Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

6 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, December 20, 19i Rappaport Hails 'Pasternak Plan' Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE, Dec. 19.-Indicative of exhibitor opinion regarding the added impact given to motion pictures by producers and stars making personal appearance tours on behalf of their films is the statement made to Joe Pasternak by Bob Rappaport of Rappaport Theatres here, one of the cities recently visited by the producer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Where the Boys Are." "When you return to Hollywood," said Rappaport, "please tell your fellow producers that your visit to Baltimore represents a positive plus in the gross of your picture. Not only will it result in a 100 per cent expansion in newspaper, radio and tv penetration, but the fact that a busy Hollywood producer spends time, money and effort— when he doesn't have to do it— on such a visit, gives added inspiration to all of us in the theatre to go out and do the best job we know how. The 'Pasternak Plan' is the most hopeful sign to come out of Hollywood in a long time." Three Stars Made Trip Together with Pasternak, the group who completed a cross-country tour for "Where the Boys Are" included three of the pictures' stars, Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss and Maggie Pierce. New Film Group Will Start Series Jan. 14 The newly formed Archive Film Society here has announced its first season, The Film: Winter-Spring 1961. The Society, headed by Marshall Lewis and R. M. Franchi, will present the twelve program cycle of classic film revivals at the Roosevelt Auditorium starting on January 14th. Attendance is by subscription and single guest admission. Each event will be screened twice nightly at 6:30 and 9:00 o'clock. The series follows: "Variety" ( 1925), Jan. 14; "Metropolis" (1926), Jan. 28; "Miracle in Milan" (1951), Feb. 11; "Dreams That Money Can Buy" (1944), March 4; "Maedchen in Uniform" (1931), March 11, and "The Lady Vanishes" (1939), March 25. Also, "Hallelujah!" (1929), April 8; "Unfaithfully Yours" (1947), April 14, "The Unholy Three" (1925), April 22; "The Merry Widow" (1925), May 6; "The Crowd" (1928), May 13, and "Vampyr" (1931), May 19. H. D. Hearn Dies SARANAC LAKE, N. Y., Dec. 19H. D. "Hank" Hearn, industry veteran active at various times in Atlanta, Jacksonville and Charlotte, died at Will Rogers Memorial Hospital here following a long illness. He is survived by his wife, who will stay on at the hospital as a nurse. REVIEW: Make Mine tion clauses in the Kennedy and Roosevelt bills. "As the Compo National Minimum Wage Campaign Committee made plains in its report," McCarthy said, "all elements in the industry contributed to last year's campaign under the direction of Compo. The same committee will serve in the coming campaign. This committee is composed of the following: C. Elmer Nolte, Jr., representing Allied States Association, and LaMar Sarra, representing Theatre Owners of America, co-chairmen; Edward Cooper, representing Motion Picture Association of America; Emanuel Frisch, representing Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association; William Namenson, representing Independent Theatre Owners Association; and Charles E. McCarthy, representing Compo. "With every organization cooperating, we achieved success in the last session of Congress. We have every reason to believe that we shall obtain the same effective cooperation in this coming campaign." Mink "Distributors are no good. They cost you 20, 30, 40 per cent and what for? You can do it yourself." That's not an exhibitor speaking. According to Richard Ward, N. Y. Herald-Tribune writer in London, that's what Samuel Bronston told him. The producer is completing "King of Kings," which MGM will distribute, and is preparing "El Cid," which Allied Artists will handle in this market. Wald quotes Bronston as saying that the distributors who will handle "El Cid" in the various territories around the world are required to guarantee a gross for an 18-month period after release. Whatever business the picture does, the distributor has to meet the gross guaranty and for his trouble he gets somewhere around 15 to 17 per cent, Wald declares. In that way, he adds, Bronston and his partner, Pierre du Pont, "can convince their bankers that they are guaranteed a return of 150 per cent, Community Jobs For TO A Executives Mrs. Walter Goryl Dies DETROIT, Dec. 19.-Mrs. Florence Goryl, wife of Walter Goryl, office manager in the local office of' Universal International, died herej suddenly last week. including interest, in 18 months after release." "You can only do this sort of thing if you have big, 'international themes'," Bronston is quoted as saying. "Hollywood is making the same old movies for America. I wouldn't call them chauvinistic. No, I call it stupid. You have to get a world audience. An international kind of subject is Napoleon, or Mohammed— I am going to do a Mohammed picture —or Hitler. Characters that affect the world." Bronston also was quoted as saying that a publisher had offered to guarantee him $1,500,000 for the program for "King of Kings," and that in five years there will be "millions" from pay-tv at 50 cents a film viewer. Rank — Continental Distributing, Inc. This latest in a recent series of British comedy imports is an entertaining spoof of precision-action crime pictures, produced by Hugh Stewart for Rank Films and distributed by Continental Distributing, Inc. TerryThomas, one of England's top funnymen seen recently in "I'm Alright, Jack" and "School for Scoundrels," heads the cast of "Make Mine Mink," which has been ably directed for broad comedy effect by Robert Asher from a screen play by Michael Pertwee, based on the London stage plav "Breath of Spring." Athene Seyler is very funny in her role as Dame Appleby, owner of a large London apartment, inhabited by her paving guests-TerryThomas, an exArmy major; Elspeth Duxburv, an awkward" spinster who mends crockery for a livelihood; and Hattie Jacques, of mammoth physical build, who teaches manners to would-be debutantes. Also in the household is Billy Whitelaw, young and personable, as the maid with a "record" who has been given a chance to go straight. Bored with their everyday pursuits, and heeding the crv of Miss Seyler for money for charity, the houeshold, exclusive of Miss Whitelaw, hit upon the inspired idea to steal furs, sell them and turn the money over to charitable institutions. The amateur burglars turned "Robin Hoods" are led in their zany excursions into crime by Thomas, who masterminds each exploit with military exactness. They don't all' come off quite according to plan, but the results are what count-and they succeed in becoming the scourge of the London fur business with their successful robberies. While some of the action is a bit slow-paced, there are some high comedy situations which include Thomas' looking for a fence for the stolen furs in a disreputable waterfront dive, which turns out to be a Salvation Army haven, and in a hilarious police raid on an illegal gambling party where the robbing foursome had gone in search for more furs for charity. The comedy moments, some broad and some sly, are capablv put over by Thomas, Miss Seyler, Miss Jacques and Miss Duxbury. Miss' Whitelaw is charming in her role as the maid, and Jack Hedley is fine as her policeman fiance. An excellent musical score has been contributed bv Philip Green Running time, 101 minutes. Release, December. Sidney Rechetnik Compo Drive Houston Claims Gross Guaranty for 'El Cid' ( Continued from page 1 ) Two prominent officers of Theat ■, Owners of America, have accepted new positions of authority in the! home communities. Albert M. Pickus, TOA presideni and a resident of Stratford, Conrj has been appointed chairman for Fail field County for the United Cerebi Palsy Association. He will supervisl the UCPA's annual fund appeal, an| its other activities in the populoij Connecticut area. In Spokane, Wash., J. J. Roserl field, president of Favorite Theatre! and an assistant to the president c| TOA, has been appointed to a ne*! seven-man Citizens' Urban Renew;! Advisory Committee. Named by thi city council, the committee is charge! with studying all proposals for urbal renewal, many of which would hi eligible for Federal grants, and t|J make recommendations to the citj council. The seven men were selecte l from a list of more than 100 sufj mitted to the Council. Rosenfield ha, long been active in civic affairs i his city. 3 More on Johnston Dinner Committee Three more industry figures havj accepted invitations to serve on till dinner committee for the testimonial dinner which Compo is sponsoring in observance of the 15th anniversarl of Eric Johnston's service as president of the Motion Picture Association. Russell V. Downing, president o] Radio City Music Hall, who is servj fng as chairman of the committee, an] nounced yesterday that acceptance, had been received from George Chandler, president of the Screen Ac j tors Guild; Frank Capra, presideni of the Directors Guild of America! and Valentine Davies, president o'\ the Academy of Motion Picture ArM and Sciences.