Boxoffice-May.29.1948

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^Ci4Ai«t^to«t êfixmt THE EXPORT MARKET of the film industry is bound to be hurt—maybe badly—if a knot of powerful house Republicans get away with their high tariff ideas. The chances are they will succeed to an extent in the face of vigorous opposition from administration leaders and many Democrats. The film industry is geared more and more to a world distribution market, and if there's anything that dries up that market, it's a high tariff policy by American industry. This brings retaliation, and the spiral starts moving. The film industry, which wants to send pictures abroad, is less afraid of imported competition than many other American industries. The record of foreign distribution of films is dotted with barriers. There are taxes, many of them excessive. There are quotas on American films. The frozen fund troubles continue, despite the talks and conferences. There are moves for complete bans on American films in some parts of the world. Such vocal representatives of the American motion picture industry as Eric Johnston, president. Motion Picture Ass'n of America, believe the way to end this is to extend reciprocal benefits to products of other countries. The problem is important. Johnston said: "The American motion picture industry is extraordinarily dependent on foreign markets and, in tm-n, is peculiarly beset by government restrictions abroad." In the face of this situation, the important house ways and means committee this week took an ominous step. It chopped away at the reciprocal trade agreements act in a manner that Secretary of State George C. Marshall said is worse than no law at all. HERE'S THE STORY: The reciprocal trade agreements act was passed in 1934 for three years. Each three years it was extended for another threeyear period. The idea was to increase world trade by cutting tariff barriers at home in return for reductions by other countries. The administration was given broad authority to work out agreements wath other nations. In 1945 the act was up for extension once again, and house Democrats were in control of Congress. They stiffened the law in the direction of far lower tariffs. The chief new feature: The President was empowered to lower U.S. tariff rates by not more than 50 per cent of the rates in effect on Jan. 1. 1945, instead of by 50 per cent of the rates in effect in 1934. On June 12 of this year the act expires once again, and the house ways and means committee tried to do a job on it. It met in secret sessions during early May, heard witnesses, said nothing of what it was up to, and this week reported out its bill. The new measure would extend the law' for one year instead of three. It would make the U.S. tariff commission do the negotiating with foreign countries instead of the Committee for Reciprocity Information. The former is designed to look out for welfare of domestic industry in a narrow sense; the latter is hand-picked by the administration to set tariffs with the long range national welfare in mind. The new measure also would set up a series of delays in negotiations lor tariff cuts. And 30 By LEE GARLING would give Congress a veto power over any it agreement it did not like. Thus, if cotton or wool industry officials objected to an agreement, they could go to Congress for relief. These are among industries jubilant at the new concept of high taxes. What will happen? A few things are sure. The committee is behind the high tariff idea. It will get it to the house floor speedily, and there it will be passed unchanged probably on a strictly partisan basis. The size of the vote will tell to a great extent whether final passage is to be expected. The senate may knock out the bill entirely, and pass a simple extension of the older measure. Then there would be a compromise worked out, passed by each chamber and sent to the White House. Whether it will be so satisfactory to the administration that the President will sign it, is unsure. The house committee's measm-e would run into a quick and forthright vote by the chief executive, observers feel. IN TESTIFYING BEFORE a house com- Johnston reviewed mittee recently on tariffs, the restrictions on American films abroad, and added: "Whatever their form, singly or in combination, or whatever their pm-poses, it is quite obvious the target of them all at the moment is the American film because it reaches around the world and because, as of today, it enjoys a majority of playing time on the world's screens. "Your committee wants to know what the U.S. government may legitimately do to assist the motion picture industry abroad. "The best possible course is to continue the present policy of the State department (reciprocal trade agreements, et al.) As you know, this policy is free of any party tag or label. It is based wholly on the traditional American belief in freedom of expression and communication and is designed to remove and prevent discriminatory restrictions." Start New Documentaries NEW YORK—Astor Pictures will release a new series of color documentaries, "Makers of Destiny," to be produced by Hullinger Pi-oductions of Washington, D. C. The first film in the new series will be released June 10. 'B.ed Menace' Tunis Up In 'Iron Curtain Bow Portland, Ore.