Variety (March 1955)

PICTURES Wednesday, March 2, 1955 ‘Wages of Fear’Editing Debated; ‘Nothing Vital Deleted’: McCarthy Sharp newspaper criticism lev-* — elled against the cutting of the I nDFODl/'rrni a it m mm French picture “Wages of Fear” PRESBYTERIAN CLERIC last week revived some old argu- 1 ments among the indie distribs. There was a considerable area of agreement that publicity given the trimming of the pic stood to hurt it at the b.o. ‘‘There’s nothing worse than telling people that they aren’t seeing the full, original version of anything,” was one vet distributor’s comment, (Pic started slow at the b o. but is building steadily.) At the same time, there’s no ques- tion that most foreign imports un- dergo a certain amount of scissor- ing, either due to censor demands or to tighten them up, before they reach the U. S. theatres. In many cases, exhibs themselves have done the editing. However, that’s rarely publicized. Issue came up some time back when “Diary of a Country Priest” got a poor notice in the N. Y. Times. Producer wrote the paper that it was due to the arbitrary scissoring done on his work in N. Y. Case of “Wages of Fear,” which on the whole got very good no- tices, is different in that some un- usual aspects are involved. Pic is handled in the U.S. by Interna- tional Affiliates, headed up by John G. McCarthy. Latter is also the U.S. rep of George Lourau, the film’s producer. It’s'been a top grosser in Europe and is current at the Paris Theatre, N.Y. The N.Y. Times’ Bosley Crow- ther, in his review, and again in his Sunday roundup, deplored the cutting of “Wages” which, he thought, had left “lapses of be- wildering proportions in the dra- matic continuity.” Extent to which “Wages” has been cut depends on which ver- sions one compares. When shown at the Cannes fest, it ran 155 min- utes. It was later cut to 130 mins, for France, the same edition run- ning very successfully in Britain. In the U.S., it was trimmed another 24 mins., with Customs accounting for 10 mins, and McCarthy for the remaining 14 mins. McCarthy and Lourau had some tough decisions to make before they let “Wages” open in N.Y. For one, it ran long. For another, the film directed by H. G. Clouzot, had been attacked as “anti-Ameri- can” in press reports from the Cannes film festival of 1953 when it won the Grand Prize. Obviously, every attempt was made to edit out any footage that might be construed as offending an American audience. Further- more, explained McCarthy last last week, “we felt that the first part was too slow’. We wanted to speed up the prelpde to the action which occurs primarily in the sec- ond half of the picture. Gene Mil- ford, an outstanding- craftsman, did our editing. We feel we have not left out any important element to the story at all.” Countering press criticism, Mc- Carthy said “Wages” had been trimmed only after the most care- ful consideration and with the full knowledge and consent of both Lourau and Clouzot. “It’s strictly a case of the makers deciding what’s best for the film in the U.S. market,” he stated, expressing his surprise at critical comments from people who hadn’t seen the original version. While most of the indies take the view that what Lourau and McCarthy do with their pij is their own business, one or two of the distribs last week felt that the cutting procedure on “Wages of Fear” did harm to the French in- dustry as a whole. Uphold Lewd Film Rap St. Louis, March 1. The fine of $500 slapped on Meredith Weston, a native, for showing indecent and lewd films in connection with lewd dancing by femmes at a stag party in St. Louis County in Nov., 1952, was upheld last week by the St. Louis Court of Appeals to which Weston appealed. Weston contended that the evi- dence introduced by the state in a trial at Hillsboro, Mo., was insuffi- cient although he did not testify. Four witnesses testified that Wes- ton was m.c. during the party which was held in a hall above a tavern in Jefferson County. CONDEMNS CENSORSHIP Ottawa, March 1. A prominent clergyman, Rev. Colin F. Miller of Knox Presby- terion Church in the Canadian cap- ital, condemned the trend towards censorship of literature and the arts in a talk to Knox Men’s Club here (12). “Just as in the past,” he said, “any form of censorship will be futile and vicious; and the so- called