Variety (April 1957)

PSStWFr PICTURES 19, ^ cdfteBday» April 24, 1957 _ Cufto Cartooa Theatre for Kids [WHILE MOM SHOPS IN SUPERMARKET] L Salem, Mass., April 23. A miniature motion picture theatre for moppets is being in¬ stalled in the $2,000,000 Foodliner IGA supermarket which opened here last week. The film unit will occupy an area in the store proper 8 feet by 4 feet and will seat 16. Animated cartoons will run for 20 minutes and a new per¬ formance will be skedded every 26 minutes during store hours. Orville W. Johler, veep in charge of advertising and merchandis¬ ing for the IGA chain of supers throughout the U. S; and Canada, said shopping parents will be able to leave their offspring in safety \VhiIe they shop. , Veterans of Foreign Wars Blasting Carl Foreman; Columbia Deal Stands Columbia is holding to the sta--, tus quo in its deal with Carl Fore¬ man for the production of four pic¬ tures, with Col to finance and dis¬ tribute. That is, a blast at both Col and Foreman by the Veterans of Foreign Wars is having no af¬ fect on the production teamup of the" film company and the writer- producer. ’ In announcing the arrangement a few weeks ago, a Col press hand¬ out had it that Foreman had testi¬ fied before the House Un-American Activities Committee last summer and did not invoke the Fifth Amendment as he had done some years back. VFW now contends that this statement implies that Foreman had become a cooperative witness in the House unit’s probe of Com¬ munism, whereas, says VFW, this is not true. A VFW bulletin quotes commit¬ tee chairman Francis E. Walter as saying there was no formal hearing last summer but merely a staff con¬ sultation and it was “unfortunate” that the impression has been created that Foreman had been “cleared” by the committee. VFW stated also that the exact nature of what transpired at the consultation was not known. « But the vets outfit thinks that Col issued a “misleading state¬ ment” about Foreman and, further, that “Hollywood’s doors will again be opened to Communist infiltra¬ tion if other studios follow Colum¬ bia’s lead.” At Col it was said that no com¬ plaint had been received from the VFW or anyone else and for this reason no action is . now contem¬ plated. Aware, which identifies itself as “an organization to tfombat the Communist conspiracy in entertain¬ ment-communications and the fine arts,” also has gotten into the act. This was via an “open letter” to Rep. Walter protesting the “ap¬ parent breach in Hollywood’s anti¬ communist policy.”^ ACLU Hits Code Continued irom page 1 ments in the new Code which can* be interpreted as improvements.” Repeating its basic objection to codes in the fields of .communica¬ tion, the Union made the point that, under ; the present Code, a number of plays and books recog¬ nized aS classics could:, not' be brought to the screen unless they were rewritten. ■ The Union took note of Edward Small’s recent remonstrance with Code Administrator Geoffrey Shur- lock, who had refused a seal to “Monkey on My Back” (the Barney Ross story) on the grounds that the' film showed in detail scenes of a man taking narcotics.” In expressing fear over restric¬ tions imposed in other story areas, Such as abortion, it said “We em¬ phasize that we are not saying that these sensitive subjects must, be shown without these prohibitions, for we do not comment on film content, but-only that these prohi¬ bitions do interfere with the right of free expression on the screen.” Don’t Knock Thejeens! Burlington, Vt., April 23. Some tennagers may be a head¬ ache to* some theatre managers, but, in the opinion of leading ex¬ hibitors in Burlington, the film establishment might be a thing of the past if it were not for the youthful patrons. • Ray Cody, manager of the Strong theatre, reported that 70% of his business conies from teenagers and college students, and Ralph Gil¬ bert, manager of the Flynn, esti¬ mated his teen trade at “over 50%.” Both managers find Rock Hud¬ son is the favorite actor here and that Elizabeth Taylor is the top female star. “They don’t come in on Satur¬ day afternoon the way they used to,” Gilbert declared. The old- time westerns and serials which used to get a full house have now been replaced by television. Hit‘Passion Pits’; Wile Suggests ‘Check Motels’ Columbus, April 23. Harold B. LeCrone, assistant Montgomery County (Dayton) pros¬ ecutor told an Ohio legislative committee that there are many juvenile “passion pits” existing under the pretense of cinema art. According to LeCrone art*is play¬ ing second fiddle to sex orgies in 1 some dusk-to-dawn drive-in thea¬ ters—especially In his area. He went as far to say that there was a definite • increase in illegiti¬ mate births in his county as a di¬ rect tie-in with the dusk-to-dawn movies. LeCrone said some un¬ named teen-age girls “said” they met their “downfall” in the drive- ins. . .One Montgomery County legisla¬ tor, Jesse Yoder, a Democrat, has proppsed a bill to prohibit juve¬ niles from attending any “theatri¬ cal performance” after midnight unless accompanied by parents. Yoder said he didn’t like the idea of people going to a movie to “watch the goings on in other cars.” Another assistant prosecutor, Herman Jacobsen, joined ..in the attack against the dusk-to-dawners saying that many