Variety (October 1954)

PICTURES ♦ ♦ ♦ .» » ♦ ♦<>♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦ 4444 » . ♦»»»♦♦ ♦ 4»<y t n • f n .1 i . x DISTRIBS WIN Metropolitan L.X. Antitrust Action la DiimiMct By Court* *4444+44444444 4 »4 4 4444 4 44 4 4 44 44 4 1444444*44444444< Hollywood, Oct. 12. Nat Holt signed Tim Whelan to direct “Seven Bad Men,” starring Randolph Scott, for RKO release ■„. . George Brangier returns to the screen for a rble .in “Mister Rob- erts,” currently filming in Hono- lulu , . . National League of De- cency handed a “B” rating to “Chngaceiro,” Portuguese film re- leased by Columbia, because of ^low moral tone” and “excessive brutality” , . . Gene Barry drew a featured role in UTs "The.Purple Mask,” starring Torty. Curtis and Coleen Miller . . . James Mason will portray Father Juhipero Serra in “The Gun and the Cross” Charles Brackett production at 20th-Fox . . Republic signed Va- lentina Cortese to replace Rhonda Fleming in “Magic Fire," current- ly filming in Germany. George Marshall set to direct Edmund Grainger's first indie pro/ duction, “O Promised Land,” star-: ring Alan Ladd . . . Slim Pickens, Leo Gordon and Irene Tedrow joined the “Santa Fe Passage” Cast at Republic . Frank McDonald Will direct “Sweet Charity,” star- ring Richard Conte, at Allied - Art- ists . . .. William B. Murphy re- placed Otto Ludwig as film editor on HeclitrLancaster's “The Ken- tuckian" . . . Evelyn Ellis checked in at Metro for a featured'role, in “InteiTtpted Melody” . . . Walt Beaver gets a spot in Warners “Strange Lady in Town” . . Ken Englund scripting “The Vagabond King,” Pat Duggan production at Paramount . ■ Republic assigned Eddie White to produce “Little Big Shot” . . . Nicky Blare snagged a foie in U’s “The Shrike.” Otto Lang and Robert Snody will head two units shooting foreign backgrounds for 20th-Fox's “Lord Vanity” at a cost of more - than $750,000 ... . . Burt Lancaster direct- ing “The Kentuckian,” completed a continuous take running 16 min- utes and 15 seconds for a . total of 1,462 feet . . : Charlotte Austin will play a college girl in “Daddy Long Legs” at 20th-Fox . . . Jan Aryan drew a role in U’s “Lady Godiva of Coventry” . . Filmakers will produced seven films in 1055, com- pared with six this year . .. Aubrey Schenck signed Jan Merlin for a part in. "Big House, U.S.A.” Hecht-Lancaster added Joe Mantel! and Augusta Chioli to> the “Marty’’ cast . . . Raymond Massey leaves for England this week to star in the film version of “The Hanging Judge” . . Philip Ahn checked in at Warners for a role i “Jump Into Hell," John Howard snagged a key role in Landmark’s “Top of the World,” with Lewis R. Foster directing . Jack Brooks wrote the title song for Metro's “Green Fire” . . . Alex Romero handling choreography for “Love Me or Leave Me” at Metro . .. Samuel Goldwyh returned from his Honolulu vacation and started, prepping “Guys and Dolls" . Millie Gussie joined Case-Boet ticher Productions os casting direc tor ... , Kenneth Tobey drew a fea tured role in. Nat Holt’s ’ "Seven Bad Men" . . First role for Anne. Francis under her new Metro con tract will be femme lead in “The Blackboard Jungle” . . , H & M Productions’ "The Liberator” rolls Nov. 11 in Mexico City . , . Metro assigned Howard Keel to star in “International Review,” a musical Roy Gordon drew a role in Co- role, in UI’s “The Purple Mask” Ochoa Productions of Cuba signed Rosemary Bowe to play an Ameri- can showgirl in “Camaguey” , . . Edmund. Purdora and Pier Angeli will co-star in “Green Mansions” at Metro . . Angela Lansbury co- stars with; Tony Curtis in UI’s “The Purple Mask” , ■> Band leader Eddie Gomez ..signed by UI for a eatured foie in “The Shrike.” " Republic signed Sterling Hayden of the title role in “The .Admiral Hoskins Story/’ biofilm of Rear Admiral John M. Hoskins. . , , Danny Kaye’s “The, Court Jester Los Angeles, Oct. 12. Metropolitan Theatres’ $990,000 treble damage anti-trust suit against seven major distributors was dismissed by a directed ver- dict in Federal Court. Plaintiff had umbia’s “The Gun That Won the West” . Nat Holt'handed Mike Ragan a part in" “Seven Rad Men” Billy Di* joined the cast of "Jus-. tice Comes to Tomahawk'’ * * > charged the defendants with con- thfrt rol* ”s WUIairt ’wiiLb*. St'rtin la Jill Esmond theatre from- obt&ining flrst^ruii willplayRichard iFodd'ft motherin Product from-. iMay, 1950^throu6ji “A Man Called Petfer” at 20th-Fox January, 1952. Judge Harry C. Myrna Hansen gets a featured Westover ruled that no evidence of conspiracy had been produced in court, s Defendants were Loew’s, Para- mount, 20th-Fox, Warners, RKQ, Columbia : and- Universal-Interna- tional. Continued from page 3 wood. Canteen,” “Melody Time,” and “Son Of Paleface” in 1951. In view - of the continuing de- gets a four-month Shooting sched- mand for westerns, Rep has reis- ule, starting early next month .'