Variety (April 1956)

Wednesday, April 18, 1956 PftmETY PICTURES RAPS ‘FORTUNE-AND-%’ SCRIPTS M ♦ MM H ♦ M j New York Sound Track ;; .» ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+»♦♦♦+♦♦♦♦»»♦»♦♦♦♦♦ 4+4 MM 44 M l - Bertram Bloch, 20th-Fox story editor in the east, leaving at the end of the month to devote himself to a number of personal projects. No successor named yet . . . Yuri Gouk, cultural attache at the Soviet Embassy in Washington, says there’ll be no further contact w ilh the MPEA’s Eric Johnston until he gets the word from Moscow. Whole matter of film sales to the Soviets, and details of the Russian offer, now are up to the Ministry of Culture . . . Sue Grotta named director of press relations for 'the . Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Ted O’Shea, Magna Theatre Corp. s^les chief, angrily denies last week’s .report that Magna was feuding with Mike Todd because latter wouldn’t allow his “80 Days Around the World” Todd-AOer to be booked into the Rivoli. “The theatre was never offered to him,” em¬ phasized O’Shea. Youth will have its fling with RKO’s' upcoming “Strike A Blow.” Some of the credits: director, John Frankenheimer, age 25; producer, Stuart Millar, 25;“author, Robert Dozier, 25. Set for the lead role is James MacArthur, 17-year-old son of Helen Hayes and Charles Mac- Arthur. Asking price for the film rights to John O’Hara’s “10 North Fred¬ rick St.” is said to be $500,000 . . . James DiGangi upped to associate producer on Jonathon Productions’ “Man Is Ten Feet Tall,” presently being filmed in Gotham for Metro release . . . Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls” reported nearing $10,000,000 gross mark for 875 dates in the United States and Canada . . . Metro shelled out $150,000 for the option on Walter Lord’s as-yet-unwritten factual story “East Wind, Rain,” which will be published in Life around Dec. 7 and then issued in book form by Henry Holt & Co. Title was the Japanese code for the attack on Pearl Harbor . . . Cole Porter in Europe com¬ posing a special musical score for the Sol C. Siegel production, “Les Girls.” ' “Welcome, Mr. Marshall,” Spartlsh-made satire on European reac¬ tion to the Marshall Plan, acquired by Cy Braunstein’s Screen Art Sales. Pic, which won Cannes prize, comes in three versions, includ¬ ing dubbed one. Munio Podhorzer, head of United German Film Enterprises, return¬ ing at the end of this week from a three-months stay in Germany and Austria, giving the o.o. to current product. Podhorzer reps many of the top German production and distfib outfits in the U. S. . . . Sidney Leong and Mrs. Leong in N. Y. before going to the Coast. He’s the son of Henry G. Leong, firstrun operator in Hong-Kong . . . Contrary to earlier expectations, Charles. JGInfeld will not get back his Enter¬ prise Productions from the Bank of America. Bank took over the outfit to recoup its investment in Enterprise pix, including “Arch of Triumph,” “No Minor Vices,” etc. Films have been sold to tv . . . French producer A. Caracao here with a print of the Max Ophuls CinemaScoper, “Lola Montez.” A. N. Spanel, board chairman of International Latex—one of the Stanley Warner “diversification” properties—made a Commander of the Legion of Honor by French minister plenipotentiary Count Jean de Lagarde. There’s a new International Visitors Centre on Fifth Ave., with Jacqueline Manrique in charge. One of the proposed services is to “creatively rewrite in foreign languages advertising copy, publicity releases, point of sale material and radio-television scripts.” Language differences are tricky, argues the lady, reminding businessmen in U. S. that a director is a manager to us that Europeans exploit when we say operate, that the domestic .market to them always means kitchen help and, finally, what we call advertising, Europeans call propaganda (or publicity, adds Variety) . . . which prompts this column to wonder how the European males, especially those in Germany and Switzerland, will react to the scene in 20th’s “Man In the Gray Flannel Suit” which shows Gregory Peck wiping the dishes while Jennifer Jones washes them . . . ’tain’t the European concept of the lord & master. x Warner Pathe newsreel’s Jack LeVien has been invited to Israel to help set up a press camp there . . . When U. S. distrib Sidney Kauf¬ man