Boxoffice-December.02.1950

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^(mcOm ^cfront pOR SOME TIME past the Cinema Exhibitors Ass'n has been pressing the British Newsreel Ass'n to drop the arrangement whereby all newsreels were simultaneously pressing for a rise in hire charges. Granada Theatres in particular had been so insistent that they would not pay the new rates that for some time they ran their programs without a newsreel. Now that circuit is back with newsreels again, but this time it is an American reel which is outside the association. Granada is showing in its 60 theatres, and also at such independent locations which book it from them, the Heart reel, Telenews, two editions of which are being flown here each week and telescoped into one weekly edition. Sidney Bernstein made the deal with Telenews on his last trip to the U.S.A. and the reel is being edited and processed here by National Screen Service. In addition to the matter sent direct from America spot news is being supplied by the London bureau of Telenews. If more contracts are entered Into for the supply of the reels to houses outside of the Granada chain the new entrant into the newsreel field may well bring down the price of this service—at least for the time being. While Telenews has only a small organization in this country it would be possible for the reel to undersell the British companies, but there is that if the demand grew the staff need for more coverage of British news would obviously add to the overhead. It has never yet been proved to anyone's satisfaction that the newsreel adds materially to a theatre's turnover, but Bernstein's move in bringing back the reel would Indicate that it must at least have been missed in the Granada chain. The charge against newsreels in the U.S. that they show old news which viewers have seen on television cannot yet be made here for although the BBC has had a television service operating since long before the war. it is not yet in universal use here. The main reason is that radio and television sets carry a high purchase tax in common with so many other manufactured articles and the working classes cannot afford the outlay. Also, since the BBC has not unlimited funds for their programs the television here cannot compare in the standard of its entertainment with a good movie. PARAMOUNT'S CARLTON Theatre in the Haymarket looks like paying heavily for its a.uota this year. After the short run of "The Elusive Pimpernel," which did very poor business, It has opened with another British Lion release, "The Naked Heart," which looks like continuing the bad record. Not a Korda picture this time, although released by his company, the present film was produced by Nelson Scott and directed by Marc AUegret. It stars Michele Morgan, Kieron Moore and Francoise Rosay. "The Naked Heart" is a very expensive production that was dogged by bad luck right from the start. Based on the novel "Maria Chapdelaine" the story is set in French Canada in the year 1912 and when a permit for dollars was refused to shoot on the actual location the unit went to Austria as ihe By JOHN SULLIVAN nearest country with a certain fall of snow for the exteriors. Arrived there they found that the snow was the lightest for many years and this was the first of a series of setbacks. Sometimes a setback at the start puts the crew and actors on their mettle and a good film is the result. Unfortunately in this case the reverse is the fact and the picture is slow, tedious and unbelievable. Miss Morgan, competent as ever, has little help from her script which makes her appear an irritating woman who cannot make up her mind which of the tlu'ee suitors she should choose. After far too long a time she decides to settle for Jack Watling, who is completely miscast as an illiterate French Canadian trapper. His Oxford accent among the miscellany of broken French makes him sound more like a Rhodes scholar than an uneducated backwoods boy. American audiences will be irritated by the slow direction and overacting of "The Naked Heart" and Canadian audiences will more probably be actively annoyed. J. ARTHUR RANK had some hard words for independent exhibitors at Leeds during his recent tour of the provinces. "It would help us materially, he said, if second run theatres would go in for more