Variety (November 1955)

4 PICTURES PftRIETY Wednesday, November 16 , 1955 Aerial Buzzing, Illegal Car Removal Charged to U.S. Film Location Units, So Paris Cops. Curtail Krasna lNOiman Aiabiia, uuw “The Ambassador’s Daughter” in Paris, was forced to rearrange his schedule and accept other incon¬ veniences because the local gen¬ darmes felt put out with the way a couple of previous Hollywood companies abused outdoor shoot¬ ing privileges. The Billy Wilder-Leland Hay¬ ward troupe lensing “Spirit of St. Louis” allegedly violated the or¬ dinances on low flying while en¬ gaging in aerial photography. Next, Mike Todd is supposed to have cleared the big public square (Place Vendome) of all automo¬ biles to suit the sequence he was lensing for “Around the World in 80 Days.” The cars were picked up in trailer trucks and the own¬ ers, some of them government offi¬ cials, didn’t see them again for three days. By which time Todd was out of town. As a consequence Krasna was told he could shoot only in limited aeras and at certain times and it didn’t matter that this would up¬ set his production plans. ‘Alex The Great’ Buildup Equals \ Negative Cost, Sez Bet-a-Million Max One of the company’s costliest productions with a negative cost of over $3,000,000, United Artists’ re¬ lease of “Alexander the Great” is to be given some fancy plugging. Max E. Youngstein, UA v.p., stated this week that $1,000,000 will be spent on the campaign. Company recently .allocated the same-sized budget to “Not As a Stranger.” ^ UA this week was given a strong exploitation headstart with its “Alexander” push, this in the form of 13 pages in Life, including six I pages of stills' Distrib added its own wraparound and used the weekly as a mailing piece for the Robert Rossen production. JAPANESE LOAN DEAL NEARS TOKYO WRAP-UP American industry loan to the Japanese government involving some $7,500,000 for a six-year, period at 3% interest is in the wrapup stages in Tokyo. Coin goes to the Japanese Electric Power De¬ velopment Co. and is repayable in dollars. In return for the loan, to be made in yen from frozen American earnings in Japan, the Government will authorize remittance of $1,500,000 at the official rate of ex¬ change from earnings accrued to the U. S. distribs since July 1,1955, plus $3,000,000 in compensation deals, etc. It’s understood that, if there is devaluation in Japan during the six years, the rap must be borne by the Motion Picture Export Assn. Alan Pakula Gets Status As Paramount Producer Hollywood, Nov. 15. Alan Pakula, assistant to Para¬ mount production chief Don Hart¬ man since 1950, has been upped to producer status by Hartman and handed reins on “The Jim Piersall Story.” When Hartman moved from Met¬ ro to Paramount in 1951, Pakula followed in same capacity. CRAWFORD'S 1953 NOVEL ‘Esther Costello’ as Columbia Rer lease, Woolfs Producing “The story of Esther Costello,” Nicholas Monsarrat novel owned by Columbia, is to be produced by John and James Woolf in associa¬ tion with Col. Coproduction deal was set by M. J. Frankovich, Col’s managing director in Great Britain. Substantial part of the film will be lensed in Ireland. “Esther Costello” was published by Knopf in 1953. Pic version will have Joan Crawford and Rossano Brazzi. heading the cast. Lew Ayres’ Gross San Francisco, Nov. 15. Lew Ayres’ three-night film cavalcade, “The World’s Great Religions” did $7,800 in seven showings at the Geary last week. v It was the second week of the religious films. 