Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, February 25, 1954 Personal Mention Murray Silverstone, head of 20th Century-Fox International, will return here by plane on Saturday from England. • Arnold M. Picker, United Artists vice-president in charge of foreign distribution, and Sam Bekeris, UA Latin American supervisor, returned here yesterday from a tour of Latin American branches. • Americo Aboaf, Universal International Films vice-president and general manager, will leave here by plane at the weekend for Puerto Rico and South America. • Douglas Amos, of Lockwood & Gordon Theatres, has been supervising the Webb Playhouse, Wethersfield, Conn., during the Florida vacation of William H. Daugherty. • Ted Holt, on the engineering staff of Loew's Poli-New England Theatres, has resumed his duties in Connecticut and Massachusetts after an extended New Haven Hospital stay. • Emery Austin. M-G-M exploitation director, has been confined to his home with flu during the past few days. • Wolfe Cohen, president of Warner International, will leave here tomorrow aboard the "Queen Mary" for London. • Curtis Bernhardt, director, arrived in New York yesterday from England and will leave here today by plane for Hollywood. • Kenneth C. Dimick has been named manager of the Nugget Theatre, Hanover, N. H., replacing the late Arthur C. Barwood. • Rex Harrison and Laurence Harvey will leave New York by plane on Saturday for Europe. • Walter Wanger has returned to Hollywood following a swing through seven key cities of Texas. • Neville Brand, now in Boston, is due in Hartford at the weekend, after which he will return to Hollywood. • Charles Levy, Eastern publicity director for Walt Disney, is in Indianapolis from here. • Bob Dorfman, Eastern publicity representative for Walt Disney, is in Nebraska from New York. Sam Rosen, of Lockwood & Gordon Theatres, Hartford, has left there for a vacation in Florida. "Miller Story" Sets Ail-Time U-I Records Redstone Plans Drive-In BOSTON, Feb. 24.— Michael Reel stone, president of Redstone Drive-in Theatres, has revealed plans for a new 900-car drive-in in Arlington, Va. Construction is to start in mid-March for a midJune opening. Opening in almost 200 cities over the Washington's Birthday weekend, "The Glenn Miller Story," UniversalInternational's Technicolor musical, has rolled up receipts surpassing everything in the 40-year history of the company, Charles J. Feldman, vice-president and general sales manager, discloses. In first week engagements, the "Miller Story" grossed $30,000 at the Palace in Cleveland ; in Buffalo, $32,000 at the Lafayette; at the Fulton, Pittsburgh, $30,000; at the Madison, Detroit, $34,000; at San Francisco's Golden Gate, $31,000; at the Hippodrome, Baltimore, $22,000 is sighted, and at the Radio City, Minneapolis, $33,000 is indicated. At the Capitol here, it did $91,000 in its second week ; at the Chicago Theatre, Chicago, $60,000; and at the Upton. Tower, Fairway and Granada in Kansas City, $25,000. FCC Current on TV Applications WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.— The Federal Communications Commission said it is currently processing applications for new television stations. Only 298 applications are now outstanding, the FCC said, adding that almost all of these were involved in competitive contests. Of these, 185 have already been set for hearing, are in hearing or have finished hearings, according to the commission. Boston Business Big On Holiday Weekend BOSTON, Feb. 24.— The Washington Birthday weekend was one of the biggest from the standpoint of boxoffice grosses registered in downtown Boston since the war years. The return of Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" at the Keith Memorial Theatre got off to a smash start on the previous Wednesday and, aided by excellent weather, will probably roll up a nifty $30,000 for its first week. Although it will not set a record for gross, as "The Robe" at advanced prices holds the highest money mark in the history of the house, "Pinocchio" has established a record for attendance. It is in for two weeks, when "The Glenn Miller Story" is due. The Martin and Lewis film, 'Money From Home," at the Metropolitan also had an excellent first week over the holiday weekend. Other first runs, helped by the overflow from these spots, did well. Name Clark Director BOSTON, Feb. 24.