Variety (September 1957)

PICTURES ... With Summer Not So Hot for Pix, Big Worry Now Is TV-Drenched Fall Exhibitors who have complained of the “soft” business during the traditionally strong summer months, now look with concern to |. the post-Labor Day period which, again going by past performance, | is a tough one for the theatres. It’s pointed out that, with the oncoming of fall, the big tv shows return to the air and people generally have less of a tendency to leave their homes. “T think we’d do alright, but, unfortunately, I don’t see very strong product lineup for September,” commented Walter Reade Jr. He said his circuit had done below expectations during the summer, the b.o. on “Ten Commandments” and “Around he World in 80 Days” being notable exceptions. Several exhibitors fee] that the industry, in the post-Labor Day weeks, must put ifs shoulder to promotional. wheel to overcome the ‘usual letdown. , Said a distribution executive: “For years we were warned that, one day, the expected summer upturn wouldn’t come. Now it has happened. Not that the bottom has fallen out, because several pictures still did very good business. It’s just that the overall fell short of our high expectations.” He added the observation that, since the oncoming of sound (which ssaved the industry during the depression of the early ’30s), the film biz never really bad settled down to a fixed level” “We don’t ‘really know what. is ‘normal’ business,” he said. ‘We've had several unnatural highpoints, such as the war, when it virtually didn’t matter what we put on the screen. We are still in a period of adjustment from the war boom days. Perhaps, in the year or two ahead, we'll settle down to a routine.” Exhibs Lukewarm To Selznick View On ‘Loss House Exhibitors are taking a dim view of David O. Selznick’s suggestion last week that distribution was servicing too many non-profitable houses. Asked whether he agreed with Selznick that a great many smaller. situations are simply being carried| by distribution, that it may actually cost a vompany money to service them, circuit operator Walter UA’s Pic Rights | | iSaga of Sonja Spieker’ § Hollywood, Sept. 3. Regal Films will be. more than -halfway through its program of 27 films for 20th-Fox release by the end of September, prexy E. J. ‘Baumgarten reported. Seven already have completed camera work, another is now before the cameras and five more will start in the next six weeks. . Now in various. stages of editing are “Under Fire,” ‘Rockabilly Baby,” “Young and Dangerous,” “Ride a Violent Mile,” . “Copper Sky,” “Plunder Road” and “Escape to Red Rock.” Currently before the cameras is “Ghost River.” “Blood Arrow” rolled last week, to be followed by “Ambush at Cimarron Pass,” “Cattle Empire,¥ “The Lone Fexan” and Jet Command.” ‘To Champ Bout United Artists has acquired global distribution rights to the motion picture coverage of the Sept. 23 fight between Sugar Ray Robinson and Carmen Basilio. Deal was set in New York yesterday (‘Tues.) by William J. Heineman, film company’s distribution y.p., and James D. Norris, president of the International Boxing Ciub. Middleweight championship bout set for New York’s Yankee Stadium, is slated to be presented in 165 theatres (as of the most recent count) via Theatre Network Television’s closed-circuit facilities. lt will not be carried on home tv. It’s understood the deal provides , for UA to. take a percentage of ;8ross ‘rentals .as distribution fee with IBC taking responsibility for ‘the production. Ring action will j be caught by six elevated cameras, ‘two of them grinding in slow mo: tion. , | UA has handled the release of a ‘number of IBC’s top fights in past. U.S. Citizenship and The Role of Will Rogers Hosp By GENE ARNEEL.: Sonja Spieker (age, 24; occupa Reade Jr. said that—looking at it|tion, show business), who literally from that narrow point of view—j|tumbled from one European totalithe producer was probably right.|tarian state to another, is about to However, he added, “I think it’s}leavé show business’ Will: Rogers foolish te think in terms of drop-| Memorial Hospital, Saranac Lake, ping them. First of all, it would} N.Y., with an “all’s well” from the not appreciably diminish costs.