Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

CONVENTION SIDELIGHTS By AL STEEN ^ RENDEZVOUS of the Allied convention was the National Screen Service hospitality room where the latest accessories were on display, along with bottomless bottles, pretty hostesses and cordial greeters in the person of the Robbins brothers, Mel Gold, Roger Ferri, Paula Frasier and others. They will all be there this week, too, for the TOA convention. * * * When Jack Armstrong, Allied president, introduced Marshall Fine who gave the keynote address, Jack poured on the adjectives in praise of Marshall’s ability and personality. In taking a bow, Marshall said, “Thanks, Jack, you said it all just as I wrote it for you.” * * * The MPAA’s welcoming dinner Monday night was a gala affair, with executives of the member companies on hand. At the preceding cocktail party, one man was heard to say, “I don’t understand it. I don’t recognize a single doctor here.” It seems the fellow was attending a medical convention in the hotel and had wandered into the wrong room. * * * Conventioneers found copies of the N.Y. Herald-Tribune at their doors each morning, a gift of Joe Levine and Embassy Pictures. * * * And that promotion-minded company, American-International, distributed a special Allied convention newspaper, master-minded by Milt Moritz and Ruth Pologe. And, as at all exhibitor conventions, AIP had living dolls on hand to give the glamor touch. * * * When it was learned that Jack Armstrong had accepted a second term as Allied president, somebody remarked he was a glutton for punishment. Whereupon, a nearby cocktail holder said: “No, but he just loves aspirin.” * * * Pepsi-Cola took over the entire Latin Quarter night club Wednesday night for the convention guests. The public was barred, except for the midnight show. * * * But Ed Finneran, who holds a similar spot with Pepsi-Cola, is sort of just embarking on his career, although such conventions are not new to him. But to his glamorous bride, Tori, it was an exciting, new experience. * * * Ben Marcus, executive committee chief and an ex-Allied president, was a day late in arriving at the convention. The death of a close friend in Milwaukee made it necessary for him to stay there for the funeral services. * * * As usual the National Carbon suite was the popular gathering spot where Bill Cosby, Phil Freeman and all the old-time gang were on hand to roll out the red carpet. * * * An interesting visitor at the Tuesday session was Alec Gorshel, former mayor of Johannesburg, South Africa, who is here An American International Pictures luncheon was held Wednesday (23) at the Allied States Ass’n convention at the Americana Hotel in New York, with James H. Nicholson, AIP president, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, executive vice-president, as hosts. Shown in the photo, left to right: Irving Dollinger, convention chairman: Jack Armstrong, Allied president; Arkoff and Nicholson. on a motion picture survey as a guest of the State Department. Gorshel listened to the comments on television competition and told the convention that that was one form of competition that South Africa did not have. There is no television in South Africa. He got a laugh when he said that it was strange so many new theatres were being built to take care of the bad business he had been hearing about. * * * Motion Picture Advertisers hosted the breakfast each morning, a much-appreciated gesture, especially for those in need of strong coffee as an eye-opener. * * * Although the Vogel brothers from Ohio are not twins, they look enough alike for people to say “Hello, Jack” to Paul and vice versa. * * * Coca-Cola’s Charley Okun and his charming Margaret were their usual charming and smiling selves, but there may have been a trace of melancholy. Charley is retiring at the conclusion of this week’s TOA convention. How many years has Charley been hosting exhibitor convention banquets and parties? Don’t ask! * * * American-International’s luncheon Wednesday topped all previous affairs of its kind. Scenes from “The Comedy of Terrors” were presented, after which two beautiful gals opened a wooden box in front of the dais and out popped Morey Amsterdam whose line of gags kept the hundreds of guests in an uproar. And Candy Johnson wowed the guests with exotic dancing. * * * AIP also took over the front page of the New York Daily News with a threeline streamer headline reading: “Allied Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet, Says AIP.” The luncheon show proved that they were right. * * * Mort Sunshine’s production of the history of the movies at Coca-Cola’s windup banquet Thursday night had a headline cast consisting of Dore Schary, Robert Preston, Tony Randall, Conrad Nagel, Rita Gam, Julia Meade, John Cameron Swayze, Bill Hayes, James Hurst, Karen Morrow, Bonnie Murray, Candy Johnson and Dick Liebert, the latter being the Radio City Music Hall’s organist. AIP Heads Point to Industry Progress NEW YORK — In reply to those who have been wisecracking that the movie industry is all washed up, James H. Nicholson, American International president, stressed there is “a current boom of new movie houses and an increase of production activity in Hollywood.” He mentioned that the entire industry has released 117 features since the first quarter of the year started and will release 66 more for the fourth quarter. “This is hardly the sign of a vanishing industry,” he said. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff, AIP executive vice-president, sponsored a luncheon at the Allied States Ass’n convention Wednesday (23), held in the Georgian Room of the Americana Hotel. Arkoff emphasized the future growth of the industry, saying, “Ours is a thriving, growing business and should be reverently spoken of as such.” AIP’s forthcoming musical, “Muscle Beach Party” was the motif for the luncheon which also included a 15 -minute film starring Vincent Price with a surprise ending — Morey Amsterdam, master-ofceremonies, popping out of a coffin carried by six Gaslight girls and carrying on a conversation with the on-celluloid Price. Fred Astaire dance teachers were on hand to introduce the “Mau Mau,” new dance choreographed for “Muscle Beach” and Jerry Jerome and his orchestra provided music for the luncheon. Others on the dais from AIP were Joseph Moritz, treasurer; Leon P. Blender, vicepresident in charge of distribution; Milton Moritz, national director of advertising and publicity; Sam Seidelman, vice-president in charge of distribution, and William Asher, director of the forthcoming AIP film, as well as Paul Lazarus jr., Jack Armstrong, Ben Marcus, Marshall Fine, George Stein, Milton London, Morton Sunshine, Jack Whittle, Harrison Wolcott, Edward Johnson and Harry B. Hendel. Noveck Completes Short NEW YORK— Fima Noveck Productions has completed a second in a series of short subjects, “Reflections of Paris.” The first in the series, “Reflections of New York,” won the Golden Eagle Award and was given a plaque at the Venice Film Festival, where BOXOFFICE :; October 28, 1963 7