Variety (February 1957)

'VARIETY'S' LONDON OFFICE S St. WUrfln't Plac«» TrafaIgT 8qu>r» CKC Fimls No Dip in French Pb Patronj^e m TV-Saturated Areas IXTER^'ATIOXAL Paris, Feb. 19. • 4 The number of film patrons did . * r* aaa aaa not decrease in any regions cov AUSSl^S TaCe <d1. 000.000 ered by tele in France during 1956 npi,vvv,vvv despite the fact that set sales are I aoo An Olvilinir flaniPC up to 500,000 and six new trans Viynipit UaUieb mitters were put into use. While Melbourne, Feb. 12, the Paris area has only 20% of all Just-concluded Olympics here is Gallic film patronage, it supplies giving the government’s financial 27% of the gross. Paris first-run chiefs a headache as they watch cinemas get 33% Of the attendance the red increase in their account with keys and subsequenia having book. Inside Tias it that the gov67 %, but the receipts are divided ernment will drop a hot. $1,000,000 CO-50. These are just a few of the when the final tally is made. Pre¬ facts in a film industry survey for viously, newspapermen were led to last year made by the govemmen believe that the seat sales alone tal film outfit, the Centre National would assure a profit.' Now it’s De La Cinematographie (CNC), found that miscalculation in eater headed by Jacques Flaud. ing costs is the principal reason The survey has film folks talking for so much a big loss, because it gives a rosier picture Also reported that the Olympic of the French film Industry than Council dropped a lot of coin with has been bandied about here by its handling of film rights coverthe business itself. the Games and also via its One big film problem, created *8“ newsreel here when all admission prices under 50c were shorn of taxes (this cut Film Aid Funds by 45%) Vff* | • 1 / still exists. The CNC has proposed 111 V/a that the Ministry of Finance make f f |ll /O up this deficit in the Filrn^ Aid ^ I U coffers. Though local and foreign m y Income is going up (France now ,M||VA1%A c l IflAtliOC gets top own market take of 48%), IjUl U|Jt/ w It is not enough to meet rising r costs. . . Paris, Feb. 19. There were 149 new cinemas Although Europe had none of opened this year, making a total of the , film problems in the U.S. 5,756. Only nine closed. Seating (video competition), statistics indi¬ capacity of France totals 2,740,911. cate that abouC half of all film theThere was a rise In the film at atres are now converted to use tendance, and grosses climbed anamorphoscope product. After the from $99,000,000 in 1955 to $150,000,000 last year. 33.9'% of Receipts to U.S. recordbreaking showing of “The Robe” (20th) ’Scope is now an ac¬ cepted featm*e, such pix showing CNC also worked out a taste a greater take to general situations analysis for films of the past year, smaller screen product, showing 48% of the receipts going ^ integral part to France and 33.9% to the U.S. ®^ size on the Continent. CineThe CNC gave the lop take to the “ade over $1,000,000 at its Gallic pic, even If unbalanced initial Paris showcasing and the amortization kept the French pro Cinerama Holi ducer in a sort of gilded crisis. It ‘iay, is now in. Is evident that the French films have become the undisputed top u? ¥ SSa grossers in their own market dur ^ fnff fhA last few vearfl theatres in all>, 47% of Belgium’s The production picture in 1956 saw 90 completely GaUlc films and 39 coproductions, making the high ti'^/tres, Italy est output in the last 20 years. England, Production budgets have been needed going up 15% each year since .the '‘’Srhas L I'mLe to boost Its I co”s*’Md'‘ son?! blgg|r-®Tled'pbc. I Total Income $150,000,000 Total income last year was $150,000,000, with 50% from the key 30% of the total in 1956, and like¬ ly will go higher this year. Besides C’Seope, other methods utilized cities of France Superscope and the Gallic was $12,750.3So. incoml Dyallscope and Fran was $10,686,000 for 1956, a hike ®®®P®over previous years, and with coproduction take it went up $15, inor f'^ritet'T'am^toltoi'ieJesst " Such new ^&ope?s as t*atlng"^ta e“uSe fS?":’ “L Jte j'Me'Sf present ?"entV~,"anT?h”f 1^4 iS'tyh spectacular pix, such as Eddie Con ca^rping on hl^ produc ® stantlne and^Brlgette Bardot star and lagging rers, are also getting the C’Seope. ^?eU‘™?ll5t*X"T*4l