Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1955)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, October 17, 195! PERSONAL MENTION SAMUEL SCHNEIDER, Warner Brothers vice-president, and Mrs. Schneider left New York by plane at the weekend on a trip to company offices in London, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam. • Edward L. Hyman, American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres vice-president, and Bernard Levy, Ins assistant, have returned to New York from Salt Lake City. • Walter Reade, Jr., president of Walter Reade Theatres, who arrived in San Francisco on Friday from Los Angeles, will leave the Bay City today with Mrs. Reade for Las Vegas. • Martin Scher, of the United Artists home office foreign department, is the father of a son born to Mrs. Scher at Maimonides Hospital, Brooklyn. • William B. Zoellner, M-G-M short subject and newsreel sales manager, will arrive in Des Moines today from Omaha. • Leonard Moseley, film critic of the "London Daily Express," arrived in New York from London over the weekend via B.O.A.C. • Charles J. Feldman, Universal Pictures vice-president and general sales manager, will return to New York today from the Coast. • W. W. Spencer, M-G-M studio manager, has returned to the Coast from New York. • Russell Hayden, producer, will leave here today for the Coast. Feldun to Germany As UA Sales Chief The appointment of Leon Feldun as United Artists' general sales manager in Germany, with headquarters in Frankfurt, was announced by vicepresident Arnold Picher. Feldun has been a member of UA's foreign executive staff at the home office for the past year. Prior to that he was the company's manager in Puerto Rico for two years. Feldun joined United Artists in 1952 after 14 years with MGM's foreign organization, in which he served as sales supervisor of several countries in the Middle East, as well as in India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. He leaves New York by plane today to assume his new post in Germany. Editorial ( Continued from page 1 ) the existence of EFFG during the past year was credited with having spurred producers into increasing their output, with the result that the product shortage has been materially eased. It is a fact that more product is available today than two years ago, whether as a result of exhibitor efforts to bring new production into being, or merely the fruition of the normal plans of producers; we think every exhibitor is qualified to judge for himself. It may be noted in passing, however, that the Allied States' approved Makelim Plan which did not even ask for financial advances from exhibitors, had difficulties aplenty getting off the ground, and finally did so only recently by virtue of Hal Makelim's personal financing. By the same procedure he might have advanced the start of his project by more than a year, completely bypassing exhibitor participation. Why is it that exhibitors will spend months decrying a "product shortage" yet withhold support from every attempted move to relieve the "shortage?" Is it just that exhibition today lacks the adventurous, determined spirit and willingness to take a gamble that made a success of the old First National company? Or is it that exhibition, perhaps even while denying it, realizes that in today's market and at today's costs, production actually is shouldering a gamble that exhibition is unwilling to assume, even partially and temporarily? Only exhibition can supply the answer. Until it does, few producers are likely to be impressed by the transparent motions which exhibition makes in the direction of itself becoming a supplier of film. Rhoden, Orear Made Commonwealth V-Ps KANSAS CITY, Oct. 16. E. C. Rhoden, Jr., and Richard H. Orear have been made vice-presidents of Commonwealth Theatres, H. E. Jameyson, chairman of the board, has announced. Rhoden has been assistant to Robert Shelton, president, and will assume the latter's duties while Shelton is recuperating from a serious illness. Orear, a veteran of the Commonwealth organization, will assist Rhoden in general administration. Urge 20th Holders To Exchange Stock Old stockholders of 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. were notified that Dec. 1 is the final date for the exchange of the old common stock for those of the new film company and of National Theatres in a letter to stockholders issued here at the weekend by Donald H. Henderson, treasurer and secretary. This exchange and the final exchange date was provided for under the reorganization plan to separate the Fox theatre business from the picture producing and distributor busi Branson (Continued from page 1) the foreign market was emphasized. In the past, with the frequent management shifts at RKO, the foreign market has been a sustaining influence, Branson indicated. Branson, comparing the attitude of film companies to the foreign market currently against the sentiment years ago, said it was now felt that the foreign field was an integrated part of a film company's operation, not an adjunct to it, and there really is only one market; that is, the world market. Wide Screen Popular Abroad Speaking about trends in the foreign field, Branson said there was an apparent shift to wide-screen projection. He cited the experience of his company over the past year with Superscope pictures, prints of which also were and are available for conventional projection. RKO's experience, he continued, shows a constant diminishing in the demand for conventional prints as more and more theatres abroad equip for wide-screen projection. Once foreign exhibitors do equip, he added, they seek the anamorphic wide-screen print. Regarding the healthy trend in business abroad, Branson added that the currency remittance situation in major countries is "very liquid." reservations were "extraordinarily high." Rube Shor ( Continued from page 1 ) will be broad in scope, he will give special attention to film prices and selling policies as well as exhibitordistributor relations. The Allied president has registered his disturbance over the alleged refusal of film companies to grant substantial relief and TOA's attitude since the visits to film company sales heads were completed. With the convention less than a month off, Kirsch said that advance . . . NEWS ROUNDUP End First Cinerama Run "This Is Cinerama" will end it| run at the Warner Hollywood Theatr in Hollywood on Nov. 13, beatin; the long-run engagement of the picture at the Warner Theatre in Nev York where it played for 122 week and three days. The initial Cineram film at the Warner Hollywood aljj< ready has run 136 weeks and wil be followed by "Cinerama Holiday. i.HrJ] repf di'. i Fox-ites to Show Art The 20th Century-Fox Famil Club will open its second annual arji exhibit today. This year the categorE; of photography will be included. Th display will be exhibited througl|rial Nov. 16. ■ Support 'Toys for Tots' St. Louis and St. Louis Countl theatres are cooperating with th' Pm Better Films Council of Greater St Louis, the Board of Religious Or ganizations and the United State Marine Corps in the annual "Toy for Tots" motion picture theatr^ matinees. On Saturday, Nov. 19, an\ child who brings a toy to the Boarc of Religious Organizations for dis tribution to needy children at Christ mas will be admitted free. L)i» M in? Issues Award Bulletins Ernie Emerling, ad-publicity di rector of Loew's Theatres, has inau gurated a series of bulletins to theatr managers and publicists, which wil highlight circuit activities on th Audience Awards poll. Bulletins wil; serve as an exchange of ideas anc newspaper articles. 'Velvet Swing' Press Preview Tonight 20th Century-Fox's CinemaScop production, "The Girl in the Red Vel vet Swing," will have a "gala" pres preview this evening at New York' Roxy Theatre before an audience o celebrities and leading figures draw from many walks of life. The advance showing of the roi^ mantic drama starring Ray MillancL Joan Collins and Farley Grangeij preceding by two days Wednesday official opening of the Charle Brackett production, is the latest i: a series of Hollywood-styled preview staged by the company in : weeks. fed i» Sta are nev I. in* menl oh h k Sill;;! Kent ent c for i for t presii br tecre It oh 1 11 Col Sta 1 ft MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Raymond Levy, Executive Publisher; Al Stecn, News Editor; Herbert V. Feckc Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel. Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William R. Weaver, Editor, Telephone HOllywood 7-2145 Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, t.'rben Farley, Advertising Representative, Telephone Financial 6-3074; Washington, J. A. O'tten, National Press Club. Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Square, Hope Williams Burn up, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; William Pay, News Editor. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world. Motio: Picture Daily is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270_Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller "Center, New York 20, Telephone Clrcl 7-3100. Gable address: "Quigpubco, New York". Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-Presi " dent; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy it Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications; Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published 13 times a year a a section of Motion Picture Herald; Television Today, published once weekly as a part of Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter Sept. 21, 1988, at the post office 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, 10(t Mel '.fill ; to Melvi