Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1962)

WIDENING WORLD DF CINERAMA (Continued from Page 11) World of the Brothers Grimm" and "How the West Was Won?" ."We're full partners with MGM. The contract provides for a certain number of pictures over a given period, and we have to meet certain conditions, such as the number of Cinerama outlets we shall make available. But in no sense is MGM financing us. We put up half the money, they provide the other half." Won't you reach the stage where you need production facilities of your own? "I doubt it. There are plenty of studio rentals available — including space in Hollywood. Why be saddled with a lot of real estate? United Artists never got into that mess. Why should we.' Supposing Allied Artists — with whom you were negotiating — were now to change their minds and a takeover became possible? "We'd consider it." Why did Cinerama take over Cinemiracle? Isn't the process inferior to yours ? "Simple! 'Windjammer' has never been played to capacity. And in any case, Cinemiracle is compatible with Cinerama." How about the new still panoramic camera for amateur use? Who's going to make it? "We're negotiating on that already. Incidentally, don't write this off as just another publicity gimmick. It's a terrific product. I took one with me recently to Germany. The results are tremendous." Max opened the top drawer in his desk and whisked out a number of black-and-white prints, which he showed me. They were most impressive, and rumor in the photographic industry has it that the new camera is probably the most versatile ever launched. Who will process the film? "That's another thing we're negotiating on. But don't be under any misapprehension about this camera. It isn't years away. It's only months away." It's been rumored Cinerama has a new contract with Boeing for production of a "space camera" for use in rocketry and astronautics, which is capable of taking pictures and projecting them with a single lens system creating a viewing area of 360 degrees horizontally and 160 degrees vertically. Surely, if this is the case, it could be adapted to motion picture projection as an alternative to Cinerama which, with all its advantages, still carries the match-lines? "Wait until you see it at the World's Fair in Seattle. It is the most fabulous thing you ever saw. It has to be projected into a dome. Just imagine the applications of such a camera for the education of youngsters, who are fascinated about everything concerning the Space Age. Why, with this camera, we can produce a Hayden Planetarium in every city in the world, a dozen of times over." With that, our interview terminated, and I left Robin International feeling that Cinerama is undoubtedly the most exciting motion picture venture of the age and that, if things work out as they should between Nicolas Reisini and Max Youngstein, we are going to see, before we are much older, a great many exciting changes and adventures in motion picture production and presentation and the application of a good many film ideas to other branches of world industry. INANCIAL REPORT {Continued from Page 7) husetts Investors Growth Stock bought 20,000 shares of the atter, but Fidelity Capital sold 39,000. Quite popular was Lmerican Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, with six funds uying and only one selling. )ividends Down in '61 Cash dividend payments by movie companies in 1961 were own almost $1.4 million from the I960 total, with a great leal of the decrease attributable to dividend changes by 20th ]entury-Fox and Desilu. Total '61 payments amounted to 24,517,000, compared to $25,907,000 a year earlier. In Decemier of last year, six industry corporations paid $2,868,000, while ight firms accounted for $3,858,000 in the similar I960 period. Higher Prices for 20th-Fox — A, P & R Twentieth-Fox not only is on the mend, it may well prove o be one of the most robust performers in fiscal 1962. Thus are the firm's praises sung by Martin J. King, of Auchin:loss, Parker & Redpath, who first selected Fox as one of 23 ssues expected to behave handsomely in the year ahead, then followed up with a technical report that hammers home the film company's attractiveness via a chart pattern. Said King: "It lis quite clear that the downtrend which began last April has been decisively broken and a classic V pattern is in the making. As long as this formation holds, higher prices are likely for TF. Should the V fan out at these levels, better objectives over the longer term can be anticipated." And this closing note, which should bring a sigh of relief from many survivors of the past few, dark years: "Unless the most recent uptrend is broken a further testing of the low point at 30 seems unlikely." New Name for NT & T After February 20, National Theatres & TV's ambitious program of expansion and diversification, already well under way, will become official in name as well as fact. On that date, stockholders will be asked at their annual meeting to approve a change in the name of the company to National General Corp. According to the proxy statement: "In addition to a continuation of its theatre exhibition business, the company proposes to enlarge and diversify its scope of activities. As the company is no longer engaged directly or indirectly through controlled subsidiaries in the ownership and operation of television and radio stations, the board of directors considers it advisable to change the name of the company to one w hich is more appropriate to the general activities in which the company is now engaged or may engage in the future." National also is reducing the size of the board from 12 to seven members, reflecting a series of retirements. In addition, the proxy statement lists the following salaries for the firm's top-level officers; president Fugene V. Klein, $33,900; B. Gerald Cantor, former president and board chairman, $35,7l6; Alan May, vice president and treasurer, $46,800, and John B. Bertero, executive consultant of the company, $32,019. Film BULLETIN February 5, 1962 Page 19