exploitation schemes. We offer to pay 50 per cent of the exploitation costs, but they want us to pay the lot and we will not do so." Rank had already made these charges at Glasgow, earlier in his tour and repeated at Leeds after the local CEA branch had sent him a telegram complaining about the remarks made in Scotland. Apart from the above. Rank also commented on the Eady plan. He said: "Sir Wilfred Eady has been a friend of the industry and has made a good start by putting on one farthing per seat to help production, but that is not enough. We need more help if we are going to get British film production on a sound basis." The next step in his tour was to Liverpool and there, the day after his Leeds .speech Rank told a press conference: "Out of 12 pictures with the biggest gross at the boxoffice, six were British and six American. But the six Briti.sh took more than the American and certain American films grossed less than the worst Briti-sh pictures. I would like exhibitors to take greater advantage of exploiting to the full those British films which are of real merit." THE BENEFITS of Anglo-American production for independent producers being obvious the trend is continuing. Marcel Hellman has just finished his big musical, "Happy Go Lovely." which was made partly with American money and now another independent producer has returned from Hollywood with a three-picture deal. This time it is Edward Dryhurst who has announced that he will make three films in association with U.S. interests. The first will be "Castle in the Air," which is based on a successful London stage show. The second, "A Bullet in the Ballet," is a comedy thriller based on a novel by Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon. This subject was originally bought by Ealing studios and has been bought from them by Dryhurst. The third production will be made jointly by Dryhurst and Frederick Brisson and is titled "Forbidden Cargo." It will be made in Spain with Dennis O'Keefe in the lead. Denver Variety Tent 37 Elects New Directors DENVER—Variety Tent 37 elected the following directors for 1951: Duke Dunbar, Hall Baetz, Robert Selig, William Hastings, Ralph Batschelet, A. P. Archer, Bernie Hynes, Fred Brown, Joe Ashby, Joe Stone and Harry Green, and the last five chief barkers, including Robert Garland. Robert Hill. Tom Bailey, Milt Hossfeldt and Pat McGee. They will meet December 31 to elect officers for the coming year. The club is putting on an intensive membership campaign, and hopes to add at least 100 new members. Batschelet, manager of the Paramount, is chairman of the drive. Census Shows TV Viewing Holds Up, Motion Pictures Are Most Wanted HOLLYWOOD—Movies are the "most wanted" entertainment on television; theatre TV is apparently not a popular device, while Phonevision or some similar pay-as-you-view method of watching top films on home video receivers would find considerable favor with a majority of television audiences. Those are among the findings in the fourth "tele cen.sus" to be undertaken by students of Woodbury college, Valley college, Redlands university and San Jose State college, ba.sed on a "random area sample" of some 3,000 TV set owners in Los Angeles, the San Francisco bay area and the fringe areas of San Bernardino and Riverside, Calif. Findings in the door-to-door survey: TV is not a novelty that will wear off; there is only a 6 per cent drop in viewing time with persons who have had sets for a year or more and only a 7 per cent drop where sets have been in operation for two years or more. Sixty-eight per cent of those interviewed said they go to the movies less often since purchasing TV receivers. Sixty-seven per cent would not pay the average boxoffice price to see TV on a large-size theatre screen—even if the show were available only in that theatre and not on home video, while 28 per cent indicated they would patronize such theatre television performances. Thirty-nine per cent would pay $1 or more to see a first run picture on their home screens; 39 per cent would pay 50 to 85 cents. Eighty per cent want color TV when it becomes available. 54 BOXOFFICE December 2, 1950
