Variety (February 1957)

PICTURES 18 Hollywood Production Pulse ALUEin ARTISTS Starts, This Year .. 1 This Date, Last Year .3 COlvUMBlA Starts, This Year:.., .3 This Date, Last Year . 2' Dean Jagger. NataUe Schafer, Isabel ^ewcUi Ronnie Bums, Dick Sargent (Started Feb. 8) AN AFFAIR TO RCMCMBER'V i-’rod.^erry Wpld Dir.—Leo McCarey Caiy Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning fSiarted Feb. 8 ) UNIVERSAL Starts, This Year ,5 This Date, L6st Year. _ _3 "JEANNE EACELS" ^ (George Sidney Productloni) Dir.—George Sidney » Kim Novak, Jeff Chandler, Agnes Moorihead. Gene Lockhart, Virginta Grey, Charles Drake, Larry Gates, Will Wright. George Neise, Richtrd Gaines, Doris Lloyd, Bob Hopkins, Frank Borzage. Lew - Borzage, Dan Borzage, Sheridan Comerate, Lowell Gilmore, Joe De Santis (Started Dec. 25) "THE LONG >1AUL" (Marksman Films) (Shooting in England) Prod.—Maxw'eU Setton Dir.—Ken Hughes Victor Mature, Diana Dors (Started Feb. 18) "DOMINO" . (Rorvic Productions) ^ Prod.—Vic Orsatti Dir.—Ray Nazarro Rory Calhoun. Kristine Miller, Yvette Dugay. Eugene Igleslas, Robert Bur¬ ton,- James Griffith, Roy Barcroft, Denver Pyle. Bart Bradley, Ray Corri¬ gan. Wes Christiansen, Tom Brown Henry (Started Feb. 18) "BITTER VICTORY" (Transcontinental Films) (Shooting in Libya) Prod.—Paul Gr-'etz Dir.—Nicholas Ray , , ■ Richard' Burton, Kurd Jergens, Ray¬ mond Peregrin (Started Feb. 18) METRO - Starts, This Year .3 This Date, Last Year .4 "LES GIRLS" Prod.-^ol C. Siegel Dir.—Ge-r.ge Cukor Gene Kellv, Mltzi Gaynor, Kay KondaU, Taina Elg, Jacques Bergerac, Leslie Phillips (Started Jan. 3) "TIP ON A rE.AD JOCICEY" Prod.—F'^win H. Knopf Dir.—Richard Thrrpe Robert T-ylor, Dorothy Malone, Gia Scala, ’'"''reel Dalio, Martin G.nbal, Jack Lord (Started Feb. 25) PARAMOUNT Starts, This Year .... 3 This Date, Last Year . I "HOT SPELL" (Hal Wallis Production) Prod.—Hal W.jllis Dir.—Daniel Mann . , Shirley Booth. Anthony Quinn, .Shirley MacLaine. E'-.rl Holliman, Clint Kim¬ brough, Valerie Allen (Started Jan. 21) "LOVING YOU" (Hal Wallis Production) Prod.—Hal Wallis Dir.—Hal Kaiitor , ^ „ Elvis Presley. Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey (Started Jan. 21) "SHORT CUT TO HELL" Prod.—A. C. Lyles Dii-.-r-James Cagney . Robert Ivers, Georgann Johnso.i. Wil¬ liam Bishop. Peter Baldwin, Valerie Allen, Denis ’'"'acMullin. (Started Feb. 25) "STAGE STRUCK- (Shooting in New York) Prod.—Stuart Miller Dii-.—Sidney Lumet Henry Fonda. Susan Strasberg, Joan (ireenwood, Herbert Marshall, Chris¬ topher Plummer, Sally Grade, Pat Englund (Started Jan. 21) 20th CENTURY-FOX Starts, This Year . 7 This Date, Last Year .,.... 2 "THE DESK SET" Prod.—Henry Ephron Dir.—Walter Lang Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Blondell, Gig Young, Pamela Curran (Started Jan. 14) "A HATFUL OF RAIN" i Prod.—Buddy Adler Dir.—Fred Zinnemann Eva Marie Saint, Don Murray, Anthony Franciosa, I.loyd Nolan, Henry Silva (Started Jan.. 19) "THE WAYWARD BUS" Prod.—Charles Brackett Dir.—Victor Vicas Dan Dailey, Jayne Mansfield, Joan Col¬ lins, Rick Jason, Betty Lou Keim, Dee Pollack, Larry Keating, Dolores Mi¬ chaels, Dee Pollack (Started Jan. 2 ^ 1 ) "THE THREE EACES OP EVE" Prod.-Dlr.—Nunnally Johnson David Wayne, Joanne Woodward, Lee J. Cobb, Ken Scott, Alena Murray (Started Feb. 6) "BERNARDINE" Prod.—Samuel G. Engel - Dir,—Henry Levin Janet Gaynor, Terry Moore, Pat Boone, "MY MAN GODFREY" Prod.—Ross Hunter Dir.—Henry Koster June AUyson, O, W. Fischer. Martha Hyer, Jessie Royce Landis, Eva Ga¬ bor, Robert Keith, Jay Robinson. Jeff Donnell. Eric Sinclair (S.nrtedrJan. 28) "STALIN IS ALIVE" i rod.—Albert Zugsmith D r.