. . sued the Rogers films domestically Wanda Tuchok signed >a one-pic- six arid even eight times, Rush ture agreement at 20tn-Fox . . said; - Abroad, too, they’re, very U assigned Ross Hunter to pro- strong at the b.o. Rush indicated duce “The Outer Darkness,” based that when Rogers rolls his own in a novel by W. R. Burnett Tyler MacDuff handed a featured role in Columbia’s “Cell 2455”... Richard Cahoon joined Case-Boetr ticher Productions as editorial supervisor .. .... Columbia is dicker pix, they'll be essentially, based on the same format that’s been such a success in the past. Films will feature the Sons of the Pioneers vocalizers and, of course, Dale ing for the, services of Spencer Eya ns » Rogers wife. Tracy as star of “Reminiscences of .. said he^was still discuss- a Cowboy” ... Blake Edwards, will ing distributionjfor the new Rogers make lijs directorial bow on product,, but indicated it would, be Exactly Like You,” starring a major outlet. Best bet, it’s under- Frankie Laine at Columbia,. stood, is United Artists, with. Al- Glqnn Ford moves into Metro to Artists also said to be in the star in “The Blackboard Jungle,” ru nning to be produced by Pandro S. Ber- The - Rogers • agent, citing the man arid directed by Richard .cowboy’s activities in 11 different Brooks . , . Warwick’s next produc- fields ranging from comic books to Wednesday, October 13, 1954 Inside Stuff—Pictures Going Virtually unnoticed in the detailed obits oA Bert Lyteil last week was the fact that the former “matinee idor* had cut quite s'figure in a “super special” bf some 30 years agp. This was Sir Half Caine’s “The Eternal City” in which he played David Rossi to the. late Barbara La Marr’s Donna Roma. The Samuel Goldwyn presentation (he had exited Goldwyn Pictures shortly before) was produced by George Fitz- maurice in 1924, but actually this was • remake, having first been screen ed in 1915 by Famous Players-Lasky with Pauline Frederick as the heroine.' The second “Eternal City” opened at the N. Y, Strand, where the. customers :were overwhelmingly of Latin Origin; in fact* they created quite a demonstration of acclaim when,- In an anachronistic Insert, Mussolini (then Italy’s premier) was shown .via newsreel clips posturing from his Roman balcony. Inclusion of the clip’ drew catcalls from enemies of the Duce, - among them Hall Caine himself, author of the famed novel on which the film was based. LyteH’s. as well as’ Miss La Marr.’s work in “Eternal” drew general kudos, Other principals were Lionel Barrymore, Richard Bennett and Montagu. Love, pic pioneers all, Ernest E. Blake, who retired as chairman of the board, of Kodak, Ltd;, last week, had been with the company 51 years and pioneered in the field of motion pictures in Great Britain. His first assignment, in 1903, was in the trade control department. Five years later he was in charge of all sales and technical service for the 35m cine filin Sent to Europe and overseas from Kodak, Ltd. He was made managing director in 1930 and board chairman in 1945.. Harold S. Carpenter takes over as board chairman in addition to contiriulng in his present post as managing director, I. D. Wratten, a director of Kodak, Ltd., and supervisor of motion picture, film sales in England, Europe , and India, has been named; a deputy managing director. Howard Pearl, United Artists' exploiter out of New York,: in Min- neapolis on behalf of "Sitting Bull,” got lengthy mention for himself and the picture in George Grim’s Morning Tribune column py promis- ing to have a bull sit down in front of the State Theatre Where the picture is showing. Pearl tried to make griod on .his premise, but failed. He succeeded in riding the bulL briefly after being tossed bff a couple of times and got it in front of the theatre. He coaxed and coaxed and the bull’s owners tried various devices to induce the bull to sit, but they finally had to give up. S, H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner, and Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox chief exec, will be chairman and honor guest, respectively, of the annual dinner concert of the American Fund for Israel Insti- tutions at the Waldorf Astoria, N.Y., Jan. 5, 1955. Event each year yields over $150,000, according to Edward A. Norman,' president of the Fund. It’s used . to support cultural institutions in Israel such as theatres, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Inbal Dance Company, art arid , archeology museums, etc. tion for Coluiribia release, ."Cockle- shell Heroes,” will be directed by Terence Young in England Allied Artists will film "Dangerous