Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

II nesday. October 10, 1956 Motion Picture Daily OR* BL Soard Meets Today Pooling Possibilities : board of directors of Warner Pictures will meet here today a ;e up a varied agenda which inpreliminary talks on the posof pooling production facili 0 Hollywood and distribution es abroad with one or more i '■' film companies, it was reported day. ajrfce Semenenko, senior vice4*nt of the First National Bank ,ton and a director of Warner will discuss his recent Euronip. Semenenko will leave here iston after the meeting. M _ ' ~~ ish Rental Scales Wei at MPEA Meet Danish governmental proposal J ning the use of a sliding scaie atals in Denmark was the center zussion at yesterday's meeting of ijjgjbard of directors of the Motion e Export Association. ■ >>rding to an MPEA representa the proposal was presented to resident Griffith Johnson, who £]rded it to the board of directors pj )nsideration. ■ proposal was that a sliding be put into effect between first, 3 and sub-run Danish theatres means of settling the embargo or opening up the market once V to American product. Another J sal under MPEA consideration 1 readjustment of the flat film of 30 per cent existing in Den Maas Tells of Burma 3 MPEA directors also were told e progress made in Burma by [president Irving A. Maas. The "™t1 ors were virtually in accord on HLv agreement with Burma which yped the U. S. companies 235 lis annually, plus separate li|[|j||s for 16mm, newsreels and other 3 directors also discussed the divibf 240 licenses for Indonesia and tan, but did not reach an agree-ri on that. M '56-'57 Drive Aim H%r 24,000 Donors P>LLYWOOD, Oct. 9-Permanent lities Committee campaign chairj Jerry Lewis has set a goal of |»0 donors for the 1956-57 drive. compares with 22,399 donors l-ear, who contributed $1,161,410. \n Cartoon Festival ■■"festival" of animated film car™ will be held on Monday, Nov. ""~it the Hotel Pierre here, sponby members of the Screen Carets Local 841, in cooperation with ig Eastern cartoon producers, exhibition is expected to become mual affair, it is said. Giant CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 office interest from now on for her role as Luz Benedict II, daughter of Hudson and Miss Taylor, who inherits the independence of her mother and the stubbornness of her father, and whose rebellion and subsequent awakening are one of the many high points of the picture. One of the picture's many virtues, and evidence again of the hand of the master craftsmen who constructed it, is the extraordinary attention to minute detail. Thus, although it is the saga of a family, and a Texas family at that, moving from the fabulous riches of vast cattle lands to the even more fabulous riches of oil lands, every character, even though not fully developed, is sketched with deft caricature-like strokes. Thus Jane Withers, although on the screen only briefly and intermittently, is Vashti Snythe, Texas ranch girl, from her first bashful but hearty handshake to the last enormous ermine stole; and Dennis Hopper, in a few brief flashes and one crashing fight scene with Dean is Jordan Benedict III, sensitive as his mother and arrogant as his father. This attention to detail also results in a whole series of scenes which will leave the audiences talking long after they have seen the picture and will, it is almost certain, bring them back again and again to see it. There is the inter-cutting between Miss Taylor visiting the miserable homes of the Mexican workers with Dean and Miss McCambridge riding, and roweling to a fury, Miss Taylor's horse to her own death. There is the unforgettable scene when with a distant rumble and then a roar that shakes the theatre, Dean's first gusher comes in. ^3 ^3 There are the subtle but noticeable changes in the settings and surroundings of the castle-like home of the Benedicts which match the changes wrought in the characters themselves by time, civilization, oil and riches. There is the extraordinary use of contrast— between the hot, brassy, arid plains of Texas and the cool green and brilliant sky blues of Maryland, and between the sullen, loutish drunkenness of Dean and the cool, cultured sensitivity of Miss Taylor and her family. And there is finally the preparation for the opening of Jett Rink's Conquistador Hotel and the fabulous party attending it which could happen in Texas, and as a matter of fact did. None of these are used simply for effect. All of them, along with outstanding Warner-Color photography by William Mellor, the screen play by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat, the music composed and conducted by Dimitri Tiomkin, the sets and the costumes, contribute to the telling of the story. No listing of credits for so great a work would be complete without crediting Henry Ginsberg, named as co-producer with Stevens, with the courage and vision to back the undertaking and to give Stevens the free hand he so obviously had. It is a production which will have an impact on the box office now and for long in the future as great as its name. Running time, 198 minutes. General classification. Release date, October 4. JAMES D. IVERS Americo Aboaf STARS OF GIANT: Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Business Good Abroad for TP Aboaf Reports Universal Pictures' business throughout the world by the end of this month should be highly satisfactory this year, despite hindrances in certain areas, according to Americo Aboaf, vice-president in charge of foreign distribution. Aboaf recently returned from a fourweek tour of South Africa, Europe and England. Speaking at a trade press conference yesterday, he said that by the end of the current fiscal year, Oct. 30, the company's business will be very bright, despite the Spanish and Danish situation in Europe. The coming year will also improve our business abroad due to good product, conditions and an expected solution to film problems affecting the industry." The Universal executive is being honored by the company's sales force which is conducting "The Americo Aboaf Drive." Sees South Africa Unchanged Aboaf, in reporting on his trip, pointed out that conditions for Universal did not change in South Africa since 20th Century-Fox acquired the Schlesinger theatre interests there. He said that "we will continue to operate under the same franchise agreement." Commenting on Universale newsreel business, Aboaf said it "is running in the black." He disclosed that Universal recently acquired the Warner Bros, license for Japan and is producing a newsreel for that market. The company previously sold its rights in Japan to a native newspaper, he said. Select the Committees For O'Doimell Dinner Sol Schwartz, president of RKO Theatres Corp., was selected genera! chairman of the dinner committee for the Motion Picture Pioneers' 18th annual dinner to be held Now 30 in honor of R. J. O'Donnell, it was announced yesterday. Slated for Waldorf Others appointed to the committee, to be held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, were Neu E. Depinet, George Dembow and Marvin Kirsch, co-chairmen; Raymond Willie and Harrv Mandel, co-ordinators; Charles A. Alienate, in charge of new members; |ake Starr, decorations; Chester B Balm, trade papers; Harry J. Takiff, dinner treasurer, and Herb Berg, publicity.