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. 'Wedncfffay, limff $% 193>7 P^RlEflt PICTURES New fork Sound Truck : SELZNICK HITS More People With More Money; Alice and Frank Scully are “pouring’* for their Gotham' friends June 14 before they take off June 16 to Oslo to be 'with Mrs. Scully’s Norwegian folks, then Ireland, London, Paris, the Riviera and Rome for three months before returning to their Palm Springs retreat. Robert TapUnger, Warner Bros. p.r.. v.p., his brother. Sylvan, and two sisters were the hosts Sunday (2) at a dinner dance at the Roof Garden of the St Moritz, N.Y., to celebrate the 50th' wedding anni versary of thein. parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Taplinger. The Tap> lingers have six grandchildren „ . , Seymour Krawitc of the Bill Doll Office off for Caracas, Venezuela, to supervise the’first Latin American -opening of “Around the World in 80 Days” there at the Boyaca Thea tre, Jime 26, Elia Kaun, producer of “A Face In .the Crowd,” agreed with author Budd Schulberg, via interviews which Earl Wilson conducted on “To¬ night” over NBC-TV (last week) Tuesday. (28),. following the film’s New York premiere, that the motion picture audience is “smarter” than is generally believed. Kazan crisply declared, “People are a darn-sight smarter than they are credited.” "When Wilson inquired, “You don’t believe in stars?” and added, “You think the story is more important,” Kazan replied, “I, want good actors. If. the star is a good actor, it helps at the boxoffice, sometimes—not too often now.” Jim Sirhkons exiting Warner .Bros, faomeoffice publicity department to join CBS-TV . . . Esther Williams pff for Italy today (Wed.) for mid-June filming of the “The Islander” for Universal . . . Albert Zugsmith, formerly with Universal, has closed .a deal for his indie firm to produce a number of pictures for Metro .. . M-G’i eastern tal¬ ent scout A1 Altman attended the. Magicians Convention in Hartford , . . Cyd Ch tr isee hack to the Coast after a series of personal appear¬ ances for “Silk Stockings” ... Universal’*, eastern pub-ad chief Charles Simondle and ad topper Jeb Livingston, off to Chicago to confer with the company’s mid-west representatives on promotion plans for films set to open in the Chi territory. Simonelli then heads to New Orleans for the June 6 premiere of “Tammy and the Bachelor. Mom Sc Lewis Inc. has ibeen formed as a consolidation with Moss ,4c Lewis of Nevada Inc., to conduct a motion picture, theatrical and television productions ..business in New York. Capital stock Is 200 shares of preferred, at $100 par value, and 200 shares of common, at no par value. Marks Sc Marks, of Manhattan filing attorneys at ’Dick PKts, now In pj. with the Carolina Motor Club, Charlotte, N. C., Is ex-COMPO and writes nostalgically about his show biz daysr His two kids J< now have the darndest southern accents but admit they were ‘bawn in Noo Yawf.” Life Mag for June IQ carirles an extended report by Eric Hodges titled, “Amid Ruins of an Empire, A New Hollywood Arises” Deals with the decline of studio czars, the present tyranny of top stars ( 50 % of profits or 10% of gross) and the shrewd-eyed, hard-faced gentry who negotiate their deals. Hodgins obviously did plenty of digging, and a good deal of it, .one would suspect, right here. Speaking of the years since V-J Day, he writes: . “It was the unparalleled last 10 years that did the Empire in. In one fell decade Hollywood was knocked down by TV, kicked in the jaw by a -court order that broke up the profitable, monopolistic alli¬ ance between the theatre chains and the studios, and at last all hut destroyed by an upheaval in America’s recreational habits. Movies had once been the entertainment resource for the entire country, but after the war skis, skin-diving equipment, hi-fi sets, bowling balls, fishing tackle, golf clubs, do-it-yourself kits and 10,000 other consumer items flooded the U.S. As postwar automobiles, beds piling with chro¬ mium, re-emerged, from. Detroit,’ movie theatres, suddenly discovered to be shabby end obsolete, began to close their doors.” David Piel Lae., N.Y. film producers, tapped as audiovisual con¬ sultants for Die Ladies Home Journal. Now in production'is a film, “Report to Nargus” (latter stands for National Assn, of Retail Grocers of the U.S.). Piel’s footage, based on the LHJ’s ad campaign, “A Grocer’s Guide to Women,” stresses the need for a change ip approach In retail grocery advertising. On the basis of initial dates “Gunfight at O. K. Corrall” looks like a $4,000,000 domestic grosser to Paramount execs. As for the critical appraisals, .which Gotham morning daily do you read? Consider these: “It is an almost flawless film, a peer of the famous High Noon/ and the best picture of the year so far.”