Variety (November 1957)

10 PICTURES PSsueXt Vednesday, November 6, 1957 Allied Artists Repeat-at-intervals Plan on 'Friendly Persuasion Exhibitors have been notified by Allied Artists that William Wyler's production of “Friendly Per¬ suasion" will be taken out of re¬ lease next month. Film company hasn’t made any announcements about policy but it's believed the plan is to reissue “Persuasion" on an elaborate basis from time to time, beginning sometime next year, just as Metro does with “Gone With the Wind" and as Walt Disney has several back-number productions on and off the shelf. Prompting the AA policy is the curious / boxoffice pattern that “Persuasion" has followed in the States over the past year. Open¬ ings weren’t particularly strong but subsequent-run business down the line was unusually big. In other w ords, the sub-runs w’ere commen- surately far better than the initial dates, then a wave of re-bookings followed. After the territorial playoff, showcases played the pic¬ ture for a second time or took it on for the first time despite the fact that a competitor dated it at the beginning, all with good b.o.* re¬ sults. In the light of this kind of ex¬ perience, A A thinks it has some kind of annuity in the property, particularly since the “Persuasion" story line fit’s about Quakers in Civil War) Is timeless. The Wyler pic was brought in at a negative cost of $3,200,000. AA’s domestic gross so far is $4,800,000. Foreign rights are held by Loew’s. Suzy Parker in HITar’ Trying Out ’Bridge’ On Japanese; Sam Spiegel’s Special Trip to Tokyo Hollywood, Nov. 5. In an unusual pre-opening pre¬ caution for a film, Sam Spiegel planed to Tokyo to show a print of “The Bridge on the River Kwai" to Japanese authorities. Columbia release will bow in Tokyo around Christmas time. During the shooting of the film, the Japanese government appoint¬ ed official technical advisers who worked with the company location- ing in Ceylon. Now, the Nipponese will study the completed film, both from the aspect of its impact on the Japanese market and its pos¬ sible effect on the Japanese poli¬ tical scene. Spiegel will return here next weekend. WB SEEKS TO ALLAY Hollywood, Nov. fi. I Margo into “The Hell-Bent Kid” | at 20th-Fox . . . Harmon Jones will j direct “Bullwhipped,” which Rom- ! son-Broidy Productions rolls next „ .... - week for Allied Artists .,. Warners ’ . ‘ . \ signed Neva Patterson to play Suzy Parker, recently signed to , stran(e . <Too Muoh . Too seven-year options by 20th-Fox,' Soon,” the Diana Barrymore biopic will be one of seven stars m The j Arthur Hunnicutt signed to co- Big War,” being produced by Jerry j * * • ■ . r __ Wald for 20th-Fox. Robert Wag- star Wlth Mamie Van Doren and ner is also one of the topliners.' Jeff Richards in “Bom Reckless Film is due to roll after first ofI which Howard Koch will direct and the year. Edna Anhalt is cur-i Aubrey Schenck produce .. ..Cara rently writing the screenplay. I Williams- set for a leading role in After sneak of ^Oth’s “Kiss Them i “Never Steal Anything Small” at for Me,” at Inglewood recently, ■ Universal . . . _ Miss Parker was upped to share _ Bob Jacobs, 19-year-old USC star billing with Cary Grant and • journalism major, cast by. 20th-Fox Jayne Mansfield Wald said. . ! a^zMe ta^Eock^Bye Baby,” Producer and Miss Parker go to; Jerry Lewis’ York Production for Frisco as guests of the Press Club j paramount . . . Producer-director there tomorrow (Nov. 6). in con-: R 0 g er Corman will make three nection with “Kiss.” j films for Allied Artists and two for. -I American International Pictures in I the next six months . . . Former i N.Y. crime reporter Herbert Abbot Spiro inked by Regal Films to do a screenplay on syndicated crime. Untitled film will roll in December I with Gene Fowler Jr, directing . . . Perlbefg-Seaton acquired rights to “Fright 3 to Hell 5," by French author Vahi-Katcba, for produc- Continuing its retrenchment pro- 1 tion at Paramount . . .