U? “PPeO ».o. result branches. The need of foreign mar _ kets, because of Film Aid cuts, is bigger than ever and underlines 1Q90 FicAnefain Film the concerted drive on all fronts, ClSenSiein rUlIl and the U.S. particularly, consid ered by many here to be the flnan UfSlWS K2iV6S ID 1 SFIS clal solution when so-called Paris Feb 19 “depth” distrib is achieved there. . house La Pavode’ after >iUUon wnen su-caiicu Paris Feb 19 distrib is achieved there. arty house La Pagode, after ' being the first theatre to give world i\n i nff 1 nrenr C»*PT pad commercial release to Eric Von UKAMA rtjl SIjI rUK Strohelms unfinished 1928 pic, «f.a viaitiAPA “Queen Kelly,” now has the PARIS VIA IINESiiU French preem of Marie Seaton’s FAIVIO f 1/i version of the Sergei Eisen Parls, Feb. 19; stein 1932 film “Que Viva Mexico” Paris, Feb. 19; stein 1932 film “Que Viva Mexico” ^ The Theatre of Nations, under as “Time in tht Sun.” Rave reUNESCO supervision via the In views has brought packed houses ternational Theatre Institute, will every night, have its first official programming Eisensteln never got to mount here from March 20 to July 25. his massive (150,000 feet) footage Chosen as the site of the activities when differences with backer UpIs the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt ton Sinclair caused the film to be with A. M. Julien as director. Jul seized. He returned to Russia and len was picked as head because of never received the film which he his organization of the three Inter had always Intended to edit him(| national Drama Festivals of Paris, self. Two .films were carved from The drama fests became the this, Sol Lesser’s “Thunder Over yearly world drama conclave and Mexico” and Miss Seaton’s “Time the ITI, at its 1955 meeting in in the Sun.” Yugoslavia, gave the nod to Paris “Time” has superb imagery and to be the Theatre of Nations cen gives a. hint of what Eisenstein in¬ ter. The Drama Fest, originally tended to achieve. In a documenunderwritten by the City of Paris tary manner it explores the face of as a cultural and tourist gambit, the Mexican Indians, their heritage will have these funds used for the and pride, and then works in inciTON as well as donations from dents in detailing the eventual upUNESCO, the French government risings against the Spanish overand the Department of the Seine, lords. Commentary is sometimes Season will start With lyrlc' entries heavy and pedantic but the plcand then work through dance and tures have their way. Musical acdrama. comp is excellent. Mask. Milan Movement For Toscanini Foundation Rome, Feb. 19. A movement to create a Tos¬ canini Foundation has been inau¬ gurated in Milan by friends of the late maestro. Word was passed around by his friends at the time of the death that Toscanini had wanted contributions to be made to such a fund rather than to have flowers sent at his funeral. The. proposed Foundation would; function as a section of the Teatro I Alla Scala, Milan’s famed opera I house. Bonltii^s Blast British Censors London, Feb. 19. An attack on all Public Rela¬ tions Officers, particularly those In Whitehall who consider themselves ex-officio Lord Chamberlains to the film industry, was made by Roy and John Boulting, the brother picture producers, in an article in the Daily Mail. This they were told, was to be the “Century of the Common Man,” but in fact, it was fast be¬ coming the “Century of the Cowed.” Rfefcrring to PRO’S as “Gag Men,” the Boulting’s said that a theatrical management could present a play with an adult theme only by admitting its audience through the back door of a 70c, club membership fee. They quoted an experience in Censorship which was levelled at them when , they made “Privates Progress” (DC A), a satire oh war¬ time life in the British army. The PRO’S “brought all their guns to bear in an attempt to demolish the project.” But they went ahead with their plans at an additional cost of $28,000 over their budget, because they had to build their own barracks and hire equipment they had hoped to get on loan from the army. Yet “Privates Progress” was the biggest comedy success in this country last year, and also earned big revenues abroad. The margin between a profit or loss on a pic was so narrow