Variety (September 1954)

*fIS€EIXANY Wednesday, - September 1954 Field; St. Germain Still Tops By GENE MOSKOWITZ Paris, Aug. 24. As Paris is left to the tourists bv the rapidly retreating Parisians, a looksec at the cleared nitery set- up shows there have been definite trends this year. It is the tastes and fads of the returning cabaret- goers which will tell the story on next year's top nightclubs. In a previous survey last February, the concerted effort by a group of young club owners to turn the Palais Royale district into the nitery section of Paris was re- vealed, with the ensuing growth of the section as an afternoon cafe spot. , However, this now seems to have waned, and St.-Germain-Des-Pres still hangs on as top quarter, by dint of the tourists still unaffected by shifts in local tastes. Also* there is a lack of literary or philosophic 'bonanza-or club to put another sec- tion of this town on the midnight ntecca map. Palais Royale, near the Comedie-Francaisc, and a stone’s throw from the Opera district, looked hot in these sweepstakes during the early part of 1954, with La Cnslagnette and Cour et Jardin, two new spots, drawing the snob and show biz set and the Macumba getting a steady carioca-inclinpd dance set (with the solid music of Rcnato). The Club Montpensier suddenly emerged as a fave spot for the disgruntled Existentialist set. The established spots such as Gilles, a fine eatery-four hour vaude spot, plus some top restau- rants and smaller clubs, such as La Plahcher Des Yaches and Milord De Marseille, giving this quarter a nocturnal flavor, and only- need- ing the palpitation, push and press to have put it definitely on the lo- cal and tourist must-see map. Owners of P-R Find It Too Big Two young cafe owners were re- sponsible for the attempt at restor- ing Palais Royale-Marc Doelnitz and Duatre. Cohelo, Cohelo bowed out of his Successful La Castag- nette at the right time and now this club is a thing of the past. Dpelnitz still has his membership boite whieh has become a gather- ing place for show biz people, but seems too restricted and clannish to make for any sort of popular (Continued on page 80) EARLY A M. EPICURES FADING FROM B’WAY Take it from Hy Heller, man- ager of Lindy’s famed lox-and- bagel oasis on Broadway, that "Broadway ain’t what it used to be. I’ve been on this street 44 years,’’ says Heller, "and we might just as well close at 1 p.m. By 1:30 you can only shoot a press agent here and not hit many." Deploring the paucity of night life, which means that performers don’t come in for the winderupper coffee-and-cheesecake bit — and that goes for the waiters and cap- tains, and with them the overflow customers—Heller points only to Lou Walters’ Latin Quarter as the sole remnant of a passing era of glamor. “It’s too far to come from the Stork and the Copa," he adds, "and only on Saturday, and here we’re also dead by 2:30; there’s no night life any more. The late-hour filmgoers who wait for the cutrate price at the midnight movie cer- tainly haven’t got the price to come into Lindy’s.’’ BROADCAST BRASS AT D.C. LEGION CONCLAVE Washington, Aug. 31. American Legion convention here this week brought an assort- ment of talent to entertain at vari- ous sessions. On hand were Mor- ton Downey, Frank Fontaine,* Joan Roberts, Bud and Cee Cee Robin- son, Mack Gordon, L. Wolfe Gil- bert, Eddie Garson, Frank Morton, Jody Miller, and The Symphon- ettes. Big Brass frpm the broadcasting industry were among the distin- guished guests. They included RCA board chairman David Sarnoff, RCA prexy Frank M. Folsom, NBC prexy Sylvester Weaver, CBS board chairman William S. Paley, CBS proxy Frank Stanton, ABC prexy Robert E. Kihtner, Dr. Allen B. DuMont, Mutual topper Thomas F. O'Neil, ABC veep John Daly, and American Forum moderator Theodore Grariik. Harold E. Fellows, prexy of the National Assn, of Radio and TV Broadcasters, addresses the con- vention Thursday (2) on the action of the Senate Committee in ban- ning radio and tv from its Mc- Carthy censure hearings. ' Not VIPs, Stars By ROBERT F. HAWKINS Venice, Aug. 31. Venice Film Festival prexy Ot- tavio Croze’s desire for a type of fest that is primarily of high film content, with a lessening of the star, cocktail and party angles, is the theme of the current fete, as it goes into its second half. (Festival opened Aug. 22.) Scarcity of big names and the high level of pix, so far. makes the films rather than the personalties the main topic of conversation and the copy: for the scribes. It may frustrate the pho- tographers though and the few stars on tap are doing double duty. Charles Delae, head of the In- ternational Producer’s Assn., who (Continued on page 22) HORACE HEIDT Currently Qn Tour Under Personal Management WALTER PLANT at 50c Eacfa Into Under-Theatre Times Sq. Cellar MRS. MANflUE NOT $16,000,000 State Bite In Show Biz Taxes And License Fees in 1954 Washington, Aug. 31. The states took more than $16,000,000 in license fees and ad- missions taxes from amusements in the state fiscal years ending in 1954. The 36 states, which license some or all of their