Variety (October 1955)

tsfiftlETY 18 PICTURES Wednesday, October 19, 1955 UFA, ONCE NAZIS’ FILM MONOPOLY, SOON TO RETURN AS GERMANY’S BIG FORCE 4----—- Reemergence of the German UFA as a production factor in Ger¬ many is seen changing the indus¬ try situation there and giving the German film business the impetus it has lacked since the end of the war. That is the impression gained by American filrhmen recently traveled in Germany.' They feel, too, that once UFA is revived, the U. S. film companies will face a much tougher competitive situa¬ tion. Indications are that at least par¬ tial acquisitibn of the properties of UFA, once the Nazi film mo¬ nopoly, is due in the near future. German and Swiss interests are involved, but are holding out for acquisition of the theatres along With the studios. UFA owns studios and labora¬ tories in Bavaria (Munich-Geisel- gasteig—8 stages); Berlin (Tempel- hof—5 stages) and Wiesbaden. It also has some 70 houses. Negotia¬ tions for the sale to private inter¬ ests devolve primarily around the Berlin and Wiesbaden properties. In Munich, strong pressure is be¬ ing put on the Government to re¬ tain the studio property. One of the problems, say the American observers, is that of finding the proper administrative personnel to get UFA production going again. Once it does, they feel, the letdown created by the elimination of Government sub¬ sidies will be overcome and Ger¬ many may once again emerge as a world power in the film biz. Up till now postwar German films have been quite local in theme and appeal This is blamed, in part, on the lack of a central production core that would attract private financing. Revival of the UFA would overcome that prob¬ lem. There is said to be extreme sensitivity in Germany regarding the possibility of American money entering UFA. The Pattern German postwar production has been centered primarily in three companies in Munich, Berlin and Hamburg. There are no clear in¬ dications of the extent to which the former Nazi bosses of the UFA are trying to regain the company or whether some of them are be¬ hind the Germany financial inter¬ ests that are seeking to acquire the UFA properties, l^fazis have seeped back into German film pro¬ duction to quite a considerable ex¬ tent. Examples cited are Veit Har¬ lan, producer of the infamous "Jud Suess,” and Ernst von Salomon, chief scripter for Gloria Film of Berlin. Salomon is known as an arch-Nazi. He authored the vicious¬ ly anti-American "Fragebogen” book which reportedly—and some¬ what unsurprisingly—ended up on the German bestseller list. Following the war, the UFA mo¬ nopoly was returned to the Ger¬ man Government with the provi¬ sion that it be split up and put on the auction block. There have been considerable delays in accpm plishing this. Set Events for Tri-State Annual Memphis Meet Memphis., Oct. 18. Tri-state ^Theatre Owners will hold its annual powwow at the Gayoso Hotel, Oct. 24-25. Nathan Flexer, incumbent prexy who op¬ erates theatres at Waverly, Tenn., and chairman Ed Doherty of Ex¬ hibitor’s Service here have . mapped out the events. A Mississippi boat ride with the Blevin Popcorn & Theatre Seat ; Service serving as host will be part of the social side. M. H. Bran¬ don, prexy of Film Transit, will also host the theatre owners with a chuck wagon dinner. George Kerasotes and Alex Har¬ rison of Motion Picture Advertis¬ ing Service Co., will top the speak¬ er’s list at a luncheon on Tuesday (25). Other speakers skedded to address the Arkansas-Mississippi- Tennessee group include Warren Foster, Dick Stern, Bijou Amuse¬ ment Co., Nashville, and Flexer. Some 300 members are expected to attend the two-day parley which will windup with election of officers and banquet at the Gayoso. For the wives; a fashion show. Me No Vandal Memphis, Oct. 8. There is much interest lo¬ cally in a suit against Ben Bass, operator of a neighbor¬ hood house, the Rosewood. It’s been filed by the mother of a six-year-old boy, Dudley Eu-’ gene, and asks $10,000 dam¬ ages for "malicious and illegal” imprisonment of the lad in the theatre manager’s office. Seems the lad was nabbed by two ushers and charged with slashing a seat. In the office he was, says the suit, bullied and badgered and threatened \yith detention if he refused to confess the alleged slashing, which he denied. Pidgeon, and Colonels, Aim for lOO-Out-of-lOO In Film Colony