that adding the additional expense could mean the difference between success and failure of a picture, John Huston Honored By Italo Crix for ’Moby’; Magnani Best Actress Rome, Feb, 19. John Huston was honored for Fnaklng the best film of 1956 out¬ side of Italy when he was awarded the Nastro d’Argento (Silver Rib¬ bon) for “Moby Dick” (WB) by the Italian National Syndicate of Cin¬ ema Journalists whose choices are the Italian equivalent of the Acad. emy awards. Here to make “A Farewell to Arms,” Huston accept¬ ed the award Ih person. Anna Magnani was named best actress fof “Sister Letltia,” but the male acting award was omitted be¬ cause of a dispute over Pietro Germi whose voice was dubbed in “11 Ferroviere” (The Railroadman), which was chosen the best Italian picture of the year. It was chosen over “War and Peace” (Par) which was passed over because its direc¬ tor, King Vidor, was an American. Domenico Meceoli, head . of the group, paid tribute to the film, but said it must be considered an American film for this reason. “Peace” won prizes for Mario Chlari, settings, and for Nino Rota on music. Best photography award went to Mario Craveri for the doc¬ umentary, “Empire of the Sun.”. Best supporting actress was Marisa Merlini for “Holiday Time” and actor DeFilippo for “Toto, Peppino and the Outlaws.” |; ^ Scot Church Into Cinema Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Feb. 19. The County Cinema in this northeast Scotland village, opened last month, retains the cross-shape and stained-glass windows of the church from which it was con¬ verted. A dairyman, Camp'bell Davidson, bought the church for $6,750, in¬ vesting nearly all his savings in converting it. • He is manager and projectionist, with his wife work¬ ing as cashier. The 400-seater has West End Wobbles; ‘Sex’ Qby 14G, ‘Can’t Help’ Sockeroo $15,700 in 2d, IMet’ Big lOi/^G, ‘War’ Hot Metro’s Hamburg House Shows German Film ,, Berlin, Feb. 19. Local film circles all surprised over the fact that the MGM Thea¬ tre in Hamburg, the Waterloo,, Iras now preemed a German film, “The Trapp Family” (Gloria). It’s gen¬ erally felt here that Metro took this German pic to fill its house to capacity again. “Trapp” is current¬ ly one of the biggest b.o. hits in this country. Becau^ie of the showing of “Trapp” at the Metro house, a strong dispute between the Barke, another Hamburg cinema, and Gloria, distributing firm of “Trapp,” has developed. Thet. Barke claims it was supposed to get this film. Gloria, however, could not accept the playing date skedded by Barke. Cinema had in¬ tended to preem “Trapp” either in the middle of December or early March. San Remo’s Song Fest Ends in Row Rome, Feb. 19. Although “Gorde d^lla Mia Chitarra” (Cords of My Guitar) arid “Ondamarina” (Sea Waves) were the official winners of the Seventh Festival of Italian Song at San Remo, a hornet's nest of litigation was stirred up as an aftermath of fest. V i Composer Nino Olivieri was barred because his song, “La Cosa Piu Bella” (The Most Beautiful Thing), had been recorded by RCA. Olivieri is now suing RAI, which organized the fest. because he claims at least two other songs presented at the Fest are on disks j available to the public. Another song has brought forth a plagiar¬ ism suit and two artists, who were not invited to attend, presented their protests at a press confab. “Corde della Mia Chiatarra” isthe work of Cavaliere, Fiorelli and Ruccione and published by Suvini Zerboni who presented it in the competition of publishing houses. “Ondamarina,” the work of Bernazza and Lops, was entered in in¬ dependent competition. Voting is by 14 Juries of 15 i members each which hea'r the broadcasts and telecasts in Italy’s major, cities, and vote by wire. Winners are the result of the cum¬ ulative voting. A song which wins a tigp place in this fest is assured constant replaying on radio, many recordings and a long reign as an Italian frfvorite. Most song-writers now hold back their best composi¬ tions for this festival but often re¬ cording houses prepare records., in advance. This year’s mixup was probably caused by a num'ber of dealers who jumped the gun on sales. CEA Probes Current . Extended-Run Trend London, Feb. 19. A fear that the current policy of