20th Execs East, Scout TV And Other Scripts Hoineoffice huddles at 20th-Fox this week were concerned with television and the acquisition of new story properties. Coast contingent led by produc¬ tion chief Darryl F. Zanuck planed East over the weekend for the powwows. Coming with Zanuck were Irving Asher, 20th’s new tv topper; Lew Schreiber, studio exec, and David Brown, studio story editor. On the tv side, Zanuck, Asher and Spyros P. Skouras, 20th prexy, huddled on the possibility of new tv shows to be made by TCF, 20th’s tv subsid. Also under discussion were the institutional ad spots on the General Electric “Twentieth Century-Fox Hour” over CBS. While the company is happy with the shows per se, there’s been con¬ siderable dissatisfaction — particu¬ larly in the East — over the shape of the “behind-the-scenes” se¬ quences on which 20th’s upcoming product is plugged. Feeling is that this segment must be improved via a new formula and approach. On the story side, Brown met with N. Y. story department execs headed by Bertram Block. It’s like¬ ly that out of these discussions will come a more favorable studio con¬ sideration of properties that have gone on tv. Studio so far has nixed all tv scripts submitted by the homeoffice. Studio door for stories now is described as “wide open” in view of 20th’s anticipated increase In output next year. Company has in mind giving more attention to opening chapters of books that show promise for screen adapta¬ tion. This is nothing more than a continuation of an old 20th policy. However, the competition among the companies for story properties, particularly books, is more severe than ever. MEXICO BANS ITALY’S FILMS AS RETALIATION Mexico has slapped a temporary ban on the exhibition of Italian films. According to Hector Fernandez, exec director of the Mexican Film Producers Assn., his country im¬ posed this retaliatory ban because Italy may take as long as a year to get a Mexican film through the Italian censors. Because it feels that Britain, too, isn’t doing anything to show Mexi¬ can pix, Mexico has been slowing the importation of British films for some time. SAMUELS, O'GARA RETURN Leo F. Samuels, president and general sales manager of Buena Vista, and James O’Gara, homeof¬ fice sales supervisor, returned to New York Monday (14) after an in¬ spection tour of all key areas throughout Canada. The Walt Disney distribution subsidiary is sold in the Dominion via Empire-Universal. Ogburn to Atlanta Post Carroll Ogburn has been shifted by Warner Bros, from branch man¬ ager in Jacksonville to the similar- post in Atlanta. He succeeds Gro¬ ver Livingston, recently promoted to southeastern district manager. John B. Tomlinson, salesman in Jacksonville, moves up to the branch manager’s position in that city. J Mayer Didn’t Get Rights, HornBIow Seeking British ‘Witness’ Play for Filming Arthur Hornblow Jr. disclosed this week he’s bidding for the screen rights to Agatha Christie’s British play, "Witness for the Pros¬ ecution,” now on the Broadway boards, and also has had talks with the novelist-dramatist about her book “The Moving Finger.” He put in his bid for “Prosecution” with Gilbert Miller, who produced the play in association with Peter Saunders. Miller’s answer is now awaited. Some time ago a report out of Paris had it that Louis B. Mayer had purchased the “Prosecution” rights. Actually, Mayer made an offer but this was turned down. Miss Christie is known to be concerned pidmarily with stage presentations of her works. She gives film versions only subsequent consideration. Plan is afoot for “Finger” to be dramatized by the author and presented in London by Saunders. If this materializes, Hornblow will then seek to nab the screen rights. ' As previously reported, Horn- blow’s recently-organized Festival Films has a deal to produce in partnership with Edward Small. Their first is to be “Solomon and Sheba,” a property owned by Small, and, if Hornblow has his ! way, with Gina Lollobrigida in the “Sheba” part. No contracts can be signed since the specific starting date is unset. Shooting will be in Spain, Italy and Israel. Hornblow intends to produce “S and S” in Todd-AO, which is the process he launched with his pro¬ duction of “Oklahoma.” He regards the system as ideal for “impressive subjects;” But it wouldn’t be suit¬ able for the intimacy of “Prosecu¬ tion,” he said. The Hornblow-Small films will be released by United Artists. PIER ANGELI TO TANGIERS Replaces Grayson As Lead In ‘Port Afrique’ Hollywood, Nov. 15. Pier Angeli replaces Kathryn Grayson as femme star of David E. Rose’s Coronado production, “Port