Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1963)

Of People and Events O'BRIEN O'Brien MGM Head; Vogel Now Chairman "How fleeting is fame" was once thought to apply to actors; in the film world of today it seems to apply more aptly to movie executives. The official announcement was brief: "Robert H. O'Brien, executive vice president and treasurer, was elected president and chief executive officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., today (Jan. 9), immediately succeeding Joseph R. Vogel." It went on to state that George L. Killion, chairman of the board, had resigned to make that post available for Mr. Vogel, and that Mr. Killion was taking over Vogel's seat on the executive committee. The new president joined M-G-M in 1957 as vice president and treasurer, bringing a broad background in industry and financial affairs. He is highly respected as a businessman, one with the kind of imagination and flair that are prerequisites for running a movie company. He had previously held key executive posts with American BroadcastingParamount Theatres and with Paramount Pictures. A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, O'Brien served as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission for about three years. In December, 1961, he was elected executive vice president of M-G-M, a move which indicated that he was slated to take over the presidency at some future date. That the switch was to take place so soon, however, was not suspected at the time. Joe Vogel, who had stepped into the presidency of the strife-torn, financially failing company in October, VOGEL 1956, and lifted it from an enormous loss to huge profit within three years, was solidly entrenched. His big gamble, "Ben Hur ", had paid off handsomely, becoming the top movie money earner of all time. The studio, under the direction of Sol C. Siegel, a Vogel appointee, started to show signs of faltering two years ago. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", at a cost of over $10 million, proved a boxoffice flop. "Mutiny on the Bounty", beset by innumerable mishaps, ran far over its budget and was long delayed in getting into release. Despite the herculean efforts of Vogel, dividing his time between the studio and the home office, the profit picture worsened steadily during the past two year period, and some of the directors became restive. They decided to move Vogel up to the chairmanship, put O'Brien in the "hot seat". Thus far, the new M-G-M head has given no indication of what policy changes, if any, he might make. He is due to visit the studio shortly. Vogel, tired out by his strenuous labors in a hectic half dozen years, is planning a vacation. 'Geo' Guarantees To Lift 20th From Financial Straits "Cleopatra" has been put afloat in a launching that rivals her famous trip down the Nile. At very leas;, her screen story has spurred what can be described as the most remarkable pre-release booking arrangement in motion picture history. Scheduled to open June 12 in 70 U. S. and Canadian theatres, exhibition rights are being auctioned off to the highest bidders for unprecedented retainers. First to sign up for the long-awaited, costliest film attraction of all time was New York's Rivoli, which laid out, five months before opening night, a guarantee of $1,250,000 in cold cash for a minimum 75-weeks run. This kind of deal is being repeated, with lesser guarantees, of course, in major cities throughout the country. Within less than one week after Seymour Poe, 20th Century-Fox vice president in charge of global distribution, and Salah Hassanein, executive vice president of United Artists Theatre Circuit, operator of the Rivoli, an SUGAR, POE, HASSANEIN nounced the initial "Cleopatra" deal, the film company claimed that over 4,400 requests for tickets were received via mail, wire and phone. The Rivoli prices will be scaled from a $5.50 evening top to $2.50 matinee low. Exuding confidence in the film's boxoffice potential ("every man, woman and child knows about it"), Poe said that 20th is deliberating breaking distribution traditions by going into the 70 day-and-date openings, rather than staggering them as hard-ticket shows usually are; by taking its percentage scale (reportedly from 70% to 50%) from the first dollar of gross receipts; by demanding that all guarantees be paid in cash in advance, rather than from boxoffice receipts. The Fox distribution executive predicted that his company's $60-65 million break-even figure on the $40 million production might be reached within the first year of release. Speculation within the trade is that 20th will have over $20 million in hand before the film opens. This is seen lifting the company out of the mire of red ink in which it has been wallowing for the past two years ($7,000 daily interest being paid to banks), and freeing president Darryl F. Zanuck to proceed with an extensive production program. Lavish Joe Levine Lures Ponti, Davis With typical flair and flamboyance — in the posh surroundings of The Four Seasons, one of New York's most expensive gourmet rendezvous — Joseph E. Levine last Tuesday revealed what he termed the most important and extensive co-production deal in the history of Embassy Pictures: four films to be made in collaboration with Carlo Ponti, the Italian producer. When the seafood cocktail, rack of lamb, wine, fruit and cheese had finally Page 6 Film BULLETIN January 21, 1963