Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1956)

»L. 80, NO. 14 NEW YORK, U. S. A., FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1956 TEN CENTS Theatres Report jilm Business Continuing to love Upward uchin,9 'King' and 'Moby' t Pace in Long Runs /lotion picture theatre business on adway and in outlying theatres the past month has been conlally improving as the summer gresses with long run pictures, i as Columbia Pictures' "The ly Duchin Story," 20th Century's "The King and I" and Warner thers' "Moby Dick" setting the e, according to Broadway and uit reports. 4any exhibitors, in telling of their d business, report that the warm kther and the heavy influx of rists into metropolitan New York important factors which have (Continued on page 2) A. Meeting Will Hear oidy, Other Officials From THE DAILY Bureau [OLLYWOOD, July 19. Steve idy, president of Allied Artists, address company bookers from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Lake City and Los Angeles riches at a final regional sales ting in the Hollywood Roosevelt el, to be held on Saturday and day. )thers who will speak include HarWirthwein, Si Borus, Manny dman, William Foster and Eue Amstein. my to Attend TOA's owmanship Forum 'wenty-nine promotional-minded ibitors from all parts of the nation e accepted invitations thus far to nd the Theatre Owners of America wmanship forum which will be |1 at the Edgewater Beach Hotel Chicago, July 30-31, it was annced yesterday by Ernest G. Stell chairman of the conference, tellings said that besides the in(Continued on page 5) Early House Approval Anticipated Exhibitors Answer COMPO Call to Washington for Final Tax Effort By J. A. OTTEN WASHINGTON, July 19.— Anticipating early House approval of the pending admission tax relief bill, industry leaders have already started working to get Senate action before adjournment. AB-PT Profit For Half Year Is $4,202,000 L. H. Goldenson Net operating profit of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc., for the first six months of 1956 was $4,202,000, or 97 cents a common share, Leonard H. Gold enson, president, reported yesterday. Compared with $3,355,000, or 77 cents per common share, for the same period of 1955, net operating profit for the first half of this year increased 25 per cent. Second quarter net operating profit, according to Goldenson, was $1,632,000, or 37 cents a common share, as against $1,438,000, or 32 cents a common share, for the 1955 period. In addition, during the first six months of 1956 net capital gains of $970,000, or 22 cents a common share, were realized from the sale of theatre ( Continued on page 3 ) Donald Stover Named To New RETMA Post From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, July 19-Donald H. Stover, former service manager of Sentinel Badio Corp., has been appointed service coordinator for the Badio Electronics-Television Manufacturers Association, effective Aug. 15, it was announced by executive vicepresident James D. Secrest. Stover will coordinate the industry's service activities and will undertake an intensive field job of promoting BETMA's vocational training program throughout the country. Officials of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations have called in theatre owners from all over the country to go to work on Senate Majority Leader Johnson of Texas, Senate Minority Leader Knowland of California, Senate Finance Committee chairman Byrd (D., Va.), and other members of the Finance Committee. They declared they felt they could "still squeeze it through" before Congress quits— probably at the end of next week. But they also admitted (Continued on page 2) 0'Donnell Reports Texas Business Big in July Business of Interstate Theatres of Texas this month has been far ahead of the corresponding period last year, Bobert J. O'Donnell, general manager of the circuit, stated here yesterday. O'Donnell, who is in New York on conferences with exhibition leaders concerning the Federal tax repeal campaign, of which he is national chairman for the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, said that business in his theatres also has equalled business ( Continued on page 5 ) Fred Goldberg in Charge Of New Publicity Office Fred Goldberg, formerly advertising-publicity director for I.F.E. and more recently with the Arthur P. Jacobs Co. here, has been named general manager of the New York offices of the Blowitz-Maskel publicity firm being opened Monday. Goldberg also was with Paramount Pictures and BKO Badio here in publicity posts. Blowitz-Maskel specializes in publicity for independent producers. R. J. O'Donnell Rhoden Finds: 'Free Space' To TV Greater Than to Films Survey Shows Press Builds Up Its Ad Competitor From THE DAILY Bureau LOS ANGELES, July 19-Newspapers are building up their biggest competitor for the advertising dollartelevision and radio— with publicity running two to one for paid advertising, Elmer C. Bhoden, president of National Theatres, Inc., said in announcing the results of a comparative motion picture, television and radio pub E. C. Rhoden licity survey, conducted by National Theatres in 16 newspapers of metropolitan areas. According to Rhoden, the news( Continued on page 2 ) Preminger Sets Star Search for New 'Joan' By LAWRENCE J. QUIRK Claiming that his plan might mean "the birth of at least one new star in the film firmament," and that it was his two cents worth toward a contribution to the star-quality among new faces that exhibitors are currently crying for, producer-director Otto Preminger yesterday announced ( Continued on page 5 ) New Boston License Ordinance Hits Theatres Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, July 19. Motion Picture theatres in this city came in under a blanket ordinance revision by Mayor Hynes which would raise fees on licenses and permits in various businesses. He has submitted to the City Coun( Continued on page 5 )