Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1953)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, June 17, 1953 6 Melba 9 Campaign Gains for Premiere With stores and businesses cooperating, the local campaign for the premiere of United Artists' "Melba" is gaining momaitum, U.A. stated yesterday. The opening is set for June 24 at the Capitol Theatre. Fifteen hundred celebrities will attend the premiere, under the auspices of United Cerebral Palsy of New York City, with radio and television networks covering the event, said U.A. Coast-to-Coast attention will be focused on "Melba" as a result of premiere coverage by the American Broadcasting Co. video and radio networks and newsreel, newspaper and press service representatives, as well as by NBC's follow-up radio and television broadcasts. Backed by a national advertisingbudget of $500,000— equal to that provided for United Artists' current "Moulin Rouge"— and aided by a $50,000 music-promotion budget, the campaign for the world premiere is blanketing all of New York. Five W. B. 'River' Openings in Texas Warner Brothers' "The Charge at Feather River," following its debut on June 30 at the new Plaza Theatre in Vernon, Tex., will be given four additional premieres in key cities in that state. The picture, in 3-D, WarnerPhonic sound and WarnerColor, will open in Houston on July 1, in San Antonio on July 2, in Dallas on July 3, and in Fort Worth on July 4. Stars of the picture will make personal appearances at all of the openings. They include Guy Madison, Helen Westcott, Vera Miles and Ron Hagerthy. Exhibitors Attend Screening Some 200 local exhibitors turned out for a special screening, of Warner Brothers' forthcoming release of "The Charge at Feather River," 3-D, in color by WarnerColor, with WarnerPhonic sound, yesterday at the RKO 86th Street Theatre which is equipped with wide screen. Attending from Warner Brothers were Samual Schneider, Ben Kalmenson, Mort Blumenstock, Roy Haines, Jules Lapidus, Jack Kirby, Ed Hinchy, Bernard Goodman and Bob McGuire. Nord Claims 3-D at 2-D Cost (Continued from page 1) finest service to California on "THE HOLLYWOOD" Board United's famous one-stop DC-6 Mainliner to Los Angeles at noon, arrive at 7:55 p.m. Delicious United lunch and dinner aloft. Also "the Advance Hollywood" and "the Overnight Hollywood." interlocks and radical booth changes. It does require polarized glasses and a metallic 3-D screen. The company executives claim 3-D projection at 2-D production costs and "nominal" installation expense. Edward Lachman, New Jersey theatre operator and chief barker of the New York Variety Club Tent No. 35, has been appointed sales manager of the company. The demonstration yesterday1 was staged by Roy Clapp, pioneer in stereoscopics and inventor of the process ; Harry Rathner and Nathan Supak, officials of the company, and Lachman. Demonstrations will continue this week for distribution company executives and producer representatives, as well as for exhibitors and supply dealers. Has Own Special Camera The Nord company has its own special camera which will be available on a lease basis to producers. However, it was explained that any 3-D picture made with another process can be transferred to a single negative in order to utilize the Nord equipment. In fact, the demonstration yesterday consisted of scenes from Columbia's "The Man in the Dark," Universal's "It Came from Outer Space" and RKO Radio's short subject,' "Louisiana Purchase," as well as shots made by the Nord camera, all exhibited from a single projector. Booth equipment consists of a "corrective" lens on the projector and an attachment consisting of two "windows" placed back of the portholes. Because of certain limitations in Lloyd's projection room, the attachment was placed outside of the booth and in front of the portholes for yesterday's showing. For the showing of conventional two-dimensional pictures, nothing more is required than to open a small gate, located between the two windows. In effect, the Nord camera's lens splits the photographed scene, so that there are two identical images or pictures on each frame. The images on the film are printed horizontally instead of vertically, but the special projector lens "turns the pictures around" so that they are projected normally on the screen. Clapp explained that the process can enlarge the pictures for wide-screen to an aspect ratio of 1.80 to 1 without going into an anamorphic system. It is claimed that Clapp holds major patents covering stereoscopics plus new ones that apply to the 3-D process. It is further claimed that the equipment can be turned out in 30 days for early delivery. The cost of the equipment has not been determined, but company executives said yesterday that the expense "will be in easy reach of the smallest exhibitor." It is also contemplated by the company to manufacture its own special screen for 3-D projection. As yet there has been no deal set by any company to utilize the