Boxoffice-March.10.1951

!B3 U.S. Features
Played UK in '50
WASHINGTON — A total of 584 feature
films were exhibited in the United Kingdom
in 1950, according to a report from the motion
picture division of the Department of
Commerce. Of these, 123 were British and
409 U.S. productions, leaving a total of only
52 features imported from other countries.
Short films shown totaled 762, of which 238
were British. The remaining 524 were almost
all American produced.
Biggest boxoffice success in Great Britain
in 1950 was an American film, with a British
feature in second place. Of the ten biggest
gross successes during the year, five were
American. Gross receipts for the year are estimated
at 112,000,000 pounds, with 38,000,000
pounds of the gross going for amusement
taxes. The gross after taxes was divided
about 60-40 between exhibitors and distributors,
the latter getting the major portion.
Imports of film raw stock in 1950 totaled
36,116,375 linear feet, worth approximately
350.000 pounds, the report states. Approximately
59 and a half million linear feet of
exposed film was imported, worth over 807,-
000 pounds. By July of this year all the film
imported into Britain is expected to be of
the new safety type.
British Censors Viewed
1,785 Films in 1950
WASHINGTON — The British Board of
Film Censors reviewed 1,785 films in 1950,
and classified 1,550 as "U," for universal exhibition,
and 234 as "A," for adults and minors
if accompanied by adults, according to a report
by the Department of Commerce. Three
hundred and twenty films were found objectionable,
but most were amended, and only
five finally rejected. One of the rejected
films was later allowed under a new license,
called "X," for films from which children
under 16 will be excluded.
442 Films Are Shown
In Austria Last Year
WASHINGTON—A total of, 442 motion pictures.
Including 18 Austrian productions,
were shown ;n Austria in 1950. Of this number,
45 per cent were American films, with
Germany the runner-up with 13.8 per cent,
according to a report from the Department
of Commerce. Fifty-one films were in color.
Native production of films is on the upgrade,
with seven films completed in the last
quarter of 1950, and. ten more scheduled for
the first quarter of 1951.
At the end of the year, there were 1,032
motion picture theatres in Austria, with a
seating capacity of 282,000. The number of
feature films that can be absorbed is estimated
at 300, and the over-supply In 1950
resulted in reduced playing time for most
films, it was reported.
To Show "Red River' in Germany
WASHINGTON — The Economic Control
AdminLstration has signed an additional contract
for a feature film to be shown in Westem
Germany, It was announced Thursday
(8). The film Is "Red River," produced by
the Motion Picture Investors Corp.. Inc.
Amount of the guaranty is $25,835, and Is
charged against last year's program.
4&-D
OFF FOR URUGUAY FESTIVAL —
Norton V. Rlchey, president of Monogram
International Corp,, and Florence Marly,
star of "Tokyo File 212," are boarding a
plane at Idlewild airport, N. Y., for the
first leg of their journey to attend the
Uruguayan Film festival, to be held at
Punta del Este, Montevideo.
Columbia Shifts Several
Foreign Department Men
NEW YORK—Several shifts have been
made in the personnel of Columbia Pictures
International Corp. by Joseph A. McConville,
president.
Nick Pery, managing director in Australia
and supervisor of several Far Eastern territories,
has been named European sales manager.
He will work under the direction of
Lacy Kastner, managing director and general
supervisor of all European operations.
Leroy Brauer, formerly supervisor in the
Near East and India and more recently a
member of the European setup, succeeds
Pery as managing director in Australia and
supervisor of other territories.
William Levy, who has been in the European
headquarters at Paris, has been
named assistant to Max Thorpe, managing
director in Great Britain and Eire.
Morris Goodman, who has been in charge
of distribution of foreign pictures in the
United States, will join Kastner's staff in
Europe and will supervise the countries
formerly supervised by Brauer.
Swedish Censors Approve
367 Features in 1950
WASHINGTON — Swedish censors passed
367 feature films in 1950. compared with a
total of 345 in 1949, the Department of
Commerce reported Wednesday (7). Of the
approved films, 236 were classified for adults
only. 21 films were rejected entirely, including
16 American features.
Of the approved 367, 63% were American,
35% French, and 33% British, productions.
Completes Screenplay
Dorothy Reid has completed the screenplay
for "The Interruption," a suspense yarn by
W. W. Jacobs, purchased by Arthur Lubin.
Swanson Wins Award
In Uruguay Show
MONTEVIDEO. URUGUAY—Gloria Swanson
was honored for the best performance
as an actress at the International Film
Festival here.
The awards were:
Best film — "Tomorrow Is Too Late," Italian study
of adolescence directed by Leonide Moguy.
Best show film — "Gerald McBoing Boing," American
color cartoon directed by Robert Cannon for
Columbia.
Best performance by an actress—Gloria Swanson
in "Sunset Boulevard."
Best performance by an actor— Michel Simon in
"The Beauty and the Devil," French film directed
by Rene Clair.
Best performance by a supporting actress—Josephine
Hull in "Harvey."
Best performance by a supporting actor—luano
Hernandez in "Intruder in the Dust."
Best director—Michelangelo Antonioni for "The
Story of a Love," produced by Franco Villani.
Best screenplay — "Tomorrow Is Too Late."
Best photography—Aldotonti for "Musolino, the
Bandit," Italian film produced by Luigi De Laurentis.
— Best sound "Seven Days
produced by Ray Boulting.
to Noon," British film
United States entries in the festival were:
"Harvey," "Sands of Iwo Jima," "Cyrano de
Bergerac," "Treasure Island," "Valentino,"
"Intruder in the Dust," "The Breaking Point,"
"Our Very Own," "Halls of Montezuma," "Of
Men and Music" and "Sunset Boulevard."
Australia Now Conducting
Better Movies Campaign
NEW YORK—Australia is carrying out a
version of the Movies Are Better Than Ever
campaign this month, with Hoyts Theatres,
Ltd., cooperating with 20th Century-
Fox. Warner Bros., RKO, United Artists and
London Films in a movie quiz.
The quiz includes filling in the lines of a
poem which ends "Hoyts movies now are
better than ever." The campaign is being
pushed through special trailers, newspaper
ads and pamphlets by the distributing companies
as well as the circuits, with LOOff
pounds in prizes.
Norman E. Gluck Chosen
V-P for United World
NEW YORK—Norman E.
Gluck has been
elected a vice-president and member of the
board of United World Films, non-theatrical
subsidiary of Universal Pictures Co, according
to James Franey, president. Gluck has
been with the company for the past three
years and for the past year has been In
charge of the television department. Gluck
was manager of the Park Avenue Theatre
during 1947 and 1948 and was with the
Skouras circuit for 12 years.
Republic Managers Meet
PITTSBURGH—Republic branch managers
I. T. Sweeney, Pittsburgh; I. H. Pollard,
Cleveland; George H. Kirby, Cincinnati, and
Sam Seplowln, Detroit, attended a sales
meeting at the William Penn Hotel here
Monday (5). Walter L. Titus jr., division
manager, presided and John P. Curtin,
New England division manager, sat in
on the meeting. Titus will visit Memphis,
Oklahoma City, Dallas, New Orleans and
Charlotte branches before returning to New
York. Curtin will visit the Cleveland and
Detroit branches.
BOXOFFICE :: March 10, 1951