wanted to dub narration passages in the Yugoslav picture, “Leg¬ ends of Anika,” during his stay in Belgrade, he couldn’t find anyone to do the job. Result: The film, which opened here this week, has Kaufman’s voice on the track . . . German film star Hannelore Boll- mann in from Munich and now on the Coast to do work on Republic’s “The Congress Dances” . . . Robert Corkery, in charge of Latin America for the Motion Picture Export Assn., laid low with a stomach bug he contracted while in Brazil . . . Highest praise the N. Y. critics seem to be able to bestow on a foreign femme player these days is that she looks like Ingrid Bergman. Reservations piling up for the Variety Clubs International Conven¬ tion. At least 1,200 barkers and wives expected for the May 9-12 shindig at the Waldorf-Astoria . . . Cinerama’s aerial photographer Paul Mantz profiled in SEP . . . Exhibitor reports indicate that War¬ ners is beginning to accept flat rental terms on “Helen of Troy” . . . Altec Sound telling theatremen how *they can snare 'newspaper pub¬ licity on their sound systems via press interviews with Altec engineers. Worked, too, in Sumter, S. C. where Carolina Theatre got full page Plug ... Glenn Norris, new division manager for 20th-Fox, tossed a cocktail party last week at his N. J. home for Alex Harrison, 20th’s new sales topper,' and William C. Geliring,. upped to veepcy. Seymour Poe, exec v.p. of IFE Releasing, going to Rome and Paris m July. He's skipping Cannes this year. There’s a big product an¬ nouncement coming from IFE . . . Charles, Levy, 20th mag contact,' exits company at the end of April to take over the ad-pub chores for Kirk Douglas’ Bryna Productions. Irving N. Margolin elected vice president and a member of the board of Cinerama Productions Inc. He also remains treasurer of the com¬ pany . . . Leslie Caron,*who will play “Gigi” on the London stage, has appeared as “Lili” .and “Gaby” in films. When she returns to Metro from her London engagement, she’s set for “Les Girls.” Mexican star Maria Felix enters an unqualified denial of reports that she’ll make films in Russia. “I wouldn’t 5 go there for' all the money in the world,” she says . . . Lion International’s Victor Iloare , due in. from London next week . . . Trans-Lux’s Richard Brandt moving into his new house in a couple of weeks . . . Big French re¬ ception following the bow of “French Can-Can” this week . . . MPEA v.p. Griffith Johnson sorting out problems in Denmark . . . 20th-Fox m an important single-picture coproduction deal in India.* Outfit will handle the film everywhere outside India. That’s one way of. getting i into the restricted Indian market. Lars Calonius Productions Inc. has been formed to conduct a motion picture productions business in New York via Simon Sheib, filing at¬ torney,. . . Also Fleisher Studios, Inc. has been authorized to conduct a motion picture studio business in New York. Stanley H. Handman being director and filing attorney . . . For its May 19 Waldorf convention (19th) Variety Clubs International has tagged Mutual’s vet film gossip man “Mister Showman” . . . Henry C. Brown agency now reps Linda Darnell for theatre and legit, toward which she has a yen. Republic dubbing the German “Congress Dances” ( for ,U. S. re-' lease, but is giving the. job, the- hush-hush treatment . . German pro- (Continued on page 7) LITERARY AGENTS 9REEDY-LANTZ By IIY HOLLINGER The spiralling cost of literary properties for conversion to the screen is becoming so “fantastic” that a revolt of the film-makers is inevitable if they want to turn out profit-making pictures, according to Robert Lantz, executive v.p. in charge of production of Figaro, Inc:, which is launching a nine- picture program in four years for United Artists release, Not only do the literary agents want a “fortune plus a percentage,” Lantz maintains, but with stars and directors also demanding the same arrangements, the result is that film budgets "are getting com¬ pletely out of line.” “Where is it all going to come from?” Lantz asks. The only answer, the Figaro execu¬ tive feels, is for the pendulum to swing the other way, for under present conditions a producer, es¬ pecially an independent, cannot ex¬ ist comfortably. Beyond Fixing Lantz’s beef re film properties is not confined to the cost factor. He’s also convinced