Boxoffice-September.23.1950

Sidney Box to Cross the Country
In Trailer for Filming and Fun
NEW YORK—Sidney Box, British producer,
writer and director, who came to this
country for the opening of "Trio" at the
Sutton Theatre October 9, has a thirst for
knowledge and a boyish enthusiasm that
knows no bounds. He is going to tow a
trailer across the country and back on a
combined business and pleasure trip. His
companions will be Mrs. Box i Muriel i. whu
collaborates on his stories, and his daughter.
"Why the trailer?" he was asked.
"Well it's this way," he replied with a
grin. "We have baggage for six months
and a camera outfit, because we want to do
some location shots for 'Across the Bridge'
on the Mexico-United States border. I will
have to get at least two American technicians
to help me with this. Also. I want to
see the United States and meet some of its
exhibitors."
The premier of "Ti-io," a group of three
Somerset Maugham stories, will be for the
benefit of the Damon Runyon Cancer fund.
Paramount is handling distribution of the
picture. "Quartet." the first film produced
by Box from a combination of four Maugham
stories, ran so long at the Sutton that the
neighbors began to consider it a permanent
fixture.
An earlier production by Box, "The Seventh
Veil," made him one of Great Britain's
outstanding producers.
"Mrs. Box and I are now doing what we
always wanted to do," he said. "We are
Sidney Box, British producer, is shown
here with his wife and daughter on arrival
in New York last week,
making individual pictures.
The average cost
of a British picture is 150,000 pounds, althougli
'Trio' cost more than that. We hope
to produce a picture about every nine
months. My next will be an Anglo-American
film with three American players in
the leads. After that we will make an
Anglo-French film, 'The Rest Is Silence,'
partly in France and partly in England,
with two American artists. This probably
will start in September 1951. In the spring
of 1952 we will do 'A Model Affair,' another
Anglo-American film with three American
artists."
COMPO Prints Booklet to Combat
Juvenile Delinquency Charges
NEW YORK—The Council of
Motion Picture
Organizations has compiled a booklet
quoting various authorities who agree that
juvenile delinquency is not due to films. It
is titled "Exploding a Myth" and will be
supplied heads of the five leading exhibitor
organizations for distribution to their members.
Additional copies will be sent other
industry leaders and persons who influence
public opinion, such as editors and writers.
The pamphlet is made up of material originally
compiled by the Motion Picture Ass'n
of America and is.sued in mimeograph form.
It has been brought up to date through the
inclusion of additional .statements by psychiatrists,
psychologists, educators, jurists and
criminal sociologists. Exhibitors are expected
to find quotations from it of value in steering
local sentiment.
In a foreword. Arthur L. Mayer, executive
vice-president, warns that since films were
unjustly blamed for the rise m juvenile delinquency
in the last two wars, the industry
must be prepared to combat the charge in
the present emergency.
"This pamphlet." he says, "shows how unfounded
are the charges. The quotations
have been drawn from the writings and
public statements of 56 noted authorities and
organization sources in the field. Careful
examination of them leads at least to the
following conclusions: the effect of motion
pictures on youth cannot be isolated from
other social factors, and it would be .scientifically
unsound, even impossible, to attempt to
determine whether or not any specific film
could reasonably be expected to contribute to
youthful crime.
"Juvenile delinquency results from a complex
network of causes—sociological, psychological
and even physiological. Authorities are
not in agreement as to which factors are the
most important. To single out one or another
external element is to employ a scapegoat
device, and we of COMPO do not propo.se
to take it lying down when an attempt
is made to blame our industry."
Newsreel Trailer Aids
Crusade for Freedom
NEW YORK—Friday (22i editions of the
newsreels carried an 80-foot trailer in behalf
of the Crusade for Freedom, the objective of
which is the financing and operation of radio
stations and other communication media to
carry the message of democracy behind the
Iron Curtain. The trailer was approved by
the exhibitor screening committee of the
Council of Motion Picture Organizations. It
featured Gen. Lucius D. Clay, who explained
the plans of the organization.
LETTERS
PRAISES SEPTEMBER 9
EDITORIAL
To BOXOFPICE:
Your editorial titled, "What the Public
Wants." in the Sept. 9. 1950 i.ssue of BOX-
OFFICE sure should hit a lot of the exhibitors
right between the eyes if they just take
the time to stop and read it.
Have been managing this theatre for only
two and a half years. Came in right after
the lush period, watched it fall off, and am
now seeing it start back up. The thing that
has helped it start back up for me, here in
Logan, is the fact that I talked the boss into
letting me run a midnight ,show every other
week on Saturday night. They never had
midnight shows in this town, and it is a
novelty to them: the kids have some place
to go and can stay up late for a change.
Now we are even getting some of the older
people in for the midnight .show . How long
it will last, can't say, but at least for the
present it is bringing in some much needed
extra revenue.
Sincerely believe that as long as you can
keep doing something that some of the highbrows
call "crazy" or "nuts" you can keep
bringing the people into the theatre. At least
when you do something that is "nuts" or
"crazy" the people are talking about you and
your place of business and as long as they
are talking about you, you luiow that they
know you're in town. When I start to worry
.is when they quit talking about me, and the
theatre. Then I get busy thinking up something
that is "crazy" or "nuts" again.
Don't get me wrong now. I don't mean that
the theatre manager is to take off his pants
and run down Main street and make a jackass
out of himself, but neither should he be
a deadhead and always act like he is just
the next step from the morgue.
Am sending along a monthly calendar that
we put out—3,000 of them. Got sick and
tired of having everybody ask what the
show was about, so when I get ready to put
out a calendar. I get the reviews out and
rewrite it in the "native tongue" so the
people can understand what the show is
about.
DON HOWARD
Logan Theatre.
Logan. Utah.
New Auten Company
NEW YORK — Capt.
Harold Auten. until
recently head of the United Artists roadshow
department, has organized Ballantine Picture
Corp.. 153 West 42nd St.. for distribution of
foreign films and for handling roadshows.
George Hoffman, veteran film man, who was
associated with Arthur Mayer for several
years, will be associated with him. They have
four pictures lined up.
Walsh in New Union Post
NEW YORK—Richard P. Walsh, president
of the International Alliance of Tlieatrical
Stage Employes and Moving Picture Machine
Operators, has been elected a vice-president
of the American Federation of Labor union
label trades department. Raymond F.
Leheney. secretary-treasurer of the department,
made the announcement of the election.
18 BOXOFPICE :: September 23. 1950