Variety (December 1957)

Wednesday, December 11, 1957 Circuits "Might’ Purchase Oldies From Paramoimt-To Balk Video “Hints" were heard this weekV that circuits within Theatre Own? ers of America are eyeing the Paramount old film library. “ Ex¬ hibitors want to. take, it over for the sole purpose of keeping the back pictures away from televi¬ sion. Reported purchase price: any¬ body’s guess after $35,000,000. . if the deal goes through it obvi? oilsly would be precedental. For • it would be mean to purchase of j a king-sized property with the : in¬ tention of doing nothing with it except to keep it away from oth¬ ers. As rumored, the TOA members would buy all. United States and Canadian rights to all of Par’s pre- August 1943. Also indicated is the chance that the deal might be ex¬ tended: perhaps later, to cover the post-’48 lineup, The pre-’48 pack¬ age consists of about 700 features: ‘IF on Borros Biopic Columbia Pictures purchased the Boris Morros tome (Viking Press will . publish in the spring) on his spy activities against . Russians for the U. S. One of the conditions, of the deal is that the FBI confirms his, account; TOA Stalks Data Proving Injury OfPix-to-TV SAY THEY DEFY Asked FeOow-MPEA Companies U S; TOP COURT! Compensate Losses in Spain; Jim-J Foxed in Spain, Yanks Dieted age consists of about 700 features: Theatre Owners of America has ——- : — 1 -• . retained a statistical organization to complete facts and figures- to /II \ . ■ ■■. prove, the exhibs org’s. contention I mYGV Amtlllll that the film companies suffered Vliai gV nwyiuil financially: because they made their featm* pictures available to tele- r-J A J * vision. flipl AQiniSSiOnS According tc ^rnest G Stellings, * liar,a i lUIIIIUtftUlIU president of TOA, the film compa- • nies have “taken in a few dollars IF* from television.at. the expense of Vlfl llPDf iMOl P many millions from theatre - film V laa UIVI v rentals.” Stellings maintains that • ^ ■ “it is a question of arithmetic” and Minneapolis, Dec. 10. the figures that TOA will shortly Selling, of film admissions on have available will prove beyond credit has hit here. Ted Mann’s doubt that the film companies Academy, where “Around the “were shortsighted in selling their World in 80 Days” starts its 23rd pictures to television.” The corn- week, * introducing the service, parison of how much the film com- Newspaper. ads announced “you Panies “got out. of tv sales” and may now charge tickets and gift “bow much they lost in film rent- certificates for ‘Around the World als” will be startling, according to. in 80 Days’at Dayton’s.” Stellings. -—-—-- The statistical compilation is part of TOA’s campaign to assem-. IfiW-RII(VGFT Mircif AI We ammunition that will convince LU If iJUpOL 1 lUUdltAL the film comnanies as 'to withhold- Via Dept Store Minneapolis, Dec. 10. By FRED HIFT j Continuing its long fight against! prerelease censorship, Times Film/ Corp. has filed a $100,000 damage suit against the City of Chicago in connection with the banning: by the police cepsor there of Times Film's “Nana.” Ban followed hard on the heels of - a UJS, Supreme Court decision ! freeing. Times Film's “Game* of Love” * Chicago. High Tribunal reversed a lower court ruling which had upheld the censor. “Nana” was banned . virtually the same grounds as “Game jof Love,” Position of Jean Goldwurm; Times Film, prexy, is that the Su¬ preme Court, edict not only re? versed the “Game of Love” ban, . hut also reflected on the legality of the entire Chicago censor opera¬ tion. Whether this was indeed the import of that decision remains ; to be established via further court tests. ' The “Njjfha" suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Chicago this, week, also names as defendants. Mayor Richard J-. Daley and Police Com¬ missioner Timothy J. O’Connor. It charges them with flaunting the ! U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling. .. “The Chicago police are banning ‘Nana’ on .the grounds that . it ap¬ peals to ‘prurient interest’ and is obscene,” Goidwurm stated. “This is a further example of the type of irresponsible decisions likely to (Continued on page 4) Roxy's Bus Stunt There are a couple of pub¬ licists around who hope the transit strike in New York lasts while. 20th-Fox has cooked up a scheme, under which it’ll station buses at key points in the. various boroughs to give patrons a free ride to the Roxy Theatre tomorrow (Thurs.). Stunt was arranged — with fingers crossed—to co¬ incide With the opening of “Peyton Place” there. Depart¬ ure times of the buses are to be announced. Riders will have to fend for themselves in find¬ ing their transportation back home. . 