Assignment,”. Brian Donlevy ' star- rer, in Holly wood instead of I on- don as originally planried Doris Merrick returns to the screen for a role in Metro’s "Interrupted Melody” . . Dan O’Herlihy signed for one „ of the leads with Tony Curtis and Coleen Miller in UI’s "The Purple Mask” , . . David Brian will co-star with Marsha Hunt in Josef Shaftel’s "No Place to Hide;”" to be filmed in Manila Pre-production shooting on "Dad- records, tv and nierchandisirig, stressed that, 4 es pR e the lack of new Rogers pix in the theatres,, the western’s star’s drawing power was as potent as ever. "If Hollywood feels they don’t want that kind of drawing power, we’re now ready to go .ahead with our own production,” Rush said. He reported that the Rogers mer- chandising company this year alone will do a business amounting to around $35,000,000. The Rogers outfit is now on the. last lap of a five-months tour which; set many attendance records including one dySmg I^s” ^rtbd^ 7t mfiox ? the Canadian National Exhibi with Roland Petit handling the ■ tl0n - choreography .. . . Richard BoOrie will co-star with George Montgom- ery in "Robbers Roost,” to be co- )OC WAfmiNM • fKMtNt ooooooooooo produce.tf by Robert Goldstein and Robert. Jacks for United Artists release . . Boyd Morgan and Billy Williams joined the cast of "Jus tice Comes to Tomahawk” at UI . . . Anthony Caruso drew a role in Republic’s "Santa Fe Passage . . ; Bruce. Cowling plays a captain in the Audio Murphy starrer, "To Hell and Back” at UI . . . Deputy Sheriff Fred Foster signed as tech- nical advisor on William Wyler’s “The. Desperate Hours” at Para- mount ... UI signed Herbie Faye for a features part in Shrike.” Barbara Stanwyck will star' in “There’s Always Tomorrow/’ Ross Hunter production, starting in Jan- uary at U . . . Carl Hittleman will produce “Kentucky Rifle” under the Howco Productions banner Harry Frariklin joined the King Bros, production staff . . .. Joby Baker, Army private at Fort Car-, son, Colo., drew a rble .Warners’ “Target Zero” * Samuel G. Engel assigned to produce Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” for 20th-Fox . . . Columbia took over Stirling Siliphant’s package, “Five Against Rogers is president of Roy Rogers Frontiers Productions which was set up some three years ago on the Coast and now is taking on outside tv production deals,. Rush is exec producer of the out- fit arid Jack Lacey is in actual charge of production. Allied’s ‘Law’ Continued from page 5 Director Robert R. Parrish, now on the Paramount lot in Hollywood, footnotes Variety’s favorable review of his “The Purple Plain,” from London, that John Bryan rated the production credit on this J. Arthur Rank release of a Two Cities film; Parrish/who directed the Gregory Peck starrer, from an Eric Ambler screenplay, stresses the close col- laboration by all four on the film. The official Rank credits, however, merely credited Two Cities as the producer, with no accerit on Bryan’s individual contribution but it is included now at Parrish’s, suggestion. Donation of $15;000 to the Screen Directors Guild’s building fund has been made by the SDG Educational and Benevolent/Foundation, of v whiph David Butler is chairman. Contribution, with more to follow, will be used to buy equipment for the. new : $300,000 headquarters and theatre. Theatre will be designed for the showing of films in all wide-screen and 3-D systenris, the first film house of its kind in Southern California. Loriri D. Grignon, an engineer on the staff of 20th-Fox’s research department staff, has been awarded the 1954 Samuel' L. Warner Memorial Gold Award of the Society of Motion picture and Tele- vision Engineers, He’ll get it at a luncheon Oct. 18 in Los Angeles, during SMPTE’s 76th semiannual convention at the Ambassador Hotel. Allied Artists is making prints of “The/Bob Mathias Story” available to the U.S. Olympic Committee for special showings of the pic around the country. Proceeds to the fund for equipping arid transporting the Olympic team of 1956. IOOO< , TCCMNICOLOW aho STERCOeHOMIC SOUND iWCK CARSON: CHARLES BICKfDROS® *C««*M *k*v »» M.MICU ** VW SIDNEY UIFTNr flU.lCAk O.KCThON .AT ritlNMV . A TRANSCONA ENTCRraiSES mOO WARNER BROS. mw*<c a, haaouH MilN .nbiwTcwshwi** T0M1100NAN • MOSS HART • SIDNEY iyFTN7 • nccyeo mv ^ueiCAC. ciA(Ct»on by wav niiNMNf GEORGE CUKOR MlMNUO IV CONTINUOUS AT TWO THEATRES! PARAMOUNT B'way I 43 rd St ’'VICTORIA.