Boxoffice-December.17.1955

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Color, CS Dominate
B way for Holidays
NEW YORK—New Yorkers will
have their
choice of three stage-screen shows during
the Christinas holidays for the first
time in 1955, and color and Cinemascope
will be in the majority. In addition to
the Radio City Music Hall's annual Clu-istmas
pageant, coupled with "Kismet," which
opened December 8. the Roxy returned to ice
stage shows December 15 for the first time
since 1953 with "Happy Holiday, U.S.A.,"
and the Cinemascope film, "The Rains of
Ranchipur." The RKO Palace will continue
Its eight acts of vaudeville, in conjunction
with "The Spoilers," starting December 23.
In addition. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
are expected to make personal appearances
on the opening day of "Artists and Models"
at the Paramount Theatre December 21.
In addition to "Kismet" and "The Rains of
Ranchipur," both in CinemaScope and color,
and "Artists and Models," in VistaVision and
Technicolor, the new pictures for Christmas
will include "The Court-Martial of Billy
Mitchell," in CinemaScope and color at the
Criterion Theatre; "The Indian Fighter," in
CinemaScope and color, at the Mayfair Theatre:
"It's a Dog's Life, " in CinemaScope and
color, at the Normandie; "Heidi and Peter," in
Technicolor, at Uie Little Carnegie; "Dance
Little Lady," in Eastman Color, at the Globe;
"The Naked Sea," in color, at the Baronet;
"The Littlest Outlaw," in color, at the Trans-
Lux 52nd Street Theatre, plus three holdover
long-runs. "Cinerama Holiday" at the
Warner Theatre, and "Oklahoma!" in Todd-
AO. at the Rivoli. both of these two-a-day
films, and "Guys and Dolls." in Cinema-
Scope and color, at the Capitol.
The total of color pictures playing in New
York during the holidays will be 14 out of a
total of 24 first run Broadway or east side
art houses.
The current art house pictures which will
hold over through the holidays include:
"Diabolique." French film at the F^ne Arts;
"Umberto D.." Italian film at the Guild: "The
Prisoner," British film starring Alec Guinness.
which opened at the Plaza December 10. and
"Hill 24 Doesn't Answer." Israeli film in
English, at the World Theatre. New art
house fare which will open before Christmas
will include: "The Night My Number Came
Up." British film at the Sutton; "Letters
From My Windmill." French picture at the
Paris, and "Dementia." a psychological film,
at the 55th Street Playhouse.
All of these seven art house films are blackand-white,
as are three of the new Broadway
films. "The Man With the Golden Arm,"
which opened at the 'Victoria December 15:
"The Rose Tattoo." in VistaVision. which
opened at the Astor December 12. and "Man
With the Gun." which will open at Loew's
State December 21.
But CinemaScope and color will predominate
in the Broadway first runs at Christmas
time.
Meyer Hutner Resigns
NEW YORK—Meyer Hutner. who has been
in charge of "Carousel" and other Cinema-
Scope 55mm productions for the 20th-Fox
publicity department, has resigned effective
December 31. He has been w-ith the company
nine years. After a vacation he will announce
his future plans.
100% Vista Vision in '56
For Rank Productions
Hollywood — Vi.staVision pholofn~dphy
will be employed on all of the 18 features
to bf produced by the J. .Arthur Rank orfranizution
in 1956, it was reported here
Wednesday (14) by Bert Easoy, head of
the Rank camera department. During
the current year seven Rank-sponsored
features were filmed in the system developed
by Paramount.
Easey and Georpe .'Vshworth. Rank
kinematoKTaph engrineer, have checked
out for London after placing an order
here with Mitchell Camera Co. for five
more regular VistaVision cameras and
four of the newly developed lightweight
cameras. While here the two Rank executives
also conferred at Paramount with
Loren L. Ryder, head of engineering and
recording.
