Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, July 16, 1954 Personal Mention IRVING SOCHIN, Universal Pictures short subjects sales manager, is in Cincinnati today from here after visiting Pittsburgh and Indianapolis this week. J. R. Grainger, president of RKO Radio Pictures, E. L. Walton, executive assistant to the president, and Perry Lieber, national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, returned to Hollywood yesterday from San Franisco. • H. Simon Ullman has joined the staff of the TriState Automatic Candy Corp. in Albany as assistant to manager George H. Sci-ienck. .• Marge Sarpolis, secretary to 20th Century-Fox Cleveland branch manager L. J. Sci-iMEETZ, will be married tomorrow to Bud Howell. • Foster M. Blake, Western sales manager for Universal Pictures, will leave here Monday on a tour of his territory. • Peter Roebeck, general sales manager of the film division of General Teleradio, is in New York from the Coast. « Marshall Fine of the Associated Circuit in Cleveland is a patient at the Lakeside Hospital there. • Lex Benton of Benton Film Express in Atlanta has returned from a Florida vacation. • Joe Dumas, Repubhc Pictures office manager in Atlanta, has returned there from a Florida vacation, o Mel Ferrer will leave for Italy today via LAI-Italian Airlines. • Geraldine Brooks will leave here today for Rome via L.A.I. Testimonial Tuesday In N. H, for Simon NEW HAVEN, July 15. — More than 300 members of New England's motion picture industry will attend a testimonial dinner honoring Ben Simon, retiring local manager of the 20th Century-Fox branch at the Waverly Inn, Cheshire, Conn. Tuesday. New Haven's mayor and other municipal, business and professional leaders plus delegations from Hartford, Boston, Bridgeport and Waterbury will be on hand. Vicksburg House Goes Back to Para, Gulf NEW ORLEANS, July 15.— Floyd Murphy, who has been operating the Strand Theatre, Vicksburg, Miss., under a lease agreement from Paramount Gulf Theatres, Inc., announced that he has effected a cancellation of the lease and returned the theatre to its former owners. Over 160 Houses in Makelim Contracts HOLLYWOOD, July 15.— Exhibitors in Charlotte, N. C, representing more than 160 theatres oversubscribed to the Makelim Plan following its presentation by independent producer Hal R. Makelim to the Theatre Owners of America group in that city yesterday, according to word received at the producer's headquarters here. 5 Percentage Suits Filed in Gr. Rapids GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July IS. Five percentage actions were filed in the Federal Court here against Nick Kuris operating the N. K. Theatre and N. K. Drive-in Theatre in Muskegon, Mich. Paramount, Twentieth Century-Fox, Warner Bros., RKO and Universal each filed a separate action. The Grand Rapids firm of Warner, Norcross & Judd represents the distributors with Sargoy & Stein of New York of counsel. 'Living It Up' Opens In Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY, July 15.— "Living It Up," the new Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Technicolor comedy was world premiered at the Warner Theatre here last night. More than 100 columnists, newspaper and magazine writers and radio and television personalities from 18 cities witnessing the proceedings. Dean and Jerry cut the anniversary cake which commemorated the eighth year of their teaming^ up. _ At the end of the ceremonies in front of the Warner, the comedians moved the proceedings inside the theatre where they put on a stage show prior to the showing of the picture. Legion Puts 4 in 'A' And One in Class 'B' Two pictures were placed in Class A, Section 1 ; two in Class A, Section 2 and one in Class B, in this week's listing of pictures reviewed by the National Legion of Decency. In Section 1, morally unobjectionable for general patronage, were "The Littlest Outlaw," Disney, and "The Malta Story," United Artists. Listed in Section 2, morally unobjectionable for adults, were "A Day Out of Life," IFE, and "King Richard and the Crusaders," Warner Brothers. The Japanese film, "Ugetsu," was placed in Class B, morally objectional in part. Simon Leaving UA BUFFALO,July 15.— Mike Simon, former manager of the local and the Detroit Paramount exchanges, has re signed his position as United Artists sales representative in the Albany area. Under Government Rule OTTAWA, July 15.— The National Film Board of Canada has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration U. K. Union Dispute Taken to Gov't. LONDON, July 12.