Variety (February 1955)

Wednesday, February 2, 1955 PICTURES EXHIBS ALL TALK, NO MONEY The public's desire to see the steady flow of “big” pictures now coming from the major studios has apparently lowered the re- sistence of theatremen to high terms demanded by the distributors. This contention is made by exhibitor leaders in admonishing the- atremen not to go overboard to satisfy the public’s "want to see” clamor. In a cautioning note, the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio warns, for example: “A short product supply plus a patronage that it selective in its attendance makes it a very hard decision for any exhibitor to pass up a good picture, but even under these condi- tions we feel that more theatres would pass at least some of these pictures if they studied more carefully the longrange effect it is having on their business.” Apparently, the effort being made by various exhibitor units to have their theatre members bypass some of the high percentage pictures is not succeeding too webi. From bitter remarks made by exhib leaders, it seems that the grassroots theatreman is fol- lowing an independent policy in buying and booking despite admonitions. Exhibs are further accused by their leaders of fol- lowing a "let George do it” policy. Lack of resistance has re- sulted in almost all top releases selling at 50-50 or in the 70-30 10 bracket (10% guaranteed profit to theatre) as compared to three or four pictures a year at 35%. Reports from ..various Allied territories assembled by ITOO re- veal the following policies and terms on current pictures: Buena Vista: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”—Asking the "test deal," frequently 70-30 10, but even such offers have been rejected because the exhib would not guarantee a 50% minimum to the distributor. Columbia: "Caine Mutiny”—50% still being asked in many areas. In flat situations, no offers reported except at high premium rates. "Long Gray Line"—No deals reported yet. but buyers report they expect it to be in the super-special category. Metro: "Deepp in My Heart” -r- Has performed excellently in some situations, disappointing in others. Generally 50% is being asked but 40% floors acceptable in some areas. Indications are that it’ll soon be sold in regular top allocation. Paramount: "White Christmas”—Still being held at 50%. Exh’bs feel that playdates from now on will yield substantially less since they feel results to date have been dependent on the season. "Bridges of Toko-Ri"—Another 50% picture according to early reports. 20th Fox: "No Business Like Show Business”—Asking a straight 50%. RKO: "Underwater"—40% bids reportedly have been rejected and company is holding out for 50-50. United Artists: "Vera Cruz"—Straight 50%. Universal: "Sign of the Pagan”—Once at 50%, but now strictly at scale. Warner Bros.: "Silver Chalice"—Some places 40%, but in other areas 50%'. "A Star Is Born”—50% but it’s expected that the terms will come down shortly. "Battle. Cry”—First reports place it at 70-30-10. Films (or Kids—So Then What? PRODS.CYNICAL Despite the exhibitor clamor for increased production and the con- stant talk of encouraging independ- ent production, indie producers still claim that when the chips are down there are very few theatre- men who are willing to back their words with coin. Exhibs who have pooh-poohed distributpa claims of the "risks" in production have shown little inclination to offer aid for indie producers. This is the consensus of opinion of various indie producers who have come to New York recently on money-rais- ing efforts for indie projects. While it’s agreed that the posi- tion of the indie filmmaker has im- proved in recent years, it still is very hazardous. The indie pro- ducer has to push hard to assemble a package deal which a major dis- tributor will accept. The majors will often provide a certain amount of financing, provided the indie ban present a complete pack- age. i.e.. a finished screenplay, the right stars and director. Fre- S ientlv it takes months of work get all the elements of a package to jell. It may involve numerous trips to New' York, Hollywood, and Europe before 4he various seg- ments are put together. Costly to Kick Off All of this preliminary effort, it’s pointed out, takes considerable coin and not all producers, despite their record of accompl’^hment, (Continued on page 20) Michael ‘Han*el & Gretel’ Ideal for Tots —But Hard to Get 'Em Into Theatres Having listened to the siren song of the many who claim that there Is a vast and untapped audience for children’s films in the U. S., producer Michael Myerberg is currently pondering ways and means of converting this wishful thinking into hard-cash b.o. re- ality. The plain facts are these: Mver- berg spent considerable money (about $1.000,000>, time and effort turning out