Bomb Hoax Stops Show
NEWARK—An anonymous phone call to
the Paramount, taken by an usher during
a recent showing of "The Desperate Hours."
gave the theatre this warning: "There are
two suitcases and they have bombs in them.
They'll explode between 5:45 and 6 p. m."
Manager Nicholas Pasquale summoned the
police emergency squad and requested the
audience of 300 to move out to the lobby
while the theatre auditorium was searched.
A 15-minute hunt by pohce and staff failed
to find dangerous suitcases, however, so the
audience returned to the auditorium to share
the perils of Fredric March's embattled film
family.
Query on Film Prices
Mailed by Md. Allied
BALTIMORE— Allied Motion Picture Theatre
Owners of Maryland has mailed to all
members a questionnaire asking these questions:
1. Do you run MGM pictures: How much
do you pay for trailers? If trailer is black and
white, how much do you pay? If trailer is
in color do you pay an extra charge?
2. Same queries repeated, substituting
Warner Bros, for MGM, with an extra query
added: Do you pay more percentagewise for
Warner trailers or MGM trailers?
3. National Screen trailers. Are you on a
weekly service? How much do you pay per
week? If trailer is in color do you pay an
extra charge? If you buy trailers on a single
trailer basis known as "Z" contract, how much
do you pay per trailer? How many features
do you run a week?
Members are requested at the end of the
communication to fill in same within three
days and mail to the Allied office in Baltimore.
It is further stated, "We are trying to
get a reduction in prices for you." The trailer
committee. Meyer Leventhal. chairman, and
Aaron Seidler, signed the questionnaire.
Shean with Buena Vista
NEW YORK—Jim Shean, writer of juvenile
shows on radio and television, has joined
the advertising-publicity staff of Buena Vista
Film Distribution Co. as a copywriter, according
to Albert Margolies, director of advertising
and publicity.
Support Will Rogers Hospital Salute
'Benny Goodman Story' Bow Draws Big Crowd
TDNIBHT DHL^':_ IMVITATIONAL PREVIEW
^ "THE BENNY' GOODMAN STDRY"
JTEVE ALLfiNj^ } j
DONHA HEEQ
i
Crowd at the RKO 86th St. Theatre for "Benny Goodman" Premiere
NEW YORK—Steve Allen, who portrays
Benny Goodman in Universal-International's
"The Benny Goodman Story," and Goodman
himself headed the list of stars, publishers of
newspapers, and representatives of the music,
film, radio and TV industries who attended
the invitation preview of the picture at the
RKO 86th Street Theatre Tuesday (13).
The New York invitation preview was
duplicated with invitational exhibitor screenings
of the picture in 20 exchange cities in
the U. S. Television parties were held following
the showings to watch the 90-minute network
TV salute to the picture and Goodman
on Steve Allen's "Tonight" NBC show. This
featured newsreel clips from the New York
preview. Fred Allen, who was master of
ceremonies, Sid Caesar and Goodman. Teddy
Wilson, Lionel Hampton and Gene Krupa
all were on the TV show.
Others at the RKO 86th St. showing in
New York included: Spyros P. Skouras, Sol A.
Schwartz, Joseph R. Vogel, Robert Sarnoff,
Sam Rosen. Robert E. Kintner, James C.
Petrillo. Charles J. Feldman. Sylvester L.
Weaver. Arthur Mayer. Harry Brandt, Harry
Kalmine and Manny Sachs. Also, Joan Crawford,
Phil Silvers. Pearl Bailey. Faye Emerson,
Ella Logan, Leslie Caron, Arlene Francis,
Robert Q. Lewis, Maggi McNellis, Dave
Garroway, Oscar Homolka. Sidney Kingsley,
Madge Evans. Miriam Hopkins, Broderick
Crawford, Piper Laurie. Morton Gould. Joshua
Logan. Gregory Ratoff. Tex and Jinx McCrary,
Lee Bowman and other film, radio and TV
personalities.
BOXOFFICE :
: December 17. 1955 E-1