—William K. Zinsser, Her- Trib; ‘Gunfight at the O. K. Corrall’ is not High Noon/”—Besley Crewther, Times, Jules Levey,, who’s hsd ideas about producing James Certain’* “The Tontine” for some time, off to London today (Wed.) on so-called “vari¬ ous business matters” . , . Mutual Radio’s new format—strictly, straight news and music—m£ant the end of Martin Starr’s “Here’s Hollywood” newscasts. And along with, it some succinct cracks'from the Commentator on the feet that newspapers still hire 500 cor¬ respondents to Cover the film colony while the audio medium is giylnf it the. brush . . . It’s costing Paramount nearly $1,500 for each print of ‘Ten’ Commandments.” ., Trueman: T, B am b ue c h , Indiana theatreowner and an official of Allied States Assn., has received s patent for a revolving judges’ stand so that track officials can. watch a horse race without craning their necks .* * Wall StrCefer Charles Allen, reported active In acquir¬ ing Loew’s Inc. shares,' still owns 55,000 shares of Warper Bros, stock. He only sold a portion of his original holdings back to WB topper Jash L. Warner ... Robert E. Lewis, former office manager sn^ film booker In Republic’s Chicago exchange, has joined the-'buying and booking staff of Allied Theatres of Illinois . • . Columbia will film a Short of the entire floor show of the Hawsilan-Room of the Lexington Hotel, N.Y. . . * Universal’* ‘‘Tammy and. the Bachelor” premiere* in j^ew Orleans tomorrow (Thurs.), launching a series of pre-release dates in the territory. Some fascinating cinematic tidbits have been gathered together in 1 HOW'Volume of slightly highbrow writing by Pietro Bianchi, one of Italy’s critics, and titled “L’Gcchio del Cinema” (The Eye- of the Cinema).' Tome embraces about ten years of Bianchi’s~ essays. With brief but crystal-dear chapter^ dedicated to analyses of stars of past and\ present, directors, and their films. * Rome, June 4. Lack of exhibitor and distributor Ingenuity in exploiting the great “old” pictures in the studio vaults was scored here last week by Da¬ vid O. Selzniek, currently filming “A Farewell to Arms” for 20th- Fox release. “There’s all this hue and cry about a product shortage," Selz- nick said. “Why don’t they do something about reissues. There’s an entirely new audience for these pictures, but of course they have to be presented right. I'm willing to bet that, right now, there are •some 50 or more pictures in the vaults that could, more than recoup new negative costs through re¬ issue. “The only trouble is, the com¬ panies refuse to. exploit reissues, and the 'exhibitors show great re¬ luctance to book them.- I spent $25,000 to reedit ‘Tom Sawyer.* We tested the new version, and it got a very enthusiastic reception. But to really do a job with it, I’-d have to knock myself out trying to sell it, and I just haven’t got the time for that.” When it was pointed but that “Rebecca,” on reissue by 20th, (Continued on page 22) Sir Mex Kordas Showmen Oughta Rejoice-Jofmston —-— ---— -—f With the population of the U. S; ’my y. y . ..... due to rise at an enormous pace, No Delinquency Liability I the potential market forvfilms in Huston Sees Wayne As Needed Star for His Harris/ Jap Locationer Co. Iiqui London Film Productions, headed by the late Sir Alexander Korda, has gone out of business. ; Korda estate has told all remain¬ ing properties to commercial tele- i vision ' interests in England (the films were liquidated on; United States tv some time ago) and Mor¬ ris Helprin, longtime officer in New York, has severed connec¬ tions with the company. When Korda died Helprin agreed to keep the Gotham office running for one year. The year has now passed and Helprin has formed an independent company in associa¬ tion with Alfred W. Crown (sepa¬ rate story). While the N. Y. office has beeen officially closed to business, a sec¬ retary is staying on to handle wind¬ up