Variety (July 1954)

fftJute. Wr t 1954 ncnntGS 1954 High Low ' (N.Y. Stock Exchange) For Week Ending Tuesday (6) Weekly Vol. Weekly Weekly Toes. inlOOs High Low Close N*$ Change for week Over-the-Coiinler Securities * Actual Volume. . ' (Quotations furnished by Dreyfus & Co.) Iiiduces Cheers Minneapolis, July 6, Twentieth - Fox’s - “Advancing Techniques of’ C’Scope” with its partial previews of impending re- leases received, an enthusiastic exhibitor response at the Radio -City, theatre invitation showing . here and drew, among others, the . comment that the-development and its immediate promises “will shoot more heeded new life, into exhibi- tion.” What apparently most impressed the large audience of exhibitors, ■ including many from out-of-town, was the C’Scope product that’s en- route. Such top exhibitors as^ Harry B. French, president ctf this terri- tory's United Paramount circuit; William Volk, head of a local chain that includes the newest and finest suburban theatre here, the Ter ~ race; and Reno Wilk, general man- ager of an ozoner chain that’s al ready presenting C’Scope in one of its stands, tossed out kudoes. They said they were inspired to confidence in exhibition’s future by the showing. A feeling yr&s ex- pressed that there’ll be no doubt about that future if “a few more” companies take a leaf from the 20th book and also furnish such boxoffice vitamins. mg Hollywood, July 6. Following Hal R. Makelim's ap- pearance at the Theatre Owners of American convention,, three more TO A members accepted his plan of supplying; 12 features a year. They were JohnrRowiey of Dallas, with ’’ 110. .houses; -ChaMes- Gllrtiour of Denver; 1 with? 46'4i<mses, r arid* the J. J.RosenflehL Circuit of Spbjkane * , ’Contract^' previously signed un . der the Vsre. with the Video Circuit, Oklahoma'City, with 85 theatres; Howard’s Affili- ated Theatres; Boston, with 90 theatres; the Dickenson Circuit of Kansas, City, with 48; the Jeffer- son Circuit of Dallas, With 21; Dol- hnger’s Theatres of New Jersey, ^ith 43, and Rube. Shore’s Tri- State Circuit of Cincinnati, with 48. FIRE HAZARD RAP 'Warn Jerry Zigmond On Over- crowding For Marciano Television, the film industry’s No. 1 bugaboo in the U. S., isn't! causing motion^ picture execs any sleepless nights abroad. In, fact, they’re" apt to shrug it off as very minor competition. It’s conceded that, here and there, when tv first starts up in a country, theatre business may be hurt. But it’s a strictly temporary condition and tv barely dents for- eign theatre b.o. The occasional exception may be certain nights when nationally popular sports events are telecast. Even though tv is gradually spreading over the globe, film men are taking it in their stride! “It’s coming to Australia in two years,” Here McIntyre, Universal’s South Pacific supervisor, reported in N. Y. last week. And he added: “We’re not a* bit ^worried about it.” Teddy Lim, manager of the Uni- versal Theatre, Manila, said one tv station was operating there now and a second one was in the off- ing. He, too, maintained that it didn’t, affect his business any. In s Venezuela, on the other hand, where tv has just begun, the com- petition is felt. Stores have in- stalled tv sets in their windows and crowds assemble to watch this novelty. Foreign execs explain that the weak impact of tv abroad is due to a number of circumstances. For one, sets are few and far between and they are mighty expensive. For another, programs are poor (some- thing whffch Americans ascribe to the fact that most of these stations are government-run). . Cuba at one time had six tv sta- tions operating. Now it’s only five (Continued on page 10)’ „ Minneapolis, July 6/ , In its current bulletin Ndtth\Ccntral Allied charges the Amer- icau Municipalities Assn., the parent body of all municipalities’ state leagues, with “unmitigated gall” for declaring that Congress’ rea- son fof passing and the President’s reason for signing the admis- sion tax relief bill was to turn over this field to the-municipalities. Calling attention td what has occurred in New York City and pointing out that the Minnesota league is taking the same approach, the.bulletin asserts that “nothing could be further from the truth” than the American Municipalities Assn.’s contention, “The record is replete with irrefutable evidence that Congress' sole purpose was to give help to our distressed industry,” says the bulletin. “It even passed this legislation knowing that exhibi- tors, for the most part, were going to keep the tax savings for themselves and not pass them on to the public.” Warning that the state