Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1963)

Top Golden Globe Won by 'Lawrence' HOLLYWOOD— The Hollywood motion picture press representatives of worldwide newspapers covering a daily readership of 600 million people chose “Lawi’ence of Arabia” as their top trophy winner at the Hollywood Foreign Press Ass’n Golden Globe awards program at the Ambassador Hotel Tuesday night (5). “The Music Man” and “That Touch of Mink” won the kudos for best musical and best comedy, respectively, with “To Kill a Mockingbird” getting a special award as the best motion picture promoting human understanding. Doris Day, top feminine star in Boxoffice’s All-American Favorites poll, and Rock Hudson, were named world film favorites. “Sundays and Cybele” was honored with the Samuel Goldwyn International Award for foreign pictures and “Divorce — Italian Style” won a Golden Globe. A silver globe went to “Best of Enemies.” Among the future stars honored were Patty Duke, Keir Dullea, Sue Lyon, Omar Sharif, Terence Stamp, and Rita Tushingham. Geraldine Page was honored as best actress, drama, and Rosalind Russell for best actress, comedy or musical; Angela Lansbury was voted best supporting actress. Producers Guild Cites 'Lawrence' Top Film HOLLYWOOD — In addition to the Milestone Award presented to Irving Berlin, the Screen Producers Guild Sunday night (3) made the following citations: “Lawrence of Arabia,” produced by Sam Spiegel, for Columbia release, best-produced motion picture; The Defenders, produced by Robert Markell, best-produced TV series. The Jesse L. Lasky Intercollegiate Competition was won by Northwestern University’s “Kali Nihta Socrates” (Good Night, Socrates) . Stuart Hagemann, one of the producers who also directed as well as collaborated on the photography, script and sound, accepted the award. In attendance was a record crowd, including four past recipients of the award: Samuel Goldwyn, Jack L. Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck and Adolph Zukor. A highlight of the 11th annual awards ceremony was the reunion of composer Berlin with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Arthur Freed was the chairman of the event, assisted by Frank P. Rosenberg, George Glass, Howard W. Koch, Aubrey Schenck, David Weisbart, Stuart Reynolds and Judd Bernard. Sam Spiegel, David Leon Honored in Washington WASHINGTON, D.C. — Producer Sam Spiegel and director David Lean in Washington for the opening of their production “Lawrence of Arabia,” received a glowing tribute for their achievement from Senators Henry Jackson (Wash.) and Clair Engel (Calif.) at a private luncheon in their honor on Capitol Hill. Also honored at the special affair held in the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (Mont.) were A. Schneider, president of Columbia Pictures, distributor of the film, and Leo Jaffe, executive vice-president. French Exhibitors Sue Over Film TV Showings Paris — The National Federation of French Cinemas this week filed a 100million franc ($50 million) damage suit against the government -operated television channel for showing feature motion pictures. The suit asks that the television channel be compelled to exhibit only films made especially for TV, and it charged that French theatres could not compete when a motion picture is shown free on television. MPAA Coordinating Group To Support TOA Slogan NEW YORK — The publicity coordinating group of the MPAA advertising and publicity directors committee, under the chairmanship of Paul Kamey, met in the MPAA board room March 1 to discuss plans to support the Theatre Owners of America suggested slogan: “Tonight’s the night to go out to a movie!” as well as a campaign to back up the sale of Academy Award promotion kits to exhibitors and to develop continuous support in the press and radio-TV for the April 8 Academy Awards telecast. Among the suggestions presented by the committee to promote the new slogan were: a 4x8 snipe to be used on all existing industry advertising space, on doors, on car bumpers and wherever exhibitors can effectively spot them in their community, and a promotion kit to be prepared jointly by MPAA and TOA that would contain, in addition to news stories and exhibitor tieins, a series of cartoons for newspaper reproductions built around the slogan. The committee emphasized that, if the slogan to be promoted is to succeed, it must be supported by all exhibitor groups, including National Allied. Mike Simons Is Dead; MGM Exhibitor Contact McCOMB, MISS. — Mike Simons, 61, for many years MGM’s director of exhibitor relations, died of a heart attack March 2 at his home here. Simons was known to hundreds of theatre managers throughout the nation, having for a long time conducted MGM’s Showmanship Seminars. He was with Ted Solomon Theatres in the New Orleans area at the time of his death. He joined MGM at Indianapolis in 1928 and was transferred to Milwaukee and Memphis. He formerly was editor of The Distributor, MGM house organ, and was vice-president of Sindlinger & Co. In 1958 he was with Filmack Trailers as advertising and publicity manager. Simons is survived by his wife, Mrs. Eleanor Simons, and by his daughter, Nancy, of Westchester, N.Y. Funeral services were at the family home in Paris, 111. Benjamin Heads U.S. Committee for U.N. NEW YORK — Robert S. Benjamin, chairman of the board of United Artists, has agreed to serve for a third successive year as national chairman of the United States Committee for the United Nations. President Kennedy expressed his great satisfaction with Benjamin’s decision to continue in the post, stating: “The United States Committee, under your leadership, has done an unsurpassed job of keeping public opinion informed and responsible.” In addition to his chairmanship of the U. S. Committee for the UN, Benjamin is also director of the National Board of the American Ass’n for the United Nations and a member of the executive committee of the Citizens’ Committee for International Development. He is a senior member of the New York law firm of Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim and Ballon. President John F. Kennedy congratulates Robert S. Benjamin, chairman of the board of United Artists, upon his appointment to the post of national chairman of the United States Committee for the United Nations for the third consecutive year. Wyler Quits 20th-Fox Board To Do 'Sound of Music' HOLLYWOOD— William Wyler has been signed by 20th-Fox to produce and direct the filmization of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s legitimate musical hit, “Sound of Music.” Simultaneously with the acceptance of the assignment, Wyler resigned his 20thFox board post with the studio because he feels that when a director enters the employ of a company other than as an officer, resignation is customary. The picture is being scripted by Ernest Lehman, with an October 1 starting date pencilled in. Most filming will be done at the studio, with some exteriors in Austria. Legion A-1 Rating to 'West' HOLLYWOOD — “How the West Was Won” has been awarded an A-1 classification by the Catholic Legion of Decency. With the organization’s highest rating, the MGM-Cinerama production received a special commendation reading, “This film is recommended to the patronage of the entire family as superior entertainment.” Mike Simons BOXOFFICE :: March 11, 1963 13