—Frank Pratt, manager of the Paramount, had opening day jitters in a bad way as "The Iron Curtain" bowed in his house. He had In mind the disturbance the picture caused in New York City as he stepped out onto the sidewalk and glanced down the line of patrons who had queued up at the boxoffice. Over the heads of the crowd a red flag fluttered. As he considered emergency measures two men came along with a ladder, lowered it into a manhole, placed the red flag over the opening and went to work. Radio Industry Adopts Broadcasting Code HOLLYWOOD—Although the close parallel to film operations was not drawn directly, the broadcasting industry in its annual convention heeded stern warnings that it must— as have motion pictures—adopt a selfdisciplinary code or suffer the consequences of government regulation on both state and federal levels, with all the woes attendant thereon. That message, delivered by President Justin Miller of the convening National Ass'n of Broadcasters, keynoted opening sessions of the four-day conclave and the "standards of practice" code was adopted after discussion of minor revisions and amendments. It calls for impartiality as concerns news treatment and politics, careful balancing of controversial programs and close scrutiny of shows aimed for consumption by children, crime and mystery fans and other listener groups. In conception and method of enforcement the radio doctrine appears to be patterned closely after the MPAA's production code. TELEVISION PROSPERITY SEEN Television, mushrooming cousin to both radio and films, also came in for a substantial share of the broadcasters' study during the meetings at the Biltmore hotel. At a preconvention press conference Niles Trammell, president of the National Broadcasting Co., announced the appointment of Hal Bock as video chief for the network on the Pacific coast. Another NBC executive, Noran Kersta, director of television operations, told video leaders in the Los Angeles area that television presents "no threat to existing entertainment mediums." Speaking before members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Kersta predicted video will lead America to "greater prosperity" by creating new jobs and stimulating bigger demands for goods and services. The newly-developed kinescope, he said, makes possible the "immediate" creation of a national television network—and. he added, there is "no place in the U.S. where the networking of television by relay is not possible." CAUTION ON VIDEO SOUNDED Although the U.S. is on the threshold of a "big experience in television," the end of 1948 will see less than 1,000,000 video sets in homes throughout the country, it was predicted by Kenneth H. Baker, NAB's director of research. He warned, however, that the present high cost of television receivers should not lull radio and film executives into a false state of indifference and pointed out that when public demand has sufficiently increased, costs will drop as they did with automobiles and washing machines. A note of caution as concerns radio's entry into video was sounded by Lewis Allen Weiss of the Mutual network. He contended too many are rushing into the new medium in the hope of making fast profits and without contributing the long-range thinking and planning that must be cultivated. Meantime two new television production corporations moved in on the already crowded video field. Harry Einstein (radio's "Parkyakarkus") and Maurice Morton formed a company to make television shorts on film, with an initial schedule of five properties. The first, "Meet Me at Parky's," will feature the radio comic along with Betty Rhodes and Sheldon Leonard. BOXOFFICE :: May 29, 1948 i I i' I Mi
' I ' ; Veteran ' Hicks. I 1 I ' was 1 Frankly I long-time ; ter, i I I I [ Squadron," I I 1 Radio's \ Distaff . . Screen ^M^tvmct êfoont Joe Rock Organizes Unit Called Astro Pictures of British and American produc- ;tion and exhibition, Joe Rock has whipped up a new independent filmmaking unit. Astro Pictui'es, Inc.. in association with Ray Stenerson ilisted as president) and Danny Hall, formerly in MGM's art department. The new unit acquired two properties. "The Spirit Is Willing," a farce comedy by Gordon Douglas and Berne Oiler, and "Rhythm Express," a musical penned by Jay Seymour- Rock is now setting up production dates and negotiating a release. Another pair of independents, George Breakston and Yorke Coplen, are readying an adventure opus. "Ubanghi," which they plan to film on location in Africa for an unarmounced release, using jungle natives for jail but the featured roles in the cast. They recently completed "Urubu. the Vulture People," filmed with similar technique along the Amazon in South America. Only Three Story Purchases Recorded the Past Week A sharp downward curve was described in the sale of story material during the period, I I with a mere three properties finding their way into studio hands. Producer Owen Crump, who hangs his hat at MGM, sold that studio "Juggernaut," semidocumentary about a small-town lynching, to which he had acquired screen rights .from Joel Malone and Harold Swanton, who wrote it as a radio show. Crump will proiduce Forte Martin's original. "King of . . . the African Congo." went to Republic and tossed into the production hopper of n Adreon as one of four serials on the studio's 1948-49 calendar . . . "Freckles," best-seller by Gene Stratton-Porwas picked up by Windsor Pictures 1 1 Julian Lesser and Frank Melford) to be I turned out for Monogram release. Paramount Gives Beloin Writer-Producer Pact I Edmund Beloin. Paramount contract writer for the past three years and one-time scrivener on the Jack Benny airshow, was handed la new ticket boosting him to writer-producer I status . . . RKO Radio hoisted its option on 'the directorial services of Richard Fleischer ... Likewise held for an additional term is Fred Brannon. specialist in the direction of cliff-hangers out Republic way. His next: "Federal Agents