«*#$■** PnbUabed Weekly at 1$4 West 4fit£ Street,. New York 19, N. Y, by Variety, Inc, Annuelaubccriptlon, $10, Single copiei, 25 cent*. Entered a* *econ 195* By WILLIAM J. HEINEMAN To Mr, Exhibitor, the man at the payoff end of the biz, I ad- dress this question: What ate you doing about the care and feeding of t the inde- pendent pro- ducer? And this plea — ' don’t kill the goose that has laid the gold- en egg! You know what an inde- pendent pro- ducer is — in- dependent in iU Heineman spirit, but not always m in- come. He’s the guy who takes a gamble on Something a little bit newer, a little bit out of the ordi- nary, a little bit less hackneyed And— in So many cases— -a little bit better. Does the independent producer come through every time? No. Does he come through often enough to pay off? Obviously, yes; it Some of the greatest films of all time— great in hbyoffice as well as critics’ notices^ Have been inde- pendent productions.) That’s why United Artists' is in. business; if it didn’t pay off, we wouldn’t have bothered. The fact is that down through the years the independents have: provided, the spark which gives a lift to the whole industry. Sam Goldwyn and David 6. Selznick are proof enough. But even in the more difficult years since the end of World War II, great new inde- pendent producers have; come tor- ward as advance scouts for the in- dustry. Stanley KramOr is an out- standing case in point, ‘turning pix (Continued On page 63) Board of directors of RKQ Pic- tures has again elected Ned De- pinet to head the Corporation. Board also returned to office alk the fop-policy execs of the com- pany except Walter V. Derham, who is on a leave of absence be- cause of illness, Named for new terms were Noah Dietrich, chairman of the board; J, Miller Walker, v.p,; secretary, and general counsel, William H. Clark, treasurer; Garrett Van Wag- ner; comptroller; Joseph J. Laub, assistant secretary, and Elwin J. Smith, Jr., assistant treasurer. Forty-sixth 'Anniversary REHABILITATION JOB By ARTHUR B. KRIM (President*, United Artists) United Artists had to face the test of our faith in the future of motion pictures in a very personal way some 10 months ago. We had1 to decide whether we would ex- pend our time and our energies arid our resources in the task of rehabilitating a motion picture company which was on the verge of disaster. This task made sense only if we, within ourselves, could find an abiding faith in the strength and future health of motion pic- tures, We had to believe, that the sickriess of this company was not chronic and. thatu it did not in any sense represent a symptom of the decline of the industry itself from its place at the head of the enter- tainment world. We had to reach this conclusion at a time when the industry had its too generous quota of pessimists. PICTUBES By NED E. DEPINET (President, RKO Radio Pictures) If the owners of any or all of the 20,000 or more picture theatres i the country thought they could make more money by turning to vaudeville, The Judy Grarland show at the Palace Theatre, N. Y., was expect- ed to hang up a record $58,000 for the week ending Monday (31). New Year’s eve price was hiked to $120. There were standees , at virtually every performance. Despite the matinee on Christmas Day, regular schedule of 10 shows Weekly pre- vailed inasmuch as the matinee was withdrawn Thursday (27). For the. Week previous, Palace did $35,000 which was okay consid- ering that the fierce , competition of Christmas shopping gave all Broadway houses slim grosses. ’52 Paramount will provide films for* test of Skiatron’s subscription on the same basis as it did for Zenith’s Phonevision, company informed Skiatron prexy Arthur Levey last week. There’s *«. blg “but,” however, in Par’s Offer. T ^or .?n® thing; it. informed Levey, it feels his request for- pix is premature” since he " hasn’t even applied to the Federal Com- munications Commission yet for permission to make the test. Also, Par declared, it wants a lot more specific information about the trial run, proposed for New York, be- ahle ^ ma^es ^ features avail- . .Lichtman, 20th-Fox’s director cLt ^‘stribution, previously had stated that his . company will not provide pix: to Skiatron. That’s in Keeping with its policy oh Pho'ne- v si°nf when it was the only riiajor which refused product to Zenith ior the experiments in Chicago jrom. January through March of last year. Meantime) Other companies cori- l1 * * 4™ed study ther- letter from nctoJ Pf the previous week. He asked preiues of all majors to pro- s'fil™5 ,for the test. It is.be-- I16Ved/whey 11 LbMow the pattern of (Contirfjed on page 61) Jan Sterling Doesn’t Like 20th to Age Her So Fast T Hollywood. Jan Sterling bowed out of co- role opposite .her husband, nn?i t)puglas, in. one- of six se- 20th’s “We’re ‘ Not Mamed” it’s just been disclosed, ^he mxed part before trekking to Korea and Japan on troop enter- tainment junket. She didn’t care to undertake' nn- giamorous role of a longtime mar- suburban wife sinking into xrge' and asked to be re- ueved. No replacement yet. zsa-Zsa Gabor is set for another sequence, • leaving ,only the; male star to appear opposite her and mss Sterling’s replacement still to be set. Chicago. Robert Lippert, at his cornpany’s first- national convention! told 110 district and division managers that the coming year should up the firm’s shooting schedule from around a $2,000,000 production outlay of the past year to more than $4,000,000 in 1952. Present list calls for 22 releases. He pointed out that “merchandis- ing films” instead of distribution would add more profits to the com- pany and is the . only way to com- bat declining boxoffice. Lippert claims that new financ- ing is becoming much easier under the new ownership setup of the firm, with stars, writers, and pro- ducers eager to join the firm. We . made the jdecision to invest ■ our future in motion pictures, be-, cause we felt then, as we do now more than ever, that the riiotion picture .industry continues to be basically healthy and that there is a place in the industry for a United Artists. We, have been so preoccupied with the day-by-day task of rehabil- itation that it would not be appro-? priate for Us to attempt, to draw specific conclusions as to the im- pact of television or of divorcement or of the. relative economics of high budget as against low budget pic- tures or of any of the many other factors which confront the indus- try over the long range. We feel that with all the Ups and downs, the pros and the cops, the balance is still on the right side of the ledger. We are tremendous .opti- mists at United Artists. We feel there is no substitute for motion pictures. Because of out* . friith in this belief, our plans for the future are very ambitious; But' Over Martin-Lewis Pact 4 Hollywood. Screen Associates’ $10,000,000 breach of contract sUit against Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Hal Wal- lis and York Pictures Corp. was settled out Of court for an undis- closed sum. | Plaintiffs, as co-producers of the M&L starrer, “At War with the Army,” claimed they had options on the services of Martin & Lewis for six more pictures. Ben Goetz to Coast For Brit. Lensing Huddles -Ben Goetz, managing director of Metro’s British Studios, in frorn London, left N. Y. yesterday (Tues.) for a three-week Coast visit. * This will be Goetz* first huddle with Culver City toppers in a year. Up for consideration will be future lensing in England and probably corporate changes in consequence Of theatre divorcement; ' Les Bernstein to Rome Lester Bernstein, film critic for Time mag for the past two years, Sails from New York Jan. 30 to join Time & Life’s Rome bureau. No replacement for the reviewing post has been chosen. Bernstein moved to Time three years ago from the N. Y. Times’ legit department. He covered the- atre ahd film news for the Luce mag prior to assuming reviewing chores. By BARNEY BALABAN (President of Paramount Pictures) - 1951 will be remembered for three significant developments in the motion picture business : ( 1 ) , The steady decline of recent years 1 e v e 1 e d off and, in recent months, moved ahead of last year: (2) the fact that good pictures could continue to' get a good recep- tion at the boxoffice; and (3), as an in- dustry, we Barney Balaban 1 e a r e d * 0 work together for the benefit of all of us. The big news of 1951 was the end pf the decline and the be- ginnings of new hope for the fu- ture. It was an “upbeat” year. We found comfort in repeated evi- dence that good pictures would hold up well at the boxoffice. Al- though this presented a challenge to all of us, it was also an assur- ance that if we produced the right product and merchandised- it with showmanship at the distributor and exhibitor- levels, We were on Solid ground. And,; finally there was the encouraging, heart-warming experi- ence of COMPO apd “Movietime U S. A.” We learned that by work- ing as a team we could advance the general welfare of every branch of our business. 1952 figures to be challenging, in some respects more so than the (Continued bn page 57) Jack Benny to Narrate Pic Memorial to Jolson Hollywood. jack Benny wili narrate the up- coming “Memorial to A1 Jolson” being put together by Ralph Staub for Columbia’s “Screen Snapshots” • 4- l - series. • Pic covers 30 years in Jolson’s life as entertainer. video, bingo or converting to parking lots, it would be done and there would be noth- ing unethical or immoral about telling .Hollywood to go fly a kite. It would sim- Ned Deplnet ply be practi- cal business. By the same code* if the creators of motion pictures are eventually- forced by financial malnutrition into an untenable position, and should turn inquiring eyes to what might be greener pastures, it would simply be in the. best tradi- tion of our profit motive system. As it is unlikely that $3,000,000,- 000 worth of movie theatre real es- tate could be quickly arid profitably converted to' Other uses it is in the best interests of the owners of this property ib keep the production machine oiled and running smooth- ly. There is only one lubricant that Will do this; It is called Profit. The trickle of this essential oil to the production machine is getting smaller arid smaller and the . haz- ards of production are getting larger all th’e time. With the hue and cry for bigger and better pic- tures, with the public’s apathy to- ward the average film and with television’s free distribution of eri- tertainment,. poor, mediocre arid excellent, we Come to the inevita- ble conclusion that something must be done. The responsibility is not Hollywood’s alone. 4 To appease the insatiable appe- tite of the public, new and costlier devices must be created to keep it thrilled, amused or merely inter- ested. This is nothing new; it is merely mpre intense now, due to the whiplash of new and vigorous competition, maturity* and there- fore greater selectivity, in public taste arid a new and vital force which we can call the “shrunken clock,” No longer is there “time to kill.” The leisure hour. is crowd- ed With things to do. The public’s problem is no longer a matter of spending money, but of profitably spending time. That the cost of making indi- vidual motion pictures will grow greater rather than less is inevita- ble. Each year since their inven- tion they have cost more to make. Each new improvement becomes routine arid is taken for granted, by a glutinous ahd somewhat sated public. In the natural evolu- tion of this business we are near- ing the point where it is neither profitable to make nor exhibit the average low budget picture. They are doomed along with many other things We have discarded in the march of progress, including the thing that first made us, the great silent picture art itself. Many other things will have to be dis- carded as we go along, obsolete methods of distribution arid exhi- bition, worn out policies, thread- bare arid provincial thinking. There are dire prophecies that thousands of theatres will be forced tri close. Undoubtedly those that have served their purpose, out- grown their usefulness, and have become barnacles and parasites on the body of the industry will go, just as they always have. It is no different in production, stars have come and gone, producers and com- panies vanished. That which can- riot pay its fare cannot travel. |. , ■ Simple Economics [ As we go along it is inevitable that there will be fewer but ; cost- lier pictures. Their, makers will try, as they always have, to make them better pictures, but whether they turn out to be bonanzas or boxoffice busts, they will cost more money to make. Time is the big factor in production, time, for writ- ing, creating, preparation, time for polishing arid refining and in this business where the bulk of cost is for labor, time is money! Today, and likely in all the days to come, every picture starts off with the weight of a terrific tax (Continued on page 57) By HERBERT J. YATES (President, Republic Pictures ) Recently I stated that. Republic planned to spend $15,000,000 in production for the screens of thea- tres throughout the World during the next 12 months. This, I believe, more elo- quently than anything else I could say or do, reaffirms my faith in the future of our industry. I have spent over 50 years Herbert J. in brirs i n e s s and have been identified with the motion picture industry almost since its inception. If I learned nothing else in my long experience than the fact that ours is a fast-moving business, and that one must constantly be alert to everchanging conditions and new developments, I would have learned the most essential lesson of show business; In this regard a large new com- petitor has recently looriied upon the horizon to join in sharing the public’s entertainment dollar, I refer of course to television .and its ever-increasing influence the American scene. None of us look upon this with any particular, delight. Yet TV is something we must, learn to live with; It must (Continued oh page 61) Subscription Order Form Enclosed find check for .$ Please send VARIETY for T ^0 Years CPleaso Print Name) ' Street ; . < . * . . . , . Zone. ... , , Strife; . . . . ; • Regular Subscription Rates , One Year— $10.00 Two Years— $1 8.00 Canada and Foreign— $1 Additional per Year 154 West 46th Street lite. New Ydrk T9. N. Y. WCTtJBES Torty-sixth Anniversary Wednesday hntmrf % 1952 Bear Hollywood Scriptwriter: Else) Is From the. Count of 9 the Pix Biz Recognizes From Realistic B.O* Performance That There*s No Embargo on Good Shows By DARRYL F. ZANUCK (Production V.P., 20 th Century-Fox) Hollywood. Like a fighter who stays on the floor for a nine-count In order to clear his head, Hollywood has climbed to its feet and looks forward to the year 1952 as another and adore promising round in the endless battle for the world's- amusement .title.. There may have been a period of uncertainty— even of gloom-nluring the year which nbw draws to a close. To deny that the film industry took it on the chin during this time would be no better than self-delusion. An in- dustry which refuses to face reality is inviting doom, and those of us who make the pictures, those who dis- tribute and those who exhibit them, alike admit the fact that we were - groggy for a whiles But, as I have repeatedly observed, Da ry • 251 k ours is an industry founded on opti- mism. In all the world there is no other industry which stakes such prodigious sums on a product that depends for success on the passing fancy of the public. A play, unless it be a concoction greater than its time, must appeal to the momentary tastes of its time. Whether by accu- rate foresight or luck, the maker of a film play must anticipate the public's whims at release time, since picture must make both its cost and profit in a compara- tively short space of time. Should a man who manufactures bathtubs find a slack- ening of consumer demand he can place his surplus in a warehouse and hope to dispose of his excess stock at a future time. But a screenplay is entertainment, and the public conception of entertainment is a matter of moods which are influenced from many directions. Economic conditions, social and world trends, any number of other things exert a pressure on the public’s entertainment moods and can change them. This is the risk which the producer, planning his costly pictures a year and some- times two ahead, has >to take. He knows it's "now or never" once his picture is released. Granting the inevitability of this risk it is not so much a wonder that so many pictures fail to return a profit, but that so .many of them do. By the time an idea is translated into story form, the screenplay is filmed, scored, edited and released, the people who would have linked the picture at the time of conception might be chasing a rainbow of an entirely different hue. It’s Happened Before With Radio i Added to this ever-existing hazard was the sudden flare- up of popularity in the past year or so of free television programs. Those of faint heart in our industry quickly envisioned calamity but the majority of us who reeled}.- and floundered under the impact did not lose our deter* ruination. We had met somewhat similar competition be- fore in the early ascendancy of radio. We also knew that our production operations Were scaled to the economic flushness of Wartime prosperity, a situation which for several years had been dwindling Without a commensurate lowering of costs on our part. We flattered ourselves by adopting a streamline policy at a time when real cost-cutting was the real panacea. So the blow was doubly hard when it came during the, early and middle half of the current year. But, like the optimists who founded the industry Whose traditions we are maintaining, we made many adjustments. We have kept in there punching, and we are on our way. to better times again. The boxoffice barometer . is rising again. But this time the rise owes nothing to an easing of economic forces or anything accidental. It is due to our ability to face reality, to realize that we must make better pictures. And we are making better pictures. As we continue to do this more people will be going to the movie theatres,, and oftener. By N. J. BLUM BERG Publishers At Loss to Find Authors For Scientific tomes Nate Slumber g (President, Universal Pictures) Each year presents the same problem: How can we increase boxoffice receipts? This is the big question. Most of the others are simple In comparison. The many technical problems in distribution and production seem to be mountains, but if we are able to make b.o. pictures; if we can continue to ballyhoo them with all our re- sources; if we eah successfully de- velop new talent and, above all, if we mind our business and Work hard, we should improve and move forward; The future is in our hands. We must plan our business with a keen sense of appreciation for the world problems as well as problems at borne. Our industry, like all others, will reflect the economy of the country. If general business conditions are good, we should get our share. Now, more than ever, we need: a united front; If we could only straighten out our point of view to the point where We work together and realize that all branches of our business are interdependent, then we can surely face the future with confidence. We have the effective instru- ment In COMPO. Movietime USA has proved what can be accomplished by concerted effort. Most of my 40 years in this business have been spent in exhibition. I know that the exhibitor needs b.o. pictures. Our company is minded to the problems of. all exhibitors, large: and small, and our studio is trying to make pictures for the mass audience. Exhibitors have shown a renewed interest in showman- ship which is so important to our good health. The dis- tributor must pave the way in advertising arid publicity, but the exhibitor must do the job in the grassroots. Our company believes that TV eventually will be our ally rather than. our . competitor. But TV is only one of our competitors. Our share of the entertainment dollar has decreased. We must get more people back into the habit of going to pictures. This requires more ballyhoo, in addition to more enter- taining . pictures. I would like to repeat what I said ovefr two years ago; "Everyone who iriakes a living in this business has the obligation to appoint himself a committee to dedicate himself to the proposition that purs is a great business and that he will meet every challenge that comes his way." Yes, the future is in bur hands. Let’s work more and talk less if we really want to direct our own destiny. All the Researchers Have Taken the Air! Bennett Cerf Yeh, Whodunit? Lee Shubert and I once, attended the opening of a mystery play at one of his theatres. It was a, pretty bad one. ‘ As the. first, act went along, Lee began to Wriggle in his seat and mutter strange sounds. During -the second act, which was worse, he leaned over to me and Whispered, "You know* John, I left this one entire- , ly to my office. They should never have started it, •Let’s get out of here." "Don’t you want to know how it comes out?"’ I asked. "How it comes out!" Lee echoed, in a whisper heard .flowri to the footlights. "That’s no mystery. The mystery is how it ever got in." —John Golden . By BENNETT CERF The reason Why there are practically no new books of scientific research this season is that there are no scien- tific researchers .who can spare the time to write them. This is one shortage, furthermore, that cannot be chalked up against defense preparations. Tele- vision is the villain. Of 114 scientific researchers who were polled for this dissertation, 47% were proving that six distinct and different brands of cigarets were freer of coaltar, tabasco sauce and other foreign substances than their rivals, 31% were giving their all for toothpastes that were al- most indecently kind to the gums, 11% Were up to their Adam’s apples, in tests designed to establish the health-giving properties of. various brands of beer, and the remaining i% Was undergoing general overhauling. Looks like it Will be easier to get the graft out of govern- ment than the graph out of advertising. Another drastic shortage that is a direct result of all this research is reported by the manufacturers of white surgical jackets. Obviously, the man who announces that, according to the Umberufen Chemical Co.’s charts, Whatchamacallit Cigarets ruin the digestion only 18 3/17% as much as all . competing brands, has to wear a white jacket or listeners are not going to believe him. They’ll turn instead to the properly accoutred announcer who follows on the samp network 10 minutes later and proves by a new set of charts that the Umberufen’s figures are more deceptive than those of the chorus in "Top Banana." Speaking for myself, all this TV hokus-pokus about labo- ratory tests and violently contradictory charts and graphs is such an overwhelming bore that I am about to declare a one-man boycott against any product that resorts to same; I realize that this probably means no cigarets, beer, toothpaste, or shaving cream in my life for a few weeks, but what’s that to a man willing to suffer some- thing for his principles? Sooner or later some trail- blazing cigaret maker is going to take time on the airwaves to tell the public, ‘‘My brand needs no chemical research. And it isn’t mild at all. What’s so great about mildness? As a matter of fact, my cigaret is just pure Virginia to- bacco, bought from the same farmers who sell all the other manufacturers, arid it’s so darn strong it may knock your back teeth out,” That’ll be the boy for me. Further- more, I bet he’ll sett so many million cigarets in the fol- lowing week he’ll be able to afford a wholemonth— with his family in Miami Beach, ^ As far as those mysterious dentifrice analyses are con- cerned, the Only person in our family who- doesn’t turn the knob the . second day they come onto the screen is: my Aunt Minnie, and she’s had false teeth for the past:- 16 years. Not that she’s ever gotten a pair to fit, She took, her latest set back to Dr. Pullman for regrindihg only last' Tuesday. .‘Til do it again— for the sixth time," hfe told her resignedly, "but I assure you they won’t possibly fit in your mouth as well as they, do nbw." "Who said anything about my mouth?" inquired Aunt Minnie angrily. "They don’t fit in my glass." By BOB CONSIDINE Bob Consldlne For your possible guidance here are some do’s and don’ts that may guide you in the future creation of newspaper characters in your films — r- Dress him some time in something beside a trench coat I distinctly remember seeing a rel porter once Who didn’t have on a trench coat. I realize this may seem preposterous to you but please take my word. Forget What this fellow’s name was, but I remember he had on a form-fitting black cashmere job with a mink collar. Had a name something like Phoebe, or Bpebe. Write one some time about re- porter who doesn’t Solve The Crime. Honest* we’re like Bugs Baer’s classic description of the bungling Hawkshaw who couldn’t track an elephant across • .... . » field of snow even though the ele- phant had a nose bleed. Every time you make a reporter into a successful sleuth Who brings to bay some scoundrel Who has baffled the F.B.I., Scotland Yard, and the NKVQ you cause the pros an epidemic of headaches, Police reporters, who believe everything they see in the movies, immediately start getting ideas about how to find the guy who basted Judge Crater with cement and dunked him somewhere, and they worry the cops into assorted dead ends. Never have, a newspaper bloke identify himself as a journalist, A journalist, once said Walter Winchell, is a newspaperman out of work. Even the products of our most distinguished Schools of Journalism never call them- selves journalists. We feet that “newspaperman” is * enough. In fact we’d rather be newspapermen than either President or right. Stop your boy from stopping presses. About the only newspaperman I ever knew Who- stopped a press was an old friend named Barney Gluttz of the Washington Sun. He got drurik one night and fell into a press, stopping it. And himself. About the: only time the presses stop in the middle of a run is to add the results of the fifth at Jamaica. Let him cut down on the grog. There are newspaper- men in this land who don’t get plastered more than two or three times a year. There are— gasp — newspapermen in this land who don’t even drink. And some who haven’t the faintest idea of what to order when they step up to a bar. Once, I swear, I saw one order a Scotch and Coca- Cola. Typed— -Biit Artistic 1 I’ll say. this much for you, pal, you sure, put your boys in comfortable looking restaurants. I like that Set that some- body built in 1923 and Hollywood has been using ever ince: you know, the One with the booth, where the re- porter takes the girl to tell her 1) he is about to blow The Big Case even though she is. Bugsy’s moll; 2) he will Take Her Out of It; 3) he is quitting the. newspaper "racket” to write a book. Just then the fatherly waiter appears, beams, and calls our hero by his first name. Nice set, all right, but not many working newspaper- men could afford to eat there. Lot of them bring their own lunch to work, or send the copy kid for coffee in a paper cup and a sandwich created by some sinister soul behind the counter of a neighborhood Quick ’ri Dirty. And, mainly, the only babes in their lives are their wives —who live in the ’suburbs with the kids and never get around to understanding why a big murder or fire or ar- rival home of Frankie and Aya needs writing, especially if the writing interferes with the bloke’s catching the 6:25 out of Grand Central. Surest way to starve a movie reporter to death is to Write a script which makes him quit— after bawling out the publisher, mariaging editor, head of the copy desk and other principals — -to write a . book. The average advance on • a first book is about $500. Only one in umpteen ever pays royalties after the down payment. Only one in about 20 ever gets even reviewed. Only one in about every thou- sand written ever gets accepted. The average newspaper- man'who chucked his job to write a book would 1) forfeit his severance pay, and 2 ) have his brains knocked out by his irate wife. Most of us are pretty dull, if the dreadful truth Were known. We’re more thrilled to meet interesting people than they tire to meet us. But mainly We see press agents, and they’re even duller than we are. We can’t answer the waiter in French, or, if we can, we can’t afford restaurants that have French waiters. Most of the sportswriters and other employees of the Toy Department of papers are frustrated athletes Who, like A.A.U. officials, can’t tear themselves away from the aroma of liniment. Most theatre critics are defeated playwrights.. Most pundits have ulcers. Most film reviewers are lucky they’re riot picked up as vagrants. But, as we always say, it’s better than working for a living. Any questions? n T. E, B. Clark, scripter of "Passport: to Pimlico," was on his way back to England last year, after hav- ing -attended-' the Venice Film Festival. He had won a medal in the Selzriick Golderi Laurel competition for his film. At Customs, he was asked if he had any- thing to declare. "Only a medal I had just won," he declared. The Customs man demanded to know if it was gold. "Sure," was the reply, as he handed it oyer. Customs man: "You know that gold cannot be brought into: the country! What did you win it for? Oh, I see-^Tassport to Pimlico.’ They say it's a film which; takes a crack at customs practices." Clark really got panicky for he had not declared his wife’s nylons. After a pause, the Customs man threw back the medal. "All right, go on; this isn’t gold anyway." >\ f«Awib^ 8,~ 1952 Forly*bth PGSUBFf Annivemay Exhibition and. Production Harnesping Big-Screen Color TV One Answer Jo Home Video’s Inroads By SPYROS P. SKOURAS (President, 20th'Century:Fox Films ) In mv opinion, the interests of the exhibition and production branches of our business are totally inter-dependent. Prosperous ex- hibition mearis prosperous produc- tion and, conversely, declining exhibition will mean declining pro- duction. If we lose our theatres, we lose everything aiid we will merely become a branch of a com- munications system that will dictate the cost of pictures and stifle creativeness, artistry and the other ingredients of showmanship that re the lifeblood of our business. Production costs still have to be reduced substantially. The industry has made, substantial progress in reducing costs, but considering the decline in attendance, particularly in TV areas* our production costs —in spite of this substantial reduc- tion—are still very high in com- parison to the boxoffice levels. Reduction of costs is our only salvation and the . industry must face this task with the greatest earnestness, if we are to stay in business. The salaries of industry per- sonnel, particularly in the brackets exceeding $500 weekly; should be reduced. Salaries of our executives and creative talent, and this in- cludes stars, producers, directors, writers, cameramen and mothers, must come down to the levels of other businesses.- These salaries are admittedly high; though it must be borne in mind that pur artistic personnel are all specialists in their respective fields and are in great demand and can easily get what they ask. : 1 In my opinion, a good plan for the industry to adopt in this re- spect, especially in view of the high taxes, would be to lower the salaries of these people but to give them a profit-sharing plan so that they will, .be amply compensated in a manner that will, be commen- surate with their contribution. Profit-Sharing As a matter Of fact, 20th Century- Fox did offer a plan whereby a voluntary reduction in salaries was asked for in all branches, which would be recouped by participation in profits, but unfortunately only pur executives, accepted it and I was happy to announce that after first six months that this plan was in operation, they received full recovery through participation in profits. While we were able to . halt the; decline of attendance somewhat in the. television areas, and business is. as good as last year, in the non- television., areas, .nevertheless, in the heavily , saturated areas such as Los. Angeles, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, business . is. lower, than it was last year; Over a long period of time it has been my personal conviction that the exhibi- tion business could be saved from the devastating affects of free and convenient home entertainment by the development of large screen color television for theatre use. We have put' our hopes and efforts- in Eidophor, Eidophor, with its color refinements and projection, will assure the presen- tation of the type . of entertainment that will attract large new; dis- criminating audiences. .1 think that theatre television will eventually be the key to the preservation of theatres. Free home, television caters to audiences >vho for tfie sake of convenience accept, it with its shortcomings in scope and quality. Theatre televi- sion will be so .far superior to home television and the entertain- ment will be so much richer and more imposing that the compari- sion in the different appeals of home television and theatre tele- vision will be the same as the quality of ; sand lot baseball com- ^d .to professional baseball. Exhibition still has" a difficult road to follow in meeting the dev- competition of TV. In addition to this, exhibition faces the necessity of keeping up With modern trends . in the physical ap- pearance of their -theatres, to make them more attractive than the home. Above all, bookings must be ar- ranged to meet public tastes. To- day, theatre bookings is a serious problem because there are 50,000,- 000 people who can see entertain- ment. in their homes and even though it may be mediocre ' and eyeri . poor, it is still free and con- venient. Therefore,, it is the most formidable competition the motion picture theatres of America ever had. 1 , • Free B’s on TV. ~f Double-billing today also pre- sents a serious problem, because the second picture is the type of picture that people can see on their television sets at home, free , This makes double-billing injurious to our business rather than an inducement, and . even though the double program is still necessary in certain areas, great care must be taken by the exhibitors to book them in such a manner that they Will be attractive enough to suc- cessfully meet the competition of television, which I repeat is free and convenient. Aggressive activity to create in- terest in the motion picture the- atre is today more important than ever before. All our ingenuity and every showmanship technique that has been established i the past must be put to use, and applied to present-day audience tastes in order to help find- a solution to the difficulties facing us. Exhibi- tors can no longer take theatre patronage for granted. As far as the future of produc- tion is concerned, I. see the neces- sity of further reductions in product tion costs, in keeping with present boxoffice levels. At the same time, the quality of the pictures must be improved and mote pictures must be produced by all the studios to meet the ever-changing tastes of the public. In particular, all our stars today, no matter who they are, must be cast in good, strong pictures in order to maintain their boxoffice value, We must also create new stars and glamorize them; Solid and unusual stories, • with ideas behind them, are necessary to attract the people into the the- atres.. ' I do not agree that only the big pictures are capable of outstanding business. . A picture with good sub- 1 ject-matter, well made, regard Jest of size, can do very well. It Is the industry’s responsibility today to provide- pictures for all types of theatres and not only for the few metropolitan first-runs, even though they contribute a major part of the film rentals. Conditions as a result of the anti-trust suit have become worse. There is more litigation; there is no backlog of pictures fpr the thea- tres; zoning and clearances are .chaotic; and the orderly.liquidation T>f product has disappeared. The expenses of the film companies have increased tremendously. To illustrate one item alone — 275 prints were all the prints required to serve, the United States before the anti-trust suit; how we need over 400 as, after the picture plays first run, practically all the exhib- itors play it at the same time, and we cannot service all our customers properly. This has affected busi- ness and the attendance at the the- atres, because at one .time tfip scale of admissions went as low as 15c as a picture was played off in a territory, run by run. Today a majority of subsequent-run thea- tres charge practically the same admissions because they want the pictures simultaneously. In New York, Chicago, Philadel- phia, Boston, Los Angeles and other large cities, before the anti- trust suit, a picture .was played off in an Orderly pattern over a period of at least five months, arid it gave an opportunity to customers to at- tend the theatres according to the size of their pocketbooks. Also, the stagger system Of exhibition gave ail opportunity to those who had heard about a certain picture to see it. Now a picture is played off within a few weeks and it is prac- tically forgotten; This isi a detri- ment to both the exhibitor and the distributor. In the midst of this chaotic con- dition created by the anti-trust suit, we were also hit hy television, arid it found us totally unprepared to meet this formidable competitor. The defendant companies lost the profits from their theatres (two companies have already lost, theiq, and three companies Will lose them in the very near future). 1 Only superior entertainment can arrest the downward trend, of grosses in television areas. In non- television areas we are generating greater interest in motion pictures through such projects as COMPO’s “Movie.time U.S.A.” and similar programs in which the industry as a whole is cooperating. While these projects have contributed to the general improvement, a great deal more work remains to .be done to rekindle interest in pictures. We must continue to go directly to tfie great family of millions of movie- goers and tell them of the quality and appeal at this time of their, favorite form of entertainment. ‘How DM Bi Stopt to Ask a Mgr. Did This film Cost?’ Blockbusters Are OK But the Main Thing Is Ts It a Good Show?’ By HAL WALLIS ELEANOR PARKER “A MILLIONAIRE FOB CHRISTY" “SC A R AM OUCH E" elty which is television. I think the two entertainment forms can exist profitably side by side. Just as the medical profession never relaxes in its fight against virulent diseases, the motion pic- ture industry must be prepared to carry on the battle against rising costs. The struggle must go on every minute of every working day. Results can be accomplished best by the elimination of waste, brought about by a determination on the part of every member of every crew to be thoroughly pre- pared— in. advance-r-for the day’s work plus the sensible application of economies in sets and the prin- ciple of cutting in script rather than in film; Costs have been cut in recent years and dramatic ef- fects frequently enhanced by shoot- ing large portions of pictures in. their natural settings away from the studio. Consider another aspect, if you will. Tremendous savings can be effected by discarding projects that on. paper, in advance of. produc- tion, are doomed to failure. A courageous and definite stand must be taken to rule out such drains on the economy q£ the industry. The competition between the theatre and television to me, is not a mutter of cost but one of quality. If we can find intriguing subjects that are off the beaten path and fresh personalities to present thei we can more than hold our o\v against television or any other tertairiment medium, TV Is Now a Real Big Kid With Muscles But By No Means a Deadly Assassin By DORE SCHARY ( Production VtP. of Metro ) Culver City. The last year, to some of us, affirmed the confidence that we felt concerning the good health of the industry. There were a number of high grossing-, films, a great- er number than the pre- v i o u s year, and the 12 months of 1952 will have even a larger nun) be r of high grossing pictures; The quality of films Dore Schary fi*d get better and is continu- ing to improve and the pool of creative talent is bubbling with in- spiration and hope. The bogey man, television, has taken on substance and shape, but he no longer is a bogey mart. While he is a competitor with muscle,' it develops that he is not nearly as deadly ah assassin as some thought he would be. At the moment, he's a nice, simple fellow who has set up a business of his own bn an- other corner, but the customers will still patronize our store be- cause we happen to. be in a differ- ent business. It’s very likely that this new competitor and ourselves will develop allied interests that may be good for everyone con- cerned. In the last year we’ve survived a number of scandals and. embarrass- ments, and undoubtedly will have to survive others in the next 12 months. We've also reached that time of. year- when awards of all kinds are being handed out. We’re delighted if we get them, arid we say they are unimportant if we don’t win them, and we look forward eagerly to next year, when we hope we are considered for them again. Joe Breen’s Operation Hollywood. . Production code administrator Joseph I. Breen is “doing quite satisfactorily” at Hollywood Pres- byterian hospital following a lung , operation. He had: been In Spain recently “DETECTIVE STORY” when stricken. Hollywood. . Undoubtedly, the - called “blockbusters,’’ colossi like “Quo Vadis,” “Samson and Delilah, “ "“David and Bathsheba” and “Great- est Show on Earth” are great for the business. They attract cus- tomers w h o haven’t been around for yea r s and their Very ex- ploitation is a stiumulant for our industry, Hal Wallis Which thrives on excitement. However; I do not subscribe to a full program of multi-million-dol- lar negative costs. For one, too fre- quent repetition of this type pic- ure would very quickly sate the public. Then consider the type of grosses rolled up by any Martin & Lewis picture (see Variety, July, 1951) and you see why there is still profit possible in films that are brought in for a million or less. Personally, I have never included so-called secondary or “B” pictures on my program; However, it is my feeling that, there will always be a market for this type, if they are soundly and economically produced and preferably if they introduce new talent. Whether these are to be turned out by the riiajors, or made independently remains to be seen, " It is becoming increasingly difr. ficult for major distributing com- panies to profitably handle “B’s,” but so long as there are double-bill situations, they are definitely re-, quired. I think the need in this field is for improvement, not elimi- nation. In more than 20 years in this business I have never heard a paying patron at a theatfe ask, “How much did this picture cost to make?” It is my feeling that TV can be used as an ally to. exploit our prod- uct and as a training ground for new actors, writers and directors. I think it is incumbent upon all of Us in the motion picture' industry to devise new and different stories, dig out fresh personalities; and work out methods of presentation that are sufficiently unique to at- tract attention away from the nov-. MEWHUES Votiy^ixtk 'Atml*er**ry iMimJift Jmumurj 2,1952 Ken Enelnnd AFTER PRESENTATION CREDIT: HYPERTHYROID PICTURES PRESENT— and the trade- mark— a midget with a sucker hitting a mothball— TITLE appears: *THE DAY HOLLYWOOD STOOD STILL’ OVERSHOTS OF: Worlds colliding; shooting stars shooting, the Aurora Borealis; and generally milking the Milky Way for whatever it’s worth pictorially. FADE IN: INT. BOARD ROOM OF THE CHEM- ICAL BANK— N. Y. C.-r-DAY— ME- DIUM FULL SHOT— THE MEM- BERS OF THE BOARP AND PRESI- DENT ZORAB. ( The latter presiding. Zorab Salmon P, Zorab to be exact, wears an iron- grey*. crew cut, is Princeton ’08, and the'scion of a fine old Wall Streetfaring family!) ZORAB Then it is generally agreed, gentlemen, that We finance the Doctor's mission knowing full well the risks? (There are grave, white-haired nods 1 of agreement.) ZORAB (into intercom speaker) Send in the- Doctor—— (Zorab presses a concealed, button arid the thick doors open to permit DOCTOR SiQISMUtiD SPACE to enter. He wears a Rocket Suit, smog helmet, ray and Flit guns in his .belt, an electric blanket strapped to his. back. He slides open the. glass panel in his Smog helmet permitting him to . speak. He has the slightest trace of a Brooklyn accent, but it. is charming,) DR. SPACE Gentlemen, everything is in readiness. I only hope that you have all agreed- — — . ZORAB We have, Doctor, ( the Doctor beams), And we feel that the Space Ship you have built could reach its destination. BUT, once there, can you. exist . long enough to complete , your mission? DR. SPACE I’ve taken that all into account. We know there is some life there different from purs. We also" have reason to believe that somehow the inhabitants exist in an atmos- phere dense with a substance called smog. This will not, as you see, catch us unprepared, ( taps his helmet proudly. It echoes hollowly.) ZORAB That answers that question. Who are you taking with you beside The Thing? You’ll Only have ro.om fqr two more and, in all fairness, of the thousands of scientists who have beggpd to go, I hope you have chosen the two: that’ll be the most use to you. ? DR. SPACE I have, (speaking into radar phone mouthpiece attached to helmet ,) Send in Doctor O’Day. • (The doors open, admitting beautiful lady scientist, measuring 38-23-36. She. wears the regulation lady scien- tist’s rocket attire, tight satin blouse, short skirt, 4-inch heels and an ankle bracelet inscribed with scientific calcu- lations. The board sits up and collectively straightens its tie. One or two arteries are heard softly snapping.) ZORAB (frowning at Dr. Space) This lady is a scientist? DR. SPACE One of the greatest; Doctor Dawn O’Day. The most nota- ble living authority ori oxygen^ — ~ DR. O’DAY ( deadpan— automatically! Oxygen OK. DR. SPACE (sotto voce) Not -yet, dear, (to Zorab) Her experiments with lung ex-: pension are enormous ZORAB And your other teammate? DR. SPACE (into radar phone) Send in Dr. Latour. ( The doors open and. the second beautiful lady scientist enters — 36-25-38— attired in the same costume as her sis- ter scientist. The board gapes.) DR. SPACE Doctor Taffy Latour, gentlemen, greatest; living authority on elevation and guided missiles. DR. LATOUR (solemnly, efficiently) Raise the elevators! DR. SPACE Doctor Latour is also the daughter, of Professor Latour at Columbia, helping to finance her aged father’s experi- ments in the effects of hot air by dancing at the Copa along with Doctor O’Day. ZORAB Well, you seem to have chosen wisely. After ail, it is your rocket and it is /a long tedious trip— ^ — DR. LATOUR . Raise the elevators. DR. SPACE (red faced): Not yet, Doctor., (to Zorab) And now, sir, any last minute instructions? I’ye already read my; sealed Orders. I thought you. wouldn’t mind. I had to know which way to: point the rocket — they can be balky things— — zorAb Yes— well then you know that you are to try to reach the West Coast with The Thing intact. DR. O’DAY Huh? DR. SPACE Never mind, Doctor- — -• ZORAB The last two men toe sent on this vital mission never reached there by rail. We have reports, unconfirmed, that they got off at Phoenix by mistake and are now selling Indian blankets. DR. SPACE Foor devils! By KEN ENGLUND zorab And, remember, DeMllle couldn’t even find the place at first, and has never returned or been heard of since! DR. SPACE Don't worry, Chief— we’ll be back. ZORAB One more: thing. (He rises, goes to a wall graph charting the rise and fall of the various motion picture stocks.) ZORAB Whether these go up or whether these go down depends on yOur successful carrying Oiit of secret plan RW. DR. SPACE We won’t fail the Chemical Bank, " And now I believe we’ll, take Off— — DR. O’DAY Oxygen O.K. DR. SPACE ( gently) Not yet— not till w.e get in the rocket. DR, O’DAY Oh, I haven’t even seen your old rocket anyway! I’ll, bet you .don’t even have One— (The board laughs good- naturedly J ZORAB Have the girls— I mean Doctors— everything they need? Are those flying suits going to be-— er — adequate? DR. SPACE Oh, -these just their launching skirts. Their flight attire is more practical for fooling around at; the controls. (Doctors O'Day and Latour, demonstrating, step out of their launching skirts to stand revealed in black lace rocket flight pants. The bank’s President Emeritus faints dead away!) ZORAB (to Dr. Space enviously) Godspeed! DISSOLVE EXT. ROCKET LAUNCHING GROUNDS— NIGHT- FULL SHOT— THE SPACE SHIP— THE BOARD IN F. G. (Zorab and the Board wave goodbye as the three. Doctors enter the ship. Dr. Space stopping at the fuselage door to wave back.) DR. SPACE And away we go! “(Zorab breaks a roll of quarters over the hose of the rocket, the explosive gas bursts into flame at the tail, and the ship takes off, SOUND EFFECT: SWISH!) DISSOLVE EXT. STRATOSPHERE— LONG SHOT— NEAR SATURN (The space ship is skyrocketing through the heavens.) INT. SPACE SHIP— MEDIUM SHOT— THE THREE DOCTORS (It is two light years arid some three days later. The three Doctors lie at the controls exhausted. A giant packing crate takes up the bulk of the interior stenciled: “THE THING— this end up.” Doors lead off to three restrooms, their signs reading “LADY SCIENTISTS”— “GENTLE- MEN SCIENTISTS”— “THINGS”) DR. O’DAY Where the hell do you think we are now? DR. SPACE (peering out irritably). I told that engineer to wipe the windshield! DR, LATOUR I don’t get it. Isn’t this going around Hogan’s Alley just to get to the West Coast? DR. SPACE , (studying radar compass) I wanted to approach from the Pacific Ocean side by an indirect rpute, hoping that the ocean breezes would blow away the smog allowing us to find some landmark, and if my calculations are correct DR, O’DAY They’re not — we’re lost, bud! DR. LATOUR Hey! What’s that big fat thing? It’s coming right & us. DR. SPACE (leaping to controls) . Right rudder! DR. LATOUR ( leaping f too) DR- LATOUR Stabilize neutralizers. DR. SPACE Neutralize stabilizers. DR, LATOUR Neutralize stabilizers. DR. SPACE Wait! There’s something on the Visibility Screen— letter* irig on a water tower— L— A— S— V— E-—G— A— S. Fasten money belts! - DRl LATOUR Fasten money belts! DR. O’DAY Oxygen OK. DR, SPACE Full speed— North North East. . DR. LATOUR Full speed — North North East. (A few moments of silence as they straighten but and zoom Over the California countryside.) DR; SPACE (looking out,, jubilantly) We’re passing over Burbank. What does that sign read? W — A— R— N— E — R— -B—R— O— S. Punch time clocks! DR. LATOUR PunCh time clocks. DR. SPACE I see a clearing in the fog! Here goes — Don crash hel- Right rudder. DR. O’DAY Oxygen OK. (They miss Saturn by an inch.) DR. SPACE Whew! That was a Close one, (pleased with himself.) You have to be pretty nimble where a nimbus is con- cerned! (But his joke is lost on both liis colleagues.) DR. O’DAY I’m getting sick of this! You said. I’d have a future in Hollywood and we can't even find it! dr. Latour Me, too. Let’s turn back. This is strictly for the birds! DR. SPACE Let’s take a vote on it. I say keep And you. Doctor Dawn? DR. O’DAY Go back!. DR. SPACE And YOU, Doctor Taffy? DR. LATOUR Go back but def! DR. SPACE There, you are ; that makes three in all— we go ahead. (The lady scientists frown and start counting on their fingers,) \ DR. SPACE Wait! Look in the Terra Detector! That black smoky mass— that’s smog, . Hollywood should be directly south or north of us! Down rudders! DR, LATOUR . . (taking her station ) Down rjudders. DR. SPACE Oxygen OK? , (no answer) I said Oxygen . OK? DR. O’DAY Oh— yeah — Oxygen OK. . DR. SPACE Stabilize neutralizers. DR. O’DAY Oxygen ,OK. (They, brace themselves as the ship descends.) EXT. A HOLLYWOOD CLEARING— FULLSHOT. (As the rocket ship toms onto the greensward a waiting group of press agents and; newspaper photographers run to it excitedly.) ' GROUP (ad lib) It’s King Gable! No, it’s Coop! He said he was gonna buy a helicopter to shoot ducks from! Maybe it’s MacMurray bringing back some more Black Angus for his ranch— or Bing and his boys! (The fuselage door swings open and the three Doctors alight, and start blinking and coughing.) DR. SPACE Don smog helmets! ( to group) Where’s everybody? PRESS AGENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS (disgustedly) Aw — they’re hot anybody. (They start to turn away.) DR. SPACE But wait— we’re from another world. A PRESS AGENT Good for you. DR. SPACE (getting sore) Now> listen, I want to talk to all the executive heads of the studios— the fate of the industry hangs on it! (The Group laughs but their spokesman, a more serious type, steps forward!) SPOKESMAN None of them are here, anyway. Most of them are out of town receiving plaques. Hartman is in New York baking out a virus he got: in Palm Springs, and ZanUck is tied up on the Riviera putting out the place cards for Elsa Maxwell. 2ND SPOKESMAN He did however leave Jesse! as his deputy but he had to fly to Erie, Pa., and bury the mayor, a former staunch worker for the Democratic Party and a pretty good soft- shoe dancer, DR. SPACE I’m afraid you do not comprehend the gravity of rhy mis- ., If I. cannot convince you With words, well I have terrible power " (The newshawks jeer, hurling taunts: “You have terrible., power, ha, ha, that's rich!” “The Kid's from another world all right. A fugitive from Mennihger's!”) DR. SPACE (with a grave sigh) I don’t want to do it but I’m afraid I’ll have to; It will happen at . the stroke of four! QUICK DISSOLVE: MONTAGE OF SHOTS SHOWING IN SEQUENCE ( Interiors of ' studio steam rooms— and semi-nude : execu- tives disgusted when the steam is turned off, then panicked . , . The lights going out over the pastry table at Romanoff's-^ six exhibitors' Wives from DubUque trampling eclairs underfoot Os they ruri out screaming “I can't see! I've got rich food poisoning— I'm going blind” ... The studio generators stopping and every sound stage going dark. “ Another jurisdictional union dispute ” sigh the actors, huddling against the actresses for simple ani- mal comfort.) THEN INTO: CLOSE SHOT OF NEWS COMMENTATOR AT MICROPHONE. NEWS COMMENTATOR —ahd- everything is at a standstill. The electric horse Mario Lanza was riding has stopped, the refrigerating unit at Grauman’s Chinese has ceased to. function, and a steady stream of chocolate-coated, icecream is flowing down the centre aisle. The antique and student lamp factories are idle; add many, an executive croquet playing field will be empty this weekend for the production of wickets has been completely halted. What dreadful power do these , strangers possess? DISSOLVE EXT. THE CLEARING— NIGHT-FULL SHOT OUTSIDE The space ship. (The heads of all the studios stand in solemn asscnibiy at Doctor Space addresses them!) DR. SPACE Executives, producers, gentlemen— I am an emissary from the Chemical Bank in the faraway world of New York — and our bank ( is a heavy investor in motion picture stocks . . . (the executives are restless and frightened) Now; recently a mechanical monster has threateneed to smash bur world to bits— a monster named TV! And what steps have you taken to combat it? ONE EXECUTIVE We’ve trimmed our sails. (Continued on page 56). * ^echfesclay* JinwiT^H52 Forty+slxth /jferitfy Anniversary munES/ y EDDIE CANTOR= Hollywood. I am? Then I must be an awful liar For instance, Tm dining in a restaurant— have a piece of boiled beef nicely dipped in horse- radish at the end of my .fork — I’m about to — - “Yes, I’m Ed- die Cantor. Pleased to meet, you; Would I what? Would I meet some friends at your table? They’re, fans n»nt»r of mine? Don’t EMIe Cantof mina so aight. I started lying the miniite 4 said, “Pleased to meet you.” l; would take any, or all, of these preference to ambitious mother with “talented” child. °u have as much chance of elucl- n8 .one ! of these gals as Kefauver y ouid have in a crap game with }ne_j)oyS he investigated. 4, _ Better ’n’ Judy or Deanna | i Boston recently, woman oil or cajoled the doorman into i lowing her to come, to my dress- ® room. She modestly introduced i^elf w,!th’ the mother of v-”s s1t5r» and pointed to a six- i.ar-old, moppet who smiled and save me a big wink; “I’m pleased I u!Teet .you’” 1 said iP them both. 7m,as g01n£ to wink beck, but, with H makes too much of a h^n' /Eileen.” she told me, “has ^Vodying Whet life. (Six S She has a voice that’s bet- ni.,K-”Judy Garland’s or Deanna vr, •?/ Hear her sing once and >ou n never forget it,” How right * ■ 4' she was! The child sang like Tallulah with tonsillitis. Never did such sounds emanate from a hu- man throat. I waited politely un- til she finished. “Lady, if you're spending your money on vocal les- sons for this child; stop imme- diately. Save your money. Let her play with her dolls and skates. Give her a normal childhood. This little girl has no talent whatsoever. Some day you’ll thank me for tell- ing you the truth,” Without a word, the mother grabbed the child by the wrist— yanked her towards the door, but before she wentHbut, wheeled around, pointed her finger at me, 'and said, “You stink, too!” Here are a few more who help me make a living, but who will eventually be the death of me. The bird who sells insurance and because you’re a celebrity, he has some unusual policies, just for you. For Only $1,900 a year, his com- pany will pay you $200,000 in the event you are bitten by an eagle while, riding a; bicycle, providing you’re wearing a tuxedo. For a premium of $2,200 a year, the company will pay you $175,000 if you are hit by a submarine while driving your car through any pub- lic park. I love the boy who shakes my hands and says, “All right, Can- tor, who am I? What’s my name?” You’re in a hurry, but he wants to play -games!: You guess fot a while. No luck; Finally he tells you. But this doesn’t end it. “Where did you meet me?” He wants to know. “Boston?” No. “Toledo?” No. “Alaska?” No. “I’ve never been there in my life,” he tells you, "Neither have I,” you answer. “So what made you think of Alaska?” f it's foo cowardly fo’ kill yourself —you’d like to give him— but you can’t— maybe he’s one of the pub- lic who buys what you sell on tele- vision. I’ve no sooner said, “pleased to meet you” to the type, than he starts his spiel. “Cantor, you can’t be performing forever. Have you thought about the future? Do you realize., if you, had invested $1,500 with . Henry Ford when he started in business, that your worth today would be in the neighbor- hood of $6,000,000?” Nice neighborhood, you think. “If you had handed John . D. Rockefeller $1,000 arid said, ‘John invest this for me in oil,’ do you know where yOu’d be right now?” “Yes,” you tell him, “I’d. be home in bed, with a good book, and if you’ll excuse me, that’s where I’m going,” Sq you leave him Wore lie q'An tell you of his proposition: a new type of- sugar” tfhich, when sprinkled on doughnuts, keeps flies away,, except during the months that don’t have an “R” in them, If you, are filling a theatrical en- gagement in any city, there’s the ‘Come-ona-my House”; guy who has told his guests that you’re an old friend. You must, have supper at his home! He’s so persistent that you finally give in and go. Well, after an hour drive, you arrive and meet the gang. Your host mixes, a drink that tastes like vodka, ben- zedrine, cactus juice tabasco sauce and machine oil. You make a face, but you’re a good sport, and swallow this internal hot-foot. You’re not expected to entertai . This is what your host assured you on the way out, but, coincidentally, they. have, all your music on the piano and. a home-town- Carmen Cavallaro, who evidently has been rehearsing all day because he knows all your keys. After an hour free entertainment, you’re hungry. You make a big joke: you say, “Is there a. dentist in the house?” Someone asks, “why?” You say; “I must get my teeth filled to- night!” Several of them play straight. “Your teeth filled!” Now comes the big yak, “Yes,” I tell them, “filled with steak, potatoes, Salad By this time; they get it. Your host escorts you into the dining room. You get a whiff of the one thing you’ve never eaten in your life— can’t stand the sight of it! You guessed it! They had it! Spare ribs and sauerkraut; You grab a plateful, make a pretense of eating, and later, when . nobody’s looking, you drop it in a handy flowerpot. Two hours later, srtaved; tired, disgusted, in the lovely privacy of your hotel, room, the waiter brings up your Order of scrambled eggs, toast arid coffee. You embrace liimV and really mean it when you say, “pleased to meet you.” • / Recall Hectic Early Years Of United Artists By GENE ARNEEL United Artists has set up a new subsidiary, United Artists Produc- tion Corp.; which will concern it* helf with pix in which the distrib has an ownership participation. In- dication is that in the future. UA will take a percentage in a growing number of its releases via partial production financing on its own or arranging for the availability of coin. First filni to be carried on the new subsid’s books will be “Plant- er’s Wife,” Claudette Colbert star- rer which Ken Annakin will pro- duce. The life of United Artists has been a stormy one, and its 1951 embarking on what may be a new era , for the' company serves to re- call the hectic early, years of its existence. Some hitherto untapped sources have provided a further insight on the firm’s early years! It’s espe- cially apropos in view rif the antici- pated switch in half-ownership to a syndicate headed by Arthur B, ■Krlm, UA’s new president, Then— Secretary of the Treasury William G. McAdoo put the outfit together corporately in the spring of 1919. Outsiders immediately wanted in. The corporation . in- cluded. such stellar names as Mary Pickford (Gladys Mary Moore bn the Official record), Douglas Fair- banks, Sr., William S. Hart, Charles Chaplin and David Wark Griffith, all out to buck the combines of the day. The new outfit attracted the attention of William Randolph Hearst, who was out to expand his eriipire. , M. F. Ihnisen, head oh Hearst’s Los Angeles Examiner, received a telegrain from "the boss”: “We have no interest in this matter (UA’s formation) from a small viewpoint. We are the biggest in- stitution . of publicity and promo- tion in the world with all our mag- azines and newspaper services, news films, features services, etc.” It was clear that Hearst was bent on taking Over distribution, of the independent group’s output, and instructed Ihnisen to make the pitch. The proposal, to split the gross on a 50-50 basis, was turned down, UA principals at the same time had differences among themselves. Hart bowed out before any con- tracts were signed. But the others were determined to counter what they felt was a “threatened combination of motion picture stars and producers which would tend to force upon the thea- tre-going public mediocre produc- tions and machine-made entertain- ment and would defeat competition in the motion picture industry.” While their determination to pro- duce arid distribute their own films was commendable, there was strong resistance within the trade. Also some threats. | 1st National Exhfbs InlcT Act ) The powerful First National: Ex- hibitors Circuit implied there could be no prospect of success unless it, too, was in the act. John Fair- banks, acting as business counsel for brother Douglas, heard from J. D. Williams, manager of the BILLY ECKSTINE First National outAt, who boasted that his chain “controls the mar- ket.” “It would be inadvisable and. ex- tremely costly (wrote Williams) for United Artists-to antagonize br- at- tempt to combat the circuit in any definite issue born of the advice or counsel of men who have neither the experience, ‘ fiuerice or inti- mate knowledge of the industry necessary to satisfy them that it is not a plaything, or a means to ad- vance their personal aspirations without regard for their associates. Attempts to form your own releas- ing organization will riot be suc- cessful,” First National’s offer was to take over distribution for the UA-ites at actual cost, plus 5% of the gross This proposition also nixed. Contracts, when finalized, called upon the artists .to provide capital through the:, purchase of 1,000 shares of preferred stock at $100, pel* share. Also, each Was to col- lect 1,000 common shares in retur for delivery of nine “special photo- plays which unfold an entertaining story” over a throe-year period. Chaplin’.’ first film, for UA han- dling %amc in 1923, four years later, MoAclo , serving, as general counsel, was voted 1,000 common shares. I Oscar Price Was lst Prcz Company got underway with Os- car Price as first president.; He had been McAdoo’s chief publicist in the Liberty Loan drive. In- stalled as general .manager was Hiram Abrams, whose deal gave him ;!i% of ali coin taken in on each film up to $300,000, V/j% o the next $200,000, ,3*U% on the next $100.000, . and 1V>% on all over $600,000. The owners were to ^ receive 80%, the company, 20%, of gross on their respective pix; Ensuing months pointed up the nevcr-a-dull-momenl nature of UA’s career. By September, dis- sension had developed among the toppers themselves. Griffith and Chaplin expressed the fear that Miss Pickford and Fairbanks would prosper personally, but at the ex- pense of the corporation. Decem- ber of 1919 brought a hassle with Abrams, who insisted on revision of his contract. He , wanted a straight 2% cut on the gross, and threatened to resign unless it was (Continued on page 290) Int’l, Domestic Sales Heads at 20th-Fox In Joint Meet for 1st Time Annual sales confab of 20th-Fox will be started at the homeoffice next Monday (7), with territorial heads of the company’s interna- tional organization sitting in with the domestic reps for the first time in 20th’s history. Talks will revolve around the 12 pix which 20th has skedded for release during the first four months of 1952, including the gen- eral release of “David and Bath- sheba.” According to A1 Lichtman, direc- tor of distribution, long-range plans and policies also will be set at the five-day conclave. Personnel attending will include company execs, 31 domestic branch man- agers, seven division chiefs, reps of the international organization and members of the advertising, exploitation and publicity depart- ment. Proxy Spyros P. Skouras will participate in all sessions oi the convention, while veepee Charles Einfeld will outline promotional plans for. forthcoming product. Lichtman will preside at the gab- fests and will be associated in the roundtable talks by W. C. Gehring, assistant general sales manager; Edwin W, . Aaron, western sales manager, arid Arthur Silverstone, eastern sales rrianager. Blank’s UPT Switch A, H. Blank has reduced his di- rect United Paramount Theatres to 3,095 shares of common stock. Operator of UPT’s subsid, Tri- States Theatres, Des Moines, Blank recently transferred 1,000 UPT •hares to the Knalba Friundatldn. 10 4NCTOIUBS FoHy-tixth 'Annlvertary Wednesday January % 1952 color picture of Bergere” poster. Mostly About An American By FRED ALLEN “An American in Paris*’ originally was a musical master- piece composed by the late George Gershwin. Recently, on cinema marquees, “An American in Paris” has ap- peared as the title of an M-G-M picture. In Mr. Gershwin’s stirring composi- tion “the instruments involved-— the violins, the horns and piccolos— enjoy a melodic gambol. Throughout the film Gene Kelly, and the other members of the Screen Actors’ Guild, revel ini a Technicolor junket. In music and in the movie all is tres gay. The “American in Paris” struts mythical Champs-Elysees swinging a harpoon, instead of a cane, for he is having a Whale of a time. But what about the average Amer- ican? The little man with the travelers' checks who is lured to Paris by a a flaming crepes suzette or a “Folies What happens to this “American in Paris”? A recent survey conducted on a sightseeing bus shows that his days are crammed With confusion and his nights fraught with havoc. The American is frustrated at every turn. The first hazard to which he is exposed is — The Language The American arrives in Paris with a few French phrases he has culled from a conversational guide or picked up from, a friend who owns a beret. He speaks the sort of French that is readily understood by another American who, also, has just arrived ih Paris. The minute; however, the American attempts. to make linguistic, contact with a native verbal bedlam ensues. The French- man talks as though his nouns and verbs are red hot and he has to get the words out, of his mouth before, they blister his tongue. The American can never make himself understood, he can't get the proper intonation. The Frenchman talks through his nose, and sounds as though he has a violin string up one nostril. As. the American gains confidence he will occasionally risk a cluster of French consonants and vowels in public. This often proves embarrassing. One American who had planned to buy a set of andirons found, when he left the antique shop; that he had bought two old ladies, one of whom was In poor condition. Another tourist speaking import French rattled off something to a waiter at Maxim’s. When translated he found that he . had said, “Who is playing the trombone under my potato salad?” As the Amamiaam ttmAi'nic” hie urav {tl an/1 A 1 American “ouis” and “mercis” his way in and out of shops and cafes he finds that to get what he wants he invariably has to point. The “American in Paris” finally learns that to speak French he doesn’t require a tongue— all he needs is a finger. When he has become resigned to his language dilemma the American finds that his next problem is— The Money Accustomed to his green, sound dollar, when he changes his first traveler’s check, the American is panic-stricken; His pockets stuffed with those thin paper francs he feels like a man going to a masquerade as a wastebasket. To the American, French money appears to be jumbo con- fetti or. tissue paper with murals. He catches himself servicing his hose with a 1, 000-franc note and trying to spend his Kleenex. French money serves a double purpose; If you don’t want to spend it, you can wrap something in it. “All the world’s a stage” and France has the money to prove it. Unable to hurriedly determine the value of the franc in terms of dollars the American is completely be- wildered in the presence of the French shopkeeper. He employs the technic he Uses back home with the tax col- lector. He holds out all of his money and the shopkeeper, like, the tax collector, helps himself. After one joust the American knows why the French tradesman wears a long apron. The tradesman doesn’t need trousers. He always has his hands in the Americans’ pockets. . The American notices an odd thing about the small metal coins — a magnet will not pick them up but a French- man will. The “American in Paris” often looks forward to the day of his departure when he knows he can get his francs changed back into money. When he has learned to speak well enough to spend his money the American finds that the next difficulty he en- counters is— The Food Tlie two largest industries' lii Paris are shrugging and eating. The Frenchman shrugs — the American eats. In all cafes fish and meats are served smothered in sauce or gravy. In Paris what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander. The gander has his own sauce. Foods that aren’t decked in a mantle of goo are served in a sheet of flame. For the first time the “American in Paris” enjoys eating food lie can read by. . He also sees many a nearsighted chef with a barbecued hand. The streets of Paris are cluttered with sidewalk cafes. The Frenchman is generous. He likes to eat out pf doors so the flies can have some. There are hundreds of cafes and every cafe has a wine cellar. In Paris there are so many rodent dipsomaniacs Alcoholics Anonymous may have to .open a branch for mice. When the American is told that the specialty of the house is pressed duck he knows that the chef is also a tailor. When lie sees the maitre d’ walking around in his bare feet, the American knows that wine is. made to order on the premises. If wine is requested the maitre d’ selects a bunch of grapes and steps into a closet. A little muffled squishing is heard and in practically no time , at. all the maitre d’ steps nimbly out of the closet with red feet brandishing a carafe of vin rouge. On occasion, when the American tastes wool in the wine he knows that winter has come and the maitre d’ has been stomping on the grapes in his stockinged feet. A popular French dish is the il, which is sort of an inher-door shrimp. As a chef gets older, he prefers to cook snails. A snail is the only type of food the chef can overtake while he is sitting down. The American who eats three meals a day in cafes soon becomes a gourmet. (A French word mCani ng glutton. ) During sundry nightmares induced by loo much rich food the American sees himself spending the rest of his life running a small 'business— renting stomachs to “Ameri- cans in Paris.” The Traffic The American is impressed by the number of churches In Paris. There is a church on every corner and it has been put there for a purpose. It enables the American to stop in and pray that he will be able to safely cross tht street in traffic. Traffic in Paris cannot be described— words would havo to be invented. It is a symphony of tumult rendered by taxis, cars and Nbicycles all striving to attain a cres- cendo of chaos. ~ The French taxidriver Is a frustrated pilot. He zooms through the streets cursing because he cannot get his cab to go fast enough to take off. The private cars aro shrunken coupes whose hunched-over occupants look like human snails who have been crossed with greyhounds. Scooting in and out of traffic are bicycles carrying opti- mists, both old and young, who think they are going to get home' aliye. Most French automobiles have no breaks. iThe driver keeps his foot on the gas and his hand on the. horn. High over the montage of din, at intervals, the piping tone of the policeman's whistle is heard. Instead of the regula- tion pea in his whistle the Paris traffic cop uses a petit pois . The American cannot be too cautious. A street should be named for the Unknown Pedestrian who tries to cross in traffic^ A street called “Rue the Day.” As the American, his vacation over, prepares to leave for home he jots in his diary some — Random Obesrvations The Flea Market in Montmartre is not run by a flea. Three million frogs legs are served in Paris daily. No- body knows what becomes of the rest Of the frogs : The Marshall Plan is overdoing it. They have pinball machines in Paris. No American is ever held up and robbed at night. The tradesmen get all of his money during: the day. The average Frenchman is inventive, frugal and Indus- trious. Give him a carroway seed and enough, room and he. is in business.. The men who formerly sold postcards are now busy trying io lure tourists into doorways to change their American money. People in Paris point with pride to the old Churches,, the old. museums and the old houses. All of the work in France was done yesterday. If you wonder what the Frenchman of today is doing — he is out .strolling along the boulevards looking for the “American in Paris.” The French co W thinks she is giving milk, but she is only giving lait. (It loses something ih the translation.) Every pretty woman has a dog. A man who. leads a dog’s life in Paris is to be envied. MAH, WHATSA USE? I GIVE IIP! By ARTHUR KOBER Arthur Kober Humor History of 1951 By HY GARDNER- Julie, I beg you, I Implore you. Please, Julie! I’m a dead horsey I’m so tired. I can collapse ommy two feet without I gotta stand there, listenin’ to ya go on an’ on. The poverbal brook, that’s you, an* I mean it. -. . Please, Julie! It’s late an’ I gotta geddup firs’ cracjka dawn. , . Yeah, yeah, ya’re light. Absolutely! I’m no good, I’ni terrible, I’m simply; awful, I stinkin ice. Grantid! . • . Look, I’m admitti * it, so, please, as a per sinil favor, willya kiney park the chatter an’ lemme gedda bed? Please! I’m so exhaustid, I. * AW, fa the love a Pete, willya kiney leddup a minute ! Boy, talk about Chinee torcha, that gallopin’ tongue a yours keeps heatin’ me over the head worse like a sletch- hamma, an’ I mean it! . . . O.K., lease ya could do, ya could at lease sing a diffrint tune. Oh, no! Same damn song over ah’ over again till a guy could. . . Yeah, yeah, I know thoroughly howya feel! Believe me, ya tole me enough times tonight, j could repeat you the whole thing without me skipin’ single word. . . Aw, right, Julie, so fa the twenny zilliont tiriie I apologize. I apologize why I did show up fa suppa to- night, I apoligize I din have the common courtesy a dime .phone call to letch know I wasn’t -cornin’ home., I apoligize I got no consideration hommuch ya slaved all day over the hot stove, cookin’ me up the suppa. Iii fack, I apoli- gize the whole damn thing!" Now are ya saddified? Aha, I knew it! There go the waterworks. Go ahead, cry, flood up the place; . . Certainly I gotta heart, but if you think I get one ounce pleasure standin’ here, a dead horse ommy two feet, while you go blubberin’ away like a ninfant child; ya got another. . . . Yeah, an* what about me? . Minute I come inna house — bang!— World War num- ber three. With me right inna mist! Million-one questions ya fire at me, an’ on toppa that, would j a lemme get a word in edgewise? No! Would j a gimme a chance to explain? No! Wouldja let a guy— — - Well, to begin with, Mr. Patch di show up thi mornin’. Right ' away one the guys oniia floor— Harris, I think — or maybe was it Bennett? . Anyways, somebody onna floor says, “I betcha the new baby, came is why Mr. Patch’s not aroun? this morni “ Anyways, about 3 o’clock in the afternoon in breeze Mr. Patch- great big smile bnnis face, and he commence passin’ aroun* cigars from his pockit. Sure enough, around’, oh, ’bout semn o’clock early this mornin’ his wife gave birth to an eight-poun’ baby boy it was, an’ right away evveybody onna floor, they begin rushin’ over, congrajilatin’ him, Mr. Patch. Anyways, there, was so much excitement inna store, nobody waited oh the customers hardly. Gotta Celebrate T (N.Y. Herald Tribune Columnist) America, as usual, drew its heartiest chuckles from the situations that troubled it most. We kidded ourselves about dirty politicians; a grim, undeclared war; scandals, investigations, inflation, taxes, matrimony, alimony, tele- vision and all the other subjects that become natural tar- gets to a nation, whose most precious asset, next to freer dom, is its sense of humor. This, then, is a capsule digest of some of the sayings some of us thought funny in ’51. When Denise Darcel was voted the “Antique Queen of 1951” radio comihentator Jack Sterling flipped: “What antique does she represent — a break-front?” Bob Hope suggested a method of keeping basketball honest; put more than two guards on each team. Morey Amsterdam met bookie who’s gotten 30 days so often they’re naming a month after him. Studying a cloSeup photograph of Russia’s Andrei Vishinsky and noting that he only has seven upper teeth, the opinion was ventured that his bark must be Worse than ( his bite, Dorothy Sarnoff , worried about so many members of the younger generation going to college, wondered who’d be around to hire college graduates if nobody left school in the eighth grade. Mary McCarty said she simply won’t go out wth an In- ternal revenue agent— she’s allergic to milk. And Jack Carter said he doesn’t mind paying his income tax — he’s just confused as to which jail, to address it to. About inflation it was Reported that the price of kissing the Blarney Stone has gone up from 14c to 21c . . . That the only money that goes as far today as it did 10 years ago is the nickel that rolls under the bed . . . An 8th Avenue lunchroom got yaks with a sign that read: “Come in and get an estimate on a sirloin steak. Time payments arranged.” Last war, it was observed, the Gremlins bothered us; this time out it’s the Kremlins. Senator McCarthy was given a rib When somebody said 'he wanted to investigate a certain Government worker Whom he heard telephone from a party line., : One item in Pravda-i— that’s the Russian house organ that’s always out of tune— bragged about a peasant having reached his 151st birthday — which is quite an accomplish- ment for a person who's never lived. The Kefauver probe practically supported the nation’s gag writers. About Frank Costello, who refused to permit .. anything but. his hands to be televised, this Was said: “Costello is the first tele vision actor who uses a manicurist instead of a makeup man.” Herb Shriner thought it was logical for the Government to remove automobile trailers from the restricted list. After all, he reasoned, a motorist needs a trailer to live in while he’s finding a place to' park. London Opinion described England as an island, entirely surrounded by hot water. ' With, so many Congressmen and Senators making free junkets overseas, it was suggested that the old Navy en- listment slogan be changed to read: “Join the Congress and See the World.” When Commie Gus Hall’s trial for jumping bail, came up his lawyers tried to stall the case by arguing about a mole on his . neck. As usual, the comrades 'made a moun- tain out of a mole. In summation, let’s welcome ’52 With courage, faith and a smile; this time last year we- weren’t even sure there would be a New Year. Anyways aroun’ awiriost five o’clock this was, Mr. Patch tells evveybody they could knock off the resta the day— you know, kinda to calibrate his new baby, Right away up speaks the blow-mouth, Wally Sherman. “Hey, fellas,” he says, to us, “bein’ the boss is got a brannew baby son, hozz ’bout we should take him out, Mr. Patch, and buy him a drink?” . . . How can I, when ya keep innaruptin’ me? . . O.K.f so we go to Mike’s bar onna corner, an’ Mr. Blow-mouth, Wally Sherman, he’s the firs’ one to buy the drinks. Nat- chelly I'm not gonna let that smart guy put nothin’ over; so comes the nex’ roun’, I, grab the check. So before ya know it, we’re all feelin’ a li’l high, not much. . . . Anyways, by this time Mr. Patch says he’s gotta rush back to see his wife an’ the brannew baby— I mean at the hospital, and I’m all set to go home, see,, when Wally Sherman, the wise guy, the big brai , he gets an idear. “Look,, fellas,” he says, “there’s five us guys here, jess enough fa a li’l poker game. So hozz about it?” / . . Waddeya mean, “Of course you acceptid?” Listen, I argied and .1 argied with the fellas, but they insisted with- out I play, it’s oney four-handid, and. nobody — well, they simply refused to play four-handid. “Listen,” I says to them,, “the lease I gotta do, I gotta lease make a phone call home an’ inform my wife, she’s expectin’ me fa suppa.” Right away they started in kiddin’ me— That stinker, Wally Sherman an’ his cracks! It’s a wonder I din haul off an* him have it, which I shoulda. ... Please, Julie, willya pipe down a minute an’ listen? I’m tryin’ to explain you why. ’Cause the minute I started goin’ to the phone, they all grabbed hole my arm and they started in yellin' how I shouldn’t hole up the game, they’re all anxious to get started. ... No Character O.K., so I got no character! I guess you’re the oney one aroun’ here with character. . . When? Doong the game I jshoulda’ phoned? Listen, in the firs’ place, I was way ahead doong the game, lease the early part, an’ if I’da made one move to get away from the table, they’da bustid my arm, ’specially that Wally Sherman who kep’ cryin’ alia time hommuch dough he’s out. Then alluva sudden, I get a runna bad luck. Nothin’ I got held up, not one hand even! If I got two big pairs, somebody’s come along, draw one card, an’ he’d fill a straight. Lousy luck is all! I couldn’t make a single hand stan’ up without some- body. • Please, Julie, don’t ast me hommuch I lost. I .feel so terrible, I don’t even wanna think about it. Here I sit a whole night long, worryin’ my head off why I din show up fa suppa, an’ you home pf oily aggravatin’ yesself to death, wonderi ’ what’s happened to me, ah’ then on toppa that Mr. Wally Sherman wines up the big winner, most my dough. • Believe me; honey, I’m sickin disgusted with myself. An’ how I’m disgustid! 