Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 14, 1954)

PAGE EIGHT Fox Holds Sales and Promotion Meet Myers and Glasier Represent Canada Merchandising policy for 20th Century-Fox releases during the last quarter of 1954 was developed last week in New York at an important sales meeting called by distribution director Al Lichtman and attended by Peter Myers, Canadian General Manager and Sam Glasier, Fox’s Canadian Director of Exploitation. _ Having focussed on the handling _of Darryl F. Zanuck’s “The Egyptian” in CinemaScope, a screening of which highlighted the parley, the regional sales executives also took up such CinemaScope productions as “A Woman’s World,” Walter Wanger’s “The Adventures of Hajji Baba,” and Otto Premingers “Carmen Jones,” October releases; “Black Widow” and “Desiree,’ November releases; and “White Feather” and Irving Berlin’s “There’s No Business Like Show Business, December releases. Discussions also centered on the handling of standard films made for company release by Panoramic Productions. Among the films stressed were “A Life In The Balance,” “The Raid,” “The Gambler From Natchez,” and “Princess of The Nile.” Following the talks on the forthcoming product, led by Mr. Lichtman and W. C. Gehring, executive assistant general sales manager; Arthur Silverstone, assistant general sales manager; Glenn Norris, Eastern sales manager; and Alex Harrison, Western sales manager, a special round table discussion commenced. The round table talks saw division and branch managers reporting on current exhibition conditions in their respective territories. A review of sales policy during the past year also was aired during the talks. In another portion of the meeting, division managers and their respective branch heads met with president Spyros P. Skouras to discuss further current exhibition conditions across the country and in Canada. Detailed plans for the exploitation of ‘The Egyptian” were formulated in another meeting held by Rodney Bush, exploitation manager, and assistant manager Eddie Solomon wth the company’s field exploitation staff. File Dividends Up Publicly declared film dividends in the first six months of 1954 totalled $11,717,000, well above the $11,108,000 paid in the same period last year, according to the United States Commerce Depart-ment, A special 20th-Fox dividend «of $277,000 in June helped boost =the total. J. H. Curtis Dies Im New York Funeral services were held in New York on August 2nd for Joseph H. Curtis, 37, son of Jack Cohn, executive vice-president of Columbia Pictures. Curtis, who was vice-president of the Donahue & Coe advertising agency, died of a heart attack. Formerly, a vice-president of the Weiss & Geller agency, Curtis also was associated with various theatrical interests. He served in the Columbia advertising department and had investments in theatres in Washington, Chicago and New York. Curtis purchased the screen rights to the newspaper articles, “Crime on the Waterfront,” by Malcolm Johnson, later turning them over to Sam Spiegel who produced “On the Waterfront.” Knowles New NFB Man. Supervisor The appointment of Arthur F. Knowles as Supervisor for Manitoba and North-West Ontario was announced last week by L. W. Chatwin, Director of Distribution for the National Film Board. Knowles, 29, joined N.F.B. in July, 1953, as district field representative in the Hamilton area and has been assistant regional supervisor for Ontario since last November. Admissions Increase The British drift away from the movies, largely attributed to television, has been stemmed, figures released by the British Board of Trade indicate. In the last three months of 1953 movie goers totaled 305,773,000 or 954,000 more than in the corresponding quarter of 1952. Apart from figures for the last quarter in 1951, when admissions just exceeded those for the same quarter of 1950, this is the first time since the statistics began in 1950 that admissions have shown a rise. Loew’s Net Up Net profit of Loew’s, Inc., increased in the 40 weeks ended June 10 to $4,466,376, equal to 87 cents per share, as compared with $3,185,871, or 62 cents per share, in the same period of the previous fiscal year. “DIGEST AUGUST 14, 1954 RKO Theatres Profits Soar RKO Theatres’ net profit for the first six months of 1954 (the company operates on a calendar year basis) soared to more than 100% over earnings for the first half of 1953. The second quarter of the current year brought a gain of well over 300%. Corporation recently reported net income before deductions for special items of $954,117 for the first six months of this year. The special items referred to losses of $806,000 on disposal of theatre properties which, in turn, meant elimination of $35,000 in Federal tax obligations. The net after all taxes and deductions amounted to $904,024. Net for the first half of 1953, similarly after all taxes and special deductions, was listed at $417,602. Pime-Thomas 2 Years At Paramount Bill Pine and Bill Thomas are celebrating their 25th anniversary at Paramount, the producers having started there in the publicity department a quarter of a century ago. The date also marks their 14th year together as producers. Next month they start their 85th feature, “Lucy Gallant,” starring Jane Wyman and Charlton Heston. MMilland Directs For Republic Ray Milland will take on the added responsibilities of director in a new Western drama to be made for Republic. The Academy Award-winning actor has been selected to star in and direct “The Gunman,” according to an arrangement made by Herbert J. Yates. His last screen performance was in “Dial M For Murder,” a Warner Bros. release. “The Gunman” is planned as a big-scale outdoor story in color. At the moment, Dick Powell is the only other actor directing a film. He is winding up “The Conqueror” for RKO. Burt Lancaster and Gene Kelly will direct themselves in films beginning later this month. File Union Head Visits Camada Tom O’Brien, general secretary of Englands National Association of Theatrical and Kinematograph Employees arrived in the United States last week. He will address the IATSE convention this month, and also confer with Eric Johnston and other industry leaders. From Hollywood, he goes to Regina to address the Trades and Labor Congress, before returning home. 4 HEYWOOD-WAKEFIELD Whatever your angle a good theatre chair should fit your curves. Heywood-Wakefield Chairs feature “contour forming’’—your patrons sit in not on these richly-upholstered chairs. Ask us about the new “CONTOUR” Formed Rubber and “‘SIT-IN"’ Coil Spring Cushions, They're made for real comfort during the entire showing of the longest movie program. DOMINION SOUND EQUIPMENTS LIMITED HEAD OFFICE: 4040 St, Catherine Street West, Montreal. BRANCHES AT: Halifax, Saint John, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, North Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver. | Vee en ee lll