vs. Underworld. Inc." Edmond O'Brien Gets Lead ,In Tighter Squadron' Recently booked on a long-term acting ticket at the studio, Edmond O'Brien's first (assignment at Warners is a lead in "Fighter for which Robert Stack has also been set . . . Franchot Tone will provide romantle competition for Cary Grant in RKO "Every Girl Should Be Married." side of the triangle is Newcomer Betsy Two National Surveys By IVAN SPEAR Help EL and U-l . . . Set Drake . . . Columbia is teaming William Holden and Lee J. Cobb in "Hearsay," its new Producer Albert version of "Blind Alley" . . . J. Cohen lined up Virginia Grey. Bar- ton MacLane and Richard Denning to topline "The Unknown Adventure." Cohen's first Romantic leads for Film Classics release . . . in Republic's "Whispers in the Dark" were assigned to Warren Douglas and Audrey Long . . . Thomas Gomez will have a top character role in "Tucker's People," the new John Garfield starrer at Enterprise for Eagle Lion's "Inside the Wall" was Richard Carlson . Guild's "The Return of Wildfire" will feature Richard Arlen, Patricia Morison and Mary Beth Hughes, DeMille Speaks Prologue For 'Crusades' Reissue Designed to serve as a corollary between today's headlines concerning the fighting in Palestine and the 12th-centm-y subject matter of the film. Paramount produced a prologue tor the release of Cecil B. DeMille's "The Crusades." The 90-second commentary, narrated by DeMille. wâs made up of newsreel clips depicting phases of present strife in the Holy Land, pointing up the parellel between the fighting today and the struggle depicted in "The Crusades." Animated 'Hiawatha' Feature In Preparation by Disney An odd facet of the cinematic whirl is the tendency to overlook or neglect great and widely read literary properties, many of them classics, as sources for film material. Such a VIDEO PLUG FOR FILM—First "live" television trailer for a picture was a highlight of Paramount's advance exploitation for the world premiere of "The Emperor Waltz," held at the Hollywood Paramount Thea.tre May 26. Telecast over Station KTLA, the stunt featured Scheherazade, black poodle who has a role in the film, going through her paces for the television cameras and newsreels. Scheherazade's playmate was unidentified. One simple way of determining public and exhibitor tastes as concerns Hollywood output is by asking questions. Two production organizations have recently discovered and uitilized that method, with results worthy of recording; \. Eagle Lion polled a crop of newspaper drama editors, leading theatre operators and "average" filmgoers throughout the country and found Present-day audiences rate films in the semidocumentary category most popular, followed in order by musicals in color, whodunits, westerns and melodramas. 2. Harold Hecht of Norma Productions, which recently completed the Burt Lancaster starrer, "Kiss the Blood Off My Hands" for Universal-International, queried some 600 exhibitors—and encountered only two who liked the picture's title. The result: It's now tagged "The Unafraid." EL'S survey placed considerable emphasis on the reasons why the customers queue up at the cashier's window, with tabulated results indicating that word- the strongest lure. of-mouth publicity is Next in order are advertising-publicityexploitation efforts, followed by star names, newspaper and magazine reviews and the film's title. subject has been seized upon by Walt Disney with disclosure that the cartoon-maker is readying a full-length animated treatment of "Hiawatha," the Iroquois Indian leader and hero of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem—a "must" on the literary agenda of every grammar-grade student for generations. Disney is dispatching a staff animator to Washington to soak up on the subject, including Hiawatha's romance with Minnehaha. Spokesmen said the picture probably will not be completed until 1950, since Disney's next for RKO Radio release will be "Two Fabulous Characters," another all-cartoon feature embracing the stories of "Ichabod Crane" and the "Mr. Toad" of Kenneth Graham's "Wind in the Willows." Robert Cummings to Make Jungle Picture in Chile In fairly short order, if the present pace continues, there won't be a country on the globe that hasn't been selected by some enterprising Hollj'wood producer as his base of operations for the making of a picture. Now Robert Cummings, actor and an executive of the independent United California Productions, comes forward to announce plans to head for Chile to make a subject called "Poisonous Jungle" in the interior of that country. Cmnmings already has made the necessary arrangements with the Chilean government and hopes to get rolling some time this sumjner. Hopping from one sagebrusher to another, Ray Enrig:ht has been booked by Milton Sperling's United States Pictures to direct "South of St. Louis," Technicolor drama of the Oregon trail, for Warners release. Enright recently completed "Return of the Badmen" for RKO Radio. BOXOFFICE : : May 29, 1948 31
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Page 34 and 35: w THEATRE DMSPLA YS Charles Smith,
Page 36 and 37: » Selling for Tort Apache Aimed at
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Page 44 and 45: BUFFALO, FROM THE FILES OF •TALKI
Page 46 and 47: . . Arthur . . Blanche BROADWAY Ota
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Page 54 and 55: . . George . . Lou RICHMOND •Phe
Page 56 and 57: Balaban Sees Second Antitrust Appea
Page 58 and 59: ' 'The ' ' were Family «p STUDIO P
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Boxoffice-May.29.1948

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