Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

October 24. 1958 Motion Picture Daily 00,000,000 in New Films Tg|g0|$|OH "JodfllJ ( Continued from pase 1) ■ * -* M *" 111 ' " **** ( Continued iade by Walter Reade, Jr., sesLairman, who said with prints, sing and distribution costs the Investment of the producers come to $600,000,000. He this tremendous investment without advance cost to exs as greatest assurance of profuture. session, which attracted a full mce of over 150 exhibitor dele[espite attractions of the Florida as addressed by following: John ne, Loew's; Maurice R. GoldAllied Artists; Alex Harrison, Century-Fox; William J. HeineUnited Artists; Abe Montague ube Jackter, Columbia; David ., Universal, and Jerome PickParamount. Radio Executive Heard :>re the talks by sales executives, n McClendon, radio station and specialist in exploitation erchandising, played some radio which have been used with sucq Texas. He stressed the im,ce of having radio spots which 'an imagined transfer" so that itener's own imagination stimui desire to see a particular pic n many good promotion in press books, McClendon theatre executives whether books were really being used, rged all theatre owners to conthemselves with programming xploitation. MGM 'On the Way Back' ne told TOA members that '. was "on the way back" and it intended to remain "the lly company." "We will cote 100 per cent within the conjf what is good business for both ," he pledged. On the product le next 12 months he said that before has the company been to project a program so far in ice. He discussed briefly each :tion on the schedule. Idstein had the audience laughnost of the time. His quips in■d: "One exhibitor group wants government control; another Is less. I'm confused. If you're not ul you'll confuse Congress and , don't take much to confuse >f Buying and Selling Stock plied Artists has been losing fly and the executives have been Kg its stock. United Artists has making money and its executives j been selling stock." 'Ve may be stupid but we are ess. We may grow broke defendj ourselves." in a serious note Goldstein pleaded playing Allied Artists product as nd features where merited; to stop practice of including the company mti-trust suits even when they Id be glad to give the exhibitor n better than he is suing for and support of the four to six major from page 1 attractions planning for the new season. Harrison who had summarized 20th-Fox product plans by reading a wire to the convention from Buddy Adler yesterday confined his remarks to a plea not to prejudge a picture on the basis of a screening room showing. "Screen every picture with a view in mind of seeking ways and means of selling that picture to the public." Heineman pointed to the United Artists promise and delivery of product quarter by quarter in 1958 and announced that the company would have at least 28 top pictures in 1959 costing a total of $60,000,000 to make. Looking even further ahead he said that plans were well advanced to deliver at least 30 top pictures in 1960. Lipton Discounts Rumors Lipton said that while others were spreading rumors about Universal the company was going ahead with production plans. Four pictures have gone into production in the past four months and four more are scheduled to go shortly. Lipton went over the company's release schedule which has 12 films in the next half year. He pointed out that the pictures being made now were major attractions with important star values. "These are the facts about Universal," he said; "judge this for yourself." Montague reviewed the discussion held by the management of Columbia and the decision "to stay in the ^production and distribution business." He recalled, "There was a great temptation to go into a semi-liquidation" but the company has now "retooled" and "looks forward to a great film era." Referring to the differences of opinion on conditions reflected by different exhibitors Montague said, "if the retailers lack confidence or lack a desire for work, we are fools with a lot of courage. Columbia is about to launch its greatest effort. We need encouragement. We need a will to fight." Jackter outlined forthcoming Columbia releases. Particular stress was put on the acquisition of literary properties of screen merit and the securing the services of leading stars. He also explained that the company was anxious to develop "new faces." TV Industry Unity Is Urged by Sarnoff Robert W. Sarnoff, chairman of the board of the National Broadcasting Company, told the network's television affiliates yesterday that the future of television depends on how well "we jointly withstand" the constant stresses from divergent interests that pull a network and its affiliates in opposite directions. Sarnoff spoke before more than 300 TV affiliate executives and members of the press gathered at the Plaza Hotel here for the 12th annual NBC