'Clearance’ on TV, SHOOTS ON PAR COIN Paramount is providing the fi- ancing for another low-budget mu*, sical film being filmed in N. Y. The picture, “Country Music,” is currently being shot at the Gold Medal Studios in the Bronx. Zsa Zsa Gabor and Furlin Husky have the leading roles. the film companies as 'to withhold¬ ing their post-’48 pictures from television. HEPRIN-CROWN’S 150G BUY OF ‘STRANGERS’ Sine* hi btcdm* a Papal Knight Sir Frank Scully to give him now billing, hoi doa* an amusing treatment on More Rewriting Of History another Editorial Footer# lit the upcoming 52d Anniversary Number S Gabor and FUrlin Husky‘have Forthcoming; Evart Hunter novel, e l2£n» f haVeJ “Strangers When They Meet” has . . . been acquired by Barbizon Produc- The icture is being produced tions for $i 50 ,000, Book, which for Paramount by Ralph Serpe, |j as adultery as its theme, will be VARIETY Toronto, Dec. 10. ; .Family type mot ion pictures must be made available by. film¬ makers, there must be an increased production of .films in color, motion picture exhibitors must have a five- year protection on television re¬ lease, and lost attendance must be offset by motion picture distribu¬ tors spreading top product through¬ out the releasing year and thereby providing, a more orderly flow of .good pictures for the benefit of producers, 'distributors and exhib¬ itors. . Such industry aims were em¬ bodied in resolutions at the annual conference at the King Edward Hotel here of the nationals com¬ mittee, Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations of Canada, this repre: senting 1,017 theatres across the Dominion including chains and in¬ dependents Chairman of the meet- (ContinuecL on page 70) head of Aurora Productions. This j brought out by Simon & Schuster is the second full-length feature | May °j 19g g . . -morin of 'rifiTil TVTorlol W Sopho fnr.! -T/ . .■ ' . _• -rr_i made at Gold Medal by Serpe for This., is Barbizon’s—Morris Hel- Par release. Initialer was Mr. p r [ n and Alfred Crown—first big- Rock and Roll.” time entry: in. the-theatrical field. --- : -- The Hunter manuscript originally •pa i a 13 * 1 A1 • Iff . was offered for $475,000 by agent TOA, Allied Chiefs Meet s co tt Meredith, it was too long 1 ^ n for publication, and Hunter cut it Fnr Filial NtratPffV down. That’s when Barbizon rur UUdI JUdlC d y grabbed it in the face of major Leaders of Allied States Assn. , company competition. Simon & and Theatre Owners of America Schuster is planning a big ad cam- gathered in New York on Monday paign for the novel. (9) for a day-long series of talks to; Barbizon has shot a tv pilot for map joint activities oh: problems “King of the. Vikings” in London, confronting, the exhibition end of with CBS as a partner and it has the industry. the Peter Chambers private eye Since both groups took similar stories for tv production. It also actions and passed similar reso- has two completed for United Art- lutions at their recent conventions, ists theatrical r eTe a s^e—“Cop the two trade associations sat down Hater” and “The Mugger.” to find ways and means to imple? : No . distribution •has' been- dis- ment the decisions. Involved are cussed yet for “Strangers.” Hel- an appeal to the Government for prin (formerly the Korda rep in tax relief in the form of accelerat- the States) and Crown have two ed retroactive depreciation and an Additional theatrical projects ort appeal to Congress to outlaw toll the fire, tv. Questions involving exhibitors “—' ■ •"—“— relationships with the film compa-. Avnn CaIc A in TQSJf nies were also discussed. /IYOU uvlo 111 1 DUO Participating, in the meetings Hollywood, Dec. 10. were Ernest G. Stellings, TOA Avon Productions, which has prexy; Julius M. .Gordon, Allied completed a pair of films for Metro topper; Herman M. Levy, general and is now in the midst of “The counsel, and Abram F. Myers, Al- Brothers Karamazov,” has sched¬ uled board chairman and general uled four films for production in counsel . Pandro S. Berman will produce “The Reluctant Debutante,,” Rex M i DAn.h« Harrison-Kay Kendall starrer, and Metro t DCOpe Royalty “Green Mansions/’ Audrey Hep- m ; r f * _ a _. orifi, burn, starrer. Lawrence Wein-. S l °r pay .! ffarteri will, produce “Cat on a Hot $75,000 annually for use of the .^ n Roof,” which will star Eliza- CiriemaScope process has been xe- b etll jaylor, and “No Blade of vised; Grass.” . . ' New. agreement caUs for a single Firm’s 1957 releases were “Jail- payinent of $37,500 plus $25,000 a house Rock” and “Don’t Go Near year for five years. the Water/% TOA, Allied Chiefs Meet For Dual Strategy National Boxoffice Survey Pre-Yule Hits Trade; *80 Days' Cops First, *Joey' 2d, ‘April' 3d, ‘Search’ 4th ‘Girls' 5th Most key city first-runs are suf¬ fering from post-holiday slumps in current stanza. In addition, many big keys in the east had to contend with record snow the middle of last week. And in New York City, the culminating blow was a subway strike starting Monday (9). From how. until just before Christmas, most exhibitors plan, per usual, to hold off launching any big product because realizing it is useless to compete against pre-Xmas influ¬ ences. “Around ; World in 80 Days” (UA). is pushing back to No. 