Variety (December 1957)

FILMS VIDEO TV FILMS RADIO t NEW VAUDE CIRCUIT: BALL PARKS Literary Agents Ask Pie-in-Sky And Story Editors Cry ‘Crazy’ High prices being asked by agents for potential bestsellers in the novel field may drive Holly¬ wood back to originals. Story edi¬ tors in New York report them¬ selves sore about the kind of deals they’re being offered on a pre-publication basis. They argue that these kind of prices aren’t realistic any longer. Example cited is Sloan Wilson’s “A Summer Place” for which the asking price is $500,000 plus a per¬ centage. Wilson’s ‘‘Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” was sold to and made by 20th-Fox. Some feel that, despite the im¬ portance of the pre-sold property in today’s market, a return to orig¬ inals might be a good thing for the screen. They were once the main¬ stay of Coast production, but in postwar years their importance has dimmed, partly because many writers found greener pastures in tv. Several studios at the moment kre engaged in a concerted effort to encourage young writers to turn out screen originals. For a while, some of the writing talent got onto the screen via tv scripts. However, Hollywood—after some painfHl ex¬ periences—has turned away from the video scripts. The one stage property current¬ ly of interest to the film companies is “Look Homeward Angel.” There is a complication since Paramount owns the book, so that anyone buy¬ ing the dramatic rights also would have to make a deal with Par. Better Show in 42d St. Theatre lobby Than In Oft-made remark that “there’s a better show in the lobby than on the screen” Is pointed up anew in the current run of a coupla “sex- ers” at the Times Theatre, a grind house^ori New York’s West 42d St Its bill comprises “10 Days in a Nudist Camp,” advertised as a “first-run” film, while the com¬ panion feature is “International Burlesque.’’ Draped on the theatres drab front is a display of’ blownup newspaper. clips on nudism and a number of unclothed male and fe¬ male figures. Among the press: clips is a piece by Arthur “Bugs 1 ” Baer headined “Nudism Has Its Advantages 0 as, well as a .yarn by H. Allen Smith. Latter’s story is headed ‘.‘Reporter Goes Nudist a Day and Likes It.” Small knots of men of varying; ages, ogle the blowups. However, obviously in the interests of mod¬ esty,. some member of the theatre’s staf^ took the precaution of plac¬ ing .small bits of adhesive tape over strategic areas of the mixed nudes. Occasionally, one or more of the ogiers mumble such remarks “man,: I gotta, see this” and (Continued on page 79) Off-B’way Revue Going: Out of the Country A road edition of an off-Broad- way type of cafe musical has been formed. “In Your Hat.” intimate revue current at the Showplace in Greenwich Village, has a second company which is slated to open at the Avenue Theatre, Toronto, Dec. 24. Chanin Hale heads the touring version of the show with music and lyrics by Rick Besoyan. Village edition has Karen Anders, Bar¬ bara Sharma, William Nix, and William Graham in the cast, with boniface Jim Paul Eilers as pro¬ ducer. BOTH BUSH & BIG No-Work Rap Vs. Junkie Tooters Scored at Probe The N. Y. State Joint Legisla¬ tive Committee on Narcotic Study, at hearings in New York yester¬ day (Tues.), was told that rehabili¬ tation of addict-musicians was be¬ ing hampered by city and state regulations barring their employ¬ ment in cafes and hotels. John Hammond, jazz authority and one of the directors of American Jazz Festival, stated that countless per¬ formers had been denied working cards by N. Y. City police and the State Liquor Authority because of narcotic arrests and convictions. . Tracing trends in jazz addiction over the years, Hammond stated that the “maladjusted and frus¬ trated” . musicians of the 1920s were alcoholics -in the main; in the 1930s, marijuana was intro¬ duced and, finally, after World War n, heroin. “Just as some of the most famous; jazz soloists of the 1930s flaunted their use of marijuana, even to the extent of recording such items as ‘Muggles,’ ‘Reefer Man,’ arid dozen of dit¬ ties with reference to ‘tea,’ sev¬ eral of the most creative jazz art¬ ists of, the ’50s were known to (Continued on page 77) SATCHMO SWAMPS SPUTNIK IN SOUTH AM. Louis Armstrong, who wound up a series of 67 concerts in five South American capitals yesterday (Tues.), knocked the sputnik off the front pages in Latin America on his month’s tour south of the border. From Buenos Aires to Caracas, Satchiho was Page 1 news in all the important dailies each time he visited a South (Continued on page 64) By JOE COHEN Show business is set to play an important role in reviving sports. With the gate of virtually every kind of pro athletic endeavor deci¬ mated to a great degree by video, and with minor ballclubs scratch¬ ing the . bottom of the exchequer because of a decline that started with the rise of television plus other considerations, the baseball industry is looking to show busi¬ ness for names and showmanship to put faltering finances into the ebony-hued columns. Latest development in this di¬ rection is the founding of a base¬ ball department at GAC-Hamid, a subsidiary of General Artists Corpf- Function of this sector will be t(» stage shows at ballparks, and pos¬ sibly continue the same shows in supermarkets, arenas, fairs, etc. The department will be headed by Coy Poe, who will work under the direction of Joe Higgins, GAC-Ha¬ mid veepee and general manager. Function of the new department will be to hypo juvenile attendance at ballgames. Theory is If the kids are interested, they’ll drag their parents