Variety (December 1960)

PICTURES : 19 Wednesday, December 1960 P'Ariett National Boxoffice Survey Pre-Xmas Hits Biz; ‘Butterfield' Again 1st, *Hur’ 2d, ‘Alaska' 3d, ‘Blues,' ‘Spartacus' Next Exhibitors across the country this week are acutely aware of the start of the annual Christmas shop¬ ping season. Fact that the session follows the booming Thanksgiving Day holiday stanza makes the slump at the wickets seem all the more severe. Some exhibs saw the Yule buying starting earlier and hitting the trade at the wickets more severely than usual. “Butterfield 8" (M-G) is remain¬ ing as champ for fourth week in succession. “Ben-Hur,” also from Metro, is pushing up to second position while “North to Alaska” (20th) again is winding up third, same as a week ago. “GI Blues” (Par), which was sec¬ ond last stanza, is finishing in fourth, spot. “Spartacus” (U) is capturing fifth money as com¬ pared with fifth last session. “Midnight Lace” (U), long high on the list and fifth last round, will land sixth position. “Inherit Wind” (UA) is. moving up to sev¬ enth place. “Esther and King” (20th) will take eighth money by dint of some 14 playdates. "The Alamo” <UA) is finishing ninth while “Never on Sunday” (Lopert), just getting started and mostly playing in arty houses, will round out the Top 10. “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” (Coll, “Carry On Nurse” (Gov) and “Sunrise at Campobello” (WB) are the runner-up pix currentlv. With few exhibitors willing to launch new' product during the pre- Christmas lull, it is understandable that there are few new entrants this week. About the strongest new¬ comer, outside of those on the current’. list, started in recent weeks, is “World of Suzie Wong” (Par) which is winding up four weeks at the N.Y. Music Hall this stanza. Pic was brought in prior to the annual.Xmas show at the Hall, and did remarkably well for season of year. “September Storm” (20th), com¬ paratively new, looks lively in Louisville. “Goliath and Dragon” (AI), also a newie, is rated good in Detroit. “Cinder-Fella (Par), which was given its preem Thanksgiving week in Chi, is doing nicely in sec¬ ond round there. This new Jerry Lewis comedy was terrific opening week. “Please Turn Over” (Col), just getting started, is rated wow in Toronto, nice in Boston and strong in L.A. “The Entertainer” (Cont) looks nice in N.Y. and good in Balto. “Captain’s Table” (20th), also new, looms hep in Cincy, good in St. Louis and okay in Frisco. ' “Magnificent Seven” (UA), okay in Boston, is hotsy in L.A. “Can- Can” (20th). for months high on the list,,shapes: neat in Louisville, nice in L.A. and fine. In Indian¬ apolis. “Hiroshima Mon Amour” (Ze¬ nith), okay In Cincy, looks hot in Chi and great In Washington.' “I’m All Right, Jack” (Col) still is big In P { tt -and Boston. (Complete Boxoffice Reports on Pages 8-9-10) Nothing As Positive As a Negative That's Theory of Bronston, Now Producing ‘El Cid' And Just Finishing ‘King of Kings' By HAROLD MYERS London. Dec. 6. There’s nothing as positive as a negative. That’s the theory which Is currently being advanced by in¬ dependent film producer Samuel Bronston, now' making “El Cid" in Spain, and who is just completing “King of Kings” for worldwide distribution by Metro. Passing through London, where he inked a United Kingdom dis¬ tribution deal for “El Cid” with the Rank Organization. Bronston explained that ownership of the negative was, to him, the most im¬ portant and valuable aspect of any deal. It was more important than au immediate return on investment. Describing himself as one of the last of the true independents (he makes his financial arrangements first and his distribution deals later), Bronston prizes the owner¬ ship of the negative as his most valuable asset. Artists may be given a participation in the picture, but not in the negative. That’s something the producer jealously retains for himself. The first of Bronston’s big scale European productions W’as “John Pau! : Jones." which was handled worldwide through Warner Bros. At the time of handing over, War¬ ners Were going through a period of reorganization which included the shift from N.Y. of some depart¬ ments to the Coast. The producer felt that his pic got somewhat over¬ looked in the shuffle. Anyway, the film didn’t earn what he expected of it. Now he’s negotiating with WB for the