Boxoffice-October.27.1951

Republic Will Appeal
Roy Rogers TV Ruling
HOLLYWOOD—With a formal decision due
to be entered within the next few days, all
indications were that Republic would immediately
file an appeal in the precedential federal
district court suit whereby Judge Pierson
M. Hall ruled in favor of cowboy star Roy
Rogers in his action to prevent the studio
from selling and/or leasing Rogers starrers
to television.
Judge Hall was expected to enter his formal
decision after attorneys for Rogers have submitted
their findings of fact and conclusions
of law. Meantime Republic has made no official
comment beyond the declaration by one
legalite that an appeal will be filed.
Rogers was granted an injunction preventing
Republic from disposing to video of any
pictures made by the sagebrusher while he
was under contract to the valley studio. In
his ruling, Judge Hall upheld the actor's
contention that he has "the right to control
any commercial sponsorship or any advertising,
commercial or publicity purposes to
which his name, voice or likeness is attached
for other than the motion pictures which
Republic has already made."
The verdict was based upon the court's interpretation
of a term contract entered into
between Rogers and Republic in 1937 and subsequently
amended, and a new contract
signed in 1948. Judge Hall opined that even
if the Rogers films were to be telecast on a
sustaining basis, it would be considered a
"commercial u.se," and his ruling thus, in effect,
prohibits the dating of Rogers westerns
for any type of TV programming.
The decision was regarded by the Screen
Actors Guild as being of "great interest to
all motion picture actors." The SAG's executive
secretary, John Dales jr., commented that
"a prime goal" of the organization is to "stop
any theatrical pictures from being released
on television without suitable, fair arrangements
with the actors." To that end, the
SAG recently served notice on Lippert Productions
that its contract with that company
is being canceled on the grounds that Lippert
sold several films made after Aug. 1,
1948, to video stations, although the SAG
requires that "satisfactory" additional payment
must be made to the actors involved in
the event that pictures made after that date
are acquired for telecasting.
Although Rogers was granted his injunction,
the court denied damages asked by the
western star, who alleged Republic's plans to
sell and/or lease his films to TV had hindered
finalization of Rogers' plans to enter
video production on his own. Rogers additionally
had claimed Quaker Oats canceled
his radio show, and sought damages of $100,-
000. Judge Hall opined, however, that the
evidence in this regard was "nebulous and
uncertain."
Rogers has now embarked on a series of
30-minute TV programs starring himself under
sponsorship of General Foods.
Audrey Hepburn Is Signed
From Stage by Paramount
NEW YORK—Audrey Hepburn, young European
actress who is rehearsing for her
Broadway stage debut in Gilbert Miller's
production of "Gigi" in November, has been
signed to a long-term contract by Paramount
to start following the New York run of the
play. Miss Hepburn, who was born in Brussels,
recently played in both the French and
British versions of the picture, "Baby Beats
the Band" and "The Lavender Hill Mob."
M-G-M TRADE SHOW- NOV. 8th