1 guarantee you I din have a good time. I guarantee you I din enjoy myself the lease li’l bit. In fack, jess the opposite. I feel simply awful, Julie, ana that’s the honess truth; Ha? . . . A w, never again, an’ I mean it! Absolutely! ^ . Hmm? . . , Hommuch I lost? I— I’ll tellya, honey, but firs’ yai gotta promise me ya won’t get mad. Promise* • • . Semny-eight bucks. Believe me, Julie, I ... . Aw, fa cryin’ out loud!. Ya jess gayme ya word ya wouldn’t get sore, an’ now. ... Hoddeya like that? Firs, she promises she’$ not gonna say a word, an’ now listen to her yaddedda, yaddedda, yaddedda! . • • Aaah, what sa use? I give up! Wednesday? January 2? 1952 Forty-sixth ^SrIEHTT Anniversary PICTURES 11 Just As the Elizabethans Were Contemptuous Because of Their Familiarity With* Shakespeare, Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, Maybe It Will Take Centuries for the Hollywood Greats to Achieve True Recognition Rupert Hugh?* i Hollywood. Since history keeps repeating itself, the best way to make a prophecy is to ride a cycle and imagine the return $ something that happened before. x did this once With sad results in a speech I made that ' scored one of the worst flops even I have eveir flipped. Yet it seems to me that what I was trying to say Was worth saying, especially at that time when young Hollywood Was running away with Los Angeles, and horrify- ing all really respectable people — none more than the good people of . Los Angeles who admitted that they were the aristocracy out here. Nowadays the motion, pictures have their own artistocracy and their class- ics. It is already hard for us to re- member or realize how they were, looked down upon in the pioneer days when the great creators of the world-shaking art were still not far above their humble origins in the kinetoscopic peepshow and the plebian nickelodeon. I did not get to Hollywood until 1922; but the curse Was still . upon the pictures and their people. Previously my writings had- been treated with kindness or severity according to their supposed merits or faults in each case. The moment Sam Goldwyn brought me out as One of his so-called “Eminent Authors;*’ most, of the eastern review- ers began to treat me as a fugitive from respectability and an unmasked Philistine. Novels that could not possibly be made into movies were damned as “plainly written for the screen,” and I was denounced for having sold for filthy lucre what had passed for my soul. As a result of my experiences I \ wrote a novel about Hollywood., It was not a glorification, not even a defense of the movies, merely a description of what went on here in turning personalities into world-merchandise by teach- ing men and women how to act, photographing them doing so, and vending the result. Hence the title, “Souls for Sale.” It was accepted in the east as meaning “Bodies for Sale,” and not being a downright attack on the pictures, it stirred the eastern reviewers to frenzies of rage. Perhaps the best of all the Wonderful reviews my novels have ever had— and some of them have been really Wonderful— was this one in a New York paper: “Some novels make me so mad I want to bite somebody. fSouls for Sale’ makes me so mad I want to run down Broadway and bite everybody I meet.” Surely, few other authors can boast of as good a proof of their inspirational influence andHiower to stimulate the emotions. I am quite proud of that review. But all this is leading up to a speech I made about the picture business here in their own home-town. It had a positively hydrophobic effect. j The Untouchables | Soon after I /got to Hollywood, I was more or less dragooned into joining a swagger golf club. A few days later William De Mille stopped me on the street, and said: “You must resign from that club. They , don’t allow motion picture people to belong.” The golf people had hot even known of my cinemaffilia- tion when they invited me in. Not long after that I rented a furnished house for three months. After the lease was signed, the owner called on me and I chanced to mention the fact that I was one of Sam Goldwyn’s little white slaves. My new landlord fell to sweating and. trembling and wanted to cancel the lease. It seems that some of the early movie stars, having made a sudden leap in salary from $80 a month to a thousand or more a week, had rented mansions and made themselves at home by swing- ing from the chandeliers and feeding their horses in the dining room, I assured the owner that I was house-broken and would hot break bronchos in his living room. And he let me Stay. * A little later I was invited to speak on a very pictur- esque occasion, a most beautiful occasion. My speech was one of the Worst failures in history, even in my history. I quote it only because it illustrates what a change has cpme over the Los Angelesian people in their attitude toward motion picture people. Indeed, the whole world has changed its attitude, especially since radio and tele- vismn came along to give the motion pictures a feeling 9* ^ntiquity , and classicism. . |his occasion was the' opening in what is now Mac- Arthur Park of a Shakespeare Garden. Gentlemen and ladies of literary and floricultural tastes had gathered together at least one example Of every flower ever men-. -°hed in Shakespeare’s immortal works.; The Mayor and other dignitaries were invited to make speeches, and . somebody, ignorant of my interest in the yotion picture slums, asked me to close the meeting with a - jew remarks. I closed them with a bang-. Some imp Jed me to say. what I did, to the resentment and horror u ^ nurhber of unfortunate guests who had to stand and ^len» to What you don’t even have to set and read. In any case, this is the gist of a speech that still seems to me - ?ve a ce^tain truth in it as the basis for a crazy ^hat I said ran something like this: .. . . • oyer) 300- years : since Shakespeare died, and now ■r. works are placed next to the Bible in the esteem of lars and people in general. His plays and poems are considered the subliinest utterances of ail writers not divinely inspired. • in his own day, his professions of actor, author, _ nd. producer were so despised in London that theatres ■ere not even allowed on the right side of the Thames. By RUPERT HUGHES They were permitted only on the wrong side of the railroad tracks among the bawdy houses. “Actors Were vagabonds unless taken under the Wing of some nobleman Who was licensed to keep a company of trained players, The swells and personages of title some- times visited the playhouses, just as swells and dukes nowadays sometimes marry chorus girls, or visit gambling ..hells and dives. “The dramas We now cherish as golden classics Were, also condemned. When the Wealthy Sir Thomas Bodley founded the great Bodleian Library at Oxford arid en- dowed it lavishly, he could have loaded it with the first- editions of Shakespeare’s plays— those folios fori which thousands of dollars are demanded nowadays. He could have picked up for . nothing Original manuscripts Of all the plays of Shakespeare* Ben Jonson, Marlowe, Beaumont arid Fletcher; Ford, Wemster, and the rest. The. authors Would have been proud to contribute them. “But do you know what Sir Thomas Bodley did?. He sternly forbade the library even to spend any Of his endow- ment on such evil trash things as books or manuscripts of plays! Shakespeare’s works would have contaminated the very shelves! “And indeed the actors and. authors of those' plays were very human, They drank and wenched arid Were financially unreliable. The great Marlowe wris murdered, and we have documents showing that even gentle Will Shakespeare was put under Heavy bonds to keep him from carrying out his. promise to cut the throats of, couple Of gentlemen who had promised to cut; his. “Now imagine, if you pan, a lady Or gentleman of re- spectable London Society in ; Shakespeare’s time being privileged to come back to this earth and visit this para- dise of Los Angeles. “America had been discovered, of course, and Santa Monica beach had been noticed as a place where many little Indian fires Were burning, even as they burn there now when bathing parties go swimming at night. But Shakespeare and his . people could never have dreamed of such a city as Los Angeles. And yet here we meet to pay tribute to his almost sacred name. “So you can imagine, if you strain hard enough, the; utter amazement Of a Londoner and a Londoness of Shake- speare’s day if he arid she could be set down among us and learn what we are doing today. They would gasp: Ghastly! “ ‘My God, of all the people in our great; city; yOu pick put an. actor, and a theatre manager to memorialize! We wouldn’t permit his pernicious plays to be acted on the reputable side of the river, or included in our libraries. “ ‘But you strange people plant a garden and put in it every flower that vagabond villager even so much as men- tioned. As if his mere naming of a flower gave it a new glory! As if he gilded the lily and gave the rose a recog- nition that ennobled it!.’: “That is the sort of thing the Londoners of 300 years ago would say Of us Who stand here today. “Now let us suppost that some of us could have a. siniilar experience. Suppose that you yourselves should be brought back to this scene 300 years from now. The changes would dumbfound us, but, none I think would be so amazing, so appalling to some of you, as the change in what the cen- turies may have dope, to the motion pictures. “If Los Angeles had a real river running through it, the wrong side of the river would be called Hollywood; and to that bank would be consigned all the ‘disreputables,’ such as the motion picture studios and people whose activi- ties give so much pain and shame to your truly respectable Los Angelesians. “The good people here go to See the pictures and even meet the actors now. and then; but. it is much as they go to the Zoo to see the animals, or sneak off to a. rowdy night club to see how the. lower elements behave — and misbe- have; “In the newspapers here, they have what they call Society Pages. No motion picture people are over mentioned or pictured there. As a concession to them, some of the papers devote a certain amount of space to what they ironically dub Motion Picture Society. None of the more dignified people here would think of inviting motion pic- ture people to their, formal dinners, or select receptions. “When I was brought out here, few people knew that I had any motion picture ideas. So a golf club in its inno- cence of my low purposes invited me to join. In my inno- cence I did. The prominent playwright and director, William DeMille told: nie I ought to resign because that golf club did hot admit motion picture people to its club- house. “A man who rented irie a house went into a panic when he learned that I was actually associated with the studios. “I could give other instances, but you all know how motion picture people stand here in this town, which Hollywood is making world-fairious and prosperous beyond its Wildest dreams. I A Look Into, the Future I “What I’m leading up to is this: Suppose that some of you ladies, and gentlemen here were brought back to Los Angeles 300 years from now. “imagine your stupefaction if you should find just what I think you would find here. Hollywood would be a sort of niecca of almost religious significance. A studio would be regarded as a shrine. You would find that Wilshire and the Other boulevards arid the parks would have had their names changed to those Of motion picture actors, authors, directqrs^-even producers! There would be museums housing costumes, programs, scripts as revered treasures. “Remember how indignanHy Sir Thomas Bodley forbade anyone to soil the Bodleian Library with a play? Well; you have a big public library here, and many university librar- ies; It is safe to say that not' one of them would admit a motion picture scenario to its sacred archives. . ■‘Three hundred years from now, students will be writing doctorate theses on the early, history of the world-shaking creation of the motion picture, which had its capital here,. Will they find in our libraries the priceless manuscripts that are now despised? The thought horrifies you, doesn’t it? But so it would horrify the people of Elizabethen Eng-, land, could they come here and take part in -this tribute so well deserved by that great, that sublime genius who Carrie to London from a small town and helped to build up the glorious drama of England, and a name that is recognized as supreine by every civilized nation on earth. “Shakespeare’s plays were reviled while he lived. Later1 the Puritans; Closed all the theatres for years .because the theatre was called “the vestibule of hell,’’ the enemy of virtue, the corrupter of youth. bUt the motion pictures are shown to millions every day and night.. They speak a universal language. They bind all mankind together in one race. They enrich the poorest lives with pictures of beauty, drama, sympathy, pity, laughter, luxury* love, tragedy, farce. They make all people know that we all suffer arid enjoy the same things; “The. motion picture is a mighty force/ a marvelous thing/ Its people are doing a noble, a glorious work such as never was drearned of before. “Shakespeare deserves the homage you are paying him, beautifully today. But don’t forget your neighbors Out Hollywood way. Don’t look down upon their tremen- dous achievemerits, lest posterity look down upon you, and marvel at your contempt ■ for what should he your chief cause of pride. Immortal Work is being done in Hollywood by geniuses who deserve- not only your en-: couragement but your profoundest homage— — ” ■ Somewhere along there I stopped speaking at last. When I finished a few motion picture people who chanced to be there smiled at me as the-v patted me on the back for my mischievous impudence. But most of the ladies and gentlemen treated me with aversion, contempt and cold indignation. And yet I feel that what I said, however inept and untimely its expression, conveyed a truth that Ought not to be overlooked or forgotten. The worst of it is that the motion picture people themselves are so damnably meek and shamefaced about the magnificent work they ■ are doing. By OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN 2c! O. Hammersteln 2d “Where, are our great comedians going to come from, now that We no longer have burlesque and vaudeville?” This is a question you often hear and read; It is a favor- ite question among those who, instead of flying flags for show business, prefer to hang crepe. It’s an impressive and a frightening question — unless you. take the trouble to look for an answer. You don’t have to look far— a few miles north to the Catskills rind the Adirondacks, a few. miles west to . the Poconos. In these borscht-tinted, hills, many a bejly laugh has budded and bloomed, and many of our funniest men have sharp- ened their jokes on summer campers. Danfiy Kaye, Sid Caesar, Sam Leyeri- son, Jerry Lester, Red Buttons, Henny Youngman, (Miss) Jean Carroll and Julie Oshins all owe at least a part of their development to the Mountain Time. This is also true of Larry Storch, Jackie Miles, Gene Baylos, Phil Foster, Dave Barry and Myron Cohen. A few of these have had the benefit of some training in burlesque arid vaudeville, but these two mediums can certainly not be regarded as their principal developing ground. The same can be said of Milton Berle and Phil Silvers, who, in addition to burlesque, have performed, in night clubs arid picture houses and Broadway revues. The night club cradled (Dean) Martin & (Jerry) Lewis, who then zoomed into stardom in pictures and television. The night club was also the springboard for Wally Cox and Eddie Mayehoff, each Of whom has developed his own very original drolleries and taken them into television and Broadway entertainments. So if two of our old meadows lie fallow, we have found fresh fields that are producing promising crops of Comics — TV, radio, pictures, riiteries, the “Borscht Circuit’’— -that is Where our new funny men are coming froth. This simple answer should be enough for the lachrymose hCad-shakers, hand-Wringers arid shoulder-shruggers. But it won’t be. If the imminent demise of the -comic-, is taken away from them, many of them will find something else to quench their thirst for misery; There are too many_ of these premature mourners i the theatre and around its outskirts. Uriwilling to Wait for the predicted death of the entertaininent world, they would bury it alive. It may well be true that burlesque: is dead (arid as far as I am concerned, it lasted too long ) . There, is very little left Of vaudeville as we know it. (I was brought up on it, and I miss it). But the ingredients that flavored these mediums are showing up in Other mediums, arid so it will always be. ■The world changes, Style and method change, but the substance oif life remains the same. As long as there are people With the talent and -the ambition to provide enter- tainment, there will be people eager to receive their bounty. This will be true as long as there are people on the earth. How long there will be people on the earth i* quite another question. If you want a real worry, worry about that. 12 Forly-uxtK ‘Annittrutrf V«!tae* the little mousey g^nt in the dark coat, the one you told to empty the ash- nays and keep the drinks going*— you know who lie is? •He s a waiter, naturally * * . you didn’t think we’d be that corny, did, you? But you still haven't told me hoW to get my show pro- So Change your name to Rodgers & Hammerstein. oiioidd l write for television, then? \ i -}}e Ty writer today occupies about the same position J? tne history hierarchy as the Writer for the New York Graphic in the ’20s. Can you give me some hints about writing for TV?, ■in- * always . be your script has plenty of noise o it. Reniember, every TV show has to be heard above c^M??hing of pretzels in saloons. Then, do not have ny children in your scripts. Not bhiy will they riot be anowed in the bars, but on TV the average six-year-old s 1*^® Gloria Swarison in “Suriset Boulevard.” On n e other hand, on TV GJoria Swanson looks like Glori nilan^on’ ^ Whieh shows that time brings all things* Finally, imi PfbPl® will tell you that no TV show Can succeed >ii iv5s * c°ntains at least seven corpses. This is a vicious started, by theatre -owners to get people back to the ha? ^ecn clearly proved that two or tiiree corpses disposed of in a sufficiently gruesome man* fh Sr stomachs a half an hour than twice that number that are. merely shot .or stabbed. what is the future of TV as you see it? Radio, Then what is the future of radio? Tallullah Bankhead, although we are quite certain that she herself would be the first to admit it. FICVOUBS - -5T Tribulations In Tandem I By ALAN JACKSON Alan Jackson As everyone knows, every trade has a language of its own. Steel men arid railroad men have an arcane lingo of their own; the jargon of aviators is unintelligible to the laity. The same is true of motion picture story depart- ments, that Weird arid bewildered handful of individuals Who try to fun- nel. novels and plays into cinematic production. I have noted a few of their words and expressions together with their , meanings here, but, of course, the list is far from complete. Several story editors, however, have offered their help in compiling a definitive lexicon, and eventually it is proposed to «offer it for publication to The Holly wood Quarterly for a microfilm-time capsule edition. Its value to future archeolo- gists is self-evident; Thus (and not yet alphabetically) : Intellectual — A person who has read the original mate- rial as well as the synopsis. Outside Reader — One who complains of insufficient pay, Inside Reader— ^Orie who complains of insufficient salary. Wonderful Show— A 180-minute Technicolor extrava- ganza. - Costly Bore— Someone else’s 180-minute Technicolor extravaganza. Big Prop (for “Property”)— -The story someone else bought. A story you cannot find; Art jbirikletier-T-Eric Linklater. Price Ceiling— -This is something you have unjustifiably ‘‘punctured” when youi buy story Another Company wanted but not enough to meet Or approximate the asking price. An excusepe.g., a story editor- will say, “We could have had it as well, but I was unwilling to puncture the price ceiling,” This makes him sound like a good bush nessmari though it doesn’t give his, company the property. Crofts— An extra dividend, an increment, added: value, From Appleton-Century-Crofts. Like “Young” in Farrar, Straus & Young. Gethsemdhe~Story conference, Somerset— A drink of gin and water, or “gin on the . rocks;” The name was established by an assistant story editor who felt that asking for gin and water tended to make him sound like a candidate for a Hogarth drawing. The name Was given In honor of Mr. Maugham who, alone, could be expected to order such a drink with utmost aplomb and impeccable grace. Christmas— The season wA write this kind of thing for Variety. =By JERRY D. LEWIS I have .been asked to collaborate With another. Writer. Is this a good idea? Yes. -Two heads are better than one. And if you’re stupid enough to collaborate with another. Writer, unques- tionably yom* two heads will be better than his one. What sort of thing are you going to work on? I thought I was supposed to be asking the questions here . . * However, we had.in mind soft of a. general revolt against. . ... Okay, okay. We get it. You want to revolt,, Well, why not? For years people have been saying that writers; are pretty revolting, and this is a downright lie! Writers are not pretty, whether they’re revolting or doing any- thing else. But if you team up with another writer, better face one thing* You’ll never get any work done. You’ll; sperid all your time answering one question; “Say, how do you two work ’together, anyway?” Only writers get asked this question. People don’t make side-trips to Vassar to ask the daisy-chain girls how they work together; Very few people have ever asked a horse how he works with his jockey, and still fewer have had occasion to ask LeC & J. J. how they work together. But you’ll be asked the question iso often it will come to react on yOu like saying “Jose- phine Baker”, to Winchell. In fact, haying people ask them this question so often may be one reason why so many Writing teams are driven to the analyst’s couch. (Person- ally, we’ve always had to walk there). Other woes of tandem writing get settled easily. ’ comparison. The mat- ter of which of you gets top billing, for instance. Since writers usually come in assorted sizes, the smaller member of the team can usually be persuaded to let his name come last. Or, if you are evenly matched, a standard size, single blade fire axe always comes in handy to settle the most heated argument, Again, there may arise the question of Which of you is to do the typing. (It should have been understood from the beginning that this was being ad- dressed to the one-typewriter class of collaborators. ) =This question can be decided by determining Which of you can spell C-a-t; dr, in the case of extremely literate teams; let it be understood that Whichever of you carries the type- writer to and from the hockshop, the other does the typing. In short, any question or dispute that arises between the members of a writing team can be settled, in some such in- telligent manner as .indicated above except what to say to people who ask how you work together. We ourselves have tried many different answers to this question. There is The Reply Cryptic: “How do we work together? Ah, you may well ask.” (This is fine > if you want people to think they’ve been asking Gabriel Heatter how he works together.) There is the Snide Retort: “We toss the typewriter up in the air and throw pencils at it.” And there is the Rude Riposte: “Do we ask; you how you embalm people?” (Excellent, if you happen to know lot of embalmers.) Also, we have tried replying with merely a smile, a sneer, a snarl, or by loudly grinding our teeth and allowing flecks of foam to appear at the corners of our mouths. (This last being the ideal way to get back- ground material for a novel, about the alcoholic ward.) But, all in all. .. . Yes, well, I don't want to keep ypu gentlemen from your work any longer, so I'll just ask you one more ques- tion. What was the biggest day in your writing lives? The (day we learned how to write home for money, (Writer, Jerry Devine' uThis Is Your F$I") Hollywood. The late Damon Runyon once told a young sports writer that the best lead he ever wrote was “Yale beat Harvard today 7 to 6*” “Tell ’em what the, story’s about,” he said, and so with that in mind-^-because I was the young sports writers this piece for variety’s anniversary issue , is about my wife, her family, our new baby, . and a serious problem of mine. ' Let’s take my wife first. Her name is Louise, Shortly before sh'e was born, her mother suffered a bad accident. She was soared by a Mr* Fairbanks, Not Douglas Fair- banks, biit Sam or Morris Fairbanks-rwhatever the first name was Of; the man who had the scale business. Since my mother-in-law was scared, it had its effect on my Wife— an effectwhich takes the ionn of a hatred for calories; Now if this old phobia had struck only Louise, it wouldn’t be so bad, but it spread to her whole family. Not just- to her immediate family, but to her entire family; I don’t want to sound like she has such a big family that they sometimes overwhelm a non-voting member, but— well, let me put it this way. She’s, got relatives i places Rand & McNaily barely suspects. . In, fact, if Eisenhower had all of them in uniform* Europe would be safe— -from everything but; her family. The worst part is they all show plus-four revulsion at the faintest sign of a calory. At the mere sight of a dish of icecream, they positively quiver like so many struck gongs. Their idea of a picnic is to break open a box of Ry- Krisp, a jar of Blackstrap molasses, and sing, “Onward, Gayelord Hauser.” Ilii Coined tine Heavy i On the other hand, I’m: naturally heavy. (I don’t eat any more than the average person, if the average person is Happy Felton or Jack E, Leonard.) , This sometimes leads to Subtle allusions being made by Louise, Like when she was having this new- baby, She got up from the breakfast table one day and said; “I’m going downtown for some maternity clothes today. Want me to pick any up for you?” ' I laugh at things like that, because as long as they’re subtle Cracks I can appreciate them. What I don’t like are, the little sneaky cracks . some women make, in a spot like that. The wife of a friend of mine, for instance. Let’s be fair* He is getting a ■little heavy. (I’m currently on a diet, so I-notice those things.) Even so, I didn’t think his wife should have said when they started toward the car: “Honey (when they say that, look out!), IMI drive if you think you’ll have trouble getting behind the wheel.” ■ " ;; i Nice Weigbi for a Baby Up to now, the weight business has never really posed a serious problem. However, one has reared its head, and I humbly request Variety readers to, drop me a line arid get me out. ; You see, Louise had a baby boy in October. That was okay except, for one thing. I had expressly told her I would drive her to the hospital if she had the baby be- tween 9 a m. and midnight. Otherwise, she was to call a hack. I felt this was fair, since it gave her 15 of the ,24 hours. That meant she was getting 15 to nine odds on a positively even-money proposition, and all I know is if you keep beating the price that way, you got to wind up rich. Well, sir, there I was being comfortable about 11 one night when she nudged me arid asked me to drive her to the hospital. Of course, she didn’t have the baby until after midnight, but she had put in the request before, I had to take her. Little things like that can drive you crazy. You just have to learn when to put your foot down. But she did have the baby, and now I’ve got the prob- lem; which is this: I called about two dozen people after the event, rind each of them asked Jhe>same question the minute they heard the news. “How much did he weigh?” You see— this weight business has spread to Our friends, too. In any event, I reported to each of them that the baby’s poundage Was six eight. Without exception they all an- swered: “Six eight, eh? Nice weight for a baby.” They came and looked at Richard Neal, stepped back a pace, tilted their heads and clucked: “Looks fine.. I told you Six eight was a fine weight for a baby.” Now my problem is that when I made that first report to them I was Wrong. I don’t know how it happened, or who. gave me the bum steer, but it so happens the baby actually weighed six ten. Please, dear readers, let me know: Should I call everybody agai , and straighten them out, or isn’t six ten as nice a weight for a baby? Positively no collect wires accepted. Iloudini and the Hereafter Harry Houdini, the great escape artist, was a great trickster, an. excellent showman, but abhorred phoneys. He never, professed any supernatural powers for his amazing tricks. Sir Arthur Goriart Doyle once, invited Houdi i to Atlantic City to atterid a private seance to be given ;by Lady Doyle . Both were great be 1 levers in and exponents of communications with the dead. . With- put going into all the details, Lady Doyle went into a semi-trrince arid wrote for one and one-half hours a “message” to Houdini from his mother, Whom he loved very much, arid who, incidentally, made Wonderful apples pies'. After she had finished and handed the message to Houdini, the latter remarked “how won- derful Heaven must be; because my mother-r-when she died-^-couldn’t speak a word of English-^only He- brew.” He added that Heaven wasn’t 100% in other respects also. “It was just a little off," he said, “because today happens to be my birthday, and rny mother always gave me a white carnation ever since I was five years old.” He couldn’t understand why she never mentioned his birthday in this long message. .. “Goodbye, Lady Doyle. Goodbye, Sir Cohan”— and that was the ehd of the searice, — John F. Royal. u IIC1UBBS Forly»$txth 'Anniversary Ufofaeflday, Janoaiy 2, 1952 Chas. Skonras Sees a Big Theatre In the Future of the Picture Lost AngeleS. 1952 will be a year, of decision for the motion picture industry. The alertneSs and aggressiveness with which both exhibitors aud pro- ducers prepare to meet the compe- tition of its young and growing rival — television-— -Will determine their business future and fate. The situation calls for strong, drastic action. Politicians have found the public won’t vote .against Santa Claus and the public Won’t vote against television— unless movies offer better entertainment in better theatres. In my opinion the industry to survive must undertake a four- point program. 1. Theatres must prepare for theatre television. 2. Exhibitors must rehabilitate, modernize, and refurnish their the- atres to make them more attrac- tive, comfortable, and convenient. 3. Production must concentrate, more than ever before, on show- manship entertainment, Whether it be in big special production or in smeller, unusual, off-beat stories. 4. The industry must cease its warring, and present a united front in both intra-industry relations and its public relations to win new friends and lure back the old ones from television. The keystone of our future, I be- lieve, lies in exhibitors developing theatre television in color: It offers the same opportunity to revive our business that the advent of sound did 25 years ago. Through theatre television we can once again be- come showmen— providing 'wonder- ful timely entertainment of a qual-> ity no home television cart equal. It may be top sporting events, opera, Broadway shows, or special- ly created musical productions that we will build and create in special studios. Such entertainment, pre- sented^ in conjunction with a news, cartoon, and a top picture will prove a magnet that will draw the public from their home television to our boxoffices. It will be essential that our thea- tres match in comfort, warmth and convenience the entertainment we are offering on Our screens. That means ample parking, wider spaced seats, more luxurious seats, plus perfect sound and projection so. the public will find something in a the- atre they can’t have on their home set. By CHARLES P, SKOURAS (. President , Notional Theatres Amus. Co.). ; selves in show business, Let’s not atre business is booming, It’s posj* let turmoil continue until we are sible the . 'defense, program ;will faced with extinction. When out finally reach all parts of -the couri- survival depends pn, harmony, those try so that;We*ll have a temporary who are encouraging and inciting the cohstartt agltation must cease or perish, 1 Arbitration > . would help bring order out pf the present Chaos. But it mqst be an effective system of arbitration— not one dominated by the distributor. Such a ; program should be shaped up. in 1952.'