Variety (November 1954)

Vejnc8d>y> November 34» 1954 PICTURES ♦ M ♦ » ♦ ♦ » ♦ » » > ♦ ♦»»+♦»»♦♦ > »»»♦ 4 4 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ > » » ♦ ♦ ♦♦ !» ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ M ♦ f ♦ M ♦ # ♦ ♦ ♦ »»♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 4 444 4 4 4444 ^ Universal board chairjman Kate J. Biumbersr’s biggest regret was not making the Picture Pioneers’ annual dinner, for which purpose he returned to N.Y. after celebrating a long weekend in his home- town, Milwaukee, which, contributed to . that mild heart attack from which he is recuperating very nicely at Doctors’ Hospital. Because the N.Y. Fire Dept, pulmotor Was sumnioned, when he was stricken in his Sherry-Netherland apartment, that’s how it got on the wire services, and exaggerated .... Lionel .Barrymore’s musical fantasy, “All Baba and the 40 Thieves,” is a second Barrymore musical compo- sition the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will perform this season, says conductor Arthur Bennett Lipkln. 'Off-screen voices to synchronize,, with lip movements of top actors, as employed in “Carmen Jones” and “Aida,” represents a major step in.. solving opera for motion picture audiences, Sigmund Spaeth said in an interview with Elaine Droozon WPTR, Albany, last week. Of 21 U.S. shorts at Edinburgh Festival last summer two were from Center for Mass Communications at Columbia U. . . Erik Barnouw produced “Freedom to Read” and wrote “Home' Homicide" . . That 8:30 “sharp” opening night at “Desiree’' turned out to be 9:15, about par for a charity sponsorship. Frank D. Gilroy, who is 29, has a theatrical motion picture deal set for his television western, “The Last Notch,” produced on the U.S Steel Show last March. Script has been under a 90-day option to indie producers Russell Rouse-Clarence Greene (UA) who closed pur- chase over the weekend. Blanche Gaines agents Gilroy. A previous theatre-film buy of a tv drama, “Marty,” benefited Paddy Cheyievsky via Talent Associates . , Note stOry from New Orleans about new Draw Poker Films, Inc. formed by a lawyer there, George Leppert . first story is a melodrama about Red espionage in Madrid and Leppert has already asked okay to shoot scenes inside Conrad Hilton- operated Castellano Madrid. Paul N. Lazarus Jr., Columbia v.p., left N.Y. at the weekend With his wife for a swing of Paris, Rome and London . ... Piece in the current Woman’s Day mag by Hollis Alpert reports that, libraries have a run on a well known book immediately'following opening of the film version. It’s a situation now recognized in educational circles, he says . . . Max Weinberg is due in N.Y, Friday (26)* from Switzerland where he scripted the English version of “Heidi and Peter” for pro- ducer Lazar Wechsler . . It’s a sequel to last year’s “Heidi” and is represented as the first color film made in Switzerland. Sunday’s (21) N.Y. Journal-American (Hearst) gave a full page to a roundup On upbeat business conditions, headed “The Movies Come Back.” One article quotes figures on boxoffice trends (including some acknowledged as being from Variety. Another piece is in the form of an interview with Lobelia O. Parsons in which the columnist con- fesses she was right 30 years ago in praising the values of pictures of more than one ree l 'in length. Miss Parsons further admits that she-thought, in 1928, that sound would endure. Another chapter, in the full pager concerns the exhibitor who, it’s stated, “is getting better pictures but he wants more.” Italy’s Gina Lollobrigida last week hit the publicity jackpot, appear- ing on the covers of. Life and Look magazines the same week . . . Eric Johnston left Australia yesterday (Tues.) and is expected to arrive today in Manila where he will be joined by MPEA’s Irving Maas. Johnston is due in Tokyo Nov, 28 and is expected back in the U.S. Dec. 7 . . , “HoW The. Movies Get Their Money Out of Europe” is the. subject of a feature yarn by Ben Pearse in the current Sateve Post. It’s mostly concerned with telling about the industry’s compen- sation deals . . . Spyros P. Skouras enlivening his European “vacation” . With speeches before exhib groups in Britain, France, Italy,. Sweden, etc. He’s expected back in two to three weeks . J. Arthur Rank’s “His Excellency,” a Michael Balcon production, acquired by Joseph Brenner Associates for U.S. handling ... 20th i *Fox at one time hot after “Solid Gold Cadillac” as a vehicle for Marilyn Monroe. Now Columbia’s got it . . . Mike T6dd on the Coast huddled with Phil Reis- man, Todd-AO Productions prexy, on Todd’s'first widescreener, “Around the World in 80 Days” . . . Walter Reade circuit skedding “open house” sessions at its new. Mayfair House headquarters in Oakhurst, N.J. , . , Motion Picture Assn, of America reports a continuing flow of upbeat editorials on the industry . . . MPEA committee still hard at work trying to find a formula for divvying up Italian remittances . . . Bosley Crowther’s influence isn’t confined to the U.S. alone. A leading Swedish paper reprints his reviews in English on every important picture, reports Arthur pavls. t , London film distribution executive Ben Henry (he was formerly sales head for Universal in Britain) and his wife Ciss planning a slow boat through the