Variety (October 1954)

MISCELLANY BOY TV FILM WORT' The television screen is too* small to accommodate a show of “spectacular” range, according to Otto Preminger, who is bringing in the first of NBC’s Monday- night color specials On Oct. 18. The Hol- lywood and Broadway producer-di- Washington; Oct. 5 rector-actor, in New York to tune Approximately 100 Republican up the Monday punch starring candidates for Congress have 61- Gihger Rogers with, other names in ready purchased prints of “Report support, w6s talking specifically i to the People,” the 27-minute GOP about the Max Liebman colorama j film designed both for television fronting Ann Sothern * “Lady in the- Dark.” Without going into the artistic phases of the. production, he said that the 15-inch tinted screen on which he viewed the show couldn’t possibly suggest the weep and dimensions of the stag- ing, and production numbers. A 21-inch screen represents an im- provement, he said, but he indi- cated he still wasn’t sure that the ‘-spec fever” as pushed by its pro- and, for screenings at political, civic and farm meetings. The 16m picture is being offered at $35 in black and white and $86 in Kodachrome. It has already been televised twice—in Ohio and Mich- igan—and is slated for showings in nearly all 48 states between now and election day. Film consists of a series of short reports b.v President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, all members tago.msts would also catch on with j of the Cabinet and Republican the customers. I leaders of the House and Senate. Preminger, in Gotham on mul-! “Report to the Nation” was tiple missions (for example, the! turned out by the Congressional first Preview on “Carmen Jones,”! radio-tv facility at a cost of less which he produCed-directed for 20th-Fox, and has bought the Con- tinental legiter, “The Vintage Years,” which F. Hugh Herbert is translating under Preminger’s Broadway banner),., said his go at the specolas will not.be a “special” as that word has been generally de- fined in its application to tv. “We are trying for- a nice evening’s en- tertainment,” he said. It’s Now ‘Producers’ Showcase’ That the “spec” terminology will be jettisoned or at least watered down is reflected in new overall labels. , For instance, Preminger was rushed in as a guest producer to handle “Tonight At 8:30,” Noel Coward’s three-in-one done on ’Broadway, some years ago, when Leland Hayward’s illness prevented him from continuing with the Mon- (Continued on page 75) than $2,500. Professional level nar- ration bridges are the voice of Robert Cdar, superintendent of the radio-tv facility Which serves mem- bers of Congress, irrespective of political party. Coar, a : one-time Hollywooder, believes this type of film will be used extensively in the 1956 Presidential campaign. Grand Order of Water Rats Companions of Order By HARRY REGENSBERG London, Sept. 28.. Joking in earnest and sly digging are the order at all the Grand Or- der of Water Rats functions. This latest one (Sept. 26) was as a tribute to The Companions of the Order. These are important per- sonalities who. cannot under the GOWR rules become regular mem- bers. These include Viscount. Alex- ander, Major G. Lloyd George, Sir Alan P. Herbert, W. E. Butlin, Sir Louis Sterling, Val Parnell, Jack Hylton, Tom Arnold, E. Berry Web- ber, Dr. A. P. Magonet and Lord Douglas of Kirtleside. The occasion was used to invite some heads of. the Variety Club (Continued on page 66) Paris, Oct. 5. As the-record bumper of tourists begin to \yend their way home- ward, Paris girds, for a new show biz season. The October Automo- bile Show packs this town with provincials, and new entries are aiming for this. However, legit- wise the pace is lagging, with terp perking, films still at a norm and niteries opening up with new at- tractions to make the lure to cash in on the autoites who also usually like to drive by night. Chanson- niers are staple and will do their usual lush business, with the out- (Continued on page 75) Burt Lancaster’s ’Contempt’ For Directors Bars His in Guild Hollywood, Oct. 5. Burt Lancaster’s sudden blast at Screen Directors Guild, coming 30-40 days after the Guild had re- 1 plied to his application for mem- | bership, aroused suspicion in some quarters here the producer-actor I might be thinking In terms of pub- licity more than anything else. Working in Hecht-Lancaster’s “Kentuckian” in Owensboro, Ky., Lancaster said Guild, denied him membership “because of his con- tempt for directing profession, ’ Deborah Kerr in U.S. Deborah Kerr arrived in N.Y. 1 yesterday (Tues.) oh the Queen; Mary following her femme star as-J signment in David, Rose’s film pro- duction of “End of the Affair” for Columbia release. Actress, shortly will hit the road 1 v—.