Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1957)

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HEADLINERS... THEY MADE THE NEWS SHOR RUBEN SHOR, National Allied president, approved final plans for Allied's 1957 Drive-In convention scheduled for Jan. 20-31 in Cincinnati. Shor and a committee of seven met last week to put the finishing touches on the conclave which they reported will be "one of Allied's greatest conventions". This estimate was based on the large amount of booth space engaged by manufacturers and the heavy demands for reservations from exhibitors. Shor will function as permanent convention chairman, with Robert F. Morrell as coordinator. Albert Sindlinger, motion picture research analyst, will be the featured speaker, and general counsel Abram F. Myers will "sum up" at the conclusion of the convention. Allied's clinics on various exhibitor problems will also be an important phase of the gathering. Among the topics to be discussed will be the proposed arbitration system, and the film situation. According to a pre-convention bulletin, Allied reports that "information coming from many sections indicate that the drive-ins are experiencing difficulties in obtaining film which are the same in kind and pretty much the same in degree as the indoor theatres". The film companies were also chastised for standing aloof from such exhibitor conventions, stating that it is "ominous as an indication of an unwillingness by some company executives to cooperate with their customers for the good of the whole industry, especially in times like these." 0 DAVID O. SELZNICK and 20th-Fox have concluded a deal whereby Selznick's production company will do all the preand post-production work on one picture a year for two years. Both will star Jennifer Jones. THOMAS F. O'NEIL, board chairman of RKO Radio Pictures, appears to be on the verge of dismantling most of that organization. Talks between executives of RKO and Universal Pictures on the reported deal whereby the latter company would take over domestic distribution of RKO product were said to be bogged down because of legal difficulties, but is expected to go through eventually. It is liekly that RKO will close its Gower Street Studios in Hollywood, shift production to the Culver City branch and let out much of its studio personnel. No official word has come from O'Neil or any other company executive, but at last weekend it seemed certain that, barring any sudden shift in plans, RKO will soon be functioning as an independent production unit making approximately ten films per year. 0 S. H. FABIAN had good news for Stanley Warner stockholders at the recent annual meeting. Net income for the first fiscal quarter ended Nov. 24, 1956, was shown to be $969,000, compared with $810,508 for the corresponding period last year. This was equal to 45c per share as against 37c. Gross income was $27,169,000 compared to $23,926,500 in the first '55 quarter. The S-W president revealed that the income of the chain for the week ending Jan. 5 was the largest for any one week since organization of the company. 0 FRED J. SCHWARTZ, Distributors Corp. of America president, announced a program of up to 23 pictures to be released in 1957, a result of the "demand on the part of exhibitors for features that will pull audiences away from TV sets and into theatres". DCA intends to release three to five top quality pictures, ten or 12 of the best of foreign product, and two or three "packages" of four to six exploitation films aimed at the juvenile audience. Schwartz reported that ten exchange offices have been opened in the U.S. with plans calling for 15 to 18 throughout the U. S. and Canada by the end of 1957. O NED E. DEPINET was elected president of the Motion Picture Pioneers, Inc., and the Foundation of the Motion Picture Pioneers, Inc., succeeding the late Jack Cohn. Depinet was formerly president of RKO Radio Pictures and an executive of COMPO. The Pioneers board of directors also elected William J. German as treasurer and George Dembow secretary. WILLIAM C. (BILL) GEHRING, 59, 20th Century-Fox vice president and special assistant to Fox president Spyros P. Skouras, died Jan. 17. HUMPHREY BOGART, 56, long a top boxoffice personality, died Jan. 14 of cancer in his Hollywood home. Bogart won an Academy Award in 1951 for his work in "The African Queen". His wife, Lauren Bacall, and two children, survive. NORMAN J . AYERS rejoined Warner Brothers as head of its playdate department, replacing ERNEST SANDS, appointed Midwest district manager. Ayers was formerly Eastern district mgr . . . Universal v.p. DAVID A. LIPTON in New York for home of fices conferences on AYERS upcoming product... American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres president LEONARD H. GOLDENSON to receive 1956 Humanitarian Award of the March of Dimes at the Feb. 18 testimonial dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, chairmanned by 20th-Fox president SPYROS P. SKOURAS ... MYRON A. BLANK, ELMER C. RHODEN, ROBERT W. SELIG & BERNARD BROOKS among the 23 theatremen who have accepted posts as chairmen for their areas of the amusement industry's Brothehood Drive for 1957. Drive will be launched at the Waldorf-Astoria Jan. 24 at a dinner honoring JACK L. WARNER with Brotherhood Award for 1957 . . . The late JACK COHN, former executive vice president of Columbia Pictures, was presented with a posthumous award for outstanding service, at the 4th annual awards luncheon of the amusement industry branch of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. RALPH COHN, vice president of Screen Gems and son of the late movie pioneer, accepted the award. $186,000 was raised toward the industry's goal of $250,000 ... ERIC JOHNSTON announced appointment of CHARLES E. EGAN as MPEAA representative for India, Pakistan and Burma due to the "increased importance of the Far Eastern market" ... WILLIAM NUTT elevated CFSHJ.. At screening of WB's "Top Secret Affair": Bernard R. Goodman, Roy Haines, Robert K. Shapiro, Ralph lannuzzi, and Wilbur Snaper. from story editor to administrative assistant by WILLIAM DOZIER, RKO production head . . . SPYROS P. SKOURAS and other Fox executives on hand Jan. 19 to welcome INGRID BERGMAN "Anastasia" star, in from Europe to accept the New York Film Critics' best actress award... UA advertising manager JOSEPH GOULD back at home offices from a week of Hollywood conferences on spring ad campaigns . . . 20th-Fox sales manager ALEX HARRISON meeting with Eastern division manager MARTIN MOSKOWITZ in Philadelphia to map distribution plans for the new year. Meeting is one of series being conducted by the sales topper around the country. Also attending, Fox advertising director ABE GOODMAN... GEORGE WELTNER, president of Paramount Film Distributing Corp., and JERRY PICKMAN, ad-pub v.p., among Paramount home office executives in attendance at the Jan. 16-18 national sales and merchandising conference in St. Louis ... SYLVAN COHEN, newly installed chief barker of Variety Club Tent 13, Philadelphia, toastmaster at Jan. 21 dinner honoring UA Eastern district mgr. GENE TUNICK and Phila. branch mgr. STANLEY KOSITSKY, recently promoted by United Artists . . . DIED: VIVIAN MOSES, former 20thFox ad-pub director and RKO veteran. Page 18 Film BULLETIN January 21, 1957