Variety (December 1953)

22 PICTURES Wednesday, December 9, 1953 Hollywood, Dec. 8. First players set by Metro for “The P.O.W. Story," are Dewey Martin and Steve Forrest.. . Ian Keith plays King Henry IV in UI’s “Men of Iron." , . . Paramount signed Havis Davenport for a role in "Rear Window." . . . Herbert Kline will produce "Dark Wed- ding" as an indie, with back- grounds in Mexico and Cuba . . ". Columbia borrowed Jean Negu- lesco to .direct the Betty Grable starrer.. “The Pleasure’s All Mine," with Jack Cole signed to stage the dances . . . Metro using Ansco<| Color for the Cinemascope film- ing of "A Bride For Seven Broth- ers.’’" ; Jack Palance Will play the roie of Attila the Hun in ."Sigh, of the Pagan" at UI . . .Dore Schary an- nounced' "The Venetian/’ a tale of l5lh centiiry swashbuckling, as one of Metro’s top productions for 1954 . . . Two newcomers, John Fontaine and June Hammerstein, will play romantic. leads in Hugo Haas* indie, "Tender Hearts" . Robert L. Lippert ' signed Paulette Goddard to star in "Woman With a Gun," to: be filmed abroad in association with a British company .Cameron Mitchell renewed for a year by 20th-Fox . . Richard Stanley p i ays opposite Karin Booth in "Jungle Man-Eaters,'’ starring Johnny Weissmuller at Columbia, \ Michael Curtiz translating a French play, " Gamin," as a pos- sible starrer for Audrey Hepburn eii film . . . Mohmoud Sobieh and Mahmoud Ed Sabaa, Egyptians, signed for Metro’s “Valley of the Kings'’ ... Paramount handed a _ player contract to Oreste JKirkop, French-Italian opera star . . .Franlf Ferrin completed two short sub- jects in color for the Indian : gov- ernment, depicting hunting in In- . diaas a lure for tourists . . . UI bought two 43-year-old fire engines from the town of Montebello for use in "Fireman Save My Child" . . . Devery Freeman scripting “Francis Joins -the as a starrer for Donald O'Connor at UI . . Vince Barnett drew a charac- ter role in Wayne-Fellows’ "Ring ©f Fear." Dudley Pictures closed a deal with Republic for the independent production of "Tobor,” a science- fiction yarn, with Richard Gold- stone as producer and Lee Sholem as, director “. . Warners signed Hayden Rorke for a role in "Lucky Me" . . . James Woolf negotiating with June Allyson for the femme lead in "The Story of Esther Cos- tello" .- . Hugo Haas moved into the Chaplin lot to produce “Tender Hearts” . , Margery Wood drew ?. a rple in "A Bride for Seven l Brothers" at Metro . . . Gene Roth plays circus promoter in Wayne- Fellows’ "Ring of Fear” . . . Eddie Quinlan returned to Metro for a ! comic role in "Brigadoon" . ; Jack Banr upped to casting direc- ; tor at UI, succeeding Robert A. j Palmer who was promoted to talent; executive. j Verne West succeeded the late j Bixby Smith as head of Para- [ mount’s tax and insurance depart- ment . . . Tyrone Power reports to Columbia during Christmas week to test'for ^Vest Point,” in which he will co-star with Maureen O'Hara . . . Columbia assigned Phil Carey as male lead in "The White Stallion," to be produced by Wallace MacDonald with Fred F, Sears directing . . . Albert Lewin . signed Cornel Wilde to star in his indie, "The Naked King," based on ! a French novel by Albert Ades . . . i Bob Baker and Alton Wood, puppet j show producers, Will stage a se-' quence in "A Star Is Born" at I Warners . . . William F. Broidy | built a sound stage, at Cedar Lake where he will produce "Wanted by the FBI" for Allied Artists J release. ! Dorothy Patrick femme lead ini •The White Stallion” at Columbia : . . . UI’s "Black Lagoon" now • “Creature from the Black Lagoon"; .... . Superior Court approved Co- lumbia’s minor contract with Gloria Kriieger . . Frankie Dar- tow plays a bellhop in Paramount’s “Living It Up” . . . CoL Henry Crow will be technical adviser on War- ners’ "Battle Cry" . . Virginia Kellogg checked in at 20th-Fox to script "Jumping Sisters," a story .about parachuting nurses in the Royal Canadian Air Force . . . John Clift and Tristram Coffin joined the cast of "Fireman Save My Child” at TJI . . ; Laurence Harvey signed a six-picture contract with Warners, starting with "The Talis- man.” .; Paramount sold the . F. Scott Fitzgerald story, "Babylon.. ed." to; Metro where it will' fra as a starrer for Elizabeth ing.. . Metro signed Charles Vidor to direct "I’ll See You Again," which will be produced by Dore Schary from his own