Variety (May 1955)

PICTURES PUBLIC RAPPED IN HASSLE; VS. CODE ♦ The public as much as'Hollywood and its Production Code, is emerg- ing as the villain in the Legion of Decency’s' Current crusade against what it conceives to be a tide, of “objectionable” pix being turned out. At a lunchean firN. X. last week, arranged by the motion picture de- partment of the International Fed- eration of Catholic Alumnae, The Rev, Thomas F. Little, the Legion’s exec secretary, lambasted the "retrogressive attitude” on the part of the producers .and deplored the “co-related attitude” of the Code administration. At the same time, he found “ap- palling and disheartening” the number, of objectionable films ac- cepted by the public within the past seven or eight months and noted the public’s “immunization” to what’s right and wrong in pix. A. prior speaker at the affair, Martin Quigley observed that the public’s failure to support the right and good things on the screen was responsible for the “decline.” He noted that “if the -public supports the wrong kind of pictures, that type of film will be made. If the public fails to support good pic- tures, they will not be made.” In a prepared statement, on which he elaborated, Father Little said it. Was “well known that pro- ducers, as a matter of deliberate policy, have been contracting for a considerable amount of literary material which is gravely offensive to the moral law.” He observed that this, “and the apparent ac- quiescence of the Production Code Authority to the appearance of such material in released pictures” had created a condition-that was “gravely in need of prompt and ef- fective correction.” No Meetings Set~ Asked later what action the Catholic group intended to take, Father Little said nothing definite was contemplated beyond an effort to bring the situation to the atten- tion of the public. He added that a copy of his statement had been sent to Eric Johnston, prez of -the Motioh. Picture Assn, of America which administers the Code, but that no meetings had been set up either with Johnston or with Geof- frey Shurlock, the Code adminis- trator. Johnston and the MPAA have been keeping a discreet silence on the now obvious break between the Legion and the Code. However, individual studio toppers have been giving our statements in rebuttal, to the Legion’s Charges. Johnston is due to huddle on the Coast today (Wed.) with (Continued on page 12) Wants Antitrust Rules Eased Washington, May 17. Adolph Schimel, Universal’s general counsel, today (Tues.) urged a repeal of that part of the antitrust statutes that makes man- datory the trebling of damage awards in private suits. Schimel, appearing before a House Judici- ary Subcommittee, said the picture business has had more treble- damage a-t suits in recent years than any other industry. He testi- fied in behalf of the law committee of the Motion Picture Assn, of America. Today, said Schimel, some suits produce verdicts of “astronomical Majors Made Europe Tougher for the Lesser Importer Opes Indie An independent going to Europe today tq buy pix “must be a bank- er” if be wants to come away with some good films, says Joseph Green, prez of the newly - formed President Films importing-distrib outfit. Back from an extended stay in Europe, Green complained in. N.Y. last week that the interest major U.S. film outfits have shown in Eu- ropean production has spoiled the market for tlie little fellows. “Negotiations for important films these days are treated like a Wall Street transaction,” Green said. "There are some. fine pictures in Europe today that have been lay- ing around for two years or more without a buyer simply because the o\ f.ers ask these fantastic, prices. It’s not at sill unusual now for a Frefich or an Italian producer to ask $150,000 for a film we used to pay $15,000 for.” Green said he would start liis U.S. releasing activities with “Castles in the Air,” a Molly Picon starrer'which he dubbed from Yid- dish into English in London, using the local company of “The World of Scholem Aleichem.” Miss Picon was in London at the time and took part in the project. Film, -when originally produced by Green in 1037, was then, titled “Yiddle with the Fiddle” and was a hefty U.S. grosser. Two more pix have been acquir- ed by Green. One is a Swedish im- port, “Unmarried Mothers,” a so- cial documentary, and the other a British film, “Wishing Well Inn,” starring Brenda De Branzie and Donald Houston. An Adelphi Pic- tures production, ‘it was called "Happiness of Three Women” in Britain. Green said he was nego- tiating for ' two more pix, one French and one British. Green saw a number of German films but said they were limited in their U.S. appeal, primarily due to the language barrier. U'S BARCELONA KEYNOTE Company’s Full ’Major’ Status Stressed by A1 Doff Barcelona, May 17^ Universal’s ascendancy into the ranks of the top major companies throughout the world was high- lighted -here yesterday (Mon.) by Alfred E. Daff, U exec v.p., opening the company’s 1955 European sales confab. Daff, attending the meet along with prez Milton R. Rackmil and .foreign sales topper, Americo Aboaf, said U’s biz was up 60% over 1950 