Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Telemeter's Progress Reported by Minsky NEW YORK — At his first meeting with the press since becoming president of International Telemeter Corp., Howard Minsky said that while the pay television system in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke had been a losing proposition insofar as money was conc e r n e d. Telemeter had proven to be an electronic success, as well as a success in its service to subscribers. The medium has been thoroughly tested in Canada, Minsky said, and plans are under way for its introduction in three southwestern cities. Minsky pointed out that an investment group already was laying the groundwork for the establishment of Telemeter on a large scale in this countiT because its members felt that Telemeter represented a new spectrum in show business. Whenever something new comes along, Minsky said, there is always somebody who tries to halt its progress by claiming that it won’t last. When sound pictures were introduced, many exhibitors, and distributors, too, insisted that they were a fad that never would replace the silent screen. That was true, again, when Cinemascope was unveiled, he said. Now, people within the industry are saying the same things about pay television, Minsky stated, failing to see its potentials as a new concept in entertainment. Everything that was promised to Telemeter subscribers in Canada has been delivered, Minsky said, and the interest in the medium is growing. Closed circuit television, also, is making steady progress and its worth was proved recently when the Fullmer -Tiger middleweight fight was telecast. He said he saw the fight in the Academy of Music on 14th Street, on a night which ordinarily would have returned a $500 gross; instead, the theatre had a capacity audience which had paid $12,200 to watch the fight on the big screen. Telemeter soon will be in operation in England and France, Minsky said. In England, the wire system will be used, but in France programs will be received over the air, a method with which Telemeter is compatible. Minsky said the over-the-air system had been tested in California successfully— and in color. But there are no plans to use the air method in this country. In Canada, Telemeter sports programs have been offered day-and-date with the College Theatre in Toronto. Subsequent run features aLso play day-and-date with theatres in the area, which means that the “marriage” of Telemeter and theatres has been completed. James Darren to Visit Six Cities HOLLYWOOD — James Darren has been set for a six-city eastern personal appearance tour for Columbia’s “Diamond Head” in which he costars with Charlton Heston. Darien’s first stop will be Syracuse, N.Y. Novem’oer 15. Victoria Films Releasing Program of 4 Pictures NEW YORK — Victoria Films, which was formed a year ago to release a program of English-language pictures through Times Film Corp., which specializes in foreignlanguage product, has set a program of four releases, according to Felix Bilgrey, attorney and vice-president. Jean Goldwurm heads Times Film and Iiwing Sochin is general sales director. With Victoria’s first release, “Wild for Kicks,” British film starring David Farrar and Noelle Adam, expected to play in well over 4,000 theatres as a result of 1,500 mass bookings and drive-ins to date, the new releases will be: “Pagan Hellcat,” filmed in Tahiti by Umberto Bonsignore, starring 'Tumata Teuiau and with English narration by Paulette Girard; “The Diving Girls’ Island,” filmed in Japan by Marion Gering and Robert de Leonardis, starring Kazuko Mine, an English-language film based on the best-selling books, “Meeting With Japan” and “Hekura the Island of the Fisherwomen,” by Fosco Maraini; “Travelling Light,” an English natm-ist film produced by Michael Keatering Productions, starring Elizabeth and naturists from America, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Scandinavia and Italy, and “Black Autumn,” a murder-mystery produced by Del Tenney, starring Lee Philips, Sheppard Strudwick, Jean Hale, Dick Van Patten, Sylvia Miles and Day Tuttle, all Broadway and TV actors. New Youngstein Company Starts Its Operations NEW YORK — The new company, eventually to be known as Entertainment Corp. of America and formed by Max E. Youngstein, Jerome Pickman and Charles Simonelli, will start operations formally today (Monday). The organization now is known as Television Industries, Inc., and the change will be subject to approval by the stockholders. Youngstein’s resignation as executive vice-president of Cinerama, Inc., became effective last week and he has taken over as president of the new group. Pickman, formerly vice-president of Paramount, has been designated as executive vice-president. Simonelli, now executive assistant to Milton Rackmil, president of Universal, will join the company late in November as vicepresident. The company will operate in all phases of the entertainment field, but its activities primarily will be in packaging, production and distribution of theatrical motion pictures. Bernard Mack Re-Elected President of Filmack CHICAGO — Bernard Mack was reelected president of the Filmack Corp. at the annual stockholders and board of directors meeting held October 18 in Chicago. Other Filmack officers include: Joseph Mack, vice-president; Donald Mack, vicepresident and treasurer, and Vi Dane, secretary. Irving Mack will continue as chairman of the board, and Charles King and Morry Silver will continue as board members. Para. Upsurge Seen By Boasberg in N.Y. NEW YORK — Charles Boasberg, vicepresident and general sales manager of Paramount, predicts that the year ahead will be “one of pronounced business upsurge for the company and its customers,” he told the regional sales meeting which concluded here Tuesday (30). Similar meetings were scheduled for New Orleans Thursday (Nov. 1) and in Chicago and San Francisco early in November. George Weltner, executive vice-president, told the assembled regional sales managers, branch managers and home office executives that he was greatly impressed by the planning and preparation that produced the sales policies and patterns discussed at the meetings. The pictures mentioned by Boasberg included Hal Wallis’ “Girls! Girls! Girls!” Jerry Lewis’ “It’s Only Money,” Jack Rose’s “Who’s Got the Action?’ and “Wonderful to Be Young,” all to be released in November and December, as well as Hal Wallis’ “A Girl Named Tamiko,” Jack Rose’s “Papa’s Delicate Condition,” TandemEssex’s “Come Blow Your Horn,” Gant Gaither’s “My Six Loves,” “Hud Bannon,” Quine-Axekod’s “Paris When It Sizzles” and John Ford’s “Donovan’s Reef,” all of them completed for 1963. Others to come include Hal Wallis’ “First Wife,” Jerry Lewis’ “The Nutty Professor,” Wallis’ “Becket,” David Susskind’s “All the Way Home,” Mel Shavelson’s “Samantha,” Joseph E. Levine’s “The Carpetbaggers” and Samuel Bronston’s “Circus,” all of them shooting or preparing. Fellerman Succeeds Sands As Astor Sales Manager NEW YORK — Harry Fellerman has been named to the post of general sales manager of Astor Pictures, succeeding Ernest Sands, who resigned to become general sales head of Allied Artists, according to George F. Foley, president of Astor. Foley also denied that L. Douglas Netter jr., executive vice-president in charge of sales, is leaving Astor. Netter has a longterm contract which still has a considerable time to run, Foley said. He is cm'rently engaged in supervising and editing the national sales of Orson Welles’ “The Trial,” which will open in the U. S. before the end of 1962 but, before he joined Astor, Netter had agreed to launch several special films, which he is doing on a short-term basis. Fellerman, who broke into the film industry as a booker for Universal 24 years ago, joined Astor last June as manager of the company’s New York branch. Prior to that, he was with U-I in a variety of key sales posts, including head of the company’s special films division. He seiwed as a special representative for J. A. Rank in 1946 and became sales manager for Universal’s New York branch in 1950 and branch manager in 1958. Howard Minsky 14 BOXOmCE :: November 5, 1962