—Russell Birdwell ‘ Lex Barker, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jeffrey . one, Aram Katcher, Maurice Man- i.on “ (Smarted Feb. 4) '^ADGE OF EVIL" I'rod.—Albert Zugsmith Du-.—Orson Welles C;''-.rlton Heston, Orson Wells, Janet Leigh, Joseph CaUeia. Akim Tamiroff, ■. oanna Moore (Started Feb. 18) WARNER BROS. Starts, This Year . 5 This Date, Last Year . 2 "SAYONARA" (S ’.ooting in Japan) Prod.—William. Goetz IVr.—Joshua Logan R’ rlon Brando, Red Buttons, Patricia Owens. Ricardo Montalban. Milko T'ka, James Garner, Myoshi Umeki (Strrted Jan. 7) "F/SND OF ANGELS" Dir.—Raoul Walsh ' C’.'ii-k Gable, Yvonne DeCarlo . fSfvted Jan. 14) "TI:E HELEN MORGAN STORY" r-od.—Martin‘Rackin D r.—Michael CV(rtlz A--v Blyth, Paul - Newman, Richard C risen. Alan King, Gene Evans (S.arted Jan. 24) - "NO time for SERGEANTS" Pi-cirl. Dir.—Mervyn LeRoy A'-'ly Griffith" Myton McCormick, Nick Adams, Murray Hamilton, Jean Wil- P;j. Henry McCann. Dub -Taylor, Wil- Ji-m Fawcett, Raymond Bailey, Mal- ''ohn Atterbiiry (.'■•■ arted Jan. 28) INDEPENDENT Starts, This Year ___ 21 This Date, i,ast Year. .10 "THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI" '-'’.'•lunibia Release) (Horizon-American Prods.) _ (S’’noting in Ceylon) o.-od.—Sam Spiegel D '’.—David Lean W’diam Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, John Boxer » (Smarted Oct. 1) "THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS" (IIccht-Hill-Lancaster Productions) (For UA Release) Ptod,—James HHl Dir, —A.i.exander Mackendrlck Biu-t Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Sam Levenc, Susan Harrison, Marty Miller, Barbara Nichols, Jeff Donnell, Lurene Tuttle, Joe Frisco. Lawrence Dobkin- (Snarled Nov. 4) - "I’NCLE GEORGE" (W’arv.'ick Productions) (Fi'i- Columbia Release) Prod.—John Paxton Dir.—Nigel Patrick Ki-rel Patrick, Charles Coburn, Wendy Hiller, Athene Seyler (Started Jan. 7) "THE SEA WALL" iDiiio De Laurentlis Productions) (For Columbia Release) (S’'ODUng in Thailand) Prod. —Dino De LaurentUs D'r. —Rene Clement Silvana Mangano, Richard Conte, An- i (hony Perkins, Jo Van Fleet, Alicia ' V.-«lli. Nehemiah Persoff, Ruth Storey (Siai-ted Jan, 7) "SAINT JOAN" (Cai-lyle Production) (For UA Release) Pi'od.-Dir.—Otto Preminger Richard Widmark, Richard Todd, An¬ ton Walbrook, John Gielgud, Paul Scofield, Felix Aylmer, Harry An- clrcws, Barry Jones, and Jean Seberg (Started Jan. 9) "LEGEND OF THE LOST" (Batjac-Panama Production) (For UA Release). (Shooting in Libya) Prod.-Dlr.—Henry Hathaway John Wayne. Saphia Loren, Rossano Brazzi (Started Jan. 12) "THE QUIET AMERICAN" (Figaro. Production) (For UA Release) (Shooting in Saigon) Prod.-Dir.—Joseph L. Mankiewlcz Audie Murphy, Michael Redgrave, Claude Dauphin (Started Jan. 21) "THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN" (Buzz Productions) (Shooting in England) Excc. Prod.—Michael Carreras Prod.—Aubrey Baring Dir.—Val Guest Forrest Tucker (Started Jan. 21) "STRANGER AT SOLDIER SPRINGS" (Libra Productions) (For UA Release) (Shooting in Tucson) Prod.—^Robert Bassler Dir.-Francis D. Lyon Joel McCrea, Mark Stevens, Joan Wel¬ don, Darlene Fields, Addison Rich¬ ards, Carolyn Craig. George Chandler. ' Stanford Jolley (.Started Jan. 28) "OLD YELLER" (Walt Disney Productions) (Buena Vista Release) Prod.—Walt Disney Dir,—Robert Stevenson Dorothy McGuire. Fess -Parker, Jeff York, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran (Siurled Jan. 28) "THE barney ROSS STORY" iFor UA Release) Prod.