Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1958)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, January 15, PERSONAL MENTION JULIUS CORDON, president of Al«J \\ed States, returned to Beaumont. Tex., yesterday from New York. • Irving Sochin, general sales manager for Rank Film Distributors of America, has returned to New York from Miami and Jacksonville. • Alfred Hitchcock returned to New York from Jamaica, B. W. I., simultaneously with the arrival here from the Coast of his associate producer, Herbert Colman. • Mrs. Ernest Sands, wife of Warner Brothers New York branch manager, has given birth here to a daughter, Kathy, at Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital. • Jo Friedman, of the Warner Brothers home office field exploitation staff, is in Philadelphia from New York. • Syd Hyams, managing director of Eros Films, Ltd., London, has returned to England from New York via B. O. A. C. • George Josephs, Columbia Pictures home office Eastern sales representative, is visiting key cities of the Southwest. Raise 'Sing' Print Order Twentieth Century-Fox has raised its print order on "Sing Boy Sing" from 300 to 475 to meet more than 1,000 southern playdates starting January 31. Tommy Sands, the young singing star of the picture, will make a 14-city southern tour in behalf of the picture following the premiere at Shreveport, La. Gordon Willing to Travel 'Indefinitely' for Industry Julius Gordon, Allied States Association president, said here at the close of the arbitration meetings yesterday that by the time he had reached his Texas home he would have travelled 18,000 miles round-trip and that he would "keep on travelling" as long as circumstances warranted. "Allied is in favor of anything that will contribute to the well-being and future success of the industry," he commented. M. P. DAILY picture Beginning the campaign (press conference first, then "persuasion" visits by Allied men) to make the companies stop selling to television: Julius Gordon, yesterday, at Allied's New York office, with Wilbur Snaper at his side. Allied Would Halt Sales to TV ( Continued ft appraisal of the situation on the part of the film companies will show them that economically it is to their worst interest to compete with themselves for their share of the boxoffice dollar. "If we're wrong, they'll only increase the value of their backlog. If we're correct, then their natural busines self-interest will tell them what to do." Sees Theatres Best Customers "In so far as independent producers are concerned," Gordon added, "if they intend to keep on producing, we feel it's a matter of self-interest to them to declare the same moratorium. If exhibitors should go out of business, there'll only be three networks and a smattering of independent stations which new pictures can be sold to." Gordon emphasized that Allied's stand was not to be taken as a threat to distributors. "We're all in the same boat," he said. "If they've made a mistake, let's correct it. They're costing themselves millions of dollars a week. I feel confident that distributors will see Allied's point." Hopes for Progress Quickly Allied's position regarding sales to TV will be actively pursued further by the special committee headed by Jack Kirsch, head of Allied of Illinois, and Irving Dollinger, of Jersey Allied, appointed at Allied's national convention in October at Kiamesha Lake, N. Y. The committee is now in the process of arranging meetings with distributors to discuss the problem. Gordon hopes that there will be some definite progress to report on that front by the end of this month. Asked about reports of a proposal for exhibitors to participate in the fr om page 1 ) nancing of the Academy Awards telecast in March, Gordon said he believes theatremen "would refuse to sponsor part of the program if asked." "That," he said, would be "taxation without representation." As for the industry's business-building campaign in general, Gordon said that Allied would get its first official look at the plan this morning when the Motion Picture Association advertisingpublicity directors meet here to discuss the matter and its joint financing by exhibition and distribution. In the absence of Gordon, Allied will be represented by Irving Dollinger and Wilbur Snaper. In favor of "anything that will boost the industry," Gordon commented that he "reads all the tradepapers" and that what he had learned of the business-building program so-far appeared to be heading in the right direction. "It's to the self-interest of the entire industry," he said. Industry Leaders West To Talk TV with SPG From. THE DAILY Bureuu HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 14. The Screen Producers Guild meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the television release of post-1948 pictures with talent guild officers and exhibition leaders will be well attended by Eastern showmen, according acceptances received as of today. Si Fabian, Leonard Goldenson, Sol Schwartz, George Skouras, Mitchell Wolfson and Theatre Owner of America president Ernest Stellings have accepted and will arrive tomorrow evening. Elmer C. Rhoden and Frank Ricketson, Jr., will represent the West at the conclave. '/ndifferenf 0. C Won Over by 'Cowfe Proud as could be over the citing reception" accorded his boy" at a special, $2.50 top sh in Oklahoma City, by traditio "indifferent" movie town, pro Julian Blaustein discussed the and tribulations connected w western epic with the trade pr the Sherry Netherland Hotel here terday. The "Cowboy" one-time she at the Center Theatre in Okla City (Jan. 7) was, according to stein, a shot-in-the-arm for th< tire industry. Tied in with ceren establishing the National Co Shrine and Hall of Fame, the i ing was attended by 17 western governors and received excep coverage in the Oklahoma which, for a city of 300,000 pc tion, "carries little motion pictui vertising, and even less publicit reviews." Show Was a Sellout To prove his point, Blausteii sented a scrapbook-crammed wit] pings of news stories, special fJ articles and photos concerning ] boy" which appeared in the two homa City dailies prior to the s showing. The show was a se with all proceeds donated to th tional Cowboy Shrine. "Cowboy" will have its firs ular showing here at the Capitol tre following the engagement of jour Tristesse." Blaustein haj started work on "Bell, Bool Candle," which will emphasiz rather than cattle. Also a fe dinary human beings like Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Le Ernie Kovacs and Hermione Gi HFPA Dinner Feb. HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 14. ■ annual awards dinner of the wood Foreign Press Associaticbe held Feb. 26. Says Sales to TV Make Cos. Compete with Selv Distributors probably got one tieth of what they lost at th office from the telecasting of ft features on a recent Sunday aft in Boston, Julius Gordon, Allied Association president, estimate yesterday. Said Gordon, "I doubt if an pany likes to compete with Several sales executives that spoken with have admitted th; companies' policies toward T1 been a mistake." MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Ka Photo Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production manager. Canby, Eastern Editors. Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Man National Press Club, Washington, D. C. ; London Bureau, 4, Bear St., Leicester Square, W. 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