Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1956)

SO, NO. 16 NEW YORK, U. S. A., TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1956 TEN CENTS k Business ported Up in lc Far East Views This Year as y% Ahead of 1955 By LESTER DINOFF (Picture on Page 11) East and Australasian exhibiiw consider United Artists a supplier of important product, ng to Alfred Katz, UA inter I home office executive, who ay announced that his cornbusiness in these territories has 3d "over 100 per cent" since nd that this year's business is ly running up to "45 to 55 per ead of last year." who returned to New York six week tour of Japan, the ines, Hong Kong, Siam, IndoSingapore, Indonesia, Australia :w Zealand, said that this marntributes between 18 to 20 t of the overall foreign gross of Artists. is highly optimistic about the [Continued on page 11) ea Drive Session In Boston Today Special to THE DAILY TON, July 23-First in series iange meetings with RKO sales lei in the East to prepare for >an O'Shea Drive" begins tor with arrival of Nat Levy, Eastern sales manager, and his jffice assistant, Frank Mooney. KO sales drive begins Aug. 13 II run for 16 weeks. The East|es chief and his assistant will Continued on page 7) iers In Third Lap A Drive Announced ed Artists' Philadelphia, Pittsand Milwaukee branches have le third lap of the company's miversary drive, it is announced captains William J. Heineman, esident in charge of distribuind James R. Velde, general lanager. 32-week campaign for collec{Continued on page 7) WB Studies Stock Options The board of directors of Warner Brothers Pictures is plan under which working on a key personnel would be granted stock option rights, it was announced b y president Jack L. Warner, in a letter to stockholders. Warner, who assumed presidency of the production d i stribution company two weeks ago said that directors of the company will submit their stock (Continued on page 7) Racing Against Time Industry Fights to Get Tax Bill to Senate Hope to Persuade Finance Committee To Schedule Meeting on Short Notice By J. A. OTTEN WASHINGTON, July 23— Industry leaders, racing against time, were trying to figure out some way to get a Senate Finance Committee meeting on the admissions tax relief bill. The excise Jack Warner 'King' Reaps $2,345,000 In 66 Dates 'All Boats9 in Big Opening "Away All Boats," Universal-Inteiv national's new Vista Vision film, which has opened in more than 50 situations from coasMo-coast following its premieres last Wednesday is continuing to roll up the best business in its initial engagements of any film the (Continued on page 11) Twentieth Century-Fox's CinemaScope 55 production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The King and I" has grossed $2,345,000 in 66 first-run U.S. and Canadian playdates in less than four weeks of domestic release, the company reported here yesterday. The big first-month gross for "The King and I" is second only to "The Robe," and considerably larger than previous CinemaScope attractions such as "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," "The Seven Year Itch," "Carou(Continued on page 11) Warner Newsreel to Be Shut Down; Negotiations for Sale Now Underway Warner News, Inc., a subsidiary production of Warner Pathe newsreels Report Paramount News Negotiating TV Sale Paramount Newsreels, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, is currently negotiating with a television film network producer for the sale of its production and other facilities here, it was reported. Paramount Newsreels, which has as a trademark "The Eyes and Ears of the World," is produced semi-weekly at its own studios here. of Warner Brothers, will discontinue as of Aug. 23, 1956, it was announced here yesterday. In reporting the closing down of the newsreel it has operated for nine years, Warner News additionally announced that it is currently negotiating the sale of its many other projects plus its film library with several interested buyers. The negotiators were not revealed. Warner Brothers acquired Pathe News from RKO Pathe News for $4,000,000 August, 1947, giving the company a newsreel operation for the first time. The first newsreel under the name of Warner Pathe (Continued on page 7) measure, which passed the House late Saturday on a voice vote, would raise from 50 cents to $1 the exemption from the 10 per cent federal admissions tax. It now must pass the Senate. But the first problem facing the industry was to get the bill to the Text of a plea by Senators Sparkman and Humphrey, of the Senate Small Business Committee, addressed to Senator Byrd and calling for elimination of the admissions tax, will be found on Page 7. Senate floor. The Senate Finance Committee, which handles the bill, said it had no further meetings scheduled this year. Chairman Byrd (D., Va. ) could, of course, always call another meeting of the committee on short notice. But he was reported fearful of calling such a meeting lest members bring up at that time some expensive House-passed veterans pensions bills which he opposes. Industry leaders were working on (Continued on page 7) 'Moby' fakes Still Strong John Huston's Moulin production of "Moby Dick" for Warner Bros, release continues to set a record pace in all of its engagements, including holdover situations and new openings, during the past week, according to a report by Warners. In its dual engagement at the Criterion and Sutton Theatres in New (Continued on page 7)