original.. Barry Sullivan will star in "Crash- ing Timber," a lumberjack yarn to be produced by Llndsley Par- sons for United Artists... Richard Burton’s first role under his.new contract at 20th-Fox will be "A Man -Called Peter;" based on a book by Mrs. Catherine Marshall ... Following Metro’s example, Warners will be represented in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses ParadO by a 'float depicting U. S. Marines in “Battle Cry." Continued from page 5 20th-Fox’ squeeze-lensed "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" opens Christmas Day at Fox West Coast’s Chinese and Los. Angeles, replacing • "The Robe." The Los. Angeles and Holly- wood Paramounts will debut "Hon- do,” Wayne - Fellows production being released by Warners, as the second 3-D feature. Third depth biggie will be "Sadie Thompson" from/ Columbia, opening at RKO Hillstreet and Pantages. Holding over during the holidays will be 20th-Fox’s ’ Cinemascope "How to Marry a Millionaire’' at the Fox Wllshire and possibly the Warner Downtown. "The Wild: One" from Stanley ; KramqpColumbia gets its Christ-j mas bow at the downtown Orpheum theatre. It. is a conventionally- lensed black-and-white offering. “The': Eddie Cantor Story," ‘tir Technicolor, is slated for the | Warner Beverly either Dec. 29 .or-.j 30, and Disney's "The Living Des-1 ert," also tinted, makes a pre-; Christmas bow Dec. 17 at the Fine ' Arts. Buy Off Mayen Cooper Aiming to maintain its oper- ating expenses at $100,000 an- nually, Cinerama Productions Corp., holding company which passed on to Stanley Warner thq £xhibitioq and production rights to the Cinerama medium, is negotiating with board chairman Louis B. Mhyer and veepee and production chief Merian C. Cooper to cancel their employment contracts with the company. Pair would retain their stock interest arid executive posts, but like prexy Lowell Thomas would receive, no compensation for their ser- . vices. Under . present conditions, Mayer has . n<ft. been paid a $1,000 weekly salary under a pact extending to 1957, Cooper and Argosy Pictures, company with which Cooper is associ- ated, have received only por- tions of $1,100 weekly com- pensation under a deal also extending to 1957. However, these sums are represented as liabilities of Cinerama Pro- ductions. Both Mayer and Cooper are currently serving only in ad- , yisory capacities since ail ac- tivities relating to the medium, including production and exhi- bition, are carried; out by Stan- ley Warner. Stock Exchange) o For Week Ending Tuesday (8) Continued from page ) and a 59o management fee to SW. Thus, it has been receiving an average of about $30,000 weekly recently. Sum is being used to re- duce: the company’s bank loan and bonded debt .1953 High Cow 15% 12% 49% 49% 17% 12 % 47 14% 7% 30% 36% 29% 4% 4% 38% 38% 11% .7% 41% 10 % 4% 24% 27% 21 2% 3% Am Br-Par Th CBS, "A” . .. CBS, "B" . . . Col. Pic. *... Decca ...... Eastman Kdk. Loew’s Nat. Thea. ., Paramount .. Philco .... RCA . ... RKO Piets. . . RKO Thea .. Weekly Weekly High, Low •t* ■*.t * • * • . • • o ;•• • ♦ • • • • « • .0 O' 15% 50% 50% 18% 10 47% 13 . 7% 27% 28% 24% 3% 5% 15% 48% 48% 18 9% 44% 12 % m 26% 27% 22 % 3 '4% Tues, Close 15% 48% 48% 18 9% 45% 12 % .63/4 26% 27% 23% 3 5 Net Change for week % • — % — % . — % — % — 34 — % — % —1% —■ % : + 1 % + + + U % 8. . .1 —l" + % •— % —1 — 2 % • •• ••• *••♦••• •> • 0 0 . 4 Over-the-Counter Securities Color Corp. of Aimer. .. Cinerama .... Chesapeake Industries Polaroid . ,.. IT. A. Theatre:: Walt Disney + Ex-dividend. {Quotations furnished by Dreyfus & Co.) —^ ” ' ’ a •. a a a a .a -a- a a a .0 • a a a a a a' a a a a Bid % ' 2 2 % 49 8 7% Ask % 23/16 2 % . 49% 8 % 7% % Among pictures not definite- but almost certain to have holiday showings is Bob . Hope's "Here Come the Girls’’ from Paramount. It is up for a seven-theatre open- ing. Also possibilities are "Little Fugitive" at the El Rey, "Beat the Devil" at the Ritz, ‘The Man Be- tween” at the Fox Beverly. Moving from pre-release, upped scale showcasing to regular first- run will be "Mogambo," going: into the. Palace, and "Captain’s Para- dise," from the Ritz into the Globe, Iris, Uptown and Loyola, Ns lidisiry Pact Continued from page T staffers will be docked for the time they are absent from the office. An SPG spokesman indicated that the union Will counter this move by specifying that ■ all