Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

Friday, January 28, 1955 Motion Picture daily 5 Red China Seeking To Stimulate Its Picture Industry By A. C. PINDER TOKYO, Jan. 22 (by air mail).— Plans to stimulate production and exhibition activities in Red China are being formulated, according to reports reaching here. It was said that Red China's film industry leaders were "somewhat displeased" because a picture from a capitalistic countrv Italy's "The Bicycle Thief," outdrew all home product at the box office. _ Cinema attendance in Red China in 1954 was reported at 870,000,000, an increase of seven per cent over that of 1953, according to Wang Lan-hsi, director of the, Cinema Bureau of the Ministry of Culture. Fourteen feature films were produced in China during the year, along with 15 educational films, 37 documentaries and four cartoons. Chinese films were exported to 30 countries, while 40 features and 25 educational pictures were imported, principally from Russia. New Theatres Planned Plans call for increasing the number of pictures to be. produced in 1955 and an additional number of theatres are planned for construction. During this year, 800 film teams will travel to remote areas to give shows. The Red Chinese government also has announced that construction of a "big modern film laboratory" has started in Peiping. AA Claims Star Power As 25th Year Launched HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 27.— Declaring Allied Artists is entering its Silver Anniversary year with the greatest lineup of "top calibre star, producer and director talent in its history," executive producer Walter Mirisch enumerated the following players in recently completed and contemplated films : Jose Ferrer, Gary Cooper, Joel McCrea, Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, David Niven, Yvonne De Carlo, Barry Fitzgerald, Debra Paget, Raymond Massey, Mark Stevens, Diana Lynn, Cornel Wilde, John Derek, Sterling Hayden, Joan Bennett and Richard Conte. Among producers and directors upcoming on product are Ferrer, John Huston, William Wyler, Billy Wilder, Walter Wanger, Sam Bischoff, Mike Frankovich, Scott R. Dunlap, Richard Heermance, Vincent M. Fennelly, Hayes Goetz, Henry Levin, Jacques Tourneur, Don Siegel and Charles Marquis Warren. Mirisch also mentioned AA's joining AMPP in 1954 as signalling, technically, the company's already demonstrated status as a major studio. Mrs. Eisenhower to Head 'Gray Line' Premiere Airs. Dwight Eisenhower will be honorary chairman of the committee arranging the world premiere showing of Columbia's "The Long Gray Line," at RKO Keith's Theatre, Washington, on Feb. 9. Wives of officers of the Technical Services of the Army are sponsoring the affair, which will take on the air of a Hollywood-style premiere, with high government officials, diplomats, and representatives of society and the military in the nation's capital attending, Columbia announced. Mrs. Charles E. Wilson is general chairman of the invitational benefit showing, proceeds from which will go to the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines' and Airmen's Club of Washington. Mrs. Robert T. Stevens, Mrs. Matthew B. Ridgeway, and Mrs. Paul F. Yount are vicechairmen, serving with Mrs. Wilson. Japan Active in 1954 In 'Scope Equipment TOKIO, Jan. 22 (by air mail).— Japan last year produced $21,000,000 worth of special equipment for CinemaScope, it was announced here by William W. Sullivan, manager for 20th Century-Fox, on the occasion of CinemaScope's first anniversary in Japan. Sullivan said he expected that by the end of 1955, this production figure would be doubled. Some Japanese manufacturers already have exported this type of equipment, although most of it is earmarked for local use. The equipment produced consisted of anamorphic lenses, wide screens, projectors and four-track high fidelity magnetic stereophonic sound. Texas Drive-in Assn. To Convene March 9-11 With Metro Workshop DALLAS, Jan. 27.— The Texas Drive-in Theatre Owners Association will hold a threeday convention at the Hotel Adolphus here on March 9-11, it was announced by Jack Farr, president. The convention will be held in conjunction with M-G-M's "Ticket-Selling Workshop." Tim Ferguson, A. Reynolds and Charles Weisenberg have been appointed to head committees which will handle planning and arrangements for the event. At a meeting of the association's board, Ed Green proposed an organization which would screen pictures for its members. He stated that if onK 80 per cent of the members cooperated, the venture would be a success. New Bridgeport Theatre Files Conn. Certificate HARTFORD, Jan. 27. —The Bridgeport Drive-in Theatre, Inc., a new Connecticut corporation, has filed a certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State's office, listing subscribed capital, $12,000; paid in cash, $12,000; Arthur H. Lockwood, president ; Louis M. Gordon, treasurer ; Max I. Mydans, assistant treasurer ; Max L. Yunik, second assistant treasurer ; Sam Weber, first vice-president ; Seymour B. Levine, vice-president ; directors, Lockwood, Gordon, Rosen, Levine and Mydans. Burton Bonoff to Erect 2 MO-Seat Theatre in R.I. HARTFORD, Jan. 27.— Burton Bonoff of the Court Sq. Theatre, Springfield, Mass., has filed plans for erection of a 2,000-seat tent theatre on about seven acres of land on Route 2 at Warwick, R. I. Bonoff would stage a 10-week season of popular musical comedies and operettas on the Rhode Island site. The Court Sq., it was learned yesterday, no longer will exist after the lease expires Apr. 1. The owners of the building in which the theatre is located said it will have to make room for other types of business owing to lack of good attendance. Disney Foreign Heads in London for Conferences LONDON, Jan. 27.— Ned Clarke, Walt Disney's foreign sales executive, has arrived here for discussions with Cyril Edgar and Cyril James concerning the new set-up of the recently established Disney distribution orginisation. In the next few weeks Clarke will also have extensive conferences with European exhibitors regarding Disney's forthcoming releases. He hopes to attend the Dublin premiere of "The Living Desert" in early February. . CO □ Lb CDZ2° \^7£^.Uh ONLY THE SUPERB HTLUX-VAL GIVES YOU ALL THESE FEATURES 1. HILUX-VAL gives more light than any other variable anamorphic lens. 2. HILUX-VAL is the only lens that will perform without vignetting, and with either the 2 25/32" and 4" dia. projection lenses, interchangeably. 3. HILUX-VAL'S Dual-Knob Control assures you of maximum screen coverage, no moving of projector! 4. 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