drive-ins have become" .hang-outs for teenage gangs. Jacobsen suggested that owners of drive-ins check each and every car with a flashlight'to make sure that the only, action was that on the silver screen. Robert Wile, a representative of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio,, came to the defense of drive-ins and said he saw no reason why youngsters should be pro¬ hibited from attending after-mid¬ night shows. When asked if driye-ins were not cheaper than motels Wile ad¬ mitted they were but then sug¬ gested that motels be outlawed to the levis and leather jacket set. Wile also said that some drive- ins cart accommodate 2,000 cars and it would be a rough job to check, each and every vehicle. Theatre owners, Wile indicated, are not happy with the ‘situation in some areas. He admitted that there is a drive-in in Montgomery County which seems tp cause trouble. . . There are 208 drive-ins In Ohio, I some of which run all night. Film Row Briefs Hollywood, April 23. Raymond Friedgen closed a deal for Allied Artists release of his in¬ die “Yuan,” which rolls in Hong Kong next month, giving the dis- trib a total of four starters for May . . . John Mitchum, younger brother of Robert Mitchum, into “The Mad Ball,” the Jed Harris production at Columbia .. . Robert Smith, who co-authored and co- prdouced “The Buster Keaton Story” for Paramount negotiating with the studio for a similar deal on “St. Louis Blues,” biopic of W. Ci Handy . . . James Poe Was signed to screenplay Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” which Pan^ro S. Berman will pro¬ duce under the Avon Productions banner for Metro . . . Frieda Ines- court drew a role in “Darby’s Rangers” at Warners. Julie -London handed femme lead With Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes in Metro’s “T h r e e Guns” . . . Dan Dailey’s first indie since ankling 20th-Fox is star role in Cober’s “Ride the West Wind,” to be lensed in Hawaii . . . Produc- ing-directing-writing team of Mor¬ ton Fine and David Friedkin will script “Mock Trial” as their third Metro assignment . . . David O. Selnizck inked Tiberio Mitri,, Ita¬ lian ex-boxing champ of Europe, for role in. “A Farewell to Arms” . . . Dizzy Dean “offered” part in C. V. Whitney’s “The Missouri Traveler” . . . Dorothy Granger and Robert Shayne copped roles in Allied Artists’ “Death in. Small Doses” . . . 20th-Fox picked up Alena Murray's acting pact Eye Vaude Names sLmmmm Continued from page 1 — terion for the casting of vaude products in the alfresco field. In a promotion by the Feld Bros., Kaye broke the house, record and had to extend his engagement. This year, the Felds have booked Harry Belafonte,' Jimmy Durante, among others. The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, and the Texas State Fair'at Dallas, among others, have pacted Judy Garland. Liberace opens the season at the Starlight Theatre, Kansas City. Inquiries have come in from Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Co., the Louisville Iroquois Amphithe¬ atre, and there was one inquiry some weeks ago from the- St. Louis Municipal Opera for several variety headliners. The light opera and legit out¬ door spots will also getr occasional dates from Constance Bennett who is getting up a revue based on her nitery act, and there’s a possibility that George Jessel will essay a few alfresco dates. For the summer theatres, a fling with a nitery headliner represents a comparatively small investment in scenery, production, etc. Sole drawback, if headliner won’t gam¬ ble, is the hefty guarantee for the topliner. In itself this can be more than the' usual production costs. However, some theatres are getting to feel that they must take this, chance since comparatively few new musicals are coming up to replace the perennial staples that they’ve been showing. The variety field performers on the blossom time are being pro¬ moted in the same manner as a concert to give these shirfdigs an appeal to their regular audience. Exhibs Lose Daylight Time Victory; Dailies, Broadcasters Flex Big Muscles, Put Over Partial Bill --,- : --f Denver Opposes DST Denver, April 23, Daylight savings is out for Denver, at least this year. The city attorney has ruled that, even, if passed by council or voted in a special election, it would have no effect on any¬ thing but city employes. • Backers of DST will try, nevertheless, to get the propo¬ sition put to a vote of the peo¬ ple at a special election that is being planned for other mat¬ ters. If it carries it will not go into effect until next year. The Denver city attorney ruled that time was a matter for state action only. A day¬ light savings bill was defeated in the recent legislature. ACLU Again Raps Childish Criteria As Adult Guide Philadelphia, April 23. The American Civil Liberties Union has asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to declare unconsti¬ tutional the state’s obscenity law on motion pictures, charging stat¬ ute infringes upon the constitution¬ al guarantees of free speech and due process of law. Acting as a “friend of the court,” the ACLU brief was filed in a test cast raised by the conviction of Martin Blumenstein, manager of a Lackawanna County drive-in, for exhibiting a film called. ‘Uncover Girls.” Blumenstein received a fine 'of $500 and was sentenced to three months in prison by -Judge Michael J. Eagen, of Scranton. , An appeal was taken by his coun¬ sel and the Libertarians’ brief, filed by Edwin P. Rome and Julian E. Goldberg, Philadelphia lawyers, takes no position on the merit of “Uncover Girls,” which it states is essentially the filming of a bur¬ lesque show. It argues that Judge Eagen’s “personal formulation” ■ that a pic¬ ture may be banned if it tends to corrupt the morals of. the imma¬ ture and the weak, flies directly in the face of the recent U. S. Su¬ preme Court decision which struck down a Michigan statute, the effect of which was to reduce the adult population of Michigan to read only what was fit for children.” The Pennsylvania law in ques¬ tion. punishes exhibs for showing pictures- “of a lascivious, sacrile¬ gious, obscene, indecent or im¬ moral nature and character, or such as might tend to corrupt morals.” Lopert Films Distributing Corp. of New York, has changed its cor¬ porate name to Trep Films Inc; A second certificate filed with the Secretary of State in Albany shows a change of directors and purposes- for Trep Films. . Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin & Krim were the attor¬ neys In both instances. Minneapolis, April 2J. Hassle over daylight saving time. Which dealt theatre interests a severe blow, isn’t over in these parts yet. After theater-agriculture lobby had apparent success in killing daylight saving, It was revived, through tremendous pressure by. newspapers, television and radio stations and other business inter¬ ests, and- rapidly pushed through Minnesota house and senate, then signed by Gov. Orville Freeman. Bill is a patchwork affair, how¬ ever, considered only a partial vic¬ tory for daylight-saving interests. It permits switch in time in Twin Cities and in contiguous counties— nine counties in all— and in city of Duluth. Area represented is small, but includes about two-, thirds of state’s population. Meanwhile 'pressure was build¬ ing up, as long as this much had been granted, for a statewide bill which would at least let cit£ folks know what time it was for their country cousins. Constituent pres¬ sure on legislature for. statewide bill is heavy, but it too, has a gim¬ mick: In present form, it was legalize DST only fro:.. June 10 to Labor day, out . of step with rest of the nation. Present bill has April 28-Sept. 28 limitations, to jibe with other DST areas. K.M. Hance,. St. Paul, pres¬ ident of Minnesota Broadcasters Assn., called the June 10-Labor day measure, even with its state¬ wide provision, “worse than no bill at all.” It would double sched¬ ule adjustments necessary, ho pointed out. Exhibitor attitude toward new bill especially on part of drive-in operators, was gloomy. In this northern clime, summer twilight is long even in standard time, and sunset .gets later by five minutes every .75 miles as you go north. Starts in Twin Cities area wouldn’t be possible under DST until 9:30 p.m. during longest-days period, ruling out much of business or young-marrieds with small kids. Statewide daylight saving would hold up starts of drive-ins near Canadian border until ” nearly 10 p.m. Four-wall theatremen were pointing out long evenings, permit¬ ting golfing or fishing until dark, will cut severely into their busi¬ ness. They derive no consolation from fact that during more than 3 years of DST, 1942 to 1945, during World War Ii; business continued brisk. There were no drive-ins in those days, and besides, anything you could project drew crowds. Small comfort was derived, too, from experiment-of two local su¬ burban houses experimenting witn one-show-a-night policy with con¬ siderable success. Types of clientele are different, theatremen said. Producers Sales Corp., a Califor¬ nia company, has registered a cer¬ tificate that its New York State of¬ fice for the- conduct of a motion picture equipment business is in Locust Valley. Edward Furer is president. Robert A. Keyel of'Los Angeles, was filing attorney at Albany. Is Your Theatre Beautiful & Relaxing? Los Angeles, April 23. The motion picture house Itself is as important as the names on its marquee and must exert a pulling power which takes some ol_the boxpfficeToad off the pictures it plays. This is the business philosophy of Sam (Steve) Stiefel, Cali- . fornia theatre operator of a growing chain that now includes six houses. “Make the theatre a more beautiful, more Relaxing place than . one’s own living room, and you have the answer to successful op¬ eration,” Stiefel says. “The theatre, in terms of physical charm, and as a place where the customer isSalways right, has this big edge over television, which is stuck with the living, room or at best the den.” In company with' George Glass and Frank and Walter Seltzer, Hollywood production and publicity execs, Stiefel recently took • over the Monica Theatre in L.A. and immediately started $10,000 • in improvements. “The motion picture business is far from moribund,” Stiefel notes. “There are lots of customers around who will pay gladly for an evening of pleasant surroundings and kind treatment, re- • gardless of what is playing. “Let’s face it; there never are enough good pictures to drag people out of the house by their own power.” Genevieve “The Pixie from Paris ”