Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1957)

til nday, August 19, 1957 Motion Picture Daily elemeter "Uncharted Sea" Exhibitors Say Fa ( Continued from page 1 ) iness and go into an entirely new ijrprise. Many expressed an unwil,;ness to sail over "uncharted seas." The biggest problem appears to be ncial. Telemeter claims that the d R ,|t of installing a "box" in each n fonise would run about $100. A town 5000, for example, would cost exhibitor, therefore, $500,000. exhibitors in a loud much for any small to put out. Solomon iiusberg, vice-president of the jjtjujtropolitan Motion Picture Thea; Association, expressed the doubt t the average exhibitor can "even ch the system." Although Strausthought the system may be pracI for a small community, he said has come to no conclusion if Teleter is workable in a citv like New rk. See *Door-to-Door' Necessary Many exhibitors see a great probl in "a pre-selling operation." They a Telemeter operation would inve the burden of making a doordoor canvassing to sell the "box" "d would involve the setting up of ervice department to repair defece units. Legal problems are bound to be •ntiful, say the theatre men. Will • sets in the living room be conered remote theatre seats or will s enterprise be defined as an exision of the theatre business and "Tis be eyed by the Justice Depart•nt? many ask. Walter Brecher, of scher theatres, wonders about the sic philosophy involved in the arding of franchises. He asks if lemeter or the government should ;ign the individual franchises, or \ 1 5uld both have a say in the matter? jjiny others have also pointed out ,it each exhibitor will argue that is entitled to a given franchise and, cases of disputes, they ask who 11 sit in and judge? To be sure the exhibitors will have my problems to ponder that even lemeter's electronic brain cannot Ive say the Scolfrtus, is too n operator adio Better than TV ( Continued from page 1 ) esident of Universal-International, le supremacy of radio, said Lipton, due to the tremendous increase in e number of independent radio sta>ns throughout the country — more an twice as many as there were a ■cade ago. Illustrating the wide open market dio offers for film material, Lipton tes the growth of two radio services nng utilized by U-I. One of these, :led "Behind the Hollywood Headles," is a five-minute script written ' that it can be used by a local comentator in any city. Started six onths ago as a weekly service to 300 idio stations, it is now being sent by •quest to 1,000 stations. In addition, U-I has an ever-exanding market for its five-minute pen end transcribed star interviews. Larry Morris and Jerry Sager of the Moss Enterprises, and, rear, Tom Rodgers of Trans-Lux and Max Fellerman of Lopert. First row, Sol Strausberg of the Interboro circuit and Metropolitan Theatre Owners; Jack Perley of Paramount, and Walter Higgins of the Prudential circuit. Second row, Bernard Levy of AB-Paramount; James Gould, treasurer, Radio City Music Hall, and Russell Downing, president of the Music Hall. Bar Eady Aid for US. Films, Guardian Argues From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Aug. 18.-For what many observers here say is the first time, sources outside the film industry have taken up discussion of Americanfinanced production in Britain which qualifies for Eady Fund benefits. This has been one of the most vexing of intra-industry problems. Only last week the Motion Picture Association of America and the Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians reached an agreement limiting the number of U. S. producers and directors on such pictures. Suggestion by 'Guardian' Now the august "Manchester Guardian" taking cognizance of that agreement, and of the lowering of the seat tax here ( which can be expected to swell the Eady Fund), suggests in an editorial that "it might be worth con F. A. Prior, Former CEA President Dies From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Aug. 15 ( By Air Mail). —Fred A. Prior, 69, former president of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association (CEA), died suddenly August 11. He was secretary of the Notts and Derby CEA branch from 1918 until 1944 and president of the Association 1946-7. He was also a partner of Prior and Palmer, chartered accountants and a council member of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors. He is survived by his wife and two children. sidering whether there is some way of restricting the benefit to films that are genuinely British in origin." The "Guardian" also charged that these U. S. -backed "British" films not only enjoy Eady benefits, but "enjoy advantages in the U. S. market that are denied to other British films, and therefore have less need of subsidies." . . . NEWS ROUNDUP 'Delinquent' Reported Strong Jerry Lewis' "The Delicate Delinquent," now playing the Loew's circuit here, is reported by Paramount to have grossed approximately $80,000 for its first two days. The picture recently completed its run on Broadway at the Mayfair Theatre. Gimbel Plugging A.A. Film Gimbel's department store is running full-page ads in the New York "Times," "Journal-American" and "World-Telegram" plugging Allied Artists' "Love in the Afternoon." The ads, with scene stills from the Billy Wilder production, are preceding the opening of the film at the Paramount and Plaza theatres here on Friday. UA Contest for 'Valerie' United Artists, in a promotional tie-up for Hal Makelim's "Valerie," wil] present a DKW De Luxe Hardtop, European automobile, as the prize for a contest in which the contestants must complete the statement: "I would like to own a DKW, the car preferred by Anita Eckberg, star of 'Valerie,' because . . ." 'Marjorie' Starts Tomorrow "Marjorie Morningstar," Warner Brothers film adaptation of the Herman Wouk novel, will go before the cameras for the first time tomorrow at Scaroon Manor, Schroon Lake, in the Adirondack Mountains. Patterson Named ( Continued from page 1 ) planned for New York. The celebration will begin in Hollywood with a program of events, climaxing with the departure of a plane load of stars and personalities, who will carry the "Jubilee" message to approximately 31 cities, winding up with a big celebration in New York City. Civic dinners, a parade and other local observances are planned. Martin S. Davis, eastern director of advertising and publicity for Allied Artists, is chairman of the New York Committee, and has as members of his Committee the following representatives from exhibition and distribution: For distributors— Philip Gerard, Charles Cohen, Ira Tulipan and Mort Nathanson; for exhibition; D. John Phillips, MMPTA; Don S. Rugoff, Rugoff & Becker Theatres; Robert K. Shapiro, managing director, Paramount Theatre; and Martin Levine, general manager, Brandt Theatres.