20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 11, 1956)

CORPORATION’S CINEMASCOPE “55” PRODUCTION PLANS GIVE INDUSTRY GREAT “LIFT” AS TO ITS FUTURE! Richard Rodgers (second from left), composer member of the team of Rodgers and Hammer stein, smilingly tells Shirley Jones, "Well, Shirley, there*s no stopping you. You have fulfilled our highest expecta- tions. M Actually, Miss Jones, whose career was launched in a road company of "Oklahoma", is under contract to Messrs. Rodgers and Hammerstein who loaned her to this company for "Carousel". At ex- treme left is Robert Rounesville who gives a brilliant performance as Mr. Snow. At the extreme right is Max Chasens, operator of a circuit of theatres in Atlantic City, N. J. Miss Jones has been lending extra- ordinary co-operation in advance exploitation of "Carousel" in New York. Barbara Ruick, who co-stars, also has been in New York, along with Gordon MacRae, helping direct the attention of newspaper readers, TV and radio viewers and listeners to the first CinemaScope "55” filmed production. And so has Mr. Rounseville. That this company does not intend to rest on its laurels is some- thing the demonstrations of CinemaScope "55” are conclusively prov- ing to the world and to the industry specifically. That Mr. Skouras* pro- gram of continuously seeking ways and means of improving screen enter- tainment is giving motion pictures new vigor is something exhibitors are conceding. Certainly, that was the feeling reflected by Warner- Stanley Theatres* Harry Kalmine (second from left) and zone manager Charles Smakwitz (second from right) who are flanked by Atlantic Divi- sion Manager Martin Moskowitz (left) and New York Branch Manager Abe Dickstein (right). Page 18 (Continued from page 10, column 2) ington’s Birthday, Feb. 22, when the world premiere of "Carousel” will have got under way, there will not be a single human in the United States and Canada who will not have known about Cinema- Scope "55”, "Carousel" and "The King And I". Not only in this country, but also in Canada CinemaScope "55” is being sold as not even the original CinemaScope process was ballyhooed. This statement can be made despite the fact that the then new anamorphic lensing and exhibition processes and "The Robe” were so spectacularly exploited, that the latter went out to roll up a. record world-wide rental for a motion picture carrying this company’s trade mark. But, the impact of demonstrations on the public where Cine- maScope "55” is concerned is acknowledgedly and tremendously greater in the opinion of exhibitors who have made it their business to ascertain what their community leaders thought about what they had seen at the showings. Not only are exhibitors seemingly pleased with their pub- lic’s reaction, but all those who attended the first 36 demonstra- tions in the field are seemingly finding much to cheer in the type of attractions Mr. Zanuck plans filming in CinemaScope "55”* Exhibition feeling is abnormally high on not only "Carousel”, but also on "The King And I”. There is agreement among showmen that "Carousel” will do SRO business for long periods of time in every situation. But, the luxurious and colorful appointments re- flected by the scenes from "The King And I” have aroused a dra- matic advance demand for the latter. Even though demonstration viewers saw only a few se- quences, in the "rough”, from "The King And I” already operators of top national and sectional circuits predict a spectacular and history-making road-show career for that romantic musical. That career will be launched in late August or early September. From every quarter has come commendation for Mr. Skouras and Mr. Zanuck for selecting the two Richard Rodgers-Oscar Ham- merstein musicals as the vehicles to introduce CinemaScope "55” Distributors lined up with exhibition leaders in predicting CinemaScope "55” will be adopted as the new filming standard, by public demand. Ned Depinet, for example, made this comment at the trade demonstration in New York: "This is completely magnificent. In all honesty, I can say I have never been so impressed with any- thing in the entertainment line in my life. There is no doubt it tre- mendously enhances motion pictures.” James A. Mulvey said: "I had heard advance reports that the new CinemaScope *55* process was good. After this demonstration, I don’t hesitate saying it is a great stride forward for the motion picture industry.” William Heineman of United Artists made this observation: "A vast improvement over any prevailing photographic process and no one who is at all acquainted with our business will disagree with the claims made for CinemaScope *55 , « Spyros Skouras de- serves all the superlatives this industry has lavished, and will continue to, lavish on him.” Phil Reiseman said: "The whole process is magnificent. It starts where the others left off. I had heard most enthusiastic ad- (Continued on page 19, column 1)