Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1963)

MAJORS LIST 34 NEW PICTURES FOR RELEASE IN JULY-AUGUST National General to Get Production Green Light New York — With the Department of Justice expressing no opposition to National General Corp. entering the production and distribution fields, Federal Judge Edmund L. Palmieri is expected to sign an order shortly giving the 219theatre circuit the green light to go ahead with its plans “as an experiment.” At a hearing before Judge Palmieri on a petition by National General for permission to engage in production and distribution, Maurice Silverman, attorney for the antitrust division, told the court that the government did not object to the bid but would require certain conditions. Under a three-year trial period, NGC would be restrained from negotiating licenses in which minimum prices were fixed and from making agreements with exhibitors for a system of clearances. NGC also would be prohibited from seeking pre-emptive rights to its pictures and must not grant clearances between theatres that are not in substantial competition. Franchise agreements and the conditioning of the sale of one picture upon the sale of one or more other pictures also would be forbidden. Both Silverman and Harold Lasser, counsel for NGC, cited the current product shortage as arguments in favor of the circuit’s petition. Lasser told the court that the burden would be on NGC to prove that there would be no restraint of trade nor any violations of the consent decrees. Silverman said the government would have the right to inspect the books and records of the NGC subsidiary which would engage in the production and distribution activities. The NGC circuit is comprised of the properties of National Theatres, the 20th Century-Fox group prior to the government’s antitrust suit and subsequent consent decrees. Judge Palmieri is expected to sign the order after NGC inserts the new conditions. Less Than in Summer Of 1962; Many Are For Family Trade By FRANK LEYENDECKER NEW YORK — Exhibitors will have a choice of 34 new pictures for release by the 12 major distributing companies for JulyAugust, the profitable summer period. These are in addition to the 22 June releases from the same companies, most of which will still be playing throughout the summer. SEVERAL INDEPENDENTS While the 34 new features for release during July and August are less than the 40 pictures released by these same companies during July-August 1962 and JulyAugust 1961, the current summer period will see new pictures from the independents, including Colorama’s “The Girl Hunters,” Janus’ “Sparrows Can’t Sing” and “Heavens Above,” Lopert’s “The Mouse on the Moon’ and “Buddha,” Davis-Royal’s “The L-Shaped Room” and Ultra’s “Two Nights With Cleopatra,” to make the total close to 40. All of these are either British or English-dubbed films. Among the outstanding summer releases especially aimed at the family trade are: “Summer Magic,” a Disney feature: “Gidget Goes to Rome,” “Tammy and the Doctor,” “Beach Party,” “Captain Sindbad,” “Donovan’s Reef,” “The Golden Arrow,” “A Gathering of Eagles,” “King Kong vs Godzilla” and “Spencer’s Mountain,” all action or adventure films in color. Also in color but for more adult appeal are “The Great Escape” and “Irma La Douce” from United Artists; “The Thrill of It All,” a Universal Doris Day comedy; “The Leopard” and “Of Love and Desire,” from 20th Century-Fox; “Women of the World” and “Threepenny Opera,” both filmed abroad; “Come Blow Your Horn,” a Frank Sinatra comedy; “A Ticklish Affair” and “The Natives Are Restless Tonight” and “The Terror,” a Boris Karloff horror film, all of these also in color. The black-and-white pictures with adult appeal include “Toys in the Attic” and “The Caretakers,” both United Artists releases; “The List of Adrian Messenger,” the general release of “The Longest Day,” “This Sporting Age” from Continental, and “Wall of Noise,” “Shock Corridor” and “The Traitors,” program pictures. FOREIGN-MADE FEATURES Again, a large part of this total for July and August were filmed in Europe although Hollywood-made pictures are showing a gradual increase. Filmed in England were “This Sporting Life,” “The Traitors,” “The Natives Are Restless Tonight” and the teenage musical, “Just for Fun,” in addition to the Lopert, Colorama, Janus and Davis-Royal pictures mentioned in the second paragraph. Made on the Continent, meaning France, Germany or Italy, were “Threepenny Opera,” “Gidget Goes to Rome,” “Captain Sindbad,” “The Leopard,” “The Golden Arrow,” “The Longest Day” and “The Great Escape,” while “King Kong vs Godzilla” was filmed in Japan and “Women of the World” was, literally, filmed all over the world. The lineup by companies will be: ALLIED ARTISTS — July: "Shock Corridor," starring Peter Breck, Constance Towers and Gene Evans; August: "The Gun Hawk," in color, starring Rory Calhoun, Rod Cameron and Ruta Lee. Samuel Bronston's "55 Days at Peking," in color and Super-Technirama-70, was the June release. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL — July: "The Terror," filmed in England in color, starring Boris Karloff with Sandra Knight; August: "Beach Party," in color, starring Robert Cummings, Janet Blair, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, and "The Haunted Palace," in color, starring Vincent Price, Debra Paget and Lon Chaney. AlP's June releases were "Dementia 13" and "Erik the Conqueror," filmed in Europe. BUENA VISTA — July: Walt Disney's "Summer Magic," in color, starring Hayley Mills, Burl Ives, Dorothy McGuire and Eddie Hodges. "Savage Sam" was a Walt Disney June release. COLUMBIA — July: "13 Frightened Girls," produced by William Castle in color, with Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor and Hugh Marlowe, and "Just for Fun," a British-made musical with Bobby Vee; August: "Gidget Goes to Rome," made in that city in color, starring James Darren, Cindy Carol and Jessie Royce Landis. "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Jason and the Argonauts," both in color, were Columbia's June releases. CONTINENTAL — -July: "This Sporting Life," made in England with Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts. "Your Shadow Is Mine," filmed in Indonesia in color, is the June release. EMBASSY — July: "Women of the World," a documentary filmed in various locales in color by Gualtiero Jacopetti; August: "Threepenny Opera," filmed in Germany in Eastman Color, starring Curt Jurgens, Hildegarde Neff, June Ritchie and Sammy Davis jr. Embassy's June releases were Federico Fellini's "8^/2" and "The Passionate Thief," filmed in Italy starring Anna Magnani, Ben Gazzara and Toto. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER — July: "Captain Sindbad," filmed in Germany in color, starring Guy Williams, Heidi Bruehl and Pedro Armendariz, "The Golden Arrow," filmed in Italy in color, starring Tab Hunter and Rossana Podesta and "A Ticklish Affair," in color, starring Shirley Jones, Red Buttons, Carolyn Jones and Gig Young; August: "The Natives Are Restless Tonight," made in England in color, starring Nancy Kwan with Dennis Price and John Fraser, and "The Young and the Brave," starring Rory Calhoun and William Bendix. MGM's June releases included "The Slave," "Cattle King," "Tarzan's Three Challenges" and "Flipper," all in color. PARAMOUNT — July: "Donovan's Reef," produced by John Ford in color, starring John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Elizabeth Allen, Cesar Romero and Dorothy Lamour; August: "Come Blow Your Horn," in color, starring Frank Sinatra, Lee J. Cobb, Molly Picon and Barbara Rush. Paramount's June releases were "The Nutty Professor" and "Dual of the Titans," both in color. TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX— July: The general release of "The Longest Day," Darryl F. Zanuck production with 40 stars, and "Harbor Lights," with Miriam Colon; August: "The Leopard," a Titanus production in color, filmed in Europe with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale starred, and "Of Love and Desire," filmed in Mexico in color, starring Merle Oberon, Curt Jurgens and Steve Cochran. June releases were "Marilyn" and "The Stripper" while "Cleopatra" opened its two-a-day engagement in New York June 12. UNITED ARTISTS — July: "The Great Escape," Mirisch Co. production in color, made in Europe with Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough and James Donald starred, and "Irma La Douce," Billy Wilder production in color, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine; August: "Toys in the Attic," a Walter Mirisch production, starring Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, Wendy Hiller, Gene Tierney and Yvette Mimieux, and "The Caretakers," a Hall Bartlett production, starring Polly Bergen, Robert Stack, Joan Crawford and Janis Paige. UA's June releases were "Call Me Bwana" and "Amazons of Rome," both in color. UNIVERSAL — July: "A Gathering of Eagles," in color, starring Rock Hudson, Rod Taylor, Mary Peach and Barry Sullivan; "The List of Adrian Messenger," starring Kirk Douglas, Dana Wynter, Clive Brook and Gladys Cooper, and "King Kong vs Godzilla," filmed in Japan in color; August: "The Thrill of It All," in color, starring Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis and Elliot Reid, and "The Traitors," a British drama with Patrick Allen and Jacqueline Ellis. June releases were "Tammy and the Doctor" and "Lancelot and Guinevere," both in color. WARNER BROS. — July: "Spencer's Mountain," in color, starring Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, James MacArthur and Donald Crisp, and "PT 109," in color, starring Cliff Robertson with Ty Hardin and James Gregory. June release was "Black Gold." BOXOFFICE :: June 24, 1963 5