Variety (July 1954)

MCTU1HH CinemaScope Not frozen At It —125-145 degree , Canrfera Angles Foreseen The end is not yet in the devel- opment of CinemaScope and 20th- Fox engineers are continually, work on further improvements in the medium, Spyros P. Skouras, 20 th prexy, said last week. He pointed to the advances made and demonstrated yia 20th’s mam- moth C’Sqope preview trailer, which has been shown to the trade and Which is due for public ex- hibition in edited form, and hinted at some Surprise developments still in store fo^ C’Scope, ’‘Whatever we will do, it frill still be CinemaScope/’ he said, “of that you can be sure.” Among the improvements coming up are lenses permitting camera angles of 125 and 145 degrees, a far cry from the early Chretien C’Scope taking prism that had an angle of only 45 degrees. The new. lenses ate capable of ...taking pix at 90- degree angles, and Bausch & Lomb is continually working on improve- ments. • . Skouras confirmed. Coast reports that attempts were tinder way to work out an arrangement under which “Oklahoma” might be shot in C’Scope as well as in the Todd- AO widescreen process. *4We are working on that,” he said. Such a (Continued on page 22) Indicative of the successful co- operation between the Italian and French film industries, a total of 21 Italo-French coproductions have gone before the cameras during the first five months of .1954, Ital- ian Films Export reported last week. These joint-productions also have done well a't the b.o. IFE sta- tistics show that of the 18 features that grossed more than 50,000,000 francs in Paris firstruns, six were joint Italo-French; productions. Four were strictly French and the rest came from .other countries but included one Franco-Mexican pro- duction. ‘STORY OF A CHEAT’ ' IN KRAMER’S FOLIO There’s a remake of an oldie French pic in Stanley Kramer’s production future. , The indie filmmaker, now releas- ing through United Artists, has the rights to Sascha Guitry’s “A Story of a Cheat.” He has yet to consider any production details. JUDY PIC A 'SPECIAL' Barstows Putting Finishing Touches On ‘Star Is Born’ “A Star Is Born,” Warner Bros. Judy Garland starrer which has been more than a year in the mak- ing, will be treated as a “special” both in the U.S. and abroad. This, as translated by exhibitors* means larger percentage terms and the resultant tilted admission price. Although WB hasn’t started to peddle the picture yet, sales staffs * rs both here and' abroad have b/'en informed' that “Star” will get • le V.I.P. treatment. The picture is pencilled in for national release V , ®v- Oct. 16. However, there will .probably..be pre-release engagements late ill August,' with the Radio City Music Hall a possi- bility in H.Y. The picture is now in its last two weeks of shooting. Edith Bar- slow, choreographer of the Dave oarroway tv show, winged to the j-'Oast over the weekend to assist ner brother, Richard, who is cho- re°g ra phj n g the picture, in wind- n & up the final dance sequences. Affectionate Adjective? Differences in international ' sensitivities has prompted United Artists to change the title of a J. Arthur Rank film which 'UA is releasing in the U.S. Pic; under its original name, v “The Kidnappers,” clocked " good business in England and on the Continent. However, UA feels there’s such a Yankee aversion to kidnapping that, the nomenclature is being switched to “The Little Kid- nappers.” Improved Compact Eidophor . TV Due for Testing Improved and. much more com- pact Eidophor color • theatje tv system, developed under 20th-Fox sponsorship by American and Swiss technicians has reached the point where demonstrations of it will be held within the next feyr weeks. Some industryites say they’ve already had a peak at the new unit’s performance at a New Jersey warehouse and that the results are excellent. According to 20th execs, they’re now working on the commercial prototypes of the Eidophor which continues to-use the color wheel bpt is adaptable to the wide screen. Optical parts of the system were developed in Switzerland with Gen- eral Electric providing the elec- tronic components. Prolonged GE strike at Schenectady delayed work on the Eidophor. , However, this came at a time when 20th was pre- occupied anyway with the launch- ing of CinemaScope. According to Earl I, Sponable, 20th research topper, the new Eidophor models take up no more space than a standard projector and can therefore easily fit into the booth. If 20tb execs have gone beyond the technical considera- tions and have begun to worry about programs for theatre tv shows, they’re keeping mum about it. PEOPLE MUST ALWAYS ESCAPE FROM HOME? Minneapolis, July 6. North Central Allied in its cur- rent bulletin opines that, even though tv “pay as you watch” develops in such a way that pic- tures can be projected in color life-size in sitting rooms and cur- rent releases become available to video, theatres still aren’t doomed. Bulletin declares that there’ll al- ways be a theatre or entertainment center in every town of any size because “folks have to get out oc- casionally and ‘blow the stink off.’ ” “We may be giving away coffee and advice to the lovelorn in the lobby, but we’ll always be there to entertain them in some fashion,” says the bulletin. “Exhibitors who are wide awake will have a piece of whatever form entertainment takes. Others will fumble and al- low someone else to recover.” LATINS DUE IN N.Y. Warners’ Reps In Cuba, Mexico And Brazil To Confer Warner Bros’. Latin America su- pervisors are due ih New York op July 12. for confabs with interna- tional chief Wolfe Cohen. Talks will center on WB’s upcoming re- lease slate for the below-the-border market. Staffers due in are Peter Colli, Havana, supervisor of the Carib- bean area; Armando Trucios, Mex- ico, supervisor Pacific division; and Ary Lima, Brazil*;. supervisor At- lantic division. : iTRED- pi^ V : Indie Importers* 'qnd distribs are becoming increasingly vexed with What some maintain is the “double standard” maintained by 1 Holly- wood’s. Production Code. Their beef is* that the Code seal is her ing withheld from foreign films at a time, when there are mounting indications that Code authorities are. adopting a broader and m.ore lenient interpretation of the Code. -While the indies are practically unanimous in agreeing that the Code isn’t “fair” to their prod- uct, there is a wide divergence of opinion of how much the seal does or doesn’t mean, in actual distribu- tion. One grbup holds that, under the existing system, the seal is a “must” if imports are ever to go into any significant circulation. It’s these . men who feel particularly bitter over the treatment meted out to them by the Code people who, it’s charged, are super-criti- cal any timp a film is In a for- eign language. Prominently cited is the case of “M. Ripois,” the Paul Graetz picture, which hasn’t been able to obtain a Seal even though some Breen office em- ployees apparently expressed a personal liking of the .film. Argument is made that ‘ “M. Ripois” has been booked over the ABC circuit in Britain and that it’s (Continued on page 11) Fellows to Seek Bettered Deal With Warners Robert Fellows, who is partnered with John Wayne in Batjac Pro- ductions, formerly known as Wayne-Fellows Productions, said in New York Thursday (1) that the indie company, which is currently associated with Warner Bros., in- tends to improve its deal at the conclusion of the present agree- ment in March, 1955. He told * a tradepress confab that WB had al- ready opened discussions relating to a new deal. “When we first made our deal," - (Continued on page 20) Had to Be It was only a question of time before someone came up with that certain title tying in with the current headlines. Producer Frank Melford, who operates at Allied Art- ists,, is at the tape with; “Se- curity Risk.” ‘Jazz Dance’ Short Liked By Majors Bnt Timidity Rules Out Deals—Tilton Indie shorts producer Roger Til- ton, who might be described as plenty upbeat on the offbeat even though it involves a calculated risk, is currently mulling the problems pf. life in an industry that—as he sees it—has to be highpressured into change. Tilton is the producer-director of “Jazz Dance,” an imaginative and unusual double reel short record- ing an actual jam session at the Central Plaza Dance Hall In N. Y. Subject, which cost $10,000 and is in black-and-white, ir a natural lor the arties and can count on swoon reviews from the artier crix. Only Tilton is thinking in consid- erably more expansive terms. “I’ve produced something here that’s different and I know it,” he mused last week in N. Y„ where the short has been booked into the Paris Theatre with the Italian “Bread, Love and Dreams." “I’ve taken this picture to a couple of the majors. They've looked at it and pne in particular liked it very much. But they’re all afraid of it. It’s different. And that means they’ll shy away from it until I’ve succeeded in creating a demand for it.” Actually, he claims, he isn’t a bit.