Variety (April 1956)

Wednesday, April 18, 1956 PfiRltiff PICTURES 10 YEARS WITH WRONG DATA Hong Kong Film Star Demands Stressing that producers throughout the world basically face the same problems, Eric Johnston recalled the Hong Kong film¬ makers’ main beef to him when he was recently there. “They* said the business was being ruined,” the MPAA topper reported, “because tfie salary demands of the stars were too high.” Metro Again Aims At CinemaScope In Monochrome Reverting to a policy line worked out about a year ago, but never put into practice, Metro is again thinking of making CinemaScope pictures in black-and-white. Company is understood to be planning to make monochrome C’Scopers whenever the subject warrants it has already decided on the first film. However, pic will be lensed in color, with black-and- white prints to be struck from the tint negative. Policy of tint shooting is aimed at several years from now, when these pix may be sold to tv. Tele¬ casting by then is likely to be pre- dominantlv in color: When Metro originally came up with the idea, it was talked out of it by 20th-Fox prexy Spyros P. Skouras who argued that lack of color would depress the value of CinemaScope. There is said to be nothing in Metro’s C’Scope con¬ tract with 20th to prohibit the Culver City lot from using Cinema¬ Scope in any way it chooses. In some individual contracts, particularly abroad, 20th has in¬ sisted on and specified that the picture would have to be in color. However, it’s been argued by some that the arbitrary restriction is foolish in the sense that some pictures may actually benefit from monochrome “mood” , treatment. Quite apart from -that, skipping color reps a tremendous saving in print costs since the difference be¬ tween color and b&w prints runs very high. In the instance of 20th, the outfit’s' dedication to color is said to cost it around $3,000,000 extra a year. Producers, in discussing the color, vs. b&w issue, have opined that the theory—that the public wants tint pix—isn’t foolproof. They cite a variety of b&w gross- ers to support their contention that the question of color should be de¬ termined primarily by subject matter. FRED COE’S INITIAL FILM LIKELY FOR WB Although the first feature pro¬ duction contract he signed was with the United Artists, television producer Fred Coe may .work with Warners on his first picture. Coe, operating as an independ¬ ent, signed to make three films tor UA at an unspecified time and on a non-exclusive basis. But he has a story with a new slant on the “Billy the Kid” character and wants Paul Newman, who’s con¬ tractually pinned down by WB, to Play the part. As a result, Coe may set up shop at WB for the picture. Coe’s plan is to work on the¬ atrical features in the summer months and operate in tv the rest of the year. „ Another Reginald Rose TV Script For Screen Television writer Reginald Rose, Wio has adapted two of his pre- vious’ teleplays for the screen, will Perform the same task on “Dino,” which has been acquired by the indie team of David Kramarsky and Bernice Bl6ck. The story, with a settlement house, p ^ e , filmed in New York. j 0S f’ s tv-to-pix conversions in- luded “Crime in the Streets,” which Allied Artists is releasing J^y. .and “12 Angry Men,” Which will be filmed in N. Y. in u.:n e f, or release by United Artists, i. 1 *- 11 the writer and Henry Fonda amed as the production unit. Drop U.S. Office Idea; Lion Int’l Sets Distrib Deal With Eliot Hyman Britain’s Lion International Films, foreign sales outlet for Brit¬ ish Lion, John Woolf and others, has given up the idea of setting up its own office in the U. S. In¬ stead, the company has made a deal with Eliot Hyman for the American distribution of five fea¬ tures, with Richard Gordon acting as the Lion Inti. rep. Negotiations on the Hyman deal were started last December when Victor J. Hoare, Lion International associate managing director, was in N. Y. Hoare is due to return to the U. S. later this month. Titles of the British quintet ac¬ quired by Hyman include “John and Julie,” “End of the Road,” “Orders Are Orders,” “Blue Pe¬ ter” and “Child’s Play.” Another be handled in the U. S. by George Brest (George K. Arthur). When Hoare arrives, he’ll have with him prints of several other new British films, including “Extra