— Although the Ministry of Labor has not to date taken official cognizance of the already reported dispute between Cinematograph Exhibitors Association and Tom O'Brien's National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees, the former's officers have been to the Ministry for informal talks. They were followed the next day by a delegation from the union. The Ministry will now decide to refer the matter to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal or endeavour to bring the parties together for further negotiation. Prepares Case for Members O'Brien, with characteristic zest for publicity, is preparing his union's case for circulation to Members of Parliament, to municipal and licensing authorities and to trades councils throughout the country. He even talks of a strike in the theatres. But the threat may be discounted. Apart from any merits in his case, the NATKE boss is too shrewd a strategist to risk a strike which could not in any event be total. Theatres would undoubtedly keep open if O'Brien committed himself to strike action. Conn, Theatre Men Form New Company HARTFORD, July 15. — Nutmeg Theatres, Inc., New Haven, a new Connecticut corporation, has filed a certificate of organization with the Secretary of State's office here, listing amount of subscribed capital, $1,500; amount paid in cash, $1,500; amount paid in property, none ; president, Norman Bialek, New York ; secretary, Leonard Sampson, Woodbridge ; and vice-president and treasurer, Robert C. Spodick, New Haven ; directors, same as officers. The above-named men operate the Crown and Lincoln, New Haven ; Art Cinema, Bridgeport ; Fine Arts, W estport ; and Norwalk and Empress, Norwalk, all in Connecticut. 3,200 in Cleveland See 'Obsession' Bow CLEVELAND, July 15. — Universal-International's "Magnificent Obsession" had its world premiere here last night before a capacity audience of more than 3,200 at the RKO Place Theatre. In ceremonies before the screening, the Motion Picture Council of Greater Cleveland presented a citation to U-I through Jane Wyman, one of the film's stars. The citation designated the film as the woman's picture of the year. New Columbus Tent To Open Clubrooms COLUMBUS, O., July 13.— Columbus Variety Club will be known as the Showman's Club pending re-acquisition of a charter, said James Bushman, chairman of the club's temporary board of directors. Clubrooms are expected to be open soon in a basement suite at the Seneca Hotel. Denied 'Scope Films Theatreman Charges OKLAHOMA CITY, July 15.— Joe Turner, manager of a Lawton, Okla, theatre, has filed a $75,000 damage suit in Federal District Court here against 20th Century-Fox charging that he was denied the right to exhibit CinemaScope pictures. Turner said that he was contacted early last year by 20th-Fox representative Marion Osborne and had agreed to install CinemaScope equipment in his house. Later, the theatreman said, he was offered two CinemaScope films, "The Robe" and "How To Marry A Millionaire," but was told he could not book the second film until he had shown "The Robe." The distribution company had given exclusive rights to CinemaScope bookings to a rival theatre, the Vaska, Turner said. Osborne denied that the Vaska had exclusive CinemaScope rights, and said "if he wants to outbid the Vaska he can have the pictures." Osborne said Turner "did not have to show 'The Robe' first as we do not go for block bookings." He also said Turner installed his CinemaScope equipment after the Vaska had done so, and said "if he had gone ahead and equipped his theatre he could have been playing the pictures, but he refused." Drive-ins Getting First Runs in Cinci. CINCINNATI, July 15.— First run product is being sold away from downtown houses in favor of drive-ins, both here and in the Cincinnati exchange territory. Currently, the Twin Drive-in, the only outdoor operation within the city limits, is playing 20thFox "Siege of Red River" and Lippert's "The Big Chase. Ashland, Ky., and other area drive-ins also are playing first runs. Hartford House Closes HARTFORD, July 15.— The Hartford Theatre Circuit has closed its first-run foreign film house, the 850seat Art, for the summer. A widescreen is among new equipment being installed. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL . Rockefeller Center. "THE STUDENT PRINCE" In CinemaScope starring Ann BLYTH • Edmund PURDOM and the Singing Vaice of MARIO LANZA Color by ANSCO An M-G-M Picture and SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION THE , WAHNEB BROS WLtlAM A, WaiMMTS — High ^Mighty CINEImaScOP^ «»>WarnerColor lOHNWAYNE-CUURETRtVOR-lAiUUNEDAY-ROBERTSTACK lANSTERUNG-raaHARRIS-fiOBERiNEWTON-OAViD BRIAN Ik WAYNE-f EllOWS PROOUCnON PARAMOUNT^ Cpp^ptarv-'Al Steen News Editor: Herbert V Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R. Weaver, secretary, Ai oiccu, iicw» , xiciui. v. > ^ ^.z^^^ tt_u -ir„_i„„ 4^„^..t;c;^„ •Do.oro=or,tot;,7» ttt f..-Kmd c,,^ T.ocr,^., F.ri;tr.r;al Rprirpspntativp. 400 West of of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.