Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1955)

4 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, October 18, 1955 Publicist Looks for 'Happiness' in SPG Anniversary Revue Storm Damage Moderate 'Oklahoma!' "Not As A Publicist," a tense, tearjerking spectacular, was offered by the Screen Publicists Guild stock company on Friday night at the Hotel Pierre here at the Guild's 15th annivesary Movie Page Ball. The general consensus was that the publicists should stick to publicity. After all, does Tennessee Williams write handouts? The Guild took a number of liberties with a novel which has been a best-seller for more than a year and a motion picture of high caliber when it presented its revue which was designed to be laugh-provoking. The lampoon about a publicist who seeks "happiness" and perfection in his career did not come close to the SPG's stellar attractions in the past. Why, this show didn't even have a performer getting a facial massage with a cream pie! Audience Was Moved Al Mendelsohn of Universal, as both director and narrator, transferred the story of a striving publicist and his career to the stage with much sincerity, but with unconvincing craftsmanship. It was a take-off which had its silly moments and a sprinkling of intense, suspenseful moments which set the audience to moving about— taking another sip of their refreshments. The SPG stock company teamed up Harold Rand, their youthful Bronx lothario, with Sheldon Roskin, the Army's former publicist on Columbia's immortal, "farblunjet" story of West Point, in their production which was presented in the Guilderama process and color by Hyams to a capacity audience. While Rand was adequate and forceful in the role of the central character, he was overshadowed by the standout, scenestealing, vaudevillian performance of Roskin, who ran the gamut of acting emotions with versatile competence. Others Implicated Whew! Others who deserve high praise are Olga Baker, Sheila Haynes, Douglas Baker, Marty Blau, Alfred Cohan, the ad-pub executive in the show who likes to see his "name" in the papers, Yale Miller, Jerry Evans, Dick Karp, Bob Perilla, Betty Wall and Paula Uhsan. Whether the story was a veiled in . IM7 5. WABASH, CHICAGO »630 NINTH AVI..NIW YO»K ( Continued such thing as flood damage insurance, let alone insurance on the toll taken by such occurrences at the box-office. A spokesman for the Comerford Circuit, which headquarters in Scranton, Pa., one of the most hard-hit circuits in the last flood, said "we were fortunate this time" with only one theatre in Hawley, Pa., slightly damaged. He reported business each weekend night very much off, with many secondary roads in Pennsylvania closed and people reluctant to leave their homes. The Brandt Theatres and Stanley Warner reported property damage in a number of Connecticut situations. The affected areas were in four states other than Connecticut and Pennsylvania, the four being New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Oil Burners Damaged Oil burners in Brandt's Plaza, Stamford, Conn., and Brandt's theatre in Amsterdam, N. Y., were said to have been inundated. The orchestra section of Brandt's Ridgewood Theatre, Stamford, Conn., was said to be flooded, while the circuit's Bridge Theatre, Groton, Conn., was reported partially flooded. Brandt's Portland Drive-in, Middletown, Conn., was said to be completely under water. Stanley Warner reported property damage negligible compared to the previous flood disaster, although theatres in Danbury and Darby had to close down on Sunday, reopening yesterday. Another SW house shut down was the Capitol, in Ansonia, Conn. Motion Picture Daily field cor dictment of the publicity profession is a matter of personal interpretation. The great advances in the business were vividly portrayed, from office to stable, but the fact remains that the publicists are well grounded in the mercenary angles, insofar as the training involved is concerned, and this was pointed up sharply. The main attraction commenced in a jovial atmosphere of the SPG's "gridiron banquet" with a presentation entitled "An Evening At the Movies," in which a young couple became the foils of an unscrupulous theatre manager who jacks up prices at the box-office and the candy stand, mainly because the couple want to neck in the balcony. Suzi Peters Is Crowned Also taking part in the SPG festivities was president Harry Hochfeld, who awarded the SPG crown to Movie Page Ball Queen Suzi Peters. The show was written by George Nelson, Rand and Ira Tulipan; Joe Hyams was handling the lighting and received credit as production supervisor; Connie Gerber was property mistress, and Mario DePalma was stage manager. Running time, 37 minutes. General audience classification. Immediate