and, in the first half of the 1955 fiscal year, was ahead by around 20% of the biz done in the comparable.period last year." The 17 week 1955 Daff Drive in the for- eign field netted U a record take of close to $2,000,000. Rudy Vallee’s Story Hollywood, May 17. Rudy Vallee will be bibpicked over by producer-director Richard Sale in “My Time Is Your Time,” which, he will write and make as an indie Lite this year. Sale is negotiating with 20th-Fox for loanout of Robert Wagner for crooner role. Jap Location Lens Hollywood, May 17. Japanese Fujinon lenses, which are said to require a minimum of artificial illum- t ination when shooting out- doors under any conditions, ''have. been acquired by Para- mount for the shooting of “The “Kiss-Off.” Michael Curtiz is to, produce' and direct with much location work to take place in the L. A. area at night. The lenses, used in conjec- tion with new super-fast Tri-X film, will require only one or two sealedbeam lights instead of the usual studio equipment which pulls from 2,000 to 5,000 watts, according to th<£ studio. Par is the first of the Hollywood companies to put the lenses to use. Coin Back; BA’s Credo Detailed London, May 17. Major portion of United Artists’ share of indie pic film rentals in the coming year will be poured back into new production, Max E. Youngstein, UA v.p., told the com- pany’s international sales conven- tion here last week. Thus, it was made apparent, UA Is . continuing with its policy of putting most of its treasury money into the financ- iiig of future product lineups rather than voting any profit split among the management owners and the one “outside’ ’owner (one- third of the company) Mary Pick- ford. UA, said Youngstein, decided two years ago to invest in produc- tion when it became .clear that the company could not operate on a competitive basis with other indus- try outfits by engaging exclusive- ly in distribution. Concerning new product, Young- stein disclosed that indie film- makers are now committed to de- livery of 98 pictures to UA over the next three years, this being^an increase of eight over the previous schedule. Charles Smadja, v.p. in charge of European production, told the meeting of 150 UA reps that some of the upcoming films on the UA slate, will be made in all major parts of Europe excluding the Iron Curtain countries. Included will be co-production deals with foreign producers, some of them calling for both English and foreign language versions of the pix. Arnold M. Picker, v.p. in charge of foreign distribution, disclosed the company's overseas revenue in- creased from $6,000,000 in 1951 to $16,000,000 in 1954. He said a new high in foreign' income is antici- pated in the coming year. Ad-pub allocations will be increased by 20%. over current levels in all key global .markets. Picker added. Arthur B.. Krim, UA president, keynoted the sales convention. He declared that UA’s backing of indie production has prompted all major studios to add indie tieups to their. production programs. Size wholly beyond the warrented recompense to a plaintiff for the injury found to have been 'sus- tained by him. The plaintiffs, do not recover merely actual losses (Continued on page 22) ‘Holiday’ in Minneapolis Minneapolis, May 17. Date for local “Cinerama Holi- day” opening at Century theatre finally has been set at July 20. By that time the current Ciner- ama will have racked up a 67-week run, setting up by far a local long- time engagement record for any sort of attraction. You See It-You Haven’t Got It While Africa represents a vast untapped audience for films, different dialects and tribal customs,, combined with a certain sus- picion of the celluloid art, make the going rough for distributors. “Ofie of Our biggest problems is that hbr natives still look at pictures with the same sort, of misgivings with which American audiences met the efforts of the early filmmakers in this country,” was the recent comment of John Schlesinger, head of South Africa’s Schlesinger org which does produce some pix for local ' Consumption. “When our people see a closeup, they want to know where ■'.he rest of the body is,” Schlesinger said. “Then, too, they're still at the stage where they prefer to pay for something and carry it away with them. A hat or a bright tie means more to them than a film which just evaporates after you've paid and sat through it.” . Wednesday, May }B, 1955 ^ * | New York Sound Track T i* * *♦♦■♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦ ♦♦*♦♦♦ Robert Aldrich, who has “The Big Knife” on his production sched- ule, is angling for the gratis appearance, via film, of Joan Crawford. Aldrich wants to do a scene with Jack Balance in a projection room looking at “Sudden Fear” on* the screen. Miss Crawford and Palance starred in “Fear.” ., , Paramount bought “Flamingo Feather,” Laurens Van Der Post navel, for production by Alfred Hitchcock . , . Dell Pub- lishing named Durbin (Jack) Horner editor-in-chief of Screen Stories magv ‘ « Mario Brando has taken an option on “Man on Spikes,” a baseball novel by Eliot Asnlof. He hopes to make jt as his first indie pic in the fall. If so, he'll star in it, too .. . Universal has acquired the Academy Award-winning short, “A Time Out of War,” lensed by two UCLA students. . . .'Robert Fleisher has joined Ruder & Finn-Associates as account exec and mag - lacement specialist. . , . The final liquidation date for the German UFA is. June 6. So far, nothing's happened . . Spytos Skouras, Jr. off to Spain for a holiday. He's due back June 1. , . . Jean Goldwurm in Paris to o.o. French production . . . Walter Klinger in town with a dubbed version of the German “08/15”! Eastman Kodak grows and grows. Sales for the first. 