnel and territorial di tnbiition deals. Kev to the upped “dollars in N. S’ tor the Mimpanv was the thawing of lio/eti funds m many global points, an li a Frame and Brazil. While the economies achieved have been meaningful', money- (Continued on page 20' Kiik Douglas slarrer. Other l 1 Xmas (I it.-. include I w o for "Gil belt Sullivan three for "Cap tain’s Paradise" and two foi 'Tin Joe Lout’s Sim \ RKO. plagued for some turn vv ilh a prodm t shot tage will lx sparsr1v represented with llirei Xmas dates in Texas for tie Jane Russel I slarrer. " The FrencJ I.iiH 1 Con,parr had hoped t< have the King Bros. "Carniva Story" ready lor a Broadway out 'Continued on page 20' \ midwest exhibitor leader •I.Med tins week that reports re- lating lo Warner Bros foretng ol liiiw anted" pu lines have been liked with Hie Dept ol Justice and li e Seriate Small Bit mess Com- mittee J ei tiling \\ .it per the "lough I ov v ol the III dll try, Leo F Wot lot) bond (ban inaii of Allied of Iowa Nebraska Noi’tli and Soul It Dakota and Mid t ,-ntial, said lb-* i xliib organization bad sub lanital evidence ol tin ( le.il ly illegal pi. 1(1 lie Horn tin inliers who have beep Mibp-f ld to it " (hie repot I. according to Wolcott, contains a quote I ioiii a Waifier salesman who is listed a saying "Nobody ev ei goes to jail loi I hat ll is an ama/ing tiling." de* r laied Woleoll "that some filei companies serin unable to opeia'e vCrffibiit iidirig Hie fine hail Ilia* bet vv ecri legality and law breaking, moti* often than not rompbtelv on the illegal side arid it's quit** a commentary; on a ((impair. tlial today, wlien exhifutor s ar e having a bell of a time slaying open with the best pielm*"., 11 1 »• \ slum I I stoop to fori ing " , Wolcott flatly 'fated that "v•• can and will stop Hit illegal pry* lie**." and be added, il W.arnci oi anv oilier company p**rsists in tlo* pi. art ice 1 orru-one will-'go to jail." Columbus, Dec. 1 Parade of nine witnesses ap- peared before Public l tilities Com- mission of Ohio Monday i'kftli to back up flic* Independent Tlieatre Owners of Ohio’s light for adjust- ment of film trucking rates. Hunt- ington. Cincinnati trucking lines rates are called unfair and un- equal. Prior to bearing commission over-ruled a trucking company mo- tion to throw out the case for lack of jurisdiction, claiming matter was interstate commerce affair. The commission ruled it had juris- diction in the case, except where state lines were crossed. Witness pointed out such 'Continued on page 28 1 Full Military Treatment Accorded ‘Cease Fire’ I ntisiially .strong bally potential , in a ticup with the Army iv being realized by Paramount with its re- lease ot the Hal Wallis production ot "Cease Fire ", Gen. Maik Clark and other liras' aie strongly aiding I Proem m N Y last Tice-day <24’. via Hye Army a si.sts. looked and sounded like a tnajoi military oper- ation A similar opening is sel for Dec. 22 in San Francisco'. Ollier key preeins are being lined up I Local Army commands are being alert to give Par the same coopera- • live treatment as m Gotham. Dc Luxe Laboratories in N. Y . a v holly owned subsidiary of 2')tli- Fox. intends to sink between $L- 5()i).0i)0 and $2,000,000 into its con- version to Technicolor, according b> Alan E. Freedman. De Luxe j prexy. who arrived in N. Y. from the Coast* over the weekend. Freedman said it was his under- i standing from the Technicolor peo- [ ph* that the Techni lab was "very i clo e" to f inding a solution for lap- I plying its dve-transfer. imbibition' process to CinemaScope pix. Lab ; currently isn't able to produce a | 0‘iality CinemaScope print in its ou imbibition method. Deal lias been made by Techni for De Luxe in N. Y. to turn out • inhibition prints. No Techni in* U'-tment is involved. It will be between eight to ten months before De Luxe can get rolling on Techni- OUT SOON! 48th Anniversary Number A feature-length comiherM.d film in color, utilizing a top direc- fm and Ifol.lvAOofl name fie. been set. by- a Milwaukee hem ( ompatr Pu tin e. a public i e! i- tun, pipjto t of i f»<* Miller Brew- ing (’(> -v iii'ke filme/l by Jen z I ait hank Pi o'luet pm at Hu* LI TV lo* in I loll wood S'diing Mu *.a Hunt and Ar- thur J ianz it V til he dner ted h'Z John' Biatjin vv 1,0 meggerj "Mir- acle (d f .dim i if'ii Wairier Bro Irnng Pu in I w a oiiginaJly slatled tor the (llic< |V)| ial (‘bore i)"l ho, ed out l*eealf.<* 01 a eonMieting (■"'.'jihiI inidt I dm filled Wei 'I i is Ring •’ - rfl i ip jm..e locution footage taken )ii B.iv.ina, (.c uxii’-. a r ,-J in M.n- Fust annual stockholders mect- i-'.g of the Stanley Warner Corp A' 11 he held on Jan. 14 in Wil- ih'iigton. DeL Corporation was in- ''operated in Delaware following ;H'c -put last year into theatre and produetion-distributioiv companies Ol Warner Bros. Although operating as a corn* piny tor one year. SW still hasn't announced a dividend police. Scv* *' i‘. n ontlts ago in a letter to ■ : ov" k-o older, prexy S If. * Si 1 *- fi an said company w,i* delaying '.'tiny a divvy because of extra i ■latmg'to the in-’ i equipment in theatres iu.r the 1 ew projection technicjp'es. Usual Advertising rates prevail Forms dosing shortly Special exploitation advantages Copy end space reservation : may be sent to any Variety office NEW YORK 36 HOLLYWOOD 28 CHICAGO 11 LONDON, W. C 2 f54 W. 46th St. 63)1 Yucca St. 6k 2 N. Michigan Ave. 8 St. Martin'* Plaet Trafalgar Squar*