negotiations; take place at night at the union’s headquarters. The SPG has appointed an over- all 20-man negotiating committee, with five members of the group sitting in with the individual com- pany negotiators. Talks have al- ready started with UA, only com- pany which has shown a willing- ness to take part in industry-wide confabs. However, SPG made no progress in their first meeting with Max Youngstein, UA veepee. Exec, it’s reported, indicated that he would like to wait to see what the other. companies would do. Current pact at Col expires in February, with agreements at WB, 20th and U ending in March or April. SPG is asking a 15% wage hike, 3 progressive minimum wage scale, and full arbitration of all disputes. Indication of brokerage interest in the stock is the overtures being made by Moran & Co., Newark, N. J., security dealers; Company notes that it is recommending the stock for speculation. “Cinerama,” the company notes, "has been & tremendous sensation everywhere shown and we strongly recommend the purchase of this stock at the present level of about $3 per share.” Although Cinerama Pro- ductions is a Closed corporation, F. J. Moran/ head of the. brokerage firm, said he could acquire the. stock and kiiew . of sources . where it was available. “It was originally sold as investment but it’s free stock now,’* he pointed out. He noted that number of shareholders had increased to about 500 from the original 25. ; Prior to SW’s takeover of the J rights, Cinerama Productions had ; contemplated a public issuance hut : the plan never materialized. Origi- i nal 1,000,000 shares had been split in two, giving the.cohipany a total : of 2,000,000 shares. Currently there r are about 984,000 shares outstand- : ing, with the remainder being held L by Cinerama Productions, which, I in essence, is a holding company. .Motion Picture Assn, of America activities. Country - by - country breakdown of the dollar take traeeable to-MPEA-aetivities is as follows: Brazil, $15,000,000 or more (by the end of the year); Britain,. $20,000,000; Japan, $7,500,000; .. Italy, $8,000,000; France/ $7.-$8,000,000; .>■ Argentina, $2-$3,000,000; Indonesia, $3,000,000; Belgium, $3,000,000; Spain, (likely) $1,500,000; Scindlqayia, $3,000,000 (most of it in compensation deals); Australia, $5,000,000; Holland, $1,250,000; Yugoslavia, $200,000. i-Contlnucd from page 7 Brandt Trial Continued from pact 7 Conttnaed from page 5 Continued from page 3 a - Taylor with Kie.h.ajrd Brooks direct- !. drop the tax and (2) good pictures pay their way in taxes. Asked what he thought of the merits of the case presented by the theatre owners at a public hear^ ing, in which they claimed they were on the verge of financial dis- aster due to falling attendance, Gallagher replied: "The Federal Government should eliminate its 20% tax first.” There was no promise, of course, that the City would follow the example. Gallagher added - ; ■ , . "Arid the Pittsburgh Pirates tyb’uldn't “oed to worry about the .tax^. either If tfiej) . with, a good leam."., , . . * * " v< > ^ M . x v X . . gium.,In addition, the U S. distribs sighed new pacts with Japan, Hol- land, Belgium and Norway. Brazili- an remittance of $15,000,000 or more, pArt of that country’s gen- eral liquidation of debts, comes as a welcome windfall but was largely arranged by MPEA’s Robert Cork- er _y. French deal is still pending with no indications of any pro- gress in the Paris talks at the moment. «. Total dollar take of American films abroad in 1953'has been put at $170,00.0.000, a record high. Fig- ure is seen slipping in 1954, partly because of cuts in U.S. aid and partly due to the fact that much ei the backlog coin has been thawed. While the $21,000,000 Canadian dollar earnings can’t be credited to MPEA, it’s pointed out that it was made possible largely due to the association’s Canadian Cooper- ation ^Project, under which Ameri- can producers are encouraged to lnix in CAnada^ It also: insures the. elrculatidft of Canadian shorts in;f>e/U;8. ••• / ’• ■ . Foreign managers take the view that MPEA this year has done a completely satisfactory Job In repping the companies’ interests abroad. Org is run by Ralph D. Hctzel, exec v.p , with Johnston also, spending. much time concen- tptip.g on the foreign angle. In I act, with between 38% and 40% cf the distribs’ earnings now com- ing from abroad, foreign scene has l.alcen