. It may not be- come finalized for . several years, but! we must start. Television has seemingly ihade inroads in our business.: In the .California area, Where television ' flourishes,! our business is off about 15%, While in Colorado,. . where .television floes not exist, ojir theatres are ahead, of last year. • In certain defense areas the the plenty of spending money afifl; an upsurge . in theatre "attendance.! I lock for it. ! d ' But we ?houldh’t be fooled by: such a respite. ..Television iff the, years "to come will send its ten- tacles into the time of every Citi- zen of the country. We who have developed the film industry to. the important’ position it now 'fields in" the entertainment * habits of - the country ‘ must, compete: Against it with every resource at our com- mand. ! - We have ’ the opportunity; If we don’t take advantage of it, I think 50% of the theatres Of the country, Will close ; and ‘ if the other 50%: don’t move fast, a large, part of them may also disappear. By JEFF JEFFERISt Piedmont, Mo. T believe that the industry could do mucm better with fewer pic- tures, but it does not seem reason- able to assume that the industry is capable of turning Out only the super-colossals,. There is many a production that has been slated under the super-colossal category, which just did not jell for some reason or other. Artistically, some are fine, but the boxoffice is an- other stpry. If e x t en d e d runs are Holly- wood’s thinking for the future, then the smaller companies such as Monogram, Republic and Co- lumbia are going to have a field day. The smaller situations ate not too happy about waiting until ex- tended runs are all finished at ad- vanced prices, and even, then not getting the picture until a year later. After all, many have found that the bread-and-butter pictures are not the super-colossals, but the product -from the smaller compan- ies. Theatres of the future will cater more and more to the comfort of the patrons. Interior lighting will be greatly improved, and the dec- orations subdued and restful, in- stead of glamorous as ih the past. J, [ FITZGIBBONS (Pres.,. Famous ■ Players-Camdian Corp.) John J.FItzgrbbotu .1 New Types of Theatres The answer may lie in a hew type of theatre. It may mean more drive-ini;. We may find new poli- cies essential for our theatres, such as reserved seat shows, one show only at night; but whatever it is the exhibitor must be flexible and ready for change to meet the pub- lic’s taste. As the exhibitor must be alert, :so must the producer keep himself abreast of public demand. Today an ordinary picture means nothing in our theatres, particularly on week nights. It takes an extraor- dinary picture to do business. By that I don’t mean it has to be an extraordinarily costly picture. While big pictures like “David and Bathsheba,” "An American In Paris,” ‘‘Show Boat” and ‘’Street Car Named Desire” are packing them in, so have relatively inex- pensive showmanship pictures like ‘The Frogmen,” "Steel Helmet” and "FBI Girl” shown boxoffice power. That's one reason I don’t think studios Should concentrate only on the colossal pictures. They should make smaller; pictures that ‘ may develop into hits and at the same time develop new stars and new Writers; What the exhibitor needs is an even flow of pictures from the studios so that momentum and the moviegoing habit can.be main- tained. It’s wishful thinking for a pro- ducer to think he can make only 12 big ones and have them all big at the boxoffice. The law of. aver- ages is against him. At the same time some of his' small pictures may become sleepers ana* help carry the studio overhead. Above all, our business needs a moratorium on dissension, wran- gling and litigation. ' If we could stop being lawyers and start be- coming showmen, we *d all find our- I would not be surprised to. see; mqny of the city theatres follow- ing the plan pf the smaller towns in presenting a show and a -half each night, starting at 7:30 or 8 p.m. instead of operating continu- ously as they do at present. Regarding intra-trade "unity” as a possibility, at the risk of appear- ing to be a skeptic, . I am afraid that is wishful thinking. But I am will- ing to go along with any idea that Will further same. I am certainly not in favor of litigation. I be- lieve that arbitration, as discussed by Allied, is entirely possible and workable. The’ writer can speak only for the boxoffice possibilities in the smaller towns, as that is his field: Frankly, I am not too worried about the grosses for the coming year, and we are planning large, remodel- ing and improvements of our thea- tre. I am heartily in. favor of the complete organization of COMPO. "Movietime U;S.A.” has had many errors, mistakes and disappoint- ments, but. the idea is basically sound,, and I would like to see it really tried out. The problems that now seem so big will be Only l memories in a short time. ■ Toronto. ; The circus ringmaster has always intrigued me because he inever stops selling his show; Even after ihe patrons have bought * thfeir ' tickets rand . have entered . the big top the * r i n g m a ‘s - ter still’ sells * his, show j Every , act ’ is ; g i y en; }th!e •.Same buildup' * it was given by the advance man’s, publici- * ty. I feel that we, of the hip-! t i o n picture exhibition field, have, unlike the circus, ringmaster, neglected to seil our shows; after the. patrons have bought their tickets/ The modern motion picture the- atre has service to sell. Patrons should be made to fqel at. home in an atmosphere where, everything is done for his comfort and con- venience. ’ ‘The major airline companies have been quick .. to realize the importance of service to the public. Their advertising has been . in- triguing and the service of their personnel has lived up to ; their advertising. We could study, with profit, the methods of these com- panies. Eor many years I , Was a part of the! Publix organization. PUblix laid strong emphasis Upon service to the patrons of their theatres. Even- tually it became fashionable to: ridicule the type of service, the management of our theatres in those days insisted upon.; Perhaps at one stage Publix and its imita- tors reached a point where they Over-emphasized service but I be- lieve that the public really ap- preciated the type of attention odr employees were trained to give them. Gradually the Piiblix type of service disappeared from motion picture theatres. ’The War years, finally .killed Off any attempts , to give the public the attention to which I believe it was entitled. Theatres .were unable to • attract the right type of personnel and service didn’t seem to matter much’ in the war years. Now, 1 think, it is time to again thumb thrqugh; the old service manuals and bring some of the service features up ’ to date for our theatres. We, in Famous Players, have just Concluded a series of meet- ings- across " Canada and We have tried to impress upon our managers the importance of concentrating upon the development of' man- power in our theatres. Every patron who enters our theatres: is entitled to be treated like a; king. When ihe bu^s a ticket and. erbsses our ; threshold he should, enter into a world that is luxurious. And safe and where everything, .humanly possible is done to, ensure his comfort and relaxation.; [ . No Sourpusses . Tolerated [ One! sourpuss . in , the ; boxoffice, one unpleAsant doorman, , or one inattentive usher can go a long way toward destroying that, happy anticipation ;of our. program our advertising has created. Foremost, of course, is the type of attractions we are offering in our . theatres. Hollywood is giving us those attractions and they seem to be getting better as the months go by. We are spending many hun- dred of thousands of dollars ’ improving our theatre properties for the complete- comfort Of our patrons, but the attitude of the employees in our theatres is still among the most important factors in the success of our theatre op- eration. On our circuit we have initiated a suggestion box idea in which we offer monthly cash rewards lo employees Of our theatres who offer the best suggestions for the improvement of our service to the public. Many: valuable ideas have poured in— often from the most unexpected sources. ^“1 Incentives ; Another plan to stimulate the interest of our. employees in their jobs and Our theatres is the “Staff Week” program. Under thi plan the employees appoint their fellow-employees to various, jobs. A projectionist or a doorman may be ipanager for the Week, a candy girl chief usher, a porter assistant manager, and so on. We , have spt up fair quotas and all earnings over , the quotas are to be shared by the , employees. In each situa- tion the manager is supposed to act in an ..advisory capacity but in a number of theatres where "Staff Week” has been tried out the man- ager has volunteered to act as doorman or in some other active capacity: We have been amazed at the results in the situations where we have experimented with "Staff Weeks.” The staff has gone out and secured cooperative advertis- ing, newspaper editors have been intrigued by the idea and have given the staff stories and pic- torial layouts and many fine and workable ideas for the improve- ment of our service have been introduced. We have seen to it that our employees have been given top pictures to sell and their advertising and exploitation ideas have been a revelation. Everyone likes to see his picture in the local newspaper. In situa- tions where we have tested the "Staff Week’* idea the staff mem*’ bers who have been elected to key positions have been photographed and stories about their new assign- ments have been written. The publication of such pictures arid stories has not Only helped th theatres but has given our em- ployees a new sense of* importance. Attractive theatres and topflight pictures are 'our ‘most important consideration, but we feel that, we are oh the right track in encourag- ing our service staffs to take an interest in our patrons. Our in- tensive merchandising efforts which, bring patrons to our theatres are, to a large extent, dissipated if our service staffs fail to give the public the type of service to which they are entitled. GEORGE SIDNEY > j I i A y V One of Hollywood’s outstanding directors, just completed directing* "SCARAMOUCH E” for METROr.GOLDWYN-MAY£R wliero he is under contract., /Sidney!? recenj;, pictures ipcludq /‘SHOWBOAT” NiE GET YOUR GUN." Foreign Language Press Film Critics Circle, New Yo^k group! has named Wladslaw Borzecki, film editor of the Polish Morning. (Wppld, .as tts pye^y for 1952. . Allied’s Board Topper Endorses Action by All in Formulating Exhib-Distrib Conflicts on Rentals> Trade Practices; Sees Absence of ‘Dynamic Leadership’ as Possessed by Late S. R. Kent Washington. Tyv tax campaigns conducted on a national basis showed convinc* ingly that the great majority of in- dustry members are . men of good will, ready and willing to serve t h e common cause. But a far more con- vincing dem- onstration of this was the m a n ne r in which the in- dustry rallied around . B o b O’Donnell in his gallant leadership of the “Mbytetime*.’ campaign. With these gratifying experi- ences behind us, it seems to me the time has come to project our ex- periments into the field of trade practices where conflicts of inter- est do exist. These very conflicts, and tensions created thereby, are such that it would be impracticable and probably unlawful to attempt to eliminate them by “unity*” As a necessary first step we must devise a method whereby distribu- tors and exhibitors; through their duly chosen representatives, can discuss and legally adjust their dif- ferences. The Supreme Court, it seems to me, has left the road open to accomplish this in a perfectly lawful manner. In the course of his opinion Justice Douglas, speak- ing of arbitration, pointed out that “the District Court has the power to authorize the maintenance of such a system by those parties who consent and to provide the. rules and procedure under which it is Abram F. Myers I to operate.” An arbitration system worked out between the distribu- tors and exhibitors, agreed to by the Department of Justice and sub- mitted to and approved by the Court as an amendment to the* decree in the Paramount Case, would be legally unassailable* It should be noted that the Su- preme Court placed no limitation on the. scope . of the arbitration which the District Court, with the consent of the parties, might in- corporate in the decree. The de- sirability of such a system; frbm the standpoint of the Court, is that it would tend to relieve the Court of the many applications for the interpretation, enforcement and amendment of the. decree which otherwise are certain to be made! In the light of the foregoing, the comprehensive arbitration system approved by the exhibitors in at- tendance at Allied’s 1951 National Convention is entirely consistent With the Court’s own proposal and, at most, only a reasonable' exten- sion .thereof. | Categories of Disputes | Let us consider the disputes which the convention resolution lists- as appropriate for arbitration. First conies disputes oyer ’‘clear- ance and prints,” Surely, no one at this late, date will question the propriety of arbitrating clearance disputes; Clearance arbitrations were the only satisfactory pro- ceedings under the consent decree system. I participated in some of those cases and speak from experi- ence. Coupling clearance and prints is entirely logical in view of changes in distribution . methods. Prints now are made available to or are Withheld from theatres By A. J. BALABAN Invitation by the editor to “write a piece” for the “Bible of Show . Business” i n s p i r e s amusing thoughts of the quandary probably faced by those ancient sages con- templating a contributory “piece” to those more widely known Bibles, the Old and New Testaments, the Koran or Books of Confucius. Moses reported back to his print- ers with approximately less than 500 words, which, as the 10 Com- mandments, have endured as com- petent advice and guideposts to human progress. Variety wants (probably with ‘yoks’ and ‘bbffs’) some 1,500 words. This vividly in- dicates the extent of present-day inflation as against 5,000 years ago. With confronting floods of thea- tres of World War III, inflation, high taxes, corruption and human apathy, any enterprising Oracle might well advise clients to speed forthwith to their nearest archi- tect A good hew set of plans for another Ark, complete with pop- corn and TV, might not be a bad hedge for timid folks, if building materials and labor costs are still surmountable. Whether or not there is rising flood-water in the stockmarket, or cyclonic inflation blowing against the profit-and-loss sheets, or sky- rocketing taxes, our experience and history teaches that it has ever heeii thus., There has always been some Hell to pay, aind probably al- ways will be. We’ll get used to using bigger numerals, that’s all. Sixty miles an hour in 1911 hAs become 600 stratosphere miles in 1951. But still only from Here, to There. There’s no need to run, even if there were a place to hide. Smart young folks, spurred by ambition, aided by new 'techniques And modes, will keep this earth from becoming too dull. The temp- tation to advise, to pontificate, or do a bit of off-hand curbstone. Oraclering, is always stronger as the bald-spot spreads. So, with no intention of entering into competi- tion with Moses and The 10 Com- mandments, or attempting to im- prove upon them, in view of what are the facts of recent battlefield horrors a ri d immediate-future atomic possibilities, nevertheless I yield and reply, as when asked re- cently for a present-day success formula for boxoffices. Anyone can make up. their own list, but I like these: 1. Don’t permit audience bore- dom. 2. We’re , amusement industry. So, amuse! Keep it clean! Inspir- ing! Swift! Colorful! Imaginative! Human! 3. Give more than the money’s worth. 4. Treat customers like royalty. 5. It pays to advertise truthfully and smartly. 6. Keep your accountant and lawyer at hand,. 7. Be sure real talent holds every job. 8. Enthusiasm is amusement’s lifeblood. . 9. Enjoyment, not sorrow, is our merchandise. . ; 10. Accentuate the positive. Encouragement of Writers arid “idea” men arid women, creating entertainment ericompassirig the foregoing is vitally needed, now, more than ever before. We. must never forget “the play is the thing,” Which means that someone must first get it all down on manu- script before actors, directors, mu- sicians, labor, management or in- vestors naay banquet* We've ignored and starved creative minds, or peririitted them . to go too far afield on strange, unwanted mis- sions, Our mission is to bring, happiness to the people. The people will do the rest. We need more basic' talents. Let us find, encourage arid develop : talented,, creative newcomers in all related fields of our industry. It is a lack of thes^that is A more dangerous, threat than . anything else that can* happen. By ABRAM F. MYERS without regard to former practices or contract rights. The next item is “competitive bidding,” and for purposes of the present discussidri I will couple it with “runs,” although the latter is listed as A separate item. The dis- tributors’ only proffered excuse for persisting in competitive bidding after the Supreme Court discredit- ed it as a practice arid struck it from the decree is that it is the only method whereby pictures can be sold in competitive situations Without risking lawsuits. Conflicts over run, real or imagi- nary, provide the claimed justi- fication for bidding. Once it is de- termined which theatre is entitled to the run, the need for bidding disappears. There was a provision in the consent decree for arbitrat- ing runs, but it was sp circum- scribed by restrictions arid limita- tions as to be useless. Neverthe- less, the consent decree affords a precedent for arbitrating rims. Herein lies our last best hope for ridding the business of its most detested practice. Assuming that an acceptable plan for arbitrating runs can be devised, an exhibitbr staggering under competitive bidding, if so minded, could institute an arbitra- tion seeking pictures on the de- sired run. Other affected exhib- itors could intervene in the case for the protection of their inter- ests. The arbitrators could deter- mine which of the contending ex- hibitors was entitled to the run, or they might conclude that in fair- ness the product should be divided among, them on an equitable basis. In either event all parties, distrib- utors and exhibitors alike, would he relieved of their joint headache and the distributors would be able to proceed, relieved of the over- hanging dread of another: lawsuit. That Ole Debbil—’Rentals’ | The third arid most controversial item is “filrn . rentals.” The No. 1 probleni of rnost ex- hibitors today is to buy films at prices which will enable them to ■meet their overhead: and operating expenses and yield a reasonable profit. By far the greater part of the tension and dissension within the industry is attributable to the belief artiong exhibitors that during the current boxoffice recession the film companies have sought to maintain their own profits by ruth- lessly raising film rentals. As a test of the good faith of the evangels of “unity,” Allied poses this question: When an exhibitor and a distributor reach a stale- mate in their dealings with each other what is wrong about submit- ting the problem to the determina- tion of men with fresh, unbiased minds and a background of indus- try experience? j 1 . ‘Forcing’ | The next two items, “forcing of pictures”,: and “illegal setting of admission prices,” relate to acts which, if committed, Would con- stitute violations of the decree. So far as these practices are con- cerned, the arbitration system, in the language of the Supreme Court, would be "ah auxiliary enforce- ment procedure.’’ When invoked by an exhibitor it would, we hope, lead to a speedy determination of his rights;, Lacking such arbitra- tion he would have, first, to per- suade the Department of Justice that the contempt was of such a nature to warrant reporting it to the Court; and, second, the Depart- ment would have to convince the Court that punishment was in order.. The Arbitration procedure would afford. the distributor practi- cal insurance against a citation for contempt. President Bembusch has appoint- ed an able committee to put these proposals In proper form for sub- mission to the film companies. In- dignation has been expressed in some quarters that Allied is doing this preliminary work by itself and not in collaboration with other in- dustry elements. Allied is follow- ing this course because it feels that the work can be done best by a small group of men who have been working in close harmony for many years and understand arid trust each other. When they have completed their work and submit- ted it to the distributors; and the preliminary conferences indicate that * the distributors’ minds are open to the proposals, then it Will be time enough to plan for wider participation in the discussions. Allied is riot so vain as to sup- pose that a part or even a majority of the exhibitors could impose their will In a matter of such magnitude and importance on others. At some stage everyone will have the opportunity to advance their own proposals and urge their adoption. It is a great pity that the dis- tributors have not developed a dy- namic leadership to carry on in the tradition of the late Sidney R. Kent. How he would have grasped the present golden opportunity to lead them, out of the wilderness! But as we all know, the opportunity often makes the man. Certainly there is ample experience and ability in their ranks to supply such leadership if only the. right man can be induced to step forward. In any case 1952 promises to be A great year in the annals of the industry, Whether the industry emerges triumphant from difficul- ties, or bogs down deeper, will depend upon the faith, the wis- dom, the good will arid the exer- tions of its members, from top to bottom, during the next 12 months. Basic Ingredients Ofttimes Don’t Add Up to a Boxoffice Payoff By WILLIAM GOETZ ( Production V.P., Universal-Interndtional) Of all the problems that plague a producer, the most nagging is one involving the public. Uxilike others, this one is always with us: — a spectre that haunts us in lush times or lean, at story con f e rences, budget meet- ings, informal disc uss ions and during the long reaches of the flight when insomnia takes hold, ill Gocts The prob- lem, though posed in many forms, is most often put as a brief and fervid question.. “What does the public want?” For best effect, read it with the em- phasis in the second word but ex- pressed laconically or forcefully it is almost guaranteed to provoke positive and instantaneous frenzy at any gathering of film makers. A quick fortune awaits anyone who can. come up with any kind of an answer to this one. A lot of people have tried; professionals and amateurs alike. Professional pollsters have taken a fling at it, and so have plain and fancy re- searchers . by the hundreds. An- alysts, soothsayers, public relations experts and even producers’ wives who claim to read tea leaves, have toyed with it to. no avail. They have cost Hollywood enough to finance any number of epics but the Sphinx is still silent. Oddly enough; we know, the basic ingredients that the public wants in its movies, ’ Everyone is in on this act, including our critics and our friends. Once you get your picture finished; arid show it, every- one is ready to tell you what’s good about it and what’s bad. The pro- fessional. critics niay love it but it may still register in the “error” column with the public; Or it may be damned and denounced by those who are supposed to know up from , down in regard . to pictures but the public may latch on to it like a kid to a toy train. On some things, everyone agrees. Entertainment, is brie. It’s; A loose term , and loosely used but we know that unless a film entertains, it’s going nowhere at all; Under the , general heading of entertain- ment are a good riiany other of the ingredients that supposedly guar- antee public acceptance. There is pace and direction, story and char- acterization, artistic and production values, star power and a myriad of other things besides. These are ail taken for granted. From there we move into the field of plus values and every pro- ducer‘is forever searching for them. Oh our own lot, for in- stance, we have just completed “Red Ball; Express.” We believe there is a plus factor here because this movie deals with a phase of the war in Europe hitherto un- touched by films. Directly and in- directly, hundreds of thousands of our hoys were engaged in getting supplies up front and for them this picture should have special ap- peal. The same is true of “Bronco Buster,” which deals with rodeos. To our surprise, we discovered when the subject came up, that rodeos today rank as one of the largest spectator sports in the na- tion. That should be reflected at the bpxofflce as should the fact that “Steel Town” is the first full- length Technicolor film to give the public a close up of a great steel mill , in operation. There are, we also discovered, more than a mil- lion people directly engaged i Steel production, It's in blending these known i gredients, however, that something happens. All the things that have gone into the finished product have been carefully weighed, considered and evaluated. Individually, the elements are there but the picture as a whole creates no more than a ripple as far as the public is con- cerned. It happens too often for comfort. Just when you convince yourself that the time is hot propitious for a war picture someone makes a war picture, the public jams the box- riff ice and the picture makes Fort Knox tremble in fear of sharing its quarters with new tenants. And then- there is the matter of geography. Why should a movi prove a thundering success ini Bos- ton and flop dismally in Phila- delphia? Why should New York blow its top over some picture and Dallas give it the back of its hand? Swashbuckling, adventure stories seem to be coming back into favor but what changed the public’s mind? You couldn’t give them away not so long ago. I suspect that this particular enigma will never be solved. May- be it’s better this ..way . Otherwise, everyone, would he producing pic- tures and the competition would be even tougher than it is now. VcdiwAy, Jwmiry 2, 1952 16 ncnjuES & Forty-sixth PtiBSBBf? rAm*hm*y Cheers for Movietime, Exit of ‘Shot-Gun’ O’Donnell By ROBERT J. O’DONNELL ( Executive V. P., Interstate theatres) Dallas. In reference to COMPO. and; and Movietime USA you can easily excuse me as being biased, as I feel that, its importance to all branches of the industry is one of the out- standing obli- gations of all branches;. As the National Campaign Di- re c 1 6 r for Mo vie time USA, I am de- lighted with What was . ac- complished. Sure Movie- bugs” but only recently Bob O’DonneU time had I received the most glowing tele- gram from L. Montgomery, chairman of the Movietime in Dixie tour- which ended DeC. 8, and was one of those which was or- ganized to take up the slack oc- casioned by our failure to get enough people on the original tour. There were 17 personalities in- volved in the Dixie tour, covering Louisiana and Mississippi* and from every indication, the very lack of pressure" leads me to believe that staggered tours are the an- swer to one of our greatest prob- lems, instead of trying to do it all in one week nationwide. Certainly the Movietime in Dixie tour got into the grassroots and I have since had an opportunity to talk to Robert Fellows, a former Paramount producer, and to get his reaction is really most exciting. We are very optimistic in Texas, as to the boxoffice prospects in 1952. As you know, pur 1951 grosses have been comparable with 1950, although our attendance is about 3% off. Texas, from a commercial stand- point, is in excellent position -and is enjoying a great deal Of the same war activities in towns like San Antonio which we saw during the second World War. Arbitration and beautifully operated drivein, such as our new Oleander in Gal- veston, which, cost almost $400,000 and is beautifully landscaped, will have a very important place in the future of motion picture operation. Must point out that we are a single-feature territory, and with that policy we are not plagued with the number of shows problem, or the starting-time problem; as we do schedule our feature attractions so that they are shown at conveni- ent hours to our patrons. This must be a heck of a problem in double-feature territory* I personally believe that arbitra- tion versus litigation is the most important single item confronting exhibition. If a solution can tie found to the constant threat of law suits with arbitration, there is no one thing that Would go so far to release the chaos that exists in our Industry today. I am giving you this opinion, despite the fact that there is only one law suit in ex- istence here in Texas; it was filed in. 1947 and has not come to trial yet. So this opinion is not one from a territory that is harassed with a multitude of law suits, but I do believe that arbitration can be the salvation of exhibition. My recent tour of 32 exchange cities leads me to go on record that unity is a real possibility. We must find a solution to eliminate the individual personal conflicts, and I absolutely believe that no one in otir industry really be- lieves that divested interests have have any God-given rights that Would militate against unity. We here in Texas do believe that the orthodox or closed theatres of the future should necessarily differ physically from the present. We do believe that we must be alert to the possibility of large screen tele- vision but, again, it wili. be next September before the coaxial Cable enters our territory. We have recently given consid- erable thought to the type of oper- ation We are running and, frankly, have found no solution that would materially change it. The most drastic Change we made was in late 1950 wherein all of our “A” thea- tres increased matinee prices to night prices and, generally speak- ing, we have one price all oyer theatres from opening at noOn to closing at. midnight. This has been accepted beautifully but, of course, you must take into consideration that our top price is 60c, including tax. ' I am of the opinion that the fly- by-night, carelessly operated drive- in theatre has no future, other than ‘its nuisance value. But we do believe that the fine | TV’s Exciting , Potentials 1 Future of exhibition Versus tele- vision is an exciting one. We have proven here in Texas that televi- sion, up to the time we could afford to buy television time, was a splen- did theatre stimulant. We realize that television is a tremendous competitor and early last spring, all over Texas, independent theatres, and ourselves, really started Movie- time In Texas with the thought of putting our theatres physically be- yond criticism in order to success- fully be able to combat the com- petition of television. We have rec- ommended either the elimination of screen advertising: or a maxi- mum Of one ad, and hone in the top A theatres. We came to this decision after Witnessing the very obnoxious repetitious advertising on the television shows. We pioneered in TV advertising but when the cost got up to $70 per minute it priced us out of that sort of ballyhoo. Unquestionably, whether tele- vision is the cause Or not, our patrons are becoming more critical in their choice, and we do believe it means the elimination of fringe theatres, particularly the shotgun, converted store-type which primar- ily exhibited westerns and action pictures. But it is my personal opinion that the deluge of fine outstanding super-colossals in westerns, which all studios have been producing have made, by comparison, the for- mer shotgun type of modest budget western unattractive. Also, the great prpmise of these types of at- tractions On television today makes them unattractive in the fringe type of theatre. So, I must agree there Will be an elimination of a great many rather unattractive theatres, but do not believe there will be a lessening of the finer type of theatres. The one disturbing thought that has been advanced, and again re- ferring to the fact that we are a single-feature territory, we do not feel the impact of a dwarfed pro- duction schedule in the same rela- tive manner as the double-feature territories. But no matter how hard they try, some of the finest budgeted pictures produced with great thought and care* still find their way into the lowest “per* vous”. A or . Brf brackets. We, frankly, need all of the A pictures which are being made and can stand plenty more. It is the sec- ondary pictures which are the ex- hibitors’ headaches, as well as the producers’, but we must keep op- erating 52 weeks a year, and I agree that it is wishful thinking that Hollywood could produce only super-colossals. Death of Max Kravetz Hollywood. Death of Max M. . Kravetz here last week likely Will result in some delay in the $600,000 breaCh-of contract suit which he had brought against various of the principals of United Artists. Kravetz, Who was 58, and in ill health for some time, died in Hollywood last Tuesday (25). Immediate indication is that the action will be pursued by his es- tate, through' Kravetz* N. Y. at- torneys. He had claimed to have an option to purchase the UA stock held by Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin, but this became of no value when the two co-owners en- tered their management and stock deal with Arthur B. Krim and his associates. Depositions by some Of the defendants already have been taken in N. Y. Kravetz was the key figure in setting up the deal by which Paul V. McNutt took over UA manage- ment last year. When McNutt and Frank McNamee, who Was installed as president, bowed out they re- linquished stock option rights. Kravetz, who became UA’s corpo- rate secretary, thereupon claimed that he Was entitled to the options in that he was a partner with Mc- Nutt and McNamee. Kravetz previously had been real estate manager for Fox-West Coast Theatres and operated houses in Wyoming. By ARTHUR, 1* MAYER (Executive V. P.f COMPO) In this era of awards of prizes, when kudos is bestowed lavishly in all fields of endeavor, it seems odd that no prize is offered for out- standing ach ievements in What is eas- ily the fiercest and m o._s t widespread of c om petitions. I refer, of course, to the rivalry th a t exists among motion picture people to see who can inflict the most dam- Arthur L. Mayer age on their own business by means of public statements or interviews. , I strongly urge that the Motion Picture Academy take steps to cor- rect this situation. Certainly this industry should give some recogni- tion to those who cry it down, for their public lamentations are at- taining the statute of artistry. No doubt everybody will have his favorite candidates. Let me, however, mention three nominees, whose claims I do not think should be overlooked. The first is an emi- nently successful writer-producer who recently was quoted, by his home town paper as prophesying that 75% of the movie theatres will be closed within five years. Since he probably knows no more about movie theatres than I do about writing and producing pictures, it is obvious that in making this statement he reached heights of recklessness and irresponsibility that few have attained. My second' nominee is another producer — even more eminent— who accompanied his departure from one of Hollywood’s leading studios with the intimation that the pictures Hollywood is now produc- ing are unworthy of the American public. To avoid accusation of partiality, at least one award should be pre- sented to some of. the exhibitors, who in a laudable effort to reduce film rentals, have yelled so loudly and frequently about how bad pic- tures are that their patrons have heard and believed them. Between these various lads, of course, it’s a tossup; one forecasts the industry’s early doom, the others do their best to make the first one’s prophecy come true. But all are in there pitching, make no mistake, The least they should get is an E for effort. There are,, of course, many peo- ple in the business who decry this sort of thing, maintaining that if iV,; ‘ *V.‘ ' '■ v\v.\\v.;\ VAuV ’ •»* ’ ' iV*\Y*. JACK SHAINDLIN SEASON'S GREETINGS TO ALL MY FRIENDS one must rush, into print he might direct his remarks in a more con- structive and helpful direction. True, these are only those unpro- gresslve fUddy-duddies who cling to the Oldfashioned notion about the folly of fouling orie’s nest. But there’s a lot to be said for their point of View. What’s more, I’m going to say it. 1 Still 60,000,000, Fans a Week j firstly, 60,000,000 Americans are Still going to the movies every week. Since these people pay cash to get into picture theatres, the pictures they see must be giv- ing them some satisfaction. Rea- sons for that satisfaction are not hard to discover. : Not only have there been pictures appealing to the man in the street and the woman in the , home like the Ms and Pa Kettle series and “At War With the Army,” but for those of a little higher hairline there have been “A Place in the Sun,” ‘‘Streetcar Named Desire” and others of high Standards. Moreover* these 60,000,000 peor pie are going to more theatres th ever before existed in this coun- try—more than 23*000 at the last count.. Some of these are drive- ins, that new type of theatre which has been established, for those who are hungry for entertainment but Cannot endure the discomforts of downtown parking, or the search for baby-sitters. But all of them are maintained by men . who have grown up in this business and, pre- sumably,: know what they are do- ing. Just making itself Visible over the horizon is a new development that will add new lustre to the movie theatre. This; of course, is theatre-television. Now, for a few theatres, it brings prizefights and other sports events. In the not too distant, future, however, it will be drawing crowds to every movie the- atre with large-screen TV pickups of such current attractions as ‘‘The King and I,’’ while they are still playing on Broadway, the Metro- politan Opera, the New York Phil- harmonic, big news Stories while, they are happening, a vast variety of attractions which neither stand- ard motion pictures nor home tele- vision can supply. Then watch our business expand. COMPO’s Good Job j And, of course, there is COMPO, if you will pardon the plug. Here is something anybody in the busi- ness can shout about* and tHe more they shout the better off the in- dustry will be. For in COMPO this strife-torn business has at last achieved a formula for unity more far-reaching than any accomplished by any other industry.* What other industry in the. world Can boast that it' has combined in one or- ganization eVery branch of its activity, from producer to retailer to labor unionist? The Council of Motion Picture Organizations has done that, and the fruits of this ex- periment are already manifest. Under the sponsorship of COMPO— and it has been in ex- istence only a year— the industry has held its first Hound Table at Which exhibitors and producers could confront one another and discuss their mutual problems, un- der the sponsorship of COMPO there has been inaugurated the Movietime ‘U.S.A. celebration of the movie theatre’s golden an- niversary, celebration that not only has resulted in' a swift im- provement of newspapers* attitude toward our business, but also took actors, writers, directors and pro- ducers into the grassroots of America, to the- immeasurable benefit both of the : grassroots and themselyes* Maybe, on further thought* we should not give' an Oscar to the crepe hangers, but; rather to the industry’s boosters men like Ronald Reagan and George Mur- phy of Holly wood, ; Ned Depinet 'of New York, Bob O’Donnell of Texas, Spyros JSkouras of here, there and everywhere* These men do hot think their position of eminence i this industry entities them to dis** parage it. , pa. the contrary, they persistently emphasize its triumphs of . the* past and its capacity to its problems, of the “ iA— tv v*rv •y -f t 1 >> T>U Here Are No ‘Seasons’ for Good Pix; Theatres Like Dept. Stores By EDWARD L. HYMAN (y. P., United Paramount Theatres ) As we write this, the signs of the new spirit of enthusiasm in our industry have become very clear. This new spirit was made ve ry evident by the zeal with which the Mo v i e - time USA' pro- gram was car- ried out. It was generally agreed that it produced fine results. This was as it should be. However, we .Hyman do not intend, in this offering, to discuss Movies time USA. We have spent a great deal of time in these last few years formu- lating plans to revive the industry and the public interest, and in doing so, we have concentrated mainly upon the need for showman- ship. Showmanship is very neces- sary and I Cannot stress too much its importance. However, based on our experience, there is one funda- mental fact which emerges. The attraction “at the arid of the hali** is otir basic stock in trade. Unless we are given the proper product to sell there are very definite limitations On the lengths to which the ingenuity and special tech- niques of our showmanship Will carry us. We must not lose sight of the fact that the primary neces- sity is a good, steady, continuous supply of product. Sure, we all have, on occasion, taken so-called “sleeper” attractions and by dint of showmanship alone' have made such pictures successful at the box- office. However, we also know that we cannot continue to Hold the public interest with showmanship, unless we combine showmanship: with a continuous flow of good product. . During the last several years, the old practice of aiming best pictures for the major holidays in each year has been accented. Thiis We have found that Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter and Labor Day are primarily, singled out and pointed to for the best product. Now, we would have no quarrel with this practice if the pre-and post-holiday periods were supplied with good product, but such is not the: case. Pre- and post- holiday periods and the May-June period have been singled out as times when nothing of any con- sequence should be released, dur- ing these periods we suffer from a serious deficiency in. product, both in quality and quantity. The result is that we make feverish efforts to obtain pictures and dur- ing those periods our fever rises when we examine the boxoffice re- ports. The last May and Jjune pe- riod brings this problem into very clear focus. Spreading the Wealth | J As we all know, both these months in 1951 were particularly deficient in product and proved to be a very trying, period indeed. Lo and .behold, comes July and the quality and quantity of pic- tures began to improve and in- creased so that t>ver Labor Day it was impossible in many situa- tions to play all of the . fine pic- tures available.. If some of these surplus pictures had been released during the May^Fune period, how different the results would have been, Furthermore, With competi- tion from television slackening be- cause of the summer departure of the better programs what better opportunity copld there be . to strike while the iron is hot” and attract the public to our theatres with better pictures. We are in a 52. weeks a year. busi- ngs. I cannot emphasize this too strongly. Obr theatres remain open each day of the year and we have responsibilities to the public through every season. It is a terri- ble mistake to cut down on the flow of good product and bunch our best releases at certain peaks, especially now 'when we face con- stant and alert competition. If we cannot keep the motion picture habit instilled in our patrons, we ore in a fair way to: lose the battle, and we must face ' the fact- that once the motion picture habit is interrupted by a series of poor pictures at anytime during the year, it takes several weeks to recapture the lost patronage and, in some cases, no recapture is effected. Dept. Store Technique We certainly do not want to shift our merchandising, methods from a motion picture habit to a spot- attraction basis Whereby patrons will come to our theatres only dur- ing widely separated intervals of the year. We are in a merchan- dising business which is similar in many Ways to 'the practices em- ployed by leading department stores. During holiday periods all of us do fine, When the holiday is over, . our. motion . picture the- atres have been in the habit of sitting back and taking a beating until , business revives again in the next holiday season. The depart- ment stores operate on the prin- ciple that it is during these pre- and post-holiday periods that extra stimulus is needed to attract patronage. It is during these pe- riods that they increase their advertising and showmanship activ- ities and also through such devices as special sales, give the public a little more than it. usually gets at a time when the public is less anxious to buy. By these intelli- gent practices, department stores have managed to sustain an even flow of business. This is a lesson that we exhibi- tors should take to heart. We say that if there are periods during the year when patrons are less anxious to come to our. theatres, then those are the periods when we should concentrate on attracting those pa- trons by making available pictures of merit. By presenting inferior pictures: at such a time, we accel- erate a tendency which in the long run will, be damaging to our indus- try. This is nothing which has not been said before many times; fur- thermore we all agree but just say- ing these things and agreeing with them is not enough. Something concrete must be done to change this condition. We know how dif- ficult this is; we know that, produc- ers and distributors are in busi- ness, too, and there is some justifi- cation for their attitude that busi- ness generally is not too good dur- ing the weeks in question; and we know how hard it is to convince producers and distributors to change this attitude. However, the problem is before us and we can- not wink it away. In the long run, the showman- ship displayed in programs like “Movietime U.S.A.” will avail us nothing if, during certain periods of the year, it brings the public into our theatres and sends them away in displeasure at the inferior pictures they see. Can we estimate the harm done when innumerable people, ..during these. periods of the year. emerge from the theatres scoffing at a slogan such as “Movies Are Better Than Ever?” We must, therefore, all of us, at every, level, put forth our every possible effort to correct this con ditibn. Reinvestment In One’s Biz Some thoughts have occured to us which may offer a partial solu- tion. We feel that in order to con- vince producers and distributors of the great harm that will result in the long run from the lack of prod- uct during the periods of question, the exhibitors should make conces- sions.