Boxoffice-March.04.1950

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pOR THE FIRST TIME a government committee
has decided to exercise the power
vested in it to force the major circuits to
show an independent British production to
which they have already refused playing
time. In 1948 the Board of Trade set up a
selection committee which has the power to
force every circuit owning more than 200
cinemas (in practice this means only the
Gaumont, Odeon and ABC circuits) to show
up to a maximum of six independent productions—a
total of 18 a year if necessary.
So far no producer has approached the committee
as there is a feeling that such all
action might prejudice the circuits against
any future product from the same source.
A year ago United Artists submitted two
British films to the committee but withdrew
them when a tradepaper announced the fact.
They claimed at the time that the announcement
would lead independent exhibitors
to feel that the films were not good
if the circuits had to be forced to take
them.
In the present case the film in question
is "Chance of a Lifetime" which was made
by Pilgrim Pictures (formerly Pillipo Del-
Guidice's company) and which stars Basil
Radford and Bernard Miles. The picture is
distributed by British Lion. No comment can
be made on its quality since the film has
not yet been tradeshown but it is at least
permissible to comment that with only the
two artistes mentioned to carry the billing
it would really have to be another "Naked
City" to justify a circuit booking.
By JOHN SULLIVAN
ANOTHER FILM OPENING this time at
the Odeon. Leicester Square, is Noel Coward's
"The Astonished Heart." which Antony
Darnborough produced for Sydney Box. Darnborough
also co-directed with Terence Fisher.
Since the film has already opened in New
York and has had American reviews there
is no point in writing a detailed review for
American exhibitors. In any event, it is understood
here that the U.S. version differs
somewhat from the British as the Johnston
office is reported to have objected to the
sequences which show Celia Johnson as condoning
the adultery of her husband.
It is worth mention, however, that this
was the first of the Rank pictures to be pro-,
duced on a fifty-fifty basis with an American
company. In this case Universal put up
one-half of the budget in frozen sterling in
exchange for the western hemisphere rights.
The film is beheved to have cost around
$600,000 and at that price wiU not cause any
worry to either Rank or Universal since it
is a well-made and polished job that should
appeal to the carriage trade in any country
in which it Is shown.
'Baron' Premiere Held
March 1 at Phoenix
HOLLYWOOD—Stars, members of the
Hollywood press and executives of Lippert
Productions participated in a busy round of
social and civic activities when Lippert's "The
Baron of Arizona" was given its world premiere
March 1 at the Paramount Orpheum in
Phoenix. Gov. Dan E. Garvey proclaimed it
"Baron of Arizona" day and a chartered airliner
flew the guests in from Hollywood for
the day's festivities.
Film notables making the air junket included
Ellen Drew, who stars with "Vincent
Price in the film; Donald and Gwenn O'Connor.
Jackie Coogan and Hal Derwin, recording
artist and screen player, as well as company
executives including President Robert L.
Lippert. Murray Lerner. Jack Leewood and
Marty Weiser. Price left earlier by automobile
and visited exhibitors in Yuma. Prescott,
Flagstaff, Globe and Mesa before arriving in
Phoenix for the premiere.
PRESS CORPS JUNKET
The press corps was represented by columnists
George Fisher and Erskine Johnson;
Frank Neil, International News Service; Florabel
Muir, Los Angeles Mirror and New York
News; Fred Johnson, San Francisco Call-
Bulletin; Tom Brady. New York Times; Nat
Dallinger. King Features Syndicate; Howard
Heym. Associated Press; Grant McDonald,
Los Angeles Mirror; Frank Filan. World Wide
Photos; Ezra Goodman, Los Angeles Daily
News: Aline Mosby. United Press; Doris
Smith. Los Angeles Daily News; and Wood
Soanes. Oakland Tribune.
The trade press group included Ivan
Spear. BOXOFFICE; Aim Lewis. Showmen's
Trade Review; Paul Manning, the Exhibitor;
Bill Weaver. Motion Picture Herald; Larry
Urbach. Film Daily; Milton Luban, Independent
Film Journal; and Chuck Daggett. Va-
ALL THREE CIRCUITS have met their
quota obligations during the year ending Sept.