com- mercial amusements, grossed $4,- 845,000 from that source. The 31 states, which have amusement tax bites based on sale of tickets or volume of business done, had total revenue of $11,338,000. The U. S'. Census Bureau, which has just released the figures, has I no breakdown by type of entertain- i ment. The totals are what was l (Continued on page 85) Hollywood, Aug. 31. Paramount, in addition to going allout on bigger and better pic- tures this coming year, will put into effect five rules of filmmaking which everybody knows but which very frequently are overlooked, Don Hartman, studio production Chief, reports. Exec adds that by deviating from any one of the five a studio can miss out on a hit picture, “and Paramount doesn’t intend to hit a miss.” For its upcoming program of 17 productions, one more than during the past 12-month period, com- j pany Will expend $35,000,000, ac- cording to Hartman. This includes the $7,000,000 "Ten Command- ments," which Cecil B. DeMille will launch Oct. 14 in Egypt, most expensive picture ever to be turn- ed out by Paramount. Rules as set down by Hartman are specific, and include (1) the right story for a studio to make; (2) right screenwriter to work on that story; 13) right director; (4) right cast, and (5) the right tech- nicians to back them up. "This is thepnly method of turning out an honest picture,” production chief points out. "It's like drawing for a royal flush—if you miss on any one card you miss your hand." Exec also stated that picture- making today is more, difficult than ever, and it’s necessary to fol- low such a set of procedures. The day of producing a picture merely to meet a certain release date is over, he stressed; so, too, to keep a star or director commitment. A * • » (Continued on page 80) Subscription Order Form Enclosed find check for $ Please send VARIETY for years 9/1 To (Pleaa* Print Name) Street City.. Zone.... State, Regular Subscription Rates One Year—$10.00 two Years—$18.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional per Year PUKIETY Inc. 154 West 44th Street New York 36, N. Y. March of Dimes Radio-TV Stymie on Summer Drive Summer drive of the March of Dimes appears to be in trouble as far as some phases of cuffo plugs on radio-tv networks are con- cerned. So far, MOD has had 12 telespots on ABC, another dozen on CBS and six-on WOR-TV, N.Y. NBC tele used an MOD film blurb on "Today” and another on its “Home" show last week. NBC Radio had offered'a pair'of 15- minute periods, but MOD turned these down, presumably because they weren’t "good” time. NBC- TV hadn’t offered the organization any spots because that would up- set its commercial schedules, and MOD apparently took umbrage at this shutout. Behind the low-gear radio-tv ex- ploitation this summer may be the fact that the fund group is not "recognized" by the Advertising Council, latter taking the position that since MOD doesn’t account for its money and furnish written records, such recognition cannot be granted. Some broadcasters take their cues from the Ad Coun- cil on matters of this sort. New York. Editor, Variety : ■ , In your article, “Mrs. Manville’s Minsky Peeling is OK But Where Did She Get Those Lines”?, in Variety Aug. 18, the following statement is made: "Juanita, is tied up with one of the Patino heirs, The Patinos, as any ambitious girl should know, are among the world’s richest families. They de- rived their coin from Bolivian tin mines." This assertion is not in line with the facts, as the Patino family in Bolivia connected with the tin triines is in no way related to Mrs. Juaniia Roddy-Eden Patino, nor to Ramon Patino, who is not a citizen of, nor is he known in Bolivia. By a: mere coincidence they happen to have the same surname ♦ If there.s anything to the theory that Mr. & Mrs. America are nos- talgically partial to vintage cars, the new “Carnival of Cars" mu- seum beneath the Astor Theatre on Broadway should prove a lucrative entry in the low-price admission field. - Some 18,000 persons so far have crowded info the spacious (15,000 square feet), brightly-lit subter- ranean showroom which stretches between 45th and 46th Streets and contains some 39 ‘automotive vets -dating back as far. as 1896. Show, which gets 50c from adults and a quarter from the kids, opened on July 16 and, according to manager Frank C. Farley Jr., still has to add a couple of frills such as life-size wax figures of Jack Benny and Diamond Jim Brady td sit in some of the cars; special lighting effects, etc. Project is a combined efi.ort of City Investing Go., - whose prexy Robert W. Dowling is an enthusi- astic collector of old cars, and I have^been receiving_many tele* ' Henry Austin Clark Jr.., who runs . 