1 spot be¬ cause of its ability to show sus¬ tained strength 'despite period; of the year. , “Pal Joey” (Col) is dropping back to^secohd position where it still is displaying marked staying powqf. “April. Love” (20th), the. Pat BOone opus, is holding on to third place, same as a week ago. “Search For Paradise” (iCnerama), which was eighth last stanza, is finish¬ ing fourth, highest rating to date in Variety’s weekly survey. “Les . Girls” (M-G), fourth last round, is. winding lip fifth. “And God Created Woman” (Kings) is capturing sixth money, a big im¬ provement over last week’s 11th place. “Baby Face Nelson” (UA) also is spurting to cop seventh spot. “Seven Wonders of World” (Ci - erama) ia dropping Tlown to eighth; position, now jilaying only in six keys. “10 CbmaUdments” (Par) is winding up ninth. “Perri” (BV) will get 10th position. Runner-up pix are not the strong¬ est assortment : of entries. “Bomb¬ ers B-52” (WB), “Kiss Them For Me” (20th) and “Raintree County” (M-G) comprise the runner-up list. “Sayonara” (WB) is standout new entry landing a sock total at the N. Y. Music Hall despite the handicaps of a subway strike and snowstorm. Another going against the trend is “This Is Russia” (U) which is great in Chi and socko the first four days at N. Y. Embassy, bandbox theatre. “Tall Stranger” (AA), also new, shapes fine in Denver but* mild in Frisco. “18 and Anxious” (AB- PT) is disappointing oh Balto preem. “Jamboree” (WB), an¬ other fresh entry, shapes sluggist in most spots currently. “Sad Sack” (Par) is doing great on second weeks in N. Y. and Chi. “Rhddan” (Indie) looks hotsy in Detroit. “Slaughter on 10th Ave.” _ (U) looms okay in L. A. “Mad Ball’’ (Col) is rated fancy iri N. Y. “Tin Star” (Par) shapes good in Philly and Chi. “Hunchback , of Notre Dame” (AA) looks terrific Jn second Chi round. “Stopover Tokyo” (20th) looms disappointing in Omaha. (Complete. Boxoffice Reports on Pa»e.O:g.>. .. ;_... +. Now that RKO is definitely set to make available its films in Spain, some of the developments leading up to the crack in the Mo¬ tion Picture Export Assn, united front there are emerging. They may add. up to RKO’s expulsion from the association. The faicts in themselves, sug¬ gesting a sqiieezeplay on MPEA, are explosive. They’re- currently under investigation by . four com¬ pany presidents acting as a com¬ mittee and talking to RKO prexy Thomas F. O’Neil. What was involved was a de¬ mand by O’Neil that the companies pay' $1,000,000 in return for his withholding eight films from the Spanish market. He said he need¬ ed this much in order to live up to his obligation , under the origi¬ nal MPEA resolution which insti- tuded a shipping embargo against Spain on the part of the compa¬ nies. RKO was one of the compa¬ nies that signed that resolution. Ramos’ Terms When Jose Garcia Rambs, who purchased the RKO assets—along With .18 pictures—was here recent¬ ly, lie told O’Neil that he would give up the films for $750,000. In addition, RKO - wanted $300,000, which is the amount it would have received from Ramos. The cornr ' parties nixed the suggestion of (Continued on page 22) Chas. Feldman Joining Metro If Terms Okay Demands by Charles K. Feldman for stock options or. an arrange¬ ment that would provide him with a capital gains deal are repor'ed to be delaying the 'finalization of an agreement that would see Feldman joining Loew’s-Metro in an import¬ ant production capacity. It’s un¬ derstood that Loew’s prexy Joseph R. Vogel is balking at acceding to Feldman's deniands because he is convinced that' his board of direc¬ tors would not go for the deal un¬ der existing circumstances. Feldman, in addition, is asking for a long-term deal whereas the company is insisting on yearly op¬ tions. Another stumbling block, it’s said, is that such indie producers as Sol Siegel, Pandro Berman and Lawrence Weingarten would also, insist on stock options. The exact position that Feldman would hold if the agreement is consummated is not fully clear. However, it’s fairly certain that he would not operate, in a capacity formerly held by Dore Schary or the la‘e Louis B. Mayer. Feldman, head of Famous Artists Corp.. and Famous Artists agency, would be (Continued on page 70l ‘RED’ SHVERSTEIN’S LOEW VEEP STRIPES Maurice “Red” Silverstein, cur¬ rently in charge of arranging indie package deals for Loew’s, will be named v.p. of Loew’s International. He’ll also serve as general execu¬ tive assistant to International top¬ per Morton Spring. In addition to his new duties, Silverstein will continue to operate in the east as executive in charge of assembling indie packages for production in the U.S, and abroad. Silverstein is a veteran of the Loew’s organization, having start¬ ed as an office boy more than 20 years ago. Before moving into the homeoffice operation, he was in charge of Lpew’s activities in Latin America and the Far East. During the -World War n, he served is Chief film officer of .SHAEF.