|medicos and citizenship papers spe Secondly, there isn’t a business in|cially granted by Congress, the world that doesn’t have a simi‘Continued on page 19) David Golding, Ex-HHL, Joms Par in Promotion . é e 3 Of ‘Desire Under Elms Hollywood, Sept. 3. David Golding, whose post as adpub v.p. folded: when Hecht-HillJaneaster dropped its publicitypromotien department a few weeks azo, has joined Paramount as promotional coordinator for the Don Hartman production of: Engene O’Neill’s “Desire Under the Elms.” His appointment, which begins next Monday (9), was disclosed by Par ad-pub vip. Jerry Pickman. Naming of Golding was described by Pickman as the first step in a special worldwide campaign mapped out here with Teet Carle, Par studio publicity director, for the handling of the just completed film version. of the O'Neill classic. Prior to joining Par, Golding was with Samuel Goldwyn for six years before that was publicity director at 20th-Fox. 7 “Elms,” which was adapted for the screen by Irwin Shaw and directed by Delbert Mann, stars Sophia Loren,, Tony Perkins and Burl Ives, Originally produced on Broadway in 1924, it will be the first O'Neill play brought to the sereen in 11 years. The last was. “The Hairy Ape.” and President Eisenhower. . War-drenched as a child and frustrated in-her native land in her ; attempt to study ballet (admittance Ito a ballerina school in East Ger: many would require her signature 'on a Communist Party membership {card which she. declined to give), | she became a tunibler and contorjtionist. She attained professional status, toured the Continent, and ‘then the States where a couple of bad twis{s in doing her turn caused a crushed vertebra. . . The obstacles Sonja has hurdled :in the last couple of years included ‘the threat of deportation, for which 'she is now relieved, via the extra{ordinary Congressional action, and ‘the agonizing spinal affliction. Her Show Biz Start Sonja was horn in .Kramatorsk, Russia, to which point her parents had traveled in quest of employment. After her birth they returned to East Germany, where they are presently residing with Sonja’s two brothers. She communicates with them in care of friends in West Berlin. Sonja’s shaw business yen and ' early-day dancing paved the way ‘to a job with the Max Theilon a ~ | RESE can Petroleum Institute. FILMS IN CINEMAS} Port Washington, N. Y. Editor, VARIETY: Every once in a while I go to the movies, particularly when i know a good picture is playing, like “La Strada.” So the other night I went and caught “La Strada.” And ‘| it was a good picture, good enough to make me want to see the second feature—maybe, my luck would hold out and that would be good, too. But I overplayed my hand. | Between the two pictures came something put out by the AmeriIt was & “documentary” depicting the strug gle of the competitive oil companies to change one of the Dakotas into an oil. bearing state. And at one point when the representative of ‘the oil company offers an amazed farmer royalty. and other percentages for the oil that ain’t’ -even been: brought up, the dazed farmer asks, ‘How come?” And ‘the guy from the oil company says, on just like in the Shell Gasoline picture that they showed to my confirmation class, “‘We are willing to take a chance.” Now ali this may be true—the oil companies are willing to gamble a little, but I’d rather see this kind of documentary on my ty set—the one in the basement. And next time a picture like “La Strada” comes along I'll wait for the tv version. Maybe I’ll get “I Wonder Where the Yellow Went” in the middle break but it won't cost me two bucks and nobody will put popcorn in my shoes, | co Edward Ehre, \Japanese Swing New Tax Hammer, -Aping Philippines , j Troupe. She played theatres, arenas, circuses, etc., with an acrocontortionist turn, after a year (1950) of living and training with the Theilons in West Berlin: In the following year she toure with the Theilons to Portugal ana Madrid, in the latter city joining (Continued on page 10) | Even as the American companies are working to iron out their tax problems in the Philippines, a new tax threat looms in the equally important. Japanese market. Japanese hayen’t made too much’ of an open issue of this yet, but they’re fully expected to do so-. in the next few months. complaints are twofold: 1. The Japanese government -Their questions the status of the Ameri can film company subsidiaries in Japan under the: double-taxation ‘ treaty that exists between the two countriés. -The Japanese say the U.S. firms have permanent establishments in Japan, in which case their remittances to N. Y. would be subject to taxation. 