what most of the critics hailed as a delightful pup- j)et picture, "Hansel and. Gretel.” He opened it on Broadway late last year, w'ith good results. Then RKO took over distribution, the pic hit the circuits as the Christ- mas holiday attraction and — nothing. In fact, it had to be pulled prematurely. After Christmas. "Hansel” picked up in most spots, but not enough to satisfy its pro- ducer. Myerberg has now come to the reluctant conclusion that those who urge Hollywood to brighten the American child population’s days with pix aimed at their spe- cial level may be wellmeaning but are overlooking some vital aspects of today's film market. "We ll have to find a new play- ing formula for children’s pictures, (Continued on page 18) Warners Frees Doris Day For Own Producing Co. Hollywood, Feb. 1. After an eight-year association Doris Day was granted release from her contract with Warners and will make her future films as co-partner with her husband, Mar- tin Melcher, under the Arwin Pro- ductions banner. Parting was a surprise, as her WB deal still had three years to run. Lined up for Arwin production are "Rhythm and Blues.” "Nothing But a Woman” and "Yankee Doodle Girl.” Corporate Shell, RKO Pictures Shows a Profit Despite a period of almost total inactivity at the studio and the lack of solid b.o. pictures, RKO Pic- tures Corp. emerged with a profit of $47,391.87 yast year. This show- ing is the best recorded by the company in recent years, even ex- ceeding the results of stanzas backed by full-scale production. The company’s entry into the "black” was achieved by interest earned on $17,796,958 in bank de- posits. In a financial report to stock- holders, prexy James R. Grainger indicated that the company re- ceived $110,890.64 interest on its deposits from April 1 to Dec. 31, 1954. Administrative and corpo- rate expenses totaled $63,498.77 during the period, resulting in the $47,391 profit. Actually, RKO Pictures Corp. is nothing more than a- corporate shell. It has been in this category since March, 1954, when it sold RKO Radio Pictures Corp., the filmmaking subsidiary, to Howard Hughes for $23,489,478, an amount equal to $6 for each share of its (Continued on page 20) ‘Producer in Theatre-TV Is One Who Takes Risks, Asserts Halpem; Resents ‘Middle Man Criticism Soul of a Censor Memphis, Feb. 1. "There’s a certain amount of devil in all of us,” and to beat the devil is one of the reasons why Lloyd T. Binford. Memphis, 88-year-old censor boss, bans so many films he confided at a press Interview. "The devil is always trying to plant wrong thoughts and many movies stimulate those wrong thoughts." "Out of every 100 letters I*re- ceive, about 85 cuss me out,” Binford stated. "I thank God for the enemies I’ve made." Judge Clears Harry Brandt N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Di Falco, In an 85-page de- cision, has dismissed a stockholder suit against Harry Brandt, as presi- dent, and all board members of Trans-Lux Theatres on grounds of lack of evidence. Suit, asking dam- ages of $500,000, had been insti- tuted by minority stockholder Jerome B. Ross and others and. among other allegations, charged the defendants with taking "secret profits” from the buying and sell- ing of theatres. Di Falco, in effect, gave Brandt a clean bill of health, ruling that the circuit did not suffer any loss from the switch in ownership of theatre properties. He added there was no proof that the board members were deceived by, or domihated by, Brandt. Following a trial, Di Falco had reserved decision last year. Basis of the suit was the contention that Brandt and other members of the directorate had engaged in ,con- spiracy and fraud. By HY HOLLINGER Theatre television, particularly from the standpoint of boxoffice events, will not become an im- portant and regular show biz entity until there are individuals' around who are prepared to provide risk capital. That’s the contention of Nate Halpem, prexy of Theatre Network Television. Taking excep- tion to exhibitor characterizations of his operation as a "middle man.” Halpem stresses that TNT has been the only company to plunk down substantial sums to obtain the rights to important boxoffice attractions which have been pre- sented on a national basis. "I don’t consider myself a mid- dle man.” Halpem said. "I’ve risked $1,000,000 during the past two years to get events. This in- cludes payments for the rights, the production, transmission, and dis- tribution costs. I consider my func- tion as similar to that as a film producer-distributor. Exhibitors do not consider the producer-distrib- utors as middle men." Halpern discounted the talk of theatremen who are weighing the possibility of dealing with the original owners of specific attrac- tions. According to Halpem, ex- hibitors are reluctant to make ad- vance