Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, October 13, 195^ PERSONAL MENTION MAURICE "RED" SILVERSTEIN, first vice-president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer International, left over the weekend for London. • Ren Schwalb, Allied Artists producer, returned to Hollywood at the weekend from New York. • Fred Kohlmar, producer of Columbia's "The Last Angry Man," has arrived in New York from the Coast. • Sam Cook Digges, administrative vice-president of CRS Films, and Robert Lewine, vice-president in charge of programs, left here at the weekend for Hollywood to supervise the opening of a West Coast office for the company. • Mrs. Irving Hattem gave birth to a boy, Alex Noel, late last week at Jewish Hospital, Rrooklyn. Father operates four theatres in the Metropolitan area. • David Niven arrived in New York yesterday from the Coast. • James Curran, United Artists sales representative in Kentucky, and Mrs. Curran on Saturday celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary at their home in Cincinnati. • Anthony Perkins has arrived in New York from Hollywood. Piatt Coordinates Meet Abe J. Piatt, district manager for Ralaban and Katz Theatres of Chicago, will serve as convention coordinator for the 12th annual convention of Theatre Owners of America at the Hotel Sherman in that city Nov. 8 to 12, it was announced by George G. Kerasotes, TOA president. Kersotes said that Piatt will be made available to work with TOA officers and TOA's permanent staff by David B. Wallerstein, president of Balaban and Katz. Piatt performed similar duties in 1955 and 1954 when TOA last held its annual meetings in Chicago. NEW YORK THEATRES — RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL—, Rockefeller Center • Ci 6-4600 "THE FBI STORY" Starting JAMES STEWART VERA MILES A WARNER BROS. Picture in TECHNICOLOR® and GALA NEW STAGE SPECTACLE DeRochemont ( Continued from page 1 ) president of the de Rochemont concern, and Carlo M. Rissotto, executive vice-president of the Italian company. Mace will also function as vicepresident in charge of production of the new firm. Has Four for Next Year Mace reported that the Italian company already has four properties which it plans to put into production next year, with release of the first films starting in 1960 and perhaps carrying over into 1961. The properties, representing an investment of between three and one-half and four and one-half million dollars, include "Rlackout in Rome," to be directed by Roberto Rossellini; "The World Ends at 6 P.M.," to be directed by Vittorio de Sica and written by Cesare Zavattini, with an all-star cast; "Voyage of Love," to star Sophia Loren and be directed by Federico Fellini; and "108th Street," which is being written for Anna Magnani and will be made in New York by the de Rochemont company. Silent Regarding Amount Roth Mace and Rissotto, who is an Italian industrialist whose previous experience in the film industry has been by way of financial investment, declined to specify how much money the de Rochemont investment in the Italian company represented. "It was a cash payment," said Mace, and he added: "Our primary responsibility will be to furnish the American and international stars for the films, which will be international films rather than Italian films." No distribution outlet for the product has yet been set. Mace declared that de Rochemont would not necessarily handle them in the United States, and that, in fact, negotiations for a U.S. major company release, for one or two or all of the films, are presently underway. The source of the production capital would depend on the outcome of these negotiations, he added. Relieve Deal Is Unique Mace and Rissotto said they believed that the tie-up between the two companies represented the firs! time that an American film company was directly involved in the management of an Italian film company on such a permanent basis. M-G-M Names Sullivan DALLAS, Oct. 12. Fred Sullivan, formerly with the Dixie Drive-in Theatres and the Fred Weisb Theatres of Savannah, Ga., is now field press representative for M-G-M here. Sullivan succeeds Norm Levinson, who is now advertising director and general manager of Trans-Texas Theatres in Dallas. 300 Covers, Layouts Set In 'Sheba' Promotion More than 300 leading publications in every major market of the United States and Canada will feature fullcolor covers and layouts on Edward Small's "Solomon and Sheba." The campaign, blueprinted by United Artists long before a work print on "Solomon and Sheba" was assembled, will hit major newspapers Sunday supplements and magazines. UA field exploitation forces in all exchanges areas are coordinating the special pre-release promotion to create word-of-mouth interest in the film in advance of national bookings in December. One of the first in a series of major "breaks" was full-color cover and two full pages in the Boston Sunday Globe Magazine Section for Oct. 4. The first wave of color covers and layouts has been timed for midOctober and early November, Letter Opener Sent In Schneider Drive A colorful, dual-purpose letter opener has been sent by Robert S. Ferguson, Columbia's national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, to all branch and division managers, bookers and salesmen in connection with the company's "Salute to the President" sales drive honoring Abe Schneider. In an accompanying letter, Ferguson expressed the hope that the gift will find a permanent place on office desks and will be used to open all those dates that come pouring in from accounts throughout the various territories. He also notes that the letter opener's sharp point "may be used successfully in prodding certain recalcitrant accounts into action." Titanus-MGM Schwartz Advises ( Continued from page 1 ) house manager must give his theatre personality and must command the respect of all with whom he comes in contact. The manager, Schwartz added, must become a part of the local community and participate in its activities. Nothing should be overlooked by the manager to build up the importance of the theatre, and of himself, Schwartz said. Harry Mandel, vice-president, who presided at the meeting, announced that there would be special prizes for the managers turning in the best overall results during November, December and January. These prizes will be $250, $150 and $100. The division manager and publicist of the first prize-winning manager will each receive $100. As a special incentive for assistant managers, a prize of $100 will be given to the man doing the best work during the campaign. Matty Polon, film buyer and booker ( Continued from page 1 ) is "Rattle of the Marathon," a, Titanus-Galatea-Luxe Film featuring Steven Reeves and Mylene Demon, geot. M-G-M will distribute worldj wide with the exception of France! Italy and the U.S. Embassy Pictures ijj handling the film here as well as m Canada. The third film is "Fair Rride," proh duction on which will begin in Rom{ on Oct. 26. Ava Gardner and Dirlj Rogarde will co-star and script ancdirection will be by Nunnally John! son. The picture is budgeted at $2,| 250,000. Metro will distribute world: wide with the exception of Italyjl where Titanus will handle it. "Fail Rride" concerns a priest who losej and regains his calling during the Spanish Civil War. Titanus is now geared to turn oui some 12 to 16 feature films a year, di' Simone said, two or three of whicl'1 will be aimed at the English-speaking market. He also told the press gatherinj1' that Titanus has just formed a televi sion production subsidiary called Ti: tanus-Adriatica, which will make film1 for the American-European vide* market. He noted that Italian televi] sion outlets were so far on a sm scale. Titanus, which has its own printing press, is now on the market with movie magazine, equivalent to sue! American publications as Life, caller.; La Fielar del Cinema (Fiesta of thi Cinema ) . The first issue was on the stands this September. De Simone, who had been in thi1 country for some 45 days, departec for Rome on Saturday. Join in Md. Meeting RALTIMORE, Oct. 12. Exhibi^ tors from Virginia and Washington' D. C, will join with those from Mary land in attending the first fall con; ference of the Maryland Theatrf* Owners Association at the Emersor Hotel here Wednesday, John Q\ Rroumas, president of the Associa' tion, announced. Ellis Buys Drive-In A. M. Ellis Theatres, Philadelphia" has purchased the Dix Drive-in Thea tre and property on Route 206, Rorjf dentown, N. J., from Michael anc Sara Zsizseri. Transaction was handler1 by Rerk and Krumgold, theatre realty specialists here. for RKO Theatres, outlined the prod_ uct that will play the circuit well intr 1960 after which the managers former' themselves into individual groups ti discuss their own campaigns on tht coming attractions. 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