Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Spa rtacus CONTINUED FROM PAGE I two patrician Roman couples, Douglas is saved when his fellow gladiator refuses to administer the coup de grace and. instead, attacks the Romans. The gladiator is killed by guards but Douglas subsequently leads a revolt that spreads over the countryside, gaining slave adherents, arms and supplies as it expands. After an early victory against a Roman force Douglas is united with Miss Simmons and through the several years of the successful revolt they live as man and wife. In a spectacular climax, the slave hordes are cut off from escape from Italy while being pursued by Roman legions from two directions. Victorious against the first assault, the slaves fall before the second. Their ranks are decimated, survivors crucified and Douglas and Curtis, companions, are forced by Olivier, the Roman commander, to fight to the death at the gates of Rome, the survivor to be crucified. Miss Simmons, meanwhile, has born Douglas's child and been sent to Rome as Olivier's slave. Laughton, a Roman senator and antagonist of Olivier's, bribes Ustinov to take her from Olivier's home and escort her out of Rome to freedom. As they leave the city with the child they pass the crucified Douglas, who sees his son for the first time and dies knowing that the mother and child are headed for freedom. The leading performances are excellent but Ustinov comes close to stealing the picture. Laughton and Olivier also stand out in the large stellar cast. Others who turn in creditable performances are John Gavin as a young Caesar; Nina Foch as a Roman socialite, and Herbert Lorn, John Ireland, John Dall, Charles McGraw, Joanna Rarnes and Woody Strode in character roles. Stanley Kubrick's direction is effective but in several instances overemphasizes the brutal, the grotesque and the obvious. In some instances of fighting and love-making these excesses are so noticeable as to make the picture unsuitable for the immature. The criticism also might be made that the picture could be improved by shortening it by 15 or 20 minutes. In other respects, "Spartacus" is a vibrant, robust drama with its inseparable love story, which is bound to command huge audiences and lengthy stays at the specially equipped theatres for which this special release is designed. Running time, 194 minutes. Release, special. Sherwix Kane Friday, October 7, 1960 TV Alliance ( Continued from page 1 ) 01 television programs produced after Sept. 13, 1960, but before Jan. 1, *; 1961. a'r The 18 companies included in 11 ATFP are currently producing more iB than 50 different series for television. I The new law which became effective D' Sept. 13 "for the first time imposes an affirmative duty upon them to dis" close to broadcast licensees certain II information concerning the receipt of " any consideration in connection with e' : the inclusion of any matter in a broad3 cast program." On Sept. 21, FCC an's~ nounced that it was in the process of ' preparing proposals for rule-making, 'H but that meanwhile old rules until i superseded would remain in effect and '■ ■' the industry should be guided by the House Committee report. Many Already Telecast In the case of films produced before \ Setp. 13, ATFP points out that most, if not all, of them have been "broadcast at least one of more times over " one or more television stations and ^ will continue so to be broadcast for ^rnany years to come." ATFP believes ' the new law does not apply for two ""reasons: (1) The alternate choices * given to the producer in the law can be made "only at or before the time j the program is being produced" and | therefore no choice is possible for films , antedating the law; and ( 2 ) After 1 citing Chairman Harris ( D., Ark. ) during the hearings, "Congress intended the law to have prospective application only." ATFP points out, "the waiver will j simply preserve the status quo until [ such time as the Commission shall |.L have had an opportunity to pass upon ^the matter." Ask Waiver on Rules f" As for filmed television programs ; produced after Sept. 13, 1960, the peb< tition declares: "Throughout the il years there have developed in the film f industry many practices which have t been openly arrived at and the existf ° ence of which has been open and acknowledged. ATFP believes that these open and normal business prac • tices were not the type with which i f Congress was concerned. The hearings tl contain no charges or disclosures on : this score. However, the statute as _ finally drafted may technically be con" strued to cover some of these prac\ I tices. ATFP members are in the proc) | ess of reexamining these practices _ to ascertain whether they are covered, "and if so, whether they should be changed so as to obviate an announcement or whether they should be retained, in which event machinery must be devised for supplying broadcast licensees with the necessary information so that appropriate section 317 announcements may be made. However, this is not a matter for unilateral .( determination by the film producers. 1 Existing contracts are involved which I may have to be renegotiated. The : insertion of announcements in film programs may create problems with j networks or station licensees who may have conflicting commitments with sponsors. It takes time to work out these problems in good faith. The normal method of doing business which has been in effect for long periods of time cannot be changed overnight." In the case of these films, ATFP asks for a waiver pending issuancee of final rules. The companies represented by ATFP are the following: Ben Fox Productions, Inc.; Brennan-Westgate Productions; California Studios, Inc.; Desilu Productions, Inc.; Filmaster, Inc.; Flying A Pictures, Inc.; Four Star Television; Gallu Productions, Inc.; Harman Productions, Inc.; Jack Chertok Television, Inc.; Jack Wrather Organization, Mark VII, Limited; Martero Enterprises, Inc.; Mayberry Enterprises; Overland Producttions, Inc.; Revue Studios; Wyatt Earp En terprises, Inc., and Ziv-United Artists. Inc. In a related action, the law firm of Halev, Wohlenberg and Bader, on behalf of the Motion Picture Association, filed todav a letter of intent with the chief of the broadcasting bureau of FCC. The MPA brief is expected to be filed next week. To Film 'Many Rooms' HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 6.-"House of Many Booms," a novel by Bobin White, has been purchased bv Columbia Pictures for filming by Philip Barrv Productions, it has been announced by Samuel |. Briskin, Columbia vicepresident in charge of West Coast activities. J Tiffany's Producer ( Continued from page 1 ) sibilities in the book "The Hanging Tree," on which they had a S750 option. Shepherd, an energetic man of 34, said that he would like to be able to make as many as 30 pictures a year, but added that Jurovv-Shepherd policy was to make films that "should be made and that we feel we can make wood." Although "Breakfast at Tiffany's," their first Paramount release, is expected to continue shooting until mid-December with a proposed summer release, Shepherd said that he and his partner would begin work on their next film in about 60 days. "The Beach Pad," an original screenplay bv Jack Sher and Irene Camp with Sher directing, was named as the "Tiffany" successor. It was described by Shepherd as "a combination of a juvenile 'Pygmalion' and 'Catcher in the Bye'." Shepherd then commented that he had a deadline of this weekend to read the novel "Jenny Bone," also on the Jurow-Shepherd production fist. And when will the pair make this film? "We've set no definite date as yet," replied Shepherd, "but it is not entirely impossible that we will be working on all three pictures at the same time." Political Fund ( Continued from page 1 ) pointed department heads in the New York offices as well as the branch managers at the exchanges to organize for the campaign. Studios are organizing on the same basis as the New York offices. All the department heads will receive a campaign plan circular with complete instructions on running the campaign in their own departments. Captains have been chosen for every twenty members of each department. The captains will be responsible for contacting every' employee in the industry by Democracy Day, Friday, Oct. 21. All contributions will be collected by D-Day. The captains will be supplied with a kit containing a personal letter from the company president to each employee. The letter invites all personnel to join in the industry's non-partisan effort. Also in the kit are printed pamphlets detailing the reasons why every voter has a duty not only to vote but to support financially candidates of his choice. A double envelope included in the kit insures that the employee's name, contribution and party affiliation will be kept "as secret as the secret ballot." These envelopes are to be put into the hands of even member of the industry by the captains, along with the other material. The sealed envelopes, the inner one intended for the contribution, and the outer one unmarked except for the name of the company treasurer, will be delivered bv MPAA to the citizen's committees of the major parties. These committees will open the envelopes and count the funds allocated to them.