Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

4 Motion Picture Daily Monday, November 10, II ij Turkey Settlement Delayed ( Continued ments on its international debts. The motion picture industry is among the ten largest creditors, though MPEA officials have refused to say exactly how much is owed them. Only part of film company earnings is covered by government convertibility guaranty programs. The ten major creditors reportedly have accrued, with future debts, more than $100,000 among them. Henry Kearns, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, called the meeting Friday to get the views of the creditors on what the government should do. Negotiations are now going on in Paris between representatives of Turkey, the U.S., and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, and these talks will likely last well into December. Instead of telling Kearns now what from page 1 ) they want to do, the creditor representatives decided they did not have enough information at this time. They asked Kearns to have one of the U.S. negotiators in Paris brought back to brief the creditors on the progress of the talks, and agreed to set up a small liaison committee to keep all creditor companies informed of progress. ' . They also said that when they do decide on their recommendations, they would like to meet with the policy-setting interdepartmental coordinating committee, consisting of representatives of the State and Commerce Departments and other government agencies, and until the creditors do find out the score and decide on a policy, they said, U.S. negotiators should not enter into any compromise settlement in Paris. PEOPLE Jack O'Bryan, United Artists branch manager in Portland, Ore., also president of the Navy League of the State of Oregon, has been presented a plaque in appreciation of his efforts in promoting Navy Day. □ Pedro Copada and Emil Setzke, Jr., have taken over the Melody Theatre, Inkster, Mich. Buying and booking will be handled out of Detroit by Clark Theatre Service. □ Sam Levin, operator of the Esquire Theatre, St. Lous, has become a member of Theatre Owners of America. □ Alex Dubovenko, owner of the Almont Theatre, Almont, Mich., has taken over his own buying and booking Michigan Allied Unit Renames All Officers Special to THE DAILY DETROIT, Nov. 9. -At a packed meeting of Allied Theatres of Michigan, Inc., the present officers were reelected for the coming year along with a commendation for "the job well done." Re-elected were Milton H. London, president; B. L. Kilbride, Jr., vice-president; Fred Sweet, secretary, and William M. Wetsman, treasurer. The last-named was also selected again as convention chairman, and it was decided to hold the 40th convention at the Hotel Sheraton Cadillac here on Sept. 23-24. London was also elected director of the national Allied board, with Alden Smith as alternate. The board also passed a resolution that "Michigan Allied would take all possible steps to oppose non-theatrical exhibition of 35mm features competing with established theatres." End 'Windjammer' London Engagement From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Nov. 9.-Cinemiracle's "Windjammer" has moved out of the Rank Odeon in London's Tottenham Court Road. No further engagement of the film has been fixed in this country but the understanding is that it is hoped to screen it elsewhere here on a road-show basis. The special equipment installed at the Odeon will be moved out and reconstituted as the Cinemiracle Company's first mobile unit. It is likely that this unit will be taken first to Denmark for the screening of "Windjammer" there. Plans are afoot, too, for the screening of the film in Switzerland. The Tottenham Court Road Odeon will now revert to conventional operation. John Skouras Promoted To UA Campaigns Post John Skouras, United Artists trade publicity representative, has been promoted to the post of assistant coordinator of New York campaigns, it was announced by Roger H. Lewis, UA national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation. Skouras, who has been with United Artists since 1956, will work under Harry Goldstein, coordinator of New York campaigns. Skouras began his association with UA as a member of the presSbook department. He was then moved up as an assistant in the exploitation department followed by the post of assistant to the director of special events. His new position is effective immediately. 