leagues are potential forces in the legis- latures, the bulletin points out that municipality officials “are hungry for new revenue sources and regard the admission tax as a natural.” Asking exhibitors to start immediately pinning down and get- ting firm commitments from the legislature candidates, the bulle- tin asserts the legislature’s forthcoming session will find theatre- owners faced with tlier battle of their lives if such enabling legis- lation is to be defeated. NEW TO DRIVE-INS ’Gone With Wind’ Played* Only One Ozoner During ’49 Round Los Angeles, July 6. Jerry Zigmond, manager of the West. Coast Division of. United Paramount Theatres, was repri- manded by the Board of Fire Com- missioners for overcrowding the Downtown Paramount during the telecast of the fight between Rocky Marciano and Ezzard Charles. He was warned that he will be prose- cuted if it happens again. Witnesses testified that the cus- tomers overflowed into the aisles of the 3,000-seater and blocked the exits, causing a fire hazard. . ’ROBE’ FIRST-RUNS AT MINOT, N. D., DRIVE-IN Minneapolis, July 6. For the first time anywhere, “The Robe”-will have its town and area first-run in a drive-in theatre, the Minot, at Minot, :N. D. It’ll preem in the town of 24,000 this month. Minot had been without C’Scope until" the Minot Outdoor Theatre installed its one track optical sound version, opening June 24 with “How to Marry a Millionaire” as the initial C’Scope attraction be- cause it was refused “The Robe” at that time. Picture ran a full week at 85c admission, 25c more than the regu-. lar scale, to an estimated boff $4,500 gross. Reno Wilk, its cir- cuit’s general manager, says he’ll book all the C’Scope first runs ob- tainable, r# "hough the ozoner’s poli- cy has been second runs and re- issues, except for a few first runs at last season’s tag end. Neither of the two Minot con- ventional theatres _ have .. been equipped for C’Scope.. .- ->v. First drive-in date on the east coast for “Gone With the Wind” will be at Walter Readc’s Lawrence Drive-in, just north of Trenton, N.J., where the. picture begins a 10-day engagement on July 13. The date marks only the second time that “GWTW” has played in an open air theatre. On its fourth release in 1949 it played, accord- ing to Metro, in one ozoner in the midwest. Ozoners, at that time, had not gained the acceptance they receive today. Ed Aaronoff Joins I) Ed ^arorioff, film i and Andie. 4 press rep for 19 years, has joined Universal’s publicity department under Philip Gerard, eastern pub- licity manager. He replaces Burt Hirschfield who has resigned. Aaronoff is currently serving as public relations director of the “Miss Universe 1954 Beauty Con- test and Pageant.” Drive-Ins’ Percentage Contracts Prove Sweet Music to NW Distribs Minneapolis, July 6. Surprisingly large grosses being chalked up by some of the terri- tory’s drive-in theatres on percent- age deals have been proving a source of considerable unexpected, but welcome, additional income for distributors here. ! As a result of the company’s yielding on C'Scope to allow one track optical sound presentations in the ozoners, the local 2Qth-Fox branch already has started to cash in and indications are that it will tap the till to an increasingly larger extent. On 40% deals, the exchange grabbed off a hefty estimated $4,500 in rentals from the only two of the territory’s 150 outdoor the- atres to present C’Scope so far, the Minot at Minot, N, D.. and the 7-Hi here. Introducing C’Scope to Minot witt* “How to Marry a Mil- lionaire,” the Minot grossed $4,300 for the week, netting Fox $1,720 as its share. The 7-Hi played “The Robe” on the same terms after the picture has been shown in 12 local neighborhood houses on various runs as well as downtown on the eight-day run hit an estimated $7,000, the Fox end being $2,800. But it has remained for RKO here to hit the ozoner jackpot with “The French Line” which it sold to the 100 Twins outdoor theatre for a Twin Cities first?run on a 50% split after all other conventional houses and ozoners refused to book it, "It’s now in its fourth week af- ter skyrocketing to an estimated $12,000 It'S,initii stanza. ,.