Puritan attitude toward art and literature will instill a sus- picious outlook toward all the arts.” He stressed that this was his personal opinion. Censorship in Russia, said Miller, has produced “well-known adverse effects” and this could easily be repeated in other countries. He added that parents, relatives and others in charge of youngsters should teach them the advantages to be gained from the theatre and other arts, “especially literature.” Canadian Repertory Theatre here, using a Roman Catholic church hall as its theatre, has had well over a dozen plays, including Noel Coward’s “Private Lives” and Somerset Maugham’s “The Circle,” banned by church authorities, who o.o. every script before production, and others, like Jan de Hartog’s “Fourposter,” have Had to be cut to get by. \ Town m Binford’s County Revolts Against Censor Re Col’s ’Bamboo Prison’ Covington, Tenn., March 1. This little hamlet, 40 miles from Memphis, has finally revolted against censor Lloyd Binford. After viewing Columbia’s “Bam- boo Prison,” which Binford nixed for Memphis, Covington’s Mayor declared that the film could play there “regardless of what Memphis is doing.” He added that he and the town brass could see no reason for banning “Prison.” Both Memphis and Covington fall into Binford’s domain—Shelby County. In the past, Covington has usually bowed to the dictum of Binford's banning brigade. While there have been protests in Memphis, too, over the “Bamboo Prison” banning, the Civil Liber- ties Union has offered aid to Col should the film company decide to take the case to court. SCHINES ALL-OUT FOR ‘MA AND PA KETTLE’ Schine chain in five eastern states will run a circuit-wdde pre- release of a “Ma and Pa Kettle” film for the fourth consecutive year. Pic is “Ma and Pa Kettle At Waikiki,” a Universal release which opens at the Schine houses March 6. As on the three past occasions, U is backing the film with a potent promotional cam- paign. Latter includes some new wrinkles, such as the availability of wood rose corsages flown in from Hawaii for local merchants to award as prizes to their cus- tomers in connection wtih local promotions. Marjorie Main and Percy Kil- bride, stars of U’s highly profit- able “Ma and Pa Kettle” series, will be seen in a special trailer, thanking Schine patrons for their previous support. Kreisler’s Latin Swing B. B. Kreisler, head of Inter- national Film Associates left N. Y. Friday (25) on a four-week swing of all South American cap- itals to set distribution outlets for a couple of IFA releases. Films are the Italian “High Time” and the French “Paris Af- fair.” IFA owns the rights for all of S.A. Kreisler also intends to work out distribution deals for “Garden of Eden,” an American entry, in Argentina and Brazil. Tony Martin's Own Private Preview of ‘Hit the Deck* Miami Beach, March 1. Although the film hasn’t been booked in this area as yet, Florida State Theatres made the Beach theatre here available for an early Sunday ayem invitational preview of “Hit the Deck” with Tony Mar- tin featured on the musical, host- ing a turnout of show biz people and visiting toppers. I Mack Miller, Martin’s press agent, set up the promotion over the weekend, with a print of the film flown in from New York for the occasion. With radio interview- er-disk-jockey Bea Kalmus at the lobby microphone and local tv cam- eraman on h^nd, following plenty of space in the area’s newspapers the late (2:30 a.m.) affair took on the aura of a fullblown premiere. British ‘X’ Rating (Adults Only) • • * .» Enemy of BoxofFke Blockbusters; Hope for New Censor System Traub, Maryland Censor, Loses Post; Puts Blame On Overseas Producers Baltimore, March 1. Sydney R. Traub. chairman of Maryland’s Board of Motion Pic- ture Censors, was ousted from his post last w’eek by newly reelected Governor Theodore Roosevelt Mc- Keldin. His successor will be C. Morton Goldstein, a Baltimore at- torney. During the six years Traub has been censorship chairman, the board’s decisions have involved dis- putes between the board and film distributors. Consistently, the courts have sided with distribs and have forced Traub and his board to license disputed films. Recently. Traub fought to maintain newsreel censorship in the state but was outvoted by the Maryland House of Delegates who voted to exempt newsreels from