- t'way t 46 th St. Mill) CUT MUSIC ML). - Rockefeller Center wwc lEniH-s “WHITE CHRISTMAS” in VltUVIslHR starring RING CROSBY •• DANNY KAYE ROSEMARY CLOONEY « VERA ELLEN Cetor by Technicolor * A Reromount Picturo •nd srtmcHui srm nunriniN and the antitrust division of its un- welcome duty of enforcing decrees "ThO I by means of contempt proceedings.” The bill is divided into seven sections, with the heart of the measure In section three (Excessive film reritals -prohibited), section four (Unfair trade practices) and section five (Powers and duties of the Agency). The remaining sec- tions include findings and declara- tion of policy, definition of indus- try. terms, enforcement provisions, and effective date (six months after its enactment). Under the subject of excessive film rentals,, the bill provides: It’s unlawful ;for a distrib : to charge or receive .an amount higher than that certified to the FTC as the maximum film rental for the class of picture and type of thea- tre involved in the transaction. Distribs will be required to file classifications with the Agency on each film, designating them by let- ters of the alphabet with “A” for Jthe best picture. At the same tirne, distribs shall also file designations of theatres such as firstruri large city, key neighborhood, subsequent run city, firstruri medium town and Expand Ted Allan Studio _i : i.; * i.i..— 1 pose of these classifications Is “to the House” Stephen Papich set as . choreographer on “Lord Vanity” at 20th-Fox . . . Virginia Grey and Ben Cooper drew fea- tured roles ' in Republic’s “The Admiral Hoskins Story” . V. Bene- dict Bogeaiis borrowed DaVid Farrar from J; Arthur Rank for One of the male leads in “Bow Tamely To Me” ... James Mitchell signed for dancing role in Rodgers - Hammerstgiri’s “Okla- homa” at Metro. Hollywood* Oct. 12. Reconstruction job i oh the Ted Allan studies, once a market, has provided two sound stages, 11 of- fices* seven cutting rooms, two prop rooms and a large enclosure for background sequences, Slated for early production are a theatrical film* Edward Wood’s ”The Vampire’s Tomb,” and the “Hank McCune Show” for tele- vision. establish reasonable classifications of pictures and theatres which will permit of the determination of the fairness and reasonableness of the maximum film rental filed with the Agency ...” To arrive atreasonabieclassifica- tions >>f films and theatres, distribs may lawfully confer with one an- other arid with representative groups of exhibitors “any provision of the antitrust laws to the con- trary notwithstanding,” or the FTC may call reps of distribs and exhibs together to a trade practice con- ference, to settle problems relating to the classification of films and theatres. Howeuer, it’s stressed that the immunity under the anti- trust law allowed shall not ex- tend to cooperation among distribs in fixing rentals. It’s recognized that soriie pictures are better attractions in Certain areas, and the distrib, with the ap- proval of the FTC, may allocate a particular picture' for a higher classification in some areas than in others./ * Maximum Rentals Maximum ' film rental filed for each picture-may be stated in terms of fiat rentals, percentage of gross receipts/ or any. combiriatlori of the two.. The distrib is permitted to ryn a suitable number of test runs of a picture before classifying it, but the information must be available to the FTC in .case the picture's classification is challenged. Listed as unfair trade practices and therefor unlawful. under the bill are: Setting' of the admission price by the distrib , as a con- dition to the sale of the picture. Granting any clearance . be- tween theatres not in substan- tial competition. Granting or enforcing any clearance that is .in excess of what is reasonably necessary to protect the licensee on the run granted . Conditioning the Sale of one picture on one or more addi- tional pictures. The act is designated ah ’anti- trust law within Section 4 of the Clayton Act authorizing actions for triple damages by persons injured in their business or property by reason of anything forbidden in the antitrust laws. The Federal Trade Commission is designated the 'enforcing agency and its duties include: To issue and serve on the dis- tribs a formal coriiplaint for viola- tions stating: the charges when complaints are received from 25 or more exhibs. The distrib shall enjoy the .right of judicial review.- If the FTC decides that the com- plaint is well foiinded, it shall serve a cease and desist order and pre- scribe the; fair arid reasonable ren- tal terms.. Methods 1 fpr 1 the FTC to, determine he maximum clas^Ifi- caiori for any picture are outlined* Should the act become iaiy. pro? Vision is made' ‘for, review after three years at which time the FTCJ shall submit to Congress its experi- ence with recommendations wheth- er the law should be strengthened or modified. United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc. COMMON STOCK Bought — Sold — Quoted Tweedy,BrowneS Reilly B2 Woli Street, Hew York S HAnover 2-4644