- The best consessiqn we can think of is An assurance to a' dis- tributor that he will be paid a rea- sonable film rental. Exhibitors should offer to underwrite film rentals for good pictures during these weak periods by giving min- imum guarantees until it is shown to the distributors that a continu- ous supply of good product is good business. In this way, the distrihu tors 1 would not be alone in assum ing the total risk of loss and we should be able to make headway. Furthermore, I am sure, the result would be gratifying to both the distributors and the exhibitors; Even if the end result for the ex- hibitor is as bad financially, he still benefits' by the ract that the public will be seeing good pictures constantly and will not fid given the opportunity to lose the motion picture habit. The distributor could also be of- fered additional revenue in an- other way. The playing time of a good picture offered for release during a holiday period can be ex- tended by opening it the week be- fore the holiday and playing it throughout the holiday period. In this way, the dollar return to the distributor would be higher than if the picture were given a conven- tional holiday run. From the ex- perience gained on the few occa- sions we have tried this, we have found* it to be mutually satisfac- tory, We hope that this effort to im- press everyone in . our industry with the extreme importance in finding the solution to this prob- lem will bear fruit. As far as we are concerned, if we were asked to select for attention,, one problem of the many that confront the, in- dustry, we would select this one. We have been: working toward a solution for some time and are happy to say that the sales man- ager of brie of the major distribut- ing companies has indicated to us his willingness to go along. We also intend to circulate this article among all of the leading figures in the industry and We are hoping that some relief will be ob- tained in time to alleviate the. serious product lull now indicated for the Lenten season which be- gins on Ash Wednesday, Feb, 27 and ends on Easter Sunday, April 13. We will be only too glad to make ourselves available for any discussion or consideration of any program pointed to a solution. However, we must again urge that we cannot do enough; and must re- peat that it is not enough to mere- ly agree. Something concrete must be done. By ROBERT B. WILBY Atlanta. Wonder if the type of advertis- ing; which the motion picture in- dustry is doing would not stand just a little appraisal as to: 1; Copy. 2. Timing. As to the first, it Would seem that we still use as a base the great dignity of Messrs. Charles Frohman and Belasco in the con- siderable dependence upon star, cast and title. To that we have added an occasional flamboyant “catch line” and considerable illus- tration. The net result of it is that we are printing posters in newspapers and magazines. One would not decry the effec- tiveness of ^posters, but the place for a poster, of course, is not in a newspaper or magazine. Presum- ably there you have a reasonable amount of the reader’s interest, and presumably a picture which has cost a million or more bucks could well have more said about it than a blatant catchline and an il- lustration or two. Of course Coca Cola, Camel and the rest of thei , who have been selling one thing forv decades, do not now .need to say very much about their product. But one will observe that when the automobile people bring out a new model there is a very con- siderable amount said about it; what it is, what it looks like, what it will do. Each picture is a new model. If there be some reason for having produced the picture, there must be some reason to be- lieve that its subject matter; its type of production, and its other elements will interest people. . But they aren’t going to be very much interested if they aren't told any- thing about it. And when you confine that newspaper ad just to no more than a poster, you are paying pretty -good posting rates, and saying very little. To put it very briefly, if the pic- ture is worth making, it’s worth telling about — interestingly and be- lievably, and reasonably fully. There has developed a sort of mania, especially with the week- stand houses, of concentrating their, advertising before the open- ing. The net result, of course, is that the theatre is advertising strongly that which it does riot have arid passing over with a little directory ad that which it does have. Always, it seems, the “big. show” is coming; what can be seen now Is not worthwhile; From at least one viewpoint; the fallacy of that is too obvious to need' art argu- ment. m By HARRY B. FRENCH ( President , Minnesota Amus. Co.) Minneapolis. The reason that exhibitors, are so very much concerned as to what the future holds for them i$ sim- ply because the pattern they have followed for years is different to- day,. Ours is an ever-changing business— rand a rapidly changing one— and in my opinion we are go- ing to see many changes in the next two years that will be some- what revolutionary. I think future theatres will be physically, different to meet spec- tacular innovations, such as third dimension and television; It is probable that complete shows will come to the theatre through the air by. microwave, perhaps, or re- corded (sound and picture, yes, even color) bn magnetic tape. It is quite possible that hours of op- eration may change considerably. It is also possible the theatre can very well be used; and profitably, every day in the off-hours of op- eration.. In fact, the theatre can and should be the heart of commu- nity activity. The important changes that have taken place in the past have al- ways turned out to be for the best, and I am still convinced the best years of the motion picture in- dustry lie ahead. No overnight miracle will create Utopia for the exhibitor, although the impact t>f third dimension, when it is perfected, . may resem- ble a miracle. But the exhibitor who changes with the times, keeps alert, and applies sound business judgment to his operation will be successful. The. exhibitor who does not keep up with the chang- ing times is doomed. Many small theatres were built during the . lush period, and thejj provided thb extra seats that were really required in those days; . they justified their existence, but in my opinion there is no future for them in the chang- ing pattern.. There should’ be intra-trade unity in this business, but judging from what has happened in the past, J am not too optimistic that it will be accomplished. To much selfish- ness of individuals and vested, in- terests seems to preclude such a possibility. This industry today is plagued with litigation to an ex- tent never before experienced. Surely arbitration should provide the means of settling disputes. But here again selfishness and jeal- ously are the culprits. Movietime U. S. A., to my way of thinking; was one of the best ef- forts put forth to promote our in- dustry. True, there were disap- pointments and mistakes, but over- all the results were excellent. Its impact on the people and the press was terrific, and it immediately effected a different attitude to- ward our business. Unlimited praise, particularly by the press, was alone worth the effort. I think Movietime U. S. A. should be an annual affair, | Product and Prices | Product for the entire year 1951 did not measure up to what I had hoped for, even though some very outstanding pictures were released that compare favorably with the best of other years. But there were <>not enough of them. Generally, speaking, l am not in favor of increased admission prices on the better-than-average picture. I think the public 1$ entitled to the occasional better picture at the regular admission. Out business was built on nominal ;admission prices, and I believe, we should" adhere to that practice. \ However, • I think, our price policy;' should be flexible enough to meet an oc- casional increase on a super-spec- tacular picture that justifies a higher admission. * Television in territory, has been and still: is a competitive factor where it has been in opera- tion for a year or two, particularly, since the advent of the coaxial cable, In my opinion it is not bnlyJ here to stay but will get decidedly better. I feel television will find a. place i our theatres to supple-; ment our film programs and will be an asset to our business. Like radio, it will find its level and most definitely be a part of our way of life— -a more pleasant and better part; < Again I say the future! holds great promise for what I think is the best business in the world. Good Pix Will Still Get And Bock Into Theatres By JOHN BAIABAN (Baiaban 8t Katz Theatres) Chicago. Better riiei’chandise makes for better business; Thus, better pic-, tures means better boxoffice, be they pictures of first choice, or even in the secondary group. Truly, It is. wishful thinking to be- lieve that the industry can tur out only superproductions, but the chances for good business arc much better if more first choice product is produced. However, the second- ary group must not be neglected for they fill a great need in the- atres devoted to double features, and ofttimes the industry will find a boxoffice “sleeper” among them. Today’s problems for the motion picture theatre are Wide and varied; and profitable business is more difficult than heretofore. Television unquestionably is tak- ing its toll in the areas where it now exists, and the wider its in- fluence becomes, more theatrs will be affected. It looks as if quite a number of theatres will disappear in the next few years.. However, the general public Will always look to the. motion picture theatre for better motion picture entertainment of scope and magni- tude, the kind of pictures that tele- vision cannot possibly present favorably. And, thus, both fields of entertainment; motion picture the- atres and television, will enjoy their respective profitable places in amusements. Judging from present trends, It seems to me that the motion pic- ture theatre of the future will probably be moderate in size, of 1,500 seats or less, rather than the large deluxe type which pre- vails in important cities today. So far as the: general policy of entertainment in the future, is con- cerned, that Will depend largely ripon developments in the business. Basically, of course, motion pic- tures will provide the theatre en- tertainment. One of the great needs of our business today to iron out some of its complexities is a better understanding of our problems. Perhaps this will do away with much of the litigation currently prevailing that is so costly and time-consuming. This might be ac- complished through means of arbitration. Possibly one of the most pro- gressive promotional ideas launch- ed by the motion picture industry was the recent Mpyietime, U. S. A. campaign. By touring the stars and starlets, and bringing them in close contact with the representative 1 people of the country as well as with the masses, not only was the industry Well and favorably pub- licized; but a better understanding was created for motion pictures, and for the people who produce and act in them. 1 sincerely trust that COMPO will organize these tours periodi- cally and that it will engage the topmost stars and personalities for -these appearances, for while the i mined iate benefits resulting from them might be intangible, the cumulative effect is bound to build good will for the industry and have boxoffice value well; Cliffer for Chi For the first time in over a dec- ade, a cliffhanger series has been booked by 11 Baiaban A j Katz Theatres in Chicago, Serial Columbia’s “Captain Video,” film adaptation of the DuMont tele science-fiction show for small-fry*. Filin also has been booked into 30 RKO houses in the New York circuit and into 58 Warner theatres. Wednesday, Jammy % Wednesday* !, 1952 HCTUBES Vorty-tlxih 'Annttertary WHAT CAMP SHOWS By ABE LASTFOGEL (Board Chairman, USO-CS ) Like many another veteran of World War-IIy- USO-Camp Shows has found itself, drafted again for the present crisis. . The familiar “greetings” were delivered in April, 1951, stated in these words: The Secretary of Defense recognizes Camp Shows , Inc. (a member agency of if SO), as 4he official liaison with the agency for the procurement of professional theatrical talent from the entertainment industry for showing, to the Armed Forces at military installations in the United States and to the Armed Forces overseas. The USO, through Cqmp Shows, Inc., assumes responsibility for recruiting both professional show; iUriits and visiting per • sonalities to be made available in accordance with Depart- ment.of. Defense request schedules.. The signature affixed was that of General George C. Marshall, then Secretary of Defense; and his message an omnibus mandate to the entire entertainment industry. Nobody— from Broadway to Hollywood, from big. star to little star, from talent agent to switchboard girl-^nObody questioned the reactivation Of Gamp Shows. Live enter- tainment for the men- and Women ih service has become a real arid necessary part of our nation's military efforts. The Camp Shows organization of 1941 to 1948 fame had compiled some, amazing; facts arid statistics, giving new; truth to Shakespeare’s line, “All the world’s a stage.” At peak if was presenting 700 performances a day. In the four years through 1945, the period of actual war, 293,739 performances were given with a total attendance of 161,- 611,290. Every part of the globe was covered. To all the people in show, business, to all the members of the Armed. Forces, and to their families at home— that means almost everybody — -Camp Shows had become an Ariierican institution as familiar as the U. S. mail. The new Camp Shows organization, was created to serve the same purpose as its predecessor. The same enthusi- asm and popularity prevails. The same members of the entertainment industry are behind it. The same Ameri- cans support it. But something new has been: added, The 1951 Camp Shows organization has become a full- fledged member agency of USO, supplanting its prior relationship as an affiliate and one of the services of the United Service Organizations. Today Camp Shows mem- bership in USO ranks equally with that of six great na- tional religious and welfare agencies which With unprer cedented unity and ' cooperatiori had banded together to serve the Armed Forces. These are the Young Men’s Christian Associations, the National Catholic Community Service, the Salvation Army, the Young Women’s Chris- tian Associations, the National Jewish Welfare Board, and the National Travelers Aid Society. This recognition must be a source of great pride for everybody in the entertainment industry. We must accept with humility the significance as well as the responsibility of our membership in USO. A proper appraisal of show business must 'take into ac- * count not only what it is, but more importantly what it does. The Camp Shows experience of providing laughs and wholesome enjoyment for those under fire and away from the comfort of their homes, serves as an excellent yardstick of what entertainment does. . .■ ■, - General Collins’ Findings i will the. entertainment industry be called upon to provide its own brand of spiritual nourishment for those in service. The Christmas and New Year’s holidays of 1951 provide some idea of what is in store for the CAMP SHOWS organization of the future. They also provide an Insight into the cooperation that can be expected from people; in the entertainment industry. Defense Secretary Rpbert Lovett put a request for special holiday entertainment, above and beyond that normally scheduled,- to CAMP SHOWS. Four planeloads of top name Broadway and Hollywood stars were asked for, to tour literally the four corners of the earth — Korea* Alaska, Europe and the Caribbean, with many stops between. Better than two weeks was required for" this biggest single expedition of name stars in the history of show business; with a minimum of two performances at each stop, or every day, exclusive of hospital visits* CAMP SHOWS in turn put this request to the industry, and the response was overwhelming. Those who couldn't go because Of other commitments begged to be booked on future, trips. Those who volunteered commented “For the men in service who will not be home for Christinas* we are more thari happy to forego our own holidays. Who wOuldri’t be?” The play-date records turned in by every CAMP SHOWS company abound with incidents that prove the effective- ness of entertainment. Eyewitness reports provide addi- tional testimony. Here is one from General L. Lawton Collins: “I wish you could have seen our men at the USO CAMP SHOWS which played the foxhole circuit. They would assemble often hours in advance . .... They simply drank the shows in. They laughed at every wisecrack. They grew sentimental over songs they heard sung, and after the show was oyer they went away whistling its catchy tunes. For at lehst a brief period; they had been taken out of themselves, opt of the deadly, drab existence which they had been living. I am sure that if any of you had been privileged to See those audiences, you would have felt that all the work you did was well worthwhile.” The under-the-surface value of the entertainment crops up constantly in the friendly exchanges between trouper and GI. — like this one reported by Audrey Totter after her recent trip to Japan and Korea: The place was a. hospital, and She was passing the time of day with one of the men almost ready to ship back home. "“By the way,” she asked, “amt I keeping you from anything?” “Yeah,” he answered, “suffering!” Sometimes it. crimes in a pair of letters, one from the soldier’s father, the other, enclosed, from the son — like these two, the cover letter from New York City, and the enclosure from Korea: The son wrote, “Today, believe it or not, we saw a stage show with Jack Benny, Errol Flynn, Benay Venuta, Marjorie Reynolds arid Others . . . really a big event . . . I had always been skeptical about these big names coming overseas. I figured they were strictly for the rear echelon. But they came right up to our regiment ... The young ladies were really appreciated too, as I hadn’t seen an American woman since last December.” The father wrote, “This letter; is dated July 6. On July 14 we received a telegram notifying Us that he had been killed in action on July 8. “. . '. My wife; and I deeply appreciate the -efforts of these and the other en- tertainers and I airi taking this means of expressing that appreciation. Further, in view of the Obvious pleasure this show afforded our son, I should like to see that, the boys who are still, in Korea are provided with similar entertainment-” What ties Ahead i These, then, are the tasks of : CAMP SHOWS. What is its status as of the dawn of ’52? What new demands will be made of CAMP SHOWS by the Department of Defense; and. what new demands will it* make in turn from the entertainment industry of which it is part? Between the years 1941 and 1948 CAMP SHOWS had to be regarded as a temporary measure, just , as the Armed Forces it served were regarded as temporary. Today, much as all of us would like to hope to the contrary, we. must, plan and build for an indefinite period of time. As long as our nation will need great military strength, so long a fify JAMES SAUTER (President, USO-Camp Shows) It’s becoming iriore evident that soldier entertainment is a Continuous process— one that knows no respite in war or peace. The next few years will tell whether we will have an armed truce or whether we will return to all-out peace. But two things we do know. First, we shall always be a strong nation militarily— and this means that Camp Shows job of entertaining the men and women of the Armed Forces is one that must go on. Second: Some wounded shall be with us for a long time. There will be some who will spend a part of their lives in Army, Navy and Veterans Administration hospitals. As a result of the war. in, Korea, there are rriany casualties. Some of the hurt from the last two World Wars are still institutionalized. To those, all Americans, all sfiowfolk' and USO-Camp Shows owes an Unending obligation. If the peace talks achieved the hoped-for successful con- clusion then USO-Camp Shows will devote part of its energies to* let the men in our hospitals here in the States know that they will oot be neglected. The time may soon be here when the military show business arjm must project its coiribat picture into one of peace-time existence. It’s our duty, During the last war; we of show business had the Holly- wood Victory Committee, the United Theatrical War Ac- tivities Committee, and voluntary entertainment industry groups which worked closely with other welfare organiza- tions and with the military. Plans even now are progressing to activate such a com- mittee as UTWAC to take its place beside the Hollywood Coordinating Board. During the Korean campaign, we of Camp Shows have had our major concentration on the fighting front and on those remote installations where the .battle of boredom is beirig fought continuously. We haven’t the funds to serv- ice both the fightirig front and the hospitals here in Amer- ica, but that’s all the more reason why we must have all the Volunteer help possible to do our job. There are many in radio and television who are an- chored in cities which contain Veterans Administration hospitals. These performers are now and will continue to be useful in the entertainment schedule of these hos- pitals. In a great measure, USO-Camp Shows activities must go on in peacetime as in times of trouble. When, as Our chairman, Abe Lastfogel, has said, Camp Shows became the seventh star in the USO flag, taking its place alongside Young Men’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, Salvation Army, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Jewish Welfare Board and the National Travelers .Aid Society— when we became that seventh star, we pledged that • like, these six great organization, we of show business would never be found wanting when duty called, in stress or peace. It is our privilege now — in these troubled times— to take our place, alongside our six great partners in the USO. Camp Shows must plan ahead. Those who have inade so many sacrifices know in forceful terms tHat a grateful nation is behind them and that they’ll not be. forgotten by show business as long as there is a show business; At Random Hollywood.. Airline: Ticket: the high cost of leaving. , Honeymoon : Vacation trip before working for a new boss. A sea captain and his chief engineer argued about which was most important to the ship’s operation. When they couldn’t agree, they decided to swap jobs; The chief clambered to the bridge and the Captain went below. After a couple of hours, the skipper came on deck, grimy with greasp and dirt, orie eye swollen shut, his clothes awry. Waving a monkey wrench in a bleeding fist, he called to the chief: “You better Coirie down. I can’t make her go!” The engineer merely shrugged. “Of course you Can’t, Cap’n,” he said. “She’s been aground for the last half hour!” Flying to New York recently, we had one of those chatty pilots who pointed out interesting objects below by means of the inter-com. Over the nation’s capital, he told us: “We’re now flying over WBah- ington, D. C. If you look down, you’ll see what the D. C. stands for— Darned Confused!” Talking to. a hostess on an airline that features the “family plan”— (pay for yourself, your wife flies free —or is it half fare?) she asked me if I knew a certain Writer. It so happens I do, (He’s a man. who flies east often arid never makes the trip unless accompanied by a beautiful “secretary.” He won’t even leave his apartment unless accompanied by one— or is going to pick up one.) “Gee,” the hostess said, “he sure gets* married often!” —Hal Ranter* Wednesday, January* 2, 1952 BALLPLAYER’S ‘RUBY-AT’ t*, ,-> . # Before I take leave of this mundane sphere, one of the. things I’d like to haye explained to me is why do some men wear a belt and suspenders at the same time? Almost invariably, these men carry their coat on their arm. Well, as the feller says, that’s what makes horse racing. * * We rarely hear of anyone having some of themaladies that Used to plague us, like typhoid fever, diphtheria, and such. I have enough faith in medical science to believe that someday they Will find a cure for the common cold and dandruff, . . * Totalitarianism, no matter what banner it parades under, is nothing but another form of gangsterism blown UP to national proportions. And while I’m on 'the subject, the only real difference between Uncle Joe and Hitler is that one of them is dead. ... Fear, whether it be of something real or fancied, is a terrible thing. I guess I’m just a lucky guy. I fear nobody^— - but people. * We are told that “this is the best of all possible worlds,” which is just another way of saying the world isn’t per- fect. It could, however, be made perfect by thd simple device of taking all the people out of it. * Ks * Except for the rare exceptions, of course: Writing poetry is for those Who can't express themselves in prose. And: Those who choose To woo the muse. Have little to. gain And more to loose. I used to worry so; much about not being a good speller. Since 1 wrote ->the following, I don’t worry about it any more: There are tomes in endless number Available to us That proclaim the debt that we 6we To such men as. Galileo, Kcplai arid Copernicus. There are monuments to Edison And Alexander Bell, But Tve yet. to see a statue Of a stinker who could spell.' P. S.: If any more of these thoughts intrude on my sleep, I’m gonna start taking pills. No. 2 Billing’ When Gertrude Lawrence returned to London, s /me years ago; as. a famous star, already well known there and in the provinces, she had as her co-star, Douglas Fair- banks, Jr., who proved to be the main attraction. Every- one rushed up for his autograph, but no one wanted hers. Finally, disgusted, Gertie grabbed away an autograph book, from a fan and deliberately signed her name.. The little girl looked at the autograph - and then said to her friend: “Well, anyway, the hand writin’ ain’t so bad.” yiawwwr.ii.MMWM> IIMWWItolHMIHM tannaKniawiiiiiMiwaooaiiw. itiiMimwMWMWw a^wiwniMwflwMw iMWwaMuumwNW mmiemwmm 'wwmwitMwiwniww wimiOOTiiWMMWMM They'll he calling about the most adult, the most provoc- ative "PHONE CALL PROM A STRANGER" , 20th Century-Fox' s unusual a don't know on t he this means, ask your wife— and A STRANGER" is in the same high (If you then duck! ) tainment tradition of "A LETTER TO THREE WIVES" and "ALL ABOUT EVE". SHELLEY WINTERS astating and KEEN&N careers as Binky Gay, strip-tease, is dev- give the outstanding is as she calls the turn on the male of the species t # There’s No Business Like 20th Century-Fox Business! PICTURES « A Yank in Berkeley Square IL* S. FilmerV Perspective on British Customs and Manners By RICHARD MEALAND London. : There was a cocktail party at Claridge’s in London, AH the British filmmakers were there, including an Ameri- can delegation' of the Motion Picture Association; My wife — who thinks that because I work in London the whole of Europe is available to us at a moment’s whim — got talking to some of the guests about the places she hoped to visit during our stay here. (She had often said to me that she wanted to see Ireland, and had come home one day loaded down with literature given to her by a British tourist agency; the literature ' Whs all about Northern Ireland, and I had ' pointed out to her the vast difference between that sub-section of the United Kingdom and the Re- public of Eire.) She was talking to (I later learned) Joyce O’Hara, John G. McCarthy, James A. Mulvey and Tony Reddi , not one of whom even remotely resembles an Orangeman. “The place I want to visit,” she said, “Is Southern Ireland.” Out of respect to her womanhood, they didn’t shoot her on the spot. But Tony Reddrh got her away from there quickly, with a curb on his shelalagh. The second hand bookshops of London — particularly of Charing Cross Road— are well known to American bibliophiles. I have found in them certain rare books on mountain Climbing, which I collect, at prices which would amaze the American . authority on such books, Edward Cushing of New Canaan, Conn. But in three months Of searching I had had no luck at finding two books of . another kind, “Murder for Profit” and “12 Against the Gods,” both by the late William BoUtho. One day I walked into an obscure little shop and ran into George Macy, the. American publisher of fine edi- tions, Heritage Books, etc. I told him what I was looking for. “I can send you as many as you want of each,” he said. . “Alexander Woollcott did a preface for ‘Murder for Profit’ and Kip Fadiman did one for ‘12 Against the Gods;.’ How many do you want?” Moral: Don’t bother looking for rare book bargains in London. Chances are George Macy has published ’em in some form or another at one time or another. ] Title-Happy ", Mike Macius has an advertising agency in London, but he used to be the London represenative of the former New York agency, Lord & Thomas.. John Byram, of Paramount, was -in London on .a visit and met his old friend, Macius, Whom he had hot seen for years. Later, John paid a visit to Gilbert Miller who has a considerable reputation not only as a producer of ex- cellent plays but also as an extravagant admirer of any- one with a title. Johnny ’told Gilbert about meeting , his old friend Macius, of Lord & Thomas Miller perked^ up interest, at once. “Lord who?” he asked. One maddening thing about taking a permanent job in England is the number of papers One has to fill out. I have answered so many questions about myself in the last three months that I. am questionnaire-happy. . Here is the list: . 1. American passport application filled out in New York. 2. Landing form for Great Britain, filled out on the plane before arrival. . , 3. Customs declaration filled out on the plane before arrival. 4. Immigration statement filled out on arrival at Lon- don Airport. / 5. Application for work permit filled out for the British Home Office. 6. . Application for British ration book. 7. Application for British identity card. 8. Application for permanent residence Great Britain. 9. Registration, with the police Alien. Registration Bureau. 10. British income tax fori . 11. Registration at Somerset House as an executive of a British company. 12. Registration with the Bank of England for permis- sion to hold shares of the British company. . 13. Application for a “code number” in connection with British income tax. 14. Application for the compulsory British Health In- surance, 15. Statement of residence information. Once this is done, you’re set. Except — if you go out of the country for longer than 14 days, for a vacation on the Continent for instance, you have to go through prac- tically the whole thing all over again, including the addi- tional forms that must be filled out on entering and leav- ing the Continental country, visited, / My wife’s struggles with British rationing would make a book. One of her troubles is, of course, getting enough , meat to provide us with the necessary proteins in our diet There are two kinds of meat — and she now takes what the butcher gives her. But for some weeks, two words nearly brought us to the point of meat starvation. One of the Words Was “carcass meat,” which she thought was some- thing that has been : dead for too long. The other was “offal” which she couldn’t bring herself to say. She now knows better. When she gets carcass meat, she knows it’s what she wants. When she gets offal, she gets liver or kidneys. The only trouble is, she refuses to cook kidneys. Says she doesn’t like the smell. Speaking of meat, we went visiting for a Weekend with some English friends in Surrey. On Sunday morning we were awakened by the sound of shots. That evening we had pigeon-and-rabbit pie for dinner. The Englishman loves this. He has reverted to savagery and goes hunt- ing before breakfast. Motorists in England do not brake or swerve when the denizens of the animal or bird world cross the road in front of their cars. They aim with in- tent to kill. There was a head-on collision in Sussex the other dey; two cars coming from opposite directions were iming for the same rabbit. Going by air to Europe has advantages and disadvan- • • ». JL _ ' Forty-tlxth 'Anniversary WrAursflay, Janniiy % MS2 tages. You get there fast, but too fast. It took two weeks for, my body to become adjusted, to London time after New York time, 1 was sleepy at the wrong time of day and wide, awake at the. wrong time. At noon I felt like 4 a.ip. and at midnight I felt in the modd for thd aftef-l noon cocktail. Similarly with the appetite and the'body's routine functions. A foreign land is Strange enough, < but when you’re hurled at it by plane, you neve^ know what time, it is.' . ; * - t . . ■ | v In spite of many shortages England still has some foods which cannot be bettered anywhere* else. My candidates, ; all freely obtainable in England,. 'are: potted shrimps, , smoked Scotch salmon, fresh Scotch salmon, orange mar- ' malade, Little Scarlet strawberry jam, Whitstable oysters, < Dover sole, jugged ’ hare, Stilton cheese ‘ (rationed but sometimes obtainable), Cornish or Devonshire clotted cream (available seasonally), cold chicken pie, Broadbeans (when young and tender), partridge «nd bread crumbs — and a pint of mild and bitter, weak though it is these, days, preferably Tetley’s. « * By ALBERT STILLMAN , H For ■ Variety’s 46 th Anniversary. If Rhymes- Out of the B’way Nursery Mr. J. Rockefeller, a man of some* means Took Martha Baird Allen on honeymoon scenes. . “Come-on-a My. House” by William Saroyan Was O. K. at first, but became quite annoyin’, (With songwriters desp’rately striving foe jack, it Would seem that a playwright should mind his own racket.) . ' A Wave of inertia enveloped the City The week that it played the Kefauver Committee, Some affluent Have’S became lowly Have-nots By day at the Flats and by night at the Trots. A sock and a smash and a b. A? bonanza -Was “Life of Caruso” with Mario Lanza. A song which was rather excessively sung Explained that for love one is never too young; But the absolute leaderMri saleable schmaltz, Of course was the beautiful “Tennessee Waltz.” Legits found the going a little too slow; The esteemed’ “King and I,” though an elegant shoW, Can’t compare with a play that has no predecessor:’ The musical comedy starring Frank Loesser. Dinty Moore's took a breather (for three weeks, I fiiean), So for three weeks I tried Mrs. Stillman’s cuisine. Musical, circles were sorhewhat surprised $ When the . Brooklyn Sym phony was uri-unionized. Though Uncle Nick’s epics found favor with many, I’m one of the few who prefer Keats to Kenny * * .. Days may come and Others may dawn, But ev’ry one has a Barry gray dawn; Broadway gave tempered accolades- To “Bagels & Yox” and “Borscht Capades.” ASCAP gave to those who have. From its new home on Madison Ave., And one Would have to travel far back For a . nicer Pres, than Otto Harbach. 'S' , . Some praised Toots Shor and some reviled him, Is how New Yorker Mag. profiled him. When Collier’s, too, gave him a spread, YoU got the mag; with your rolls and bread. Again it took a lot of moxie To book Mitrbpoulos at the Roxy.: The pubs went for tunes that were ancient and folkey. Like “Good-night, irepe”> and “On Top of Old Snriokey”; Some songwriters still had to Work very hard, While others got by on a library card. The Big Show’s scripting set the pa;ce, Thanks to a card called Goodman Ace. Miss C. K. Hutchins, the former Miss Utah, Was Miss America— what a beaut, ah!- The Turpin-Sugar fight . was great,' But even greater was the gate; Nor TV sights nor AM sounds Exuded from the Ppio Grounds***. ’Twas au revolt for Number 5, The champ who kept the Yanks alive. Micky Mantle is his replacement. A babe was born in Macy’s basement. With glee I tossed my hat away For “Callaway Went Thataway’*; The title song, I, might assert, Was pretty snappy, too. (Advert.) Biz was spotty at movie palaces, In spite of which wC had two “Alices.” Crooner F. Sinatra gave a Lot of time to courtin’ Ava. A show which gave me lots of fun Was. Gibbs’ “Season in the Bun.” Eyssell was made R. Center’s Pres. — ’Twas quite a feather in his fez. The Met was in the red again. So op’ra may be dead again. The $64 question is: . What will happen With the Quiz? At warmup time* the local bars Were “tuned to the call-letters’ of the stars”; Those baseball broadcasts, how* I relished ’em The way the 01’ Redhead embellished ’em! The Pale Hose started quite a blitz, Then suddenly ran out of hits. The Giants set the country buzzin’ With a home-run blast by Branca ’s cousin. With Happy out, Dan Parker’s solemn, ’Cause how’s he gonna fill a column? Did Be-Bop die? “It never did!” Says Birdland’s mentor, Symphony Sid. Because of Rising Costs, the Bard Did not send out a Xmas card, So Happy New Year to all my friends As this year starts and last year ends! •' Colloquial connotation ** They're both in the same paper *** In N. Y. C., that is; ; x Hollywood. Hollywood is a wondrous place ■ probably the^most nub- licized city In the yforML \ Visitors; frbm aU /over the land/ strive Jn vaip eAch;day*to c|rash the sacred poit&ls of the studios. Everyone wbnts to see how a motion pic- ture is anade. They are as welcome asia bill collector. If the cinema tycoons held open house a picture Would ne^er be ihade, * The great studios are very polite about it ‘but, for self-protect|on, they must curb the visiting list. .Sightseers slow up production; ’ ' Balked .at the attempt to worm their way in, the would- be; Star Gazers are forced to ‘ look1 elsewhere and their next best! bet is the amazing i Farmers Market'-— an epi- cure’s delight. After that they areMstymied; / But . thd; greatest sight of ali, a place where they , are doubly welcome remairis in almost total obsciirity. It is Tfie Motion Picture Hospital & Country House at Wood- land Hills; y .*• •/• ! • j - Let me fell you how you get there. Vou motor through 'San Fernando.' Valley. 