Wolf!

In the latest and loudest of the film industry's frequent cries of wolf, Edwin Silverman, president of Essaness Theaters (whose chain has shrunk from 43 to 13 theaters), offered a prophecy of doom: "In my opinion, all major Hollywood studios engaged in the production of motion pictures for theaters, with the possible exception of one, will close within the next six months."

Is Hollywood really through? This year, average weekly movie attendance is down to 44.2 million from a peak postwar average of 82.4 million, according to Sindlinger & Co. Universal Pictures Co., Inc., which will pay stockholders a respectable dividend (25-c- a share) this quarter and has declared a 25-c-extra dividend, this month fired some 400 of its 1,300 permanent employees, announced that it was "taking time out for a reappraisal," meantime would live off its 32 unreleased films.

Silverman blamed "inept" film leaders for their "ostrich viewpoint" about TV, roasted hard-up studio heads for peddling pre-1948 film libraries to television for a "ridiculously low price." The only solution, according to Silverman: post-1948 films must not be sold unless TV pays enough money "to maintain a steady flow of important pictures."

Some cinemoguls appeared calm. Much studio space is busier than ever, on lease to TV outfits when it is not being used to make the big, quality films on which moviemakers now concentrate. Production of high-budget films is on the upturn. Tough old Sam Goldwyn said slyly: "If Mr. Silverman will take good care of his theaters and play the best pictures available, keeping in mind how good they are rather than how cheaply he can get them, I am sure that he will not go out of business." Apparently just as sure, in spite of his cries of wolf, Alarmist Silverman went ahead with plans to help back a $6,000,000 Old Testament movie epic called Solomon and Sheba.

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