Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, August 2, 19 Zeckendorf ( Continued from page 1 ) 20th-Fox the -438,000,000 cash balance on closing. Closing date is to be not later than six months from Aug. 1. Zeckendorf originally paid 20thFox $2,500,000 cash on the signing of his original deal. This is credited toward the $5,000,000 due yesterday, as is an additional $200,000 which Zeckendorf has paid at the rate of $1,000 daily for extensions of the closing deadline. Originally Zeckendorf 's deal called for the payment of $56,000,000 for the property over a 10-year period. He sold his option to the Kratter Corp. last spring, and the latter negotiated the $43,000,000 all cash deal with 20th-Fox. When Kratter elected not to proceed with the deal last June, it reverted to Zeckendorf and he elected to take the all-cash deal. Under the terms of the new agreement, Webb & Knapp will buy the entire tract of studio land and lease back to the film company approximately 75 acres at a net rental of $1,500,000 a year. On this parcel, 20th Century-Fox has studios and related facilities. If stockholders should not approve the $43,000,000 all-cash transaction, then the present contract, calling for payments of $56,000,000 over 10 years will be closed in the spring of 1961. Under the present contract 20th Century-Fox has a 20-year lease on its studio properties which it may cancel on one year's notice. Under the all-cash transaction 20th Century-Fox receives a lease on the studio property for 50 years and renewal options totalling 49 years and the right to sublet the property. REVIEW: One Foot In Hell 20th-Fox — CinemaScope In all of Alan Ladd's years in pictures he has not had a role as unsympathetic as the one which is his in "One Foot in Hell." Actually, both of his feet, his heart, his soul and his trigger finger are heading toward hell in this brutal film. Viewed one way it is a 90-minute exercise in maniacal murder. But it is also utterly, quite impossibly romantic, with a screenplay (co-authored by Aaron Spelling and Sydney Boehm) as saccharine as it is homicidal. In the 89th minute the sugar-Don Murray and Dolores Michaels-and the lemons-Ladd, Barry Coe and Dan O'Herlihy-are saturated in the same solution, and only sweetness prevails: Ladd murders Coe and O'Herlihy, his former accomplices, and Miss Michaels drills Alan as he is about to dispose of Murray. Ladd wasn't always crazy. He is innocuous enough when he first enters Blue Springs, Ariz. But his young wife dies in childbirth because Alan is denied medicine for her when he can't ante up $1.87 for her prescription. Vowing revenge on the whole town, he and his stooges murder a number of local people and clean out the bank. This act is not an awfully difficult one, because Ladd is the sheriff. He became a deputy because the citizenry felt sorry for him when his wife died. He was upped to sheriff first-grade after he murdered his predecessor. Miss Michaels plays a prostitute looking to go straight; Murray is a disenchanted, alcoholic Confederate veteran; Coe is the meanest man in the territory and its fastest gun; O'Herlihy is without means save his golden oratory. These, then, are Ladd's goons. He plans to murder the bunch of them once they help him kill whom he chooses and rob the bank. Then he expects to flee with the $100,000. He accomplishes all of, this but staying alive. The rehabilitated lovers Murray and Michaels return the money to the bank and are given a chance to flee. But they decide to stick around and stand trial together. In three, five or 10 years they will rejoin each other on the outside. Ladd is buried alongside his wife, and that is justice of a sort. James B. Clark's direction creates an episodic mood. Boehm produced. The picture is in CinemaScope and color by De Luxe. Running time, 90 minutes. August release. Saul Ostrove LA. Meeting ( Continued from page 1 ) Howard C. Blackwood, president of of the Chicago Motion Picture Operators and the convention's temporary chairman. Among those listed were: ^Changes that are taking place in the entertainment world. IfGrave social problems such as pensions and fringe benefits. ^Jurisdiction difficulties. The general problems facing organized labor and America were presented in the major address of the day by George Meany, president of the American Federation of Labor. He stated that the survival of the American way of life is threatened by the Communist system. It is for this reason, ne said, that the AFL-CIO has been helping unions in other nations to form bulwarks against Communism. Meany also took the stand that America has to keep militarily strong regardless of budget considerations and that Democracy must be made to work by providing a better life for all. He was alarmed that unemployment seems to remain permanent at about four million and demanded that both political parties look into the issue. He suggested that the government Five New Films Start; Studios Now Making 35 From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Aug. l.