Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1962)

DFZ Takes Charge ^WSmaketS It was, of course, merely coincidence, but many industryites claim that the collective sigh of relief upon the resolving of 20th-Fox's management difficulties was heard as far away as Alexandria, Egypt, where a scant two days after Darryl F. Zanuck was elected president of the company, its $30 million project, "Cleopatra", wound up two years of filming. The Elizabeth Taylor-starrer now returns to the Hollywood studios for the finishing touches, which, you can be sure, will be applied under the skilled and watchful eye of the new chief executive. For no matter which of the too-numerous-to-record rumors eventually prove correct, one thing is certain: DFZ will keep a large hand in all phases of Fox operations, especially the studio, where he reigned so successfully before entering the field of independent film-making. As he declared upon his selection: "I believe the president of a motion picture company today should be its production head as well as administrative head, for all depends on the product." The new management alignment is considered to be a victory not only for erstwhile president Spyros P. Skouras, who moves up to the board chairmanship (replacing Judge Samuel I. Rosenman) with the knowledge that another member of the original 20th Century "team" is at the helm, but for the majority of the nation's exhibitors, who had been watching recent developments with a mixture of apprehension and hope. Searching every outlet for product, and fearing a switch in production thinking by their most abundant provider, they cheered, to a man, when Zanuck planed in from Paris to assert his position as the firm's largest single stockholder by telling the Wall Street interests to keep their noses out of Fox's movie-making affairs. TOA president John H. Stembler summed up the sentiments of all theatremen when he hailed the Zanuck-Skouras teaming as assurance of the continuance of a movie-making program by 20th, then called on them to back the company with concrete action: "I urge all theatres to immediately and voluntary initiate a 'Book Fox' drive of their own. Without Fox product, exhibition would be in tremendous difficulty." Zanuck's desire to shoulder the heavy, but highly prestigious responsibility of bringing the firm he helped found in 1933 back to the heights it once enjoyed was evident in his agree ment to serve for 18 months at the same salary he is receiving now as a part-time consultant; he also granted the firm an option on his continued services for an additional two years. His suggestion that the board be enlarged was followed, to a modified degree, when four directors — Zanuck, himself, producer-director William Wyler, attorney Arnold Grant and business executive Francis Levien — were added. Two spots on the board were open following the resignation of Wall Streeters John H. Loeb and Milton S. Gould. A new executive committee, composed of Zanuck, Skouras, Grant, Levien, Robert L. Clarkson, Robert Lehman and Thomas A. Pappas, was selected, and a series of top-level meetings ensued. More closed sessions are slated for late this week, when Zanuck returns from a brief trip to Paris, where he hurried to wind up technical work on "The Longest Day". Back in New York, he plans to closet himself with the board and executive arm to map plans for streamlining operations and realigning executive personnel where necessary. That they will have plenty to discuss and hammer out has been a wellknown industry fact now for several years. Zanuck publicly observed: "I have no illusion about the present plight of the company. It has not only suffered disastrous losses in theatrical production and distribution in the past several years, but the loss from these activities for the first half of this year will be approximately $10 million. But the company has also great assets and even greater potentialities and I am determined to apply all my strength, resourcefulness and knowledge to restore Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation to pre-eminence. "The motion picture industry has changed so radically in the past decade, that old traditions for production, studio operations and domestic and foreign distribution are not only inefficient, they are obsolete ... It is time for twenty-first century methods for Twentieth Century-Fox." Along these lines, Zanuck's plans reportedly call for an increase in the number of distribution deals with independent producers. And there are the previously announced plans for renting of otherwise idle studio space and facilities to outside theatrical and TV producers, and curtailment of 2t)th-Fox production abroad, with the bulk of the shooting to be done in Zanuck and Skouras Hollywod. Via these methods, the dynamic new chief executive expects there will emerge a "continued flow of motion pictures combining the highest possible standards of boxoffice attractiveness and artistic quality." Zanuck, of course, made special mention of the two big guns in 20th's arsenal: "Cleopatra" and his own "The Longest Day." Of the former, he said: "It has been claimed for many motion pictures, but 'Cleopatra' will be the greatest single entertainment achievement in any medium in theatrical history." As for "Day," he stated merely that "it would be unseemly of me to utter praises for it, but let me say, as president of the company, this motion picture has my complete confidence." Particularly reassuring to exhibitors who over the years had come to expect not only a steady supply of product, but unflagging co-operation from Fox were these words from Zanuck: "Theatre owners know the great tradition of our company . . . We shall have the benefit of Spyros Skouras' experience and inspiration. Theatre owners will never cease to associate the fair policies of our company with his name, and thev will continue to do so." Page 10 Film BULLETIN August 6, 1962