Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1963)

EXHIBITORS FILMS FOR WILL HAVE 17 NEW THE EASTER PERIOD Universal Film Program To Develop New Talent Several With Color, Songs, Ideal for Family Trade; 7 Less Than Year Ago By FRANK LEYENDECKER NEW YORK — Exhibitors will have a choice of 17 new features for release in April, the Easter period, from the 11 majors, the majority of them in color and ideally suited to family audiences and the youngsters, who will be on vacation. Although this total is seven less than were released in the Easter period of 1962, it is two more than the 15 available in the low period for Easter 1961. VARIETY OF THEMES Among the pictures for this Easter are several with music or songs, headed by “Bye Bye Birdie,” the picturization of the Broadway hit; “I Could Go on Singing,” a Judy Garland drama with songs; “It Happened at the World’s Fair,” an Elvis Presley musical, and “My Six Loves,” in which Debbie Reynolds sings. All of these are in color as are: “Miracle of the White Stallions,” a Walt Disney picture filmed in Vienna; “Critic’s Choice,” a Bob Hope-Lucille Ball comedy from the Broadway hit; “The Birds,” Alfred Hitchcock’s latest thriller; “Nine Hours to Rama” and “The Ugly American,” dramas from bestselling novels, and "Come Fly With Me.” Even many of the black-and-white films are in the lighter vein, including Danny Kaye’s “The Man From the Diners’ Club” and the British-made “The Wrong Arm of the Law” and the musical “Play It Cool.” The others are “Erik the Conqueror,” “Dementia 13” and “Rififi in Tokyo.” "Landru” is the new Embassy foreign-language release. In addition, three two-a-day pictures, “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Mutiny on the Bounty” and “The Longest Day,” all of them nominated for Academy Awards in April, will be playing in major key cities. Of the 17 April releases, ten of them were filmed abroad, a smaller percentage than in recent months. LINEUP BY COMPANIES Broken down by companies, the April 1963 releases will be: ALLIED ARTISTS — “Play It Cool," a British musical with Helen Shapiro and Bobby Vee, this being AA's first release since "Billy Budd" in November 1962. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL — "Erik the Conqueror," made in Europe with Cameron Mitchell and Alice and Ellen Kessler, and "Dementia 13," starring William Campbell, Luana Anders and Mary Mitchell. BUENA VISTA — "Miracle of the White Stallions," a Walt Disney feature made in Vienna, starring Robert Toylor, Lilli Palmer, Curt Jurgens and Eddie Albert. COLUMBIA— "The Man From the Diners' Club," starring Danny Kaye, Cara Williams, Martha Hyer and Telly Savalas. t ,. CONTINENTAL — "The Wrong Arm of the Law," a British comedy starring Peter Sellers with Lionel Jeffries and Dennis Price. EMBASSY — "Landru," filmed in France, starring Michele Morgan, Danielle Darrieux, HHdegarde Neff and Charles Denner. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER — "It Happened at the World's Fair," in color, starring Elvis Presley with Joan HOLLYWOOD — An ambitious program for seeking, developing and encouraging fresh, new and young talent in motion picture production, direction, writing and acting was announced Wednesday (27) by Edward Muhl, vicepresident in charge of production for Universal. Under the “New Film Horizons” program, Muhl said, Universal has allocated a substantial budget for the production of a number of films in which the new talent will be given a chance to express itself, rather than in training programs. Emphasis, he said, will be on quality product, pictures of high caliber with budgets dependent upon individual picture needs. The range of subject matter will run the gamut from release in small, specialized, long-run theatres all the way to outstanding films that might play Radio City Music Hall, according to Muhl. It will augment Universal’s present schedule of top-level production, which O'Brien; "Come Fly With Me," filmed in Europe in color, starring Dolores Hart, Hugh O'Brian, Pamela Tiffin, Karl Boehm, Lois Nettleton and Karl Malden, and "Rififi in Tokyo," filmed in Japan with Karl Boehm, Charles Vanel and Barbara Lass. PARAMOUNT — "My Six Loves," in color, starring Debbie Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, David Janssen and Eileen Heckart. TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX— "Nine Hours to Rama/' filmed in India in color, starring Horst Buchholz, Jose Ferrer, Robert Morley and Diane Baker, and "Marilyn," composed of scenes from Miss Monroe's pictures, narrated by Rock Hudson. UNITED ARTISTS — "I Could Go on Singing," filmed in England in color by Stuart Millar and Lawrence Turman, starring Judy Garland and Dirk Bogarde with Jack Klugman and Aline McMahon. UNIVERSAL — "The Birds," produced by Alfred Hitchcock in color, starring Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette and introducing Tippi Hedren, and "The Ugly American," filmed partly in Asia in color, starring Marlon Brando with Sandra Church, Pat Hingle and Eiji Okada. WARNER BROS. — "Critic's Choice," in color, starring Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Rip Torn and Marilyn Maxwell with Jessie Royce Landis. Among the independents, Ultra Pictures will have “Two Nights With Cleopatra,” Italian-made film starring Sophia Loren, Alberto Sordi and Ettore Manni, for April while Times Film will release “Mondo Cane,” the documentary feature in color. The former is dubbed into English while the other has English narration. also will be expanded to provide a maximum number of top pictures. The plan, Muhl continued, “is intended to serve among its purposes as an answer to the mounting demand by theatres throughout the world for suitable product; in reply to those critics contending that young American picture-makers have not kept pace with the recent ‘new wave’ or neo-realism school of producers abroad; to tackle in a concrete and practical manner the problem of development of major new picture-making talent behind the camera as well as performing artists, and to demonstrate anew Universal’s deep conviction as to the future of motion picturemaking in America.” An awareness of the program, he said, will reach many fine young talents now existing, but who are reportedly finding difficulty in interesting major studios in their projects or in obtaining financing for projects which they have developed. “Universal,” Muhl said, “welcomes and encourages the opportunity of reviewing such projects. It is looking forward to providing the advantages of its worldwide organization for such picture-making talents and their projects. We are eager to seek out embryonic talents of this kind whereever they may be, in all fields.” Film Exchange Employes Get $4 Weekly Pay Hike NEW YORK — Richard F. Walsh, IATSE president, this week announced a new agreement providing film exchange employes in the U. S. with a $4 weekly wage increase and a 75 -cent boost in employer payments to the pension fund, retroactive to last December 1. Total basic pension contribution now is $3.75 per week. The agreement is for two years, ending Nov. 30, 1964. In addition, the film companies agreed to furnish a plan covering hospitalization and surgical insurance for the individual employes. Annual vacations will be increased from two to three weeks for employes completing 12 years of service with a distributor. Previously, the third week was granted after 13 years. A past restriction of the vacation period to specified months has been eliminated. Under the new contract, severance allowance was raised to 14 weeks pay after 26 years of service. Previously, it was 13 weeks pay after 24 years. Edward Muhl 4 BOXOFFICE :: April 1, 1963