— Edward Small P^astijsyrr Vedneflday, 27, 1,957 Drew PearWs Holy Land Fiim Into Theatre Dates Despite Video Exposure “Drew Pearson’s Report on the Holy Land,” hour-long documen¬ tary oh conditions in Israel, has | been acqiuired by Jo.seph Brenner Associates for theatrical* and tv dis¬ tribution in the U.S. Deal was con- ’ summated with Orb Films. Produced by Baruch Dienar last year .in Israe', film is narrated in its entirety by Pearson. Picture was presented Jan. 27 by NBC-Xy and will start .its theatrical show-i ings March 6 at the Enibassy News¬ reel Theatre, N.y. NEW irriES HANDED -OUTATEMIC HALL James F. Gould, treasurer of the Radio City Music Hall Corp., was elevated to veepee following a meeting of the Hall’s board of di¬ rectors. Gould has been with the Music Hall since it opened in 1932. He stays as treasurer, with E. Her¬ bert Johnson being named assistant treasurer. Another new title.is that of Syd¬ ney Goldman as director of theatre operation. He was formerly theatre manager, John Jackson, formerly stage manager,* becomes director of stage operation whi'.e Charles A. Hacker, formerly manager of oper¬ ations, becomes assistant to Presi¬ dent Russell V. Downing. Realign¬ ment was made necessary because of the. death of Irving Evans, who , had ‘been veepee and first assistant to the president at the Hall. Latins’ B€ew Ideas Continued from page 6 and elsewhere South of the border. There was room for expansion in Venezuela, he noted, which is -a “boom” territory, and also in Mex¬ ico. In Argentina there is “lots of room for improvement” despite liberalized trading conditions, “but business there can be very good,” he said. Aboaf said inflation in various countries, such as Brazil, Chile and Colombia, was hurting the Amer¬ ican industry. “We have to double or triple our business there to get out the same number of dol¬ lars as before,” he reported. Milton R. Rackmil, U prexy, ac- comped . Aboaf to the conventions and on the rest of the trip. He not only boosted the U product, which is steadily gaining ground, but also (lid a p.r. job for the American industry as such. A big problem in many coun¬ tries are the artificially low-peg¬ ged admission prices. Aboaf said it appeared to him that there was lots of room for price boosts, but warned that—if unwisely handled —such increases also could boom¬ erang, i.e. reach the point where the sacrifice of volume admissions actually could lower income. As for mergers with other dis¬ tribution companies in the area, Aboaf was .skeptical. Due ^to stringent labor contracts in the respective contracts, any merger would have to be studiecl carefully in advance to determine whether it’d actually result in savings, he said. “Of course, it would elimi¬ nate executives,” he commented. Universal, while sticking to its policy of not acquiring showcase houses; is concentrating on situa¬ tions where it splits a theatre’s playing time with another distrib¬ utor for the full year’s product. Assoc. Prod.—Robert E. Kent Dir.—^Ted Post Cameron Mitchell, Dianne Poster, Paul Richards (Started Jan. 28) "THE DAY OF THE TRUMPET" (Premiere Productions) (Shooting in Philippines) Prod.—Harry Smith Dir.—Eddie Romero John Agar, Richard Arlen, Myron Heoley, Bill Phipps, Pancho Magalona, Alicia Vargel, CieUto Legaspi (Started Feb. 5) "THE ABDUCTORS" (Regal Films for 20th-Fox) Prods.—Ray Wander, Michael Abel Dir.—Andrew V. McLaglen Victor McLaglen, Fay Spain, Carl Thay- ler, Gavin Muir. George Macready, Carlyle Mitchell, John Morley, Fintan Meyler, Joseph Hamilton, James- Logan. Gene Walker, Pat Lawlessi Cliff Lyons, George Cesar, Jason Johnson (Started Feb. 18) "GOD«IS MY PARTNER" (Regal Films for 20th-Fox) Prod.—Sam Hersh Dir.