— , , . .c — • . . . Rudy . . The •' . . . . The . . Los Angeles Trade SAN FRANCISCO £163u6Q Dy l^yralio pnday night (1) was a night to remember „„, „„ ^ , ^ J at the Variety Club here when a gala LOS ANGELES—Several top-draw new- ^ _, , ... . , . / ,, ^ , ,, ,. J t tu < Tahitian night ..r^- held sway. There were nacomers plus the contuiued strength of King ,. ,. ^ ^. / . . p & „ ,. = tive orchestra, native entertainers, an array Solomons Mines ' lifted the overall first , . , , ^^ ^„, ,\- , ,,. ^ . ,t ,, ,, ,, • of guest stars and an authentic Tahitian run boxoffice to heights which, considering „. , ,,, , , ^ . banquet. , i », All guests were asked to come atoast performances over recent months, are » j i, , t. ^ ^^. „ ., , • T, 1 .1, tired in beachcomber or sports attire. United little short of impressive. Racking up the ,. , t, j. ,. - ' , ,.,,,„ .,. 7. ,. . I, t *• 1 Air lines flew direct t from the South Pacific weeks best business, m its initial stanza, was ,, . .,, ^.. , ^,, J „ .. v.- 1, u j-f u Vanda orchids which were given free to the 'Cyrano de Bergerac, which—benefiting by , ,. _.. . . . , * j ^ " jj s , ., , ladies. Other events scheduled for the Vaan invitational premiere and a two-a-day, ^ „, ,. t^ i. ,^ ,^, ,, „ ^ ,. , -^ J- „/„ riety Club: December 15, The Harvey Boys advanced price policy, hit a resounding 250 , . j i. , , , „„ , . ,.,, ., .„ ^ annual roundup and -i chuckwagon feed; 22nd, per cent. Mines, still going strong in its _. . , , , i,. , , ^ \ ^ xl „ ^ on,^ v, 1 ..All Christmas party for the kids and young m second stanza, chalked up 200, while All „ * o, * . »t -,, . ^ , , „ „ J ..rriv, IT, * n .- o* " Heart 31st gala New Year's eve jamboree. About Eve and "The West Point Story finished their first weeks with 160 and 140, Graham Kislingbury, district manager for respectively. North Coast Theatres and a member of the (Average !s 100) dinner committee of the San Francisco Press ^'^^^' '^^^ selected chairman of the Gang 'Âll''AbouTEve^!20^'hFoxf°^"''.'°:...*^^^ Egyptian. Loews State—King Solomon's MLnes dinner honoring Geii. Mark W. Clark and '(MGM), 2nd wk. Fine Arts Cyrano de Bergerac (UA), advanced 200 qqi Oliver Vickerey*' at the Pi-ess club No- 250 vember 24. prices General Clark's subject was. Four Star^Faust and the Devil (Col) 2nd wk...... 50 "Qur Readiness." Vickerey, who is an ob- Hawau. Orpheum Dial 1119 (MGM); Right Cross ^ ^, , ,. , , 2nd wk 90 server at the Institute of Nuclear Energy in (MGM), 100 Hollywood. Hillstreet,' Pantages—Mad Pigmy Island (Col) Downtown Paramounts—Copper Wednesday (RKO); Can- Copenhagen, _ ,, Prom „ the European spoke on ,,. Viewpoint." "Atomic . ^ „ Warfare yon (Para); Music in the Moonlight (Rep re- '' UnUe"d^?t?sTs"'°RT.z, c"u'fver, 'gt'dro'cy,- Vogue-- êl Klein of Columbia Was feeling mighty The Milkman (U-I); Bandit Queen (Uppert) 95 philosophical the Other day. "Today I am '"^T.rv^Xo^'\^B)"":..''.°^^^^^^^^ 140 a '"a"'' âid got me wearing Mel, ". . bifocals!" an . old one. . Congratulations They . . to Hannah Oppie, secretary at the ITO 'Mines' Scores Nice 200 of Northern California office. Hannah be- In San Francisco came grandmother for the second time re- SAN FRANCISCO—Breaking a record, cently when her daughter gave birth to a "King Solomon's Mines" rated a boastful baby boy. 200 per cent in its opening week at the Warfield. The Orpheum boasted 180 for the open- I" town were Robert Taylor and his wife 170 . ing of "Between Midnight and Dawn." Barbara Stanwyck. Local press covered with Cinema-Rio Grande ol 1951 (Rep), 2nd (Rep), 2nd wk.; Hit Parade d t. wk „ interviews, capably arranged for by Ted Galanteer, MGM exploiteer . . . Rotus Har- Milkman (U-I); Sunset Boulevard returned from the COMPO executive ^Tparar'^''^ ^^^ Fox—The lackpot (2bth-Fox) 160 ygy board meeting in New York . North- 1-1000 -.-y^..... 100 California ITO held its monthly lunch- (Col); Zamba (ELC) !80 eon meeting and nominated officers for the Golden Gate--South^de Orpheum Between Midnight (Mono) and Dawn Paramount-Dial 1119 (MGM), plus Lucille Ball and Desi Amaz on stage 100 December election. St. Francis—The Glt^ss Menagerie (WB), 3rd wk... 85 United Artists—Three Husbands (UA), 2nd wk 140 Admission prices at the Cascade in Red- United Naiions--All About Eve (20th.Fox). 5th ^^^ ^.