-i-r ---- —- - , to join the national company ofthej adding it had granted A legiter, “Tea and Sympathy,” in ! waiver so he could finish directing the same role which she originated I his current film. ■ in the Broadway production. Joan | Joe Youhgerman, SDG exec sec- Fontairie is continuing as her re- retary, revealed JLancaster appiiea placement in the N. Y. run. (Continued on page 67) Subscription Order Form Enclosed find check for $ Please send VARIETY fory*". To ............................ (Pleat* Print Name) Street City...................... Zone. State... Regular Subscription Rates One Year—$10.00 Two Yaars—$1 S.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional per Year P&RIETY Inc. 154 West 46th Street New York 36. N. Y. HORACE) HEIDT . Box 472 Van Nuy.’, California , Wednesday, October 6, 195 4 . (From Walter WinchelVi Oct. 3 ABC-iy Broadcast) Mr. and Mrs; United States— “This is National Newspaper Week dedicated to the 1st Amend- ment and the 4th Estate. From Benjamin Franklhfto Ernie Pyle, American newspapermen have not only written the nation’s history, they have helped make it. Every reporter ,Jknows it is not what he writes that counts, it is .what his readers , believe. That explai why the American prCss is so jealous of its integrity. It is th only way it can honor the trust of its readers. “Berijamin Franklin was speaking as an American journalist when he said that honesty is the best policy. He knew; as an editor, that nft lie ever stands up arid that when it falls it takes the liar down with it. The American press, because it,is the voice of the American public, has grown from the 4th Estate to the 4th and the final branch of our Government. The same Constitution which established the other three branches.chartered forever the freedom of the press and you the people must share in the credit for you are the silent partners of the daily newspaper. From the Colonial days to the very next: edition, you the people have supported the . press with flint rock rifles and atomic cannon because you know that no dictator—right or left—can cohie in while America’s news- papers continue to come put; “And so, as.a newspaperman, this is tq tell you—thank you and to renew a pledge—the trust with which you receive our millions of daily newspapers in your homes is the trust we shall never fail in our hearts. Oh yes, the very next time you happen to be near a newspaper building ask them to let you in so you can hear the roar of the presses; You will hear the melody to the ‘Star . Spangled Banner.’ ” / Paris, Oct. 5. The inimitable Maurice Cheval- ier. Whose straw hat remai as famous a syriibol of Paris as the Eiffel Tower, returned last Friday S (1) to the Theatre des Champs- Elysees for .his 55th — and;.per- haps farewell — recital. Kidding his rumored avarice (“They -say I’ve been' using the same straw hat for years”) and. his age (“They’ll tell you I began with Mistinguette when she was 16 and I already 40, so figure it out”), he went into his opening number, new one, “Tomorrow I’ll Be 20.” Spry-as ever and looking excep- tionally fit, the king of the boule- vards had his chic firstnighters in the palm of his hand from start to finish; the irnagic of th veteran entertainer sweeping the house like wildfire. Displaying his versatility in a per- fectly balanced program, his one- man show runs the gamut from his hilarious imitations_pf singing cow- boys (in “At Las Vegas”), croon- ing styles (in “Monotony”), Brit- ish clubmen (in "A Gentleman”) and ladies who have something of the, irresistible hoochie-coochie charms about them (in “The Ori- ental”), to a dramatic, music-less monolog (“Face in Mind”—"Une Tete daris La Tete”) and from a ' fresh, catchy new song “Mon Petit Moustique” (“My Little Mosqui- to”) by Andre Hernez and Henri Betti, to the encore of such oldies as “Ma Pomme,” “Louise,” “Place Pigalle’’ arid “Seems Like Old Times. .” The Chevalier show Is just what it should be, having all the neces- sary ingredients, humor, ingenuity, lightness, variety and proper touch of nostalgia. Fred Freed does a fine piano accompaniment, switching to clarinet for one number and to accordion for another.. Preem was a gala benefit for the Old Actors Home and was followed by a char- ity dinner at Restaurant Laurent which was arranged by N.Y.