correspondence. Montpelier, Vt., June 4. the States is constantly growing. Although approved, by the Eric Johnston, prez of the Motion Senate, a bill to make parents Picture Assn, of America, said in responsible for damages re- the annual report. “This comblna- sulting from “malicious mis- _ tion of growing population and chief” by their children has growing income presents a real been killed in the House of challenge to our industry to turn Representatives of the Ver- the potentials into actual boxoffice input Legislature. admissions,” he held. , Opponents of the measure The report devoted two full argued that the proposed legis- pages to the battle against censor- lation would not have solved ship, noting that “Recent develop-, the state’s juvenile delin- ments have laid open to light the quency problem and that it cancerous tenacity of motion pic- would have created more in- ture censorship by prior* restraint, justices than It corrected. Despite the remedial surgery per- - .— - ■ ■■ formed by the highest court of the . -* ■ . land in five major operations since Hue fan Verne Warn Ac 1952, there is today impressive I1I1MUI1 DCtb TiffjllC nh evidencp that the motion picture MaajIajI Qfor fnr Hie industry faces a threat of further iiCCuCu ulfll I ul 1115 encroachments on free speech by m • > i t .• the advocates of censorship. Hams, Jap Locaboncr Never-Say-Die Censors . Tokyo^ May 28. “It is clear to all that serious After a stay in Japan research- constitutional doubts have been . „ „ . , . ti«« raised concerning the methods still ing the projected Townsend Har- belng employed today in the states ris Story” for 20th-Fox, director- of New York, Virginia, Maryland writer John Huston had some un- and Kansas as well as in several certainties regarding the produc- numicipalities. A growing number f . TV w « of legal commentators maintains wni J that the ultimate result of the Su- nn/’nrSnt P reme Court decisions must neces- %£££? 11 willy be the striking down of een- fnr Sorshi P as a statutory system. “Viewing the crumbling of their hes the ancient edifices in the background, biggest guy of them all. the never-s&y-die censors are ex- In -research on the story of erting devious efforts to circum- Ameriea’s first consul in Japan ve nt the constitutional barrier, and with ; writer Charles Grayson, end results could be a baffling Huston learned^ that the stoiy had (Continued on page 181 long been a vehicle for anti-Amer- _ lean propaganda. About this, he said. “We’ll just turn it inside out. IIFI | • TT D I propaganda just ffll3CKHl§ UP 1*1111(1 There was also the problem of _ ^ ‘ _ how to treat Okichi, the geisha U f* with whom arris aUegedly had j[J|| JJ-ij Y W77W X more than a business association. * On this, Huston said he had dis- _ # . covered that the treatment of their Loew’s Inc. board of directors nusion learnetr iaai xne story naa (Continued on page 18) long been a vehicle for anti-Amer- _ lean propaganda. About this, he said. “We’ll just turn it inside out. 11/1 I • YT P I ProPaganda-just fflUlCKlilij UprlUHl There was also the problem of _ ^ ‘ _ how to treat Okichi, the geisha U f* with whom arris aUegedly had j[J|| JJ-ij Y W77W X more than -a business association. * On this, Huston said he had dis- , * . covered that the treatment of their Loew’s Inc. board of directors relationship was “pretty much up egsin tackle the question of to the authors.” the division of the funded debt Regarding a. working script, he wIien 14 “f® 1 * A WedJ - ^ald* “We’ll co back with the few P any officials and attorneys have Vbfcri&eTThb ta^^ C ”wpS« n holdtag tte project was accepted on w short f«tis’ (Coptinued on-page 82) factory solution. Bill Rodgers-TmghBut Just-Dies Former Metro Sales Chief Enjbyed Remarkable Goodwill (Fo^ a Distributor)' Amonf Exbibs and present, directors, and their fi] Frisco'# EF Rey Yegged. j San Francisco, June 4. : Three stickup- men got weekend receipts of $3,600 from the 1,500-] seat El.Rey Theatre, a neighbor-j hood house, owned by the Golden i State chjrin. 