Afrique.” Hassle oyer script led producer to hop here from Lon¬ don for confabs with Miss Grayson, who had failed to report for last week’s skedded start in Tangiers, but was resolved when actress was ordered into hospital by her phy¬ sician and forced to cancel out. Troupe, headed by director Rudy Mate and Phil Carey, who costars, has already started shooting in North Africa for Columbia release. Miss Angeli, on loanout from Met- iro, and Rose are already en route to location. N. Y. to L. A. Everett Callow Walter Cronkite Linda Darnell Howard Dietz Cliff Giesseman Harry Goldberg Herb Golden Milton A. Gordon Edmund Grainger Lester B. Isaac G. W. (Johnny) Johnstone Jerry Juroe Harry M. Kalmine Nat Lapkin Charles M. Reagan Samuel Rosen Bill Shipley Jules White Shirley. Yamaguchi N, Y. to Europe Pier Angeli Sir Henry French Norman Granz Van Johnson Victor. Mature George H. Ornstein Arnold M. Picker Ed Strum Ed Sullivan Elizabeth Taylor David Whitfield Michael Wilding Europe to N. Y. Prof. Henri Chretien Eileen Crowe . Benjamin Fincke f Jean Goldwurm Thomas Gomez Milton Kirshenberg Anatole Litvak Denis O’Dea Henry Salomon Jr. Sam Spiegel Lou Walters . . ********* ... :: New- York Sound Track . . **************** .. ♦♦++++ H [ An upcoming issue of TV World, a fan publication, will contain piece, “Why Famous Stai;s Are Unhappy,” written by Dr. Edward Var! zoz and Paul Denis and naming a long list of entertainers who have' been or are on the psycho-analytic couch. Among those named from the film industry are Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Georg* Sanders, Ava Gardner, Shelley Winters, Sterling Hayden, Dan Dailey Marilyn Monroe, Nina Foch, Eva Marie Saint, Wanda Hendrix . f ro ' Television itself, Arlene Francis, Jane Froman, Steve Allen, Dave Gar roway, Artie Shaw, Sid Caesar, Wally Cox ... it is to be noted that the co-author of the piece, Dr. Edward Varzoz, was once a bandleader in Chicago but switched to medicine in 1942. Always interesting to tote up the totals and somebody (maybe Rainh Staub) has figured that the producer-director-cameraman of Colum bia’s “Screen Snapshots,” namely Ralph Staub, has made 777 short subjects in 25 years . . . town was death-conscious Monday when hear¬ ing of Robert E. Sherwood, Ned Marin, Bernard De Voto, Irving Snyder of Sterling Poster, Martin J. Lewis, the upper Broadway exhibitor From Minneapolis came a wire from our Les Rees of the death of six- year old son of Harry Wren, governing director of Celebrity Theatres of Sydney, Australia . . . Exhib -and his wife brought boy there in des¬ perate chance that new operating technique might cure damaged heart . . . During sad mission Wren learned U. of Minnesota operational pro- cedure, performed nowhere else in world, was financed by the Variety Clubs of his own film profession . . . boy died before reaching table. Warner Bros, crowing-over the fact that three literary properties on its filming schedule are currently heading the bestseller lists. Books are Herman Wouk's “Majorie Morningstar,” Patrick Dennis’ “Auntie Marne,” and Robert Penn Warren’s “Band of Angels” . . . Metro’s weekly video show, “The MGM Parade,” selected for showing to serv¬ ice men here and abroad . . . Producer Charles Schnee and director Robert Wise in Gotham for confabs on the Rooky Graziano biopic, “Somebody Up There Likes Me” . . . Director Daniel Mann to Tokyo to select natives for roles in Metro’s “Teahouse of the August Moon” . . . Students of NYU’s motion picture course will follow the produc¬ tion of the Van Wolf-Parker “Panic” during its filming in New York. Marjorie Tliirer Geiss, mag contact since 1952 for IFE Releasing, ankles the org Friday (11) . . . Having bought out John G. McCarthy’s interest in United Motion Picture Organization, Richard Davis retains title to all films, in the UMPO fold, including the trio of French lin- gualers produced by George Lourau. Latter is repped in the U. S. by McCarthy. Following the McCarthy-Davis breakup last week, Ilya Lopert acted as an intermediary in connection with the