20 miles from ' Hollywood bn Ventura Blvd, , You pass Studio .City, where once Mack Serihett was king. It is ’a double-lane' freeway and you get an idea from the traffic hew it lias grown in the past 10 years— there are nearly 1, 000^000 souls living in this beautiful valley. ( ' Studio City is a metropolis ail by itself. Smart shops. Motion Picture Palaces. A gorgeous View of the Santa Monica Mountains on one side arid the San Gabriel Range on the other. You take a side-drive of a block to Universal City where Bill- Goetz now feigns, where Uncle Carl Laemmle made, a dream come true; A few blocks away are -the. mam- moth structures of the . Warner Bros, and below that the vast factories of the aircraft manufacturers and the great airfield in Burbank. Ybu get back on the main li and pass through . Sher- *man Oaks Where Sepulvada cuts through the artery, on. its: Awayfl. from., the Ocean oyer the mighty Ridge Route to Bakersfield. Down the lane a mile is the .little tpwn of Eficino where picture greats live' in luxtfry and privacy— -Clark Gable; Spencer Tracy, Bryan Foy and hos^s of others. You come to the little town of Tarzana where . Charlie Winninger, Jay C. Flipped* rind Bill Hibbitt have * their estates. Then over Chalk- Hill and' into ^Woodland Hills, a thriving little , community once called Gerard. It boasts . of one of the finest golf courses. On. the way is a driving range where ex-vauder Jack Kennedy is the major, domo. Now you ; arrive at the little hanging town -of Calabasas and turn left. In one minute you are looking at the finest establishment in all California. I might say America. The Motion Picture Hospital & Country House — a 40-acre paradise. . It . beggars the Biltmore m Santa Barbara. Jt is the home of the helpless— the, sick and aged Motion Picture Artist ; | , . . .Better Than Dr. Kildare I . ~ ^ ; ■’ ■ ■ • You walk up the steps of the -hospital and enter the foyer, Of all the world’s great hospitals you are now in one that is second to none. Forty private rooms, no wards, no rooms fbr two. You see the' massive X-Ray room, the operating theatre, the laboratory and the pharriiaey, tlie beautiful patio where the convalescent can bask iri the sun iiiid grow: back -into health, the acre§ - of1 fruit, trees and flowfers ahd the mighty hills of the Topango Canyon stretchifig 15 miles td the sea*. ' ’/ Down the covered walk to the Country House is only a •short stroll awayi It has an entrance that J. P. Morgan would, have been proud of. You see .the magnificentJi.brafy and you know' you have never seeii a better one. You walk through the lounge with its immense television set, and its luxurious chairs and lounges remind one of the Queen Mary.; . ■ You go outside and take a stroll around the place. There are 38 cottages smothered with . roses. Here reside tfie former .. greats of the Cinema World living out their lives iti contentment and luxury. This can ^rightly -be called a heaven on* earth, and it is the fulfillment of a dream of one man — a Doctor Christian come to life, a man who has labored incessantly for the success of this ShangrhLa of . the motion picture worker. His. name is Jean Hersholt, and he is as ‘plain as an old shoe. 4 For .the guests there are three ptation wagons, makifig trips into Hollywood twice a week. There is a laundress and a dentist, a. pedicurist and an occuiist and a lady named Nunn who sees to the wants of the guests. There are no rules— ladies, and gentlemen need none. ‘ < There are gara'gea for your jalopy and a cleaner for your clothes. There are cigarets for the asking. This is the Cuffo’k dream of Paradise. There is no set of workers in all the world Who are as well taken care of in -their hour of need and illness as the cinema artists, of Holly- wood. The industry can well be proud. . The* hospital has a mighty son of Hippocrates named Dr. Kobal who sees all, knows all, arid cures all. r The insti- tution is run in right royal style by the < competent arid able Miss Ruth Griffith assisted by the angel of the place. Miss Ginger Dickey, an honor student from Stanford U.». with a staff of 20 nurses and technicians. Nothing is left out, nothing is forgotten; • They have -everything. The greatest surgeon in California, to bur way of thinking, is in command, Dr. Francis E, Browne; He averages a dozen pperatioris a week in the surgery. Is this sdme place? Jt positively is. . And it’s free.. Free to the workers in the motion picture field. Paid for arid supported by them, augumented by huge denar tions- from the Studios. . Two years ago the Friars Club gave a benefit perform- ance for the fund. It established an all-time high in cash returns. Never in the history of show biz has the result been equalled. The net profit from the benefit, all turned over to the fund, was the gigantic sum of $301,000-^ net. Thanks Mr.* Jessel. The next time you are in Hollywood come out and see this place, the spot the industry points to with justifiable pride. It is truly a landmark, , and every night when the lights are turned out and the: silent prayer is ?»aid, there is always an extra one for the man directly responsible— Mr. Jean Hersholt. Do you want to know how I know all about the place? I live there, Jm*a**T 195X forty-sixth Anniversary 1 A m gi w # //M YOU DON’T HAVE TO REACH FOR THE STARS / ■ -mp 'Jf/ff/f* a t$%k ■ #0 w/7/fir *&*///£& jP CENTURY-FOX ^ PUTS 'EM RIGHT ON y YOUR SCREEN. Forty*$lxth Atmivenny Wednesday, Jannary 2, J95? e.: DALE ROBERTSON Follows up successes in .%r:, "TAKE CARE OF MY LIT- JiCTlE GIRL" ond "GOLDEN % GIRl ' in the soon to be | released "RETURN OF THE TEXAN" and the Techni- color production LYDIA BAILEY" \ 'V'f . ; /X'SS m MARILYN MONROE Bundle of Blonde Fire1 Immediate hit in "ALL ABOUT EVE"! Real sizzler in "DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK", to be released soon. m. & / RICHARD BASEHART Adaptable to any re- Curren1:, wmn.nq r r ; t ; f nioudit-, :.■] DEC IS: ON BEFORE DAWN and ^ F D BAYONFTs i DEBRA PAGET Veteran actress at eight- c-L-n . . Equals her past successes in "BELLES ON THE!R TOES" to be re '■■os -mI soon. Color by Technicolor. r £ * OSKAR WERNER Sensational young sf; of "DECISION H F r ' ' " DAV/N' Soon to be s»" m THE MAN .V •< . FOOLED HITLER ANNE « FRANCIS The binnrv w; ■ ■ ■ trnug1- E i ■''ft 7? ' ■y<&$ & CRAIG HILL fluttered feminine hearts in "CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN" and "AIL ABOUT EVE". Really emotes in Bret Harte's "OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT" £•* J&, CONSTANCE SMITH Blue-eyed Irish star fol- lows her success in THE MUDLARK with striking performance in the Technicolor release. RED SKIES OF MONTANA %% RORY CALHOUN Toll, doik handsome guy who gets enviable I o b of making 1 o v e to Susan Hayward m Tech- nicolor hit "WITH -A SONG IN MY HEART also tr- be seen in the Tec hn i - color story ot Argentina "WAY OF A GAUCHO A A'-** r j 7 <4\ W1 P MITZI GAYNOR Her triumph in "MY BLUE HEAVEN" won her star- dom in "GOLDEN GIRL" Soon to be seen as a pulsating Polynesian in Technicolor production 'DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS" ;-Ss- v**** °&£m DAVID WAYNE Versatile star of Broad- way ("TINIAN'S RAIN- BOW") and Hollywood ("MY BLUE HEAVEN"). Tops them all in the Tech- nicolor productions "WITH A SONG IN MY HEART' and "WAIT TILL THE SUN SHINES NELLIE’ Nvv< GARY MERRILL Won immediate success in "TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH" and "ALL ABOUT EVE" ... currently scoring in "DECISION BEFORE DAWN". ..soon to be seen in dramatic hit "PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER" * £ m 'SL ■m. "X- .... ROBERT WAGNER u: 'HALLS -c MON IE :i;V nm LOGMEN A JEAN PETERS Starred in "TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL" . Gets acting plum ot year opposite Marlon Brando hi "VIVA ZAPATA!”. ;;Ho triumphs in Techni - 'o- * WAIT TILL THE ■J*i vhinP< NELLIE” 7 A § JEFFREY HUNTER Repents his success in "TAKE CARE OF MY LIT- TLE GIRL and "THE FROG- MEN" in the Technicolor releases "RED SKIES OF MONTANA" ond "CRY OF THE SWAMP". W F M',. JOANNE DRU Leaped from her first big success i MR BELVEDERE RINGS THE BELL i into * r i r r i ng roles in the soon ■ r seen RETURN OF ’HE TEXAN ’ and PRIDE Of ST LOUIS' < w S»' RICHARD BOONE Dramatic newcomer . , Hits the screen in Techni- color releases "RED SKIES OF MONTANA" and "KANGAROO"1 HILDEGARDE ^ 0% , W&" 'L NEFF Instant hit in her first American picture, "DE- CISION BEFORE DAWN"! Plays opposite Tyrone Power in the tingling DIPLOMATIC COURIER" «> 9 0 26 NCTUUVS Forfyiixth rAnnUmr$arf Wednesday, January 2, 1952 MPIC Exec Sec Reappraises Hollywood’s Successful Fight Against Communism By ART ARTHUR Hollywood. There seems id be a burning yearning in places plagued by personal-profit “patriots" of the ilk of one notorious rabble-rouser, who faced a sedition indictment in World War II to ignore, overlook or loudly disparage the fight against Communism waged within Roily wood. Any effort to publicly record the foots about the in- dustry's success in defeating the, malignant threat of Communist infil-traitors immediately is met with loud snorts of “Whitewash!" Whitewash? Only a total fool would attempt to white- wash away the record which clearly shows how Com- munists moved, in on Hollywood and attempted to use the filth industry for their foul and devious purposes. But, by the same token, why the redwash? Why do‘ we see such dogged determination to keep smearing the industry with a red brush? Why the implacable ears—/ closed insistence on ignoring the record which shows just as clearly that the Communists were met and routed by devoted honest patriots within the motion picture industry itself? My guess is that there ate only two reasons. We of the industry are responsible for one reason— our own failure to spread far and wide the truth and the facts about the; industry’s fight against Communism. That must be remedied, The second reason lies in the aforementioned personal- profit “patriots" — the boys Who make a buck out of pass- ing themselves off as experts on “Hollywood Communists and Communism" . . ... and who are Unwilling to see that particular gravy train -disappear. Some among the. experts are honest anti-Communists motivated by only onn objective— the total extinction of Communists wherever they may be. When they make mistakes, they are hon- est mistakes— and open to correction. But there’s quite a calloused crew of others whose incomes dictate that they must continue to set up the “Reds*running-riot-in-Holly- wood" strawman long after the battle is over and only feeble remnants remain to be mopped-up. The hellfire war dances and Comanche whqopings of the redwash-hogwash specialists seem doUbly daffy in light of the investigations by the House Committee on un-Ameri- can Activities. Probably no investigation by the Commit- tee has been more thorough than the one conducted into Hollywood Communism. But the redwash-hogwash artists scorn the House Committee, too, apparently. Everybody’s out of step but the guy Who might have to wrap up his lucrative racket if forced to admit that Hollywood in 1952 is a far war-cry from Hollywood in 1947. Coming back to reason No. 1^-our own failure to spread the facts far and wide— let’s make this a little contribution toward correcting that first fault. (Full detail cart be provided to support every statement herein capsuled.) Since no well-informed industry champion would seek to whitewash, here are some of the facts which can be stressed whenever you run into the other extreme — the redwash-hogwash : Almost Totally Extinct 1. Commtinism in Hollywood is bordering on total extinc- tion. The long sinister effort stealthily begun by Com- munists more than 20 years ago is uttering its last gasps— thanks to successful efforts by the motion picture industry itself and some hefty assist by the House Committee on un-American Activities. 2. Few, if any, other American industries can point to a better record of successfully shattering a Communist im filtration threat, This is especially true of sensitive de- fense industries— where Communists have entrenched themselves and where they should be pursued ta extinc- tion with equal vigor by the House Committee, Commu- nists have shown up in all other forms of mass communi- cation (such as press, magazines, radio and television) as well as in schools and colleges, in our Government and even in church circles. But where else have militant anti-Communists fought the infiltrators on a corresponding scale — and With corresponding success? No wonder the Los Angeles Mirror observed editorially: “It is to be doubted that any other industry has a better record." 3. Any honest examination of the facts— dedicated neither to Whitewash nor to redwash nor to hogwash — Will make increasingly clear the little-realized fact that the story of Communism in Hollywood is a story of failure and defeat — and not a story of Communist triumph . . . that, in terms of the Party’s major objectives, whatever successes they had were piddling successes . . . that today “the Communist is a completely ineffective element in Hollywood life— in Hollywood they have failed,” as was Stated tinder oath by ex-Communist Edward Dmytryk. Ex- Communists Richard Collins^ Sterling Hayden and Leo Townsend all have testified in the same vein. Nor are ex-communists the only source of this opinion.. Hoy Brewer, leading Hollywood anti-Communist, has tes- tified: "The back of Communist power in Hollywood has been broken." Senator Edward Martin, Congressman Don- ald Jackson and Victor Lasky, co-author of “Seeds of Treason/’ are among those who have expressed similar views. 4. No . man who prides himself on honesty and fairness has the right to publicly clamor about the sordid story of how Communists plotted to take over Hollywood— unless he is also willing to acquaint himself with thp stir- ring story of hoW patriotic anti-Communists in Hollywood slowed, stopped, reversed and then routed the Communist conspiracy; 5. The first important step in the Communist plot against Hollywood was to obtain Control of the Guilds, and Unions —and thus be in a position to dictate to management. Faced With this; threat,: the Guilds and Unions of Holly- wood successively demolished Communist influence within their ranks in an unparalleled series of anti-Communist triumphs, climaxing when the Screen Writers Guild in ‘Fellow Travelers’ By CHARLES WILLIAMS 1947 filled 20 out of the 21 places on its Executive Board with anti-Communists . . . and when Roy Brewer’s- AFL labor hoys routed the Communist efforts to seize the IATSE on the West Coast, 6. Similarly, Hollywood management has established a record virtually unmatched by management in any other American industry faced with an equivalent fight to. defeat Communist .infiltration. Nowhere else in the nation, for example, has any responsible section of management made itself the subject Of millions of dollars in lawsuits in order to pursue an anti-Communist program in the face of the innumerable legal jeopardies that hamper action by mam 7. Full; frank and searching investigatiom-fiedicated neither to whitewash nor to redwash nor to hogwash— con- firms that the Communist effort to inject propaganda into American motion pictures had. virtually no success except upon Government request" in the brief years when Soviet Russia was our wartime ally. But,, on the contrary, the motion picture industry has made or is making a total of at least 50 films which in Whole or in part contain direct attacks upon Communism— and which constitute hard- hitting anti-Communist propaganda. The same can be said of scores of short subjects and documentary films made by the industry, 8. To the consternatibn of Communists everywhere, the motion picture, industry has made or is mahing scores of films which, by upholding those institutions of democracy Which the Communists unceasingly try to tear down, present on the^screens of the world day in and day put the affirmative case for the superiority of our way of life over that of any totalitarian system. (Witness “Come to the . Stable,” “Going My Way" and “One Foot in Heaven” as example Of films which “sell" reverence and re- spect for religion.) * 9. Communists throughout the world, via Moscow’s Cbm- inform, have been instructed that they must make Holly- . woOd films a prime enemy. The orders, conveyed through the Cominform Journal No. 28, cries that “The American Cinema is a war weapon" and declares that : “It is impera- tive to render the American cinema harmless." 10. Any effort to determine the true nature of the motion picture industry in relation to Communism— dedicated neither to whitewash, redwash nor hogwash— would reveal overwhelming records Of patriotic service in war and post- war by meii and women of the industry, as well as Service in aid of every worthy charitable cause and philanthropy to Which the industry can. lend its manifold assistance. The records serve separately and collectively to cardio- gram. the. real beat of Hollywood's heart in any choice between the ways of democracy and any brand of totali- tarianism whatsoever, Communism included. 11; The search for truth leaves no doubt that Holly- wood today possesses as fine a body of seasoned anti-Com- munist veterans -as can be found anywhere in the country —mein who have met and defeated some of the shrewdest and most resourceful brains that the Communist Party could Send to the Coast. The skill and experience of these anti-Communists provide Hollywood with a security against local Communist, re-birth scarcely found anywhere else in American life. 12. Any meticulous effort at fact-gathering Would make clear that, at their very peak, Communists totaled little more than 1% of the people employed in the. motion picture industry and that today — allowing for the unknown — the percentage is no more than the smallest fraction of 1%. .. .. 13. At one time the Hollywood “fellow traveler" consti- tuted a major problem. He was best described as being like the bride who didn’t know the difference between bak- ing powder and gunpowder — and was in for one helluva surprise! But the “fallow traveler" . faded rapidly on the heels Of successful steps taken within Hollywood in recent years to alert , unsuspecting individuals and to make them aware of concealed Commie beguilements. Now, as a matter of fact, the situation has gone to the other extreme. Onie cautious individual announced not long ago that he had even resigned from, the Auto Club! 14. Exploring every avenue toward power, the Com- munists sought names and influence through so-called political, professional, patriotic, social and veteran organ- izations— such as H1CCASP (the Hollywood Independent Citizens Council of the Arts, Sciences & Professions), the Hollywood Writers Mobilization, the People’s Education Center and numerous others. But a review of the record— dedicated neither to white- wash nor to redwash nor to hogwash — would show how the. Communists had each successive hope for power blasted as anti-Communists counterattacked the organiza- tions and sank them into oblivion or inept frustration. 15. The Communists sought to Use Holly wood as a source for funds, raised under every conceivable guise. In this field they met their best success — since the people of show business always were soft touches for any plea for milk for the babies of starving miners or what have you. But the record shows that in recent years the Commu- nist hope of turning Hollywood into the Party’s treasure chest dwindled ahd dried up under the heat of anti-Com- munist spotlights — another victory over the disintegrating Communist apparatus best reflected, perhaps, in an obser- vation last year in a Hollywood column: “At a local Red meeting the other night, after: the hat was passed, the collection totalled $18.63.. Three years ago, a, meeting at the same place and the same organization* grabbed $51,000.” 16. : Despite the most searching investigation by the House Committee ahd the most intensive efforts by indus- try anti-Communists, an underground faction o& Commu- nists may still remain in the Hollywood area-— -for Com- munists never give up entirely or stop trying. For this reason, those in Hollywood who fought and beat the Communists have no intention of relaxing their vigil- ance for any sign that might betray any overlooked frag- ments of the Communist conspiracy.' 17. Rather than being, as the redwash-hogwash boys Hollywood. Jim Rogan is shooting the last sequence of “Desert Justice,” a remake of “Death Valley Joe," from the silent version of “The Worst Man in Panamint,” at Lone Pine, Cal. * Rogan is ahead of schedule two days and feels very happy this morning, until a studio car pulls up in the foreground, and Rex Allen, the unit managei. hops out. He greets Rogan and the crew effusively, and hands a letter to the director, which reads as follows. Location— Lone Pine . “ Desert Justice " Co. Director — James Rogan. Producer— Max Weinberg, Looked at a “Rough Cut” of six reels; Sorry you talked me into having Eddie Wilson, His comedy scenes are flat and he is badly miscast. Suggest Using him in the big fight at the camp. But kill him off at the first exchange of shots. Regards, •Max. Rogan turns to his. assistant, “Get Eddie Wilson a 10- ; gallon hat and a Six-gun. He’s going to Work in the next shot." In a few minutes Eddie hobbles over to Rogan. “What’s the idea Jim? I’m playing the cook,’? “Orders from the production office, Eddie; They want you in the big fight.. Hey, Tex, get Wheezer up here for Eddie. Listen, count five after I start rolling, then pull your six-gun and empty it past camera right. You’re a cattle-rustling cook, fighting off the ranch boys who are trying to recover the cattle that your gang rustled from the Bar B.Q." In projection room “A" at Cosmos Studios, Rogan, Weinberg and the cutter are running “Desert Justice" for J. P. Hammons, the international banker who owns the stu- dio and half of Culver City. Rogan and Weinberg are: watching Hammons’ reactions closely. His face is countenance that would have broken Gutzon BorglUm’s chisel. He is a. huge bearded man who hasn’t laughed since his partner committed sui- cide in the panic of ’29. . ' “Who is that actor playing the cook?" thunders Ham- mons. “Why he’s just a bit player, Mr. Hammons. We’re going to Cut him plenty.” “Like hell you are. He’s the best western actor I’ seen Since Hoot Gibson. That chap is a great artist—; never in my life have I seen anything like that shot where he shoots, the horse in the heck, and takes that fall. The horse is very good, too. I think I’ll have him shipped on to Southampton; My wife runs a little theatre there. She’s going .to do ’The Virginian.’ The animal would strengthen the cast considerably." Eddie Wilson is lying in bed trying to forget Wheezer, Lone Pine, and the big fight. His cute little better half, who shares the Murphy bed with him, has just finished serving him breakfast. “How does your head feel, honey?" “Lousy, no more westerns for me, IS there any mail baby?" “I’ll go out and see. Try and relax sweetie, you need all the strength you can get." . “I get enough rest laying off,” yells our favorite cattle rustler. In a few moments Alice runs into the room. “Here’s letter from the studio." “They have nothing on me. I told them I couldn’t ride a horse.. Read it to me.” ‘■Darling, they can’t put you in jail for trying. Listen, 'Dear Eddie: Will you kindly drop into my office at your earliest convenience. Doctor Hansen tells me that you are much better. Regards, Max Weinberg’ “ Weinberg’s office is an acute shock to the optic nerves. The furniture had been designed by an exiled Polish cabinet maker, who; had been badly frightened by the OGPU. Everything was on a slant and looked as if it Were about to run jout the door. The . Cocktail bar was the. ace attraction. It had an electrical robot bartender, with no union hours. By pressing , any one of a dozen buttons oh its chest, you could get a choice of 10 different drinks. Rogan and Eddie are leaning against the teakwood bar, downing straight shots. Weinberg is sitting in a corner looking at some papers, He comes over to the bar and hands Eddie a pen and some- contracts. “Hammons has upped you to a flat $1,500 a week. That’s top money for a western star these days, you lucky ham" “To hell with the budget, slip me a sawbuck, Jimsey boy, thish is on little me." Rogan hands Eddie a bill. The robot becomes nervous at the sight of money, and drops a glass. “Wait a minute, boys, don’t start grinding, I gotta call the wife." Eddie stumbles over to Weinberg’s desk and starts dialing the phone. “Hello, baaby, thish ish me. Get your clothes on, we’re going out .to the valley and buy a house ... whose drunk?" Eddie slowly fades out on the desk. Finis would have it, an industry in which Communists still cavort on every corner, the motion picture industry today is in a position to Offer to other industries a blueprint for action against Communists, Instead of berating Hollywood, a lot of the attackers could well stop, look— and learn. 18. Every organization in the industry with any claim *0 to expressing official viewpoints has. supported the fight against Communism— including,: in the east, Council of Motion Picture Organizations and the Motion Picture Assn, of America, and in Hollywood, the Screen Actors Guild t and all other key bodies represented in ‘the Motion Picture Industry Council. It Was the MPIC which officially re- corded the industry’s support of the .1951 House Com- mittee. The MPIC statement of support added: “But the MPIC would be derelict in its duty if it did not point out that the public has been given ah exaggerated and distorted impression of the degree of this Communist infiltration. That statement still holds true — and could continue to be true as long as. the redwash boys are able to parlay their little paint buckets into full dinner pails. But they must know by now that ptomaine will be the inevitable result. Wednesday, January 2, 1952 Hollywood Dictionary Wrong Plug During the recent Kefauver TV trials, the commit- tee was living at a swank New York hotel. It happens that a very large bookmaker had been occupying A BIOPIC WITHOUT A BIO If w »y MARTIN A. KARA WAV - , , a suite at the same hotel for a number of months J 1““ ni^derk was accepting bets by telephone from ■■ By MAX SHULMAN — — ■ AGENT: Fellow wbo$e job it is to go in and pour troubled . water on oil* ADDITIONAL DIALOG: Credit given to a writer who is called in at the last minute to share the blame, ACTRESS: One of God’s unf airest creatures. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Man who was hired because he used his head ... up and down. BACKER: An angel for the producer; , an ahgle for the girls. BORE: Any person who knows the same stories you do. And tells thOrh. BRIDAL SHOWER: A device to mulct gifts from the peo- ple who won’t. be invited to the wedding, COMPANY STOOGE : Guy who started the same time you did and is now making more money than you are. COMMISSARY: Where the dishes never change . just ^^0 fclCOS* COFFEE: What your secretary is having when you get hot on an idea. 6 CHAFING DISH: A starlet who rubs you the wrong way COCKTAIL PARTY: A social institution which affords you the only opportunity Of seeing your agent. CONNECTIONS: What everybody out here has until he tries to use them. CHRISTMAS: Reason when some 'people wrap gifts for the people they rap the rest of the year. CONCEIT: The self-confidence of a person you don’t like CONTRACT: An agreement signed by two people which makes adequately certain* that their agents won’t get cheated. CHARACTER : What you have if you aren’t one; what you are if you haven’t any. CUISINE: It’s what makes a 50-cent hamburger, $4 at Romanoff’s. DRUNK: Fellow with a scotch-tape worm. DENTIST; An excuse which permits you to have the afternoon off without any deduction from sick leave or vacation. ELOPE : Exciting term among actors in love. Means, "We can get more publicity than if we did it the other way.” FAN MAGAZINE : Publication whose March issue arrives .. in January just loaded with September’s news. FOREIGN CAR : Automobile you pay twice as much to be half as comfortable in. GOSSIP COLUMNIST: Newspaperman (gal) who writes other people’s wrongs. GAME: A form of charades played at Hollywood parties by people so they can avoid getting to know each other, HOLLYWOOD: A community bounded on the south by Los Angeles, bounded on the West by Beverly Hills bounded on the north by San Fernando Valley and ,T. hounded on the east by exhibitors. HYPOCRITE: A friend who doesn’t like your latest pic- ture and still remains your friend. HOME OFFICE EXECUTIVE: Businessman who hasn’t se^n the budget of a new picture but knows it icosts too much. INVASION OF PRIVACY:, Complaint of ah actor against the newspapers after he has spent $200,000 for public- ity services. INDEPENDENT PRODUCER: A movie maker Who has very little to be independent about. JOB: That period between unemployment insurance . checks. KEY:If the studio is paying you, you get one for your ■mj ■ ■ vwLvia ucautug 10 wager on a horse one of them owned, phoned the hotel where the bookie was doing business. They asked the switchboard operator for the right suite but, like some horse players, she got her “plugs” mixed and ..connected him with the suite next door. A strange voice answered the phone. rr ‘‘Who isthis?” asked the player. “This is Senator Tobey, came back a gruff voice. The player dropped the receiver and turning to his pals remarked, “Boy, What a wrong number I got!” —Ken Kling, for the Birds By CLAUDE BINYON- CUude Blnyon LAUREL CANYON: A Shortcut between San Fernando _ Valley and Sid Skolsky. LINE: Sweetnothings whispered to a girl by any guy she’s not interested in hearing them from. MONOLOG; An argument between C. B. DeMille and a writer* MARRIAGE: That short interval between A,1 do” and Adieu. NEPOTISM: Some jobs are relative. NEW YORK: Place where your trip ends and the expense account begins. OPTION: Contractese for “Even with the raise we can’t find anyone to work as cheaply, so stick around.” PESSIMIST: Fellow who shares an apartment with optimist. PETITION: List of people who aren’t secure enough to say no. PRESS AGENT: Fellow who is willing to put your feat in his mouth. PLUG: What columnists should give the author of comic dictionaries if they reprint any. of it. PRODUCER-DIRECTOR-WRITER : A man who has only himself to blame. PUBLICITY; A service which makes you well known to a lot of people-who don’t particularly want to know you. PLAGIARISM: A stolen idea that comes out lousy. PRODUCER: Clever man whose brain starts working the moment he gets up in the morning and doesn’t stop until he gets to the studio. REPARTEE: Better dialog between the hero and heroine that the writer thinks of while watching his picture at the sneak preview. ROMANCE: Segnient of time between, the first hand-hold- ing item in LOuella until the .first mention of a squab- ble in Hedda. STARLET: A girl who is getting ready to be ungrateful. SECOND MONEY : Sum which is easily obtainable if you can prove that you don’t need first money. .> > SUCCESS: Depends oh luck and pluck.' How much luck you have in finding the right person to pluck. STORY CONFERENCE: A meeting of four or five people each of whom thinks the other has an idea. SNEAK THEATRE: A movie house chosen for previews because its" audience reaction has been established, i.e.: “They always laugh in Glendale” or ’They love to cry in Pomona.” STUDIO: Organization that wants to hire you if you can prove you’re working for someone else. TELEVISION: IT! TV GUEST STAR: An actor between pictures. TECHNICOLOR: Bright colors which are supposed to -- .camouflage dull scripts; VURGEON: A surgeon who has never performed an . • operation.. 2: Zis enough* Hollywood. Joe Presser liked his job as a studio janitor. He worked on the sound stages, sweeping up cigaret butts and paper cups and gum wrappers while he watched motion pictures being made. After a . number of years people started call- ing him Pop and neglected apologizing when they bumped into him, but Joe didn’t mind. His work was easy, and it fascinated him to see how scenes fell into certain patterns of same- ness through the years. There was the Man Sleeping: the Living Room Couch Scene, for in- stance. Joe knew from long experi- ence that the girl would get the bed* , room and the man’s pajamas, while the man would curl up Uncomfortably with one blanket on a hard divan. Then there would be a. shot of the girl lying wide-awake and a shot of the man lying wide-awake. Then the girl would look toward the door and get out of bed, and the man would look toward the door and get off the divan. Each would approach the door without the other knowing it.. The man would almost knock, and the girl would almost open the door. Then they would go back to their bed and couch, because what else could they do in a picture? A new director was making the Man Sleeping on the Living Room Couch Scene one day, and Joe frowned in surprise. The man crawled onto the divan with his blanket and the girl got into bed with the man’s pajamas and that was that. Joe leaned on his broom handle* star- ing, unwilling to believe his eyes. Already uneasy about' his work, and noting Joe’s reaction, the director ap- proached him between setups. “Something wrong, Pop?” he asked. “Maybe not, sir,” shrugged Joe. “It just seemed to me like you missed a good chance to show how they feel about each Other. Maybe like showing them both laying awake and yenning — and then they get up and go to the doorr-you know, just going, not doing; and finally they crawl back into the hay alone, still yenning. It’s just an idea — maybe lousy.” . The director pondered, and then he beamed. “That’s it, Pop. That’s what was in the back of my head all the time. Thanks for reminding me.” And Joe was content again as he watched the new boy shoot the Man Sleeping on the Living Room Couch Scene the way it should be shot. . Joe performed the same service for other directors, steering them straight when they veered from the pat- terns of Ashamed of Your Own Mother or Father, or Driv- ing Like Hell in the Fog, or the. Wife Putting on a Phoney Love Act with the Concert Pianist, or Boy Telling Girl Off and Getting Told Off Double, or Priest Telling Gang- ster Friend This Is the Only Way It Could End. And sometimes he would remind directors that when they were making a picture about three men they were actually making the “Three Musketeers,” and only a chump would try a new twist. How They ‘Broke’ Him Max Shulnum To the millions of theatregoers who enjoyed the recent biopic about the two eminent. American tunesmiths, A, M. Heffernan and Ralph Schwartz, the following speech, made by Donald (Don) Crutfellow, the producer of the A. M. Heffernah-Ralph Schwartz biopic be- fore the annual dinner of the Ameri- can Biopic Producers Brotherhood in the Tourquoise Room of- the Super- Chief, will be of interest. “Fellow biopic producers and gen- tlemen,” said Mr, Crutfellow, open- ing his speech with a jest as is his wont (Mr. Crutfellow has frequently been called the American Will Rog- ers), “the difficulties surrounding the production of the A, M. Heffernan- Ralph Schwartz biopic were; legion, and not the least of them was the choice of a* title. For weeks every man-jack of . us in the organization racked and cud- ’ his brains, but without result. I had finally decided to release the picture without a title— I - Came to this decision with the utmost reluctance, let me tell you, for whenever I have done this in the past, an immoderate amount of confusion has resulted— when out Of the blue a solution was found. My phone rang at 4 a. in. one morning. It was a young man named Ed Toklas from my organization. ‘Mr. Crutfellow, Mr. Crutfellow!’ he cried, scarcely able to contain his excitement. ‘I’ve got it! I’ve got the title! Get this, Mr. Crutfellow — The A. M. He ffcrnari’Ralph Schwartz Story.’ “Well, gentlemen, titles like this don’t come to you every day, and I am not one to let ingenuity in my. organ- ization go unrewarded. On the spot, despite the lateness of the hour, I summoned a notary and made Ed Toklas associate producer and gave him the hand of my daughter in marriage, overriding his modest protests, that he did not deserve to be associate producer and he already had a wife, “it must not be thought that finding a title ended the difficulties which beset ‘The A. M. Heffernan-Ralph Schwartz Story/ Far from it. There were plot problems which seemed at the beginning insuperable. Naturally we wanted to follow as closely as possible the real life stories of A. M. Heffernan and Ralph Schwartz* but it was idle to deny that certain aspects of their lives were incon- sistent with good movie-making. For example, A. M. Hef- fernan has been drunk since puberty and Ralph Schwartz is slightly under two feet high. Such figures, you will agree, gentlemen, are hot boxoffice. Fickle Husbands 1 In time Joe became an omen of good luck on the -Set. and was requested as set janitor by many directors. This led to an investigation by the front office, with the inevit- able result. Joe was relieved of his broom and given a cell in the writers’ block, . furnished* with a typewriter and a secretary complete with knitting needles. He was assigned to write a story for Alan Ladd. Joe liked the office very much. From the window he cbuld see laborers pushing heavy things. But the secre- tary bothered him. . She knitted steadily, in the manlier of all good secretaries, but from time to time she looked at him expectantly. Finally she broached the subject. “When are we starting?” she asked. Joe was genuinely surprised. “Starting what?” he said. “The Alan Ladd original,” answered the secretary. “ifdw can we start?” retorted Joe. , “What have they showed US? Nothing! IIpw can you tell them what's wrong if they don’t show you nothing?” “But you’re supposed to give them the idea*” said the secretary. “Then they tel 1 you what’s wrong.” “I know what’s wrong,” said Joe. “All I gotta do is see it and I can tell you. But I can't write nothing first because I can’t write nothing wrong!” The secretary thought this over for a moment and then She excused herself. Within a short time Joe Was called to the front office. “Pop;” said the producer, “I’m afraid we’ve made a mistake.” “Show it tp me,” id Joe confidently; “and I’ll tell you.”* “Look into that wall lirror,” said the producer. Joe walked over and looked at himself. “What’s wrong With what you see?” asked the producer; Joe considered, “It should have a broom in its hand,’*, he said finally;. “1 could make it gentle,” said the producer. “I could get you a job as a critic.’* Joe headed for the door, happier than he had been for weeks. “No, thanks,” lie said. “I don’t want to sit around and smell it I’d rather sweep it out” “As though this were not trouble enough, a question of clearances arose which, I daresay, was the most difficult yet faced by a biopic producer. Heffernan was married seven times. After each divorce Schwartz would marry the castoff wife, without, however, troubling to divorce the wives he already had,. A bewildering number of children, each of whom presented a vexing puzzle in paternity, resulted from this arrangement. I felt that this situation* though not without a certain piquance, was better left unportrayed. In this opinion I was enthusiastically sup- ported by my legal department. So busy were my attor- neys in obtaining clearances from, all the Heffernan- Schwartz kith and kin, that they quite forgot to obtain clearances from Heffernan and Schwartz themselves. Both are now suing me for invasion of privacy. “But there was more, gentlemen. The problem of locale had my scenic people quite beside themselves. Hef- fernan & Schwartz, eminent songwriters though they were, never went to Broadway. Nor to Hollywood. Not even to Chicago. They were born and bred in Wellington, Kan- sas, and have never set foot outside it. I do not mean to imply that Wellington is anything but a fine American community, but the difficulty of laying a musical in such a place must be apparent to everyone here. “And then there was the problem of action Aside from the . marital didoes mentioned earlier, the lives of Heffer- nan and Schwartz were a study in dullness. They never did anything but go down to the railroad station every evening and watch the 6:12 go by. When the 6:12 was taken off the run in 1935, Heffernan and Schwartz went to the station every evening and just stared at the tracks. “But all these problems were trifling: — trifling, I say, gentlemen — compared to our big problem. All of these things paled and shrivelled before , our chief obstacle— Heffernan & Schwartz only wrote ohe song. “I am not here tonight to blow my own horn. It is no credit to me alone that ‘The A. M. Heffeman-Ralph Schwartz Story’ turned out to be a successful biopic, but to the brains and ingenuity of my entire organization, save the legal department. But I am not seeking praise for my organization either; I have told you this story tonight1' for one purpose only: to stiffen the spines of those among us Who are flagging in their faith. Gentlemen, I have proved it and 1 urge you to adopt it as your watch- word: You can get a biopic out of anybody” I A First for E 8 Billy Reardon, longtime, host; at the Stork, is now dittoing at the Rainbow Room, which the Union News CO., operates in Rockefeller Center along with its sev- eral other restaurants. Reardon, a former dancer now on the executive end of managing niteries, was struck by his experience last New Year’s Eve. Under the modified management, since the Rockefellers gave up>. direct operation of the Rainbow Room as a plush nitery, the spot folds at 9 p. m., and for New Year’* Eve they stayed as late as almost 10. “For the first time in my adult life of 31 years/' observed Reardon, “I thus found myself neither kicked nor kissed in a saloon on New Year's Eve.” (He’* either had to face an occasional alcoholic fracas when it wasn’t a sentimental clinch) . PICTURES J?orfytixth PSSSSfS' **&&&& ff f lNwyay,irtiq>ifi» 1952 It’s Still Vet Film Adman Reappraises How the Fix Biz Did A Buckle - Down - Winsocki, Roiled Up Its Ballyhoo Sleeves, With Glicko End Results By CHARLES EINFELB This was the* year! Life gave us a. chilly look, Look gave us new life, conservative Wall Street in- vestment houses recommended mo- tion picture stocks, TV moguls grew grey over the failure of view- , succt>ssful to turn handsprings over the | ly opening . o the new season, and Movietirne USA left a trail of glamor through cities and villages ss the country. The kind of thinking that led to Movietime arid has actuated the idea for subsequent annual star tours is far from unconnected with the above phenomena. Movietime is, after all, only one figment of a daw ing stream of , consciousness that leading the film business to an improved boxoffice. A be- ginning has been made. We are recovering clarity of We are becoming showmen agai some of us under the stress of , unpleas- ant handwriting on the wall. And it’s still showmanship, right down the line, that gives -our product the push it deserves. For a whiie there was a tendency to sit there like the cobra, hypno- tized, swaying. side to side while irrational fears played the snake- charmer’s flute. We gazed, stupi- fied with anxiety, at television, a sort* of “little man upon the stair, gee I wish he’d go away” kind of thinking. What’s happening to TV? The N. Y. Times not long ago noted, “A faithful"' viewer can hardly help noticing that the general quality of TV offerings is on a downward trend ” Commercials are killing it, while the picture business at least only sells entertainment, as a Vaiuety editorial pinpointed. What meanwhile has happened to movies in the past, year? Time, more Luce-id than its sister maga- zine, conceded that the' 1951 box- office was a “solid 10 to 15%” better than in 1950, while film rentals- were reported up by a similar percentage. Production figures indicated 441 features in 1951, with 96, or 22%, in color; 1950 saw 376 full-length pictures, only 69, or 18% in color. Qualitatively, the superiority of our industry’s product is at a new high, and no title rundown is needed to know that production wise, all studios have pub teeth into the sometime-sniffed-at but nevertheless trUe slogan, we coined at 20th-Fox, "Movies are better than ever.” An occasional “dog” will sneak out, but by and large, compared with any art form, whether of the mass communica- tions field, or even in the fine arts, motion pictures can. point to a larger proportion of winners for the number of starters. Once the picture has been pro- duced, however, showmanship takes over. The extra push placed behind a picture brings in greater- grosses. For, while there is a large audience available for fine pictures, people must be stimulated to enter the theatres; Consider, for example, any big grosser. In addition to its merits as a screen attraction, one of the chief factors behind success is. the hard work and effort by exhibitors that go into its selling. Feeling that there never had been sufficient emphasis on public relations throughput ail the branches of our industry, we in- itiated an experiment at our Los Angeles national, sales convention last June. At that time, we con- ceived the unique idea of merging the distribution staff With the ad- pub department. The sales force, in short, Was charged with aiding the exhibitor in selling his - wares to the public. This called for more than the •mere settling of playdates, hook- ings arid contracts; Jt rallied the active support of each division and branch manager, salesman arid booker to help the, theatre man sell his product. Both the distribu- tor and exhibitor gain by this extra effort, but the ^exhibitor most, of all.. He is sustained in planning. his campaign by the thought that each satisfied— and pre-sold-r— cus- tomer will bring others. To date, this novel merger has proved high- Plartning is of prime importance: in every human realm, and show- manship is no exception to the rule. Without planning,, ho audi- ence is built up. Without planning, no habit has been created which will lead to community Support of a theatre at times when the crop of pictures may turn out to be less healthy than at others. Correct planning uses psychol- ogy, and like most sciences, uses facts which are .so simple we often overlook them/ There is no mystery abOut showmanship ; it lies in our will to apply that same ingenuity arid inspiration which has rhade the film industry, one of the great instruments of good will over the years. A picture Will attain, the promi- nence it deserves when that One precise ingredient which dis- tinguishes it— whether sex, action; suspense or something else— is correctly spotted arid used as the focus of pre-selling. A typical cam- paign can be reduced to the state- ment, “Here is what is /in this picture.” By thus selecting the proper, emphasis in our- advertis- ing and promotion, we. will bring in 4he right audience. And — you’d be surprised hOw many times this first principle is overlooked— there is a proper audience for every pic*, ture made. It’s just up to* us to utilize our resources properly to reach it. Principles. nO more complex than this have backgrounded the vari- ous efforts showmen in America have made during* the past few years to unite in a common effort to bring more people into, our the- atres; These- are the principles which, have made our theatres the first sOurce of- entertainment for millions of people seeking -relaxa- tion. Today, when the “extra!’ we pro- vide so often is remembered, pro- gramming at a theatre must be con- sidered part and parcel qf show- manship, so long as getting movie- goers to the boxoffice in a steady stream remains our goal. Such items as selection of the right short subjects, proper playdating, and timing the program so that people can attend at reasonable hours, are all important in good public relations arid the intelligent operation of theatres. The physical plant itself must always be considered part of our approach. As showmen, we must see to it that the same glamor caught on the screen is applied both inside and out. We are com- peting at the present time with the comforts of home, and thertele- vision set, so it is doubly important to make the theatre a more invit-. ing place to visit than it has ever been before. All these points are part of the vital lesson showmen must never forget; Continued complacency spells retrogression. Pictures , must not go out on their own without benefit of showmanship effort. It would be a pity to waste the potentialities of our magnificent product by’ failing to make every person aware ojf its quality. With- out ^ showmanship, without the spark necessary to set this Enter- tainment afire in the minds ' and hearts of. the public, we are deal- ing only with so many* pieces ' of celluloid. The best defense in war and showmanship is an aggressive offensive. : Yes, it’s still showman- shipL/ Can’t AH Be Blockbusters, But ‘A’ or ‘B’ By JAMES B- GRAINGER (Executive V, P., -Republic Pictures) 9. R. Grainger ' ' -i to the showcases of our product, above. Slash picture budgets arid operating costs left Warner Bros, with only a small drop in profits fOr the year ending last Aug.. 31 despite a slide of $10, 000, 000 in grOss, Figures were disclosed last Friday (28) in company’s report for the fiscal' year; Net, after taxes for the 12 months was $9,427,000 as compared with $10,271,000 for the parallel period ending Aug. 30, 1950. Duririg 1951,' $9,100,000 was provided for Fed- eral taxes arid $700,000 for Con tingent liabilities. For the i960 fis- cal year, taxes took $6,300,000 and contingent liabilities, $850,000. Fruit of WB policy of buying up its own common is seen in the equivalent perrshare earnings for 1951 as against 1950. Despite the drop in overall net, past year’s earnings Were equivalent to $1.67 per share as against 1950’s $1.46. That’s because there were only 5,619,785 shares , outstanding at the end. of fiscal 1951, in contrast to 6,- 977,300 at the end of fiscal 1950. Film rentals, theatres admis- sions, sales and other items going to make rip gross income totalled $116,909,00.0 for 1951 as against $126, 944*000 for 1950. As a result of examination by reps of the Internal Revenue Bu- reau,. company has adjusted its fixed assets account and related depreciation reserves at Sept. 1, 1950. .Accordingly, the sum of $3,768,000 has been restored to the asset account and an additional $1,000,000 has. been provided for Federal income taxes for the prior year/ This has resulted in an in- crease of $2,768,000 in earned sur- plus which sum is not included in the earnings for the year as shown I don’t agree that Only big” 1 pictures do business. In- my :0Pih- . ion, the picture that does business, : whether it ‘ a so-called . .block- buster or not, , is the. pne which has the entertainment value to which the . public re- sponds. We are all well aware of the fact that many 'pictures . pro- duced at .less- er, costs have rolled up ex- cellent grosses. While ; I ' feel that the industry always - needs -some ' outstanding pictures as a “shot in the arm,” we must take into consideration that theatres must haVe- a "steady flow of product to keep -their: screens occupied, and every picture. can’t he a “blockbuster.” All the- pro- ducing companies together barely make 52 outstanding- pictures in that category. And I repeat, budg- ets alone don’t make big. pictures.. Republic intends ' to produce a number Of what are popularly known as “borderline’! pictures, aiming, of course, for that, popular appeal which spells boxoffice. Not at all incidentally, thi.s type of pic- ture helps to develop those now personalities which are always badly needed in this business. I believe that television eventu- ally will prove a boon to the mo- tion picture industry,, but when, I hesitate to prophesy. However, I don’t Relieve that television will eliminate the so-called fringe theatres. For the past 30 years we have been hearing plenty of complaints from exhibitors,- but' some of my best friends are exhibitors arid 1 am happy to note that they are all waxirig : rich,' , driving Cadillacs* apd going to Miami, Seriously, I sometim.es wonder U exhibitors will ever be satisfied with a fair profit on their, investment. I have stated before that exhibition has always been the most profitable end of the motion picture industry, arid, that situation always seems to be fqrgotten when there is an opportunity^ to denounce distrib- utors apd sales policies; When- ever an exhibitor has a legitiinate squawk, I think I try to be fair about it; brit wholesale denuncia- tion is another thing. gonaii appearance tours and iri con- nection. with premieres. During the past few years, we have intensified our policy and have had some out- , standing premieres Involving th presence , of stars in civic celebra- tions. A recent case in point is our very good -premiere " Omaha, with the Governor of the -state; the Mayor of Omaha, and many other high civic dignitaries joining. Hollywood contingent in tribute to the Air Force and General Curtis LeMay of the Strategic Ait Com- mand. Republic brought riot only star of the picture but other “name” personalities to this premiere, and their’ activities on behalf of civic, patriotic, arid charitable / drives . certainly helped .to build good-will -for the industry; * An. all-iiriportant- necessity for the success' of the motion picture industry *" enthusiasm. the thought -is., certainly ;not new, but it rates repetition. We’re in an exciting business, and W.e. mustn’t get so caught up in : mechanics that we forget its opportunities. /Every single picture - produced is a chal- lenge to all the people connected with its - production, and to every person who touches upon it in dis- tribution arid exhibition. That Personal Contact I CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD SEASO N’S G REETIN G$ I don’t think that distribution is headed toward- any streamlining. For' the. past 25 years there has been talk of centralization of ship- ping but nothing has ever come of it. I think that in this/ as in every other industry, the- salesmen who represent it must keep- in close contact with, their customers, don’t think' you cari sell pictures by mail: As far as -Republic is concerned, we have always tried to maintain a close liaison with ex- hibitors, and we feel that this has real value in determining the kind of product we schedule. Theatre- men are the link between the au- dience arid the" distributor, and We always 'try rtp . take advantage Of their ability to gauge public inter- est arid taste. ' Duririg the , year 1951 my rec- ords show that I have been away, from :New York 161 days, during which I traveled : throughout, the country,; visiting our branch mam agers1 arid talking with Our cus- tomers. I think that, the .future of. the motion picture business is very; healthy, notwithstanding the crepe- hangers who. are ; always . c®mplai - ing. Quite a few of the difficulties which some . theatres are . experi- encing are the result of their own showmanship inactivity. Running a theatre is a -ballyhoo operation. It seems ironic to me that so many of* the/ basic ideas initiated by showmen have been adopted and maintained at a high level by other industries, while so many exhibi- tors seem to have forgotten/ that this business was Built on; show-, manship; , Republic has always -been a firm advocate of the type of promotion used for ’’Movietime USA.” Foi* many years we have been bringing stars to the public through per-i ‘Let’s Get By MAURICE BERGMAN Gloom never had a' long run in our business. Every once in a while it has a. world premiere, and then peters out. This sort of proves that we are optimists by nature. In the past year smile's/ started to replace frowns; A simple rea- son could be given for this .meta- morphosis. Business picked up, mainly because there were more good pictures and more enthusi- asm displayed in their promotion. it has always been my conten- tion that crisis is the backbone of our business. , Give us a good crisis and we rally around the problem. We have always proved that prob- lems stimulate us, unite us and make us all pull together. For that reason, strange to say, a boom is .a ' dangerous thing for us. Give Us a stretch of good busi- ness arid, instead of working hard- er, we become indifferent. This happened during the war years. Then One day we woke up and found ourselves in a depression, This was a blessing. It caused the birth of COMPO, Now that conditions are better, we are apt tO neglect COMPO. If anyone is interested, I have ^compiled ten points that might be kept in mind during the upturn. Here they arc, for free! 1. Spend a little time each, day thinking about: next month. 2. Cultivate our own backyard a little more. * In other words, save our speeches and inind our own business. 3. See a few more . movies. They’re fun, and they help us to find out a little more about our business. 4. When we have ideas to im- prove the business, ' send them to COMPO. 5. Leave, technical discussions, to the experts. Let’s be showmen rather than oracles. : 6. Let’s think a little more about advertising and, as business im- proves,- let’s spend more for pr motion rather than less. Let’s try to stimulate and enlarge the good market rather than wait/ for a. bad one. 7. Let’s have more action and less meetings. , The latter take a lot of time that could, be better spent. If we mrist have these meetings, let’s make the participants come prepared. This will eliminate irrelevancies.' 8. Let’s work on -the theory that all pictures are boxoffice until proven otherwise. 9. If we personally dislike picture, let’s keep this opinion to ourselves. The public iriay like it. 10. Finally,; let’s try to train young folks in all branches of- our business. Let’s build for the fu- ture. So there! Forty-sixth Annioenmry Farty-rifth rAnntomary January % 1952 "a' .V a» VAV.V.'. / '' 1 '.V.V.'.’.’.V.1 / „v ,v.v.,.v.v.w<,vy 4T**9 w/t* ,v.v % r \v.;,;Xv! \ // ^ i*v vs •ysss/tysssfvfrsMStVjt*. ■«v .‘^.y/A^vXv/XsM ftttov liipi .'.V.V.V.' v.r .• .v.v. v!v.Xva .v.v '.v.v V/ V % ' 0 <. ' 111 ' iiviSwi vX, ;!;XvX;i •.V.'.V.V, /.V.* • W «v.v. .vv ■V.V.'.* *,v.v ■XvX;XvX ■iv.v.’.’.’.’i'.’.'.v.v;' i V.W.V.V.V.V.V.'i .v.'.'.^ v.v .■»• iV.Vi’.V.V.V.V. v.v.v.v. V.*,1 *.v«v. r .•.•.'.■.v.v.* v.v.* & $ 'ty jWMvwm i -sS/SS/P fy I sfitot' ' m 'a* ?■«. ■ :l j*** •r ^ *«•' h Sk *F - C ** ■ V fi Xl## ’ & V «<■■■: \ $ X V X I ‘*9* ■-y.it, < m rTSWv,^ " ■••■■•- v-mt o A •ft "'•/V . '•>;» #r \A,. /. ...<•■» <•■ .*•* /ctaO f \V> ' V "X r * ■■yy-< sf €11 , ^yp THE BARLOW TRAIL LYNCHING! Law comes to the Northwest . . « With a rope as judge and jury! THE SHOSHONE AMBUSH! The night of terror that set ablaze a savage empire! THE GREAT COLUMBIA PORTAGE! Through a gauntlet of gunfire with a thousand lives at stake! »..«i ">'uMn° "ov*1 i"n K '\ I 4: ■ * The above two -page spread is a reproduction of one of the full -color national magazine ITednefldar* Jariiia»y ^ M52 Fnrly-ssxih Anniversary Uws v s ' s5^ ^^tWK-X X-Nv ^^>lv>X-X^vX.v W s\v s «. s . s ^SXX Ns S N SVS*TWSV. ss \ S *» sw^*> Vl » ' - ^ m *■ ^ ^ ^ s s ■* s ^ vs % v s v s ; ,\ s > -ss^ > - '- * XV - ' ' ' ^ "-■"- -- * -* $' "','\s'"' ' ' '" ' '•"' •Is'"-" :$-V '••■'■■• ' *' \.- s '• ■■■• '> irk VS* T1 l^if-ri*;^;.' , ) !v!vl M ^ ^ >m£ ^ ' ^'' y" K« * m W-. -.<*'■ Vo . ' ^ ,. s s s 5 \ 4 ■> s . % ' »"' ' $5 s <• *' ss v ' ' X' ' ' \ * s ' ' s < m ■• o * .. '•. "k ' 's X s W s'O' \ i O S '' - ' s 'O's'% M S ' ' s 5 S \ ^ O S * X ... 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ADS REACHING .* .'.v.v.v w v.v .v.v v.v. v.v. ■. v.v. v.v. v.v. v.v.1 ■■'•ViV.vrri’. :••.•.•. :v.v.v. ».v. v.v. *.v .«.•.■ w.v OVER 75, 000.000 ■ WAV WvV I "^•V4®yT: *iT~ READERS Of SEVEN tfx+xwxttvrvivxvx*:*:*:*##^ NATIONAL MAGAZINES TWO SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SUPPLEMENTS APPEARIN .vt'iviviv.'i'.v.v.viv.'.'riv.viv.'i'ivivi'.'i'iviv.'iviv.'i v.v.*. v.v. .v. Vi w.v.v v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.w.sv. v.v v.v.v •X*. X‘X-X,X-X*X*X-X'XX>:*X*X*X,XvX,X,XiX,X,X*X-X,X*X,X*XvX-X*X\vX'X-X'X*X,,'X,XvX\\vXx;;««vvw% >x .v.v.v.' \ •» s s **> v»yr4y.jfv.v,v.v.v.v.v. . 1 .v.v;v. v. . :■:< ■X w* , V ' s ; '■.<<, s'v '# s .. »->'X •v.'Xv.v.vvsv.'X’XtflvW.XXvX'Xv, . ■> r- , -y ■■'AW' ' s s ■ v < '.y'-- ' ' ■. -.y ' ' v< x ' -V •v.* • V.V.’.V.V.V. ,.S,.vft,X .\VJ.V v • ■ • *.v . v.v. v.v. v.svv.- y.- v v.w.v.v •.•.sX* ■ K s>' V s ~ > ^ N ' ■■ 5 V < ^ , ' 'A k Wednesday* Jammy 3, 195> Maybe Hat Inst’ Forfrvxth Zsfiai&Fr Anniversary M Has Been By ABE MONTAGUE credited with the revenue. And, peculiarly, the opposition was not seriously hurt This, then, was primarily new business. These were patrons who had tired of shabby theatres, poor projection, muddy sound, dirty rest rooms, parking problems, un- imaginative bookings. These were people who had fled to television for their entertainment and found it wanting. They were hungry for an opportunity to return to the to Buck in There is a positive new feeling. By AL LICHTMAN Distribution Chief , 20th-Fox a bretty good year, we ve - «umence, rm con- ter— but we've had worse, too, The vinced, Is not really lost; It’s just boxoffice came to life, slumped, been mislaid II as much thought then . picked would, be paid to showmanship to up again. Thai get the public back to the theatre ole devil Tele- as has been used to merchandise vision , doesn’t candy and popcorn, I am sure . seem ====== By ALFRED E. DAFF ===== (Universal's World Sales Chief ) perhaps, than it used to lie. Or waU a Earned picture representing dised to the public. The in-be It’s a small world and it is get- ting smaller. In our own company we, have seen and derived the benefits of a maybe there are more second f ea- tbe Colosseum at the height of its tweeners get nowhere. 1 All roads As I travel my hundred odd global point Of view. tures. But the demand is still Slpry. In the ring, the ancient no longer lead to the theatre box- thousand air miles each year, in We have coordinated our selling XI. _• Yl a ^ ^ ^ •' ^ _ SLL. ' _ ft** Xl IK. • j» X1L._ • 'li'; _ ' a _ ® there, papuamiufl Xfd pefl Roman version of a circus was in office as the single source of mass progress, and the stands were entertainment. Our weapon is the -i_« -J . xv *r .x* ‘ -e xi.-. x ii * jk _ j _• t am . k . packed; the Latin equivalent of the extra something that rises above ! ? 7 a* ih?tno SRO sign was undoubtedly posted competition. tn m°JiroWo0(v, S^tS deliberately beside the boxoffice. Something for nothing will al- to make a bad picture. Not all Because mv mind wac on buci- oomeinmg xor notnmg will ai- books are successful nor all nlav«; -Because my mina was on dusi Ways attract the apathetic pleas- ^uLLessmi, nor an plays, ness I remarked absently, “You ure-seeker but even he ran eet °rm °f c.r®atlv® effort there know, no matter what, the period tjre(j 0£ seeing the same thbig tTe tabe,iaesV?Sbl*^ouS ^ *£**,.*«#•#**,* *** ** ^ ^ tt„gibie.Uephem«XeSXw^ thou- .-Look over the list of films ffotag ... — “ 8 business today-— “David and Bath- derful quality called “boxoffice.” canrf vpape In time T visited . ouamesa ivuayr— isaviu auu oaui- Columbia had an interesting ex- friend recently on a Saturday after- ®heba,” “Desert Fox,” “An Amer-r iniA Ai tui. j.. • z... . .. • menu retemiy on a odiuiudy «uci- in ■Doric** «ct.(,AfA9V MBmoA .n JK n . . ' * » • * XV/ TVaO 011V WAIl^ 11VV I.VAVTAUAVA* V ? Past by Hug0 Haas at a “snow” but the real thing— the cost that no self-respecting second temperature was in the low twen- office as the single source of mass | the interests of efforts and devices. Universal - In- We have picked up good ideas t ern a tional, from foreign countries, and export- this fact is ed American ideas in the selling of brought home pictures as well as the actual pic- to me more tures. strongly, than ■ Our foreign offices and our do- ever. In addi- mestic departments have all bebe- tion to .cover- flted from promotion ideas pric- ing 31 branch inating elsewhere in the world, offices in the The U. S., nor any other coun- U. S., I met try, holds any patterns or monop- lean in Paris,” "Strietcar Named ““«** ability and^orig- Desire/’ "Quo Vadls ” “A Place in " *»» t There mmr be differ- the Sun” — all meeting the enter- whol. nf .,h, «Sff f*'* ’&“**!*&*■• }& “f talnment needQ and demands nf th? whole of the Eastern Hemi- ultimate results and benefits can the Public MAnv ^ othe^rs^ ^Sfortu- !Pher5* Australia and New Zealand, be the same. ■** the side I have made several I have expounded the theory Wii. 11U, s^ii-respecung secona temperature was in the low twen- On the side I have made several I have expounded the theory thi'9re t° whisper. But ties, the field was covered With a ?wav Entertainmeu t”UP t0 Glve_ trips to London and the Conti- that our industry survives on new ^nis one had it. It took some doing, glaze pf ice, the skies were leaden awaf J!'ni:eriainmem* neiit. Certain observations, there- ideas, or niew twists to old ideas, up playin« top-half and forbidding . . , and there were i : Those Duals Again I ^ore* may he .in order. and Universal has delved into the TOgjujut the country. And we 45,000 howling rooters in the • — - — — — — - — — — First of all, I am just as cer- past and learned a lot, even though wound up spending as much on ad- stands, and tp me, in defiance of There is a big evil in our sys- tain as ever that our customers are our thinking is^aimed directly at yertising as the producer spent in all common sense, and having a tern, when it forces us to produce the same the world over. Secondly, the future. negative cost. But we also wound whale of a good time. a great many ordinary pictures to I am sure that the problems the We are. constantly emphasizing up with a domestic gross equal to People like, to get out of their support the double feature bill, industry face are practically the the necessity of delivering the jnost top-bracket, top-budget pic- homes and go places. t The overall effect- is that the ordi- same everywhere; message of motion picture enter- ; We cannot deny that television nary product tends to leave the 1. Sufficiency good product for tainment directly into the home. » i ■ Jhis- can still happen in our represents a real competition to public with the feeling that all pic- the mass audience. We have deplored the lack of the industry, the honeymoon is net yet motion pictures, and we ought not tures are mediocre, thus destroying 2. Strategic planning of. adver- use of heralds and direct mailing • There’s still a chance for the to try. Yes, it is competition, but the reputation of the many films tislng and promotion on behalf of pieces. We have tried to encourage Producer with an idea, the distribu- also, let us remember, are auto- coming from Hollywood every the entire industry. a greater use of this medium, be- 'Vrth a ’^gimmick,” the exhibitor mobiles, parks, beaches, concerts, week. I say this because the recent so- cause it is our firm belief that the wi h the- drive to put it over. libraries, books. We bave sur- Certainly, with the economic called decline in the American very thing on which our industry brings to mind a fellow ! know vived and prospered all these picture not as rosy as it was six business was played up very was developed, will preserve it — .ao has just built a theatre out- years In the midst of competition, or seven years ago, we are hurting Strongly by opposition interests;, the family trade, wde one of our big cities. The and we shall go on doing so. Is ourselyes by hot producing a and the trade generally, in practi- The selling of motion pictures jrea he chose needed another thea- there any business in the universe steady stream of top quality films cally every country abroad, and institutionally is of vital impor- tre like I need another head. In that has the field all to itself? becaiise of factors which we can whether it be in Europe, China, tance. It is necessary from a good the 8-mlle area immediately adja- I recall, last summer, getting an. cure Within our own field. Buenos Aires, or anywhere else, public relations. point of view, but cent to the new house, there were enthusiastic telephone call from an A major* deterrent to maximum people like to be on the side at no time do we in Universal- mother theatres of various sizes exhibitor. He was elated becaiise, realization on our pictures is spac- of a victor. They like to be part Intematidnal think that the selling #nJ odors. the previous Sunday, it had rained ing of playdates. Too many the- All the industry’s best brains and his previous Sunday’s business atres are showing the same pic- American product in foreign coun- can be replaced by good irtstitu- Kld friend that he was crazy, had doubled. It occurred to jne— ture simultaneously, depriving the tries makes it necessary for the tional advertising. listened carefully— and then once more— that although the rain public of selection when it gees in industry, in the U. S., to be sue- To keep the public interest alive went right ahead. He built a fine kept the people away from the search of film entertainment. Qnce cessful in all its ramifications. we have to demonstrate that every jneatre. The best projection the beaches, it didn’t keep them in. a picture has been robbed of its Confidence is a prime factor in visit to a motion picture theatre is Jest sound, the most comfortable Television’ Yes it represents potential by excessive competition our dealings in America ^and a holiday and to sell this, to the feats, the most modern lighting— romoetition not a threat. Compe- with itself, it disappears and a great abroad. Confidence in our pictures great world motion picture audir and the best nlcturos hi* nnuii Li ii?T segment of our audience is lost, de- and the future of our industry, and enee, is every exhibitor’s and dis- me everywhere; message of motion picture enter- 1. Sufficienly good product for tainment directly into the home, e mass audience. We have deplored the lack of the 2. Strategic planning of adver- use of heralds and direct mailing of a victor. They like to be part International think that the selling of a success, and dependence on of each motion picture on its merit American product in foreign coun- can^ be replaced by good institu- Ind Vhw hi°st modern lighting— competition, not a threat Compe- with itself, it disappears and a great abroad. Confidence in our pictures great w and the best pictures he could get. SSPL of hnciness life, segment of our audience is lost, de- and the future of our industry, and epee, is best pictures he could get. titton is the spice of business life, segment of our audience Is lost, de- and tne future o^ur industry, and epee, is every exmmtors ana cus- rhen he set about selUntf himself it «Srtethffig we can cone with prived of the opportunity to ever it is because of the facts outlined tributor’s job. , and his. new theatre 1 to the sur- something we^are coningP with— see the film. This is a constant above, that I strongly emphasize It is fortunate for us all that funding communities. successfuflv. And oneP major fac- complaint, which has been present- whenever I have the opportunity more and more, in all parts of the The results surprised even him tor in the makeup Of human betaK ed to and by exhibitors countless to urge the extension of COMPO world, there is an awakening to J11® opening weekgross was about is on our side The people who sat times. The paradox is that all ex- and Movietime US. A. to embrace this simple fact. Therefore.every- twice as much as heexoected ' His in °theUanclent Colosseum m?e no hibitors agree that the situation foreign countries, so that common body associated with distribution second and third Weete^hridfijffit 'different thmtheiieopltwho^it in should be corrected, but no one problems can be attacked on a and exhibition should bring home JP to the samelevef6 And business a moderVmovle theatre^fhey like wants to make the first move. “Let global as well as a local level. I this point as . vigorously as their «®ntlnued to floid Ii pist the to get out of their homes and go the other fellow move hack" is the kuow of ho bettehformat than that enterprising .mgehUity and effort «me where novglty alone can be places! answer. of Movietime U. S. A. can command. past the to get i can be places! answer. of Movietime U. S. A. can command. ln«dw. Sm*ry Z> MM Forty+slxth Anniversary TREASON ^ . . . The threat of violence hangs over England. The enemies within wear the terrible dis- guise ef ordinary people. A startling expose directed by Roy Boulting and produced by Paul Soskin. ONE SINNER Celia (Brief Encounter) Johnson teamed with versatile/ sophisticated Cecil Parker in the picture which lifts the lid off a Police Court and tells the story of those anonymous people who stretch out helping hands to be-. . . Another winner from Eal- ing Studios presenting the most .formidable gang of master thieves the country has known. Alec Guinness and Stan- ley Holloway are teamed to- gether in this hilarious comedy hot, directed by Charles Crich- ton. PENNY PRINCESS .... When a New York shop- girl inherits a piece of Europe it is practically a problem for the United Nations. In this Technicolor comedy. WHERE NO VULTIRES FLY . . The Royal Performance Film. An Ealing Studios produc- tion in Technicolor, photo- graphed entirely on location on the plains of Africa. Directed by that master of the outdoors, "Harry Watt, the picture stars Anthony Steel, Dinah Sheridan and Harold Warrender. Americanr -release title "Ivory Hunter." SECRET PEOPLE A vivid dramatic story of the attempted assassination of a military despot and the net of intrigue Which collects both * nocent and guilty and leaves and Especia vs lV t\ V' H ' wildered youngsters trapped in the underworld jungle. Di- rected by Basil Dearden, the • * man whose touch made "The Blue Lamp" an international A fine product from the famous Ealing Studios, it in- troduces lovely newcomer Joan Collins and a supporting cast of distinct! lovely Yolande Donlan teamed with handsome Dirk Bogarde, the latter playing hjs first Screen comedy role. Writ- ten and directed by Val Guest, the story takes the camera to a mountain village in sunny Spain screen representing the mythical, mirthful kingdom of Lampidorra. ♦ • • • 4 >u them facing the aftermath of retributi The international cast headed by Valentina Cor- tesa and Serge Reggiani, intro- duces talented overnight star Audrey Hepburn. Produced and directed by Thorold Dickinson —one of Britain's leading di- rectors. What happens when an Outpost of Empire finds that its new Governor is a Working man from Lancashire. Great acting performances by Eric Portmdn, Cecil Parker, Helen Cherry and a team of those character players , for which British films are justly acclaimed, make this film yet EXCELLENCY another Ealing Studios triumph. Sparkling entertainment di- rected by Robert (Kind Hearts and Coronets) Hamer. THE IMPORTANCE e • •.« with one of tho greatest cast* assembled in aBrltlsh studio. Oscar Wilde's memorable comedy cantos to tho in Technicolor. Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Joan Greenwood, Dame Edith Evans, Margaret Rutherford and Miles Malte- son portray with distinction Wilde's famous characters. Directed by An- thony (The Browning Version) Asquith, produced by Tfddy Baird. • ... , . Screen adaptation of Ar- nold Bennett's famous book starring the versatile Alec Gui , Glynis Johns, Valerie Hob- son and Pefula Clark. Filmed in the actual Ibcald of the novel — the Potteries district Of Eng- land—this delightful tale tells the story of the "cheekiest man in the world." Produced, de- signed and directed by Ronald Neame and John Bryan, the team which brought to the screen that great story of mo- tion pictures "The Magic Box." HUNTED Again Alec Gui ,■ giv- ing yet another wonderful per- formance in this Ealing Studi comedy telling the story of a little man With a big inventi nobody wants. With him in the cast are lovely Joan Green- wood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough and Ernest Thesiger. Di- rected by Alexander "Tight . . . . A new child actor co-stars with Dirk Bogarde, lovely Elisabeth Sellars and talented Kay Walsh lit this emo- tion packed thriller Six and a half years old Jon. Whiteley of Aberdeen, Scotland gives a great performance as the little boy who finds the first real love and kindness of his life In a mur- derer fleeing the length of Britain from the police, The picture Is directed by Charles Crichton, and produced by Julian Wintle. THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT Little Island" MacKendrick from a screenplay by Roger MdcDou- gall, John Dighton and MacKen- drick, the picture is "Tailor- made" for the Film Trade! / / //• ; * / " -- ' ' ' ENCORE ✓ ■*/ .V.V.* V.V.V ''H ■; y/.yAK-v.'/W fA i - / . . . . This Is the latest and greatest of the Somerset Maugham short story films, In the tradition of QUARTET and TRIO, ENCQRE presents a brilliant cast headed by Glynis Johns, Nigel Patrick, Roland Culver, Ronald Squire and Terence Morgan. Scripted by T.E.B. Clarke, Arthur McCrqe and Eric Ambler; directed by Pat Jackson, An- thony Pclissier, Harold French and produced by Antony Darnborough. These Fine Motion Pictures from the Famed PINEWOOD and Associated with the J. ARTHUR RANK ORGANISATION, LTD. EALING Studios, 8ft HCTTKES Give the It Even Helps Theodore Pratt By THEODORE PRATT Boqa Raton, Fla. In line with .the comeback of picture? (did they ever go away?) this is a report and suggestion for Using authors in the exploitation of pictures, I don't mean screen- writers. I mean the authors of the original material, hovel, factual book, or any material on which the picture is based. Heretofore this individual has been regarded mostly as an evil necessity, usually thought of as the raw ore from Which fine metal is refined in the Writers’ Bldg, over by Stage 6. Occasionally a big-time author was used In minor ways, such as giving his name in the billing in letters as large as that of the screenwriter or almost the size of the producer and director. On "an extremely few as- tounding occasions the author of a.ire- mendous bestseller has been given top billing because the picture company thought his name would help to sell the picture. , They were right. Generally; of course, everyone knows the ancient joke about where the original book author fits in on the out- door posters— down near where the dogs operate. In the percentages given for billing in the Hollywood pressbooks the traditional amount for the novelist from which the picture is taken is 10%, right at the bottom. I don’t say original authors in the past have been what might be called extremely helpful in cooperating with picture companies about the releases of films made from their stories. Some of them have come right out in cold print and called the pictures lousy. They have looked down upon Hollywood artistically, They have failed to see that there is anything in it for them after their book is paid for. I contend that there is a good deal in it for them; and a good deal in it for the picture company, for such authors and such companies to adopt a program of mutual aid when even a fairly good picture is made from a book. The first traditional viewpoint the picture company must Overcome to get any result from this is to not be afraid that an original author might ste?l a few lines of mention from its contract stars. Break1 down and' men- tion the original author a little more;, it might bring more than a nickel back, as I intend to demonstrate. The first mental (and emotional) hazard the author must overcome is taking creative brain in hand and kneading it hard to realize that a picture can be good even though . it changes his story; This isn't so difficult to do if ap- proached from the viewpoint that a novel has one tech- nique of telling its story, While a film has another. Each can be good in its own way. Each, above all, is a different, medium,. , By the very fact of selling his book for a film an author should expect his story, to be told in another manner. Now we’ve got quite a remarkable proposition: The picture company and the author of the original book are being asked to cooperate with each other when the picture Is released, for their mutual benefit. Benefit? each screams. Mutual? Who used that dirty word? What benefit? Whose? For Example 1 fori y-tixlh Annheruny ther, mairing gome experiments. -At openings in Florida, I am going to be invited to be present. Booksellers will be allowed to sit in tHbatre lobbies with a stock of my books, including the one being ! shown in the theatre, and myself on hand with' pen in hot fist to autograph^copies purchased. This will attract attention to both film and books. None of it will damage word-of-mouth advertising of the picture. Pictures and authors of books from which they are made have nothing in- common during the release of the pic- ture? Boys and girls, .unless I'm very much mistaken the* extra business that will be done. by "The Barefoot Mailman" directly due to the above cooperative work will easily equal the amount paid to me for the book. And the extra business my various books will do because of the opportunity of plugging them as per the above will be worth far more than the effort involved both by myself and the picture company. All this, to me, is merely one small facet in the busi- ness opportunities being overlooked by the picture and bookselling industries at the point Where they meet. erm By JULIAN T. ABELES {Attorney for Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Music Publishing Interests) There was Asa, the knowlngest young un in>the whole of Catfish Creek, Arkansas, yet the boy never heard tell his family name. Since time immortelle, generation after generation had peeped at the light of day, and somehow managed to survive, iri that, little one- room cabin a settin’ on the top-most craig of the Ozark Mountains.; In all their, dragged-out years the family had gone and spread out so that genealogy had just come to mean nothin* at all. Got so none of the more recent of the clan knew what twig, much less what branch; of the family tree they might be hangin’ on. Being as it was> ASa’s maw couldn’t no-how recollect if Asa were a N ehemiah or a Ashtoreth. For as she was wont to say, ‘‘Our hog Aza- riah rhain’t got no family name and he’s sure like unto the rest of our men folk, when they’re not a sleep! Vail they’re a doin’ is a chawin’ and a gruntin’.” So it mattered none what until Julian T. Alieles along cameihe day I’ll be a tellin’ you ’bout. Phi Beta Kappa of Catfish Creek i The only way I can illustrate this is to get personal. When three of my books were made into, pictures I stood by when they were shown and had absolutely nothing to do with their exploitation or exhibition. When my books are published, on the other hand, I have a good deal to do with them, giving talks, radio broadcasts, and -attending autographing, parties. Why not apply original author participation to the is- ing of a movie made from a book? When my fourth book went to pictures, the opportunity came lip to have a crack at this to see what might happen. The book was “The Barefoot Mailman” in current release by Columbia. When the picture company hired me to find the locations for the outdoor shooting I saw to it that this fact, with pictures of me on the search for same, appeared in the Florida newspapers, the scene of the work. This meant a good deal of publicity not only for the picture, but for the book and also my other books. When Columbia announced it was looking for another title for the picture I hopped in and fought the idea. I fought it seriously, getting the backing of many people and institutions in Florida, battling it out in the news- papers and slugging it out over the radio. I happened •to Win the fight to keep the book title. In the process everybody got a lot of mention. The public for the pic- ture was built up more than ever. And more of my books were bought. Around the time the picture is released, the end of this year, two more books of mine happen to be on the pub- lishing horizon. One, "The Big Bubble,” follows "The Barefoot Mailman” in locale; the second, “Handsome,” an