Variety (December 1954)

12 INTERNATIONAL 'VANITY'S' LONDON OPPICI • St. Martin's Placa, Trafalgar Sauara West End Still Bright; Shall Not’ Fine $8,400, ‘Pagan’ Smash 11G, 2d, ‘Lagoon Lively 8G, Xmas’ 8%, 4th London, Dec. 14. ♦ Tlie brisk pace of ftrstrun busi- ness, which has been a feature of West End theatpas through most of the year, continues without let- up. Strong newcomers in the last session included “Sign of the Pagan," which did a sock $11,000 in the second week at the Odeon, Leicester Square, after a smash initial round; "A Lion Is in the Streets," with a surprise $10,000 or over likely opening weak at the Warner, and the British made "Sea Shall Not Have Them," which is heading for a fine $8,400 in preesn atarza at the Oaumont. Also unusually stout is "Crea- ture from Black LagooiK” at Lon- don Pavilion. It looks to get $8,000 opening week. Holdover biz also is sturdy with "Garden of Evil," okay $7,000 in its third session at the Odeon, Marble Arch. Standout is "White Christ- mas" with a big $8,500 in its fourth Piaza round. Estimates for Last Week Carlton <20th) (1.128; 55-$1.70) "Broken Lance" (20th) 4th wk). Fair $4,500. Previous round was $4,900. "Long John Silver” (20th) preems Dec. 17. Casino (Indie) (1,337; 70-$2.15)— "Cinerama” (Robin) (5th wk) Get- ting okay $11,000. Empire (M-G) (3,099; 55-$1.70)— "Beau Brummell" (M-G) (4th wk). Fair $11,000. "Under Caribbean" (BL) and "Make Me An Offer" (BL) opens Dec. 9. Ganmont (CMA) <1.500; 50-$1.70) —"Sea Shall Not Have Them" (Erros). Set to do solid $8,400. "Svengali" )Renown) opens Dec. 18. Leicester Square Theatre 4CMA) (1,53; 50-$1.70)—"Magnificent Ob- session" (GFD) (3d wk). Finishing run at good $8,000 after $6,500 last week. "Phffft" (Col) preems Dec. 9. London Pavilion (UA) (1,217; 50- $1.70)—"Black Lagoon" (GFD). Heading for fine $8,000 or near. Stays. Odeon, Leicester Square (CMA) $2,200; 50-$1.70)—"Sign of Pagan (GFD) (2d wk). October $11,000 looms, sock. Smash $12,000 in open- ing week was $12,000. "One Good Turn (GFD) bows in Dec, 16. Odeon, Marble Arch (20th) , (2,200; 50-$1.70) "Garden of Evil" (20th) (3d wk). Dipping to okay $7,000 or near. Previous week $8,900. "Long John Silver" (20th) opens day date with the Carlton Dec. 17. Plasa (Par) (1,092 ; 70-$1.70)— "White Christmas" (Par) (4th wk) Still big at about $8,500. Con- tinues. Rialto ,20th) (992; . 50-$1.30)— "The Egyptian" (20th). Hitting average $3,000 or more. Stays. Rltu 4M-G) ($432; 50-$1.70)— "Barefoot Contessa" (UA) (3d wk) Nice $3,200. Continues. Warner (WB) (1,735; 50-$1.70)— "Lion in Streets" (WB>. Likely to top okay $10,000 in first and only week. "Carrington, VC" (IFD) opens Doc. 9. Sir Henry L* French (D’r«c>*r Gtnmrai »f Brkith Hlmt Pr*Ww««ra Amu.) kos kit ewa Ideo of o progroM of Films for Children Only * • * on iotorosHof kytlao piece la the apceailaf 49th Annivertary Number of OUT SOON More West German Fix Nearly Doubles Biz At East Germany's Cinemas Berlin, Dec. 7. According to statistics hero, there "has been a strong increase of film theatre attendance figures within the last three years in Soviet-occupied Germany. There were 260,000,000 patrons this year as against 210.000,000 in 1953 and 140,000,000 patrons in 1952. West German observers say the reason for this upbeat lies in the fact that there are more and more films from West Germany and other western countries being shown in East Germany. Some of the foreign pix cur- rently running in this part of Ger- many include "Clochemerle,” "La Respecteuse Prostitute," "Les Va- cances de M. Hulot," "Monsieur Taxi," all French pix; Italy’s "Vul- cano" and "A Penny Worth of Hope"; England’s "Pickwick Pa- pers" and "Moulin Rouge"; the Swedish films, "One Summer of Happiness" and "Ardent Loves of My Youth." The number of West German films shown in East Ger- many is particularly big. Other statistics reveal that 1,133 export orders for Gertaan films were fulfilled during the distribu- tion year 1953-54. Leading fcere Skouras, In London For CScope Anni, Sees Eidophor As Cinema