Variety (January 1958)

4 Wednesday, January 1, 1958 PICTURES J'TVRlbfY * 4-' By WILLIAM STEIF San Francisco, Dec. 30. An Indian film, not even origin¬ ally entered in Frisco Film Festival walked off with two of the four Golden Gate Awards. “Father Panchali,” substituted for “Apara¬ jito,” was named best film of the fete’s 1.4 entries from a dozen nations and Satyajit Bay won the best-director award. Best-actor honors went to Heinz Buhmanri for his Chaplinesque creation in the title role of ‘The Captain of Koepenick,” West Ger¬ many’s entry. Best-actress award went to Dolores Dorn-Heft who had the femme lead in the U.S. entry. Franc h. at Tone’s production of “Uncle Vanya.” Judges were the drama editors of the five dailies in the Frisco area, Hortense Morton of The Examiner, Emilia Hodel Of The News, Paine Knickerbocker of The Chronicle, Bob Hall of The Call-Bulletin and Theresa Loeb Cone of The Oakland Tribune India’s double victory may have particular significance when the International Federation Of Film Producers convenes in February to consider sanctioning festivals for the last half of 1958. At its Novem¬ ber meeting Federation postponed a decision on sanction applications for last six months of next year. One reason, it's understood, is that it wanted to see if Frisco Art Com¬ mission could actually pull off fes¬ tival it had been blowing so hard about. This was first; major recognition of Indian film industry— -indeed, first major recognitionof any Asia¬ tic film production outside Japan’s — and this fact should provide Frisco sanction application with a: powerful friend at court in Febru¬ ary. since India is world’s second largest film producer (more than 250 films a year). Substitution of “Pather.. Pan¬ chali” for “Aparajito” was the In¬ dian consulate's doing, since it was unable to deliver film originally scheduled. Both pictures are parts of a* trilogy Ray directed, and “Pather Panchali” was the first, “Aparajito” the second in the tri¬ logy Sub Draw's Guffaws Bigger foulup occurred closing night of the festival. Film sched¬ uled was Italy’s “H Bigamo,” with Vittorio De Sica. It was to have been the fete’s 15th entry and fes¬ tival co-ordinator Irving M. Levin was assured it had been' shipped from New York 10 days earlier.. So far as Levin knows, it’s stuck on a siding in North Platte,: Neb:, for the film never showed — Still hasn’t. Result was a swift substitu¬ tion of an out-of-competition pic¬ ture, Italy’s “Senso,” which left a rather sour taste in the mouths of the closing-night audience. Closing ight had been reserved for spon¬ sorship of the American Associa¬ tion for the United Nations with the understanding that a topnotch contender would be shown. As it was, audience nearly laughed “Senso” right out of the 1000-seat Metro Theatre. Festival got no financial support from Frisco City Fathers and was budgeted at a minimal $13,000 to $15,000. Surprisingly eno ug h , it came fairly close to breaking even — Levin, divisional director of the Naify circuit's seven Frisco thea¬ tres, will make up any difference out of his o\vn pocket. Festival drew more than 11,000 persons i 15 nights. Admission charge was $1.50 per person. Drawing power of the individual films can be seen in these approxi¬ mate attendance figures: "Captain of Koepenick" (Germany) 800 "II Grido" (Italy). , 600 "If All Guys! in World" (France) "Age of Infidelity" (Spain) "Pather Panchali" (India> "Moling Mandfrigma" (Phili (Polohdv "Kanal" (Poland) "Throne of Blood" (Japan) "Bolshoi Ballet" (Britain) "Uncle Vanya" (U.S.) "Three Men in a Boat" ( ritai "Qivitoq" (Denmark) "Freedom" (Ghana) 400 . 750 : 1,000 600 800 850 900 800 65Q .. 750 . 1,000 These figures, of. Course, have a certain amount of water in them. The African film, “Freedom,” was produced and sponsored by Frank Bucliman's Moral Re-Arma¬ ment group, which bought out the < Continued bn page 17) Sinha Left Wordless San . Francisco, Dec. 30. Indian consul-general R. R. Sinha apparently was flabber¬ gasted when India’s Satyajit Ray was named best director at Frisco Film Festival. He trotted to stage of Metro The¬ atre, accepted Golden Gate Awatd for Ray and made a two-sentence speech. . Then came award for best film, which turned out to be the Ray-directed “Pather Pan¬ chali.” This time Sinha almost had to be pushed to the stage. When lie. got there he beamed into the microphone, finally said: “I exhausted all my vocabu¬ lary on the first one.” Alex Harrison Arb Hunk Team That elusive; industry goal-— an arbitration system — again cropped up in the news last week with the appointment of Alex Harrisbn, 20th-Fox sales chief, as a member of the distributors committee on arbitration and concilation. Harri¬ son succeeds Charles. M. Reagan, former Metro sales v.p., who re¬ signed. from the commitee when he exited Loew’s echelon. Reagan’s departure was earlier cited by Abe Montague, Columbia sales v.p. ahd chairman of , the distribs committee, as the reason for postponing a scheduled arbitration conference with the exhibitor rep¬ resentatives two weeks ago. Allied States Assn.’s Teps immediately charged the distribS with stalling. However, Ernest G. Stellings, pres¬ ident of Theatre Owners of Amer¬ ica, felt that the delay was justi¬ fied. “If I \vere the only remaining exhibitor representative on the committee,” he said, “i wouldn’t want to take it upon myg^If to speak for all of exhibition,” He pointed out that with Reagan’s re¬ signation Montague remained the only sales chief on the committee. He noted that the other members, of the distrib group were lawyers. With Harrison joining the com¬ mittee, the distribs have Suggested a date for the. reconvening of the joint meetings, but are withholding announcement of the date until all participants have agreed on its suitability. Stalemated Collarites, IATSE, Remonstrate’ i At 8 B’way Theatres iStalemited in negotiations for a new contract for homeoffice white collar, employees, the Motion. Pic¬ ture Homeoffice Employees Union, Local H-63,: International Alliance, of Theatrical Stage Employees, launched a. series of demonstrations against the film companies late last week. First action took place on Friday night. (27) when mem-, bers of the union distributed leaf¬ lets in front of eight of the large Broadway houses playing pictures of the major film companies. The demonstration, wfiich is ex¬ pected to be repeated, is similar to the one the Screen Publicists Guild staged when it protested the firing of pub-ad staffers at Warner Bros. The white collar protest in¬ cluded a boycott of employee Christmas parties held at Columbia. . Talks between the union and the film companies were deadlocked on the issue of increased wages. The film companies offered a blanket 5% increase, but the union turned it. down as being insuffi¬ cient. The union, in preparing its ammunition 'for the protests, is making note .of the fact that the film companies have issued, for ^the most part, healthy .financial state¬ ments. It also calls attention to the fact that Universal declared an ex¬ tra 25c dividend for its final quar¬ ter, AT $3.75 ‘RIVER KWAT TOPS IN HUB MEMORY Boston, Dec. 30. Beil Sack’s Gary.: theatre, 1,340seater, formerly the Plymouth legiter, turned hard ticket for the first time with Columbia’s “Bridge on the River Kwai,” which opened Thursday (26) to play 10 shows per week. However, for the holiday week, Dec. 27-Jan. 3, a 2:30 matinee is running every day. Prices are pegged at;$l:5.0-$2;75. New Year’s Eve show, is pegged at $3.30-$3.75, making the “River Kwai” highest priced picture in Boston memory. At preem, Thursday (26), for benefit of Archbishop; Richard J. Cushing Fund, presentation to the Archbishop was made on the Gary stage, by District Attorney Garrett Byrne. Griffith. Johnson, MFFA v.p., re¬ covering at home from a bout with pneumonia. He’ll be out several weeks: Columbia Pictures Investigates, Nixes Outside AM-Art As Too Cosily Columbia has explored the pos¬ sibility of employing an outside ad¬ vertising agency to handle the ad¬ vertising and' art chores, but after a thorough investigation nixed the . idea on the ground that such an arrangement would cost more than its present operation. Sttfdy was prompted by Warner Bros.’ decision to eliminate its eastern advertising and art de¬ partments and turn the work over to an outside ad agency. As a re¬ sult of the investigation, made . by v.p. Paul Lazarus. Jr., .it’s under¬ stood that Col; will continue to handle the work in its: own shop; Unlike . Warners, whose releas¬ ing schedule has been considerably reduced. Col continues to issue ap¬ proximately 46 pictures annually, including house pictures as well as those of indies. With so many.; pic¬ tures going through the distribu¬ tion hopper, it was decided that it ; Would be more economical to han . die the. ad-art tasks “at Home:” It’s J stressed, however, that the system ] adopted by Warners may. proVaj beneficial for the latter company. ' iihder its releasing and operation • al setup which utilizes more ef¬ forts of indie producers. The Col decision, proved wel [ conae news to pub-ad staffers who have witnessed the. pinkslipping Of many of their colleagues at other film companies. Pub-ad staffers at 20th-Fox and particularly at United Artists were assured that efforts, would be made to pirevent cuts. These assurances proved the only ray of light in the other¬ wise : bleak picture, confronting the industry’s pub-ad staffers. lobetrolting Wolfe Kaufman pithily reports a Hipster’s First-Time Closeup of Israel (Shotc Biz-Wise ) another Editorial Feature in the 52d Anniversary Number ’of PfoRIETY OUT NEXT WEEK For the Ingenues of Yesterday The old year’s part is all but played; The new/one’s in the wings; And this old trouper’s thoughts are sprayed With sweet, nostalgic things. I drift back through the rose-lit past And sip the dreamy wine' And once again my blood runs fast For girls of aiild lang syne. To the girls of auld lang syne, my. pals, Let’s drink a tear-stained toast; Fof they’re thie mothers of the gals I’m fondest now of most. Tom