Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

MOTION PICTURE 88, NO. 110 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1960 TEN CENTS ] ch Says: I )ew's to Have ime Number f Theatres nt to Add in Future, ckholders Are Told Laurence A. Tisch oew's Theatres expects to op3 about the same number of tres in 1961 as in the current , Laurence Isch, chairn of the ■d, stated ■wing the pany's a nmeeting stockholders ,oew's State atre here erday. isch said under the pany's pol of relinking thea ' which were unprofitable, several (Continued on page 8) khoma City Right Censor Challenged Special to THE DAILY IKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 8. A challenging the right of this city :ensor motion pictures on grounds : obscenity was entered here ves ; uit was filed by Union Film Disi utors whose picture, "For Mem' i Only," was ordered withdrawn [Continued on page 7) ichnicolor 44-Week irnings Show Gain lonsolidated net income of Tech)lor, Inc., after taxes of the comy and its wholly-owned subsidis for tlie 11 periods (44 weeks) ed Oct. 29, was $418,292, or 19 ts per share on 2,211,679 shares of •k outstanding. This compares (Continued on page 2) TOA Warns 1961 May Get Less Pictures Than 1960; Puts Total This Year at 226 Decrying the numerical total of Hollywood releases in 1960, the Theatre Owners of America Bulletin warns its members that not only is there unlikely to be any increase in production by major companies in 1961 but there may be even fewer pictures than in 1960. The situation underlines the importance to exhibitors of impending production starts by the new Pathe American company, whose first picture, "The Deadly Companions," is scheduled to be available to theatres by April or May, and the new ( Continued on page 2 ) To Make 'Pepe' Most Famous 4-Letter Word By SIDNEY RECHETNIK The international promotion campaign currently underway for Columbia Pictures "Pepe," George SidneyPosa International production, was detailed to the trade press at the distributing company's home office here yesterday. The object of the meeting, said Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., Columbia vicepresident in charge of advertising and publicity, was to show "what Columbia is doing and will do to make 'Pepe' the most famous four-letter ( Continued on page 6 ) 'Movie t>igesf Available At Theatres Next Week The first issue of "Movie Digest," a monthly publication to be distributed nationally through theatres at the local level, will make fts debut next week, it was announced here yesterday by Jim Birr, president of Movie Digest International, Inc. The magazine will start with a minimum circulation of 1,535,000 copies per month and will be available only at theatres. Patrons are to (Continued on page 3) Vogel Reports: MGM 1960 Net Sets 12-Year Firm Record KCs OK to Telemeter for Coast Pay-TV Test From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Dec. 8. The Federal Communications Commission has granted to International Telemeter Co., a division of Paramount Pictures Corp., a construction permit for a new experimental television station at Los Angeles. The new station will be used for field tests of a new subscription-tv system being devel(Continued on page 7) Progress Reported in Maryland Tax Drive Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 8.Progress in the campaign of united exhibition in Maryland against coverage of Baltimore theatres in a proposed 5 per cent city sales tax was reported today at a meeting of the board of directors of the Maryland (Continued on page 6) New Exhibitor Drive for Exemption in Minimum Wage Bill Will Start Soon A new campaign by exhibition to win exemption for dieatres from new federal minimum wage legislation which is certain to be introduced early in the new session of Congress starting next month will be getting under way soon, E. LaMar Sarra, Theatre Own IEVISION TODAY— page 7 ers of America's representative on the All-Industry Minimum Wage Committee, reports in the current TOA Bulletin to its members. Sarra reminds exhibitors that there is no positive assurance that the exemption won for theatres in measures before the last Congress will be continued in the new bills. "This means," he says, "that exhibitors throughout the country Profit is $9,595,000; Sees 1961 Even Better Joseph R. Vogel should again ask their senators and congressmen to support exemption of motion picture theatre employes from the provisions of whatever minimum wage legislation is introduced. A campaign to obtain this support will be conducted both by TOA and Compo, which is spearheading the all-industry effort. "Fortunately, we have in being a ( Continued on page 3) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had a net profit of $9,595,000 for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, establishing a 12-year record _ high, it was announced yesterday by Joseph R. Vogel, president. The figure was a 25 per cent increase over the $7,699,000 earned during fiscal 1959. "The 19 6 0 profit," Vogel said, "repre;ents one of the best yeras in die entire 40-year history of the company and was achieved despite the actors and writers strike in the motion picture industry and even though the earnings of Loew's Theatres, now a separate and independent company, were included during all but the past 3 years." Vogel said that he was confident (Continued on page 8) Long Lines for 1st Day Of M.H. Christmas Show The customary upturn of business at this time of year at Radio City Music Hall got underway with a bang yesterday as long lines formed all day for the opening of the annual Christmas show. As in the past the big upsurge is expected to continue throughout the holidays and beyond the first of the year. Screen attraction with the Christmas stage show is "The Sundowners." The first-day gross was estimated late in the afternoon at $24,000:, which would be an all-time opening dav record for the theatre's Christmas show, according to Russell Downing, president.