2. The Japanese question the fran chise deals made by the American | companies and insist on levelling faxes on reyenues higher than: those shown on. the books. One American outfit already assessed on that basis. While the Japanese tax situation simmers, negotiations are continuing in the Philippines where the government is asking for back taxes of close to $10,000,000. The more immediate — and realistic — demand is for 3,250,000 pesos} ($1,000,000) to cover the 24%. with holding tax which, the Philippine tax people claim, is due for the period April 23, 1956, through July 1, 1957. Generally, the Philippines want to assess the| companies from 1951 on. Meanwhile, also in the . Philip-! pines, talks looking to the remittance of $3,500,000 via an American purchase of semi-refined gold from Philippine mines is nearing. conclusion. purchased by the American companies, refined in this country and then resold to the Philippine Central Bank for deposit as its gold reserves in San Francisco. The. U. S. Government isn’t involved in this deal, Tax problems, particularly the’ question of turnover taxes, which | can’t be protected under any taxation treaties, have plagued the U. S.edistribs in. many areas in recent years. Latest’ country to ‘raige the issue is West Germany, ~*ter Britain the Americans’ most »ortant European. market. The nover fax, which almost put the Americans out of France a year r is based on business done r than. actual dollars remitted. 4. ‘State Dept. of Commerce, named by Eric A. Johnston as honorary vice ‘is vet Paramount Theatres publicity director, now attached to. Par |actor and director in his first indie production, “Assignment for has been | ‘The gold would be]. Wednesday, September 4, 1957 Benn Jacobson off to the Coast on the prowl for a new association . after two years as RKO’s talent and casting chief at the homeoffice .,, Oscar Dystel and Saul David went westward looking for film properties to be adapted for their Bantam Books -paperbacking ... Arthur:Knight to teach a course on the “History of Films” at City‘College .... Columbia bought out the house (1,700 seats; no public admissions) for tomor‘row (Thurs.), night's unyeilinge of “Pal Joey” at Loew's 72d Street Theatre. . _ Charles Schnee, at Metro, and Charles Schneer, at Columbia, for long have had a problem with the name similarity. Now Schnee has joined Scheer at Col and the “Where’s Charley?” ‘confusion oyght to be greater than ever... Ruséell V. Downing, Music Hall prez, off for a month of loafing in European capitals . . . Press notices on superior oaters invariably recall (and-draw comparisons with) Stanley Kramer’s “High Noon,” as witness the upbeat appraisals of Columbia’s “3:10 to. Yuma.” . . : Harry Cohn is in on a quickie, mainly to catch tomorrow (Thurs.) night’s sneak of ‘“‘Pal Joey” .. .Paul Kenworth Jr., who directed “Perri” for Walt Disney, is one of the reasons why UCLA is proud of its picture course. He shot most of “Living Desert” while a graduate student, went on from there -doing. “Vanishing Prairie’ and them two years. in the Rockies with “Perri.”