Lourau films . . . Jean Goldwurm of Times Film back from Europe. Walter Wanger set Shirley Yamaguchi with Joan Bennett and Gary Merrill for “Mother-Sir,” for Allied Artists release . . . Wilde bought “Arrows in the Sun,” a novel by Jon Reed Lauritzon, for indie pro¬ duction . . . Lee Roberts and Dennis Moore going into Sam Katzman’s Columbia serial "Blazing the^Overland Trail.” When V.I.P.’s come to visit at Loew’s Inc., usually some vice presi¬ dent goes to the 1540 Broadway lobby, holds an elevator and/greets the caller . . . last Thursday Nicholas M. Schenck himself was downstairs doing the honors and arousing curiosity ... then his visitors showed up ... it was Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff of RCA-NBC. Jon Barnes, film critic for The Atlanta Journal, put up a mild beef about Southern • accent heard in 20th-Fox’s filmization of Hamilton Basso’s “The View From Pompey’s Head,” which opened Thursday (10) at 4,400-seat Fox Theater. Otherwise he gave the pic a firm okay. Columbia publicity merchant Marty Blau figures he’ll be a bongo drummer next year, what with such upcoming releases as “Safari,” “Odongo” and “Beyond Mombassa” . . . Sigmund Gottlober named chairman of the foreign language press division, Committee to Save .Carnegie Hall. Walt Disney in Monday (14) for the National Audubon Society’s annual dinner and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences lunch¬ eon . . . Jerry Juroe back to publicity mill at Paramount studio after .a week of powwows at the homeoffice . . . Arnold Picker, United Art¬ ists’ foreign distribution chief, winged out at the weekend for a four- week swing of Europe. George Ornstein returned to his UA post in Madrid following sales talks in N. Y. and on the Coast . . . Milton Kirshenberg, treasurer of Paramount International, is back from a onceover of the Paris office. Johnna Grant now drumbeater for Continental Distributing . . . Dorothy B. Jones article in Films in Review relates the care with which Universal documented its “Bengal Brigade” only tq have the Indian censor hedging on giving' it a license. Reason, says Miss Jones, is that Indians don’t wish to be reminded of their but recent subservient status vis-a-vis the British . . . Sidney Kaufman 'Completing the Eng¬ lish version of an 80-minute film on the Berlin Philharmonic. He's also bought “A Night in Venice,” tint musical produced by Boris Morros in Vienna, for U. S. distribution . . . “Breakdown,” Mary Brinker Post novel that appeared in Woman’s Day in 1952, bought by 20th-Fox for around $4-,000. It tells how lives are changed when a luxury train is entombed in a snowstorm . ... Are Middle Eastern hostilities a boxoffice tie-up boosting grosses of the Israeli “Hill 24 Desn’t Answer” at the World Theatre, N. Y.? . . . Times Films’ Jean Goldwurm back from Europe. Mike Todd on his “80 Days Around the World,” as quoted by News¬ week: “It’s gonna relegate VistaVision, CinemaScope and Cinerama to the magic-lantern era” . . ; Leonard Goldenson .again chairman of United Cerebral Palsy . . . Burt Kennedy put his “Seven Men From Now” screenplay into novel form for publication by ^Berkley Pub¬ lishing as a paperback next March . . . Herb Golden .spending the next two weeks on the Coast with Bankers Trust Co. clients . .'..That was Max Youngstein explaining film publicity and exploitation at the New School for Social Research. L. A. to N. Y. Buddy Adler Pier Angeli Milton Berle Mort Blumenstock Bob Braun Malcolm Brown Caroline Burke Leslie Caron Linda Christian Harry Cohn Martin S. Davis Laraine Day Don De Fore Walt Disney Fred Feldkamp James R. Grainger William J. Heineman Jose Iturbi Anne Jeffreys Danny Kaye Peggy King Arthur B. Krim Ray Milland Sal Mineo Stephen JVU*eIiell Clayton Moore Edward T. Morey Leslie Nielson Gordon Oliver Janis Paige Louis Phillips Mary Pickford Ingo Premipger Stanley .Quinn David E. Rose Charles Schnee Sam Shayon George P. Skouras Lou Smith Jules C. Stein Terry Turner Les Tremayne Arthur Valando Robert Wise Jack' Wrather * 'Darryl F. Zanuck.