Hollywood Studio Magazine (September 1968)

NEWS FROM GOWER GULCH loader Bob Dawes and his wife adopted little Jennifer Lynne. She’s just 4 months old. Congratulations.. . That horse “Un¬ fettered,” that had such a successful season at Hollywood Park this summer, is owned by Jack Schaeffer, insurance man on the lot. .. Byron Munson, men’s cos¬ tume, is an avid dog enthusiast. He judges at local dog shows in his spare time. Also raises dogs. He sold Bing Crosby his first Labrador Retriever. I was surprised to hear this as my folks have a direct decendent of Bing’s first dog — and they live in Wisconsin . .. Ollie Prosser, Colum¬ bia publicity, recently returned from the Sierra Empire All-Arabian Horse Show in Pomona as the only women winner. She took third place in the OLD FOLKS CLASS! (Riders over 35) . .. Gerry Holt is happy to report that she was just accepted as a volunteer Occupational Therapist on the staff at the Edgemont Psychiatric Hospital in Hollywood. She will work two evenings a week. Some of her duties will be teaching arts and crafts, taking patients on shopping trips, reading and generally acting as trouble shooter between patients and their doctors ... Carol Graham, formerly in the accounting dept., has now turned actress. She is currently playing a “lady of the eveing” in “Gaily Gaily” at the Goldwyn lot. Coincidentally, the unit publicist on the picture is no stranger to Columbia either. He’s Jim Merrick who last worked on “Mackenna’s Gold” here .. . That’s it for this month. SHAVELSON SIGNED FOR NEW PICTURE WITH COL. Mel Shavelson, one of filmdom’s most successful writer—directors, has con¬ cluded a deal with producer Fred Briskin to write and direct “A Shipment of Tarts” for Columbia Pictures, it was an¬ nounced today by Robert M. Weitman, vice-president in charge of studio pro¬ duction. Shavelson recently wrote the screen¬ play and directed the current boxoffice hit, “Yours, Mine and Ours.” IT'S A GIRL! London: - Mr. and Mrs. Carl Foreman became the parents of a girl, Amanda, last Sunday at St. Mary’s Hospital here. This is the second child for the Foremans. They also have a two-year-old son, Jona¬ than. Foreman is the motion picture direct¬ or-producer-writer whose films include “The Guns of Navarone” and the forth¬ coming “Mackenna’s Gold” for Columbia Pictures. WYLER UNDER 6 PIX CONTRACT AT COLUMBIA Robert M. Weitman, Columbia Pic¬ tures vice-president in charge of studio production, announced director William Wyler has been signed to an exclusive six-picture contract with Columbia. Wyler, who recently completed “Fun¬ ny Girl,” the William Wyler-Ray Stark production for Columbia, will direct three of the properties and produce the remaining three. First project to go under the new pact will be “The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones,” based on the novel by Jesse Hill Ford, to be produced by Ronald Lubin and written for the screen by Stirling Silliphant. SAM PARKER GETS NEW POST AT COL. New York: — Samuel Parker has been named Columbia’s general manager in Portugal, it has been announced here by Columbia Pictures International Corpora¬ tion. In the film industry since 1939, Parker has held positions in the United Kingdom and Ireland with British Lion and BLC Films. At the time of the appointment to Portugal, he was Columbia’s southern area controller for the United Kingdom operating out of the company’s London offices. COL HAS NEW TECHNICAL DIVISION Columbia Pictures’ Hollywood studio has added an Industrial Engineering De¬ partment to its roster of internal divisions aimed at increasing the services offered to independent producers, it was announced by Bernard Barron, Studio Manager. The new department is headed up by Mark Battersby and will, in addition to servicing producers, assist Columbia back lot departments in the development of improved methods and procedures, Barron said. LOUIS BARBANO DIES IN NEW YORK New York: - Louis John Barbano, financial vice-president of Columbia Pic¬ tures, died July 5 at Orange Memorial Hospital in South Orange, N.J., after being injured in an automobile accident. Mr. Barbano, who was 76, had been in partial retirement for the last five years. He joined Columbia in 1932 as assistant treasurer. He became financial vice-presi¬ dent in 1953. He was also a director of the Screen Gems Corp., a Columbia sub¬ sidiary. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. May Doscher Barbano; a daughter, Mrs. Carl R. Blanche; a sister and three grandchild¬ ren. LEO JAFFE GETS LAURELS FROM "MARCH OF DIMES" New York: — Top motion picture executives, government officials, civic leaders and entertainment personalities paid tribute to Leo Jaffe, president of Columbia Pictures, for his service to humanitarian causes. The event was the tenth annual March of Dimes Humani¬ tarian Award Dinner at the Americana Hotel. Sidney Poitier, who presented the award, praised Jaffe for his “venturesome leadership in an industry that inspires as well as entertains the world’s people.” He said the March of Dimes is deeply in¬ debted to Jaffe for his “unstinting gen¬ erosity and tireless efforts to benefit the welfare of all.” In accepting the award, Jaffe called for an increase in resources from government and private sectors to meet the ever¬ growing challenge of assisting the handi¬ capped. “In the wake of happenings through¬ out the world,” he said, “the need for people with a sense of responsibility to participate in areas where they are best qualified to serve is clearly accentuated. Everyone has a responsibility to serve humanity, even at the risk of personal sacrifice to himself and his family. We must recognize the needs of others who are not so fortunate as we,” Jaffe said. Jaffe was also honored with the Med¬ allion of the City of New York, which was presented by Barry Gottenhrer, special assistant to Mayor John V. Lind¬ say. The much-coveted medal is given to distinguished New Yorkers and visiting dignitaries for high achievement of a civic or philanthropic nature. Other speakers on the program in- cluded / Senator Jacob K. Javits and MPAA president Jack Valenti. Carl Reiner served as master of cere¬ monies. Spyros P. Skouras, first recipient of the Hunamitarian Award, was com¬ mittee chairman, and Jack Benny, Leo¬ nard H. Goldenson, Danny Kaye, Robert H. O’Brien and Jack L. Warner, all past recipients, served as vice-chairmen. Entertainment was by Miss Leslie Uggams. Columbia Pictures was represented by a contingent of top executives headed by Abraham Schneider, chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Those on the dais were: Paul S. Gripp, vice-president, Technicolor Corp., Rich¬ ard B. Graff, vice-president and general sales manager, National General Pictures; Bishop Silas of Anthipolis; Roger Hur- lock, president, Allied Artists; Paul Anka; Tony Owen, independent TV producer; Robert M. Weitman, Columbia Pictures Continued on Page 32 » ..