reversion of the negative, and is hopeful that it will be back under his control next year. Once he gets possession, he aims to put “John Paul Jones” back into theatrical release, and then earn some real money on the project. For the negative rights to ‘‘King of Kings;” of which a final print is to be delivered to Metro in March next year, Bronston will have to'be . more patient. There’s a 21-year reversion clause on the pic. and it will be 1982 before the negative is finally his own completely. However, Bronston has worked on a different pattern for his “El Cid.” The principal distribs,. among them Allied Artists in the U.S., RSnk in Britain, and others, have the rights only for limited periods up to about seven years. After that, it’s all his. In such circumstances he reckons there will remain a healthy residual right in the nega¬ tive, and the negative should con- ! tinue to earn money for him for years ahead. In any event, Bronston’s learned . that he’s able to get more favor- * able terms by making country-to- ; country deals, instead of one blan¬ ket releasing arrangement for the ! entire world, as with “Jones” or j “Kings.” Apart from healthy ! guarantees in e.a c h territory I Bronston believes that the normal ; distribution cut of 35% wall be ; virtually halved under the ter.rir torial deals he is negotiating. PRISONS NOT HELPFUL BUT HECHT HOPEFUL Hollywood, Dec; 6. Permisson has been refused Indie producer Harold Hecht to shoot inside Alcatraz prison for his currently Iensing United Artists release. “Birdman Of Alcatraz.” Producer also antiepates Nix when . he asks for similar cooperation from such other Federal pens as Leavenworth, McNeil Island. Whet- er Hecht can now get U.S. bureau , of prisons in Washington to change ; its stance toward film, based on . “career” of Robert Stroud, who spent total of 50 years in prisons, j is moot, but he’ll try. : 20th-Fox. owned film rights to ! book but dropped property when | Federal Bureau Prisons first re¬ fused cooperation. I National Screw Continued from pare 5 gg—» tributor’s fee might be $6, half of which must go for shipping, stor¬ age and inspection. Implicit in the exploratory talks now going on is the idea that Na¬ tional Screen would offer its serv¬ ices to the indies at “reasonable” rates/ Has 18 Branches According to another indie dis- trib, NSS, with 18 exchanges around the country. Is in a perfect position to. offer this complete service to the indies. ' Most interesting, and most com¬ plicated, aspect of the service w’ould be billing. The distribs : themselves " would continue to do their own selling and booking, of course, but the IBM-equipped NSS exchanges could handle the billing, perhaps even more efficiently than the indies can now do on their own. Big problem, however, would be in those contracts where there have to be adjustments, which one distrib estimated to be about 50% of the time. NSS would not and could not be empowered to work out these problems on its own. . Thus the question to be decided is whether or not this billing func¬ tion would be important enough over the long haul to be worth the service fee. Clearly it wouldn’t be If the indie distrib himself had to step iir on every other contract and press suit for payment or nego¬ tiate rental adjustments. In addition to the handling and servicing of the imported features, NSS would undoubtedly get the indies’ trailer business, a business which Is becoming increasingly im¬ portant as each year more and more theatres around the country start playing the imported prod¬ uct, on an occasional if not regu¬ lar basis. Conceivably, should the Indies work out some sort of deal with NSS, it could also be the blueprint by which NSS could go after the feature business of the majors on a national scale. National Film Service of Phila¬ delphia has been handling “back¬ room” services, on contract, for various major distributors, in as¬ sorted markets, notably WB and Buena Vista.' BRITISH EXHIBS TOLD NOT TO BUY‘REBECCA’ London. Dec. 6. British exhibitors this week are getting a firm reminder that David O. Selznick’s pix are on the barred list, in line with a deci¬ sion reached following the sale to tele of a batch of the producer’s oldies. What’s brought the matter again into the limelight is the publication of an ad in the local trade press for “Rebecca,” which is being