Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1955)

Motion Picture Daily 3 'III; PEOPLE Mort Abrahams has joined MCA as vice president of MCA TV, Ltd., :ective Dec. 1. Ted M. Abrams has been appointed sistant to K. V. Cooper, director of jiblic relations and advertising of ssociated Screen News, Ltd., of (|anada. ■4= Mrs. Stella Poulnot, president of ie Atlanta chapter of the Women of ie Motion Picture Industry, is in iedmont Hospital, Atlanta, for sursry. I'f 1 Joe Rosenfield has sold his Lyric s4heatre, Portland, Ore., to the Utaht "'rive-in Corp. of which Robert BenM »n is general manager. j G. N. Torgeson is the new owner F the Chief Theatre in Tonasket, ifash. Former owners were Mr. and Irs. T. P. Smith. Ihio Censorship Law Discussion Doubtful COLUMBUS, O., Nov. 16. Detnj/ipite rumors to the contrary, industry [n people here doubt that the issue of animate censorship will come before a pecial session of the Ohio Legislate on Jan. 16. The session is being ailed to enact a penny-a-pack cigrette tax to finance the $150,000,000 'Ond issue for mental hospitals voted i the recent election. Any move to revive the censorship ;sue must originate with Gov. iay^ausche to be considered at the special session. The recent blow to censorship in he U. S. Supreme Court decision -gainst Kansas censorship may be a actor in the Ohio situation. ?irst T-L Release "Dance Little Lady," featuring the iadler's Wells Ballet and scheduled o open here shortly at the Globe rheatre, will mark the first release of he newly-formed Trans Lux Distriblting Corp. Convene Nov. 29 on ^Drive-In Meet Plans Special to THE DAILY :OLUMBUS, O., Nov. 16.-National Advisory Committee of Allied States ! *ill meet on Nov. 29 in Cincinnati [o discuss plans for the National Drive-in convention Feb. 21-23 at 3otel Cleveland, Cleveland. Members olanning to attend the meeting in;Iude Abram Myers, Rube Shor, Jack Kirsch, Horace Adams, Robert Morell, A. B. JefFeris and Robert Wile. In Questionnaire to Exhibitors TO A Seeks Answer to Why British Pictures Get Small Play in U. S. In a move to determine reasons why U.S. exhibitors appear to be reluctant to play British product more extensively, the Theatre Owners of America has sent out questionnaires to members and others, asking for information. The questionnaires went to 200 exhibitors and, according to TOA headquarters here, as of yesterday, 110 replies have been received. The final compilation will be available on or about Dec. 12. Levy Queried in Britain The project stemmed from conversations by TOA executives in Britain over the last two years with British exhibitors, producers, distributors and trade press representatives. Herman Levy, TOA general counsel, in a letter accompanying the questionnaire, stated that this question was put to him while in England last summer: "If the product shortage is so acute, why don't American exhibitors give British pictures a better play?" Levy said his answer was that U. S. exhibitors felt that British pictures do not do well because: 1. The stories, by and large, are too essentially British in their locale, motif, etc., and lack a universality of theme, and, that 2. There is, too, the question of whether the box-office potential of the pictures has been adequately presented to American theatre owners. Point to Improvement Levy said that the British exhibitors questioned this reasoning and wanted to know whether it wasn't really a prejudice, conscious or otherwise, against British product, especially since British product has, they insisted, improved steadily in the last two years. In a TOA bulletin released yesterday, it was pointed out that the compilation of replies should represent a good cross-section of opinions and that ideas may result which will mean more playing time in America for British pictures. The questionnaire follows: 1. Do British pictures not get a better play in this country because you feel your audiences do not like them? 2. Have you tried playing them and has there been poor audience reactions? 3. Do you feel that a good advertising and exploitation job has been done on British pictures, in this country? Familiarity Questioned 4. Are you familiar enough with British product so as to decide whether there has been an improvement in the pictures? If you are, do you feel there has been a steady improvement? 