Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

OP NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, JULY 5, 1960 STEVENS SIGNS CARL SANDBURG! Flat Rock, N. C. — George Stevens, who will produce "The Greatest Story Ever Told" for 20th Century-Fox, signs famed two-time Pulitzer Award-winning author Carl Sandburg to collaborate with him. VOL. 88, NO. 2 Letter Is Serit Aid to Cut Film Tariffs Abroad Asked Johnston Asks Inclusion In U.S. Trade Negotiations Inclusion of motion pictures among the items to be considered at forthcoming negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, has been requested bv Eric Johnston on behalf of the Motion Picture Export Association of America. The request was made in a letter to Edward Yardley, secretary of the inter-governmental Committee for Reciprocity Information in Washington. Johnston, president of MPEAA, outlined in his letter the "enormous importance to the American motion picture companies" of the foreign market and the serious obstruction to their (Continued on page 4) SAG, AMPP, ATFP Agree on Actors' Pact By SAMUEL D. BERNS HOLLYWOOD, July 4. The negotiating committees of the Screen Actors Guild, the Association of Motion Picture Producers and the Alliance of Television Film Producers reached an agreement late Friday on la new collective bargaining contract for actors in television entertainment films, subject to the approval of the boards of directors of the respective organizations and the membership of the guild. The contract provides pension and health and welfare plans paid for by (Continued on page 4) Para. Executives Leave For Meetings on Coast George Weltner, Paramount vicepresident in charge of world sales, Jerome Pickman and Hugh Owen, vice-presidents, and Joseph Gould, advertising manager, left here for Hollywood last night, for important meetings at the Paramount Studio. The executives will view a rough cut of (Continued on page 4) Cushman to Handle P.R. For Allied Convention Special to THE DAILY CHICAGO, July 4-The appointment of Aaron D. Cushman and Associates was announced by Jack Kirsch, president of the Allied Theatres of Illinois, Inc., to handle public relations for the Allied States Ass'n. convention to be held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel here from Nov. 6 to 10. Advt. Wage Bill Endangered By Hasty Amendment From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, July 4.-An error in a House-passed agricultural processing workers exemption from the wage law has cast in doubt the passage of a minimum wage bill this year. An amendment described to the House in one minute and adopted by (Continued on page 5) TEN CENTS New Commission Gov't. Group On Obscenity To Study Films 'Salacious' Motion Pictures Are Scored by Senators By E. H. KAHN WASHINGTON, July 4. The Senate has passed, with a recorded vote, a bill introduced by Sen. Mundt (R., S.D.) and co-sponsored by 29 others, to create a "commission on noxious and obscene matter and materials." The bill makes it evident that the government's policy is to suppress the traffic in obscenity, and floor discussion made it clear that the group will inquire into motion pictures. In the course of debate on the bill, Sen. Lausche (D., Ohio) made repeated references to motion pictures. He put into the record the court de(Continued on page 2) UA to Have Seven Shooting in July United Artists announced at the weekend it will have seven major productions shooting in July which it said will be the largest that any company will have put before the cameras so far this year in a single month The features for UA release will be made in Hollywood, Reno, St. Louis, New York, and in Spain. The pictures include "The Misfits," "Jack, the Giant Killer," "Man of Alcatraz," "Something Wild," "The Hoodlum Priest," "Five Gune to Tombstone," "Revolt of the Slaves," and "Fabiola." KNXT Gets 161 Pre-'48 Films in 20th-Fox Deal From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, July 4. Station KNXT has acquired a package of 161 pre-1948 20th Century-Fox films on an exclusixe first-run, seven-year deal for a reported $1,207,500. It was announced by Leon Drew, program director KNXT and the CBS-TV Pacific Network. Ontario Board of Censors Is Commended for Doing Good lob 'Without Controversy' Special to THE DAILY TORONTO, July 4— The Ontario Board of Censors has been commended for doing a "competent and objective" job in an editorial in the "Windsor Star." Said the newspaper: "Censorship is a controversial issue in any free countiy. It is necessary to prevent lewd and obscene materials being distributed under the guise of art yet it is essential not to intervene unduly on the freedom of people to read or see what they wish. It is a matter of almost common consent, however, that there be a censorship of films. Film makers, in their lust for profits, have shown themselves irresponsible in failing to exercise proper restraint. "In Ontario this censorship has been handled as it should be, by a properly constituted board. Down the years it has done its job competently and objectively. It has wisely shunned prejudices or other motives which make censorship dangerous. The board has proved that in a free society censorship can be done without much controversy. And that is when it is done, as it should be, by a competent authority operating under the law." mm -1°