the spptWgnt irom a'ii other closed and that all have been los- ing money. It is further alleged that expensive alterations were made in some of the theatres and that the work was done by com- panies owned by defendant di- rectors. Stockholders are seeking a return to the corporation of the money paid for the theatres, the losses involved, and the cost of the alterations. Checks to Brandt Charges relating to Brandt’s buy- ing and booking policies state that Brandt got himself appointed booking agent for the Circuit. As booking agent, it’s alleged that Trans-Lux paid large sums of money to Brandt for the rental of filril which Brandt was to turn over to distributors; Checks, it’s indicated in the complaint, were made out directly to Brandt.! It’s alleged that the theatre topper diverted some of these payments for his own use or delayed making the payments to distribs arid used the money during that period. Complaint further charges the di- rectors with negligence in allowing these things to happen. Total .of eight stockholders are involved in the suit, with three main plaintiffs. Latter are Jerome Ross/a former director and long- time stockholder; Walter Siemers, also a former, director and holder of shares for many years, and George Mason, the second largest stockholder in the company. Separate suits were filed by five other stockholders, but on a peti- tion from the Brandt counsel all the suits were consolidated. H. Gardner Ingraham, attorney for Ross, Siemers and Mason; had op- posed this move, , but the court or- dered the action appointing Ingra- ham’s firm as general counsel for all eight stockholders. Last spring, in an appeal filed with the Appellate Division the stockholders were granted permis- sion to examine Brandt’s books dealing with the buying of pic- tures, Brandt had opposed this move. Ingraham and his staff are The Brooklyn baily, The Jewish Daily Forward, 'West Side News were all recipients t>f added film advertising. Suburban papers in. Long Island; New Jersey and Westchester carried display space on Broadway openings. In some instances, the space was up front in the news sections. Distribs without Brpadway open- ings were not noticeably affected by the newspaper shutdown. As one pub-ad exec put It: “New York is just one city; We have 48 states to worry about.* On the publicity front, home- offices taxed. their ingenuity in seeking substitutes for the regul- ar press. One aim was to get visiting personalities ‘on as many broadcasts as possible for guest shots. For tbe “Easy to Love" opening, Metro taped comments of the audience for presentation oyer its own, WMGM. It* also obtained comments from the newspaper critics which were wired to all commentators. In quoting Kate Cameron, stipu? latlon was that Metro say, "Kate Cameron of the News" and not "in the . News;” Times told Metro it could pick up Bosley Crowther’s views from WQXR. Requirement Was that M-G "as broadcast on WQXR, radio Station of the New York Times." Metro was also quick on latching on to the N.Y. Enquirer. In last Wednesday’s (2). edition of the pa- per, a total of nine stills, repre- senting mats from press book ma- terial/ was used .plugging M-G films. For "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef," its third Cinemascope en- try, 20th resorted to a big poster campaign, plastering the city with one, three and six sheets. Picture was also plugged on laundry wrap- pers for men’s shirts. Company also constructed floats and sent sound trucks around calling atten- tion to. the picture. It held a spe- cial screening for high school and college. editors for space iri. school papers; Announcements were also placed on school bulletin boards. Thesps Terry. Moore and Robert Wagner will be placed on a total of 30 radio-TV c shows. With Aldo Ray in town to baily Miss Sadie Thompson,’' Colum- bia arranged a ...tour of all the Loew’s houses for personal ap- pearances. For -thej arrival of An-, thony Quinn yesterday (Tues.) for r bally! on! behalf of "The Long Wait," United Artists sent a film cameramen and tape-recording specialist to Grand Central Station for his arrival. UA flacks then sent the film to TV stations and the tape to radio stations. . With the papers shut down, greatest .concentration was made on syndicates and out-of-town newspapers. There was no letup in the servicing of columnists •since most are syndicated.