Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

day, December 2, ten. Drive-In Plans owling Nationally Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Dec. 1. -General Drivei Corporation today disclosed it will oand its bowling operation nationde with the construction in St. ,uis of the first in a chain of cen-s outside its 500-lane, 15 center >w England enterprise now underiy. Philip Smith, president of the iton-based theatre and bowling m said the "32-lane St. Louis cen|c is the first in the country to be mbined with a drive-in theatre option into a single one-stop family creation unit." The bowling center will occupy ad adjacent to the company's ManLester Drive-in Theatre in St. Louis, he company plans to continue ex,'mding with combination bowling hn centers. Motion Picture Daily 'Bandstand Idol' f ilming at Miami Beach; Budget: $25,000; Shooting Time: One Week Special to THE DAILY MIAMI Dec. l.-InterAmerican Films is shooting "Bandstand Idol," a "quickie" 'film here and doing it the hard way, financially and technically. The company's announced capitalization is only $25,000, so there can be no stalling with expensive retakes. Joe Rodero, president of InterAmerican, has kept his word that he would stay current with expenses. Salaries are paid at the end of each day. Filming started little more than a week ago and should be completed todav. Larry Wolk is directing. Bill Wyler is playing one of the leads. Money is being saved by use of ready-made sets, such as International Airport, Moulin Rouge motel, etc. Candi Scott has the female lead. Rodero will make two pictures with his own money. If they have commercial possibilities, New York producers will finance him for 24 more, he said. i Fortune' Says ( Continued from page 1 ) , the idea of pay-tv and, in parcular, to the Zenith Phonevision 'stem' to be tried out if and when a me Federal Communications ComI mission authorizes the applied-for 4 Hartford, Conn, experiment. It asferts that "Within the next month ;r so the FCC is expected to grant foal approval" for the trial. Sees Test Supplying Answers It infers that the test will supply Djlnswers to most of the ^ basic quesons concerning pay-tv "for the first Ame," and makes no reference to such nrevious pay-tv tests as Zenith Phoneiii'fision's in Chicago; Telemeter's^ in at 1 aim Springs, or Video Theatres' in ei'nartlesville, Okla., while at the same me implying that the Etobicoke opration, with 6,000 subscribers, is too united to be conclusive. It refers *3 50,000 decoders for Hartford inf tallation "the first year." Most of the information in the rticle was covered in the hearing iefore the FCC on the Hartford ap.lication, which was covered in deail by Motion Picture Daily at the ime. Exhibitor organizations that .articipated in the hearing will be urprised to learn from Fortune that hey opposed an en banc FCC hear,ng on the Hartford application. Cites RCA Plans The article asserts that the major *% networks are prepared to go into Say-tv if it proves popular and says ^CA has patented a pay-tv system o be used in the event NBC enters he subscription field. Fortune fore;ees the possibility of television on a lalf pay, half free basis, the free lalf being mostly daytime and chilIren's programs. ■tun 0 Cimarron Set Dual 'Paris' Bow "Rue de Paris," starring Jean Gabin, will have a dual New York premiere .Dec. 20 at the 55th Street Playhouse and the 68th Street Playhouse. The picture is a Lopert Pictures release. (Continued from page 1 ) morning with a downtown "Sooners to Sixties" parade with the stars, Indians, floats, bands and covered wagons in the lineup. The 50-unit parade, which included 10 separate bands, drew many thousands of onlookers during its 16 block route. The press also participated in the gala parade, riding in sleek, white convertibles. Following tire parade, the picture company's guests were entertained at a barbecue at the Kermach ranch, north of the city. Two Showings of Film Climaxing the two-day celebration were two showings of "Cimarron" tonight, one at Governor J. Howard Edmondson's invitation at the Midwest Theatre, the other sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce at the Warner Theatre. The picture will begin its scheduled hard-ticket engagement at the Midwest Theatre Dec. 22. Other selected hard-ticket openings of "Cimarron" also will take place about that time in Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Denver and Des Moines, among others. M-G-M executives participating in the events include Robert Mochrie, Howard Strickling, Dan Terrell, Emory Austin, in addition to Edmund Grainger, the film's producer. Also here for the events is Harry Kalmine, vice-president of Stanley Warner. Senators Attend Dignitaries attending the premiere included, besides the governor, the city's mayor, Jim Norick, Ed L. Gaylord, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Max Genet, state director of industry and commerce, and Senators Robert S. Kerr and Mike Monroney. Following the premiere, Governor Edmondson hosted a reception for stars and the press at the executive mansion. Highlights of yesterday's special celebration events included a huge turnout at Will Rogers Airport to greet two planeloads of people arriving from both coasts carrying stars and press representatives, a caravan of Cadillacs escorting the arrivals to the Skirvin Tower Hotel, where they were guests of honor last night at a Preminger Meets with Press in Boston Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Dec. l.