Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, February 4, PERSONAL MENTION ALEX HARRISON, 20th CenturyFox general sales manager, and Mrs. Harrison left here over the weekend by plane for a vacation in Honolulu. • Leo F. Samuels, Buena Vista president and general sales manager, and Jesse Cinich, Western division manager, have returned to New York from the Coast. • Ernest Stellings, president of Theatre Owners of America, returned to Charlotte from here at the weekend. • Richard Carlton, sales vice-president of Trans-Lux Television Corp., left Minneapolis yesterday for Denver and Los Angeles. • Douglas Fairranks, Jr., arrived here yesterday from London via B.O.A.C. • Marty Wolfe, Altec Service Co. sales manager, will return to New York today from California. • Michael Redgrave, left here yesterday for Saigon, Vietnam. • George Kerasotes, chairman of the executive committee of Theatre Owners of America, has returned to Springfield, 111., from New York. Report on India Heads MPEA's Meet Agenda A report on Indian film taxation will be given to the board of directors of the Motion Picture Export Association in a session here tomorrow afternoon to consider an agenda heavy with foreign problems. Charles Egan, newly-appointed i MPEA representative in India, will | present the report to the board. Egan i returned here from Bombay last I week following a quick visit to that | lrjarket. The MPEA board will also discuss | the Danish and Spanish film situation, besides sales to East European countries and the five picture limitation agreement in selling American product to Iron Curtain nations. Other matters on the agenda include selling dates in Germany; a status report on Turkey; a report by Robert Corkery, MPEA vice-president, on Central and Latin America; film licenses in Israel and Belguim, and film bookings on the Canadian Pacific transportation lines. Michigan Allied Head Pledges Harrison Support in Campaign to Reopen Theatres Special to THE DAILY DETROIT, Feb. 3— Milton H. London, president of Allied Theatres of Michigan, Inc., has sent a letter of congratulations to Alex Harrison, 20th Century-Fox general sales manager, regarding the latter's statement of his company's plans to assist exhibitors in reopening closed theatres. London read the story as it appeared in the January 24 issue of MOTION PICTURE DAILY. The letter said in part: "This action shows a maturity and statesmanship on your part which our industry desperately needs. Allied Theatres of Michigan strongly believes that the ills which presently afflict the motion picture industry are not so much due to external influences, such as television, as they are the inevitable product of strife within the industry itself. We feel that if all the inter-dependent branches would cooperate to bring peace to the motion picture industry, prosperity would certainly follow. 'Let me assure you that we stand ready to cooperate with you and to implement your announced plans in every way possible." Big 57 Seen (Continued from page 1) hand. Quality is _ gradually b! identified with the motion picture! dustry. Indeed, movie theatres ( their wide, curved screens j stereophonic sound) can offer audiences the opportunity to par pate vicariously in film experienc a degree that probably cannot equalled even by color or subs< tion television presentations for n years to come." "Not too long ago," the survey serves, "Hollywood nearly colla, under relentless TV competition, day, its products dominate the; waves. Theatre attendance is upj live show audiences down." H. F. Cohen Dies; Was sbc to Watch (Continued from page 1) competitive bids and other subjects. Noting that the earlier report opposed exhibitor proposals that divorced circuits be permitted to make pictures with preemptive rights on showing them, the annual report observed that since the earlier report AB-PT had announced its plans to produce pictures for first showings at Paramount Theatres. "This move to integrated operation will be watched with considerable interest by all segments of the industry, by your committee, and by the Department of Justice," the report said. leading N.O. Exhibitor NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 3.-Funeral services were held here Friday for Harold Francis Cohen, veteran motion picture industry executive of this city, who died last Wednesday in Bay St. Louis, Miss., following a heart attack. He was 54 years old. Cohen operated his own distribution office here at the time of his death— Harold F. Cohen Enterprises, Inc. Cohen began his industry career in 1923 as salesman for Producers Distributing Corp. He was with Pathe and RKO later and in 1940 joined United Artists. In 1941 he became associated with the late Arthur Bromberg of Monogram Southern Exchanges. In 1949 he joined E. V. Landaiche as partner with the Screen Guild Franchise. After a year the partnership was dissolved, with Cohen taking over the Lippert franchise. Two years ago he formed his own company. Survivors include his widow, one son and a brother. Interment was in St. Louis Cemetery No. 2. Schaefer Named (Continued from page 1) change in Minneapolis. The folkn year he managed the Universal tures exchange in Seattle, later erating his own states rights exchs in Chicago. In 1919 he rejoined versal, where he held division i ager, sales manager and theatre op tions manager posts. In 1928 Schlaifer moved ove UA and became associated with ward Small Productions in 194( vice-president. He successively key sales positions with 20th Cent Fox, Allied Artists Monogram Eagle-Lion. After leaving UA 1955, he was associated for two ) with the George Schaefer organiza Hunter in 'Louis' Tour Actor Tab Hunter will assume a new role this week when he begins a cross-country tour as press agent for a motion picture in which he does not even appear. "The Spirit of St. Louis." Hunter requested permission from Warner Bros, studios to make the trip, offering to postpone his vacation in Europe. O'Donnell on Comm. Robert J. "Bob" O'Donnell, general manager of the Interstate Circuit, will act as Texas chairman of the entertainment industry tribute to Jimmy Durante, it was announced by Harry Brandt, chairman of the coordinating committee. "You've done it again, J.B. ! . . . great rushes ...sure hit!" "You really think so?" "Absolutely! Great family appeal. It'll pack them in." "H-m-m-m. How'll we promote it?" "Let's see. Big picture. Family picture. Calls for the big family magazine— The Saturday Evening Post, of course!" "Full page or spread?" MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers, Managing Editor; Richard Gertner, News Editor; Floyd E..P^ Photo Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William K. we,e>. Editor, Telephone HOllywood 7-214'5; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C; London Bureau, 4, Bear St., Leicester Square, W. 2, Hope Williams ,u' nup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; William Pay, News Editor. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world. Motion Picture Daily is published daily except Saturdays,^ days and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Cnter, New York 20, Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address : _ Quigpubco, New^York. mm Qmgley'r Praiimtj "ks^liuigl^rjr^ vTcePresident; Ttea^^S^wt^' Vice5rSUat"«S3 Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Hiffl Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Television Today, published daily as a_ pa Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter Sept. 21, 193«, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y March 3, 1'879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c. .. of under the a| of