Charity Hollywood, Oct. 18. Every one will get into the act this year if the Motion Picture Permanent Charities Campaign Committee has its way. Chairman Walter Pidgeon disclosed that the drive, now underway, has set the unprecedented goal of tapping every one of the 24,000 potential donors in the film industry. Last year, PCC raised $1,100,000. Pidgeon feels the goal can be equalled but explained that "Per¬ manent Charities belongs to every man and woman in the industry and we want everyone to be a part of it. "If we succeed in this undertak¬ ing, the results will far exceed any dollar goal we could set. We in¬ tend to succeed.” New colonels for the drive are: Charles Conklin, General Service; Charles Fries, American National; David Garber, Kling; Ernest Le¬ vine, 1 California, and Charles Meacham, Hal Roach. Returning for this year’s campaign are for¬ mer colonels Eugene Arnstein, Al¬ lied Artists; Byron L. Ellerbrock, Bud Brown, Metro; Fred Fox, Art Houser, Larry Rice, 20th-Fox; H. J. Glick, Herschel Gruenberg, Repub¬ lic; A. B. Hilton and H. E. Mc- Croskey, Paramount; William Hop¬ kins and Bert Lea., Columbia; Rich¬ ard Mahn, RKO; Axel Nissen and Gerald Clover, Goldwyn; Norman Pottle, Technicolor; K. M. Sieling, Disney; Sidney P. Solow, W. A. Cushman and Mike Simon' for Al¬ lied Industries; M. W. Weiner and Anthony Frederick, UI, and F. E. Witt and Hal Holman, Warners. First major contribution came from Labor with Carl Cooper, of PCC’s Labor Executive Committee, pledging 11,851 Fair Plan subscrip¬ tions for a total of $347,000. Coo¬ per said contributions average $29.28 per donor. Total of 15,697 workers in the film industry have subscribed $725,000 in studio’s Fair Plan, prior to formal launching tomor¬ row (Wed.) of the 1956 drive. Campaign chairman Walter Pid¬ geon said; "With this backlog it is virtually certain that we will exceed the $1,100,000 collected last year.” New Pix Booker in Shifts Of Fox Theatre Personnel Promotion of a new film buyer for Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres constitutes one of six exec person¬ nel changes at the chain. He is William Agren, who moves up from being head of the booking depart¬ ment. According to Robert W. Selig, Fox Inter-Mountain division man¬ ager, Si Sanders will succeed Ag¬ ren as head of the northern district booking department. Henry C. Fischer replaces Sanders as booker for the Inter-Mountain southern district. Fischer had been working in the film statistical department for the last six years. Moving up, Tony Ceranlch has been promoted to head of the sta¬ tistical sections. Also, Warren Beier has been named special as¬ sistant to M. C. Glatz in the con¬ struction detail of the circuit. Al¬ bert Hopkinson goes in as assistant to Ralph Pizza in the Salt Lake booking department. Best ‘Student-Produced’ Film Latest Promotional Gimmick for Look Mag Hollywood, Oct. 18. Screen Producers Guild’s Inter¬ collegiate Awards for the Best Stu¬ dent Produced Films will be incor¬ porated into the annual Look Mag¬ azine Awards next February. Tieup effected between SPG prexy Sam¬ uel G. Engel and Daniel D. Mich, editorial director of the national magazine, provides for inclusion of the student winners in the 15th an¬ nual JLaok Motion Picture Achieve¬ ment Awards. Winners will be presented Awards Medallions from both Look and SPG on a network television show time to coincide with publication of the awards. Entries must be submitted to SPG before the end of the year, and winners will be chosen by a committee of producers. Last year’s Gold Medallion win¬ ner, "A Time Out of War” by UCLA students Denis and'Terry Sanders, also won an Academy short subject Oscar. STALLED ON PLAYDATES, SEZ TOLER, SO SUES San Francisco, Oct. 18. The operator. of a theatre in Castro Valley, just outside Oak¬ land, filed a $375,000 antitrust suit against 13 major film com¬ panies in Federal court here last Tuesday (4). James Toler, who runs the Chabot Theatre, claimed the com¬ panies discriminated against him by making him wait longer for new films than their own houses had to wait. Named as defendants were Paramount, Loew’s, Warner Bros., 20th Century-Fox, Republic, Co¬ lumbia Pictures, Universal Film Exchanges, United Artists, Na¬ tional Theatres, Fpx West Coast, United California Theatres, Gol¬ den State Theatres and T & D Jr. Enterprises. This is the fifth such suit filed here