Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1955)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, June 29, 1955 UA Domestic Billings Up (Continued from page 1) National Pre-Selling U'npHE Importance of Being 1 Marty" is the title of Gilbert Millstein's profile of Ernest Borgnine which will appear in the June 22 issue of "Collier's." Borgnine is the star of "Marty." In addition to breaking box omce records, "Marty" was selected as best picture shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The profile is illustrated by color photos of Borgnine^ with his wife and daughter. It opens on a two-page spread and makes highly interesting reading. • "This Week" magazine's full color front cover on the July 10 issue will be devoted to Gia Scala, "one of Hollywood's great new finds," as reported by Louis Berg, motion picture editor. He has written a personality story that will appear in the same issue. Miss Scala makes her motion picture debut in UFs "All That Heaven Allows." • Florence Somers, in recommending "Not as a Stranger" to the readers of the July issue of "Redbook," says "This picture has a strong, emotional story about Lucas Marsh (Robert Mitchum) whose interest in becoming a doctor is so intense that he's known as a man without a heart. His funds are limited, and when he runs out of money, he marries a nurse because she offers to finance his studies." A striking full color ad on "Not as a Stranger" appears in the July issue of "McCall's." A two page spread in the July 12 issue of "Look" features reviews of two war films: Warners' "Mister Roberts," and UI's "To Hell and Back." Both pictures receive laudatory reviews, which are illustrated by action photos taken on the production sets. Louella Parsons wrote an interesting story about Bob Hope for the June 26 issue of "Pictorial Review." Bob Hope's latest picture. "The Seven Little Foys" will have its premiere tonight at the New York Criterion Theatre. • "Mister Roberts," "Moonfleet," and "Strategic Air Command" are reviewed in the July issue of "Seventeen." "Daddy Long Legs" was selected for the featured review in the July issue of "Woman's Home Companion." Five production photos are used to illustrate the reviewer's comments. He sums up by saying, "This gay musical, full of irresistable songs and dances, ends just as it should — in absolute enchantment." • "Pageant's" July issue has a pictorial layout on Terry Moore, featured actress in "Daddy Long Legs." Sixpages of photos are devoted to Miss Moore, and "Daddy Long Legs" is mentioned prominently. • A striking full color ad on "The Seven Little Foys" appears in the June 26 issue of "American Weekly." WALTER HAAS films and five "art" pictures are included in the group of 26 which will be distributed at the rate of four-permonth, stated that "UA will back this releasing program with a $6,000,000 sales campaign at all points of sales besides increasing the exploitation and field forces to 50 men by mid-July." In the June-to-December, 1954, period, UA distributed 32 films and spent $4,800,000 in advertising, publicity and exploitation. This year, UA has increased its advertising, publicity and exploitation expenditures by 25 per cent or $1,200,000 while the releasing program is six pictures less numerically. The UA distribution head said that the eight top pictures released and to be released during this seven-month period are "Marty," "Summertime," "Not As A Stranger," "The Kentuckian," in CinemaScope, "Night of the Hunter," "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes," in CinemaScope, "The Troubleshooter" and "Alexander, the Great," in CinemaScope, which will be UA's Christmas release. The five "art" pictures are "Othello," "Aan," "The Man Who Loved Redheads," "Lucky Kid" and "Tiger and the Flame." Investment of $40,000,000 Heineman, along with B. G. Kranze, general sales manager ; Milt Cohen, Eastern and Southern division manager ; Jim Velde, Western division manager ; Francis M. Winikus, national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, and Mort Nathanson, publicity manager, reported that UA's investment in some 43 productions will be $40,000,000. "Seventeen will go into work within 'Pharaohs' in Big Coast Openings "Land of the Pharaohs," a Howard Hawks production for Warner Bros, presentation, revealed top box office potential in its first five openings in theatres in three West Coast cities, according to WB. For the first five days (Wednesday through Sunday) of its day-and-date engagements at the Paramount, Wiltern and Egyptian theatres in Los Angeles, picture drew a total of $54,401, Warners said. Saturday and Sunday at the Paramount in San Francisco, picture's "take" was a big $19,130. At the Fox in Oakland, it drew a comparatively even better gross of $12,933 for the same period. The film enters national distribution over the July 4 weekend. Set Promotions for (How to Be Popular9 One of the most far reaching promotional campaigns for a CinemaScope attraction has been set by 20th Century-Fox for "How to Be Very, Very Popular," the company announced. The drive to pre-sell the Nunnally Johnson production to the widest possible audience will make heavy use of television and will have more than a dozen network shows saluting the July musical release in the coming weeks. Coming in for special attention will be Sheree