Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

Friday, July 1, 1960 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Til^MlS ^^^T SEG >8 Board National Pre-Selling <«^pHE Alamo," John Wayne's $12 A million Batjac production, received all-out pre-selling of highest character in the July 4 issue of "Life" —a special issue devoted to U.S. Politics. The inside cover gate fold plus a third page of text written by Russell Birdwell states the principles of Wayne and Grant by reprising the words and philosophy of the Alamo patriots and the history of that fight for human freedom won at "The Alamo." As an example of outstanding preselling, it is pre-eminent, as a distinctive creative presentation, it seems unique. • A striking color ad on UI's "Portrait in Black" starring Lana Turner, Anthony Quinn, Sandra Dee and John Saxon appears in the July issue of "Redbook." "The Rat Race," a charming romance about an impoverished saxophone player from Milwaukee, Tony Curtis, who, in the rat race of New York, meets a cynical, disillusioned, impoverished dance-hall hostess, Debbie Reynolds, and platonically shares an apartment with her, and eventually teaches her, through love, that life is worth living is reviewed in the July issue of "McCall's." Richard Marek is well pleased with this new Paramount film, and the people portrayed by Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis. In his opinion they are nice people because they speak with wit, with warmth, with freshness and spirit. They are, indeed, part of the rat race, but they rise above it because of their entirely credible love for each other. "Bells Are Ringing," starring the superb comedienne, Judy Holliday and Dean Martin has been selected by "Seventeen," as the picture of the month for July. The new MGM comedy is doing exceptionally good business at Radio City Music Hall. • "Pollyanna," is recommended to the readers of "Good Housekeeping's" July issue by Ruth Harbert. In her opinion "Pollyanna" is played delightfully by a young British girl, Hayley Mills. The rest of the cast is equally impressive including Jane Wyman, Karl Maiden, Adolphe Menjou, Donald Crisp and Agnes Moorehead. i "The Story of Ruth" with Israeli actress Elana Eden has been awarded "Parent's" Family Medal Award for July. Walter Haas Screen Gems (Continued from page 1) Screen Gems, its wholly owned subsidiary. In dismissing the Government suit, Judge Herlands ruled that the contract did not constitute price-fixing in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act nor did it tend to substantially lessen competition in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act. The decision enables Screen Gems to continue to distribute the backlog of pre-1948 features acquired by Columbia from Universal. For the duration of the Government action, which was first brought in April of 1958, Screen Gems had been limited to releasing no more than 50 of the features per year. Dismissal of the suit removes the earlier restraints imposed by the court on the performance of the agreement. In handing down the decision Judge Herlands found that feature films are not a separate line of commerce, and there is nothing unique about feature films as television programming. He found that all TV programming competes with all other TV programming, and there was no probability of lessening of competition as a result of the Columbia-Universal agreement. Wide Significance Seen Dismissal of the Government complaint on the merits of the case was seen by observers yesterday as having wide significance for both the motion picture and television industries. Screen Gems and Columbia Pictures were represented by the firm of Davis, Polk, Wardwell, Sunderland & Kiendl (of counsel, Theodore Kiendl, Taggard, Whipple and Henry L. King) and Schwartz & Frohlich (Arthur Schwartz, Irving Moross and Stewart Schwartz). Universal Pictures was represented by Adolph Schimel, Universal vice-president and general counsel, and Harold Lasser of its legal staff. Still pending in the courts is a similar suit filed in September, 1959. against United Artists and its subsidiary, United Artists Associated, Inc. This involved UA's acquisition of the assets of Associated Artists Productions and C & C Films. The Government charged that the acquisition of AAP and C & C, which were formerly competitors of UA in the distribution of feature films to television, served to lessen competition in the field. From the two companies UA gained control of assets which included the complete pre-1949 libraries of both Warner Brothers and RKO Radio, the Government said. 