-Five new pictures got under way this week, bringing the total number of films shooting to 35. Three were completed. Started were: "Look in Any Window" (New Films Company production which Allied Artists will distribute); "Petticoats and Bluejeans" (Walt Disney Production); "Sanctuary" (Darryl F. Zanuck Production for 20th Century-Fox release); "Frontier Scout" (Zenitli Pictures for United Artists release); "The Secret Ways" (Richard Widmark's Heath Production for Universal-International release). Completed were: "A Matter of Conviction" (Harold Hecht's Parkwood Production for United Artists release ) ; "War Hero" (Burt Topper Production), and "The World's Greatest Sinner" (Frenzy Production). Levin and Mandell Set Deal with H. L. Karlson From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 1. Irving Levin, president of Atlantic Pictures, and his associate, Harry L. Mandell, have formed a non-exclusive partnership deal with Phil Karlson, who directed "Hell to Eternity" for them, to make three more pictures over a fiveyear period. Levin will produce and Karlson will direct. push such projects as schools, housing and hospitals to fill the economic void. The president's report will be given at Tuesday's meeting and resolutions will be presented Wednesday. Baldwin to 'Spartacus' On Special Assignment Ted Baldwin, veteran film publicist and public relations counselor, has been engaged by Universal Pictures for special assignment work on "Spartacus," it was disclosed yesterday by Jeff Livingston, Universal executive coordinator of sales and advertising. Baldwin recently handled the coordination of the motion picture industry's promotion campaign "1960— The Big Year of Motion Pictures," a project of the MPAA advertising and publicity directors committee of the Motion Picture Association. Restrictions Unchanged Says Korean Ministry) Special to THE DAILY SEOUL, Korea, July 29. (By t Mail).— Ministry of Education \ brushed aside as "premature" repo< \ that restrictions on film imports ijf being eased. It conceded, howev] that a proposal has been made whi| would modify controls on film i| ports. If adopted, the proposal will I j retroactive to July 1, 1960. The proposal before the Minis of Education would make the folic! ing changes in Korea's import conti' on films: It would lift the percentage lhf tations on country of origin whlS now provide that 80 per cent of fill admitted to Korea shall be of I)j origin while 20 per cent can be j other national origin. The outri ban on imports of Japanese fill would continue undisturbed. An absolute limit on the total ni ber of motion pictures to be impoi! would be retained. No indication ' ; given as to the size of this numl. Restrictions as to the types of fi: that may be imported would eliminated. Censorship would be changed] the extent that films would be proved or disapproved. They wcj not be admitted subject to cuts | other changes. It is stressed that this is a draft ]] posal, subject to change or to rej tion. 'Ben-Hur' Scheduled li 30 More Dates Abroa Now playing in 11 cities overs), "Ben-Hur" has been set by MGN }' open in 30 additional foreign si j tions before Christmas. It will i miere in Paris Sept. 1, in Brussels I Rome Oct. 7, and in Berlin Oct. 21 Other dates are: Buenos A| Aug. 11; Montevideo, Aug. 18; Bibay, Aug. 30; Birmingham, Septl; Nagoya, Sept. 1; Dublin, Sept); Glasgow, Sept. 12; Perth, Sept. | Calcutta, Sept. 14; Fukuoka, SI 15; Caracas, Sept. 15; Adelaide, S| 22, and Brisbane, Sept. 28. Also, Amsterdam, Oct. 7; AntvJ Oct. 14; Rotterdam, Oct. 14; Muii Oct. 14; Geneva, Oct. 15; The Haft Oct. 21; Lisbon, Oct. 22; HarnfJ Oct. 28; Dusseldorf, Nov. 4; MH Nov. 4; Cologne, Nov. 4; Frankft, Nov. 10, and Hanover, Nov. 18.1 The picture currently is playing capacity business in London, Tc|0, Osaka, Sydney, Melbourne, Johaij burg, San Juan, Santiago, L]S Singapore and Manila. Double Services Held CLEVELAND, Aug. 1. Dc»l funeral services were held here ye# day for Joseph Bernstein, 61, a St eran of 30 years in the industry lW and for his mother-in-law, Mrs. Ef Skolnick, who died shortly follo'Hj the death of Bernstein. Bernstein spent most of his If decades in the industry as an P ployee of Monogram and Mji Artists.