Boxoffice-May.03.1952

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, STUDIO PERSONNEUTIES Briefies Columbia "A Train Called Schmow," starring the Three Stooges, was placed before the comeros by Producer- Director Jules White Warners Owen Crump was inked to meg three sports shorts, the initialer to be a Technicolor one-reeler. "White Horse Ronch." Cleiiers Metro DAVID RAKSIN is writing the score for "Tribute to a Bod Man," HUGO FRIEDHOFER is scoring "Above and Beyond." Meggers Metro JOSEPH LEWIS wos signed to direct "Desperote Search," a suspense drama to be produced by Matthew Ropf, Independent Jock Broder Productions booked WILLIAM BEAU- DINE to pilot "White Woman of the Lost Jungle" for Realort. 20th Century-Fox Held for another term was Producer STANLEY RUBIN. Options Columbia REX REASON, leading man recently under contract to Metro, signed a term ticket, his first assignment to be set shortly. ANGELA STEVENS was set as femme lead opposite George Montgomery in the Technicolor western, "Jack McColl, Desperado," which Sidney Sclkow is directing for Producer Sam Kotzman. Independent Edward Small Productions tagged YVONNE DE CARLO to star in "Savage Frontier," Technicolor adventure drama to be directed by Sidney Salkow. Metro ROBERT HORTON was handed a topline in "Apache Trail." Booked for the Gilbert Roland topliner was GLENDA FARRELL. Hayes Goetz will produce and Harold F. Kress will meg the western. PIER ANGELI draws a top spot in "Sombrero." Inked to a term ticket was VITTORIO GASSMAN, young Italian actor, who will make his U.S. debut in Producer Jack Cummings' "Sombrero." " Monogram Cost in the Wild Bill Elliott starring western, "The Maverick," were MYRON HEALEY, RAND BROOKS and FLORENCE LANE. Thomas Carr is megging the Vincent M. Fennelly production. Featured spots in "Army Bound" went to STEVE WAYNE, CAREY LOFTIN, LOUIS TOMEt, JOEY RAY, LARRY STEWART and LISA WILSON. GIL STRATTON JR., MURRAY ALPER, DANNY WELTON and JOHN FONTAINE also were cast. A cast addition for "Sea Tiger' was MARVIN PRESS. Paramount Cast in the Hope-Crosby-Lamour starrer, "Road to Bali," was PAT DANE. The Technicolor comedy, o Harry Tugend production, is being directed by Hal Walker. Character actor LEO GENN was inked for "Pleasure Island," Technicolor romantic comedy starring Don Taylor and to be megged by F. Hugh Herbert. Paul Jones will produce. RKO Radio Contractee ARTHUR HUNNICUTT draws a key comedy role in the Jean Simmons starrer, "A Likely Story,' which Ltoyd Bacon will direct for Producer Robert Sparks. Republic Set OS the femme leads in "Thunderbirds" were MONA FREEMAN end EILEEN CHRISTY. Joining the cast wos WALLY CASSELL. John H. Auer is producing ond directing the national guard drama. 20th Century-Fox Given a contract extension wos octor JEFFREY HUNTER. DONALD RANDOLPH, Broadway actor-director, was handed o featured role in "Night Without Sleep," o Robert Gassier production starring Gory Merrill and Linda Darnell. The director is Roy Baker. Thor Productions, independent unit headed by Bert Friedlob, inkad WALTER SANDE, HUGH SANDERS, CARLETON YOUNG, EDDIE MARR, MICHAEL ROSS and NORMAN BUDD for "Pome Stricken," the Joseph Cotten-Tereso Wright vehicle, which Andrew Stone is megging. Actress MITZI GAYNOR wos held for another term. Her next role will be in Producer George Jessel's "Bloodhounds of Broadway." United Artists Aspen Pictures inked MOIRA, 19-year-old native of Somoo, for one of the leads opposite Gary Cooper in "Return to Paradise." With Mark Robson megging, the picture is to be filmed on location in the South Seas. Universal-International TYRONE POWER has been signed to star in "Mississippi Gambler," upcoming Technicolor subject to be produced by Ted Richmond and directed by Randolph Mate. KLYE MAC DONNELL, New York stage and TV oc tress, makes her film bow in "The Great Companions," to be produced in Technicolor by Albert J. Cohen. With Dan Dailey ond Ann BIyth in the leads, the feature will be megged by Douglas Sirk. Warners DORIS DAY will be teamed with Danny Thomas in the upcoming new version of "The Jazz Singer," which will be produced by Louis F. Edelman and megged by Michael Curtiz. Cost in "The Iron Mistress" was DICK PAXTON. Tagged for "The Desert Song," starring Kothryn Grayson and Gordon MacRae, was comedian DICK WESSON. Bruce Humberstone is directing the Technicolor musical for Producer Rudi Fehr. ALAN HALE JR. and PHILIP CAREY drew top supporting roles in the Gory Cooper starrer, "Springfield Rifle," which is being produced in WornerColor by Louis F. Edelmon. Andre De Toth is the megaphonist. Cost in the western were DAVID BRIAN ond LON CHANEY JR. NANCY OLSON garnered the femme lead and ALAN NAPIER a top character role in "Jim McLain," John Wayne starrer being produced by Wayne and Robert Fellows. Hal Baylor was booked. With