The Exhibitor (1951)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR Crossfown (Continued from preceding page) in the sum of $500,000, and negotiations to this effect are now going on. Edward Codel, television director, Katz Agency, spoke before the luncheon meeting of the National Television Film Council, at the Warwick Hotel, on “The Problem of Syndicated Film Packages.” Further legal action was expected fol¬ lowing the action of the State Board of Regents in revoking the license of “The Miracle,” part of the “Ways of Love” trilogy, on the unanimous finding that the film is “sacrilegious.” It was the first time the board has revoked a license issued by the Motion Picture Division. Even before the ban was legally in effect, the Paris management removed “The Miracle” from the trilogy, which has been showing at the theatre for the past two months. Roman Catholic groups have picketed the Paris sporadically since the picture was publicly condemned by Car¬ dinal Spellman on Jan. 8. Supreme Court Justice Kenneth MacAffer denied an ap¬ plication by Joseph Burstyn, Inc., dis¬ tributor of the film, for a stay of the Regents’ order pending a review by the courts of the question whether the Regents Board has the revocation power. The Regents made it clear that it was acting reluctantly in exercising powers of censorship which it “neither sought nor welcomed.” Ephraim S. London, Burstyn’s counsel, said an appeal from the Regents’ ruling would be taken to the Appellate Division, Supreme Court, on March 5. The Regents’ action was denounced as “a shocking instance of raw censorship” by two civil liberties groups and in similar terms by Protest¬ ant spokesmen. The appointments of Frank C. Walker, as treasurer, and George J. Schaefer, as executive assistant treasurer, special gifts committee, Cardinal’s Committee of the Laity Catholic Charities’ 1951 cam¬ paign, were announced. Abner J. Greshler, executive producer, Paramount’s “At War With The Army,” arrived. . . . David A. Lipton, U-I vicepresident in charge of advertising and publicity, came in from California for a series of conferences with home office executives. . . . “Fourteen Hours,” 20thFox suspense drama, will have an invi¬ tational world premiere on March 5 at the Astor. . . . Gary Cooper made per¬ sonal appearances at the Roxy in con¬ nection with the premiere of “U. S. S. Teakettle.” The Trans-Lux Colony, 79th Street and Second Avenue, held a special “Brotherhood Week’’ show. The Yorkville B’nai B’rith Chapter 357 procured three outstanding films on the subject. Roger Babb announced that his Hall¬ mark Productions Inc., had signed a deal with the Criterion whereby that house will be the future showcase of Hallmark Pictures. The deal, announced by Jack Thomas, vice-president and general man¬ ager, Hallmark, provides that “The Prince of Peace” will have its Broadway opening at the Criterion on March 23. After that, the Criterion will show “One Too Many,” and in August, during the Denise Darcel poses with submarine officers at a recent special navy preview of Warners’ “Operation Pacific,” Strand, New York City, where it recently opened. convention of the National Hairdressers and Cosmetologists Association, the Criterion will premiere “Secrets of Beauty.” Babb and Murphy McHenry, publicity head, arrived to work out plans with the Criterion organization for New York’s first exploitation campaign on the now famous Hallmark formula. The entire physical facilities of Walter ReadeTheatres in New Jersey and New York, as well as the services of person¬ nel, have been offered to the mayors and defense officials for civil defense pur¬ poses in those communities where the theatres are located. The offer was made in individual letters to the mayors of Asbury Park, Freehold, Long Branch, Red Bank, Morristown, Plainfield, and Perth Amboy, all in New Jersey, and Kingston. In every single community, newspapers carried news stories of the offer, making it front page, and the mayors of every community have written directly to Walter Reade thanking him for the offer. Screens of four New Jersey theatres are being used to cross-plug “Of Men and Music,” now in its world premiere en¬ gagement at the Park Avenue, Walter Reade Theatre. Full trailers, with a spe¬ cial header inviting patrons to visit the Park Avenue when they are in New York to see the unusual film, are being run at the Mayfair, Asbury Park; Carl¬ ton, Red Bank; Strand, Plainfield, and Community, Morristown, all Reade houses. Manager Clark Jordan, left, St. James, Asbury Park, N. J., and Guy Hevia, Asbury Park city manager, Walter Reade Theatres, recently tied in with a dairy to get posters on all the company’s trucks, hangers on home delivery bottles, and a dairy exhibit for the lobby to bally U-I’s Jimmy Durante starrer, “The Milkman.” Joanne Schenck, daughter of Nicholas M. Schenck, Loew’s, will be married to Perry B. Frank on June 8. The New York locale of 20th CenturyFox’s “Fourteen Hours’’ has keyed the special invitational premiere to take place on March 5 at the Astor. The film company is inviting a select list of nota¬ bles from every field represented among the 8,000,000 citizens. . . . Oscar A. Doob, Loew’s Theatres operating execu¬ tive, returned to his desk from a visit to Loew’s Theatres in the south and south¬ west. Howard Dietz, MGM vice-president and director of advertising, publicity, and exploitation, returned from the coast. . . . H. Russell Gaus, Oklahoma City manager, MGM, arrived for home office conferences. Lopert Films announced last week that “Tales Of Hoffman” would have its American premiere at the Bijou opening on April 4. Prior to this, the film will be screened at a special preview benefit performance at the Metropolitan Opera House sponsored by the American Red Cross on April 1. Staten Island Lou Goldberg, Fabian Metropolitan zone manager, arranged a special kiddie morning show for the St. George on Lincoln’s Birthday. Elias Schlenger, Fabian Staten Island publicity director, tied up with the Silvercup Bread Com¬ pany, which furnished 3000 autographed photos of “Hopalong” Cassidy in color for distribution to the kids attending the show. Silvercup furnished the bar ranch foreman, dressed in a colorful cowboy outfit, to give out the pictures. It also posted heralds plugging the show in windows of the 550 grocery stores serv¬ iced on Staten Island. The morningshow was advertised on the screen and in the lobby by a seven-foot high set piece three weeks in advance. Special hard tickets were sold in advance. Frank Rosana, manager, had a man dressed in a clown costume distribute 5000 circus type heralds, specially made up by Schlenger, at all grade schools. For the opening night of “Halls of Montezuma,” St. George, Schlenger arranged for the borough president to extend Staten Island’s best wishes, in person, to the 100th Marine Corps enlistee since the start of the Korean war. A marine color guard was on stage during the ceremony. A special marine lobby display featuring actual combat photos was set up. Schlenger set up an eye-catching display for “At War With The Army” at the St. George. A tent, a promoted from the army, was erected in the lobby with a six-foot cut-out blowup of Martin and Lewis, with appropriate copy, standing in the entrance. Spencer Bregoff, Ritz manager, ar¬ ranged a special “Hopalong Cassidy” western children’s morning show. He tied up with a boys’ shop, and promoted special gift packages as a giveaway to every child attending. On “The Red Shoes,” Bregoff built an attention-getting shadow box display. A pair of red ballet slippers was visible when the lights flashed on, and only the picture title could be seen when the lights went off. February 28, 1951