original paperback 35c. giant, is laid in the same, section of Florida as the “hard” books. In the newspaper stories going out about these by myself and my publishers, and in the ra^o broadcasts: I have arranged to make all over the state of Florida, the movie of “The Barefoot Mailman” is being given very generous mention; in fact, .one-third of the 15-minute time is devoted to it, free to the picture company. During this mention I am stating that, even though the picture does not keep exactly to the book, it is still a good, exciting picture. I explain to the lay public why it is necessary to change and cut an original novel. Most of the diehards who are enthusiastic over the book and look down upon “movies ruining it,” I think* will be won Over by my sincere explanation. They won't go around run- ipg down the picture and hurting its business. Columbia has seen the .wisdom and value of this by asking me to make a special recording of my remarks about the picture. They are sending platters of {his to their exchanges and distributors . around the country for use m . spot radio announcements at first showings of the film. They allowed me to mention, my new books in this announcement. ° In this way everybody is helped. Columbia and I plan to carry our loye-fest even fur- Now. as I was a sayiri’, Asa warn’t second, to none ’round them there parts when it came to knowin* a thing—Hjr maybe two, although I gotta admit any other -habitant of Catfish Creek might well have raised claim to a photo finish. Oh account of Asa being the smart one he’d been serving his apprenticeship in his unicle Jered Nehe- niiah’s white mule distillery. This enterprise; had its situs right smack on Catfish Creek, this ^ being the namesake of Asa’s homestead. Uncle Jered took care of production and Asa messed around with distribution and sales. Of course, in very damp weather, when Aunt Hoshea had a bad case of the misery. Uncle Jered had to put on extra help in his department. The resultant . beverage *Was dispensed at two bits a jug to them that had a design for livin’, and four bits for five jugs to them that warn’t gonna be round much longer. As to them that did their consuming on the premises, Asa would drag the body to the edge of, the craig and give it a shove down the mountain side for no additional charge. Because of this special service Uncle Jered’s emporium became the Stork Club of Catfish Creek’s cafe society. Now Asa’s principal, or perhaps I should rightly say sole, attribute was that in figurin’ two bits out of four bits likely as not he would make the right change. And as for the four-bit customers it was more than an even chance that he would not make the mistake , of giving change for a silver dollar. Yes, I must say, that Asa was the only one in them parts of the hills that had a bom knack of figiiri ’. He didn't need to have any concern about paper money, as how he made it a point of refusin’ to be taken in with any of that Northern "inmatashun stuff.” For as'he went and said, “Warn’t no different from any of! them other Sunday funny papers ceptin’ they goes and puts their president’s pitture on it and gets them there ignorant Northerners to think that makes it worth sumptinV One of my grandpappies got himself a trunk full of that kind’a paper, that’s even got Jeff Davis’ pitture on it and it even warn’t no good for. nothin’ at 'tall, so how cpme that thar Northern trash gonna be any good for sumpi The White Mule Kicks the Traces Well, I done said Asa been a servin’ his apprenticeship- at the source of Uncle Jered’s liquid white hybred. Been a servin’t what I said, ’cause there came a part of a day there .warn’t no Uncle Jered to be a servin’ any more. It was on account of a very damp season that business got so durned tootin’ good Uncle Jered went and threw capacity to the winds. And that’s just, where Uncle Jered went and gone. They say he was mighty deaf like, but ain’t much doubt he heard that sound-off, and least he sure felt it, for there he was right in the middle of it. Many a one in them parts opened wide his mouth to get one on the house, as a whole still full of Uncle Jered’s flying mule came through the air like a cloudburst. Many in the valley were want to say as how all hell let loose when the devil came to claim his nearest kin,- There war’nt much doubt of Uncle Jered’s eventual destination, but. he sure was a headin' in the wrong direc- tion. The way Uncle Jered was a’sailiii upward there warn’t any doubt he’d been booked on this cruise for a “how-yaJ” to St. peter. Inhabitants therebouts make talk that one drink of Uncle Jered’s beverage was just as liable as not to go and blow your top off. No wonder then a still .full of it went and blew the whole mountain top off. I ain’t never been mud} for them proverbs, in particular the one ’bout all that goes up is shore to be a ‘cummi ’ down. For Uncle Jered went plenty up all right but nothin’ ever came down that resembled Uncle Jered. In fact, seemed sort of shameful like to be a wasti * - all that funeral money on a little dirt, some of his kin folk said looked sorta like the kind they’d seen on Uncle Jered. = Well it warn’t long -after the smoke had blown away, along with Uncle; Jered, that there was reason to want Wednesday^ Jannery 2, 195J Lesson in Econmaics It happened many years ago, in Toledo. Joe Laurie, Jr.r was on the bill with me and I confided to him that a certain party was always wiring me for money and always had ideas in his wire that 1 just cbuldn’t resist I showed him the wire X received that week, "Must have $200 as my father has to have both legs amputated.” I knew it was a phoney, but also felt that if I didn't send it for such a purpose L Would never forgive myself. Joe read the many wires for money this party would send me every week and also thought it was a phoney. So he wrote out' a wire, "Sending you $100; just have one leg amputated. That's all I can afford right now.” / It was Joe who told me how to save my money. •*Get a casher’s check every week and send it to the bank,” said he. 1 never had a hank account in my life, so I took Laurie’s advice, bought cashier’s checks every week and opened an account in a N, Y. bank. The funny part was when I got to N, Y..I kept buying cashier’s checks and deposited them in my bank. I thought that’s the only way you could deposit money in the bank. I have/ learned a lot since then. Years later when I met Joe again and reminded him that it- was he that started to save my money, he said, .‘‘Belle, 1 owe you an apology. For years when J met you I thought you were wearing falsies and all the time you were carrying double grouchbags full of cashier’s checks!” —Belle Baker. i ... to know if Asa were a/Neherniah or a Ashtoreth. It came . about this way. That part of Uncle Jered’s land that didn’t go along with him had the reparign fights to Catfish Creek. This particular creek abounds with its namesake, which imparted to its waters . that delightful poignant scent and taste of the specie. Being as how that odor of catfish would be wafted by the mountain breezes for miles around, even total strangers in them parts needed no neon sign to guide them to Uncle Jered’s source of supply. This creek water was one of the principal ingredients of Uncle Jered’s concoction. It was the secret formula, handed down from generation to generation, that gave Uncle Jered’s hoary mule that rare and distinctive flavor— that any cigaret manufacturer would give his eye teeth for. Then again, them catfish sure did rid them parts of every- thing that even faintly resembled anyone of the rodent family. Now, if it Could be that Asa were, a Nehemiah, the boy would be a cornin’ into this priceless heritage. That’s how come my ideal, the illustrious Hezekiah Isaiah Eze- Mai, be a laWyerin’ for Asa’s birthright. Comes the day of the trial and I ’tends court with HezeMah as I was want to do* He always said I was his left hand— bein’ as how he was right-handed. The State’s Attorney had the dire misfortune to be pitted against Hezekiah, which came about bein’ as how if Asa couldn't rightly prove himself then the state was gonna lay claim to the land. The first witness called by the state was the most ancient female I was ever want to see. I’ve heard tell ’bout that man Alexander who got one “great” degree because of something or other he went and did. Well, this old lady must a went and done plenty more than Mr. Alexander, for all the ’‘greats” you had to wade through before you got to the "grand-maw” part of her title. She goes and testifies, under the proddin* of the state’s attorney, as how Asa much resembled the Ashtoreth side of the family with his very low* fiat forehead and that insipid grimace. But then Hezekiah scored a’pleiity when she goes and says that the Ashtoreths couldn’t no-how lay any exclusive claim to these here distinguishing attri- butes, being as how all the Nehemiahs had the self -dame blessings! betsowed upon them. For as she spoke out, this family heritage had always come in right handy like, when you had to go and assort your young uns from the rest of the broods at the family get-togethers. Then she goes on to tell as how the young un that was want to play down by the creek with Azariah, the family hog offspring, was certain to be the Nehemiah they was a seeMn' for, Well could she recollect as how them two urchins would romp 'round, and* ever so often Azariah’d goes and pokes in the creek after one of them catfish. Says she how that hog loved anything that reeked of catfish, and when Uncle Jered made a batch of his brew, there would be a settin’ Azariah gruntin’ away while waitin’ for the chance to lick around the pot after Uncle had filled the jugs— and them grunts sounded like the opening of an old drawbridge if Uncle Jeifea happened to overlook part of ai batch in the bottom of the pot. Greater Love Hath No Hog Right then and there the Judge granted Hezekiah’s request for an adjournment to “prepare his case.” When the Court resumed, Hezekiah said as how hi? only witness would be the hog Azariah. Thfe state’s attorney bellows his objection on the ground that hog ain’t fit for testifying. Thereupon, Hezekiah, in a broken voice, and with tears streaming down his face, relates ’bout when the Confeder- ate flag bearer was shot down at the battle of Pole-cat Ridge and our noble army was retreating, Azariah’? im- mortal sire grasped our beloved battle flag in his mouth and gave his life leading our troops to. a glorious victory — how they buried him with full military honors and the flag on his breast— -and erected ai monument to his memory at the site of his momentous deed. There was an agry murmur through the courtroom and if Hezekiah hadn’t motioned them back, the Judge and Jury would have been in the fore of the state’s attorney lynching party. Well I don’t need to say the objection went for nothin’ at all. Hezekiah then signalled for the bailiff to open the courtroom door and in dashed Azariah. At first he ran straight for the judge’s bench sniffling wildly, and then turned sharply and with a bleat of ear-splitting grunts bore down on Asa and started licMn* him from head to toe. - Even them cold-blooded mountaineers were heard to sniffle — such affection the hog showed for that boy was far beyond all human comprehension — there could he no possible doubt that Asa was Azariah’s childhood com- panion and the Nehemiah they was a'looMn’ for* The jury rose as one man and gave their verdict for Asa, to the wild plaudits of the judge and spectators. When we were a safe distance from the courthouse, Hezekiah turned to me, shaking his head* "When I pre- pared my case durin’ the adjournment, by pourin’ them jugs of Uncle Jered’s catfish brew over Asa, I was plumb Certain that hog Would sniffle him out, but - I done forgot ’bout the judge bein’ as fond of that breW as the hog was, always keepin’ a jug under his bench— boy it almost lost our case,” Wednesday* I«ni*«7 ^ I95Z Forty*»lxth' Anniversary %r tt ®a x >; ' More Media N <• w v <• % s sc Mammoth campaign totalling 93 million circulation in the nation9* greatest publications aimed at the 25 million youngsters who have never seen SNOW WHITE... and the countless millions who will want to see SNOW WHITE again and again! X X'-j ■> s/i'' ""''-" ^ X>>* / VuMs'.’Xvv. ■ut&i* . . . on way 0 0 • new WALT DISNEY FEATURES The Story Of Robin Hood” Jr "Peter Pan In '52— All Live-Action • Color by TECHNICOLOR In '53-All Cartoon • Color by TECHNICOLOR Forly-slxlh ’Anmfoerimry We&ux dmy, Juury 1932 Tt)beiJqr< Jammy i. Forty-»ixth "Antifourmry c_ - IN A DARK HOUSE ON A LONELY HILL?.. V , \V$I \N- Vs The screen's strangest love story unfolds . . . to hold you thrill-and- terror bound ... as a girl and a stranger live and love on dangerous ground ! S/\ - '/ W' I ' I in* «>e Battle of the Sexes, dark Gable and Broderick Loveand Action »ith Cofte writtoril “if'” ^ Ba‘ry"0K' BotUi ^ WG ta "£!!!f?lrBpl?rT!,f *AIN” - Tl,e producer of “Show Boat” and “An American In Paris” does it SwfflStT1 «* <«>«**. Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen. 99 y .... a, ... company brings, the world another giant production. The famed novel in an its glory, filmed in Technicolor in actual locations. Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Robert Douglas, Guy Rolfe. "BELLE OF NEW YORK”- Fred Astaire, Vera-EUen, Marjorie Main, Keenan Wynn, Alice Pearce, Clinton Sundberg, Gale Robbins bring the fans a joyous M-G-M Technicolor musical featur- ing a ‘ Dancing on Air’’ novelty that’s sensational. "SCAR AMOUCHE Public demand for Big, romantic dramas of “The Three Musketeers” type is answered by the director of that famed hit in a new thrill-packed Technicolor dramatization of the swashbuckling novel Scaramouche’ ’ Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer, Henry Wikoxon, Hina Foch, Lewis Stone, Richard Anderson. SKIRTS AHOY! — Packed with entertainment for the masses is this rollicking romance of the WACs and their boy friends. Technicolor musical dynamite with a breezy star cast: Esther Williams, Joan Evans, Vivian Blaine, Barry Sullivan, Keefe Brasselle, De Marco Sisters, Dean Mfller and Guest Stars, Vera-Ellen, Ricardo Montalban, Billy Eckstine. A Wow! "JUST THIS ONCE’ ’ — Winchell told the nation the good news in his syndicated column: “ ‘Just This Once’, a new M-G-M film is rated a click ‘sleeper’ by the trade.” Once in a decade alone comes a comedy howl that rocks the nation. This is it. Janet Leigh, Peter Lawford, Lewis Stone, Marilyn Erskine, Richard Anderson. " WESTWARD THE WOMEN”- The producer and, director of “Battleground” have delivered again. It’s all about women, 200 of them, in a dangerous pioneering journey across the nation to marry men they never saw! Robert Taylor, Denise Parcel, - the “Battleground” girl, Hope Emerson, John Mclntire. "THE WILD NORTH” —The co-director of “King Solomon’s Mines” and its handsome stair Stewart Granger team again in a smashing Ansco Color drama. Wendell Corey and beautiful Cyd Charisse co-star. Packed with thrills: the avalanche, the wolf attack, the duel in the rapids topped by the searing romance of Granger and Charisse, the Indian maid. Primitive love in a wild setting. "THE MERRY WIDOW”- Magic words that excite. And the most 'exciting team in years, Lana Turner and Fernando Lamas, brings it to brilliant Technicolor life. Here are spine-tingling dreams of romance and pulse-stirring songs in a rapturous musical. Cast includes: Una Merkel, Richard Haydn, Thomas Gomez, John Abbott, Marcel Dalio, King Donovan, Robert Coote, Sujata. "LOVELY TO LOOK AT”- M-G-M gives you another great musical. Glamorous stars, Adrian’s fabulous gowns, Jerome Kern’s irresistible music, Technicolor glory. It’s Box-Office ! Terrific cast in- cludes: Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Marge & Gower Champion, Sza Sza Gabor, Kurt Kasznar. A ^ / And These Are The Titles To Remember For Future Months: "One Piece Bathing Suit" (Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Corcoran) • "Carbine Williams" (James Stewart, Wendell Corey, Jean Hagen) "Pat and Mike" (Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn) • "Because You’re Mine" (Mario Lama) • "Plymouth Adventure" (Spencer Tracy; Deborah Kerr)*” Young Bess" (Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons) ‘"Three Love Stories" (Cast to be announced) "Prisoner of Zenda" (Stewart Granger ) * and many more. JUST A FEW OF THE BIG ONES FOR 19521 And of course the Biggest: "QUO VADIS”! ( Wcdaeadoy, JwwT % 1953 IHieafeTV Passes B*0. By NATHAN L. HALPERN ( President > Theatre Network Television) TNT was negotiating for other at* ractions in entertainment fields for 1951-1952 presentation. This has been a busy and event* fill year for theatre, television. From coast to coast, some 250,000 people paid to watch big-screen television at their local theatres. Small exhibitors and big circuits alike showed courage and business foresight in pioneering the field. Now. at the end of the: year, there are four times as many .theatres with large-screen installations as there were at the close of 1950. The number of cities with tele- vision-equipped theatres has more than doubled. Here, then, is evidence of a snowball starting to roll downhill. Yet these dimensional comparisons are already meaningless, except as historical data. Today’s figures will, we know, be obsolete tomor- row. During the first part of 1951, the- atre owners who were contemplat- ing TV installations raised two fun damental questions : (1) “Will people pay to watch theatre TV exclusives when they can watch home TV for nothing?” < 3). “Assuming that , people will pay, Who will supply theatres, with exclusive programs?” To answer these questions, the cart had to be placed in front of the horse. The second question had to be answered first; exclusive programs had to be furnished in order to test the boxoffice. This “trial by boxoffice” became possi- ble when the Organization of The- atre Network Television; Inc. (TNT) was undertaken, in May. The first theatre TV networking of exclusive programs followed. ) TNT Provides One Answer | become the bread and butter of the medium. But the 1951 acid test — at the boxoffice — had to be based on “ready-made” events. The television operating eco- nomics for individual theatres were good, considering the comparative- ly few units carrying the load. Some theatres showed profits on individual events. Most were near the break-even point, or showed small losses occasioned in- part by low admission price policies and by Entertainment built on boxoffice very substantial telephone costs for is judged in only one way-^on box- infrequent usage. Against a corn- office receipts. It is surprising, to parable period in the growth of even the most optimistic support- any other entertainment: medium, ers, how quickly theatre, television this early economic picture is truly won a large number of paying de- remarkable. votees, Theatre television will continue Take the Robinson-Turpin fight, to program major sports . events. Every theatre carrying this -event In addition, attractions from other did absolute capacity business at fields of entertainment will take substantially advanced prices over their places on the theatre TV $2. Moreover, two times the num- screen.. The big new development ber of patrons accommodated were in theatre TV programming will turned away for lack of standing be entertainment features utilizing room. In Chicago, after it Wes the unique advantages of sponta- announced that standing rodm had neity offered by the television me- been sold out at the State Lake, diura. the huge turn-away crowd literally broke down doors to get into' the theatre. This is, admittedly, a dramatic example of the appeal a . theatre TV exclusive can : exert. But four out of six fights were Complete sell-outs. And the total dollar busi- How to Induce People To Write Letters By GEORGE STEVENS 5 U S. FILM FIRMS Hollywood. I got my course in “How to In- duce a Lot of People to. Write Let- ters” the hard way— under fire. There I was minding my own business and getting ■ along just fine. Not a care in the world. Then I went to work on an idea that I had had for years: making a picture based on; Theo- dore Dreiser's massive and classic “An A me r 1 Can years ago— andbringit up to date on the grounds that; the period background would have intruded itself too much on the basic screen story. In other words, the props and costumes and references to that period would have gotten in the way of the powerful drama of the story itself. If X learned- one . thing from this mail it is the fact that any film- maker is a fool who talks about “working down” to -the theatre-go- ing public in his story treatments. The customers want a good story. Even if you have ' to plagiarize it from Dreiser! George Steven* Tragedy.” . My experience knocked right into the well-known askew busby such dead-wrong assumptions as that which holds that all so-called fan mail is written by the hot-rod and chocolate-malt , set : and concerns only such vital problems of the day as whether Lana Turner should be- come a brunet in her next picture. The American people are a race of letter-writers. For which, praise be! It is part of our, heritage to court. Case reportedly covers pe- be able to sit down and write a riods as far back as eight to 10 beefing note to somebody when luxe-warm lootnau there is something we don’t like— TNT is, in some ways, similar in concept to “home television’’ broad- casting networks. Yet in bridging two different industries, TNT also has functions allied to film pro- ducers and distributers. TNT was created to fill the need for a business organization devot ing full-time to theatre television programs and distribution. To ac- complish the . best results for the theatre television industry, it was felt generally that such a company should not be berthed within any single exhibitor circuit but should erve independently the require- ents of all exhibitors. Thus TNT as conceived and organized. Since virtually ail major sports, promoters arid institutions have al- ready suffered in some way from Unrestricted, free home television, they are receptive to the idea of pay-as-you-go television. This dy- namic new theatre TV medium of- fers prompters what they have been seeking— a way to live with television and protect the gate* at the same time. Moreover, theatre TV presents events with an impact that stimulates audiences into far more enjoyment. Accordingly, TNT launched the first exclusive theatre TV network- ing by presenting a series of major outdoor boxing attractions during the summer. These fights were pro- moted by the International Boxing Club, whose president, Janies D. Norris, ' and executive vice-presi- dent, Ned Irish, exhibited a long- range approach to the television fu- ture of sports events. Equally in- terested in theatre TV during the year were the National Collegiate Athletic Assn, and many colleges, and, subsequently, Madison Square .Garden. : j Some TNT, Presentations | Shortly after its start, TNT pre- sented the Louis-Sayold fight as a theatre television exclusive, The LaMotta-MUrphy, Layne-Marciano, and Louis-BiVins bouts followed. In September, the outdoor fight sea- son was climaxed by two great championship matches that were theatre televised by TNT . . . Rob- inson-Turpin and Saddler-Pep, During the summer, TNT was al- ready planning its fall and winter programs, First came the football season. Games involving many of the major gridiron powers were made available to television- equipped theatres. Princeton, Navy, Yale; Columbia, Notre Dame, Indi- ana, Illinois and Michigan were among the teams presented. By mid-November, TNT com- pleted negotiations with Madison Square tJarden for theatre televi- sion' rights to a humiber of select Winter .events, scheduled through March, 1952. At the samj* jjme, Buenos Aires. Some five U. S. film companies ness voiume for the other bouts- tax re untX? ^ Was, in general, substantially above ?eso? j$J2,439) under a deci- normal film business for those l*ion handed down by an Argentine nights. Even iri a. auav." vv ui if a au.u auwaa i xrpjipe aha S“3vendcoMfSons topoled* Jby . » 5% impost on their » t» .y « ^ * superior free home TV football Argentine -gross incomes, but the and wnte a bouquet to presentations— theatrfe television eourt ruled that the bite .should some, me wb es m do Urn some- demonstrated its great potential have applied to only half ‘heir thing .The conversion of h well- in this branch of sports. The Guild incomes. nnWahni.t W TnS mai one Theatre in New York, for instance, Benefiting by the decision are “P J“*‘ another asTnvthine I can turned away over twice its capacity Warners, with a 307,767 peso re- )S1,0^,/n0t“er’ “ anyth ng I can when it presented the Princeton- bate; Universal, 92,470;. United Art- n nK • • Cornell game at $2.40 per admis- ists, 183,341, and Columbia Pic- | Most Letters Sensible I sion. These evidences of public tures, 43,317. While this sort of correspond- interest were only the beginning; Several other companies had also enCe naturally includes some, they pointed up a far greater un- protested the tax.1 However,' out- screwball extremes, most of the tapped audience for major attrac- 0f-cpurt adjustments Were said to letters which grew out of “A Place turns on theatre TV, Satisfied Customers I have been made plaints; these com- The atmosphere and impact of theatre television evoke unprece- dented audiehce reaction; Fight faris shout advice, just as if they were at ringside. Football rooters' stand up and cheer, as if they were iri the stadium. It is not unlikely that plays and musical comedies in the Sun,” the picture title for the “An American Tragedy” story, were sensible,, observant and perti- nent. ' As I say; there was the usual quota of balmy correspondence, with which any producer and studio is familiar. That is inevitable but is happily limited. Some of them whip you. You take a customer Who wrote me Right to Roadshow Chicago, Judge Michael , Igoe last Friday (28) denied the request Of Metro will draw the same applause us the for permission to roadshow “Quo from down south— Tennessee, to be original, flesn-and-blood perform- Vadis” here. Jurist, under the exact— informing me that she had Jackson Park case decision which seen through my ruse, and she At the end of each event, audi- he handed down several years ago, thought something should be done ence enthusiasm manifests itself in also nixed M-G’s request that a about it. inquiries about future theatre tele- clearance period be permitted after “I saw your picture, *A Place in vision programs. Thus, theatre TV the Chi first-run. the Sun,”’ she wrote, “and you has nOt only shown its ability to Under the JP ruling, all Loop plagiarized it from somewhere. I draw customers; it has turned out houses except the Oriental and don’t remember the name of the satisfied customers, who want more Woods are prohibited from show- book but I read that story, I know — who will pay for more. ing pix for more than two weeks i did, in a book once.” Although there was a rapid In- and they must; be made available Well, that gives you ah idea, crease in the" number of television- to subsequents as soon as they Besides, there is a school of equipped theatres towards the end come out df the first-runs. That thought— composed mainly of edi- of the year, programs built spe- means that if Metro insists on a tors of literary magazines— Which ciflcally for theatre television were longer engagement than two weeks holds that telling a producer-di- not economically practical in 1951. and wants to institute clearance, rector that you recognized the book Attractions especially created and it can dp business only with the story in his picture is a form of • A _ _ J- • A • * • * f . . A B • _ • ; ' _ • • a _ m «■ • _ . ~ _ , _ • _ * .By LEO GUILD. Hollywood. Hollywood is the land of the Dis- coverers. There’s always some- one who has found something better than the masses. The new and novel is considered superior to the established, be it an unre- leased foreign film or a “guaran- teed” cold cure. 3 There are, tor example, Discov- erers Who laugh derisively when you mention the Beachcomber Restaurant. Why, they’ve found a little Chinese cafe— “on a side street only 20 miles from here”— where you go through a laundry to a back room and you’re served chickens’ neck stuffed With blue- berries covered with onions. Out of this world! Of course, when you finally get there, either the place is marked “closed” (for lack ef business)' or the food tastes arid looks like steaming slush. Another Discoverer laughs loud- ly. at a mention of Mocambo Or Giro’s. He's found an intimate little New York-type club which has the greatest entertainment in the world. Atmosphere! Color! In- time! Once there, a tired, fleshy singer moans monotonously while every- one sips watered drinks and wishes they were home sick in bed. You Never Learn I staged for movie television may 1 Oriental, or Woods. PETE SMITH For the ninth consecutive year Exhibitors have Just Voted Pete Smith Specialties, the most popular live action movie shorts in the “Motion Pic- ture Herald-FAME" national poll. And for. the eight consecutive year in the “Showmen’s Trade Review” pplh , fit* *p; fi t. flattery. But most of the mail in- spired by the picture was valid comment, and all of it showed an amazingly wide interest in the prob- lems of converting a novel, espe- cially one like. Dreiser’s, into a film. We will never know the exact figures, so my guesses are as good as yours. As a rough estimate I would say that one out Of every 100 people who see a picture and seriously dislike it will bother to sit down and write somebody about; it; This guess-work as to the per- centage of theatregoers who write letters does, not mean that beefing letters outnumber 'the bouquets 10-to-l. It-- simply means that you can figure that for every one com- plaint, .100.. people didn’t like the picture, whereas for every one let- ter of praise, 1,000 customers thought it was a good show. . Dreiser’s, book itself .was a con- troversial One; I gather that most readers divide off ijito. well-defined camps. In other words, you think it’s wonderful Or you think it’s de- pressing and laborious. And most Dreiser fans are really all-out on the subject, With this contingent, it might be said that, anyone Who assumes to transfer a Dreiser novel to the screen has two strikes on him When lie steps up to bat, They resent even the idea. - However, “A Place: in the Sun” kicked up a remarkably large, num- ber of correspondents who ex- pressed favor for the Way the §toiy Was treated. Many wrote that if wasagopd-idea to drop the period the story— back there You continue to get stuck be- cause you never learn. Over and over again you fall for the enthu- siasms of the Discoverers. They know a used-car lot where you can get a Cadillac formerly driven by Lana. Turner (“Who never ran up any. mileage because she used Topping’s car”) fOr - one-tenth . the original cost. They know a little dress shop with “originals only;” and where the dresses are a steal because the poor woman who owns the shop doesn’t know prices. For blind dates, there’s always a Discoverer who knows a girl who makes Betty Grable look like Marjorie Main without makeup. Female Discoverers insist your wife has to try a little beauty par- lor which is the Home of the Silver Blondes. “Every big star who cares how she looks goes there.” . As summer approaches, Discov-. erers are aipazed that you’d go to a crowded touristy spot like Carmel, Lake, Arrowhead, Las Vegas or Big Bear; They know of a little place on the desert about a hundred' miles north (actually 217 miles) that- is the healthiest' place in the country. And the women— woW! Come down with a cold and Dis- coverers poUnce on you. They have a doctor' whom you just have to see, because this particular doctor is the one who cured Louis B. Mayer . of flu With one shot; and wouldn’t take a dime for it— just wants to cure people. • When- you put on weight, there’s a Discoverer of a diet in which you chop up apple cores, ' strain1 them, and eat the stuff garnished bn ' mackerel three, times a day. Miracles happen! Are you off :t0 Palm Springs? There are Discoverers who will laugh at your naivete on taking Highway 99, the best-known and most-travelled road. They know a back road that Will get you there in . half- the time. No lights. Traffic? You never see another car! The Discoverers have a favorite * line. It’s one of the . ways you can identify .them. They Start off, -“If you like: then you’ll just love - r - !” - Bewareof Biscoverers^they’re ^v^rywhew! i-v i 5 f s i .€■} it, ■» s- Wednesday* Jannafy 2, 1952 Forty-sixth Anniversary PICTURES 49 Would Pod Studio Resources For 1 (or AD’ Advancements By HENRY KING (The author is a veteran film director ) Hollywood. Film-mating is a fiercely com- petitive enterprise in which no man can rest on his laurels. Every product has to Henry Kinf open market against s t i f £ com p e t i - Ion. This re- sults in better values for the buying public, in this in- stance, finer pictures. •However, the entire industry should forget its individual competitive interests. and .get to-, gether on joint undertakings to the mutual advantage of all. In short, all studios should pool their money and talent on certain under- takings. ....... Foremost should be an organized, handsomely subsidized technologi- cal research program aimed at de- veloping better and cheaper proc- esses in the field of film mechanics and engineering. This would aug- ment, not discourage,, individual and independent laboratory re- search. Formation of such a setup would in no way hold back any advances developed outside of the picture industry’s “Institute.” Awards for individual accomplishments would be just as great. It would mean that there would be a steady advance in general technology of the screen, with all participating on a general level. It is possible that if all these interests had been working more together on research, the color problem would have been resolved long ago. The picture-maker m .stn’t forget that he has com- petition other than that offered by rival studios. The industry as a whole has to meet the competition set up by rival media, notably tele*: vision. In any event, within another 20 years, either individually or collec- tively* picture mechanics will be enormously improved. The Only thing is that it can be done faster and better probably if an Institute correlates and furthers research. It will . mean better and cheaper- to-make pictures. For instance if a producer develops a method of Cutting production costs. Keeping it Secret from other producers will not necessarily make it more valu- able to him. Such a program of research need not necessarily confine itself to the production end of the business. In fact, Hollywood could reap great, returns both directly and indirect: ly on a program aimed at improv- ing theatre air-conditioning, acous: tics, and general audience comfort. The project also could serve a very valuable function as a non- partisan testing agency which Would determine the validity of various claims regarding machinery and appliances used by either end of the industry. There are very few technical de- velopments of any importance which do not eventually benefit the Whole picture business. Remem- ber that even sound pictures were once the exclusive realm Of a few pioneers.. Today the production of ‘ soundless commercial pictures is unthinkable. As a secondary consideration; the Institute would hold great public goodwill potentials; It would con- stitute a public service. It would contribute substantially to the com- fort,' well-being and entertainment of the buying public. Any program is in the public interest which offers greater safety and value for the purchaser’s dollar. Don’t Fence Me In! ■By PAUL DOUGLAS Hollywood. I’ve been everything, -from a paint salesman to a lifeguard. But I spent some 24 years nursing the yen tq get up on a stage and act. Though that was denied me for all those years, I lived by choice as close to the world " of footlights and greasepaint as I could. My pals were actors; my haunts were theatrical hangouts. But long before I made connec- tions myself, I studied plays and motion pictures like a guy squint- ing through a microscope at speci- mens on a glass slide. I had a terrific desire to find out every- thing I could about dramatic form and the business of acting in gen- eral. I came to some conclusions that weren’t necessarily original, but I did arrive at them independently. I’d like to discuss one of them briefly. Most of what I’ve' Seen of the picture business I like. There’s a lot of solid intelligence and abil- ity that goes into the Hollywood product, and anybody Who tries, to make out that tlie business is run by a bunch of “Once in a Lifetime’’ characters is either stupid or ma- licious—or both. That was a great play; but it was a wild caricature — don’t forget it. From an actor’s viewpoint there’s only one fault , to find with the film industry. This isn’t by na- ture a squawk about it— it’s rather a plea to the powers that be not to inflict it on the acting profession. I Type-Casting It Took 10 Years at N.Y.U. to Achieve This and Video Will Repeat 10 Years Hence By PROFESSOR ROBERT GESSNER (Chairman, Department of Motion Pictures, New York University) Anniversaries have an insidious way Of condoning sin. There'was a time when actors of the female per- suasion were considered wicked in- deed, and the stage itself a near-house of ill fame. But now Madame Theatre is as respectable as Ambassadress Mesta. And V X R i e t y , which once blushed to be labeled t H e Bible of Show Bus i n e ss, is rof. Gessner a In Hollywood Hollywood. We. may as Well face it: sex is here to stay. I’ve had my share of working in the film mills, and I’ll be darned if to this day I can identify exactly what infuses a picture with the magic of sex, or what endows a gal star with sex appeal. It’s true that certain symbols or conventions have been set up through the years which constitute a sort of code through which the makers say to the audience: “This dish is sexy.” However, some sym- bols of screen sex are synthetic, and most of them are arbitrary. For example, you have this new star you want to introduce in your picture, and after considerable con- ferring the powers-that-be decide she should be given the old sex buildup. Just as though some- tiling else mattered. So you’re going to have to get over to your audiences right from the start that this kid is really a sexy item. How' do you go about it? Well, there are the obvious symbols with which you can tag' her. It is pretty hard to break away from them and yet get over the idea within a few seconds— because that’s really all the time you have — after , her image first hits screen. The orthodox symbols require that she. be smoking a cigaret. ‘Why? You’ve got me* Possibly a Woman, dipping snuff or chewing tobacco or smoking a cigar would hot be sexy, but what’s wrong; With just a plain woman, sans cigaret? Cigarets and Bad Women | By RICHARD BROOKS ed and her lids Squinting to keep the smoke out of her eyes. There are even sub-divisions of the cigaret symbol. For instance, the cigaret-holder. Give a woman on the screen a cigaretholder and she is immediately identified as a pretty fast character. The longer the cigaretholder the worse she is. And there’s something about a woman being blonde. There is ab- solutely nothing, in fact, to support this, because there are as many completely moral blondes as there are brunets, I’m sure, but on the screen a blonde sort of suggests | that she is quite a deal. A really bleached blonde is supposed to be practically incorrigible. But apart from the color of her hair, there is another surefire sex symbol which tags her right, now. That is her voice. Now, by all reasonable stand- ards, to be sexy our girl should have a low, feminine voice. The principal difference in the adult male and the adult female voice is its pitch. The female voice is more musical. So we should have her speak in a low, musical voice, if we want to emphasize her sex. How this symbolism got started, I don’t know. Clear back to Garbo and to Dietrich’s first pictures, the low, flat voice was identifying women stars as being sexy. Time was when voluptuousness involved a. fairly well-fed curva- ceous contour; Over a period of a few years, the symbol was switched to hungry-looking, half-starved women someWhat the anemic side like Dietrich. , ' As to her manner, it Is required that; our sexy star act infernally and eternally bored. Why, you’ve got me. I don’t think it is a nor- mal male reaction to be fascinated by women who act bored. On the dther hand, men- are- suckers for women who affect ah overwhelm*- ing enthusiasm for everything, in- cluding his “office talk.” Another tag involves possibly the most important of all sexy alternates— the bust measurement. There Was a time when the ci- garet itself; under the morals of that era, symbolized., the' ba