Edward Ludwig directing, the oction drama is being shot on location in Hawaii. Scripters Metro RUTH BROOKS FLIPPEN is developing "Ghost of a Chonce" as a musical to be produced by William Grady jr. Story Buys Independent Film rights to Maxwell Anderson's stage ploy, "Anne of a Thousand Days," were purchased by Fred Fmklehoffe, who plans to produce tt in Technicolor next fall in London, with Rex Horrison and Lilli Palmer as the stars. Volcono Productions, newly organized independent outfit headed by Robert Angus and William Lewis, purchased "Angels on Horseback," by Kitty Buhler, as Its first filmmaking venture. The yarn deals with the U.S. public heolth service's backwoods nursing system, carried on by women on horseback. Metro "My Pal Geechy," a comedy original by James Poe, was purchased and assigned to Henry Bermon to produce. The screenplay will be developed by Jerry Davis. Paramount "Morro Treasure," an adventure novel by David Duncan, was acquired by Pine-Thomas Productions for Technicolor filming. Duncan has been inked to write the screenplay. The yarn deals with the headhunting Jivaro tribe in the jungles of Colombio, Universal-International Acquired and assigned to Ted Richmond to produce was "The Curse of the Scarlet Sphinx," an original screenplay by Don Martin. It deals with on archaeologist's expedition to Egypt to locate a treasure in on ancient tomb. Technically Monogram MEL SHYER is functioning as ossistant director on "The Movenck," with ERNEST MILLER rapher and SAM FIELDS os film editor. as photog- RKO Radio HARRY WILD will photograph "A Likely Story." ED KILLY will be the unit production manager. Republic Crew assembled for "Thunderbirds" includes KEN- NETH HOLMES, unit manager; REGGIE LANNING, cameraman; RICHARD VAN ENGER, film editor; FRANK HOTALING, ort director; HERB MENDELSON, assistant director, and ROLAND 5KEETE, special effects. Title Changes Columbia "Counterspy in Hong Kong" to TARGET HONG KONG. Metro "Eagle on His Cop" to ABOVE AND BEYOND. "Mash 66" to BATTLE CIRCUS. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to I'M FROM MISSOURI. Monogram ' "Plow Jockeys to FEUDIN' FOOLS. RKO Radio "A Likely Story" to BEAUTIFUL BUT DANGEROUS. 20th Century-Fox "Something for the Birds" to OLD SAILORS NEVER DIE. Principal Partners Into Drive-In Circuit LOS ANGELES—Bringing additional topechelon management and capital into southern California's outdoor theatre operations, Sol Lesser, Mike Rosenberg and Col. Fred Levy have acquired a substantial interest in Pacific Drive-In Theatres, the southland's largest ozoner circuit, with 16 units in and around the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Lesser, Rosenberg and Levy also are partners in Principal Theatres, circuit of conventional indoor houses here, in addition to which Lesser is a pioneer of the production field. Operational control of Pacific Drive-Ins was only recently acquired by William R. Porman on lease from C. A. Caballero, founder of the circuit. Ethel Barrymore Cast For TV Film on Mother HOLLYWOOD—Marking her TV debut, Ethel Barrymore has been cast with Ruth Hussey in "The Greatest Mother," special half-hour television film being lensed by Jerry Fairbanks Productions for Mother's day telecasting. Other topliners are Loretta f Young and Gene Lockhart. The picture is being produced by Father Patrick Peyton of . the Family Theatre. The program will be I offered to all TV stations without charge for sustaining showings on Mother's day. Miss Barrymore appears destined for an active career in television, since she was re- 1 cently set by Monogram's video subsidiary. Interstate Television, to headline a proposed "Ethel Barrymore Theatre" dramatic series. * * * Pending wage stabilization board approval, the Alliance of Television Film Pi-oducers, Hal Roach Productions, Rowland Reed Productions and Cascade Productions have entered into a new bargaining agreement with the Screen Actors Guild. The ticket, effective Thursday (8), embraces the new SAG daily and weekly freelance minimum wages as recently negotiated with major theatrical film producers. In the interim, negotiations continue on other SAG requests, including rates for weekly freelancers in multiple-picture deals and additional payments for reuse of TV films. Sho Low Theatre Is Opened i SHOW LOW, ARIZ.—The new $50,000 Sho i Low Theatre opened here recently as a Rawl- j| ings-Nace enterprise. Jerry RawUngs is manager of the 420-seater. i 50 BOXOFFICE :: May 3, 1952: j