-Paris couturiere Rosita Heine, and which had most of smart Paris in at- tendance. At the;, dinner,; Chevalier encored with “Oriental,” “Louise” arid “Seems Like Old Times.” Ad- vance sale is a record, arid nego- tiations to take Chevalier to the U.S. in his present rep have com- menced. Curt. Few Show Biz Offers To Swimmer Marilyn Bell Toronto, Oct 5. Marathon Swimmer Marilyn Bell, the 16-year old youngster who Swam Lake Ontario, is back iri' school with possibilities of show biz offers very dim. Miss Bell her- self seems unconcerned with this development, but promotional han- dlers have evidenced keen disap- pointment at, failure pf Hollywood to come through With, any king- sized offers. Sple likelihood remains the pros- pect of joining the Guy Lombardo production at Jones Beach, N. Y., “Arabian Nights.” Lombardo, or- iginally: from Canada, was ap- proached to put her in the display. He hasn’t made a final decision as yet. Bob Hope’s Par Exit Hollywood, Oct. 5. After fulfilling a. commitirient for one more film Bob Hope .will terminate his • 17-year association with Paramount. He will conduct future motion picture production under aegis of Hope Enterprises, shooting two films annually. No release set. Recently completed “Eddie Foy“ biopic for Paramount was in part- nership with Mel Shavelson aria Jack Rose; Preem activities of Warner Bros. “A Star Is Born” at the Pararnount and Victoria Theatres, N. Y. Mon- : day (11) will be focused on Judy Garland who is arriving in New York for the dual opening. Accord- ing to present plans, Miss Garland will appear in the lobbies of both theatres for tv and radio inter- views. Miss Garland left the Coast yesterday (Tues.) by train. Fol- lowing the N. Yi, preem, she heads for Chicago for “Star’s” bow there Oct. 15. The New York bows, based on the demands for tickets and the growing celebrity list, is expected to equal the lush Hollywood open- ing last Wednesday (29). The Coast preem served as a nationwide trail- er for WB, since the lobby festiv- ities at the Pantages Theatre were telecast coast-to-coast ovef Steve Allen’s “Tonight” show. . Local tv coverage will be han- dled by WABC-TV with a half-hour show from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Cameras will be placed in both theatres With George Jessel as irt.c, at the Para- mount and Marti Block* at the Victoria. NBC will carry the event in a coast-to-coast radio hookup, and a. special broadcast for the armed services has also been set, Special permission hag been ob- tained to reserve the area on the west Side of Times Square, be- tween the Paramount at 43d St. and the Victoria at 46th St., for premiere activities* “ Four huge billion-candlepower searchlights will be stationed in front of both theatres, A red carpet (Continued on page 66) JESSEL'S BOOK OPTION • George Jessel. has taken an op- tion of Louis Zara’s novel, “This Blessed Land,” keyed to the 300th anniversary of the landing of the first Jews in... America, Which he plans as a film. . Producer has been talking to Ben Hecht on the screenplay, 1 » 4 , London, Oct. 5. Just two years after it,set Broad- way talking and began, to. pave the way for the new widescreen tech- niques, Cinerama has come to London. “This Is Cinerama” opened a regular, run at the Casino Theatre last Friday U) following a charity presentation the previous night sponsored by the Variety Club to aid the Empire Rheumatic CounciL It netted upwards of $5,500. Taking into account the two-year time differential, Cirierama has made a bold and definite impres- sion on the British scene; and gar- nered bifi-scale national newspaper coverage after the private ;press screening last Wednesday (29). Critical, reaction was mainly lauda- tory, but even the dissident scribes wrote sufficiently controversial re- views to intrigue the general pub- lic. As in New York, advance seat sale before the opening perform- ance was only nominal, but leading ticket brokers now are .showing keen interest and -expect to buy . up large blocks of seats. The slow start has not discouraged th* Cinerama execs who are here for (Continued on page 66) Larkin Finds British Pix Labor Anything But ’Uncooperative’ Twickenham Studios, London, Editor, Variety: Here since February, producing tv films, “Fabian of Scotland Yard,” for Charles Wick and Telefilm Enterprises of N, Y. Just completed 26 episodes in 21 weeks—one every four days—and came in two hours ahead of Sched- ule and $30,000 under budget. The films couldn’t have been madg anywhere else because each one calls for about 20% London exteriors arid we had the coopera- tion of the London Metropolitan Police Dept. It’s been a great experience. I (Continued on page 66) DAWN-TO-DUSK, 85c Drive-In Unreels Seven Features —Serve* Refreshments . . Springfield, 111., Oct.. 5. “Moviethon” is. the latest bit of gihimickery by the 66 ; Drive-In Theatre which staged a dawn-to* dusk filip fest last weekend. Pro- cession of seven features was un- reeled for single 85c admission. Lineup had “Thunder Pass,” “Queen of Sheba,” “Abbott and Costello In the Navy,” “The. Raven,” “Canyon Passage,” “East Side of Heaven,” and “Seven Sin- ners.” Free coffee and donuts were served from concession, stand at dawn. P.S. There were no short sub- jects.