Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

Monday, March 28, 1955 Motion Picture Daily 7 Charities {Continued from page 1) of the Motion Picture Committee for the campaign. George J. Schaefer is treasurer of the 1955 Drive and L. Douglas Netter, Jr., Altec Service Corp. executive, is vice-chairman of the Motion Picture Committee. The Motion Picture Committee consists of the following: Frank J. Alford, M.P.E.A. ; John W. and Charles A. Alicoate, Film Daily; Joseph F. Arnold, Pathe Laboratories ; William E. Barry, Shea Enterprises ; Frank E. Cahill, Jr., Warner Brothers Pictures ; Francis X. Carroll, 20th Century-Fox; Patrick Casey, Casey Enterprises ; H. J. Cleary, Loew Theatres; Thomas J. Connors, Tom Connors Associates; Robert Coyne, COMPO ; Thomas Crehan, RKO Theatres ; John Dervin, Allied Artists ; Russell V. Downing, Radio City Music Hall; Joseph Eagan, Fabian Theatres ; S. H. Fabian, Fabian Theatres; James M. Franey, United World Films; William J. German, W. J. German, Inc.; Joseph M. Geoghan, Century Theatres ; Edmund C. Grainger, Republic Pictures ; James R. Grainger, RKO Radio Pictures; William J. Heineman, United Artists Corp.; Walter F. J. Higgins, Associated Prudential Playhouses ; William W. Howard, RKO Theatres ; John Hughes, United Artists Corp. ; John Kane, Columbia Pictures ; Sherwin Kane, Motion Pictote Daily ; Austin C. Keough, Paramount Pictures; Frank J. Kiernan, Stanley Warner Corp. ; Fred Lynch, Radio City Music Hall. Also, Thomas J. Martin, Warner Brothers ; Paul C. Mooney, Sr., National Screen Service ; Peter J. Mooney, Audio Productions ; James Mulvey, Samuel Goldwyn Productions ; John F. Murphy, Loew's Theatres ; Joseph A. McConville, Columbia Pictures ; Joseph E. McMahon, Republic Pictures; William J. McShea, RKO Radio Pictures ; Paul D. O'Brien, O'Brien, Driscoll and Raftery ; Robert H. O'Brien, American BroadcastingParamount Theatres ; Thomas F. O'Connor, RKO Theatres ; Charles L. O'Reilly, A.B.C. Vending Corp.; Edward K. O'Shea, Paramount Film Distributing Co. ; Martin Quigley, Quigley Publishing Co. ; Charles M. Reagan, Loew's Inc. ; Herman Robbins, National Screen Service ; George J. Schaefer ; George Skouras, Skouras Theatres Corp. ; Spyros Skouras, 20th Century-Fox; Edward J. Smith, Jr., RKO Radio Pictures ; Nick Tronolone ; Frank C. Walker, Comerford Theatres ; Richard F. Walsh, I. A.T.S.E. and William A. White, Skouras Theatres Corp. Terms Bar 'Scope in 5 Minn. Drive-ins Special to THE DAILY MINNEAPOLIS, March 27.— As long as distributors insist on percentage terms for CinemaScope pictures, the five drive-ins operated by Minnesota Entertainment Enterprises will not install CinemaScope equipment, according to Ted Mann, president of MEE. Mann said that MEE, composed of a group of Twin Cities independent exhibitors had discussed the possibility of installations at the Bloomington, Rose, Minnehaha, Corral and Starlite Holly woo d Bu Samuel D. Berns^^^ INCIDENTALLY: Ella Fitzgerald will sing Ray Heindorfs and Sammy Cahn's title song for Jack Webb's musical debut in "Pete Kelly's Blues." We just want a hit, ma'am, just a hit. . . . Kevin McCarthy can become a hot name property at Allied Artists. Walter Wanger sigmed him for "The Body Snatchers" lead after a screening of AA's "An Annapolis Story." . . . Mr. Franz Waxman will supply the musical score for Warner's "Mr. Roberts." . . . Faith and begorra: David O'Malley has been George Gobel's manager for the past 10 years. . . . And there they are. . . . Robert Blees got "The Way We Are" scripting assignment from Bill Goetz for Joan Crawford's second at Columbia following "Queen Bee." ... AnscoColor film is in the cameras rolling "Charg-e of Rurales" down Mexico way for Bob Lippert, Jr., with amigos Dane Clark and James Craig in the leads. . . . Joe McTurk, the guy whose face "Yank" magazine used to feature during World War II as the character who did everything wrong in the army, plays Angie the Ox for Goldwyn's "Guys and Dolls." . . . Paramount handed Pat Duggan a prize package tO' produce, which the grapevine lists as a lulu. It's a heart-tugging biog of Red Nichols which will be billed as Danny Kaye in "Intermission." ft ft ft Memo to Sardi's: Louis Calhern has gotten a run-of-the-play furlough from M-G-M to direct and star in "The Wooden Dish" on Broadway, with Armand Deutsch joining him for a main stem debut as producer. The pair were associated in the film version of "The Magnificent Yankee." . . . Hal Wailis put Erna Lazarus' romantic comedy, "Route 66," in the bank for Shirley Booth zohich she can draw on for her next film assignment, after she gets squared away on her New York appearance in "The Desk Set." . . . Richard and Mary Sale find Hollywood conducive to writing the script and lyrics for their ne-xt Broadway musical, "Gentlemen Chase Redheads." . . . Ben Marden wants Eddie Mayehoff for Broadzvay in Billy Manhoff's book musical, "The Kissin' Man," after he finishes in the Martin & Lewis film, "Artists and Models." ft ft ft FRANK O. PINYONS: It takes more than money and knowhow to make a film that's "different." A producer can generally recognize unusual qualities in a script. A producer can also visualize film possibilities as he watches an unusual play. But, how many producers will bypass the unusual because of the "commercial challenge" they may have to face? And, how many will pass up a desire to lose "the trend" and develop the "different" because of the fears expressed by an associate. It takes more than money and know-how. It takes will power ! . . . And Harold Hecht had it when he decided to make "Marty" against all "banking" odds: The danger that too many people who saw the play for nothing on television would be reluctant to pay the box office price to see it in a regular theatre . . . and the lack of marquee name drawing power would certainly put the kibosh on loans to cover a $350,000 budget for such a film. But Hecht stuck to his guns, and your Hollywood Nostradamus would like to crystal-ball a bet that "Marty" will be UA's word-of-mouth picture of the year ; that its playoff may start slow, but its grosses will grow large; that director Delbert Mann and writer Paddy Chayefsky will be recognized as an important production team; that the name Ernest Borgnine will find a niche in the hearts of movie-goers left vacant by the late Wallace Beery; that casting directors will stop wondering about the name Betsy Blair or Jerry Paris or Joe Mantell; and that partner Burt Lancaster will give Harold Hecht one of his proudest million dollar grins. drive-ins but vetoed the installation when it was learned that it would mean percentage terms. MEE has followed a policy of buying its pictures on late runs and flat terms. The one deviation from the policy, a 35-day run at the Starlight, was abandoned after a three-month trial in 1951. Meanwhile, three of the remaining four Twin Cities drive-ins are going broad-gauge this summer. The FroschJones 7-Hi completed its CinemaScope installation last summer and the Sullivan Hilltop and Harringer 100-Twin will open with CinemaScope this spring. Leo Aved, operator of the Navarre, has not announced his plans. Film Dividends Well Ahead of Last Year WASHINGTON, March 27.— Film company dividends this year are running well ahead of last year, the Commerce Department reported. Publicly reported cash dividends by film companies for February were put at $2,190,000, compared with $846,000 last February. About $1,000,000 of the increase was accounted for by the fact that National Theatres and Stanley Warner reported dividends in February this year which last year were reported in January. In the THEATRE Equipment A Refreshment World • • with RAY GALLO HT) EFLECTO SCREEN" is the iv name of a new material developed especially for drive-in theatre screens by the Bettinger Corporation of Waltham, Mass. It consists of a porcelain enameled surface into which tiny glass beads have beai fired at high temperature by means of a special ceramic paste. The screen is designed to withstand the most rigorous weather conditions. It is available in 2 by 5-foot panels with other special sizes provided if desired. It can be mounted on new screen towers or existing ones and is adaptable to either flat or curved screen construction. • The Fleetwood Corporation, Toledo, has a new television projector for pictures up to 9 by 12 feet. Designed for projection of closed-circuit programs, it is said to accommodate audiences of several hundred people. It is housed in a bonderized steel cabinet painted two-tone gray. Free-running casters give it mobility. The overall size: 24 inches wide; 36 deep, 48 high. • For refreshment service at driveins, the Tyson-Caff ey Corp., Wayne, Pa., has a disposable carrier tray. It is designed to hold paper cups, ice cream cones, snow cones and hot coffee cups, as well as sandzviches. Made of cardboard, the trays are stacked in special dispensing racks provided by the company, each of which holds 150 trays. The trays can be loaded or filled while in the rack, the top carrier then being lifted off, leaving the next ready to be used. m C. J. Van Houten & Zoon, Inc., New York, manufacturers of chocolate candy bars, have now marketed an "instant" hot chocolate preparation. It is packaged both in individual envelopes and bulk quantities as follows : 2 pound bags and drums containing 25, 50, and 100 pounds each. « To move film containers up and down stairways and ramps, Valley Craft Products, Inc., Lake City, Minn., has a new hand truck called the "Stair Cart." It is equipped to roll up stairs step by step as the operator pulls a cable drive. Other features include positive two-wheel brakes, interchangeable shoes, sealed ball bearings, steel tube construction and large pneumatic tires. • Norval B. Rader has been elected assistant to the chairman of the board and Maurice Glockner has been named vice-president and director of purchasing of the Automatic Canteen Company of America, according to Nathaniel Leveronc, chairman. Automatic Canteen, leading manufacturer of vending equipment, was recently merged with the Rozve Corporation, pioneer manufacturer of vending machines.