'Psycho9 at $221,854 Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" has grossed a big $221,854 to date in four special pre-release engagements, according to consolidated theatre reports. The figure, representing two weeks of playing time in New York and one week each in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, is one of the highest ever recorded for a Paramount release in opening engagements, the company said. One Day; Agreement Near By SAMUEL D. BERNS HOLLYWOOD, June 30. Representatives of the Screen Actors Guild and the Association of Motion Picture Producers, who met until 7:30 tonight to conclude an agreement on a new contract for television actors, shook hands on a one-day extension of the contract which was to have ended at midnight tonight, to resume negotiations tomorrow morning on what is believed to be the final point of agreement. Shapiro Suit Against Distributors Dismissed Special to THE DAILY PHILADELPHIA, June 30.-Judge Van Dusen of the United States District Court in Philadelphia yesterday dismissed, with prejudice the action in which Merton Shapiro and Bennard Shapiro, who own and operate the Arcadia Theatre here, charged almost all of the major motion picture companies and the Goldman, Stanley Warner and National theatre circuits with having conspired to deprive the Arcadia Theatre of first-run product. Suit was filed in 1956. The trial had been scheduled to open here today, the plaintiffs having subpoenaed 40 executives of the distributor and exhibitor defendants. Louis Nizer and Brad Ward, on behalf of the defendants, insisted that the plaintiffs, be required to testify first. The plaintiffs resisted the motion. The Court then ruled that the Shapiros would be required to testify before the 18th of July, and that, if necessary, the court would sit evenings in order to complete direct and cross-examination of the plaintiffs. The Shapiros consented to the order of dismissal, with prejudice, and the court's record shows that they received only $62,500 as partial reimbursement for the attorneys' fees and disbursements which the Shapiros expended in connection with their court action. The amount sued for was $1,125,000. Criticism of Immoral films Is Defended Special to THE DAILY VATICAN CITY, June 30-L'Osservatore Romano has attacked socialists and communists for indignation at criticism of immoral movies. The Vatican City daily said that while movies in Soviet Russia "give social instruction," socialists and communists outside the Soviet union encourage movies that are immoral. L'Osservatore Romano was defending Umberto Tupini, Italian Minister of Entertainment and Tourism, from attacks for his criticism of Italian movies. It praised him for his "loyal and clear assumption of responsibility." (Continued from page 1) the negotiations will be made at the annual membership meeting of the guild, to be held on July 8 at the Academy Awards Theatre and a strike vote will be taken, following which a secret mail referendum of the entire membership will be conducted. Under SEG by-laws, in such a referendum 75 per cent of those voting is required to authorize a strike. SEG's contracts expired April 2, 1959. Extra players' negotiations with the Association of Motion Picture Producers and the New York Film Producers Association also are at a critical stage. The Screen Actors Guild represents extra players in New York. Shanks said that best offer made by the producers to SEG is an increase of 7/2 cents an hours, "which is so far below that given other performers and other employees in the industry it would seem the employers are trying to foment trouble." He added that SEG also is insisting an adequate health and welfare coverage for extra players and establishment of proper wage scales for extras in filmed TV commercials. Chrysler to Sponsor Astaire's Fall Show Chrysler Corporation again will present Fred Astaire in a new musical colorcast over the NBC-TV network during the 1960-61 season, the network announced this week. The Chrysler purchase was made through the Leo Burnett Co., Inc., the automotive corporation's advertising agency. Astaire, whose first two programs —"An Evening with Fred Astaire" and "Another Evening With Fred Astaire"— won 26 different awards, will star again in a full-hour presentation to be telecast in the fall. The title and cast of the new show will be announced later. "An Evening with Fred Astaire," presented during the 1958-59 season, was the year's most honored program. "Another Evening with Fred Astaire," which was colorcast last November, received additional awards for the season just ended. Publicist Assn. Moves Against Non-Union Men From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, June 30. Hollywood's union-organized publicists appealed yesterday to tiSeir international organization to aid them in halting the servicing of film television shows by non-union press agents employed by national advertising agencies. In its request to the IATSE and Moving Picture Machine Operators Union to intercede in its behalf, the Publicists Association, Local 818, requested that the situation of nonunion press agents working in what has always been a 100 per cent union field be made known to the full national membership of AFL-CIO.