Variety (October 1954)

Upbeat note in their balance 4- sheets has the American film com- panies once again: ogling the Broadway legit market for pos- sible, play investments. Pix outfits are avidly reading scripts of upcoming legit presen- tations with a double view to ty- ing up screen rights and getting . a financial stake in plays that seent to shape as hits* Story edir tors in N. Y. last week, agreed that they’re on the lookout for stage properties and that, when a likely prospect comes around, the com- petition. is keen. Seen as good bets in; the current Broadway lineup' are “Pajama Game',” which carries a $1,000,000 asking price; "The Fragile Fox,” a war yarn; “King of Hearts,” a. comedy, and- “Reclining Figure/’ also a comedy. . Metro already has/ snagged screen rights to . three current plays, “Tea and Sympathy,” “Tea- house of the August Moon” and “The Tender Trap/’ Paramount made a film of “Sabrina Fair’’ and has trie ’ rights to “Desperate. Hours,’’ which is due on Broad- . Situation on. that one is curi- in that Par owned the eights to the novel on which the play is based. Par furthermore is bringing out “My Three Angels/’ •Which it bought in Paris in the French version. 20th-F0x has “Dan-Can.” Universal which bought “The Shrike” for $90,000, is frankly eager to find other plays, land Maurice Bergman, U eastern story .(Continued on page 10) Mark Bushner Heads Up Studios’ Pension Scheme Hollywood,; Oct. 19. Mark Bushner resigned as labor relations director at RKO to* take the post of administrator of the film industry’s new pension plan which goes into effect next week. Both labor and management ap- proved the appointment unanim- ously. Pension plan, in negotiation for more than a year,,.will benefit more than 18,000 in motion picture and allied industries. Court Asked to End ifflfiMljfiTlToffjfEi ‘Director’ Screen Tag Lbs AngeleS, bet. 19. Music directors existed more than 300 years before motion pic- tures arid motion picture directors were even thought of, Ray Heim dorf charged yesterday (Mon.) in a precedental Superior Court suit for declaratory relief and dairiages of $220,000 against the Screen Direc- tors Guild and each of its directors. Unsecured For the fourth time in the last decade Metro has pro- duced a feature film without musical background. Preview of “Bad Day at Black Rock” revealed no score and it was learned, that no score will be added. Three other Metro pictures In the past were similarly without musical backing. Only drums were used in “King Solomon’s Mines” and “Mo- gatnbo;” In “Executive Suite” the background consisted only gongs from a big clock, were heard. Warner Brothers also is named a defendant in the action filed to re- store Heindorf’s screen credit as music director but no monetary damages were asked of the studio, An extra $20,000 ,|s asked in Heindorf-s suit to coyer loss of credit on “Young in Heart.” If this. point is upheld individual members of the SDG might be held financially accountable by each music director for screen credit lost as a result of the contract with producers, Litigation, brought by the firm Of Gang, Kopp .& Tyre on behalf of the veteran film music director, brings into the open a long-smoul- dering controversy which has been raging since the major studios signed a collective bargaining agreement with the Screen Direc- tors Guild In 1948. One clause in that contract provides that the pro- ducers “will not grant to any in- dividual, other than a Director, any screen or paid advertising credit, which includes the word ‘direc- tor’.” By FRED HIFT Universal, which owns none of its own showcases abroad, is aim- ing to expand its policy of 'chan- neling all of its product to one or two houses in a given foreign sit- uation, Americo Aboaf, U’s foreign sales manager, reported in N. Y. Monday (18). Aboaf had returned two days earlier from a 10-week. swing through Europe and the Far and Near East, starting out; with U.’s general sales convention in Tokyo over Which he presided and; which, by all accounts, was hangup success. . On the basis of his observations, Aboaf said American films in all the areas he visited were .unques- tionably holding on to their siz- able lead over all other countries’ product and that, with a few ex- ceptions, the cutdown in Holly- wood production hadn’t made it- self felt as yet in the foreigri pjar- ket. He added that this was not surprising since, unlike U., S. ex- hibs who must do primarily with domestic fare, , their international confreres are in a position to draw on native pix and other imports. Aboaf stressed that, in Europe particularly, “only the big films do business.” He didn’t think that much was to be gained by a con- solidation of American companies’ exchange facilities in the foreign market. “The''savings aren’t worth giving up your individuality,” he explained. Policy of tying up with a single house for the entire year's product isn’t new for U, but so far has been confined to comparatively few situations. On his trip, Aboaf set several new deals of this kind, arid he said the company was