11 «■, 4-Vt«hAnnoAVinn ini K 1L . r —. J A ..z • j n/r phoitC' calls ip this connection, in- dicating that considerable misun- derstanding has been engendered by the above misinformation. In fairness to your reading public and to the Patino heirs, please be good enough to publish this letter. Ed Fajardo . (Patino Mines & Enterprises) Policy Huddles British and American film labor should be repped at any film nego- tiations that concern them, Tom O’Brien, British labor leader, and M.P. who has just concluded a visit to this Country, said in N. Y. last week. “The position in the world today makes it imperative that the ex- amination and solution of problems in connection with U. S. and Brit- ish films and their markets can no longer be the monopoly of the producers. Both in Britain and in the U. S., labor should be brought into policy discussions involving their interests." O’Brien opined that there should have been labor observers attend- ing Anglo-American film pact talks "from the very start" to offer sug- gestions relating to the welfare and the interests of union mem- bers. "When I return to Britain, I intend to inform my government that, as long as the talks continue, I think a labor representative should attend," he stated. More important, however, O’Brien thought was the presence of labor’s voice in discussions on an intra-industry level, particular- ly between Britain and the U.S. He pointed out the growing inter- relation of various industry fac- tions, with the actions of one in- evitably affecting the rest. the Long Island Automotive Mu- seum at Southampton, L. I. All the ears in the show were culled from the collections of these two men and brought on to the lower floor via a specially-installed elevator.. There was only one hitch—the impressively huge American-La- France fire engine, originally horse-drawn, built in 1890 and motorized in 1914, which couldn’t be fitted into the elevator. It was taken apart and sent below piece- meal. Electric motor is currently being installed in the fire-red buggy so that visitors can watch some of its parts in motion. Lavish Lineup Array of cars on view is impos- ing. All have been reconditioned and most are in working order ex- cept that, under a city ordinance, none of their tanks can contain any gasoline. So one has to take Far- ley’s word for it that they run. (Continued on page 79) SHERWOOD'S TELEPLAY . Robert E. Sherwood’s first tele- play since “Backbone of America" (on his NBC pact) will be an as yet untitled original that will get “Robert Montgomery Presents” under way seasonally on Sept. 20, Hour drama will not be the play- wright's “Pontius Pilate” that's been promised for some time. Wanna Swim, Play Minny Golf, Square, Dance? Then Go to Drive-In Theatre San Antonio, Aug. 31. The public used/ to go to a drive- in theatre to see just a jhotion picture. Now they may go to square dances or take a swim, too. These are some of the added at- tractions contrived by operators of drive-in houses, as reported by Tim Ferguson, of Grand Prairie, newly- elected treasurer of the Texas Drive-In Theatre Owners Assn. Two Dallas theatres have swim- ming pools in front of their screen where customers may take a dip before the films are shown, according to Ferguson. Others have installed concrete slabs' for square dancing. Some have picnic grounds. Playgrounds for young- sters are becoming common. Ferguson hailed Cinemascope for having brought back customers in large numbers. Since he installed the larger screen last July, busi- ness at his theatre has gone up 28%, he said. Drive-In theatre business, which (Continued on page 87) Stars, Bikinis, Nudity Sparking Cannes to SR0; Cocteau’s Dietrich Rave By EUGENE TILLINGER Cannes, Aug*. 24. All over town posters proclaim emphatically, "La Vie est Belle l’Ete a Cannes" ("Life at Summer- time in Cannes is Beautiful”). For a change, a publicity slogan seems to be true. As a matter of fact there is summer now in Cannes and at the Cote d'Azur, while the rest of France shivers at almost unheard- of low temperatures. Cannes is SRO, packed and jammed as perhaps never before. The big palace hotels along the Croisette, above all the Martinez and the Carlton, are booked to capacity. Those who have no res- ervations are forced to spend the night, either at the beach or in their cars. Significant new develop- ment: Cannes now has become a top transatlantic port. Americans seem to have discovered the new "Sunny Lane” straight from New York to Cannes, publicized by the American Export Lines. Hundreds of visitors from the States arrive here each time when the Inde- pendence or the Constitution stops In Cannes. Others follow on the Italian liners, and then there are still other, smaller boats that stop to make dates or appointments here, because there is only one chance in 100 that you’ll be able to find, the person you’re looking for. Outside and inside, this is the HQ. for the innumerable press (and (Continued on page 87) B’NAI B’RITH READIES SALUTE TO BALABAN Metropolitan Council of B’nai B’rith hosted a Hotel Astor, N. Y., luncheon for film tradesters and press reps yesterday kTues.) to call attention to the testimonial dinner lor Barney Balaban, president of -PaVamount, Sept. 26. According to the Council,, many prominent industry execs from both Hollywood and N. Y. are joining, in sponsoring the salute. Balaban is being cited for his "out- standing contributions to American life and his distinguished efforts to aid in the building of Israel."