.. .. Anthony B. Akers, director of the i Ne — chairman ef the local-end of the Hollywood Jubilee Celebration. Martin Shapire, son of Robert K. Shapiro, managing: director of the Paramount Theatre,.leaving job as stage manager for Sweeney Todd’s: Sullivan St. Playhouse on Sept. 7. He goes to the Coast immediately on a new project, plans: for which will be announced shortly. Young Shapiro was graduated from: Syracuse U. last summer... Russell V. ‘Downing, boss of the Music Hall, shoves off for Europe. on his longdelayed vacation Sept. 7. He will be accompanied by his wife, and plans to visit France, Switzerland and. Italy before returning home late_ this month .. . Judith Efleen Spiegel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Spiegel, engaged to David M, Mellon, M.1.T. research engineer. Spiegel flagship in N.Y. Labor union papers throughout the country have been giving fat free plugs for “Pajama Game”... Ingrid Bergman cast to co-star with Cary SDD EEL a RTT A {Grant in Warner Bros,’ “Kind Sir’’ filmization’. .. Alan Bader,. RKO publicist, had a piece in the Sunday N.Y. Times about film fests in N.Y. arties ... Mayor Wagner presented Harry Brandt with the -pen he used to sign the measure eliminating the 5% tax on film admissions under 90c. e , Earl Rackoff, for the last eight years manager of the 55th. Street Play-" | house under four different owners, has resigned to.assume fulltime duties as Cantor of the Marathon Jewish’ Community Center in Douglaston, Queens. For the last several years, Rackoff worked a five-day week, with Fridays and Saturdays. off, so that he could perform his cantorial duties. , Glenn Fannin, formerly with IFE and DCA, named south central division sales manager of NTA Pictures Inc,, theatrical distribution subsidiary of the tv film firm ... After completing their current two=week engagement in “Bells Are Ringing” on Broadway, Larry Parks -and Betty Garrett head for London to complete plans for the filming of “Stay My Love.” Picture, to be produced by Louis Mandel, is based on “The Anonymous Lover,” a play in which the man-and-wife team toured the country. While in Britain, the couple will also make nitery and vaude appearances ... Stanley Warner stockholders received advance applications for seats to “Search for Paradise,” new Cinerama film opening at the Warner on Sept. 24... New York City scenes for “Cry Terror” will be filmed in Gotham this week by Andrew and Virginia Stone, who are making the film as the first of three productions for Metro release. Keefe -Brasselleback from London today (Wed.) after doubling as Murder.” He was accompanied by his wife, Arlene DeMarco, who sings and acts in the film... Jack Warden off to the-Coast for a feature role in Hecht-Hill-Lancaster’s “Run Silent, Run Deep,” Clark Gable-Burt Lancaster starrer ... Rose Tobias will be in charge of casting for the Allied Artists production, ‘Never Love a Stranger,” starring John Barrymore Jr. Pic will be filmed at the Gold Medal-Biograph Studios in the Bronx ... Dee Lowrence (Mrs. Leo Katcher in private life), formerly of Metro’s homeoffice publicity department, is now representing Women’s News Service-syndicate on the Coast. She will write a column under the name of Dee Katcher. L. A. to N. Y. N. Y. to Europe Constance Carpenter . Peter Baldwin Russell V, Downing *” Paul W. Benson Hugo Friedhofer Harry Cohn ~Anatole Litvak Jerome Cowan Darius Milhaud Vernon Duke William Peper Nick Kessely Milton R. Rackmil Peggy King Richard Krakeur Charlotte Van Lein Greta Lyssen — Hal R. Makelim James Mason Frank Melford Gerd Oswald David Pardoll Barbara Perry Henry Rogers Rod Steiger Andrew L. Stone Virginia Stone Dimitri Tiomkin Kenneth Tobey Sam Zimbalist Don Sharpe | Alfred Sterly Irving Strouse Europe to N. Y. Julian T. Aheles Jack Benny Dorothy Blankfort Michael Blankfort Keefe Brassell. Jerome Chodorov Douglas Cleverdon Art Cohn Arlene De Marco Ninette De Valois Catherine Dolane Kay Harrison ‘Oscar Homolka Maurice Lehmann Arthur Loew Jr. Billy Rose* . Murray Silverstone Jesse Zousmer | Debbie’s Tammy’ Click _ Reprises ‘Trap’ in Mpls. . Minneapolis, Sept. 3. | Because of the boxoffice success © |of “Tammy and the Bachelor,” N. ¥. to L. A. starring Debbie Reynolds, particuSaul Dayid , larly in the local neighborhood Oscar Dystel houses, these theatres'in consider-_ Leo Rovner a ‘able numbers are bringing back Jerry Levy The Tender Trap” for return enPaul MacNamara | | gagements. me Patty McCormack Ads for “Trap” stress Miss ReyNice pack nold’s cast presence along with that Norton V.. Ritchey of Frank Sinatra, also calling atJack Warden ‘ftention to her as “the. star of Natalie Wood4*Tammy and the Bachelor.*”