Day,” “Charley Moon” and “Pri¬ vate’s Progress,” the latter very successful in England where the pic is known as the one they didn’t want made. “They' 9 stand's for the War Office generals who refused cooperation in the making of the film.' Hoare also may bring over “Loser Takes All,” John Staf¬ ford CinemaScoper starring Ros- sano Brazzi, Glynis Johns and Rob¬ ert Morley. Pic has just been com¬ pleted. DEBUNK ’411 PERK E By GENE ARNEEL Eric A. Johnston has finally pinned down the origin of the (a) widely-used but (b) not necessarily accurate portrait of the domestic theatre business at its peak level— the supposed 90,000,000 weekly ad¬ missions of 1946. That figure was cited at a Washington hearing some time ago and it was attrib¬ uted to an industry year book. The publication was asked where the figure came from and the an¬ swer was from the Motion Picture Assn, of America, of which John¬ ston is president. That was a puz¬ zle since MPAA hadn't been keep¬ ing any count in 1946 on tickets sold. As Johnston now tells it, more prodding produced the fact that Arthur De Bra, head of community relations for MPAA, mentioned the 90,000,000 weekly attendance round-figure in a talk before a women’s group. There was no basis for this. De Bra simply want¬ ed to impress upon his audience the influence Of films and “took British Lion pic, “Geordie,” willtsome literary license,” said John- BRITISH ‘SHORTAGE’ MARS NATIVE QUOTA • Washington, April 17. Domestic product shortage is the explanation being given by British exhibitors for failing to abide by the quota system. The law pro¬ vides that 30% off first features and 25% of second features shown in British film houses must be pro¬ ducer by that country. However, reports the British Board of Trade for the year ending Sept. 30, 1955, some 529 exhibitors failed to achieve the quotas on first features and 642 failed to meet in for supporting programs. “The reason given by some ex¬ hibitors for not meeting the pre¬ scribed qquotas,” reports Nathan D. Golden, director of the U. S. Commerce Department motion pic¬ ture division, “is that the number of new British film productions has not been large enough to en¬ able them to make the quota ex¬ cept by showing ‘old’ films. First run theatres and some of the sec¬ ond run theatres are extremely reluctant to show old films merely to meet the prescribed quota.” FRENCH LIKE CINERAMA J. B. Ysaye Sets Deals Outside Paris Using Cheaper Gear Paris, April 17. Jean Bouchel Ysaye, director of the Empire Theatre now housing the first Cinerama entry, has be¬ come head' of Cinerama develop¬ ment for the Continent. “This Is Cinerama,” now in its eleventh month here, has already played to over 700,000 patrons and taken in an outsize $1,200,000'. Second “Cinerama Holiday” due in Sep¬ tember. Ysaye is in negotiations for semi- |.permanent Cinerama installations in four key cities, Marseilles, Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg, for one to three months depending on what the market will bear. Another project is a traveling Cinerama Theatre which will be able to be set up anywhere and move about the Continent. This moving thea¬ tre- setup is being discussed in J France, Germany and England. ston, Over the subsequent years the 90.000,000 count (and how far it’s right or wrong nobody knows) has been used by statisticians within (Continued on page 16) Cannes Big Magnet This Spring; Product Scouting Currently Vital; Prestige Higher Than Venice By FRED HIFT Kelly &‘Dance’Pic Wow Zurich Art House Fans In Swiss World-Preem Zurich, April 10. In view of its cosmopolitan char¬ acter and the discrimination of its public with a flair for offbeat film- fare, Metro chose Zurich for the world-preem of Gene Kellv’s three-episode, all-dance tinter, “In¬ vitation to the Dance,” in which he has the triple-function of direc¬ tor-star-choreographer. Opening at the highly selective artie Studio 4, a 400-seater, was launched with a big splash and, to top it all, Metro obtained Gene Kelly from Paris for a p.a. at the opening (7). Not for a long time has a Hollywood personality assisted at a preem here. Accordingly, Kelly’s Zurich stunt created quite a stir in all local papers as well as among the fans, who crowded around him at the airport, in front of and in the theatre and on the streets