-Otto Preminger, in Boston for the opening of^his stage production, "Critic's Choice," at the Shubert, which got mixed reviews from the Boston critics, three yes and three no, held a press conference, arranged by Joe Mansfield, UA exploitation chief, at the Ritz Carlton at which he detailed the making of "Exodus" for Boston film writers, and presented some views on film making. "Exodus" opens at Ben Sack's Saxon Theatre here on Dec. 21. Preminger said he wasn't considering making a film out of "Critic's Choice," which stars Henry Fonda. "I did the play, and I think someone else should do the picture," he stated. Preminger arrived in Boston, Monday, Nov. 28, for the pre-Broadway tryout of his play; held a press conference the next day, and left for New York for a premiere of "Exodus" at the United Nations. He will be in Boston all week working on the Broadwaybound comedy. Film rights for "Critic's Choice" have not yet been sold, he said, asserting that he felt the play had "very good picture possibilities." Looks Ahead to 4 Films A heavy shooting schedule looms for Preminger, he revealed, with four pictures lined up: "Bunny Lake Is Missing," "Advise and Consent," "On the Side of the Angels," and "The Other Side of the Coin." He said he plans to shoot "Advise and Consent" in Washington; "The Other Side of the Coin" in Malaya. Of Israel, where he shot "Exodus," he said: "They have the biggest motion picture audience in the world in proportion to population." He said he felt that "Pictures have become more adult since the advent of television." Goldenson Predicts Record AB-PT Net Special to THE DAILY CHICAGO, Dec. 1. Net earnings for 1960 for American BroadcastingParamount Theatres, Inc. will be at a record level and substantially ahead of last year, Leonard H. Goldenson, president, reported today to members o f the Investment Analysts Society of c a g o. months earnings 1960 were 87,5 2 2,0 0 0 or $1.80 a share, close to the net earnings for the full year 1959 of $7,967,000 or $1.87 a' share. Goldenson stated that television is providing the major source of income and earnings toward the improvement this year. He noted the continuing expansion of the ABC Television Network, which this week reported that it had achieved, for the first time, the largest share of the total nighttime audience of the three major networks. He noted the network's preeminent position in entertainment and sports programming and stated that it is aiming for similar success in its news and public affairs programming as well. Points to Growth Abroad ChiNine net f or Leonard Goldenson Goldenson predicted that international television will be in operation in several years. Foreign television, he added, is growing much faster than television in the United States. He noted the company's active participation in this field, with interests in stations in Australia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Lebanon and five countries in Central America. Goldenson reported that the company's theatre business to date in the fourth quarter is running approximately equal to last year. Good quality motion pictures, he said, continue to do extremely well at the box-office. banquet put on by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. This was followed by a "Cimarron Ball," sponsored by the Jaycees at the Oklahoma City Golf and' Country Club. The guests of the M-G-M "Cimarron" world premiere celebration leave tomorrow morning for their respective cities. N.Y. Film Classification Bill Is Reintroduced Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, Dec. 1. Assemblyman Joseph J. Weiser, New York City Democrat, has pre-filed for the second consecutive year a film classification bill. It would permit the director of the State Education department's motion picture division, when authorized by the Board of Regents, to classify films as unsuitable for children. The measure is virtually identical to one pre-filed last December by Assemblyman Joseph R. Younglove. Formal introduction of the Weiser measure is slated for Jan. 4, 1961, when the Legislature convenes.