Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

IL. 88, NO. 14 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1960 TEN CENTS \embers Told j'OA Reaction Jo Post '48 lales Is Mild ^rmed 'Discouraging' But \tt As Bad As 5 Years Ago Theatre Owners of America extits a mild reaction to sales and ijspects of sales of post1948 film laries to television by major com i ies in its current membership Bul|i, now being distributed. | Any (post-'48) sale is, of course, llouraging to exhibitors," the BulIi asserts in commenting on the fijntly concluded Warner Brothers g;n-year leasing of 110 of its postI films to Creative Telefilm and lists, Ltd. "But," it continues, "the It available information at this writ& indicates Warners' and Columbia's Mages will contain few top-grade iMTes (it is believed the companies (Continued on page 3) 1)4 Says Convention registrations at High Reservations for Theatre Owners or I) erica's annual convention and lie show at the Ambassador Hotel, 1; Angeles, Sept. 13-16, already are ii a record volume, the exhibitor orhization's membership Bulletin reilted yesterday. They are being re ( Continued on page 2 ) A Lauds Lazarus' to Newspapers 'aul N. Lazarus, Jr., Columbia Pic:s vice-president, is warmly comlded in Theatre Owners of Amers current membership Bulletin for remarks of last week to the Newsier Advertising Executives Ass'n. :ting in San Francisco. Jnder the heading, "Straight Talk Newspapers," TOA terms the Laza talk "One of the most candid, 1-planned and comprehensive rets on the movie industry's general )leasure with newspaper cooperat" delivered by an industry mem to "the audience most affected." Lutheran League Calls for Study Of Immorality in Films and TV Special to THE DAILY MINNEAPOLIS, July 20.— Congress should convene a conference to deal with the problem of immorality, violence and bad taste in the mass communications media, the Lutheran Laymen's League declared at its 43rd annual international convention here. Such a conference should be attended by federal, state and local officials, together with representatives of other interested groups, including churches, a resolution adopted by the league said. "Decent citizens of the United (Continued on page 6) Smith Circuit Expands With Bowling Alleys Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, July 20.-General Drivein Corporation, operators of 50 theatres in the east, mid-west and south, today announced a major diversification program. Philip Smith, president of General and of the Smith Management Co., said the company would invest $10,000,000 in 15 bowling centers to be built in New England. The first Holiday Lane, a 40-lane bowling center at Medford, Mass., is scheduled for completion in August, Mr. Smith stated. Two other centers (Continued on page 2) Max Bercutt Resigns Warner Post Tomorrow From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, July 20. Max Bercutt, assistant to Warner Brothers executive vice-president Benjamin Kalmenson, has announced his resignation, effective Friday. Bercutt has been with Warners 11 years handling coordination of promotional activities on various Warner Brothers productions prior to his appointment as Kalmenson's assistant. Following a brief vacation, Bercutt expects to announce future plans. Mrs. A. S. Long Elected President of Pastime Special to THE DAILY CHARLESTON, S. C, July 20.Mrs. Alberta S. Long has been elected president of the Pastime Amusement Company, which operates six motion pictures theatres in the Charleston area. Mrs. Long succeeds her father, the late Albert Sottile, who headed ( Continued on page 6 ) 29 Meets on 'Psycho' Policy Tomorrow Exhibitor meetings on merchandising Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" will be held in 29 key cities in the U.S. and Canada tomorrow, Paramount Pictures, distributor, announced. The meetings, to be hosted by Paramount (Continued on page 2) SAG Says June TV Residuals at Record Level; $15,456,000 Collected to Date From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, July 20.— Residual payments for re-runs of television entertainment films, collected by the Screen Actors Guild and distributed to members during the month of June, reached an all-time record of $635,078.73, it was announced by SAG president George Chandler. This brings to $15,456,793.37 the amount collected by SAG in TV film re-run residuals since the start of such payments in December, 1953. These amounts do not include payments to actors for theatrical films sold to television nor use payments on TV commercials which alone total more than $11,000,000 a year, SAG pointed out. Johnston, Hetzel Trip to Africa Starts Aug. 12 Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Ass'n., and Ralph Hetzel, vice-president, have postponed their projected trip to Africa two weeks, from July 29 to Aug. 12. The long-planned market survey (Continued on page 6) No Unanimity 'Oscar' Video Costs Viewed As Uneconomic Academy, Sans Cost Data, Wanted Decision by Aug. 1 Top executives of Motion Picture Ass'n. member companies made it clear here yesterday that the decision not to sponsor the next Academy Awards program was dictated primarily by economic considerations. At the same time, it was stated that the MPAA's annual contribution of $150,000 to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is not affected by the sponsorship decision, and will be continued. Company executives said that the approximately $600,000 annual cost of sponsoring the NBC telecast of the Awards presentations is excessive from the standpoint of its doubtful benefits to the industry over a commercially sponsored program. Moreover, not all member companies of MPAA were agreeable to shar( Continued on page 6 ) Three Webs Interested In 'Oscar' TV: Kahane By SAMUEL D. BERNS HOLLYWOOD, July 20.-Following the announcement yesterday by the Motion Picture Association of America that it would not participate in sponsorship of the next Academy Awards telecast, B. B. Kahane, Academy president and executive of Columbia Pictures, reported interest by three major networks to acquire rights (Continued on page 6) 'Conspiratorial' Meeting Cited at Embassy Trial Special to THE DAILY SAN FRANCISCO, July 20.-A "conspiratorial" meeting in 1938 of representatives of Fox West Coast Theatres, the major film distributing exchanges, the Blumenfeld and the Naify-McNeil (now United California Theatres, Inc. ) circuits, was outlined today in the Embassy Theatre eight( Continued on page 2)