Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

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Bigger Cut of Profits' Is Challenge In Industry Today: Rube Jackter Over 200 Exhibitors Join Rights Drive NEW YORK — More than 200 exhibitors in all sections of the country have agreed to serve in COMPO’s campaign for promotion of greater public awareness of the Bill of Rights, it was announced by Charles E. McCarthy, executive vice-president of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. Nearly all states in the U. S. are represented, McCarthy said. Many of those who have declined to serve have expressed their sympathy with the movement. McCarthy explained that those asked to serve on state committees were exhibitors who had previously served in COMPO’s campaigns. It is expected that as members of state committees they will enlist the support of other exhibitors in their areas. COMPO is conducting its campaign, McCarthy explained, because it has become evident in many censorship battles that public indifference to the Bill of Rights makes it possible for agitators for motion picture censorship to find public support, which in turn encourages legislators to promote censorship legislation. “The hearings now being conducted by the Marano legislative committee in New York,” McCarthy said, “are an example of legislators’ readiness to ignore the Constitutional freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Most of the members of the committee are lawyers and are thoroughly cognizant of the United States Supreme Court’s rulings on censorship. Yet in their comments on testimony they seem disposed to brush aside testimony pointing out the unconstitutionality of their proposed legislation as if this unconstitutionality were of little consequence. Such seeming indifference to constitutional arguments always wins the approval of those advocates of classification that may be attending the hearings. “Were the public at large more keenly aware of the Bill of Rights and the necessity of preserving it intact, there would be more public opposition to censorship agitation with a consequent caution among legislators. To make the public more aware of the need for protecting our basic freedoms is the aim of COMPO’s campaign, and we are delighted that exhibitors throughout the country recognize this fact and are willing to help.” The campaign is being organized by a committee including the following: Richard Brandt, T. Manning Clagett, Irving Dollinger, Emanuel Frisch, Harry Goldberg, McCarthy, D. John Phillips, Barbara Scott, Morton Sunshine and Margaret Twyman. Rock Hudson and Doris Day Fn Third Universal Film HOLLYWOOD — Rock Hudson and Doris Day who starred in two of Universal’s most successful comedies, “Pillow Talk” and “Lover Come Back,” are being teamed for the third time in the studio’s “Send Me No Flowers,” it was announced by Edward Muhl, vice-president in charge of production. The film is scheduled to go before the cameras later this month. Harry Keller will produce and Martin Melcher will serve as executive producer on the modern domestic comedy, in which Hudson and Miss Day will play a married couple for the first time. NEW YORK — Rube Jackter, vice-president and general sales manager for Columbia Pictures, recently returned from an extensive tour during which he conferred with exhibitors and sales personnel throughout the United States, has declared that “business looks good all over” and asserts that the challenge to the film company today is no longer how to stay in the black, but rather “to get a bigger cut of the profit pie during this period of prosperity.” Referring to this as the “golden age” for the industry, Jackter said Columbia’s strategy was to recognize that in a game where the stakes are high, the investment also must be high. He said this applied to all segments of the industry — from the quality of the product to the smallest need of the exhibitor in putting the picture across to the public. “We don’t just sell a picture,” he said, “we sell a package containing a fine film and a first-rate campaign to make profit for all concerned.” He pointed specifically to the Columbia roster of fall-winter releases, backed by strong advertising, publicity and exploitation programs under the direction of Robert S. Ferguson, vice-president. Ferguson described the Columbia promotional campaign as one where “the company is prepared to use every creative tool available in order to attract motion picture viewers to Columbia releases.” Jackter said that exhibitors were showing excitement for upcoming Columbia releases, including Frederick Brisson and David Swift’s “Under the Yum Yum Tree,” due in November; Otto Preminger’s “The Cardinal,” due in December; “Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” a Stanley Kubrick Variety Clubs Feature To Be a TV Special HOLLYWOOD — The seven-year theatrical distribution contract which Columbia held on Ralph Staub’s 40minute Technicolor feature, “Heart of Show Business,” has expired and the subject returned to the producer, who will add another 12 minutes of color material for use as a television special. Staub produced the feature as a Variety Clubs’ children’s project, and during Columbia’s tenure it played in approximately 8,000 situations, all proceeds going to the Variety Club. The feature now has 61 film and television names, to which will be added several more to bring length to 52 minutes. Television receipts also will go to the Variety Club’s children’s fund. production, January; William Castle’s “Strait-Jacket,” January; Carl Foreman’s “The Victors,” February, and others such as Robert Rossen’s “Lilith,” Fred Zinnemann’s “Behold a Pale Horse” and Irving Allen’s “The Long Ships.” The “product-plus” merchandising campaign for fall, winter and early spring, he added, also includes the general zonal release of “Lawrence of Arabia,” which will have some 1,000 playdates booked before the end of the year. Jackter pin-pointed exhibitor responsibility for increasing profits also, telling Boxoffice that theatres in which top Columbia pictures have been booked must conform to the highest standards of cleanliness and appearance. Hereafter, he said, he would instruct his field executives to inspect theatres where the higher quality product was scheduled to play to make sure that they were in good shape and, if not, to demand house cleaning. A distributor should be just as interested in having his pictures played in well-kept theatres as exhibitors should be in playing good product, Jackter said. On his recent swing around the country, Jackter found instances where theatres playing some of the more important current programs were in bad condition and unkempt. In fact, he said, he told one circuit executive that he would not let a Columbia picture play one of the chain’s theatres unless it was cleaned up. Disney Staff to Burbank For Annual Sales Meet NEW YORK — Irving H. Ludwig, president of the Buena Vista Distribution Co., left New York to attend the annual Walt Disney-Buena Vista sales convention, which will be held at the Disney Studio in Burbank, Calif., October 14-17. Buena Vista is celebrating its tenth anniversary as the Disney organization’s distribution subsidiary in 1963. Among those who will attend the convention will be members of the sales, advertising and publicity, legal and TV syndication staffs in New York, representatives of the Walt Disney Character Merchandising division and the Buena Vista Record division. Flying in will be the entire U. S. branch office sales staff, Canadian division representatives and delegates from foreign offices. 20th-Fox Sets 70 Dates For 'Leopard' in Oct. NEW YORK— “The Leopard,” the Titanus production for 20th Century-Fox release, will open on general release in more than 70 key cities in the U. S. and Canada in October, while the pre-release engagements in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto are still current. Rube Jackter Irving Ludwig BOXOFFICE :; October 14, 1963 7