guarantee payments and he feels that a promoter of a fight or the producer of a play or an opera would be unwilling to take the risk of theatre televising an event in (Continued on page 18) REDBOOK AWARD GOES TO PARAMOUNT ITSELF Hollywood. Feb. 1. Paramount’s 1954 product was given Redbook mag’s 16th Annual Award as the "most distinguished contribution to the motion picture industry.” Editor Wade Nichols presented a silver cup to Don Hart- man, Par’s executive producer. Hitherto the awards were made to individual producers but this year the procedure was changed to give overall honors to the studio. Pictures cited in the voting for the Redbook Award W'ere "The Coun- try Girl," "Rear Window.” "The Bridges at Toko-Ri. Living It Up.” "Sabrina” and "Knock on Wood.” 20th 9 s 2d Thoughts on 16m. Markets Canada counts for about i Ellis Arnall on Coast Hollywood, Feb. 1. F.llis Arnall, Society of Indie Producers prexy, is here to attend exec committee meeting tomor- row (2» and annual conclave of Faced with the loss of considerable revenue both in the U. S. and abroad if it elects to scuttle its 16m program, 20th-Fox is having second thoughts on the matter and, like the rest of the companies, is investigating various technical and commercial aspects of 16m distribution in the Cinemascope age. 20th at one time had decided that reducing its CinemaScopers to - 16m just wouldn’t be worth while either in terms of narrow-gauge "squeeze” prints or standard reduced prints. 20th’s take from the 16m field worldwide has been variously estimated at around $3,000,000. Within recent weeks, the subject of the non- theatrical field has come to the fore again. The latest survey shows something like 40,000 narrow- gauge projectors in operation in the U. S. and Canada. That breaks down into about 19,000 schools and colleges (which provide some 60% of org s independent export corp. ! the 16m biz in the U. S.), 4,000 shut-in institutions, Arnall returns to Atlanta at ! 6,000 theatreless towns. 1,500 Navy projectors and weekend. I 1,300 units in Veterans Administrations hospitals, the Red Cross, Army etc. 11.000 projectors. Companies other than 20th-Fox to date have taken a less uncompromising stand on reducing C’Scope to 2-D, partly because their early CinemaScopers , were lensed in double fashion for protection. Thus Warner Bros, and Metro are reducing C’Scope pix to 2-D and hence to 16m. As 20th looks at it, any 16m there is should also be CinemaScope. This brings up the most immediate problem: a 16m C’Scope projection lens at a price which educational institutions and the like can afford. Bell & Howell did have a 16m lens, but it was a combination taking and projec- tion model and it cost too much. Bausehal Lomb now is reportedly at work on a simple 16m projection lens that may sell for as little as $100. 20th at the moment is conducting tests with 16m prints of its CinemaScope pix to arrive at a con- clusion on whether or not they can be produced at a satisfactory quality and cost level. Other out- fits are experimenting with a special folding screen of C-Scope proportions for schoolrooms. Danes Competing For U.S. Dubbing; N. Larsen in N.Y. Danes have developed f a new and improved technique for making puppet pix and have already turned out two subjects in this process, Niels Larsen, head of the new-ly formed Scandinavian - American Pictures Corp. said in N.Y. Monday <31). Larsen, whose outfit will be de- voted to the introduction of dubbed Scandinavian pix in the U.S., is here primarily in connection with two Danish government films, one describing the life and times of Hans Christian Andersen, the storyteller, and the other—"The Steadfast Tin Soldier”—a puppet version of that Andersen fairy tale- The Danish government has li- censed U.S. rights to these pix to Larsen. The Danish film exec said his government had worldwide plans to mark the 150th anniversary of Andersen’s birth which falls on April 2. 1955. In this connection, the two Andersen subjects—both two-reelers—will be dubbed in Copenhagen into seven languages, the government flying the actors to Denmark for that purpose. Lar- sen has a U.S. version of "The Steadfast Tin Soldier” with him. It’s in Eastman color and he’s seek- ing major distribution for both it and the black-and-white documen- tary on Anderson’s life. Larsen said the animation method developed by the Danes i was vastly superior to others in that it allowed continuous shooting of a scene instead of the frame-by- (Continued on page 20) Yate* Timber jacking Hollywood, Feb. 1. Republic prexy Herbert Yates heads a Hollywood contingent leaving today for Missoula, Mon- tana, to attend two-theatre world preem Friday of "Timberjack," filmed in that state. Missoula Chamber of Commerce has designated Friday, ‘.‘Timber- | jack Day” for allout celebration.