Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1958)

isday, September 11, 1958 I Motion Picture Daily PC 6-Months [Continued from page 1) y there is ample room in the cement field for both motion pici! theatres and television." pting that the public is selective 'loosing its entertainment in both ion pictures and television, Fitzpns says "The improvement in 'heatre operation is a definite indin that we are presenting the type itertainment that is attractive to /er increasing number of people." 5 lists forthcoming product from Disney, Paramount, M-G-M, 20th ury-Fox, Warners and Columbia h will be shown in FPC theatres reports strong advance sales for ved seat tickets for "South Paand "Seven Wonders of the id." ce six months' report shows eamfrom operations amounting to $1,§72, compared to $1,682,409 for xst half of 1957, and total income :ie period of $2,222,947, compared ,873,686 in the previous year, lie regular quarterly dividend of cents per share was voted. nature Not Authentic Continued from page 1 ) showing of the film, "The Last ah," is not authentic, ■m no handwriting expert," the : admitted, "but it is my opinion the signature on the complaint not look like the one on the reHe will have a government writing expert examine the signabefore handing down a ruling hurley's complaint that the film ' d be libelous and defamatory. Vy seeks to block its exhibition, dge McCarthy directed attorneys ■oth parties to prepare for a full [Tig on the case for Sept. 22. risch to Spend Continued from page 1) wny's sights for 1959, which in5 commitments with directors Sturges, Billy Wilder and Rich; i Fleischer, the latter directing I Proving Flight" for producer er Mirisch, Harold said: Lucrative Market II ly brothers and I are convinced iaave only begun to scratch the bilities in the whole area of ennment. We are convinced on the 1 of practical experience that the let for motion pictures in theatres i television will continue to be tive and rewarding, and we are ing our efforts to bring to that et the finest films that can be 7e will continue to offer partnerin joint ventures to other pros, and invite picture makers— acers, directors, writers and stars join with us in the development hat we hope will be the most ng production program in the in y" lancing and releasing of the overotion picture program is provided rnited Artists. Damn Yankees (CONTINUED FROM PAGE I) owned slugger who wins a pennant for the Washington Senators, the principals are those who scored such brilliant successes in the stage original. Gvven Verdon, as Lola, the devil's seductive assistant, and Ray Walston, as Applegate, or the Devil himself, show off to as good, or better, advantage on the screen as ever they did on the stage. The same may be said of others in lesser roles. It is a big, thoroughly enjoyable, professionally polished production, which will afford audiences plenty of amusement. It should be easy to sell, but should reward handsomely any exhibitor who bestirs himself and creates some extra ballyhoo in its behalf. It has been chosen as the first picture to launch the 5,700-seat New York Roxy's new management era later this month. A middle-aged baseball zealot, one of the breed who park in front of television screens eveiy time their team can be tuned in, and pilot the team emotionally from their easy chairs, becomes disgusted with his favorites, the Washington Senators, who can't get out of seventh place for losing to those "damn Yankees." "What we need," he says one night after another Senators' drubbing, "is a long ball hitter. I'd give my soul for one." No sooner said than done. Walston, a dapper, modem Mephistopheles, who also hates the Yankees, bargains to make Hunter the hero who will lead his beloved Senators to victory over the Yankees, his soul to be the price. Hunter takes him up, with only enough misgivings to insist upon an escape clause that will permit him to return to his present status if he so chooses at the end of the season. Started on his career as a husky, 22-year-old diamond star, Hunter yearns for his faithful, middle-aged wife and returns to their home, unrecognized, as a roomer. Annoyed, Walston summons Miss Verdon, who had been the ugliest woman in colonial Providence, R. I., until she sold her soul to him in exchange for seductive physical beauty. She fails to make Hunter forget his wife and, in trying, falls in love with him. At the end of the baseball season she tries to prevent Walston from attending the final game between the Senators and Yankees, on which the pennant hinges, so that he cannot interfere with Hunter. But the Devil reaches the park on the final play of the game and returns Hunter to his middleaged state. Hunter makes