^lllake Ed- gram which involves the streamlin- i wards will direct The WB-Overhead Cuts District Chiefs j ing of its world-wide operation, t Warner Bros, is eliminating the po- j sltions of domestic district sales managers. At its peak, WB had eight dis¬ trict sales manager, including Canada. It’s expected that one or two of the eight posts will be main¬ tained, . presumably the one in Canada. Duties of the district manager included the supervision of several branch offices. It’s an¬ ticipated that the Film Row man¬ agers will take on the extra duties. So far WB has eliminated the district sales posts in New York and Philadelphia? Norman Ayeres, who was eastern district sales man¬ ager, was made an assistant to east¬ ern division manager Jules Lapi- dus, William Mansell, central dis¬ trict sales manager with headquar¬ ters in Philly, was made Philiy branch manager. Charles Beilan, former branch manager and a WB staffer for more than 25 years, re¬ signed when he was demoted to branch sales chief. • Ben Kalmenson, WB’s executive v.p. who had been on the Coast, summoned the company’s sales top¬ pers to a quickly-called meeting in Chicago last week. Attending the meeting were Bernatd Goodman, v.p. of Warner’s distribution com¬ pany; Roy Haines, general sales manager; 'Jules LapiduS, eastern and Canadian division manager; ttAfKTHH? i w * O. Williamson, southern divi- r liumio flntlVrHiL j sion manager, and Ralph Iannuzzi, ' midwest division manager. Perfect Furlough” at Universal . . .20th- Fox- renewed Rick Jason’s contract. James Stewart inked by Warner Bros, for top role in “The FBI Story,” Mervyn LeRoy production scripted by John Twist. . . George Nader replaces Jeffrey Hpnter in Universal’s “If I Should Die,” due to latter’s illness . . . U bought “The Wild Innocents,’’ original by Sy Gomberr . . . “Wild Heritage" is final tag for U’s "Death Rides This Trail"-... Jaguar Productions'! set Alan. Napier for “Island pf Lost Women,” for Warner Bros, re¬ lease . . . Vince. Barnett snagged role in WB’s “0iri on the Run" . .. Kim Hunter draws femme, lead in Ganna way International’s'" “Maybe Smith” . . . Sandy. Howard Produce tions, N.Y. production outfit, has’ joined Gannaway International for- a feature picture prograni . ...| Boris Fetroff has skedded pair of I indies for January and February I lensing, “YOUng and Deadly" and; “Robot, Man, U.S.A.” . . . William Broidy switched title of “Seven Guns to Sin" to “Seven Guns to Mesa" * . . Don Megowan goes into Paramount’s “The Buccaneer." Warner Bros., which fired some 25 homeoffice white collarites, in¬ cluding secretaries and clerks, and then immediately rescinded the order, is attempting to find new jobs for the staffers given the original pinkslipping notice. The white collarites are being sounded out by the personnel de¬ partment if they would be wiling to take other jobs if WB can find new positions for them in other companies or industries. It’s thought that the original fir¬ ings were rescinded to halt the adverse public relations which stemmed from earlier firings Of some 40 pub-ad staffers. It’s un¬ derstood that the proposed firings are connected with WB’s move to new homeoffice headquarters on Fifth Avenue. At its present site on W. 44th St. WB occupies some 10 floors of space. At its new location, the entire homeoffice op¬ eration will be confined to a floor and a half. Preparations are currently being made for the move. Real estate agents are already advertising for lease of the space in the old WB building. Inculded in the offering Is the 110-seat WB screening room. Board of directors of Stanley Warner Corp. last week declared , a quarterly dividend payment of 25c. per share .on the company’s com¬ mon stock. Melon is payable Nov. 27 to stockholders of record Nov. 12. Repeats As Mayor Lethbridge, Alta., Nov. 5. . Lethbridge Theatre operator and .president of the Leth¬ bridge Theatre company, A. W. Shackleford, has been elected mayor of the city. He served as mayor from 1943 to 1946 and again from 1953 to 1955. Wobkrs Special Chore: 'Oklahoma Playoff Stalled on 60% First Week—50% Second 'Week Demands Credited to Minority Owners San Francisco, Nov. 5. Herman Wobber, recently retired Western division manager of 20th- Fox, has received a written go- ahead from Spyros Skouras to ar¬ range the rest of the stalled play¬ off of the Cinemascope “Oklahoma.” Wobber was scheduled to leave for Atlanta last Sunday (3) to sell film In the Southeast, where C’scope version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical has had practically no exposure to date. What’s delayed playoff, appar¬ ently, is insistence of minority- share owners, George Skouras, Ted O’Shea and, to a lesser extent, Joe Schenck, on 609o first week, 509b second week, and sliding scale for subsequent weeks, with no engage¬ ment to. run less than four weeks. Result of this insistence has been that 20th-Fox was forced to renege on numerous contracts around the country, because such areas .as the Southeast simply wouldn’t meet these terms. Twentieth, with $3 million sunk in uicture. has so far gotten only a 35% to 37% coverage of possible plavoffs. Situation pot so bad that Spyros Skouras finally called his brother George, and'O’Shea, on the carpet, simply told them 20th was going to take over merchandising the pic¬ ture. Then Spyros Skouras called Wobber, who retired only last sum¬ mer but was supposed to be on deck for “special assignments," to New York. Wobber’s first “special assignment" was the “Oklahoma!” plavoff. But Wobber, in New York last month, said he wouldn’t take on the job without written “final authority” to make deals. He re¬ turned to Frisco and when New York phoned him a fortnight later and asked him when he was going to start, Wobber replied he was waiting for his letter of authori¬ zation. Fe pot it pronto and promptly packed bis bap. Feeling at 2Qth is that you can’t force a four-week run into what is ordinarily a splitweek situation, that you have to m*ke the best deal vou can. But 20th execs also f Q el that “Oklahoma!” oueht to do huc-ine** somewhat comparable to “The Kinp and I,” Jhat an area o,t«h as the which ^e- t’Vered around $3 milt’on on “The King and I.” ou«bt .to 0 long V.’ P" toward 20th’s $3 million for “Oklahoma!" San Francisco Might Re U.3. Site—One for Asia Likely To Be ‘Enfranchised’ --!-'-—-f ' ■ Consolidated’s Annex Hollywood, Nov. 5. Consolidated Film Industries yesterday broke ground for a new two-story addition to lab’s present 35m building. Structure, to cost $500,000, will be completed in five, months." Annex will provide additional color- processing facilities in antici¬ pation of increased vlemand on part of industrial, educational and reli¬ gious film producers, according to Sid Solow, vp-general manager* Bitter British Comment Re Tax London, Nov. 5. Daily Express and its companion . paper, the Sunday Express within the space of 24 hours, both slammed the British taxation sys¬ tem regarding, admissions tax and v .income tax payments from enter-, tainers. The Sunday Express grieved the fact that one artist was allowed to owe so much tax that she wound up in the bankruptcy court. The sum Involved was $1,200. But .this, the paper claimed, was . nothing -compared with the “huge amounts” owed by some of the bigger names in. show business. The leader went on to complain that this was not fair. “Would any ordinary salary earner be allowed, to pile up a debt: of that size?” the paper queried. Editorial suggested that some form of taxation should be introduced which “will ensure that these spoiled darlings have to pay up on I the dot line like the rest of us do." I The following day, the Daily Ex¬ press editorially told of the plight [Of small picture theatres because Of heavy admissions tax, stating that "some houses were still being forced to go dark despite tax re¬ lief, meted out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the last Budg¬ et. Paper suggested that Vivien Leigh* who “made her name through the cinema," ought to switch to the defense of the over¬ taxed small theatres now that the legit St. James’ Theatre is doomed. W Soon as French Have Themselves a Government, Yank Deal Gets Going Paris, Noy. 5. According to Marc Spiegel, Mo¬ tion Fmture Export Assn., rep here/ as soon as a new Gallic gov¬ ernment is installed the' French- American Film Accords will auto¬ matically be accepted. Spiegel said that the dues paid to the govern¬ mental Centre Du Cinema would be raised to give, the French more funds to do with it as they see fit, either to invest it in their own productions or in getting that much discussed “depth" distrib in America. The French were originally get¬ ting $2,000,000 and, with the raise, would get $5,000,000. As for the French handing out