. . . because . Appeal Jarrico Case; Reverse Scott Ruling HOLLYWOOD—Plans for an immediate appeal and the announced determination to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary, were disclosed by the Screen Writers Guild after a superior court ruling denied an SWG request for a petition to force RKO Radio to arbitrate the widely publicized screen credits dispute involving scenarist Paul Jarrico and the Howard Hughes film company. Superior Judge Roy L. Herndon turned down the SWG request on the grounds that the controversy between jarrico and Hughes does not "primarily involve" the rights of the guild. Still awaiting determination are two other court actions: one brought by RKO Radio against Jarrico, seeking a ruling that the studio not be held liable because the writer's name was eliminated from the screen credits on "The Las Vegas Story." and one brought by Jarrico against the studio, charging breach of contract. Almost simultaneously. Federal Judge Ben Harrison reversed the ruling of a jury which awarded Adrian Scott. RKO writer-producer and member of the so-called "unfriendly 10," more than S70.000 in damages for asserted breach of contract. Acting on a motion by RKO Radio attorneys, the jurist ordered a new trial, holding that Scott's refusal to testify at a House Un-American Activities Committee probe constituted a violation of the morals clause in his studio contract. At the same time, however, Judge Harrison upheld the verdict of the same jury in a companion suit filed by scenarist Ring Lardner jr. against 20th Century-Pox, in which Lardner w-as awarded $20,000 in damages. In this instance, the jurist pointed out, the studio inked Lardner to a new contract after he made his Red probe appearance, and consequently the company had waived its right to invoke the morals clause in Lardner's pact. New Meggers Scale Goes To $550 Weekly and Up HOLLYWOOD—Given the nod of approval by the membership, the Screen Directors Guild is upgrading modifications in the craft's basic agreement with the major producers, agreed upon after a series of meetings between SDG negotiators and producer representatives. The revision bring the minimum salary for meggers of westerns up to $550 weekly, with a four-week guarantee, on pictures budgeted at $100,000 or less. On all other features the upped to a $550 weekly minimum with scale is a five-and-one-half week guarantee. To Present Polio Respirator HOLLYWOOD—Songwriter Jimmy Mc- Hugh's Polio foundation will present its fifth polio respirator for children to Dr. Albert Bowers of the Los Angeles county hospital in ceremonies to be staged Tuesday (1). Disney Signs Nature Expert HOLLYWOOD—Walt Disney has signed Rutherford Piatt, nature authority, to assist in preparing an upcoming True-Life Adventure on the life of the honeybee. The halfhour semidocumentary is for RKO release. TO the Hollywood AFL Film Council a double bow. One for its forthright stand in challenging the blanket condemnation of Hollywood guilds and unions issued by Rep. Donald Jackson in a recent speech before the Los Angeles Kiwanis club. The second because its precedential, courageous action could and should be used as a pattern for similar procedure by other industry organizations, not only in Hollywood but throughout the remainder of the nation. Over the signature of Roy M. Brewer, its chairman, the AFL Film Council addressed a letter to Congressman Jackson in which, with refreshing absence of equivocation, it was pointed out that "long before the public had its eyes opened to the Communist menace," the present AFL unions and guilds in the film capital "were battling the Communists in every way within their legal rights and, at times, in ways extrajudicial, to say the least." The congressman's charge that the film crafts are keeping on their membership lists studio workers identified with communism was met. in the council's reply, by the explanation that if any Red is "presently a member of an AFL union or guild in Hollywood, and his union or guild should oust him of his party membership, that Communist could keep right on working" because the Taft-Hartley law "prevents a union from denying work opportunities to a person because he is a Communist." Reminding Representative Jackson, who is a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, that he voted for the Taft- Hartley law. the film council's communique urged the solon to work for the amendment of that legislation, and concluded; "You. Mr. Jackson, are not helping our nation when you falsely accuse the very organizations which have been the spearhead of the battle against Communist conspirators in Hollywood." No one would dare to question Roy Brewer's position as a patriotic citizen of both his country and his industry. A staunch and militant anti-Communist, he is, in addition to his chairmanship of the council, an active member of the Motion Picture Industry Council and is the top brass in Hollywood of the powerful lATSE. He has served untiringly and effectively on scores of committees dedicated to charity drives and other undertakings of all-industry proportions and benefits. In taking sharp issue with