Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

Friday, January 21, 1955 Motion Picture Daily 3 To Make "The Matador if Col., AA, Film Locations In 3 -Way Deal with Ferrer A three-company deal, under the terms of which Jose Ferrer will coproduce, direct and star in a film based on Barnaby Conrad's novel, "The Matador," was announced jointly yesterday by Columbia Pictures, Allied Artists and Film Locations, Ltd., the Canadian Reviewing Project Acclaimed TORONTO, Jan. 20.— The first distributed list of recommended pictures under the newly-organized cooperative project called "Canadian ristimates of Entertainment Films" is reported to have received wide approval in the film industry itself. The program, based on reviews by representative women, has been launched by 10' national organizations affiliated with the Canadian Children's Film library Committee. Classed as family pictures are "Her Twelve Men," "The Black Knight," 'The Little Fugitive" and "Hansel and Gretel." Recommended for grownups and mature young people is "Phffft" while "The Stolen Plans" is approved for Saturday matinee. C. J. Appel, executive director of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, has called on all exhibitors and managers to co-operate with the women's groups at the local level and to support the project. three firms which will finance the production. The film will be distributed by Columbia and Allied Artists, with the latter handling the Western Hemisphere and Columbia the distribution in the Eastern Hemisphere. Columbia will also distribute the picture in those South American countries in which Allied has no offices. The production of "The Matador" marks the first time that Ferrer will serve in the three capacities on a picture. Recently, he contracted with Columbia to direct and star in the Warwick production, "The Cockleshell Heroes." Exteriors for "The Matador" which Mike Frankovich and Film Locations, Ltd., will co-produce with Ferrer will be shot in Spain with camera work beginning in late August. Interiors will be filmed in England. Ferrer was represented in "The Matador" negotiations by Kurt Frings. The screen play will be written by Ketti Frings, who has writing credits, such as "Come Back Little Sheba," "About Mrs. Leslie" and "The Shrike." Economic Report New Minimum Wage for New W orkers Asked WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.— President Eisenhower indicated that any workers newly brought under the Federal Minimum Wage Law by Congress should be brought under at a lower rate than the minimum for industries already covered. Reports are that the Labor Department will urge Congress to expand minimum wage coverage enough to take in theatres. The present minimum is 75 cents an hour and the President is asking Congress to increase this to 90 cents. Urges 'Gradual Approach' In an "economic report" to Congress, the President again urged both Congress and the states to consider expanding minimum wage coverage, but added : "To ease the process of adjustment, a gradual approach will need to be developed." Some Labor Department officials have urged that newly covered workers be covered at a minimum of 60 cents or 65 cents and that this be increased gradually to the minimum for other industries. The President's economic report urged that the tax rate "on corporate income from all foreign sources" should be reduced by 14 percentage points. Treasury officials, however, said that the people who wrote the President's message just didn't understand that the Treasury is not proposing this tax cut for "all" foreign income, and that the official administration position is still that the lower tax rate not be applied to film distributors and other distributors. Would Boost 'Trust' Violations The President urged Congress to raise "substantially" the maximum fine for anti-trust law violations. Generally, the economic report painted a glowing picture of an economy continually expanding, with continually increasing consumer-spending ■on all goods and services. The President went further than he's gone so far this year in indicating a tax cut in 1956, declaring that further spending cuts "should make possible some additional general tax reductions next year." E. M. Loew Acquires Conn, Stadium HARTFORD, Jan. 20. — E. M. Loew's Theatres, Inc., has acquired the Candlelite Stadium, Bridgeport, Conn., from the Bridgeport Sportsmen's Club for a reported $110,000, and will use the site for a drive-in theatre. The project, which will include razing the stadium stands, is expected to begin within 30 days. Loew is applying" for a drive-in permit at the State Police Commissioner's office here. Stock Purchases WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.