of some of the 110 dubbing visas to various U.S. companies on a merit basis, for production or distribution aid to French pix, this is expected to be a small amount which would not upset the divvy balance 'twixt the majors to any great degree. So it looks like a face saving setup with French getting " coin and Yanks their coveted 110 visas. PERLBERG HEADS SPG’S TV SIDE-MONEY PROBE Hollywood, Nov. 5, .Bill Perlberg has been named to chairman a Screen Producers Guild committee which will explore all facts of the problem involved in producers receiving a cut of any post-1948 pix sold to television. SPG prexy Samuel Engel had headed the committee, but relin¬ quished his post because of other ' guild activities. 1 Paris, Nov. 5. • Trade sources here indicate the International Federation of Film Producers has just about settled on 1 a plan which would limit the free world to five film festivals .annually. Three would he the es¬ tablished European festivals at Cannes, Venice and Berlin. The fourth would probably be in the U. S. and San Francisco, which will launch an “unsanctioned” fes¬ tival next month, might have the inside track. The fifth festival would be somewhere in Asia—where is still unknown. Idea is to drop the Edinburgh Festival so that it would revert to* what it basically is, anyway, a kul- tur klatch. Plans are still tentative, of course. But the feeling, is that the Western Hemisphere must be rep-, resented, being prime film pro¬ ducer, and that San Francisco, re¬ moved from tensions of both Hol¬ lywood and New York, would make an ideal site/ It’s also felt that Asian market is growing more and more important and that establish¬ ment of a major, sanctioned festi¬ val there would help picture in¬ dustry significantly. Gene Nelson’s Injuries On Location Prompts 75G Suit Versus Panorama. Hollywood,' Nov. 5. He’s been forcedtosue in courts' for damages because. Panorama Pic¬ tures Corp. failed to comply with California State workman’s com¬ pensation laws. Gene Nelson* charged last week. He filed a $75,- OQO suit in Superior Court here for damages-and lost, earnings, result¬ ing from location accident last Aug. 5,-in Tennessee, during lens¬ ing of “Natchez Trace," ip which la horse fell on.him. ; He was hired for three ..firm weeks at $2,500 a week, with co- star billing, Nelson discloses. But before a single foot of film was exposed, accident occurred and he hasn’t been able to work since, Nelson contends. He suffered * fractured pelvis, shock and other! injuries, and is seeking $10,000 for- medical, bills, plus, another $65,006 for loss of earnings while recoup¬ ing^ according to complaint. Defendant firm has mam offices in Meredian, Miss., according to. •Nelson’s attorney, Arthur Katz of Fink, Leventhal and Lavery law firm. Despite fact that Panorama failed to comply with Calif.. work-. man’s compensation laws, he’ll file, additional action with State Labor. Board for additional compensation,* Katz said. Deejays No Todd Cuffos Rochester, N. Y. Editor, Variety; Your Mike Todd story was terri¬ fic. However, you state that “most' of them [newspapermen and disk jockeys] were junketed at the host’s expense . . Not a deejay I met had his tab picked up ... But worse than that, we were.not given the same cour¬ tesies as the press. We were given no opportunity to make tapes . . . our'seats were collectively much worse than the newspaper folks . . . and, in short, even though we were actually “covering" the event for our shows, we were not in¬ cluded In any of the press get- togethers either before, during, or after, the shindig. The guys firom R6c3iester;for ex-' ample, not only paid their own ■ way, but had to pay their replace¬ ments while they missed their shows* This must have been true generally. And when you stop to think of it, I think the deejays probably gave much more advance publicity to the event than the papers (that is outside N. Y.L All us guys talked for weeks in advance about the affair; newspapers hardly itemed it. So while you’re adding up all the beefs of everyone, please add just one more: the deejays—who sure help put over the tunes of the picture—although no one can claim credit for that angle—but we sure got lost in the shuffle. Mott Nusbaum (WBBF, Rochester)