Panama: Canal to Hollywood, as a variation of their U.S. holiday next January. After the Coast o.o., they’ll do New York, which is a reversal of their former schedule, and then sail back to England . . . A major film company is dickering with Jackie Gleason for a full-length feature of his “Honeymooners” tv sketches . Tv actress Olive Deering signed in New York for a role in Cecil B. De- Miile’s ‘‘Ten Commandments.” By GENE ARNEEL Distributors Corp. of America wiil establish a network of region- al, or states rights, releasing out- fits throughout the country as the medium through which the com- pany will channel its product to subsequent-run exhibitors, Charles Boasberg, DC A v.p,, disclosed this week. He made the statement in answer to a trade impression, as reported last week, that DCA in- tended to concentrate on sale of its product only to the tall money- yielding theatres in key situations. Company intends to. have only about four branch offices and will sell direct to a few thousand dates, according to Boasberg. The balance will be handled by the states righters. (DCA is the exhib-owned, newly- formed outfit, headed by Fred J. Schwartz, whose purpose is to “cause to be produced”- and to dis- tribute indie pix. Its first, 'Long John Silver,” produced in Australia by Joseph Kaufman, is skedded for handling in February .) Fact that DCA planned to li- cense its product, directly only to major situations touched Off some adverse comment in major dis- tributor circles. Beef was that the company was attempting a modus operandi which, if adopted by the majors, would draw howls from the same exhibs who are backing DCA. Boasberg stated with emphasis that all the theatremen will be served by his operation. As for servicing the. larger houses direCt- (Continued on page 20) Martin: When Do Salesmen Twentieth-FOx policy of working opt flat rental deals with lowercase theatremen, as stated by Al Licht- man, has gone over just fine With theatremen,: except for one thing. Lichtman, the beef goes, hasn’t told his own sales personnel about it. The distribution exec over a re- cent period declared that Cinema- Scope product woUld be sold on non-percentage terms to exhibitors Whose weekly gross didn’t exceed $ 1 , 000 . ’ E. D. Martin, new president of Theatre Owners of America, stated in N. Y. last week that he person- ally heard from theatremen in Charlotte, Atlanta and St. Louis and they had the same complaint. Namely, 20th’s exchange reps, not otherwise instructed, have been re- fusing deals on the flat-rental basis. Martin urged that lUchtman send a directive to his people which spells out the company’s policy. ROSSEN'S LONDON TEST Will Then Make Up Mind, C’Scope Versus Vista Vision Robert. Rossen, director-producer of the upcoming “Alexander . the Great;” left N. Y. Monday (22) for London, where he’ll experiment with both the CinehiaSCope. and VistaVision processes. He plans to hir€ a few British actors just for the purpose of taking test footage to determine which of the two sys- tems—he says he likes them both —is the more compatible with his style of turn-calling;, Rossen Will Ideation the film in Spain With production slated to roil Jan. 15. While in N. Y. he signed Richard Burton for the top role. The player has 20th-Fox com- mitments but is not under a steady studio Contract, consequently no loanout arrangement was required. Balance of the casting Is pencilled in for within. the next month “Alexander” will be released by United Artists. Anthony DaWson signed to per- sonal management deal by Kurt Frings. Embarrassment, 1954 The days when: a producer would brag about, bringing in his picture at a reasonable Cost are gone. Filmmaker who leiised a pic abroad Was asked, recently about his budget. He declined to reveal it.-“It’s under $1,000,- 000,” he explained. “With all those $2,000,000 and $3,000,- 000 films around, our figure just wouldn't, look right.” Harry Brandt will assume opera tion oh Thanksgiving Day of the Loew’s 86th St. Theatre, N. Y., a house that the theatre chain has been forced to divest, Loew’s The atres shuttered the situation on Sunday (21) and it’ll remain dark until tomorrow (Thurs.). Divestiture of the 86th St. The atre leaves Loew’s with three the- aters to go to fulfill the require ment of the Government’s consent decree judgment. Under the Fed- eral order, the chain w&& required to lop off 24 houses. This is the third former Loew theatre to go to Brandt. He for merly acquired the Loew’s Yon kers, Yonkers, : N Y., and the Loew’s Victory in the Bronx. Addition of the 86th St. to the TBrandt interests makes a total of 1.10 theatres receiving bookings from the Harry Brandt booking of- fice. Another former Loew’s house, the Burnside in the Bronx, went to the J&J Circuit several weeks ago. In all, Loew’s has shed some 14 theatres in the • New York metropolitan area. Two—the Bed- ford in Brooklyn and the Woodside in Queens—were sold to churches. Ibry Editor Alan Jackson liai hit own reason? In Defense of the Synopsis one of the many bylino pieces in the 49 th Anniversary Number of PfiniETY Washington, Nov. 23. Federal Communications. Com- mission staff is working on prelim- inary studies ,to provide a basis for high level consideration of ac- tion on home-toll video. Variety learned. However, possibility