in the last year. THERE'S YOUR ENEMY- Columbia Sales Drive Has New Rivalry Angles Columbia is pitting one ex¬ change against another and one di¬ vision against another in the com¬ pany’s sales drive honoring Jack Cohn, exec v.p. As explained by general sales manager Abe Montague, the N. Y. branch will compete with Philadel¬ phia, Washington with Boston, and so forth. Only the Huston office, which is new, will not be paired off, instead will compete against a special billings quota. Among the divisions, N. Y. is matched against Chicago, central vs. northwest, etc. Col’s sales drive runs to June 28, 1956. McKenzie’s 2d Term Regina, Sask., Oct. 18. J. Duane McKenzie, of Estevan, was re-elected for a second term as president of the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Exhibitors’ Assn, at the organization’s annual meeting in Regina. J. F, Lundholm, Swift Current, was re-elected vice-president and J. M. Heaps, Regina, was returned as secretary-treasurer. P. W. Mahon, Prince Albert, is honorary president. Directors are: Fred Kalkner, Tis¬ dale; Walter Pyle, Rockglen; R. D. Armstrong, Whitewood; Harry Dur¬ ham, Shaunavon; Hilliard Gunn, Regina; I. Reinhorn, Regina; H. S. Humphries, Grenfell; G. R. Miller, Wynyard; R. R. Southam, Gains¬ borough; James King, Milestone; William Winterton, Saskatoon; M. Crawford, Watrous; W. Zaparaniuk, Prince Albert; G. M. Miller, Kcl- vington; J. D. Watson, Regina, and William Russell, Saskatoon. ‘Museum’ Policy Los Angeles, Oct. 18. Carmel Theatre, a Hollywood nabe, is reopening Nov. 3 as the Carmel Museum Theatre, with everything from sub¬ titles to stereo sound and the policy of the house. Latest major releases will be twin¬ billed with w.k. features of the silent era. Charles Tarbox, of Film Classics Exchange, which has many films with top silent star names in its library, will oper¬ ate house. Clark, Chicago, Launches 15-Day ‘Festival’ With Bargain Series Ticket Chicago, Oct. 18. The recently remodeled Clark Theatre has another of its twice- yearly "film restivals” current. This one, called the "Fall Film Festival,” is for 15 days, and will plug daily changed double bills of recent pix and oldies dating as far back as "Camille” vintage (1936). Earlier this year, the.Clark had a spring splash of this kind. Series tickets are sold for the festivals, ranging in price from $5 to $1.50. The op entitles holders to view the whole 15-day series, evening or matinee, and the $1.50 ducat is for five matinee performances. Manager Bruce Trinz feels the festivals attract attention to the theatre and serve to introduce new patrons, which they are especially anxious to do since the theatre’s recent modernization. When not on a spree, the Clark shojvs a. new double feature each day, at a 50c matinee price, 75c evening tariff, and 20c for moppets, all days. DENY TRAFFIC SNARL A DRIVE-IN DANGER Albany, Oct. 18. The suburban Town of Bethle¬ hem Board of Appeals will decide tomorrow (Wed.) after hearing ar¬ guments for and against the pro¬ posed construction of a drive-in off Route 9-W at Jericho Rd. Application to build a modern, 500-car theatre was filed by Mrs. Frieda Klein and her sons, Morris and Raphael, of Hunter. The fam¬ ily presently operate outdoor sit¬ uations at Hunter and Coxsackie. Their attorney, Norman S. Weiss, of Albany, told the board that the new drive-in would not cause traf¬ fic congestion, an argument ad¬ vanced against approving the ap¬ plication. The site chosen is ap¬ proximately four miles from the center of the three-village commu¬ nity and well off the main high¬ way, Weiss said. He continued that the question of traffic management had been discussed with the State Police, who approved the outlined plan. The Klein’s automobiler is one of two projected for the area be¬ tween south Albany and Ravena. Another, nearer the latter -village, is proposed by two Ravena men. Class-Up Arion as Artie Tho in Plebian Nabe Minneapolis, Oct. 18. With the conversion of the Arion into such a house the ranks of local art theatres, all located in neigh¬ borhood sections, are. increased to four. Arion, however, is first in a lower working class district to launch the policy. Owned by W. R. Frank, who has been a Hollywood producer as well as circuit, owner, the Arion has been in the 49-day clearance slot. Approximately $45,000 is being ex¬ pended to transform it into a typi¬ cal intimate