B.O. Aid Ernest Turnbull Mmnm fine t>irtf»r mf NmyTt T kit ft IN. mmd Chmirmmn •# 20th C •*- fury-fox FUm$ (AvttrmHm) details the hew end whyfere ef CinemaSco pe — Australia's Anchor Against TV e * * a bylina piece la the fertkcemlaf 49th Annivertary Number ef * PGSTETy DUE SOON (45), United States 44), Italy (18), England (17), Middle apd South American countries (42), Canada Irish Censorshqi .Getting Tougher Dublin, Dec. 7. Distributors'here are complain- ng that censorship under Martin Brennan, who took office from Richard Hayes on the letter’s re- _ tirement earlier this year, is get- Turkey (26)’, Portugal (24), Norway ting tougher. Recently, "Barefoot Finland 16». Contessa" (UA) has run into a hassle over last reel scenes re cently while "The Young Lovers’ (GFD) was scissored to shorten kissing scenes and take out some dialog. The Kinematograph Renters’ So- ciety here has protested to the censor on his severity. One mem ber says that increased severity is shown by the increase in number of appeals going before Appeals Board—not over rejections but be- cause of censor’s demands for scissoring. Current Appeal Board schedule shows five appeals in two weeks. Leggy dance sequences are in- clined to arouse censor’s ire in musicals and he has been cracking down on so-called "excessive bru- tality." Publicity on pix al6o has been coming in for some heavy bluepencll work. The film trade does not seem to have much public sympathy on their protests. The general view current i6 that the censorship is “not too bad” and "some pictures have been asking for scissoring/' CScope in 2, 1 European Houses Paris, Dec. 14, First annl of C’Scope in France the German-speaking countries— i s this month, and figures show a Austria (182), the Saar (165), Swit- steady growth in boxoffice ingtalla- zerland (120), Luxembourg (106), tlons all over France and the Con- Holland (86►, Belgium (53), France tinent. As of now, there are 401 C’Scope houses in France, with 2,089 throughout Europe. About 123 houses are now being outfitted (41), Sweden^ <32), Denmark (28), | for CScope.' Most of them have stereophonic sound, but Perspecta has also made inroads, 55 houses using it. Most films have been from 20th- Fox but Warners has had two and Metro is preparing an Xmas Issue of "Knights of the Round Table." Top grosser with 104 bookings was "The Robe’’ (20th) with $1,473,000. Next was "How to Marry a Million- aire" (20th), in 80 spots, for $399,- $$$, "Khyber Rifles” (20th), $384, 000 for 41 runs, ‘Twelve Mile Reef" (20th), 61 spots, $342,000. Others have since come out, in eluding "Garden of Evil" (20th), "The Command" (WB) and "Rich ard the Lion Hearted" (WB). A Gallic anamorphoscope proc ess already haa been used for L’Or Des Pharoans" ("Gold of the Pharoahs." It is called Cine- panoramic. This also will be the process on "Hunchback of Notre Dame." Two pix are rolling in CScope, with 20th-Fox to disfrib, the Franco-German "Oasis" and Gallic "Fortune Carre" See Higher Brit Film Earnings Hurting U. S. London, Dec. 14. At a Savoy luncheon to celebrate the first anni of Cinemascope in Great Britain, Spyros P. Skouras, the 20th-Fox topper, gave details of the progress being made with Eidophor, the theatrical television process which he acquired in Swit- zerland some time ago. Full scale demonstrations of the process were promised within the next few months. Skouras forecast that the devel- opment of this process would stim- ulate an even greater return to the theatre than had been accom- plished by C’Scope in the course of a year. He anticipated it would lead to a new enthusiasm on the part of the picturegoing public. In a brief resume of the develop- ment of C'Scope, the 20th-Fox chief pointed out that when "The Robe" was screened in September last year, only one theatre in the U. S. had been retooled with the anamorphic system. The total had mounted and by last Nov. 27, 9,771 theatres had befcn equipped throughout America. Not only were they making all their prod- uct in that medium, but every ma- jor