20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 1960)

Outstanding In Creative Film-Making Autonomy In Exchange Operation Developing Better Merchandising Continued from page 6 Proud to represent the only company in the industry that has given its field representatives what amounts to virtually presidential authority in their terri- tories, the 38 managers are authorized to operate as though they are the personal proprietors of their branches. There is absolutely no Home Office interference, nor any “red-tape” which they must contend before making a decision. How completely they have justified the unprecedented confidence their President, Mr. Skouras, has displayed in their ability to successfully function under the territorially autonomous operating policy he put into effect last year is a fact with which their exhibitors are aware. Exercising all the perogatives that go with autonomous operation, these managers are dedicated to a customer service that entails more than the mere distribution of films. They are vested with exclusive authority to determine the territorial investments this company shall make in the exploitation of every release, and how that money shall be spent in their respective domains. To carry out territorial promotion policies on every feature attraction they have super- vision over their own seasoned exploitation, advertising and publicity managers. Civic-mindedness is a quality demanded of 20th Century-Fox branch managers. Hence, it was no sur- prise when branch manager Tom O. Me- Cleaster (above, ex- treme right) made news on the occasion of start of construc- tion work on the new Dallas branch. The building is conceded to be the most beau- tiful constructed by a film distributor and will be ready for occu- pancy this Summer. Pictured with Mr. McCleaster at the dedi- cation are (left to right): John Rowley, head of Rowley United Theatres; Wil- liam O’Donnell, Presi- dent of the Cinema Arts circuit; Raymond Willie, assistant gen- eral manager of Inter- state circuit, and Robert Thornton, mayor of Dallas. Something Entirely New: "The Three Murderesses” Continued from page 13 Marriage-Go-’Round” with Stanley Colbert. Stevens wrote “Marriage-Go-’Round”, a play in which Claudette Colbert and Charles Boyer have been co-starring for more than two years. Previously he authored two other Broadway plays, “The Cham- pagne Complex” with Polly Bergen, and “The Lovers” with Joanne Woodward. He has produced several films and can boast also a successful career as writer of television scripts, both comedy and dramatic. DAVID WEISBART : He associated himself with production in 1935 as a film editor. He ad- vanced to a producer’s status and turned out “Car- son City”, “Steel Jungle”, “Rebel Without A Cause”, “Between Heaven And Hell”, “Love Me Tender”, “April Love” and others. For 1960 he is scheduled to produce “The Livewires” and “The Coman- cheros”. RICHARD ZANUCK.: The son of Darryl Zanuck, this 25-year-old producer has spent all his working years in this industry. After discharge as a second lieutenant assigned to the Army Pictorial Service in New York, Richard joined his father as both a story and production assistant on “Island In The Sun and “The Sun Also Rises”. His first pro- duction, “Compulsion”, rated ori*e of the finer mo- tion pictures and box office triumphs of 1959. He will put the tentatively titled “Requiem For A Nun” in production in the Spring, for release later this year. Directorial "Who’s Who” • Other producers whose features this company ^ will release in 1960 include Betty E. Box, George • Maynard, Joseph Janni, Marcel Heilman, Maurice ^ Cowan, Robert B. Radnitz, Hubert Cornfield, George O’Hanlon, Paul Graetz, Robert McNaught, 9 and John Healy, and Jack Leewood. _ A virtual complete list of “who’s who in direc- w don” will be represented in the 1960-61 output. In- 4$ eluded in that roster are Joseph Mankiewicz, Henry Koster, Richard Fleischer, Blake Edwards, Henry ® Hathaway, Rouben Mamoulian, Carol Reed, Jack £ Cardiff, Walter Lang, Lewis Gilbert, Henry Levin, Robert Day, James B, Clark, Michel Boisrond, ® Ralph Thomas, Jack Lee, J. Lee Thompson, Michael £ McCarthy, Edward Cahn and Don Siegel. Six producers who also direct their 1960 attrac- ® tions include George Stevens, Elia Kazan, Mervyn g Le Roy, Mark Robson, Irwin Allen and Dick Powell. George Cukor, who, as already noted above, • is under contract in a dual capacity of producer and ^ director, is the director on Jerry Wald’s “Let’s Make Love”. # However, the directors’ lineup will expand as m preparations are finalized on future 1960-61 pro- ® ductions. £ The writers’ list also is one that stresses the magnitude of the 1960 attractions completed or ® scheduled for this year. In that list one finds the $ works of such eminent authors and playwrights as Phil Stong, William Faulkner, Meyer Levin, Irwin ® Shaw, William Saroyan, Frederick Wakeman, Henry £ Ceil, Howard Singer, J. D. Lawrence, C. S. Forester, Conan Doyle, Charles Williams, Ted Sherdeman, ® Jules Verne, Sydney Boehm, Vera Caspary, Alfred q H ayes, Joseph Mankiewicz, Norman Corwin, Stephen Vincent Benet, Terence Rattigan, Wendell • Mayes, Clifford Odets, William Bradford Huie, ^ Norman Krasna and others. Composers and lyricists include Cole Porter, # Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Sammy ^ Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Hugo Friedhofer, Cyril ® Mockridge, Lionel North, Alex North and others. # Under contract to the studio this year is an array of cinematographers who among them have % over the years earned 14 Academy Awards for out- standing color or black and white photography. ® Leon Shamroy, for example, won three: in 1943 £ with “Black Swan”, in 1945 with “Wilson”, and in 1946 with “Leave Her To Heaven”. ® Continued from page 27 their “quadrangle”, they suddenly learn that Julien is engaged and has, in fact, been so for a long time, to a South American heiress. Moreover, his mother is quite decided that he shall marry the Latin girl who comes equipped with social position and a complacent nature, an ideal situation for Julien. The three girls meet and decide on revenge. Julien drops in and is promptly stepped upon by them en masse. But, he escapes unscathed. That night each of the frustrated girls has a dream of the best way to do away with him. As a result, various murder weapons are discussed by them, but Agathe, whose parents own a drug store, convinces the others that poison is their best agent. While Helene keeps Julien busy, Agathe and Sabine break into his apartment and put the poison into a chocolate candy. Helene, whom Julien has found he truly loves, weakens when she is con- vinced by him of his love, and decides to prevent his murder. Even though the girls do not kill Julien, they are found out when the missing poison is reported to the police. They are arrested and hauled into court along with Julien’s abandoned South American fiancee who sought to shoot him after he announced their engagement was at an end because he loved Helene. Julien and Helene are married in a prison chapel as Agathe and Sabine watch from behind cell bars. The future takes on a brighter prospect for they will be released from jail in six months, free from the wiles of Julien, now a respectable married man. 76