Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1963)

Memphis Police Controls Censorship of Films Rosenfield, Ferguson Promoted by Columbia NEW YORK — Jonas Rosenfield, vicepresident of Columbia Pictures in charge of advertising and publicity, has been promoted to the post of general executive officer and Robert S. Ferguson has been elevated from director of advertising, publicity and exploitation to executive in charge of worldwide activities of those departments. Leo Jaffe said the promotions represented a further step in the company’s plan to orient its operations to an independentproducer-based progi'am of quality productions. In further explaining the move, Jaffe, executive vice-president, said the needs of the business today required the individual packaging and marketing of each picture on a worldwide basis, from the moment of its acquisition, deep into its global release. He said this would be one of the major aspects of Rosenfield’s new managerial responsibilities. Rosenfield joined Columbia in 1955. Ferguson has been with the publicity department since 1940. Tromberg Quits Astor For New Embassy Post NEW YORK — Sheldon 'Tromberg has resigned as mideastern district manager for Astor Pictures to take the newly created post of east-central district manager of Embassy Pictures, according to Carl Peppercorn, general sales manager. In his new post, Tromberg will cover the Washington, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Indianapolis exchange areas. He will headquarter in Washington, D.C. He entered the industry with Republic Pictures and later was central district manager for J. Arthur Rank, and, subsequently, east-central division manager for Continental Distributing. Peppercorn has also named Glenn Fannin, an independent distributor in the Dallas area from 1959 to 1962, southwestern district manager, a newly created Embassy post. Fannin, who will handle the Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis territories, will headquarter in Dallas and report directly to James Frew, the company’s southern division manager. Before 1959, Fannin, who entered the film industry in 1928 with Dent Theatres, was southern division manager for National Telefilm Associates, southwest division for Distributors Corp. of America and southwest division manager for IFE. MEMPHIS — The Memphis vice squad has taken over the censorship of movies and armed police detectives now march into a theatre, confiscate the film, stop the show and arrest the manager. That is what happened at the Studio Theatre in Memphis Saturday night 'Dec. 29). And on Monday morning in city court. Judge Boushe upheld the detectives by holding William E. Kendall, manager, to the state for trial by a jury on a charge of exhibiting an obscene movie. French-made “I Spit on Yom’ Grave,” distributed by Audubon, had been showing at the Studio for fom' days before the detectives came. NOT STOPPED ELSEWHERE The film has shown in Nashville, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Little Rock, Atlanta and Biloxi, Miss., before it came to Memphis, William Goodman, attorney for the Studio, brought out after the court hearing. All are southern cities. “This capricious censorship has made Tennessee’s largest city (Memphis) look ridiculous in the eyes of the nation,” said attorney Goodman. “It upsets me to be out of step with the rest of the United States. This situation makes us look ridiculous.” It all started when the Memphis Board of Censors ordered the film screened for it before it opened. The board saw it and decided not to ban it. Later Mrs M. S. Hooker, board chairman, said: “Four of the seven board members considered it obscene.” The film opened. It did an average business for four nights. Then came Lts. L. E. Weaver and Joe Tucker of the police vice squad. They warned Kendall to stop the showing after that night. He checked with his New York boss, Saul Shiffrin, who told him not to withdraw the film. Next night the armed detectives returned. They saw the film. Then they stopped the show and confiscated the film, carrying it off with them to police headquarters. Around 200 persons saw the f'rst showing of the film. About $100 was refunded to patrons who had come for the second show and did not want to see the picture that was substituted for it, “Carry On, Constable.” MUST AWAIT STATE TRIAL In court Monday, attorney Goodman tried to get the case tried on its merits, but Judge Boushe held that the warrant charged the film was obscene and Lt. Wilson’s testimony that it was obscene was sufficient evidence to hold Kendall for state trial. “The city of Memphis is in effect on trial before the whole nation,” attorney Goodman told the court. “Well, in that case, I think it is much better for 12 men (a state jury) to hear this than just for myself — one man — to hear it.” Goodman then tried to recover the film. The judge ordered it held for state evidence. Confiscation of the film means it could not be circulated in other theatres and would mean a loss of money for Art Theatre Guild, New York, owner of the Studio Theatre, Goodman said. Goodman questioned the vice squad’s authority to confiscate the movie. “If they can seize this film, there is nothing in the world to keep them from going out and taking any film they don’t like.” He indicated, but did not say, he will seek to recover the film by further court action. Virginia Grants License To 'I Spit on Your Grave' NEW YORK— The Division of Motion Pictures of the State of Virginia has reversed its decision and granted a license to “I Spit on Your Grave,” according to Radley H. Metzger, director of Audubon Films, which is distributing the French picture in the U.S. Two other Audubon releases have new U.S. bookings, according to Ava Leighton, general sales manager. “Playtime,” produced in France by General Productions and directed by Francois Moreuil, which will open at the Fifth Avenue Cinema, New York, January 16. Jean Seberg is starred with Christian Marquand and Francoise Prevost is featured in the film, which was written by Francoise Sagan. Audubon’s “Sweet Ecstasy,” starring Elke Sommer, was the New Year’s holiday booking at the Krim Theatre, Detroit. Col. and Industry Outlook Good, Stockholders Told NEW YORK — Prospects for Columbia and the industry in general are bright and Columbia’s management is looking to a good year ahead. That was the message, in part, delivered to stockholders at their annual meeting by A. Schneider, president, and other executives. The meeting had the biggest turnout in several years and while some dissatisfaction was expressed over the substituting of stock dividends for cash dividends, there was an overall expression of confidence in management. A suggestion that a fund be established for the production of a series of low-budget pictures as a means of developing new talent was taken under advisement. 'Two “regulars” at stockholder meetings were present; namely, John Gilbert and Evelyn Y. Davis, often monopolizing the floor but getting courteous answers, although there was an occasional clash between Schneider and Gilbert. Prospects for the future were described as the best in six years, both for Columbia and the industry. SBA Loan to Mo. Drive-In WASHINGTON— The “39” Drive-In Theatre in Stockton, Mo., has been granted a $16,000 direct Small Business Administration loan. Robert S. Ferguson Jonas Rosenfield BOXOFFICE January 7, 1963 7