Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

BETWEEN THE LINES = -By AL STEEN On Being Typed J^OGER LEWIS found it was not easy to jump from creative advertising and promotion to film producing creativity. Lewis, former ad-publicity chief of United Artists, is doing what he has wanted to do for a long time — become a producer. And he, with Philip Langner, has embarked on his first venture, “The Pawnbroker,” now before the cameras in New York as an Ely Landau production. Not only performers face the danger of being typed, Lewis told us this week. He said that when he and Langner started out to set the ground work for their production, he found that he, too, had been categorized. In essence, he was told: “You’re an advertising man. What do you know about production?” A couple of major companies, however, had shown interest in the property but they wanted to make so many changes that the basic principles of the deeply moving story would have been corrupted, he said. Lewis said he had a problem in “breaking the label,” meaning his own identification with the industry. It’s easier for an outsider with no association with the film business to come in as a producer, he added. Landau was the only one who was willing to back the production without changes, Lewis said. In surrounding himself with creative people, including director Sidney Lumet, Lewis found they were willing to make certain sacrifices because they believed in the project, that they were responsive to a non-conventional picture and looked upon it as not just another commercial film. Lewis said he had had headaches and suffered “birth pains” in getting the picture rolling, but at last he has shaken off the identification of being only an ad man. He will be active in the picture’s promotion, however. • More Family Films? As WAS noted in the last issue of The Green Sheet, only one picture was given a “GA” rating, meaning suitable for general audiences: in other words, for family. In England, a similar trend has been noted over the last two years but the pendulum now appears to be swinging the other way. Sir John Trevelyan, secretary of the British Board of Censors, was in New York last week and was the guest at an informal luncheon meeting with officials of the Motion Picture Ass’n. Sir John told the MPAA toppers that the number of “X” certificates in England had increased during the last 24 months; that is, until recently. The classification “X” in Britain means that a picture so tagged cannot be shown to children; an “A” designation means a picture is for adults only and a “U” tag means universal, or suitable for all. As many as eight pictures out of ten reviewed had been given adult ratings by the British censors, Sir John said, and exhibitors were getting a bit tired of them. There were just too many of them, he stated. He noted, however, that currently there were fewer “X” films. While the last Green Sheet had only one “GA” picture, it was reported that here, too, the trend would swing the other way in the next issue, with the “GAs” outnumbering the “As.” This was regarded as a healthy sign, with a swing back to family pictures, much needed on the exhibitors’ program menus. • A Product Victim JHE DEARTH of pictures of the long-run caliber is such that the Criterion Theatre on Broadway is going to shut down on October 20 for a little more than three weeks on the premise that it is better to stay dark than to operate with a picture that conceivably could turn in a loss. “Lawrence of Arabia” will end a 44-week run on a two-a-day basis on that date at the Criterion which will remain shuttered until November 13 when it will reopen with 20th Century-Fox’s “Take Her, She’s Mine.” The Christmas picture at the theatre will be Columbia’s Carl Foreman production, “The Victors.” The go-dark policy appears to be an indication that forecasts of a small quantity of quality pictures this fall have materialized. The theatre has closed before for renovation purposes, but this is said to be the first time that house, or any other in New York, has stopped operating because of a lack of suitable product, or the inability to acquire any. With the bowing out of “Lawrence of Arabia,” the only two two-a-day films will be on display on Broadway: “How the West Was Won” at the Cinerama and “Cleopatra” at the Rivoli. However, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” will bow at the Warner on November 17 and “The Cardinal” will open at the DeMille on December 17, both on a two-a-day policy. • 'A Kiss Bestowed' 'J'HE rejection by Darryl Zanuck of the “man of the year” award by Associated Motion Picture Advertisers was handled diplomatically by Mel Gold, Ampa president, at the recent awards luncheon. In announcing that Zanuck had informed him that he thought one award a year was sufficient, Gold said that “a kiss once bestowed cannot be taken back.” And so the award will go into the Ampa archives. Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Act of October 23, 1962: Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code) 1. Date of filing: Oct. 8, 1963. 2. Title of publication: BOXOFFICE. 3. Frequency of issue: Weekly. 4. Location of known office of publication (Street, county, state, zip cade): 4804 East 9th St., Kansas City, Missouri, 64124. 5. Location of headquarters or general business offices of the publishers (not printers), 825 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64124. 6. Names and addresses of publisher, and managing editor: Publisher and Editor, Ben Shlyen, Kansas City, Mo. Managing Editor: Jesse Shlyen, Kansas City, Mo. 7. Owner: Associated Publications, Inc., 825 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64124. Names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1% or more of total amount of stock are: Ben Shlyen, Kansas City, Mo., and Clara Shlyen, Kansas City, Mo. 6. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities (If there are; so state). None. 10. This item must be completed for all publications except those which do not carry advertising other than the publisher's own and which are named in section 132.231, 132,232, and 132.233, postal manual (Sections 4355a, 4355b, and 4356 of Title 39, United States Code.) Average No. Single Cepies each issue issue during nearest preceding to filing 12 mon. date A. Total No. copies printed (net press runs) 18,455 18,243 B. Paid circulation: 1. To subscribers by mail carrier delivery or by other means and 2. Sales through agents, news dealers or otherwise 17,330 17,245 C. Free Distribution (including samples) by mail, carrier delivery or by other means 1,125 998 D. Total No. of copies distributed 18,455 18,243 I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. (Signature of editor, publisher, business manager or owner) MORRIS SCHLOZMAN, Business Manager. Embassy Films Completed In Rome and Moscow NEW YORK — Principal photography on two forthcoming Joseph E. Levine releases have been completed in Rome and Moscow, respectively, according to word received at the Embassy Pictures home office. “Italiani, Brava Gente,” the first American-Italian-Russian co-production to be entirely filmed in Russia, was directed by Giuseppe De Santis for Galatea Films with Peter Falk and Arthur Kennedy, American actors, heading the cast including Italy’s Raffaele Pisu and Andrea Checchi, and Russia’s Tatiana Samilova. “The Empty Canvas,” a Levine-Ponti coproduction directed by Damiano Damiani, completed 12 weeks of filming in Rome with Bette Davis and Horst Buchholz starred and Catherine Spaak, Daniela Rocca, Isa Miranda, Lea Padovani and Georges Wilson among the Italian and French actors featured. The film is based on Alberto Moravia’s novel. De Laurentiis to Promote His Films From New York NEW YORK — Dino De Laurentiis, who is currently producing “The Bible” in Italy, has opened New York offices at 717 Fifth Ave. to serve as headquarters for the promotion of this and his other films in the U.S. and Canada. The other films include “The Devil,” starring Alberto Sordi, to be distributed by Continental, “Mafioso” and “The Trial of Verona.” Ralph Serpe, business representative for De Laurentiis, will be in charge of the New York operation and Arthur Manson is director of publicity and advertising for the U.S. and Canada. 10 BOXOFFICE :: October 14, 1963