30, 1949, according to a release issued by the
Board of Trade this week. Associated British
Cinemas, Odeon and Gaumont all devoted
47.6 per cent of their playing time to British
pictures when the statutory requirement
was only 45 per cent. With a second feature
quota of 25 per cent the circuits actually
showed 31 per cent of British support fea-
IF THE FIRST TWO MONTHS are anythintures.
D. J. Goodlatte,
to judge by managing
1950
director
will be
of
a vintage
ABC, disclosed
year
in
for
a tradepaper
British pictures. With interview
"The
that
Blue
liis circuit will
Lamp" now be
on
two riety.
general
pictures short
release
of their
and chalking
legal
up
requirements
the
in
biggest
the six
gross for years months
another
ending
film
RODEO QUEEN
in March
SELECTED
of this
likely to do
year,
the
so it is
same huge business has
more than
The likely that
debut
opened his
its run
chain
was a three-show
will
at the
accept
Gaumont. the
Haymarket
showing
affair. At the
first, with
of
Price
and the Marble
"Chance as emcee,
of
Arch
a Lifetime,"
the
Pavilion. This
mentioned
queen of the
is a
annual
above.
Phoenix world championship rodeo
Jay Lewis production released by General
was selected,
Film
Of the
with Lippert
independent
Distributors
exhibitors,
and any
and Miss
of
is titled "Morning
whom
Drew
among the six
were judges.
given
Also
Departure." It was
exemption on the
or
directed
reduction
by Roy Baker
from
agenda
the
were a cocktail
45 per
party
and
cent
and dinner.
stars
quota,
John
there is
Mills. Richard
a total of 1,474
Attenborough
Television
defaults
coverage was
in accorded
first
and Nigel
feature
the
Patrick.
obligations
proceedings
via
and 1,331
in second
a tieup with the
feature.
"Morning Departure"
About
Phoenix TV
77 per cent of
tells the
the
story of a
station, KPHO.
defaulters
submarine
were
which
among
had a mobile video
taking
those
off
exhibitors
for a routine
with
exercise
camera on hand.
a The TV
full 45
lenses
per
in
cent
peacetime
quota.
were allowed
to pick up the main titles and opening
with the crew expecting to be
back in time for tea. Within a few hours it
scene of "The Baron" when it began unwinding
has struck a floating mine left over from THERE IS UNLIKELY to
at
be any the
radical
Orpheum, with an announcer then
the war and is lying on the bottom with change in legislation affecting
cutting in
the film
to suggest
industry
as a result of the
that viewers attend the
only 12 of its crew of 70 left alive. Eight
theatre to
general
see the
election.
entire picture.
escape suits are left from the wreck and With such a small majority
The
the
opus
Labor
has been
government
is not
booked into 37 Arizona
when the sub is sighted by rescue ships eight
situations
in a position
during the first
to introduce
week of this month,
men are sent through the hatch and the any of its extreme with socialist measures
18 other Arizona since
theatres booking it for
remaining four are left to await the lifting a defection by
dates
a handful
during the
of its members
next
would
two weeks.
of the .submarine by a salvage ship. After mean a defeat. It seems certain that another
general election will now be held with-
several days of alternate hope and despair
bad weather forces the ships to abandon
'Stromboli'
the in the next
Ban
few Is
weeks,
Lifted
although parliament
salvage, the crippled sub returns to the ocean will have to assemble now to pass the finance
bill and issue a budget.
By Court in Seattle
bed and all hope for the four survivors is
gone.
SEATTLE—After declaring that the ban
The Cinema Exhibitors Ass'n received assurance
during the campaign from more than the echo of
on the showing of
This
"Stromboli"
is strong and sombre
sounded "like
material and no
attempt
a police state
has
to
been
me."
made, except
Superior
in the Cockney
300 candidates that they would support any Judge James
humor
Hodson granted
of one
a temporary
of the last four, to lighten measure involving a reduction in the entertainment
tax and CEA officials are now of the film. The
injunction to
the
RKO permitting
narrative. the
In
showing
spite of this the film does
not
picture
leave opened the
the
following
observer with a sense of depression,
but Mouse Theatre.
busy preparing a list of those supporters who day at John Hamrick's Blue
rather with a great admiration
were elected.
Judge Hodson's decision
for
granted
the bravery
a temporary
injunction
of men who travel beneath
enjoining the police
the
chief
sea.
Order your taxation trailer today! from interfering with the showing.
5.2
BOXOFFICE :: March 4, 1950