along with them. For the past few years, Poe has been stag¬ ing shows for teams of the Ameri¬ can Assn., Texas League, Interna¬ tional League, apex being reached last year with the staging of a $how on the homegrounds of the Cincinnati Reds. The ballparks for some years have been cognizant of the fact that if they’re not to fall a com- '(Continued on page 68) B’way Is Assaying Stars B.O. Draw; Coward Doing Biz Despite Critics -♦ The perennial question of which [ stars have strong boxoffice draw, I as distinct from' those with pres- On TT ^ Miccilp T.no- li g e value in terms of perfortn- U ance quality, is apparently due for Pic to ‘Editorialize’ Hollywood, Dec. 3. I Government policy which per- I mitted Russia to take the lead in the missile field will be criticized in “War on the Satellites,” in a rare instance of an editorial stand in a film production. Producer- director Roger Corman is revising the script to include the current situation. Corman said he hopes the script anglr might stimulate public in¬ terest in accelerating the “vital'' program, adding that “there is no question of lack of patriotism in knocking policy for its failures. I believe, in fact, that it is a pa¬ triotic service to point up the inertia which permits this country, with its tremendous capacity, to fall behind other countries.” Newark, Dec. 3. A performance of “The Ten Commandments” especially for deaf persons will be given at the Adams Theatre here on Dec: 15. The mutes will be grouped in a special section where a ideal pastor will interpret the dialog for them via sign language and lip reading. Rev. C. Roland Gerhpld, pastor pf St. Matthews Lutheran Church for the Deaf iti Newark, will wear white phosphorescent gloves at which a black beam of light will be focused, in addition, 'he -will wear luminous lipstick and make¬ up so that the mutes sitting clos¬ est to him will be able to read (Continued on page 77) ;- - -•--1-- ' ’V • TV Taleiitj/Gost Chart Variety’s affapal talent cost chart on television network programming appears in the Radio-TV Section of thisr issue. : As in past, years, reprints will be available upon request L.A. at Year End For Oscars Sake Los Angeles, Dec. 3. Annual rush to get product on¬ to local screens before the Dec. 31 deadline for Academy Award qual¬ ification will give Los Angeles filmgoers their choice of some $20,- 000,000 worth of blockbusters this month, Topping the list is David O: Selznick’s, “A Farewell to Arms,” for 20th release, which cost $4,200,- 000. Next in line. Is William Goetz’ “Sayonara,” filmed at a cost of $3,200,000 for Warner release: Others include Jerry Wald's “Pey¬ ton Place”. (20th-Fox), $3,000,000; Sam Spiegel’s “Bridge on the Riv-j er Kwai,” Columbia, $2,400,000; Hal Wallis’ (Paramount) “Wild is the Wind” arid “Sad Sack,” total¬ ing $4,000,000 together; “Paths of Glory” (UA), $1,000,000; “Witness for the Prosecution” (UA), $1,700,- 000; “Legend of the' Lost” (UA), $1,500,000. ‘FAREWELL’NOW SEEN OFFENSIVE TO ITALIANS Rome, Nov, 26. Possibility that “A Farewell To Arms” may offend Italian suscep¬ tibilities oyer first World War de¬ feat is still a worry to some Ital¬ ian circles. The latest public in¬ terrogation on the question was in the Italian House, where a con¬ gressman asked what steps had been taken to insure that Italian (Continued on page 24) practical test on Broadway this season. The currently outstanding case of marquee-pull seems likely to be Noel Coward, who has started off to capacity trade in his own play, “Nude With Violin,” at the Belasco Theatre. Despite generally scath¬ ing critical reaction to the play. Coward’s personal attraction is obviously potent enough to do sell¬ out business. Two things are worth noting: That the show is a. comedy and that it’s scheduled for a limited engagement (prob¬ ably 12 weeks). Despite mixed notices and the sombre nature of the drama, “The Rope Dancers” has had. good at¬ tendance at the Cort Theatre. Pre¬ sumably the attraction in that case is primarily Art’ Carney, who is. figured to have a large follow¬ ing from his appearances for sev- seasons in a featured role on the high-rating Jackie Gleason tv se¬ ries. A lesser b.o. factor is be¬ lieved to be Siobhan McKenna, at least partly from her numerous tele guest appearances. Although a long-established name via Hol¬ lywood pictures, Joan Blondeil is apparently not a major element in the “Rope” situation, perhaps partly because she plays only a supporting role. Lena Home is credited with a sizable share of trie obviously strong b.o. pull of the new musi¬ cal, “Jamaica,” at the Imperial, although she’s never before had a leading role in logit, and has had (Continued on page 18) TV No Boon to Boone’s B.O., No-TV a Big Plus For Presley: Exhib Org United Theatres Corp., film booking outfit in the southwest ter¬ ritory, figures that millions of dol¬ lars in film rentals alone is being lost by a star’s exposure on ,tvv Outfit cites the take of recent pix starring Elvis Presley and Pat Boone as a case in point. . According to Jack D. Braunagel, UTC spokesman, Pat Boone’s first pic (“Bernardine") did nearly as well as Presley’s (“Love Me Ten¬ der”). Since Boone lias been ap¬ pearing on tv, UTC has been get¬ ting reports that the people are getting tired of Boone and figure that his current release, “April Love,” won’t do over 50% of the gross of “Bernardine.” In “Mainly About Movies,” col¬ umn In the North little Rock (Ark.) Times which a spokesman for UTC writes, the point is further expanded; “All show business has tried to dope the answer for his (Presley) (Continued on page 32)