producer, with the exception of Paramount, also was filming some pix in Cinemascope. And to meet the quota requirements of British exhibitors there would be eight to 10 British-made anamor- phic films each year. Skouras also confirmed that his studios were now developing a new wideangle anamorphic lens which would have a radius of 80 degrees against the present 65 to 70 de- grees. The aim was to continue developing until 20th-Fox had achieved an angle of at least 120 degrees, which would enhance the visual appeal of every CScope pro- duction. London, Dec. 7. The peak earnings being racked up by British pix in the domes- tic market, which are .currently running approximately 25% ahead of the same period last year, are hurting the bexofilce take of for- eign imports and mainly at the ex- pense of Hollywood product. This is the Informed trade opin- ion based on returns and an anal- ysis prepared by the British Film I the I Mex Hotelmen Agree To Give 4 % of Gross Biz To Plug Tourist Trade Mexico City, Dec. 7. Hotelmen in Mexico made his- tory at their annual convention in Acapulco when they voted to con- tribute 4% of their gross take to help the goveVnmant finance an intensified tourist trade publicity drive. The government recently allowed hotels to hike their tariffs 15%. This is the first time in Mex- ican history that hotelmen have backed tourism with their coin as a unit. The 4% donation was formally accepted for the government by Gustavo Ortiz Hernan, chief of the administration’s tourist depart- ment. The hotelmen figure the 4% contribution will amount to about $16,000,000 annually. Hernan revealed that the drive m ill use radio-tv as well as litera- ture in newspapers and mags, all aimed primarily at attracting the U. S. tourist, but with attention to Canada, Europe and Latin-Amer- lea. Uruguay Feie Prize To Pic Best for S. America London, Dec. 7. An innovation is to be intro- duced at next 'month’s Film Festi- val at Punta Del Este in Uruguay, ^which will Operate for all future fetes in §outh America. There is to be a prize for the most suit- able film for the South American market. The Festival runs from Jan. 14 to Jan. 31. The • British Film Producers Assn., which has been invited to nominate three pix for screening at the Festival, have named John Sutro as its official delegate. It also has been urged by the Uru- guayan ambassador in London to send a strong star contingent. Brit. Lion Studio Co. Passes Common Divvy London, Dec. 14. With a drop in profits from $187, 600 in 1953 to $44,300 for the year ended last March 31, the British Lion Studio Co., which operates the Shepperton Studios, is passing paymeat of their common stock dividend. Last year dividend dis- tribution cost the company around $32,000. The company is a subsidiary of British Lion Film Corp., which has been in the hands of a receiver and manager since the National Film Finance Corp. foreclosed earlier in the year. The board re- ports that confab is proceeding with the NFFC in regard to related debts and to insure the continu ance of the company’a studios. Production Fund, the company re- sponsible for distributing the coin paid by exhibitors into the Eady pool. It is emphasized, however, that the British pic receipts in elude the earnings of films made in this country by the American majors, and some of these have been top grossers during the past year. Total cumulative rentals earned (Squared Fortune). Fodor’s ’Chimney’ Opens In Edinburgh Jan. 31 Edinburgh, Dec. 7. Joan Greenwood and D^vld Knight are aet for leading roles ^ in "The Moon and the Chimney," by British films for the year ended new play by Hungarian playwright July 31 last were slightly in ex- Ladislaus Fodor, which will have cess of $20,600,000, and that figure Ra world preem at the Lyceum was roughly $550,000 better than here Jan. 31. Miss Greenwood is in the previous year. recently back from Hollywood, In the first quarter of the new where she filmed w’ith Stewart Eady accounting year, Aug. 1 Granger and George Sanders in