'Houseboat' Proceeds To Hospital Group The Social Service Dispensary League of the 42nd Street Beth David Hospital will receive the proceeds of the benefit premiere of Paramount's "Houseboat" Thursday night at the Capitol Theatre here. The Social Service Dispensary League is composed of women devoted to raising funds on behalf of the hospital. Nov. 18 Tentative ( Continued from page 1 ) published in Motion Picture Daily on Oct. 30. Meanwhile, Louis A. Green and Jerome A. Newman, Loew's directors and important stockholders, whose alternate plan to accomplish the divorcement by the spin-off of the Culver City studio rather than the Loew's theatres was voted down by the Loew's board recently, said on Friday they may have a statement to make on the situation today or tomorrow. Their statement has been deferred almost daily for the past 10 days. Fan Magazines ( Continued from page 1 ) menstock, MPA coordinator of promotion and publicity for the 1959 telecast. They told the fan publication editors that the TV show on the night on April 6 will be the 'industry's most important single public relations event." Leading Publications Represented The fan magazine editors said they would publicize the "Oscar" show in their March and April issues. Among those attending the meeting were James Gregory (Movieland), Dick Heller (Movie Mirror-Movie Show), Muriel Babcock (Ideal Publications), Lenore S Avian (TV Star Parade), Micki Siegel (Movie World-TV World), Larry Thomas (Motion Picture), Janet Graves (Photoplay) and Ira Peck (Silver Screen-Screenland). Over 100 Newsmen ( Continued from page 1 ) is fully decked out for the Nov. 14 gala and that a Creole dinner party in honor of the picture's producer— Jerry Wald— and its stars — Pat Boone, Christine Carere, Sheree North and Gary Crosby— will be held following the premiere at New Orleans famous Brennan's Restaurant. Each newspaperman attending will be a masked rider on a float throwing trinkets to thousands of people expected to jam Canal Street. The procession will also have the city's finest marching and mounted units and bands dotted with more than 150 blazing torches, carried by "flambeau" bearers. Philadelphia Bill (Continued from page 1) establish "reasonable tax classifications." If adopted, the bill would deprive the city of about $600,000 annually in taxes. Elimination of the tax, the mayor said, would help revitalize the film industry, especially in the center city area where, he said, 100 theatres have closed in the past five years. MPEA Heart ( Continued from page 1 ) ; it was said, and presumably then , no urgency about the situation v\ I the present agreement having u j Sept. 1, 1959, to run. MPEA decided to continue to trtt with Yugoslavia under the pres four-year agreement, without chan That country had asked for an tension of the agreement. An ex) sion of one year had been agreed* some time ago. Griffith Johnson, MPEA vice-pn! dent for the Continent, reported ( the current situation in Finland : a report was presented on the Egi tian market. Record Attendance ( Continued from page 1 ) man Samuel Schneider. This wa be the largest turnout in the hist of industry drives for JDA, Schnei said. The luncheon, one of the high sj in (the trade's civic endeavors, willl climaxed with the presentation of 1 industry's 1958 Human Relati Award to Robert S. Benjamin, cbi man of the board, United Art Corp., for "distinguished service the cause of community welfare ; human rights." Guest speaker will be Lester Wa man, executive assistant to the nati al director of the Anti-Defamat League of B'nai B'rith. Dais Roster Impressive Leading exhibitors and motion j ture executives who will be seated the dais, as announced by Schneid include Barney Balaban, Ned De net, Russell Downing, Manny Fris Leopold Friedman, Leon Goldbe Irving Greenfield, Alex Harris William Heineman, Saul Jeffee, i thur Krim, Henry Martin, Lo Nizer, Louis Phillips, Sam Rinz; Herman Robbins, George P. Sk< ras, Leslie Schwartz, Adolph Schir and Solomon M. Strausberg. Rabbi Bernard Birstein, Act< Temple, will deliver the invocat: and benediction. Bantam-Fox Tie-In 20th Century-Fox, producers "The Inn of the Sixth Happines have arranged with Bantam Boo publishers of the novel on which t film is based, to include a full-pa ad promoting the picture in o;1 3,000,000 copies of its publication the next two months. The ads w appear in a number of different B« tarn paperbacks. Curtin Signs Contract John P. Curtin has signed a tw year contract with Color Servio Inc., New York film laboratory, serve as vice-president in charge sales. Since Curtin joined the compa; in July this year it has expanded services to include 35mm Eastm color film and negative and pri processing.