Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

sday, August 4, 1960 Motion Picture Daily Albany Hearing ( Continued from page 1 ) 4PO, will register opposition to hike from 75 cents an hour for rs, ramp attendants, children's fons, messengers and unclassified ce workers. . John Phillips, executive director letropoltian Motion Picture TheaAssociation, will be one of those ;tering opposition at greater th, when a similar hearing is held ay in New York. Phillips led the iccessful fight to obtain exemption notion picture theatre workers, in Assembly Rules Committee bill iduced the middle of March, aped before adjournment March 31, signed by Governor Nelson A. <efeller, April 18. lie Governor had recommended a mum wage amendment, to cover 000 additional workers, in his iary address to the Legislature. Report McCarthy Plea Ready is reported that Charles E. Mc^hy, executive director of Compo, :h has filed a memorandum reting exemption for motion picture tre workers, with legislative comses in March, will make known organization's protest against the minimum wage order, at one of public hearings. Likewise, a esman for the American Congress xhibitors will speak out, according report. fter an "omnibus" hearing here 22, an informed source expressed lg doubt that "motion picture tre workers can be exempted 1 provisions of the new law." They d be excepted, via an amendment le statute, if the Legislature aped the same at the 1961 session, as indicated. L gion Places Four li Class A, Section 3 jDur films were reviewed by the tf ;Onal Legion of Decency this week Kj all placed in the same category, 3s A, Section 3 (morally unobjecuiible for adults). ihe pictures are "College Confidents}' Universal; "Fast and Sexy," Coibia; "One Foot in Hell," 20th Ijtury-Fox; and "Why Must I ■ American International. Dsney Directory Ready specially prepared four-page die )ry, listing available Walt Disney rrettes, short subjects and cars, has been sent to exhibitors all the country. The directory, irr tion to giving a brief description u running time on each subject, also I hand-tailored one-hour programs >i Valt Disney subjects, comprising t i iaturette and cartoons. J overs' in Record Eugene Picker, president of Loew's Theatres, Inc., checks his circuit's membership application -with national Theatre Owners of America President Albert M. Pickus (seated, left) as Laurence A. Tisch, chairman of Loew's finance committee, looks on. Loew's Circuit (Continued from page 1) StanleyWarner, National Theatres, and American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres. Pickus said that while TOA now embraces the great majority of the largest theatre circuits, it still continues as the most representative organization of small theatres. Sixtyone per cent of its members own and operate only one theatre, and 90 per cent run less than 10 theatres, he pointed out. Arrangements for Loew's membership were made by Pickus and Joseph G. Alterman, administrative secretary, for TOA; and Picker, Laurence A. Tisch, director and chairman of Loew's finance committee, and Preston R. Tisch, board member, for Loew's. rry Wald's "Sons and Lovers" Ji ;e all opening-day records at the ~ kman Theatre here with a total of -60 in its first day Tuesday. The . ure is being released by 20th 1 tury-Fox. Kingsley Handles 'Day' Ed Kingsley and the new production firm of Little Movies have announced an agreement for Kingsley International Pictures to handle national as well as international distribution of the 35mm film short, "Day of the Painter." Filmed by Little Movies in Eastman color, the 15 minute short is now playing at the TransLux 52nd Street here along with the feature presentation, "The Savage Eye." 'Pay' Big in Brooklyn "Pay or Die" topped the boxoffice record for 1960 at the RKO Albee Theatre in Brooklyn in the first five days of its current engagement there with a gross of $30,610, according to Allied Artists. This figure betters by almost $2,000 the same company's "Al Capone" in its first five days at the theatre. Skouras Aids JJSO Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, will serve as cochairman of the 1960 Greater New York USO campaign to expand its services to armed forces personnel both in this country and overseas. Ticket Prices Declined During Current Quarter From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Aug. 3. The government's quarterly index of motion picture admission prices declined during the quarter just ended for the first time in more than a year. The combined index for adult and children's admissions for the