Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 80, NO. 75 NEW YORK, U. S. A. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1956 TEN CENTS active Now ntner Quits President f ABC Web denson Will Assume ervision of Division >ert E. Kintner has resigned as ent of the American Broadcasta division of American Broadcasting -Paramount Theatres, Inc., it was announced yesterday by Leonard H. Goldenson, president of the corporation. It was also stated ll^^^^^ that Goldenson I^SBg will assume di I iP^^rM lect supervision casting division in addition to his present j as president of AB-PT. Imer submitted his resignation as (Continued on page 6) lert Kintner ributors List 65 Its for Awards Ballot |y 65 pictures have been named |n distributors for the Audience Is nominating ballot, as against 1st year, it was reported yestery Robert W. Coyne, COMPO 1 irman. reason for the drop in the >r, Coyne explained, is that this |listributors were asked to put •ontention only those pictures they themselves felt had a (Continued on page 6) iemy Presentations, (Nominations, for TV From THE DAILY Bureau .LYWOOD, Oct. 16. The ny Awards presentations cerewill be telecast over the NBC k on Mar. 27 from the HollyPantages Theatre under Oldssponsorship, according to an ent reached by General Motors (Continued on page 6) CS Use Holding Up Fox, Republic Deal The utilization of the CinemaScope or Naturama processes on Republic Pictures product in the foreign market is a major point which is holding up the signing of the British film distribution agreement between 20th CenturyFox and Republic, it was learned here yesterday. According to a Republic official, 20th-Fox maintains that all Republic Pictures should be made in CinemaScope as that process "offers the company the best distribution possibilities abroad." However, Republic desires to have its product made in its own anamorphic process, Naturama, which is compatible with CinemaScope. The disagreement on this point arises because Republic does not want to lose its Naturama rights foreignwise and its identity with the process in Great Britain, it was pointed out by the official. Another factor, the Republic official (Continued on page 2) Suit Filed Asking Halt Of 480 Days' Showing James Poe, Hollywood writer, filed suit in New York Federal Court here yesterday against Michael Todd, producer of "Around the World in 80 Days," and Michael Todd Co., Inc., asking $250,000 damages and an injunction to prevent the defendants ( Continued on page 6 ) Siegel Prefers Production To Post as Loew's Head From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 16 Sol C. Siegel, who last night telephoned Loew's board chairman Nicholas M. Schenck his decision to withdraw from consideration for the company presidency, today told the MOTION PICTURE DAILY, "I decided my place is here, making pictures, which is something I am supposed to know something about, rather than back there in work which must include an unknown quotient." Siegel has three more pictures to make, independently, for MGM release, under his present contract. His "High Society" is in current release. Meanwhile, in New York, the Loew's board of directors meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed until Thursday. MPEA Suspends Talks On Danish Film Imports Negotiations between the Motion Picture Export Association and Denmark concerning the import of American product into that country have been temporarily suspended, it was announced here yesterday following a meeting of the MPEA directorate. According to an official of the (Continued on page 6) REVIEW: The Teahouse Of The August Moon MGM — CinemaScope Few plays in the history of the American theatre have been given as faithful an adaptation in their transition to the screen as Metro has given John Patrick's "The Teahouse of the August Moon." As a matter of fact, few works bv native playwrights have been so deserving of such respectful treatment as this wonderful comedy about the efforts of American forces to make over Okinawa in the image of the U. S. A. This faithful preservation of most of the merits of the original has paid off in a picture which is certain to receive acclaim from the newspaper critics as well as the public. And, among the latter, even those who may never have heard of the stage version will be attracted to the film by 'the magnetism of its two popular stars-Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford. In "Teahouse" each of these first-rate actors has been tossed a his(Continued on page 3) Stellings Says: TOA Pledges 'Support' To Independents Also Reaffirms Stand for Single Exhibitors' Group By LESTER DINOFF (Picture on Page 2) Theatre Owners of America will support all forms of independent film production to alleviate the product shortage by encouraging its membership to play such pictures, Ernest Stellings, president, said yesterday. At a press conference here prior to departure for his Charlotte, N. C, home, Stellings also reiterated the TOA position of being in favor of one national exhibition association. He also disclosed that TOA has conferred (Continued on page 2) Downing Finds 'Quality' Hollywood Guide Now Motion picture producers are keeping abreast of the times by "turning out quality merchandise which the public wants to buy," according to Russell V. Downing, president and managing director of the Radio City Music Hall, who returned here earlier this week from a trip to Hollywood. D owning, pointing out that he only visited three studios while on the (Continued on page 2) N. E. Exhibitors Hear Gehring as Meet Ends Special to THE DAILY WINCHENDON, Mass., Oct. 16.Open discussions on concession and insurance problems highlighted the morning's activities as the 1956 convention of Independent Exhibitors, (Continued on page 6) Russell Downing