—William Claxton Walter Brennan, John Hoyt. Marlon Ross. Jess White, Ross Newland (Started Feb. 20) Kara Stereotyges StiD Co On ' Chicago, Feb. 26. Edmund C. Berry, executive director of Chicago Urban League said in a public speech last week that mass entertainment media are fostering prejudipe against minority groups. '*Almost in¬ variably in fiction, movies, radio and television’ the characters with commendable, pleasant, status-giving roles arc white,” be said- before Association for Intergroup Education of Greater Chicago. . This is an affiliate of National Conferenco of Christians and Jew’s. Checking Film Row CHICAGQ Ralph Banghart, former RKO publicity man for midwest, is tem¬ porarily at Universal International here assisting in “Battle Hymn” publicity. Kathryn Grant due in;^ today (Wed.) for w’orld preem of ‘^Mister Corey” at State-Lake. Dick Bregenzer leaves Balaban and Katz ad-publicity for Wilson Sporting Goods in Chi where he will be copyw'riter in advertising. Chicago Sun-Times is now back¬ ing Academy Award Sweepstakes here and expects 250,000 entries in its contest. Ed Seguin, Balaban & Katz ad- publicity director off on two-week vacation in Miami. • PITTSBURGH Edwin Prizer, who has managed Exploitation Productions here since outfit opened a local pffice, named head of the EPI branch in Philadelphia, his home town. Pending permanent replacemerit, Toni Daniel is in charge here. Simon Goldschag, father of Joe Wayne, WB salesman, retired after being in film, distribution in Mexico and Pananfa for 35 "'years; Gold¬ schag lives in Mexico City and Wayne visited his parents there over the holidays. Charles Mergen, AA salesman, blacked out at an auto agency, where he had 'gone to pick up a new car. and sustained a broken 'nose and shoulder. Pittsburgh added to Par exploi¬ tation territory of Mike Weiss, who now covers Washington and Phila¬ delphia. Ralph Buring, who for¬ merly handled this city out of Cin¬ cinnati, was assigned exclusively to midw’e.stern cities. Mike Winograd, vet Rochester, Pa., theatre owmer, left for Miami Beach on his annual winter vaca¬ tion. Ted Tolley, M-G shipper, named prexy of Filmrow Employes, Local B-11, for his 17th term. Other officers elected w’ere: Ehvood Ohle- ger, 20th, vice-president; Cele Mil¬ ler, . RKO, secretary; Alfy Kuhn, WB, treasurer; and Harry Witmer, Col, bu.siness agent. Harold D. Cohen, owner of Em¬ bassy Theatre in Lewistown for last ^0 years, assumed the opera¬ tion and management of all three houses in that town. Others are the Miller and Rialto. Dr. H. C. Winslow, Meadville physician and owner of Park Thea¬ tre, sold hi.T radio station, WMGW, for $100,000 to American Business Enterprises and William Rich of New York. Dave Silverman, manager of RKO exchange here for years and left jobless by .shuttering of that company’s branches, joining new A1 Schwalberg company as a dis¬ trict .sales boss. Dave Silverman, who was man¬ ager of RKO exchange here when it folded, joined A1 Schwalberg’s Artist-Producers Associates as sales manager for area embracing Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Washington and Philadelphia. State Theatre in Clymer, closed for a number of years, being re¬ opened by Roger McGary and his brother, Carl. State was formerly run by Steve Bianco faifiily. Danny Ryan quit Stanley-War- ner ad publicity department to go with Thrift Drugs; Joe Beres re¬ placed him. . Dick Cvetic, who used to be with SW, is new manager of Arcade on Southside. Eve Friedman, secretary at old RKO office, went wdth UA as Girl Friday to exchange manager Janies Hendel; Doris Sharapan, also ex- RKO, joined the Par booking de¬ partment. MINNEAPOLIS Ben Merger and Mrs. Berger op vacation in Florida. , Dick Dynes, released in closing of RKO branch office, hooked up for special sales with “Ten Com¬ mandments” unit. Minnesota theatres turned over .check for $10,550, raised through th,eatre