North, who makes her debut as a star in the film. the four-month period ending in September," Heineman said. The UA executive corrected his statement of last week, published in the Motion Picture Daily, that the foreign business this year is 40 per cent ahead of last year. "I have been informed by vice-president Arnold Picker that UA's foreign billings during the first six months of 1955 were up 45 per cent over the corresponding As of Monday evening, United Artists had secured 18,900 bookings for company product in honor of United Artists Week which runs from July 1 to July 7, William J. Heineman, vicepresident, said here yesterday. period of last year and, world-wide, the second half of this year should be more," he said. UA releases scheduled for production during the second half of 1955 total 24 and consists of "Trapeze," in Technicolor and CinemaScope ; "Foreign Intrigue," in Eastman color and wide-screen ; "The Ambassador's Daughter," in CinemaScope and Technicolor ; "Patterson," "Wedding Breakfast," "One Way Out," The Big Knife," "The Big Caper," "The Beast of Hollow Mountain," in CinemaScope, Regiscope and Eastman color ; "Fort Yuma," "A Kiss Before Dying," in CinemaScope ; "The Indian Fighter," in CinemaScope, "God Is in My Corner," "Lincoln McKeever," '"The Mountains Have No Shadows," "Desert Sands," in Superscope, "News Is Made at Night," "Run for the Sun," 'The Sharkfighters," "Storm Fear," I "Three Bad Sisters" and "Top Gun." N. E. Allied Unit Sets Oct. Convention BOSTON, June 28 .— A two-day regional convention of Independent Exhibitors, Inc., of New England, the local unit of Allied States, will be held on Oct. 24-25 at Toy Town Tavern, Winchendon, Mass. Other units of Allied from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut are to be represented for a get-together combining business meetings with entertainment. White to Meet With Ad Chiefs in N.Y. HOLLYWOOD, June 28.— Gordon S. White, Advertising Code Administrator, currently vacationing in Arizona, will meet with major company advertising-publicity directors in New York next week to acquaint them with the results of his informal discussions with studio executives on advertising policies. Coast Unions Talk New Contract Terms HOLLYWOOD, June 28. — The IATSE local representatives on the AFL Film Council and representatives of the "basic agreement" unions attending today's council meeting discussed contract terms that will be sought in approaching negotiations with the major studios. Details were not immediately disclosed. Distributors May Avert Mexico City Strike of Workers Special to THE DAILY MEXICO CITY, June 28.— Though hope dwindles as the deadline, June 30, approaches for strikes against local exhibitors and Mexican producers and studies by the National Cinematiographic Industry Workers (STIC) and Picture Production Workers (STPC) unions to enforce demands for 25 to 50 per cent wage increases, expectations are greater that the eight American and four Mexican distributors will be able to settle their pay increase conflict with STIC amicably. That hope is based upon the fact that talks between distributor and STIC representatives have done so well that the deadline has been moved up to July 31. Trade opinion is that STIC will back down from its demand for 25 per cent more pay for its members who work for the distributors and accept a face-saving hike. That is because it is becoming better known that the distributors are not making "lots of money," as. reported. Eight Majors Involved The American distributors are Paramount, 20th-Fox, Columbia, RKO, Warners, Metro, UniversalInternational and Republic. All studios except the Tepeyac would be hit by the strike. But Americans producing in Mexico would be immune as they have arranged with their Mexican unionists to carry on regardless of any Mexican labor trouble. The producers face pay demands of 28.7 to 50 per cent from the players, technical and manual workers and musicians. The producers aver that they cannot afford to meet these demands. But STPC insists that they can. Atlanta's WOMPl Will Install Today ATLANTA, June 28.— Mayor William B. Hartsfield will be the principle speaker on Wednesday when the Atlanta club of Women of the Motion Picture Industry installs its newly elected officers for 1955-56. The occasion will be a dinner with favors for guests. The following officers will be installed : Mrs. Stella Poulnot, president (Republic) ; Mrs. Evelyn Snow, first vice-president (Wil-Kin) ; Mrs. Ernestine Carter, second vice president ( Paramount) ; Doris Honea, recording secretary (Buena Vista) ; Katherine Moore, corresponding secretary (National Theatre Supply), and Edythe Bryant, treasurer (National Screen). New members of the board of directors are Mrs. Thelma Haglund (Universal), Mrs. Johnnie Barnes (Wilby) and Martha Hall (MGM). Mrs. Betty Rary, retiring president (United Artists), will also serve on the board for one term. Committee Heads Named The new committee chairmen are Mrs. Charline Jones (MGM), services; Mrs. Martha Chandler (United Artists), publicity; Mrs. Grace Bramblett (Paramount), extension; Mildred Castleberry (Martin), by-laws; Pat Brown (Warners), finance; Darlene Eskew (Wilby), bulletin; Mrs. Jackie Cowart (United Artists), social ; Miss Grace Woolley (Columbia), club history, and Mrs. Lynda Burnett (United Artists), gift.