television affiliates meeting. "Thus far," he said, the forces of cohesion have withstood those of division. I personally feel they always will-if the fundamentals of our relationship continue to be viewed in clear perspective. The danger is that expediencies of the moment may obsecure the enduring values of these fundamentals." The mutual interest and need which exists between the network and its affiliates is a valuable asset wordi protecting, Sarnoff said. "When it was under fire in the Barrow hearings, you took the initiative in going to Washington and effectively supporting the Ralph Cohn on U.S. TV Delegation to Russia Ralph M. Cohn, president of Screen Gems, has been asked by the State Department to serve on the U. S. television delegation that will visit the Soviet Union. He will represent the TV film industry of the U. S. in the mission scheduled to start its study of the Soviet broadcasting system in Moscow on Monday of next week. Other members of the delegation will represent the networks, independent broadcasters and educational broadcasters. Cohn will concentrate on Russian TV film production and distribution methods and facilities. At a later date, a broadcasting delegation from the U.S.S.R. is expected to visit the industry in the U. S. The present mission, arranged by the State Department, results from a provision in the Agreement on Exchanges concluded between the U. S. and \he U.S.S.R. on Jan. 27, 1958. integrity of the network-affiliate relationship. If the issue is ever presented so clearly again, I am sure you will respond in the same steadfast manner. Pickman Speaks of Meetings Pickman found by a show of hands that the majority of the delegates had attended a regional Paramount product meeting so instead of going over each picture, he outlined a new policy on cooperative advertising, saying, "We are not reaching the people. We are not going deep enough. How do we let the public know where the picture is playing when they want to see it? We believe that cooperative money is cut off too soon. Paramount is prepared to expand its base of cooperative advertising where such expansion is justified." Pointing to the fact that there now are as many as 8,000 possible per U. S. Majors ( Continued from page 1 ) Picture Export Association, said today. "The major distributors have promised me that they , will each buy one Russian pictures," Johnston told a press conference at the State Department. Present at the conference with Johnston were Kenneth Clark, MPEA vice-president, and Turner Shelton, head of the international motion picture division of the United States Information Agency. The three returned yesterday from a six-week European trip, during which they successfully negotiated with Soviet government representatives the sale and purchase of each country's films. Soviet pictures will not be available for showing here until shortly after the first of the year, Johnston said, because the dubbing or sub-titling which must still be done must be approved by the producing country. He said he thought some of the Soviet films would be shown in downtown, first-run houses, and that there would be considerable interest in several of them. Joanne Woodward ( Continued from page 1 ) te Bardot, Burl Ives, Mickey Shaughnessy and Russ Tamblyn. In almost all cases the selections of the new stars ran true to form in that they won acting honors in extraordinarily successful pictures. Buttons, with a successful television career behind him, won an Academy Award for his role as Marlon Brando's buddy in "Sayonara." Miss Varsi, unknown and with only slight stage experience, was an overnight sensation in "Peyton Place." Griffith, after appearing in the stage version, became the comedian of the year in "No Time for Sergeants." Franciosa has been in demand since "Hatful of Rain" but "This Could be the Night" and "The Long Hot Summer" this year added to his prestige. Hope Lange, after some bit parts on TV and in Hollywood came to public attention in "'Peyton Place" and "The Young Lions." Miss Bardot, whose sensational history is unique among the winners, is the only foreign star to be named among the Top Ten. centage engagements on a top picture, Pickman said the company will extend cooperative advertising to every situation where such spending is justified. "We do not want our money used in place of your money," Pickman explained, announcing that the new policy on cooperative advertising will be tested with the company's next four attractions. He also said that the installation of a new business machine now makes it possible to pay the company's share of cooperative advertising within seven days of the receipts of the approved records. "We will cooperate with exhibition in all direct media over and above a realistic house budget, based on our honest appraisal of the box office potential of the attraction," Pickman declared.