that the bulk of the material world-wide is “ter¬ rible.” Much of it, he asserts, “is censorable beyond repair.” Lantz, after a hiatus as a talent agent, is back in the story-buying field, a task he formerly performed for Columbia in Europe. “After being away from the story field for sev¬ eral years,” he said, “I, was amazed by the type of material being of¬ fered for the screen.” He blames the calibre of the material partially on the effect of television. “Television,” he said, “has absorbed so many writers that they don’t have the time to write books, plays or original screen¬ plays.” He feels the situation is deplorable because a film’s “real I chance lies in the story” since, ex-! cept for a. few performers, “stars | have lost their appeal” as boxoffice attractions. Lantz does not wholly condemn the writers for their interest in video, for he admits that once a property is tested successfully on tv “the price shoots up” for a film sale. However, he maintains that the film industry-is overdoing the purchase of tv properties. “The majority of tv scripts on little inci¬ dents will come to grief on the screen,” he said. “‘Marty’ will be the exception rather than the rule.” He does not rule out television as a nroperty source but is of the opinion that the medium can pro¬ vide only occasional yarns that can (Continued on page 16) By-and-Under-Beautiful Sea Newest European Film Kick Occupational Hazards Nicole Maurey and public¬ ists for RKO’s “Bold and the Brave” have reason to be un¬ happy about Grace Kelly’s wedding. The French actress came in from Paris Thursday (12) and being garbed in only a trim bashing suit as she stepped from the plane the news pho¬ tographers had something to shoot at. A score of lens- men were on hand; the arrival was well-covered—possibly be¬ cause Miss Maurey wasn’t. But then the afternoon and following-morning newspapers came out and there wasn’t a single photo of Miss Maurey. For, as she arrived, Miss Kelly was leaving for Monaco and the press gave all its pictorial attention to the princess-to-be. 18 PossUtiesIn D.S. For Yugoslavs Attempt to establish Yugoslav pix in this country launches today •Wed.) with the -opening of the Grand Prize release. “Legends of Anika,” at the 72nd Street Play¬ house in New York. Theatre is lo¬ cated in a section, where many Yugoslavs live. “Legends” is one of three Yugo features brought to the U. S. by Sidney Kaufman, Grand Prize top¬ per, who is the Yugoslavs’ exclu¬ sive film rep in this country. He has selected a total of 10 pix to bring in. Hope is to establish a number of showcases that will fea¬ ture Yugoslav films only. Kaufman said last week that, apart from the New York opening, he had some 18 dates for “Leg¬ ends” lined up in such places as Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Ohio; De¬ troit, Chicago and San Pedro, Cal., all spots where a Yugoslav lan¬ guage group exists. Kaufman said the N. Y. preem would* be at advanced prices, with proceeds going to the Yugo Tanec Dance Group, which has been touring the country under ANTA auspices. The group will make a guest appearance at the opening prior to returning home. Last Yugo import was about four years ago, “The Magic Sword.” " European filmmakers are going under water with a vengeance. Slew of feature-length sub¬ marine pix is in the offing, and the trend seems to be infectious. 20th-Fox plans to do “Boy on a Dolphin,” which will be shot in the Mediterranean and which will have a lot of underwater scenes. Currently in New York, and the subject of hot bidding among the' majors, is “The Silent Sea,” under¬ water tin ter made in France by Jacques Yves Cousteau, originator of the aqualung. It’s understood that Cousteau nixed a $250,000 outright sale bid from Universal. Negotiations are currently going on with Columbia and Metro, and 20th also has seen the film. It’s understood that Columbia is close to making a deal for “Sil¬ ent World,” shelling out $150,000 in an advance guarantee, plus a percentage. Likely to beat “Silent Sea” into N.Y. is “The Miracle of the Reef,” also in color, made over a three- year period In Florida and the Bahamas. It’s a Butterfield & Wolf Picture. Pic features some very unusual underwater photography in the Disney nature film vein. Italy contributes two pix, one the documentary, “The Lost Con¬ tinent,” a