offered to theatres as a reissue. “Rebecca” already has grabbed some bookings, but at houses whose owners are not members of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Assn., which is the outfit which decreed no playdates for Selznick films. CEA is drawing attention to the “Rebecca” case and under¬ lining its edict in its routine news¬ letter, circulated, to members this week. Marlene Dietrich into Stanley Kramer’s “Judgment at Nurem¬ berg.” November Blessing, ‘Butterfield 8’; ‘Hur Pace Down, lace Second; Four Leaders Gobble Lion’s Share B 7 MIKE WEAK Variety’s regular weeTcly boxoffice reports are summa¬ rized each month, retrospec¬ tively. Based on an average of 24 hey situations, the source data constitute an adequate sampling of current releases but are not, of course, fully "definitive." An index of rela¬ tive grossing strength in the V.S^Canada market, this monthly reprise does not pre¬ tend to express total rentals . Contending with an intense Presidential election campaign early in the month, exhibitors still viewed November this year as good or better than same month in recent years. The Armistice (or Veterans’) Day holiday and the long Thanksgiving weekend, counted. Only a comparative shortage of topflight boxoffice produce marred the promise. Na¬ ture of this shortage may be gleamed from the fact that the four biggest grossing pictures produced nearly $4,500,000 total gross in key cities covered by Variety —while the next four biggest grossers got November Thank-Yous 1. “Butterfield 8” (M-G). 2. “Midnight Lace” (U). 3. “Ben-Hur” (M-G). 4. “Spartacus” (U). 5. “North to Alaska” (20th). 6. “The Alamo” (UA). 7. “Inherit Wind” (UA). 8. “No Epitaph” (Col). 9. “Campobello” (WB). 10. “Song Without End” (Col). 11. “Magnificent Seven” (WB). 12. “Surprise Package” (Col). only $1,742,000, and the dropoff after the top <eight pix was even more marked. A newcomer, “Butterfield 8” (M-G), took over No. 1 spot from “Ben-Hur,” also from Metro, after the latter had been boxoffice champ nearly every month this year. “Midnight Lace” (U), also new, was a strong second-place winner, at¬ testing to the continued popularity of Doris Day. “Ben-Hur” came in third. "“Spartacus” ((U), which was rated as a potentially sock grosser on its first three playdates late in October, hovered in fourth posi¬ tion. (Was in third place twice during the month.) “North to Alaska” (20th) is finishing fifth al¬ though out in circulation for only two weeks. This hints it may be further heard from . Comedy is proving a pleasant surprise even to the distrib. “The Alamo” (UA), which like “Spartacus” is playing only in six keys covered by Variety, and like¬ wise is on hard-ticket, was sixth. “Inherit the Wind,” another United Artists’ release, is copping seventh money although Inclined to be un¬ even. “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” (Col) is taking eighth place. It is new for November. “Sunrise at Campobello” (WB), which w r as 12th in October, is winding up in ninth position. “Song Without End” (Col), third More ‘ Suitable ? Moppet Features , But Still Deplore Second Feature I While applauding the industry’s ; renewed interest in children’s and ! family pictures, as indicated in a • Theatre Owners of America sur¬ vey and repotted, in Variety last week, a number of parents have s deplored the practice of packaging a juvenile entry with a film not ; “appropriate” for the children’s trade. The most, glaring example . of this occurred not too long ago 1 when a Long Island drive-in : teamed up "Murder Inc.” with a [film that obviously appealed to the j youngsters. Parents with children in the five ; to 10-year-old bracket report the imost difficulty in finding approp- | riate films. In many instances, they contend, a picture suitable for ! the moppet trade is combined ; with a monster or science-fiction 1 offering that is more appropriate • for teenagers or the action afician- [ dos.. To. be sure, they note, they j can check time schedules and bring I their, youngsters to the theatre only j for the “right” film. However, this establishes an inconvenience that often serves as a deterrent. For years, the theory behind the double feature was provide two op¬ posite attractions to capture the same type of trade. With the re¬ cent shortage of pictures, however, some weird combinations have evolved