quarter ended June 30 stood at 146.8 per cent of the 1947-49 average, a drop of 1.3 percentage points from the March, 1960, figure of 148.1. It was, however, significantly higher than the index figure of 139.4 recorded at the end of June, 1959. This is attributed to a decline in the number of "roadshow" productions playing. The price index for adult admissions was 146.0 at the end of June, down 2.3 points from the 148.3 reported for the March, 1960, quarter, but higher than the 140.2 index figure of a year ago. Children's Index Rises The price index for children's admissions has increased consistently over the past year. From the 131.1 per cent of the 1947-49 average that was reported in June, 1959, this component rose to 141.3 at the end of March. The second quarter figure is given as 143.4 per cent of the 194749 average. All-Employee Profit Sharing Set by UPA From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 3. An unusual profit sharing plan has been instituted by UPA Pictures, Inc., it was announced by Henry G. Saperstein, president of UPA. "A portion of the profits," he said, "is being set aside under the plan. Sharing in this case are all employees, from top executives to delivery boys. A points system has been established based on the length of time spent on projects and coupled with the quality of work accomplished in a direct ratio to the production indices set up for the projects." Saperstein said the points system will be the key to participation of each employee in the profits recorded by UPA Pictures. He said employment at UPA is at an all time high of more than 250 persons involved. Short Promotes iLace" To promote the lavish wardrobe designed by Irene for Doris Day in "Midnight Lace," Universal has completed a six-minute short subject featuring the actress in her Technicolor wardrobe tests for the forthcoming film and will send it "on the road" as a facet of the advance promotional activities. The short, featuring ten highly-diversified changes, features a running commentary by Irene and was produced by Robert Faber. It is designed for bookings both in theatres and in key city department stores for which 16mm prints are being made available for screenings in cooperative tie-ups between the stores, the fashion designer's dress company, Irene, Inc., and Universal. PEOPLE Harry Brandt, president of Brandt Theatres, has been named— for the fifth consecutive year— chairman of the entertainment industry for the 1960 volunteer fund raising campaign of the New York State Citizens Committee for the Public Schools. □ Dick Winters, 20th Century-Fox national magazine contact, has resigned, effective Aug. 12, to join the public relations organization of Martial & Co. as an account executive. □ Whitney Lindsey will take over the management of the South Trail Drivein Theatre, Orlando, Fla., on Aug. 27, following the seasonal closing of the Neptune Drive-in, Daytona Beach, where he is now located. □ Preston Henn, owner of the CoAt-Co Theatre, Toccoa, Ga., has acquired from J. W. Smith the Blair Theatre, Blairville, Ga. □ James Cohn, American composer, and musicologist for ASCAP, has been notified that one of his five symphonies has received the third prize in the competition sponsored by the A.I.D.E.M. (Associazione Italiana Diffusione Educazione Musicale). □ Philomena Eckert, of Columbia Pictures, Jacksonville, and Maiy Hart, of Florida State Theatres, have been named to represent their area at the forthcoming Toronto convention of Women of the Motion Picture Industry. □ The board of overseers of Harvard College has appointed Joseph H. Hazen for a second term as a member of the Fine Arts Department and the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University. Hazen, partner of producer Hal Wallis, has also been elected as a member of the fine arts committee of Dartmouth College. □ William Madden, former branch manager in Philadelphia for M-G-M who has been promoted to the post of Midwestern division manager with offices in Chicago, and Sidney Eckman, who succeeds Madden in the Philadelphia position, will be guests of honor at a luncheon to be held on Aug. 22 in the Burgundy Room of the" Bellevue Stratford Hotel. Their hosts will be Motion Picture Associates of Philadelphia and Variety Club, Tent No. 13. Million for 'Bells' Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Bells Are Ringing" topped the one million dollar mark at the Radio City Music Hall box office on Tuesday. The total gross through Tuesday, the sixth day of its sixth week, was $1,004,508. The picture holds for a seventh week.