process. Stevens, McCarey (Continued from page 1) Roach, formed the new production company, said here yesterday that the organization had started to negotiate for stories and talent and that the top talent would function on a flexible participating basis. The medium in which the pictures will be made will depend on the individual story and the system to which it can best be adapted. A threedimensional picture may be produced if the story lends itself to the system, Gold said. No distribution deals have been negotiated and none will be initiated until the first picture has been completed, he stated. Roach will function as head of the studio while Gold will serve in an administrative and sales capacity. Gold formerly was vice-president and Eastern sales manager of United Artists for many years. New Sound System (Continued from page 1) president and studio head, commenting on the system, said : "Paramount has been searching for a system that would be satisfactory to the entire industry. We sincerely believe that our suggestions meet the requirements." The proposals were developed under the direction of Loren L. Ryder, head of the studio's technical research and engineering and director of recording. Copies of the proposals are being circulated to sound department heads of all studios, equipment manufacturers and manufacturers of magnetic film. S-W and Cinerama (Continued from page 1) minute postponement of yesterday's special meeting of Cinerama Productions stockholders, which was supposed to vote on the proposed deal. The meeting was adjourned until an unannounced date, with no official explanation offered by Cinerama Productions executives. Despite yesterday's confirmation that negotiations between the two principals are continuing, it was held possible that the postponement may have been partly due to the many hitches which still must be ironed out between the two groups. Other contributing factors causing the postponement, it was added, may have been opposition by principal Cinerama Productions stockholders, or the lack of word from the Department of Justice. The Justice Department's views on the deal have been sought by Stanley Warner in light of possible consent decree prohibitions. Record Pace for 'Queen' Continues "A Queen Is Crowned" at the Guild Theatre here is continuing its record-breaking pace, with $8,000 racked up in the first two days of its second week. The picture grossed a terrific $27,000 in its initial week at the 450seat Guild, which has scheduled 10 shows a day. Landau Retains Roffman Ely Landau, Inc., film producer has retained Richard H. Roffman Associates to handle its public relations. National Pre-Selling THE national magazine campaign for Walt Disney's "The Sword and the Rose" opens with a striking two-page spread in full color in the June 30 issue of Look. The schedule of national media for other ads includes : Life, Redbook, American Weekly, Collier's, McCall's, Cosmopolitan and This Week. • A half-page ad on Universal International's "All I Desire" appears in the July issue of Woman's Home Companion. Among the movies recommended in the issue are "The Juggler," "Young Bess," "Split Second" and "Titanic." • Arlene Dahl, star of Paramount's "Sangaree," was interviewed by Lisa Wilson for the June 14 issue of American Weekly. The story is illustrated with full color photographs. • Eve Arden, who is featured as Our Miss Brooks in Republic's "The Lady Wants Mink," had a front-page and cover story devoted to her in the June 14 issue of Pictorial Review. The front-page was painted by caricaturist Kapralik and is in full color. The cover story is illustrated by five photographs taken in Eve Arden's home, and occupies a two-page spread. • "The Cruel Sea" is reviewed by Florence Somers in the July issue of Redbook. It is selected as a candidate for Redbook's annual "Silver Cup Award." • The weaving of the seamless robe, which so vitally affects the characters in the first CinemaScope picture, "The Robe," is the subject of a featured article by Ruth Harbert in the July issue of Good Housekeeping. • "Stalag 17" was chosen by Ed Miller as "the picture of the month" in the July issue of Seventeen. • "Thunder Bay" is reviewed in "McCall's Goes-to-the-Movies" department in the July issue. Four photographs taken during the filming of the feature were used to illustrate the review. In the same issue, under the heading "Tonight Is Our Night for the Movies," full color photographs visualize for women the type of clothes to wear at the movies, and while preparing meals before going. • "The Juggler," and "Shane" were picked by Mervyn LeRoy as the best pictures of the month in the July issue of Coronet. Walter Haas ?v. — fltTfr (fln* flirt* ttfif iflw» (twttfl^S^ MOVIELAB'S new preview theatre brings TO THE EAST the ultimate in projection. This theatre is equipped with 3-D, 16 mm INTERLOCK and FEATURING 35mm. THREE CHANNEL INTERLOCK PROJECTION. MOVIELAB THEATRE SERVICE, INC. 619 W 54th St., N. Y. 19, N. Y .JUdson 6-0360