4 ] Muggs entered through an open door, boifnd a janitor and a. carpet- layer and then waited two hour* for manager Carl Bayes to appear. They forced Bayes, at gunpoint, to open the safe, tied him up and es¬ caped. flow Burlington Drivo-In Burlington, Vt.,- June 4. Burlington Drive-In theatre, a new ozoner with the largest out¬ door $e£een In this area,, has beea opened on Shelburne road by Mp. and Mrs. Ulderic Barrett, former proprietors of the Milton Drived, . The establishment has a capacity fpr more than 560 cars and there is a modem refreshment' building. There is also a bottle - warming service for babies and an up-to- date playground girin. be installed in the near futitte. • William F. Rodgers, who died in Hollywood (Florida’s) Sunday (2) at the age of 68 H left friends within the ranks of “ttie enemy”. Rodgers was a distributor >as head of sales lot Metro. But: perch and this power of bfflc^i never caused him to lose standing. Exhibitors spoke well of him. Yet, Rodgers could hardly he accused of “underselling” the product of which he- was proud. But in the pursuit of the job he did so well he also recognized that certain exhibitor simply weren’t ijx a position to pay as much as others; Charge him with having soaked the rich'; but keep in mind he went easy oft the poor, r. A reporter of tender professional years was provided with an eye- I opener when intending his first tneatremen’s convention 16 years [ago. For there he saw obscure ex¬ hibitors elbowing themselves to [the side of Bill-Rodgers to say thanks for the reasonableness of ‘the M-G sales organization. This ; was in the time of a good economy hut Rodgers still was cognizant of; the fact that it wasn’t good for everybody. So those who didn’t have it so good got a break. Metro was given hilling as “The Friendly Company” and largely because of this executive it was more than a' slogan, • j There’s more to he noted than] Rodgers as the “nice guy.” Hei worked earnestly for the good of the industry, and not alone M-G. He was instrumental in introducing the, “sliding scale” that was to be adopted by. the entire business and' still temains in effect. Theatremerr tftroiugh the yeah have had quar- |fel* With the workings of the for- i njult. .But .It is-difficult to argue against the.* principle of exhibitor and distributor sharing in picture f income in such a manner that the distributor . would collect more money for better pictures and less for the poorer ones. Disheartening to Rodgers and a disgrace to the picture, trade was the United Motion Picture Indus¬ try. He gave freely of his time and energy to set° up this Intend¬ ed Town Hall, where intra-trade grievances could be aired and measures taken to settle them. There was nothing personal to be gained for . Rodgersj he was even dlsdajnful of -. authorship. UMPI was allowed to die—this was a gen¬ eration ago 1 —elements of the film Industry to this - day are still try¬ ing to come up'with a facsimile of it. It’s now simply called, vague¬ ly, an arbitration system. Rodgers died in his sleep, after a year and ,a half of retirement. Survivors Include the widow* Edna; two sons, Thomas, Trans-Lux The¬ atres v.p., and William Jr., asso¬ ciated with R. H. Macy & Co.; and a daughter. Myrtle Anne Rodgers/ NBC executive. The debt, amounting to some $30,006,000, must be split between the distribution-production com¬ pany and the new theatre company in order to bring about a final sep¬ aration of the two firms as ordered by the Government’s consent de¬ cree. Division of the stock, with stockholders getting a half of share of stock In two companies for each share of Loew’s Inc. now held, has beep delayed pending solution of the debt problem. Mibs Set Up Awards To Georgia Journalists; Winner Sees Hollywood The Motion Picture- Theatre Owners and Operators of Georgia, a Theatre Owners of America af¬ filiate, will award prizes to Georgia newspaperamen for the most “con¬ structive stories and articles writ¬ ten about motion pictures and the motion picture theatres.” Awards, to be made at the unit’s annual convenion on June 23 in Atlanta, stem from a contest that ran from Jan. 1 to May 1. -Arrangements were made with the* cooperation of the Georgia Press Assn. Aim of the contest, was to stimulate coverage of mo-' tion picture news in Georgia news¬ papers. Contest will be judged in two categories: (1) Daily newspapers (including Sunday edition) pub¬ lished in Georgia, and (2) all other newspapers published in the state. First prize in each category will ba an all-expense one-week, trip to Hollywood for two persons. Second prize in each category will be a $250 savings bond.