art theatre. Its seat¬ ing capacity has been reduced from 1,000 to 750 and the main portion of its balcony has been turned into a glass-enclosed lounge from which the picture can be watched by pa¬ trons while they smoke, sip coffee or indulge in refreshments. Initial attraction will be local first-run of Orson Welles’ "Oth¬ ello.” 50c For Old Folk* San Francisco, Oct. 18. In an effort to attract older pa¬ trons a larger neighborhood the¬ atre, the Balboa, last week lowered prices for over-65 film fans to 50c. Prevailing scale is 70c-$l. Result of the Balboa’s experi¬ ment may affect other neighbor¬ hoods in this .area. House is part of the San Francisco Theatres’ chain:" Y.V‘ -• Wanted Film ‘Pro,’ But French Ohay Bureau Nominee By GENE MOSKOWITZ Paris, Oct. 18. The. French Film Industry has given its agreement to the norni- nation of Joseph Maternati, by Minister of Commerce and Indus¬ try, Andre Morice, as director of the French Film Center, which is due to open in New York some- time in November.. Industry at first held out for the appointment of a "professional” film man rather than a political designation. How¬ ever, he did serve as prexy of the film affairs section in the cabinet of Morice, and film heads finally nodded assent to the choice. Maternati is slated to leave for the United States this month for preliminary look around before setting up the bureau in Manhat¬ tan under the control, of the Cen¬ tre National De La Cinemato¬ graphic, whose president is Jacques Flaud. This twist makes Maternati answerable to Flaud wRo was under Maternati when the latter handled film chores for the Ministry. FFC will be the official French industry and governmental film representative in America, and will deal directly with both U. S. film and governmental authorities on all problems and agreements. It will be primarily invested with the responsibility of safeguarding all French film interests in the U. S., and is to- keep* the Gallic industry and CNC informed on all film mat¬ ters as regards jurisdictional, fi¬ nancial and professional problems and subjects. Thus, FFC will be a direct liai¬ son between French producers and American distributors on all thea¬ tre, video and non-commercial films, and will endeavor to instruct French producers as to the best possibilities for their films in the U. S. and the best Stateside dis¬ tributors for the various types of films. It will also examine the U. S. market and make reports as to further aspects and chances for Gallic pix in the more untapped hinterlands. It is to determine whether proper public and press relations, can swell demands for the French film there, and also embark on an educational project to make students and more general audiences aware of the French film as an entertainment and artistic force. An important function will be to control remittances to France since this has been one of the thorniest problems encountered by the French. Recently Flaud told Variety that the fault was usually with the French producers who sold films hurriedly and outright, to insure some U. S. revenue, in¬ stead of understanding the market and making deals accordingly, FFC will definitely not distribute films, but it could possibly work with the IFE in showcasing some spe¬ cialized Franco-Italian coproduc¬ tions. In sum it will be akin to the MPEA here in repping and safe¬ guarding the interest of French producers abroad. Finances for the FFC will come from last year’s counterpart payment to the French government, by MPEA, to be used for film purposes. This amount came to $468,000, but much of it has been used to set up a loan fund, against slowcoming foreign revenue, for producers so that they go ahead with production without waiting for important foreign amortization coin. Any needed money for the FFC will come from the Film Aid Law coffers. Mater¬ nati will probably share his N. Y. bureau with the Unifranee Film- ree, the organization to hypo. French films abroad, and his re¬ placement here, as topper of film affairs for the Ministry, is M. Vignes. I This is considered the beginning of the French offensive on the American market, which has been in the planning here for a long time. After his recent visit to the U. S., Flaud came back convinced of his original feeling that there are big gains to be made in the U. S. by French films. However, he realized this would be a slow process.