Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

mday, July 18, 1960 Motion Picture Daily 5 iia Halves the Duty (i All Imported Films The government of India has cut in f the import duty on all motion j tures imported into that vast count , it was learned here on Friday. r e duty, which earlier this year had " ;n increased to 13.7 cents per foot ; been reduced to 5.7 cents per foot, e great majority of films imported j India come from United States t 'ducers. The new agreement will run until [Jrch 31, 1962. Ilob Goldstein REVIEW: (Continued from page 1) e, it was announced on Friday by tos P. Skouras, president of 20th;. Goldstein's appointment follows death of Buddy Adler here last ;sday. The appointment of Goldn to the Adler post brought n Skouras a tribute to the former d of production as well as a pledge cooperation to his temporary suc;or. The untimely passing of Buddy er, an old friend and associate," 1 Skouras, "is a grievous loss to b Century-Fox and to me. As preslt of the company I am faced with responsibility of making an imliate selection of someone to asie the executive production duties in interim period. I have conferred with my assoes, with Darryl Zanuck, and with v York and studio executives, and e prevailed upon Bob Goldstein, ently heading our production in idon and who has had production srience in Hollywood to accept this gnment on a temporary basis. I have been assured that Mr. dstein will receive full coopera from Lew Schreiber, executive lager in charge of studio operas; Sid Rogell, executive produc manager; David Brown, executive iio story editor; Peter Levathes, ;ident of 20th Century-Fox TV, all other members of the studio inization. Bob Goldstein will have my full port and that of Joseph H. Mosritz, vice-president, as well as corition's executive committee and rd of directors. There will be no iges in the existing studio execuand departmental personnel as I our present 20th Century-Fox taction organization has every capity needed for the continued sucof our company. The temporary acement for Goldstein in London be announced soon." oldstein started in the motion picbusiness in 1940 in the New York it department of 20th-Fox. Two s later he became the New York esentative of the Universal stu, and in 1950 was brought by the pany to Hollywood as assistant to then president, Leo Spitz. Five s ago he was named head of forproduction for 20th-Fox, with Iquarters in London. The Day They Robbed The Bank Of England Summit Films — M-G-M — Metroscope Those clever British have hit the mark for a high score with "The Dav They Robbed the Bank of England." This is tight, grittv melodrama, with the directorial emphasis on the ironical and the excruciating. Fingernails will get a sustained chewing through this thriller. Man's lust for gold is examined, but this time he is motivated politically. The time is 1901, in London. Led by Aldo Ray, an American adventurer of Irish descent, a team of Irish patriots plan to shock the British Isles and the world by robbing the Bank of England of £1,000,000. They need funds for the fight for Irish home rule and their deed will make England a laughing stock. How to do it? The vault supposedly is impregnable. Ah, but before he became a safecracker (for love and money) Ray was an engineer. He also is grounded in architecture. He plots with Hugh Griffith, a patriot leader, and thereafter strikes up a friendship with Peter O'Toole, commander of the guards company that protects the bank around the clock. Ray is a patient and devious character and before long he learns the lay of the land around the vault. With two other nationalists, Kieron Moore and Wolf Frees, and Albert Sharpe, an old "rummy" who knows the London sewerage system by heart, Ray commences the long, bitter operation. A tunnel is dug and the vault finally is entered through its floor. The final third of the picture shows in grim, perspiring detail how the mission succeeds but suddenly fails in an exaggerated turnabout. A woman naturally is involved in this eventuality. She is wispy Elizabeth Sellars, an enigmatic sort hardly worth Rav's while. Further irony is shoveled into the last scenes when it develops that the robbery is unnecessary; the Irish will win their independence legally. But this piece of news and the police arrive at the same time. Poor Ray is beaten on all fronts. Produced by Jules Buck for Summit Films, "The Day They Robbed the Bank of England" was directed by John Guillermin from Howard Clewes' screenplay. It was adapted from the book by John Brophy. Music was composed and conducted by Edwin Astley. Running time, 85 minutes. July release. Saul Ostrove nt&t control of nta Strike Effects Will Continue: Cantor From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, July 17. The board of directors of National Theatres & Television, Inc., has suspended discussions concerning the offer of Ely Landau and Oliver Unger to buy back from NT&T control of National Telefilm Associates, which they founded in 1952 and of which NT&T now holds a controlling interest. Suspension of the talks was disclosed here on Friday by Gerald Cantor, chairman of the board of NT&T. Later Friday afternoon, employees of NTA met to discuss the matter of the possibility of a buy-back by Landau and Unger. No statement was issued at the close of the conclave other than the announcement that a report of the proceedings will be issued on Monday or Tuesday. Sign Mitchum, Coward HOLLYWOOD, July 17. Robert Mitchum and Noel Coward have been signed by producers Walter Shenson and Milton Holmes to co-star in "A Matter of WHO," an original comedy thriller by Holmes. The picture has a background of the World Health Organization (WHO of the U.N.). (Continued from page 1) employees were not re-hired after the strike, the Value Line survey pointed out. Too, it continued, the studios are now in a better position to utilize their vast post-1948 film libraries. These libraries are judged to have quite substantial value, and pay-TV could further enhance their worth, the survey added. By the mid-sixties, concludes the survey, most of the film companies will probably benefit appreciably from TV release of their old movies. Certain companies may also convert other idle assets into extra earning power. Kastner Resigns (Continued from page 1) tivities of Columbia abroad in acquiring motion picture distribution rights for its foreign local offices, Kastner, in addition to his other duties, will assist M. J. Frankovich in the acquisition of such film, Schneider added. Mo Rothman, executive vice-president of Columbia International, will be the chief executive officer of National Pre-Selling T NA BALIN, the ardent eyed starlet, A featured in John O'Hara's "From The Terrace" is spotlighted on the color cover of "Life's" July 18 issue. Between films this ivory skinned enchantress, visited Bermuda where "Life's" cameramen photographed her on the coral beaches for a pictorial essay, appearing in the same issue. A striking ad on "The Bellboy" starring Jerry Lewis appears in the July 19 issue of "Look." Economics of motion picture distribution are so important that any flexibility on the part of national media can be of assistance to the industry. "Life" announced this week a new East Edition (35 per cent of total circulation or 2,335,000) available with the Oct. 3 issue. This coupled with the West Edition added a new facility to magazine pre-selling. At the same time "Life" announced production efficiencies which allow them to reduce the premium for fast close ads (7 days B&W; 21 days color) from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. • "The Rat Race" the entertaining picture of life in New York for a couple of young people trying to succeed in the big town is reviewed in the July issue of "Seventeen." Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis are starred in this Paramount picture. "Song Without End," in Richard Marek's opinion writing in the July issue of "MeCaH's," "is a beautiful picture with beautiful music, and if you accept it for that, you'll probably enjoy it." • According to "Life's" reviewer in the July 18 issue '^Elmer Gantry" is played superbly by Burt Lancaster to Academy Award standards. Shirley Jones, enacting Lulu, and Jean Simmons, portraying Sister Sharon Falconer the evangelist, are excellent. "Can-Can" starring Shirley McLaine, Frank Sinatra, Louis Jourdan and Maurice Chevalier is reviewed in the July issue of "Redbook." WALTER HAAS Columbia International under A. Schneider, who is assuming the presidency. M. J. Frankovich will continue to head all production activities away from Continental United States and will continue to serve as European production liaison to Samuel J. Biskin, vice-president in charge of Columbia Pictures' West Coast activities, along with his other duties as a vice president of Columbia Pictures.