— Samuel R. Walker, vice-president of the City Investing Co., has purchased through stock options 5,163 common shares increasing his holdings to 5,929 shares, it was reported today by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lowell Thomas Back From World Tour Lowell Thomas has returned to New York by American Airlines from an around-the-world tour for his new Cinerama picture, "The Seven Wonders of the World." Since leaving New York with Mrs. Thomas and Cinerama technicians on Dec. 17, he has visited England, Egypt, Aden, Saudi Arabia — spending Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Thomas, Jr., on Umm A'Sabaan, a privately owned island off Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Max Weston Thornburg — then to Dahran, in Arabia, then to Karachi, Pakistan, New Delhi, Agra. Cinerama in Buffalo The Week of Feb. 27 BUFFALO, Jan. 20. — "This Is Cinerama" will open at Shea's. Teck Theatre here the week of Feb. 11, provided the conversion of the theatre for Cinerama exhibition is completed by that time. The radically revised Teck, at which all seats will be reserved, will have a seating capacity of 1,100. The house, formerly seated 1,263. Prices will be scaled from $2.40 to $1.20. UK Bans 'Wild One' Declaring that the film "would have a dangerous influence on young people, particularly on the 'hooligans' of the country," the British Board of Film Censors has banned "The Wild One," a picture about motorcycle "hoodlums" starring Marlon Brando. According the reports from London, the ban may be lifted if some alterations are made, and the board is "still talking" with Columbia Pictures _op_ the matter. Paramount Has 11 Features in Work HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 20. — The Paramount studio now has seven major pictures in the cutting rooms, four shooting and another set to go before the cameras shortly. All the pictures with the exception of one, "Mambo," which PontiDeLaurentiis produced in Italy for Paramount, are in Vista Vision. All but two of the eleven Vista Vision pictures covered in the production breakdown are in Technicolor as well. Pictures editing include : Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief," and "The Trouble With Harry" ; Bob Hope's new starrer, "The Seven Little Foys" ; Martin and Lewis' "You're Never Too Young" ; Hal Wallis' "The Rose Tattoo" ; "Lucy Gallant," William H. Pine and William C. Thomas production, and "Mambo." "The Rose Tattoo" is in black-andwhite VistaVision. The cameras are rolling on PanamaFrank's Danny Kaye comedy, "The Court Jester" ; "The Girl Rush" ; "The Vagabond King" and "The Desperate Hours." "Artists and Models," Hal Wallis production starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, is slated to go before the VistaVision Technicolor cameras next month. 20th -Fox, Publisher In 'Racers' Tie up Approximately 5,000 window and in-store display cards for book, stationery, drug and department stores across the country are being prepared by 20th Century-Fox for its CinemaScope production, "The Racers," in a ti°up with Ballantine Books, publishers of the Hans Reusch novel on which the picture is based. Albany V.C. Crowns 'Kings & Queens' ALBANY, Jan. 20.— Inaugurating a series of "Kings and Queens for a Day," in which key women exchange employes are honored with their respective managers, the Variety Club here held a dinner for M-G-M manager Jack Goldberg and his secretary, Mrs. Catherine M. Shea. ToddAO Set For Buffalo BUFFALO, Jan. 20.— The Century Theatre here will introduce the ToddAO projection system, probably around Easter, when it plans to present "Oklahoma," the first, and thus far the only, film produced in the new medium. Interest in the new system is heightened in this area by the fact that tne technique was developed by American Optical Co., of Buffalo, giving its initial— AO— to the identification of the medium. Changes Announced in 0 Foreign Staff Harry Novak, for the past 10 years Continental supervisor for Universal, nas resigned his post, Americo Aboaf, Universal's foreign general manager, announced upon his return from Europe this week. Novak has not announced his future plans, but it is probable that he will continue to be active in the motion picture field in a private capacity, he said. Aboaf also announced that John B. Spires, heretofore executive assistant to Harry Novak, had been appointed Continental supervisor to succeed Novak. In addition, Marion Jordan, until recently southern European supervisor for Universal, has been named Continental sales manager, and John Marshall, Universal district supervisor for Middle Europe, has been promoted to supervisor for the Scandinavian countries as well as Middle Europe. Pines to Far East Post for Columbia Promotion of Aaron Pines, Columbia's manager in the Philippines, to the post of assistant Far East supervisor, has been announced here by Lacy W. Kastner, Columbia International president. Pines will serve under Michael Bergher, Far Eastern supervisor, whose headquarters are in Tokyo. His successor as manager in Manila will be George W. Schweig, until recently Columbia manager in Trinidad, Kastner said. Both Pines and Schweig have been with Columbia for many years. Schweig's first Columbia International post was as assistant to Pines in Manila ; from there he went to Trinidad as manager. Pines has served Columbia in Panama, Puerto Rico and Trinidad.