extended playing time, brought about by a shortage of product, could, if persisted in, be respon¬ sible for the closing of many sub¬ sequent-run theatres, was voiced at last week’s general council of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Assn, meeting. It was decided to make a complete review of the situation, prior to initiating dis¬ cussions with distributors. B. T. Davis, the CEA prexy, said the association already had gone over the same ground In relation to “King and I.” One exhibitor warned of a very serious situation developing for subsequent-run the¬ atres in key cities, where the cir¬ cuits made tentative bookings and retained films when they found that they were taking money. He felt there should be a restriction on extended-runs and that release dates should be adhered to. An¬ other theatre owner thought the cireults had played very fair. London, Feb. 19. The high level of first-run biz has not been maintained in the past session, and withone or two exceptions, the results are below average. “The Girl Can’t* Help It.” running concurrently at the Carl¬ ton and the Rialto, hit a .sma^ $11,200 in its second frame in the former" location and a solid $4,500 at the other. “Ill Met By Moonlight” was also a stout attraction with a fancy $10,500 in its third week at the Odeon, Leicester Square. “Giant” shapes sturdy $7,000 in its. seventh Warner frame while “War and Peace” was still in the chips with a solid $9,500 in its 13th' Plaza week.' “The Opposite Sex” is heading foi an okay $14,000 in its opening round at the Empire. Estimates for Last Week Astoria (CMA) (1,650; 42-70)— “Rainmaker” (Par) (2d wk). Nice $7,000 or near after $7,500 open¬ ing week. Carltoh (20th) 1,128; 70-$1.70)— “Girl Can’t Help It” (20th) (3d wk). Set for sturdy $9,000 or close. Last week, $11,200. “Anastasia” (20th) opens with Royal preem Feb. 21. Casino (Indie) (1,337; 70-$2.15) — “Cinerama Holiday” (Robin) (54th wk). Stout $13,300. Empire (M-G) (3,099; 55-$1.70)— “Opposite Sex” (M-G). Okay $14,000 or thereabouts. Gaumont (CMA) (L500; 50-$1.70) — “Secret Place” (Rank) (2d wk). Moderate $3,000. First week, $4,200. “Brothers-in-Law” (BL) follows Feb. 28. Leicester Square Theatre (CMA) (1,376; 50-$1.70) — “True As a Tur¬ tle” (Rank). Average $5,500. London Pavilion (UA) (1,217; 50$1.70) — “Passionate Stranger” BL). Around $3,300; fair. Odeon, Leicester Square (CMA) (2.200; 50-$1.70)— “I’ll Met By Moonlight” (Rank) (3d wk). Wind¬ ing current run with lofty $10,500. Second was $11,300. “Hunchback of Notre Dame” (Rank) opens Feb. 20. Odeon, Marble Arch (CMA) (2,200; 50-$l. 70)— “Mister Coi*y” (U) and “Rock Pretty Baby” (U). Fair $6,500. Plaza (Par) (1,902; 70-$1.70)— “War and Peace” (ABP) (13th wk). Over $g,500, fine for length of run. Continues indef. , Rialto (20th) (592; 50-$1.30)— “Girl Can’t Help It” (20th) (2d wk). Solid $4,500. Last week, $5,600. Ritz M-G) (432; 50-$1.30)— “High Society” (M-G) (8th wk). Fln« $3,900. Warner (WB) (1,785; 50-$1.75)— “Giant” (WB) (7th wk). Ending current engagement with solid $7,000 or near. Last week, $7,700. “Wrong Man” (WB) preems Feb. 21. 51 FILMS BANNED BY IRISH CENSOR IN ’56 Dublin, Feb. 19. Irish film censors. Dr. Martin Brennan (who died during the year) and his successor, Liam O'Hara, nixed 51 films in 1956, scissored 204 others and okayed 1,176 without cuts. The Appeals Board was busier than , usual and reversed the censors in nine cases, approved another seven films after minor cuts and confirmed censor bans on 19 other cases. Most films submitted were from U. S., with Britain in second place. There was an Increase in pix sub¬ mitted from France and Italy.. British Censor Bans Six Pictures in ’56 London, Feb, 26. Six pictures were banned by the British film censor last year. In its report for 1956. the British Board of Film Censors reveals that it examined 1,086 pix, with a total footage of almost 5.000.000. In the feature-film class, it gave 257 films the “U” grading, and 213 received an “A” certificate. In the latter group, under-16's can only be admitted when accompanied by an adult. The “X” category, which imposes a total bar on children, was slapped on 51 films. Including shorts, 1,522 were rated “U” and 228 received the “A" qualification.