the board’s juris- diction. At a Womens’ Bar Assn, banquet over the weekend, Traub discussed his ouster quite outspokenly. He stated that he had “incurred the displeasure of certain fly-by-night motion picture operators.” He fur- ther told the lady barristers that “foreign films are our greatest source of worry” and that “some companies have made a laughing stock of the Production Code to which they were signatories, no- tably RKO.” He pointed out that Maryland licenses were cheaper than elsewhere in the country and stressed the revenue value inher- ent in censorship legislation. In Goldstein’s acceptance of the post, he pledged to “do his best to carry out film censorship laws in- telligently.” LEGION DEBATES TAG FOR 2D CINERAMA National Legion of Decency is holding up on its classification of “Cinerama Holiday.” But there's nothing serious involved. Legion has under consideration either a Class A-l or Class A-2 rating. First is a complete okay and the other is “morally unobjectionable for adults.” Of the films classified this.past week, one is particularly offensive, according to Legion standards. This is “Mademoiselle Gobette.” French import distributed by Ital- ian Films Export, which received a “C" (condemned) label. Iowa Amendment Puts Films Under Obscenity Statute, Opens Issue Des Moines, March 1. • Motion pictures specifically w ould be brought under Iowa law' regard- ing obscenity and indecency under a bill introduced in the Iowa house by its 26-member committee on safety and law enforcement. The committee proposed the amend- ment to strengthen the law against the showing of immoral pictures. Some courts have held that mov- ing pictures are not included in the law that defines immoral plays, exhibitions and entertainments. Iowa law makes it a misdemeanor to show “any obscene, indecent, immoral or impure drama, play, exhibition, show or entertainment which would tend to corruption of the morals of youth or others . . . The proposed amendment spe- cifically would insert the words “moving picture” after the present word “show.” Penalty for an im- moral or indecent show’ is a fine of not more than $1,000 or not more than a year in the county jail, or both fine and jail sentence. Ohio Censor Explains Workings Blames ‘Foreigners’ Taste in Stories—Morality and Delinquency Hazards Cited as Justification Columbus, March 1. A curtain was partially raised on the workings of the film cen- sors’ minds in Ohio when a report covering 12 years of film scissoring was released last week by R. M. Eyman, state director of education and chief censor. Eyman used the report to back up a contention that censorship isn’t the “big bad wolf” some people think it is. From Jap. 1, 1943, to Jan. 1, 1955, the report showed the state division of film censorship had re- jected 68 films. In that time, Ey- man said, the division reviewed 20,517 films, of which 1,616 were approved after eliminations had been made. Of course, no film reviewing has taken place in the state since Dec. 1, 1954, when courts knocked out the Ohio, law by calling it uncon- stitutional. New attempts are be- ing made in the current Legisla- ture to rewrite the film censorship law. The report gave an explanation for each of the 68 films that were rejected. He said most of the films were banned because they tended to incite crime or contained scenes of obscenity. Eyman cited the steady increase in foreign films as presenting additional censorship problems. In the last fiscal year, 36Cc of films received came from foreign coun- tries. The report showed that films concerning the use of marijuana and habit-forming drugs had been banned because of the alarming in- crease in juvenile delinquency. Eyman said some cases of delin- quency were directly attributable to ideas received from motion pic- tures. Some films rejected by the divi- sion and later approved after court reversals include: “Devil in the Flesh” (English version', “Kiss Tomorrow Good- bye.” “Mom and Dad,” “My Life” (formerly “Ecstasy”), “The Moon Is Blue.” “The Outlaw.” “We Want a Child," “The Miracle” and “M.” “M” was rejected four times be- cause it presented the actions and emotions of a child killer, empha- sizing complete perversion without serving a valid educational pur- pose. “Devil in the Flesh” was reject- ed in 1952 because it portrayed a French