Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1956)

Incidentally . . . THEY MADE THE NEWS VELDE JAMES R. VELDE has been appointed general sales manager of United Artists, it was announced by distribution chief William Heineman. He succeeds Bernard G. Kranze. Velde, western division manager of UA since 1952, had formerly held sales posts with Paramount, Selznick Releasing organization and Eagle-Lion. O BERNARD G. KRANZE assumes his new duties as vice president of Stanley Warner Cinerama February 27. Kranze, who recently resigned his post as general sales manager of United Artists, will concentrate primarily on increasing the number of theatres exhibiting Cinerama in this country, according to S-W president S. H. Fabian. ft SKOURAS SPYROS P. SKOURAS cited a list of 13 major 20th Century-Fox films to be released by the end of June in keeping with the company's announced $100 million34 picture production and release program for 1956. Twelve of 13 are in CinemaScope and color. Two productions will be released per month, according to the 20th-Fox president, with Rodgers & Ham. merstein's "Carousel" heading the list for February. Second is "The Man Who Never Was". Darryl F. Zanuck's production of "The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit" is slated for March. 0 BARNEY BALABAN waxed enthusiastic over the prospective 1956-57 gross of Paramount. The Paramount president said he is firmly convinced that the product presented by his company this year and next — especially "The Ten Commandments" and "War and Peace" — will gross an amount exceeding that of any previous two years in the history of the company, Meanwhile, Balaban stated that Paramount's Sunset Boulevard studios, including five modern stages, will be available June 1st for television production. KRANZE CONFER ON 'COMMANDMENTS' Cecil Bi DeMHle, renter, presides at a recent luncheon conference on plans for his "The Ten Commandments". flanked In Paramount World-wide sales head Ccorge Wellncr. left, and Charles liousbcrg. supervisor of sales for the DcMille special Ic. "SPYROS P. SKOURAS" Appreciation Week" has been set to begin March 31 by 20th Century-Fox's U.S. and Canadian sales organizations. It will honor the Fox president for his "dedication and leadership" in improving the industry . . . ERNEST BORGNINE and BETSY BLAIR, co-stars of "Marty" were voted best foreign actor and actress by the British Film Academy . . . The U.S. Dept. of the Interior Conservation Service Award was presented by Secretary Douglas McKay to Walt Disney for contributions to the understanding of wildlife . . . Variety Club of New England will award its "Great Heart Awarcf ' to Archbishop Richard J. Cushing . . . WILLIAM GOLDMAN, Pennsylvania circuit operator, was installed as president of newly former Theater and Amusement Association in Philadelphia last week. MARILYN MONROE Productions, Inc., has acquired screen rights to Terrence Rattigan's "The Sleeping Beauty", but no distribution agreement has been signed as yet . . . RICHARD WIDMARK will make two films for United Artists release through his newly-formed Heath Productions, Inc. . . . RKO vice president WILLIAM DOZIER announced the signing of CHARLES SCHNERR to produce three for RKO. WILLIAM DOZIER, RKO's vice president in charge of production, announced the appointments of DON MOORE as head of the company's new eastern story department and BENN JACOBSON as new eastern casting representative . . . CHARLES L. GLETT, RKO executive v.p. named ALFRED B. BERRY to head the company's studio relations . . . HUGH BROWN, assistant production manager at Paramount studio, was added to the studio's roster of producers and CURTIS MICK was named assistant production manager by DON HARTMAN . . . Columbia international president LACY W. KASTNER announced the appointment of HARRY NOVAK as continental sales manager with headquarters in Paris . . . LEON BLENDER is the new general sales manager of the American Releasing Corp. . . . HUGH OWEN named EDMUND C. DeBERRY Paramount Cincinnati branch manager, succeeding HERB GILLIS who took over the Washington, D. C. branch. HUGH MAGUIRE succeeds DeBarry at Buffalo . . . DAVID A. LEVY, Universale veteran New York branch manager, retires March 2. WILLIAM J. HEINEMAN is piloting a series of United Artists field conferences to map distributions plans for the next four months . . . JULES LAPIDUS, Warner Brothers Eastern and Canadian sales manager, and JOHN F. KIRBY, Midwest sales manager, conducted twoday meetings recently to outline plans for upcoming Warners product . . . ARTHUR M. LOEW conducted a weeklong meeting of Loew's 78 overseas sales representatives at the home studio recently, co-hosted by production vice president DORE SCHARY, and aided by sales vice president CHARLES M. REAGAN and advertising v.p. HOWARD DIETZ. * * * FRANK SINATRA completed a special Brotherhood promotional film to be shown in more than 18,000 theatres. DIED: HENRI CHRETIEN, French professor who designed the first successful anamorphic lens trade-named CinemaScope by 20th Century-Fox. Page 34 Film BULLETIN February 20. 1954