Cinemascope tinier which has excited European critics to a high pitch. Film probably will go out via IFE Releasing Corp. It is not an underwater film, but is (he first CinemaScope docu.inen- tary. Shot below the sea, however, is “The Sixth Continent,” also an Italian production. Still in the nature documentary line, following the Disney pattern, is 20th’s “The Living Swamp,” termed a featurette. Documentaries in the U.S. thea¬ tres haven’t been outstandingly successful in the past, even though there have been some glaring ex¬ ceptions. RI^O’s “The Sea Around Us” did good business, and of course so did the Disney nature films. Most exhibs feel that nature pix can be sold effectively if they have some sort of story woven into them. TOO MUCH KELLY? Some Audience Crosstalk Heard In Manhattan Cinemas Year Before 'Oklahoma’ General Dates Obstacle of Print-Down of 30 Frame Todd-AO Version Overcome; Other Angles to Property It’ll will be another year before | roadshows of “Oklahoma,” the i Rodgers & Hammerstein musical,! will have been exhausted and dis-1 tribution of either the print-down of Todd-AO or the CinemaScope version of the film will get under way. Ted O’Shea, sales v.p. of Magna Theatre Corp., said in N. Y. last. week that Magna, itself probably I would handle the regular release' of the picture. He disclosed, too, that American Optical had found a way of reducing the 70m Todd-AO negative to standard 35m. For some time, it had been thought that Todd-AO, shot in 30 frames per second rather than the ' usual 24 frames, couldn’t be! “printed down.” However, the ob- j stacle has now been overcome. “Oklahoma” also was lensed in a | CinemaScope “cover” version; which will be available. Abroad, where handling of the pic has been assigned to RKO, the first roadshows should break in late May or early June, O’Shea said. Pic probably will open on. the Continent before it preems in London, but the .’European road¬ shows all will be skedded at ap¬ proximately the same time. OlShea said 25 roadshows of “Oklahoma” were planned in the U, S. and two in Canada (Mon¬ treal and Toronto). Film is cur¬ rent in N. Y., Los Angeles, Chi¬ cago, Miami, San Francisco, De¬ troit and Baltimore. Toronto and. Milwaukee will open this month, followed in May by Dallas, Hous¬ ton, New Orleans and Pittsburgh. Another Half-Xear? In New York, now in its 27th week at the Rivoli, pic has grossed over $1,000,000 at the b.o.. and did a sturdy $39,046 during the Easter week. It’s been holding up well and, according to O’Shea, should stay at the house for another six to eight months. He thought that, by that time, the next Magna re¬ lease—“South’ Pacific”—should be ready. Script has been com¬ pleted, but there’s been no cast¬ ing yet. O’Shea thought he would have no trouble handling the firstrun sales for “Oklahoma” in the regu¬ lar versions himself, but said that distribution might be farmed out to some other outfit for the sub- sequents. I That barometer of public sym- ! palhies anent politics, personalities j and pertinent issues of the day— I reaction to newsreel clips in thea- | tres—has registered unkindly to- ! ward Grace Kelly. The seemingly unlimited and often unflattering press coverage has been blamed by execs in the film trade. Shots of Miss Kelly, prior to her departure for Monaco, drew some vocal disapproval by patrons at several New York houses, includ¬ ing the Radio City Music Hall last Friday (13) night where hisses and boos greeted the screen appear¬ ance of Prince Rainier’s connubial pard. But those with a stake in Miss Kelly as a picture property are not too concerned. They feel the rebels are a “sophisticated few” and everything about the fairy tale princess is a “thrill” to the general public. U Sales Execs Hed-to-Hed Universal’s mid-year executive sales conference, originally sched¬ uled for Chicago, has been shifted to New York. It gets underway to¬ day (Wed.) at the Essex House and will run through Saturday (21 >. Charles J. Feldman, v.p. and general sales manager, will preside over the session of homeoffice ex¬ ecutives and district sales man¬ agers. The four-day meeting is being held to develop the company’s re¬ leasing plans for the summer and fall of 1956. Alfred E. Daff, ex¬ ecutive v.p. who returned from the Coast over the weekend, will at¬ tend the opening session.