Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1955)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, May 16, 1955 Personal Mention HARRY M. KALMINE, Stanley Warner Corp. vice-president and general manager ; Mrs. Kalmine and Arthur Rosen, assistant to Nat Lapkin, vice-president in charge of production, left New York by plane on Saturday for Paris. • Sandra Gordon, secretary to William C. Gehring, 20th Century-Fox executive assistant general sales manager, was married on Sunday in the Cathedral of St. Sava to Frank POPOVICH. • Leonard Mishkind, of General Theatres Circuit, Cleveland, is the father of a son born there to Mrs. Mishkind at University Hospital. • Jack Ochs, official of the Ochs Drive-in Management Co., Cleveland, is the father of a son born there to Mrs. Ochs. • Stephen Bosustow, president of United Productions of America, will leave the Coast later this week for New York. • James Velde. United Artists Western division manager, left New York yesterday for San Francisco and Los Angeles. o Milton R. Rackmil, president of Universal Pictures, left New York at the weekend for Barcelona, Spain. • David O. Selznick, who left New York at the weekend for Bermuda, will return here tomorrow. » Harold Hecht, producer, is scheduled to return here today from the Cannes Film Festival in France. • Harry Alan Towers, British producer, arrived here yesterday from London via B.O.A.C. Monarch, a James Woolf, of Romulus Films, Ltd., London, left here at the weekend for Los Angeles. Claude Ezell and Mrs. Ezell returned to Dallas from New York over the weekend. Count Leonardo Bonzi, Italian producer, is in Chicago from New York. Michael Ray, British actor, will arrive in New York today from London. New Johnston Tour WASHINGTON, May 15. — Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, will visit the Middle East again in early June in another effort to resolve the difficulties between the Arab States and Israel on Jordan River valley development. Johnston will be undertaking his fourth round of negotiations since he was appointed in October, 1953, to the mission by President Eisenhower. 'Sinbad' Cancelled By RKO Theatres An RKO Theatres home office spokesman confirmed on Friday that the circuit had cancelled all out-of-town bookings of RKO Radio's "Son of Sinbad." The picture, denied a Production Code seal for many months, recently was revised by RKO Radio and a seal was issued to it. However, the picture since was put on the "condemned" list of the National Legion of Decency. The RKO Theatres spokesman said no deal has been negotiated for "Sinbad" for the circuit's New York houses. Col. Roulette Stunt Gets Wide Attraction Newspaper writers and television and radio networks participated in Columbia Pictures' Kim Novak roulette promotion stunt for "Five Against the House." Newsmen and TV-radio people, including Garry Moore and Martin Block, gave the "gimmick" prominent attention. Miss Novak, in the gaming room of ■ the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, contacted the participants by phone and offered to place a bet on any roulette number they chose. Winnings were turned over to the Crippled Children's Society. Among the columnists and motion picture editors who tied up with the promotion were: Bill Majeski, Washington "Daily News" ; Mildred Stockard, Houston "Chronicle" ; Virgil Miers, Dallas, "Times-Herald" ; Bob Battle, Nashville "Banner" ; Buck Herzog, Milwaukee "Sentinal" ; Norman Nadel, Columbia "Citizen" ; Arnold Marks, Portland, Ore., "Journal" ; Betty Craig, Denver "Post" ; Edith Lindeman, Richmond "TimesDispatch" ; Ann Marster, Chicago "America" ; Paul Hochuli, Houston "Press" ; Robert Stapp, Rocky Mountain "News" ; Jack Gordon, Fort Worth "Press"; Allen Widem, Hartford "Times" ; Kasper Monohan, Pittsburgh "Press" ; John Rosenfield, Dallas "News" ; Warner Twyford, Norfolk "Virginian-Pilot" ; Emery Wister, Charlotte "News," and Irving Kupcinet, Chicago "Sun-Times." Name Committee for Phila. Award Dinner Special to THE DAILY PHILADELPHIA, May 15. — Leaders in the amusement and motion picture industry have been appointed to the executive committee sponsoring Deborah Sanitarian and Hospital's Humanitarian Award dinner, honoring John B. Kelly, to be held on Sunday, June 12, at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, it was announced by Judge James C. Crumlish, of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, chairman of the dinner. Kelly is the father of Grace Kelly, Academy Award winner. Among those named to the executive committee by Judge Crumlish are : William Goldman, head of Goldman Theatres ; Ted Schlanger, Philadelphia zone manager for Stanley Warner ; James P. Clark, head of the Highway Express film delivery service ; Manie Sacks, executive vice-president of the Radio Corp. of America, and Paul Harron, president of Radio Station WIBG here and Station WTEL-TV at neaby Wilmington, Delaware. Wide Range of Service The Deborah Sanatorium and Hospital at nearby Browns Mills, N. J., which sponsors the Humanitarian Award, provides free hospitalization, for the treatment of many complex diseases. Joseph S. Elichmann is national president of the non-sectarian institution. Other amusement industry figures named to the executive committee are Fredric R. Mann, president of the Robin Hood Dell summer concert series ; William H. Sylk, president of Radio Station WPEN ; Jack Beresin, former international chief barker of the Variety Clubs : Councilman Victor H. Blanc, former chief barker of Philadelphia Variety Club, Tent No. 13 ; Dr. Leon Levy and Isaac D. Levy, former owners of radio station WCAU, and at the present time head of Official Films. Milliken Recuperating Gov. Carl E. Milliken, former secretary of the Motion Picture Association of America, and now managing director of Teaching Film Custodians, is recovering from a circulatory ailment at the New Rochelle, N. Y., hospital. New Activity in RKO Stock Revives Reports That Hughes-Odium Near Deal Action of RKO stock at the week end put the price up about two points at the peak, easing off almost a point later. The move was attributed in financial quarters to reports that Howard Hughes and Floyd Odium were close to a deal after almost a year of negotiations. The company is inactive, its only asset being treasury cash of about $18,000,000, held for redemption at $6 per share of stock still outstanding. Odium has wanted the company in order to utilize its $25,000,000 of tax loss carryover in a new enterprise. Hughes owns approximately 1,250,000 shares of the inactive company; Odium about 1,000,000. The turnover in the stock on the Big Board here Friday was only 8,500 shares but the net gain of the issue was lYs for the day. RKO home office sources said they knew of no explanation for the rise. Let Film Men, Not Lawyers, Plan Fair Arbitration: Ezell Claude Ezell A fair arbitration system will settle all differences in the industry, according to Claude Ezell of Claude Ezell & Associates, who stated here at the weekend that the Texas drive-in theatre business has "been generally good" because of fair weather and product. Ezell, who operates 23 drive ins t hi r o u g h o ut Texas with his associates said that arbitration for the motion picture industry could be evolved in good faith if film men, not lawyers, drew up the rules and regulations for such a system. The southwest exhibitor commented on Al Lichtman's proposal to arbitrate rentals on small accounts up to $50. "Film rentals should not be included in arbitration, but should be discussed only between exhibitor and distributor as private matter," he said. Has Own Sound System Ezell said that eight to 10 of the drive-in theatres in his circuit are equipped with full sterophonic sound equipment which was developed by his company. At present, no plans are in the making to manufacture additional sterophonic sound equipment for outdoor houses, Ezell said. He disclosed that he has recently acquired two additional outdoor situations for his circuit. 'Knights' Is First C'Scope in Korea M-G-M's "Knights of the Round Table" will be the first CinemaScope and Perspecta sound production to play in South Korea in two new theatres which the Bullee Trading Co. is opening in Soeul shortly, according to Seymour Mayer, Far East supervisor for Loew's International Corp. South Korea is a "boom" market for U. S. product, Mayer stated and added that due to the limited number of theatres in that country, performances play to capacity. PREVIEW YOUR PICTURE n modern luxury! ★ STEREOPHONIC SOUND ★ WIDE SCREEN ★ CONTINUOUS INTERLOCK PROJECTION ★ 16 and 35 mm MAGNETIC TAPE ★ CUTTING and EDITING ROOMS SERVICE DAY AND NIGHT PREVIEW THEATRE, INC. 1600 Broadway, New York, N. Y. • CI 6-0865 MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quig-lcy, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor. Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley PublishingCompany, 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; Al Steen, News Editor: Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William R Weaver, Editor, Hollywood 7-21-45; Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London W. 1; Hope Burnup, Manager, Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, 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 oflice at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.