Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, February 18, 1 |f — P/J/of Appointed Rank PERSONAL Exploitation Manager MENTION \ lfred E. Daff, executive vicel\ president of Universal Pictures, has arrived in New York from Hollywood. • Paul Martenson, film attorney, returned to New York on Saturday from London via B.O.A.C. Jack Ellis, president of Ellis Films, has left New York on a business trip to key cities of the South. • Karl Malden will return to Hollywood from New York today to take over his first directorial assignment. • Cynthia Jo Hazen will be married April 19 to Leon Bernard Polsky of New York. Bride is the daughter of Joseph H. Hazen, associate of Hal Wallis. • Edmund Purdom left here on Friday for London via B.O.A.C. • John F. (Jack) Harris, vice-president of Walter Reade Theatres, is recuperating following treatment here at Doctors Hospital. • Mrs. Stanley Greenfield, wife of the advertising-promotion manager of Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., gave birth to a girl here last week. • Ann Rogers, British actress, arrived in New York from London on Friday via B.O.A.C. DeMille Speaks at A. C. ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., Feb. 17 -Producer Cecil B. DeMille, as guest of honor, addressed the annual banquet of the National School Board Association here last night at the Chalfonte Hotel. His subject was "Foundation for the Future." On hand was a group of over 1,000 American educators, representing 45 state school boards in addition to those of Alaska and Hawaii. Kansas Censor Move KANSAS CITY, Feb. 17. A renewed attempt to abolish motion picture censorship in Kansas is underway with the introduction in the State Legislature of a bill to abolish the Board of Review, effeotive May 1. In recent sessions of the legislature, the censorship board has been the subject of controversy. The elimination of the board also has been sought unsuccessfully in the past through court actions. Leo Pillot, veteran industry promotion specialist, has been named exploitation manager of the newly formed J. Arthur Rank Organization of America, Geoffrey Martin, director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, has announced. Pillot resigned from Paramount Pictures to assume his new duties. Prior to his affiiliation with Paramount, Pillot was special events manager and exploitation manager for 20th Century-Fox, where he also handled national promotional tieups, newspaper syndicates and national magazines. Following his discharge from the U.S. Air Force in 1945, Pillot was special events director for Columbia Pictures, leaving that organization to become personal manager for TV star Sid Caesar. He also has been associated with Gaumont British, RKO and United Artists. Leo Pillot Fabian to Speak at Kansas City Convention Si Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Corp., will be the keynote speaker at the annual convention of the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association scheduled to be held Feb. 26-27 at the Pickwick Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. The convention, which will also have a trade show, will include clinics on both drive-in and indoor theatre operation. Rank Officials Return Kenneth Hargreaves, president of Rank Film Distributors of America, Irving Sochin, general sales manager, and Geoffrey Martin, director of advertising and publicity, returned to New York over the weekend from a two-week trip through the United States in regard to establishment of branch offices. Triangle Takes Office The newly formed Triangle Theatre Service, which will begin buying and booking services for about 100 theatres in northern New Jersey, has taken office space at 234 West 44th Street, New York City. Triangle is composed of Walter Reade Theatres, David Snaper Theatres and the Independent Theatre Service. lost Horizon' Proves Bonanza in Cleveland Special to THE DAILY CLEVELAND, Feb. 17 Columbia's "Lost Horizon," booked in a rerelease engagement here at two subrun neighborhood theatres, has been doing the kind of business the company describes as "fanastic." On opening day it grossed $1551 at the Mayland Theatre and the Beach Cliff Theatre took in $950— both new records and equivalent to many a whole week's business at the theatres, it was said. Grosses the second day were over $300— five times the average business for the day for a new film. As a consequence the reprint is being held over at the Beach Cliff for nine days and the Mayland for four. Following these runs the film has been booked into seven first-run neighborhood theatres for day-anddate engagements. MPAA Committee Told Of Promotion Progress The advertising and publicity directors committee of the Motion Picture Association of America was brought up-to-date on the activities of the joint industry business building group at a meeting held here on Friday. The committee, which is chairmanned by Roger H. Lewis, was also informed that a business building report on the combining of the various proposals presented is expected to be ready next week. The advertising-publicity group was also presented with a request for support of the 1957 New York City Summer Festival. They were asked to boost motion pictures by staging many premieres here during August. Also discussed at the meeting was the possibility of making a tie-up with educational television stations and to supply the stations with footage on industry promotions. Catholic Film Group Plans Future Activity CHICAGO, Feb. 17 Plans for future activity of the newly-formed Catholic Film Foundation were finalized at the first executive meeting of the board of directors, which was held here last week. A non-profit organization incorporated under the state laws of California, the purpose of the Foundation includes the production and distribution of films and audio-visual material in accord with the philosophy of Catholic teaching, the purchase and donation of projection equipment and the supplying of trained field personnel to aid priests, brothers and sisters in the use of the material. ..JEWS Introduce Tax Limit Bill ; A bill to except from the tim which New York City may imp] , under a 1934 law, by local statuttji retail sales of tangible personal piife erty "receipts from the sale of the e admission tickets of 90 cents valuer less" has been introduced by Sen'r Joseph F. Periconi and Assemblyri Parnell J. Callahan, Bronx Repijcans. The measure would take eim. immediately. ■ Book 'Ten' In Pitt. Paramount's "The Ten Comme ments," which had been origin scheduled to play the Stanley Tl tre in Pittsburgh will instead o at the Warner Theatre March 15, Warner has been playing Cinen product for more than three yi with "Seven Wonders of the Wo now in its 42nd week. The the will close for four days to inil Vista Vision equipment. Cinerai 's managing director Bob Suit said is entire staff will continue to ope e the Warner, and that the hcl would revert to Cinerama later. 'Spring Reunion' Tie-ups United Artists has set a serie;)f six national tie-ups on behalf of Bi e Production's "Spring Reunion," Ror H. Lewis, UA national director of Ivertising, publicity and exploitah, has announced. Organizations paripating are American Airlines, Natiiil Gypsum Corp., American LI Corp., Wohl Shoe, Plymouth R> coats and Honeybug Shoes. ■ See 'Omar Khayyam' Toniit Paramount Pictures tonight will* host to a group of Iranian diplor:s and consular officials and their w:8 at a special home office screeninp "Omar Khayyam." Heading the giering will be the former president the United Nations, His Excelley M. Nasrollah Entezam. ■ 'Cinderella' to Normandie A re-release engagement of VS Disney's "Cinderella" will open at e Normandie Theatre here on ThursC ■ Todd Conference Tuesday Producer Michael Todd will nounce his plans for the future a| luncheon and press conference lf tomorrow at Toots Shor's Restaur.!. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Edifor-in-Chief and Publisher; 5herw.ii Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers, Managing Editor; Richard Gertner, News Editor F loyd E. S Photo Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William K Wea . Editor, Telephone HOllywood 7-2145; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club Wash ngton, D. C. ; London Bureau, .4, Bear St. Leicester Square, W. 2, Hope W'lhams .1 nup Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; William Pay, News Editor. Correspondents m 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 Center, New York 20, Telephone Circle 7-3 1 00 Cable address : "Ouigpubeo New > ork MJ Quigley, President; Mlrtin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture He | 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 pari Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter Sept. 21, 1938, at the Post Office at New York, N. \ ., under trie aw March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.