Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1957)

6 Motion Picture Daily Friday, April 12, 195' National Pre -Selling CECIL B. DeMILLE, writing for the April 7 issue of "This Week," says "I have often speculated on which Commandment is most frequently broken. I think the First Commandment is the one we break the oftenest— "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." "We do not bow down before idols, but which of us has not, at some time, worshipped a god of gold or a god of flesh or a god of ambition more than we have worshipped God Himself?" • "Helen Hayes' son, James MacArthur, makes his debut in the movies," reports "Life" in the April 8 issue, "as the hero of a new film called 'The Young Stranger.' Playing with sensitivity and deep understanding, he is first rate. The whole movie is a triumph for youth." • A striking page ad on "The Spirit of St. Louis" appears in the April 13 issue of "The Saturday Evening Post." Copy prominently placed at the bottom of the ad calls to the reader's attention that the Lindbergh story first appeared as a special "Saturday Evening Post" serial. • "Fear Spikes Out," reports Ed Miller in the April issue of "Seventeen," "tells of a baseball player who cracks under the tension of trying to make good to please his father. The movie is based on the actual experiences of Boston Red Sox's Jim Piersall; Anthony Perkins brings a nervous excitement to his role as the harried outfielder." • "The Little Hut," starring Ava Gardner, is advertised on the table of contents page in the April 16 issue of "Look." • Julie London, who does a splendid job in both "The Great Man" and "The Girl Can't Help It," was profiled in the April 7 issue of "The American Weekly." • To advertise the playing of "Suez" on a large number of television stations, NTA has placed a two-page spread in the April 8 issue of "Life." • The boy who plays the part of Tom Sawyer at Walt Disney's "Disneyland" in California appeared on the full-color front cover of "Parade's" April 7 issue. • Ruth Harbert devoted an entire page to the review of "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" in the April issue of "Good Housekeeping." Ruth says, "This movie is not only excitingly good theatre, but also another welcome indication that at least part of Hollywood is not afraid to try something new." WALTER HAAS Sales Methods ( Continued from page 1 ) it clear that not all Rank pictures would open there. Sochin further announced that a leasing arrangement had been worked out with the World Theatre in Philadelphia where alterations will be made, with the theatre re-opening early in July. He emphasized that wherever difficulties exist in establishing markets for Rank product, it may be necessary to develop firstrun outlets. He stressed the commercial potential of the product under discussion and the importance of regional selling backed up by strong advertising and publicity campaigns. The morning session was devoted to problems of distribution, screenings, release prints and regional selling. The afternoon session was given over to practices and procedures to be conducted between the field and home office. An evening session was called in order to expedite matters under discussion so that today could be devoted to a complete presentation of advertising, publicity, and exploitation, under the aegis of Geoffrey Martin, director. Compromise Wage Bill ( Continued from page 1 ) wound up hearings on extension of Federal minimum wage coverage. He said he felt his new bill was "a reasonable bill" and would "receive early and favorable action." His bill, the Massachusetts Democrat declared, was a compromise between the "inadequate proposals of the administration" and the more far-reaching proposals of the AFLCIO. Theatres are now exempt from Federal minimum wage and overtime provisions. Exhibitor spokesmen have urged Congress to maintain this exemption. The AFL-CIO is pushing a proposal to cover theatre firms with more than $500,000 in annual sales or more than four units. The administration has urged coverage for theatres with more than $1,000,000 in annual out-of-state purchases and more than 100 employes. Plagiarism Charged ( Continued from page 1 ) counsel for Terris, said an injunction and accounting on behalf of his client will be sought. HOLLYWOOD, April 11 The Academy Oscar voted Robert Rich as the author of the best original motion picture story in 1956, and declined by somebody named Robert Rich on the grounds that he didn't write it, will be held by the Academy until the authorship of "The Brave One" is validated and the author's qualifications for acceptance are • verified. This position was decided upon by the Academy Board of Governors last night at the regular meeting devoted to this and other Academy matters. Television Today ™ '<—*iinu.fntitt'.:ttitimnm«»imiu,ssiiMcsttittsttt B wees , ABC Radio Separate Subsidiary of AB-PT The creation of American Broadcasting Co. Radio Network, Inc., as a separate, autonomous subsidiary of American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres, Inc., with Robert E. Eastman as president, effective May 1, was announced yesterday by Leonard H. Goldenson, president of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc. Eastman is resigning as executive vice-president of John Blair & Co., radio station representatives, to take over his ABC Radio post. "The ever-widening broadcasting activities of our company make it desirable to create this autonomous subsidiary," Goldenson said. Vote FCC Probe Funds WASHINGTON, April ll.-The House today voted to give the House Commerce Committee $250,000 to carry on a sweeping investigation of the Federal Communications Commission and other government regulatory agencies. The investigation is to determine how well these agencies have carried out the laws they were set up to administer. TVandAscap ( Continued from page 1 ) agreements to be presented for conl sideration by individual stations. The meeting voted to establish arl interim committee whose members will be nominees for the permanent com! mittee subject to a vote of all telej vision stations. In addition, television stations wil be permitted to write in other candil dates, but membership on the permaj nent committee will be limited to thd 15 with largest number of votes] Move Made at Convention The meeting was called because tha ad hoc television music licensing comJ mittee of the National Association oi Radio and Television Broadcasters asked that time be made availabli during the convention for an all-tele-l vision-industry session to discuss TV1 music licensing matters. ASCAP and Broadcast Music, Inc., hold music license contracts with sta-l tions, terms of which have beer] worked out in negotiations between representatives of stations and repre-J sentatives of these organizations. The) ASCAP contract expires Dec. 31 of this year. One Man's TViews By Pinky Herman THE First Lady of the Theatre, Helen Hayes, will appear as special! guest CBSunday when she'll be seen in a filmed portion of the "United Nations In Action" series which will highlight Unicef's (Unitedk Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund) project to control| disease in Africa. . . . Plymouth Division of Chrysler Motors will sponsor the new half-hour telefilm series, "Date With The Angels," situation comedv co-starring Betty White and Bill Williams and skedded over ABC Fridays at 10 starting May 10. . . . Bravo to a music exec, youthful Alice Heinecke, whose clever poem related to the N.A.R.T.B. and; C.A.R.T.B. in Chicago and Quebec respectively, in the latest issue of i the Sesac Music Journal, rates reading. . . . "The Life & Legend ofi Wyatt Earp," has been re-signed by General Mills and Procter & Gamble ' for another year. This is easily one of the finest programs in TV and from where we sit "Marshal Earp" (Hugh O'Brian) a great personality, . superb actor and his portrayal of tamer of the wild west inspiring. * £ * The multi-talented and charming Gisele Mackenzie, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, whose new teleseries will be a Saturday nite feature over NBC starting late in Sept., has just been made a citizen of the United States. Her manager, Bob Shuttleworth also a Canadian will take the oath of U.S. citizenship next month. . . . With almost 6V2 million dollars grossed in the past 8 months representing a 75% increase over a similar period last year, Official Films, Inc. has announced the establishment of its first annual dividend— 10 cents per share. . . . Recommended: Johnny Andrews' new NBC radio series every day at 7:05-7:30 P.M. . . . Tony Marvin's CBSparkling word-jousting with Arthur Godfrey, each morning. Gisele Mackenzie