Jackson, the council hit him in a spot that hurts any politician the most—his source of votes. Representative Jackson W'as elected from a district in which reside many of the 20.000 members of the film council. Tlieir protest against his arbitrary, thoughtless blanket accusations should give him pau.se for thought before he again, willy-nilly, singles out the motion picture industry or any department thereof as an always-handy whipping boy. There are other members of Congress, and they come from all parts of the country, who have always been too eager to take picks on Hollywood. Regardless of their geographical origin, they have in their respective constituencies many voters whose livelihoods come from some branch of the motion picture industry—executives and employes of the exhibition and distribution fronts. If every organization of such persoas, be it union or commercial, would make It a matter of regular busine.ss to write Its congressmen, in similar vein to that pursued by the Hollywood Council whenever its chosen lawmakers cast unfounded accu.satloas at the film capital and its people, the result would be a sharp decline in the .solonic propensity toward seeking headlines at Cinemania's expense. Furthermore, it would be a salubrious manifestation of the solid-front position that the industry's top brass has decided, through COMPO, TOA and other comparable groups, is so highly necessary for the future best interests of the trade. In a letter to its membership, the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of .•\merican Ideals announced that one /big^niev Stypulkowski is to be substituted for Whittaker Chambers as principal speaker at the anti-Red group's May 14 meeting. In billing Zbigniev Stypulkowski, the alliance describes him as "a brilliant speaker—no accent." The MPAer who introduces him without an accent rates an Oscar. Bad news travels fast—and far; the good is "often interred . ." For the past several months, the press both trade and general—has been devoting much space to the heckling of the motion picture business and some of its output on the part of certain segments of the American Legion and that organization's weekly magazine; with widespread intra-industry publicity anent what was being planned, by Eric Johnston and others from the trade's high echelons. to offset the growing menace. On the other side of the ledger, consider the recent visit to the film capital of Frank C. Hilton, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, who was here to bestow upon William Goetz, in charge of production at Universal-International, a VFW citation for the studio's "Bright Victory," which was hailed as a contribution to veterans' rehabilitation. Commander Hilton on that occasion declared, "The film industry, both management and artists, should be accorded the grateful thanks of all service organizations for their patriotic contributions . . . which cannot be adequately measured. But it merits our deepest appreciation." As far as can be ascertained, broadcasting of Hilton's paeans of praise and gratitude was limited to a routine news release from U-I's publicity department, and very little space in the public prints. Here was something—most especially the reference to "all service organizations"—into which the Motion Picture Council and the Studio Publicity Directors committee, two outfits ostensibly dedicated to the improvement of Hollywood's public relations, might have sunk their teeth— if any. BOXOFFICE May 3, 1952 SI
Page 1 and 2: I !|i # Vorierir Clubt Intcrnoliono
Page 3 and 4: TRADE FRBSS Cte^ \\ * tYONO ft UtVI
Page 5 and 6: RUTH I PICERNI RICHARO WEBB • •
Page 7 and 8: i Wishington I , BEN i lAMES I I Pu
Page 9 and 10: JOHNSTON SEES INDUSTRY DUE FOR NEW
Page 11 and 12: DP CITATION WON BY DAYTON TENT /ARI
Page 13 and 14: j ste&aca^ MAY REtEASE DEADLINE-U.S
Page 15 and 16: wing ii'me! HE'S GOING PLACES IN CO
Page 17 and 18: NCA HOLDS UNIQUE FORUM 150 Press Ex
Page 19 and 20: B FECIAL , e;/ice for xibitors.. TH
Page 21 and 22: Bfetiifeen the Sea and the Sierras
Page 23 and 24: In the Newsreels Movietone News, No
Page 25 and 26: n^RSi 11! Peak As A 1 T T i 1 D YOU
Page 27 and 28: YOOR P/CWRBS/ fg^^uT^^^ ^^tk ^ WITH
Page 29 and 30: The audience walked out! In the las
Page 31 and 32: CHESTER FRIEDMAN EDITOR HUGH E. FRA
Page 33 and 34: EYE APPEAL IN LOBBY DISPLAYS DOWN I
Page 35 and 36: ) Merchants Gel Proof That Theatres
Page 37 and 38: Brandt, Weisman Keep Trans-Lux Cont
Page 39 and 40: WB) B. B. Kreisler Heads Foreign Fi
Page 41 and 42: . . Morris . . Tent PHILADELPHIA Be
Page 43 and 44: . . Grand . . The WEST VIRGINIA At
Page 45 and 46: . . . Lewis outdoor rally arranged
Page 47 and 48: . . The B ALT I MORE Maryland MPTO
Page 49: t Hollywood NEWS AND VIEWS THE PROD
Page 53 and 54: . . . Dorothy . . Gibraltar . . M.