collections and personal contributions to Hungarian* relief. Exhibs jare joining farmers in fight against proposed bill to es¬ tablish daylight saving in Minne¬ sota. Harry B. French, chairman of board* of Minnesota Amus. Co., hospitalized here after becoming ill in Baton Roiige. La.,. during trip, c Variety club joins auxiliary in St. Valentine’s dinner Feb. 9 for benefit of Variety Heart hospital at University of Minnesota: Don Alexander, Minnesota Amus. Co., publicist, back on the job after two consecutive bouts with flu. A'^or Jock Mahoney here in person to plug “Battle Hymn,” Twin Cities’ RKO Orpheum day- date underline. Word received here of death in Florida of Bob LaPiner, long a Minnesota Amus. Co. exec here until retirement several years ago. Circuit owner Ted Mann off to California again for another visit with his family wintering there. Minneapolls« Star carried profile of Bennie Berger on occasion of his announcement he’s stepping out as North Central Allied prexy af¬ ter occupying the office 11 years. Tom Burke, general manager of territory’s largest non-profit buy¬ ing-booking group, and the wife va¬ cationing in southwest . Harold Field, Pioneer circuit owner, off on Florida vacation: Austrian “The Congress Dances,” a European C’Seope picture, hav¬ ing its St. Paul first-run at ,nabe Grandview. Robert Wagner here this week for personals to promote “True Story of Jesse James” in which he stars. J. W. MacFarland, National Screen branch manager here, re¬ covering from pneumonia attack, E. L. Peaslee, North Central Al¬ lied first veepee, may be drafted at annual* convention here March 1-2 to succeed Bennie Berger who refuses to be a candidate for prexy again after serving 11 years. William Wood chosen head of Colosseum here. Other officers are Don Halloran, 20th-Fox, veepee, and Earl Wilson, secretary-treas¬ urer. DENVER A. P. Archer and Joe Dekker sold the Lakeshore Drive-In' to the Den- view Corp., a sfibsid of Monarch Theatres, Chicago. Sale price re¬ ported as $450,000. Alberta Pike, ad manager for Fox Denver theatres resigned to become general manager in charge of art theatres operation. She will be with the Plaza Art Theatre Corp., Oklahoma City, with her first assignment being to reopen the Plaza Art Theatre there. Frank Jenkins still doing pub¬ licity for Metro exchanges in Den¬ ver and Salt Lake City; he denied going with a television station. ST. LOUIS Tlie Orris, Ste. Genevieve, Mo., dark since Aug. 30, sold by Martin Oberle to Tom Jokerts and Adrian Ehler, both residents there. Face¬ lifting job will be completed before relighting this month. No reopening date set for Lyrle, Winchester, Ill., owned and oper¬ ated by Paul E. Stehman. V. H. Sharp sold his Princess, Godeon, Mo., and the new owner will convert the house Into a church. House was operated on A limited-)veek basis since last May. Litigation In family of the late May me H. McConnell, Quincy, Ill., that has kept the Orpheum, in that town, dark since Nov. 17, 1954, seems to have been settled. Hause will soori be re-llghted under J^oint management of Percy and John Hoeffler and Donald C. McCannell, F. Val Mercier and his brother. L. A. Mercier, purchased a tract of land near Ste. Genevieve, Ill., for new ozoner that will be readied for 1957 opening. A new ozoner near Thayer, Mo^ skedded for lighting- in next 6(J days by B. D. Faddus and Frank Hall, both of West Plains. Charles Dee, Jr., .lessee of the Gem, Mascoutah, 111., shuttered for Indefinite period. House was re¬ lighted by Dee last October. Clarence H. Kaimann shuttered his Salisbury, an Indie nabe In North St Louis for indefinite pe¬ riod; house operated on weekend policy for several months.