*sorry about the distribs' attitude since he stands to net more on his own. Because he believes that exhibs can be sold on shorts that have merit—and “Jazz Dance” undoubt- edly is unique-—Tilton plans to personally beat the bushes with his picture. He’s off this summer for a trek westwards, to screen “Jazz” for exhibs and, in his own words, “get it set to play with the (Continued on page 16) - 4 - Council of Motion Picture Or- ganizations is being hinted as the instrument with which exhibitors will seek to force eased rental terms in deals with the dlstrihp utors. Specifically, a top source at Allied States ,Assn. has told COMPO officials that Allied may resign from COMPO unless the film companies lower their prices on pix. * Point made by the Allied spokes- man was that it’s become impos- sible for theatremen and the dis- tribs to “sit in the same room” because of their vast differences on how much should be paid for prod- uct. Allied, carrying this further, might , find the incompatibility ex- tending to the point where it might feel as untenable its position along- side the distribs under the COMPO umbrella, according to the threat. Allied hasn’t made any moves toward the exit sign other than this hint. It was communicated to Al Lichtman, 20th-Fox distribution director and member of COMPO’* three-man board of governors. Industry execs who are imme- diately concerned with COMPO’* (Continued on page 10) National Boxoffice Survey July 4 Weekend Boosts trade; ‘Caine’ First, ‘High’ 2d, ‘Demetrius’ 3d, ‘Cinerama,’ ‘Student’ Next The long July 4 weekend is giv- ing first-run film business a nice hypo, this stanza. In some keys, overcast skies or rain also slowed down the usual exodus to the out- doors, being that much more help to pix houses. Batch of new, strong fare also contributed to the upbeat. New champ at the wickets is “Caine Mutiny” (Col) which is managing to take the biggest amount of coin although just out in seven key cities. It is being closely pursued currently by “High and Mighty” (WB), which is spotted in 14 locations covered by Variety. Third position goes to “Deme- trius and Gladiators” (20th), which, was first last week. “Cinerama”! tlridie) is finishing fourth’, 1 playing; in 12 keY'*Hides' this round, as listed by Variety. ‘“Student Prince 1 ’ .(M-G) is wind-; ing up fifth third spot] a week ago’" '^Garden of Evil”? (20th), just x getting around, is showing enough to cop sixth place, showing in five keys. “Gone With Wind” (M-G) (reissue) is seventh. “Johnny Dark” (U) is landing eighth money with good to robust- trade. “Coins'‘in Fountain” (20th), high on the list for many weeks, is finishing up ninth. “Hell Below Zero” (Col), a newie, is taking 10th place. “Knock on Wood” (Par), which has been ranked high in pre- vious weeks, is taking 11th money as a result of several new play- dates. “Man With Million” (UA), just starting out in release and mostly in smaller houses, rounds out the Top 12 list,. “Long Wait” (UA) and “Tangan- yika” (U) are the runner-up films. “Apache” . (UA), which v was preemed in several keys this ses- sion, has the makings of a smash boxoffice winner, based on its showings currently. It is estab- lishing a new record in Chi, looms huge in Detroit, very big in Pitt and great in Frisco. Pic is topping “High Noon” in most keys. “Silver Lode” (RKO), also new, is okay in D. C. and solid iri Philly. “About Mrs. Leslie” (Par) is rated good in N. Y. and L. A. “Arrow in Dust” (AA) looms nice in Chi. “Johnny Guitar” (Rep), which has finished most of its big city first-run dates, still managed to rack up sjzeable coin on sev- eral holdover dates. ‘Adventures Robinson Crusoe” (UA) is rated lively in Boston. “Genevieve” (U) is big in K. C. and Portland. (Complete Boxoffice Reports on Pages 8 and 9) Manila s Only Film Problem: There’s an exhibitor who’s big- gest worry at the moment is standees and how to take care of all the customers who want to come to the theatre. He is Teddy Lim, manager of the Universal Theatre in Manila, the Philippines, and he related his (Continued on page 16) Trad* Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY. INC Harold Erichs. President 134 West 46th St New York 36. N.Y JUdson 2-2700 Hollywood 21 6311 Yucca Street HOUywood 9-1141 Washington 4 1293 National Press Building STerllng 3-5443 Chicago 11 613 No Michigan Ave. DElaware 7-4984 London WC3 8 St. Martin's PI.. Trafalgar Sq. Temple Bar 5041 SUBSCRIPTION Annual 910 Foreign . 911 Single Copies 25 Cents A^EL GREEN. Editor Vol. 195 c$m 120 No. 5 INDEX Bills 56 Chatter 62 Film Reviews 6 Television Reviews 27 House Reviews 53 Inside Pictures ......... 20 International 12 Legitimate .57. Literati ................ 61 Music ; 41 New Acts 54 Night Club Reviews 54 Obituaries 63 Pictures 3 Radio-Television 23 Radio Reviews 26 Record Reviews 42 Frank Scully 61 TV-Films 39 Vaudeville • 50 daily variety (Published in Hollywood by Daily Variety. .Ltd.) 915 a Year 920 Foreign