Boxoffice-December.02.1950

TOTAL COST: $6,000,000
'Quo Vadis' Is Costliest
Picture Ever Filmed
NEW YORK — "Quo Vadis" will be the
costliest motion picture ever made, Sam Zimbalist,
MGM producer, and Mervyn LeRoy,
director, said Monday (27) on their return
from Rome where it was shot. Some statistics
offered were: Cost, over $6,000,000 compared
with $4,500,000 for "Gone With the Wind,"
300,000 extras used, with 15,000 in the area
scene: 500,000 feet of Technicolor film shot,
which will be reduced to 15,000 for a threehour
show.
Zimbalist and LeRoy called the picture the
biggest spectacle ever produced, for a number
of reasons, including the number of persons
employed and the size and grandeur of
the 55 sets used. Besides, they said, it is a
spectacle with a moving story. They did not
know whether it will be roadshown and
whether there will be an intermission during
its theatre presentation, saying those decisions
were up to William P. Rodgers, MGM
vice-president and general sales manager.
They expect it to have fall 1951 release,
FINISHED IN RECORD TIME
To the amazement of
the Italian industry,
which had wagered the picture couldn't be
finished in under a year— "Fabriola" took 14
months—it was finished in less than five
and a half months. This was accomplished
by shooting six days a week from 9 a. m. to
6 p. m., with one hour for lunch, while Italian
producers allow a four-hour siesta. It happened
at a time when Italy was experiencing
its hottest summer in 70 years. During
one especially hot August day, 132 extras
"passed out, " but there were doctors, nurses
and hospital tents on hand to care for them.
On the hottest days the players received
bonuses; otherwise, they were paid the prevailing
Italian rate.
Both Zimbalist and LeRoy went to considerable
pains to impress upon interviewers
at their press conference their deep appreciation
not only of cooperation afforded by
Italian government officials, but of the earnest
and excellent work of Italian actors after
they had become accustomed to the necessity
for continuous work. There were five interpreters
with the rank and pay of assistant
directors. Unlike Hollywood, the extras were
not obtained through a central casting office
but had to be hired through men who each
controlled a group of 30 players. The system
worked out well, especially when Communist
newspapers attacked the Americans
as exploiters of Italy. A few strikes lasting
only an hour or so were ended through the
cooperation of the group representatives with
Henry Henigson, business manager, who "did
a fine job."
50 FROM HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood was represented by a group of
50, England by a group of similar size and
the remainder in the picture were Italians.
The white horses came from Denmark, the
bulls from Portugal and the lions from France
and Germany. At the close of each day the
Technicolor film was flown to England and
the rushes were received back in four to five
days, a service that also drew praise from
Zimbalist and LeRoy. Five cameras were in
Disney, RKO Renew Pact for 15th Year
Ntd Depiiu-l Isecond from left), president of RKO Radio Pictures, and Walt
Disney, board cliairman of Walt Disney Productions, shake hands following the
signing of a new contract whereby Disney and RKO Radio are renewing their production
and distribution agreement. At far left is Roy O. Disney, president of
Walt Disney Productions; at right, Gunther R. Lessing, Disney's vice-president and
general counsel.
simultaneous action most of the time, with
six shooting the scenes along the Appian
Way.
Deborah Kerr was another who came in for
special praise. LeRoy called her "a great
trouper and good actress." He said she worked
in the hottest weather without complaint,
did everything asked of her, ate the same
Italian food as the rest and, in fact, "held
the company together."
At the conclusion of the interview, LeRoy
left for the coast where his mother is ill. The
Mervyn LeRoy
Sam Zimbalist
HOLLYWOOD — An agreement renewing
for the 15th year the production and distribution
liaison between Walt Disney and
RKO Radio was reached here this week by
Roy O. Disney, president of Walt Disney
Productions, and Ned E. Depinet, president
of RKO Radio Pictures.
Involving worldwide distribution of Disney's
newest feature-length cartoon, "Alice in
Wonderland," as well as 36 cartoon shorts
and three subjects in Disney's live-action
"True Life Adventure" series, the commitment
also calls for RKO Radio and Disney
to participate jointly in the making of "The
Story of Robin Hood" as a live-action feature
in England next year. Disney and RKO
Radio were similarly associated in the filming
of "Treasure Island" in Britain last year.
Commenting upon the new contract,
Depinet expressed the belief that his company
had completed "one of the most significant
film deals in our history."
"Alice in Wonderland" is scheduled for
release during the summer of 1951. Meantime
Disney will send production representatives
to England early next year to
begin preparations for filming "Robin Hood,"
which will be lensed in Technicolor.
The 36 cartoon shorts to which RKO
Radio has acquired distribution rights represent
two years' output by the Disney plant
in Burbank.
First of the three "True Life Adventures"
shorts, now in work, is titled "Nature's Half
Acre," and deals with insects, birds and
flowers. Two others are now being filmed in
natural color, depicting the elk in Washington
and the wild bear in Wyoming.
As part of the new agreement, RKO Radio
will continue to distribute other Disney features
including "Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs," "Pinocchio," "The Reluctant
Dragon," "Fantasia," "Dumbo," "Bambi,"
"Saludos Amigos," "The Three Caballeros,"
"Make Mine Music," "Song of the South,"
"Fun and Fancy Free." "Melody Time," "So
Dear to My Heart." "Ichabod and Mr. Toad,"
"Cinderella" and "Treasure Island."
film will be edited there and the music cued
in. LeRoy said his plans when that is done
involve only a long rest. Zimbalist said he
will begin producing "Robinson Crusoe" in
Jamaica next year, probably in May.
Loew theatres have been publicizing "Quo
Vadis." Now bulletin boards that have been
displaying stills as they arrived from abroad
are being converted to news bulletins with
photo art and advertisements on the latest
films in work at the studios. On the first
changeover from "Quo Vadis," the boards will
display a 11x14 still from "Pagan Love Song,"
an MGM trade ad, news from the studios, a
pinup of Leslie Caron from "An American
in Paris," an 8x10 black-and-white still from
"Watch the Birdie" and an MGM records
album cover on "Pagan Love Song." The
move is due to the success attending the "Quo
Vadis" publicity.
'Mulatto' Is Retitled
NEW YORK—"The Mulatto," an Italian
picture imported by Scalera Film Distributing
Corp., has been retitled "Angelo." Release
is scheduled for early winter.
BOXOFFICE December 2, 1950 17