seek- ing to expand such arrangements. “It’s good for us,” he commented, “because we are sure of our outlet and the house , we want. For the exhibitors it’s an advantage in that he doesn't have, to worry about product.” Manner of this cooperation isn’t frozen into a steady pattern. In one. spot, for instance, U splits its product among three first-runs, all owned by the same man* Else- where, two houses share the U output. Company is.in a position to go through with such a policy since it continues to have sufficient product, Aboaf explained. Orient Too Fluid U exec saw a need for improv- ing and expanding the Far Eastern market but said it Was difficult; to suggest a definite course of ac- tion due to social, political and economic factors, “It’s been sug- gested that we acquire more thea- tres in the Far East,, but who is going , to invest his money; tinder the present circumstances?’’ he asked. The area was well worth developing, but for .the moment it can be done only via "better con- tacts and more intensive distribu- tion efforts/’ he suggested. Aboaf found Bangkok, Siam, one of the most thliving, film markets (Continued on page 18) What’s the world of motion pic-: tures coming to? The, new shooting and projecting processes on view at present are “only the, begin- ning/’ says Barney Balabari, presi- dent of Paramount. For example, it’s conceivable that Par’s VistaVision process in the future will be put .to use for pictures of such dimension that they’ll run in some theatres six months to a year and would be akin to Cinerama and the upcom- ing Todd-AO. Auguring this, he added, is a new 90-degree camera lens ndw being developed by Zeiss which would fit in with the Y’Vision principle of double-frame photography by which the area of “taking” film is twice the standard size, Camera’s cohe of vision with V’Vision now is the regular 60 degrees; Par prez insisted, in effect, that he wds only speculdkin but the fact that work: ' ing on on the Zeiss tens was regarded as placing, the kin sized roadshows and marathon runs in the. definite realm. of possibility. What’s to be the ultimate in screen presentation? Loren Ryder, Par’s engineering topkick, offers an answer: “It all depends on the see-. ing capability of the audience. There’s ^ a certain point to be reached and after that there’s a diminishing return.” The comments were made by Balaban-and Ryder following the opening of Par’s “White Christ- inas” at Radio City Music Hall, N. Y. An advanced feature of V’Vision is being employed in this engagement, whereby the release print of the film travels horizontal- ly through the booth machine and two frames are thrown on the screen in place of one. This type of projection, the execs stressed, is advantageous only for unusually large screens where some lighting might otherwise be lost. Ryder said only 28 houses have serpens over 60 feet in width and those measuring between 50 and 60 num- ber less than 100. He added he sees no reason to use it at other houses. Music "Hall's screen is 59Vfc-by-32 feet. In production 35m film is used, exposing two frames at a time. (Continued on page 18) ALAN LADD COMPANY IN LINK TO WARNERS Hollywood, Oct.. 19. Warners, closed a long-term pro- duction and distribution with Alan Ladd’s Jaguar Productions calling for an unspecified number of films, in some of which Ladd will star. New deal goes into effect wrieri Ladd completes his top role in “Drum Beat,” Jaguay’s first pro- duction for release by Warners. Fewer Releases All Run High Ed Grainger’s Untitled $1,500,000 First Feature Hollywood, Get. 19. Edmund Grainger Productions closed a deal for .the distribution of the. first of its six forthcoming indie pictures through RKO. Initial production, still untitled, goes into .Work Jan. 15 with a budget of $1,500,000. It will be: filmed in Technicolor and wide-screen. Company’s second production will be “Oh,' Promised Land/’ based on the James Street novel; Film starts in May With Alan Ladd likely to star, / By GENE ARNEEL Board of directors of Theatre Owners of America, meeting with- in the framework of a general membership convention in Chicago Oct. 30-Nov. 4, will unhesitatingly turn down j petition for support of Allied States’ projected pitch for Government intervention in the film business. Informal sound- ing-out of some TOA-ers makes this clearly evident, Allied reps have asked TO A president Walter Reade for back- ing of it’s Allied’s, program of ask-, ing Departrrient of Commerce con- trol on film rentals if, in the next three months, the distributors fail to satisfy Allied that 'adequate relief ffom “excessive” film : costs is riot forthcoming. Reade said he’d refer this to the TOA froard. A pulse-taking at this date makes it obvious that the TOA-ers feel they’ve already had too much experience with “Government” to want anymore. Orie importantly- placed TOA rep put. it this way: “If the Government could do any- thing, we’d be obligated. But, in the first place, I fail to see how it can.” Comments from TOA people underline one heretofore undram- atized but ultra