The Exhibitor (1953)

16 EXHIBITOR This Was The Week When . . . . J. Milton Salzburg, president, Cornell Films, signed a contract with Zeev Kendler, president, Kenfilm Enterprises, Tel Aviv, Israel, whereby Cornell will handle Kenfilm subjects in this country. . . . Astor acquired distribution of “Love Island” and “Born To The Saddle” in this country, and also set a deal to distribute six Hal Roach, Jr., pro¬ ductions now being filmed on the coast. . . . Kathryn Grayson, WB star, was chosen as the “Buddy Poppy Girl” by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. . . . U-I scheduled the world premiere of “Seminole” at the Miami, Carib, and Miracle, Miami and Miami Beach, Fla., as part of a saturation booking. Konecoff ( Continued frovi page 8) bookings on “Bwana Devil”, and one million have been ordered by Sol Lesser, etc. He admitted that Polaroid was caught with its spectacles down, and is presently working as rapidly as possible to fill exist¬ ing and future orders. The production rate is presently a million a week, and this will be upped to two million in the near future, with production in March ex¬ pected to hit six million. April will see eight million, and May will see 12 mil¬ lion, with even this being increased as the orders multiply. Orders are filled in order of receipt. Gunzberg reported that his company was going all-out to instruct theatre equip¬ ment people in the proper methods of equipping theatre booths for 3-D projec¬ tion, and that it is also furnishing for $700 a complete kit, excluding the screen, udiich will allow 3-D to be shown in any theatre. Included are the electric inter¬ lock motors, the fitters, chains, 5,500 foot magazines, brushes, Polaroid filters to go over projection machine port holes, etc. In addition, he opined, exhibitors would need a highly reflective type screen, and if a Walker American 15 x 20 is used, this should cost about $340, thus bringing the total up over $1000. On the subject as a whole, he thought that if 3-D were not presented properly, the whole thing will disappear in about six months. He thought it particularly important that the theatres and studios have the proper knowledge about the subject, else it may prove a serious prob¬ lem to the industry. He hit at the quickie operators who are out to make a fast dollar who can hurt the medium more than anything else, and he felt the indus¬ try has a responsibility to the public to present the best properly. By the best, we presume he meant Natural Vision, which he claimed was medically controlled by Dr. Julian Gunzberg, brother, visual spe¬ cialist, and consultant. OPENING: Italian Films Export recently opened its new studios with a special demonstration of the art of dubbing films from Italian into English in perfect syn¬ chronization. Dr. Mauro Zambuto, inter¬ national film sound authority and de¬ signer-director of the film recording set¬ up, conducted the demonstration in the ultra-modern studios. Also housed within the quarters are a projection room, a rehearsal sound studio, 16mm. and 35mm. equipment, a cutting and editing room, technical and business offices, etc. The facilities will be made available to other distributors as desired. ANOTHER OPENING: “Tonight We Sing”, 20th Century-Fox production of the career of Sol Hurok, opened at the Radio City Music Hall with special trimmings and a distinguished audience. The affair was well covered photographically, with both still and newsreel cameramen pres¬ ent. Following the film’s bow, Russell Downing, president and executive direc¬ tor, RCMH, played host to over 300 of the prominent personalities and celebrities at a champagne party in the studio apart¬ ment. It was a memorable event, and quite an evening. ADVERTISING NOTE: The feudin’ be¬ tween Macy’s and Gimbels is still going hot and heavy. Recently, Gimbels came out with a two-page spread tying in with 20th Century-Fox’s “The Star”, so now Macy’s turned around and gave 20th-Fox another two-page spread on “Tonight We Sing”, with some very fine plugs. The city’s leading papers carried the ads, and pene¬ tration and circulation were pretty good. THE METROPOLITAN SCENE: Leon Brandt, former director of exploitation for RKO, joined Samuel Goldwyn in similar capacity. . . . “Tonight We Sing” is the February choice as its “Go-see Film” by the New York Subway System, with the usual free plugs in all cars. . . . That local premiere of “Moulin Rouge” was truly an event, with celebrities by the hundreds facing a huge mob out front as well as innumerable cameramen, TV cameras, radio mikes, etc. It was a great event for a great film, and both the United Artists staffs under the able direction of Francis Winikus, and Loew’s, publicity crew, co¬ ordinated and directed by Ernie Emerling and Carl Fishman, deserve much praise. The affair had added import with the appearance of Walter Winchell, who took the occasion to present a number of checks for cancer research to various medical institutions, since all the proceeds were for the Damon Runyon Fund. . . . The Rivoli went all-out to debunk “Triskedekaphobia” on Friday the 13th with all types of gimmicks. For instance, Monty Salmon let a guest in for free when another bought one ticket with a $2 bill, and every 13th person seeking admission on the 13th minute of every hour during the 13 hours the theatre was in operation was admitted free. There were other similar type doodads, and methinks the fine hand of Nick John Matsoukas is somewhere in the background, he being an old mirrirbreaker from way back. . . . Herb Morgan will do a film study of older people for release to theatres in conjunc¬ tion with the Twentieth Century Fund. . . . When a lengthy line formed on Al Rylander, for the past seven years director of special events for Columbia, was recently named that company's exploitation manager. In addi¬ tion to continuing his supervision of radio and TV, columns, stunts, and city desks, Rylander will now supervise the field exploitation staff. U-I Salaries Revealed New York — According to the financial report of Universal Pictures to stock¬ holders last fortnight, four top executives received salary increases ranging from $5,750 to $11,750 in 1952. Vice-president Edward Muhl’s annual income was in¬ creased from $51,650 to $63,400; Alfred Daff, vice-president and director, received a yearly increase of $11,500, going from $51,500 to $63,000; John J. O’Connor, vicepresident and director, rose from $45,050 to $50,800, and Leon Goldberg, treasurer, vice-president and director, was increased from $39,750 to $50,000. The annual stockholders meeting will be held in New York on March 11 to elect 10 directors and approve the modification of board chairman N. J. Blumberg’s con¬ tract. Management’s director nominees are Blumberg, Daff, Preston Davie, Albert A. Garthwaite, Goldberg, R. W. Lea, O’Con¬ nor, Milton R. Rackmil, Budd Rogers, and Daniel M. Schaeffer. During the last fiscal year, Rachmil and Daff were elected to the board, while William J. German, Robert S. Benjamin, J. Arthur Rank, and G. I. Woodham-Smith resigned. Goldfarb Leaves RKO New York — Robert Goldfarb, RKO di¬ rector of personnel, office manager, and purchasing agent, resigned last week. opening day for “Peter Pan” at the Roxy, and there were thousands of school-age youngsters in line, Walt Disney’s Charlie Levy phoned Superintendent of Schools William Jansen to find out if they would be punished for playing hookey, and was told that, to the contrary, if they could prove attending the theatre, they would receive credit for visual education. It was an amazing display of want-to-see for a mid-week, non-holiday day, and, by early afternoon, the Roxy reported over 10,000 admissions. BROTHERHOOD DEPT.: That is a whale of a trailer that MGM’s Si Seadler wrote, and MGM’s Frank Whitbeck pro¬ duced, for “Brotherhood Week.” The two-and-a-half minute subject, distributed by National Screen Service, is an excel¬ lent job throughout, and certainly should help spread the principles of brotherhood in every spot where it played. A bow to Si, Frank, and NSS. February 18 , 1953