The Exhibitor (1959)

May 27, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 19 Fox's Lee Retires; Detroit Honors Him NEW YORK — Tent Five, Variety Club of Detroit, honored Barker Joseph J. Lee on the occasion of his retirement as branch manager for 20th Century-Fox last week. Sixty-five men attended the event mark¬ ing his severance from the campany after 34 years of association. Lou Marks, branch manager for MGM, acted as toastmaster as well as co -committeeman with Alden Smith in arranging the banquet. Main speaker was Glenn Norris, assistant general sales manager of 20th-Fox. Alex Har¬ rison, general sales manager, also attended. Tent Five presented the guest of honor with a television set, while the company sent a large oval, duly inscribed sterling platter. Among the wires received and prized was the following: “Dear Joe: On the eve of your retirement I want to express to you from my heart warmest appreciation for the wonderful services you have rendered to our company during the 34 years of your association. It is extremely gratifying to have known you as a good friend and loyal associate over the years and I shall aways be grateful for your devotion to our com¬ pany. I want to extend to you and your amily my heartfelt wishes for your future happiness and well being. Please feel free to call upon me any time I can be of service to you. Spyros.” AB-PT Affiliates Meet KIAMESHA LAKE, N.Y. — Edward L. Hyman, vice-president, called a meeting of theatre affiliates of the northern territory of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc., this week at the Concord Hotel. The meeting was attended by Leonard H. Goldenson, president; Simon B. Siegel and Sidney M. Markley, vice-presidents; Jerome B. Golden, general counsel; and affiliates from New York, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Rochester, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Phila¬ delphia, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss, conceive and consummate an all-out drive for the period from September through De¬ cember. Hyman and Goldenson, who created and spearheaded the plan for orderly distribu¬ tion of quality product throughout the year, announced that such product available dur¬ ing the four months in question this year is substantially superior to what was available in the past few years. Cinerama Signs Pact To Finance Production NEW YORK — Hazard E. Reeves, presi¬ dent of Cinerama, Inc., announced last week the signing of a financing agreement with Prudential Insurance Company of America and Robin International, Inc. (licensee and exhibitor for Cinerama abroad). The agreement makes $12,000,000 avail¬ able to Cinerama, Inc., for the production of a series of Cinerama motion pictures and the completion of a research and de¬ velopment program concerned with im¬ proving Cinerama’s widescreen process. Reeves confirmed the fact that Cine¬ rama has under consideration more than a dozen possible pictures, including some possible co-productions with major com¬ panies. The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecoff MAX YOUNGSTEIN REPLIES: Last week we ran some opinions and accusations by producer Jerry Wald, wherein United Artists and its vice-president Max Youngstein came in for some harsh words. We asked Youngstein for some replies and these follow: Regarding Wald’s statement that the Academy Awards is the greatest single public relations arm the industry has, UA and Youngstein have no quarrel with this. They have backed the event to the maximum. Also, because of the high regard in which it is held, he said we don’t want to see it minimized. His criticism was only intended for this particular telecast pro¬ duced by Jerry Wald. Asked Youngstein — If any producer put on a two -hour show costing quite a bit of money and 20 minutes turned up dead, is he or is he not deserving of criticism? Asked Youngstein further — If the industry is spending so much money on a public relations project, shouldn’t it publicize some of its future product? He maintained that Wald’s claim that the size of the audience was indicative of the quality of the attraction is for the birds. Look, urged he, at the size of the audience present at or watching a world series baseball game that turns out to be a poor one. What does the size of the audience prove? We should make sure that the large audience is not let down and that their expectant excitement is satisfied. With regard to Wald’s criticism about UA not putting anything back into the industry, Youngstein replied that no company has put back as much money into the industry. We have put all our profits back into product where it counts with the public and exhibitors, said Youngstein. In fact, maintained Youngstein, Wald is so hepped up about new talent because he can’t get established talent for his pictures. And while on the subject of developing new talent, which is not the job of UA but rather the producers whose product is released through the company, he reeled off some pretty impressive names who did get a start through UA releases. These included Tab Hunter, Carolyn Jones, Paddy Chayefsky, Sidney Lumet, Reg¬ inald Rose, Rod Serling, and in the latest release, “Pork Chop Hill,” a cast of unknowns may be found aside from Gregory Peck. Said Youngstein, we encourage newcomers with a willingness to finance and back films with new faces behind the cameras as well as in front of them. The real execution of a new faces program is up to the individual producer who releases through UA. Wound up Youngstein, “Wald must feel awfully guilty about what happened to that 20 minutes. He ought to hire a private eye to find the missing minutes because they cost the industry a lot of money.” PLANS AND PRODUCTION: If co-producer Marty Rackin, vice-president of the Mirisch Company Leon Roth, and UA’s advertisingpublicity director Roger Lewis have their way, “The Horse Soldiers” may be one of the best known films released by the company. If sales representative Dave “Skip” Weshner continues to accept 70 per cent bids, it may also become one of the more expensive ones. Rackin and Roth explained at a press conference that they set out to make a “blue chip picture” to be released this summer. They wound up with a film that cost five millions, one-and-a-half million of which went to John Wayne and William Holden. They also get a piece of the profits, not gross. No, Rackin didn't think that creative people get too much money, Samuel Goldwyn not¬ withstanding. He termed the latter “a real estate operator with good taste.” They paid little money for the property and then developed it, preferring to pay the talent more. The price in this case was paid not only for the talent but seemingly included a spirit and enthusiasm on the part of the co-stars, who will go anywhere to sell the film. On June 17, 200 to 250 saturation dates will blanket Louisiana and surrounding territory, and a total of 478 key spots will be covered during July. Plans for a million dollar promotion campaign were unveiled and these include local level promotions, using radio, TV, and sundry supplements, full page color ads, major music cross promotion, star tours, off-amusement page advertising, special TV featurette and newsreel clips, a trade paper campaign, audience previews, book promotions, contests, tieups, etc. MAIL DEPARTMENT: Dear Mel, Until I read your April 29 column, I never realized our boomerang letter-opener souvenir for “On The Beach” was such a shattering item. But whoever told anybody to try it out before opening the windows? Sorry, this particular pane is not our responsibility. Best— George Thomas, Jr., Stanley Kramer Pictures. Dear George, Now you tell us it was a letter opener. Oh well, those are the breaks. Best — m.k. PRODUCTION NOTE: The other day we dropped in at the Fox Movietone Studios where producer Joseph Fields and director David Miller are making “Anniversary Waltz,” with David Niven and Mitzi Gaynor. Niven has just completed a scene where he kicks in the face of a television set, which he told us is like doing away with his bread and butter since he makes quite a few TV films in partnership with Dick Powell and Charles Boyer. Before you throw brickbats, he told us, however, that motion pictures are still his first love. By the way, he’s a charming, witty, and down-to-earth chap. Later at lunch, Fields reported that the film is down for a million dollar budget, and it would have cost more had it been made in Hollywood. The story is particularly suitable for filming here because of New York locations and backgrounds. Things are easier, too, because the top stars like to work in New York. In addition, he maintained the technical crews are just as good as those on the coast.