Boxoffice-January.08.1955

AND VIEWS OF THE PRODUCTION CENTER
(Hollywood Office— Suite 219 at 6404 Hollvtoood Blvd.: Ivan Spear. Western Manager)
-Busch Buys
'V Series
Anheuser-Busch Co. has
anion Runyon Theatre." a
jm Screen Gems. Columy.
It will be handled as a
ction series, with Screen
:e and also to syndicate in
by Anheuser-Busch. "The
lieatre" will begin telecastic,
owners of the California
hed an expansion progi-am
!e new sound stages are
bringing to 11 the number
on a rental basis for TV
uilding blueprints also call
ices, two projection rooms,
room, makeup and wardnation
department, 14 new
sound-dubbing department
all. Gross-Kj-asne will utithe
facilities for its own
Leisen makes his telefilm
I
id-In Wife," a half-hour
''red MacMurray, which Z.
II produce for the General
series. Penned by Joseph
e shot on the Republic lot.
orth Slated
lumbia Films
-Although at midweek deletion
had not been made
studio spokesmen affirmed
th, who last appeared for
'Mi.ss Sadie Thompson," is
in an additional two picr
will be "Joseph and His
udgeted Biblical drama,
iduced by Jerry Wald and
m Dieterle, probably on lo-
•
Land.
e of MPRF Cards
-Representing a gain of
vious year, Motion Picture
Lstmas card sales reached
high of 113.000 during the
it was reported by Lucille
•man. Proceeds go into the
;o aid the needy of the film
g maintenance of a wela
country house and a hosf
the card sale was handled
Dlicity directors committee
lotion Picture Producers.
PLAQUE TO CURTIZ — Megaphonist
Michael Curtiz poses on the set at Paramount
studio with the BOXOFFICE Blue
Ribbon Award bestowed upon him when
"White Christnuis," the Irving Berlin
musical which he directed for producer
Robert Emmett Dolan at Paramount, was
hailed by the National Screen Council as
the "best picture for the whole family" to
go into release during November 1954.
Curtiz currently is directing "The Vagabond
King" for the same studio.
Bel-Air's 'Desert Sands'
Will Be in CS and Color
HOLLYWOOD—CinemaScope and DeLuxe
color treatment will be accorded "Desert
Sands," Bel-Air Productions entry for United
Artists release, which rolls early next month
with Lesley Selander directing.
Ralph Meeker and Maria English have the
starring spots in the French Foreign Legion
action drama, produced by Aubrey Schenck
and Howard W. Koch.
G. Johnson Joins Wallis
HOLLYWOOD—New publicity director for
Hal Wallis Pi-oductions is Grady Johnson,
former Hollywood columnist and newspaperman
who has been a member of various studio
praisery staffs during the past several years.
Johnson succeeds Gene Brooks, who had been
handling the Wallis publicity chores on a
temporary basis.
Borrows Jane Russell
HOLLYWOOD—Producer Howard Welsch
has borrowed Jane Russell from Howard
Hughes, to whom the actress is under personal
contract, to star in "Portofino," which
Welsch will film independently beginning in
April. A release will be negotiated later for the
Technicolor adventure drama, based on a
story by Berne Giler.
Film Council Condemns
Charity Duplication
HOLLYWOOD—Which organization has
the jurisdiction over charity solicitations in
the television film field was thrown up for
grabs when on Tuesday i4i, acting on behalf
of the Motion Picture Permanent Charities
Committee, the Hollywood AFL Film Council
pas.sed a lengthy resolution condemning
Radio-Television-Recording -Advertising
Charities. Inc., for assertedly infringing upon
the PCC's domain.
The film council's resolution charged that
duplication of fund raising efforts in the TV
film field has "caused confusion and a sub-
.stantial loss in subscriptions" since "many
donors refuse to give to either organization."
Calling it an intolerable situation, the AFL
group urged that the sponsors of filmed TV
shows bring the matter to the attention of
telefilm firms which are not making PCC
charity deductions as requested by their employes
or who are not permitting PCC solicitations
for new donors on their lots.
Subsequent to the passage of the film council's
resolution, an official of RTRAC was
quoted as calling the action "unjustified."
Mendes-France's Life to Be
Prepared for CBS-TV
HOLLYWOOD—As an entry on its
Climax
show, sponsored by Chrysler, CBS has signed
Bernard Girard to script "Escape," a onehour
TV dramatization of the World War
II experiences of Pierre Mendes-France,
French premier, who will personally tape the
narration.
• * •
United Productions of America has been
commissioned to turn out a five-minute animated
film, in color, by the Health Information
Foundation. It will be distributed to television
and in educational markets to point
up the value of health insurance.
Award to Danny Kaye
HOLLYWOOD-Por his
work as ambassador-at-large
for the United Nations International
Children's Fund, Danny Kaye has
been selected by the Denver Hospital and
Sanatorium as recipient of the Institution's
Humanitarian of the Year for 1954 award.
Previously honored have been Mrs. Eleanor
Roosevelt. Dore Schary, George Jessel, Paul
G. Hoffman and Drew Pearson. The presentation
will be made March 20 at a $100-aplate
Humanitarian dinner event at the
Beverly HilLs Hotel. Don Hartman, Paramount
executive producer, is chairman of the
dinner arrangements committee.
nuary 8, 1955 39