1955 quarter were .$149,200,000, meaning a gain of 13% over the same period a year ago. Earnings climbed 20%, to $14,800,000 . . . Danny Kaye in from L. A. and off to London for a Palladium run starting next Monday (23) , . . There’s sales exec’s job in readiness at Paramount for Charles Boasberg. That is, if he decides to bow out as v.p. of Distributors Corp. of America . . . Robert Mitchum went off to Europe, and pic- ture work, on a freighter. Abram F. Myers sends Variety the following telegram: “As. if you did ijot know, that irate gentleman on the New. Yorker’s cover just tuned'in on one of Eugene F. McDonald’s coded channel six” . , . Tom Waller is selling his home in Northport, L. I. and immediately buying another in Babylon . . . Chester Pickman, Paramount salesman in the New England territory, and Francine Rita Shane, of Brooklyn, have announced their engagement. Pickman is the nephew of Milton (Dis- tributors Corp. of America), Jerry (Paramount) and Herb (Warners) Pickman. June Allyson and, Clark Gable named top film stars of the year in the Woman’s Home Companion annual poll of U. S. women. Voted favorite picture of the year, for a second year, was “The Robe.” Lucille Ball nabbed top honors in the tv field, followed by George Gobel . . . Yvonne DeCarlo helped launch the Southeast’s month-long film festival via a personal appearance in Atlanta Friday (13) to sell newspapers for benefit of the Cerebral Palsy Fund oh Old Newsboys' Day. * Indie producer Edward Small is obligated to pay (estate of) Jack Lait & Lee Mortimer another $2,500 for the “New York Confidential” title, which he used as a tag on a picture last year, If he doesn't pick up the rights for a seednd “Confidential” title at the same $7,500 price as paid for “N. Y.” Small has exercised that right, paying the addi- tional W 2 G for what will probably be a “Chicago Confidential” indie pic to come, ' Cinerama Inc. prexy Haazard Reeves to Paris oyer the weeknd to supervise opening of Empire Theatre as a Cinerama' outlet . . . Stanley Warner execs Harry M. Kalmine and Arthur Rosen also on hand for yesterday’s (Tues.) opening of “This Is Cinerama” at the Empire . . . Grace Kelly back from the Cannes Film Festival . . , James Woolf, of the British producing firm, to the Coast for the opening of “Court Martial,” which Ed Kingsley is distributing in the U. S. . . . Legit-tv actress Eileen Heckart back from the Coast after wardrobe and make- up tests for Warner Bros’ “Miracle in the Rain.” Leslie Faber, general manager of British Lion Films, arriving today (Wed.) from London ... Harry Brandt off to Europe where, among other things, he’ll huddle with George, Minter of Renown Pictures . . . Robert Lippert has acquired the J. Arthur Rank film,, “Simba,” which couldn’t get a Code seal. It’s about the Mau Mau uprising in Africa .. . American distribs concerned over the new rise in, Greek admission taxes . . . Magna Theatre Corp. Stock may go on the exchange soon. Prospectus is now on the way to SEC . . Jack Dempsey peddling his biog at 20th-Fox . . Indo-American Film Corp. has set “Run, Coward, Run” as its first coproduction. It’ll be in Eastmancolor and will be made in Finnish and English versions. N. Y. to L. A. Tom Ayre Burt Balaban Kaye Ballard Len- Berge . Milton Berle ' Samuel Michael Bessie Steve Broidy Sid Cassel Jackie Cooper Diana Douglas Irving Gray Ben Griefer Jason Johnson G. W. (Johnny) Johnstone Shirley Kerz John Patrick Jack Pierce Richard Sale James Woolf N*. Y. to Europe Louise Allbritton Robert Anderson Guy Bolton Harry Brand Abram Chasins David Cole Meyer Davis Jackie Decaux Ed Dukqff Frank M. Folsom Blanche Gaines Norman Granz Luba Hoffman Oscar Horaolka Darle fJarmel Harry M. Kalmine Danny Kaye Walter Kennedy Charles Kprvjln Mildred Natwick Cathleen Nesbitt Lillian Okun Hazard Reeves Arthur Rosen Dario Soria Edward Stern Joan Tetzel Richard Todd Ray Ventura William Warfield L. A. to N. Y. .Judith Anderson Barbara Britton Steve Broidy Sherrill Corwin Gary Crosby Glorya Curran Joan Crawford Edward Dmytryk Hillard Elkins Nina Foch Bill Gargan Harry Geller Lee Grant Katy Jurado Dr. Herbert T. Kalmui Peggy King John Litel Warren Low Rpubdn Mamoulian Bill Penzner Lewis Peterson Martha Scott George Sidney A1 Steele Herbert L. Strock George Wallace Shelley Winters Europe to N. Y. Andre Bader Alfred Crown Maurice Evans Leslie Faber Si Fabian Hugo Fiorato Arlene Francis Martin Gabel Zsa Zsa Gabor Pierre-Louis Guerin Harold Hecht Sol Hurok Grace Kelly Richard Kiley Harold Mirisch Capt. Nils Gustaf Orn Arnold M. Picker Otto Preminger Steven Previn George Shearing Roger L Stevens