of hearings appears to be months away. Chairman George C. McCon- naughey has arranged for all seven commissioners to be. present at the commission’s regular meeting next week to discuss various policy , mat- ters which have been accumulat- ing. If the staff has made suffi- cient progress with its studies, it’s likely that subscription tv will be on the agenda. First procedural step toward authorizing toll-tv would be to in- vite . comments, on various pro- posals Which are before the com- mission, including Skiatron, Phohe- yision, UHF groups, and individual broadcasters. Extent of opposition to these proposals, as well as legal and tech' nlcal difficulties involved in per- mitting broadcasters to use their channels for a pay service would have .great weight in determining whether the hearings would be (Continued on page 15) . , Exhib, Turned Producer, Encounters Sales Nix From Fellow Exhibs Minneapolis, Nov. 23, W. R. Frank, local theatre cir- cuit owner and occasionally a producer, seems to be getting the cold shoulder from his fellow in- dependent exhibitors with respect to his latest feature. At least, , neighboring theatres in the earli- j est 28-day clearance slot have shied away from that film, al- though. it ran downtown for two Weeks to good business. Of 12 such houses only two took “Sitting Bull,” and one was a Frank theatre. There’s some resentment among Frank’s local exhibitor friends be- because of the 30% terms for “Sit? ting Bull” In the subsequent runs, the general feeling seeming to be that the picture’s quality and prob- ably comparatively low cost doesn’t entitle it such terms! United Artists, distributing “Sit- ting Bull,” insists that its boxoffice performance entitles it to the same percentage as other C’Scope pic- tures. The turnover in honieoffiCe em- ployees, particularly in the clerical arid secretarial categories, is now “moderately normal,” according to a survey of film company person- nel chiefs. This is in. sharp con- trast to the situation that existed two years ago when the homeof- fiqes experienced considerable dif- ficulty in obtaining and holding on to office help. The lure of better paying jobs in other industries during a “sell- ers market” for-the labor supply served as hefty competition for the film business. The glamor, supposed- ly connected with the film indus- try, no longer attracted impres- sionable young femmes who ap- peared more interested in the size of their paycheck than in the pos- sibility of “being discovered” “associating” with film stars. To be sure, there are some who are still influenced by the so-called glamor of the job, but the main consideration is the, taker home Day and other benefits. According to the personnel toppers questioned, the wages paid, by the film industry “compare most favorably with area practice” at this. time. During the past two years there has been an improvement in film; industry wage scales and. they have been brought “more in line” with those of ' (Continued on page 16) Hollywood, Nov. 23. Jack L. Warner has reaffirmed an open door policy toward inde? pendent producers with talent and ideas and declared that his studio is financing an “industry record number of such productions and has numerous more deals of that nature in progress.” He mentioned 21 • top Inde pendent pictures just completed, in production or in preparation. Indianapolis, Nov. 23. Theatre operators and managers were urged to maintain private offices that reflect success, This suggestion Was made by Ervin J. dumb, manager of the Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee. Chimb, a guest panelist at Metro's second Ticket Selling Workshop here, said' the appearance of the office played an important part in dealing with local business men on tieup cam- paigns. , dumb, Who has been successful in inducing local stores to share the cost of full-page advertising, told how he approaches the Owners and managers of the business houses. “First, I am thoroughly convinced, when I have a picture which costs millions of dollars to produce, that I also have, an im- portant'property for them to use and to promote what they want to sell. Then I tell the men who will make the decision that I don’t want to take his time at his busy office to tell him about it; I tell him he will be free from interruption if he Will come and see me. This lets me remain at my desk and run my theatre. “When a merchant comes to see me, 1 have everything at. hand with which to impress him, including, more than $100,000 Worth of tear sheets of recent successful coop- erative ads which have benefited other merchants in tieups with my theatre. When I explain it in this manner, he is glad' to cooperate and when he enters into the team in the belief he is going to get real benefit out of it, he, in turn, merchandises his investment and really makes , a tremendous profit in every case. Therefore I have nothing to apologize for when I offer a merchant the opportunity to tie his store to Hollywood.” ‘This Is Cinerama’ Cost Of $963,996 Amortized 100% The production cost ($963,996) of the first Cinerama film, “This Is Cinerama”’ was completely amortized as of January, 1954. The amortization started Sept. 30, 1952, on the basis of 21 weeks at 1%, 22 weeks at lVi%> and 23 weeks at 2%.