5. Do you feel that you should reappraise your ideas of what audience reactions to British pictures are? 6. What do you feel should be done by British producers to make their product more acceptable to American patrons. 7. What do you feel should be done by British producers and by the distributors of British films to get you more interested in playing British pictures in the theatres you operate. 8. Have you played "Dam Busters" (Warner), "End of the Affair" ( Columbia ) , "Doctor in the House" (Republic)? If so, how did these pictures do? 9. Additional comments: RKO Radio Acquires 'Cash on Delivery* "Cash on Delivery," a comedy starring Shelly Winters, Peggy Cummins and John Cregson, has been acquired by RKO Badio Pictures for release in the Western hemisphere, it was announced yesterday by Walter Branson, vice-president in charge of distribution. "Cash on Delivery," an adaptation of the stage play, "To Dorothy, a Son," was directed by Muriel Box and produced for Welbeck-Gina by Benjamin R. Schrift. Sam Kaplan Dies; RKO Projectionist Sam Kaplan, veteran projectionist at the RKO home office screening room, died from a heart attack yesterday morning on a subway while on his way to work. He was 65 years old. Kaplan, who joined RKO as a projectionist in 1928, is survived by his widow, Sylvia, and a son, Norman. He lived in Elmhurst, L. I. Start Two Pictures; 33 Now in Work HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 16. This past week only two new pictures were started while four others were completed, for a total of 33 pictures now in work. Started were: "Mother-Sir," (Allied Artists); "It Happened One Night," (Columbia). Completed were: "The First Texan," CinemaScope (Allied Artists); "Fire Maidens of Space," Saturn Films, Inc. (Independent); "Fearful Decision," wide-screen (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ) ; "Huk," Pan Pacific Pictures ( United Artists ) . 'Survivors' Bows LONDON, Nov. 16.-"Survivors Two," Columbia Pictures' latest Warwick production, had its world premiere here tonight at the Empire Theatre. The film, starring and directed by Jose Ferrer, was screened before an invitational audience headed by the Duke of Edinburgh and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Program vs. Epics Report PontiDeLaurentiis Have Split Up By ARGEO SANTUCCI ROME, Nov. 11 (By Air Mail)."War and Peace" reportedly is the last picture which will be made by the Ponti-De Laurentiis producing partnership. The team which has been operating successfully for the past six years is dissolving the partnership with the intention of forming their own individual companies. It was reported that in the dissolution, Ponti renounces his share in "War and Peace" and receives in return full possession of the company's studio. Reason for the split-up, it is said, is that Ponti prefers to make moderate budget films, while De Laurentiis prefers top cost production. Paramount Heavy Investor One published report here is that the break-up started with "Ulysses," which cost $2,500,000 to produce. The $5,600,000 budget for "War and Peace" went twice as far in De Laurentiis' direction and away from Ponti's. The published report said that Paramount, which has world distribution rights outside of Italy, put up $4,000,000 of its frozen funds here, while Ponti-De Laurentiis and Lux Film, which will distribute here, each put up $800,000. Practically all of the shooting has been completed on "War and Peace" with over 1,000,000 feet of Technicolor film consumed. It is expected to run four hours on the screen. To Tell Welfare Plan Of Radio-TV Field TeleiMSl'on Details concerning the Todau '. ^rst nati°nal welfare and pension plan for the whole television and radio industry will be announced at a press conference here this morning in the office of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, 15 West 44th Street. 30-Cent Admission If You're Over 65 Special to THE DAILY HARTFORD, Nov. 16.-Patrons over 65 are being admitted at special prices at the Colonial Theatre, Southington, Conn., in a move created by manager Arthur Alperin to increase his number of older patrons. The elders are being admitted for 30 cents. The theatre's regular scal^ is 60 cents for matinees and 70 cents for evenings, with 60 cents charged for students between 12 and 18. Children are charged 30 cents.