and many double bills look like they have been thrown to- 1 gether out of desperation. I The biggest problem in the chil- ! dren's picture field faces the par¬ ents who care. It is these individu¬ als who carefully peruse the avail¬ able fare and decide what their children should see. The industry in answer to complaints about | the new boldness of the j screen has frequently stated .j that it is the parents who j should act as guides and not cen- | sorship bodies. But many a par¬ ent has carefully combed the week¬ end theatre page ads for suitable children’s entertainment only to be frustrated by the double feature menace. The result is that no theatre gets the business because of the careless packaging. In October and on the list for sev¬ eral months, will capture 10th spot. "Magnificent Seven" (UA)/' which'started out strongly late In Ocober, is finishing 11th. “Sur¬ prise Package” (Col), winner of lltn place In October, rounds out the Top 12. “Girl of Night” (WB), a fresh entry opening late in October; “Dank at Top of Stairs” (WB), sec¬ ond in October; “Carry on Nurse” (Gov), a runner-up in the pre¬ vious month; and “Hiroshima Mon Amour” (Zenith) are the run¬ ner-up pix for November. Besides “North to Alaska,” which is likely to be heard from additionally, the few newcomers just getting around as the month ended show sterling possibilities. "World of Suzie Wong” (Par) shapes a potentially big winner predicated on the showing in the first four weeks at the vast N. Y. Music Hall. In fact the third week’s gross was only a little below opening stanza. “Cinderfella,” also from Par, was huge on preem week in Chi. “Esther and King” (20th), an¬ other newie, showed enough the first week out in release to any extent to cop eighth place in week¬ ly ratings. “GI Blues” (Par) did sa well on initial week around country that It copped second place in final stanza of the month. “Can-Can” (20th),-which has been high on the lists for several months, did strongly enough to wind up 12th one week in Variety’s jveekly list and runner- up in another one. “Jungle Cat” (BV), which was 10th in October, was a runner-up pic two different weeks last month. “School for Scoundrels” (Cont) was in like category. “I’m All Right Jack” (Col), still doing well in many arty houses, was a runner- up film one week. “Breath of Scandal” (Par' fin/ ished 10th another week in Novem¬ ber. “10 Who Dared” (BV< was 11th another session in weekly ratings. “Please Turn Over” (Col 1 , just getting out on release, did well on first three playdates. “Journey to Lost City” (AI) was nice on several playdates as the month ended. Israeli Package — ■ mmm Continued from page 2 ternational Mayors Conference in Tel Aviv, and tie-in programs with the nationwide tour of the Israeli Philharmonic orchestra. There were 610 officials from 38 countries at the Mayors Confer¬ ence, and tv stations in the 60 U. S. cities represented were offered special interview films made ip. co¬ operation with .the Israel Broad¬ casting service. Practically all the stations requested and received the special footage, says Golan. Special film featuring the Israeli Philharmonic, “Story of an Orches¬ tra,” w r ent to close to 50 tv stations in the last two months in connec¬ tion with the U. S. tour. The Infor¬ mation Office also supplies regular¬ ly a series of 15-minute radio shows featuring the orchestra. Some 3:»0 stations have presented the weekly series. Other regular services of the film and radio section include a complete library of special films on Israeli, a file of color slides and black and white pictures on the country, folk music programs and in preparation is a new series of lectures in the social sciences and archeology for colleges and uni¬ versities. Service features Israeli’s leading educators on record lec¬ tures in Engli.-di. AU of the services are free of charge. Golan, who was a film and thea- 1 tre producer-director in Israeli, also is negotiating with American ' film producers for location prod :c- jtion deals. Country now has three • major film studios, Geva near '1 el ; Aviv; Israel MPS and - Huai!) studios, both in Herazelia. “Time Bomb” will be Ier.sed via co-production deal between Fran¬ cis D. Lyon’s Lyanne Productions, Trojan Productions and Tobis Por¬ tuguese Films, with George Nader and Katy Jurado to costar in pic 1 filmed in Lisbon.