Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, December 28, 196(1 PERSONAL MENTION JOSEPH E. LEVINE, president of «J Embassy Pictures, has left here with his family for a one-week vacation at Miami Beach. • Maurice Segal, United Artists West Coast publicity coordinator, has arrived in New York from Hollywood for conferences with home office executives. • Harby Mandel, RKO Theatres national director of advertising and publicity, became a grandfather again on Christmas Day with the birth of a boy, Joshua Ned, to his daughter-inlaw, Mrs. Myron Mandel, at Phelps Memorial Hospital, Tarrytown. • Sam Seletsky, film buyer for General Drive-in Corp., Boston, has returned there from Jacksonville. • Bernard M. Kamber, industry publicist, will leave New York today for Paris. • Frank E. Taylor, producer of "The Misfits" for United Artists, returned to Hollywood yesterday from New York. • Joe Schully, special representative for American International Pictures, has left Atlanta for Jacksonville. • Sidney" S. Kulick, of Bell Film Exchange here, has left New York with Mrs. Kulick for a vacation in South America. • John "Jack" Hunt, formerly Chicago exhibitor, is in the Sarasota (Fla. ) Memorial Hospital being treated for a heart attack. • Robert Rossen, producer-director of the forthcoming "The Hustler" for 20th Century-Fox, will leave here on Jan. 3 for Hollywood. A your L.*&& '1 . \\\ with -.c f TEASER -: TRAILERS | ! from NATIONAL Ja6 xX Lj™ SKerv.ce Financial Comeback of M-G-M Since Troubles of '57 Lopeit Coordinator Highlighted in Article by Investment Concern for UA in Europe Tnf* financial r*rvm<*l^ t»r»tr nvuL> K» r Ayf«*r*-* r~,*^1#l<.r«frt Vf,„.,L.. T.,,. , * t nefrr * The financial comeback made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., since 1957 is the subject of a feature article in "Investor's Reader," published fortnightly by Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith. The article recapitulates the fiscal troubles of the company in the early 1950's and details the management and operational reforms instituted by Joseph R. Vogel after he became president four years ago. The recent annual report for fiscal 1960 showing earnings up 25 per cent to $9,600,000 or $3.83 a share, a 12 year high even including the years when, the theatres subsidiary was consolidated, is cited and Vogel is quoted as saying "I have never been as optimistic about the future of this company as I am right now. We will earn $5 a share from operations in fiscal 1961." The story attributes much of the gain to the earning power of "Ben-Hur" and predicts that the picture will gross at least $64,000,000 on its first run and probably $100,000,000 eventually. Among the company's other solid assets the article lists the potential revenue from film sales to television, the increasing value of the Culver City studio properties, and the box office potential of productions now in work such as "King of Kings," "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" and "Mutiny on the Bounty" as well as the reissue value of "Gone with the Wind." NAB Sets 'Hand' for ACE Pictures Opinion Leader Survey "Hand in Hand," a Columbia release, will be the subject of a two-city opinion leader survey to be conducted by National Audience Board January 3, it was announced by the Board. NAB's audience panels— composed of executives and members of a wide variety of civic, church, cultural and educational organizations— will view the film in New York and Los Angeles. National Audience Board, a nonprofit, independent organization, has been engaged in entertainment evaluation since 1954. It conducts studies at cost on request from film producers and distributors, radio and tv producers, packagers, «yndicators, stations, advertising agencies and sponsors. Raleigh Theatre Sued Over Contract with NTS Special to THE DAILY RALEIGH, N. C, Dec. 27-National Theater Supply Company, New York, filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Colony Theater here Dec. 23 in Wake Superior Court. The plaintiff alleges that J. M. Seago and Patty H. Seago, operators of the Colony, failed to comply with a conditional sales contract. The New York concern contends it supplied the local theatre with merchandise in January of 1955 and the Seagos still owe National Theatre Supply $1,095. R. C. Mathewson Dies NEW BRITAIN, Conn., Dec. 27. —Raymond C. Mathewson, 61, veteran projectionist at the Stanley Warner Strand Theatre here, is dead following a short illness. (Continued from page 1) plained. "We want the strongest participants obtainable, and we want to plan for the long pull, not just to get started on any basis at all." The original Jan. 3 deadline for completion of the ACE Prod, company's financial structure was a selfimposed one, designated about six months ago. Meanwhile, a steering committee of five members and two financial advisers has been designated by ACE to direct the remaining financing steps. Members of the committee all represent regional, independent cirsuits. They are E. D. Martin of Martin Theatres, Georgia; Adolph Goldberg, Community Theatres, Detroit; Mitchell Wolfson, Wometco Enterprises, Miami; Harry Arthur, Arthur Enterprises, St. Louis and Los Angeles, and Sumner Redstone, Northeast Drive-in Theatres, Boston. Two Financial Advisers The financial advisers are D. R. Buttrey, Crescent Amusement Co., Nashville, and Joseph Seider, head of Associated Prudential Playhouses. The ACE Prods, spokesman said it is believed that considerably less than the five months additional time which has been allotted will be required to complete the financial organization. Rites for Bishop, Sr. WINSTON-SALEM, N. C, Dec. 27— Funeral services were held here today for Burtus Bishop, Sr., father of Burtus Bishop, Jr., assistant general sales manager of MGM, New York. The elder Bishop died here on Sunday at the age of 81. He is survived also by another son, Joseph, and a daughter, Mrs. Sam Smith. Ilya Lopert, who will now permanently reside in Europe, has accepted the post of United Artists coordinator o f European c o production, i t was announced yesterday b y Arthur B. Krim, president of UA. Lopert will continue ™__, nis duties as i president o f ■ kSAH Lopert Pic B SI I tmes Corp. _ In announc Ilya Lopert ing the newi ope ratio n, Krim said, "I am personally very1 gratified that Mr. Lopert has agreed to oversee and coordinate our coproduction operations in Europe. His extraordinary capacities in the field of European film production are widely respected throughout the industry. I consider Mr. Lopert's acceptance of this post an extremely important step forward for UA's global operation." In his new post, Lopert will work closely with Oscar Dancigers, UA's supervisor of European production. Installation Dinner Set by N.Y. Bookers The Motion Picture Bookers Club of New York will hold its 22nd installation dinner dance on Monday, Jan. 16, at the Tavern on the Green. Max Fried and Ed Richter, dinner chairmen, announced that William J. Heineman, vice president of United Artists, will act as toastmaster. Myron Starr President The newly elected officers that will be installed are: President, Myron J. Starr (UA. ); 1st vice president, Martin Perlberg (Florin); 2nd vice president, Frank Patterson (Par.); treasurer, Lillian Seidman (Harris); financial secretary, Lester Schoenfeld ( Schoenfeld ) ; secretary, Peggy Donnelly (Fabian). Woolner Adds the East Skip Regan, vice-president in charge of Filmgroup sales and distribution, has announced the addition of the Eastern United States to the territory of Laurence Woolner, vice-president and Southern division sales manager. Woolner now is in Hollywood for conferences with Roger Corman, Filmgroup president, and Regan on the sales campaign for the forthcoming "Atlas." ^ ^aSS^^^^T&^fSS5 1853ft KCaSldeEsditS°r:AJrnesSo? S^'SS^^Sr* ^ News Editor; Herbert V. Fec.ee, Bear St. Leicester Square, W. 2. Hope Williams Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor Picture Daily is published daily except Saturdays, ™ Cable address: "Quigpubco. New York" Martin Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Q as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Television class matter Sept. 21, 1938, at the Post Office at New