Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1961)

Buena Vista Schedules Seven '62 Releases NEW YORK — Buena Vista’s seventh anniversary year will see the release of seven Walt Disney features for 1962, including the rerelease of “Pinocchio,” this being the same number as the seven new Disney features released during 1961, starting with the Christmas-New Year’s release of “Swiss Family Robinson.” The plans were revealed by Irving H. Ludwig, president and general sales manager, at the close of a four-day national sales convention at the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank attended by theatre executives and branch managers. The Buena Vista Christmas-New Year’s release this year will be Disney’s first liveaction musical, “Babes in Toyland,” based on the Victor Herbert work, starring Ray Bolger, Tommy Sands, Annette and Ed Wynn, which will have its first holiday date at Radio City Music Hall, starting in mid-December. “Moon Pilot,” a farce about the space age, will be released in the February-April period, starring Tom Tryon, Brian Keith and Edmond O’Brien, with Dany Saval featured. “Pinocchio,” the all-cartoon feature first released in 1940 by RKO, will be rereleased by Buena Vista for the Easter holidays. “Bon Voyage,” Disney’s Technicolor version of the Joseph and Marrijane Hayes’ comic novel, starring Fred MacMurray, Jane Wyman, Deborah Walley, Michael Callan, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran, will be Buena Vista’s June release while “Big Red,” photographed in the Canadian wilds with Walter Pidgeon and Emile Genest starred, will be released in July. Buena Vista’s September-October release will be “The Legend of Lobo,” a fulllength adventure feature in “The Living Desert” tradition, while the release for Christmas 1962 will be “The Castaways,” in Technicolor, based on Jules Verne’s story, “Captain Grant’s Children,” starring Maurice Chevalier, Hayley Mills and George Sanders, now being filmed in England on a $5,000,000 budget. At the meetings were BV treasurer Louis E. Gaudreau, eastern division manager James V. O’Gara, western division manager Jesse Chinich, and advertising and publicity director Charles Levy. Others were Howard Hein, Bob Dorfman, Leo Greenfield, John Boone, Frank Petraglia, Emmet Cahsman, Gil Pearlman, Joseph Laub, Charles Raffaniello, John Durkin, Mike Hertz, Mike Poller, John Powers, Anthony Farinacci, Vito Sperti and Jack de Waal. Two Features Announced For Sutton Release LOS ANGELES — Budd Rogers, president of Sutton Pictures Corp., has announced that his company will release “Wild Harvest” and “Out of the Tiger’s Mouth.” “Harvest” was produced by Aubrey Schenck and directed by Jerry Baerwitz from an adaptation by Sid Harris of Stephen Longstreet’s novel. “Tiger’s Mouth,” shot in Hong Kong, was partially financed by Sutton and is from an original screenplay by Wesley Ruggles jr. and Tim Whelan jr. Hoosier Promotion Plan Test in 70 Theatres INDIANAPOLIS — The “Hoosier Plan,” organized with the enthusiastic approval and cooperation of Indiana exhibitors and distributors alike, is getting its first thorough testing during the Nov. 1-20 period as Columbia’s “The Devil at 4 O’clock” is shown in 70 theatres throughout the state, backed by a $20,000 advertising and promotion campaign financed by all of these theatres. The plan, described by its organizers as a new concept in the exhibiting and merchandising of motion pictures, provides for simultaneous showing in theatres throughout Indiana of a film selected and approved by a representative group of motion picture theatre owners and managers, thus enabling citizens of the smallest communities in the state to see an outstanding motion picture at the same time it is being shown in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. To increase effectiveness of the above plan, hundreds of man hours are being put in by theatre owners and managers working in their home communities to promote the plan with their local merchants and advertising media to make the saturation complete in every corner of the state. A seal has been approved by the sponsoring group for the purpose of identifying the films selected to be shown under INDIANA STATE WIDE PREMIERE \c^ ENJOY YOUR ENTERTAINMENT ■ //,. AT YOUR FAVORITE THEATER ^4, PICTURE THEMt^ # this plan. This seal will be used only on films handled in this manner and it will be “a guarantee of the finest in motion picture family entertainment.” The group appointed by the exhibitors to screen films for the program is composed of Rex Carr, buyer for Y&W Theatres, Pete Panagos, Alliance Theatres, and Robert V. Jones, president of Affiliated Theatres. “We envision future use of this type campaign, with some improvements on possibly ten pictures a year from various distributing companies,” said Jones. “The Seal of Approval will only be used on such pictures that are of outstanding quality suitable for family entertainment.” The bulk of the budget for “The Devil at 4 O’clock” promotion was allotted for time on seven area television stations costing $3,226, plus $200 for TV news listings. Radio received $3,500 of the budget, $3,000 being allotted to 40 stations which broadcast an average of 30 spots at $2.50 each, and an extra $500 for local stations use. Small town Indiana theatres backed the “Devil” campaign with 5,600 inches of advertising in their local newspapers at an estimated $1 per inch, while news paper advertising in Indianapolis alone cost $3,000, raising the state newspaper advertising budget to a total of $8,600 for “The Devil at 4 O’Clock” promotion. Inauguration of the plan was preceded by an exhibitors’ meeting at the Columbia Club here to acquaint the press, radio and television with details of the initial saturation and long-term phases of the plan. Marc J. Wolf, president of Y&W Theatres, presided, and other industry figures attending included Ervin Clumb, general manager of Greater Indianapolis Amusement Co.; M. L. Devaney, Columbia exchange manager; Carr and Jones. William Castle, in town to promote his picture, “Mr. Sardonicus,” was a guest at the head table and was most enthusiastic about the Hoosier Plan. Astor Sales Executives On Nationwide Tour NEW YORK — All Astor sales executives are participating in a nationwide sales program to stress “La Dolce Vita” and “Rocco and His Brothers,” as well as the recently acquired British film, “Peeping Tom,” according to George Josephs, vicepresident in charge of sales. On Wednesday (1), Harry Goldstone, general sales manager; Ernie Sands, assistant general sales head, and Sam Sigman, assistant to Josephs, left on a twoweek tour to conduct sale meetings with all of the company’s sub-distributors and exhibitors. Goldstone will cover the southeast, south and southwest territory; Sands will cover the midwest and Sigman the middle Atlantic and northeastern states. Josephs plans to include a trip to the west coast early in November. Parallel to Distribute Film Made by Walter Brennan Jr. HOLLYWOOD — James J. Cassity, president, and Sam Nathanson, general sales manager of Parallel Film Distributors, have completed a deal with Walter Brennan jr. for their new picture, “Shootout at Big Sag,” which toplines Walter Brennan, supported by Luana Patten, Leif Erickson and Constance Ford. The film was produced by Brennan jr. and Serai B. Isaacs, dii’ected by Roger Kay and written by Walt Colburn. Release date is set for December 15. P.F.D. has worldwide distribution rights. Marchese Named Assistant To Milton Cohen at UA NEW YORK— Bill Marchese has been appointed assistant to Milton E. Cohen, national director of roadshow sales for United Artists, by James R. Velde, vicepresident in charge of domestic sales. Marchese foi’merly was sales and contract manager for United Artists’ eastern and Canadian division. He joined UA in 1958 as assistant to Cohen. BOXOFFICE :: November 6, 1961 15