Boxoffice-October.04.1952

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'Peter Pan' Premiere
Due in December
NEW YORK— First prints on Wiilt Disney's
"Peter Pan" are expected In the east
around Christmas and Roy Disney hopes to
stage a premiere of the picture about that
time. Real selling will start In February
when additional prints are expected.
The arrival of Roy Disney and his party
almost coincided with the arrival of Ralph
Stolkin and his associates, who had just
taken over Howard Hughes' controlling Interest
in RKO. which distributes the Disney pictures.
Like practically everybody else In RKO.
Disney said he knew the new men only as
names he had read in the paper. A new
distribution deal for Disney is .scheduled for
diJ^cussion. He said he wanted to talk with
the new RKO men to get their ideas and
find out something about their plans.
He had no plans for changing the distribution
.setup, he said, because he has a
"great admiration " for the men now handling
sales for RKO.
During his discussion of plans for sellins
"Peter Pan" the conversation drifted around
to television. Disney said there were not
enough sponsors with enough money to make
it worthwhile for his organization to go into
TV production. "It costs about $4,000,000 to
t:inake a cartoon feature." he remarked dryly.
It is even possible that the company will
not go in on a TV show this coming Christmas.
The two previous shows hardly paid
Off.
All-Out Navy Cooperation
For 'Flat Top' Premiere
HOLLYWOOD—All-out U.S. navy cooperation
has been pledged for the Armistice day
world premiere of Allied Artists' "Flat Top"
aboard the USS Princeton, aircraft carrier,
off the coast of San Diego. Following the
screening, the picture will open day-date in
that city's Fox, State and Loma theatres.
The navy will issue jnvitations for the
event, which will highlight a day of orientation
aboard the Princeton, upon which background
shots for the film were made. In
addition to the press, film luminaries, navy
officials and civic dignitaries will attend the
showing.
Final details are being worked out in Washington,
D. C., with Capt. Lewis S. Parks,
chief of information, USN. by John C. Flinn,
Allied Artists' national publicity-advertising
chief. Navy recruiting posts throughout the
country are being alerted to give all-out
support to "Flat Top," starring Sterling Hayden
and Richard Carlson, when the Cinecolor
entry opens in their respective areas.
Morris Helprin to London
On Korda Films-TV Deal
NEW YORK—Morris Helprin, president of
London Films and American representative for
Sir Alexander Korda, flew to London via
BOAC September 27 to discuss a deal for
British pictures for both theatre and TV
showings.
active in films for TV,
Eliot Hyman. who is
and who will be associated with Korda in
the new venture, and David Stillman. lawyer,
for London on the Queen Mary earlier in
left
September.
Texas COMPO Preparing
For State Fair Exhibit
An architect's drawing of the .Motion Picture \\orld Kxi>osition (inulsir building
at the Texas State Fair.
DALLAS—Formulation of plans for the
presentation of the Motion Picture World
Exposition at the 1953 state fair of Texas
have been announced by R. J. O'Donnell,
spokesman for the executive board of the
Texas COMPO. The plan, regarded as the
most important project in motion picture
public relations, is based on an original idea
from Paul Short, representating the executive
chairmen of Texas COMPO, under whose
personal direction it will be executed.
The story of the motion picture industry
from its nickelodeon days through the slide
and silent days and the era of sound and
talking pictures to today's color film and
technical triumphs will be illustrated by
various exhibits.
A modern theatre building, circular in
shape, is being especially designed to hou.se
the display on the state fair grounds. Exhibits
from the archives and libraries of all
of the Hollywood studios including historical
data, actual costumes, properties and all
other materials concerning the growth and
development of the industry will be shown.
H. Stanley Marcus, noted Dallas merchant,
will cooperate in bringing the exposition to
Dallas and the famous Neiman Marcus models
will conduct guest tours of the affair during
the sixteen days of showing. A nationwide
radio broadcast will originate daily from the
exposition theatre and there will be a
sponsored network televised show daily in
w'hich audiences will participate. Each Hollywood
studio and the various guilds including
writers, actors, directors and producers will
be honored with a special day in which repre-
.sentatives of these groups will be guests of
the exposition at the world's largest fair.
The estimated 3,000.000 persons expected to
attend the 1953 state fair will have an opportunity
to participate in the $5,000 cash prizes
which will be given as awards to those attending
the exposition. The prizes in cash
will be awarded to those who submit the
closest estimate of the approximate number
of feet of film that has been used in the
making of motion pictures through 1952.
Price Waterhouse. International accountants,
will be engaged to obtain this footage which
will be placed in a vault and guarded day and
night by the famed Texas Rangers.
Another attraction will be the selection of
a -Mister and Miss State Fair." Candidates
for this honor will be selected each day and
the final decision will be made on the closing
day of the fair w'ith a committee of judges
from the motion picture groups determining
the winners. Prizes will be a screen test at
one of the major Hollywood studios.
A two-reel subject covering the entire history
of the motion picture growth is now
being written. Westbrook Van Voorhis will
be the commentator and the film will be
shown continuously throughout the exposition.
Tlie Lufkin Trailer Co. will construct four
of the largest trailers they have ever built
for the transporting of the exposition, thus
making it available for state and county fairs
throughout the country following its state
fair presentation at Dallas.
O'Donnell pointed out that although the
project would be national in scope, it would
be a concentration upon the 15.000.000 persons
in Texas and the southwest via radio,
television, newspapers and the screens and
lobbies of all Texas theatres to bring out the
part played by the motion picture In the life
of the community.
20th-Fox Has 25c Dividend
NEW YORK—Directors of 20th Century-
Fox Film Corp. have voted a quarterly dividend
of 25 cents on the outstanding common
payable October 31 to holders of record at
the clo.se of business October 15.
BOXOFHCE :: October 4, 1952
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