release. LESTER DINOFF from page 1) respondents, reporting from Boston and Hartford, told a story of lost business and some property damage. Drive-ins Closed From Boston, it was reported that Massachusetts theatres escaped the fury and damage of the Aug. 19 storm, although over the weekend a few drive-ins which were on the verge of closing for the season decided to call it a day when the rains came. Smith Management Co. was compelled to close seven drive-ins in New Jersey and New York State for the weekend, although all reopened last night. This circuit's Meadows drive-in, Hartford, Conn, which suffered the brunt of the August storm, was hit again by three and one-half feet of water in the projection booth and some ramp damage and will be closed for at least three days. Lockwood & Gordon's Norwalk, Conn, drive-in was closed for lack of power; its Pix drive-in, Bridgeport, Conn, remained open despite water trouble but its Strand Theatre, Winsted, Conn., which was undergoing repairs from the previous storm was set back another few weeks on the renovations. Danbury, Norwalk Hard Hit From Hartford, Conn., it was reported that Connecticut motion picture executives breathed an audible sigh of relief as weekend floodwaters did less than anticipated damage to theatre properties throughout the state. Situations in the Danbury and Norwalk area, however, were most badly hit. "By no stretch of the imagination," one Connecticut executive told Motion Picture Daily, was the damage this past weekend so extensive as occured during the August floods." Highway facility breakdowns between New York and Connecticut caused a break in film truck deliveries, and many theatres were forced to substitute scheduled bookings from Connecticut exchanges. Mechanic Buys Two Balto. Loew Houses BALTIMOBE, Oct. 17.-Two Baltimore theatres, Loew's Century' and Valencia were acquired today by Morris A. Mechanic, local real estate operator and theatre owner. They were purchased from the CenturyParkway Corp., a subsidiary of Loew's. The purchase was consummated through Joseph Vogel, president of the parent corporation, Loew's Theatre Corp. The Loew's management ends on Wednesday. The new regime takes over the following day. Mechanic said he planned to continue the same type of first-run policy at the Century. The Valencia, however, which is located atop the Century, will be converted into air conditioned office space. {Continued from page 1) production in the TODD-AO process racked up a big $36,797 through Sunday night, marking the take on the first 10 performances of the two-a-day roadshow engagement. The only performance in which business was reported somewhat off was the first public matinee last Thursday. The Rivoli's lusty business at the weekend outdistanced all other firstrun Broadway situations, which were hit by the three days of rainy weather. "Trial," however, at the Radio City Music Hall, is doing well considering "the elements," according to a Music Hall spokesman, with a very good $150,000 seen for the first week. 78 Seats Removed Meanwhile, it was announced that the Rivoli's first three rows in the orchestra have been removed, with the loss of 78 seats, due to the largeness of the image as viewed from that position. Regarding neighborhood New York theatre developments, RKO Theatres announced that in response to manycalls from patrons, it will hold "Mister Roberts" two additional days, with the hold-over ending tomorrow. Many patrons were said to have requested the extended time because of the bad weather, although an RKO spokesman called business at the weekend very good. Downing Says {Continued from page 1) make big pictures, an intent he found last year. The final jury, though, Downing added, remains the public, which by its patronage stamps a particular production a big or fine picture. Todd Dissatisfied With Process' Debut Mike Todd told the United Press in Hollywood last week that he was something less than wholly pleased with the introduction of the ToddAO process at the premiere here last week of "Oklahoma!" at the Rivoli Theatre. He claimed a "bad print and bad showmanship" were to blame for some press notices which hailed "Oklahoma!" with more enthusiasm than was displayed for the Todd-AO process. He said his new picture, "Around the World in 80 Days," is better suited to the process and he'll do the "showmanship" on it himself. Todd said only one print of "Oklahoma!" had been made because they were "fiddling around with the title opening on the master print. They should have postponed the premiere." Zinnemann to WB The signing of director Fred Zinnemann to direct the picturization of Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," which Leland Hayward will produce for Warner Bros., was announced yesterday.