^^ ^^^^ increased, according to Michael Warfield—King Solomon's Mines (MGM) 200 Kassis, manager . Buchanan, Lakeside in Tahoe, was here a few days Local salesmen are giving their all for the Denver Btisiness Booms, Will Rogers Memorrial hospital five-mile Two First Runs Hit 175 long Christmas card drive. All are going to DENVER—Elegant weekend weather enabled first runs to run up nice grosses, for exhibitors to get cards filled with contributions. the most part. Aladdin, Tabor, Webber—Three Husbands (UA); Chain Gang (Col) 175 Broadway—Two Weeks With Love (MGM) 170 Denham—Let's Dance (Para) 140 Denver, Esquire-The lackpot (20th-Fox); Military Academy (Col) 175 Orpheum—The Miniver Story (MGM); Cow Town (Col) 95 Paramount- I'll Get By (20th-Fox); Gallant Thoroughbred (Rep), Znd wk 100 P.ialto—American Guerrilla in the Philippines (20tli-Fox); Iroquois Trail (UA), 3rd d. t. wk....l25 Vogue—Beouty and the Beast (SR); Satin Slippers (SR), 2nd wk., reissues 125 Heavy Salt Lake Fogs Hit Theatre Business SALT LAKE CITY—Heavy fogs cut attendance at local theatres during most of this week, with "King Solomon's Mines" the least affected and still doing holdout business at the Lyric in its second week. Unprecedented fogs kept most theatregoers home. Robert Lippert in town from Los Angeles, as were Robert Lippert jr. and his wife . . . Sammy Seigel, publicist for Columbia Pictures, and Anne Belfer, North Coast Tlieatres publicity gal, worked out a happy promotion on the opening of "The Fuller Brush Girl." Some 25,000 heralds were distributed by Fuller Brush Co. salesmen a week prior to the opening; a radio station tieup for daily spots and another tiein with Lucille Ball's My Favorite Husband program. Jack Hurley is home recuperating from an illness . . . Walter Chenoweth, Coronet manager and the dapper dan of the theatre business, was seen headed down Filmrow . San Francisco Theatres is holding a ChrLstmas drive for sale of gift books, using 150 six-sheets and 25, 24-sheets, personalized theatre trailers with announcements by Bud Heide, lobby posters and window card displays and a contest among employes and managers. . . . Irving M. Levin, division director of San Francisco Theatres, returned with his family The from a week in Palm Springs Coli-seum is being renovated and painted on the inside as well as outside. Ed Scheeline is manager . Balboa just finished a month of giveaways. Four being given away each Monday night. The Metro and the Balboa are both working up Christmas co-op deals with merchants in their neighborhoods. Scores 'Operation Pacific' The score for the Warner film, "Operation Pacific," is being composed by Max Steiner. METAL POSTER FRAMES "Wel-Bilt" Banner and Easel Frames Finishes—Chrome or Wrinkle Colors—Red, Green, Silver DRIVE-IN THEATRE MFG. CO. INC. [Wo have the Count on Ul IN THE SMART STYLING OF THE NEW HEYWOOD-WAKEFIELD THEATRE CHAIRS Pnr'tUr Co^'f Disfributors B. F. SHEARER COMPANY SEATTLE PORTLAND SAN FRANCISCO LOS ANGELES 2318 SECOND AVE. 1947 N.W KEARNEY 243 GOLDEN GATE AVE. 1964 SO. VERMONT ELIiot 8247 ATwater 7543 UNderhill 1816 Rochester 1145 "?,f?,''°L' Jor YOUR If^ÂTRE THEi THEATRE EXCHANGE CO. ^ 201 Fini Fine Arts Bldg. Portland 5, Oregon BOXOFFICE December 2, 1950 55
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m flHlBIll Entered is Mcond-titu na
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(A .rvos\«- I Celebrate the Happy
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Technicolor Gi!Y COOPER^ RUTH ROMAN
Page 7 and 8: j , — ' w-;"'i,uffl»^'''W 'I i.
Page 9 and 10: . . CAN'T RELEGATE DRIVE-INS TO STA
Page 11 and 12: A Message of Vital Importance To Al
Page 13 and 14: ), [he lAL WALLIS ptember AfFair AN
Page 15 and 16: FIVE SONGS Scott "making vivid impr
Page 17 and 18: TOTAL COST: $6,000,000 'Quo Vadis'
Page 19 and 20: FOR EVERY HOUSE IN THE LAND! iTi^l"
Page 22 and 23: New Approaches to Sharing Advertisi
Page 24 and 25: UowVI'i The h\g Egg of T/ie Egg and
Page 26 and 27: LETTERS THAT COMPO-TOA CONTROVERSY
Page 28 and 29: charles ...the talk of the trade n3
Page 30 and 31: 7iJcL4AiK^to*t ^cficnt By ISABEL OL
Page 32 and 33: — . . Maxwell . . . Borrowed . .
Page 34 and 35: MGM Tieups Geared to Aid Subsequent
Page 36 and 37: 160 — Showmanship Exhibitors' To
Page 38 and 39: 14-Ton Missile (It's Real) Rockets
Page 40 and 41: : Dec. Manager in Snrall College To
Page 42 and 43: ' Smart Outside Flash Costs Little
Page 44 and 45: . . William . . . . Andrew . . Paul
Page 46 and 47: %ei^ %imi MOTION PICTURE mJECTORS..
