Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1962)

Youngstein Reviews Company's Progress Sees Big Gain for Cinerama Income; Hails New 360-Degree Still Camera Mervyn Le Roy to Promote 'Gypsy' on U.S. Tour HOIjLYWOOD — The time has come for Hollywood to show an interest in audiences so audiences will generate a new interest in Hollywood. So believes Mervyn Le Roy, who consequently will embark on a fourweek national tour of key cities in the U. S. a month before the national release ol “Gypsy” which he is producing and directing at Warner Bros. Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood and Karl Malden are starred. On his swing aroimd the country, Le Roy will address college groups, clubs, business organizations, plus making TV appearances and huddling with motion picture editors of newspapers and magazines. Le Roy is scheduled to start production on “Mary, Mary,” based on Jean Kerr’s Broadway comedy hit, at Warners in early 1963. He expects to complete “Gypsy” later this month, after which he will take a European vacation, returning to this country in the fall preparatory to starting his goodwill tour. Denver-Based Producers To Make Feature Film DENVER — Production of a featurelength motion picture, “A Badge for Danny,” is scheduled to start here May 15 as a first theatrical venture for Ken Kennedy Productions, headed by Ken Kennedy and John C. Mullins, local TV executives. Script for the picture was written by Kennedy’s brother, Burt, in Hollywood. The story, set in Denver, is that of a policeman’s son. Mullins and Kennedy said they are coproducing the film in the hope that it will be the first of many. Kemiedy is a director at KBTV, which is owned by Mullins. Negotiations are under way, Kennedy said, for Marjorie Reynolds and Tris Coffin to play leading roles in the film, and a search is being made for a 12 to 14-yearold boy to play the title role. The principal roles are expected to be cast out of Hollywood, however some 18 speaking roles will be cast locally. Distribution arrangements will be negotiated after the film’s completion. 48 Bowery Boy Features Available for TV Use HOLLYWOOD — At the opening of the first general sales meeting of Allied Artists Television Corp., it was revealed that 48 Bowery Boys feature comedies, originally released by AA, have been made available to television as of April 16. The four-day session held at the studio was addressed by Steve Broidy, president of the parent company. Executives who arrived here for the meeting with sales vice-president Robert B. Morin are Pete Jaeger, eastern sales manager; Fred Frank, southern sales manager; Jim Stem, midwest sales manager; Barney Broiles, southwest sales manager, and Maurice Gresham, western sales manager. Allied’s TV subsidiary is headed by Edward Morey as president. To Portray Lieut. Kennedy HOLLYWOOD — Cliff Robertson has snagged the plum role of Lieut. John F. Kennedy in “PT 109.” The Warner Bros, film is based on the wartime experiences of the President. NEW YORK — Cinerama’s new still camera and the company’s potential earnings were stressed by Max E. Youngstein, executive vice-president, at a meeting of the New York Society of Security Analysts Wednesday (4). Youngstein reviewed the progress of Cinerama, details of which were well known to the trade but, apparently, new Max E. Youngstein ^o the financial people, and pointed out that the pi-ofit potentials of the two upcoming Cinerama productions were $5,000 per week in each of the 120 Cineramaequipped theatres thi'oughout the world, making a total of $600,000. The two films are “How the West Was Won” and “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.” The new still camera, Youngstein said, can do for still photography what the Cinerama cameras can do for motion pictures— and more. The camera can shoot a picture at a 360-degree angle; in other words, it can shoot all sides of a single room, or any portion thereof, Youngstein said. It has an electric eye and fixed focus and is interchangeable with color and black-and-white. Youngstein said he had used the camera and that it measured up to all that was claimed for it. He said specifications now were being sent to various factories for estimates on turning the cameras out on a large scale. He said it would be a “low priced” commodity. The mechanism is based on patents of the late Fred Waller who developed Cinerama. “How the West Was Won” will be completed in mid-May and will be released late in the year. “Brothers Grimm” may be released in the late summer. The former cost approximately $12,000,000 to produce and the latter about $6,000,000. Both will be distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Youngstein predicted that the two pictures would be among the highest gross films of all time. Youngstein gave credit to Nicholas Reisini, president and chairman of the board of Cinerama, for the progress made by the company. He said Reisini had pulled Cinerama out of a losing proposition into a profit company in three years and had arranged for a $6,000,000 credit with Prudential Insurance Co. as part of a financial reorganization plan. Youngstein said Cinerama would make pictirres with “timeless” themes so that there always would be residuals of quality product in the inventory. Analyst Cites 2 'Problem' Production Companies NEW YORK — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 20th Century-Fox were described as “problem” companies by David Bell, an analyst for Gruss & Co., investment house, at a meeting of the New York Society of Security Analysts Wednesday. The basis for the problems, he said, was two expensive pictures, “Mutiny on the Bounty” (MGM) and “Cleopatra” (20th-Fox). Bell pointed out that MGM had a disappointing second quarter but that prospects were good for a profitable last half of the fiscal year. He also congratulated the MGM management for restoring the company to a soimd basis after a period of stockholder and inner strife. Companies doing well. Bell said, were United Artists, Buena Vista, Paramount, Universal and Decca. BOXOFFICE :: April 16, 1962 19