significant fact; The major members of this ex- hibitor organization have had a full, arid (to them) distasteful, share of business with the Gov- ernment. These are operators of the circuits which now are inde- pendent but which, until the De- partment of Justice won its case in the U. S. A, vs. Paramount, (Continued on page I8> Pattern of industry operations today works against the; small, in- die exhib, the sales topper of one of the major distribs admitted this week in N. Y, Asked Whether he thought there was some justification to all of the complaints voiced at the Allied convention in Milwaukee last week, he answered. With a posi- tive "yes/’ A number of distribution execs, while loath to say so in public, privately will admit that motion pictures is no longer a little man’s business. At the same time, they’re voicing concer over the steadily rising costs of top films which puts on producers arid distributors a responsibility greater than any in the past.,. “When you have only a coi paratively few films to handle, and each of them is saddled with a budget running into the millions, you can’t fool around/’ was one frank distrib comment. ‘/With the situation what it is today, we’re here to sell, and sell hard, to insure a proper return. There’s very little room for flops now- adays.” It’s in the nature of things that, realizing the extent of the risk, the companies are coricentrating oin the key situations and the cir- cuits which deliver them their top coin! There isn’t a single distribu- (Continued on page 20) Past Promises Not Always Kept, But New Pact Assures U,S, $4,000,000 Windfall Compensation deals for $3,900,- 000, covering the Motion Picture Export Assn.’s entire accumulated funds in Argentina, have been ar- ranged by Robert Corkery, MPEA exec in charge of Latin America Corkery returned to N. Y, last Week following a two-month stay in his territory, with most of his time spent in Buenos Aires to work out details of the arrangement which involves the sale of scrap iron. • Swap deals in ’54 took in $1,070,- 000 earlier this yeai* arid $1,872,000 on his last trip. In allowing re- mittance of $4,000,000 since Nov., 1953, the Peron government in ef- j feet took care of the entire 77,000,- 1 000 peso allotment for the Ameri- can compahies to June, 1956. Un- der the film agreement negotiated by MPEA-prexy Eric Johnston in 1951, $5,500,000—^at the rate of $1,100,000 annually could be trans- ferred; Figuring in the discount, that brought it to $4,000,000. Lat- ter total includes $1,100,000 for 1954 as the regular remittance. Film biz is said to be extremely fortunate in getting this kind of deal from the Argentines; Apart from the remittances, 50% of the U. S. earnings are invested locally. The current deal provides for an exchange rate of 1916 pesos to the dollar. That’s higher than the of- ficial rate, but. a good deal more favotable than the 28 peso unoffi- cial rate. Counting the current Argentine windfall, and the Bra- zilian rernittances earlier this year* the U. S, film take from these two countries alone should run to about $25,000,000 in 1954. Share of Ads on ‘La Lupa’ During World, N.Y. Run Whether indie producer Jules Levey Is liable for advertising ex- penses, incurred in connection with the run of his Italian import, “La Lupa” (“The She Wolf”), at the World Theatre, N. Y, early this year is the crux of a suit before N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Mat- thew M. Levy. Jean Goldwurm and the Perfecto Amusement Corp., Who operate the World, are suing LeVey for $5,672 as. the latter’s share of the promitional budget. Under a January, 1954, contract, the papers, disclosed, "La Lupa” was to have a 10-week run at trie World witri a $12,000 rental guar- antee and advance. Advertising ex? penses were to be recouped out of Levey’s share. From Feb,. 17 through April 13, it’s asserted, some $9,193 was sperit on advertis- ing of which Levey allegedly owes $6,962, less $1,290 he : previously tiad paid. In making a general denial of the charges, Levey has filed a counter claim for $11,290. Con- tending that Goldwurm and Per- fecto breached the contract, trie producer maintains that he isn’t liable for ad expenses because the plaintiffs gave the public the ini-, pression that trie film would play less than 10 weeks at trie World. He Wants $10,000 from Droidwurm and PerfectO for “misiriforming the public” plus return of his $1,290. “La Lupa,” ^incidentally, is now being distributed by Republic as “The She-Wolf” under a deal with Levey. A Ponti-De Laurentiis pro- duction, it stars Kerima. She was starred as the native girl in trie British-made. “Outcast of the Is- lands,” ON‘TOAST’DEC. 12 “The Jack L. Warner Story” has been skedded for Dec. 12 presen- tation on Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” tv show, Warner him- self will appear on the program. Sullivan said yesterday (Tues.) that the Warner biog wiy probably originate from N. Y. Just as on the prior “Zapuck Story,” toast to Warner will include a number of clips from WB pix past, present* and future.