the fol- (Continued on page 81) National Boxoffice Survey Biz Holding Even; ‘Suit’ New Champ, ‘Alex* ‘Holiday' 3d, ‘Okla.' 4th, ‘Carousel' 5th 2d, Business in key cities covered by Variety this season is holding on a fairly even keel, with newer product generally shaping big. Weather, which was typically April, tended to cut into trade in some sectors where rainfall was steady. Some exhibs blamed in¬ come tax blues and opening of baseball season for any offish trend. But actually it was the fault of the product. “Man in Gray Flannel Suit” (20th) is new boxoffice champ, easily outdistancing its nearest ri¬ vals in smash fashion. Playing in some 15 keys, this pic is display¬ ing sock original strength and real stamina. “Alexander the Great” (UA), which was nosed out of No. 1 spot a week ago, is winding up second. This film is doing big to great biz in a majority of the eight key cities where dating this round. “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie), with a boost from closing notices in some spots, is pushing up to third place. “Oklahoma” (Magna) is climbing up from sixth to fourth spot. “Carousel” (20th), first last stanza, is winding fifth. “Conqueror” (RKO) is sixth.- “Anything Goes” (Par) is slipping to seventh posi¬ tion, “Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) will cap¬ ture eighth place while “Meet Me in Las Vegas” (M-G) is finishing ninth. “Forbidden Planet” (M-G), a newle, is taking 10th position. “Diabolique” (UMPO) and “Miracle in Rain” (WB) round out the Top 12 pix. /‘Picnic” (Col), “Harder They Fall” (Col) and “Rock Around Clock” also from Columbia, are runner-up p'l this week. “Th^ Swan” (M-G), due at N.Y. Music Hall April 26, is sock in opening weeks in Minneapolis and Philly. “Jubal” (Col), also new, big in Detroit and Seattle, is nice in Denver and good in Minneapolis. “7 Wonders of World” (Indie), latest Cinerama pic, did absolute capacity its firsj four days at N.Y. Warner Theatre. “Serenade” (WB), still big at N.Y. Music Hall in fourth week “with a hefty assist from Easter stage show, is rated seek in Providence and good in Philly. “Citizen Kane” (RKO) is smash in Chi on a reissue play- date. “Golden Arm” (UA), which has about finished its main key city first-run dates, .looms big in To¬ ronto and good in Omaha. “Song of South” (BV), out on reissue, rated sturdy in Chi. “Backlash” (U), nifty in Chi, looks nice in Washington. “Tribute To Bad Man” (M-G) looms fancy in Denver. “Never Say Goodbye’ (TJ), okay in Buffalo, is solid in NY. “Man Who Never Was” (20th), nice in St. Loo, is socko in N.Y, “Ladykillers” (Cont), fast in To¬ ronto, looks great in Denver, N.Y, and Boston. (Complete Boxoffice Reports on i Pages 8-9) Cannes film festival, which gets under way April 23, shapes as ^ne of the most ynporiant in years, at least from the point-oLview of American attendance. With so many of the artie exhibs now also in distribution and in¬ terested in latching on to product the exodus to Cannes has been stimulated this year. Also, there are reports of a number of impor¬ tant new productions to be un¬ veiled at the fest. With French production definite¬ ly on the upgrade while the Italo pix are slipping, Cannes looms more prominently as the show¬ case for the new films. Indie dis- Marc Spiegel to Cannes Official American industry rep at the Cannes fest this’ year will be Marc Spiegel, the Motion Picture Export Assn.’s Continental chief. There is a possibility, that in his contacts with the Rus¬ sians at Cannes, Spiegel may further explore the shape of future film relations with the Soviets. tribs, while not underestimating the value of seeing the fresh Euro¬ pean product on parade, continue to complain that producers on the Continent are outpricing them¬ selves in their guarantee demands which, they say, are wholly out of line with the realities of the U. S. market. On the prowl at Cannes this year, too, will be the major com¬ panies which are con'inuing to watch the progress of successful foreign films Jn the U.S. with in¬ terest. Successes like “Diabolique” (Continued on page 16) THriety Trade Mark Registered POUNDED 1005 by SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY, INC Harold Erichs, President 154 West 46th St. New York 36. N. 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