th * total soared to over “Moonfleet” for Metro. Knight is $5,745,000 is against $4,603,000 the young Boston, Mass., thesper for the same quarter in 1953. w h 0 starred in the new British Of the total rentals accruing to fl i m “The Young Lovers." British & ± r th * lait «“ ar , ter ’ Another new play for Edinburgh over $5,300,000 was earned by fea- will be the Edwardian comedy, "A tures and the remainder by shorts. K ind of Folly," starring Flora In the previous year, future film Robson and Jean Kent. It opens ^ n ^ 8 ^ m ° unted t0 ju8t 0V * r at the Lyceum Feb. 7, also under * .. » . . , the Sherek banner. Author is Owen Partly as a result of the higher Holder earnings, but mainly because of the lower Eady levy in operation .. ~ at that period, the payoff to pro- British Mfty LCIlSOr ducers from that fund has been sliced to 23%, whereas the average for the whole of 1953 topped 36%, and In 1954 was 34%. Stross, British ludie, Plans $700,000 Musical London, Dec. 14. Independent film producer Ray- mond Stross, who has been mak- ing "As Long As They’re Happy,” with Jack Buchanan, Jean Carson, Jerry Wayne and Diana Dors,- is planning a $700,000 musical pic for next year. Stross is flying to Hollywood in a few weeks to open negotiations with Donald O’Connor for the male lead. Jean Carson and Diana Dors are to play main feature roles. Sam Coslow is wilting the music. Dirty Film Posters London, Dec. 7. A warning to the picture indus- try that censorship may be ex- tended to film posters if the Indus try’s pledge to clean them up is not observed was made by Arthur T. L. Watkins, secretary of the British Board of Film Censors, when addressing the British Kine- matograph Society in London. Watkins charged a number of industryites with trying to cash in on the "X” certificate (adults only), and exploit the fact that "X" stands for sex and advertise "for adults only" In letters six feet high. Although he emphasized that the BBFC did not want to censor ad vertising, it w'ould have to consider entering this field if misleading advertising continued. ’White Christmas,’ ’Star,’ ’Waterfront’ Top Films Opening in Berlin Xmas Berlin, Dec. 7. Beginning of the Christmas sea- son sees Hollywood films playing a top role in the Kurfuerstendamm (preem house) theatres. Seven out of 12 first-runs are currently show- ing American pix, as against three Teutonic films, one British feature and one Franco-Italian product. A number of topflight U. S. pic- tures will still be preemed this month, such as Warner’s "Star Is Born,’’ due to have its European first performance Dec. 21 at Film- buehne Wien, "On the Waterfront" (Col) at Delphi, Dec. 30, and likely Paramount’s first YlstaVision film, "White Christmas" at FUmfheatre Berlin. Current Yank pix here include "Executive Suite," "Gone With Wind,” "All Brothers Were Val- iant," "Escape From Fort Bravo" (all Metro), "Living Desert" (RKO), "Hasty Heart" (WB) and "Phan- tom of Rue Morge," Warner pic in 3-D. Of the new crop, local scribes liked "Heart" best Also "Execu- tive Suite" found above-average appraisal. "Wild" and "Living Des- ert,” both on an extended run here, now as before are luring big crowds. Both the public and crix liked "Hobson’s Choice," a British film starring Charles Laughton, which wag preemed at the Astor. The most discussed German film here is still "08/15," now in Its fifth week at the Gloria Palast. Film, #hich depicts German prewar Army barrack life, is becoming a "must-see" item with the public. Marmorhaus preepied "Tanz in der Sonne" ("Dance in the Sun’’), Ger- man musical starring France’s Cec- ile Aubry. After seeing it. a ma- jority of crix had to admit again that there’s nothing to beat Holly- wood musicals. 202 U.S. Pix Exhibited In Mexico This Year Mexico City, Dec. 7. It won’t be any photo finish for Hollywood pix winning again in Mexico this year. Up to Nov. 30, of the 333 pix exhibited down here, 202 were American films. Mex pix, with 76, were second best on playdates. France was third with 28, Italy, 27; Spain, 13: