Variety (January 12, 1955)

Wednesday, January 12, 1955 PICTURES STUDIOS YEN LEGIT DIRECTORS DCA Decides to Be Cheerful as Disneys Treasure Island’ Bucks Its New Film What started out to be a hot f controversy between Walt Disney and the new Distributors Corp. of America has simmered down to a slow burn. Nevertheless, the spark that touched off coast-to-coast tele- phone talks has caused DCA to alter its advertising campaign for “Long John Silver,” the first big release of the new distribution company. With DCA set to release “Long John” with a saturation booking in New England Feb. 18 to 28, the Fred Schwartz company learned that Disney planned to revive on his Disneyland ABC-TV show his feature film, “Treasure Island,” re- leased theatrically in 1950. Dis- ney scheduled the showing of “Is- land” in two full-hour parts Jan. 5 and 12. Since “Long John Silver,” pro- duced by Joseph Kaufman and filmed in Australia, is based on the same characters featured in “Treasure Island,” ’DCA feared that a video outing of the material might harm the new film. In ad- dition, Robert Newton is the star of both films, portraying in both the character Long John Silver. Kaufman and Charles Boasberg. general sales manager of DCA, agreed there was nothing they could do to stop Disney although they regarded his action as “un- (Continued on page 23) Not On a Slow Boat Buddy Adler, 20th-Fox pro- ducer, doesn’t even need a Tuxedo—he’s travelling, any- way. Four of the first five films on his schedule carry Far East locations, starting off with “Soldier of Fortune,” for which he recently returned from Hong Kong with the Clark Gable troupe. Coming up are “House of Bamboo,” Japan; "A Many Splendored Thing.” Hong Kong, and “The Left Hand of God,” Oriental location not yet set. Looks Like Harriman Shuts Albany Door To B.O. Tax Repeal Moves Albany, Jan. 11. Governor Averell Harriman, in his initial message to the Legisla- ture, ruled out the possibility of repealing the 1947 enabling act, [ under which New York City adopted five percent admission tax. He did so by declaring that “In general, the State government should interfere as little as pos- sible with the financial affairs of lo- calities,” that “we must, as far as practicable, make the taxing pow- ers of localities permanent, so they will not have to come back to Al- bany year after year asking further extensions.” The new Governor’s stand seemed to shut the door tight against the suggested state-enabling-act’s re- peal. The desirability of recom- mending this to the Legislature for- mer Governor Dewey directed the Bird Commission, last summer, to study, in its survey of the effects of the five percent impost on the me- tropolitan motion picture industry. I The report has not yet been made public. Expand Overseas Market for Metro Narrow-Gaugers A campaign to expand the over- seas market for 16m films and to ch^lk up a new' gross record for Metro’s narrow-gauge operation has been launched by Loew’s In- ternational. The drive will run through the 1955 calendar year un- der the direction of R. Haven Fal- coner, the company’s 16m sales manager. The sales pitch is keyed to Met- ro’s 10th anni pioneer opening of the 16m market abroad. Plan to enter the 16m field was developed during the summer of 1945 after Arthur M. Loew, Loew’s Interna- tional prexy, and Orton H. Hicks, the company’s 16m director, both U. S. Army officers in World War II, had seen what 16m had ac- complished under rugged field con- ditions. From this observation sprang (Continued on page 18) LOGAN CREDITS By GENE ARNEEL Elia Kazan’s success in pictures is credited by Joshua Logan as stimulating Hollywood’s new show of interest ^n legit theatre talents. Logan makes the point that the two fields are basically the same and capable directors identified with the stage should be equally adept in filmmaking. Actually, the screen gives the turn-caller a greater scope to work with, he adds. Kazan’s most recent pic, “On the Waterfront,” has been both a com- mercial and artistic click, latter oik the basis of the majority of press notices. Logan, who’s director, co-pro- ducer and coauthor of the current musical, “Fanny,” has been signed by Columbia to direct the upcom- ing “Picnic,” adaptation of the Wil- liam Inge play. This will be his first such assignment. He recently completed the screenplay for “Mis- ter Roberts” at Warners. (Credit line on this, incidentally, is to be determined by the Screen Writers Guild since three scripts had been written for “Roberts,” including Logan’s). Further evidencing Hollywood’s legit attention is the deal set the past week for Robert Lewis to direct “Anything Goes,” Bing Crosby starrer, at Paramount. This also is to be a first pic direction job. Lewis’ legit work has included the staging of “Teahouse of the August Moon,” “Brigadoon” and “Witness for the Prosecution." Logan is high on the idea of di- recting in Hollywood, and makes (Continued on page 24) Top Shakespearians of Europe To Dub 20th’s Prince of Players’; Deleted Scenes for School Use? ‘Pinoke’ Surprise Credit Walt Disney’s “Pinoc- chio” with a rare boxoffice performance. When this fea- ture cartoon was first released in 1940, the domestic returns on a full playoff amounted to $1,700,000. In the past year, the usually secondary reissue brought $1,800,000. Reason is that today’s mar- ket is stronger and a Disney film of this nature is timeless. “Pinoke” looks for sure to make- Variety’s list of all- time grossers ($4,000,000 and up> when it goes into redis- tribution the next time. COMMEND NICK BELA FOR AIDING CONGRESS Nicholas Bela, screen writer who had been among the witnesses ap- pearing before the House Un- American Activities Committee, has received a letter of thanks from Harold H. Velde, chairman of the Congressional unit. “Tl\e Committee,” w'rote Velde, “is appreciative of the cooperation and assistance that you have ex- tended it through your relating the knowledge you had acquired con- cerning subversive activities.” Hepburn-Ferrer Filming ‘Ondine’ for Britain Hollywood, Jan. 11. Audrey Hepburn and her hus- band. Mel Ferrer, will partner with the British production team of Mi- chael Powell and Emeric Press- burger in the Aiming abroad of Ondine,” in which couple starred on Broadway last season. A cor- poration is now being set up in London to produce picture. Under the arrangement, Miss Hepburn and Ferrer will co-star, Powell will direct and Pressburger "ill produce. ‘Hints’ From Dulles On Pictures for Russia Too Vague—Distributors There is very little likelihood of any American film deal with the Russians until and unless the industry is specifically and offi- cially asked by the U. S. State Dept, to enter.into such negotia- tions in the national interest. That is the reaction of respon- sible company execs in the wake ol off-the-record hints that Secy, of State John Foster Dulles and U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Char- les Bohlen, are in favor of Holly- wood pix being sold to the Soviet Union. . Strategy re the Russians was discussed by the company presi- dents at a meet in N.Y. last year. One of the views expressed at the meet was that of 20th-Fox’s Spyros P. Skouras who felt that, if a deal was made with Moscow, it should include every’ picture made, with the Russians not given an option to pick-and-choose as they’ve done in the past. It’s pointed out. however, that this "selective” process also works in favor of the Americans who can then withhold films that might easily be misinterpreted by the Soviets to create an unfavor- able impression of the U.S. JOE JUSTMAN JOINS FDR JR/S JAMAICA CO. Joseph Justman, president of Motion Picture Center Studios, Hollywood, is set for election to the board of Base Metals Mining Corp. Outfit, of which Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. is board chairman, controls all gas and oil rights on the island of Jamaica. N.Y. Agents Form Federation, Seek Business Voice Holding that agents in general, and especially those in New York City, have long been without voice in decisions directly affecting their earnings and business conditions, application has been filed in Al- bany for incorporation of the Federation of Artists’ Representa- tive Representatives. Inc. Found- ing parents are Henry C. Brown, temporary chairman, Miriam How- ell, Lucy Kroll, Robert Lantz, Gloria Safier, Peter Witt and Olga Lee. There will be three classes of membership so that any agent, no matter how small, may join and participate in the Federation. It’s planned to campaign to get under the tent all agents now “en- franchised” by Actors Equity, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild. National Boxoffice Survey Biz Continues Strong; ‘Sea’ No. 1, ‘Cruz’ 2d, - ‘Show Biz’ 3d, ‘Heart’ 4th, ‘Pagan’ 5th Powell-AHyson Own Firm Hollywood, Jan. 11. Dick Powell and June Allyson are entering own indie production activity. Couple have incorporated Pamrick Productions to make motion pictures. Initialer will probably be “The Floater,” authored by Lawrence Taylor, which Powell, who prexies new company, will produce and direct. Plans call for Miss Allyson to star in certain Pamrick films. Usual post-holiday week in- fluences are being felt In current session at first-run theatres over the country, but the downbeat is surprisingly mild in numerous cities compared with what would be normally expected. The weather continued favorable in many keys although snow and rain was an adverse factor in some portions of the midwest. Key cities gener- ally reported one of the biggest Xmas-New Year’s weeks in years. “20,000 Leagues Under Sea” (BV) is taking over No. 1 spot, edging out “Vera Cruz” (UAf] mainly by dint of total coin and number of playdates. “Sea” ranges j mainly from big to smash. In tak- ing second place, “Cruz” showed a great improvement over the first | week out and hints further big coin. Pic is beating “High Noon” coin in many locations while in others it is topping “Moulin Rouge.**. “Show Business” (20th), which was champ its initial stanza around, is capturing third position. This big musical tended to taper off in some keys on extended-runs. Fourth money goes to “Deep in My Heart” <M-G), still big in fifth round at N. Y. Music Hall. “Sign of Pagan” <U>, which showed promise its first session out, is winding up fifth, with some uniformly sock to great dates. “Silver Chalice” (WB) is finishing sixth. “Cinerama” (Indie) will take seventh spot. “Young At Heart” (WB) is Plan under which the top Euro- pean interpreters of Shakespeare would be called in to dub the dramatic scenes in 20th-Fox’s “Prince of Players,” the Edwin Booth biog, is being mulled by the company, according to Philip Dunne, the pic’s producer-director. The original version stars the Old Vic’s Richard Burton. Dunne opined that, if the project works out. it would give the film a valuable promotional handle in Europe. He also expressed the w ish that something could be done to save and use the many Shakespear- ean scenes in “Prince." Several of these sequences were shot but left out of the film in the final editing. These scenes, interpreted by Bur- ton with great skill, are seen of great possible value in schools, etc. However, they’d have to be reduced to 16m, and 20th so far hasn’t paid any attention to the domestic nar- row-gauge market. In fact, con- sidering the time and cost factors involved, indications are that 20th is ready to abandon its 16m market in the U. S. as far as its Cincina- Scopers are concerned. For school (Continued on page 23) Circuits Ready Plea For Government Consent To Their Feature-Making Theatre Owners of America is seeking a meeting with the Dept, of Justice on the possibility of the Government agency allowing the former affiliated theatres to enter production. A letter requesting the conference has been sent to Stan- ley N. Barnes, head of the antitrust division, TOA prexy E. D. Martin disclosed in Newr York last week. Purpose of the session, according to Martin, would be to allow TOA to express its viewpoint and think- ing on the subject. TOA would be (Continued on page 20) capturing eighth position, with “3- Ring Circus” (ParD rounding out the Big Nine list. The Martin- Lewis comedy was much stronger in the two proceding weeks. “Ro- meo and Juliet” (UA), just out in release to any extent, and “The Detective” (Col) are the two run- ner-up pix. “Country Girl” (Par), still sock in fourth N. Y. week, is proving equally great in L.A. “Violent Men” (Col), another new pic, is snappy in Providence and hefty in L.A. “Gate of Hell” (Indie) is proving comparably as big in L.A. as it has been at the N. Y. Guild. “Destry” (U) is rated fine in Balto and Indianapolis. “Aida” <IFE> is repeating its N.Y. success in Chi and Balto. “Bread, Love, Dreams,” also from IFE, shapes big in Boston and Denver and good in Cleveland. “Trouble in Glen” (Rep) is smash in Toronto. “So This Is Paris” <U> looms big in Chi. "Hansel and Gretel” (RKO) is fast in Chi. “Star Is Born” (WB)), wow in Toronto, is good in N. Y. and okay in L.A. “Desiree” (20th), okay in Balto, looks modest in L.A. “Barefoot Contessa” (UA), good in L. A., shapes socko in Pitt. “Four Guns to Border” (U» is tor- rid in Toronto. “Athena”’ (M-G), slow in N. Y., is rated okay in Washington. (Complete Boxofjice Reports oh Pages 8-9). Trade Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY. INC Harold Erichs, President 154 West 46th St New York 36. N Y JUdson 2-2700 Hollywood 21 6311 Yucca Street Hollywood 9 1141 Washington 4 1292 National Press Building STerling 3-5445 Chicago 11 612 No Michigan Avo. DEIaware 7-4984 London WC> 8 St. Martin’s PI Trafalgar Sq. 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