— Lloyd Clark, an official of Middlesex Amusement Co., Maiden, Mass., has been named a director of the executive board of Independent Exhibitors, Inc. of New England, an affiliate of national Allied. Francis Perry, a past president of the organization and owner-operator of the Orpheum, Foxboro, Mass., was elected an honorary member. Meanwhile, the Weymouth Theatre, Weymouth Landing, Mass., now operated bv Ray Feeley, has been added to the membership of Independent Exhibitors. Chamie in Legion Post ^ HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 24. — Al Chamie, of the Association of Motion Picture Producers' staff, has been named chairman of the National Labor Relations Committee of the American Legion. Chamie is assistant to Charles Boren, AMPP vicepresident in charge of industrial relations. ToddAO Process Is Shown to Goldwyns James Mulvey, president of Samuel Goldwyn Productions, accompanied by a number of Goldwyn representatives, recently saw a demonstration of the Todd-AO process in Buffalo, it was stated here yesterday. Mulvey's attendance at a Todd-AO demonstration came on the heels of similar demonstrations for other top film executives, with further special showings for industry officials slated in the future. Accompanying Mulvey on his trip to Buffalo were Mrs. Francis Goldwyn, wife of the producer ; Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., and Gordon Sawyer, sound technician of the Goldwyn studio. "Riot" Business Good In Michigan Theatres HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 24.— "Riot In Cell Block 11" business during its first three days in the Michigan area will result in 100 per cent holdovers in all houses, Harold Mirisch, Allied Artists vice-president, was advised here by Nathan Levin, Detroit branch manager. The first three days gross at the Broadway Capitol in Detroit was $15,940, while at the Lansing Gladmer, the opening day gross was $3,400 ; $4,200 was recorded for the first three days at the State in Ann Arbor, and $3,900 at the Capitol in Jackson, according to Mirisch. Larkin to Indonesia Alan Larkin has been appointed M-G-M manager of Indonesia, it was announced by Morton A. Spring, first vice-president of Loew's International. He replaces Abdul Wahab, who recently resigned. Larkin has been with M-G-M since 1941, recently managing the Perth branch of the company in Australia. Aid's Cancer Crusade Appointment of Alan Jackson, story and play editor of Paramount Pictures, as chairman of the motion picture division for the April Cancer Crusade has been announced by John Reed Kilpatrick, president of the New York City Cancer Committee. Resigns Cuban Post Pedro Saenz, RKO Pictures general manager in Cuba, has resigned to devote his attention to other interests. He had been with the company since the office was opened in Havana in February, 1939. Kupper Retires from Fox End of March LONDON, Feb. 24.— William J. Kupper, managing director for 20th Century-Fox here since 1947 and associated with the company in executive sales capacities since 1919, will retire from the company at the end of March. Kupper's duties will be taken over by J. F. Pattinson, who has been director of sales here for 20th-Fox since 1946 and who has been associated with the company since 1931. Pattinson will work under the supervision of Albert Cornfield, 20th-Fox's managing director for Continental Europe, who maintains headquarters in Paris. Columbia Personnel Here Get New Pact A new contract covering salaries and working conditions for home office personnel of Columbia Pictures and Columbia Pictures International has been agreed upon between the Columbia management and the Home Office Employes Union, Local H-63. It is reported that the salary increases involve a $4 boost for workers receiving up to $37 weekly ; $5 on salaries up to $50 and $5.50 for those receiving more than $50 a week. Election Day, Columbus Day, Lincoln's Birthday and Armistice Day were designated as half-holidays. The new pact is retroactive to Oct. 29 and will expire on August 31, 1955, in order to bring the expiration date in line with that of other major distributors in New York. Fonda, Ford Signed For 'Mr. Roberts' BURBANK, Feb. 24. — Jack L. Warner, executive producer, announced after a conference with Leland Hayward that Henry Fonda has been signed as star and John Ford as director of Warner Bros.' forthcoming CinemaScope production of Broadway's stage hit, "Mr. Roberts," which Hayward will produce. Fonda will star in the title role he created on the stage. 'Miami Story' Debut At Site Of Locale Columbia has completed arrangements for the world premiere of the Sam Katzman production, "The Miami Story," on April 1, in Miami, where all of the location sequences were filmed. The stars, Barry Sullivan and Adele Jergens, are set to launch a public appearance tour in conjunction with the Miami opening. "Squad" Bows Tomorrow Columbia's "Combat Squad," will have its first New York showing at the Fox Theatre, Brooklyn, tomorrow. John Ireland and Lon McCallister are starred. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consisting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays. Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R. Weaver, Editor. Hollywood 7-2145. Chicago Bureau. 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074; Bruce Trinz, Editorial Representative, 11 North Clark Street, FR 2-2843. Washington, .T. A. Otten. National Press Club, Washington. D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London WI; Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications; Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture and Television Almanac; Fame. Entered as second-class matter, Sept. 21, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. 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