Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, October 28, 11 PERSONAL MENTION T_JENRY MARTIN, Universal PicJlT tares general sales manager, returned to New York from Chicago yesterday and will leave here today for Atlanta. • Edward L. Hyman, vice-president of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, and Bernard Levy, his assistant, will leave here today for New Haven, Hartford, Worcester and Boston. • Lee Orgel, Regis Films vice-president, has arrived in New York from the Coast. • Karl F. De Vogt, foreign sales manager for Bavaria Filmkunst, A.G., has arrived in New York from Paris. • Peter Hornes, president of Union Film Distributors, will leave NewYork today for San Francisco, after which he will visit Hollywood. • Tom Jones, Walt Disney studio publicist, has arrived in New York from the Coast for talks with officials of Buena Vista. Harold Robbins, author-producer, will be interviewed on Sunday by Victor Gilbert at Stonehenge Inn, Bidgefield, Conn. • Trevor Howard has left New York for Europe. 'Houseboat' Strong in Three-Theatre Holdover "Houseboat," now playing three engagements, is showing strong holding power, setting second-week records at the theatres, Paramount Pictures reported yesterdav. At the Arcadia in Philadelphia, the first week's gross was $24,053; and the first five days of the second week, $17,074. At the Ontario in Washington, D. C, the first week's take was $16,031; first four days of second, $10,005. At the Saenger in New Orleans, the first week figure was $18,449; for the first four days, second week, $11,377. Hotchner Novel Bought Sapphire Films of Great Britain has purchased A. E. Hotchner's Random House novel, "The Dangerous American" for a 1959 production. Negotiations for U.S. distribution rights are currently in process with several major companies. M By ONLOOKER I ANY on the distribution side do not share TOA board chairman Ernest Stellings' optimism that the radio disc jockey phase of the allindustry business-building program will be under way before the end of the year. Stellings expressed confidence that the radio promotion would be in progress by Christmas after the TOA board meeting in Miami Beach last week authorized the organization to contribute up to $5,000 to make up the $165,000 which represents exhibition's share of the radio campaign. . . . However, distribution has still to express itself on whether it will agree to inaugurating the radio promotion separate from the newspaper campaign and public relations program, which were equally integral parts of the business-building campaign. . . . Distribution is pledged only to match $1,150,000 in exhibition cash, when it is raised, to finance the complete $2,300,000 program which was to have gotten under way last June 1. Before it can scrap that commitment and approve (or disapprove) the new, one-shot procedure, board action by the Motion Picture Association of America will be necessary. From many current indications, affirmative action on such a procedure is far from certain. Instead, many distributors think exhibition would do better to apply all of its energies between now and next spring to trying to raise its full $1,150,000 as originally planned so that the full program might be gotten under way on June 1, 1959, when radio listening is at a peak season and all driveins are open to benefit from the campaign along with conventional theatres. SOME INDUSTRY advertising men occasionally wonder just how serious or widespread is the public criticism of film and theatre advertising. Is it really objectionable to any significant segment of the public? Has it actually offended patrons and friends of the theatres? Or, was it minor, passing unrest caused largely by a succession of simultaneous releases of imported films, sensationally advertised, together with simultaneous release of numerous so-called "horror" films? . . . The answers are not come by easily but it gives pause when the limited reaction to the recent strident cry for censorship raised by the Scripps-Howard columnist Mrs. Walter Ferguson is considered. One writer-to-trie-editor, obviously rejecting Mrs. Ferguson's invitation-to-do-something-about-it, reminds that "To agree to censorship means that we accept the concept that someone else knows what is best for us. It is our duty as parents to perform this job ourselves and not to delegate this responsibility to others." . . . Another says, ". . . it behooves parents to read the (film) reviews diligently. However, the censorship reins must be tightened on plays that can be viewed when we flick on our tv machine." . . . Some patrons, it seems, are far less exercised than those who presume to speak for them. APPEARING ON Edward R. Murrow's CBS-TV Sunday evening program, Eric A. Johnston, Motion Picture Association president, referred to "12" American films having been purchased by the Soviet, "The Bridge on the River Kwai" among them; whereas the agreement Johnston concluded in Moscow calls for 10 American films and "Kwai" is not one of them. . . . It seems the program was taped several weeks before Johnston left for Moscow and those were among the expectations at the time. . . . Just as Joseph R. Vogel, Loew's president, was denying to a Wall Street audience in a luncheon talk last week that "Ben Hur" costs are running away, Frank Farrell, World Telegram & Sun columnist was giving the discredited rumor further circulation. The picture, he wrote, "is reportedly 75 days behind its shooting schedule and around $4 million over the budget." Vogel said it may be "several hundred thousand over budget" when completed, and the company is not complaining. Ifoi * lit 'Breakthrough K ( Continued from page 1 ) I pie are watching movies on TV si on Sundays. So why not movies in a theatre j Sundays? In Canada, only Quebec citizi f can watch Sunday films. What is the attitude of theatre ecutives? John J. Fitzgibbons, president Famous Players Canadian Corpo,. tion, said: "We see no reason w motion pictures should not also made available to those thousar who wish to see new motion pictu at times when they have the leist to enjoy them in surroundings c signed for their proper presentatioi C. R. B. Salmon, executive vie president of Odeon Theatres (Canac Ltd., said that with the imports exception of Quebec, Canada is tt' only country among the westeij democracies that does not permit Suij j, \ day operation of theatres. Private Societies Hold Shows "The success of private film s cieties, which show films on Sunda in some of our theatres, indicates th there is considerable unsatisfied d mand by the public to go to a the tre on Sunday if they wish." If the theatres did open, they wou run into opposition from the Lore Day Alliance of Canada, whose enti objection was built on the argume that theatre employes would have give up their day of rest. Lou Lodge, business agent for L cal 173 of the IATSE, said the unic had always opposed Sunday mov: "But I think there has been change of view on the part of m; of our members. After all, we an depressed industry and there are m; men who are out of work. We havi been able to make the progress o unions have." 0 Si IB j» tb I Am NEW YORK THEATRE! — RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center • CI 6-4600 "CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF1 ELIZABETH TAYLOR • PAUL NEWMAN • BURL IVES JACK CARSON • JUDITH ANDERSON FROM M-G-M IN METR0C0L0R and GALA NEW STAGE SPECTACLE for QUALITY and SPEED E 630 Ninth Ave? New York, N.Y. ' TRAILER' 1327 S. Wabash | CHICAGO S, ILL. D MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief Photo Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Canby, Eastern ^Editors.^Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Build : ^^u^^^^i^i^^i^'^tl Adator; Ric-rd qert-r News Editor; ! ; * ! , „. .^aronson, Editorial Director; Pinky Herman, Vincent mgton, D. C; London Bureau, 4, ""Bear" St! Leicester Sauare W ) ^ Manager; Telephone HOllywood 7-2145; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washprincipal capitals of the world. Motion Picture Daily ^ Burnup Manager; Peter Burnup Editor; William Pay, News Editor. Correspondents in the Center. 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