Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Zanuck Tells Why He Fired Mankiewicz 21st Century' Campaign Shown on 'Gomorrah' Charles Einfeld, 20th Century-Fox vice-president, left; Abe Dickstein, division sales head, and Robert Conn, general sales manager, discuss with New York exhibitors the promotion campaign for “Sodom and Gomorrah.’’ NEW YORK — The hassle between Dairyl F. Zanuck, president of 20th Century-Fox, and Joseph Mankiewicz, director of “Cleopatra,” over the editing of the picture came into the open on October 26 when Zanuck called a press conference at the home office to explain his side of the controversy. Zanuck read portions of letters exchanged between the director and himself, the indications being that Mankiewicz wanted to edit the picture. Zanuck described the pictm-e, which he had seen in a rough cut, as being superb but that it needed certain “bridges” to tighten the continuity. He said that he had dismissed the director from the picture on the grounds that, in the delivered form, the pictui’e was not acceptable but that Mankiewicz had wanted control. (In a statement to the New York Times from Paris, Mankiewicz was quoted as saying he had not wanted control but desired the opportunity to complete the first editing job.) Zanuck said he owed it to the company and stockholders to protect the $35,000,000 investment in the picture. The money in the picture, he said, was borrowed from banks and the interest alone amounted to $7,000 a day. He said another $2,000,000 probably would be needed for completion of cutting, editing, scoring, prints and advertising. Asked if he thought the film would recoup its costs, Zanuck said he was sure of it but that it might take a span of years. He pointed to his own film, “The Longest Day,” which cost more than $10,000,000. He said at the present rate of business it was doing, the costs would be returned in six months, Zanuck admitted that he had “inherited” “Cleopatra” when he was named president of 20th-Fox and had nothing to do with its production. Now, as president, he felt the investment must be protected with proper editing and cutting. He said he had left the door open by offering to consult with Mankiewicz on the points of differences. William Self Replaces Levathes at 20th-Fox NEW YORK — Peter Levathes’ contract with 20th Century-Fox has been settled and he stepped out of the company last week. His post as director of all 20th-Fox television activities has been filled with the appointment of William Self, a television producer. Levathes served as production head of the company until Darryl F. Zanuck became president. Levathes then returned to his former position as television chief. Self was producer of the Schlitz Playhouse of Stars for four years and producer of the Frank Sinatra show for one year. He was executive producer of the CBS Network for two years and director of program administration for the network. In line with Zanuck’s plan to step up the company’s television activities, conferences were held during the week in New York with Richard Zanuck, the studio representative; Vincent Shennan, Hal Kanter and Paul Monash, three producers now actively engaged in expanding TV production at the studio. NEW YORK — Twentieth Century-Fox has its $1,000,000 advertising and promotion campaign on “Sodom and Gomorrah” ready three full months prior to the release of the picture, Charles Einfeld, vice-president, told the metropolitan area exhibitors who attended a special merchandising meeting at the home office Monday ( 29 ) . This will be a “21st Century” national campaign aimed at the local level and is the “first new-concept campaign” under the Darryl F. Zanuck regime, with each precinct or area to be covered by a thorough job and selling “your own local patronage,” Einfeld said. “We can no longer afford to put you in a position where we rush a print from the studio and put it on the screen two days later,” Einfeld stressed. The picture will not begin its first dates before January 25, he said. Einfeld’s presentation of the “Sodom and Gomorrah” campaign showed that there are 203 metropolitan areas in the U.S. with 34,858,000 households and that each household should be multiplied by four to determine the potential patronage — approximately 120,000,000 people. As an example, in the Sunday supplements, there are 4,377,755 households who receive This Week; 15,001,198 who receive Sunday and 3,791,321 who receive American Weekly, all of which will have full-page color ads on “Sodom and Gomorrah” with local play dates and theatre. These are in addition to independent supplements in individual towns. In addition, there will be full-page color ads in evei-y fan magazine with a total circulation of 5,027,566 households and the picture will be plugged for the first time in special audience magazines, those that cater particularly to men. These reach 4,068,262 households, according to Einfeld. Two other promotion devices are RCA Victor soundtrack albums, which will have a heavy “push” and receive big radio exposure, and the paperback edition of the film, for which 1,500,000 copies have already been ordered. Another “first” for “Sodom and Gomorrah” will be the placement, in many newspapers, of two-page advertising spreads, plus full-page ads. Twentieth-Fox will utilize the “Tonight” show over the NBC’TV network, which will feature “spots” on five consecutive evenings, to reach a total of 23,544,000 households via 168 stations. Einfeld also mentioned continuing breaks via nationally syndicated columns by Leonard Lyons, Earl Wilson and Sheila Graham. Einfeld concluded his presentation by saying that “Sodom and Gomorrah” will have more than one billion, 176 million impressions in the United States by the time the picture is released in January. Robert L. Conn, domestic sales chief, and Abe Dickstein, eastern division manager, were also present at the seminar. Among the circuits and theatres represented were RKO, Fabian, Interboro, Triangle Theatre Service, Century, Randforce, Stanley Warner, Skouras, Brandt, Columbia Amusement Co., Hecht Theatres, Garden Theatre, Paterson; Ritz Theatre, Newburgh; Colonial, Poughkeepsie, and Adams Theatre, Newark. Dickstein is conducting a series of advertising and merchandising seminars on “Sodom and Gomorrah” in eight of his territories. Another was held in Cincinnati Tuesday (30), then one in Indianapolis Wednesday (31), another in Detroit November 1 and one in Cleveland Friday (2). Next week, Dickstein will go to Boston, then to Philadelphia (7), Pittsburgh November 8 and Washington November 9. Eventually every branch in the country will be covered by one of these seminars. BOXOFFICE :: November 5. 1962 11