Weatherly Move West to Be Near Tom Piyor? Some Strange Reasons Given For Possible Ad-Pub Shift to Hollywood Chi Film Lineage Chicago, Dec* 30. Film ads in Chi newspapers hit record highs and lows during De¬ cember, On; Christmas the Chi¬ cago Tribune ran three and a half pages — one in full color— ^of film ads, with a box announcing this as an all time high in film lineage. During early December, however; linage on theatre films reached new lows .in all Chicago papers. . An estimated $75,000 was spent during Christmas week advertising attractions at downtown theatres. Fast Lab Local Pension Chocks The Motion Picture Laboratory Technicians Local 702, Internation¬ al Alliance of Theatrical Stage employees, representing east coast lab workers, has commenced pay¬ ments to its members under the industry pension plan. The first monthly checks were presented to 21 members of the union who qual¬ ified for the pensions. the pension plan >vas negotiated and inaugurated in June, 1955 with employer contributions to the fund. The fund is administered by three employer trustees . and three u niori trustees. . Employer trustees are Alan E. Freedman, co-chairman, DC Luxe Laboratories; Paul Guffanti of Guffariti Laboratories, and Leonard Cooper of Du Art Film Laborator¬ ies ,who recently replaced Joseph E. McMahon of . Consolidated Film Laboratories. Union trustees are George Waugh, co-chairman, Paul P. Press, and Richard Graniaglia, 20TH SUES PREMINGER Claims Refusal To Return Advance of $60,000 Los Angeles, Dec. 30. Suit for $60,000 was filed against Otto Preminger by 20th-Fox which is seeking to recover money it claims to have paid the producerdirector for services he refused to render. Superior Court action is based on acontract, signed in No¬ vember 1955 under Ayhich Premin¬ ger was to produce or direct a pic¬ ture for 20th, with the assignment to he determined at a later date. Studio says. Preminger did not render any services and has re¬ -fused since last February to repay $60,000" paid in advance under the I contract! Action asks for return of; | the coin plus seven percent interest from February. N. Y. to Europe 'Franca Baldwin Joey & Cindy Adams. Justin Gilbert Philip Schweidel Richard Tucker Europe to N. Y. Inbal Troupe of Israel Hedy Fassler Erwin von Gross Talma Herz Schrammel Quartet jSara .Lewi-Tanat * Aping a trend in television, several of the film companies are turning eyes west and are giving thought to shifting; their adminis¬ trative functions to the Coast This line of thinking is being ap¬ plied particularly to the ad-pub department^ where the. move west has been a matter of. debate for some time. Latest to be said contemplating moving the ad-pub staff; to the Coast is Metro. But other top execs in the East also are giving serious thought to the' pros and cons of siich a shift, the argument being that much is to be said for closer contact be¬ tween production on one hand and distribution and advertisingpublicity on the other. Also, con¬ ditions have changed somewhat, so :. that several of the responsible adpub toppers feel that a transfer of activities to the Coast might be de¬ sirable. It’s pointed out. that, with the exception of the national magai zines, everything can be “planted” Ion the coast. The New York papers are important, of; course, but as one exec explained: “If we want to break' the New York. Times, we’d rather plant the Toin Pryor column in Hollywood ; than submit news at' the New. York end where, at best, it ends up with a paragraph in the. Local News column.” . An added inducement to the Coast shift is the rise of the inde¬ pendent producers, ' who. like to; keep a tight reign on advertisingpublicity. It’s noted that Warner Bros, has shifted its ad depart¬ ment under Gil Golden to the Coast. On. the, sales and administrative level, the West also looks more at¬ tractive. Spyros P. Skouras, 20thFox prexy, not long ago came out flatly in favor pf moving the . en¬ tire 20th homeoffice to the Coast, stating that the closer liaison With production would be a good thing. Some feel that, under the in¬ dustry’s “new shape” of the future, all functions will be cen¬ tered on the Coast. Smaller of¬ fices will be maintained in New York, incorporating sales repre¬ sentation for contact with the Eastern circuits and the necessary ad-pub functions. “That kind: of setup would make sense,” obined an ad^pub exec last week. “We’d know, what production is doing, and they’d be on top of us all the time. The combined thinking would be beneficial, all around; and it would eliminate the big 3, 000mile gap.” Here 'and there one finds execs who feel a move to the Coast would harm rather than help: They take the view that the New York view is a healthy counterbalance ;to. what has frequently been called the “isolation” of Hollywood from the rest of the country.' N. Y. to L. A. L. Wolfe Gilbert Robert C. Lewin Joe Stefano L. A, to N. Y. Pearl Bailey George D, Burrows Edward Byrnes Hillard Elkins Paul Ford David Lean Ella Logan . Joshua Logan Sam Spiegel Orson Welles