concept of extramarital liv- ing which did not conform to the accepted moral standards of Amer- ican life. “Its exhibition would pre- sent to youth a distorted and whol- ly unacceptable notion of the sacredness of marital vows and family life,” the division reported. “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” w f as banned for nearly four years be- cause “It creates disrespect and lack of confidence in law enforce- ment agents.” The division said the film was a sadistic presentation of brutality with little consideration of human values. “The Moon Is Blue” was barred in 1953 because “It is harmful for general exhibition, not so much be- cause of the scenes of the picture, but particularly because of the dialogue which reflects on accept- i ed standards of morality and de- i ceney in living.” London, March 1. The British Film Producers Assn, is sounding its membership prior to making representations to the British Board of Censors in an ef- fort to modify present practice. As matters stand the threat that given subject-matter would draw an “X” (adults only) certificate acts to stop dead the production of such a story. Financing becomes diffi- cult or impossible on the reason- ing that the feature classified “X” automatically loses its family audi- ence. British exhibitors point out that such American boxoffice blockbus- ters as “On the Waterfront” and “From Here to Eternity” would never be made if the “X” system operated in Hollywood. Producers here would welcome a revised system under which the adults only classification w<*ild be a positive stimulant to mature sub- jects. Alternately they’d like to see the establishment of an ap- peals court where censor decisions could be challenged and litigated. Bank Hands Out Pleas For Censorship But Stops When Exhibs Complain Columbus, March 1. Word reached the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio office here that petitions asking for film censorship were being handed to depositors of the Women’s Federal Savings & Loan Assn, in Cleve- land. Robert A. Wile, ITO execu- tive secretary, put in a call to the firm and they stopped the prac- tice. He apparently also made a con- vert, because the attorney for the loan association asked for details on the evils of censorship as he had changed his mind on the subject. SELZNICK REISSUES PRIMED FOR MARKET Selznick Releasing Organization, whifh launched a re-release pro- gram with “Duel in the Sun,” is readying three other David O. Selz- nick pictures for reissue playing. Working through states righters, as it did with "Duel,” the Selznick org is sending out again “Tom Saw- yer,” “Spiral Staircase” and “Spellbound.” . “Sawyer,” first released in 1638, will hit the market about June 15. Figuring that there’s a whole new generation around that has never seen the picture, the company will give the filmization of the Mark Twain classic a new picture sendoff. The advertising-exploitation setup, complete with tieups with toy man- ufacturers, is geared for new pic- ture handling. “Spiral Staircase” and “Spell- bound” are being prepared as a package deal for dual situations. In single feature spots, the pictures will be offered separately. Pair will be reissued following the “Sawyer” release. Meanwhile, “Duel” will be hit- ting its stride in the drive-in mar- ket. When the cold weather set in, the picture was withdrawn tempo- rarily, but will be pitched again as soon as the ozoners open for spring business. “Duel” is expect- ed to hit $2,500,000 in its re-release engagement. It has already gar- nered hefty returns from conven- tional theatres. Another package planned by the Selznick outfit is “Notorious” paired with “The Farmer’s Daughter.” Subsequently, the company plans to go through the entire Selznick vault, with “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Since You Went Away” ex- pected to follow. On the future re- release slate are such films as “In- termezzo,” “Rebecca,” “The Para- dine Case,” “Tidal Wave,” and “The Third Man.” “Spiral Staircase” and “Farmer’s Daughter” were originally RKO pictures produced by Dore Schary. Selznick acquired this pix a year ago. resulting from a prior deal in- volving the loan outs of Joseph Cot- ten and Dorothy McGuire. In turn, RKO received the rights to Selz- ' nick’s “Mr. Biandings Builds His | Dreamhouse.”