Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, November 19, M PERSONAL MENTION Pittsburgh Business Both Up and Down PITTSBURGH, Nov. 18.-Theatre business for the fall in the Pittsburgh area has run the gamut from six per cent off in some situations to 10 per cent over last year's business in one downtown house. Henry Burger, Stanley Warner city manager, termed the fall product in the 14 houses under his supervision as "tepid" without referring to any particular film. On the other hand, Bernie Hickey, Fulton Theatre manager, is glowing about a 10 per cent increase in his business. Arthur Manson, Cinerama publicist, said that the third Cinerama opus, "Seven Wonders of the World," is doing at least 25 per cent better than either of the first such epics. "Wonders" is now in its 27th week here. They all agree that the television threat is still present, but not nearly so pronounced as it once was. O'Shea Returns Here HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 18.-Daniel T. O'Shea, president of RKO Radio Pictures left here Friday night for New York following four weeks at the studio, during which he conferred with William Dozier, RKO vice-president in charge of production, and looked over newly completed RKO product. O'Shea said he would return to Hollywood during the first week in January. Atlas Exercising Rights To Disney Offering BURBANK, Calif., Nov. 18.-Atlas Corp. has announced it has agreed to exercise rights to buy any unsubscribed portion of a Walt Disney Productions' rights offering, now underway, of 186,526 additional shares at $20 each. Atlas, prior to the offering, owned about 17 per cent of 1,305,680 common outstanding. At the same time the Disney family will not exercise its rights to buy any of the shares being offered, a spokesman said. The Disney family owned, prior to the offering, about 54 per cent of the shares. Should Atlas Corp. subscribe to all the shares offered, according to a Disney official, it would own 37V2 per cent of the outstanding stock, while the Disney family's percentage would decline to 46 per cent. A spokesman for Atlas Corp. said that Atlas "is not looking for control" of Disney. Rep. to NFS in D.C. WASHINGTON, D. C, Nov. 18. National Film Service, Inc., has taken over backroom work for Republic Pictures here. James P. , Clark, president of NFS, said the transfer was effective Nov. 10. The Critic Say . . . • The television critics anc umnists of the daily press a course friendly to the medii. tvhich they ivork hut they ai\n at till reluctant to voice coin tive criticism or administer tisement when they feel it sary. Asked to vote again thi: in the annual Motion P\ Daily-FAME poll of tele] talent and shows, many of j added comments on their g< view of the industry. Among were : Nancy Miller, EI Paso Texas: "With the pressures o in Europe and Middle East, ail public being more news conscij the moment, the lack of res scheduled newscasts of network i ity becomes apparent." Dorothy Coombes, Daily I ' lican, Belvidere, 111.: "As a g| rule there are too many comm and too long. The worst es 1 is the $84,000 question." NJ. BLUMBERG, chairman of • the board of Universal Pictures, will return to New York today following a trip to South America. • Dore Schary, M-G-M vice-president in charge of production, arrived in New York yesterday from Hollywood. Ed Justin, director of merchandising for Screen Gems, returned to New York on Saturday from London via B.O.A.C. Norton V. Ritchey, president of Allied Artists International Corp., has returned to New York from the Coast. • Nancy Berve, assistant to Hi Reiter, advertising manager of Broadcast Music, Inc., will leave here on Wednesday for Denver. • Robert Clark, member of the directorate of Associated British Picture Corp., arrived in New York yesterday from London via B.O.A.C. • Saul Chaplin, assistant to Sol C. Siegel, producer, returned to Hollywood yesterday from New York. • Ed Johnston, production manager for Figaro, Inc., left New York via B.O.A.C. at the weekend for Saigon, French Indo-China. • Thomas W. Sarnoff, director of business affairs for the Pacific division of NBC, has been elected a vicepresident of California National Productions, a subsidiary of the network. Pioneers in Member Drive Before Dinner The Motion Picture Pioneers are staging a last minute membership drive in preparation for the 18th annual dinner Friday evening, Nov. 30, at the Waldorf-Astoria here. Jack Cohn, president of the organization, said at the weekend all applications received before Monday, Nov. 26, would be processed in time for initiation of the new members at the dinner. Membership is open to any man who has been engaged for 25 years or more in production, distribution, exhibition or laboratory work. There are no dues or assessments but there is a nominal initiation fee. Robert J. O'Donnell has been named "pioneer of the year" for this year's anual dinner. SB^^ MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers. Managing Editor; Richard Gertner News Editor; Floyd E Photo Editor -Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau Yucca-Vine Building .Samuel D Berns, Manager; William R. Edrtor Tel°VhonV HOllywood 7-2145; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C; London Bureau. 4, Bear St., Leicester Square W 2. Hope W.llian nun Managed Peter Burnup Editor Will'am Pay, News Editor. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world Motion Picture Daily is published daily except Saturday da& and holiday bv Quigley Publishing Company Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, Telephone Circle 7-3100 Cable address; /Quigpubco New York Quigley President; Martin ^Q^ J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J: Brady Secretary Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture . Betfer Theatres and Better Refreshment 'Merchandising, 'each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Her , Id ; Television J°^y published once weekly as | | Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter Sept. 21, 193S, at the Post Office at New 1 ork IN. X , under tne m March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c. '7' Bows at Benefit Angier Biddle Duke, president of the International Rescue Committee, presided at the benefit preview last night at the Guild Theatre here of the Columbia Pictures release, "The Magnificent Seven." **************** * * * * * HAWAII HOLIDAY! * * * * * **************** 7 days -$469.50 from New York, plus tax, including hotel and air fare Fly United DC-7s, world's fastest airliners, ALL First Class, or DC-6Bs, ALL Air Coach. 2-abreast seating comfort on all Mainliner® flights. UNITED AIR LINES