Page 55 and 56: . . . Nate . . . Mr. . . . Among .
Page 57 and 58: H 1 hamis, : the i ' I for \ monthl
Page 59 and 60: I Third Warner Meeting Convenes in
Page 61 and 62: Convention on Train Plans Under Way
Page 63 and 64: Film Industry Blood Bank Establishe
Page 65 and 66: 1,400-Seat Plaza Theatre Opens in M
Page 67 and 68: Premiere Carbine' Twice for Crowds
Page 69 and 70: I BOXOFnCE PEEN" YOUR LDQUARTERS T
Page 71 and 72: HARRY HART By pRED McLENDON and Al
Page 73 and 74: U Hoblitzelle to Get Good Citizen H
Page 75 and 76: Tent 17 Distributes Tickets for Der
Page 77 and 78: . . . Corpus M. J. Mullin Receives
Page 79 and 80: 'Convertible' Theatre Started at Un
Page 81 and 82: NORTH CENTRAL ASS'N INVITES COOPERA
Page 83 and 84: . . Arden MILWAUKEE TTnivcrsal and
Page 85 and 86: . . Reno MINNEAPOLIS . . Four drive
Page 87 and 88: . . . Frank . . Roy . . Sam OMAHA
Page 89 and 90: 'HOW TO IMPROVE BUSINESS/ THEME OF
Page 91 and 92: . . Junior . . Bob . . . . Disney's
Page 93 and 94: I light . . Waller Norris Named Bul
Page 95 and 96: . . With he came here seven years a
Page 97 and 98: LYNN f*lem L. McCann, Lynn's younst
Page 99 and 100: . . State . . The . . Rubin . . Mrs
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Seek Formula for Maritimes Drive-In
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. . The Only Two Pictures Rejected
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profit picture! X-.^J," i i Just as
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Mq\% Any Other (Z^nlea/tUu Consider
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The Accent is on Comfort at the New
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LUXURY HOUSE • For Shopping Cente
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LUXURY HOUSE • For Shopping Cente
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USE SCREEN TO PROMOTE SALES Continu
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REFRESHMENT SERVICE Prominence of T
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REFRESHMENT SERVICE Research Progra
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MORE POP TO THE POUND Continued hor
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Like everybody else, he's kept an a
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REFRESHMENT SERVICE Check the Smoki
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REFRESHMENT SERVICE Many Theatres M
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HI AVE a motor directly to the carb
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The i^onara tu la tionS '9 to HARRY
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IT'S A PLEASURE TO PLAY A PART IN P
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32 The MODERN THEATRE SECTION
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These views 0/ production processes
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Anniversary of Harry Strong and the
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j MEMOIRS OF PROGRESS Continued fro
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j j PROJECTION AND SOUND Change You
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SNAPIJTB USERS CHECK YOUR OIL? Cont
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CHECK YOUR OIL? Continued from page
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A cleanup campaign must precede a g
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MANUAL OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Co
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^ Exhibitors Should Strive to Win G
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You Can't Buy A GOOD Rectifier for
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A Manual of Drive-In Design and Ope
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c e i t, BALLANTYNE'S Completely Pr
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DRAW CROWDS WITH FIREWORKS! DRIVE-I
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READERS' BUREAU For literature on p
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RCA'S Comprehensive As on adjunct t
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ARE YOU COVERED? An Insurance Execu
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Removable Film Trap Door P-894 Aids
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KROEHIER Easy ^'"'"^ "^ office! "l^
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PICTURES UNSTEADY 9 No. E-78L Remov
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J. Robert Hoff, president of the Th
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advance was | I The EXHIBITOR HAS H
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Good; REVIEW DIGEST Very Good; ' '
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.C. ! Unknown .CD. I Disc ' ' mymi
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I I Retreat, D. . FEATURE fe I I I
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' ' Mffuy 6-16.52 10-27-51 . . . '
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. . He's . . Carrying . . When . .
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Your projectors . . . your sound sy
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Boxoffice-May.03.1952

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