Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

ML. 86, NO. 75 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, OCTORER 16, 1959 TEN GENTS DI T ORI AL F Oscar' Telecast By Sherwin Kane 1 S OF the moment, what Univer1 sal and other member companies * of the Motion Picture Association f America ultimately will do about xercising the industry option to be he non-commercial sponsor of the ^cademy Awards presentations over Revision and radio next March, is nknown. Universal has remained opposed to inancial participation in the 1960 vent for some weeks. However, its ssociates apparently have not given )p hope of persuading it to alter its Position before the deadline expires at he end of next week, inasmuch as an 1PAA committee even now is pur iuing that objective. • | Whatever the outcome, there is itiore industry sympathy with Univerlal's position than the 8 to 1 (it was to 2 until Warners was persuaded o change its stand) line-up of MPAA nember companies would indicate. The sincerity of Universal's posilion is beyond question. Basically, it is simply that in good seal times an outlay of approximately three-quarters of a million dollars tor the somewhat difficult-to-appraise iublic relations benefits of an annual Oscar" telecast is not unreasonable, 4ut in times of economic stress it is ss easily justified. In a comparatively good year, and gain in a bad one, Universal paricipated in the financing of the last wo Awards telecasts, despite the fact jhat it admittedly had as little chance is any of participating in Awards ^onors. Its chances of doing so this year [re substantially improved, and yet jinder existing business conditions the ompany still is of the belief that the lenefits possible do not justify the xpenditure involved. That opinion must be respected, deipite the fact that it could be changed |nd that it would appear to be a onely one. • •i Actually, quite a few others agree 'vith Universal. These, however, take '(he position that, providing MPAA jinanimity can be obtained, or some iitlier financial accommodations made, |t is as well to go along for the third 'ear of the three-year industry option >rs the telecast and, when the time Newsmen Advised to Scrutinize Aims Of Proponents of Film Censorship Newspaper and book publishers who "give space to advocates of censorship" are advised to scrutinize the aims of these "agitators," especially in relation to the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment, in the Compo ad in Editor ir Publisher that appears tomorrow. The ad states that the industry "revised its Production Code for the same reason which prompted newspaper and book publishers to change their language— a desire to conform with public attitudes." Under the caption, "Remember When You Had To Write; 'Statutory Offense'?, the ad says: "It wasn't so long ago. The police reporter had a long list of offenses which he was not permitted to describe by their proper names. 'Disorderly House.' 'Intimacy.' 'Illegal op( Continued on page 2 ) Loew's Theatres Memo In Tribute to Trailers A showman's tribute to trailers is paid in the current edition of Loew's Theatres Movie Memo, a bi-weekly pubication issued as a service to editors, columnists and commentators, and edited by Ernest Emerling, vicepresident of Loew's Theatres in charge of advertising-publicity. The extensive comment on the history of trailers and their place in the world of the motion picture theatre (Continued on page 3) Errol Flynn's Film to Be Released Nov. 6 Joseph Brenner Associates, national distributors of Errol Flynn's picture, "Cuban Rebel Girls," announced yesterday that they had moved up the release date of the film from Christmas Day to Nov. 6. Flynn, who died of a heart attack in Vancouver Wednesday night will be buried on his ranch in Jamaica, B. W. I., in accordance with his expressed wishes. Col. Joy Dies at 73; Once a Fox Executive From THE DAILY Bureau LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15. Funeral services for Col. Jason Joy, 73, for 20 years an executive of the old Fox Film Corporation and later of 20th Century-Fox, will be held Saturday morning at First Methodist Church of Hollywood. Interment will take place at Eternal Hills Cemetery, Oceanside. Mrs. Twyman Urges Churchwomen To Support the Current Tine Films' Support of the "many fine films now urged upon members of the National United Church Women by Margaret G. nity relations, in a symposium conducted here yesterday. In addition to the film industry, representatives of radio, television, press and visual aids also took part in the symposium on workshops for mass media. Mrs. Twyman told the group: "Rec comes to make new arrangements, make certain that costs are more in line with tangible benefits to the industry. From all indications, the 1961 terms —if the industry is to underwrite them— will be vastly different from those that have prevailed for the past two telecasts and the next. being released by Hollywood" was Public Relations Committee of the Twyman, MPAA director of commu ognizing the potential inherent in the motion picture medium we need more, not less, support from those of you who are actively interested in good film fare for yourselves, your families, and your community. "With the gradual maturity of this medium, we look to the leaders within our churches for guidance, support and understanding of our problems and our progress in the entertainment industry. Hollywood will always produce the type of pictures which the public will support . . . so it is up to you to indicate your preference in this way . . . because "movies are here to stay!" Initial Step Agree on Test Of New Penn. Censorship Law Proposed Exhibitor Action Would Bring Quick Ruling Special to THE DAILY HARRISBURG, Oct. 15.-An agreement looking to a possible speedy ruling on the constitutionality of Pennsylvania's new film censorship law has been arrived at by counsel for exhibitors and the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, it is reliably reported here. Harold Cohen, Philadelphia, attorney who has been retained by organized Pennsylvania exhibitors to test the law in the courts, is understood to have reached an agreement with the attorney general to request Chief Justice Charles Jones of the state supreme court to accept jurisdiction in a case to be brought by the exhibitors. If the chief justice agrees to accept jurisdiction, the exhibitors will cause (Continued on page 2) Morey on Film Division For Family Fund Drive Edward Morey, vice-president of Allied Artists Pictures, has been appointed, for the fifth consecutive year, to serve as chairman of the Motion Picture Division of the Community Service Society Family Fund Drive, which starts this week, it was announced by Tom McCance, general chairman of CSS. On accepting the chairmanship, [Continued on page 7) Pereira to Be Architect Of Industry's Museum From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 15.-William Pereira was appointed officially as architect and counsel on the selection of site and construction of the building for the proposed Los Angeles (Continued on page 7) TELEVISION TODAY— page 7