Page 48 and 49: BRITISH FEATURE RUNS GAIN STEADILY
Page 50 and 51: Television Ads Continue To Overshad
Page 52 and 53: . . Wally . . Ralph . . . For . . H
Page 54 and 55: TBA Television Clinic Agenda Comple
Page 56 and 57: STUDIO PERSONNELITIES Barnstormers
Page 60 and 61: . . . Apologies a SALT LAKE CITY Di
Page 62 and 63: Arizona Honors Robert Stillman, Pro
Page 64 and 65: %e!m. %du». MtnoN pieruitE mimm. .
Page 66 and 67: MINNEAPOLIS Tn the 1930s, when Char
Page 68 and 69: • . . That . . Other . . Another
Page 70 and 71: ! Dale McFarland to Coordinafor Pos
Page 72 and 73: %ei^ %im MOTION PICTURE mJHCTOKS...
Page 74 and 75: . . Johnnie BOOK NOW MEMPHIS n bliz
Page 76 and 77: . . bui . . Morris . . Frank . , W.
Page 78 and 79: • Century Projection and Sound Eq
Page 80 and 81: . . The . . Alan DALLAS Jijtrs. Min
Page 82 and 83: . . Mark . . Thanksgiving . . . .
Page 84 and 85: %ei^ %ilSm^ MOTION PICTURE PROJECTO
Page 86 and 87: . . Mrs. . . Oral . . Guy . . The I
Page 88 and 89: - . . Out-of-town . . Loew's . . Th
Page 90 and 91: Ludwig Sussman Revives Program Of W
Page 92 and 93: %er^ %imil MOTION PICTURE PROJHCTOK
Page 94 and 95: . . The . . . . . . . . PITTSBURGH
Page 96 and 97: I . . Carl . . Edward . . John DETR
Page 98 and 99: Akron Bingo Menaced By Taxpayers' S
Page 100 and 101: ' %ei^ %iM» MOTION FieiURE PROJECT
Page 102 and 103: . . Ray . . The . . Paul ! . . . Gl
Page 104 and 105: . . . Jimmy — — CELEBRATE ANNIV
Page 106 and 107: . . NEW HAMPSHIRE T ouis DeRochemon
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. . . Raymond . . Arthur . . Allan
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. . New . . . The . . . Bill . . .
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. . Casey . . The . . . . . Enjoy O
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A Good Investment
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I PROFIT'S GOT I RHYTHM There's a s
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I FOR THE **t national celit: 75 TO
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\ \ ^fe^ Let '"Nameless" Syrups Dry
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ADDING PROFITS WITH SEASONAL SPECIA
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Ketreshment Handbook (Continued fro
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I Continued from preceding page' To
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This view of the romp area of the C
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1 The dramatic quality of illuminat
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FOR THE BIGGEST SCREENS it's ASHCRA
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. . FOR DRIVE-INS! MAKE MORE REFRES
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Winterizing Theatre Floors I Contin
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]0I I Winterizing Theatre Floors (C
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WHEREVER APPEARANCE AN^NEATNESS CAR
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IF YOU ARE fUSSY' about PICTURE QUA
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I — You Have the fINEST in a GRIG
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mmmmm — ,^. HERES SENSATIONAL NEW
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ft «5 low budget' LIGHT DIMMING EQ
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1 AB For literature on products adv
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*^^^J^
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PART in A Manual of Drive-ln Design
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A Manual of Drive-ln Design (Contin
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Discuss Advantages of In-Car Heater
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EQUIPMENT €r DEVELOPMENTS Mills O
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PO0 TO DRIVE-IN GREATER PROFITS Add
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— Choose the Super that Meets You
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increîsem WITH BLACK LIGHT INTERIO
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I Rep), a bill for the drawing powe
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• llCassino 5 Alphabetical Pictur
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9! ++ Vory Good; + Good; * Fcrir;
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CHECK RUNNING TIME WITH LOCAL EXCHA
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I r ^• CHECK RUNNING TIME WITH LO
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' . 20th Century-Fox d. N o. Title
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Opinions on Current Productions; Ex
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. wi , Mioef. A:S: 10c per word, Tn
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Boxoffice-December.02.1950

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