Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

iy, January 22, 1959 Motion Picture Daily XY MONEY llle research into ancient ali! of witching lore has turned up that in 1959, Friday will fall 3th of the month in February, and November. Over at Nafcreen Service they've prepared il bargain promotion package, iig of a scarifying horror b full-color 40x60 and a triple te ad mat to help exhibitors > special spook shows on those oes to prove that you don't be a witch-doctor to scare up isiness in the theatres. *tributors : i Continued from page 1 ) t mounced his appointments of :,|)!tion area chairmen who have ?red to serve. nal exhibitor chairman, Ed 1 -L. Hyman, vice-president of ... in Broadcasting Paramount 2 K, will announce the exhibitor airmen early next week. *on announced the following managers will serve as distri*rea chairmen and meet next ith the exhibitor area chair 411 Areas Represented W, Edward R. Susse, M-G-M; Foster Hotard, Paramount; Welden Waters, 20th-Fox; Hugh Maguire, Para.; Char W. Greenleaf, Universal-Injal; Chicago, Robert L. Conn, ncinnati, Phil Fox, Columbia; id, Harry Buxbaum, Para.; William ' B. Williams, Fox; Robert C. Hill, Col; Des Vincent F. Flynn, M-G-M. Detroit, Joe Beringhaus, War .; Indianapolis, Ross Williams, | Artists; Jacksonville, Byron : UA; Kansas City, R. C. Borg, ns Angeles, Alfred R. Taylor, demphis, Norman J. ColquCol.; Milwaukee, Joe Imhof, nneapolis, L. J. Miller, U-I; iven, Phil Gravitz, M-G-M. :>ast Executives to Serve New Orleans. Luke Conner, ew York, Louis Allerhand, Oklahoma City, C. A. Gibbs, naha, Herman Hallberg, Fox; phia, Al Glaubinger, UA; gh, Al Kolkmeyer, U-I; Port>re. ), Charles F. Powers, Fox; is, Harry Haas, Para.; Salt ity, Keith K. Pack, WB; San o, Ted Reisch, U-I; Seattle, Davis. M-G-M; and Washingi Bache, WB. REVIEW: The Black Orchid Ponti-Girosi — Paramount — Vista Vision Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn create a couple of recognizable and likeable people in "The Black Orchid," a Ponti-Girosi production for Paramount. And in addition to providing them with roles of range and scope the script of Joseph Stefano sets up some dramatic situations that have the ring of reality and truth. This results in the tvpe of picture that is hard to come bv these davs— a strong and moving drama which pretends to nothing more— or less— than being a "slice of life." While the main situation is a tragic one, everything is made to turn out all right in the end. The conclusion mav not thus be entirely logical, but it leaves the audience in a happy frame of mind. This, combined with humorous touches naturally introduced along the way, keeps the picture from seeming as grim as it otherwise might. Quite clearly, the major appeal of the film to audiences will be in the characters Miss Loren and Quinn winninglv portray— a couple of ItalianAmericans who, both having been widowed, seek to find happiness with each other in remarriage. Miss Loren, the more recently bereaved, is at first suspicious of the hesitant vet steady advances of Quinn and reluctant to shed her mourning weeds. Through perseverance and sincerity he graduallv wins her over, and thev begin to make plans to wed. The scene in which he proposes to her in an ice cream parlor and she unexpectedly accepts on the spot is the most memorable moment in the film— not only because it is at once amusing and moving but because the characters of both are so thoroughly revealed. As Quinn speaks to Miss Loren of his unhappy first marriage (his wife was mentally ill) and his loneliness since then, she comes to understand his need for her. Shvness and reserve melt awav; a rapport is established between two nice people. And at that moment, audience sympathv for them is completely won. This helps to sustain interest in the outcome of their romance, which along about here hits a snag in the objections of Quinn's grown daughter, who is about to be married herself. The resistance of the girl to the remarriage of her father is so intense and neurotic that her about-face at the end when Miss Loren has a talk with her strikes the one false note in the picture. Ina Balin, a newcomer to the screen, does a good job in this somewhat thankless role. And the rest of the cast, under the sensitive direction of Martin Ritt, also performs admirablv. Jimmie Baud is particularly winning as the small son of Miss Loren (by her first marriage) who has been sentenced to a work farm as a juvenile delinquent. Unlike Miss Balin he offers no objections to the remarriage, and the scene in which Quinn formally asks him for Miss Loren's hand is another gem. Other cast members include Mark Richman, Naomi Stevens, Virginia Vincent, and Joe Di Reda. Properlv promoted, "The Black Orchid" should attract a large audience —both among the mass audience and the "art" clientele. Running time, 96 minutes. General classification. Release, in March. Richard Gertner Ferguson to Speak ( Continued from page 1 ) specialized handling of advertising and promotional material for drive-in situations and will also reveal details of the company's plans for the major campaign to be conducted on behalf of its Easter release, "Gidget." Blumberg to UA-TV ( Continued from page 1 ) directly from Independent Television Corp., where he was manager of sales administration and planning. He had previously been vice-president of Television Programs of America, remaining with the company until its merger with ITC last September. To Promote 'Night9 George Justin, producer of Paddy Chayefsky's "Middle of the Night," currently being filmed in New York under Sudan Productions banner, has announced the appointment of Sumner and Friedkin Associates to assist in the national publicity and exploitation campaign on the film. Starts 'Oscar9 Job Harry K. McWilliams has taken over as promotion and publicity coordinator for the 1959 Academy Awards telecast. His appointment for the post was announced recently by Charles Simonelli, chairman of the MPAA advertising and publicity directors committee. Columbia Plan ( Continued from page 1 ) division and branch managers from the Mid-Western states here today. Vicepresident Paul N. Lazarus, Jr., also was on hand to present the promotional program to the meeting. "To attempt to sell a picture today without having developed a distinctive advertising and publicity approach is suicidal," said Jackter, Columbia's general sales manager. Jackter assured the field sales personnel that all of Columbia's forthcoming productions would be handled as individual entertainment "packages," with sales and promotion planning worked out jointly and with the same care that goes into the actual making of the film. Jackter further emphasized that there are no longer any "automatic" films that can be thrown into release with a guarantee of a money-making return. "Those days are gone forever," he said. "It doesn't matter whether you have an exploitation picture or another 'Bridge on the River Kwai', you better have a good publicity and advertising handle before you go out to sell." Pre-Production Drives Set Lazarus then told the meeting that the re-oriented promotional forces of the company now start work on a "package" the moment it goes on the production slate. Intensive pre-production campaigns, especially those having to do with the source of the production, be it book or play, are going to be carried out on the local level by the company's divisional promotion managers and field exploiteers. He also urged the sales executives to aid in keeping exhibitors informed of progress on Columbia productions and told them they would receive a constant flow of material to help them. Lazarus and Jackter both used "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" as an example of the kind of integrated sales and promotion campaigns which Columbia will be developing. The finest carbons ever made.. PROJECTOR CARBONS