the winning play, regardless, and resisting new temptations, exercises his escape clause and returns to his wife. The by now familar songs from the stage play, notably "Lola Gets What Lola Wants" by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, and some striking choreography by Bob Fosse, are items worth emphasizing in selling this fine attraction. Now that another pennant-clinching and World Series season is at hand with the damn Yankees once more involved, the picture even has topical exploitation values, in addition to its many others. The supporting cast is strong throughout, with Robert Shafer as the middle-aged Senators fan whose baseball fanaticism starts things perking; Shannon Bolin as his devoted and long suffering wife; Rae Allen as the enterprising girl sports reporter; Jean Stapleton and Elizabeth Howell as friends from Hannibal, Mo., and Russ Brown, Nathaniel Frey and Jimmie Komack in baseball roles. Abbott and Donen directed and Abbott wrote the screen play, based on his and Douglass Wallop's stage play of the same title and on Wallop's novel, "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant." Running time, 110 minutes. Adult classification. Release, Sept. 26. Sherwin Kane Ricketson Attacks (Continued from page 1) H. Ricketson, Jr., charged today. The National Theatres vice-president in charge of theatre operations speaking before FWC Theatres Southern California division executives at the windup of a three-day conference, urged distributors to look into the increased number of drive-ins with dollar-a-car policies, who are passing an unfair burden on indoor exhibitors charging each patron for a theatre seat. "Such drive-ins," Ricketson said, "depend almost entirely on their con cession sales for profits; and instead of selling motion pictures are selling hot dogs and pizza pies. Ricketson also attacked present dayand-date saturation booking declaring multiple theatre runs must be abolished Change 'Yankees9 Date Warner Bros.' "Damn Yankees" will open on Friday, Sept. 26, at the Roxy Theatre here instead of two days earlier, as announced previously. The delay is due to extra time needed for refurbishing the theatre. UA Schedule ( Continued from page 1 ) of which were completed or being processed and the remaining six were before the cameras. He also announced that eight other quality features were among those being filmed or edited for release in 1959. The UA vice-president further revealed that within the next two months eight additional blockbusters will start rolling in studios and on location here and overseas. These, too, have been earmarked for 1959 distribution, he said. Youngstein described the company's strong production position as the most favorable in its history and disclosed that with the completion of negotiations now in progress, UA expects to have distribution arrangements with 70 production organizations by the end of the year. Today's agenda also featured talks by Fred Goldberg, executive assistant to Roger H. Lewis, national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation; Mort Nathanson, publicity manager; Joseph Could, advertising manager; Mori Krushen, exploitation manager; Maurice Segal, coordinator of West Coast publicity, and Samuel Cohen, foreign publicity manager. End Isolationism (Continued from page 1) forces to Hollywood to meet with individual producers on sales campaigns and merchandising problems. Addressing field representatives attending the UA meeting in the Ambassador, Wilson called on all members of the Screen Producers Guild to prepare themselves for involvement and participation in every element of film making, not only production, but distribution and sales. "The 3,000 miles separating studios from home offices have led in past to dangerous isolationism, which is more out of place now than it ever was," he told assemblage. Para, Sues Holden HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 10. Paramount today filed an amended complaint in Federal Court, accusing William Holden of being in default of contract, naming him, the Mirisch Company and United Artists. Paramount asked the Court to clarify its rights under the contract, and to enjoin Holden, Mirisch and UA from violating their contract. Autometric Elects 3 Autometric Corp., a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, yesterday ' announced the election of three key executives to new vice-presidential posts. Autometric is a research and development firm working in the fields of electronics, data reduction and reconnaissance analysis. Robert Dressier was named executive vice-president; Albert Chesnes, vice-president, operations; and Dr. Ulrich K. Heidelauf, vice-president, systems planning.