\ ... . : All fhfee .driyeln theatres boost* ‘ / * : ‘'"gd their prfce&Afqr. the aforemen- ' ■ v ‘ Vtioned at^asJ&nsv Their regular ppllciea hsve; been subsequent runs 'qndiireissMes^'jBfeCAuse C’Scope pic? iures deals areipercentage and’-they refused to buy any release except on flat terms, the Minnesota Enter- tainment Enterprises’ five Twin Cities’ areas elaborate ozoners and the vast bulk of other outdoor the- atres are refraining from going even for the comparatively inex- pensive : one track optical sound | brand. NOW ‘SALT OF EARTH’ HAS CANADIAN GRIEF N Toronto, July 6. “Salt of the Earth” was denied a private screening for the press last week (27) by the motion Picture Projectionists’ Union (AFL) here. But Pat Travers, the union busi ness agent said that if Variety The- atre here, which has it booked, in- sists on running the film, nothing in the union contract will allow them to refuse to work. “If a theatre wants to run it, guess they’ve kind of got us,” he said, and explained his cancelling the press show: “There’s been so much, controversy about it in the U. S., we wanted to do the right hing.” The local executive board was expected to discuss it l?ter in the week. Herman Shawn, Variety Theatre manager, called the cancellation “thought control” and said he would show the feature despite any action by the union, which, he said, can’t set itself up as censor.” “Salt of the Earth,” produced in Mexico by Herbert Biberman for the allegedly Communist-led Inter- national Union of Mill, Mine and Smelter Workers, has run into a stone wall so far in Chicago, be- cause of IATSE’s refusal to allow its men to project it. Perspecta in License Deal With Altec Lansing Corp. Licensing deal has been set be- tween Perspecta Sound, Inc., and Altec Lansing Corp, for the latter to manufacturer Perspecta stereo- phonic sound integrator units. The integrator unit is the only piece of special equipment re- quired in the theatre booth for the standard optical track stereo- phonic sound system which has been adopted by Metro, Para- mount and Warner Bros. Altec joins Fairchild Recording Equipment Co. and other licencees throughout the world, in manufac- turing the integrator units. ( Score 'Cinerama Holiday' ' Music scoring was completed this week on “Cinerama Holiday,” second Cinerama entry, with Jack Shaindlin batoning a 75-piece symphony. Morton Gould com- posed the score for the Louis de Rochemont production. _ Recording, in streophonic sound, .took place in Cinerama’s Oyster [Bay, Long Island, studios. While not minimizing the strength of the Roy M. Brewer slate for control of the Interna- tional Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, there is a strong de- gree of confidence among the sup- porters of incumbent prexy 'Rich- ard F. Walsh. The opposing forces are following diametrically oppo- site campaign practices. ’ The Brewer team is waging a wide open drive, quickly announc- ing the name of each delegate pledged to support the Brewer candidacy. On the face of it. as a result, the Brewer contingent ap- pears to be gaining strength, since the Walsh forces have been op- erating on the q.t. and behind-the- scenes. The Walsh camp has not made a single announcement re- lating to the acquisition of a dele- gate favoring the present prexy’s slate, although there have been .many. The IA chief’s supporters are following the policy laid down by Walsh, i.e., this is a. “family affair” and that the dispute between the two top candidates should riot be aired openly but left to the de- cision of delegates at the Cincin- nati convention Aug. 9-13. 'Unlike the national conventions of the two major political parties of the U. S, where the delegates from each state openly announce their choices, the IA delegates name their officers via a secret ballot. While, a delegate may be sent to convention with instruc- tions from his Local on how to vote, he is free to make his own choice on the secret ballot. The IA, in recent years, has been attempting to cut down the num- ber of delegates attending the an- nual confabs since the conducting of the business of the meeting has become unwieldly with so many present. The IA meetings have been attended by more delegates than appear at a full American Federation of Labor annual ses- sion. Suggestions have been made that a Local, entitled to five dele- gates, for example, send only one armed with five votes. Some progress lias been made on this score, for at last year’s con- vention 1,138 delegates recorded 1,173 votes. A total of 955 Locals were represented. A simple ma- jority is necessary for election. While Walsh and Brewer are offering full tickets, the delegates are permitted to split their votes. Epaulets for Solow Holly wood, July 6. New veepee of Republic Pictures is Sid Solow, who has been func- tioning since 1942 as general man- ager of Consolidated Film Indus- tries, a Republic subsidiary. Solow has been with Consoli- dated for 22 years, starting in Fort Lee, N.J., and later moving to Hollywood. He will continue to 1 manage the lab.